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Soil Genesis, Morphology and Classification

Content:  The course exposes students to advance treatments of factors of soil formation, influence of parent materials on weathering and soil formation with time, topography-soil relationship. The course also introduces students to soil stratigraphy, characteristics of tropical soils, soil micromorphology, principles and systems of taxonomic soil classification. It further emphasizes soil as a natural body of the landscape: its properties, distribution, behavior, and interpretations for diverse land uses.

Objective:
1.    To equip students with the recognition and description of soils; chemical, biological and physical processes of soil formation.  
2.    To expose student s to factors of soil formation. Interactions of soils with diverse ecosystems

Reading materials:
1. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center. US
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (pdf copy available online
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/ref/?cid=nrcs142p2_054184) 
2.    Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edn. USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Washington, D.C. (pdf copy of full versions and simplified guide
are available online for at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/taxonomy/?cid=nrcs1
42p2_053580)
3.    Buol, S.W., R.J. Southard, Graham, R.C., and P.A. McDaniel. 2011. Soil Genesis and
Classification, 6th edn. Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken, N.J, USA. (Available as an ebook
via USU Libraries Online Catalog:
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/usulibraries/docDetail.action?docID=10577589)
4.    Schoeneberger, P.J., et al. 2012. Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, version 3.0

Course Code: 
ASS 815
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Soil, Plant and Water Analysis      

Content:  The course introduces students to soil/plant sampling procedure, sample preparation, soil concentration units and their conversions. It also exposes students to laboratory instruments for soil, water and plant analysis, their accuracy and sources of error. The course equips students with laboratory analysis of:
1.    Soil physical properties – Soil moisture content, field capacity and available water, wilting points, particle size distribution, bulk and particle densities, and aggregate stability.
2.    Soil chemical properties- Soil pH, organic carbon, nitrogen (total, organic & inorganic), available nitrogen forms (NH4+ & NO3-), total and available P, total and available K, CEC and exchangeable cations, exchange acidity, soil micronutrients (total and available forms) and redox potential
3.    Plant sample- Moisture content, total phosphorous, potassium, calcium and magnesium in plant ash, total nitrogen and other nutrients in wet digest, and micronutrients.
4.    Water sample – soluble salts, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, CO32- and electrical conductivity

Objectives:
1.    The course seeks to give students understanding of principles in soil, water and plant analysis, interpretation and application of analytical results for soil and water management practices.
2.    It also aims at giving students understanding of the use of common laboratory analytical      
instruments.

Reading materials
1.    Anderson, J.M. and Ingram, S.I. 1993 Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility. A Handbook of Methods. CAB.
2.    Klute, A. (Ed.) 1986. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 1, Physical and Mineralogical Methods. 2nd Edn. Agronomy.
3.    Page, A.L., Miller, R.H. and Keeney, D.R. (Eds.) 1982. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties. 2nd Edn. Agronomy
4.    Tandon, H.L.S. 1995. Methods of Analysis of Soils, Plants, Water and Fertilizer. Fertilizer Dev. and Consultation Organization. New Delhi, India.
 

Course Code: 
ASS 813
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Dr. Rofela Combey

Past Head, Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology

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Prof. Denis Aheto

Prof. Denis W. Aheto

Prof. Denis W. Aheto Re-Appointed by the World Bank to serve on the Interim Technical Advisory Committee for WACA Programme 


Prof. Denis W. Aheto, the Director of the Centre for Coastal Management/The Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience of the University of Cape Coast has been re-appointed by the World Bank for another one-year term as a member of the interim Technical Advisory Committee for the West Africa Coastal Areas Management (WACA) Program. https://www.wacaprogram.org/about-us

WACA Program

The WACA Program is the World Bank’s flagship initiative aimed at mobilizing public and private finance to tackle coastal erosion, flooding, pollution, and climate change adaptation in the region. The WACA Program consists of country projects, regional integration and support activities, and WACA Platform as a mechanism to scale-up knowledge, dialogue, and resources. 

The WACA Program currently is made up of country projects working in six countries, i.e. Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Togo, with regional integration and support activities being extended to Ghana and Nigeria. The program was developed in partnership with the West African people who live on the coast and depend on it for their livelihoods, nutrition, food security, and prosperity. The program supports countries’ efforts to improve the management of their shared coastal resources and reduce the natural and man-made risks affecting coastal communities. 

Responsibilities

Among his responsibilities within WACA, Prof. Aheto works as technical lead to support the development of a framework for mapping a regional network of academic and research institutions in coastal resilience. He also provides inputs for the development of a compendium of best coastal zone management practices; development of rosters of academic experts and contributing to the development of multi-sector investment programmes for WACA countries, particularly providing operational guidance for the development of a potential regional West Africa Hub.

    
 

Staff Spotlight
Israeli Ambassador with the VC

We are Ready to Collaborate with UCC- Israeli Ambassador to Ghana

12 Aug, 2020 By louis Mensah

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency, Shani Cooper, has expressed her country’s readiness to partner UCC to boost Agribusiness, Technology and Innovation.
    
Her Excellency, Shani Cooper, made this known when she paid a courtesy call to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong.

The Israeli Ambassador noted that Ghana and Israel had a long standing relationship that the Vice-Chancellor and his team could capitalise on to develop the University. She indicated that Education was a priority to her country and hence, the Embassy would connect UCC to universities and organisations in Israel. 

Israel's Success Story

Ms. Cooper who also has oversight responsibility over Liberia and Sierra Leone said the Embassy would partner the University to become one of the best destinations of higher education in Africa and beyond in the areas of Agribusiness, Technology and Innovations.  She indicated that through effective collaborations, industries in Israel offered start-up packages to graduates to begin their own businesses. “Our universities have direct collaboration with the private sector so we always help our students to start businesses as soon as they graduate," she explained.

Students' Experience in Israel

The Israeli Ambassador announced that plans were far advanced to include UCC in an exchange programme where levels 200 and 300 as well as postgraduate students pursuing Agriculture would be attached to farms in Israel. Such students according to her would be working in various areas in agriculture such as fishing, animal rearing, and crop production using green house technology for 11 months. This would enable them to acquire knowledge and skills in agribusiness. She explained that the project was being executed between Israel and the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. She added that the first batch of 55 students from Ghana went to Israel in 2019. "I must add that the Ghanaian students distinguished themselves when they went to Israel and they are highly sought for by our farmers,” she added. 

Ms. Cooper expressed interest to learn more about UCCs success story in the area of Distance Education which she noted would be beneficial to Universities in Israel.

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana presenting a biogas system to the Vice-Chancellor

Entrepreneurial University

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Johnson Boampong, said his vision was to transform UCC as an Entrepreneurial University. He noted that this vision was inspired by his visit to Israel where he realised that the country was making good use of the green house technology to boost agriculture for local consumption and export. 

Prof. Boampong indicated that UCC was interested in expanding its partnership with the Embassy in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM),  Agribusiness, Technology and Innovation, Primary Health Care, and History. “My leadership has an enormous task ahead of us and we look forward to partner you to implement this vision and we know the Israeli Embassy in Ghana can connect us to universities and organisations in Israel,” he stressed.

Agribusiness

In the area of Agribusiness, Prof. Boampong informed the Ambassador that the University had large hectares of land for commercial farming and would need the expertise of Israel to develop grid irrigation and green house technology. “We intend to vigorously pursue agri-business through this commercial farm venture,” he explained. 

The Vice-Chancellor commended the Ambassador for expressing interest to support his administration to achieve his vision for the University. He assured the Ambassador of a fruitful working relationship with UCC.

The Israeli Ambassador donated a biogas system that could produce gas for domestic and industrial use as well as liquid fertilizer for agriculture purposes. 

The Vice-Chancellor later took Ms. Cooper to the University Teaching and Research Farm to inspect the Green House project.

Present at the meeting were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh; Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Onyame; Provost College of Distance Education, Prof. Isaac K. A. Galyuon and Dean, School of Agriculture, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako.

Soil and Land Use Evaluation   

Content: The course exposes students to definition of land evaluation terminologies, types of land evaluation and review of soil properties of importance to agriculture. The course introduces students to soil survey for agricultural and non-agricultural uses, soil maps and land improvement, methodology of land evaluation for agriculture, the role of land evaluation in development planning, evaluation at the local, regional and national scales, soil suitability classification, land capability classification and land productivity rating.

Objective: 
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1.    Understand the concepts and procedures of land evaluation
2.    Employ data to substantiate suitability of soil and land for specific purposes.

 Reading materials
1.    Dent, D. and Young, A. 1981. Soil Survey and Land Evaluation. Allen and Unwin, London.
2.    FAO. 1988. FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World. Revised Legend. World Soil Resources Report 60. FAO, Rome.
3.    Webster, R. and Oliver, M.A. 1990. Statistical Methods in Soil and Land Resource Survey. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, UK
4.    Young, A. 1976. Tropical Soil Survey. Cambridge Univ. Press

Course Code: 
ASS 810
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Statistical Methods and Experimental Design   

Content: The course is designed to cover elements of experimentation, principles of experimental designs, sample experimental design, some problems in experimentation and possible remedies, one sample and two-sample hypothesis, linear and non-linear models, complex relationships, analysis of covariance, probability and distribution estimation and hypothesis testing and practicals multivariate analysis.

Objectives:

  1. To expose the students to statistical concepts and methods.
  2. To equip students to be able to use appropriate computer programmes to design experiments and analyse data.

Reading materials

  1. Lindeman, H.R. 1974. Analysis of variance in Complex Experimental Designs. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.
  2. Mead, R., Curnow, N and Hasted, A. M. 1994. Statistical Methods in Agriculture and Experimental Biology, 2nd Edn. Chapman and Hall.
  3. Snedecor and Cochran, W.G. 1989. Statistical Methods. 8th Edn. Iowa State Univ. Press. Iowa, USA.
  4. Steel, R.G.D and Torrie, J.H. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. A Biometrical Approach. 2nd Edn. McGraw Hill International Edns.
  5. Webster, R. and Oliver, M.A. 1990. Statistical Methods in Soil and Land Resource Survey. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, UK

 

Course Code: 
ASSASS 809
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Thesis

The elective courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s Supervisor; bearing in mind his/her research interest. All courses are examinable at the end of the semester

The PhD. programme is by research. However, student may be required to attend or audit certain courses, depending on their academic background. The core course is ASS 999 (Thesis).

Research Areas:
Student’s research will be based on one of the following areas:

(a)    Pedology 
(b)    Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
(c)    Soil and Land Evaluation
(d)    Soil Chemistry
(e)    Soil Ecology
(f)    Soil and Water Conservation 
(g)    Management of Soil Resources
(h)    Soil Physics
 

Course Code: 
ASS 899
No. of Credits: 
6
Level: 
Level 900
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Soil Science

Thesis

The PhD. programme is by research. However, student may be required to attend or audit certain courses, depending on their academic background. The core course is ASS 999 (Thesis).

The elective courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s Supervisor; bearing in mind his/her research interest. All courses are examinable at the end of the semester.

Research Areas: Student’s research will be based on one of the following areas:

  1. Integrated Soil Fertility Management
  2. Environmental Impact Assessment
  3. Hydrological Processes in Soil
  4. Land and Water Conservation
  5. Environmental Soil Chemistry
  6. Soil Colloids and Soil Pollution
  7. Surface and Peri-urban Hydrology and Water Quality
  8. Climate Impact on Agricultural Production
  9. Management of wetlands
Course Code: 
ASS 899
No. of Credits: 
6
Level: 
Level 900
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

Research Methodology       

Content: The course offers an overview of research methodology including basic concepts employed in quantitative and qualitative research methods. It also will expose students to photography and biological illustration, language for scientist and computer applications for research.

Objective: To introduce students to scientific literature search, report writing, on-farm research techniques and data management system.

Recommendation materials

  1. Gomez, K.A. Gomez, K.A. & Gomez, A.A. 1984. Statistical procedures for agricultural research. John Wiley & Sons
  2. Kumar, R. 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publication Ltd., London
  3. Sahu, P.K. 2013. Research methodology: A guide for researchers in agricultural science, social science and other related fields. Springer. New Delhi.
  4. Wall, T. & Stokes, P. 2014. Research methods. Macmillan Publishers, New York, USA.
Course Code: 
ASS 825
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Land Use And Environmental Science

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