250084 Experimental Crop Production

Details
Department of Agriculture and Ecology   90 %
Department of Basic Science and Environment   10 %
Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year to MSc. 2 year
DurationOne block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
Course LevelMSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination and oral examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: At the end of the course students are asked to deliver their report of the experimental work, which will be further assessed through an oral examination.

Weight: Project report 30% Oral examination 70%



7-point scale, internal examiner
 
Organisation of Teaching'Experimental Crop Production'is the experimental continuation of 'Climate Management in Horticultural Production' and 'Physiology of Crop Yield'. The experimental work will be conducted in the greenhouse at Taastrup.
 
Block PlacementBlock 3
Week Structure: B
 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Optional Prerequisites250008 
220003 Climate, Weather and Plants
 
RestrictionsNone
 
Course Contents
The course starts with presentations of production or research oriented problems from intensive crop production and research, dealing with climatic effects in the chosen crops. From one of these problems the students, within groups, work out a hypothesis for a solution and an experiment is planed to test it. The experiment is performed and will be documented afterwards.

In addition to the project work there will be lectures that focus on how to analyse and solve a production problem relating to climate conditions. Examples of available methods for measuring the plant responses to the experimental treatments are photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, the energy balance of photosynthesis by modulated chlorophyll fluorescence, water potential by pressure chamber, pigment composition by spectrophotometer.

Topics during the course:
- Problem analysis
- Experiment arrangement, performance and documentation
- Data acquisition and processing
- Decision support systems and crop optimisation
- Protected cultivation now and in the future (growth chambers, biospheres, closed or semi-closed greenhouses etc.)
- Crop water relations
- Water-saving irrigation strategies

Examples of problems that can be analysed experimentally are:
- The fruit and berry production needs to produce high quality of fresh fruit in a greater part of the year. How can we mange that?
- The greenhouse industry has quite a high use of energy. How can we change the climate control system in order to save energy?
- Stem elongation is often controlled with the use of chemicals. Can we control the elongation growth by using climatic methods instead?
- How will the greenhouse be in the future? Which possibilities do we have to improve the production system?
- How can irrigation be optimized in the greenhouse in respect to crop yield and quality?
 
Teaching And Learning Methods
Teaching and Learning Methods The main part of the course is the project work, but theoretical lectures and excursions are also important teaching methods. The project is performed within groups of 2-4 students. Project reports are worked out in groups. Included education methods are case studies, computer analyses, problem based learning, lectures, and visits to commercial companies.
 
Learning Outcome
The aim of the course is to make the students able to analyse a climatic dependent crop production problem. After the course the students are able to understand how climate parameters influence crop growth and yield and to formulate strategies to optimize the climates for maximizing crop production. The course is aimed at students that want to work with direct crop production or research in different aspects of crop production and eco-physiology.

Knowledge:
In depth knowledge of the important climate parameters affecting crop growth and productivity will be obtained at plant, field and greenhouse levels. The knowledge will be related to an understanding of the interactions between climate management, water availability, technological possibilities and intensive production of horticultural crops. Furthermore, knowledge will be obtained about how to analyse production oriented problems.

Skills:
The students will be trained in the ability
- to design experiments where climate is an important factor affecting crop growth and yield
- to use the greenhouse as a tool to control climates in the experiments
- to analyse possibilities for improving current climate management
- to discuss, analyse and evaluate the production of horticultural crops from a technical and climatically point of view
- to understand the interaction between climate conditions and water availability in crop production.
- to be able to design irrigation systems to optimize crop production under certain climatic conditions.

Competences:
Ability to performance and analyse the way scientific plant experiments are planned, performed and documented; be able to manage and optimize the climatic conditions for crop production under controlled environments.
 
Course Litterature
Climate management in horticulture. Aaslyng et al. 2005. Compendium, KVL. Department of Agricultural Sciences.

Greenhouse Climate Control: An Integrated Approach. Bakker et al. (Editor). Wageningen Academic Publishers. ISBN:9074134173

The physiology of crop yield. R. Hay and J. Porter, 2nd ed., Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2006

Scientific papers related to the chosen topic.
 
Course Coordinator
Fulai Liu, fl@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Crop Science, Phone: 35333416
Eva Rosenqvist, ero@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Crop Science, Phone: 35333404
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Course Scope
lectures25
practicals20
project work90
supervision25
Colloquia14
preparation20
examination2
Excursions10

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