Bachelor of Horticultural Science – BHortSci

The study of the flow of food and agricultural products from the farm to the final consumer. Emphasis on successful value chain management applied to food and agribusiness. The course utilizes field trips to study local value chains.

Prerequisites: 119180

The course examines the nature of the contemporary economic environment in which businesses operate, and considers how economics can aid in business decision-making.

Restrictions: 115106

An introduction to the agricultural and horticultural species important to New Zealand's economy. Growth and development of agricultural and horticultural plants; their responses to the environment and management, and implications for production. Identification and biology of agricultural and horticultural plants, including weeds, pests and pathogens important to plant production.

Restrictions: 283101, 284101

Industry experience for at least ten consecutive weeks in a public or private business related to the land-based industries. A descriptive report demonstrating satisfactory observational, analytical and reporting skills is required.

An introduction to the organisation, structure and governance of New Zealand agribusiness in a global context. Examines the international and domestic macro environment and its impact on New Zealand agribusiness. Explores New Zealand farm systems within an agribusiness context.

Industry experience for at least ten consecutive weeks in a public or private business related to the land-based industries. A detailed, investigative report identifying and analysing opportunities, problems, policies and technical and research issues is required.

Prerequisites: 119150

Legal responsibilities and compliance associated with primary production; obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and examples of legislation including resource management, hazardous substances and new organisms, animal welfare, health and safety, food safety, biosecurity and employment. Central and local government, and industry systems. Implications for owners, managers and employees in the rural sector.

Application of decision tools for farm systems analysis at the tactical level. Analytical frameworks to assist decision-making in finance, human resources, production and marketing.

Prerequisites: 119180 or 117155

An integrative course designed to emphasise the importance of the broad knowledge base gained in the degree and the value of multidisciplinary teams in addressing the issues and problems of importance to the industries served by the degree. Emphasis will be placed on the application of knowledge to problem-solving, group learning and problem-solving strategies and communication in the context of applied science. Real-world problems will be used.

Prerequisites: 119250

A practical approach to the management of strategy, finance and tactics in primary industry. An exploration, through in-field case studies and business analysis, of planning under uncertainty.

Prerequisites: 119281

This course is an integrated introductory study of plants. Major themes include: plant form and function (anatomy, morphology, photosynthesis, respiration, transport systems, mineral nutrition); regulation of growth and development, especially in response to the environment; plant diversity (systematics, evolution, life cycles, New Zealand flora); and plants and people (crop domestication, plant breeding and production, Māori plant use).

An introduction to statistics in an agricultural context, including the presentation, analysis and interpretation of quantitative data.

Restrictions: 161100, 161101, 161111, 161120, 161122, 161130, 115101, 195101, 297101

An integrated introductory course in soil science. An exploration of the interaction between soil and the environment, soil formation and morphology, soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and their influence on soil management, nutrient cycling, and soil-plant interactions.

Prerequisites: 247111 or 247113

This course examines the influence of soil factors on plant nutrient cycling in agricultural production systems. The composition, properties and uses of fertilisers to improve soil fertility and the associated environmental issues arising from soil water relationships and interactions with plant nutrients. Methods for measuring nutrient levels in soils will also be covered.

Prerequisites: 189151

The pursuit of environmental sustainability is a complex societal issue. This is a problem-based course, where students will develop their critical thinking, communication and information literacy and management skills as they evaluate interdisciplinary approaches to the contemporary sustainability challenge of climate action. Students will explore the intersection of science and community through exemplars of partnership between research and Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) in the context of primary production in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Restrictions: 247177, 141111, 141112, 228111, 228112, 247155, 119155, 246102, 247112, 247113, 247114

An interdisciplinary study of the major vegetable and fruit production systems in NZ, and overseas. Different systems and subsystems will be analysed using indicators including productivity, quality, profitability and sustainability.

Prerequisites: 119120 or 284101

Physiological and applied aspects of monitoring, predicting and manipulating crop growth and development in production horticulture in order to optimize yield, quality and timeliness. Prediction of crop growth and development in response to changes in the environment and the associated decisions made by growers.

Prerequisites: 284201

The role of crop architecture and the modification of the aerial environment for optimising yield and pre-harvest product quality, as well as the factors affecting quality and shelf life of horticultural commodities through the handling chain.

Prerequisites: 120217 or 284201

The importance of diseases, pests and weeds to horticultural, agricultural and forestry production, trade, gardening and conservation is outlined. The course introduces the biology of these organisms and gives an understanding of their management and control. An introduction to strategies available for chemical, non-chemical and integrated control methods is included together with examples. A course of practical work.

Prerequisites: 119120 or 120101 or 283101 or 284101 Restrictions: 171284

An introductory biology course on the way organisms react, adapt, and interact. The course investigates the relationships between genotype, phenotype and environment, and the diversity of life on Earth within a phylogenetic framework. The course includes an examination of the dynamic interactions within and between abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems, including a focus on the evolutionary ecology of behaviours such as foraging, mating, parenting, and cooperation.

An introductory course exploring the dynamics of Earth and how it changes through time, from the core to the atmosphere, plate tectonics to volcanoes, glaciers to rivers, mountains to oceans, and mass extinctions to the evolution of life. Through exploration of these processes and their interrelationships with environments and society, including natural hazards, climate change, and earth resources, students will develop their practical, problem solving, and communication skills.

Restrictions: 233101 and 145121

An introduction to human resources management (HRM) theories and practices in national and international contexts.

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of leadership and teamwork.

Prerequisites: 90 credits at 100 level

Plants as sources of food and beverage, medicine, fibres and dyes, with emphasis on their origin, domestication and the role of plant breeding to improve plants for human use. The physiological effects of active plant compounds on the body. The cultural and geographic origins of commercially important plants.

Engineering principles underpinning the systems used in the growing, harvest and post-harvest treatment of agricultural and horticultural products. Emphasis is placed on deriving the system performance specification following consideration of capacity, product quality and safety, and ecological requirements.

Application of a broad range of business concepts - economic, financial and marketing - to international agri-food business and marketing. Emphasis is placed on international consumers and agri-food exports, including external environment, terms of trade, transportation, packaging, documentation, methods of payment, risk management and negotiation.

The evolution of plant lineages has many potential outcomes, ranging from extinction to diversification and speciation. This course explores the processes that influence how lineages evolve and how we investigate and interpret patterns of diversity to better understand plant evolution and speciation. Lectures consist of critical discussion of topics including species concepts, local adaptation and diversification, morphological and molecular evolution, mating systems, and the roles of hybridization and polyploidy in plant evolution and speciation.

Prerequisites: One of (120201, 120218, 120219, 196205, 196207 or 203210)

Traditional and modern methods by which plants can be modified to provide new genetic material for use in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and industry. This course links basic and applied science and focuses on how natural and induced genetic variation can be harnessed for human use. Emphasis is on the dramatic progress being made in plant breeding, QTL analysis, marker-assisted selection, tissue culture and recombinant DNA technology. The course includes discussion of environmental, ethical and regulatory issues.

Prerequisites: 203210 or 284201 Restrictions: 120304

Knowledge of remote and proximal sensing, and precision livestock techniques to provide information to mitigate environmental impacts under intensive farm production systems. Consideration of issues of resource use, optimization of farm production and environmental performance of primary industries.

This course examines farm physical resources, nutrient management and budgeting and contaminant loss processes in the context of Te Mana o te Wai. Students will integrate their knowledge to produce a freshwater Farm Environment Plan which identifies soil, pathogen, nutrient and greenhouse gas loss pathways on multiple land uses and justifies mitigation practices which are appropriate for the farm system and to protect freshwater.

Prerequisites: 189251 or 121213

This course explores Māori agribusiness through a series of case studies in the field with an emphasis on the temporal understanding of Māori agribusiness. Each case study has an emphasis on analysis and decision making and is applied to a range of Māori agribusinesses.

Prerequisites: 119180

Aspects of weed biology will be studied to help understand how to obtain efficient and effective weed control. The full range of control techniques, both chemical and non-chemical, will be discussed. Students will learn how to develop integrated weed control programmes for their specific area of interest in agriculture, horticulture, forestry or conservation.

Prerequisites: 119120 or 120101 or 171102 or 283101 Restrictions: 171385