The objective of this project is to improve instruction in the courses in which the root zone of the plant and the soil's interactions with the plant are studied. Students must measure plant growth, soil nutrient status, and the microclimate in order to understand the influence of the rhizosphere on plant growth. The goal of the project is to increase students' understanding of basic scientific principles involved in soil- plant relationships. This understanding will foster conservation of soil and contribute to efficiency in crop production. The equipment purchases through this award are typical of the sophisticated equipment used in soil and plant analysis laboratories that serve agricultural producers and research. Instruments for measuring nutrient content of the soil and for measuring light penetration through the plant canopy can be used successfully by undergraduate students, and are the types of equipment that soil and plant science graduates will use in their careers. Student enthusiasm for learning the principles of soil reactions and plant growth is greatly enhanced when instructional activity is carried out with "real world" equipment rather than with typical student laboratory equipment. High precision instruments such as atomic absorption spectrophotometers, an infrared thermometer, leaf area meter, radiometer, autotitrator, and plant growth chambers will contribute directly to the objective of improving instruction in the courses involving soil-plant relations. For example, the atomic absorption spectrophotometer will detect elements in the soil; the growth chambers will permit the establishment and maintenance of two different climates for plant growth in a synchronous time frame; the infrared thermometer will measure plant temperature differences that indicate wilting stress in plant leaves before the leaf shows visible symptoms of wilting. This project brings a very significant infusion of scientific principles and insights to this agricultural program.
