Certificate in Integrated Pest Management - Soil Microbiology AGRI 5250   Soil Microbiology
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course is designed to provide an intensive study of the microbiology of soils and will emphasize nutrient cycling and biodegradation. Topics covered include the relationships between the abiotic and biotic components of soils; the microbial biochemistry of the carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, and selected micronutrient cycles; heavy metal cycling; and the microbial degradation of industrial wastes and pesticides. The laboratory classes will concentrate on techniques to monitor the microbial biomass in soil and the microbial components of nutrient cycles. These include new advances in bacterial taxonomy and identification, and the use of gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography in quantitating nutrient cycling. In addition to a major term paper, a comprehensive laboratory report on the entire term’s lab work, and a single take-home examination, graduate students will be required to: modify the term give a seminar to the class on their term paper topic paper into a critical review of some aspect of soil microbiology, chosen in consultation with the instructor (the review must be current and in depth; it must be written in manuscript format and will be graded accordingly) perform additional laboratory exercises not assigned to undergraduate students, use more replicates, perform a full statistical analysis of data, and provide a report in manuscript format
CROSS-LISTING: MICA 4000.03