| Responsible Department | Department of Agriculture and Ecology | ||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 3 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Continuous Assessment written examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: The students will be continuously assessed based on outputs from the 4 major themes of the course. This includes two multiple-choice/short text-answer/image diagnosis tests (1-h, indiv., no aids), a 24h take home essay (indiv., all aids allowed), and a port-folio of fertilisation exercises (indiv., but work may be carried out in groups). Weight: Each of the 4 outputs will be marked according to the 7-point scale and contributes equally (25 % each) to the average course grade given. 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, theoretical and practical exercises (greenhouse), case-study work, excursion | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 1 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | 240071 250021 or similar plant physiology and soil science courses | ||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | None | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||
| The course is about the management of soil and other growth media for optimal nutrition of agricultural and horticultural crops. This includes topics about soil fertility management, soil liming an amelioration, plant nutritional physiology, production and use of fertilisers, crop fertiliser response and effects on crop quality, efficient management of animal manures and green manures for reducing nutrient loss, fertilisation strategies for individual crops and application of nutrient balances. The course is mainly focused on temperate, intensive agricultural and horticultural production, but has an international perspective and will also include minor topics within low-input or warmer climate production systems. The course content is organised in four major themes: - Turnover of macro and micronutrients in soil and their function in plants - Soil fertility, plant nutrient availability and nutrient deficiency diagnosis - Sustainable management of organic manures: animal waste, catch crops and green manures - Crop fertilisation strategies: effects on yield and quality Within each theme, students will work actively with exercises and case-studies, learning about the methods for analysis and evaluation of soil and plant nutrient status, concluding with case-studies on fertilisation planning for agricultural or horticultural crop production. The course gives important competences for jobs in private or public advisory service for farmers or gardeners, in public administration and international organisations within agricultural and horticultural production, as well as teaching and research at college and university level. | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Within the four major themes of the course (each lasting 1½-3 weeks) the course will consist of lectures, theoretical and practical exercises (greenhouse) as well as group discussions about case-studies or selected papers. Usually each half-day will start with a few lectures followed by student centred activity, sometimes ending with a summary lecture or discussion. The exercise activities will be both in groups and individually, and most of the student activity in the course is expected to result in written output, which will form the basis for assessment. There will also be some guest lecturers from relevant industries and advisory service. | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||
| The objective of the course is to give applicable and advanced knowledge on the biological and chemical processes affecting plant availability, function and losses of nutrients applied in fertilisers, organic manures and amendments used in agricultural and horticultural crop production. After participating in the course students are expected to be able to: Knowledge: - Describe the biological and chemical processes affecting plant availability of nutrients in fertilisers, manures and other soil amendments used in agriculture and horticulture - Describe crop nutritional physiology, nutrient function and the effects of fertilisation and soil fertility management on crop yield and quality - Show overview on how fertilisation affects nutrient losses to the environment Skills: - Evaluate nutrient status of soil and other growth media and nutrient demand of crops, based on soil and plant analyses - Diagnose nutrient deficiency symptoms in common agricultural and horticultural crop plants Competences: - Apply advanced principles to fertilisation strategy planning, taking into account soil nutrient mineralisation and optimal use of available organic manures (animal waste, green manures, catch crops) - Discuss the role of fertilisation and organic manures on sustainability issues | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||
| Jensen, L.S.; Husted, S.(2009): Applied Plant Nutrition. Electronic book will be distributed for free via Absalon at the start of the course. All exercise materials will also be distributed electronically via Absalon. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Lars Stoumann Jensen, lsj@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Plant and Soil Science, Phone: 353-33470 Søren Husted, shu@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Plant and Soil Science, Phone: 353-33498 | |||||||||||||||||
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