Herbaceous Cropping Systems

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
64
Overall hours
SSD
AGR/02
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
Provide students with advanced tools for analyzing and managing
herbaceous cropping systems at different spatial scales.
Expected learning outcomes
Biophysical modelling used to increase cropping system productivity, as well as to protect them from biotic and abiotic injuries and to minimize their impact. Agroecological indicators and proximal/remote sensing to optimize systems management at farm level. Analysis of cropping systems to support agricultural policies.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course presents conceptual and IT tools for advance analyses of herbaceous cropping systems at different spatial scales with the aim of optimizing their management. For each spatial scale, the most suitable tools for analyzing and evaluating the systems studied will be presented. The first spatial level, the field, considers the integrated evaluation of cropping systems of interest through the analysis of some case studies and the production of irrigation and fertilization plans with simulation models. This spatial level takes also into account some advanced and recent techniques for crop protection against biotic and a-biotic injuries. The second spatial level, the farm, uses agroecological indicators to optimize the temporal and spatial distribution of crops and to optimize the energy fluxes within the farm system. The techniques used in the two previous levels can be used also at large scale (e.g., province, region, catchment). The third spatial level considered applies some of the concepts presented and discussed in the previous levels to the analysis of cropping systems at continental scale. The system for crop monitoring and yield forecasting developed and used by the European Commission for supporting the CAP will be presented. Part of the course will be about a topic considered relevant for the analysis and management of cropping systems and for which the current knowledge is considered insufficient. The topic will be chosen by the students among some teacher's proposals and analized by carrying out a specific research project, dividing the students in workpackages and coherently organizing the activities of analysis/research/dissemination.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic skills in agronomy, crop physiology, ecology, soil chemistry.
Teaching methods
32 hours of frontal lessons
24 hours of practical activities
8 hours of field activities
Teaching Resources
Slides from the lessons (Ariel).
Assessment methods and Criteria
Written, practical and optional oral examinations. The written part consists in (i) 3 open questions, each assigning a score from 0/30 to 7/30; (ii) 10 quiz, each assigning 1/30. The practical examination (from 0/30 to 30/30 cum laude) consists in optimizing irrigation and fertilization using a crop simulator. The oral part (optional, if requested by the student) consists in 3 questions, each assigning a score from -2/30 to +2/30, which is added to the mean of the scores achieved in the written and practical examinations.
Students with specific learning disabilities or other disabilities are requested to contact the teacher via email at least 15 days before the exam session to agree on any personal compensatory measure. In the email addressed to the teacher, the respective University services must be reported in CC: [email protected] (for students with LD) and [email protected] (for students with other disabilities).
AGR/02 - AGRONOMY AND FIELD CROPS - University credits: 6
Field activity: 8 hours
Practicals: 24 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Shifts:
Turno
Professor: Confalonieri Roberto
Professor(s)
Reception:
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