Summer Course: Agroecosystem and agroecology design and analysis

Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya

9– 20 August 2022

Content

The programme aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of agroecosystems and agroecology which is organised on field-based immersion to foster greater understanding of agroecosystems and Agroecology. It presents:
- various types of agroecosystems, from traditional to modern greenhouse farming systems;
- different definitions of agroecology (movement, science, practices) across the world;
- the different agroecological practices and their implementation in today’s agriculture;
- required conditions (agronomic, environment and socio-economic) to achieve good agroecosystems and agroecological performance in the production systems;
- methods to measure, diagnose and analyse soil, water, crops, animals, weeds, diseases and their interactions;
- the use of appropriate multiple indicators of sustainability and agroecology matrices to critically analyse the sustainability of different farming systems;
- multidisciplinary approach needed to make production systems enter into an agroecological transition.
Learning outcome
- After successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to explain, distinguish, and analyse the main components of agroecosystems based on observations, measurements, information from the farmer and stakeholders, calculations at field and farm level; - explain, distinguish, and analyse the main components of agroecosystems based on observations, measurements, information from the farmer and stakeholders, calculations at field and farm level;
- evaluate the setting and design of farms in terms of the potential nutrient cycling, weed and pest suppression;
- evaluate performance of farming systems related to balances of natural resources, labour, and money;
- apply agroecological principle to the (re-) designed farming system of visited farms as case studies;
- be aware to their cultural identities and appreciate other culture to break cultural barriers to be successful in international activities.
Activities
- lectures
- farm & field practical
- excursion
- symposium (group presentation)
- cultural exchange
- examination
Examination
The final grade of the course will be based on written exam (45%), presentations during the course (5%) and the report of the assignment (50%).

Credit: 3 ECTS

Price: USD 550, lodging, meals and excursion costs are included.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to 50 applicants with various schemes. Please indicate the aid types in the registration

Registration: Here