Courses list

Wersja polska

Course code: ROSS10098o12
Semester: 2012/2013 summer
Name: Nutrition of horticultural plants
Major: Horticulture
Study Type: first cycle
Course type: compulsory
Study Semester: 4
ECTS points: 4
Hours (Lectures / Tutorials / Other): 15 / 30 / 0
Lecturer: dr hab. Anita Biesiada, dr inż. Piotr Chohura
Language of instruction: Polish / English


Learning outcomes: Students master the principles of controlled fertilization of vegetables, ornamentals, pomology and seed plants basing on analyses of soils, substrates and plants. Students also learn the methods of chemical analyses, they get acquainted with the assortment and properties of mineral and organic fertilizers. They learn the basic chemical, physiological and biological factors which are responsible for the fertility of soils and substrates. Students master the conventional and soilless culture of horticultural plant growing in greenhouses and plastic tunnels.

Competences: After passing the course student is able to take a job in horticulture. Students are able to elaborate and apply fertilization in conventional cultivation of horticultural plants (vegetable, ornamentals, pomology, seed and nursery) as well as plants grown under covers with use of organic and inert substrates and also in hydroponics culture. They become acquainted with the growing methods permitting to obtain yields not contaminated with nitrates, nitrites and heavy metals and friendly to environment.

Prerequisites: Soil Science, Plant Physiology;

Course content: Scientific progress in agricultural chemistry and plant nutrition, specificity of horticultural plant fertilization. Sorption, pH – reaction and oxidoreductive potential of soils and substrates and its importance in plant nutrition and fertilization. Soilless culture, fertigation and closed fertilization systems and plants grown under covers. Forms and transformation of macro and microelements in soils and substrates, effect on the quality of horticultural plants. Chemical composition, rates and terms of basic organic fertilizers application (manure, sludge, liquid manure, bird dung, composts, green fertilizers, straw). Practical exercises: Characteristics and properties of mineral fertilizers. Methods of organic matter mineralization. N-total determination in soils and plants by Kjeldahl method, interpretation of results. Methods of determinationof liming needs and cidification of soils and substrates, neutralization curve. Determination of nitrogen available form in soils N-min. according to Fotyma, phosphorus and potassium by Egner-Riehm and magnesium by Schachtschabel methods. Interpretation of results, elaboration of fertilizer recommendations. Determination of available forms of macroelements, salinity and pH in substrates by universal method. Elaboration of fertilization recommendations on the basis of the results of soil and substrate analyses in cultures under covers. Controlled fertilization of vegetable, ornamentals, seed, pomology and nursery plants basing on the analyses of substrates and plants. Working out the fertilization recommendations for vegetable and ornamental plants grown in inert media with the drip fertigation system. Plant nutrition in hydroponics cultures.

Recommended literature: J. R. Starck - Uprawa roli i nawożenie roślin ogrodniczych. PWRiL, Warszawa 1984 Lityński T., Jurkowska H. – Żyzność gleby i odżywianie się roślin. PWN, Warszawa, 1982, Nurzyński J. – Nawożenie roślin ogrodniczych.. Plantpress, sp. z o.o., Kraków 2003, Boratyński K. – Nawozy organiczne. PWRiL, Warszawa, 1977 Fotyma M., Mercik S. – Chemia rolna. PWN. Warszawa, 1985 Breś W., Golcz A., Komosa A., Kozik E., Tyksiński W. – Nawożenie roślin ogrodniczych, Wydawnictwo AR Poznań, 2003

Assessment methods: Exam after semester 4, obligatory 60% of the total scope knowledge.

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