208-253 Pasture Management

202-154 Introductory Biology for Land and Food.

On completion of the subject, students should:

• understand the growth phases of pastures and how to monitor and measure these growth stages;

• understand the determinants that drive plant growth and yield of pastures;

• have a working knowledge of plant nutrient requirements for the major pastures of southern Australia and how to determine plant nutrient requirements;

• be able to develop a pre-season plan for pasture including forecasting potential yields;

• understand the major constraints to plant growth including soil limitations, plant disease, insect and weed management; and

• understand the different grazing methods of pastures and why they are used.

Three-hour end-of-semester examination (50%), two 2000-word assignments (20% each) and one oral presentation (10%).