Integrated Farm Management

Integrated Farm Management (IFM) is a whole farm management approach that can deliver efficient and profitable agricultural production that is also environmentally responsible.

This module will provide a sound working knowledge of the philosophy and approaches that underpin IFM. In contrast to its sister module (Agricultural Pollution and Mitigation), this module is concerned with on-farm practice-based environmental management.

It will also include a visit to a farm to gain insight into how the techniques discussed within lectures are put into practice.

Subjects tackled include:

farm management planning including auditing, action plans and performance assessment;

soil management, soil mapping and organic-fertiliser management, soil-water interactions, drought management;

Integrated Pest Management;

water and energy efficiency and waste management;

biodiversity, habitat management and land stewardship;

growing sustainably for specific markets – non-food cropping;

animal husbandry and welfare.

This course will be run by staff from the University's Agriculture and Environment Research Unit (AERU), who have been at the cutting edge of agricultural best practice and knowledge transfer in the sector for over a decade.