5:Pass with Distinction, 4:Pass with Credit, 3:Pass, U:Fail
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Language

English

Prior knowledge

Knowledge equivalent to 120 credits at basic level including

- 60 credits biology or

- 60 credits Forest Sciences including 15 credits chemistry

- 60 credits Horticultural Science including 15 credits chemistry

- 60 credits Agricultural Science including 15 credits in chemistry

and

- English 6

Objectives

The course offers a synthesis and further deepening of the basic principles of sustainable production in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. The factors and processes that affect the sustainability and multifunctionality of production systems are integrated, by considering the different scales from the molecular to the stand level. The course also provides knowledge of the associated relevant methodologies. The course presents a review of the relevant theoretical basis and a set of specific examples relative to selected plants and production systems.

On completion of the course, the student will be able to:

describe the origin of cultivated plants, the basic breeding strategies for them, and their molecular and physiological features relevant for production
discuss the effects of plant features and growing conditions on the production, yield and resource use efficiency of cultivated plants
evaluate the impacts of different management solutions on the production and yield of cultivated plants, with reference to different criteria for sustainability and multifunctionality
plan and execute the research activities necessary to answer specific research questions in the subject area, under limited guidance
present the results of these research activities in a scientifically-appropriate way

Content

The course offers a synthesis and further deepening of knowledge in plant production research, as well as the integration of different methodologies emplyed in, among others, plant physiology, plant breeding and process-based modeling. The course provides a solid foundation for research in the subject area, but also professional training. The course consists of lectures and compulsory seminars and excercises, as well as a group project. The lectures review the basics of the origin, breeding, physiology and production of cultivated plants, and link them to soil ecology and nutrient dynamics at the field level. The effects of disturbances on plant production and possible improvement strategies are also described, both qualitatively and quantitatively. These aspects are discussed at different organizational levels. In addition, the complexity and multifunctionality of production systems are explored with reference to different systems, focusing on sustainability and the inherent tradeoffs. The lectures provide also an overview of important tools and methods for research. The seminars and exercises train the ability to read scientific literature and extract key information, identify knowledge gaps, and present and compare different points of view. The group work trains the students in different research methods and offers the opportunity of practical applications of the knowledge acquired during the rest of the course. The seminars and exercises include compulsory activities.

Grading form

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Formats and requirements for examination

Written and oral exam with passing grade; participation in the compulsory seminars and exercises; written report and oral presentation of the group project work.

If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Additional information

The course is part of the Master program in Plant biology for sustainable production and the program in Agriculture – soil and plant science.

SLU is environmentally certified according to ISO 14001. A large part of our courses

cover knowledge and skills that contribute positively to the environment. To further

strengthen this, we have specific environmental goals for the education. Students are

welcome to suggest actions regarding the course’s content and implementation that lead

to improvements for the environment. For more information, see webpage www.slu.se.

Responsible department

Department of Crop Production Ecology

Further information

Determined by: Programnämnden för utbildning inom landskap och trädgård

Biology field: Botany

Litterature list

BI1295 – Sustainable Plant Production – from Molecular to Field Scale

Course year 2025

Literature list

Notes

The literature is listed with reference to the teacher’s initials and session title, in order of occurrence
Unless otherwise indicated, all the readings are compulsory. In some cases, supporting readings are also listed, indicated as Further* reading*.
All literature will be made available to the students enrolled through the course Canvas page. Files are named based on the first author and year and they appear in the respective session folders.

RG – The scientific method

Grogan P (2005), The use of hypothesis in ecology, Bulletin of the British Ecological Society, 361, 43-45

FS – Sustainable intensification

Finch et al. (2019), Bird conservation and the land sharing-sparing continuum in farmland-dominated landscapes of lowland England. Conservation Biology, Volume 33, No. 5, 1045–1055, DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13316

Further* reading:*

Folberth et al. (2020 The global cropland-sparing potential of high-yield farming. Nature Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0505-x

Save and grow; A policymaker’s guide to the sustainable intensification of smallholder crop production, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, Rome, 2011

AM –The concept of sustainability across scales

Clark et al. (2020), Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets. Science, 370, 705–708.

MW - Photosynthesis from scratch to crop production in northern latitudes

Lambers H, Chapin FS III, Pons TL (2008), Plant Physiological Ecology, Springer (part of chapter 2)

Larcher W (2003) Physiological Plant Ecology, Springer, page 111-119

Peltonen-Sainio P, Rajala A, Känkänen H, Hakala K (2009), Improving farming systems in Northern European conditions, in Sadras V and Calderini D (Eds), Crop physiology – Applications for genetic improvement and agronomy

Xu D-Q and Shen Y-K (2002) Photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield, in Pessarakli M (Ed), Handbook of plant and crop physiology, Marcel Dekker

Further* reading:*

OpenStax Biology Chapter 8 Photosynthesis (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/photosynthesis)

Eisenhut M and Weber APM (2019), Improving crop yield, Science

Weih M (2003), Trade-offs in plants and the prospects for breeding using modern biotechnology, New Phytologist

MW - Effects of climate change on crop production

Bonosi L, Ghelardini L, Weih M (2013), Towards making willows potential bio-resources in the South: Northern Salix hybrids can cope with warm and dry climate when irrigated, Biomass and Bioenergy, 51: 136-144

Lavalle C, Micale F, et al (2009), Climate change in Europe. 3. Impact on agriculture and forestry. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Springer Verlag/EDP Sciences/INRA, 29(3)

Mäkinen H, Kaseva J et al (2018), Sensitivity of European wheat to extreme weather, Field Crop Research, 222: 209-217

GV – Modelling – the basics

Ludwig F., Asseng S. (2010), Potential benefits of early vigor and changes in phenology in wheat to adapt to warmer and drier climates. Agricultural Systems 103, 127–136

Smith and Smith 2007 Environmental modelling - An introduction Oxford Univ Press (Ch 1 and 2)

GV – Modelling – leaf to plant-level

Further* reading:*

Abrahamsen and Hansen (2000) Daisy: an open soil-crop-atmosphere system model, Environmental Modelling and Software 15, 313-330 (only pages 313-317)

PI - Where do cultivated plants come from?

Doebley JF, Gaut BS, Smith BD (2006), The molecular genetics of crop domestication, Cell, 127(7)

Kole C et al. (2015) Application of genomics-assisted breeding for generation of climate resilient crops: progress and prospects. Frontiers in plant science. 6, 563.

Further* reading:*

Klug WS, Cummings MR and Spencer CA Essentials of Genetics (available at the SLU libraries; Ch 3, 21, 22

RG – Integrated Pest Management

Godfray CJ et al (2010) Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People. Science 327, 812 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1185383

Further* reading:*

Khan Z et al (2014) Achieving food security for one million sub-Saharan African poor through push–pull innovation by 2020. Phil Trans Royal Soc B 369 (1639)

Prinsloo, G., Ninkovic, V., van der Linde, T. C., van der Westhuizen A. J, Pettersson J. and Glinwood R. (2007) Test of semiochemicals and a resistant wheat variety for Russian wheat aphid management in South Africa. Journal of Applied Entomology 131: 637-644

OL – Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management

Lundin O et al (2021) Integrated pest and pollinator management –expanding the concept. Front Ecol Environ 2021; 19(5): 283–291, doi:10.1002/fee.2325

MD – Plant microbe interactions – plant defense

Pieterse et al (2014), Induced systemic resistance by beneficial microbes, Annual Review in Phytopathology 52, 347

Further* reading:*

Han G-Z (2019), Origin and evolution of the plant immune system. New Phytologist 222, 70

MD – Plant microbe interactions – beneficial interactions

Lugtenberg B and Kamilova F (2009), Plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria. Annual Review of Microbiology 63, 541

Finkel et al (2017), Understanding and exploiting plant beneficial microbes. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 38, 155

Further* reading:*

Bhattacharyya PN and Jha DK (2009), Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR): emergence in agriculture, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 28, 1327 (Figures and tables)

SH - Soil microbial nitrogen cycling

Coskun D, Britto DT, Shi W, Kronzucker HJ (2017), How plant root exudates shape the nitrogen cycle, Trends in Plant Science

Philippot L and Hallin S (2011), Towards food, feed and energy crops mitigating climate change, Trends in Plant Science

MW+POL - Plant nutrient use efficiency across scales

Lopez-Arredondo DL, Sanchez-Calderon L, Yong-Villalobos L (2017), Molecular and genetic basis of plant macronutrient use efficiency: concepts, opportunities, and challenges, Hossain MA et al (Eds), Plant macronutrient use efficiency – Molecular and genomic perspectives in crop plants, Elsevier

Weih M, Westerbergh A, Lundquist P-O (2017), Role of nutrient-efficient plants for improving crop yields: bridging plant ecology, physiology, and molecular biology, Hossain MA et al (Eds), Plant macronutrient use efficiency – Molecular and genomic perspectives in crop plants, Elsevier

AM – Weed biology and ecology

Monaco TJ, Weller SC, Ashton FM (2002), Weed Science – Principles and practices, Wiley (Ch 1 and 2)

DH – Allelopathy

Further* reading:*

Hickman DT et al (2020), Review: Allelochemicals as multi-kingdom plant defence compounds: towards an integrated approach, Pest Management Science, doi10.1002/ps.6076

CML – Sustainable weed management

MacLaren et al. (2020), An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 40:24.

ED – Weed seed predation

Further* reading:*

Daouti et al. (2020), Seed predation is key to preventing population growth of the weed Alopecurus myosuroides. Journal of Applied Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14064.

# FS – Grain legume production systems

Watson et al. (2017), Grain Legume Production and Use in European Agricultural Systems. Advances in Agronomy, Volume 144, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2017.03.003

Zander et al. (2016), Grain legume decline and potential recovery in European agriculture: a review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. (2016) 36:26, DOI 10.1007/s13593-016-0365-y

The course is offered as an independent course: Yes The course is offered as a programme course: Plant Biology for Sustainable Production - Master's Programme Plant Biology for Sustainable Production - Master's programme Forest Science - Master's Programme Tuition fee: Tuition fee only for non-EU/EEA/Switzerland citizens: 38060 SEK Cycle: Master’s level (A1N)

Subject: Biology

Course code: BI1295 Application code: SLU-40082 Location: Alnarp Distance course: No Language: English Responsible department: Department of Crop Production Ecology Pace: 100%

Universityadmissions.se

Alnarp
Biology
15.0 credits
2025-03-25 - 2025-06-08
English

Schedule Open my Canvas room

Course leader

Alexander Menegat

Examiner

Alexander Menegat

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Sustainable Plant Production - from Molecular to Field Scale

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Syllabus and other information

Syllabus