JORD230 Soil as Plant Growth Medium

Credits (ECTS):15

Course responsible:Trine Aulstad Sogn Tomasgaard

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:375 hours

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in August block. This course has teaching/evaluation in August block and Autumn parallel.

About this course

Content: Soil physics: The volumetric relationships in soil, consistency, soil water, soil air, soil temperature, soil compaction, erosion and soil amendment. Bio- geo- chemical processes: Ion exchange, sorption, precipitation, weathering, redox reactions. Plant nutrition: mineralization, availability of plant nutrients in soil, nutrient uptake, roots and rhizosphere, mycorrhiza. Effects of plant nutrients on the plant growth and quality.

Learning outcome

The student should understand physical and bio-geo-chemical characteristics and processes in soil influencing the plant availability of plant nutrients. Soil physics: The student should be able to describe and perform calculations of soil physical characteristics and processes. The student should understand the effects of soil physical conditions on the plant growth and development. The student should understand how organic matter, tillage, compaction and erosion will influence the soil physical characteristics in short and long term. Soil chemistry and soil fertility: The student should leard how to perform soil sampling in field and preparation for further chemical analysis of plant nutrients in the laboratory. The student should be able to assess the importance of soil variability a based on some simple soil chemical analysis. The student should be able to estimate binding, release and availability of different ions in soils and understand the dynamic of nutrients from soil to plants. This include nutrient release, availability and plant uptake. To e certain degree, the student should understand how the different plant nutrients have a unique role in the plant metabolism and the how they influence the plant growth and quality. The student will also get practical experience with identifying nutrient deficiency symptoms.
  • Learning activities
    Well structured time with exercises and lectures: 40 h in August block, 60 h in autumn parallel. Compulsory activities: precence at the augustblokk (every day), precence at the practical exercises in the augustblokk, writing a report from the augustblokk, identification of plant deficiency symptoms and calcultion exercises.
  • Teaching support

    Lectures (as PowerPoint slides without narration or explanation), as well as additional and supportive literature, will be posted on Canvas.

    Practical field and laboratory exercises in the August block.

    Calculation exercises in the autumn semester.

    Practical experience with identifying deficiency symptoms in plants during the autumn semester.

  • Prerequisites
    JORD100, BOT130, KJM100, MATH100.
  • Assessment method

    Combined assessment:

    • Written report after the intense course in August counts 14%.
    • Multiple choice exam 1, counts 12%.
    • Multiple choice exam 2, counts 12%.
    • Multiple choice exam 3, counts 12%.
    • Written exam (3 hours) counts 50%.

    All the parts must to be passed to pass the course.

    Grading scale A-E / Not passed.



    Written hand-ins Karakterregel: Letter grades Written exam Karakterregel: Letter grades Hjelpemiddel: B1 Calculator handed out, no other aids
  • Examiner scheme
    An external examiner is involved in developing and censoring the final exam.
  • Mandatory activity
    Daily presence in the august block, exercises during the autumn paralell, presence at the practican excercise in deficiency symptoms, and the report afterwards.
  • Admission requirements
    Special requirements in Science