Citrus and Subtropical Fruits
Fall, 2006
Syllabus
Hort 489/Hort 689
Instructor: Dr. Bhimu
Patil
Director, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center
Associate Professor, Department of Horticulrural Sciences, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX 77845.
Phone: 979-458-8090, Fax: 979-862-4522
Lecture: Tue and Thursday, 2:20-3:35 PM (concurrent with Hort 489)
This course will be offered simultaneously on TTVN (Trans Texas Video Network)
to three different locations.
Recitation: Tuesday-3:35-4:25 PM (graduate students only)
HORT 689 (3 cr.) for graduate students enrolled at Texas A&M University-College
Station.
HORT 489 (3 cr.) for undergraduate students enrolled at Texas A&M University-College
Station.
PLSS 6390 (3 cr.) for graduate students enrolled at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
PLSS 4390 (3 cr.) for undergraduate students enrolled at Texas A&M
University-Kingsville.
Classroom:
Texas A&M University-College Station: CTQ 120B (video conference room)
Texas A&M University, Agricultural Research and Extension
Center, Weslaco, TX Room 157
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, TAI (library)
Course Description:
Hort 489, Hort 689, PLSS 4390, PLSS 6390. Citrus and Subtropical Fruits
is a 3 credit hour course with 3 weekly class meetings, including lecture
and lab sessions. The course encompasses the various types of citrus, including
oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and mandarins and also avocados and olives.
It covers the identification, culture, processing, marketing, and economic
future. By understanding the complete production of these fruits, graduates
can prepare themselves to function in a continuously changing production environment
in production areas. Prerequisite: approval of instructor.
Overview of Course:
The course will be taught as 2 lecture periods (concurrent with Hort 489),
and one hour recitation period per week (graduate student only). Lecture topics
will include History, subtropical fruit industry, Interaction with climate,
frost and freeze hazards, classification, rootstocks, propagation, planting,
training, pruning, nutrition, IPM, diseases and pests, weed control, insect
and graft transmissible disease, molecular breeding, harvesting, post harvest
and functional components. The course will have major emphasis on citrus
and avocado and olive will also be covered. Field visit to packing
shed, juice plant, citrus and avocado, citrus nursery and orchards.
Instructor's Office Hours: Office hours : Wed : 1:30-2:30 PM or Arranged
by appointment, and also through phone and email.
Required Text: Davies, F.S. and L.G. Albrigo. 1994. Citrus. CAB International,
Wallingford, UK. The Web will be used as a supplemental source of information
for this course. Lecture outlines, course images, etc. are contained here.
Aggie Horticulture Online: Aggie Horticulture is a World Wide Web server
connected online through Internet. Aggie Horticulture is accessible from any
computer on campus (or anywhere in the world!) having Internet client software
(for example, Explorer or Netscape). Students will use Aggie Horticulture
as a tool for accessing electronic databases of horticultural information
and will develop assignments for posting on the Internet.
Course Grade:
Each student’s grade will be based on total of 1000 points for the
semester. A standard grading scale will be utilized. The tentative
grading scale for the course is:
| 900-1000 points (90-100%) |
A |
| 800-899 points (89%) |
B |
| 700-799 points (79%) |
C |
| 600-699 points (69%) |
D |
| Below 600 points (<60%) |
F |
Grading Breakdown
| Exam/Assignments |
Points |
% of course total |
| Mid Term Exam |
300 |
30 |
| Final Exam |
300 |
30 |
| Term Papers (undergraduate Students) |
400 |
40 |
| Presentation and term paper (graduate student) |
200 |
20 |
| Participatation in web Discussion (graduate
student) |
200 |
20 |
Grading Recitation (graduate students):
Discussion and Presentation:
Graduate students will be responsible for critiquing and summarizing a peer-reviewed
published article related to citrus and subtropical crops for the weekly topic.
Each graduate student will be required to write a term paper on a specific
topic of citrus or subtropical fruit crops. The topics will be decided in
the beginning of semester. Each student will present the paper to the
class during recitation period. Students will be graded on the recitation
section of the course based on the quality of presentation, material collected.
Recitation including, term paper, presentation, web discussion will count
40% of the grade.
Participation in Group Discussion:
Graduate students will involve a through web discussion of specific topic
each week after Wednesday’s class for 50 minutes. Participation in the
web discussion, term paper and presentation for the whole semester will count
the same value as a major letter quiz.
Make-Up Exams:
Make-up exams/missed essay due dates will only be allowed
for official University excuses. Instructor must be informed personally within
24 hours of missing the exam/exercise due date. All make-up exams (acceptance
of essays after due date) must be completed within 7 days of the originally
scheduled date of the exam or essay or the student will receive a grade of
zero.
Late Assignments/term paper:
Late term papers are subject to penalty.
Changes in Schedule:
The instructor reserves the right to change the order
and content of lectures as necessary. Exam dates (review paper due dates)
(excluding the final) may be changed by the instructor, but at least 5 days
notice will be given.
Aggie Code of Honor: "Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal nor do they tolerate
those who do."
Students are expected to attend all classes, complete term papers
and presentation on time, and participate fully in class discussions and
field trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Violations will be handled in
accordance with the Texas A&M University Regulations governing academic
integrity.
Suggested Inclusions from Speaker of the TAMU Faculty Senate:
Copyright / plagiarism statement:
“ The handouts (all materials generated during this course) used in this
course are copyrighted. Because these materials are copyrighted, you
do not have the right to copy the handouts, unless I expressly grant permission.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the
ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with
this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another
person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have permission of that
person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys
the trust among colleague without research cannot safely communicated.
If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest
issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules, under the section “Scholastic
Dishonesty”.
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement:
“ The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal antidiscrimination
statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with
disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all
students with disabilities to be guaranteed a learning environment that provides
for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have
a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact he Department of Student
Life, services for students with disabilities in Room 126 of Koldus Building,
or call 845-1637.
Coordinators for Trans-Texas Video Conference Sites:
| Name |
Phone |
Location |
E-mail |
| Dr. Shad Nelson |
361-593-3691 |
Kingsville |
shad.nelson@tamuk.edu |
| Dr. Mani Skaria |
956-968-2132 |
Weslaco |
m-skaria@tamuk.edu |
| Instructors | Syllabus | Schedule | Grades | | Topics | TTVN Slides | Citrus Links |