VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies case studies
VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies · Put your knowledge to work in context.
VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies is a Victorian Certificate of Education study administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). It is designed for senior secondary students who want to understand how food, fibre, plant and animal production systems work, and how enterprises make decisions about land, water, animals, plants and money. The VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies case studies are 5 cases and about 2,642 words.
1Irrigation Salinity in a Drip-Fed Tomato Block
A 6-hectare tomato crop is drip-irrigated from a bore with an electrical conductivity of 2.8 dS/m. The grower applies 5 ML/ha over the season and the soil is a sandy loam with a leaching fraction estimated at only 8%.
584 words, about 3 min2Heat Stress and Feedlot Cattle During a Forecast Heatwave
A 400-head beef feedlot in northern Victoria receives a forecast of 41°C for three consecutive days with overnight minima of 26°C and light winds. The cattle are 380 kg British-bred steers on a high-grain ration, held in pens with 30% shade cloth coverage and a single trough per pen.
519 words, about 3 min3Choosing Between Replanting and Salvaging a Hail-Damaged Vineyard
A 12-hectare Shiraz vineyard on own-rooted vines, planted 14 years ago, is hit by hail in late November (flowering to fruit set). Assessment shows 60% of shoots stripped of leaves and bunches destroyed on the western half, while the eastern half has 25% leaf loss and intact bunches.
528 words, about 3 min4Nitrogen Budget for a Mixed Vegetable Rotation
A 20-hectare vegetable farm runs a rotation of broccoli, lettuce, and a legume green manure. The grower applies 180 kg N/ha to broccoli and 150 kg N/ha to lettuce, and incorporates a vetch green manure before lettuce.
483 words, about 2 min5Automated Milking and Labour on a Family Dairy Farm
A 320-cow pasture-based dairy farm is considering a voluntary automatic milking system (robotic units) to replace a 20-a-side herringbone shed. The family employs two full-time staff and the owner works 60 hours per week.
528 words, about 3 min