AGRONOMY

The student acquires the scientifical and technical basis about natural factors of crop yield and their reciprocal relationships, in order to obtain productions that are programmed in quantity and quality and well distributed over time, respecting the environment. At the end of the course the student will be able to apply the general principles that are the basis of crop production.

The course includes 35 hours of frontal lessons (or remotely) and 28 hours of practical lessons (seminars and visits to some important agri-food companies). If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported syllabus. Learning assessment may be done remotely if necessary.

Agriculture and man: historical stages. Agriculture-environment relationships. Objectives and content of Agronomy. Plant production, the quality of food products and the factors affecting it. Concept of necosystem and agroecosystem. The climate and its classification: the major elements (solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, evapotranspiration) and relations with crop production. Growth, development and productivity. The agricultural soil and its characteristics: A) Intrinsic: origin, texture, stratification, location and exposure, color; B) Extrinsic: structure, biological characteristics, chemical characteristics, plasticity, toughness, adhesion. Soil organic matter. Soil fertility concept. Functions of habitability of agricultural soil: mass, heat, softness, hygienic conditions. Tillage. Water-soil relationships, water potential, hydrological constants and measure of soil moisture. Irrigation (aims, methods and irrigation variables) and quality of irrigation water. Hints of dry farming. Water regulation and hydraulic-agricultural. Crop rotation and its agronomic and environmental significance. Hints on cropping systems. Notes on the weeds control. Nutritional functions of agrarian soil: nutrients, fertilizers and fertilization technique, fertilization and product quality. Fertilization plan. Environmental impact of fertilization. Notes on the propagation of cultivated plants and seed characteristics.

Book 1: Giardini Luigi, 2012. L’agronomia per conservare il futuro. Pàtron.

Book 2: Ceccon Paolo, Fagnano Massimo, Grignani Carlo, Monti Michele, Orlandini Simone (edited by), 2017. Agronomia. EdiSES