Course coordinator
Dr Alwyn Williams
Please contact me by email to make an appointment.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
This course will introduce students to fundamental plant production principles that underpin agriculture. Students will gain knowledge of major agricultural systems operating in Australia and globally, and understand key concepts in soil, nutrient, water and pest management. Students will also learn about the growing role of technology in plant production, explore grand challenges facing agriculture, and develop quantitative skills to assess plant production practices.
Plant production is critical for human well-being, providing food, feed, fibre and fuel. You will learn the core principles underlying sustainable plant production, covering soil and nutrient management, as well as ecological interactions stemming from weeds, insects and microbial communities. You will explore alternative production systems that aim to increase agricultural sustainability, as well as the growing role of modern technology in plant production, including in plant breeding, crop modelling and precision agriculture. Furthermore, you will develop quantitative skills to evaluate plant production practices and develop grower recommendations. The course will also introduce broader topics of major relevance to Australia and globally, including pasture management, organic agriculture, and the diversity of Australia's horticulture industry.
This course provides an excellent starting point for exploring future opportunities in agronomy, crop production and plant science.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
AGRC1014, AGRC1022
Course contact
Lecturer
Dr Alwyn Williams
Please contact me by email to make an appointment.
Lecturer
Associate Professor Shane Campbell
Please contact me by email to make an appointment.
Lecturer
Dr Christopher Lambrides
Please contact me by email to make an appointment.
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
- All lectures will be delivered online as pre-recordings and will be available through the course Blackboard site.
- All tutorials and practicals will be delivered live in-person.
- Regular Zoom drop-in sessions (CON1 in the timetable) will be run throughout semester to allow students to ask questions/seek further information.
If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice. If you have any questions about missing class activities, please contact your course coordinator.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of plant production, in both an Australian and global context. In addition, the course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to assess, evaluate and make evidence-based decisions to improve plant production practices.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Analyse the impacts of agronomic practices and make recommendations to improve plant production
LO2.
Deconstruct evidence to evaluate findings and implications
LO3.
Make recommendations for effective management of major agricultural weeds, pests and pathogens
LO4.
Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of plant production principles and their application
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/ Demonstration, Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Germination and Seeding Rates
|
25% |
3/04/2025 - 10/04/2025
The class dataset and scenario information will become available at 4 pm on 3/04/2025 and must be submitted by 4 pm on 10/04/2025. |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Quantitative Plant Production
|
20% |
11/04/2025 - 17/04/2025
Test will become available at 4 pm on 11/04/2025 and must be submitted by 4 pm on 17/04/2025. |
| Presentation |
Weeds, Insect Pests and Pathogens
|
20% |
23/05/2025 |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
35% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Germination and Seeding Rates
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration, Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
3/04/2025 - 10/04/2025
The class dataset and scenario information will become available at 4 pm on 3/04/2025 and must be submitted by 4 pm on 10/04/2025.
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
Task description
There are two parts to this assessment. Both will require the completion of several calculations followed by answering questions on Blackboard. The questions will assess your understanding of the quantitative component of this work as well as their biological and agronomic applications.
In the first part, students will engage in two laboratory-based practicals to generate data on seed germination of a range of economically important crop species. These data will be used to generate a class dataset that will then be analysed and used to help calculate crop seeding rates.
The second part is scenario-based. In the scenario you are a research agronomist working for a plant breeding company. You will be required to demonstrate understanding of seed germination data to calculate seed quantity requirements for a research trial that seeks to optimise crop yields through manipulation of crop population density.
For both parts, students will complete an assessment on Blackboard that will be active and accessible for one week from the date it becomes accessible.
More information will be posted on the AGRC1024 Blackboard site.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students must complete the exercise within the specified time frame. The exercise must be completed within Blackboard under the appropriate assessment title on you course blackboard site.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Quantitative Plant Production
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
11/04/2025 - 17/04/2025
Test will become available at 4 pm on 11/04/2025 and must be submitted by 4 pm on 17/04/2025.
Task description
Students will complete an assessment relating to the Quantitative Plant Production tutorial series. Students will receive a dataset and must analyse the data using the knowledge learned during the tutorials. Students will then complete a test relating to their analysis of the data on Blackboard. The test will be active and accessible via Blackboard for one week from the date it becomes accessible.
More information will be posted on the AGRC1024 Blackboard site.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students must complete the test within the specified time frame. The test must be completed via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Weeds, Insect Pests and Pathogens
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
23/05/2025
Task description
Individual students are required to prepare and deliver a three-minute presentation on a weed/insect pest/pathogen of their choice. The weed/insect pest/pathogen chosen must be present within Queensland or Australian plant production systems.
Each presentation must include the following information:
- Cropping systems that typically host the weed/insect pest/pathogen.
- Economic importance of the weed/insect pest/pathogen.
- Diagnostic or identification information (describe what the weed/insect pest/pathogen looks like and any distinguishing features).
- The life cycle of the weed/insect pest/pathogen.
- The behaviour of the weed/insect pest/pathogen in the field (conditions for colonisation, production practices that encourage colonisation, environmental conditions that lead to outbreaks).
- Potential management options.
Presentations are limited to a strict three-minute duration and should be given in the 3MT format using only a single PowerPoint slide. See https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/ for more information on 3MT.
Each presentation will be followed by two minutes of questions. Students will be allocated at random to ask questions of a specific presentation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
To receive a mark, each student must be present and deliver a presentation and respond effectively to questions. Additionally, each student's mark is dependent on asking questions of another student's presentation.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
Task description
Students will complete a final exam covering all topics covered in lectures during the course (topics covered in the Quantitative Plant Production tutorial series will not be assessed in the final exam). All questions will require a short essay type response integrating content and knowledge.
Students must attend the exam in person. The exam will be an on-campus exam, closed book - no written materials permitted but a calculator is permitted. Have your UQ student ID card available for all your exams.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Refer to Additional Information under the Course Grading. To pass this course, students must achieve an overall mark of 50% or greater across all assessment items AND a passing mark in the final exam.ﾠExam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | Any calculator permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0-34% |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35-46% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47% - 49% Or a cumulative score for all progressive assessment and final exam of greater than 49%, and LESS than a passing mark in the final exam. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all progressive assessment items and final exam of ﾠ50% - 64%, AND a passing markﾠin the final exam. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all progressive assessment items and final exam ofﾠ 65% - 74%, AND a passing mark in the final exam. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all progressive assessment items and final exam ofﾠ 75% - 84%, AND a passing mark in the final exam. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative score for all progressive assessment items and final exam ofﾠ 85% - 100%, AND a passing mark in the final exam. |
Additional course grading information
Course grading hurdle:
To pass this course, students must achieve an overall mark of 50% or greater across all assessment items AND a passing mark in the final exam.ﾠ
If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course based on marks from a combination of progressive assessment and the final exam and the student does NOT score a passing mark in the final exam, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Please note the following when writing assignments
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy / Document / Policy and Procedure Library
TurnItIn Assignments
TurnItIn Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site.ﾠIf you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action. ﾠ
Results
Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved, every attempt will be made to haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment tasks available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will be available before the day of your end of semester examination in the course, unless otherwise indicated by the Course Coordinator. Results and feedback availability for progressive assessment will be announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ
Feedback in this course
Feedback is welcome in this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.
Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled internally, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| AGRC1024 blackboard site | https://learn.uq.edu.au/ |
Additional learning resources information
Books:
- Wilson B.J., Hawton, D. & Duff, A.A. (1995) Crop weeds of northern Australia - Identification at mature and seedling stages. Publishing Services, DPI.
- Zborowski, P. & Storey, R. (2017) A field guide to insects in Australia. 4th ed.ﾠNew Holland Publishers.
- Crawley, M.J. (2014) Statistics: An IntroductionﾠusingﾠR. 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (although this book uses R statistical software rather than Excel, it explain statistics in plain English, which makes it very accessible).
Websites:
- The GRDC website has a lot of relevant information for this course and is an excellent place to find Australia focussed material on plant science and crop production (see here).
- Proceedings from the Australian Agronomy Conference (see here).
Apps:
- Weed ID: The Ute Guideﾠ(GRDC)
- Weeds of South East QLD
- Crop Disease Au (National Variety Trials)
- Insect ID: The Ute Guide (GRDC)
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Lecture |
Course Introduction and Crop Physiology General course introduction and information session. Introduction to crop physiology. Lecturer: Dr Alwyn Williams |
Tutorial |
Collecting Plant Production Data Overview of how to establish plant production trials to collect meaningful data. |
|
Week 2 |
Lecture |
Plant Production Plant Production Around the World. Plant Production in Australia. Lecturer: Dr Alwyn Williams |
Tutorial |
Basics of Plant Production Data Overview of key types of data necessary to quantify plant production and introduction to graphical methods of data exploration. |
|
Practical |
Field-based practical Visit field trial on campus - broadacre crops. |
|
Week 3 |
Lecture |
Agroecology and Soil Biology Introduction to the principles of agroecology and agroecosystems. Lecturer: Dr Alwyn Williams Introduction to soil biology and plant-soil interactions. Lecturer: Prof Graham Stirling |
Tutorial |
Analysing Plant Production Data Guidelines for choosing the correct analysis for your data. |
|
Practical |
Field-based practical Visit field trials on campus - horticultural crops. |
|
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
|
Week 4 |
Lecture |
Soil and Nutrient Management Managing soil nutrients for sustainable plant production. Soil management and crop establishment. Lecturer: Dr Alwyn Williams |
Tutorial |
Linear Data Exploring the relationship between soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and analysing how leaf chemistry affects crop palatability to insect pests. |
|
Practical |
Pasture Walk On-campus pasture walk to learn about pasture species and pasture management. |
|
Week 5 |
Lecture |
Weed Management Introduction to agricultural weeds, their economic impact, and methods of control. |
Tutorial |
Categorical Data 1 Assessing the impacts of two tillage methods on sorghum grain yields. |
|
Practical |
Seed Germination Establish seed germination assays for a range of economically important crop species. |
|
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
|
Week 6 |
Lecture |
Pathogen and Insect Management Introduction to plant pathogens and methods of control. Lecturer: Prof Graham Stirling Introduction to insect pests, methods of control, beneficial insects, and integrated pest management. Lecturer: Dr Anthony Young |
Tutorial |
Categorical Data 2 Comparing wheat productivity across three sowing densities. |
|
Practical |
Seed Germination Evaluate seed germination assays and calculate crop seeding rates. |
|
Week 7 |
Lecture |
Plant Breeding Introduction to plant breeding. |
Tutorial |
Calculating fertiliser requirements Understanding chemical compounds to calculate fertiliser requirements. |
|
Excursion |
Plant Breeding Excursion Visit plant breeding trial. |
|
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
|
Week 8 |
Lecture |
Pasture Management Introduction to pasture production and management. |
Week 9 |
Lecture |
Introduction to Precision Agriculture Introduction to precision agriculture technologies. Spray application and precision agriculture. Lecturer: Guest lecturer from RDO Equipment |
Excursion |
Precision Agriculture Excursion Visit RDO Equipment. |
|
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
|
Week 10 |
Lecture |
Horticulture in Australia Introduction to Australia's horticulture industry and its diversity. Harvesting vegetables. Dr Robyn Cave |
Practical |
Making Sense of Precision Agriculture Data Workshop with RDO Equipment exploring how to make real-life decisions using precision agriculture data. |
|
Week 11 |
Lecture |
Organic Agriculture and Harvest Introduction to organic production systems and how they compare with conventional production systems. Introduction to crop harvesting and storage. Lecturer: Dr Alwyn Williams |
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
|
Week 12 |
Lecture |
Crop Simulation Modelling Introduction to crop simulation modelling. |
Seminar |
Weeds, Insect Pests and Pathogens Presentations Students deliver their 3MT presentations. |
|
Week 13 |
General contact hours |
Zoom Drop-In Session |
Additional learning activity information
Appropriate closed footwear, a brimmed hat, sun smart clothing and a water bottle are required for field visits. For the tutorials students are expected to bring their own device with MS Excel. i.e. laptop.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course: