Applied Agrometeorology in a Changing Climate

The course aims to provide fundamental knowledge for understanding the climate system and its interaction with agricultural production, with reference to climate change and its effects on the agricultural sector.
Specifically, the lectures will cover:
1. The definition of the atmospheric system,
2. The analysis of climate change at different spatial and temporal scales,
3. The definition, characterization, and analysis of environmental resources and limitations (solar radiation, temperature, precipitation) that affect agricultural production,
4. The definition of agro-climatological tools to analyze and understand agricultural contexts at various scales (from single field to farm, consortium, and larger territorial scales).
Practical sessions will focus on the application of the learned concepts to specific case studies, with particular attention to the analysis of meteorological data, the application of models simulating plant responses to different environmental conditions (phenological modeling, definition of plant light interception, quantification of environmental resources for plant development, and assessment of thermal and water stress conditions).
The course builds upon fundamental concepts from physics, plant biology, and agronomy, aimed to understand the environmental context of various agricultural and viticultural productions.

Students will be able to master the theoretical knowledge necessary to understand the climate system and its interaction with agricultural production, with particular attention to climate change and its effects on the agricultural sector.
In relation to the theoretical content learned, students will be able to:
· Formulate a quantitative assessment of the environmental resources and limitations of agricultural production in each study area, considering different spatial scales of detail,
· Analyze the trends of individual growing seasons in relation to the reference climate normal, to highlight key elements for the definition of appropriate adaptation strategies,
· Characterize different agricultural contexts at various scales, from the single field to the farm, consortium, and larger territorial scales,
· Prepare agrometeorological analysis reports.

Students will gain critical analysis skills to evaluate different productive contexts in terms of environmental resources and limitations (agricultural suitability).
By the end of the course, students will be able to independently approach the agro-climatic suitability analysis of an agricultural area, delve deeper into the covered topics, and keep up to date to improve their skills in this field.