Sustainable Crop Production - Agronomy for the 21 Century

这是一个为期一年的强化硕士课程，可以选择两年或三年以上的兼职培训。它让学生以不同的学习方法；讲座、实践(包括两个农场单元)、研讨会授课、教程和其他参与讲习班以及评估的自学时间。所有学生还将完成两个项目，一个是研究项目或安置，另一个是作物保护基础证书的一部分(见下文)。课程内容包括：《作物生产原理》、《植物病理学进展》、《土壤、水和矿物营养学》、《植物遗传学、基因组学和生物信息学》、《杂草管理和生态学》、《病虫害综合管理和生物防治》、《谷物、油籽和根茎作物农学》、《基础(作物保护)》、《生命科学研究技能》、《生物科学、政治和社会可接受性》、《项目或安置》。我们还将为学生提供有资格获得PA1、PA4和PA6证书和事实的机会。这些课程将作为临时课程提供，而不是核心课程。许多模块已经在华威大学开设，作为现有理科硕士课程(作物生产的植物生物科学和园艺企业)的一部分。这门新课程是专门为解决受过良好培训的职业农艺师的严重短缺问题而设计的。这份申请附带了一些在英国工作的最大的农用化学品和种子公司以及一些较大的农艺提供商的支持信，其中包括英国最大的环境咨询、农村发展服务和政策建议的独立提供商ADAS。此外，我们还收到了种植者本身、AHDB和一些种植者协会的代表的支持信。这种对课程的支持和热情认可了我们为开发一门满足所有这些利益相关者需求的课程所采取的谨慎态度。华威和陶氏农业科学公司(他们在英国的试验和研究基地设在华威)以及其他感兴趣的各方进行了详细的讨论，以创建适合未来职业农艺师或试验经理的学生的课程。通过满足这些需求，利益相关者将华威的“可持续作物生产”课程视为真正以需求为导向的解决方案，以解决他们目前在农学和试验岗位招聘方面遇到的困难。不仅有许多利益相关者撰写了支持这门课程的文章，一些人还参与了课程的教学。ADAS将在他们自己的试验地点提供大部分“谷物、油籽和根茎作物农学”模块。几家公司(Inc.、ADAS和Dow)已经提出接受学生实习。所有人都将基础资格视为一大额外奖励，再加上有机会预览未来可能的招聘人员，这些都激发了他们的热情。Basis使用体验式的实地教学，让学生熟悉真实的、日常的农业问题。虽然这是以农场为基础的，但同样重要的是，在生产光谱的另一端，我们向学生们提供“生物科学、政治和社会可接受性”方面的培训，以理解为什么社会关注农业/粮食生产和环境。本单元涵盖道德、沟通、与贸易和商业化的接触以及消费者选择等方面。华威人力资源研究所教授的模块涵盖了推进农业生物科学的所有方面，这些方面对现代和未来的农业实践非常重要。这并不是说它们从日常耕作中消失了。相反，我们的所有模块都包括实践元素或实地考察，以在当前实践中嵌入对主题的学术理解和批判性评估。招收有能力的学生仍将是一个挑战。我们计划支持这一应用的公司和种植者将帮助说明在产品中找到的机会和满足感

This is an intensive one year Masters course, with an option for part time training over 2 or 3 years. It involves students in varied learning methods; lectures, practicals (including two on-farm modules), seminar delivery, tutorials and other particpatory workshops as well as assessed self-learning time. All students will also complete two projects, one a research project or placement and the other as part of their BASIS certificate in crop protection (see below). The syllabus will be the following modules: 'Principles of Crop Production', 'Advances in Plant Pathology', 'Soil, Water and Mineral Nutrition', 'Plant Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics', 'Weed Management and Ecology', 'Integrated Pest Management and Biocontrol', 'Cereal, Oilseed and Root Crop Agronomy', 'BASIS (Crop Protection)', 'Research Skills in Life Sciences', 'Bioscience, Politics and Social Acceptability', 'Project or Placement'. We will also offer opportunities for students to qualify for PA1, PA4 and PA6 certificates and FACTS. These will be offered as extras, not core curriculum. A number of the modules are already offered at Warwick as parts of existing MSc courses (Plant Bioscience for Crop Production and Enterprise for Horticulture). This new course is specifically designed to address a much wider catchment as well as the severe shortage of well-trained career agronomists. This application comes with letters of support from some of the biggest agrochemical and seed companies working in the UK and some of the larger agronomy providers including ADAS, 'the UK's largest independent provider of environmental consultancy, rural development services and policy advice.' Further, we have letters of support from representatives of the growers themselves, AHDB and some Grower Associations. This level of support and enthusiasm for the course recognises the care we have taken to develop a course that meets the needs of all these stakeholders. Detailed discussions have taken place between Warwick and Dow AgroSciences (who have their UK trials and research base at Warwick), as well as other interested parties , to create a curriculum fit-for-purpose for students who will become career agronomists or trials managers. By meeting these needs the stakeholders see the Warwick 'Sustainable Crop Production' course as a real need-driven answer to their current troubled ability to recruit into agronomy and trials posts. Not only have many of the stakeholders written in support of the course, some are participating in teaching it. ADAS will deliver most of the 'Cereal, Oilseed and Rootcrop Agronomy' module on their own trials sites. Several companies (inc ADAS and Dow) have offered to take students for placements. All see that BASIS qualification as a big bonus, and this along with the chance to preview future possible recruits has fuelled their enthusiasm. BASIS uses experiental, in-field teaching to familiarise the students with real, everyday agricultural problems. Whilst this is farm-based, at the other - but equally important - end of the production spectrum we train the students in 'Bioscience, Politics and Social Acceptability', to understand why society has concerns with agriculture/food production and the environment. This module covers aspects such as ethics, communication, engagement with trade and commercialisation and consumer choice. The modules taught at Warwick HRI cover all the aspects of advancing agricultural bioscience important to modern and future agricultural practices. This is not to say that they are removed from everyday farming. On the contrary, all our modules include practical elements or field trips to embed academic understanding and critical appraisal of topics in current practice. Recruitment of able students will remain a challenge. We plan that the companies and growers supporting this application will help illustrate the opportunities and satisfaction to be found in product