Agroecology and principles of Agricultural Ecology. Agroecological models of farm management. Agroecological practices. Cover crops and living mulches. Diversified crop rotations and minimum tillage. Agro-forestry.
Didactic material supplied by the lecturer.
Altieri, M.A., Nicholls, C.I., Ponti, L., 2015. Agroecologia. Edagricole, Milan, Italy, 313 p.
Vazzana, C., 1998. Ecologia vegetale agraria. Patron Editore, Bologna, Italy, 394 p.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge: evolution of agroecology, methods and practices.
Competence: techniques of agroecological design, organic agriculture and alternative cropping systems.
Skills: capacity of analysis of biodiversity and of chemical, physical and biological soil quality.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended): no
Teaching Methods
CFU: 6
Total hours of the course: 150 (= 6 x 25)
Hours reserved to private study and other individual formative activities: 102
Hours for lectures: 32
Hours for laboratory: 0
Hours for practical activities (in aula and in field): 16
Hours for seminars: 0
Hours for stages: 0
Hours for Intermediate examinations: 0
Further information
Frequency of lectures and practices: recommended
Type of Assessment
Mode of examination: Written and oral exam
Verification of comprehension is structured in 3 steps: 1) Development of a project general report on a case-study chosen by the student based on a standard template supplied by the lecturer; 2) Oral presentation of the project based on a standard template supplied by the lecturer; 3) Interrogation on project, Agroecology and principles of Agricultural Ecology.
Students submit their own project within the sixth working day previous to official date of the exam session. The lecturer assesses the project and communicate to students if they are admitted to Steps 2 and 3 of the exam. Admitted students then submit a Power Point presentation within the second working day previous to official date of the exam session.
On the official date of the exam the student presents the project and is interrogated on it, Agrocology and principles of Agricultural Ecology.
Evaluation parameters: capacity of explaining principles and theories comprehended by means of an organic reasoning, both under a written and an oral shape; capacity of critical thinking on the topics studied; comprehensiveness in tackling the topics of the course; competence in technical wording, effectiveness, linearity.
Course program
Part 1. Agroecology and principles of Agricultural Ecology.
Definitions of Ecology, Agricultural Ecology, Agro-ecology, Sustainability. Biodiversity, functional biodiversity and agro-biodiversity. Ecosystems functions, services and goods. Biosphere and ecosystem. Hierarchical levels of organization. Definition of biosphere. Definition of ecosystem, biocenosis and habitat. Ecosystem fundamental components. Energy principles and concepts in organic systems. Food chains, trophic levels, ecological pyramids. Interactions between organisms and between organisms and the habitat. Action, reaction and co-action. Predation, parasitism, parasitoidism, symbiosis and competition. Ecological niche. Ecosystems productivity.Biogeochemical cycles. Gas cycles: oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, water. Sedimentary cycles: phosphorous. Ecological succession. Definition of ecological succession. Definition of climax. Clements’theory of monoclimax. Gleason’s individualistic theory. Tansley’s policlimax theory. Types of ecological successions. Sere and seral stage. Development of ecological successions. Ecology of competition and populations. Definition of competition. Competition and amensalism. Competition factors. Intra-specific competition in the agro-ecosystem: Role of weeds and allelopathy.
Part 2. Agroecological models of farm management.
Organic agriculture: definition, principles, strategies, certification and statistics. Other agricultures of organic type: Biodynamic agriculture, Natural agriculture, Permaculture, Sinergic agriculture. Integrated agriculture.
Part 3. Agroecological practices.
Cover crops: classification, benefits, risks, management strategies. Living mulches: relay intercropping and stripe intercropping. Diversified rotations: importance, nitrogen balance, impacts on energy balance, insects, pathogens and weeds. Conservation tillage: sod-seeding, minimum tillage, reduced tillage. Agro-forestry: definition, classification, benefits, design, traditional systems, modern management of agro-forestry systems.
Design and assessment of sustainable agri-food systems.