AG5001 - Advanced Tropical Crops and Pastures

Credit points:	03
Year:	2008
Student Contribution Band:	Band 2
Administered by:	School of Marine & Tropical Biology

Available to enrolled postgraduate students of School of Marine & Tropical Biology

Tropical crops and pastures, both natural vegetation and monocultures, are managed to produce food, fibre, secondary products, energy, and are used for landscape conservation. We will analyse the fundamental principles that permit the successful sustainable production by examining aspects of growth, physiology, agronomy, ecology, pest management and breeding strategies of selected crop and pasture systems in tropical landscapes. Topics to be covered include interactions between a crop or pasture and often unpredictable tropical environments, managing plant responses to competition, the impact of grazing animals, the importance of plant genetic diversity and the role of integrated pest management.

There are additional charges for this subject; please contact the School for details.

Learning Outcomes

• To develop a systems knowledge of how the diversity of mechanisms used by plants to tolerate physical and biological environments can be adapted to optimise agricultural performance in tropical crops and pastures;
• To gain knowledge of modern technologies and theories of managing plants in tropical landscapes;
• To enhance knowledge of a specific area of applied biology;
• To develop critical thinking and writing skills;
• Enhanced skills in field observation, data collection and scientific literacy.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner.

Inadmissible Subject Combinations:

(BT5102 OR BT5103 OR AG3101 ) and AG3001

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 04-Apr-2008
Coordinator:	Dr Joseph Holtum, Dr Jonathan Cornelius
Lecturers:	Dr Joseph Holtum, Dr Jonathan Cornelius.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 6 hours tutorials 6 hours practicals 24 hours fieldwork
Assessment:	end of semester exam (50%); practical & field reports, essay and performance in tutorials (50%).
Cairns, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 04-Apr-2008
Coordinator:	Dr Joseph Holtum, Dr Jonathan Cornelius
Lecturers:	Dr Joseph Holtum, Dr Jonathan Cornelius.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 6 hours tutorials 6 hours practicals 24 hours fieldwork
Assessment:	end of semester exam (50%); practical and field trip reports, essay, and performance in tutorials (50%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.