Program Overview

PSC202 Crop And Pasture Science

This subject presents the basic physiology and ecology of plant-based production systems and develops skills in plant taxonomy relevant to agricultural production systems of southern Australia. The subject matter deals with the science of plant production systems, including physiological topics such as water use, nutrition, photosynthesis, respiration, development, partitioning, and yield formation. Aspects of plant community ecology relevant to crops or pastures are also covered, including competition, life-history, population dynamics, and biodiversity.

Subject Information

• Grading System: HD/FL
• Duration: One session
• School: School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences
• Prerequisites: PSC102 or BIO126 or PSC103
• Incompatible Subjects: PSC215

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic physiology and ecology of agricultural plant production systems
• Be able to recognise all the major families of flowering plants utilised in agricultural and pastoral production in southern Australia
• Be able to key out plants that they cannot readily recognise

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:

• Climate and plant distribution
• Germination and early growth
• Leaf development at individual and plant canopy levels
• Phenological development of crop and pasture species
• Physiology of canopies: carbon exchange
• Physiology of canopies: water relations
• Physiology of canopies: nutrient acquisition
• Partitioning of dry matter
• Plant responses to grazing and defoliation
• Yield and its components
• Seed physiology, storage, dormancy, hardseededness, etc.
• Plant life history: plant strategies in pastures
• Plant competition in crop canopies and pasture swards
• Plant population biology
• Biodiversity and function
• Landscape and Vegetation associations
• Pasture and crop plant taxonomy

Residential School

This subject contains a 4-day Compulsory Residential School, providing a hands-on approach to theory taught in the subject. Students attending the residential school will complete practical exercises in plant taxonomy.

Availability

• Session 1 (30)
• On Campus: Wagga Wagga Campus
• Online: Wagga Wagga Campus Note: Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details, where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.