Nutrients Cycle in Soil-Plant Systems

The course aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of the interactions between the plant and the different components of the soil, deepening the knowledge of chemical and biological mechanisms that influence the availability of nutrients in the soil and the responses of plants to different nutrient inputs and environmental conditions. Moreover the course will investigated speciation of ions and the effect on plant and environment nutrient availability considering, also,
knowledge on the impact of organic and inorganic pollutants on the soil-plant system with particular attention to the quality and safety of plant productions.

At the end of the course the student should have acquired:
- knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological processes that control the nutrient and pollutant availability in soil;
- biochemical and physiological knowledge of soil-plant relationships in the response to nutrients and to the presence of inorganic and organic pollutants;
- critical ability regarding environmental defense issues in an agro-environmental context.