Agricultural Science

Field crop production is a major component of Australia’s economy, and landholders manage their resources to balance environmental, economic and social demands. This subject discusses how these resources are managed to produce high quality crop products.

Topics include:

• An appraisal of the cropping enterprises in southern Australia - the location, scale and nature of cropping enterprises and their contribution to the national economy
• Growth, development and yield in crop production - definitions and relations between growth and development attributes, yield and yield components, measurement of crop yields, biological and economical yield and harvest index (complemented by field exercises)
• Environmental constraints limiting productivity - climate and growing season, water and nutrient availability
• Agronomic management to optimise production and product quality, including water and nutrient management, soil management and rotations
• Problems and prospects of both dryland and irrigated crop production within farm systems, comparative cost-return analysis, marketing strategies

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Soil is the foundation for profitable farming. In this subject the principles of chemistry, physics and biology will be used to determine how decisions are made on the suitability of soil for agriculture and what effects agricultural practice can have on soil. Topics include soil morphology, soil physical and chemical properties, clay mineralogy, soil organic matter, soil biology & ecology, soil acidity and alkalinity, and the biogeochemical cycles of C, N, and other elements as well as the environmental outcomes associated with the management of soils. The subject will enable students to understand the importance of soil knowledge for sustainable agricultural production. Students will undertake hands-on practicals, and field trips will be used to enable students to understand the relationship between landscapes, soils and land use, the impacts land management decisions can have on soil quality, and to describe soils for the purpose of enabling informed land management decision.

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This capstone subject provides students with the opportunity to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during their Bachelor of Agriculture degree or Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science major) to analysis of large-scale challenges confronting agricultural industries.

Students will develop the capacity to apply a 'systems thinking' approach to problems, utilising the understanding that they have developed throughout their studies of relevant environmental, economic, social and political factors. They will also develop their skills in gathering and interpreting evidence, teamwork, and oral and written communication.

Students will undertake an investigation of an industry challenge of their choice, working both individually, and in small groups. Students will undertake guided reflection on their learning, as a basis for developing personal principles for ethical professional practice.

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Precision Agriculture can be broadly defined as site-specific soil-crop or animal-specific management of agricultural production systems by leveraging on technology and data. This subject will build students’ knowledge and skills in the key principles and practices of Precision Agriculture in a range of agricultural production contexts including broadacre cropping, horticulture and livestock farming. Frameworks and case studies of technological innovation, adoption and diffusion in the agricultural sector will be an integral component of the curriculum. Through a series of seminars, practicals, fieldwork excursion activities coupled with industry involvement, students will be equipped to work effectively in the increasingly networked, digital, automated and data-rich environment of primary production, and gain experience with Precision Agriculture equipment. Adopting a ‘Big Data’ perspective, students will acquire skills in agricultural/environmental data management and analysis, and their application to crops and animals

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Physiology is the integrative study of the control of normal body function. This subject will examine the functions of different cell types and their interactions in organs and tissues; mechanisms by which organs are controlled and their functions are regulated; thermoregulatory processes and fluid balance; the physiology of the nervous system, of digestion, circulation, respiration, and excretion; the processes of growth and development, and factors that can be manipulated to alter animal performance under normal conditions.

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Irrigation and Water Management presents the technical, economic, environmental and policy aspects of water for irrigation in agriculture and further discusses the case study of Murray Darling Basin, the most significant agricultural areas in Australia. The key components covered in this course are: irrigation scheduling and drainage; different types of irrigation techniques; water salinity and other issues with quality of irrigation water; environmental impact of irrigation; Institutions, water markets, policy and governance issues discussed in the context of Murray Darling Basin; alternate sources of irrigation – wastewater recycling; and impact of climate change on water for irrigation. The course is delivered as - lectures from academics, research scientists and industry experts; field trips and through short online educational videos. Dookie campus, being located in the heart of a major irrigation district of MDB, offers the opportunity to see some major irrigation infrastructure of the region and interact with industry experts on the field trip.

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A knowledge of appropriate methods for management of our soils is vital for sustainable food production and environmental health. This subject will provide students with a thorough understanding of key soil chemical, physical and biological processes to enable practical solutions to soil management issues at appropriate scales. The subject will discuss major soil management issues such as: carbon storage; soil acidification; salinity; erosion and sodicity, including soil structure and its maintenance; the use of fertilizers, including composts, biosolids, manures and effluents from intensive animal industries and processing plants; the use of soil testing for maintenance of soil fertility and; offsite impacts of management on air and water quality. The role of the soil microbiome in improving plant productivity and the role of soil organisms in improving soil fertility and promoting nutrient transformations will also be explored. Practicals and excursions will be used to demonstrate methods of soil survey and land capability assessment.

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This subject focuses on understanding the main agronomic factors affecting Australian agriculture in the endeavour for efficient and sustainable farming systems. It builds on students’ knowledge of crop production with a particular emphasis placed on the management of and interaction between fertilisers, water, pests and weeds. The subject begins with a general introduction on the application of principles of agronomy for guiding the formulation of decisions made by producers, their interpretation and the impacts they may have. Students will interpret and analyse soil, crop and system information with a view to predicting fertiliser requirements and designing other management strategies for common agronomic scenarios and problems. Students will critically evaluate the impacts agronomic decisions have on the production and quality of crops and wider cropping systems.

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This subject focuses on understanding the procedures involved in breeding crops and the role of genetics in the process. The integration of conventional breeding approaches and the use of gene technologies in breeding new crop varieties are explored. Emphasis is placed on how plant breeders identify priority traits and the management of breeding programs in a commercial setting. The practical sessions aim to develop skills in plant breeding methodologies and research techniques.

Topics covered include:

• Domestication of crop species and conservation of plant genetic resources
• Evolutionary processes and genetic variability of plant populations
• Reproductive systems
• Methods of breeding self– and cross-pollinating plants
• Supplementary breeding approaches including mutation breeding
• The use of molecular biology techniques in plant breeding
• Genetics of important crops within the Australian agricultural context and discussion of priority traits for improvement

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Effective management of animal systems requires an appreciation of the context in which that management is carried out. This context may be predominantly social, environmental or commercial or combinations thereof. The application of scientific knowledge in conjunction with an appreciation of context, individual- or societal-goals is the domain of systems analysis and thinking. This subject aims to develop the skills required to analyse these interactions and support decision-making in animal enterprises. Students will examine real world situations, and align the scientific with the social. Assessment work will see students required to clearly identify problems to be solved, analyse options for solving the problems and then provide evidence-based assessment to support their decisions. It is designed to enable students to work effectively with the owners and managers of animal businesses in bringing about change in their system.

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