NES2001 : Arable Crops
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Dave George
- Lecturer: Mr Simon Parker
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To enable students to acquire the basic knowledge and understanding of temperate crops in farming systems. The module will provide an overview of the major UK arable crops and their management from seed to harvest and subsequent utilisation. By covering topics such as crop rotations, selection, establishment, nutrition and protection, the module aims to enable students to acquire the basic knowledge and understanding of the role of temperate crops in farming systems, also introducing topics such as precision agriculture, agri-technology, tillage, cover cropping and regenerative agriculture.
Outline Of Syllabus
UK Arables: Crop selection, rotation and optimisation
Crop establishment
Crop nutrition
Crop protection
Harvest, handling and storage
Cover and companion cropping
Agri-tech and Precision Agriculture
Producing for the market
Regenerative Agriculture
To till or not to till
Producing with policy
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | n/a |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | Problem solving exercises (x2) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Revision for Semester 2 written exam |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 1 | 4:00 | 4:00 | NU-Farms field visit |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 52:00 | 52:00 | Compilation of notes and follow up after lectures and fieldwork |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures deliver the basic subject knowledge of the module by introducing students to a range of arable crops, agronomic considerations and production practices and markets. The field trip will deliver specific learning on tillage systems, utilising teaching and research platforms at NU-Farms for hands-on learning.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 90 | 2 | A | 100 | In person exam |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prob solv exercises | 2 | M | Students will be presented with problem solving exercises as part of the module teaching - for example to assess the pros and cons of varied approaches to tillage |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The exam assesses understanding of the key content of the module and facilitates demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the main principles and practices of crop management.
The formative assessment supports the learning of skills and knowledge through problem solving exercises.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES2001's Timetable