APMA93-Experimental Agriculture

Module Provider: APD
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites: APMA103 Rethinking Agricultural Development (including Horticulture): Implementing Solutions
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Alexey Mikaberidze
Email: a.mikaberidze@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Become familiar with crop and animal experimentation, gain experience in experimental design, and carry out an experiment and analyse the results. Visit a range of sites to see experiments, agronomic, livestock and horticultural research in the field as practised in the UK and consider applications to agricultural / horticultural research and extension in developing countries. 

Aims:

For the student to become familiar with crop and animal experimentation, to gain experience in experimental design, carry out an experiment and analyse results and to visit a range of sites to see experiments, agronomic, livestock and horticultural research in the field as practised in the UK and to consider applications to agricultural/ horticultural research and extension in developing countries. 

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will:

• Understand the principles of experimental design for crops and livestock;


• Carry out laboratory and glasshouse experiments and analyse the results statistically


• Know how to write a scientific paper to report on the findings of experiments

Additional outcomes:

Principles and practice of statistical analysis of designed experiments

Use of modern open-source tools for reproducible data analysis

Criteria governing plot size, blocking and replication for field and glasshouse experimentation

Learn about experimentation and dissemination of results in different contexts through outside visits.

Outline content:

The content will include the design and statistical analysis of experiments involving crops and livestock. Data will be captured from laboratory and glasshouse experiments and analysed statistically.



A visit to CEDAR (the University’s Centre for Dairy Research) and animal production research will demonstrate animal production research. Pesticide research will be explored by visiting a major Agro-chemical research facility. Crop research will be explored visiting an Agricultural Research Centre. Links between research and extension will be discussed.



Visits could include:

• Crops Research Unit, Sonning Farm (Reading University)


• CEDAR (Centre for Dairy Research, Reading University)


• Rothamsted Research (long-term experiments)

• Syngenta (Jealotts Hill) Agro-chemical and plant breeding research and development


• Commercial growers in the East of England within co-requisite module APMA103

Possible optional visits to:

• The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, Kent


• Cereals Event (June)

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Lectures, practicals, outside visits. There is also the possibility for students to take 20 additional optional hours of outside visits (8 in the Spring term and 12 in the Summer term). 

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures		6
Tutorials		2
Practicals classes and workshops		18
External visits		18
Guided independent study:		56
Total hours by term		100
Total hours for module	100

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	70
Set exercise	30

Summative assessment- Examinations:

N/A

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

One scientific paper using results of four related experiments carried out in class – 250 word abstract (maximum) plus main text (max. six pages) plus appendix (max. two pages). An exact template will be provided as for the journal Experimental Agriculture (70%)

Animal experimentation exercise (30%)

Relative percentage of coursework: 100%

Formative assessment methods:

For the experiments carried out in class, students will keep a laboratory notebook (journal of what the student did, the materials used and measurements taken). Students will use the information in this notebook and any handouts to write a draft scientific paper for one of the experiments which will be peer-assessed in class. There is no minimum or maximum word limit for the lab. notebook, but a hard-backed lined notebook is preferable and it can simply be a largely hand-written record. 500 words maximum for draft materials and methods. You will revise the materials and methods section so that it will form part of the summative scientific paper assignment. 

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy 'Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes', which can be found here: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A mark of 50% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:
Written course work (analysis and using experimental data provided).

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books:  None

2) Specialist equipment or materials:  None

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:  waterproof jacket for outdoor visit

4) Printing and binding:  None

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:  None

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence:  None

Last updated: 30 March 2023