Soil Microbiology  

Postal Address

Prof. N. Ewusi-Mensah 

Department of Crop and Soil Sciences 

KNUST, Kumasi-Ghana

....................................................................................................

Prof. Nana Ewusi-Mensah

Post Office Box KS 10108

Adum Kumasi.

.....................................................................................................

Email Address

Personal

nanaewusi@yahoo.com

Institutional email

newusi-mensah.canr@knust.edu.gh

Consultancy

info@ischoolconsult.org

.....................................................................................................

Phone Number

WhatsApp/Mobile Number: (+233)244-761820

Mobile Number:  (+233)20-8644910

Dear Student,

 Greetings to you, and welcome to CS 152: Soil Chemistry and Microbiology.

 My name is Prof. N. Ewusi-Mensah and I will be your facilitator for the Soil Microbiology component of this course during the first semester of the 2022/2023 academic year. I am looking forward to a great learning experience with you. 

As a first step, I encourage you to fill out and submit the course registration form to help me know you better and to plan effectively for all upcoming activities/assignments. See your class president/rep for your log-in details.

 Secondly, please take some time off to carefully read the course overview, learning objectives, and due dates for course assignments. Online sessions will take place via Zoom. You can always access the live Zoom sessions using this link; Join a Live Zoom Session. The username and password to be used to join a live online session will be shared on your class WhatsApp page 30 minutes before the start of the class. Most of the time, I will record the live Zoom sessions and share them with students. I have also added some helpful videos and useful links to assist in self-paced learning. Make sure you participate fully in all class forum discussions. This will involve regularly logging into the V-class to check discussion forums and interacting with classmates/team members and instructors.

 At this point, I suggest you submit your first forum discussion assignment by introducing yourself in three sentences and outlining in three bullet points your expectations for this course. View and comment on at least two other posts from your classmates. Please note that the forum discussion will be graded (3 marks).

Note: See the forum discussion assignment 1 at the end of this section. 

There is a lot of work to do...so let's get started. 

Thank you and good luck.

The following are the upcoming assignments for this course;

• Assignment 1 - Google form (Reading)

Assignment open/Time: 4th July, 2025/8:00 pm

Due date/Time: 4th July, 2025/12:00 am

Instruction: Read carefully all the module 1 reading material(s) before attempting this quiz.  The link for the quiz will be activated when the assignment is open. The link for the quiz can be found under Module 1. The total mark for this quiz is 10 marks. You have a lot of reading to do, so get to work now...!

• Assignment 2 - Google form (Video)

Assignment open/Time: 

Due date/Time: 

Instruction: Watch carefully all the videos in module 2 before attempting this quiz.  The link for the quiz will be activated when the assignment is open. The link for the quiz can be found under Module 2. The total mark for this quiz is 10 marks. You have a lot to watch, so get to work now...!

• Assignment 3 - Google form (Reading)

Assignment open:

Due date: 

Course Description

Composition of the soil; Solid phase of soil; Chemical properties of the inorganic and organic components; silicate clay minerals; Soil colloidal system; Cation exchange in soils; Soil reaction; Major groups of soil microorganisms, their ecological interrelationships and biochemical functions; Microbial transformation of nutrient elements in soils; Decomposition of plant residues.

Course Objective

To equip students with adequate knowledge about the structure and chemical properties of soils and the role of microorganisms in soil fertility.

Delivery Strategies

• The lecture will be delivered through the face-face method, with theoretical materials provided during lectures and laboratory sessions.

• Delivery strategies will also be supported by tutorial sessions and a review of study questions as and when necessary.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe soil formation and composition

• Analyse the basic concepts of soil physics and soil microbiology and their applications in soil management

• Apply the concept of agro-ecological zones for decision making in sustainable soil management and crop production

Course Assessments

Please note that all course assessments are graded based on standard rubrics. Kindly take time to review the appropriate rubric before submitting each assignment.

At the end of the semester, course grades will be as follows;

• Continuous assessment: 10%

• Forum discussion: 5%

• Laboratory Practicals: 5%

• Mid-semester: 10%

• End of semester examination: 70%

Practical schedule

Groupings for laboratory sessions 

Module Videos

• Serial dilution 

• Coyne, M. S. (1999). Soil microbiology: An exploratory approach. Delmar Publishers.

• Moreira, F. M.S. Jeroen, E. and Bignell, D. E. (Eds). (2008). A Handbook of Tropical Soil Biology: Sampling and Characterization of Below Ground Biodiversity. Routledge Publishers.

• Stolp, H. (1996). Microbial Ecology: Organisms, Habitats, Activities. Cambridge University Press.

• Strawn, D. G., Bohn, H. L. and O’Connor G. A. (2020). Soil Chemistry. (5th Edition). Wiley-Blackwell.

• Tan, K. H. (2011). Principles of Soil chemistry. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group.

Module overview

• In this module, you will have the chance to meet your facilitator online. 

• You would also be introduced to the different modules/tools outlined in this course and the fundamental rules that govern online and in-person communication.

• What to expect from this course and what resources you will require especially in your self-paced learning.

Come prepared for this module as your feedback shall inform my decision to revise the course modules or content for students in the next academic year. 

Indicative content

• Overview of soil biota

• Sampling of soil fauna

• Classification of soil fauna

• Major soil microorganisms

Learning outcomes

After this module, you should be able to:

• Discuss the different biota in the soil ecosystem and their functions. 

• Describe the procedure for sampling soil fauna using the soil monolith technique.

• Identify the major groups of soil microorganisms and classify them based on their size, ecological function physiology/nutrition

Module readings

• Reading 1 - Presentation slides 

• Reading 2 - Life in the soil 

End of module quiz

End of module quiz. Quiz opens on ..... at 8 pm and closes same day at 12:00 am. Good luck! 

Indicative content

• Culture media

• Media for the cultivation of microorganisms

• Isolation

• Types of sterilization

• Enumeration of soil bacteria 

• Staining

Module readings

Reading 1 - Presentation slides 

Reading 2 - Growth media 

Reading 3 - Gram stain procedure 1 

Reading 4 - Gram stain procedure 2 

Module video

Video 1 - How to pour agar plates  

Video 2 - Gram staining procedure 1

End of module quiz

End of module quiz. Quiz opens on ... at 8 pm and closes same day at 10:00 pm. Good luck! 

Indicative content

• What do microorganisms require to grow?

• Factors influencing microbial diversity and distribution.

• Growth and multiplication of microorganisms

• Factors influencing the growth of microorganisms

Module reading

• Reading 1 - Presentation slides 

• Factors affecting soil microbial community 

Indicative Content

• Soil microbial interactions

• Biological nitrogen fixation 

• Mycorrhiza associations

Module Readings

Presentation slides 

Nitrogen fixation 

Module Videos

Overview of nitrogen fixation 

Overview of mycorrhiza 

Module Overview

• In this module, students will have the opportunity to ask questions or seek clarifications regarding the content of any of the modules delivered. 

• As part of the learning process, this module seeks to provide valuable course feedback from students. This end-of-course feedback will serve as a crucial mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of the content, instructional methods, and overall learning experience. 

• I will also use the feedback as a valuable resource for identifying areas where the curriculum may need adjustment or improvement. If feedback received pushes the boundaries of the curriculum, proactive measures will be taken to incorporate and address those suggestions during the module review process.