Soil Chemistry and Biology

As compared to the environmental compartments air and water, soil is an extremely complicated system. This is due to a huge variety in soil composition and to the
interaction among soil components, which in turn module and are modulated by chemical, physical and biological system condition. Soil can be a source, a sink, or an interacting medium for many nutrients, as well as contaminants that impact humans, plants, wildlife, and other organisms.
An understanding of soil properties and processes is therefore critical to the evaluation and the criteria to be adopted for the soil management.

Knowledge of biology, physics, chemistry and biochemistry.

The soil environment

Soil chemistry
The soil environment is constituted by three different physical phases that interact among them. The main properties of these phases and the biochemistry of soil will be introduced.

The solid phase
Composition of the solid phase: Minerals, organic components, and micro organisms are integral parts of the pedosphere and associated environments. The following topics will discussed in depth: The inorganic components: silicates, metal oxides and hydroxides; soil organic matter: organic materials and chemical components of soil organic matter.

Water and air in the soil
Relationship between fluids and soil structure and porosity;
Water movement and retention; Gas exchange between soil and the atmosphere.

*Soil biology and biochemistry_

Soil as biological system
Soil organisms are responsible for many important biochemical reactions, contribute to the soil fertility and carry out relevant environmental functions. The following properties of soil organisms will be discussed:
a.) Soil as biotop;
b.) Living organisms in soil: soil enzymes, microbes and other soil organisms

Main biogeochemical cycles
Soil physical, chemical and biochemical properties influences the availability of nutrients. It is important to know the biogeochemical cycle of nutrients in order to optimize supplies, reduce nutrient losses and preserve the ecosystem equilibrium. The C cycle will be considered first, because it influences all other cycles. Afterwards, the others cycles will be discussed: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulphur).

Fertilizers and fertilization

• Evaluation of soil Fertility
• Traditional and innovative fertilizers
• Biomasses and soil amendment
• Fertilization schemes
• irrigation water quality

Soil and environment
• Role of the soil in the environmental equilibrium
• Anomalous composition and natural degradation processes
• Use and recycling of biomasses
• Soil and pollution (inorganic pollutants, organic pollutants)

LAB PRACTISE
The laboratory exercises will take place at the end of the lectures as part of: field sampling of soil, processing of the soil sample, determining the basic physico-chemical properties of the soil.

• knowledge of basic properties of soil components (silicates, carbonates, metal oxides, sulphides, organic matter)
• knowledge of basic chemical, biochemical and biological soil processes (cation and anion retention, pH, knowledge of the function of soil microbes and soil fauna, ...)
• knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry of plant macro- and micro- nutrients
• knowledge of main soil contaminants (organic and inorganic)

• Weil, R. R. 2021. Laboratory manual for introductory soils. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt, 220 str. Catalogue
• Weil, R. R.; Brady, N. C. 2017. The nature and properties of soils. Harlow: Pearson Education, 1104 str. Catalogue E-version
• White, R.E. 1997. Principles and practice of soil science: the soil as a natural resource / - 3rd ed. - Oxford: Blackwell science, 348 str.
• Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry. (2014). Nizozemska: Elsevier Science, 598 str. Catalogue
• Prosojnice in Miteam učilnica

Written report from laboratory exercises (30%) and written exam (70%). Completed lab work is condition for the exam.

Assistan professor dr. Erika Jež is habiliated for the Soil chemistry and biology and employed at UNG.

Her references are evident from:
• Vodja ARRS projekt Z1-3197: Ali prisotnost mikroplastičnih delcev spremeni dinamiko bakra v onesnaženih vinogradniških tleh? (2021 - 2023)
• članica združenja Mednarodne organizacije za trto in vino (OIV), Francija
• članica in prejemnica certifikata o poznavanju vina WSET 2. stopnje, Velika Britanija
•Prvi avtor znanstvenega članka - JEŽ, Erika, PELLEGRINI, Elisa, CONTIN, Marco. Copper bioavailability and leaching in conventional and organic viticulture under environmental stress. Applied sciences. 2023, vol. 13, iss. 4, [article no.] 2595, str. 1-18, ilustr. ISSN 2076-3417. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042595, DOI: 10.3390/app13042595. [COBISS.SI-ID 142689283], [JCR, SNIP]

Prvi avtor znanstvenega članka - JEŽ, Erika, BRAVO, Carlo, LEŠTAN, Domen, GLUHAR, Simon, MARTIN-NETO, Ladislau, DE NOBILI, Maria, CONTIN, Marco. Changes in organic matter composition caused by EDTA washing of two soils contaminated with toxic metals. Environmental science and pollution research. [Print ed.]. 2021, iss. 46, vol. 28, str. 65687–65699. ISSN 0944-1344. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15406-z. [COBISS.SI-ID 92142595], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 20. 12. 2022: št. citatov (TC): 4, čistih citatov (CI): 2, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,29, Scopus do 15. 2. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 4, čistih citatov (CI): 3, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,43]