CSS 3210
Soil and Crop Management for Sustainability
Syllabus, Spring 2015
"A nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"What we do to the land, we do to ourselves."
- Wendell Berry
4 credits
Lecture: M, W, F 12:20-1:10 Bradfield 105; Lab: M 1:25-4:25; Bradfield 102/105 or as noted.
Course Overview:
You will learn the principles of sustainable soil and crop management for agricultural production and
environmental protection. In the first part of the course, integrated perspectives related to water,
nutrients and organisms in soil will be used to help you build an understanding of the physical,
chemical and biological factors whose interactions affect soil health, crop productivity and
environmental quality. You will gather data on soil health in the laboratory. In the second part of the
course we will discuss management options for addressing soil constraints and environmental
problems from both domestic and international perspectives to help you build the skills to make
sustainable management decisions. You will develop a plan to manage a specific soil more
sustainably.
Text Books:
1. Magdoff, F.R., and H.M. van Es. 2009. Building Soils for Better Crops: Sustainable Soil
Management. Handbook Series Book 10. Sustainable Agric. Research and Education, Waldorf,
MD. Available from book store ($28) or download from sare.org as pdf file.
2. Gugino, B.K., O.J. Idowu, R.R. Schindelbeck, H.M. van Es, B.N. Moebius-Clune, D.W. Wolfe,
J.E. Thies, and G.S. Abawi. 2009. Cornell Soil Health Assessment Training Manual, Edition 2.0.
Cornell University, Geneva, NY. Download at http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu/ or $8 purchase.
3. Mohler, C.L. and S.E. Johnson, editor. 2009. Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning
Manual. Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service, Ithaca, NY. NRAES Series 177.
Download from sare.org as pdf.
4. Clark, A. Managing Cover Crops Profitably 3rd edition. Sustainable Agriculture Network.
Download from sare.org as pdf.
5. Nafziger, E. Chp 5, Cropping Systems. In Illinois Agronomy Handbook. Download here.
Reading Book: Montgomery, D.R. 2007. Dirt - The Erosion of Civilizations. University of California
Press, Ltd., Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA. Available for Kindle or paperback.
Course Material Copyright:
Most course materials will be made available electronically through the course Blackboard site. You
are prohibited against selling or distributing such course materials, which constitutes academic
misconduct.
Course fee:
There is no course fee, but students are responsible for their own paper copies of books or handouts.
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 1
Instructors:
Harold van Es. 1005 Bradfield Hall; hmv1@cornell.edu Office Hours: F 1:30-3:30 pm, or by
appointment.
Matt Ryan. 515 Bradfield Hall, mrr232@cornell.edu. Office Hours: W 1:30-3:30 pm, or by appt.
Johannes Lehmann. 909 Bradfield Hall; cl273@cornell.edu. Office Hours: By appointment
Janice Thies. 722 Bradfield Hall, jet25@cornell.edu. Office Hours: By appointment
Teaching Support:
Lindsay Fennell. Teaching Assistant. 1006 Bradfield Hall. lff39@cornell.edu. Office Hours: W
1:30-3:30 pm, or by appt.
Bob Schindelbeck. Bradfield Hall 1004; rrs3@cornell.edu.
Kathy Howard, kch3@cornell.edu
Grades will be based on:
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Class participation (10%)
Soil Health Project (15%)
Other Homework/Lab Assignments/Quizzes (25%)
Oral test on Montgomery (10%)
Midterm Exam (20%)
Final Exam (20%)
Requirements:
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Class participation: join us on time - we will have occasional free-writes, quizzes or
discussions related to readings at the beginning of class. Please bring your questions!
Participate actively in discussions.
Block off the Saturdays for the required Field Trip (4/18; 4/25 backup date) in your
calendar right away. Participation is mandatory!
Homework: in addition to required readings, homework will include lab reports and
problem sets. Some homeworks will require MS-Excel. Copying of fellow student
spreadsheets will be considered academic misconduct. Please turn assignments in via
email to save $/ink/paper.
Oral test on Montgomery: finish reading Montgomery’s book by March 9th. We will orally
examine you on book content and your thoughts about it during lab that day.
Soil Health Project: Each team of students will conduct the laboratory soil health analysis
for a soil submitted by a farmer to the Cornell Soil Health Lab (You will each individually
analyze your data and produce a lab report). Each team will produce a Cornell Soil Health
Test Report, interpret the report and develop a management plan to address soil health
constraints. Your team will collaboratively present your management plan to the class (15
min presentation) and receive feedback and questions. You will then individually prepare
your "Agricultural Consultant Report". See more details below.
Late assignments will lose 10% of their points per day (i.e. NO credit if > 9 days late!), so
please turn them in on time – that makes a big difference.
Learning Objectives:
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 2
By the end of this course, you will (hopefully!)…
 ….have an appreciation for the grand challenge of sustaining 9 billion people by 2050
 … synthesize and evaluate concepts of sustainable soil and crop management, and relate
and integrate them into your personal experience, through assigned readings, homework,
quizzes, writing, in-class discussion and group collaborative work.
 … develop a quantitative understanding of basic soil physical, biological and chemical
processes through analysis, graphing (in Excel), and interpretation of data for laboratory
and homework activities.
 ….be able to summarize factors affecting crop production and describe common criteria
used to evaluate the sustainability of cropping systems.
 … attain basic competency in assessing and planning sustainable soil management based
on a soil health test and/or field assessment of soils, through applying what you learn from
reading, lectures and hands-on experience.
 …be able to demonstrate the concept of tradeoffs in crop and soil management objectives
and identify the challenges and opportunities for redesigning cropping systems to meet
specific sustainability goals.
Class Schedule:
February Break: Feb 16-17. Spring break March 30-April 3, Last day of class May 6 (Wed)
* Reading and Homework: Readings and Homework are due on the day they are listed. Penalty for
delayed homework is 10% per late day. Bring your questions to class. Chapter assignments listed as
M&vEs are for Building Soils for Better Crops.
Date
Day
1/21
Wed
1/23
Fr
Lecture Themes
Lab Themes
Introductions, course
overview, expectations.
History of Soil and Crop
Mgmt
History of Soil and Crop
Mgmt, Soil Health
1/26
Mo
What is Soil Health?
Soil health testing
principles.
1/28
Wed
Sustainable Crop
Production
Date
Day
Lecture Themes
Lead
Instructors
Reading* and
Homework Due
van Es
Ryan
van Es
Begin Semester Soil
Health Project: start
testing for your team's
soil sample.
Lab Themes
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 3
van Es
Schindelbeck
M&vEs Preface,
Intro, Ch 1-3.
SH Manual, p. 1-41.
Lab Manual Week 1.
Ryan
Start Montgomery
2007 early - oral
exams will be on 3/3.
Lead
Instructors
Reading* and
Homework Due
Date
Day
1/30
Fri
2/2
Mon
2/4
Wed
2/6
Fri
Lecture Themes
Lab Themes
Types and
Characteristics of
Cropping Systems
Soil-crop water budget;
Precipitation, ET,
Drought
Soil Physics: Water in
soil, pores, water storage
& movement 1
Continue Soil Health
Project.
Excel demonstration.
Lead
Instructors
Reading* and
Homework Due
Ryan
Ch 5 Cropping
Systems by Emerson
Nafziger.
van Es
Schindelbeck
Lab Manual Week 2.
van Es
Soil Physics: Water in
soil, pores, water storage
& movement 2
M&vEs Ch 5-6.
van Es
Infiltration and Runoff
experiment. Videos
"Thirsty Planet-Water for
the Fields" and "Waters of
Discord" and discussion
2/9
Mon
How water moves
through soil, discussion
2/11
Wed
Watersheds, Hydrology,
Runoff
van Es
Watershed exercise
due in class.
2/13
Fri
Irrigation
van Es
M&vEs Ch 17.
Runoff + Infiltration
Lab due
2/16
Mon
BREAK
2/18
Wed
Drainage
Schindelbeck
Soil-Water Relations
Excel Homework
due.
2/20
Fri
Soil Chemistry: nutrients
and pollution 1
Lehmann
M&vEs Ch 7
2/13
Mon
Soil Chemistry: nutrients
and pollution 2
Lehmann
Soil Chem Lab
Manual Week 5.
2/25
Wed
Importance of organic
matter in soils; Organic
matter inputs
Fennell
M&vEs Ch 9, 12-13.
Watershed Excel
Homework due.
2/27
Fri
Soil Chemistry lab, and
continuation of Semester
Team Project
Soil Biology: The Living
Soil 1
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 4
van Es
Thies
Date
Day
Lecture Themes
Lab Themes
3/2
Mon
Soil Biology: The Living
Soil 2
Exploring the ecology of
soil
3/4
Wed
Ecological soil and crop
management principles;
Holistic management.
Fri
Soil Health Testing &
Management Framework
Soil health management
principles.
3/9
Mon
Integration of physical,
chemical and biological
processes: Rotation,
Adapt-N and climate
change.
3/11
Wed
Crop Rotation 1
3/6
3/13
Fri
Individual Oral Exams
on Montgomery 2007
during lab. Adapt-N
computer lab exercise.
Location: Mann Library,
Rm 112
Crop Rotation 2
Finish Semester Team
Project measurements
(bioassay, dry weights),
start excel analysis.
Watch and discuss
“Symphony of the Soil”
Lead
Instructors
Thies
van Es
M&vEs Ch 8
van Es
SH manual, p. 40-end
and Soil Health
Management
Planning page.
van Es
Ryan
Ferrell
M& vEs Ch 11.
Ryan
Semester Project:
Soil Health Data
Analysis due.
Mohler and Johnson
Crop Rotation
Manual. p 1-32.
van Es
Ryan
Fennel
Lab Manual Week 7.
M&vEs Ch 14-16
Mo
Midterm Exam
3/18
Wed
Tillage systems, soil
consistency
van Es
3/20
Fr
Tillage systems
van Es
3/23
Mo
Cover Crops Basics
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 5
Adapt-N website and
manual. Adapt-N lab
manual Week 7.
Finish Montgomery
2007.
Ryan
3/16
Exploring Cover Crops,
group presentations on
findings; video: Cover
Crops and Crop Diversity
Reading* and
Homework Due
M&vEs Ch 4. Thies
& Grossman, 2006.
Soil Ecology & SH
Test Lab Manual
Week 6. Hand in at
end of lab.
Ryan
Kathy Howard
M&vEs Ch 10,
Managing Cover
Crops, p 1-61.
Lab Manual Week 9.
Adapt-N lab
assignment due.
3/25
Wed
Recent Advances in
Cover Cropping
Date
Day
Lecture Themes
3/27
Fri
Lab Themes
Video: "Life in the soil"
Ryan
Cover Crop Lab
Worksheet due.
Lead
Instructors
Reading* and
Homework Due
van Es
Video available to
watch online – send
a paragraph with
thoughts/questions.
Lehmann
M&vEs Ch 18-21.
Have a good SPRING BREAK!
4/6
Mon
Nutrient management:
N, P, and other nutrients.
Biochar - characteristics
and uses.
4/8
Wed
Nutrient management 2,
and discussion
Fr
Pest Management, Soil
Health and Cropping
Systems
4/10
4/13
Mo
Perennial cropping
systems (pastures,
hayland, agroforestry)
4/15
Wed
Soil Compaction
4/17
Wed
Erosion
4/18
Sa
Activity: Soil
Management in
Developing Countries
van Es
Ryan
Animals, pastures and
climate (Allan Savory).
Understanding drought
and desertification;
"Vegetable Farmers and
their Sustainable Tillage
Practices".
Discussion
Mo
Energy Use and
Greenhouse Gases
4/22
Fri
Soil conservation 1
Ryan
Reading TBD.
M&vEs Ch 15
van Es
van Es
Ryan
Schindelbeck
Field Trip (8am – 5pm)
4/20
Ryan
Mohler and Johnson,
p 32-46. Smith, Ryan,
and Menalled, 2011,
Weed Management
(pdf).
Exercise using whole
farm models to estimate
energy use and GHG
emissions. Computing
Lab in Rm 112 in Mann
Library.
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 6
Ryan
Reading TBD
van Es
Schindelbeck
M&vEs Ch 14.
Ryan
Date
Day
Lecture Themes
Lab Themes
4/24
Fri
Bringing it all together.
Environment, Climate.
Discuss Sustainable &
Conservation Ag.
4/25
Sa
Field Trip backup date
Exercise in using USLE
and RUSLE2 – NRCS’s
erosion modeling
software. Location: Stone
Computing Lab in Mann
Library.
Lead
Instructors
Reading* and
Homework Due
Ryan
van Es
M&vEs Ch 22-23.
van Es
Lab Manual Week
11. RUSLE lab
worksheet due at end
of lab.
Mo
Soil conservation 2
4/29
Wed
Policy dimensions and
professional
opportunities in soil and
crop management
van Es
5/1
Fr
Soil Health Management
Planning
van Es
GHG Assignment
due.
van Es
Ryan
(SH manual, 40-end
and Soil Health
Mgmt Planning
page.) Bring all
resource books for
presentations.
4/27
5/4
Mo
Targeting management
decisions at measured
soil constraints
5/6
Wed
Wrap-up semester and
Review
5/xx
FINAL EXAM
Soil health test report
interpretation exercise
and presentation of
Semester Group Project
Management Plans to
class
van Es
Ryan
Scheduled by the
University Registrar for
XXXXXXXX. Alternate
time (RSVP for this
option required by 5/7):
XXXXXX
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 7
Agricultural
Consultant Report
due 5/xx.
Soil Health Project Overview
Soil Health Assessment and Management Planning
Measuring soil health indicators in the laboratory: In the first part of the semester, you will act as a
team of Laboratory Technicians. You will conduct the laboratory soil health analysis for a soil from a
grower's field. You will measure physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health and create
a Cornell Soil Health Test. These indicators represent soil processes that affect soil health, crop
productivity and environmental quality.
Developing a Soil Health Management Plan: Your group will then act as Agricultural Consultants
in the second part of the semester. You will interpret the values you measured in the lab and how these
processes will affect soil health and crop productivity. You will determine what kinds of soil
constraints you have found for your group's farm sample, and environmental problems that could
potentially result from these. You will receive information about the origin of your soil, site history
and the opportunities and challenges faced by the farmer of this soil. Based on all of this information
you will develop a plan feasible for this particular farmer, to manage this soil more sustainably, by
addressing the soil constraints you have identified. You will write up this plan in a report to the
grower.
Soil Health Project Assignments
1. Data Analysis and Cornell Soil Health Test Report: Individually, process your group's data in the
provided excel template (SoilHealthTemplate.xlsx), making sure to show all of your calculations by
using appropriate functions in the excel cells. Then create a Cornell Soil Health Test Report in the
blank report provided in the last worksheet of this file. 35% of project grade.
2. Group Presentation: As a group, (we will do this exercise in class on May 5) collaboratively
develop a soil health management plan to target the soil constraints you have identified, and present
your plan to the class. You will use the concepts and knowledge of practical management practices
you have learned over the course of the whole semester to develop this plan. Your group will lead a
discussion with the class to gather feedback, so that you can write your Agricultural Consultant
Report. 20% of project grade.
3. Agricultural Consultant Report: Individually, write a 5-6-page (double spaced) Agricultural
Consultant Report based on your findings for the farmer’s soil sample and your revised
management plan. The report should be written in the professional tone of an agricultural consultant
making recommendations to the grower. 45% of project grade. It should include all of the following
sections with headings. You may want to consider writing sections a-c alongside your lab work and
data analysis, while this is fresh in your mind.
a. Introduction - briefly introduce to the grower what you mean by soil health and why
testing for soil health is important to his/her operation.
b. Methods - briefly describe 1) methods you used to measure each indicator in the lab,
and 2) how you determined whether measured values were constrained (primarily based
on SH training manual)
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 8
c. Results and Constraints Identified - Include and refer to the Cornell Soil Health Test
Report in this section (show the Cornell Soil Health Test report as a figure on one page
- this page does not count toward your page limit). Briefly summarize the complete data
set (including given values). Inform the grower on which indicators were constrained,
and which were not. Which soil processes are functioning well, which are functioning
poorly? How might these affect crop growth (during regular or extreme conditions) or
the environment on his/her farm?
d. General Short- and Long-term Management Practices that could potentially
alleviate and prevent the identified constraints. (Briefly, using Table 5 on p 52 of Soil
Health Manual, and the updated NRCS soil health table)
e. Suggested Management Strategies - Suggest a specific plan for the next year, and a
general long-term plan for transitioning to more sustainable management. Specifically
address how practices suggested in this plan will alleviate and then prevent the current
constraints, and how this plan is in line with logistical, economic, or personal
challenges and opportunities of this farm (why/how will this work for this particular
grower/farm?). Remember that this is the most important part of the report from the
farmer’s perspective.
f. References - include any references you cite in the text
g. Including pictures with captions, in addition to the soil health test report, is encouraged
(does not count as part of the 5-6 pages).
Remember, this is a consultant report for a farmer to use as they change their management; not
an academic paper! It should be easy and informative to read.
Please turn these assignments in via email to save $/ink/paper.
A Note on Academic Integrity:
There is a significant amount of group-collaboration in this class, and you are encouraged and
expected to learn with, and from, your peers. You can and should help each other in learning
sometimes-difficult concepts and skills. However, you ARE expected to carry out your own thinking,
writing and calculations for assignments, as you are responsible for your own learning. Writing that is
quoted or paraphrased from other sources should explicitly acknowledge the source. Exams should be
completely your own work. Assignments found to be plagiarized from a fellow student or other source
will receive a grade of zero the first time. A second incident constitutes an F in the course. We refer
you to the Cornell Academic Integrity Code for further details:
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/AIC.html.
Syllabus, Version 2015, page 9