courses

Fundamentals of Horticulture PLNT2510

Term I -September - December

Instructor

Goals

Objectives

Text

 

Schedule

Tentative Lab Schedule

Dates to Remember

Evaluation

Important Remarks

Late Submissions

General Academic Regulations

Lab Outline

Lectures

Project

 

Instructor 

 

Office

Telephone

E-mail

   Dr. F. DAAYF

222 Agriculture

204-474-6096

Daayff@ad.umanitoba.ca

    The instructor is available for consultation any time except during class time .

Goals

   1. To be able to appreciate and describe the diversity of activities in horticulture and demonstrate the importance of horticulture commodities to the economy

  2. To understand the role of horticulture in improving the quality of life of consumers and the impact horticulture has on the environment

   3. To develop an understanding of the principles of the production, marketing, and utilization of horticultural commodities

 Objectives

1. Be able to describe the environmental and economic factors that need to be considered in the production of specific horticultural products on the Prairies and in other climatic regions of the world according to the following:

             1.1 Temperature, soil and water requirements for economic production

             1.2 Cost factors associated with production

             1.3 Availability of markets

             1.4 Distribution methods and problems

        2. Be able to describe the positive and negative effects horticultural crop production and horticultural products have on the environment (soil, air, water)

        3. Given a specific commodity, identify and discuss the possible alternatives for marketing that commodity

        4. Be able to describe the mechanisms available and the recommended procedures for the propagation of specific horticultural crops

        Text

No textbook is required for this course, other than the Lab. manual (Fundamentals of Horticulture 39.251 Laboratory Manual. Available at the University Bookstore). However, the following textbooks might be useful to students in this course

       1.  Janick, J. 1986. Horticultural Science 4th Edition, W.H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco.
(Available in the University Bookstore and on reserve*).

       2. Vilaseca, C. 1999. Handbook of Agriculture.  M. Dekker, New York, 768 p.Originally published in Spanish by Idea Books.
(reference -UML WR Newman  Agriculture- S 496 H3613 1999)  

Schedule

Three Lectures and one 3-hour Laboratory per week

    Lectures      Monday, Wednesday, Friday  10:30 - 11:30 a.m.     Room: 134 Agriculture Building

    Laboratory Thursday                               2:30 - 5:30 p.m.       Room: 342 Ellis Building

 

Tentative Laboratory Schedule

#

Date

Topic

01

TBA

  Micropropagation

02

TBA

  Nursery tour 

03

TBA

  Postharvest 

04

TBA

  Lab test 1
Vegetative propagation I 

05

TBA

  Vegetative propagation II

06

TBA

  Morphological structure (vegetative and reproductive) 

07

TBA

  Lab test #2
Seeding and transplanting I

08

TBA

  Seeding and transplanting II
Shelterbelts (Computer lab)

09

TBA

  Landscape design OR industry tour

10

TBA

  Final test

Dates to Remember
Examinations, Tests, Assignments

#

Date

Topic

01

  September --

 

02

  October --

  Lab test # 1

03

  October --

  Lab assignment 2 due

04

  October --

 

05

  October --

  Midterm Exam

06

  October --

  Lab test # 2

07

  November --

 

08

  November --

  Lab assignment 1 due  

09

  November --

  Lab test # 3

Evaluation

#

Topic

%

01

  Mid-Term Test 

    20%

02

  Final Exam 

    30%

03

  Lab. Tests (3 @ 5%, 5%, and 10%) 

    20%

04

  Lab. Assignments (2@7.5%) 

    15%

05

  Paper presentaion 

    10%

06

  Quizzes and participation

      5%

 

                    TOTAL

  100%

Important Remarks

- Students must receive a passing grade in the lab to pass the course.
- Lab Tests and Lab Assignments (100% of lab grade = 35% of course grade)
- Each lab test will consist of several questions specific to the material covered in the labs.
- Lab tests will be conducted at 2:30 p.m.
- Material studied in lab may be included on final examination.

Late Submissions

Assignments that are submitted after the stated deadline will be deducted 5 % a day of the grade up to the end of the first week and 25 % thereafter for each week the assignment is late.

       Note:Student performance in the Midterm and two Lab Tests will be evaluated before the deadline for voluntary withdrawal without academic penalty. Students experiencing difficulty will be counselled accordingly.

General Academic Regulations

Please refer to the University of Manitoba General Calendar for regulations regarding plagiarism and cheating and examination impersonation.

Please note that assignments, reports, or exams which are illegible or poorly written may be subject to refusal or deduction of the final grade.

LECTURES

#   Topic   
1. Course Introduction
2. Characteristics of Horticultural crops 
3. Importance of horticulture
a- Economics
b- Human nutrition & food safety
c- Environmental quality
d- Quality of life/aesthetics
e- Horticulture therapy
4. Horticulture production systems  
5. Horticultural crop production and related areas of activity
a- Greenhouse crop production
b- Food crops
- Vegetable crops
- Fruit crops
c- Herbs/spices
d- Turf grass production
e- Ornamental/visual horticulture
6. Climate
7. Production requirements
a- Propagation/Reproduction of plants
b- Soil and water requirements
8. Impact on the environment
a- Soil resource
- effects of production on quality and soil losses
- management alternatives to maintain soil quality
b- Water resource
- water use and quality
- irrigation
- management alternatives to maintain water quality
c- Modification of the rural and urban environment
- shelterbelts
- microclimates
- human activities
9. Post-harvest
a- Perishability of horticultural commodities: Implications in production,
storage, and marketing                                              
b- Preparation for storage
c- Post-harvest handling and storage
d- Post-harvest physiology
e- Food processing
10. Marketing                                                                      
a- Strategies for different commodities
b- Requirements for packaging
c- Quality considerations
d- Value-added and the service industry
e- Producer commodity groups

PAPAER PRESENTATION

Objectives:

1. To present a paper on a horticultural topic.
2. To use the internet as a source of horticulture information, being careful to verify the validity of the information
3. To improve oral communication skills.

Collection of Information:

Surfin' the net will provide a wealth of information on a wide range of horticultural topics. The catch is to try to determine if the information you are gathering is in fact correct! As we all know, anyone can develop a webpage and post all sorts of information, whether it be right or wrong.

Information is to be obtained primarily from the internet with verification and supplementation of the information from textbooks, journals, etc. and from producers, extension personnel in government, or university staff.

Information must be referenced whether it be a website address, book, or individual using a uniform, commonly accepted method of literature citation.

The Process:   

Proposal/Outline: The selected topic area and outline for presentation is to submitted by the first Wednesday of October. Once the topic is accepted, the information should be gathered, synthesized, and presented in class.

The Grade:

Your mark will constitute 10% of your final grade
The Topics:

Included below is a list of topics which may give you some ideas of possible subject areas (each topic will be limited to two people). This list is only to provide some ideas since you may choose any subject you wish as long as it is horticultural related. Ensure that the topic is not so broad that it is difficult to include an appropriate amount of detail:

Golf course industry Food safety
Hydroponics  Nutraceuticals
Medicinals/herbs  Food irradiation
Food safety  Plant breeders rights
Horticulture in the north   New horticultural crops/cultivars
Horticulture therapy Role of botanic gardens & arboreta
Phytoremediation  
Horticultural history Dutch elm disease
Tropical horticulture Landscapes