VIN 293 (AGA-142) - Soils for Viticulture

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1 VIN 293 (AGA-142) - Soils for Viticulture Date: September 3 - December 13, 2013 Semester: Fall 2013 Course No.: VIN 111 Course Credit: 3 Hours Course Name: Soils for Viticulture Room: Online Instructor: Robert Landry farmtrained@gmail.com Office Hours: phone or (by appt only) Phone: Course Description: The course will explore soil properties and behavior and their influence on vine growth and wine grape characteristics. The course focuses not only on growth and production, but on the long-term effects of viticulture on soil quality and the wider environment. The goal of the course is for students to be able to select sites for a new vineyard, and help manage soils in existing vineyards upon completion of the course. Prerequisites: None Next Course in Sequence: VIN 213 Course Goals The course is designed to provide experiences that will enable the student to: Gain an understanding of soils and the environment. Gain an understanding of the makeup of soil. Gain an understanding of the vine root habitat. Gain an understanding of the concepts of soil fertility and chemistry. Gain an understanding of how the soil supplies nutrients. Gain an understanding of the primary nutrients. Gain an understanding of secondary and micronutrients. Gain an understanding of nutrients for healthy vines and good wines. Gain an understanding of soil testing and interpretation. Gain an understanding of plant nutrients and the environment. Gain an understanding of soil-water-vine relationships and water management. Gain an understanding of soil quality in vineyards. Gain an understanding of site selection and soil preparation. Gain an understanding of soil and wine regions.

2 Textbooks Students are responsible for acquiring the required textbook and materials. Required: Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils, 3 rd ed. by Brady and Weil. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ ISBN: Recommended: Understanding Vineyard Soils by White, Robert E. Oxford University Press, New York, New York ISBN: Outline and Schedule of Subject Content Week Live Session Lecture Topics Reading/Exams 1 9/5 Welcome, Course Overview and Syllabus; Ch. 1 Soils and Viticulture 2 9/12 Soil Formation Ch /19 Soil Physical Properties Ch. 4,7 4 9/26 Review for exam I EXAM I 5 10/3 Soil-water Relations Ch. 5,6* 6 10/10 Vine Water Status * 7 10/17 Soil Chemical Properties: Colloids and ph Ch /24 Soil Salinity Ch /31 Review for exam II EXAM II 10 11/7 Soil Nutrition: Macronutrients Ch. 12* 11 11/14 Soil Nutrition: Micronutrients 12 11/21 Practical Vineyard Nutrient Management Ch. 13* 13 none Thanksgiving Holiday - no live session Work on soil reports 14 12/5 Site Selection and Soil Preparation Soil reports due 15 12/12 Course wrap-up and review for final exam FINAL The instructor reserves the right to adjust the schedule as necessary. *Reading assignments marked with an asterisk indicate additional online reading as noted in your course content. Instructional Methods This is an online course with a synchronous component. An online course site hosted by Northeast Iowa Community College is used to provide announcements, lectures, notes, supplemental printed and web-based materials, and assignments to the students. It also serves as a central point for interaction/communication between the instructor and the students. The live class meeting will take place once a week on Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time via the Centra web-based conference system. Participation to the live class meetings is required. It is an opportunity for the instructor to go over weekly topic highlights and for students to 2

3 interact with the instructor and fellow students through questions and discussions. Students are expected to be prepared to ask questions and actively participate in the discussions. Course Assignments Course assignments include weekly readings (online lectures/presentations and print-based materials), posting and responding to weekly discussion questions, a soil report, three quizzes, and three exams. Weekly Reading Assignments: Online lectures/presentations and web/print-based materials will be posted on the online course site. Students should view the prerecorded weekly lecture video and complete the weekly discussion board postings/assignments before each live class meeting. Weekly Discussion Questions: Students will be asked to post weekly questions based on lectures and readings on the online course site Message Board by noon CST on the day of the live class meeting. After the live class meeting, students are responsible for posting responses to at least one other student s questions by noon CST of the following week s live class meeting. Your instructor may also post questions for you to answer for some topics. Late postings will not be accepted, no points will be given for questions/answers posted after the due date and time. Soil Report: Based on the soil report rubric provided in the course assignments, students will complete a soil report on a particular soil of their choice. Late reports will not be accepted, and no points will be given for reports posted after the due date and time. Quizzes: There will be three short quizzes through the semester to help you assess your understanding of the content learned. Students will take the quizzes on line through the course site. Exams: There will be two midterm exams and a final exam. The first midterm exam will cover topics studied in weeks 1-4, second midterm weeks 5-9, final exam weeks Students will take the exams online through the course site. Expectations and Instructor Feedback Students should participate in the weekly virtual class meetings. It is also the students responsibility to check the online course site on a regular basis, be aware of the required activities and assignments, and adhere to the deadlines. This will ensure a successful learning experience. The instructor will make the best effort to respond to student questions and complete assignment/exam grading on a timely manner. Live Class Meeting Participation Participation to the live class meeting is crucial and participation grade is assigned. It is the student s responsibility to notify the instructor in advance if he/she has to miss a class. Students who missed a class meeting are required to view the live class recording as soon as possible. 3

4 Late Assignments Late postings will not be accepted, no points will be given for questions/answers posted after the due date and time. Students should work ahead instead of making up. In order for the instructor to submit the final grades by university deadline, there will be no extensions for final exam. Please be mindful of final exam deadline. Grading % = A % = B % = C % = D Below 60% = F The percentage weight of student performance will be: Weekly Discussion Questions 12% 120 points* Live Class Participation 13% 130 points (weeks 2-12 &14-15, 10 points each) Quizzes (3) 9% 90 points (30 points each) Soil Report 16% 160 points Exam I 15% 150 points Exam II 15% 150 points Final Exam 20% 200 points Total Grade 100% 1000 points *Weeks 2-3, 5-8, & 14, 6 points for posting questions and 6 points for replying to at least another post per week. Incomplete grades are not given in this class. Should it become necessary to withdraw, it is the student s responsibility to do so according to the guidelines in the NICC student handbook. Student Academic and Student Support Resources Northeast Iowa Community College provides a full-range academic and student support for its students. To learn more about specific academic and student support and how to access the resources, go to Accommodations for Students with Special Needs Northeast Iowa Community College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should make their request in the following way: (1) speak with the instructor after class or during office hours about your disability or special needs related to work in the class and (2) contact Student Services and ask to speak to the ADA officer. Nondiscrimination Policy Statement 4

5 Northeast Iowa Community College is a community of people with respect for diversity. The University emphasizes the dignity and equality common to all persons and adheres to a strict nondiscrimination policy regarding the treatment of individual faculty, staff, and students. In accord with federal law and applicable Iowa statutes, the College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the College. In addition, the College does not discriminate on any basis not related to the applicable educational requirements for students or the applicable job requirements for employees. The College maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. Northeast Iowa Community College is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer. Inquiries concerning the grievance procedure, Affirmative Action Plan, or compliance with federal and state laws and guidelines should be addressed to the Equal Opportunity Officer. Student Disability Accommodation Policy and Procedures Within the guidelines set forth in this policy, Northeast Iowa Community College is committed to providing an accessible and supportive environment for students with disabilities. Equal access for qualified students with disabilities is an obligation of the College under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of Northeast Iowa Community College does not discriminate on the basis of disability against otherwise-qualified individuals in any program, service or activity offered by the College. The College is committed to insuring that no otherwise-qualified individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids or other appropriate services; however, accommodations cannot result in an undue burden to the College or fundamentally alter the requirements essential to a program of instruction. 5