Course coordinator
Associate Professor Jaquie Mitchell
Consultation is by appointment. To make an appointment to see me, please email jaquie.mitchell@uq.edu.au
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
Advanced study of agronomic practices, concentrating on plant adaptation and the evaluation of agronomic practices used in field crop and pastoral production systems.
This course was last offered in external mode in 2024.
The course will consist of an advanced treatment of plant (crop and pasture) adaptations to diverse environments, plant population options, irrigation and fertiliser use practices and land preparation options. You will be encouraged to evaluate existing practices in terms of plant physiology and efficiency of resource utilisation (as appropriate) and to propose improved production practices. The course will also consider these practices in a ‘production system’ context and examine alternative production systems from a sustainability and climate change viewpoint. You will also be encouraged to explore specific topics such as precision agriculture and yield mapping, herbicide resistance and its mitigation via the adoption of integrated weed management.
This course is an advanced level course. It will introduce you to new material and will require you to evaluate practices used in crop and pasture production. It will also require you to apply and integrate your knowledge to develop an understanding of crop production systems. This course will provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to approach the science and practice of crop production in a professional and competent manner.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that you have undertaken studies in agronomy at advanced undergraduate level, e.g. AGRC3002 Agronomy 2 or AGRC3006 PastureﾠScience (University of Queensland courses) or their equivalents in other institutions, or have professional experience that provides the requisite level of knowledge.
Course contact
Guest lecturer
Dr Guta Bedane
Consultation is by appointment.ﾠ To make an appointment to see me, please emailﾠg.bedane@uq.edu.au
Guest lecturer
Dr Javier Fernandez
Consultation is by appointment.ﾠ To make an appointment to see me, please email j.fernandez@uq.edu.au
Guest lecturer
Dr Jhoana Opena
Consultation is by appointment. To make an appointment to see me, please email j.opena@uq.edu.au
Lecturer
Professor Scott Chapman
Consultation is by appointment.ﾠ To make an appointment to see me, please email scott.chapman@uq.edu.au
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Jaquie Mitchell
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
See Blackboard site for learning activities timetable.
Should an unexpected event occur, the timetable and exact nature of lecture and tutorial sessions is subject to change.
All lecture material will be recorded and available to all students via the blackboard site. Where possible in-person face to face lectures will be delivered and recorded live via Zoom, however if required pre-recorded lectures will be uploaded.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to build on concepts and principles of documentation, evaluation and analysis of plant adaptation and agronomic practices used in field crop and pastoral production systems.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Evaluate the adaptation of specific crops and pastures (including cultivars/varieties/species) to diverse environmental conditions.
LO2.
Using advanced concepts of plant physiology, explain management options available in dryland agricultural systems to ensure resource use efficiency and crop yield.
LO3.
Discuss strategies to mitigate herbicide resistance.
LO4.
Explain existing and alternative agricultural systems (including precision agriculture) in terms of sustainability of crop production systems.
LO5.
Critically analyse management strategies to mitigate climate change effects in crop and pasture production systems.
LO6.
Use a farming systems model (APSIM) to run simulations that vary for agronomic or genetic factors and interpret the results of these simulations.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation |
Sustainable agriculture - Assignment 1
|
30% |
27/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Quiz |
APSIM practicals - Quiz Series
|
10% (5% Quiz 1, 5% Quiz 2) |
Quiz 1 15/04/2025 2:00 pm Quiz 2 22/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Impact of Climate Change - Assignment 2
|
30% |
8/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
End of Semester Examination
|
30% |
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
Sustainable agriculture - Assignment 1
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
27/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
Agronomist’s presentation on sustainable agriculture
Type: Case Study (Assignment 1)
Max length: Oral presentation via zoom (10 minutes only & 2 minutes Q&A)
Task Description:
In this case study you are to assume that you are working as a senior agronomist for the Ministry of Agriculture. The Minister is concerned that the local agriculture may not be sustainable, and asked you to develop a strategy for the development of more sustainable agriculture. The location is a sub-tropical to upper temperate region (You need to choose and specify the location/region that you are focussing on, such as southern Queensland), with distinct seasonal differences in weather, and some areas are based on annual crops while others are on perennial crops. By examining the situation further it is realized that the existing system is unsustainable in the long term either because of difficulty in maintaining high crop yield or due to major economic (eg, high labour cost) and environmental (eg, soil erosion) issues. It is thus required to examine the possibility of changing from the established practices to a different system of production. (The proponents of change are aware of the social dimension of sustainability but this aspect is beyond the scope of the present consultancy request.)
Needs to be considered:
If your chosen region was southern Queensland,
· Summer crops are summer cereals (maize and grain sorghum), cotton and occasionally soybeans, peanuts, mungbeans or sunflowers
· Winter crops are wheat, barley, chickpeas and mungbeans
· Perennials may be sugarcane or fruit crops.
You need to choose the summer-winter annual cropping system and then define the agronomic system that is likely to be sustainable. Your tasks as a senior agronomist are to:
i) Evaluate the sustainability of the existing system and comment on the
Minister’s concern.
ii) Identify aspects of the existing system that lead to lack of sustainability from
crop production, economic and environmental viewpoints.
iii) Establish production and resource management objectives that a revised system
of production should meet.
iv) Assess alternative production systems that may be adopted in the area.
v) Recommend an alternative agronomic system and describe sequence/s of production of
the range of crops you propose.
vi) Provide guidelines to the process of implementation of the revised system.
vii) Provide guidelines to the assessment of the effectiveness of the revised system
in meeting the objectives proposed in (iii) above.
Your presentation will be assessed based on the content for each of the tasks mentioned above. The assessment and marking criteria used for this course is on the blackboard site:- Seminar Marking criteria.pdf.
Submission: All students should submit their presentations (Powerpoint file) electronically via the Assessment link/Presentations Case study 1on the Blackboard site. Ensure that your name/student number is incorporated in the filename of the document.
Final Notes
This task requires critical evaluation and original thought. AI tools can assist with research, but your interpretation, analysis, and recommendations must be unique and justified. Presentations that rely solely on generic AI-generated content without data interpretation or real-world engagement will receive lower grades.
By completing this task, you will develop essential communication skills in delivering complex scientific information concisely and persuasively—a key skill for agronomists in the field. Good luck!
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
All students should submit written assignment electronically through the Blackboard site, by the submission deadline. you should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
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 UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) 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.
APSIM practicals - Quiz Series
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10% (5% Quiz 1, 5% Quiz 2)
- Due date
Quiz 1 15/04/2025 2:00 pm
Quiz 2 22/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L06
Task description
This quiz tests experience gained while learning to use APSIM and to understand how models work and how to interpret their outputs.
Quiz 1 is based on the practical in week 7.
Quiz is based on the on the practical in Week 8.
Only one attempt of each of the quizzes is allowed.
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.
Submission guidelines
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.
Impact of Climate Change - Assignment 2
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
8/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
Agronomist’s 3-Minute Pitch: The Impact of Climate Change on Agronomic Systems
Assignment Type: Case Study (Assignment 2)
Presentation Length: 3-Minute Pitch (Oral Presentation) and written report (200 word reflection)
Weight: 30%
Task Overview
You are working as an agronomist and have been tasked with delivering a 3-minute pitch on how climate change is impacting agronomic systems and what can be done to enable farmers to adapt to the changing circumstances and ensure continued productivity. This task requires you to analyse historical and projected climate data, assess its impact on a specific cropping system, and propose scientifically justified agronomic strategies to mitigate risks. As part of the assessment you are also required to submit a 200 word reflection on the learnings from your active engagement in the seminar session.
Your presentation must go beyond generic discussions of climate change and engage deeply with data interpretation, real-world case studies, and practical applications. While AI tools can assist with research, your analysis must include original observations, critical evaluation, and site-specific recommendations based on evidence.
Presentation Structure
Your 3-minute pitch should be structured as follows:
1. Introduction (15-30 seconds)
- Introduce the topic and explain why climate change is a critical issue in agriculture.
- Clearly define the specific location and crop/cropping system you are focusing on.
2. Data Analysis & Critical Insights (15-30 seconds)
- Use at least one publicly available climate dataset (e.g., Bureau of Meteorology, FAO, NASA) or recent publication to demonstrate trends in climatic variability.
- Provide a visual representation (graph, table, or key figures) to support your analysis.
- Discuss the reliability and relevance of the dataset for agronomic decision-making.
3. Impact Assessment on Crop Productivity (60 seconds)
- Describe the current system and how historical climate trends have already affected crop yields and farm management practices.
- Based on scientific evidence predict how a specific climate change factor (e.g., drought frequency, shifting monsoon patterns, or increasing soil salinity) may further impact crop production under current agronomic practices.
4. Agronomic Strategy & Conclusion (60 seconds)
- Propose at least three site-specific agronomic adaptations that could mitigate climate risks or enhance productivity (with quantification).
- Justify your recommendations using scientific evidence or real-world applications.
- Conclude with a compelling statement on the importance of adaptation in agriculture.
Assessment Criteria
Your presentation will be assessed based on the following:
- Depth of analysis – Use of real-world data, critical thinking, and originality.
- Quality of data interpretation – Selection and meaningful discussion of datasets.
- Scientific rigor – Justification of agronomic recommendations with empirical evidence.
- Presentation clarity and engagement – Logical flow, confident delivery, and professional articulation.
- Engagement with local perspectives – Use of case studies, farmer insights, or expert opinions where possible.
Submission Guidelines
- Oral Presentation: A 3-minute live presentation with minimal slides (recommended max: 3 slides) using visual aids to support your key points.
- Submission Format: PowerPoint slides should be uploaded to blackboard site under the Assessment link prior to the due date.
- A written report (200 words max) reflecting on the learnings and take-home messages that were shared by your peers in the seminar session needs to be uploaded via Turnitin on the blackboard site.
Final Notes
This task requires critical evaluation and original thought. AI tools can assist with research, but your interpretation, analysis, and recommendations must be unique and justified. Presentations that rely solely on generic AI-generated content without data interpretation or real-world engagement will receive lower grades.
By completing this task, you will develop essential communication skills in delivering complex scientific information concisely and persuasively—a key skill for agronomists in the field. Good luck!
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
All students should submit electronically through the Blackboard site, by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
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 UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) 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.
End of Semester Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Essay exam questions will assess your knowledge on the content delivered in the two course modules, guest lectures and any other information discussed in the course.
The exam will be an on-campus exam. Closed book - no written materials permitted and no calculators permitted.
Have your UQ student ID card available for all your exams. Students must attend the exam in person.
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 Course Grading Information for details on the hurdle.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators 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 | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0 - 34% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35 - 46% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47 - 49% OR failure to meet course hurdle requirement. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50 - 64% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65 - 74% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75 - 84% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85% and above |
Additional course grading information
Course Grading and Assessment Hurdles
Students must obtain a passing mark in the end of semester exam in order to pass this course. If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-off for a 4 or higher on the cumulative results for all assessment items and the student does NOT score a passing mark for the end of semester exam, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.
There will be no opportunity for resubmission of unsatisfactory assessment items.
You must address any additional assessment requirements identified in this ECP.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Assignment writing
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments. You are encouraged to:
- read the instructions for assignments carefully and ensure that you address all the requirements,
- refer to references both in the readings and beyond, and cite references in the appropriate manner,
- reflect on your own experience and provide insight and critical thinking,
- write clearly and concisely.
Release of marks
Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator, every attempt will be made to have the results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility.
Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your Course Co-ordinator.
Information for students can be found at : https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/querying-result
Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred Examinations)
- Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on the my.UQ website
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.
Additional learning resources information
Useful references:
AGRC7005 Advanced Agronomy Blackboard Site
Blackboard is the main method of communication. Learning Guide, Lectures, and Course readings are made available through the Blackboard site.
Learning Guides:- A learning guide PDF is provided for Modules 1 and 2 of the course on the Blackboard site. These complement the lectures.
There is a list of recommended readings via the Library and access to The Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) documentation provides background on many topics.
Papers relevant to topics in this course from national and international conferences may also be consulted.eg. Australian Agronomy Conference proceedings.
There is also a list of suggested readings which will complement the course and are provided for those that may require further background knowledge in specific areas.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
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.