PLANT SC 3510WT - Plant Health III

Waite Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

This course covers the biology, ecology and management of a variety of pests in agricultural ecosystems, especially arthropods, plant pathogens and weeds. It considers what organisms and abiotic stresses cause disease or reduced growth, and the economic, environmental and social implications of disease and stress. Cultural, biological, physical, and chemical pest suppression practices are considered within the framework of the principles of integrated pest management (IPM). Practical sessions provide an opportunity to learn techniques and approaches to plant protection. The key concepts of the course are integrated in a series of case studies, and students enhance their ability to apply them to novel situations in problem-solving sessions.

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Course Details

Course Code	PLANT SC 3510WT
Course	Plant Health III
Coordinating Unit	School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Waite Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	PLANT SC 3131WT
Assumed Knowledge	BIOLOGY 1202 and, PLANT SC 2500WT or OENOLOGY 2501WT
Assessment	Practical reports, in-class exercises and final examination

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Camille Buhl

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

Successful students will be able to:

1. Diagnose causes of plant damage, especially by pests, and describe the biological characteristics of damaging pests.

2. Explain the influence of biological and ecological processes on (a) pest populations and (b) the outcomes of pest management practices and programs.

3. Explain how a variety of practices are used to manage insects, diseases and weeds and apply this knowledge to pest management.

4. Explain the benefits and limitations of various practices that are used to manage pests.

5. Sample pest populations and use sampling data to make informed decisions about pest management practices.

6. Evaluate economic factors that constrain pest management practices and explain economic optimisation of pest management.

7. Explain the benefits of an integrated approach to pest management, and compare and contrast integrated approaches to those based on one or two main pest suppression practices.

8. Critically evaluate a pest management program.

9. Use a spreadsheet to construct a simple mathematical model.

10. Clearly communicate their thoughts and understanding orally and in writing.

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)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	2, 3, 4, 7, 9,10
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 5, 6, 8, 9
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3, 5, 7

Learning Resources

Online Learning

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

There is a series of lectures that cover the influence of damaging microorganisms, invertebrates and weeds on plant health, and the means 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.

Specific Course Requirements

1. Attendance at lectures is optional, but strongly encouraged.

2. Attendance at practicals is required, and all practical sessions are assessed. Students must complete an online quiz before each practical, which gives formative feedback and ensures they are aware of key technical, health and safety issues.

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	% of Grade	Hurdle?	Outcomes being assessed/achieved
Practical exercises (in-class)x3	Formative & Summative	10%	No	1-10
Practical reportsx4	Formative & Summative	20%	No	1,3,4,5
Practical exam	Summative	20%	No	8,9,10,11
Online quizes	Formative	0%	No	1,2,3,4,5,6,9
Final examination	Summative	50%	No	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10

Assessment Detail

Practical exercises (in-class) – a total of 10% from in-class tasks are submitted at the end of each of 3 practical classes, with feedback given with two weeks, as follows:

- Pest forecasting (4%)

Students prepare a spreadsheet that includes a regression analysis and equations for a degree-day model to forecast the development of a selected insect pest. Students are assessed on the precision and accuracy of their work, the extent to which their spreadsheet displays elements of best practice, and the quality and depth of answers to questions about the exercise.

- Biological control of insects (3%)

Students prepare a brief written report (~4 pages, including graphs) on a small experiment and answer questions about observations made in the field and of live specimens that they view in the laboratory. Students are assessed on their analysis and

interpretation of experimental data, and 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.

Practical reports – a total of 20% for 4 practicals as follows:

- Sampling and decision making (6%)

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, the extent to which their spreadsheet displays elements of best practice, and the quality and depth of answers to questions about the exercise.

- Pesticide chemistry and application (4%)

Students prepare a three page report on the results of three short experiments. Students are assessed on their analysis and interpretation of experimental data, and quality and depth of answers to questions about their observations.

- Pesticide resistance management (4%)

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.

- Case study (6%)

Students choose one of the field excursions (Biology and management of pests of cereals OR protected crops) as the basis for an extended report (1200-1500 words). Students are assessed on their description of the type of production enterprise, the pests that affect the crops, and a critical evaluation of pest management practices.

Practical exam (20%)

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.

Online Quizzes (0%):

For some practical sessions students must 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, the students can be sure 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 quizzes and they are not assessed.

Theory Exam (50%)

The final theory exam examines all components of the course. It consists of 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
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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