NPLK14020U Sustainable Agricultural Development Pathways
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development
MSc Programme in Sustainable Development in Agriculture (Agris
Mundus)
The course addresses the challenge of increasing food production
in developing countries, while conserving the key
natural resources. In short, we need to double the food
production over the next 40 years, but without increasing water,
nutrient and land consumption proportionally, and with lower
greenhouse gas emissions.
The course addresses key resource constraints in a constructive,
non-dogmatic and case-specific way. In 5 topical sessions, the
course investigates Water use; Nutrients and soil quality;
Breeding and GMO's; Pest and weed management; and Climate smart
agriculture.
In each session, the mechanistic basis is presented, in order to
understand and evaluate potential and constraints
for increasing food production
while conserving resources. The mechanistic base in
then applied at farming system level in a series of
case-specific scenarios, under varying soil, climate and
socioeconomic conditions. Trade-offs and interrelationships are
emphasized at the farming system level.
The course will qualify students to discuss sustainable development
pathways, with a mechanistic understanding of biological and
chemical processes, but applied to farming system level. The
course emphasizes the diversity of farming systems, climatic
and market conditions, and hence relevance of various solutions.
Students will write one individual assignment during the course,
which forms 33% of the final mark.
Knowledge
Knowledge of main arguments for or against agronomic development
paradigms (GMO, Agro-ecology, Organic etc).
Overview of main constraints for agronomic development and yield
gaps globally
Overview of resource availability (water, nutrient, land) globally
and cost of access.
Skills
Mechanistic understanding of factors which control water and
nutrient use efficiency in crops.
Understanding of plant beeding potential for tropical crop
production with and without GMO's.
Ability to analyse trade-offs between selected agricultural
interventions, yield benefits, environmental benefits and labour
consumption.
Ability to evaluate carbon mitigation potential of selected farming
systems
Competences
Ability to discuss relevance of various agricultural development
interventions under a variety of climatic, edaphic and
socioeconomic conditions.
Ability to analyse farming systems agronomically
Ability to make recommendations for sustainable agricultural
development pathways for specific system types
Scientific papers
Tropical Crop Production recommended prerequistite course
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 4
- Guidance
- 12
- Lectures
- 54
- Preparation
- 48
- Project work
- 30
- Seminar
- 8
- Theory exercises
- 50
- Total
- 206
As
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Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentWritten examination, 4 timer under invigilationOne individual written assignment during the course on a topic within the course frame.
4 hour written exam with calculations, designs, concept development, analysis and discussion.
Examination: The written assignments accounts for 30% and the written exam for 70% of the given grade - Exam registration requirements
Participation in 3 mandatory exercises during course.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
NB: If the exam is held at the ITX, the ITX will provide computers. Private computers, tablets or mobile phones CANNOT be brought along to the exam. Books and notes should be brought on paper or saved on a USB key.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
several internal examinators
- Exam period
The assignment is submitted in week 7 of the course
- Re-exam
An individuel assingment is handed in 2 weeks before signing up for re-exam if the requirements is not fullfilled.
Criteria for exam assesment
Assignment is evaluated based on the following criteria:
Level of academic detail and mechanistic understanding of selected
processes
Ability to discuss specific mechanisms in relevant context of
chosen farming systems
Ability to reflect on barriers for implementation and applied
perspectives for food production.
Ability to answer the questions and complete the calculations in the written exam.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NPLK14020U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedule
- B
- Course capacity
- 35 studerende
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources and Environment
Contracting department
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Course responsibles
- Andreas de Neergaard (3-656872447765716a326f7932686f)
Lecturers
Myles Oelofse; Thilde Bech Bruun, Sven-Erik Jacobsen, Kirsten Jørgensen; Fulai Liu; Sven Bode Andersen; Jørgen Eilenberg