ADMTRC: Agriculture in the Tropics

Module code: ADMTRC

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Andrew Daymond, email: a.j.daymond@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module will consider tropical agriculture and farming systems, focussing on the physical, climatic, edaphic and biological factors affecting crop and animal production. The module uses case studies to show how these factors are interrelated and integrated in farming systems and livelihoods.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Understand the functioning of a tropical farming system
2. Explain how the distribution of tropical farming systems and their component parts are influenced/constrained by biological, environmental/physical, edaphic and socio-economic factors
3. Describe the major crop and livestock species and farming systems in the tropics and sub-tropics

Module content

• Characteristics of agriculture and agroecosystems in the humid tropics
• The analysis and classification of tropical farming systems; routes towards more sustainable production and intensification
• Agricultural climates in the tropics
• Soils of the tropics- properties and challenges
• Cereals and leguminous crops; cropping systems
• Perennial tree crops
• Vegetable production in the tropics
• Livestock and livelihoods
• Livestock systems and challenges

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Each week will comprise a lecture centred around a specific subject and a seminar in which specific aspects of the preceding lecture will be explored in more detail.

There will be group work comprising group presentations.

Guided independent study.

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• 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 three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/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.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs