Sistemas Agroambientais

Objectives

The students must learn what agriculture is, on how it has evolved, its most relevant challenges and future perspectives.
They also must learn what agricultural systems are about, it's intensification, the challenges of it´s sustainability and how techniques that may increase efficiency may be implemented.
The students must become acquainted with animal production systems, their impacts on the environment and the tools to mitigate them.
The students must learn some of the most important negative impacts of agriculture in the environment and three case studies that exemplify present challenges are presented and discussed.

Program

A The evolution in agriculture

1 Definition of agriculture
2 How agriculture has started
3 Evolution of food supply
4 Food waste
5 Evolution of the most important annual crops yield and productivity
6 Agricultural ecosystems
7 Evolution of the price of agricultural commodities
8 Challenges to agriculture
9 The future of agriculture

B. Agricultural production systems and their impacts

1 The decision-making processes in agriculture
2 Agricultural production systems
2.1 Cropping systems
2.2 Farming systems
2.3 Agricultural systems
3 Agricultural systems attributes
3.1 Social
3.2 Ecological
4 Agricultural sustainability
5 Agricultural intensification
6 Precision agriculture
7 Negative impacts of agricultural production
8 Three case studies

C. Agricultural systems – animal production

1. Feed
2. Digestion
3. Sugar metabolism
4. Protein metabolism
5. Digestibility
6. Antinutritive substance in animal feed
7. Ingestion
8. Animal production and environment
9. Production systems
10. Shrubs

Teaching Methodologies

Online and in-person classes with wide possibilities for student participation. Support material is provided in advance to the classes. The topics of the articles are coincident with previously discussed subjects in the class and are provided with days in advance.

Bibliography

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Azevedo A., Portas L.A.M., Cary F.C.C. 1972. O planeamento das explorações em sistemas de exploração da terra. Informação Científica nº 6. Universidade de Luanda, Nova Lisboa, Angola. 54pp.

Calçada, A.M. (1992). Caracterização e valor nutritivo de alguns arbustos forrageiros: Instituto Politécnico de Santarém – ESA. Santarém.

Correal, E e Sanchez-Gomes, P. (1991). Woody species (trees and shrubs) of multiple value for the arid and semi-arid zones of Northern Mediterranean EEC Countries. Curso de Valorizacion de Forrages y Subproductos Mediterraneos, 13-31 Mayo. CIAEAM. IAMZ. Saraçoça. Espanha.

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Dixon J., Gulliver A. 2001. Farming Systems and Poverty: Improving Farmers' Livelihoods in a Changing World. FAO and World Bank, Rome and Washington D.C. Disponível em http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/Y1860E/y1860e00.htm

Dukhan A.N., Masefield G.B. 1971. Farming systems of the world. Chatto & Windus, LondonUnited Kingdom.

FAO. 1990. An International Action Programme on Water and Sustainable Agricultural Development. Rome. 42p.

FAO 2023. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Access to: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0639en.

Forbes, J.M.. CBA (1995). Voluntary Food Intake and Diet Selection in Farm Animals. International, Wallingford, UK.

McDonald, P.; Edwards, R.A.; Greenhalgh, Morgan, C.A. (2002). Animal Nutrition. 6th edition. Prentice Hall.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC., USA. 155p.

Pinto, P.A. 1995. Agricultura e Máquinas Agrícolas I. Apontamentos de estudo n.º 2. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa.

Steinfelf, H., Seré, C . (1996). World livestock production systems. Current status, issues and trends. FAO, Roma.

Van Soest, P.J. (1982). Nutritional ecology of the ruminant. O. and B. Books Corvallis, Oregon. USA.