Agricultural Science Curriculum

AGSC 418: TEMPERATE FRUIT AND NUT CULTURE

Agriculture Faculty

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Management systems for the major fruit crops in the US including apples and pears, peaches, cherries, strawberries, grapes of various types, raspberries, blueberries, and related crops. Major nut crops (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.) will also be covered. Topics include climatic and soil conditions, cultural management, pruning and training.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of AGSC 418 are as follows:

to provide the student with an appreciation of commercial fruit production;
to acquaint the student with the taxonomic classification, botanical characteristics, production trends, cultural practices, and nutritional value of the world's major fruit crops; emphasis will be placed on the basic botanical and horticultural concepts related to fruit culture;
to provide students with the ability to apply the fundamentals learned in the course to the home garden culture of fruits, to make practical recommendations to others for growing fruit crops.

PREREQUISITES

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

REQUIRED TEXT

Course pack will be provided as no appropriate text is available.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introduction, importance, national scope
Week 2: Pome fruits apple, pear, minor pome fruits
Week 3: Pome fruits, continued
Week 4: Pome fruits, continued
Week 5: Stone fruits: peach, plum, apricot, cherry
Week 6: Stone fruits, continued
Week 7: Stone fruits, continued
Week 8: Stone fruits, continued
Week 9: Small fruits: grapes, strawberries, brambles, blueberry
Week 10: Small fruits, continued
Week 11: Small fruits, continued
Week 12: Small fruits, continued
Week 13: Nuts: Pecan, walnut, almond, pistachio, minor nuts
Week 14: Nuts, continued
Week 15: Nuts, continued
Week 16: Final Exam

For each major crop, our discussion will be patterned as follows. Minor crops will not be discussed at this level of detail.

taxonomic classification, major cultivars
origin, history of cultivation
folklore, medicinal and/or toxic properties, non-food usage
production: world, US, and Missouri
botanical description: plant, leaves, flowers, pollination, fruit
general culture
1. soils and climate
2. propagation methods
3. rootstocks
4. planting design, training, pruning
5. backyard considerations
harvest, post-harvest handling
contribution to the human diet, food uses

BASIS OF STUDENT EVALUATION

Item	Points Possible
Regular tests (3 at 100 points each)	300
Comprehensive final exam	200
Lecture quizzes (5)	100
Laboratory final	100
Orchard research and design (from lab)	100

LABORATORY

Week 1: Introduction, fruit quality and organoleptic evaluation
Week 2: Identification: Vegetative Morphology and Development
Week 3: Identification: Fruit Development, Morphology and Quality
Week 4: Site Selection
Week 5: Insects & Diseases: Identification and Control
Week 6: Application of Pesticides and Herbicides
Week 7: Field trip: Anderson’s Orchards
Week 8: Organic farm techniques
Week 9: Water Planning: Irrigation Design and Frost Protection
Week 10: Field trip to commercial vinyard
Week 11: Propagation of Fruit Crops
Week 12: Training and Pruning - Open Center
Week 13: Training and Pruning - Grapes
Week 14: Review and catch-up
Week 15: Lab final (100 points)