Instructors may make some changes to their outlines; the official outlines will be handed out at first class. Expand to read Plant Ag and UofG Academic Misconduct policy.
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Academic Misconduct

University Policy

Academic misconduct is behaviour that erodes the basis of mutual trust on which scholarly exchanges commonly rest, undermines the University's exercise of its responsibility to evaluate students' academic achievements, or restricts the University's ability to accomplish its learning objectives.

The University takes a serious view of academic misconduct and will severely penalize students, faculty and staff who are found guilty of offences associated with misappropriation of others' work, misrepresentation of personal performance and fraud, improper access to scholarly resources, and obstructing others in pursuit of their academic endeavours. In addition to this policy, the University has adopted a number of policies that govern such offences, including the policies on Misconduct in Research and Scholarship and the Student Rights and Responsibilities regulations. These policies will be strictly enforced.

It is the responsibility of the University, its faculty, students and staff to be aware of what constitutes academic misconduct and to do as much as possible through establishment and use of policies and preventive procedures to limit the likelihood of offences occurring. Furthermore, individual members of the University community have the specific responsibility of initiating appropriate action in all instances where academic misconduct is believed to have taken place. This responsibility includes reporting such offences when they occur and making one's disapproval of such behaviour obvious.

University of Guelph students have the responsibility of abiding by the University's policy on academic misconduct regardless of their location of study; faculty, staff and students have the responsibility of supporting an environment that discourages misconduct. Students should also be aware that if they find their academic performance affected by medical, psychological or compassionate circumstances, they should inform the appropriate individuals,(instructors, program counsellors, graduate advisors) and follow the available procedures for academic consideration outlined in the University's calendars.

» http://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/diploma/current/c08/c08-amisconduct.shtml

Department Policy

1. No Quotation and references. Plagiarism has occurred if the author does not place quotation marks around word-for-word copying of print or electronic format source material even if the source is correctly cited. To further reduce the possibility that a quotation will be misrepresented or mistaken as one's own work, instructors may request that quotations be italicized or double indented.

2. Degree of fidelity to source. Plagiarism has occurred if the author's writing is clearly recognizable as essentially derived from cited or uncited print or electronic format sources, even though the author has altered the original source material by inverting word or sentence order, or substituting synonyms. Authors should summarize and synthesize ideas and concepts rather than interchange words.

3. Group projects. Teams working on group projects should practice group dynamics (such as meetings of the whole group, review of each other's work and discussion of academic misconduct) that will discourage individuals from contributing plagiarized material. Groups may bear collective responsibility for the academic integrity of their project.

4. Identical individual projects. Plagiarism will be strongly suspected if two or more students submit individual projects that are substantially identical.

5. Editing answers. It is an improper academic practice to add, delete, or edit answers after the exam period has concluded, or using prohibited materials during an exam.

**CROP*3340** Managed Grasslands

UNDERGRADUATE (offered in even numbered years)Managed forage grasses and legumes provide grazing, conserved feed, and a wider range of services to the environment and society at large. Agro-ecological, genetic, and managerial considerations will be integrated toward addressing questions of ruminant production and environmental management. Species will be distinguished morphologically and physiologically, focusing on adaptation to climatic, edaphic, and managerial constraints. Topics will include: physiological attributes of forage species, sward lifespan, establishment and maintenance practices, forage quality indices and harvest management. (Offered in even-numbered years.)

Instructor

S. Bowley
Rm. 408 Crop Science Building
Phone: ext. 58704
Email: sbowley@uoguelph.ca

Prerequisite

1 of AGR*2451/2, AGR*2470, CROP*2110

NOTE: the course information listed below is for past course instructions and will change with the new lecturer.

Course Objectives

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

investigate/explore/acquire information in novel subject areas in a time-efficient manner, organize it logically, and present it effectively in written format.
describe the terms and the biological/economic/societal drivers for historic, contemporary, and future use of managed grasslands in Ontario.
compare the physiological adaptations conferring tolerance to defoliation frequency and to drought, nutrient, and winter stresses, and to recommend temperate species and mixtures appropriate for diverse situations.
identify the components of forage nutritional value, and quantify the influences of plant species and maturity, the nutritional requirements of animal species and grazing behavior.
focus the principles of forage conservation/pasture and grazing management toward practical approaches to resource conservation and livestock production in Ontario.

Course Content

Big Picture/Environmental Context: definition of ‘grassland’ and description of temperate zone swards; importance in terms of hectarage and productivity, and factors which have driven the prominence of grasses within the province for both agriculture and resource conservation

Tillering/Reproductive Dynamics: plant growth form, and central role of tillering in forage management; seasonality of tillering; response to defoliation and grazing stress; carbohydrate cycling, determinants of regrowth; vernalization/photoperiod on seasonality in growth;

Species and Mixtures: grass and legume species for use in pasture/conserved feed, ecophysiological adaptations of species to prevailing environmental and managerial factors; implications of stratification and differentiation in space and time

Establishment and Fertilization: methods of seeding, renovation and rejuvenation; inoculation, companion planting, weed control

Nutritional Value: indices of forage quality; determinants of intake; digestibility; nutrient content; changes with maturity and with time in season; antiquality factors; quality relative to nutritive demand of different class of livestock

Grazing/Conserved Feed Management: hay/silage production systems; timing, processing, storage and quality; managed grazing systems; balancing seasonal variations in supply and demand; utilization efficiency

Labs will feature guest lecturers on feed conservation, cow/calf, stocker, dairy, and sheep production on pasture, fencing systems, and custom grazing. Midterm exams will emphasize lab material.

Course Orientation

The dominant focus in this course is engagement, to elicit student involvement as active participants rather than passive recipients, leading to practical skills as well as understanding. Students are encouraged to explore individualized learning through personal initiative, understanding both the basic principles behind recommended practices and the range of possible outcomes from applying these principles. A variety of guest lecturers will emphasize the practical side of everything from dairy sheep and grass-based beef to making quality corn silage and breeding for quality alfalfa. Lecturing is interactive rather than unidirectional. The course is configured around the Learning Objectives, and course content is viewed as a vehicle to contribute to your progress in the Learning Objectives.

Evaluation of Student Progress

Background Texts (Not Required)

Cherney and Cherney:	Grass for Dairy Cattle
Clark, E. Ann and R.P. Poincelot:	The Contribution of Managed Grasslands to Sustainable Agriculture in the Great Lakes Basin
Heath, Barnes, and Metcalfe:	Forages: the Science of Grassland Agriculture
Frame, John:	*Grazing Management;* and *Forage Legumes for Temperate Grasslands*
Hodgson, John:	Grazing Management
International Grassland Congress (various)
Murphy, Bill:	Greener Pastures on Your Side of the Fence
Nation, Allan:	Grass Farmers, Paddock Shift, Quality Pasture, Pasture Profits with Stocker Cattle, Farm Fresh: Direct Marketing Meats and Milk
Salatin, Joel:	Pasture Poultry Profit, Salad Bar Beef, You Can Farm, Family-Friendly Farming
Vallentine, John:	Grazing Management

Useful Popular Press (not required)
Stockman Grass Farmer SF1 .S87
Acres USA (not in library)
NewFarm.org

Useful Refereed Sources
Agronomy Journal, Biology and Fertility of Soils, Canadian Journal of Plant Science, Canadian Journal of Animal Science, Crop Science, Grass and Forage Science, Journal of Animal Science, Journal of Dairy Science, Journal of Environmental Quality, Journal of Range Science, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Livestock Production Science, Plant and Soil, Soil and Tillage Research

Assigned reading will be provided either in print form at the Library Reserve desk or made accessible through the web at specified URLs. Detailed Course Notes will be distributed electronically at weekly intervals. Examinations will include material from the Course Notes, as well as whatever required reading or additional material may be presented orally in class, and will emphasize Guest Speakers.

Academic Misconduct

1. Get it in on time for full marks. Meeting deadlines is an important life skill. The purpose of assignments is to give you the opportunity to explore a new subject. But to do this well, you need to allow yourself the time needed to absorb the content and then synthesize it into your own creation.

2. The most common source of a low essay mark in this course is insufficient time allotted to organizing and structuring a readable essay, and proofreading to refine the finished product. I am happy to review with you a draft of your assignment - or even a paragraph - prior to the due date. This is essentially ‘free’ marks for you - but you will have to be organized to take advantage of it.

3. The penalty for proven plagerism, of any magnitude, is a mark of 0 (zero) for the assignment.

4. Assignments are due at the start of the class hour. The penalty for late submission is -10% of the earned mark for submission anytime within the first 24 hours; -5% for anytime within each subsequent 24 hours. For “nuggets”, the due date is up until midnight of the indicated date, with penalty for late submission -1 of the 4 points for each day late (e.g. 1 day late means you get 3 rather than 4 points; 2 days = 2 points, etc.)

Academic Misconduct

University Policy

Department Policy

CROP*3340 Managed Grasslands

Instructor

Prerequisite

Course Objectives

Course Content

Course Orientation

Evaluation of Student Progress

Background Texts (Not Required)

Academic Misconduct

**CROP*3340** Managed Grasslands