PLANT SC 7245WT - Plant Health A
Waite Campus - Semester 1 - 2025
-
General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PLANT SC 7245WT Course Plant Health A Coordinating Unit Agricultural Science Term Semester 1 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s Waite Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 6 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Assumed Knowledge BIOLOGY 1202 and OENOLOGY 2501WT or PLANT SC 2500WT Assessment Practical reports, in-class exercises, online Quizzes, final written and practical examinations Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Camille Buhl
Name Role Building/Room Email A/Prof Michael Keller Course Coordinator Waite/GN05 mike.keller@adelaide.edu.au A/Prof Amanda Able Lecturer Waite/GN12 amanda.able@adelaide.edu.au Prof Eileen Scott Lecturer Waite/N106 eileen.scott@adelaide.edu.au A/Prof Christopher Preston Lecturer Waite/GN08 christopher.preston@adelaide.edu.au Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
-
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
Successful students will be able to:
1 Diagnose causes of plant damage, especially by pests, and identify the agent responsible. 2 Explain the influence of biological and ecological processes on (a) pest populations and (b) the outcomes of pest management practices and programs. 3 Apply an understanding of the practices available to manage insects, diseases and weeds. 4 Create an integrated management program and explain the benefits and limitations of its components. 5 Make informed decisions about pest management practices based on appropriate sampling of pest populations and interpreting sampling data. 6 Defend the value of a holistic approach to pest management. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
1, 3, 4, 5, 6 Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
3, 4, 5 Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
3,4,6 Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.
. Attribute 7: Digital capabilities
Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.
. Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
3,4,5,6 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
All course materials are available online through the University’s MyUni portal. These include the course handbook, lecture and practical notes, recorded lectures, and example of a past examination paper, and lists of readings. Each week students must complete an online quiz to prepare for the scheduled practical session. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Lectures are supported by assigned readings that build student’s knowledge in the area of pest biology and management. The hands-on learning approach in the practicals helps to develop deeper understanding of these topics and assists students in their development of practical skills such as diagnosis, robust sampling and resistance management.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).Learning Activities Summary
A series of lectures covers the influence of damaging microorganisms, invertebrates and weeds on plant health, and ways to manage plant health in a cost effective and sustainable manner. Practical sessions consider diagnosis, quantification and management of organisms that damage crops in the field and after harvest. A workshop session allows the students to discuss the future of pest management with a panel of experts.Specific Course Requirements
1. Attendance at lectures is optional, but strongly encouraged.
2. Attendance at practicals is required, and all practical sessions are assessed. For some practical sessions students must complete a pre-class online quiz. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Type of Assessment
(formative/summative)% of Total Assessment for Grading Purposes Hurdle
(Yes or No)Course Learning Outcome(s) assessed/ achieved Approximate Timing of Assessment Practical exam (plant health diagnosis) Summative 16% No 1 Week 4 IPM design critique Formative & Summative 28% No 3, 4, 6 Weeks 5, 9, 11 Sampling practical report Formative & Summative 6% No 5 Week 6 Resistance management practical report Formative & Summative 5% No 3, 4 Week 7 2 x in-practical reports (group) Formative & Summative 6% No 3 Weeks 8, 10 3 x online practical/workshop quizzes Summative 6% No 1, 2, 3 Weeks 10, 11, 12 Revision and pre-practical online quizzes Formative 0% No 1, 2, 5 Weeks 1 - 12 Final exam Summative 33% No 1, 2, 5 Semester 1 exam period Assessment Related Requirements
Assessment Task with Hurdle or Compulsory Component % Needed to meet hurdle or requirement to meet compulsory component Additional assessment if student doesn't meet hurdle requirement or compuslory component? Type of additional assessment available Practical, field trip and workshop sessions are compulsory Satisfactory completion of all practicals. Field trips and workshops Yes Missed sessions can be made up Assessment Detail
Practical exam (16%)
Students examine a range of damage cause by plant pathogens, invertebrate pests and herbicides which they saw in the related practical sessions. Students are assessed on their ability to assess the problem, identify the information required to make an informed judgement about the cause of the problem and possible remedial action, and to communicate that information.
Integrated Pest Management critique (28%)
Students will work in groups to produce an initial pitch video (6%), have the opportunity to submit a draft of an individual design essay draft for feedback before its submission worth 22%.
Small groups of students prepare and submit a short initial pitch video to explain the problem that they will be solving by designing an IPM program which they will later present in the individual essay. Students will be assessed, as a group, with regards to the quality and reasoning of their pitch and their ability to communicate their ideas. Students will then submit a draft of their IPM design essay where the main sections will appear as bullet points. They will then receive feedback and advice to inform the preparation of their IPM design essay. For the essay, students will design an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and describe it in a 3,500-word essay (range 3,300-3,800, excluding references). The students choose a particular crop and location and describe particular challenges and problems associated with it. They then describe their solution, i.e. the different steps required to establish and implement their IPM program in order to manage, in a sustainable and economical manner, the complex of pests threatening the crop. They then compare their program to an existing IPM program (in another location or crop) and contrast the two approaches, discussing the strengths and limitations of both programs and suggesting improvements.
Sampling practical report (6%)
Small group of students analyse and interpret an extensive class data set that is collected during a field excursion. Students are assessed on the precision and accuracy of their work and the quality and depth of answers to questions about the exercise.
Pesticide resistance management practical report (5%)
Students prepare a four-page report on the results of a computer simulation. Students are assessed on their ability to analyse and communicate the results of the simulation and the quality and depth of their answers to questions about the results of the simulation.
2 x In-practical group reports (6%)
Biological control of insects (3%)
Small groups of students prepare a brief written report (~2 pages) on observations made in the field and of live specimens that they view in the laboratory. Students are assessed on the quality and depth of answers to questions about their observations.
Postharvest pest management (3%)
Students work in groups to discover the elements of a chosen supply chain, determine the key pest control points and then apply their knowledge to develop a method that will maintain or improve the end product. This is then presented to the class as an informal hand-drawn poster/diagram. They choose a crop and product of interest to them (horticultural, agricultural or viticultural) the week before the practical to allow them time to identify resources (textbooks, websites journal articles) in preparation. Students will be assessed, as a group, with regards to the quality, reasoning and depth of the analysis and solutions presented, and their ability to communicate their poster and ideas to the class.
Online practical/workshop quizzes (6%)
Pesticide chemistry and application (3%)
Students answer an online quiz on the results of four short experiments. Students are assessed on their analysis and interpretation of experimental data, and quality and depth of answers to questions about their observations.
Soil-borne disease diagnosis (3%)
Students are presented with results of analyses of previously-collected soil samples by the SARDI Molecular Diagnostics Centre and are asked a series of multiple choice questions and short answer questions to interpret these results and make recommendations as to how to use this information in the management of soil-borne diseases.
Online quizzes (0%)
Pre-practical quizzes: for some practical sessions students will complete a pre-class online quiz. It tests student preparation and is based on the instructions and short videos on that particular topic. By completing the quiz, students can be confident that they are well-prepared for the practical session. Students may be excluded from a practical session if they do not successfully complete the practical quiz. However, there is no mark for these quizzes.
Revision quizzes: each week students will have the option of attempting online revision quizzes which will test their knowledge and understanding about the topics covered during the lectures. There are no marks for these quizzes.
Theory Exam (33%)
The final theory exam will examine all components of the course. It will consist of multiple choice, short answer and long answer questions.Submission
Late submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
-
Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
-
Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
-
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
-
Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
