Competences

a. Describe the physical and chemical characteristics of soil;
b. Describe the flow of matter and energy in a soil ecosystem;
c. Describe how the soil’s physical and biological characteristics affect its nutrient balance;
d. Identify techniques that can be applied to ensure soil and water conservation in an identified farming system;
e. Analyse the role of good agriculture in the prevention of water pollution;
f. Analyse how the population of an identified pest species changes across the crop growing season.

Knowledge 

a. Distinguish between different types of soil water;
b. Identify the key soil physical and chemical properties;
c. Describe the major soil processes;
d. Identify different point and non-point sources of water pollution and their impacts on the agricultural and natural environment;
e. Distinguish between different groundwater bodies within the Maltese Islands in terms of their geology, uses and quantitative and qualitative status;
f. Identify different species and varieties used in an agricultural setting;
g. Distinguish between species and functional biodiversity;
h. Define the term ecosystem services and give examples that are relevant to farming systems;
i. Analyse how agri-environment and climate measures can reconcile the production of food with the conservation of natural resources under increasing production pressures.

Skills

a. Analyse water and soil properties;
b. Identify management practices that may be used in a given site to improve the soil’s biological, physical and chemical properties;
c. Describe measures that may be applied to ensure water conservation in farming systems;
d. Describe measures that may be applied to prevent water pollution from agricultural systems;
e. Assess the contribution of agrobiodiversity to crop production through the delivery of agroecosystem services.