72658 - Manipulating Plant Biotic Interactions To Increasing Productivity

Learning outcomes

The course will aim to improve the knowledge on the physiological responses of the plant to the main biotic interactions and stresses and on the effects of the cultural techniques and human inputs on these processes. This knowledge will allow to time and tailor the cultural techniques to shape the biotic interactions in order to increase the sustainability of crop production.

Course contents

The course will focus on the biological interactions occurring in the agricultural ecosystem. The basic concepts of agroecology will be introduced (e.g. biodiversity, resistance, resilience, …). The course will also focus on a holistic approach to manage the ecological interactions occurring between the plant and other organisms, human included, and on their effects on plant productivity and crop quality. The main topics the course will deal with are:

The Ecosystem Concept, Overview of Ecosystem Ecology, Ecosystem Structure, Controls over Ecosystem Processes, Human-Caused Changes in Earth's Ecosystems, Terrestrial Water and Energy, The Flux of Matter through Ecosystems, The Flux of Energy through Ecosystems        

Organisms in their Environments: the Evolutionary Backdrop, Conditions, Resources, Communities and Ecosystems, Intraspecific Competition, Species Interactions in the agroecosystem, Ecological Applications at the Level of Communities and Ecosystems: Management Based on the Theory of Succession, Food Webs, Ecosystem Functioning and Biodiversity Ecological Applications at the Level of Population Interactions: Harvest Management.    

Readings/Bibliography

Selected chapters from:

Taiz L. and Zeiger E. Plant Physiology, 5th Edition ISBN-10: 0878938664 | Edition: Fifth

De Kok L.J., Hawkesford M. J. Plant Ecophysiology ISSN: 1572-5561

Park S. Nobel. Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology ISBN: 978-0-12-520026-4  Handouts and selected papers

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, visit to orchards and processing plants. Seminars by experts. Seminars by students. Problem-solving activities in which students are asked to deal independently with a precatical or research i related to one of the "case of study" covered by the course

Assessment methods

Oral exam or review prepared by the student on a specific topic of the course. Oral exam. The exam will consist on 3 questions, accounting for 10 points each, regarding 3 main areas of the course. One of the question can be a problem solving activity related to case studies debated during the course.
Review. The student can prepare a manuscript and/or a seminar on a topic chose in agreement with the professor. The topic must be related with a specific topic of the course and should review the state-of-the art on that topic. the student will be guide step-by-step in the preparation of the elaborate and additional material will be provide to the student to achieve this result.

Teaching tools

Power Point Presentation, lab and experimental fields

Links to further information

http://corsi.unibo.it/2Cycle/InternationalHorticulturalScience/Pages/LearningActivities.aspx

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Spinelli