Soil and Crop Sciences – Soil Ecology

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

The Soil Ecology concentration explores the interdisciplinary nature of soils through the study of soil organisms and their interactions with each other and the soil’s physical and chemical environment. Soils are the most complex and diverse habitats for life on earth. Soil health is critical to human well-being. These interactions affect the cycling of elements including carbon and nitrogen, the release, or consumption, of greenhouse gases, water quality, soil formation and structure, and plant productivity.

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