Unit ECO-SUSTAINABLE WEED MANAGEMENT
- Course
- Sustainable agriculture
- Study-unit Code
- A002190
- Curriculum
- Agricoltura biologica ed ecocompatibile
- Teacher
- Euro Pannacci
- Teachers
-
- Euro Pannacci
- Hours
- 54 ore - Euro Pannacci
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2021
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Discipline della produzione
- Academic discipline
- AGR/02
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Summary of Program:
Definitions, classifications, biology and ecology of weeds. Non-chemical and chemical weed control methods. Integrated and eco-sustainable weed management system. Integrated weed control and eco-sustainable approaches in the most important crops: case studies. - Reference texts
- 1. Catizone P., Zanin G., 2001. Malerbologia. Patron Editore, 925 pp.
2. Covarelli G., 1995. Principi di controllo della flora infestante. Edagricole Bologna, 268 pp.
3. Covarelli G., 1999. Controllo della flora infestante le principali colture agrarie. Edagricole Bologna, 209 pp.
4. Upadhyaya M.K., Blackshaw, R.E., 2007. Non-chemical weed management. Principles, Concepts and Technology. CAB International, 239 pp.
5. Graminacee, ciperacee ed equiseti nelle colture agrarie. Botanica e riconoscimento - Le dicotiledoni nelle colture agrarie. Botanica e riconoscimento
di Pasquale Viggiani - Edagricole-New Business Media
6. Materiale didattico (slides, articoli scientifici, dispense, ecc...) fornito dal docente. - Educational objectives
- The goal of the course is to provide knowledge and skills in weed management in agricultural systems. It focuses on an integrated and eco-sustainable approach to weed management, using a combination of preventive, cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical methods to control weeds. It emphasizes weed identification and knowledge of weed life cycles to allow informed decisions to be made about weed problems.
The main knowledges acquired will be:
1. Knowledge on the definitions, classifications and biology of weeds.
2. Knowledge on the ecology of weeds: weeds persistent and dynamic component of agroecosystems; ecological, genetic, physiological and agronomic aspects of weeds evolution; damage caused by weeds in the agroecosystems.
3. Knowledge on weed identification based on morphological characteristics.
4. Knowledge on non-chemical weed control.
5. Knowledge on chemical weed control
6. Knowledge on integrated weed management
The main skills will be:
1. Skills to use tools to assist in weeds identification.
2. Skills to apply the tools to detect and determine the weed seed bank.
3. Skills to use tools for quantitative assessment of damage caused by weed-crop competition.
4. Skills to evaluate choices in the use of practical means for weed control.
5. Skills to develop and implement the integrated weed management systems
The main behaviours acquired will be:
1. Acquire the autonomy to judge the reliability of the information necessary to the activities that characterize his work and to take decisions critically and to solve problems.
2. Acquire the sensitivity in assessing the risks and the sustainability of technologies available. - Prerequisites
- In order to understand and be able to interconnect the content covered in the course, it is important to have knowledge of "Agronomy".
- Teaching methods
- The course is organized as follows:
- Lectures on all subjects of the course;
- Laboratory exercises for the identification of plants and seeds for the different weed species;
- Projections of video in the classroom. Students will be supported by the projection of educational videos especially on technical and practical subjects of the course;
- Excursions / exercises in the field (at the Laboratory of Experimental Teaching Papiano, PG) for the identification of weeds, for the assessment of weed infestations in different crops, for the vision of the different control methods (mechanical, physical, chemical);
- Excursions / Technical visit to a farm in order to provide students with the opportunity to see directly and practically how to manage weeds in the agro-ecosystems. - Other information
- Lectures attendance is optional, but strongly recommended
- Learning verification modality
- The oral exam consists on a discussion of about 45 minutes long aiming to ascertain the knowledge level and the understanding capability acquired by the student on the theoretical, methodological and practical contents mentioned in the program. The oral exam will also test the student ability to apply the acquired skills, the student communication skills and his autonomy in the organization and exposure of the theoretical and practical topics.
- Extended program
- The goal of the course is to provide knowledge and skills in weed management in agricultural systems. It focuses on an integrated and eco-sustainable approach to weed management using a combination of preventive, cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical methods to control weeds. It emphasizes weed identification and knowledge of weed life cycles to allow informed decisions to be made about weed problems.
Lectures:
Definition and classification of weeds; biology of weeds: seed and vegetative reproduction and dispersal; seed predation; germination and seedling emergence; weed identification based on morphological characteristics.
Ecology of weeds: weed population dynamic in the agro-ecosystems (seedbank: characteristics, dynamic and evaluation; evolution of weeds in relation to ecological, genetical and agronomical aspects; methods for measuring weed evolution (diversity indices); weed-crop interaction: competition, allelopathy and modelling.
Non-chemical weed control methods: mechanical and physical weed control (organic and plastic mulch, solarization, thermal control); biological weed control (classical approach, augmentative approach and bioherbicides); ecological methods (cover crops, natural herbicides).
Chemical weed control: the properties of herbicides (selectivity, efficacy, types and periods of herbicide treatments); resistance of plant to herbicides; uptake and transport of herbicides in plants; the principles of formulation and herbicide applications.
Integrated Weed Management System: introduction; management of weed populations; management of weed control methods (reduce selection pressure for weeds, use of action thresholds for weeds; rational herbicide use); decision support process (determination of weed flora composition and weed density, evaluation of weed control strategies, use of decision support systems, use of precision weed control).
Integrated weed control in the most important crops: case studies.
Practical tasks:
Identification of the main weed species.
Detection and determination of the stock of seeds in the ground: sampling, methods of separation of seeds, identification in the laboratory.
Calculation of damages amounts due to the weed-crop competition.
Operational assessments on the use of the weed control methods: identification and adjustment of the means of struggle; choice and application of treatments.
Development and implementation of integrated weed control strategies: detection and determination of weeds; calculation of thresholds; application of logical process-making; choice and application of the treatments strategy; evaluation of the effects.
Field excursions.