| Department of Natural Sciences
50 % Department of Agricultural Sciences 50 % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | Two blocks | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 15 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | BSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination Written Exam in Lecturehall All aids allowed Description of Examination: Oral presentation in groups of 4 (3-5) students. Written 4-hours exam. Each oral presentation is done by a group of 3-5 students, who select a topic from a list 2 weeks before the presentation, which takes place on Monday or Tuesday in second last course week. All group members get same mark for oral presentation. Weight: Oral presentation: 25% Written exam: 75%. 13-point scale, internal examiner Dates of Exam: 26 January 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Requirement For Attending Exam | At least 75 % of possible reports on laboratory exercises and excursions must be submitted and approved before exam. These reports are worked out by groups of 2-4 students. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Integration of lectures, problem solving, excursions, laboratory exercises and report writing | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 1 Week Structure: B Block 2 Week Structure: B | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mandatory Prerequisites | Previous mandatory courses in horticulture or similar | ||||||||||||||||||
| Areas of Competence the Course Will Address | |||||||||||||||||||
| Competences within basic science: Comprehend and evaluate influence of external growth factors on horticultural plant production. Understand importance of fundamental biological, chemical and physical processes for plant growth. Comprehend basic inorganic chemistry and microbiology. Comprehend basic principles of soil composition, properties and evaluation. Competences within applied science: Knowledge and understanding of laboratory analyses as aids in optimising plant growth and quality. Knowledge of field work for understanding soil-water-plant relationships. Competences within ethics and values: Is aware of basic principles of sustainable soil use. Is aware of potentials and limitations of group work. Is aware of working in multiethnic groups. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course aims at giving the students basic understanding of the external growth factors including climate (light, heat, water), nutrients and the growth media (soil and other growth substrates), which are determining growth, quantity and quality of horticultural plants. It gives an integrated understanding of interactions between growth factors and various horticultural plants including annual and perennial, economic and ornamental plants in greenhouse and outdoor in different global ecozones. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||||
| The external factors, i.e. climate (light, heat, water), nutrients and growth media (primarily soil) that determine and affect growth, quantity and quality of horticultural plants are the subject of the course. Individual growth factors and their effects on the plants as well as the interactions between environment and plant are examined in order to show how growth factors can be manipulated in various directions and how the plant can be affected by the growth factors. The following issues will be considered in the course: · Plant growth: Plant growth factors; micro and macro nutrients; nutrient uptake; growth, yield, quality, competition and tolerance; sustainable plant production. · Light: Quality and intensity of light; light and canopy photosynthesis; radiation energy; greenhouse effect. · Heat: Soil heat and temperature; micro and macro climate; various climates; acclimatisation; frost effects. · Air: CO2 effects; soil air composition; air exchange. · Water: The water cycle; soil water (content and availability); precipitation (distribution in time and space); water uptake by plants; water and nutrient transport in the rooting zone; hydrology; water balance and need; irrigation; drainage; aquaculture. . Basic inorganic chemistry: Compounds and reactions. . Basic microbiology: Bacteria, fungi etc. · Growth media: Soil composition and formation; global soil types and soil classification; other growth media (peat, stone wool, vermiculite etc.). · Soil components: inorganic fraction (primary and secondary minerals); organic fraction (carbon cycle, humus and humus formation, peat); texture and structure; soil organisms (earthworms, bacteria, fungi, mycorrhizae etc.). . Soil classification, evaluation, quality and pollution. · Soil processes: Ion exchange, acidification, weathering, adsorption, redox processes, salinization. . Soil-water-plant interactions: Drought and water-saturation effects; Al and Mn toxicity; salt problems and tolerance; P fixation; nutrient availability, defiency and imbalance; pesticide effects, adsorption and mobility; bioremediation. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lectures, theoretical and laboratory exercises, excursions and project work will be integrated. Lectures will be used to provide overview and coherence. Theoretical exercises run parallel with lectures. Excursions to rural and urban horticultural sites are used to show relations between theory and practice. Laboratory exercises relating to plant growth will be used to support and improve the learning process. At the end of the course a larger overview project based on literature review must be performed and presented orally. This project, which is performed in groups of 3-5 students, will include preparation and oral presentation of a lecture on a subject chosen from a list. The result of the oral presentation, which is the same for all members of each group, will account for 25 % of the final exam result. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||||
| Borggaard, O.K., Rasmussen, L.H. and Gimsing, A.L. (2005). Soil Chemistry for Horticulturists. 4th Edition, Department of Natural Sciences, KVL. Borggaard, O.K. (2005). Manual of Soil Chemical Analysis. Department of Natural Sciences, KVL. Laboratory Manuals. Handout materials. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Kragholm Borggaard, okb@life.ku.dk, Department of Natural Sciences/Soil and Environmental Chemistry, Phone: 35332419 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||||
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