| Responsible Department | Department of Agriculture and Ecology | ||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 3 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | BSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination Portfolio Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: An individual portfolio containing 4 of 6 deliverables is assessed, supplemented by an individual oral examination based on two deliverables, selected by the student and staff respectively. Weight: 50% portfolio, 50% oral examination 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | 35% lectures; 20% student presentations; 20% excursions; 35% excercises | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 3 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | LPLB10306 LPLB10286 Basic knowledge within crop and soil science is required. Please seek teacher advice if in doubt. | ||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | 30 students | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||
| This course is a basic course in organic food production, linking ecological theory with organic farming practises. The main content is: - The natural and socio-economic conditions for and the staus of organic agriculture in Denmark, Europe and overseas - Sustainability concepts and organic standards - Principles and practise of cropping system design - Crop and soil management, including fertilization, pest management and technological aspects of organic agriculture - Function and management of biodiversity in organic farming - Impacts of organic agriculture on nature and environment | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning methods are a combination of staff input and individual and group activities in class. They include lectures, workshops, independent reading and information gathering, student presentations, exercises and several excursions to relevant farms and research institutions. | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||
| This course is targeted to students in the last part of their BSc studies who seeks knowledge of the principles, the practice and the environmental impacts of organic agriculture as well as an understanding of the application of ecological mechanisms in the organic production. The course requires basic knowledge in natural sciences and can be followed by students with a background in e.g. agriculture, environmental science, biology, geography, etc. After completing the course the student should be able to: Knowledge - Show overview of production practices in different contexts - Reflect on the role of organic standards as an external condition for organic food production Skills - explain how ecological mechanisms are employed in management of crops and soils, nutrients and pests - explain differences in the environmental impact of different farming systems - retrieve, process and communicate information Competencies - discuss the values and principles behind the organic practices - reflect on own learning | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||
| Selected scientific articles are made available on CampusNet. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Vibeke Langer, vl@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Crop Science, Phone: 353-32383 Jesper Rasmussen, jer@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Crop Science, Phone: 353-33456 Hans W. Griepentrog, hwg@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Crop Science, Phone: 405-31694 | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||
| Work Load | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||