http://www.uvm.edu/~tbradsha/Teaching/PSS122Syllabus.pdf

Students will learn principles and practices of commercial cold-climate grape production, including: site selection and preparation; cold hardiness development; varietal selection; vine training and trellising systems; nutrient, water and pest management; harvest and postharvest considerations, including basic winemaking principles. Special emphasis will be placed on environmental and economic sustainability of the vineyard operation. The class will apply knowledge of integrated horticultural and pest management practices in a real vineyard setting. The class format will consist of a combination of classroom lectures, hands-on fieldwork, and visits to local commercial vineyards.

Students enrolled in this course will: 1. attain a basic level of knowledge of grapevine botany and specific conditions required for crop production. 2. develop an understanding of the horticultural and farm-management practices required to successfully operate a vineyard in Vermont. 3. learn critical concepts and methods for crop protection, including organic methods and with an emphasis on Integrated Pest Management 4. engage critically with class material and make connections with how these drivers shape vineyard systems and inform on-farm decision making. 5. Students will apply their knowledge and develop a farm plan which can be used for many potential purposes including monitoring and evaluation, applications for financing, etc.

Project, 25%: Students will collaboratively develop and present a farm management plan for a commercial fruit farm. This is a summative assignment in lieu of an exam. Field Practicals and Homework, 25%: Applied, hands-on activities will be performed in vineyards to develop skills introduced in classroom lectures. Students will be assessed on: pruning, canopy management; cropload assessment and adjustment; fertility plan development based on soil and plant tissue analysis; and presentation of key pests of orchard and vineyard plantings and methods for their management. Pest presentation: 10% You will present to the class on a key insect/arthropod, disease, weed, or other pest and how to manage it. Quizzes, 25%: Topical written or otherwise presented assignments will cover material for a particular period. Professionalism, 15%: Students are expected to attend all classes, participate in activities, and be engaged in a professional manner.