soil is a vital natural resource essential to human survival. in this program, students will develop valuable expertise about the soil ecosystem and build the research skills to address soil issues related to sustainable agriculture and the environment.

much of the student's learning will occur during their independent research in the form of a thesis or dissertation. students might conduct lab-based research on topics like heavy-metal contamination, selenium toxicity, or biopesticides for soil-borne pests. or students could go out into the field to track water flow through soil, examine the origins of idaho’s soil, or explore environmentally friendly ways to boost crop production.