Sustainable agroecosystem

Module SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CROPPING SYSTEMS

Providing knowledge for management soil conservation for a rational soil conservation, fertility maintenance and improvement of production yields and acquire knowledge for managing agricultural and media inputs public health, health and health plant welfare and maintenance of non-renewable resources to meet the needs of society and markets. At the end of the course the student will be able to develop and manage agronomically crop systems through sustainable farming techniques reference to substance management organic soil, at the fertilizer, irrigated techniques, sustainable weed control, alternative sources to fertilizers, the use of biomass crops for the production of bioenergies. It will also be able to build and apply simulation models for the forecasting of development and yield a crop.

In particular, at the end of the course, students will be able to:

i)                    demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of the basics of rational and sustainable agroecosystem management, with particular regard to conservative agronomic practices, the management of soil organic matter, fertilization, irrigation techniques, weed control, the use of alternative sources to fertilizers, the use of biomass crops for the production of bioenergy.

ii)                   apply knowledge and understanding skills with a professional approach, and possess adequate skills to devise and support arguments aimed at solving problems relating to anthropic action on agroecosystems and the rational application of agronomic techniques;

iii)                 collect and interpret data and information aimed at independently analyzing the production processes and the effects of agronomic techniques applied to the agroecosystem, critically evaluating their sustainability and scientific and ethical consequences.

iv)                 communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions relating to topics of agronomic interest to specialists and non-specialists.

v)                   develop, with specific reference to the contents of the discipline, learning skills that allow them to continue their university studies in subsequent cycles with a high degree of autonomy.

The course will be structured as follows: 

• Lectures
• Participated lessons
• Cooperative lessons
• Analysis of case studies

If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported  syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. 
It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors  Anna De Angelis.

Outline of General Agronomy

Agrometeorology and agrometeorological Services

Soil degradation, erosion, salinity, phytoremediation techniques

Soil management: (i) Agronomic management of irrigation, timing of irrigation, (ii) soil tillage and conservative techniques

Crop physiology

Simulation models

Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming

Bioenergetic systems: (i) Bioenergies, Biofuels, Life Cycle Assessment, Energy balance

Biotechnology and genetically modified plants

Development of a simulation model for the growth and production of crops

Learning Assessment Procedures

· The candidate describes the soil erosion

· The candidate describes the main soil tillage

· The candidate describes a bioenergy system