Soil science

The main issues which constitute the content of soil science as a scientific discipline are related to clarifying the formation and development of the soil, its composition and properties, its fertility, the distribution of soils on the earth's surface, the ways and methods to create and maintain conditions for maximum effective fertility and also soil research methods.

These questions in the lecture course are grouped in the following logically subordinate parts:

The first part covers the issues of formation, composition and properties of the soil, the origin and development of the main property - fertility. Soil formation is considered on the basis of the knowledge given about the weathering of rocks and minerals, but at the same time the soil formation process is interpreted as an independent and complex process of soil formation.

The second part of the course refers to the study of soil composition - mineralogical, organic and chemical composition  and soil texture.

In the third part of the course the main properties of the soil are considered - general physical, mechano-technological, water, physico-chemical, absorption capacity, air properties and air regime.

In the fourth, last part of the course, the factors of soil fertility and the issues of the classification of the regularities in the geographical distribution of the soils are considered, as clarifying the peculiarities in the type of soil formation in the different soil zones.

In the course of laboratory classes are studied the methods related to the field research of soils, the rules for soil sampling, depending on the purposes of research and processing and preparation of soil samples for laboratory analysis, laboratory experiments are performed in which the basic methods of analysis of the physical and chemical properties are studied and some elements of the soil composition. In the last part of the classes the distribution and morphology of the main soil differences in Bulgaria are studied. Students also gain knowledge about the basic principles of soil rating and their categorization.