With a growing demand for sustainably produced food, drink and animal nutrition, and a clear recognition of the low carbon footprint of Irish crop production, the future is bright for the tillage industry in Ireland.

However, the tillage sector faces many challenges over the coming decade, including an impending skills shortage, as identified by the DAFM FoodWise 2025 Strategy.

This means that suitably qualified graduates with a degree and a passion for crop production will be in high demand.

To address this, University College Dublin (UCD) have this year launched a new four-year programme in crop science, the first level 8 degree of its kind in Ireland.

Growth

To date, UCD has covered crop production/science in its animal and crop production (ACP) degree programme. With the impending opportunities in the sector, the college felt that now is the right time to introduce a specialised degree in crop science.

Students will get a grounding in all aspects of crop production including crop breeding, production, agronomy, management and digital tools, equipping them to work in the vibrant growth areas of the industry.

Over the coming decade we will see increased demand for higher value-added tillage crops such as malting barley and oats to supply the drinks and food sector.

Outside of cereals, there are tillage sector growth opportunities in the areas of native protein crop production for animal and human requirements as well as optimised oilseed rape crop production to produce designer oils. These will be for new specific markets including edible oils or industrial oils in the polymer and printing sectors.

The production strategy for these crops require a higher degree of agronomic and supply chain management to ensure the products attain their targeted premium markets.

The new crop programme also addresses the growing responsibility for the tillage sector with regard to climate change. The tillage sector has the potential to produce animal and human protein ingredients utilising soil and crop carbon management strategies which reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector and the food supply chain.

Pathway

The new programme will welcome its first graduates in September 2021 on the campus grounds in Belfield, Dublin. Students will undertake professional work experience in year three and will also have the opportunity to study abroad in an accredited programme in the US.

Students will enter the new crop degree programme through the UCD common entry point to agriculture DN250 and then choose the crop stream as they progress to second year.

The new crop science degree covers a wide range of topics which are fundamental to the tillage industry. Below is a selection of the modules included in the course:

Cereal production: This module explores the agronomy and strategies for cereal production within a European context including crop types, nutrient requirements disease pressures and market opportunities.

Plant diseases: This course provides insights into plant diseases and how to control them, and the predicted future impacts of climate change on disease control. This includes an overview of the biology of fungal, bacterial and virus diseases in crops, their symptoms and signs, diagnosis and control and the economic and social impact on crop production.

Pesticide use and IPM: The course will focus on the use of integrated pest management (IPM) practices to reduce pesticide use in crop production by providing a detailed understanding of the biology and non-chemical control of weeds pests and diseases in crop production. The important aspects of pesticide chemistry including mode of action, physical properties and resistance risk will also be covered.

Control of weeds: This module provides an introduction to the use of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, preventative and therapeutic livestock products for the control of pest, disease and weed problems in agricultural systems. Topics include the types, properties and modes of action of the products used, their formulation and methods of application. From this module, students should be able to understand major production and environmental issues as they relate to soil functions and the threats to those functions.

Farm business management: The focus of the module is on providing students with a working knowledge of techniques and principles of farm business financial analysis, planning and strategic decision-making.

Organic agriculture: This elective module is designed to give the student an overview of the main concepts of organic farming. Topics covered include the factors to be considered when converting to an organic system, maintenance of soil fertility, rotations, manure management, composting and many more.

Emerging crop pathogens: Due to an increased movement of people and plants, together with a changing climate, the range of plant pathogens is moving and expanding. Managing the associated risks requires the ability to monitor, prevent as well as respond effectively to disease events. This will be explored in this module.

Climate carbon and soils: This module provides an overview of the challenges that climate change presents to agricultural production systems. Topics covered include the measurement of major climatic variables, the influence of these variables on crop growth and animal production, and the role of Met Éireann in weather forecasting and agricultural risk warnings.