Course: PSC5.03 Soil Science
Nutrition in the vineyard fact sheet
Due date 1 June 2020
Learning outcome LO5: Explain how to manage nutrients for optimum production of horticultural crops
Length A fact sheet of 2 to 3 pages long
Weighting 25% of the final mark.
Note: Completion of all assessments is compulsory to pass the course.
Assignment outline
Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus all play significant roles in grapevine processes and are important for grapevine growth and development. Deficiencies and excesses significantly affect the grapevine by affecting vegetative growth, berry development and composition, yield etc. These nutrients are available to the vines in different forms in the soil and interact with the soil in different ways. In order to create a well thought-out nutritional program on a per block basis, growers need to consider the soil. Ideally, a program would minimize losses, maintain soil health, prevent wastage and pollution and ensure balanced vine growth. These macronutrients are therefore important to consider and understand within a vineyard soil.
Overview For this assessment, you will be asked to create a fact sheet on the application of Nitrogen OR Potassium OR Phosphorus in a vineyard. Discuss why and how you would apply your chosen nutrient in a vineyard by answering the following questions:
a. How is it available in the soil and how does this impact its movement and/or cycling in the soil?
b. How is it lost from the soil in a viticultural setting?
c. What are some of the things you would need to know about your soil to optimize the application of your chosen nutrient?
d. How would other practices in the vineyard influence the application of it (such as irrigation, drainage, cultivation)?
You will then upload your factsheet to a shared online space and provide feedback or ask a question about the factsheet of TWO peers and respond to any feedback that you have received.
Assignment guidelines
Step 1
Read through the assessment instructions and rubric. Highlight any language you are unclear about or note down any questions you may have to ask your educator. Please ask your tutor about these to ensure you meet the requirements of the assessment.
Step 2
Investigate your chosen nutrient and its importance in viticulture using a variety of sources (this can include books, websites and articles). Use the questions posed to guide your investigation. You will need to answer these questions using any information you find and your own knowledge from the soil science classes. Make sure you note down where you get information from, as you will need to reference this.
Take notes for your fact sheet and save any pictures that you might use. Remember that you will need to reference the pictures as well.
The EIT library is a good place to start; you can link to their website here. Library staff can help you find appropriate sources and give you some help with referencing. Advice on finding appropriate references can be found on the EIT library website or by asking your tutor. This link will help you with your referencing
Step 3
Create the outline or story board for your fact sheet. Think creatively and consider how you want to present the information – remember a fact sheet contains information, but is made to look attractive and visual, so include relevant and useful images and graphs to reinforce the written part. You may make your own pictures as well. Use the questions given to you and the notes you have collected to help construct your factsheet
Step 4
Once you have an outline, start populating it with the pictures you have chosen and the content you have researched (remember to reference).You may structure this section in any way you feel is best but it must include information on the questions posed to you. You may use these questions as individual headings, but you are not limited to these questions. You may include extra information if you feel it would add to your fact sheet. An exemplar is provided to serve as an example of an informative and attractive fact sheet.
Step 5
Once your fact sheet is ready, upload it to the assessment forum on the course site. Your factsheet will be visible to all your peers and tutor. Have a look at the factsheets prepared by your peers and offer feedback or ask a question of at least TWO other factsheets. It is important that every presentation receive a comment or question, so try to view a presentation that has not received any feedback or questions.
Step 6
Respond to feedback and/or questions for at least ONE of your peers.
ACADEMIC CONDITIONS
Assessment Submission
• The EIT Online website has a ‘drop box’ for you to submit assignments on line any time before the due date.
• Your assessment will then automatically go through a plagiarism detection programme (Turnitin) where you will be able to retrieve a similarity report from the drop box area within 12 hours of submission. You can review your paper and then re submit if you are unhappy with the amount of similarity reported.
• The final draft submission must be in the drop box by midnight on the last date that they can be handed in.
• If you have great difficulty posting an assignment online - as a last resort you can email it to the lecturer.
Due Dates And Extensions
All assessments are given a due date and must be handed in on or before their due date All assessments are given a due date and must be handed in on or before their due date or they will not be accepted for marking. We strongly recommend you put due dates onto a wall planner and/or into your diary as it is much easier to plan your study. All assessments automatically go through a plagiarism detection programme (Turnitin).
Extensions: No extension will be given on or after the due date. PLAN AHEAD.
Students can apply, prior to the due date, for an extension if there are extenuating circumstances for not being able to meet an assignment deadline.
All requests for extensions must be in writing and emailed to the Programme Coordinator or Lecturer before the due date.
Lateness: Assessment submitted after the due date - 10% per day is deducted from the mark.
Note: This is a deduction of 10% of the final mark.
Student work is not marked if it is handed in more than five days after the due date.
Academic Requirements
Referencing & Academic Misconduct
• All work submitted must be original and entirely your own work, except where you use ideas, quotations, tables, diagrams or any other material from other writers. In such cases, you must acknowledge the source using the APA referencing style. Please refer to this link for more information.
• References from a variety of sources and types should be used. Wikipedia as a primary reference is not permitted.
• No part of the work submitted may be used as part of any assessed work for any other academic course.
• Academic misconduct includes dishonest behaviour in assessment such as copying, cheating and plagiarism, and all other dishonest practice. EIT will treat academic misconduct seriously. Section 8 of the Academic Regulatory Framework for Quality Assurance and EITs policy, procedures and guidelines list the penalties for academic misconduct. Penalties range from a warning through to suspension from the programme. All instances of academic misconduct are reported. Please refer to this link for more information.
Marking Schedule
As a level 5 course, the emphasis will be on your ability to demonstrate a good understanding and knowledge of the subject matter. Marks will be allocated for high quality and well-considered coverage of the subject with relevant, informative graphics. Your factsheet should be concise, but with sufficient insight and details. The rubric below will be used to determine the mark allocation.
Performance criteria Levels of achievement Mark
Excellent Accomplished Capable Needs improvement
Content An extensive and informed explanation of soil nutrients (N.P or K) in relation to viticulture is given.
Each of the questions is accurately addressed A detailed explanation of soil nutrients (N.P or K) in relation to viticulture is given.
Each of the questions is addressed An explanation of soil nutrients ((N.P or K) in relation to viticulture is given.
Most of the questions are addressed A partial explanation of soil nutrients (N.P or K) in relation to viticulture is given.
Fewer than half of the questions are addressed /40
40 - 36 35 - 28 27 - 21 20 - 0
Factsheet graphics Highly detailed and relevant graphics are provided in the factsheet Detailed graphics are provided in the factsheet Basic graphics are provided in the factsheet The graphics are provided in the factsheet are minimal or irrelevant /10
10 – 9 8 – 7 6 – 5 4 - 0
Factsheet presentation The factsheet is creative, clear, relevant and well planned. The factsheet is clear, relevant and planned. The factsheet is mostly clear, relevant and planned. The factsheet presentation needs improvement /5
5 4 3 2 - 0
Feedback to others Takes an active part in
interacting with peer assignments online,
asks excellent, thoughtful
questions of presenters and/or provides relevant, thoughtful feedback Takes part in interacting with peer assignments online,
asks good questions of presenters and/or provides good feedback Takes some part in
interacting with peer assignments online,
asks questions of presenters and/or provides feedback Takes very little or no part in
interacting with peer assignments online, does not
ask questions of presenters or give feedback /10
10 – 9 8 – 7 6 – 5 4 - 0
Sources and referencing The factsheet is well supported by relevant sources. All sources are accurately referenced in APA format. The factsheet is mostly supported by relevant sources A few errors in referencing in APA format are present. Some supporting material referenced in the factsheet. APA referencing is used, but a number of significant errors are present Few/no supporting references used in the factsheet. Most sources (if any) are not accurately referenced. /10
10 – 9 8 – 7 6 – 5 4 - 0
Total /75
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