AGRO0001-1 : Foundation of agriculture

Study Programmes 2015-2016

AGRO0001-1

Foundation of agriculture

Duration :

20h Th, 4h FT

Number of credits :

Bachelor in bioengineering		2
Bachelor in bioengineering		2
Master in agricultural bioengineering (120 ECTS)		2
Master in environmental bioengineering (120 ECTS)		2
Master in forests and natural areas engineering (120 ECTS)		2
Specialised master in plant and animal resource management in tropical environment		3

Lecturer :

Bernard Bodson, Frédéric Lebeau, Guy Mergeai

Coordinator :

Bernard Bodson

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

1. Introduction : diversity of agricultural forms thorough the world ;
2. Human presence and needs of agricultural products;
3. "System" concept and its application in agriculture;
4. Natural and socio-economical factors determining agricultural activities;
5. Production factors involved in agriculture; 6. Vegetal productions; 7. Animal productions; 8. Characterization of agrarian systems;
9.Diversity of farming systems in Europe; 10. Farming systems in North American Great Plains
11.Case studies of agrarian systems in tropical regions

Learning outcomes of the course :

Approach of the diversity of main farming systems around the world, as a result of ecological and historic features and socio-economical, political and technological evolution. Assessment of farming systems, based on productivity, stability, autonomy and sustainability. After completing the course, the student is expected to: - Understand how agriculture works in the different part of the world; - Analyze a farming system, depending on main factors which can determine or influence it; - Give a critical interpretation on agricultural systems functioning mode.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

Introduction with a movie followed by a discussion: 2h
Visit on the Experimental Farm to get in touch with cropping practices: 2h
Lectures "ex cathedra" given by one of the two professors according to their expertise, depending on the thema: 20h
The lectures presenting the main farming systems of the tropical regions are illustrated by films made by the "Insititut de recherche pour le Développement" (IRD).

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Face-to-face