Soil Science Minor

Do You Want to Develop the Science, Practices, and Technology to Feed the World While Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Agriculture?

The Soil Science minor is offered to students desiring to complement their major with a strong knowledge base in the principles and applications of soil science. The purpose of the minor is to combine the fundamental sub-disciplines of soil science to provide non-majors the essential elements of soil science.

Soils are the most amazing habitats for life on earth. In each handful of soil, there are thousands of different types of microbes and a whole soil food web. These organisms interact within the soil to decompose plant materials and cycle nutrients that are critical to life. Humans depend on soils for food production, clear water, and as the foundation for our living world. In recent years, new technologies have opened up this exciting frontier of science.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Skills and knowledge to solve problems in precision agriculture and biotechnology
How to utilize advanced information technology to drive decision making in crop production, soil and environmental management, and to develop new technologies
Gain a deep understanding of the diversity of agriculture around the world, and graduate with the knowledge and skills to address global food production challenges
Understand new technologies that enable unprecedented abilities to develop varieties of crops that are more nutritious, resilient to climate change and disease resistant to enable sustainable agriculture
Functions of soil organisms and their interactions with each other and the soil physical and chemical environment
Techniques to help restore our soils and prevent further degradation