Agricultural Science Curriculum

AGSC 100: AGRICULTURE

Mark R. Campbell
3072 Magruder Hall
785-4280 (Office), 627-5840 (Home)
campbell@truman.edu

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

A study of the structure and function of agricultural systems with emphasis on agricultural science and on the consequences for humanity and the environment of using science and technology in agriculture. Includes laboratory. May not be taken as an elective by agriculture majors. 4 credit hours.

PREREQUISITES

None

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

The objective of this course is to teach knowledge, skills, and attitudes which Truman State University believes are essential for a liberally educated person. John R. Kirk, the fourth President of our institution, said, "Education in agriculture is an essential utility because it is the only means of furnishing adequate conception of the fundamental occupation of mankind upon which all another occupations now depend and forever must depend. But education in agriculture is also a basis of true culture and refinement...by use of agriculture we hope not only to further enrich the curriculum but to strengthen it as a whole and bring its element into unity."

Specific objectives for the course are as follows

To teach about science and scientific method through the study of agriculture. To ask students to consider the social and environmental consequences of using science and technology. To help students learn how to obtain scientific and technical information.
To provide students with information about how food is produced and delivered. Educated people should know where their food comes from, how it arrives to them and how to ensure a sustainable supply.
To provide students with hands-on experiences which show them the connectedness of what they learn in lecture or reading with what happens in the real world.
To ask students to think carefully about their own values and the values of other people with respect to land, water, livestock, and people and to ask students to consider the plight of hungry people and the difficulties of feeding them.
To provide students with an interdisciplinary course which asks them to integrate and use knowledge from the humanities, sciences, and social sciences to study a single topic, agriculture.
To provide students with further practice in problem solving.

EXPECTATIONS OF THE STUDENT

Three examinations: 300 points
Comprehensive final examination: 100 points
Group Laboratory Project (to be turned in as a group):

Hypothesis: 0 points
Written and oral proposal: 50 points
Written and oral reports: 150 points

Laboratory reports (to be turned in individually): 200 points
Short papers: 200 points
Final grades will be awarded on a straight scale. There are 1000 total points possible: minimum points for an A will be 900, for a B 800, for a C 700, for a D 600.

REQUIRED TEXT

Powers, L.E. and McSorley. R. 1999. Ecological Principles of Agriculture

COURSE OUTLINE

WEEK	TOPIC	READING
1	History and future of agriculture; domestication of plants and animals	Chapter 19
2	Scientific methods and use of statistics	Chapter 1
3	Principles of soil science	Chapter 5
4	Soil nutrients and fertilizers	Chapter 4
5	Nutrient cycles and the environment	Chapter 14
		Chapter 12 (252-256)
	EXAM 1
6	Photosynthesis and energy in crops	Chapter 2
7	Crops: Nomenclature and morphology	Chapter 13
8	Cereals, pulses, oil seed and forages	Chapter 10
9	The Green Revolution; genetic diversity	Chapter 11
10	Chemistry, nutrition and processing of plant commodities	Chapter 8
	EXAM 2
11	Livestock (types and distribution); digestive systems	Chapter 16
12	Meat (composition, food borne illnesses)	Chapter 17
13	Dairy (production, processing, rBST); introduction to genetic principles	Chapter 18
14	Genetics and biotechnology in agriculture
	EXAM 3
15	Sustainable agriculture
	FINAL EXAM