LPLK10367U Tropical Crop Production

Volume 2014/2015
Education
MSc Programme in Agricultural Development
MSc Programme in Agriculture
MSc Programme in Sustainable Development in Agriculture (Agris Mundus)
Content
The course focuses on capacity development in tropical crop production. The students will be exposed to the major crop science elements that are instrumental to a sustainable crop production, optimizing the use of agrobiodiversity and land management practices. Main disciplines are:

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

ii. Tropical Crops
An overview of major tropical crops, their intrinsic properties and their cultivation with special emphasis 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 properties of selected tropical crop species and their management in tropical rainfed and irrigated agro-ecosystems. Focus is on climate related production constraints, that is abiotic and biotic stresses, and human endeavor to optimize crop production in small-scale farming, within the context of poverty alleviation and sustainable crop production.

When students have completed the course they should have attained:

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.

Tropical Crop Production I - Selected papers
Tropical Crop Production II – Manual for practical and theoretical exercises

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
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Criteria for exam assesment
see learning outcome