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Identical coursesCrop Production (B-KUL-I0U90A)
Cannot be taken as part of an examination contractAims
- Students will learn how to design high yielding but sustainable crop husbandry practices with a focus on tropical and subtropical crops.
- Students get to know the practices of husbandry, from planting to harvest and learn morphological and physiological features of selected crops.
- Students will learn how to perform in-depth comparisons between crops (to be considered as a reference base or model crop) and other crops, so that crop husbandry practices can be inferred for the latter.
- Students realize that this approach avoids encyclopedical knowledge and paves the way for students to design crop husbandry practices for other but non-discussed similar plants.
- Students learn how to apply, during the practical, the theoretical knowledge which is taught in the lectures about the cultivation of ((sub)tropical) husbandry crops.
Previous knowledge
Knowledge of these topics is required in order to start this course:
- Basic plant biology (bachelor's level)
Knowledge of these topics is an advantage:
- Plant physiology
Identical courses
This course is identical to the following courses:
I0V49A : Tropical Crop Production (No longer offered this academic year)
I0P25A : Tropical Crop Production (No longer offered this academic year)
Is included in these courses of study
- Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Bioscience Engineering (Leuven)
- Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering (Leuven) (Major Subject: Plant Production Systems) 120 ects.
- Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering (Leuven) (Major Subject: Plant Production Systems) 120 ects.
Activities
1 ects. Crop Production: Practicals (B-KUL-I0U91a)
Content
Greenhouse exercise (under supervision + report)
Students grow plants according to specific tasks; at the beginning they present hypotheses on how the development will occur. After a couple of weeks of observation they check whether the hypotheses are correct and if not, have to find an explanation for it and to provide supporting data.
They elaborate a report that is evaluated.
Course material
Consult Toledo for manual, report guidelines and extra information.
Format: more information
All activities are mandatory.
Students must make several assignments, must go on the excursion and must work under supervision in the greenhouse. For each assignment a report needs to be submitted following a specific format.
5 ects. Crop Production: Lectures (B-KUL-I0V45a)
Content
The most important physiological and morphological elements of the ontogenesis of plants will be highlighted, with special emphasis on “tropical aspects. Production techniques for the fast propagation of healthy planting material will be presented with special attention to morphology and plant physiology. Students are trained to search for the best variety for a specific environment.
Course material
Consult Toledo for PowerPoint slides, syllabus, video per class and extra information.
The study of this course is facilitated by some background in plant anatomy, morphology and physiology. Useful optional (facultative) background documents are:
- Arntzen C.J. and Ritter E.M., 1994. Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science. Volume 1, Academic Press, USA: 634 pp.
- Arntzen C.J. and Ritter E.M., 1994. Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science. Volume 2, Academic Press, USA: 667 pp.
- Arntzen C.J. and Ritter E.M., 1994. Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science. Volume 3, Academic Press, USA: 665 pp.
- Arntzen C.J. and Ritter E.M., 1994. Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science. Volume 4, Academic Press, USA: 778 pp.
- Purseglove J.W., 1972. Tropical Crops Monocotyledons. Volumes 1 and 2 combined, Longman, U.K.: 607 pp.
- Purseglove J.W., 1968. Tropical Crops Dicotyledons. Volumes 1 and 2 combined, Longman, U.K.: 719 pp.
- Raemaekers R.H., 2001. Crop production in Tropical Africa, DGIC, Belgium: 1540 pp- Gateway for Plant -Genetic Resources:http://www.genesys-pgr.org/
-Agro-ecological zones: www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/cropsuit.asp. (Allows you to make your own maps): http://ecocrop.fao.org/
-Agronomical performance of horticultural cultivars in relation to agro-ecological conditions, cultivation practices, etc.:http://www.fao.org/hortivar
Evaluation
Evaluation: Crop Production (B-KUL-I2U90a)
Explanation
The evaluation of Crop Production is made out of two parts:
The main evaluation (on 16 points) is a written exam. It consists mainly out of theoretical questions and the application of the course to real situations. The 3 practicals (with all corresponding activities and assignments) encompass the remaining 4 points.
Students have to accomplish all the assignments in time and attend all the practicals. Failure to accomplish all the assignments in time and attend all the practicals (without valid reasons) results in failing the whole course, which means getting a 'NA'.
Information about retaking exams
Students who failed this course, will have to retake the written exam. The practicals cannot be retaken. The grades of the practicals will therefore be transferred to the third examination period.