Ecological agriculture research: increasing competence through PhD courses

Abstract

A PhD course in ecological agriculture was organised for the Nordic/Baltic Region by an international team. Components were a pre-course literature review and written thesis summary, a week-long intensive workshop in Stange, Norway, and follow-through reports and evaluations. Research in ecological agriculture requires a firm foundation in science and experimental methods as well as a set of other research methods for inquiry at different levels of the spatial hierarchy. PhD students need to learn about and practice a range of inquiry methods to study and evaluate both component technologies and more holistic aspects of practices, farms, and food systems. Most important is to learn when and where these methods should be applied. Lectures, large group discussions, and small group working sessions were used to involve each student in a team with facilitators in grappling with the challenges of research design and implementation. Traditional methods of experiment design, on research station and on farm, as well as different social science methods, were presented along with concepts and methods of systems. Students were encouraged to apply these ideas to their own PhD projects. Evaluation showed that most research projects were focused at the individual enterprise (crop, animal, field) or at the whole farm scale. As a result of the course, students recognised the importance of a range of hierarchical levels at which questions could be asked, and the majority adopted some new methods that broadened research relevance. Finally, the course and workshop experience expanded the circle of scientific peers with whom students could consult as they continue their research careers. The course was rated by students as moderately to highly valuable as part of their PhD study.