Syllabus and Course Breakup

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Syllabus and Course Breakup SYLLABUS AND COURSE BREAKUP 1st SEMESTER 1st YEAR B.Sc. (Ag.) 2016-17 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, BHUBANESWAR OUAT, BHUBANESWAR 0 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, BHUBANESWAR SYLLABUS AND COURSE BREAKUP 1st SEMESTER, 1st YEAR B.Sc. (Ag.) 2016-17 Sl Course No. Course Title Credit Hours No. 1. Hort-111 Fundamentals of Horticulture 2 (1+1) 2. AS-111 Statistical Methods 2(1+1) 3. AC-111 Fundamentals of Soil Science 3(2+1) 4. Fo(Ag)-111 Introduction to Forestry 2 (1+1) 5. SE-111 Comprehension & Communication Skills in English 2 (1+1) 6. AG-111 Fundamentals of Agronomy 4(3+1) BB-111/ Introductory Biology*/ 2 (1+1)*/ 7. BM-111 Elementary Mathematics* 2(2+0)* 8. AG-112 Agriculture Heritage* 1(1+0)* 9. EE-111 Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology 2(2+0) 10. EE-112 Human Values & Ethics (non gradial) 1(1+0)** NSS-111/ NSS**/ 11. NCC-111/ NCC**/ 2 (0+2)** PE-111 Physical Education & Yoga Practices** TOTAL 17+04*/03*+03** *R: Remedial course; **NC: Non-gradial courses I. AGRONOMY AG-111 - Fundamentals of Agronomy -Credit hours: 4(3+1) SYLLABUS Theory Agronomy and its scope, seeds and sowing, tillage and tilth, crop density and geometry, Crop nutrition, manures and fertilizers, nutrient use efficiency, water resources, soil plant water relationship, crop water requirement, water use efficiency, irrigation- scheduling criteria and methods, quality of irrigation water, water logging. Weeds- importance, classification, crop weed competition, concepts of weed management-principles and methods, herbicides- classification, selectivity and resistance, allelopathy. Growth and development of crops, factors affecting growth and development, plant ideotypes, crop rotation and its principles, adaptation and distribution of crops, crop management technologies in problematic areas, harvesting and threshing of crops. Practical Identification of crops, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and tillage implements, Effect of sowing depth on germination and seedling vigour, Identification of weeds in crops, Methods of herbicide and fertilizer application, Study of yield contributing characters and yield estimation, Seed germination and viability test, Numerical exercises on fertilizer requirement, plant population, herbicides and water requirement, Use of tillage implements-reversible plough, one way plough, harrow, leveler, seed drill, Study of soil moisture measuring devices, Measureme nt of field capacity, bulk density and infiltration rate, Measurement of irrigation water. 1 COURSE BREAKUP Principles of Agronomy (Theory) Class Topic Details # Agronomy and its 1 Meaning and scope of Agronomy. Agriculture and agronomy. Agronomy as scope an art, science and business Crop rotation and 2 Crop rotation- definition, principle, advantages, characteristics of crop principles rotation and examples Tillage and Tilth 3 Tillage- definition , objectives, advantages, tilth, types of tillage 4 Effect of tillage on soil properties, tillage implements, harvesting implements Seed and sowing 5 Plant propagation, Seed vs. seed materials, seed vs. grain, seed quality assessment, types of seed, seed treatment, breaking dormancy and extension of viability 6 Sowing; time, depth and spacing, types of sowing, sowing methods- broadcasting line sowing, drilling, planting, transplanting, thinning and gap filling Crop density and Plant population, plant population and growth, dry matter partitioning, geometry 7 response curve, optimum plant population, factors affecting optimum plant population. crop stand establishment, planting geometry and its effect on growth and yield. plant population in intercropping/paira/mixed cropping. competition for light, space, nutrients & moisture, plant interaction in mixed crop competition, allelopathy, annidation in space and time Growth and 8 Growth vs development, growth curve, photosynthesis, respiration, development of translocation of assimilates; plant growth substances. physiological growth crops components, growth analysis- LAI, LAD, CGR, RGR, NARetc 9 Factors affecting Crop growth and development, limiting factors, laws governing growth, yield analysis, yield attributes , limiting process, : phenology and phenophases Revision, discussion, model questions Plant ideotypes 10 Ideotype concept, ideotypevs plant type, morphological and physiological features, plant ideotype for rainfed and irrigated agriculture, ideotypes for different crops Crop nutrition 11 Essential elements, forms of essential elements absorbed by plants, criteria of essentiality, functional element, ballast element, classification of elements (amount of nutrient, mobility of nutrients, chemical nature of nutrients, functions in plant), sources of nutrients, losses of nutrients, function, source, deficiency and toxicity symptoms of essential elements, Nutrient uptake and absorption by plants-passive absorption( mass flow, diffusion, ion exchange-Donnan equilibrium, Carbonic acid exchange theory, contact exchange), active absorption-carrier concept, ion pump concept, protein synthesis hypothesis). Manures and 12 Definition, differences, organic manures, importance of organic manure, fertilizers and FYM and compost, green manures, biofertilisers and types, classification nutrient use of fertilizers depending upon number of nutrients, conc. of nutrients, efficiency physical form of nutrients, acidity and basicity of fertilizer, equivalent acidity, equivalent basicity, fertilizer grade, fillers, fertilizer ratio. nutrient use efficiency( physiological, agronomic) and recovery. ways to improve nutrient use efficiency in crops. Crop management 13 Management of crops in different problematic soil areas, physical constraints technologies in viz. soil crusting, swelling and shrinkage, eroded soils and waterlogged problematic areas soils, chemical constraints viz. acidity, iron toxicity, alkalinity, salinity 14 Management of crops in different adverse climate conditions like drought conditions, flooded condition and cyclone prone areas. Harvesting and 15 Maturity indices for different field crops and judging maturity, harvesting threshing of crops implements, threshing, drying, cleaning, bagging and storage Adaptation and 16 Crop ecology, adaptation and acclimatization and geographical distribution distribution of crops of cropsRevision, discussion, model questions 2 Principles of Agronomy (PRACTICAL) Class Topic Details # 01 Identification of crops, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and Aims and objectives, tillage implements Materials and equipments 02 Effect of sowing depth on germination and seedling vigour, required, 03 Study of yield contributing characters and yield estimation Principles and procedures 04 Seed germination and viability test followed, 05 Numerical exercises on fertilizer requirement, plant Observations recorded, population Calculation, 06 Use of tillage implements-reversible plough, one way Result interpretation, plough, harrow, leveler, seed drill Precautions Water management (Theory) Class Topic Details # Water resources 01 Water resources of India and Odisha .Surface and Ground water resources; Problems of water resources in India: spatial and temporal distribution; conflicting objectives of water resources development – increasing sectoral competition , 02 Irrigation in Indian agriculture: Importance of irrigation in Indian economy, medium and minor irrigation projects and. Irrigation potentials; Population, food grain requirement and irrigation requirements. .Irrigation improvement, Soil- plant- water 03 Soil-Water relationship: Soil as a system. Basic soil physical properties relationship influencing soil-water relationship Energy concept of soil water; Forces acting on soil water Soil water Tension and Soil water Stress; Soil Water potential concept: 04 Classification of soil water, Soil Water constants: . Soil water-tension relationship; Soil water retention, Available soil moisture 05 Infiltration: Movement of water in soils: Water movement in Saturated and Unsaturated soil, Movement of water from saturated to unsaturated soils, Water movement in vapour form in soils. 06 Role of water in plant; Water absorption by plants: Water in soil-plant- atmosphere system and it’s path way; Water absorption process,Water and plant process . Soil moisture extraction pattern Crop water 07 Water requirement of crops on demand basis & source basis; Effective requirement rainfall .Net and Gross irrigation requirement, irrigation period, Frequency and interval ; Duty and Delta relations. Water requirement of crops. Evapotranspiration 08 Evaporation, transpiration and evapotranspiration; Evapotranspiration and consumptive use; Evapotranspiration and crop growth; Types of evapotranspiration, ; Crop coefficients.Factors affecting evapotranspiration: Irrigation- 09 Objective and advantages of scheduling irrigation, Factors influencing scheduling criteria irrigation schedules . Approaches/criteria for scheduling irrigation, soil critera 10 Plant criteria and critical periods of water need, climatological approach- IW/CPE ratio approach Methods of 11 Methods of irrigation: surface irrigation methods: Wild flooding; Check irrigation: flooding, Basin flooding, Ring irrigation, Contour ditch irrigation, Border flooding ; Furrow flooding . subsurface irrigation. 12 Micro irrigation- sprinkler and drip irrigation; Components of drip and sprinkler system; Types of sprinklers and drips. Principles of selecting the systems, Water use 13 Introduction, Irrigation efficiencies, Water Use Efficiency, Crop WUE, Field efficiency WUE; Factors responsible for increasing/decreasing WUE, Measures to increase
Recommended publications
  • Pore Size Distribution of Sandy Soils and the Prediction of Permeability
    SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING JOINT HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROJECT FHWA/IN/JHRP-81/15 PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SANDY SOILS AND THE PREDICTION OF PERMEABILITY CM. Juang te^^^ ^^- PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation; Indiana Department of Transportation http://www.archive.org/details/poresizedistribuOOjuan Interim Report PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SANDY SOILS AND THE PREDICTION OF PERMEABILITY To: H. L. Michael, Director August 13, 1981 Joint Highway Research Project Project: C-36-5N From: R. D. Holtz, Research Engineer Joint Highway Research Project File: 6-6-14 Attached is an Interim Report on the HPR-1(19) Part II Research Study entitled "Effects of Pore Size Distribution on Permeability and Frost Susceptibility of Selected Subgrade Materials". This is the fourth report from this study and it covers Task E of the approved work plan. The author of the report is Mr. Charng-Hsein Juang who worked under the supervision of Prof. C. W. Lovell and myself. The report title is "Pore Size Distri- bution of Sandy Soils and the Prediction of Permeability". The results of the study show the usefulness of pore size distribution parameters for characterizing the fabric of sandy soils. They are also useful for predicting the permeability of such soils. The author has developed a statistical prediction equation which uses the PSD parameters and which is shown to give an accurate estimate of permeability for compacted soils ranging from sands to clays. The Report is a partial fulfillment of the objectives of the Study.
    [Show full text]
  • GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES from DRAINED PEAT SOILS a Comparison of Different Land Use Types and Hydrological Site Characteristics
    C600etukansi.kesken.fm Page 1 Tuesday, November 8, 2016 3:14 PM C 600 OULU 2017 C 600 UNIVERSITY OF OULU P.O. Box 8000 FI-90014 UNIVERSITY OF OULU FINLAND ACTA UNIVERSITATISUNIVERSITATIS OULUENSISOULUENSIS ACTA UNIVERSITATIS OULUENSIS ACTAACTA TECHNICATECHNICACC Pirkko Mustamo Pirkko Mustamo Pirkko Professor Esa Hohtola GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES University Lecturer Santeri Palviainen FROM DRAINED PEAT SOILS Postdoctoral research fellow Sanna Taskila A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT LAND USE TYPES AND HYDROLOGICAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS Professor Olli Vuolteenaho University Lecturer Veli-Matti Ulvinen Director Sinikka Eskelinen Professor Jari Juga University Lecturer Anu Soikkeli Professor Olli Vuolteenaho UNIVERSITY OF OULU GRADUATE SCHOOL; UNIVERSITY OF OULU, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY Publications Editor Kirsti Nurkkala ISBN 978-952-62-1460-3 (Paperback) ISBN 978-952-62-1461-0 (PDF) ISSN 0355-3213 (Print) ISSN 1796-2226 (Online) ACTA UNIVERSITATIS OULUENSIS C Technica 600 PIRKKO MUSTAMO GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES FROM DRAINED PEAT SOILS A comparison of different land use types and hydrological site characteristics Academic dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Doctoral Training Committee of Technology and Natural Sciences of the University of Oulu for public defence in Kuusamonsali (YB210), Linnanmaa, on 27 January 2017, at 12 noon UNIVERSITY OF OULU, OULU 2017 Copyright © 2017 Acta Univ. Oul. C 600, 2017 Supervised by Professor Bjørn Kløve Reviewed by Professor James Michael Waddington Professor Dave Campbell Opponent Professor Harri Vasander ISBN 978-952-62-1460-3 (Paperback) ISBN 978-952-62-1461-0 (PDF) ISSN 0355-3213 (Printed) ISSN 1796-2226 (Online) Cover Design Raimo Ahonen JUVENES PRINT TAMPERE 2017 Mustamo, Pirkko, Greenhouse gas fluxes from drained peat soils.
    [Show full text]
  • Lnt. Agrophysics,1993, 7,133-140 MEASUREMENT TIME AND
    lnt. Agrophysics,1993, 7,133-140 MEASUREMENT TIME AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF FIELD INFIL1RATION M. Kutilek, V. Kuraz, M. Krejca Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Czech Technical University in Prague Thaikurova 7, 166 29 Prague 6, Czech Republic A b s t r a c t. Infiltration studies were performed on For the estimation of some soil hydraulic arenic chemozems of quartemality fluvial terrace of Labe functions the inverse solution of inftltration is (Elbe). We studied the applicability of infiltration equations of Philip (2-pararnetric ), and 3-pararnetric, of Brutsaert and applicable as an expedient and fast method. Hy­ Swartzendruber, using 70 inflitration tests performed on a draulic functions and parameters of inftltration regular grid on a plot covered for 4 years by grass. The best are then used for the quantitative discussion on applicability was found for the 3-pararneter equations, but the dynamics of soil structure. Our studies there is no unique recommendation. The probability density function (PDF) of estimates of soil hydraulic characteristics were, therefore, aimed at the evaluation of the is defonned by errors of estimates due to the approximate field inftltration tests. The main problems were: character of equations used. The log-normal distribution is a 1. Field testing of quasi-analytical and ap­ well-acceptable approximation for sorptivity S, saturated proximative equations of infiltration. hydraulic conductivity Ks and rates of inflitration. Only for 2. Application of the tested equations to the some estimates of hydraulic functions a weak spatial va­ riability was found for the distance of 7.5 m. Long time va­ study on the long time alteration of the soil fabric riability of infiltration and its parameters after ploughing and porous system after ploughing.
    [Show full text]
  • Determinant and Consequence of Trophic Interactions
    Research Collection Review Article The physical structure of soil: Determinant and consequence of trophic interactions Author(s): Erktan, Amandine; Or, Dani; Scheu, Stefan Publication Date: 2020-09 Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000424423 Originally published in: Soil Biology and Biochemistry 148, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107876 Rights / License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International This page was generated automatically upon download from the ETH Zurich Research Collection. For more information please consult the Terms of use. ETH Library Soil Biology and Biochemistry 148 (2020) 107876 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Soil Biology and Biochemistry journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/soilbio Review Paper The physical structure of soil: Determinant and consequence of trophic interactions Amandine Erktan a,*, Dani Or b, Stefan Scheu a,c a J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Gottingen,€ Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Gottingen,€ Germany b ETHZ, Universitatstra€ ße 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland c Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Gottingen,€ Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Gottingen,€ Germany ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Trophic interactions play a vital role in soil functioning and are increasingly considered as important drivers of Soil pores the soil microbiome and biogeochemical cycles. In the last decade, novel tools to decipher the structure of soil Soil microhabitat food webs have provided unprecedent advance in describing complex trophic interactions. Yet, the major Microbiota challenge remains to understand the drivers of the trophic interactions. Evidence suggests that small scale soil Mesofauna physical structure may offer a unifying framework for understanding the nature and patterns of trophic in­ Soil food web ’ Matric potential teractions in soils.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded from the Online Library of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)
    INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SOIL MECHANICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING This paper was downloaded from the Online Library of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). The library is available here: https://www.issmge.org/publications/online-library This is an open-access database that archives thousands of papers published under the Auspices of the ISSMGE and maintained by the Innovation and Development Committee of ISSMGE. 158 And Plasticity Index of soils. A.S.T.M. de­ 4) Ultra-mechanical analysis of soils: Puri, signation: D.424-39. A.S.T.M. Standards. A.N., and B.R. Puri: 3. Afrlc. Scl., 1941, Part II. Non-metallic materials - Construc­ ¿I, 171-7. tional. The American Society for Testing 5)T h e Sub-division of the clay fraction in Materials Philadelphia, Pa., 1944 (The So­ mechanical analysis: Russell, B.W.: J .Agric. ciety). Scl., 1943, 22 (?). 147-54. 3) Classification and Identification of Soils. 6) Electron micrographs of clay minerals: Casagrande, As Proc. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 1947. Shaw, B.T., and R.P. Humbert.: Proc. Soil 2 1 , pp. 783-810. Scl. Amer. 1941, 6, 146-9. -o-o-o-o-o-o- SUB-SECTION II b IDENTIFICATION TESTS || b 1 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM POROSITIES OF SANDS J.J. KOLBUSZEWSKI DIPL.ING. Imperial College, University of. London 3. Stone Court 52 - 100 B.S.S. INTRODUCTION. 4. Stone Court Medium-Uniform 5. Stone Court Well-graded This, paper presents the results of re­ 6. Ham River 25 - 52 B.S.S. search to determine limiting porosities for any given sand.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Tex Markup Language for 3D and 2D Geological Plotting
    F O U N D A T I O N S O F C O M P U T I N G A N D D E C I S I O N S C I E N C E S Vol. 46 (2021) No. 1 ISSN 0867-6356 DOI: 10.2478/fcds-2021-0004 e-ISSN 2300-3405 Using TeX Markup Language for 3D and 2D Geological Plotting Vasiliy Lemenkov*, Polina Lemenkova** Abstract. The paper presents technical application of TeX high-level, descriptive markup language for processing geological dataset from soil laboratory. Geotechnical measurements included equivalent soil cohesion, absolute and absolute deformation index, soil compressibility coefficient by time of immersion depth, exposure time to compressive strength to samples and physical and mechanical properties (humidity, density). Dataset was received from laboratory based experimental tests of the phys- ical and mechanical properties of soils. Data were converted to csv table and processed by LaTeX. Methodology is based on LaTeX packages: {tikz}, {tikz-3dplot}, {tikzpicture}, {pgfplot}, {filecontetns}, {spy} for 3D plotting showing correlation in variables and descriptive statistical analysis based on the data array processing. Results demonstrated LaTeX scripts and graphics: 2D and 3D scatterplots, ternaries, bar charts, boxplots, zooming techniques detailing fragment of the plot, flowchart. Research novelty consists in technical approach of TeX language application for geo- logical data processing and graphical visualization. Engineering graphics by TeX was demonstrated with screenshots of the codes used for plotting. Keywords: LaTeX, TeX, markup language, plotting, data visualization, data analysis, geotechnical modelling, soil compression, 3D modelling, 2D modelling 1. Introduction The presented research aims at the assessment of the soils properties in engineering and geological works where road construction is planned.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Science
    Soil science Prof. Blaskó, Lajos Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. Soil science: Prof. Blaskó, Lajos Publication date 2011 Szerzői jog © 2011 Debreceni Egyetem. Agrár- és Gazdálkodástudományok Centruma Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. Tartalom ............................................................................................................................................................ v 1. Definition of soil ............................................................................................................................. 1 1. .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Soil functions .................................................................................................................................. 2 1. .............................................................................................................................................. 2 3. The composition of the soil ............................................................................................................ 4 1. .............................................................................................................................................. 4 2. Mineral matter ....................................................................................................................... 5 3. Soil organic matter ...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Conceptual Framework Underpinning Management of Soil Health
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by SRUC - Scotland's Rural College Scotland's Rural College Conceptual framework underpinning management of soil health - supporting site- specific delivery of sustainable agro-ecosystems Stockdale, EA; Griffiths, BS; Hargreaves, PR; Bhogal, A; Crotty, FV; Watson, CA Published in: Food and Energy Security DOI: 10.1002/fes3.158 Print publication: 01/05/2019 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication Citation for pulished version (APA): Stockdale, EA., Griffiths, BS., Hargreaves, PR., Bhogal, A., Crotty, FV., & Watson, CA. (2019). Conceptual framework underpinning management of soil health - supporting site-specific delivery of sustainable agro- ecosystems. Food and Energy Security, 8(2), [e00158]. https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.158 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 19.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil and Environmental Analysis Physical Methods Second Edition Revised and Expanded
    Soil and Environmental Analysis Physical Methods Second Edition Revised and Expanded edited by Keith A. Smith University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland Chris E. Mullins University of Aberdeen Aberdeen, Scotland Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York • Basel TM Copyright © 2000 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Soil and environmental analysis : physical methods/edited by Keith A. Smith, Chris E. Mullins. —2nd ed., rev. and expanded p. cm. — (Books in soils, plants, and the environment) Rev. ed. of: Soil analysis. 1991. ISBN 0-8247-0414-2 (alk. paper) 1. Soil physics—Methodology. 2. Soils—Environmental aspects. I. Smith, Keith A., II. Mullins, Chris E. III. Soil analysis. IV. Series. S592.3 .S66 2000 631.4Ј3—dc21 00-060207 The first edition of this book was published as Soil Analysis: Physical Methods. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Headquarters Marcel Dekker, Inc. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 tel: 212-696-9000; fax: 212-685-4540 Eastern Hemisphere Distribution Marcel Dekker AG Hutgasse 4, Postfach 812, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland tel: 41-61-261-8482; fax: 41-61-261-8896 World Wide Web http://www.dekker.com The publisher offers discounts on this book when ordered in bulk quantities. For more information, write to Special Sales/Professional Marketing at the headquarters address above. Copyright ᭧ 2001 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Characteristics Soil Science
    Craig R. Miller Parks & Open Space Manager www.cpnmd.org Soil Characteristics There are several ways to describe soil. Understanding the characteristics of soil helps the gardener amend soil. Urban soil is often quite different from the native soil. The native soil may have been compacted by heavy equipment and traffic. It may be removed before construction and sold as TOPSOIL. Subsoil excavated from basements is often dumped on the surface. Soil Science 101 Soil Texture • Soil texture is the relative volume of SAND, SILT and CLAY particles in a soil. • Soil texture affects the water-holding capacity of soil, movement of water through the soil and ease of cultivation. Particle Size • Sand particles are the largest, between 0.05 and 2 mm in diameter (visible to the naked eye). • Silt particles are between 0.002 and 0.05 mm in size (the size of talc). • Mineral particles smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter are called clay (these particles are microscopic). Textural Classes • Sand is obviously the largest particle. Soils that are coarsely textured are sandy. • Medium-textured soils have equal parts sand, silt and clay. • Finely textured soils are mostly clay or clay and silt. • The same weight of clay can hold 50 times as much water as very fine sand particles. • Soils containing a high percentage of clay are undesirable because the small particles pack tightly together, leaving little pore space for air and available water. This type of texture makes digging difficult. • Even though clay is usually nutrient rich, nutrients are too tightly bound to be easily released.
    [Show full text]
  • Simulating Microbial Degradation of Organic Matter in a Simple Porous System Using the 3-D Diffusion-Based Model MOSAIC O
    Simulating microbial degradation of organic matter in a simple porous system using the 3-D diffusion-based model MOSAIC O. Monga, Patricia Garnier, Valerie Pot-Genty, E. Coucheney, N. Nunan, W. Otten, Claire Chenu To cite this version: O. Monga, Patricia Garnier, Valerie Pot-Genty, E. Coucheney, N. Nunan, et al.. Simulating microbial degradation of organic matter in a simple porous system using the 3-D diffusion-based model MOSAIC. Biogeosciences, European Geosciences Union, 2014, 11 (8), pp.2201-2209. 10.5194/bg-11-2201-2014. hal-01192468 HAL Id: hal-01192468 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01192468 Submitted on 27 May 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution| 4.0 International License Biogeosciences, 11, 2201–2209, 2014 Open Access www.biogeosciences.net/11/2201/2014/ doi:10.5194/bg-11-2201-2014 Biogeosciences © Author(s) 2014. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Simulating microbial degradation of organic matter in a simple porous system using the 3-D diffusion-based model MOSAIC O. Monga1,
    [Show full text]
  • Numerical Modeling of Soil Gas Mobility in Shallow Unsaturated Zones
    Numerical Modeling of Soil Gas Mobility in Shallow Unsaturated Zones by Jiaqi Weng A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Earth Sciences (Hydrogeology) Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2021 © Jiaqi Weng 2021 Author's Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract In 2016, greenhouse gases (GHG) released from agricultural soils were estimated to be between 19 and 24 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent with an increasing temporal trend. The processes controlling soil gas mobility in the vadose zone are poorly understood and significantly influence GHG emissions during a seasonal cycle. In this research, conceptual models of the fate of GHG in the vadose zone are presented and investigated through numerical modeling tools. By employing HydroGeoSphere (HGS), the soil gas emissions are estimated by tracking transient variations in soil water storage, assuming that soil pores are occupied either by gas or by water. It is also assumed that the compression, dissolution, and reactions within the water and gas phases are negligible. Therefore, variations in soil water saturation can be converted to variations in soil gas saturation and subsequently, GHG emissions. Field data collected at one of Agriculture Canada’s WEBS research stations near Ottawa, Ontario were used to inform the numerical experiments. One- and three-dimensional simulation domains were used to investigate the influence of soil type, weather, macropore fraction, tile depth and number, ground surface relief, soil heterogeneity, and storm intensity on the mobility and emission behavior of soil GHG.
    [Show full text]