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Soils and Fertilizers

Course developers

Prior knowledge

LauZ2046, Agricultural Resources

Course abstract

Students gain insight into soil functions, properties, fertility and soil fertility management, plant nutrition, fertilizers and their application. Soil agrochemical research (mapping), degradation and soil classification issues are discussed. Students learn basic principles of fertilizer system development and evaluation of its efficiency.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. Students able to determine soil morphological properties - practical work
2. Students can determine the physical and chemical properties of soil. They have the competence to evaluate and interpret the obtained results - laboratory works
3. Have knowledge and skills in soil diagnostics. Able to perform soil diagnostics and classification - laboratory and practical work
4. Students are familiar with soil formation factors, its physical, chemical and biological properties. There is an understanding of soil organic matter and its formation. Knowledge of soil water. – Test No. 1
5. Students know the units used in soil science and agrochemistry, is able to compare them - practical work
6. Students can evaluate soil reaction and choose appropriate liming material and its application rate by various methods - laboratory and practical work
7. The principles of determination of soil agrochemical properties are recognized. Students able to evaluate the determined properties of soil - practical work
8. Students know the basic principles and technologies of soil liming. They are educated in the agrochemical properties of soil, their importance for plant nutrition and the basic principles of plant nutrition. There is an understanding of industrially produced fertilizers. Students know different types of organic fertilizers, and principles of using in agriculture. - Test No. 2
9. Students know the most used fertilizers. They can characterize their physical and chemical properties, explain their application - practical and laboratory work
10. Students can calculate the required amount of fertilizers for different crops - practical work
11. Students able to calculate the amount of organic fertilizers using different calculation methods, determine the capacity of the manure storage. Students can to evaluate and determine the need and amount of organic fertilizer based crop specifics and environmental requirements - practical work
12. Students are educated in technologies of mineral fertilizers and organic fertilizers using. Students are able to choose mineral fertilizers for crop fertilization, can to plan the use of fertilizers, know the mineral and organic fertilizers using agronomic and environmental requirements. There is an understanding of soil degradation - Test No. 3
13. Students understand the principles of plant nutrient balance calculation - practical work
14. Students are able to determine agronomic and economic efficiency of used fertilizers - practical work

15. Students can to make presentation of one common crop fertilization and argue fertilizers choose - practical work

Course Content(Calendar)

Lectures (24 h)
1. Soil formation factors and processes.
2. Soil composition and physical properties.
3. Soil biology. Soil organic matter.
4. Soil water and availability to plants.
5. Chemical properties of soil.
Test No. 1 - Students are familiar with soil formation factors, its physical, chemical and biological properties. There is an understanding of soil organic matter and its formation. Knowledge of soil water.
6. Soil liming.
7. Soil agrochemical research (mapping)
8. Soil fertility and plant nutrition.
9. Mineral fertilizers
10. Organic fertilizers.
Test No. 2 - Students know the basic principles and technologies of soil liming. They are educated in the agrochemical properties of soil, their importance for plant nutrition and the basic principles of plant nutrition. There is an understanding of industrially produced fertilizers. Students know different types of organic fertilizers, and principles of using in agriculture.
11. Fertilization systems
12. Fertilizer application technologies and efficiency.
13. Soil, fertilizers and environment.
14. Soil degradation.
15. Soil classification, mapping and evaluation.
Test No. 3 - Students are educated in technologies of mineral fertilizers and organic fertilizers using. Students are able to choose mineral fertilizers for crop fertilization, can to plan the use of fertilizers, know the mineral and organic fertilizers using agronomic and environmental requirements. There is an understanding of soil degradation.

Laboratory work (24 h)
1. Soil analysis. Determination of coarse fragments.
2. Determination acidity soil: actual and exchangeable.
3. Determination of water-stabile structure of soil.
4. Determination of available phosphorus and potassium in soil.
5. Soil diagnostics. Morphological features of soil. Soil color, granulometry (field method), structure, packing density, neoformations, stickiness and plasticity.
6. Soil profile structure, identification of genetic horizons.
7. Determination of physical and chemical properties of fertilizers.
Practical works (16 h)
1. Units of measurement used in agro chemistry.
2. Calculation of liming material using.
3. Soil agrochemical properties and soil fertility.
4. Classification of Latvian soils: automorphic, semihidromorphic and hydromorphic soils. Determination of soil types and subtypes.
5. Fertilizers. Nitrogenous, phosphorous, potassium, complex and trace element fertilizers. Collection of fertilizers.
6. Fertilizers rates calculation. Calculation of required storage space
7. Calculations of organic fertilizer production. Calculation of required storage space.
8. Nutrient balance.

9. Calculation of agronomic and economic efficiency of used fertilizers.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Conditions for passing the exam.
1. all laboratory works have done and passed;
2. all practical work topics get;
3. homeworks should have positive evaluation;
4. all tests should have positive evaluation;
5. mineral fertilizer collection are acquired and passed
6. prepared and presented topic of crop fertilization

Written exam.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Literature studies according to the study program.
Interpretation of laboratory results and conclusions
Individual tasks were done in practical work topics
Homework No.1: Evaluation of soil agrochemical properties. Carry out an assessment of the specific situation, giving the necessary corrections to the agrochemical properties of the soil (provide an assessment of the situation, the measures to be taken and, if necessary, calculate the liming, submitted electronically).

Homework No.2: Fertilization principles of most important corps. Major crop fertilization. Preparation of presentation about fertilization for one crop; choose of fertilizers have to be substantiated. (public presentation)

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

If all the requirements for passing the exam are fulfilled and get an average grade of at least 6 point in the 3 tests on the defined topics, students can automatically match the grade on the exam.
Obtained points in tests do not exclude the possibility of passing an exam to improve grades. The final grade is the results of the exam.

Compulsory reading

1. Augsnes ilgtspējīga izmantošana (2008) O. Nikodemus, A. Kārkliņš, M. Kļaviņš, V.Meleckis. Rīga: LU akadēmiskais apgāds. 256 lpp.
2. Latvijas augšņu noteicējs (2009) A. Kārkliņš, I. Gemste, H. Mežals, O. Nikodemus, R. Skujāns. Jelgava: LLU. 240 lpp.
3. Kārkliņš A. (1996) Agroķīmija: Lekciju konspekts, I un II daļas. Rīga: Ražība. 382 lpp.
4. Agroķīmija (1984). J. Naudiņa red. Rīga: Zvaigzne. 325 lpp.
5. Ģeoloģija, augsne, agroķīmija (2008). Metodiskie norādījumi mācību praksei. A. Kārkliņa red. Jelgava: LLU. 88 lpp.
6. Augkopība (2004). A. Ružas red. Jelgava. 374 lpp.
7. Kārkliņš A., Līpenīte I. (2018). Aprēķinu metodes un normatīvi augsnes iekultivēšanai un mēslošanas līdzekļu lietošanai. Jelgava: LLU. 200 lpp.
8. Augsnes diagnostika un apraksts (2008) sast. A. Kārkliņš. Jelgava: LLU. 336 lpp.
9. Augsnes diagnostika un apraksts: Lauku darbu metodika (2007) sast. A. Kārkliņš. Jelgava: LLU. 120 lpp.
10. Riņķis G. (1995). Augu barošanās diagnostika. Jelgava: LLU. 40 lpp.
11. Štikāns J., Kažociņš V., Līpenīte I. (1996). Augu barības elementu izskalošanās meliorētās augsnēs. Jelgava: LLU. 29 lpp.
12. Boruks A. (2004). Dabas apstākļi un to ietekme uz agrovidi Latvijā. LR Valsts zemes dienests. 166 lpp.

13. Zemes izmantošana un kadastrs (2001) A. Boruka red. Rīga. 408 lpp.

Further reading

1. Latvija: Zeme, daba, tauta, valsts. O. Nikodemus, M. Kļaviņš, Z. Krišjāne, V. Zelčs (zin. redaktori). Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2018. 752 lpp.
2. Mūsdienu Latvijas topogrāfiskās kartes. (2001) Rīga: Valsts zemes dienests. 203 lpp.
3. Bambergs K. (1993) Ģeoloģija un hidroģeoloģija. Rīga: Zvaigzne. 327 lpp.
4. Agroķīmiķa rokasgrāmata (1978). Sast. A. Pāvule. Rīga: Liesma. 339 lpp.
5. Riņķis G., Ramane H. (1989). Kā barojas augi. Rīga: Avots. 151 lpp.
6. Labas lauksaimniecības prakses nosacījumi Latvijā (2008). LR ZM. 54 lpp.
7. Gemste I., Vucāns A. (2010). Notekūdeņu dūņas. Jelgava: LLU. 276 lpp.
8. Gemste I., Smilga H., Ventiņš J. (2009). Notekūdeņu dūņas un augsne. Jelgava: LLU Ūdenssaimniecības un zemes ZI. 272 lpp.
9. Palabinskis J. (2004). Organisko mēslu izkliedētāji. Jelgava: LLU. 63 lpp.
10. Rokasgrāmata: Ieteikumi kūtsmēslu krātuvju būvniecībai. 88 lpp.
11. Soil Conditions and Plant Growth (2013). Ed. by P.J. Gregory, S. Nortcliff. Hoboken
[N.J.]: Wiley – Blackwell. 461 p. (LLU Lasītavā 631.4; 14/149)
12. Foth H.D., Ellis B.G. (1997). Soil Fertility, 2nd ed. Lewis Publishers. 290 p. LLU 276256; 99/600.
13. Tisdale S.L. et al. (1993). Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 5th ed. Prentice Hall. 634 p. LLU 273377; 98/425.

14. Plant nutrition for food security (2006). A guide for integrated nutrient management. R. N. Roy, A. Finck, G.J. Blair, H.L.S. Tandon. Rome: FAO. 350 p.

Periodicals and other sources

Augsnes profili
Uzskates materiāli
Minerālmēslu kolekcija

Interneta resursi