Soil-Plant interactions: nutrients and pollutants in the agricultural system

The first part of the course provides basic knowledge on the processes that control nutrient transfer from the solid to the liquid phase and towards the plant roots. Main exogenous and endogenous factors regulating root growth and absorption activity are examined, as well as the soil-roots interfaces, with particular attention to nutrient availability and rhizodeposition under nutritional and environmental stresses, and in polluted soils.
Major constraints to plant growth, like acidity, waterlogging, salinity, drought, and air, water and soil poor quality are described and plant biochemical and physiological responses to these stresses are examined.
The last part gives information about food crop quality and security in terms of residues of pesticides and of organic and inorganic contaminants; the most important strategies for the reduction of these contaminants are examined.
A case study coming from the teacher experiences or from recent scientific papers are examined in detail and discussed in the last lessons of the course.

The course can be divided in the following topics:

- Plant Root: main exogenous factors regulating growth and uptake activity Soil : Basic processes controlling nutrient release from the solid phase. Nutrient transfer towards roots - 1CFU - P. Zaccheo
- The rhizosphere: chemical and biological properties in soil and in soil under stress - 1CFU - P. Zaccheo
- The rhizosphere: biochemical and physiological activities and responses to stress - 1CFU - L. Espen
- Low fertility soils (acidic, waterlogged, drought, organic and inorganic contaminated, with poor quality water - 1CFU - P. Zaccheo
- Biochemical and physiological responses of plant grown in low fertile soils - 1CFU - L. Espen
- Quality and security of food crops affected by organic and inorganic residues and strategies of mitigation - 1CFU - L. Espen