Jordan University of Science and Technology
Faculty of Agriculture
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
First Semester 2006/2007
Course Title
Course Information
SOIL FERTILITY AND FERTILIZERS
Course Number
(NR 412) (Line #: 644120)
Prerequisites
NR 202 & PP 205
Course Website
Instructor
Prof. Munir Rusan
Office Location
Office Phone
22200
Office Hours
Mon & Wed 11:00 – 12:00 OR by appointment
E-mail
mrusan@just.edu.jo
Teaching Assistant
Course Description
NR 412: Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (3C, 3H)
Soil chemical and physical properties as related to soil fertility. Plant nutrients and their classification,
functions, soil and plant contents, reactions and availability in the soil. Movement and absorption of plant
nutrients. Fertilizers classification, types and application methods. Soil fertility evaluation and fertilizer
recommendations. Fertigation and advanced techniques in fertilizer applications. (Prerequisite: NR 202,
PP 205)
Text Book
Title
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, An introduction to Nutrient Management
Author(s)
Publisher
Havlin, J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale, S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New Jersey;
Year
1999
Edition
6th Edition
-
Book Website
References
Text Book
Title
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Author(s)
Publisher
Tisdale, S. L., W.L. Nelson, and J.D. Beaton
Macmillan Publishing Co., N. Y. 1993
Year
1993
Edition
5th Edition
Book Website
References
Assessment Policy
Assessment Type
Expected Due Date
Weight
First Exam
25%
Second Exam
25%
Final Exam
40%
Assignments
10%
Course Objectives
Weights
To develop an understanding of the:
1. Soil fertility and productivity, role of soil in supplying nutrients to plants, growth
factors
2. Major soil-plant relationships and their influence on the main soil functions and
phenomena that affect soil fertility parameters
3. Mineral nutrients: requirements, classification forms and functions in the plants
10%
15%
15%
4. Fertilizers of the major macronutrients and micronutrients: sources, forms, reactions
in the soil, environmental concerns
5. Development, characterization and management of acid soils and salt affected soils
30%
6. Types, and methods of fertilizer application: techniques, advantages and
disadvantages
7. Soil fertility evaluation, fertilizer recommendation
10%
10%
10%
Teaching & Learning Methods
Lecture notes will be presented in:
1. Power point presentation
2. Handouts
3. Field trips
Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
Related Objective(s)
Reference(s)
Objective 1
1. How to distinguish between
soil fertility and soil
productivity and how to
manage or control factors
affecting both fertility and
productivity of the soil
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Objective 2
2. Soil physical and chemical
properties that affect
availability of nutrients in the
soil, and learn how to
consider these properties for
optimizing fertilizer
management
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Objective 3
3. Classification of nutrients
based on various categories
according to the objectives of
the classification. Beside,
they will learn terminology
related to status of the
nutrients in the plant tissues.
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Objective 4
3. Nature, behavior and
availability of the native
nutrients in the soil; how
they interact with
agricultural crops; how to
consider these data to
make the right decision
on which nutrients should
be added.
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Objective 5
4. How to manage and/or
reclaim acid soils and salt
affected soils (both saline
and sodic soils). How to
optimize both crop and
soil management to
successfully use these
types of soil without
further degradation of the
soil
5. Learn how to evaluate
soil fertility based on
visual observations, soil
chemical testing and
plant tissue analyses.
How to make
representative samples
and how to prepare them
for analysis and make
fertilizer
recommendations based
on the results of the
analysis
3. Learn about the most
popular methods of
fertilizer application;
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Objective 6
Objective 7
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
1. Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers, An
introduction to Nutrient
when, where to place and
how to implement each
method. They will also
learn how to select the
best type, form of
fertilizers for various soil
and crop conditions
Management. By Havlin,
J.L; Beaton, J.D; Tisdale,
S.L; and Nelson, W.R.
Prentice Hall, New
th
Jersey; 1999, 6 edition
2. Handouts
Useful Resources
Text book
Lecture notes
Handouts
Course Content
Week
Topics
1
Introduction:
Soil fertility; Soil productivity
Growth and the factors affecting it:
Factors affecting plant growth; Growth
expressions
Plant nutrients:
Essentiality and classification of plant nutrients;
Definitions (deficient, insufficient, excessive,
toxic, competition, antagonism, synergism)
Basic soil- plant relationships:
Anion and cation exchange; Contact exchange;
Root cation exchange
Movement of ions from soils to roots:
Mechanisms; cell membrane and ion absorption
mechanisms by roots
Soil and nitrogen fertilizers:
N cycle; Soil N; Plant N; N fertilizers;
Environmental concern
Soil and phosphorus fertilizers:
P cycle; Soil P; Plant P; P fertilizers;
Environmental concern
Soil and potassium and sulfur:
Soil K and S; Plant K and S; K and S fertilizers;
Soil and micronutrients:
Soil and plant contents; Fertilizers
micronutrients
Salt-affected soils:
Origin and sources of soil salinity; Classification;
reclamation and management
Fundamental of fertilizer application:
Methods of application; Advanced techniques of
fertilizer application – fertigation
2
3
4&5
6&7
8&9
10
11
12 & 13
14
15 & 16
Additional Notes
Chapter in Text (handouts)
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Chapter 1 and Handouts
Assignments
Expected due date
Exams
Workload
Exams will be hold on time as scheduled unless the university is off.
Makeup exam is allowed only under very serious situation and the makeup exam
will be given by two instructors and in two parts (written and oral). The makeup
exam is always more challenging
Cheating will be reported to the department Chair for further processes. Penalties
vary from getting zero in the exam to dismissing for a semester or more
Attendance of the lectures is obligatory (15% is max. allowable absence starting
from lecture #1)
Attendance, preparation, assignments, exams,
Graded Exams
Graded exams will be given back to the students
Participation
Participation is encouraged
Laboratory
The lab is separate course
Projects
Term papers
Cheating
Attendance