Course Syllabus
COURSE SYLLABUS
|
COURSE TITLE: |
Fruit Science |
|
||
|
COURSE CODE: |
PLSC 441.3 |
TERM: Fall 2022 |
|
|
|
COURSE CREDITS: |
3 |
DELIVERY: In Person |
|
|
|
CLASS LOCATION: CLASS TIME:
|
Ag Building 1E79 Tues & Thur 10 to11:20 am |
START DATE: LAB LOCATION:
LAB TIME: Weds 3 to 5:30 pm |
Hort Field Lab or Ag Bldg 2E11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Instructor Information
Contact Information: Its best to email me to set up a time to talk bob.bors@usask.ca
Office Location: Ag Building room 2C02
Office Phone: 306-966-8583 (should forward to my cellphone) This is a landline number, don't text!
Office Hours: Arrange a time if it will be a long conversation
Website: www.fruit.usask.ca
Course Description
Fundamentals of fruit production including environmental adaptation, cultivars, site development, marketing, cultural management, tree fruits, small fruits, harvesting, diseases and pests. Emphasis will be on cold-hardy fruits of Canada but some other crops may be included. The course will be useful for commercial growers and gardeners.
Prerequisites
PLSC 220 Introduction to Horticulture
An in-person course
In 2020 this course was offered online but now it will be back to the original format of being in person. There may be a few recorded lectures if I get sick or am otherwise unavailable.
I will be posting PDFs of my lecture slides. However, simply studying my lecture slides is not a good strategy to do well in this course. Its best to hear the lectures in person and ask questions in real time.
Three are no lab reports in this course. But many labs give hands-on experience that reinforce lecture material. There will be questions on exams based on labs.
The first 4 labs or so (depending on weather) will be at the Horticulture Research Field. Its address is 2909 14th Street. This is the SE corner of campus. There is enough room for students to park at the facility. Parking is free at that location.
Student Feedback
You can always talk to me after class or arrange an appointment. If you want to email me something (bob.bors@usask.ca), use PLSC441 in your subject line. (Do it exactly like this, no spaces between PLSC and 441). I get at least 50 emails a days, most of which I ignore, putting PLSC441 in subject line means I will find it when sorting my emails. If your feedback is something I think will be useful for the whole class, I may post the answer to the whole class. If it is more personal I’ll only get back to you. Some feedback might inspire me to make an audio recording or even a mini power point. If for some reason you don’t want your identity known when asking a question, let me know that.
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of this course, students will be expected to:
Be knowledgeable in the basics of fruit science
Understand and be able to apply information regarding Prairie Fruit crops
Familiarity with skills associated with growing fruit such as pruning, grafting, maintenance, harvesting.
Lecture Overview
I am uncertain whether it is better to read book material prior to hearing lectures, or to listen to lectures and then read more about it. In the following schedule, I have listed reading material prior to lectures but you may want to try it the other way around. I’d appreciate feedback on it.
I’m often making lectures for growers or gardening groups and sometimes I add them to this course, in which case the list below might get altered.
|
PLSC 441 Lecture Topics, 2022 |
|
INTRODUCTION |
|
Lec 1: Introduction to the course |
|
Read: Why plant fruit? 3-4 |
|
Lec 2: Fruit history at USASK |
|
Lec 3: Types of hardy fruits |
|
PLANNING AND PREPARING |
|
Read: Hardiness 5-12, Propagation 13-17, Flowers and Pollination 18-24 |
|
Lec 4: What do growers and gardeners need to know about when buying plants |
|
Lec 5: Planning a backyard orchard |
|
Lec 6: Planning for a Commercial Orchard: plants-systems-products-markets, site selection, shelterbelts, fencing |
|
GROWING FRUIT, GENERAL PRACTICES |
|
Read: Soils 25-33, Planting 34-41, water & Irrigation 42-45 |
|
Lec 7: Planting and basic care |
|
Read: Mulch 46-51, Weeds 52-60 |
|
Lec 8: Weed Control |
|
Read: Pruning & Training 61-76 |
|
Lec 9: Basic Pruning and Training |
|
Lec 10: Mechanical harvesting: basics concepts, impact on planning and pruning |
|
Skim or read: Insects 70-95,diseases 96-112 (mostly covered in other courses) |
|
Lec 11: Problems: pests and diseases |
|
Read: Birds and Animals: 113-118 |
|
Lec 12: Animal Control in orchards |
|
MIDTERM EXAM (I will survey the class to determine when this should be. Midterm break is the week of Nov 8th. |
|
MAJOR PRAIRIE FRUIT CROPS |
|
note: these crops will be covered in detail with a goal that students know how to grow them successfully |
|
Read: Haskap 196-205 |
|
Lec 13: Haskap |
|
Read: Saskatoons 219-227 |
|
Lec 14: Saskatoons |
|
Read: Sour Cherries 236-245 |
|
Lec 15: Sour Cherries |
|
Read: Raspberry 249-262 |
|
Lec 16: Brambles (Raspberry, Blackberry, etc) |
|
Read Strawberry 265-274 |
|
Lec 17: Strawberries |
|
TREE FRUITS |
|
Read: Tree Fruit Section 121-152 |
|
Lec 18: Tree Fruits: Apples, Pears, Plums, |
|
OTHER FRUIT CROPS |
|
note: these crops will be discussed with less details. Goals are to understand why they are not major crops in the prairies and what makes them unique. |
|
Read: Grapes 277-283, Kiwi 284-289. |
|
Lec 19: Vine crops, Grapes and Kiwi |
|
Skim or read: Aronia, Cherry Plum, Chokecherry, Currant, Gooseberry, Goji, Highbush Cranberry, Pincherry, Sea Buckthorn 155-158, 168-195, 206-210, 215-218, 228-235 |
|
Lec 20: Other shrub fruits |
|
Read: blueberry 159-165, lingonberry 211-214 |
|
Lec 21: Vaccinium fruits: blueberry, lingonberry, cranberry |
Lab ScheduleAs the semester proceeds, I will be creating labs as we go. Some labs will be tours at the USASK fruit research fields. Some will be experiments or learning skills in class. A few might be assignments to do or watch. For most labs, no reports are needed, but some labs may have charts to fill in during the lab that will then be shared with the class. Exams will have questions based on labs.
The following is a list of what labs were in the course when taught in 2018. We may able to do an online version of some of these or do something different. But this should give you an idea of what could occur. |
|
Lab Topics (sequence may vary according to resources or guest speakers) |
|
1. General tour of the fruit program and gathering of leaf samples for identification. |
|
2. Tour and demonstration of pruning and training practices and harvesting equipment |
|
3. Irrigation systems and planting equipment |
|
4. Fruit anatomy and identification |
|
5. Fruit Quality Testing, emphasis on apples |
|
6. Fruit Quality Testing, emphasis on berries |
|
7. Value-added products |
|
8. Grafting and propagation (may be optional for students who took the plant propagation class) |
|
9. Juice, wine, cider making (tour to Crossmount?) |
|
10. Using fruit as a natural dye |
Midterm and Final Examination Scheduling
Midterm Time: I usually let the class vote on when the midterm should be.
Final exams must be written on the date scheduled.
Final examinations may be scheduled at any time during the examination period from Dec 8 to 23; students should therefore avoid making prior travel, employment, or other commitments for this period. If a student is unable to write an exam through no fault of his or her own for medical or other valid reasons, documentation must be provided and an opportunity to write the missed exam may be given. Students are encouraged to review all examination policies and procedures at http://students.usask.ca/academics/exams.php.
Length and Mode of Final Assessment
Exams usually have a variety of question types such as definitions, multiple-choice, matching, and short answers. I usually plan for exam to be 1 ½ hours long but give students an extra hour to complete. Creating an online exam may mean I have to adjust my previous format, but I’ll let you know.
Textbook
The required textbook is Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens by Sara Williams and Bob Bors. It is available through the campus bookstore, McNally Robinson and I will bring some to class to buy. Cost at bookstores is $40 plus tax. I sell them for $40 including tax..
Other Required Materials: lectures or labs may contain some required reading material or websites or videos to view.
Grading Scheme
|
Midterm |
30% |
|
Research Paper Summary |
20% |
|
Ideas worth trying Project |
20% |
|
Final |
30% |
|
Total |
100% |
*I am open to suggestions of other types of projects that could be substituted for either the Summary or Project: video your own field trip? Special experiments on fruit?
Assignment 1: Research Paper Summary
Value: 20% of final grade Due Date: Before the midterm, extra credit if turned in early
Description: For those familiar with my propagation course this is a slightly more beefed up version of summarizing a scientific paper in written form without having powerpoint presentations.
Students will find and summarize a scientific paper that focuses on a topic related to growing fruit. It needs to be a topic that the student feel is useful for growers to know. The choice of a topic must be approved ahead of time by the instructor.
The student will turn in a summary that gives important facts and details in the paper. This will require about 2 pages of text in addition to making a page or two showing important charts/graphs of the paper with comments. You can mark/draw on the chart/graphs if it helps better explain what is going on. It is best if it is in point format.
Some summaries will be discussed in class. Some or all summaries will be posted to the course website as required reading. Some exam questions will be drawn from these summaries. Exam questions about student summaries are usually true/false questions and are based on the most important information.
More details on the format and how it will be graded will be given near the start of the course.
Project: Extension article on “Ideas worth trying”
Value: 20% of final grade
Due Date: Nov 30
Description: This project could be based on the research paper that the student summarized, but a student could also choose a completely different topic. It needs to be a fruit crop that can be grown in Saskatchewan. Students will write an article that includes background information, general principles and a design of an experiment that a grower or gardener might want to do, with a goal of developing better practices.
4 or 5 pages that includes a few photos or diagrams would be a good length for this assignment.
The target audience for this article should be either commercial growers or gardeners. The content of the paper should include general principles, background information and ideas for experimenting. The experiment could be presented as a sidebar or the focus could be on developing a detailed experiment.
For a detailed experiment: include a hypothesis and goals. Details could include plant numbers, treatment descriptions, timing of applications, etc. The experiment should be partially based upon previous research. The write-up could include suggestions for additional treatments or possibly follow-up experiments or links for more information. This would be similar to the first half of a scientific paper except there won’t be any results.
For a general practices article: perhaps make diagrams to explain things better, links to useful websites, videos, examples. One could interview experts.
Graphics used from other sources need to be referenced and ideally permission obtained to use the graphics. The write-up should be in PDF with the idea that it will be posted on a webpage. Creativity, uniqueness, amount of effort and usefulness of the proposed experiment are important components in grading this project. More details on this project will be discussed in class.
Midterm Exam/Assessment
Value: 30% of final grade Date: To be voted on by students
Length: 2 hours
Type: Open book, but only use textbook or course material, not web surfing
Description: Various types of questions.
Final Exam/Assessment
Value: 30% of final grade Date: See Course Schedule
Length: 2 hours
Type: Open book, based on topic since the midterm.
Description: Various types of questions
Submitting Assignments: submit assignments by emailing them to me.
Late Assignments: 10% reduction per day that assignments are late
What Follows is standard information for most courses:
Land Acknowledgement
As we engage in Remote Teaching and Learning, I would like to acknowledge that the Saskatoon campus of the University of Saskatchewan is on Treaty Six Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nation and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. I would also like to recognize that some may be attending this course from other traditional Indigenous lands. I ask that you take a moment to make your own Land Acknowledgement to the peoples of those lands. In doing so, we are actively participating in reconciliation as we navigate our time in this course, learning and supporting each other.
Information on literal descriptors for grading at the University of Saskatchewan can be found at: http://students.usask.ca/academics/grading/grading-system.php
Please note: There are different literal descriptors for undergraduate and graduate students.
More information on the Academic Courses Policy on course delivery, examinations and assessment of student learning can be found at:
http://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php
The University of Saskatchewan Learning Charter is intended to define aspirations about the learning experience that the University aims to provide, and the roles to be played in realizing these aspirations by students, instructors and the institution. A copy of the Learning Charter can be found at: https://teaching.usask.ca/about/policies/learning-charter.php
University of Saskatchewan Grading System (for undergraduate courses)
Exceptional (90-100) A superior performance with consistent evidence of
- a comprehensive, incisive grasp of the subject matter;
- an ability to make insightful critical evaluation of the material given;
- an exceptional capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking;
- an excellent ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to integrate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.
Excellent (80-90) An excellent performance with strong evidence of
- a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter;
- an ability to make sound critical evaluation of the material given;
- a very good capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking;
- an excellent ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to integrate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.
Good (70-79) A good performance with evidence of
- a substantial knowledge of the subject matter;
- a good understanding of the relevant issues and a good familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques;
- some capacity for original, creative and/or logical thinking;
- a good ability to organize, to analyze and to examine the subject material in a critical and constructive manner.
Satisfactory (60-69) A generally satisfactory and intellectually adequate performance with evidence of
- an acceptable basic grasp of the subject material;
- a fair understanding of the relevant issues;
- a general familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques;
- an ability to develop solutions to moderately difficult problems related to the subject material;
- a moderate ability to examine the material in a critical and analytical manner.
Minimal Pass (50-59) A barely acceptable performance with evidence of
- a familiarity with the subject material;
- some evidence that analytical skills have been developed;
- some understanding of relevant issues;
- some familiarity with the relevant literature and techniques;
- attempts to solve moderately difficult problems related to the subject material and to examine the material in a critical and analytical manner which are only partially successful.
Failure <50 An unacceptable performance
Use of Video and Recording of the Course
WILL THE INSTRUCTOR BE RECORDING THE COURSE (IF YES, SEE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE BELOW)? ARE STUDENTS ALLOWED OR PROHIBITED FROM RECORDING THE COURSE?
Note: this may occur if the University goes to remote teaching because of the pandemic.
Use of video and recording of the course:
Video conference sessions in this course, including your participation, will be recorded and made available only to students in the course for viewing via Canvas/Blackboard after each session. This is done, in part, to ensure that students unable to join the session (due to, for example, issues with their internet connection) can view the session at a later time. This will also provide you the opportunity to review any material discussed.
Please remember that course recordings belong to your instructor, the University, and/or others (like a guest lecturer) depending on the circumstance of each session, and are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share recordings without the explicit permission of the instructor.
For questions about recording and use of sessions in which you have participated, including any concerns related to your privacy, please contact your instructor. More information on class recordings can be found in the Academic Courses Policy https://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php#5ClassRecordings.
Copyright
Course materials are provided to you based on your registration in a class, and anything created by your professors and instructors is their intellectual property, unless materials are designated as open education resources. This includes exams, PowerPoint/PDF slides and other course notes. Additionally, other copyright-protected materials created by textbook publishers and authors may be provided to you based on license terms and educational exceptions in the Canadian Copyright Act (see http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-42/index.html).
Before you copy or distribute others’ copyright-protected materials, please ensure that your use of the materials is covered under the University’s Fair Dealing Copyright Guidelines available at https://library.usask.ca/copyright/general-information/fair-dealing-guidelines.php. For example, posting others’ copyright-protected materials on the open web is not covered under the University’s Fair Dealing Copyright Guidelines, and doing so requires permission from the copyright holder.
For more information about copyright, please visit https://library.usask.ca/copyright/index.phpwhere there is information for students available at https://library.usask.ca/copyright/students/rights.php, or contact the University’s Copyright Coordinator at mailto:copyright.coordinator@usask.ca or 306-966-8817.
Integrity in a Remote Learning Context
Although the face of teaching and learning has changed due to covid-19, the rules and principles governing academic integrity remain the same. If you ever have questions about what may or may not be permitted, ask your instructor. Students have found it especially important to clarify rules related to exams administered remotely and to follow these carefully and completely.
The University of Saskatchewan is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Student Conduct & Appeals section of the University Secretary Website and avoid any behavior that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
All students should read and be familiar with the Regulations on Academic Student Misconduct (https://secretariat.usask.ca/student-conduct-appeals/academic-misconduct.php) as well as the Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters and Procedures for Resolution of Complaints and Appeals (https://secretariat.usask.ca/student-conduct-appeals/academic-misconduct.php#IXXIIAPPEALS)
For more information on what academic integrity means for students see the Academic Integrity section of the University Library Website at: https://library.usask.ca/academic-integrity#AboutAcademicIntegrity
You are encouraged to complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial to understand the fundamental values of academic integrity and how to be a responsible scholar and member of the USask community - https://library.usask.ca/academic-integrity.php#AcademicIntegrityTutorial
Examinations with Access and Equity Services (AES)
Students who have disabilities (learning, medical, physical, or mental health) are strongly encouraged to register with Access and Equity Services (AES) if they have not already done so. Students who suspect they may have disabilities should contact AES for advice and referrals at any time. Those students who are registered with AES with mental health disabilities and who anticipate that they may have responses to certain course materials or topics, should discuss course content with their instructors prior to course add / drop dates. In order to access AES programs and supports, students must follow AES policy and procedures. For more information or advice, visit https://students.usask.ca/health/centres/access-equity-services.php, or contact AES at 306-966-7273 or aes@usask.ca.
Students registered with AES may request alternative arrangements for mid-term and final examinations. Students must arrange such accommodations through AES by the stated deadlines. Instructors shall provide the examinations for students who are being accommodated by the deadlines established by AES.
For information on AES services and remote learning please visit https://updates.usask.ca/info/current/accessibility.php#AccessandEquityServices
Student Supports
Academic Help for Students
The University Library offers a range of learning and academic support to assist USask undergrad and graduate students. For information on specific services, please see the Learning page on the Library web site https://library.usask.ca/support/learning.php.
Remote learning support information https://students.usask.ca/study/remote-learning.php
Remote learning tutorial https://libguides.usask.ca/remote_learning
Study skills materials for online learning https://libguides.usask.ca/studyskills
A guide on netiquette, principles to guide respectful online learning interactions https://teaching.usask.ca/remote-teaching/netiquette.php
Teaching, Learning and Student Experience
Teaching, Learning and Student Experience (TLSE) provides developmental and support services and programs to students and the university community. For more information, see the students’ web site http://students.usask.ca.
Financial Support
Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact Student Central (https://students.usask.ca/student-central.php).
Aboriginal Students’ Centre
The Aboriginal Students’ Centre (ASC) is dedicated to supporting Aboriginal student academic and personal success. The centre offers personal, social, cultural and some academic supports to Métis, First Nations, and Inuit students. The centre is also dedicated to intercultural education, brining Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students together to learn from, with and about one another in a respectful, inclusive and safe environment. Students are encouraged to visit the ASC’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/aboriginalstudentscentre/) to learn more.
International Student and Study Abroad Centre
The International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC) supports student success and facilitates international education experiences at USask and abroad. ISSAC is here to assist all international undergraduate, graduate, exchange and English as a Second Language students in their transition to the University of Saskatchewan and to life in Canada. ISSAC offers advising and support on matters that affect international students and their families and on matters related to studying abroad as University of Saskatchewan students. Please visit students.usask.ca or updates.usask.ca for more information.
Recommended Technology for Remote Learning
Students are reminded of the importance of having the appropriate technology for remote learning. The list of recommendations can be found at https://students.usask.ca/remote-learning/tech-requirements.php.
College Supports
OTHER SUPPORTS OFFERED BY THE COLLEGE OR DEPARTMENT