Module Code and Title:       ENM203          Agriculture and Land Management

 

Programme(s):                      BSc Environmental Management

 

Credit Value:                         12

 

Module Tutor(s):                   Bach-Lien Ngo (Coordinator)

GP Sharma

Jesse Montes

 

General objective(s) of the module:

 

The overall objective of the module is to provide students with an overview of the importance of land and agriculture, especially in terms of satisfying human food and fibre needs, enhancing environmental quality, and maintaining the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends. Further, the module deals with the current state of affairs and underlying methods and frameworks for making the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources that integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls, helping to sustain the economic viability of farm operations and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. The module will provide students with an understanding of the issues surrounding soils, agriculture, pastures, and animal husbandry.

 

Learning outcomes – Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

 

·         Compare and contrast industrialized and subsistence farming/agriculture.

·         Describe the environmental impacts of industrialized agriculture including land degradation and habitat fragmentation.

·         Recall the benefits of pesticides in diseases control and crop protection.

·         Summarize the problems associated with pesticide use, e.g., ecosystem imbalance, bioaccumulation and biological magnification, and mobility in the environment.

·         Describe alternative ways to control pests.

·         Contrast sustainable agriculture with conventional agriculture.

·         Identify the potential benefits and problems of genetic engineering.

·         Discuss the changes that came about from the green revolution through to the gene revolution, particularly emphasizing promise vs. problems, and relevant policies.

• Assess the dependence of agriculture on soils
• Describe the various problems related to soil degradation.
• Review the various agricultural and animal husbandry practices that exist and their respective advantages and disadvantages from environmental, economic and social points of views.
• Compare the options that exist to make forestry, animal husbandry and agriculture more sustainable.

 

Skills to be developed:

 

·         Students should gain awareness on and basic skills related to work in simple gardens for growing organic vegetables and other crops.

 

Learning and teaching approaches used:

 

The module will be conducted over 15 teaching weeks as follows:

·         4 hrs/wk lecture & discussions, group work, and presentations.

·         1 hr/wk practical each week on average, involving practice in the agricultural plot.

·         3 hrs/wk outside of class, on average, for independent study.

·         One block-day field trip to the National Mushroom Centre.

·         A block week for field studies, shared with the other modules in this semester. Students will need to keep a journal of their observations and work in the weekly practical work as well as the block-week field studies, and incorporate GIS measurements related to agricultural practices in Bhutan.

 

Assessment:

 

Semester-End Examination (SE):            40%

Continuous Assessment (CA):     60%

CA Assessment	Weight	Assessment Detail
Individual assignment	15%	Case study on agroforestry or permaculture or climate-smart agriculture, with report of 1500 words.
Field visit presentation (from block week)	15%	Group presentation (45 min / group of 4) on observations of agriculture in Bhutan.
Practical report (from weekly exercises)	15%	10% from field observations and assessment of physical works in the agricultural plot, 5% from group field report from visit to the National Mushroom Centre.
Midterm Exam	15%

 

Pre-requisite knowledge: EVS 111 Introduction to the Environment

 

Subject matter:

 

      I.        Population and world hunger

a.    Causes, hunger hot-spots

b.    Extent and consequences of hunger

c.    Food aid

    II.        Challenges in agriculture

a.    Loss of agricultural lands

b.    Global decline in domesticated plants and domestic animals

c.    Increasing crop and livestock yields impediment

d.    Impetus and development of conservation agriculture

   III.        Soil

a.    Components

b.    Profiles

c.    Texture

d.    Horizons

e.    Functions, factors affecting efficacy

f.     Phases in the formation of soil

g.    Condition of soil pollution across the globe

h.    Categories, causes and mechanisms of soil degradation

i.      Soil conservation methods including bioengineering benefits

j.      Soil treatment, e.g. steaming

k.    Types of land pollution

l.      Land degradation - pollution, salinization, man-made hazards

m.   Public policy and soils

n.    Abatement of land/soil pollution by regulatory and physical measures

o.    Introduction to soil and agriculture

  IV.        Agroecosystems

a.    Traditional and industrial agriculture pros and cons

b.    Shifting cultivation- history, advantages and disadvantages, present trend

c.    Green Revolution- history , benefits and impacts

d.    Livelihoods and agricultural products in the agro-ecological zones of Bhutan

e.     Mushroom, horticulture (fruits & vegetables) enhancement, marketing and hurdles in Bhutan.

f.     Pollination of crops through apiculture development – importance, trend and management

g.    Pest control – narrow spectrum and broad spectrum of pesticides

h.    Benefits of pesticides in disease control and crop protection

    V.        Agroforestry

a.    Definition and types of agroforestry

b.    Direct-use and indirect-use values of agroforestry

c.    SALT (Sloping Agriculture Land Technology):

                                      i.        Definition and importance

                                     ii.        Related practices and case studies from Bhutan, Philippines, and USA

d.    Agroforestry development in Bhutan; research activities for enhancement of agroforestry in Bhutan

  VI.        Sustainable Agriculture

a.    Integrated Pest Management, importance and intervention

b.    Organic farming for sustainable agribusiness

c.    Climate-smart farming

d.    Agroforestry - types, importance, intervention in Bhutan

e.    Permaculture - definition, importance and trend

f.     Genetic engineering for food production for growing population

g.    Food security in the world - green banking, food distribution and trade

h.    From green revolution to gene revolution - promise, problems and policies.

 

Essential Readings

 

1.    Barrow, C.J. (2012). Environmental Management for Sustainable Development, 2^nd Edition, Routledge, London, New York.

2.    Bharucha, E. (2010). Text book for Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Course, Universities Press Hyderabad, India.

3.    Brady N. C & Weil, R. P. (2001). The Nature and Properties of Soil. Pearson Education,  India

4.    Miller, G.T., and Spoolman, S.E. (2014). Environmental Science 14th Ed. New Delhi: Cengage Learning.

5.    Ministry of Agriculture. (2008). Plant Genetic Resources of Bhutan, Published by National Biodiversity Centre, Thimphu, Bhutan.

6.    Ministry of Agriculture. (2008).  Animal Genetic resources of Bhutan, Published by National Biodiversity Centre, Thimphu, Bhutan

7. Rose, C. W. (2004). An Introduction to the Environmental Physics of Soil, Water and Watersheds. Cambridge University Press.

8.    Wild, A. (2003). Soils, land and food: managing soils during the 21st century. Cambridge University Press, UK.

 

Additional Readings:

 

1.    Acquaah,G..(2004). Principles of Crop Production: Theory, Techniques and Technology, Prentice Hall.

2. Begon, M, Townsend, C.R., and Harper, J. L. (2005). Ecology : From Individuals to Ecosystems, 4th Edition, Willey-Black, USA, New Zealand
3. Buck, L.E., Lassoie J.P., and Fernandes, E.C.M. (1999) Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems. CRC Press LLC, New York.

4.    Hanumantha Rao, C. H. (2006). Agriculture, Food Security, Poverty, and Environment Essays on Post-reform India. Oxford University Press India.

5. International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR). (1990). Agroforestry Technology Information Kit (ATIK). Cavite Publisher: Los Banos, Philippines.
6. Ives, J. D and Messerli, B. (1989). The Himalayan Dilemma, Reconciling Development and Conservation, United Nations University Press, Routledge, London.

7.    Norris, R. F., Caswell-Chen E. P & Kogan, M. (2002). Concepts in Integrated Pest Management. Prentice Hall.

8. Ohsawa, M. (1987). Life Zone Ecology of the Bhutan Himalaya, Laboratory of Ecology, Chiba University, Japan. (eBook).

9.    Roling N. G & Wagemakers, M. A. E., (1998). Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture. Cambridge University Press

10. Shiva, V. (2005). The Impoverishment of the Environment: Women and Children Last. Environmental Philosophy: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology, 4th Ed. Pearson Education Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ.

11.  Wild, A. (1993). Soils and the Environment. Cambridge University Press, UK.

 

Date last updated: May 30, 2015