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Staff
Barnett Hall
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COURSE DESCRIPTION

A study of the fundamental principles underlying commercial and home garden production of vegetables. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the basic practices required to successfully produce the wide variety of vegetables that can be grown in our area both on a home garden and a commercial basis.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of AGSC 332 are as follows:
  1. to discuss the cultural and management considerations of successful vegetable crop production;
  2. to acquaint the student with various aspects of the U.S. commercial vegetable industry;
  3. to teach students the cultural requirements for successful production of specific vegetables;
  4. to provide hands-on experience with establishment, maintenance and harvest of vegetables appropriate to Missouri;
  5. to include students in on-going studies of vegetable crops and varieties best suited to soil type and climate of this region.
PREREQUISITES

AGSC 100, AGSC 108, BIOL 100 or BIOL 107 and AGSC 218.

REQUIRED TEXT

Swiader, J.M., G.W. Ware, and J.P. McCollum. 1992, Producing Vegetable Crops, 4th edition. Interstate Publishers.

COURSE OUTLINE
  • Week 1: Introduction; types of vegetable production; classification of vegetable crops; nutritive value
  • Week 2: Production systems for vegetable crops; crop and cultivar selection; site selection; planting
  • Week 3: U.S. and Missouri vegetable industries; soil management; land preparation
  • Week 4: Nutrition and fertilization; irrigation; cucurbits
  • Week 5: Exam 1; Solanaceous fruits
  • Week 6: Cole crops; potatoes
  • Week 7: Salad crops and greens crops; organic crop production
  • Week 8: Legumes; sweet potatoes and other root crops
  • Week 9: Vegetable breeding; Exam 2
  • Week 10: Bulb crops; sweet corn
  • Week 11: Asparagus and specialty crops; post-harvest processing of vegetables
  • Week 12: Marketing vegetable crops; weed control
  • Week 13: Greenhouse vegetable crops; vegetable seed industry
  • Week 14: Exam 3
  • Week 15: Vegetable gardening
  • Week 16: Final Exam
BASIS OF STUDENT EVALUATION

Item

Points Possible

Regular tests (3 at 100 points each) 300
Comprehensive final exam 200
Laboratory final 100
Laboratory notebook 100
Farm plan (from lab) 100

LABORATORY
  • Week 1: Lab orientation and overview
  • Week 2: Plant greenhouse tomatoes; build tomato trellises
  • Week 3: Seeds, germination, transplants, weed identification
  • Week 4: Farm equipment, purpose and operation: tillage, planting, plasticulture, and spraying
  • Week 5: Plant nutrients and nutrient solutions
  • Week 6: Your farm project: Designing your farm
  • Week 7: Insect biology and plant disease fundamentals
  • Week 8: Organic farm techniques
  • Week 9: Packaging and processing vegetables
  • Week 10: Mechanical harvesting of vegetables
  • Week 11: Greenhouse vegetables
  • Week 12: Harvest greenhouse tomatoes; deliver to CSA customers
  • Week 13: Historical aspects of the industry; your farm plan (continued)
  • Week 14: Review; finish lab notebook; turn in farm plan
  • Week 15: Lab final (100 points)