HORT40110 Food Production: Vegetable Crops

Academic Year 2020/2021

This module will focus on the sustainable planning of commercial potato and field scale vegetable crop production. An overview of the potato and vegetable industries will be given. The module will emphasise soil requirements, cultural techniques, growing programmes, harvesting methodologies and quality assurance systems for selected tuber (in particular potato production), root, bulb and brassica crops. Industry Codes of Practice and Quality programmes (including national and international quality standards, such as GLOBALGAP, certification and accreditation systems to ISO 17065) will be examined and reviewed. The influence of global fresh produce supply systems, retailing strategies and food safety/quality systems will be discussed. Developments in related value-added products will be explored. Students will be randomly segregated into groups of three or four members to research specific topics. Each group will be required to prepare a Power Point presentation of their assigned work and to deliver this in class and defend it under questioning from students and staff alike. A written report will be required and should be submitted on the presentation day. Students will be taken on two industry site visits and will be required to produce group reports detailing their observations and a critique of the business. Students will be required to identify any deficiencies or best practice observed and to make recommendations/suggestions as to how the enterprise could be improved. There will be two continuous assessments, one in week six and the second in week 11. There will be no final written examination.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to;
1 Describe the nature, structure and principles of production; supply and retailing of fresh and value added potato and vegetable products.
2 Critically review and evaluate data from scientific, technical, industry and marketing sources on the key influences; primary crop requirements, food safety, quality assurance, environmental impact, sustainability, market demands/consumer trends, demographic changes and globalisation impacting the production and supply of potato and vegetable produce.
3 Describe the principles of sustainable production of potato and major field vegetable crops.
4 Create cropping plans and evaluate quality attributes for commercial potato and field vegetable crops.
5 Discuss and evaluate the requirements for a successful business within this sector.
6 Assess the application and use of precision mechanisation within this sector.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will focus on the sustainable planning of commercial potato and field scale vegetable crop production. An overview of the potato and vegetable industries will be given. The module will emphasise soil requirements, cultural techniques, growing programmes, harvesting methodologies and quality assurance systems for selected tuber (in particular potato production), root, bulb and brassica crops. Industry Codes of Practice and Quality programmes (including national and international quality standards, such as GLOBALGAP, certification and accreditation systems to ISO 17065) will be examined and reviewed. The influence of global fresh produce supply systems, retailing strategies and food safety/quality systems will be discussed. Developments in related value-added products will be explored.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Conversation Class

2
Field Trip/External Visits

12
Specified Learning Activities

23
Autonomous Student Learning

64
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The teaching and learning approaches used in this module include: active/task-based learning; peer and group work; lectures; critical writing; reflective learning; industry site visits; case-based learning; student presentations 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Level 1 or Level 2 Biology or Chemistry modules


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Food Production: Vegetables (HORT30240)


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Fieldwork: Submission of industry site visit reports. Varies over the Trimester n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

20
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: MCQ covering the next 4 weeks of this module Week 11 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

25
Presentation: Each group will be required to prepare a Power Point presentation of their assigned work and to deliver this in class and defend it under questioning from students and staff alike. Week 12 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% Yes

30
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: MCQ covering the first 4 weeks of the module. Week 4 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

25

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback provided after submission of each industry site visit report and the completion of each preliminary examination and following presentations.