Content:  The course is designed to cover soil as an ecosystem, microbial ecology- bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, protozoa and viruses. The course contains the rhizosphere in relation to nutrient cycling- the carbon and nitrogen cycles. It emphasizes mineral transformations in soils-microbial transformation of P, S, Fe and Mn; Mycorrhizal symbioses-Ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza; nutrient and metabolite interchange between symbionts; legume-rhizobium association, symbiotic N-fixation; ecological interrelationship; microorganisms and soil quality; microbial degradation of toxic chemicals in soils; and soil organic matter and its dynamics.

Objectives:

1. To equip students with the understanding of soil-plant-microbe relationships and microbial contribution to some ecological processes
2. To introduces students to the role of microbes in maintaining soil quality through microbial degradation of toxic substances such as agrochemicals

Reading materials

1. Alexander, M. 1971. Microbial Ecology. Wiley, New York.
2. Alexander, M. 1976. Introduction to Soil Microbiology. 2nd Edn. John Wiley & Sons
3. Domsch, K.H and Gams, W. 1973. Fungi in Agricultural Soils. Academic press, new York.
4. Killham, K. 1994. Soil Ecology. Cambridge Univ. Press.
5. Round, F.E. 1973. The Biology of the Algae. Edward Arnold, London
6. Sykes, G & F. A. Skinner (eds.) 1973. Actinomycetes. Academic Press, New York.