Agriculture

What you will learn

The need for well-trained and educated graduates in agriculture therefore continues to grow. This growth is not only reflected in the number of graduates required but also by the increasingly diverse range of careers available to them.

The BSc (Hons) Agriculture is a multidisciplinary programme designed to provide the knowledge, technical skills and practical abilities required by agriculture and its related industries. In the first year, the programme offers a solid grounding in plant, animal and business-based agriculture subjects and also in the critical thinking and academic skills essential for success both in higher education and industry.

In the second year the programme develops areas of study established in the first year, promotes professional development including powers of analysis and critical thinking, and provides the opportunity to specialise in crop or livestock production. In the final year, research skills and experience are further developed and broader issues are addressed which are essential for graduates entering an industry which is at the core of human existence.

University Centre Askham Bryan has access to the 238-hectare Home Farm, which houses a milking herd of 200 cows, which are milked through a rapid exit parlour and a DeLaval Robot, a state-of-the-art high welfare precision beef facility in which students will actively participate in the use of the latest precision-livestock equipment, research, and industry engagement and a commercial flock of 200 breeding ewes.

Crops grown on the grade 2 arable land, include wheat, sugar beet and maize, using the latest precision field technology and variable rate application techniques and software to maximise arable returns and the production of high-quality forage to improve the performance and returns of the dairy and livestock enterprises.

The Farm also features a new آ£2.4 million Agri-Tech Innovation Centre dedicated to advanced agricultural and engineering training, the DeLaval Digital Farm and robotic milker which provides live data for analysis and interpretation of dairy cow performance.

On-farm data from the different enterprises is also drawn together using the latest Map of Agriculture software to provide live updates on what is occurring on the farm, the level of inputs and physical performance of the different enterprises' adding to the learning experience and knowledge of the students on the FdSc Precision Livestock Course.