Handbook home
Foundations of Agricultural Sciences 1 (AGRI10045)
Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject aims to provide Bachelor of Agriculture students with an understanding of the underpinning enabling physical sciences, as they relate to agricultural systems. Concepts in physics, chemistry, mathematics and data management will be introduced in the context of the science of Earth and soil, water and climate, and plant and animal biology. In particular, this subject introduces students to concepts in physics and chemistry, as they apply to agricultural science.
In addition, students will acquire and apply mathematical techniques that will enable them to model and interpret data sets.
This subject will begin with introduction to the sun and to solar radiation as the source of energy on earth. Topics will include the spectrum of solar radiation, how light carries energy, energy transformation and measurement of solar radiation. The nature of energy in chemical bonds will then be discussed, with introduction to different types of bonding, valency, and the periodic table. The energy cycle in living systems will then be introduced, and some important chemical reactions in cells will be discussed. Heating and cooling and heat transfer mechanisms, as they apply to earth systems and living systems operating in agricultural environments, will then be discussed. Topics discussed will include the latent heat of water, evaporation and condensation, states of matter, evapotranspiration and the water cycle. The subject will conclude with consideration of how the Earth’s crust captures the suns energy, measurement of temperature and introduction to principles of climate trends and climate change.
Mathematics topics in this subject will include: data visualisation; data analyses, including population statistics and correlation; determination of key data parameters such as rate of change, maxima and minima.
Intended learning outcomes
This subject should enable students to:
- Understand the importance of physical and chemical principles as the foundations of agricultural sciences
- Apply an understanding of key concepts in physics and chemistry to describe fundamental biological processes such as electron transfer, photosynthesis, respiration, circulation and transpiration
- Integrate the use of numerical data, graphical analysis, basic statistics, and mapping, to represent and interpret phenomena in the natural world, in particular as they operate in agricultural environments
- Apply principles in physics and chemistry using logical reasoning, together with appropriate mathematical reasoning, to a variety of familiar and novel situations, both biological and physical, and to problems in agricultural contexts
Generic skills
A student who completes this subject should be able to:
- demonstrate their understanding of fundamental principles in chemistry, physics and data management and their application in agricultural contexts lucidly, both in writing and orally
- acquire and interpret scientific data
- participate as an effective member of a group in tutorial discussions, and study groups
- think independently and analytically, and direct his or her own learning
- manage time effectively in order to be prepared for regular tutorial classes, tests and the examination
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
Q Fever: It is a core participation requirement of this subject that students be vaccinated against Q Fever. Do not enrol into this subject if you are unable or unwilling to be vaccinated against Q Fever. For further information please go to: https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/students/admin/q-fever
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This subject includes a compulsory field trip to the University’s Dookie campus. Students will be required to contribute to the cost of overnight stay at the Dookie campus, indicative cost $50 per night. Further information about intensives at Dookie can be found at: https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/students/experience/intensive-subjects-at-dookie
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
3 intra-semester assessments based on workshop activities in Weeks 2, 3, 5 and 10 | From Week 3 to Week 12 | 30% |
Intra-semester assessment
| Week 7 | 25% |
Examination
| End of semester | 45% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum 80% of scheduled workshops/practical classes. | N/A |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Saranika Talukder Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 54 hours. Each week students will participate in three 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour workshop for 12 weeks. There will also be a one-off field trip to Dookie campus in week 9 of semester. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2022 Census date 31 March 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Bachelor of Agriculture
Last updated: 31 January 2024