NES8106 : Agricultural Systems
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Hannah Davis
- Lecturer: Dr Amelia Magistrali, Professor Neil Boonham, Dr Fritha Langford, Dr Dave George, Dr Ankush Prashar
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
• develop the knowledge and skills required to apply the principles of sustainable arable crop and livestock
production in practice under temperate conditions
• develop the knowledge and skills required to critically evaluate the concepts of crop and livestock production
and the underlying principles of soil health and fertility, environmental protection and appropriate
management methods (crop protection, breeding etc)
Outline Of Syllabus
This two-week module will cover:
1. Soil health, fertility and management
2. Arable production (different crops, introduce rotation)
3. Crop breeding and varieties
4. Crop protection
5. Integrated pest management
6. Precision agriculture
7. Grass and forage production
8. Ruminant and/or non ruminant management
Friday field visits to NU Farms (or other)
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 2:00 | 16:00 | Lectures on core module material by teaching staff and visiting speakers |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 38:00 | 38:00 | Report preparation (research, reading, formulation/writing) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 8 | 2:00 | 16:00 | Workshops to develop, research and discuss underpinning lecture material |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 2 | 6:00 | 12:00 | Field visits |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 18:00 | 18:00 | Lecture follow up. Student research on materials beyond taught materials |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures deliver the basic knowledge needed by students to understand the principles underlying the cropping and livestock systems.
Workshops provide an opportunity for students to extend and critically assess lecture and published material and information acquired through their own reading, whilst developing team and presenting skills.
Field trips will be a demonstration of current practice and discussion of pragmatic solutions to commercial problems.
Canvas will be used to encourage discussion and provide a platform for supplementary material and further skill development (word and excel etc).
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 100 | Assessed group report on management plan for a mixed farming system. Maximum 1000 words each plus 500 words for the team introduction and 500 words for the team conclusion. The word count does not include references or tables. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | Word Skills: Ensure students have worked through the Canvas word processing, excel and endnote skills |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The group report will allow students to develop research skills both within a team and independently. The management plan will cover all areas of agronomic and livestock management, in which students will be able to develop their own sections to contribute to the overall report (crop rotation, crop protection, livestock management etc). The students will receive an individual mark for their contribution (70%) and a group mark for the cohesiveness of the management plan (layout, introduction/ conclusion, use of word processing skills etc) (30%). This assessment is designed to develop problem solving, research and team working skills to produce a realistic (industry focussed), practical management plan.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES8106's Timetable