Program Areas
Air Quality, Water Quality, and Buffers
Protecting air and water quality is critical to sustaining ecosystem services for the state of North Carolina. Research and outreach in these areas, as well as riparian buffers, are an important component within the Soil Science Department.
Erosion, Sediment and Turbidity Control
The leading water quality problem in many watersheds is sediment and turbidity coming from stormwater runoff. The Department has an active program in erosion and sediment control research and education for the construction industry.
Geographic Information Sciences
Application of geospatial and precision technologies is important to the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of agriculture as well as the protection of our natural resources.
International Programs
The Soil Science Department has had a strong international program in soil management and soil fertility for over 40 years.
Molecular Environmental Soil Science
The Molecular Environmental Soil Science (MESS) research program seeks to understand the fundamental biological and chemical processes that control the speciation, transformation, bioavailability, fate, and transport of nutrients and contaminants in the environment.
Nutrient Management
The relationship between agricultural productivity and environmental protection are essential areas of the research and extension programs in the Department of Soil Science. Previous departmental efforts in this area have resulted in improved nutrient recommendations for crop production and protection of NC water resources.
Septic Systems and Soil Properties
This program deals mainly with residential wastewaters and their disposal through on-site wastewater treatment systems (septic systems).
Soil Physical Properties and Transport Processes
The soil physical environment determines water flow and storage patterns, controls chemical movement, regulates temperature dynamics, and supports plant growth. The Department provides technical expertise to address soil physical properties and transport processes from complimentary perspectives in natural, agricultural, and urban systems.
Waste Management
The Department has an active research and extension program dealing with the treatment and management of with agricultural, industrial, and by-product wastes.
Wetland Soils
The wetland soils program studies hydric soils of jurisdictional wetlands as well as soils that have seasonally high water tables within 1 m of the surface.
Youth and 4-H
Growing youth in crop, horticulture and soil science.