Soil Science is a branch of agricultural knowledge that studies the soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth. Soil science focuses on the soil as a medium for plant growth and its vital rule in the crop production for the food supply along with other important aspects of soil in human health and wellbeing. Department of soil science was established in 1972 with only 15 students that were admitted to a BSc. program. Since then, the department has been expanded in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The existence of many developments and facilities in our department has created a challenging atmosphere for the department's academic members as well as students, encouraging a high level of education and research efforts. Currently, the department has 90 students in B.Sc., 41 in M.Sc., and 21 in Ph.D. programs. The branches of M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees of Soil Science and Engineering in this department are as follows:

a) Soil Resources Management

• Soil resources and land evaluation
• Soil physics and conservation

b) Soil Fertility and Biotechnology Management:

• Soil chemistry, fertility, and plant nutrition
• Soil biology and biotechnology

The people in this departments, according to their research fields are as follows:

Soil Resources and Land Evaluation

Ahmad Landi (professor), Saeid Hojati (associate professor), and Hadi Amerikhah (trainer)

Soil Physics and Conservation

Ahmad Farrokhian Firozi (associate professor), Ataalah Khademalrasoul (assistant professor)

Soil Biology and Biotechnology

Naeime Enayatzamir (associate professor), Roya Zalaghi (assistant professor)

Soil Chemistry, Fertility, and Plant nutrition

Abdoulamir Moezzi (associate professor), Mostafa Chorom (professor),

Mojtaba Norouzi-masir (assistant professor), Neda Moradi (assistant professor)

Research

The research areas focus on the soil formation, classification, and mapping, physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils, and these properties are about the use and management of soils.

In detail, the research of the group include biofertilizer production and application, soil remediation (phytoremediation and bioremediation), environmental pollutants in soil and water resources, soil organic matter, biochar production and application, heavy metals, nanoparticles, water and wind erosion, agronomic biofortification, modeling in soil chemistry and soil fertility, carbon cycle, dust resources, land evaluation, remote sensing, modeling solute transport, soil-water, and plant relationships.

Teaching

1)Soil Chemistry, Fertility, and Plant nutrition are offered at two academic levels: undergraduate and graduate.

Courses:

Soil Fertility, Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition, Soil Testing, and Plant Analysis, Fertilizer Production Technology, Soil Pollution, Soil Organic Matter, Organic Agriculture, Rhizosphere Biochemistry

2) Soil Biology and Biotechnology are offered at two academic levels: undergraduate and graduate.

Courses:

Soil Biology and Microbiology, Soil Bioremediation, Soil Enzymes, Biological Relations of Soil and Plant, Biofertilizer Technology, Lab Instruments in Soil Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biotechnology Methods, Identification and Classification of Soil Bacteria and Fungi,

3) Soil Resources and Land Evaluation are offered at two academic levels: undergraduate and graduate

Courses: Soil Genesis and Classification, Land Evaluation, Remote Sensing, Clay Minerals, Geomorphology, Geostatistics, Soil Survey, Arid and Semi-arid Soils, Lab Instruments, Stable Isotopes

4) Soil Physics and Conservation are offered at all academic levels; undergraduate and graduate.

Courses: Soil Mechanic, Soil Erosion and Soil Physics Modelling, Soil-Water and Plant relationship, Hydrology.

Laboratories

Soil Chemistry Lab

Technical Officer: Mahnaz Mokfi, Mohammad Hazbian

Equipment: Oven, Kjeldahl, Flame photometer, Centrifuge, Heater, pH meter, EC meter, Bain-marie, Shaker, Lab and analytical balances, Vacuum pump

Soil Biology Lab

Technical Officer: Mahnaz Mokfi

Equipment: Incubator, Microbial hood, Oven, Autoclave, Bactria meter, Shaker incubator, Refrigerated centrifuge, Rotary, pH meter, EC meter

Atomic Absorption Lab

Technical Officer: Mahnaz Mokfi

Equipment: Atomic Absorption unit, Computer, Refrigerator

Gas Chromatography Lab

Technical Officer: Mahnaz Mokfi

Equipment: GC, Hydrogen generator, Computer

Soil and Water Quality Lab

Technical Officer: Mohammadreza Azizi

Equipment: TOC, Kjeldahl, Spectrophotometer, NanoDrop, Hotplate

Soil Physics Lab

Technical Officer: Mohammadreza Azizi

Equipment: Cone penetrometer, EC meter, Electrical furnace, Oven, Vacuum pump, pH meter

Soil Contamination Lab

Technical Officer: Ali Azogh

Equipment: Flame photometer, pH meter. EC meter, Shaker, Oven, Pressure plate

GIS and Remote Sensing Lab

Technical Officer: Hadi Amerikhah

Equipment: Stereoscope, GPS, Computer, Planimeter, Spherometer

Soil Fertility Lab

Technical Officer: Ali Azogh

Equipment: Oven, Shaker, Atomic absorption (Educational), Electrical furnace

Thin Section Lab

Technical Officer: Mohammad Hazbian

Equipment: Cutting machine, Water distiller, Double distillation unit, pH meter, EC meter

Wind Tunnel Lab

Technical Officer: Mohammad Hazbian

Equipment: Wind tunnel machine

 

Field equipment:

TDR, Penetrologger, Disk parameter

 

Faculty Members:

Name	Title & Field of Study	Position	Email
Ahmad Landi	Ph.D. in Soil Genesis, Classification and Evaluation from Saskatchewan University (Canada)	Professor	landi@scu.ac.ir
Mostafa Chorom	Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from Adelaide University	Professor	m.chorom@scu.ac.ir
Naeimeh Enayatzamir	Ph.D. in Soil Biology and Biotechnology from Tehran University (Iran)	Associate Professor	n.enayatzamir@scu.ac.ir
Saeid Hojati	Ph.D. in Soil Genesis, Classification and Evaluation from Isfahan University of Technology (Iran)	Associate Professor	s.hojati@scu.ac.ir
Abdolamir Moezzi	Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry and Fertility from Rajasthan Agricultural University (India)	Associate Professor	moezzi151@scu.ac.ir
Ahmad Farrokhian Firouzi	Ph.D. in Soil Physics and Conservation from Tarbiat Modares University (Iran)	Associate Professor	a.farrokhian@scu.ac.ir
Mojtaba Norouzi-Masir	Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry and Fertility from Isfahan University of Technology (Iran)	Assistant Professor	m.norouzi@scu.ac.ir
Neda Moradi Ghezeldagh	Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry and Fertility from Urmia University (Iran)	Assistant Professor	n.moradi@scu.ac.ir
Ataalah Khademalrasoul	Ph.D. in Soil Resources Management and Conservation from Aarhus University (Denmark)	Assistant Professor	a.khademalrasoul@scu.ac.ir
Roya Zalaghi	Ph.D. in Soil Biology and Biotechnology from Bu-Ali Sina University (Iran)	Assistant Professor	r.zalaghi@scu.ac.ir
Hadi Amerikhah	M.Sc. in Soil Science from Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (Iran)	Lecturer	hadi.ameri@scu.ac.ir
Heidar Ghafari	Ph.D. in Soil Physics and Conservation from University of Tehran (Iran)	Assistant Professor	h.ghafari@scu.ac.ir