Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 General Catalog 
    
2024-2025 General Catalog
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AGA 271 - Advanced Corn & Soybean Production


Last Date of Approval: 2021

3 Credits
Total Lecture Hours: 45
Total Lab Hours: 0
Total Clinical Hours: 0
Total Work-Based Experience Hours: 0

Course Description:
This course is a follow up to Principles of Crop Production and focuses on the in-depth production and management of corn, soybeans and some forages in the Midwest. Some of the topics include tillage methods, planting procedures, weed, insect and disease identification, precision farming, nutrient requirements, and harvesting and storage. The basic understanding of management practices is vital for students in implementing critical thinking skills involved in the decision-making process. The is necessary for those students working in the area of Agronomy.

Prerequisites/Corequisites: AGA 852

Mode(s) of Instruction: traditional/face-to-face

Credit for Prior Learning: There are no Credit for Prior Learning opportunities for this course.

Course Fees: None

Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
Student Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the growth and development of corn, soybean, small grains, and forages and recognize how stage of growth influences management decisions.

2. Create crop management strategies to real-world production situations and the impact management decisions have on growth, and yield, of a crop.

3. Develop strategies that optimize inputs and conserve the natural resources needed to produce quality, high-yielding crops.

Course Objectives

1- Corn as a Crop - Origin of Corn - How the Corn Plant Grows - How the Plant Works - Climate and Corn - Corn Breeding - Seed Production - Types of Corn - Corn in the Future

2 - Soybean as a Crop - How the Soybean Plant Grows - Climate and Soybean - Soybean Breeding

3 - Cropping Decisions - Cropping Systems - Corn in the Cropping System - Soybean in the Cropping System - The Corn-Soybean Cropping Sequence - Production Decisions

4 - Tillage and Soil Management - Tillage Terms - Tillage Considerations - Tillage Tools and Operations - Minimizing Soil Compaction From Vehicles

5 - Planting Decisions and Operations - Goals of Planting - Planting Date - Planting Depth - Seed Treatments - Soybean Seed Inoculation - Planting Rates - Row Width - Replanting Decisions - Plant Stand Uniformity - Planting Equipment

6 - Nutrient Management for Top Profit - Knowing Soils and How to Use Them - Estimating the Nutrients Your Soil Can Supply - The Elements Essential for Plant Growth - Liming Acid Soils - Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium (K) - Secondary and Micronutrients - Method of Fertilizer Placement - Effect of Changing Tillage Practices on Fertility Practices - Alternative Sources of Nutrients - Kinds of Fertilizer Materials - “Natural” Fertilizers in Contrast to “Chemical” Fertilizers - Use Caution in Trying Unproven Materials - Economics of Nutrient Use

7 - Weed Management - Weed Biology - Weed Management Strategies - Methods of Weed Control - Herbicide Application Methods - How Herbicides Work - Keys to Successful Weed Management with Herbicides

8 - Insects and Their Management - Principles of Insect Management - Insect Pests of Corn - Insect Pests of Soybeans

9 - Disease Management - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Hybrid or Variety Selection - Crop Rotation - Tillage and Crop Residue Management - Integrated Crop Management - Seed Protection

10 - Water Management - Corn and Soybean Water Use - The Soil as a Water Reservoir - Water Movement in Soils - Root Growth and Soil Water - Drainage - Irrigation

11 - Precision Farming - Precision Farming Defined - Important Tools - Integrating Precision Farming - Yield Variation - Capturing Useful Information - Using Information - Develop Realistic Expectations

12 - Protecting the Environment and Using Energy Efficiently - Agricultural Practices That Affect the Environment - The Nature of Pollution from Agriculture - Impact of Agricultural Technology on Balance

13 - Diagnosing Corn and Soybean Problems - Diagnostic Techniques - Corn Growth Problems - Soybean Growth Problems

14 - Corn Silage Production - Corn Types - Planting Guidelines for Corn Silage - Silage Quality - When to Harvest - Harvesting Stressed Corn - Harvesting - Fermentation Process - Silage Additives - Silo Gases - Selecting a Storage Structure - Silo Capacity Needed

15 - Harvesting, Drying, Storing, and Marketing - When to Harvest - Harvesting Systems - Market Moisture - High Moisture Discounts: Why and How Much? - Drying Systems - Storage Conditions for Corn and Soybeans - U.S. Standards for Grain - Marketing

 



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