Ecological Agriculture Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies, Thessaloniki, Greece. The course teaches principles of ecological agriculture applicable to conventional farms that are to be converted into ecological farms as well as to already ecological working farms. It covers methods of observing production factors and their interactions in order to establish planting plans, fertilizing plans and to make decisions about density, species and varieties of plants and animals, and alternative methods to permanently increase soil fertility, animal health and plant vigour.
Emphasis is laid on practical fieldwork.
All instruction is in English. The students are guided to observe analytically the interactions of production factors like soil, plants, animals, human beings, buildings, and to evaluate them from the point of view of ecological agriculture. The students will obtain the ability to do the first practical steps of conversion to organic production. They will learn how to find and use local resources to build up fertility of soils, plants, and animals in a long run. They will be able to establish cultivation plans with crop rotation, companion planting, green manuring and production of fodder crops, with fertilizing plans and disease control schedules.