Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences
On Campus Courses
Course Listings:
SWS 4932: Soil Biology Management Lab
Instructor:
Hui Ling (Sunny) Liao
Associate Professor,
Soil Microbial Ecology
(352) 294-3138
sunny.liao@ufl.edu
About the Course
The SWS4932: Soil Biology Management Lab is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in the practical applications of soil biology management. This lab course complements the theoretical concepts discussed in the lecture course, SWS4932: Soil Biology Management, by offering experimental investigation and data analysis opportunities in a greenhouse and laboratory setting. Students will gain practical skills in quantifying soil organisms, analyzing nutrient cycles, measuring crop phenotypes, and using advanced analytic tools for data interpretation.
Key components of the lab include the quantification of soil bacteria, fungi, archaea, and mycorrhizal fungi using qPCR and microscopic techniques, soil nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus cycling gene analysis, soil nutrient evaluations, and crop analysis. Students will also learn to use R packages and other advanced tools for data integration and interpretation.
Credits: 1
Semesters Offered: Spring
Textbook: None required. Reading material will be provided in the course.