2024 Course: Nutrient Management

 

Mode

Hybrid (In-person and online). Participants can engage either through live streaming or by accessing recorded content on this platform.

 

Duration 

10 days split into two phases.

  • Phase 1: 4 days at UM6P, Benguerir, Morocco on February 20th to 23rd, 2024.
  • Phase 2: 6 days with the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at USP, Brazil from July 22nd to 27th, 2024.

 

Program structure
  • Three hours of lectures and course work each morning and afternoon, delivered by international professors from Mohammed VI University in Morocco and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
  • Participants in Morocco will attend the second phase (in Brazil) online, while participants in Brazil will attend the first phase (in Morocco) online.
  • In-person participants only: One day during each phase there will be an opportunity for site visits, such as to a phosphate mine, agricultural research and innovation farm, and farms producing grain and cotton. Specific sites will be confirmed closer to the course date.

 

Detailed Program

 

Phase 1

Hosted in Morocco and online
February 19-23, 2024

1st Module – Comparative Agriculture: Overview and Challenges to Sustainably Increase Productivity
  • Introduction:
    • Introduction to the course (Prof. Hudson Carvalho)
    • Introduction to OCP Foundation (Ms. Yousra Adlane)
  • Soil Sciences (Prof. Daniel Nahon)
  • Challenges for Food Production in Africa (Prof. Leonardus Vergutz)
  • The Geology and Pedology of Brazil (Prof. Tiago Osario)
  • The Geology and Pedology of the African Continent (Dr. Adnane Beniaich)

 

2nd Module – Soils and Staple Food Production Systems
  • Presentation on the University of São Paulo and Agricultural Systems and Soil Management in Brazil (Prof. Paulo Pavinato)
  • Opportunity crops for Agri-food systems transformation in Africa (Prof. Moez Amri)
  • Characteristics of Prominent Cultures in Brazil: Soybeans, Corn, Sugar Cane, Coffee (Prof.Tiago Tezotto)

 

3rd Module – Diagnosing Soil Fertility, Nutritional Status of Plants, and Bioavailability of Potentially Toxic Elements
  • Classical Methods for Soil Fertility Evaluation. (Prof. Hudson Carvalho)
  • Soil Spectroscopy - An Emerging Tool for Rapid Soil Diagnosis. (Prof. Issam Barra)
  • The role of the Soil and Plant microbiome and soil for Sustainable Agriculture. (Prof. Lucas Mendes)
  • Soil Health. (Prof. Joann Whalen)

 

4th Module – Visiting Phosphate Mines

Guided excursions for in-person participants:

    • An Olive Farm and UM6P's experimental farm Laboratories (AITTC)
    • OCP mine Ben Guerir 

 

Phase 2

Hosted in Brazil and online
July 22 - 27, 2024

5th Module - Phosphate: From Mine to Fork
  • 09:00-12:00: Phosphate Mining and Fertilizer Production (Dr. Abdellatif El Ghazi)
  • 14:00-17:00: Phosphate Fertilizer in Brazilian and African Agriculture (Dr. Paulo Pavinato & Dr. Leonardus Vergutz)

 

6th Module - Amendments and Alternative Sources of P and K for Carbon Sequestration
  • 09:00-12:00: Improving Soil Physical-Chemical Features and Alternative Sources of K (Dr. Antonio Azevedo, Dr. Paulo Pavinato, & Dr. Abdellatif El Ghazi)
  • 14:00-17:00: Transforming Farms into Carbon Sinks (Dr. Luiz Martinelli & Dr. Maurício Cherubin)

 

7th Module - Synchrotron Spectroscopy and Scattering Techniques
  • 09:00-12:00: Visiting the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source
  • 14:00-17:00: Fundamentals and Applications of Synchrotron Techniques in Agriculture and the Environment. Case Studies of How Synchrotron Techniques Contribute to AgriEnviron Research (Dr. Hudson Carvalho & Dr. Dean Hesterberg)

 

8th Module - Field Trip – Visiting Cerrado Farms and Sugarcane Mill

Led by Dr. Paulo Pavinato & Dr. Tiago Tezotto. Please note, details subject to change.

    • Bus trip to Cerrado – Mato Grosso do Sul
    • Visiting a farm of grain and cotton production (Planalto's Farm)
    • Visiting a sugarcane mill (Cerradinho Bio)
    • Bus return trip to São Paulo