Fruit and Vegetable Crops - Curriculum
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Note: Core courses require a minimum grade of "C" to meet Stockbridge School degree requirements. .
Semester 1
An overview course designed to provide students with information, opportunities, and skills to ease their transition into college and build a successful foundation necessary to reach their educational goals.
Structure, function, and reproduction of plants; emphasis on the flowering plants.
With lab. Interrelationship of soils and higher plants. Physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Practical approach to current problems through basic soil principles. Prerequisite: some knowledge of chemistry.
With lab. Principles and practices involved in the establishment and management of deciduous orchards. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN102 (can be taken concurrently) or basic botany course.
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With lab. Introduction to the greenhouse environment and the technology used in production of greenhouse crops. Greenhouse experiments in crop production; exercises on greenhouse structures, heating and cooling, growing media, crop nutrition, photoperiod control and lighting, and crop scheduling; field trip to local greenhouses. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102 (may be taken concurrently) or 100-level biology course.
Semester 2
With lab. Introduction to insect recognition, development, damage, and control. Seven-week course.
The ways in which water, light, and temperature influence plants, and the ways in which plants respond to changes in the environment. Emphasis on physical nature of these environmental factors. Seven-week course. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102.
Functions of mineral nutrients in plants, effects of mineral deficiencies, and sources of these nutrients to prevent or alleviate deficiencies in crop production. Seven-week course. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 105.
Applied introduction to plant pathology in horticultural crops. Identification, description, and management of diseases in modern horticultural production. Chemical, biological, cultural, and genetic controls and their integration. Seven-week course. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102.
Required of all students majoring in Fruit and Vegetable Crops. Five month (April-August) internship in the specific field of study. Submission of reports required.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the prevention or suppression of pests (insects, mites, diseases, weeds and algae) by use of multiple management strategies that are effective, economically feasible, and safe for growers, consumers, and the environment. Focus on IPM strategies used in commercial greenhouse crop production. Emphasis on major greenhouse pests, including identification, life cycles, monitoring and management strategies. Seven-week course.
Semester 3
This is a placeholder for math requirement (MATH 100/101/104).
With lab. A field laboratory on the diagnosis and management of the health problems of woody plants. Students learn to recognize the major plant diseases of trees and shrubs using plant materials on campus. Disease management options presented on an individual basis in a clinical context. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 111.
Independent work related to some area dealing with plant, soil or insect sciences. Prerequisites: permission of instructor and program coordinator.
With lab. Exploration of ethical, practical and scientific aspects of agricultural sustainability, including economic, social and environmental impacts of food and farming. Uses systems thinking tools to compare industrial and ecological agriculture.
Principles and practices governing the establishment and management of small fruit plantings. Prerequisite: (can be taken concurrently) or basic botany course.
With lab. History of weed control; importance of weeds and their relationship to people and the environment; ecology of weeds, competition, persistence and survival mechanisms; reproduction, seed germination, and dormancy; methods of weed control, cultural, biological, chemical, and integrated pest management strategies; classification of herbicides and their selectivity; soil factors affecting herbicide performance, persistence and degradation; application equipment and calibration of sprayers; weed management systems for various crops and non-crop areas. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102 or 100-level biology course.
With lab. An examination of sustainable farming systems for forage and field crop production. Cultural requirements and physiological responses of crops. Illustrations of concepts, discussions of topics and examination of distinguishing morphological characteristics of selected crop species. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102 or 100-level biology course or permission of instructor.
Independent preparation for the state pesticide certification examination and licensure. The State Pesticide Exam Study Manual is used and available for purchase either online or at the UMass Extension Bookstore. Students must apply to take the exam; applications must be submitted by the deadline date (one week prior to the exam). Examinations are given at various times throughout the state. Refer to www.mass.gov/agr/pesticides or call (617) 626-1785
Semester 4
ENGLWRIT 111 An entry-level course in writing designed for freshmen who, through their performance on the Placement Exam, demonstrate the need for intensive work in writing. Does not satisfy the Freshman Writing requirement. May not be taken Pass/Fail. (Gen.Ed. U)
ENGLWRIT 112 An entry-level course in writing. Emphasis upon the writing process: prewriting, revising, editing. Minimum of six finished essays required. Prerequisite: satisfactory performance on the Placement Exam or in ENGLWRIT 111 Basic Writing. Satisfies the Freshman Writing requirement. May not be taken Pass/Fail. (Gen.Ed. CW)
Topics include state and federal pesticide laws and regulations, pesticides and the environment, handling and storage of pesticides, classes and formulations of pesticides, safety and application equipment, understanding the pesticide label, toxicity, proper calculation and mixing of pesticides, and history of pesticide use. Includes preparation for the Massachusetts Pesticide Core Exam.
Theory and practice of pruning deciduous fruit plants/trees. Emphasis on practical, hands-on experience.
With lab. Principles of sustainable production of vegetable crops. Topics include specific practices used for the major vegetable crops grown in New England, water and soil fertility management, season extenders, and crop rotation. Course intended for students who want to grow vegetable crops or work in the vegetable industry. Prerequisite: PLSOILIN 102 or plant science course.
Practicum focusing on greenhouse venting and temperature control, maintaining outdoor gardens, harvesting of floricultural crops, post-harvest handling of floricultural crops, fertilization, propagation (by seed, cuttings, division), greenhouse maintenance, operation of greenhouse equipment (fertilizer injector). Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Basic principles of organizational operation and personnel management with emphasis on human behavior.