| Module Identifier |
RS10610 |
| Module Title |
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS |
| Academic Year |
2005/2006 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr Iwan G Owen |
| Semester |
Semester 2 |
| Other staff |
Dr Basil T Wolf, Dr Michael T Rose, Dr Phillipa K Nicholas |
| Course delivery |
Lecture | 22 x 1-hour lectures |
| |
Practical | 2 x 3 hour visits |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Exam | 1.5 Hours Outcomes assessed: 1, 2 | 80% |
| Semester Assessment | Seminar Presentation Outcome assessed: 3 Working in pairs, an enterprise is selected, studied and reported on orally. | 20% |
| Supplementary Exam | 1.5 Hours | 100% |
|
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe the range, distribution and scale of farming systems in the UK.
2. Identify and describe the influence of agricultural policy on farming practices.
3. Discuss the essential components of livestock and crop systems.
Aims
To provide a basic understanding of livestock and crop production systems in the UK and the interaction of biological, physical and economic factors that influence them.
Content
The module will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and farm visits and will cover the following aspects:
Introduction to agriculture, structure of the UK industry, the policy framework and its impact, consumer influences, farming systems and their distribution, influence of environment on agriculture and choice of system, manipulating basic resources, sustainable agriculture, examples of crop systems, grassland systems, milk, meat and egg production, trends in farm incomes, diversification of farm businesses.
Transferable skills
.4 Writing in an academic context
This is assessed in the written examination
.5 Oral discussion and presentation
This will be tested in the seminar presentation
.8 Group activity
This will be developed in preparation for the seminar presentation
Reading Lists
Books
Spedding C R W, Walsingham J M, Hoxey A M (1981) Biological Efficiency in Agriculture
Haines M (1982) An Introduction to Farming Systems
Soffe R J (ed) (1995) The Agricultural Notebook
Spedding C R W (ed) (1992) Fream's Principles of Food and Agriculture
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4