CROP*4220 Cropping Systems

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The following description is for the course offering in Winter 2019 and is subject to change. It is provided for information only. The course outline distributed to the class at the beginning of the semester describes the course content and delivery, and defines the methods and criteria to be used in establishing the final grades for the course.
 

Design of cropping systems for specific livestock, poultry and cash crop enterprises; integration of all factors affecting crop yields, quality and economy of production such as choice and interchangeability of crops, crop sequence, tillage, pest control, seasonal work programming, harvesting, drying and storage.

Instructors:

Bill Deen

Teaching Assistant:

Credit Weight:

0.50

Course Level:

  • Undergraduate

Academic Department (or campus):

Department of Plant Agriculture

Campus:

Guelph

Semester Offering:

  • Winter

Class Schedule and Location:

Please see WebAdvisor for class schedule and location.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of this course, students should be able to:
  1. Explain causes of complexity, diversity and dynamics of field crop production systems.
  2. Identify and describe components of crop production, including how these components are organized and optimized into a production system given constraining factors such as climate, soil type, livestock, species adaptation and morphology, and economics.
  3. Analyze how these components and their interactions influence resource use efficiency, crop physiology, soil properties, carbon balances, the nitrogen cycle, water and air quality and identify feedback mechanisms that producers can manipulate to improve system productivity.
  4. Explain how the above production systems concepts are currently utilized in Ontario, as well as systems used in Western Canada, the US Midwest and other developed and developing regions of the world. 

 

Lecture Content:

 Topics to be covered in lectures include:
  • Definition of cropping systems - goals and objectives / overview of factors affecting cropping system choice
  • Moisture and temperature effects on cropping systems
  • Soils and cropping systems - soil carbon cycle
  • Soils and cropping systems - nitrogen cycle
  • Livestock production and cropping systems
  • Economics / markets and cropping systems
  • Tillage - objectives, interaction with soil, climate, crop physiology
  • Tillage - no-till systems and alternative tillage approaches
  • Rotations
  • Multiple crop systems
  • Cover crops
  • Precision ag and cropping systems
  • Intensive cropping systems
  • Biomass production systems
Labs & Seminars:

Course Assignments and Tests:

Assignment or Test Contribution to Final Grade Learning Outcomes Assessed
Midterm
40%
 1,2
Final Exam
60%
 1,2,3,4

Final examination:

Please refer to Web Advisor for exam schedule and location.

Course Resources:

Required Texts:

None.

Recommended Texts:

None.

Lab Manual:

None.

Other Resources:

Additional readings consisting primarily of peer-reviewed journal articles will be provided on CourseLink.

Field Trips:

None.

Additional Costs:

None.

Course Policies:

Grading Policies:
Course Policy on Group Work:

Not applicable.

Course Policy regarding use of electronic devices and recording of lectures:

Electronic recording of classes is expressly forbidden without consent of the instructor.  When recordings are permitted they are solely for the use of the authorized student and may not be reproduced, or transmitted to others, without the express written consent of the instructor.

Other Course Information:

University Policies

Academic Consideration

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For more information, contact CSD at 519-824-4120 ext. 56208 or email sas@uoguelph.ca or visit the Student Accessibility Services website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/csd/.

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