93964 - Sustainable and Precise Insect Management

Learning outcomes

At course completion, the student possesses knowledge on: insect sampling techniques of economic and ecological importance, including spatially based geostatistical methods; monitoring and decision supporting systems; conservation strategies of beneficial entomofauna on different spatial scales; risk assessment of plant protection products, by system approach. In particular, the student possesses the skills to: organize tactics and strategies to manage insects of economic importance in a sustainable manner; measure the impact of agricultural practices by biomonitoring monitoring insect biodiversity and performance; critically analyze agri-environmental management plans.

Course contents

Lectures (20 hours) on the following topics:

1.Insect diversity and agroecosystem stability

2.Insect population dynamic and simulation models

3.Sampling technique and programme

4.Geostatistic in applied entomology

5.Insect phenology and prediction models

6.Agroecology and landscape management

7.From IPM to IPPM: adding the pollinator’s prospective in crop protection

8.Integrated environmental risk assessment of pesticides

9.Precision insect control and entomovectoring technology

10.Insect control strategies: case studies

Complementary activities (10 hours):

1.How to write a scientific paper and make a systematic literature review

2.Calculation of biodiversity indices and logistic curves

3.Degree-day model

4.Estimation of LD50

5.Use of a serious game in Agro-Ecology

6.Visit to biocompanies and farms that use precision technologies

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture slides and other teaching materials will be made available online during the course

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, field visits, computer-based exercises

Assessment methods

Final exam comprising a practical (computer-based) exercise similar to the exercises done during the course an 2 oral questions related with the course contents. Students attending the course, whom have received a positive evaluation on at least 3 exercises done during the course, can skip the practical exercise in the final exam.

Teaching tools

Computer and projector

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Sgolastra