Courses Description

 

621 SOSC Soil Physical Chemistry                                                                          3 (3+0)

The solid-liquid interface in soils. Application of surface charge and electrical double layer in soil system. Chemical reactions in soils. Kinetic reactions in pure and heterogeneous systems. Equations to describe kinetic reactions in clay and soil. Thermodynamics of soil solution. Precipitation and dissolution reactions in soils .

622 SOSC Chemistry of Soil Organic Matter                                                        3 (2+1)

The nature of organic matter. Molecular structure of organic matter. Classification of organic matter. The processes and factors of humus formation. Functional groups of organic substances. Nature binding of humus substance with mineral components. Adsorption complexes. The role of organic matter in soil formation and soil fertility .

623 SOSC Chemistry of Soil Colloids                                                                    3 (2+1)

Introduction to colloidal systems. Properties of soil colloids. Electric potential of clay particles. Equilibrium between attraction and repulsion forces. Interactions of soil colloids, amorphous materials in soils. Silica, Aluminum, and Iron oxides and hydroxides in soils. Organic colloids in soils .

631 SOSC Organic Manure and Bio-fertilizers                                                   2 (2+0)

Organic manure sources-production methods, types of organic manure and its evaluation factors- affecting their quality- types of Bio-fertilization proliferation, carriers- preservation and expiry date, efficiency of Bio-fertilizers .

651 SOSC Applications of Remote Sensing in Soil                                          2 (2+0)

Development of remote sensing systems. Relationship between sensing systems and electromagnetic energy. Sensors and wavelength limits. Satellite data and images and its application in agriculture. Light energy interactions with soil surface, plants, and water. Use of air photograph in natural resources survey. Application of remote sensing data in: Soil spatial variability, farm management, monitoring changes in land use, and soil degradation .

652 SOSC Soil Classification and Evaluation                                                  3 (2+1)

Pedological and artificial systems. FAO system. American system of soil taxonomy and the subsequent developments. Diagnostic characteristics used. Detailed studies of the different levels. Aridisol , Entisol and Mollisol orders. Field applications of soil classification to Saudi soils. Land evaluation systems for different land use. Soil evaluation for irrigated agriculture. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Soil Information Systems (SIS ).

661 SOSC Transport Processes in Soil Environment                                   3 (3+0)

Transport processes of water, heat, and solutes in soils. Physical and mathematical description of non steady transports in unsaturated zone with emphasis on analytical and numerical solutions to water and chemical contaminants transport in soil environment. Detailed study on the convection and hydrodynamic dispersion. The chemical and biological reactions affecting solute movements. The environmental importance of transport processes in soils .

662 SOSC Soil, Water, Plant Relationships                                                   3 (3+0)

Soil as medium for plant growth, with emphasis on interactions between soil physical properties and plant growth. Basic environmental variables (temperature, humidity, wind and radiation) and their relations with plant- soil- atmosphere exchange processes. Factors affecting movement of water from soil to plant. Mathematical equations and computer models will be used to study the water movement from soil to plant .

671 SOSC Soil Biochemistry                                                                         3 (2+1)

Biodegradation of organic compounds. Enzyme activity of soil microorganisms. Bio-oxidation of inorganic compounds. Relationship between enzyme activity and microbial growth kinetics. Metabolites produced from biological activity of soil micro flora. Microbial growth regulators. Microbial polymers and soil properties .

672 SOSC Bioremediation of Environmental Soil Pollutants                  2 (2+0)

Soil pollutants and their role in the inhibition of some biological processes in soil. Microorganisms used in bio-remediation. Selection of most active strains. Methods of application. Factors affecting their activity. Rate of Bioremediation of different pollutants. Byproducts and their persistence in soil. Microbial volatilization of some toxic heavy metals .

690 SOSC Selected Topics in Soil Sciences                                            2 (2+0)

Advanced and current topics in one of the soil science fields (Soil chemistry, soil fertility, plant nutrition, soil pedology, soil physics, soil microbiology, and soil mineralogy). Student registers with one of the staff in the respected field .

691 SOSC Seminar (1)                                                                                 1 (1+0)

Discussion of Advanced research problems in soil science .

692 SOSC Seminar (2)                                                                                 1 (1+(0

Discussion of Advanced research problems in soil science .

700 SOSC                                                      Thesis