Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Volume 4 page 14)
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Year 1 Agriculture.
Credit points: 12.5
Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. J W. Cary
Contact: 36 hours of lectures, 24 hours of practical work/excursions (total of 3 days).
Timetable: First semester
Objectives:
On completion of this course students will have a sound, broad understanding of the environmental, social, technical and economic determinants of agricultural production and productivity. Students will understand the natural and economic phenomena that affect agricultural production processes and will gain an appreciation of relationships between resource use, maintenance, improvement and conservation.
Content:
History of natural resource use in rural Australia. Physical and economic determinants of land use. Changing agricultural landscapes. The landcare movement. Public concern for the environment. The functions and uses of agricultural land. The Murray-Darling Basin: an example of an ecological, agricultural and social system under strain. The place of science in agriculture; science and ecological dilemmas. Seeking a sustainable agriculture: the example of cereal cropping. Agriculture in post-industrial society. The agricultural resource base. The agricultural sector in the Australian economy. The major agricultural industries and their products; types of industry and enterprises. Production processes: agronomic and animal production processes. The nature of production responses in agriculture. Agricultural production as an economic activity. Agricultural business management and risk; climate and risk. The markets and marketing chains for agricultural products. The agricultural service industries. World trade in agricultural products. World food problem. Maintaining and improving productivity of agricultural resources. Technological change in agriculture. Bio-technologies and agriculture. Using and conserving natural resources. Conflicting rural and urban views of the countryside. The rural social environment. Rural beliefs and values.
Assessment:
A 3-hour end-of-semester written examination and two written assignments of up to 2,000 words.
Prescribed texts:
Recommended texts:
Agriculture subject : Next:212-104 | Search | Help
Handbook 1996 : Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Volume 4 page 14)
Status: Official 1996 Date created: Oct 9 1995 Last modified: Oct 9 1995 Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Maintained by: School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture.
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1995,1996.