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Study associate degree online through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

Agribusiness Fundamentals

Humans and Animals: Anthropological Perspectives

Water Management

Introduction to Animal and Agricultural Sciences

Agribusiness Management

Principles of Weed, Pest and Disease Management

Resilient Regions: Sustainability in Practice

E-agribusiness, Technology and Innovation

Agricultural Ecosystems

Agrifinance and Risk Management

This subject will investigate the past, present and future of agriculture, and its impact on Australia and the world. At the end of this subject, you will have a deeper understanding of the importance and context of agriculture from a range of different perspectives.You will examine the pre-and post-colonial agriculture in Australia and around the world. In understanding the past, you will cover the influence of agriculture on Australian history, landscapes and regional and rural development. What were the historical constraints, what are the current constraints, and what will they be in the future?To address the present, you will investigate the role of agriculture in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the role of agriculture in global food production and trade, and in the modern Australian economy. The future of agriculture will involve the increased use of precision – in data collection and analysis, forecasting, sensors and robotics. The increase in protected cropping will mean more diseases, but more control over inputs – how will this be achieved in a sustainable way to feed the world? What will the impact of this be on future workforce and society?

Agriculture and Food Security

Agribusiness describes the food and fibre production and marketing system, which is made up of thousands of businesses ranging from small farms to large multinational companies. A focus for this subject is the effective and efficient management of agribusinesses, which is strongly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 12 - Responsible Production and Consumption.  In this subject you will be introduced to managers and the management of food, fibre and agribusiness firms. In doing so you will explore the concepts, processes, ideas, issues and experiences of managers and management that will enhance your effectiveness in performing the functions and tasks of an agribusiness manager.

In the first part of this subject you will be introduced to key concepts in animal science, including animal breeding, biotechnology, nutrition, growth, reproduction, lactation and animal welfare, and major global issues such as food security and environmental impacts of animal agriculture through flip teaching (weeks 1 - 7). You will then follow a more applied module (weeks 8-12) in which you will analyse agricultural issues like sustainability, climate and environment, and sustainable cropping and grazing systems.

Animal law is a rapidly evolving area of law that seeks to understand how the law governs our interactions with animals. This subject will equip you with a broad understanding of this highly regarded area of work. You will learn about existing animal welfare legislation and consider how different philosophical and ethical and jurisprudential perspectives inform the ways in which law regulates animals. Throughout, you will focus on comparing and contrasting the differing regulatory arrangements of companion animals, wildlife and endangered species, farm animals and related Agribusiness areas such as farming practices, feedlots, environmental regulation, road transport and export. You will also explore scientific experimentation, the entertainment industry (circuses, zoos and rodeos) and commercial food production. Throughout, you will consider international developments in animal law and role of lawyers in the litigation and enforcement of animal law matters.

Animal Law

This subject focuses on the critical components of animal management for profitability and sustainability of ruminant production systems. Topics will include animal health, welfare, fertility, genetics, feed budgeting and pasture management. You will investigate the main factors affecting ruminant health and the strategies available to prevent and manage such conditions. You will explore how animal ethics and welfare need to be incorporated into farm planning. The subject will provide examples of how farmers improve ruminant reproductive performance, irrespective of their farming system and how they make informed decisions around breeding and grazing management.

Herd and Pasture Management

In this subject you will learn how soil characteristics including physical, chemical and biological properties underpin and inform the development and implementation of soil management strategies. You will investigate how soil health, plant productivity and ecosystem services can be influenced by land use, management practices and agricultural production activities. You will also explore how effective and sustainable soil management strategies can maintain and improve soil form and function in different ecological landscapes.This subject also incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment to provide you with opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. Through a range of learning experiences you will be introduced to:<ul><li>methods, practices and approaches relative to sustainable soil management;</li><li>comparative analysis of soils to identify opportunities and limitations for agricultural production;</li><li>ways of understanding problems associated with soil management and developing solutions.</li></ul>

Principles of Soil Management

In this subject you will learn the principles of agricultural crop production, which include planning, establishment and management of crops to achieve optimal crop growth and yield. You will learn how different crop plants have specific growing requirements such as environment, nutrients and water. You will also explore different management approaches and how they impact on crop health and agricultural productivity.This subject incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment to provide you with opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs.Through a range of learning experiences, you will be introduced to:<ul><li>approaches and practices relative to sustainable crop production;</li><li>comparative analysis of crop management approaches.</li></ul>

Principles of Crop Production

In this subject you will examine human impacts of agricultural production on ecosystem services, ecosystem functions and biodiversity. You will also learn how these services interact with agricultural production in relation to biosecurity, food security, and land management. You will explore concepts related to environmental-economic accounting, including true cost accounting and natural capital accounting. You will be provided with opportunities to formulate practice-based management solutions that are feasible, economically viable, socially and ethically acceptable, and environmentally sustainable.This subject also incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment to provide you with opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs.Through a range of learning experiences you will be introduced to:- approaches and practices relative to sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems;- ways of understanding problems associated with agricultural production systems and developing solutions.

This subject will provide you with an understanding of biological, geological, chemical and physical processes, as they relate to agricultural production systems. Processes explored will include biogeochemical cycles, photosynthesis, respiration, energy flows and transfer of nutrients. You will learn about the roles and interactions of living organisms and non-living components of agricultural production systems. You will have the opportunity to explore agricultural production systems and processes through practical experiences, tutorials and workshops.This subject incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment to provide you with opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. You will be introduced to:<ul><li>methods, practices and approaches relative to sustainable agricultural production,</li><li>ways of understanding problems and developing solutions through a range of active learning experiences.</li></ul>

Principles of Agricultural Production

This subject creates a practical awareness of e-enabled agribusiness and the use of technology in areas such as precision agriculture, livestock tracking and food traceability. You will explore the concepts of innovation including the innovation diffusion process and observe the difference between product and process innovation. The subject will prepare you to evaluate the opportunities technologies and e-business can provide new and existing agri-businesses.This subject also incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment, so you can develop the skills, knowledge, and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. You will be introduced to:- a range of methods, tools, techniques, and approaches to practice- principles and perspectives such as values, ethics, empathy, and leadership in real world scenarios- reflection and deliberative thinking as a means of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and aspirations- ways of understanding problems and developing solutions through active inquiry.

Associate Degree Agriculture Courses & Degrees | Open Universities Australia

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