Tentative Class Schedule Spring 2011

Introduction to Tropics - Beginner's Guide - CGIAR Web Sites (Jan. 18)
Climatic Factors - Climate Classificationtemperature, rainfall, humidity, light, drought, famine (Jan. 20)


Plant responses to water stress and drought, flooding, heat, and humidity (Jan. 25)
Perspectives on - (agriculture & food security; food & population growth)
(Jan. 27)


Land of Plenty, Land of Want (Journey to Planet Earth) (Feb. 1)
Population, socio-economics, global issues - FAO 2004 Food InSecurity (Feb. 3)


Tropical Soils (tropical soils, acid soils, green manures) (Feb. 8)
Green Revolution: A failure or a success? - FAO perspective and Critical Issues in Global Agriculture (Feb. 10)



World Food Crops - Plants for Tropical Subsistence Farms (Feb. 15)
Principles of Crop Selection Tropical Crop Link (Feb. 17)


No Class, Monday Schedule (Feb. 22)
Major food crops - Cereals (rice) (Feb. 24)


FIRST-TERM EXAM (Holdsworth Hall Rm 302) (Mar. 1)
Major food crops - Cereals (
maize, sorghum) (Mar. 3)



International research organizations: Class Presentation (Mar. 8)

Major food crops - Cereals (pearl and finger millet) and pseudo-cereals (Mar. 10)


Spring Break

Field Trip - Tropical Crops Durphy Conservatory (Mar. 22)
Major food crops - roots & tubers
(cassava, sweet potato, taro, yam, potato) (Mar. 25)


Major food crops - legumes (bean, chickpea, cowpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, soybean) and oil seeds (Mar. 29)
Major food crops - (vegetables, moringa tree, chaya) (Mar. 31)


Major food crops - tropical fruits (banana, coconut, and breadfruit) (Apr. 5)
Other crops - forages (forages-ECHO, tropical forages) (Apr. 7)


SECOND-TERM EXAM (Holdsworth Hall Rm 302) (Apr. 12)
Cropping Systems - Shifting Agriculture, multiple cropping and polyculture (Apr. 14)


Cropping Systems - Alley cropping, Agroforestry Princ., Forestry Agroforestry (Apr. 19)
Dryland/Rainfed agriculture -
Food production: the critical role of water (Apr. 21)

Strategies and technologies for dryland crop production - Dryland Farming (Apr. 26)
Animal agriculture (Apr. 28)


Global Banquet, by Invitation Only (May 3)


Evaluation:

Class participation

0 to -5%

Short papers and class presentations

20%

Term Paper

20%

Term exams (2)

40%

Final exam

20%

Textbook (Recommended, not required): Tropical and Sub-Tropical Foods, by Susan Mayhew and Anne Penny, Macmillan Education Ltd.