Learn how to improve your soils and benefit from them.  This course examines:

• The properties of soil
• Testing
• How to manage and improve soil
• Soil problems
• Sustainability of soils and much  more.

Soil is the foundation for profitable farming. There are many things that can be wrong with soil (eg. poor nutrition, chemical imbalance, structural problems such as drainage, lack of microbial life etc). Often minor and relatively inexpensive treatments can make a huge difference to productivity, but the problems need to be identified first, and that requires a solid understanding of soil theory and management practice.

Course Structure for Soil Management (Agriculture)

Aims of Soil Management (Agriculture)

• Develop a broad understanding of the physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Develop skills in sampling and field testing soils for basic physical and chemical properties
• Understand the principles, methods and techniques of sustainable soils management.
• Understand the principles and practices of earthworks.
• Understand causes and remediation methods of land degradation and soil problems.
• Develop a broad knowledge in the use of growing containers for agriculture.
• Develop strong understanding of soil science and its impact on plant growth.
• Develop practical knowledge about managing soil for particular cropping uses.

What You Will Be Doing During Soil Management (Agriculture)

• Define terms related to the production and management of agricultural soil, such as: manure, micorrhyzae, ameliorant, pore space, micro-nutrient, denitrification, ammonium fixation, chemo autrophic organisms, colloids, buffering capacity, leaching, compaction
• Create a compost heap
• Discuss ways that human activity can destroy soil structure
• Explain how pH affects nutrient availability
• Explain the function of different nutrients in soils/growing media, such at nitrogen and phosphorus
• Analyse a soil test report in order to evaluate the soil for horticultural or agricultural use
• Describe appropriate soil testing methods for different situations
• Compare the use of organic and inorganic fertilisers in different situations
• Develop a detailed nutritional management plan for a particular crop, following organic principles
• Identify suitable earth moving equipment for different tasks, and the conditions of use
• Explain various methods for assessing drainage at a site
• Evaluate the use of earthworks to refurbish or improve a specific site
• Research Environmental Protection Agency (or equivalent) recommendations for cleaning up chemical spills and for disposing of old household chemicals and their containers
• Discuss advantages and problems of importing soil from elsewhere for crop production
• Explain appropriate methods of stabiliising an unstable or erosion-prone slope
• Remove a soil profile, describe the different soil layers, and compare the effects of different soil treatments on the soil profile
• Report on prevention and control methods for soil degradation, and development of sustainable soil management practices in a case study

Enrol today and develop your expertise in this subject

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For any Questions or to Enrol please call 01227 789 649