CGA1103 Soils and Fertility Management

The course involves the study of the origin morphology, distribution and properties of soil it also involves the study of soil productivity improvement, soil and water conservation in addition to irrigation for purposes of agricultural production in areas where rainfall is either insufficient or poorly distributed.

Course objectives

• To appreciate the importance of soil in agriculture.
• To explain the physical and chemical properties of soils
• Carryout practices that maintain/improve soil fertility 
• Carryout practices that conserve soil and water
• To explain the water irrigation and drainage technologies for sustainable farming

Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain what soils are, their importance and distinguishing different approaches used in their study
• Explain the constituents of soil
• Identify the different soil horizons
• Explain and identify the different structural and textural classes of the soil
• Improve the fertility of soils using various organic and inorganic fertilizers
• Carrying out measures to conserve soil and water for agricultural production
• Design and Carry out simple irrigation technologies on the farm
• Draining excess water from water logged land.