This course provides an introduction into crop and forage sciences - with a focus on sustainable management methods in Switzerland and Europe.
Learning objective
The students know the basic processes and management methods of arable and forage production in Switzerland and Central Europe. They know the most relevant arable crops. Students can assess the influence of environmental factors and management not only on individual plants, but also on meadow and pasture plant communities and on their yields. They understand the relevance of crop rotation measures and can make recommendations for the establishment of land management methods. The students are familiar with sustainable, climate-friendly and biodiversity-conserving or biodiversity-enhancing management measures and understand the value of species-rich vegetation for the provision of ecosystem services.
Content
The lecture is divided into two parts, i.e., Arable Crop and Forage Production, supervised by different lecturers.
The part 'Arable Crop Production' deals with the most relevant arable crops and with basic steps of arable field management such as soil tillage, sowing and plant protection. Effects on soil structure, different tillage measures for different crops as well as differences in the intensity of intervention in comparison of conventional and soil-conserving tillage (e.g. no-till) are explained. The most important differences between conventional, integrated and organic production are addressed. Special emphasis is placed on the establishment of crop rotations taking into account the farm context.
In the part 'Forage Production', important plant functional groups and representative plant species as well as different types of grassland systems, i.e., most important mixtures as well as natural plant communities in Central Europe are presented (sward assessment). Based on the ecophysiology of individual plants, the reactions of plant stands to changing environmental conditions are elaborated. Different types of management are presented (e.g. fertilisation, grazing, cutting) and their effects on stand composition and yields are discussed. Feedback mechanisms between environment and grassland systems are addressed. The role of biodiversity is addressed.
Lecture notes
Available on moodle
Competencies
Subject-specific Competencies
Concepts and Theories
assessed
Techniques and Technologies
assessed
Method-specific Competencies
Analytical Competencies
assessed
Problem-solving
fostered
Project Management
fostered
Social Competencies
Communication
assessed
Personal Competencies
Adaptability and Flexibility
fostered
Critical Thinking
assessed
Self-direction and Self-management
assessed
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course