AGPS - Agronomy Plant Science
Alfred State courses are grouped into the following sections:
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Fundamental principles of soil science are studied in an effort to relate soil characteristics to plant growth; plant growth as influenced by soil factors. Soil parent materials and soil formation, physical, chemical and colloidal properties of soils and soil surveys, life in the soil, soil water, and water conservation, plant nutrition, lime and liming practices are all covered in this course. Laboratory components complements lecture material.
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The course will combine fundamental knowledge of field crop physiology with practical training in crop production. Crop interactions with other organisms, both beneficial and delirious (pests), will be studied. Management of synthetic inputs will be included in this course, but emphasis will be given to cultural (or biological) crop management strategies that reduce input costs in crop production while, at the same time, reducing fluctuations (risks) to crop performance and the environment.
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Students will learn the management practices involved in producing crops in the northeastern United States. Emphasis will be placed upon crop varieties, adaptation, fertility requirements, planting techniques, physiology, and harvesting practices in regards to yield and quality. Row crops, hay crops and pasture management will be studied.
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Application of basic plant science to understanding the principles of crop production. The course includes such topics as transpiration, water conduction, mineral nutrition, growth regulators, soil-plant relationship, carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, growth and development, physiological disorders, dormancy and others. An opportunity to conduct study projects using the plant growth chambers and plant science greenhouse is available.
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This course will provide students with an intensive introduction to the integrated management of weeds, pest insects, and disease. Integrated pest management is composed of two key elements: 1) the use of multiple control tactics and 2) the integration of knowledge of pest biology into the management systems. Students will first be introduced to potential reasons for adopting integrated pest management in organic and conventional systems: reduced farm expenditures, product premiums, reduced environmental impact, and the reduced growth of control-resistant pest populations. Students will then learn the biology of economically-important pests in New York State, and how cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical tactics may be combined to interrupt pest life cycles. They will learn that failure to vary pest management practices will favor resistant pest populations in any system, even organic. Finally, students will develop a pest management plan for 3 to 4 crops they expect to produce after graduation; these plans will consider control costs, likelihood of resistance, production risk, and producer skill.
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Students will learn how to site, design, and manage a small-scale vegetable farm, using organic or other sustainable practices that support niche-marketing strategies. Particular attention will be paid to crop sequences appropriate for the climates and soils of the Northeastern United States. Students will gain hands-on experience in building soil quality, starting transplants, identifying and managing pests, harvesting and marketing of vegetables. Later in the course, students will work with sustainable winter-production technologies, including passively-heated high tunnels and intensive vegetable production using hydroponic techniques.
