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Biology and Production of Field Crops

Course developer

Course abstract

Students acquire theoretical base of yield formation: agro-ecological factors exerting an influence on field crops yield, their unity and interaction; levels of yield and methods to calculate them. Students acquire seed science and organization of seed production, morphological and anatomical differences of different seeds. Students acquire knowledge on importance, distribution, morphological and biological characteristics, agro-ecological demands, and peculiarities of growing and development of crops included into several field crops’ groups: cereals, tuberous, leguminous and fibre plants, root, oil and essential oil crops; their agricultural practices and evaluation of yield quality. Students study also seed quality and seed production of crops included into mentioned groups.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

After completing the course student will have:
• knowledge - on agro-ecological factors influencing field crops yield, and their interaction; on seed production and seed certification in Latvia and Europe, on plants’ morphology, agro-ecological demands, crop management, yield quality, 1.test ;
• skills – to evaluate role of agro-ecological factors on yield formation of field crops included into study course; to identify crops, their cultivars and seeds, to calculate cereals’ yield according to given values of agro-ecological parameters, to detect seed and crop yield quality parameters and to use them; to choose crop management operations and to draw up crop management plan for the plants included into mentioned crop groups, 2.,3.,4.test
• competence - to organize field crop production, harvesting, first stage processing, storage and sale, to choose suitable cultivars, to manage seed production branch, to study scientific literature and to carry out further self-education on topics included into the study course, independently work and presantation

Course Content(Calendar)

Lectures
1. Introduction to crop production (2 h) : crop production as a basic industry of agricultural production, its description, importance and connection with other production sectors. Level of development of the sector and problems in the world, Latvia and other countries. Classification of crops.

2. Theoretical basics of field crop production (6 h): agroecological factors affecting crop productivity, blocks of crop influencing factors: non-regulated, semi-regulated and regulated factors. Possible yield levels. Effect of photosynthetically active radiation (FAR), temperature, amount of productive water, nutrient regime on plant growth and development. Possibility to forecast and calculate field crop yield. Energy balance of crop production. Yield structural elements and their formation on field.

3. Seed production (2 h). The concept of seed in crop production, its significance in the crop production. Variety concept, characteristics and principles of variety selection. Regulatory documents for seed cultivation and seed trade, catholog of plant varieties. Seed production system and its organization. Variety registration, variety protection. Certification of seed. Seed quality indicators: seed purity, germination, viability, germination energy, coarseness.

4. Cereals (5 h), Division in I and II group cereals. Growth and development of cereal plants. Phenological phases and decimal code. Chemical composition and quality characteristics of grains. Winter cereals, their biological characteristics and ecological requirements, yield levels, advantages and problems of cultivation, winter hardiness, characterization of major winter cereal species, economic importance, technological plan of cultivation of winter wheat, rye, triticale, winter barley. Species of spring crops: most important species in Europe and in the world (wheat, barley, oats). Characterization of species, directions of use and quality indicators, ecological characteristics, growth characteristics of spring cereals, peculiarities of beer barley cultivation .
Group II cereals. Buckwheat - importance and general characteristics of their cultivation, ecological requirements, peculiarities of growth and development, cultivation technology. Maize - general characteristics, importance of cultivation in the world and in Latvia. Maize growing technology; silage, biogas, grain, etc. Prose, sorghum, rice, quinoa- their general characteristics, importance of cultivation and districts.
Harvesting, pre - processing and storage. Harvesting times and techniques. Grain loss, characterization. Life processes in grains (seeds) during storage.

5. Fibers and oil plants (5 h), breakdown, botanical species, genera and species. Economic and agro-technical importance, directions of use, types of products to be obtained. Sown areas, productivity and production in the world, Europe and Latvia. Agricultural machinery for cultivation. Species to be learned - flax, rape and turnip rape, hemp, essential oil plants

6. Legumes for seeds (3 h), plant species (peas, beans, vetches, lupine, soy), growing areas in the world, Europe and Latvia, botanical and morphological characteristics of plants. Directions of use, types of products. Edible pulses and green plants. Chemical composition of seeds and green mass, morphological characteristics of plants, agroecological requirements, growth and development. Yield formation and its components. Legume seeds, their morphological features and anatomical structure. Economic and agro-technical importance of species, sown areas and productivity, botanical characteristics.

7. Tuberous plants (2 h). Characteristics of tubers. Potatoes as one of the most important arable crops in temperate climates. Volumes, area, yields of potato cultivation. Chemical composition of tubers, uses and quality. Botanical characteristics, growth and development of potatoes. Ecological requirements, cultivation and agricultural technologies, tuber storage. Jerusalem artichoke – economic importance, use and cultivation. Morphological and biological characteristics. Basic principles of growing technology.

8. Root crops – sugar beets (1 h). The role of sugar beet in world sugar production. Usefulness of beet in the economy and possibilities of its use. Botanical characteristics, growth and development. Ecological characteristics, cultivation techniques and harvesting, roots storage. Quality characteristics of sugar beet roots, sugar yield and marketing rules. The nutritional value of beet leaves. By-products of the sugar industry and its uses.

Practical works:

1. Preparation of the technological plan of arable crop cultivation (6 h) - selection of suitable agrotechnology for a certain crop level for a particular crop and place of cultivation - soil characterization, soil tillage type, basic fertilizers, sowing, plant protection plan during the vegetation period. Management of field crop data using the programs available on the market.
List of laboratory work:

1. Characteristics and morphological differences between different species of field crop’s fruit and seeds, seed identification. (2h)

2. Determination and evaluation of quality parameters of seed quality of various arable crops (purity, moisture, germination capacity, viability, 1000 seed mass, leveling), seed documentation, calculation of sowing rates. (10h)

3. Determination of seed quality - legumes (beans, peas), rape, turnip rape, flax, cereals - wheat, barley, triticale, rye, etc., - bulk density, etc. qualitative indicators (eg, protein content, gluten content, falling number of cereals; rapeseed oil content, etc.). (6h)

4. Cereals (groups 1, 2) plant structure, structure of ears and tufts; differences between different species and identification of their varieties, breed characteristics. (2h)

5. Mophological characteristics of oil plants. (1h)

6. Morphological characteristics of flax, anatomical analysis of straw, structure of seeds, determination of quality. (2h)

7. Morphological characteristics of plants grown for fiber (hemp, cotton, etc.). (1h)

8. Morphological characteristics of potatoes. Evaluation of potato yield (determination of fraction, starch and dry matter), characteristics of potato varieties, determination of taste properties, quality of seed potatoes. (4h)

9. Characterization and determination sof peas, beans, lupines, soy etc. seeds, stems, leaves and inflorescences, determination of varieties of leguminous plants. (2h)

10. Compilation of desired crop structural elements for a given crop yield level for different crops and economic evaluation of crop yield. (3h)

Requirements for awarding credit points

All intended laboratory works are developed and defended, 5 tests / individual works are written.
Test / individual work topics
1. Introduction to Crop Production and Theoretical Basics of Arable Crop Production
2. Seed production and cereals.
3. Fibers and oil plants
4. Legumes, tubers and roots.
5. Technological plan for arable crop production (individual or group work with presentation)

The final mark is accumulating according to the results of the semester: 50 points for tests / independent work - excellent; accumulative final mark can be obtained if 35 - 50 points for the semester work. If the total score is lower, the student must take an assessment examination (written or oral, as agreed between the teaching staff and students at the beginning of the semester).

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Independent work includes literature studies, preparation for tests and seminars, independent problem solving; preparation of a technological plan for a definite harvest. Independent processing and formation of laboratory results.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Tests done during the study course are graded on a 10-ball scale, which is equal to the point at which the cumulative grade is calculated. The marks obtained during the semester can be accumulated in the final mark if it is at least 35 points (7 balls) or higher. At the end of the course students take the exam. Students get an exam mark if they have successfully passed all the tests and independent work.

Compulsory reading

1. Fageri N.K., Baligar V.C., Jones C.A. Growth and Mineral Nutrition of Field Crops. Third Edition. USA: CRC Press, 2010.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/search?key=Growth%20and%20Mineral%20Nutrition%20of%20Field%20Crops
2. Copeland L.O., McDonald M.B. Principles of Seed Science and Technology. 3rd Edition. USA: Chapman & Hall, 1995. 409 p.

Further reading

1. Mukund Joshi Field Crops, Textbook, Revised Edition. Dheli: India.Eastern Econom Edition, 2018.
2. Fageria N.K. The Role of Plant Roots in Crop Production USA. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group, 2013.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Žurnāli un zinātnisko rakstu krājumi: Rural Sustainability Research, Research for Rural Development, Agronomy Research, Žemdirbyste=Agriculture, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Sec. B Soil and Plant Science, Proceedings of The Latvia Academy on Sciences, section B.

Notes

For students of the bachelor study programme “Sustainable Agriculture”, specialisation in Sustainable plant production, 3rd year, 2nd
semester, in full-time studies in the Faculty of Agriculture