AGRONOMY 3012RW - Innovation in Agronomy III

Roseworthy Campus - Semester 2 - 2022

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the important physiological principles of crop production and how these principles can be applied to cropping systems. The course has three modules focussing on Innovations in: (a) weed management; (b) water and nutrient management; and (c) agronomic management. The first module will focus on enhancing understanding of behaviour of weeds under different tillage systems, herbicide properties and their interaction with crop establishment and weed control in no-till seeding systems. This module will also cover off-target risks of herbicide use including development of herbicide resistance in weeds. The second module will focus on water and nutrient management in cropping systems. Important topics such as managing crop sowing time, cover cropping/rotations and precision planting will be covered. The last module of the course will focus on innovations in crop agronomy including precision agriculture, decision support tool Yield Prophet, grain and graze systems and frost risk and its management. The practical work in this course will focus on learning and applying information from crop simulations models through Yield Prophet, understanding spatial variability from satellite imagery from FluroSat. Another practical will focus on crop safety and weed control with pre-emergence herbicides.

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Course Details

Course Code	AGRONOMY 3012RW
Course	Innovation in Agronomy III
Coordinating Unit	School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Roseworthy Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assumed Knowledge	AGRIC 2505RW
Assessment	Exam, practical reports

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Gurjeet Gill

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Describe the role of physiological processes controlling plant growth and development.
2	Understand the effect of environment and management on crop growth, rate of development, water and nutrient use efficiency
3	Describe the impact of latest crop management practices on crop productivity and resource use efficiency
4	Undertake sampling of plants and soils for routine analysis of soil water and crop growth and development
5	Interpret results of research on crop growth and development, radiation interception and radiation use efficiency; crop water use and water use efficiency
6	Use decision support system Yield Prophet to understand probability of achieving various levels of productivity and the influence of water and nitrogen stress of predicted crop yield. This activity is undertaken by the students in small groups.
7	Understand the behaviour of herbicides in the environment and evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds and their management.

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.	1-7
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.	5-6
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.	5-6
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.	4-7
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	4-6
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.	4-6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Lecture handouts will be posted to the relevant area of MyUni before each class. There will be no provision of printed lecture handouts.

Recommended Resources

Tow, Cooper, Partridge and Birch (2011) Rainfed Farming Systems (Online access available through UA library)
Loomis, RS and Connor, DJ (1992) Crop Ecology: Productivity and management in agricultural systems. Cambridge University Press

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course material is taught by a combination of lectures and practical classes, with assessment in the form of practical write-ups, and summative assessment in the form of the final examination. The lectures are organised into three streams. The first of these are lectures that cover major principles related to crop physiology. The second stream covers impact of technological interventions on resource use efficiency. The third stream addresses the role of herbicides and management of herbicide resistance. Lecture modes used are based primarily on traditional classroom paradigms of lecturer-student interactions, using PowerPoint or similar presentation techniques.

Practical classes are designed and timetabled such that as far as possible, the topics co-ordinate with those being taught at that time within the lecture stream. There are two major practicals in this course. One of them deals with techniques and skills related to quantifying crop growth and development and its relationship with radiation and water use. Data collected by students in small working groups are submitted as a brief research paper. The second practical exercise is based on students learning how to use and interpret the outputs a decision support system called Yield Prophet. This exercise runs throughout the semester in which students learn how simulation models are used in the industry to manage nitrogen input for crops and how changes in seasonal rainfall impacts on the probability of achieving different levels of grain yields. This work is undertaken in small groups. Each group is required to go online and run various scenarios of crop management and then interpret the probability of likely outcomes. The final report is presented jointly by the group but the students are required to undertake self- and peer-assessment of the group. Students also undertake a practical examination, which covers basic numerical skills as well as a field-based problem solving exercise.

Feedback is provided on all assessed work.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Learning Activities Summary

Week	Lectures	Practicals
1	1. Frameworks and benchmarks for analysing productivity: potential yield, attainable yield, yield gaps and production efficiency frontiers; inputs vs efficiencies 2. Growth and yield in a water limited environment:Water use and water use efficiency	Revision of Yield Prophet; provide paddock information; visit selected paddocks and establish N dose response plots
2	1. Growth and yield in a water limited environment: limitations and opportunities 2. Crop growth and yield formation	WUE and RUE at Roseworthy - I
3	1. Crop growth and yield formation 2. The crop canopy	Student groups to sample crops for biomass and growth stage for comparison with Yield Prophet predictions
4	1. Crop development: genetic and environmental controls 2. How crops respond to sowing date	(a) Variety x time of sowing (Hart Field site) (b) The impact of long-term seeding systems on crop growth (Hart Field site)
5	1. How crops respond to N and implication for management 2. How crops respond to planting arrangement	Tutorial on statistical analysis of trial data and its interpretation
6	Crop canopy management: balancing pre- and post-anthesis water use, rate and timing of N, leaf area duration, haying-off case studies, plant growth regulators; canopy management in high and low rainfall environments	Roseworthy Yield Prophet; crop sampling in the field; run your group’s management scenarios
7	1. Dual purpose cereals: rationale, feed gap, physiological principles, case studies from NSW, WA farmer case studies, cattle case study from Esperance 2. Dual purpose canola: whole plant removal risk, blackleg risk, dietary intake, NO3 toxicity risk, physiological principles, CSIRO research, WA farmer case studies, cattle grazing case study from WA, best-bet management	WUE and RUE at Roseworthy – 2nd sample
8	1. Tillage effects on soil properties: soil OC, physical properties, microbial biomass, disease suppressive soils 2. Tillage effects on weeds: germination and establishment, seed decay, weed control with pre-sowing herbicides, crop damage from pre-sowing herbicides	Weigh soil dry weights and a tutorial on the calculation of WUE and RUE
9	Soil compaction and Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF)*: sub-soil compaction, greater susceptibility of sandy soils, deep ripping/cultivation, crop responses, a South Australian case study, re-compaction, CTF - its costs and benefits, improvement in soil properties, machinery configuration	A visit to two farms in the Mid North and to the Hart field day site (all day trip bus leaves Roseworthy at 9 AM); not assessed
10	Precision agriculture: improvement in crop and weed management: common constraints to yields, spatial variability in yield, approaches to PA, map based and real time sensors, use of PA for diagnosing constraints, on-farm trials, weed-seeker technology	Estimating crop yield - Yield Prophet and direct estimation by sampling; spring farm tour; run your management scenarios (e.g. sowing time, seed rate, wheat variety, N rate and/or timing)
11	1. Herbicide Mode of Action and use 2. Herbicide behaviour in plants and the environment	Practical on RIM: explore the impact of weed management tactics on ryegrass populations
12	1. Herbicide use risk – Off target movement and soil residue impacts 2. Herbicide use risk - Herbicide Resistance	Practical examination – 10%

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

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

Assessment Summary

Due to the current COVID-19 situation modified arrangements have been made to assessments to facilitate remote learning and teaching.

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Small group research project - spatial variability and Yield Prophet (group Report)	Summative	Week 4	5%	1,2,4,5,6
Small group research project - spatial variability and Yield Prophet (individual Report)	Summative	Week 9	10%	1,2,4,5,6
Practical - herbicide behaviour	Summative	Week 6	15%	1-6
Practical - grazing value of winter wheat	Summative	Week 7	10%	1-6
Final Practical Examination	Summative	Week 12	10%	1-6
Quizzes after each lecture Block	Formative and Summative	After each Lecture block	20%	1,2,4,5,6
Exam	Summative	Exam Period	30%	1-6

Assessment Detail

Practical - spatial variability and Yield Prophet (group report) (5%)

Practical - spatial variability and Yield Prophet (individual report) (10%)

Practical - herbicide behaviour (15%)

Practical - grazing value of winter wheat (10%)

Practical Examination (10%)

Quizzes after each Lecture Block (20%)
Quizzes after each Lecture Block will demonstrate the student's understanding of the the online delivery of lectures.

Final Exam (30%)
Will be deliered online through MyUni

Submission

Assignments should be submitted with a cover sheet available from MyUni. Feedback will be provided within two weeks after the submission date.

Late submission of assessments
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.

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
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator