PØL100 Organic Agriculture

Credits (ECTS):5

Course responsible:Tor Arvid Breland

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Limits of class size:Minimum 20 students are required for the course to be given.

Course frequency:Even years

Nominal workload:125 hours

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in the spring parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in the spring parallel.

About this course

Topics for the theoretical lectures: Goal and rules of organic agriculture, agriculture as ecosystem, the concept sustainability, biological processes in soil, plant nutrition and fertilisation, crop rotation, pests, plant diseases, weeds, gardening, animal husbandry, economy. Concrete practical examples are connected to the topics. The semester assignment is connected to the topics and is presented by the students at the end of the semester.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Basic understanding of structures and functions in agroecosystems.
Basic understanding of the concept of sustainability in the context of agriculture and food
Specific knowledge of organic agriculture.
Knowledge of the goals, principles, and concrete solutions in organic agriculture.

Skills

The ability to describe agroecosystems as such.
The ability to have a critical view of complex systems with multiple goals and objectives.
The ability to outline solutions and propose improvements in organic agriculture.
The ability to have a critical and constructive view of attitudes and values as elements of an agroecosystem.

General competences

Ability to observe and examine a complex problematic situation in different perspectives
Ability to balance focus on parts and partial perspectives against consideration of the whole
Ability to reflect on sustainability challenges
Ability to structure and write an essay within the field of knowledge

Learning activities
The education consists of lectures about theory and practice in organic agriculture. Futher, there are colloquia with the main teacher on term papers, which the students are to present in plenary sessions before the hand-in deadline. The term paper work represent a possibility of in-depth study of key topics and plenary repetition of key topics.
Assessment method
Written test (3 hours) counts for 3/5, term paper counts for 2/5. Both parts have to be passed.

Portfolio Grading: Letter grades
Examiner scheme
Examiners for the assessment of written test and term paper.
Mandatory activity
Attend at least 60% of the lectures. Oral presentation of the term paper
Teaching hours
Lectures: 30 hours. Colloquia and presentation of the semester assignment: 20 hours. All in all two double hours twice a week.
Admission requirements
Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway