207-208 Production of Cultivated Plants

207-212 The Horticulture of Australian Plants.

The objective of this subject is to extend the participant's ability to:

• propagate a range of cultivated plants including Australian native plants, fruit crops, vines, revegetation crops and ornamentals;

• describe and perform techniques associated with the production of cultivated plants in Australia;

• manipulate crops using plant growth regulators, modified environmental conditions or by varying crop nutrition;

• appreciate that crop production systems are intimately linked to establishment and performance of those crops in the landscape; and

• identify and describe 200 plants used in Australian horticulture.

The anatomical and physiological basis for a range of plant propagation techniques will be described and students will be exposed to a number of specific plant propagation techniques. Nursery production techniques for a number of crops, including fruit trees, vines, exotic and Australian ornamentals, revegetation crops and 'bush tucker' plants will be described and students will participate in nursery crop production activities. Crops will be manipulated using plant growth regulators as well as by management of nutrition and environmental modification. Alternative nursery irrigation systems will be demonstrated along with methods of collecting and treating leachate run-off for reuse. Techniques for improving the establishment of nursery crops into the landscape, orchard or vineyard will be investigated. Nutritional requirements of nursery crops will be described and nutrition will be used as a crop management tool. The content also includes the study of plant groups based on key horticultural and Australian genera and themes.

A two-hour examination (40%), a 2000-word assignment (20%), practical reports equivalent to 2000 words (20%) and two plant tests of 60 minutes duration each (20%).