LPLK10367U Tropical Crop Production

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development
MSc Programme in Agriculture
Content
The course focuses on capacity development in tropical crop production. The students will be exposed to the three major crop science elements that are instrumental to optimal crop production 1) Plant breeding and crop varieties, 2) fertilizer (organic/unorganic) and 3) crop protection. This trinity will be an integrated part of the three interrelated phases:

i. Agronomic disciplines with reference to tropical conditions.
Tropical crop physiology; crop genetic resources, agrobiodiversity and breeding; timing of management operations, weed control; configuration (spacing and inter cropping) and soil fertility management.

ii. Tropical Crops
An overview of major tropical food, feed and industrial crops, their intrinsic properties and their cultivation with special emphasize on small holder conditions. Cultivation and rotations of crops under unimodal and bimodal rainy seasons

iii. Farming systems
Quantitative study of small holder farming systems under various agro-ecological conditions in the dry and humid tropics.
Learning Outcome
Provide students, having a BSc-level background in agricultural sciences or equivalent, with a comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic properties of selected tropical crop species and their management in tropical rainfed and irrigated agro-ecosystems. Focus is on bio-physical related production constraints and human endeavour to optimize crop production in small-scale farming systems, within the context of poverty alleviation and sustainable crop production.

When students have completed the course they should be able to:

Knowledge
- Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of tropical crop production
- Understand the characteristics of major tropical crops
- Demonstrate overview of tropical farming systems in relation to agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions.

Skills
- Analyse and synthesize diverse types of information on tropical crop production
-Design cropping calendars for selected major crops species
- Develop tropical crop production plans in relation to given agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions
- Design, implement and analyze research projects in a tropical crop production environment


Competences
- Assess and formulate agronomic components of development support programmes
- Advise extension and research institutions in tropical countries
- Do statistical and graphical analysis of field experiments.
Azam-Ali, S.N. and G.R. Squire (2002): Principles of Tropical Agronomy
Rowland, J.R.J. (1993): Dryland farming in Africa

Additional teaching materials selected by the teachers.
Basic courses in crop science, plant physiology and statistics
The course combines lectures and theoretical and practical exercises. Lectures will outline the background and support the exercises.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Guidance
  • 10
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Practical exercises
  • 24
  • Preparation
  • 68
  • Theory exercises
  • 70
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 4 hours under invigilation
4 hour written exam
Exam registration requirements
Theoretical and practical excercise report submission
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Criteria for exam assesment
see learning outcome