Pasture and rangeland types and classification. Distribution over earth. Productivity, annual and seasonal. Effects of Grand Solar Minimum on climate and Productivity, theory of Relational Cycles and hypothesis of global cooling. Climate-diagrams interpretation. Concepts of biological warfare in agriculture and husbandry. Pasture - Rangeland analysis, botanical composition and biomass. Seeding, fertilizing. Effects of grazing and browsing. LU calculations. Rangeland and pasture improvement
Complete study materials are available on Moodle. The study materials are enough to prepare the test, however on the same Moodle there are also study concept with and without audio.
Learning Objectives
Form technicians able to manage rangelands and pasures. Leadrs of development projects, and technicians for public and private farms.
Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
In normal conditions (not in coronavirus emergencies): teacher tlakings + Others esposed by Groups of students. At the end of each lessons some work is assigned to groups of students of different Coubtnries, in order to push their practivce of English, after the assigned time the groups must discuss theri presentation in front of the class. During coronavirus emergencies: the study of the ceo,plete study materials is enough and there is no need of other supports.
Further information
-COMPULSORY on line booking for exam, moreover inform the teacher by email at least one week before the exam.
Type of Assessment
Written exam, multivariated answers. A group of 30 compulsoryu questions, each correct ansewer gives one point, plus 210 additional questions not compulsory, if all 40 answers are correct you get honours.
Course program
Technical words of the class, classifications and typologies of pastures and rangelands. Effects of climate on rangeland Productivity. Theory of Relational Cycles and climate global cooling du eto solar cycles, effects on future produtivity and management. Countering biological warfare in rangeland and pasture management, biological treating agents.
Rangeland and pasture typologies according to diffeerent climate areas. Seasonality of production. Drawing climate-diagrams with Walter method and their interpretation with focus on seasonality of pasture production. Rangeland analysis, botanical composition and biomass, quantitative methods of analysis especially linear analysis. Seeding, overseeding, fertilization. Seed shape, size, germinability.
Main forage species grasses and legumes. N-fixation and rhizobium nodulation. Effects of grazing and browsing on soil and vegetation. Livestock Units calculations, field methods, especially method of Ponderal Contribution. Rangeland and pasture improvements. Agroforestry interactions with pastures, the agro-silvo-pastoral systems.