PJH370 Advanced Crop Production for Future Plant Products

The course focuses on sustainable plant production, mainly in a Norwegian climate, and includes different plant products (vegetables, fruits and berries, potatoes, cereals, protein crops, greenhouse plants), and different production systems (open air, tunnel, greenhouse and regulated climate). The course deals with relevant up-to-date topics in plant production from «farm to fork». Growth, yield, different quality characteristics, storage and shelf life will be discussed in relation to genetic variation, climate factors and production methods. There will be a focus on how the conditions during production and storage affect quality and shelf life. In the course, students will work in groups to solve a case. The topics will be linked to current problems areas in the Norwegian agriculture. The case must be submitted as a written work, and presented to the other students in the course.

Knowledge:

• The course will give insight into the interaction between plants and environmental factors in a production and quality perspective.

• At the end of the course, students will have knowledge on how to achieve a sustainable production of high-quality plant products with a good keeping quality.

• The course gives students insight into the latest research news related to challenges in current and future plant production.

Skills:

• Be able to apply their skills to develop and provide new knowledge in the field

• Be able to design and/or perform growth or storage experiments, report and discuss the results.

• Understand how to analyze important plant processes such as photosynthesis, transpiration, respiration, growth/yield and quality characteristics and the ability to evaluate the results

General competence:

• Students will be able to apply knowledge on production physiology to understand and solve biological and technological problems throughout the value chain, from production to storage and sale.

• Critical reflection and ability to evaluate different consequences related to sustainable plant production and storage

• Be able to communicate and discuss possible solutions with specialists in the field

• Be able to obtain knowledge and communicate professional issues to a general public