Course description

“Soil Chemistry” is a normative discipline for the students of speciality 103 “Earth Sciences”, educational program “Soil science and expert estimation of lands”, bachelor’s degree, taught in 4 semester in the volume of 5 credits (according to European Credit-transfer System ECTS).

The aim of the discipline is to set interconnection of soil as a multiphase system and means of plants growth, as well as between chemical properties of soils by the quantitative parameters and types of soils for their diagnostics. Students study chemical composition of liquid, solid and gaseous phases of soil, chemical and physical-chemical processes in soils with participation of different macronutrients.

The course presents concepts of biogeochemical movement of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium depending on рН environment, particle-size distribution of soils; hypotheses of formation of humus, processes of transformation of organic substances, stratification of carbon in soil, ion-exchange reactions in soil, as well as instruments, needed for the increase of potential fertility of soils, rational use of fertilizers.

On completion of the course a student must be able: to analyze chemical indexes of soils and describe properties of soils; to identify humus acids and determine the humus state of soil; to estimate potential fertility; check acidification of soils; soils salinity; calculate the lime dose, fertilizers quantity and concentration of nutrients.