M.S., Ph.D. Soil Science
Soils may be studied either as natural bodies or as a medium for chemical and biochemical interactions for transport of water, solutes and heat, and for plant growth. Washington State University is located in one of the best geographical areas in the world for the study of soils as naturally occurring bodies. Graduate programs are usually designed to specialize in the physical, chemical, biological, mineralogical, geomorphological, or fertility aspects of the soil system.
Current soil science research programs in which graduate students are participating include: unsaturated water flow; soil- plant relationships; stability of minerals and controls on heavy metal levels; nutrient budgets of cropping systems; movement and transformation of pesticides and xenobiotic chemicals; microbial ecology; fate of engineered microorganisms; phytotoxicity and crop residue management; no-till soil and crop management; fertility and mineral nutrition; soil interpretations for land use and development; benchmark soils; agricultural and urban waste recycling.
Faculty members in Soil Science also participate in the interdepartmental Department of Biochemistry/Biophysics and the Program in Environmental Science at Washington State University, and cooperate with the University of Idaho in teaching graduate courses.
Soil Science academic program requirements are outlined in detail in the Graduate Student Handbook.
We welcome your visit!
We welcome your visit. Please contact Debra Marsh, Interim Academic Coordinator, at 509-335-2615, who will discuss with you your interests and arrange a customized visit with CSS faculty, staff, and students, as well as a tour of our teaching and research facilities.
WSU Soil Science in the News
Scientific American: Adoption of No-till Farming Practices
Regents Professor of soil science John Reganold and USDA-ARS soil scientist David Huggins have co-authored an article appearing in the June 2008 issue of Scientific American on the adoption of no-till farming practices. A preview is available. Read more.
Soil Testing on Mars
An Associated Press story reported on how a device for measuring moisture in soil developed in conjunction with a WSU soil science team in 1987 has been incorporated into the NASA Phoenix Mars lander mission. Several media published the story including USA Today. Read more.
Getting a Remote Idea on How Well Soil-Saving Technology Is Working
In the six counties of central and eastern Washington where wheat growers can count on only 8 to 12 inches of precipitation annually, they fallow fields for a year between crops to accumulate enough moisture to grow the next crop. There’s another thing growers are trying to save: their soil. Read more.
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