208-265 Integrated Pest and Weed Management

Upon completion of this subject students should be able to:

• identify the principles of integrated pest and weed management;

• identify the common range of pests and diseases that impact on crops and pastures;

• recall how population change occurs under different climatic and other factors; and

• document physical loss from pests and disease, and identify suitable time for control for economic control.

The content includes:

• causes of crop and pasture loss including arthropods and animal pests, weeds and plant pathogens;

• crop health assessment;

• principles and methodology of crop protection including pest exclusion, crop management practices, chemical control, biological control, and genetic resistance;

• economic assessment of control strategies;

• monitoring pest and weed populations and determining optimum control strategies; and

• case studies of current and proposed integrated pest and weed control programs.

One 2.5-hour written examination worth 40% of final marks, two assignments equivalent to 3000 words and worth 30% of final marks each.