208-208 Crop Production

This subject includes:

• an appraisal of the cropping enterprises in southern Australia - the location, scale and nature of cropping enterprises and their contribution to the national economy;

• growth, development and yield in crop production - definitions and relations between growth and development attributes, yield and yield components, measurement of crop yields, biological and economical yield and harvest index (complemented by field exercises);

• environmental constraints limiting productivity - climate and growing season, water and nutrient availability;

• agronomic management to optimise production and product quality, including water and nutrient management, soil management and rotations;

• nutrient cycling; and

• problems and prospects of both dryland and irrigated crop production within farm systems, comparative cost-return analysis, marketing strategies.

Three-hour examination (50%), a practical test (10%) and two assignments equivalent to 2500 words (each worth 20%).