SOIL FERTILITY AND PLANT NUTRION

To provide the knowledge of the soil-plant system to ensure good management of natural and productive systems. The student will be able to make operational decisions capable of providing economic and social benefits essential for the development, conservation and renewal of the area.

Introduction. Clay minerals and Fe and Al oxides: structure and properties. Anion and Cation exchenge (Text 1: Chapters 1 and 3);

Physical propierties of soil. Organic matter: evolution and propierties. Biological component of soil (Text 1: Chapters 1, 2, 5, 7 and 11);

pH oh the soil. Anomalous soils and their correction. N, P, K and C cycles (Text 1: Chapters 4, 10 and 15);

Nutritional needs of plant. Energy. Enzimology. Mechanisms of nutrient uptake (Text 1: Chapter 1; Text 2: Chapters 4 and 5);

Photosynthesis. Photorespiration. C4 and CAM plants pathways (Text 2: Chapter 11);

Respiration: Glycolysis, Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation (Text 2: Chapters 7 and 9);

Thecnical visit;

Laboratory practice.

Text 1: Paolo Sequi "Fondamenti di chimica del suolo". Patron Editore;

Text 2: Marinella Bosetto e Irene Lozzi "Elementi di biochimica agraria". Aracne Editrice