Module Catalog Elective Modules

Subject-related: Dealing with current problems of (organic) agriculture and getting to know innovative land use systems.

Interdisciplinary: Design and evaluation of farming systems, analysis of current scientific literature, evaluation and interpretation of studies, involvement in ongoing research projects, presentation of work results.

• Sampling;
• ELISA virus detection;
• Seed-borne diseases;
• biological control

• To learn to deal competently with current problems in the field,
• To become familiar with important methods,
• Elaborate and present a topic.

• Scripts;
• Agrios G.N. 2004: Plant Pathology. 5th ed;
• Recent scientific articles;
• Dent D. 2000: Insect Pest Management. 2nd Ed.; 
• Pedigo L P. 2002: Entomolgy and Pest Management. 4th Ed.

• Turnover of soil microorganisms: N-, P-, S-mobilization and -immobilization;
• Habitat protection and ecotoxicology: soil compaction, heavy metals, pesticides, xenobiotics;
• Biological soil remediation; Survival and transport of soil alien organisms: fecal pathogens,
• Interactions of organisms in soils: N2 fixation and mycorrhiza;
• Soil Animals: Food webs

• Gisi, U. 1997: Soil ecology. 2nd ed. Stuttgart;
• Hendrix, P.F., Coleman, D.C. 2004: Fundamentals of Soil Ecology. New York;
• Schjønning, P., Elmholt, S., Christensen, B.T. 2004: Managing Soil Quality -Challenges in Modern Agriculture. Wallingford

• Hopkins, A. 2000: Grass, its production and utilization. Blackwell Scientific Publication;
• Opitz v. Boberfeld, W., 1994: Grassland theory. Stuttgart;
• Voigtländer, G. u. H. Jacob, 1987: Grassland management and forage production. Stuttgart

• Deepening of knowledge concerning C-, N- and P-dynamics in arable soils
• Presentation of results of existing long-term experiments considering different influencing variables and variants
• Modeling of the turnover dynamics of soil organic matter with the models "Rothamsted Carbon Model" and "DNDC"
• Simulation of pH buffering and nutrient translocation in soils with the model "PHREEQC"
• Simulation of soil erosion with the model "EROSION-3D"

• Understanding of the significance of long-term test results when all influencing variables are taken into account 
• Understanding of the underlying ecological processes in the models
• Application of established models
• Critical questioning of the possibilities and limitations of the models

• Blume H.-P. et al. 2002: Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde, 15th edition, Spektrum. Heidelberg;
• Merbach, W. et al. 2000: The long-term fertilization experiments in Halle (Saale), Germany - introduction and surveys. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 163. 629-638;
• Coleman, K. and D.S. Jenkinson 1996: RothC-26.3 - A model for the turnover of carbon in soil. In: Powlson, D.S., Smith, P. and J.U. Smith (eds.): Evaluation of Soil Organic Matter Models. Springer. Berlin;
• Li, C. 1996: The DNDC model. In: Powlson, D.S., Smith, P. and J.U. Smith (eds.): Evaluation of Soil Organic Matter Models. Springer. Berlin

• Renewable raw materials for material utilization: introduction and classification according to material groups; current scope and possible potentials; provision (cultivation, choice of varieties, harvesting methods, etc.) and utilization (technologies, qualitative requirements and processes)
• Plants for chemical-technical utilization: oils; starch; sugar; fibers; cellulose; building and insulating materials

• FiBL 2003: Animal Health Manual. A guide to the prevention and treatment of animal diseases using natural healing methods. For livestock farmers.
• Frick (CH); Schad W. 1971: Mammals and man. Verlag Freies Geistesleben. Stuttgart;
• Rist M. 1987: Species-appropriate livestock husbandry. Verlag Freies Geistesleben. Stuttgart;
• Vaarst M. et al.  2004: Animal health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture. CABI Publishing, UK;
• Wemelsfelder F. et al. 2001: Assessing the 'whole animal': a free choice profiling approach. Animal Behaviour. Vol. 62

Main contents of the course are:

• Elements of breeding planning
• Analysis of breeding programs in different livestock species
• Evaluation of genetic diversity

• Berekoven, L., Eckert, W. and Ellenrieder, P. 2001: Marktforschung, 9th ed., Wiesbaden;
• Hammann, P. and Erichson, B. 2000: Marktforschung, 4th ed;
• Shao, A.T. 2002: Marketing Research, 2nd ed., Cincinnati/Ohio/USA

The course deals with topics at the interface between agricultural and environmental policy on a global level. Depending on the group of participants, different regional and/or thematic emphases will be set. The following topics will be dealt with in a basic and overarching way: Theory of international trade, theories of environmental and resource economics; globalization and its consequences; causes and consequences of environmental degradation; international trade in agricultural products; the role of international organizations and international agreements; market price vs. total social value of agricultural products; political decision-making mechanisms; valuation of environmental costs and environmentally relevant measures; depletion of natural resources; discussion of selected current issues in agricultural development. 

These topics will be discussed in depth using current agricultural policy problems, issues and events. For this purpose  the participants work out individual areas individually or in groups and present them for discussion.

The students are able to discuss current issues of international  agricultural policy as well as international environmental problems against the background of economic theoretical and environmental economic considerations, to assess the consequences of political measures and to apply and implement this in a practical context.

Students will be able to understand the tension between theoretically optimal solutions on the one hand and measures that can actually be implemented in practice on the other. They are able to propose creative solutions on their own.

• World Development Report, various vintages;
• Paul Krugman & Maurice Obstfeld (2010): International Economics.
• Wiggering H. and F. Müller (eds.) 2004: Environmental Targets and Indicators;  
• Wicke, L. 1993: Environmental economics. Munich;
• World Wildlife Fund (ed.) 2002: Living Planet Report;
• Junkernheinrich, M., P. Klemmer, G. R. Wagner (eds.) 1995: Handbook on Environmental Economics;
• Junkernheinrich, M. (ed.) 2000: Economization of Environmental Policy; 

• wiss. Concepts for the evaluation of animal welfare;
• Emission formation (pollutant gases, nitrate etc.),
• emission reduction;
• Animal welfare and environmental law;
• animal and environmental friendly grazing systems

• Ability to describe and evaluate husbandry systems from the point of view of animal welfare and environmental protection.
• Knowledge about possibilities of emission reduction and improvement of animal welfare
• Understanding of the tension between animal welfare and environmental protection
• Getting to know and evaluating animal-friendly grazing systems.

Sociocultural factors in processes of rural development: culture and development; key factors: level of development, legitimacy, socio-cultural heterogeneity; gender roles; "local knowledge"; consulting in culturally foreign contexts

Knowledge and tradition: "Local Knowledge"; problems of knowledge transfer; social and gender-specific binding of knowledge; storage of knowledge; written and oral; tradition formation and social integration in rural societies

Ability to classify development processes in the socio-cultural context.

To see through processes of knowledge construction and tradition formation.

• Fremerey, M. (ed.) 1993: Culture of Development. Frankfurt/M;
• Hall, B., A. Gillette and R. Tandon (eds.) 1989: Creating Knowledge - A Monopoly? New Delhi.;
• Honerla, S. and P. Schröder (eds.) 1995: Local Knowledge and Development. Saarbrücken;
• Nohlen, D. and F. Nuscheler (eds.) 1993: Handbook of the Third World, Vol. I. Bonn;
• Sachs, W. (ed.) 1993: As in the West, so on Earth. Reinbek.
• Hobsbawm, E. 1996: The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge. 2nd ed;
• Schunka, A.2000: Social Knowledge and Village World. Lordship, hunting and perception of nature (16th - 17th century). Frankfurt a. M.;
• Rösener, W. (ed.) 2000: Communication in Rural Society from the Middle Ages to Modernity. Göttingen

All important documents can be found on www.organic-europe.net and on www.orgap.org.

Further literature:

• Lahusen, C. & Jauß, C. 2001: Lobbying as a profession: interest groups in the European Union. Baden-Baden:Nomos;
• Lampkin, N. et al. 1999: The Policy and Regulatory Environment for Organic Farming in Europe. Organic Farming in Europe: Economics and Policy, Volume 1. Hohenheim: Inst. für Landwirtschaftliche Betriebslehre.

• Eschricht M. and C. Leitzmann 2001: Handbook of organic foods. Behrs;
• Böttcher H.1996: Fresh keeping and storage of vegetables;
• Heiss 1996: Food technology. Springer;
• Leitzmann C. and Elmadfa 1999: Human nutrition. UTB;
• Schneider B.  1995: Competitive factor "quality". DLG-Verlag