PLANT SC 7330WT - Food Production in a Future Climate

Waite Campus - Semester 2 - 2022

Students will develop an appreciation for the complexity of natural resource management issues and their impact on agricultural production and societal change. This will be achieved by providing an in-depth understanding of the impacts of global climate change on plant growth with specific focus on how climate change is likely to affect food production. Crops and agricultural systems of particular importance to Australian agricultural and horticultural production will be closely examined. The course will highlight the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which a changing climate will affect plant performance and food production. Changing phenology, plant species range shifts, changing pest pressure and variation in yield will be explored in the context of climate change. This course integrates concepts of physiology, biochemistry, genetics, agronomy, and pest management gained by students in previous courses thus developing an in-depth understanding of the drivers of climate change and how future prediction models are generated. Students will develop skills in critical analysis of data and literature to enable them to make informed decisions relating to future food production.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PLANT SC 7330WT
    Course Food Production in a Future Climate
    Coordinating Unit School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s Waite Campus
    Units 3
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Beth Loveys

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
    1 Explain biophysical principles underlying the interaction and impact between climate change and subsequent changes in water, soil, energy and vegetation resources.
    2 Integrate and critique knowledge to understand how models are used to project future adaptation.
    3 Evaluate the dynamic relationship between science-based natural resource management (NRM) and food culture.
    4 Evaluate how climate change impacts on key plant processes through practical experimentation.
    5 Source and critically analyse relevant peer reviewed literature and communicate via a range of modes aspects of agriculturally relevant NRM issues in accessible language to a variety of audiences in addition to providing constructive peer review to their colleagues.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1-5

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    2-5

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    4,5

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    2,5

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    2

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    5
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    No information currently available.

    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary
    The seminars, workshops and practicals in this course aim to provide students with an advanced understanding of the theory and evidence of climate change and the broad impacts that climate change will have on plant production systems. Examples specific to the Australian plant production context will be of central importance but as climate change is an issue that impacts globally international examples and experiences will also be used. The seminars will provide students with core and current knowledge delivered by experts in their respective fields. Consistency of delivery will be provided by UofA academic staff but experts from partner institutions will also contribute. Workshops are designed to provide students will the opportunity to source, discuss and critically evaluate published literature. Practical sessions will allow students to manipulate plant systems experimentally and using techniques and instruments commonly used by researchers in fields of plant science students will measure the response of plants to environmental variables. Practicals will give students first-hand, applied experience of the scientific research process required to assess the impacts of climate change on plant production systems.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Hurdle
    Yes or No
    Learning Outcome Due
    Online Quizzes Formative and Summative 15% No 1,3,4 Week 2,4,10
    Literature Review peer review and workshop participation Formative and Summative 20% No 1,4,5 Week 7/Week 13
    Practical report Summative 20% No 3,4 Week 9
    Online Correlation analysis Formative and Summative 15% No 1,2 Week 9
    Annotated Bibliography Formative and Summative 10% No 1,4,5 Week 3,6,9,12
    Final exam Summative 20% No 1-5 Exam Period
    Assessment Detail
    Online quizzes (15%)
    Three online MCQ and short answer quizzes covering the lecture and practical content will be delivered via MyUni in weeks 2, 4 and 10. These are completed after class and should take approximately 1 hr.

    Literature review and workshop participation (20%)
    The workshops will provide scaffolding of student’s ability and skill to find, interpret and critically evaluate and synthesis scientific literature. Students will select a topic on which to focus their literature review (2500 words), and they will be asked to keep a running list of the journal articles they have sourced for their review as a journal entry on MyUni. By week 4, staff will provide feedback to students about the appropriateness of the articles they have chosen. The review will be due in week 7 of semester and will be submitted as a Turnitin assignment. Marks and feedback will be available 2-3 weeks after submission. Post graduate students only will anonymously peer review each other’s literature reviews.

    Practical report/presentation (20%)
    A written report (1500 words) or poster (A0 size) (student choice) on the Module 4 practical session will be submitted as a Turnitin assignment in week 9 of semester. The related practical work will be completed between week 3-6 of semester.

    Online Correlation Analysis (15%)
    After a practical and 3 workshop sessions on understanding large data sets (CO2, temperature, crop yields etc) students will be guided through multiple correlation analysis using two software packages. Students will select a correlation of interest to them and prepare a popular press article (500 words) explaining what their chosen correlation means to a lay audience.

    Annotated Bibliography (10%)
    Students will collect papers, webpages, books and other literature relevant to their chosen topic for their literature review. Students will submit the bibliography(less than 200 words each) in weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. The mark will be assigned in week 12.

    Final exam (20%)
    A two hour exam on all material covered in the course. The question style will be, short answer and data interpretation.
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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