Agronomy
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
Acquire an integrated view of the meteorological, edaphic and biological factors that contribute to agricultural crop production. Understanding the effect of agronomic interventions on production factors. Ability to understand the motivations of different technical paths of cultivation in the open field in variable contexts of pedoclimatic conditions, availability of technical means and production and environmental objectives.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowing how to diagnose the state of the agrosystem by integrating visual assessments with assessments based on the measurement of chemical or physical variables relating to the atmosphere, the soil and the agricultural plant community. Knowing how to identify the need for systematic interventions and improvement of the physical fertility of the soil before starting cultivation. Knowing how to define the quantitative and quantitative aspects and the temporal scansion of agronomic interventions (soil tillage, fertilization, choice of the reproductive body, control of competition) of a cultivation protocol.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Didactic methods
The lessons will be held online using the Teams platform and can be followed both synchronously on the basis of the first semester schedule and asynchronously because they will be recorded and left available to students on the same platform.
Program and reference material
The program and the reference material will not change.
Methods of verifying learning and evaluation criteria
The Exam.net platform will be used for the written test and for the weeds recognition test. Type, duration and evaluation criteria of the tests remain unchanged.
If the regulations concerning social distancing allow it, 4 face-to-face lessons will be organized to summarize topics covered in distance learning, carry out exercises and deal with case studies.
The lessons will be held online using the Teams platform and can be followed both synchronously on the basis of the first semester schedule and asynchronously because they will be recorded and left available to students on the same platform.
Program and reference material
The program and the reference material will not change.
Methods of verifying learning and evaluation criteria
The Exam.net platform will be used for the written test and for the weeds recognition test. Type, duration and evaluation criteria of the tests remain unchanged.
If the regulations concerning social distancing allow it, 4 face-to-face lessons will be organized to summarize topics covered in distance learning, carry out exercises and deal with case studies.
Course syllabus
- Introduction: field of study of agronomy; cropping systems and their components; approaches in agronomy studies; determinants cropping systems.
- Earth's atmosphere and solar radiation: properties of the atmosphere; radiative behavior of bodies and radiation lows; extinction of radiation through the atmosphere and canopy; radiative budget and energetic budget at crop level.
- Radiation and crop production: crop growth analysis; interception and radiation use efficiency; potential, maximum and real yield; morphogenenetic effects of radiation.
- Temperature and crop production: determinants and dynamics of air, soil and crop temperature; productive and morphological effects of temperature; crop defence from high and low temperatures damages.
- Air turbulence: effects on plant-atmosphere exchanges, types of turbulence; soil and crop defence from wind damages.
- Hydrometeors: physical processes; classification; rain (amount, distribution, frequency, intensity, useful rainfall); hail (formation, damage to crops, crops defence).
- The agricultural soils: depth; inhibition layers, porosity and its measurement, water infiltration speed, structure stability, effects of agronomic practices on structure stability. Physical properties of soils and effects on response to tillage.
- Waterlogging: effects on soil and plant; practices to prevent waterlogging.
- Water erosion of soils: measurement; physical processes; types of erosion; universal soil loss equation (USLE).
- Tillage: aims; actions of different tillage machines; classification of tillage; set up of tillages protocols
- Sowing: seed bed requirements; calculate the rate of seeding; techniques for seeding.
- Soil amendment: dynamics of mineralization of soil organic matter and organic residues; humic budget; practices to reduce soil organic matter depletion; organic amendments and cover crops
- Soil pH amendment: crop growth limitation due to acidic, alkaline and saline soils; amendment interventions.
- Fertilization: aims, response of crops to nutrients applications, efficiency of fertilization, estimation of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium needs; choice of type, timing and application methods of fertilizers; review of mineral and organic fertilizers.
- Weeds and their control: quantitative and qualitative damage to crops due to weeds; weeds classification; weed control strategies.
- Plant propagation materials: types; registration of new varieties; production control and certification of seeds.
- Field trip at one or two farms focused on cropping systems.
- Training to calculate fertilization plans.
- Training to recognize weeds.
- Earth's atmosphere and solar radiation: properties of the atmosphere; radiative behavior of bodies and radiation lows; extinction of radiation through the atmosphere and canopy; radiative budget and energetic budget at crop level.
- Radiation and crop production: crop growth analysis; interception and radiation use efficiency; potential, maximum and real yield; morphogenenetic effects of radiation.
- Temperature and crop production: determinants and dynamics of air, soil and crop temperature; productive and morphological effects of temperature; crop defence from high and low temperatures damages.
- Air turbulence: effects on plant-atmosphere exchanges, types of turbulence; soil and crop defence from wind damages.
- Hydrometeors: physical processes; classification; rain (amount, distribution, frequency, intensity, useful rainfall); hail (formation, damage to crops, crops defence).
- The agricultural soils: depth; inhibition layers, porosity and its measurement, water infiltration speed, structure stability, effects of agronomic practices on structure stability. Physical properties of soils and effects on response to tillage.
- Waterlogging: effects on soil and plant; practices to prevent waterlogging.
- Water erosion of soils: measurement; physical processes; types of erosion; universal soil loss equation (USLE).
- Tillage: aims; actions of different tillage machines; classification of tillage; set up of tillages protocols
- Sowing: seed bed requirements; calculate the rate of seeding; techniques for seeding.
- Soil amendment: dynamics of mineralization of soil organic matter and organic residues; humic budget; practices to reduce soil organic matter depletion; organic amendments and cover crops
- Soil pH amendment: crop growth limitation due to acidic, alkaline and saline soils; amendment interventions.
- Fertilization: aims, response of crops to nutrients applications, efficiency of fertilization, estimation of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium needs; choice of type, timing and application methods of fertilizers; review of mineral and organic fertilizers.
- Weeds and their control: quantitative and qualitative damage to crops due to weeds; weeds classification; weed control strategies.
- Plant propagation materials: types; registration of new varieties; production control and certification of seeds.
- Field trip at one or two farms focused on cropping systems.
- Training to calculate fertilization plans.
- Training to recognize weeds.
Prerequisites for admission
As management of the agroecosystem for plant production is based on quantitative knowledge of the pedoclimatic variables and the response of plants to their variation, to approach the discipline is required to the student not only to have good knowledge of the fundamentals of plant biology, systematic botany and soil chemistry, but also to have good basics in mathematics and physics.
Teaching methods
The course includes lectures, classroom exercises concerning calculation of fertilization plans and recognition of weeds. Field trip will also be organized in order to show different cropping systems and specific agronomic interventions.
Teaching Resources
P. Ceccon, M. Fagnano, C. Grignani, M. Monti, S. Orlandini, 2017. Agronomia, EdiSES, ISBN 9788879599658.
Course slides published on Ariel: Agronomy project (prof. Marino Gallina Pietro)
Course slides published on Ariel: Agronomy project (prof. Marino Gallina Pietro)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam consists of a written test and a recognition test. of 5 weeds in different phenological stages. The written test includes 9 questions aimed at verifying that students have acquired a quantitative knowledge of the environmental factors present in herbaceous systems and their dynamics as well as the ability of students to identify the most appropriate agronomic interventions, also organizing them temporally, to jointly optimize production and its environmental sustainability. Some questions requires to perform calculations or illustrate relationships using graphs. One question specifically concerns calculation of a fertilization plan. The written test lasts 2 hours and contributes to the formation of the final mark with 28 points while the recognition test lasts 10-15 minutes and contributes to the final mark with 3 points.
Access to the written test is subject to passing a test consisting of 40 single or multiple closed-answer questions.
Access to the written test is subject to passing a test consisting of 40 single or multiple closed-answer questions.
AGR/02 - AGRONOMY AND FIELD CROPS - University credits: 6
Field activity: 4 hours
Practicals: 12 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Practicals: 12 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Marino Gallina Pietro
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)