NPLK14023U Applied Agrohydrology
MSc Programme in Agriculture
MSc Programme in Environmental Science
The objectives of the course are to obtain advanced and
applicable knovledge on agrohydrological and soil
physical properties and processes at the field scale
affecting plant production and the environment. Quantification
of properties and modeling of sub-processes being important
prerequisites for achieving these goals will be put in focus when
possible.
Topics: Water in soil: hydraulic properties (water retention and
hydraulic conductivity, models and model
parameterizations). Soil structure: fundamentals and
implications (e.g. for water, gas, heat and solute transport);
principles of structure management (soil tillage).
Evapotranspiration (resistance theory, estimation of reference
and actual evapotranspiration, crop water demand, water
balances, effects on microclimate). Water flow in soil:
fundamentals; crop water uptake, soil evaporation,
infiltration, drainage, soil water balance. Design
principles for drainage works at field scale and at
larger scales; implications of artificial drainage (crop
production, environment). Transport of contaminants in soil,
leaching: fundamentals and selected cases representing inert,
non-adsorbing, sorbing and degradable
substances. Non-equilibrium transport, effects of preferential
water flow. Field scale variability: spatial variability and
how to deal with it.
Course report: The students have to prepare an individual
course report (typically 10-15 pages) which has to be submitted to
the course responsible before the examination. The student
will through an analysis of self-selected or given
problems within the framework of the course, document
(examplify) and combine the application of central methods and
theory in the report.
Knowledge, skills and competences obtained during the course:
Knowledge: Students understand (can
explain) all fundamental laws, principles, model concepts and
methods presented during the course.
Skills: Students can apply and combine
the presented methods and principles to characterize the
soil-plant-atmosphere system as a basis for evaluation of effects
on crops and the environment.
Competences: Students can identify and analyze the
most important agrohydrolocical and soil physical factors in
relation to their primary focus, interpret the results of their
analysis and draw the relevant conclusions.
The study materials include excerpts from specialized advanced textbooks, specialized review papers, simple computer models, and original research papers. These will be available on Absalon.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 30
- Class Instruction
- 14
- Preparation
- 130
- Theory exercises
- 32
- Total
- 206
Students will present their group assignments, and oral feedback will be given by other students and by teachers.
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- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examination, 30 minWritten assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Oral examination, 30 minutes.
The student randomly draws a question related to one of the course's main topics. About 30 min is given for preparation for the exam. Initially, the student explains methods, theory, and analyses included in the course report. The presentation leads to questions and discussions which may be related to different parts of the syllabus. Finally, the student is examined in the randomly drawn question.
The grade will be based on following assessment, 70 % for the course report including presentation and discussion and 30 % for the drawn question. - Exam registration requirements
Submission of the course report by Thursday in the week before the exam
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
One internal examiner
- Re-exam
As the ordinary exam.
The course report needs to be handed in two weeks before the re-exam.
Criteria for exam assesment
Criteria defining the perfect exam performance are specifyed under "Learning Outcome".
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NPLK14023U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedule
- B
- Course capacity
- No limitation – unless you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting department
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Simon Fiil Svane (sfs@plen.ku.dk)
Lecturers
Simon Fiil Svane (course responsible)
Carsten Tilbæk Petersen
Per Abrahamsen