COURSE CODE: SOS 513
COURSE TITLE: Soil Physics
NUMBER OF UNITS: 3 Units
COURSE DURATION: Three hours per week
COURSE DETAILS:
Course Coordinator: Dr. J. K. Adesodun. BSc., MSc., PhD
Email: adesodunjk@unaab.edu.ng
Office Location: Room 233, COLPLANT
Other Lecturers: Prof. F. K. Salako; Dr (Mrs.) S. J. Akinsete
COURSE SYNOPSIS:
Soil physics as a basic and an applied science. Soil phases: solid, liquid and air; volume-mass relationship. Soil solid: texture; colloids and surface area of soil particles; bulk density and porosity; soil consistency; soil strength; stress-strain relationships. Soil compaction, hardsetting and surface crusts. Soil water; water content; soil water potential; principles of saturated and unsaturated water flow. Available soil water; Soil hydrology, solute transport and water quality; Soil heat; energy balance of the earth’s surface; soil temperature; modification of soil temperature; Soil air; soil atmosphere composition; gaseous exchange in soil; soil air and plant growth. Relevance of soil physics to soil management: tillage; soil productivity; soil erosion; irrigation; drainage.
Practical: Soil core sampling for bulk density and water content determinations; Penetrometer resistance measurement; Water retention determination at various potentials; Measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil temperature etc.
