CWE-10306 Cropping Systems and Knowledge of Crops

Vak

Studiepunten 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Contents:

World-wide, a huge variety of crops is grown in different agro-ecosystems to provide man with food and other agricultural products. Different cultivation techniques applied by farmers lead to an even wider variety in cropping systems. This introductory course covers the morphology and the basic processes determining growth of crops and their products, the most important ecological relations in agro-ecosystems, and effects of external factors on these relations and the diversity in cropping systems. Students learn to use this knowledge for recognising the 80 most important crop species and raw crop products, for understanding and quantifying how external factors and different cropping systems affect crop production and other processes in agro-ecosystems, and for analysing and understanding how very diverse factors affect the development and status-quo of important cropping systems. The course is suitable for students with only limited biological knowledge.

Aims:

After the course, students can;
- recognise the most important crop and grassland species, their products and their qualities by using vegetative, generative and other characteristics, and have insight in their purpose and value for use;
- describe important terms and parameters in the field of study, know the approximate value of the parameters, and can work with them;
- describe which ecological processes play an important role in the functioning of agro-ecosystems, and which factors determine the diversity in cropping systems in different climatic zones;
- indicate how soil, crop and atmosphere affect different ecological processes in agro-ecosystems at different integration levels;
- describe and quantify functional relationships in agro-ecosystems, especially with regard to external inputs and factors, and nutrient cycli.

Activities:

A practical treats applied taxonomy, spread of crops, biodiversity, generative and vegetative recognition of crops and the 80 most important crops according to a taxonomical classification and a classification according to use. Students practice in recognition of these crops by means of living plant material, crop products and computer. In addition, some small experiments are carried out. Lectures treat food production and agriculture world-wide, principles of growth and development of different crop types, ecological relations in agro-ecosystems in different climates - especially interactions between soil, plant and atmosphere -, and factors determining the variety in cropping systems. Work sessions train students in quantifying effects of external factors on crop production and of different cropping systems on changes in processes within agro-ecosystems. Two excursions (Betuwe and Veluwe) help in gaining the required knowledge on cropping systems. In PO-groups, students analyse a cropping system of their choice.

Examination:

Written exam, plant recognition test, working books during the practical, report on one of the excursion topics, PO-report and -presentation.

Literature:

Study guide, PO-guide and lecture syllabus, practical handbook, two workbooks and two excursion guides.