AGRN 377
Field Crops of the Midwest
Spring 2013
I. General Information
AGRN 377 (Field Crops of the Midwest) is a 4 credit hour course, focusing on “grain and forage crop
characteristics, production and utilization in the Midwest; roughages for livestock; pastures improvement
and management; identification of crop plants, seeds and pests.”
Prerequisite:
Desired:
AGRN 176 – Principles of Crop Science.
AGRN 278 – Introduction to Soil Science
Lecture:
MTWF 11:00-11:50 a.m., Knoblauch 226
Instructor:
Dr. Mark Bernards
227 Knoblauch Hall
Tele: 309-298-1569
Mobile: 309-313-5917
Email: ml-bernards@wiu.edu
Office Hours:
M 12:00-12:50 p.m.; Tu 10:00-10:50 a.m., W 8:00-8:50 a.m., F 10:00-10:50 a.m. or by
appointment.
Required Texts:
th
Nafziger, E. (Editor). 2009. Illinois Agronomy Handbook, 24 edition. University of Illinois Extension
C1394. Available for download at http://extension.cropsci.illinois.edu\handbook
Abendroth, L.J., R.W. Elmore, M.J. Boyer and S.K. Marlay. 2011. Corn Growth and Development. Iowa
State University Extension PMR 1009.
Pedersen, P. 2009. Soybean Growth and Development. Iowa State University Extension PM 1945. (Will
be provided)
Undersander, D., et al. 2011. Alfalfa Management Guide. American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science
Society of America-Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. Available for download at
https://www.crops.org/files/publications/alfalfa-management-guide.pdf
Corn & Soybean Classic. 2013. Proceedings. University of Illinois Extension. (Will be provided if
available)
Other readings will be made available through Western Online or the Internet.
Other texts that will be used in the development of lectures and which may be good references for you:
Stoller, P. 2012. Growth Stages of Agronomic Crops. University of Illinois X905.
Hoeft, R.G., E.D. Nafziger, R.R. Johnson, and S.R. Aldrich. 2000. Modern Corn and Soybean Production.
MCSP Publications, Champaign, IL.
Martin, J.H., R.P. Waldren, D.L. Stamp. 2006. Principles of Field Crop Production. Pearson, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey.
Barnes, R.F., C.J. Nelson, M.Collins and K.J. Moore. 2003. Forages, Volume 1: An Introduction to
Grassland Agriculture. Iowa State Press, Ames, Iowa.
II. University Policies and Expectations
Student rights and responsibilities: A complete description is available at
www.wiu.edu/provost/students.
Academic Integrity (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php): Western Illinois University, like all
communities, functions best when its members treat one another with honesty, fairness, respect, and
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trust. . . It is the student's responsibility to be informed and to abide by all University regulations and
policies on Academic Integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a
serious violation of University conduct regulations. Students who engage in dishonesty in any form shall
be charged with academic dishonesty. . . Any student, faculty member, or staff person who has witnessed
an apparent act of student academic dishonesty, or has information that reasonably leads to the
conclusion that such an act has occurred or has been attempted, has an ethical responsibility for
reporting said act(s).
The policy for AGRN 377: Any confirmed act of academic dishonesty (especially plagiarism or cheating)
will result in the loss of all points associated with that assignment, and may result in an “F” for the course.
Non-Discrimination (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/affirmact.php): Western Illinois University is committed
to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment for its students, faculty, and staff
that is free from discrimination based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Disabilities: In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain
documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide
it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's
attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students
who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the
instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability
Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.”
Education Majors: The changes within the state certification requirements go into effect immediately for
all of those students who graduate in the spring 2012 and after. You are required to receive a grade of a
"C" or better in this course. With the new university +/- grading system, receiving a "C-" or below will
require you to retake this course or find a substitute course to meet School of Agriculture graduation
requirements.
III. Course Expectations and Policies
1. Live the Golden Rule. Treat others with respect and courtesy in your conversation and actions. Turn
off and put away all electronic devices during the class period. Class is not the time to read the
newspaper or magazines.
2. Show up. Attendance and punctuality is expected. Notify the instructor in advance if you have any
reason to miss a class period. A minimum of 24 h notice (email or phone) is required if there is any
cause to miss an exam. If you do miss a class period, do not ask the instructor “Did I miss anything
important?” It is your responsibility to make arrangements to get the information you missed and to
make up any missed assignments.
3. Participate. Be prepared for class discussions by completing readings, taking notes, asking
questions, and working effectively with other students on lecture activities.
4. Study. You should plan to spend a minimum of 4 hours outside of class each week to adequately
learn the material.
5. Complete assignments. Assignments not turned in on the assigned date will have 10% of the total
potential points deducted for each day after the due date. The instructor will generally return exams
and assignments within 1 week.
6. The use of tobacco is prohibited in Knoblauch Hall, nor is it allowed during sessions at the AFL.
Two dismissals due to disruptive or unprofessional behavior will result in a permanent disbarment
from the course and a final grade of “F” will be assigned.
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IV. Grading
Component
Portion*
Quizzes
40%
Assignments
30%
Participation
15%
Final exam
15%
*These percentages are subject to modification. However, any changes will be discussed during
class lecture prior to being implemented.
Grading Scale
Percentage
93.0-100
90.0-92.9
87.0-89.9
83.0-86.9
80.0-82.9
77.0-79.9
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
Percentage
73.0-76.9
70.0-72.9
67.0-69.9
63.0-66.9
60.0-62.9
<59.9
Grade
C
CD+
D
DF
V. Learning Assessments
Weekly Quizzes: A 20-30 question quiz will be given during part of a class period at least once every two
weeks. It will include multiple choice, fill in the blank, true-false, matching and short essay questions.
Assignments: There will be assignments associated with lecture topics that will be designed to help you
better understand the material and benefit from resources you can use after you graduate from WIU.
Assignments will be graded on completeness and/or accuracy, and will include short answer or short
writing assignment formats.
Participation: Each student will receive points based on their attendance and preparedness for class
lectures and discussions. Readings/exercises will be assigned prior to many lectures. The expectation is
that you will have completed those activities so you are prepared to participate in class discussion and
application of the material.
Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive, and will include multiple choice, matching, fill in the
blank, true-false and short essay questions.
VI. Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to prepare you to be able to make many of the decisions necessary for
growing crops in the Midwest, either as a producer or as a crop advisor. At the end of the class it is
expected that you will be able to answer most of the questions in the Tri-State Certified Crop Adviser
“Crop Management Competency Areas” http://www.indianacca.org/TRIPO2010.pdf. These questions are
listed below.
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COMPETENCY AREA 1.
CROPPING DECISIONS
f.
2.
1. Describe how the following affect
management decisions within continuous
and rotational systems
a. pest resistance
b. pest persistence
c. crop traits
d. residue management
e. tillage
f. nutrient management
g. soil physical properties
2. Describe environmental and economic
factors which influence selection of a tillage
system
3. List agronomic advantages and limitations of
intensive, reduced, strip-till, and no-till
systems
4. Describe consequences of planting corn,
soybeans, wheat, or forage crops earlier or
later than optimum
5. Describe how row spacing affects the
following
a. weed control
b. disease control
c. insect control
d. crop yield
e. interplant competition
f. lodging
6. Describe how the following factors influence
selection of optimum population
a. soil type
b. planting date
c. hybrid and variety
d. row spacing
e. irrigation
7. List advantages and limitations of growing
pure grass or legume stands versus mixed
stands
3.
4.
5.
6.
intended end use of corn, soybeans,
wheat, and alfalfa
Describe how the following affect transgenic
crop selection
a. refuge design
b. weed control program
c. insect control program
d. trait characteristics
Describe how planting date affects hybrid
and variety selection
Describe how tillage systems affect hybrid
and variety selection
Describe the advantages and limitations of
growing the following:
a. herbicide resistant crops
b. insect resistant crops
c. disease resistant crops
d. non-GM crops
e. drought resistant crops
Describe the agronomic and economic
advantages and limitations of growing value
added crops
COMPETENCY AREA 3.
CROP GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
DIAGNOSTICS
1. Use the Iowa State system to identify corn
and soybean growth stages
2. Identify the location of growing points
through vegetative stages of corn and
soybeans
3. Differentiate soybean fixation nodules and
soybean cysts
4. Use the Feeke’s scale to identify each of the
following growth stages in cereal grains
a. emergence
b. tillering
c. jointing
d. boot
e. flag leaf emergence
f. physiological maturity
5. Describe how corn, soybeans, and wheat
respond to row spacing, population, and in
row plant spacing variation
6. Use the node injury scale to quantify corn
root injury
7. Describe physical damage to corn,
soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa from
a. hail
b. frost
c. flooding
d. drought
8. Identify the most susceptible growth stage of
corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa for each
type of damage in #20
COMPETENCY AREA 2.
HYBRID AND VARIETY SELECTION
1. Describe how the following influence hybrid
and variety selection:
a. yield potential for corn, soybeans, and
wheat
b. maturity rating for corn, soybeans, and
wheat
c. lodging resistance in corn, soybeans,
and wheat
d. pest resistance in corn, soybeans,
wheat, and alfalfa
e. winter hardiness of wheat and alfalfa
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9. Describe how the following inhibit stand
development and plant growth
a. planter operation
b. pesticide application
c. pests
d. soil factors
e. climatic factors
f. nutrient placement
10. Use the following factors to make a replant
decision
a. type and level of crop damage
b. crop growth stage
c. calendar date
d. potential yield
e. environmental factors
11. Describe how crop and pest growth stages
affect the following management decisions
a. pest management
b. nutrient management
c. water management
d. tillage
12. Identify the following growth stages of alfalfa
a. vegetative
b. flowering
c. one-tenth bloom
d. full bloom
13. Identify wheat and alfalfa frost heaving
damage
2.
3.
4.
5.
e. pest population and activity
f. susceptibility to lodging
Identify the following causes of harvest loss
in corn, soybeans, wheat, and forages due
to
a. machine operation
b. environmental conditions
c. nutrient deficiencies
d. pest infestations
e. crop moisture
Describe how storage moisture,
temperature, and pests affect grain quality
and marketability
Describe harvest, handling, and storage
practices for identity-preserved (IP) crops
Describe how timing and frequency of
perennial forage harvest affects
a. legume/grass mix
b. stand longevity
c. forage quality
d. annual yield
COMPETENCY AREA 5.
MANAGING AGRONOMIC INFORMATION
1. Describe how the following affect reliability
of agronomic trials:
a. weather variability
b. field variability
c. number of locations
d. number of treatments
e. number of replications
f. trial and sample size
2. Develop an agronomic trial to compare
treatment effects
3. Relate site specific information to yield map
variability
4. Describe how to use crop management data
to make crop management decisions
COMPETENCY AREA 4.
CROP HARVESTING, HANDLING, AND
STORAGE
1. Describe how the following factors affect
harvest practices and timing
a. crop moisture
b. drying cost
c. weather forecast
d. forage growth stage
VIII. Probable Course Calendar
Date
Jan 14
Jan 15
Jan 16
Jan 18
Jan 21
Jan 22
Jan 23
Jan 24
Jan 25
Jan 28
Jan 29
Jan 30
Lecture Topics
Introduction, Syllabus & Course Expectations
Crops of the Midwest – Identification and Use
Crops of the Midwest – Identification and Use
Crops of the Midwest – Identification and Use
Climate – Temperature, Quiz 1
Climate – Moisture and Evapotranspiration
Climate – Solar Radiation and Photosynthesis
12-3 p.m. – Spring Study Abroad Fair, Prairie Lounge, University Union
Growth and Development – Corn
Growth and Development – Corn
Growth and Development – Corn
Growth and Development – Soybean, Quiz 2
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Feb 1
Feb 4
Feb 5
Feb 6
Feb 8
Feb 11
Feb 12
Feb 13
Feb 15
Feb 18
Feb 19
Feb 20
Feb 22
Feb 25
Feb 26
Feb 27
Mar 1
Mar 4
Mar 5
Mar 6
Mar 8
Mar 11-15
Mar 18
Mar 19
Mar 20
Mar 22
Mar 25
Mar 26
Mar 27
Mar 29
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 5
Apr 8
Apr 9
Apr 10
Apr 12
Apr 15
Apr 16
Apr 17
Apr 19
Apr 22
Apr 23
Apr 24
Apr 26
Apr 29
Apr 30
May 1
May 3
May 8
Growth and Development – Soybean
Growth and Development – Soybean (online lesson)
Growth and Development – Wheat (online lesson)
Growth and Development – Wheat (online lesson)
No class, Help set up Ag Mech show
Growth and Development – Alfalfa, Quiz 3
No class, Lincoln’s Birthday
Growth and Development – Alfalfa
Growth and Development – Forages
Hybrid and Variety Selection – Desirable characteristics
Hybrid and Variety Selection – Value added and transgenic considerations
Hybrid and Variety Selection
Soils, Quiz 4
Tillage Systems
Planting Dates
Plant Population
Row Spacing and Interplant Competition
Planting Operations
Replant Considerations
Using GIS in Making Management Decisions – Guest lecture
Soil Fertility, Quiz 5
No class, Spring Break
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Nitrogen management
Nitrogen management
Irrigation and Drainage
Damage Diagnosis
Damage Diagnosis
Pest Resistance, Quiz 6
Pest Management
Weed Issues and Management
Disease Issues and Management
Insect Issues and Management
Transgenic Traits for Insect Management – Guest lecture
Yield Estimates, Quiz 7
Grain Harvest and Grain Quality
Grain Drying and Storage, Identity Preservation
Forage Quality
Forage Harvest, Preservation and Storage
Grazing Management
Cropping Systems, Quiz 8
Crop Rotation Effects
Environmental Considerations of Cropping Systems
Analyzing Cropping Practices for Economic Profitability
Analyzing Cropping Practices for Economic Profitability
Crop Insurance and Risk Management – Guest lecture
Interpreting Agronomic Research
Establishing On Farm Research
GIS Revisited
Synthesizing Cropping System Plans
Final Exam, 10 a.m.
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