Students will learn how to site, design, and manage a small-scale vegetable farm using organic and/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.
This course is a comprehensive study of the management of plant nutrients in agronomic systems for economic response and environmental protection; diagnosis of nutrient availability and prediction of crop response to fertilizers; interactions between nutrient response and chemical, physical, and biological properties of soils.
A student may contract for one to four credit hours of independent study through an arrangement with an instructor who agrees to direct such a study. The student will submit a plan acceptable to the instructor and to the department chairperson. The instructor and student will confer regularly regarding the process of the study.
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.
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.
This course is an introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM): the study of plant pest protection on an interdisciplinary basis. Ecological, biological and economic principles will be emphasized from each of the participating disciplines: entomology, nematology, plant pathology, weed science, engineering, and economics. Reasons and principles for establishing pest management programs will be discussed. Computer-aided instruction is used in portions of the course.
Gen Ed - Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Science
Description:
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.
Gen Ed - Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Science
Description:
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.
