Unit AGROECOLOGY AND AGRONOMY
- Course
- Agricultural and environmental sciences
- Study-unit Code
- A002030
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Marcello Guiducci
- Teachers
-
- Marcello Guiducci
- Hours
- 81 ore - Marcello Guiducci
- CFU
- 9
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2021
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Discipline della produzione vegetale
- Academic discipline
- AGR/02
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Agroecology and agro-meteorology.
Crop physiology
Agronomy and agro-systems management
Soil tillage
Water and irrigation management, irrigation systems.
Fertilization: mineral and organic fertilizers, fertigation.
Crop rotation, crop consociation, Weed control, Seed production and seed quality analysis. - Reference texts
- 1. AAVV. AGRONOMIA. A cura di Ceccon et al. Edises s.r.l. Napoli. www.edises.it - info@edises.it. 2017
2. F. Bonciarelli e U. Bonciarelli, agronomia, Edagricole scolastico, Bologna. 2003.
3. M. Guiducci, Principi di ecofisiologia della Produzione vegetale (dispense),
Approfondimenti:
4. R. Landi. Agronomia e ambiente. Edagricole, Bologna, 1999.
5. L. Cavazza e A. Patruno. Terreno agrario: il comportamento fisico. Reda. Torino. 2005.
6. Loomis and Connor (1992), Crop Ecology. Cambridge Uni Press (UK).
7. Hall et al (ed) (1993) Photosynthesis and production in a changing environment. A field and laboratory manual.. Chapman & Hall (London). - Educational objectives
- the course aims at improving the student's knowledge inagroecology, agrometeorology, crop eco-physiology and agronomy
- Prerequisites
- It is necessary that students have passed the examination of Botany (12 credits) and general Chemistry as an essential prerequisite in order to fully achieve course competence goals. It is strongly recommended a good knowledge of inorganic chemistry.
Further, the student must be able to interpret simple mathematical functions (linear and exponential) and must know the meaning of derivative and integral. It is also necessary that the student is able to understand the significance of the physical laws used in the description of the agro-ecological processes. - Teaching methods
- Lectures and practicals.
- Other information
- lesson's attendance:
Optional but strongly advised - Learning verification modality
- The evaluation consists of an oral test aimed at ascertaining the level of knowledge, communication skills, fairness and propriety of language in exposing the theoretical / practical arguments of the course.
In detail the test aims at ascertain A) the degree of knowledge of the theoretical basis of the functioning of agro-ecosystems (ecological interactions, agricultural meteorology, soil physics and hydrology, crop ecophysiology), B) principles of the agronomic management of cropping systems (soil fertility conservation techniques, crop rotation, intercropping, plant propagation ...) and C) cropping techniques (soil tillage, irrigation, fertilization, weed control...), with particular reference to the environmental effects of cultivation. The student must also demonstrate the ability to apply the agronomic technologies to specific case studies while indicating the expected output of applied techniques in terms of environmental, economic and productive effects.
Method of Administration: Oral exam of a maximum 40 minutes duration.
Test type: open stimulus conversation with open answers. In particular, five questions will be asked of which a) a question on aspects of ecology and agricultural meteorology b) a question of soil physics c) an application for ecophysiology d) two questions on aspects concerning agronomic techniques. - Extended program
- Agroecology, ecology and agro-meteorology.
Ecosystems and agro-ecosystems, food chains, energy fluxes in natural and agricultural ecosystems, carrying capacity, agricultural systems. Climate and climate classification, global change and its effects on agro-systems.
The Radiation: physical laws, short and long wave radiation, Net Radiation, Earth radiation balance.
The Atmosphere: composition and physical properties, radiation-atmosphere interactions, the green-house effect, the wind. The temperature: air and soil temperatures, soil and atmosphere thermal balance, daily and seasonal temperature variations.
The water: water cycle, air humidity, atmospheric precipitations and evapotranspiration.
The soil: Composition and properties of the agricultural soil, C cycle and soil organic matter balance. Physical properties: texture, porosity, hydrology, air content.
Crop physiology.
Plant community concepts: crop structure, growth analysis, development. Potential production: CO2 assimilation, radiation interception, maintenance and growth respiration. Actual production: growth rate and growth duration, biomass partitioning, source-sink relationships.
Agronomy and agro-systems management.
Soil tillage classifications, aims and limitations of different soil tillage systems (deep plowing, shallow plowing, minimum tillage, no tillage, etc.)
Water management: Potential and actual Crop evapotranspiration (Penman-Monteith equation and crop coefficients), soil water balance, soil available water, crop water use efficiency, irrigation requirement, irrigation management, irrigation systems.
Fertilization: N, P and K in plant and soil, fertilization laws, mineral and organic fertilizers, fertilization technique, fertigation.
Crop rotation, crop consociation, competition and facilitation. Weed control. Sowing and transplant techniques. Seed production and seed quality analysis.