ADVANCED SOIL, WATER AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR HORTICULTURAL CROPS

Course Objectives

To give students both practical and theoretical knowledge on plant nutrition. It will enable students to conduct both advanced and applied research on plant nutrition and integrated nutrient management. Moreover it will train students on consulting and making practical guidelines on integrated nutrient management to farmers and other target groups.  understand the role of nutrient elements in growth and metabolism of plants and overall productivity

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition for Crop Productivity

       1.1.1. Definitions and Concepts of Soil Fertility

 1.1.2. History of Soil Fertility

                        1.2. Long Term Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Use Trends

                        1.3. Soil water and Plant Growth      

CHAPTER 2: NUTRIENT MOVEMENT, UPTAKE AND ASSIMILATION          

                         2.1. Movement of Ions to Roots

                                2.1.1. Root Interception

                                2.1.2. Mass Flow

                                2.1.3. Diffusion

                         2.2. Ion Uptake Mechanism

                                2.2.1. Passive Ion Uptake

                                2.2.2. Active Ion Uptake

CHAPTER 3: PLANT WATER RELATIONSHIP

                        3.1. Soil Water Relationship

                        3.2. Basic Processes in Plant Water Relations

                        3.3. Physiological Aspects of Water

CHAPTER 4: NUTRITION AND PLANT GROWTH

                             4.1. Factors Affecting Plant Growth

                                 4.1.1. Environmental Factors

                                 4.1.2. Genetic Factors

                         4.2. Growth Expressions and Equations

                         4.3. Nutrient Utilization and Metabolism

                         4.4. Nutrition and Yield Responses

                         4.5. Nutrition and Plant Quality

 

CHAPTER 5: MAJOR NUTRIENT CYCLE

                          5.1. Carbon Cycle

                          5.2. Nitrogen and Sulfur Cycle

                          5.3. Phosphorus and Potassium Cycle

CHAPTER 6: SOIL FERTILITY EVALUATION AND FERTLIZER APPLICATION

                         6.1. Diagnosis of Fertility Status

                                6.1.1. Symptoms Observation

                                6.1.2. Soil Test

                                6.1.3. Plant Tissue Analysis

                          6.2. Fertilizers Application

                                4.2.1. Methods of Application

                                4.2.2. Crop Response to Fertilizers Application

                           6.3. Economic of Fertilizers Use

CHAPTER 7: INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGMENT     

                          7.1. Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers

                          7.2. Biofertlizers

                          7.3. Nutrient Management in Hydroponic System

CHAPTER8: NUTRIENT & WATER REQUIRMENT FOR HORTICULTURAL CROPS      

                          8.1. Nutrient Requirement of Horticultural crops

                          8.2. Irrigation Requirement of Horticultural crops

PRACTICAL

·         Soil fertility evaluation by symptoms observation/diagnosis

·         During the education tour, students will have to identify a nutrition-related management problem of the farm they visit and present their findings with their own solutions/recommendations Observation different laboratory equipment which are used for soil and plant analysis

·         Field visit to coffee processing station in SNNPR and coffee quality control unit at ECX, tea production at state farm in Mizan Tape area and spices processing at Mojo.

·         Principles and methods soil and plant nutrient analysis

ASSESSMENT METHODS

    Assignment …………….15%

    Presentation…………… 15%

    Term paper……………..10%

    Practical…………….......10%

    Final Exam………………50%