Agriculture and Ranch Management Department

AGRI 1407 CROP SCIENCE

Instructor:            Marc Robinson

Office:                  Agriculture/Ranch Management Building

Address:              100 Cardinal Drive, Athens, Texas 75751

Phone:                  (903)675-6285

Email:                            mrobinson@tvcc.edu

I.)            Introduction:

               This course will be a scientific approach to the study of the major agronomic crops and some of the horticultural crops and will include fundamentals of plant science. Topics that will be covered on the crops are their importance, value, use characteristics, classification, distribution, climatic and soil requirements, production, storage, improvement, propagation, and seed technology.

                        II.)         Objectives and Competencies:

              This course is designed to familiarize students with the geography, classification, botany, history, and basic production practices involved in the growing of agronomic and some horticultural crops of Texas, the U.S. and the World.  During the course of the semester, students should also become familiar with recent and current research findings involving crop improvement, better techniques of crop production, and advancements in seed technology, soil and water management, and genetic engineering of crop plants. 

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:

1.)  Various classification methods of crop plants.

2.)  The leading world food and fiber crops.

3.)  The determining factors of crop distribution.

4.)     The geographical cropping areas throughout the US.

5.)     The botanical structure of crop plants.

6.)     The management of soil and water.

7.)     The importance, origin and history, adaptation, specific botany, groups or classes, nutritive requirements, culture and management, pests, utilization, and other factors of the major agronomic crops, and some vegetable, fruit and nut crop plants. Major agronomic crops studied will include:

                                                A.)  Corn                              Zea mays

                                                B.)  Sorghum                       Sorghum bicolor

                                                C.)  Wheat                           Triticum aestivum

                                                D.)  Rye                               Secale cereale

                                                E.)  Triticale                        Triticum secale

                                                F.)  Barley                           Hordeum vulgare

                                                G.)  Oats                              Avena sativa

                                                H.)  Rice                              Oryza sativa

                                                I.)   Soybeans                       Glycine max

                                                J.)   Cotton                            Gossypium hirsutum

                                                K.)  Peanuts                         Arachis hypogaea

                                                L.)   Sunflower                      Helianthus annuus

                                                M.)  Sugar Beets                 Beta vulgaris

                                                N.)  Sugarcane                     Saccharum officinarum

III.)               Instructional Material:

                                Hartmanns Plant Science, 4^th edition by Margaret J. McMahon, Anton M. Kofranek, Vincent E. Rubatzkky, published by Prentice Hall ISBN #0-13-114075-2

•                    Lab exercise material will be provided by the instructor.

References:

                             Principles of Field Crop Production by John H. Martin, Warren H. Leonard, and David L. Stamp, published by Prentice Hall ISBN # 0-02-376720-0; Instructor will have a copy of this text for use in the TVCC Ag Building. It will be very useful in answering some of the questions in the lab exercises as well as using the appendixes to look up the seeding rates needed for the lab project test plot.

          What Every Student Should Know About Studying But Didn’t Know To Ask! by Vernon L.

          Price, Ph.D., An extremely short booklet that can be purchased at the TVCC Bookstore

          for about $3.00. (Should be a must for every college student)

IV.)                 Course Requirements:

1.)     Attend class and lab sessions regularly and participate in class discussions, and laboratory exercises.

2.)  Complete a laboratory project and turn in the lab project report and weekly photos as a term paper by the due date (see instruction sheets for lab project and term paper).

3.)  Complete assigned laboratory exercises including participating in scheduled field trips.

4.)     Take the three major exams and the final examination as scheduled.

                        V.)                    Semester Grade Computation:

1.)  Your presence, class participation, and interest will count 10% of your grade.

2.)  Three major exams and the final examination, will count 60% of your grade.

3.)  The laboratory exercises/quizzes and field trip participation will count 15% overall.

4.)  The lab project with the term paper will count 15% of your final average.

5.)     With prior approval from the instructor, a word-processed research paper on a course related topic might earn bonus points.

CROP SCIENCE CLASS/LAB PHOTOS

Trinity Valley Community College
Department of Agriculture and Ranch Management
100 Cardinal Drive
Athens, Texas 75751
(903) 675-6200

"TVCC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution."