Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers (EENFs) are modified forms of nitrogen fertilizer used to reduce nitrogen loss such as ammonia and nitrous oxide. While these EENFs aim to combat nitrogen loss, environmental impacts, such as moisture, may still influence nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization. This study aims to further understand…

Determining cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a foundational procedure in soil science education. Traditional introductory soil science CEC laboratory methods, both qualitative and quantitative, vary in complexity, resource requirements, and time constraints. Qualitative methods often rely on visual indicators such as cloudiness in solutions or…

The phytotoxicity of metals is established as a function of soil content; however, their potential negative effect is dependent on the type of soil and fundamentally on the presence of colloids in the soil, mainly of the organic type. For this reason, an experiment on the influence of Zn on the germination of Lepidium sativum L. in two acid soils…

Background/purpose: Teaching complex concepts in STEM areas has led education researchers to innovate in teaching models. In this report, we present a study of engineering teaching on the geotechnical structure of Mexico City, which is characterized by highly compressible clayey soils and significant seismic activity, which, for the discipline,…

Winogradsky columns were invented by Sergei Winogradsky in the 1880s and have commonly been used as a microbiology classroom learning tool in K-12 and collegiate education. However, they can be challenging to examine with microscopy. We scaled down Winogradsky columns into nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tubes and replaced the natural sediment…

Experimentation is a contributing factor to the interest and meaningful learning of Science. In Geology and Earth Science, the effects of soil textures, settlements, and water-holding capacity are parameters for landslides in Barotac Viejo and other flooded areas. Landslides are triggered during heavy rainstorms, causing severe property damage and…

Pre-service teachers' mental models of the nature of soil were investigated in a sample of 181 students from four different Spanish universities, using three different methodological approaches: a phenomenographic analysis of definitions, a categorisation of labelled-drawings and the analysis of answers to a questionnaire consisting of both open-…

Scientists' social responsibilities can include ethical research conduct, transparent public communication, and accountability to society to develop solutions. Scientists describe mounting pressure to advocate for their work amidst political, financial, religious, misinformation, lack of public trust, and other influences. The purpose of this…

One-quarter of households in the state of Missouri are connected to an onsite sewage treatment system. These systems are necessary due to the risks human effluent poses to public health and our states' aquifers and waterways. For these systems to function correctly, a thorough and accurate evaluation of the soils and landforms onsite must be…

Annie's Project is a nationally recognized educational program for women farmers focused on five areas of risk management: marketing, production, financial, human, and legal. Some challenges are common to all farms, while some are unique to urban locations. We added urban-focused topics including short-term leases, contaminated soils, water…

Enrollment in soil science courses at land grant universities in the United States has been stagnant or declining for the last 20 years and this trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a newly developed course in drinking water and human health (DWHH) that was designed to widen soil science…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, preexisting soil science laboratories were redesigned for self-guided learning (SGL). The SGL laboratories occurred on-campus during the fall 2020 semester in two introductory soil science courses at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Students carried out the…

Undergraduate institutions serve as stepping stones to students' careers. Teaching and learning in science classrooms require quality and integrated teaching-research learning experiences that prepare students to advance their careers. Using publicly available data sets and open-access data analyses software can be impactful for engaging students…

Programs that emphasize the important, multifaceted roles that soils play as the interfaces between humanity and the earth are needed to attract new students from diverse backgrounds. The Basic and Environmental Soil Science Training Research Experience for Undergraduates (BESST REU) site aims to provide undergraduates from a variety of science,…

A dynamic and diverse workforce of agricultural professionals and scientists is needed to develop sustainable and innovative solutions for the challenges of food production for a growing population under the threat of climate extremes. One path to developing workforce talent is through summer research and extension experiences. The Applied Plant…