791-202 Chemistry III

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Chemistry II.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The objective of this subject is to enable the students to:

• expand their appreciation of the role of chemistry in agricultural production and resource management;

• develop an understanding of the physio-chemical processes involved in agricultural and biological systems.

The content includes: Nutrient cycles and their role in agricultural production; the chemistry of biologically significant compounds and important biochemical pathways, including Krebs Cycle Photophosphorylation, fatty acid synthesis and nitrogen metabolism; an introduction to chemical toxicology; the chemistry of fertilisers, their manufacture, composition and interaction with plants and soils; introduction to chemical analysis of soil and plants, including heavy metals; pesticide and herbicide chemistry, chemical structure, modes of action, residues and metabolites, herbicide resistance and persistence; the chemistry of soil degradation, including acid soils and declining soil fertility.

Assessment

Two assignments of 1500 words (30%); 2 x two hour examinations (30%, 40%).