INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR A SUSTAINABLE PLANT PRODUCTION
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
A basic knowledge of plant biology and physiology is useful for understanding the topics covered during the course.
The evaluation consists of an oral exam. The student will be asked some questions, both broad and more specific, one of which is chosen. The objective of the exam is to verify the level of achievement of the previously indicated training objectives, evaluating the level of knowledge and depth of the topics addressed. For the purposes of the assessment, the teacher will take into account the student's ability to:
- articulate the speech with clarity, precision, relevance and properties of language
- argue and make connections between the teaching contents and compare different aspects covered during the course
- critically re-elaborate the contents
The vote is expressed in 30/30.
At the end of the course the student will understand the need for sustainable agriculture to protect the environment, natural resources and biodiversity while increasing production. The student will therefore learn how to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture through sustainable crop protection, which includes biological control and the use of innovative and sustainable compounds such as peptides, biopesticides and volatile organic compounds. The course also aims to provide knowledge on the use of natural biostimulants to support plant growth and development.
At the end of the course, the student will have a basic knowledge of current and future applications of precision agriculture and the use of smart sensors and big data to monitor crop health. The student will be able to evaluate the possibility of using robotic solutions for non-selective and selective operations such as seeding, weeding, pruning and harvesting. Finally, the student will have a general understanding of plant genetic improvement and its importance in developing new, better cultivated varieties to increase the sustainability of agriculture.
The following topics will be covered in class:
- Sustainable agriculture: meaning, principles and techniques
- Sustainable crop protection: biopesticides
- Sustainable crop protection: biological control
- Sustainable crop protection: volatile organic compounds
- Natural biostimulants in agriculture
- Symbiotic fungi and beneficial bacteria for sustainable agriculture
- Precision agriculture
- Smart sensors and big data for crop health monitoring
- Automation in agriculture and robotics applied to agricultural systems
- Genetic improvement of crops
- Organic and biodynamic farming
Sustainable agriculture: meaning, principles and techniques
- Why current agriculture is unsustainable.
Sustainable crop protection: biopesticides
- Biopesticides, a new frontier in sustainable agriculture. Biopesticides of animal, plant, biochemical (pheromones, plant extracts, etc.) or microbial (bacteria, fungi, viruses and yeasts) origin and their use.
Sustainable pest management: biological control
- The use of living organisms to control populations of parasites and diseases.
Sustainable crop protection: Volatile organic compounds
- The use of volatile compounds in plant-ecological interactions.
Natural biostimulants in agriculture
- Biostimulants in agriculture to increase production and improve crop quality: what they are and how they work.
Symbiotic fungi and beneficial bacteria for sustainable agriculture
- Soil microbial biodiversity is essential for soil-plant-microbe interactions. The ecological role of fungi and beneficial bacteria in agriculture: all the benefits for crops.
Precision agriculture. Smart sensors and big data for crop health monitoring
- Starting with an introduction to sensors, the possibilities of applying precision techniques in soil preparation, seeding, fertilisation, irrigation, weeding, defence and harvesting will be discussed. Crop monitoring systems.
Automation in agriculture and robotics applied to agricultural systems.
- Fundamentals of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning. Computer vision in support of agricultural automation.
Genetic improvement of crops
- Techniques to improve the quality and quantity of plant production and their resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, both through classical and molecular marker-assisted selection programmes and through biotechnological interventions.
Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture
- Organic and biodynamic farming, the differences.
- Theoretical classroom sessions covering the main topics of the course, supported by Power Point presentations.
- In-depth seminars given by teachers, technicians or industry experts
- Laboratory exercises related to the classroom content. Twelve hours of practical activities (three practical activities of four hours each). All details of the laboratory activities will be given to the students during the first lesson.
- Educational visits to agricultural companies, research institutes and other bodies in the sector, where some of the topics covered in class will be analysed in detail.
The teacher receives by appointment, upon request via e-mail (g.domingo@uninsubria.it) at his office in via Dunant 3, in Varese.