SSC 501 Soil Chemistry (3 cr):
Concept of soil, pedological and edaphological approach. Composition of soil-four components of soil, their composition, soil minerals as sources of plant nutrient elements, soil solution, soil air composition. Soil organic matter-sources of soil organic matter, composition and important physico-chemical properties of clay humus complex. Ion exchange- cation and anion exchange in soils, mechanism of cation exchange, mass action equation for cation and anion exchange, adsorption of anions by soil colloids, phosphate fixation, importance of ion exchange in soil. Soil reaction- soils, importance of soil reaction on availability of plant nutrients and crop growth. Micronutrients-Functions of micronutrients, fertilizer containing micronutrients, micro-nutrient deficiencies and toxicities in problem soils.
SSC 512 Soil Physics (3 cr):
Mechanical composition of soil; soil as a disperse three-phase system, volume-mass relationships, review of basic soil physical properties and their significance in agriculture. Soil water; measurement of soil wetness, saturated and unsaturated flow of water and their measurement, soil water infiltration, its definition, significance, factors affecting it, mathematical expression of soil water infiltration. Soil water potentials; definition, methods of expression, importance, components of total soil water potential, measurement of capillary potential. Evapotranspiration (ET); factors affecting ET, methods of measurement, application of ET values in irrigation scheduling of upland and wetland crops. Soil temperature; importance, factors affecting it, thermal properties of soil, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, heat flow equation, methods of measuring soil temperature. Soil aeration; plant requirement of soil air, renewal of soil air. Sources and quality of irrigation water: Major and minor ions present in irrigation water, effects of irrigation water on soil & crops, classification of crops on the basis of salt tolerance. Tillage and water conservation; soil and moisture management with minimum tillage. Land drainage; problems and principles, factors influencing drainage. Soil aggregation; importance, aggregation of soil particles affected by bulk density, cropping, liming, organic matter, organisms, rainfall, tillage.
SSC 514 Soil Plant Analysis (3 cr):
Pure practical course which includes determination of soil pH in H20 and KCl, total nitrogen in soil and plant, total and available phosphorus in soil and plant, exchangeable cations in soil, total carbon in soil and plant, chlorophyll, ß carotene, organic acids, sugar analysis of plant, nitrate reductase activity in plant parts, soil moisture content, bulk density, particle density, and three phase distribution of soil, preparation and sterilization of microbial media, subculturing of bacteria in YMB and YMA media.
SSC 523 Soil Microbiology (3 cr):
Plant-microbe, plant-atmosphere system, interrelations between plant roots and microorganisms, environ-mental factors and plant-microorganism system, rhizosphere, biochemical trans-formation of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and sulfur in soil, biological nitrogen fixation, decomposition of soil organic matter, vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza and its importance, biofertilizers, effect of pesticides on soil microbes and their breakdown in soil by microorganisms.
SSC 538 Soil Fertility (3 cr):
Soil fertility past & present a historical perspective, soil science & soil fertility, soil fertility and productivity, organic matter- its role on soil fertility, plant nutrients their sources, availability and nutritional disorders in plants, N fertility of soil & fertilizer nitrogen, P fertility of soil & fertilizer phosphorus, K fertility of soil & fertilizer potassium, S fertility of soil & fertilizer sulphur, Zn fertility of soil & fertilizer zinc, fertilizers & fertilizer need assessment, management of organic fertilizer, irrigated agriculture and soil fertilizer, soil fertility evaluation and interpretation, concept on the fertilizer recommendation, fertility computation.
SSC 545 Soil Survey and Classification (3 cr):
Definition of soil survey, an introduction to different kinds of soil survey, a brief on the activities of SRDI, methods of soil survey pre field activities, actual field investigations, post field activities, interpretation of soil survey data/information for research, extension and planning purpose, with particular reference to agricultural development, soil classification- definition and historical development of soil classification, modern soil classification systems with special emphasis on USDA soil taxonomy, importance of soil classification in agricultural research and development.
SSC 556 Soil and Water Conservation (3 cr):
Soil management, its scope and objects, soil fertility, productivity, and soil degradation. Soil erosion; process and mechanics of water and wind erosion, methods of quantifying the impact of erosion, USLE; its application in Bangladesh. Concepts of soil conservation and sustainable agriculture, processes of soil conservation, including agroforestry and nutrient recycling. Control of soil erosion and soil conservation. Watershed; definition, characteristics, importance and management. Problems of implementing soil conservation programme with emphasis in Bangladesh. Land capability classification and land use systems.
SSC 567 Soil Clay Mineralogy (3 cr):
Definition and structural units of soil clay minerals. Classification of silicate structures. Nomenclature and classification of clay minerals. Crystal chemistry of silicates; bonds, ionic radii, radius ratios, coordination number, isomorphous substitution. Uses of clays. CEC, plasticity, shrinkage, cohesion and swelling. Charge development; permanent and pH dependent charges. Properties of individual clay minerals including mica, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, chlorites and inter-stratified minerals. Accessory minerals. Identification of clay minerals.
SSC 575 Isotopes in Soil-Plant-Water Relations (3 cr):
Background information on isotopes and radiation. Use of isotopes in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil fertility and fertilizer usage, soil microbiology, ion uptake and translocation studies.
SSC 596 Reading and Conference (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr):
Special/direct study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student
SSC 597 Special Problems (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr):
Investigation of special problems in soil science not related to a thesis problem. The investigation may consist of original research and/or literature survey.
SSC 598 Seminar (1 cr):Discussion of an assigned topic.
SSC 599 Thesis research (Credit to be arranged but not less than 12 cr): Original thesis research.
SSC 601 Advanced Soil Chemistry (3 cr):
Water and solute; hydration number, heats and entropies of ion hydration. Activity and activity coefficients of ions, ionic strength. Surface reaction in soil colloids; adsorption of cations and anions, selectivity in ion adsorption, selectivity diagram, diffuse double layer models of ion adsorption, specific adsorption of cations and anions, thermodynamic approach to describe ion adsorption; major types of equations used to illustrate adsorption isotherms including the Langmuir, the Freundlich, the BET (Brunauer, Emmitt and Teller ), and the Gibbs equations. General concept of ion exchange in soils, application of Donnan equilibrium in ion exchange phenomena, effect of dilution, exchange capacity and valence on cation exchange with special reference to implication regarding plant nutrients in soil. Quantitative aspects of phosphorous fixation in soils by Fe & Al and Ca & Mg from consideration of solubility product relationships. Soil reaction; monomeric and polymeric hydroxyaluminium complexes in soils, aluminum hydrolysis and its consequences on soil reaction. Chemistry of waterlogged soils; basic chemical alterations in permanently and seasonally wet soils. Metal-Organic complexes in soils; crystal field, ligand field theory, chelation reaction. Micronutrient solubility; influence of pH and Echo precipitation (Pre-requisite SSC 501 & SSC 567).
SSC 602 Soils of Bangladesh (2 cr):
Environmental settings of Bangladesh soils. Detailed study of the five soil forming factors, such as climate, physiography, vegetation, parent materials and time for Bangladesh. Pedoclimatic zones and the seven soil tracts of Bangladesh. General soil types of Bangladesh. Correlation of general soil types in the US Soil Taxonomy and the FAO-UNESCO legend. Detailed study of the general soil types in relation to their agricultural potentials. Problem soils of Bangladesh. Soil related problems of Bangladesh agriculture and their effective management avenues. Soil series of Bangladesh. Correlation of soil series of Bangladesh into soil families. The agroecological regions of Bangladesh. Agroecological regions in relation to agricultural development in Bangladesh.
SSC 606 Pedology (3 cr.):
Pedology as a scientific discipline. Concept of soil as a dynamic system. Concepts about soil formation and soil profile. Master and diagnostic horizons in soils-their formation and properties. Factors of soil formation. Detailed study of the roles of climate, organisms, relief, parent materials and time in soil formation. Pedogenic processes. Study of eluviation, illuviation, podzolization, laterization, calcification, melanization, argilluviation etc. Weathering and mineral stability. Pedons and catenas. Geographical distribution of major soils in the world. Zonality concept of soils, zonal, intrazonal and azonal soils. Study of hydromorphic and calcimorphic soils. Lithosols regosoils and alluvial soils. Saline and alkali soils. Sources of salts in soils. Reclamation of saline and alkali soils. Study of the US Soil Taxonomy. Detailed study of the orders of Soil Taxonomy. Major soil grouping of the FAO-UNESCO legend. Soils of the tropics- their properties, problems and potentials.
SSC 612 Advanced Soil Physics (3 cr):
Soil water tension, metric suction, solute suction and total suction. Soil water retention characteristics, hysteresis. Flow of water in unsaturated soil, flow equations for unsaturated soils, measurement of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Profile moisture distribution during infiltration. Drainage; drainage problems, drainage principles, flow in unconfined and confined aquifers. Process of soil drying; evaporation from soil surface and free water surface, evaporation of water from soil in absence and presence of shallow water table, methods of estimating evaporation from soil. Soil gases and their exchange; composition and their properties, renewal and movement of gases in soil, mass flow and diffusion flow. Sources of soil heat, soil temperature, diurnal and annual changes, heat transfer in soil, temperature measurement under field conditions, modification of soil temperature regime (Pre-requisite SSC 512).
SSC 623 Advanced Soil Microbiology (3 cr):
Historical background and achievements in microbiology including contributions of Nobel prize winners. Microbial communities, interaction among species, succession and development. Microbiology of rhizosphere, its biology and impact on crop productivity. Microbial diversity in soil and soil microbial biomass, soil enzymes and its role on soil fertility. Metabolic diversity of aerobic heterotrophs including Embden-Myerhoff- Parnas (EMP), Enter-Doudoroff and Pentose-phosphate pathways. Chemolithotrophic and Photolithotrophic metabolisms. Bacterial fermentation including alcohol, lactate, butyrate and propionate fermentation. Toxic substances and pesticides in soil environment pollution, biodegradation of environmental pollutants including organic wastes. Recent advances in biological fixation of molecular nitrogen including its ‘in situ’ determination with 15N isotope. Essential aspects of bio fertilizer technology and its effective utilization in Bangladesh agriculture. Impact of molecular biology, microbial genetics and genetic engineering in agriculture (Pre-requisite SSC 523).
SSC 625 Fertilizer Chemistry (2 cr):
Production, characteristics and use of various forms of nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers, role of fertilizers in crop production, compound fertilizers, fertilizer mixture, granulation of fertilizers, slow acting fertilizers, liquid fertilizers, movement of fertilizer in soil, occurrence and principles of manufacture, characteristics of fertilizers.
SSC 635 Land Reclamation and Improvement (2 cr):
Problem Technique of Land Reclamation-Definition and scope of land reclamation. The elements of physical planning and development problems. Land reclamation as a part of land use planning and environmental management. Bunds, Levees, Dykes and embankments. Land reclamation of saline calcareous and noncalcareous soils and alkaline soils – Nature of salt problems and their peculiarities. Dynamics of salts in the soils. Salts and water balances. Leaching requirements for the reclamation of saline soils. Miscible displacement, leaching theories and modellings. Soil-water behaviour of alkali soils. Physical, biological, chemical, hydrotechnical, electrical and their combined methods for reclamation of saline and alkali soils. Land reclamation of acid soils- acidification, ferrallitization. Acid basin clays (Eutric gleysols), acid sulphate soils (Thionic gleysols) and red ferrallitic acids soils. Land improvement by regulating soil and water management- Effect of long term operations of irrigation and drainage on water and salt dynamics. Land drainage in relation to soils and crops. Rain water management for leaching. Drainage of tidal marsh, coastal plains and swamp land. Coastal soils of Bangladesh and their reclamation and management – Saline mangrove tidal floodplain ecosystem. Bunds, embankments, leaching-drainage operation. Biological and cultural management practices.
SSC 638 Advanced Soil Fertility (3 cr):
Soil fertility and crop production, nutrients and crop growth, nutrient supplying power of soils. Fertility of flooded soils. Nutrient cycling; nutrient balance in soil-plant systems. Soil fertility evaluation and interpretation; correlation of soil test with fertilizer response, critical levels of soil nutrients, Fertilizer assessment model, fertilizer response model. Soil fertility management for MY and MEY. Fertilizer and environment. Industrial process of fertilizers (Pre-requisite SSC 538).
SSC 640 Soil Biochemistry (3 cr):
Description of soil biochemistry and kinds of organic substances in soil. Organic nitrogen compounds-amino acids, aminosugars, purines and pyrimidines. Nucleic acids and their derivatives , inositol phosphates, phospholipids. Soil carbohydates- classification, isolation, composition, transformation and decomposition. Energy relationships in soil biochemistry- Photosynthesis, respiration, fermentative and chemoau-totrophic reactions. Organic acids in soil-Production in biological systems, distribution in soil and pedogenic action. Lignin and humic acids-Microbial degradation of lignin, fulvic acid, humin, humic acid and decom-position of humic material. Biochemistry of herbicide decomposition-Phenoxyalkanoic acids, Phenylureas, S-triazines. Enzymes in soil- oxidoreductase, transferase, hydrolase, lyase. Origin and state of soil enzymes. Biochemical solubilization of inorganic compounds in soil.
SSC 642 Environment and Soil Pollution (3 cr):
Environmental Chemistry-Its concept and scope. Nomenclature. Environmental Segments-atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. Structures and functions of environmental segments. Atmospheric environment – Composition, evolution, chemical and photochemical reactions. Oxygen and ozone nitrogen and nitrogen oxides. Greenhouse effect. Dynamics of environmental pollution. Hydrosphere, litho-sphere and biosphere inter-relationship. Water resources composition of lithosphere and soil. Inorganic and organic constituents. Soil pollution – Concept and identification of pollution problems: fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals, acid rain, radioactive materials and industrial effluents. Pollution of Bangladesh soils and its control. Environment and sustainable development-land use and land cover, land degradation, deforestation, desertification, and urbanization.
SSC 696 Reading and Conference (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr):Special/direct study assigned by the Major professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student.
SSC 697 Special Problems (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr):
Investigation of special problems in Soil Science not related to a dissertation problem. The investigations may consist of original research and/or literature survey.
SSC 698 Seminar (2 cr. not more than 1 cr per Term):
Discussion on an assigned topic in Soil Science.
SSC 699 Dissertation Research (Credit to be arranged but not less than 30 cr):Original dissertation research.
Note: Students having CGPA below 3.00 will not be allowed to enroll SSC 596, SSC 597, SSC 696 or SSC 697 until he/she raised the CGPA to 3.00 or above.