Soil Management Training

This course will provide a basic guide to the field and laboratory assessment of soil quality in a Nigeria context with support from lectures and structured learning with extensive on-line resources. It is particularly suited to those working in the agriculture and food production industries, as well as others concerned with the fundamental resources and processes underpinning agricultural production and its environmental impacts.

CONTENT

• • • Recognize the different soil types in Nigeria and their fundamental properties;
    • Undertake soil quality assessments both in the field and laboratory, and critically evaluate the results;
    • Use these results in the design of sustainable soil management regimes, and for calculating greenhouse gas/carbon budgets for soils;
    • Evaluate critically the impacts of land management on soils;
    • Evaluate critically the main options for agricultural soil management and their consequences for sustainable production and environmental impact (including carbon storage, greenhouse gas fluxes, chemical and microbial pollution).

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.