Agricultural and Livestock Science BSc

Modern agriculture is a dynamic, fast-paced and high-tech industry. In this module, you’ll explore practical agricultural systems used by commercial UK farms. Designed for students with a farm or non-farming background, you’ll get to understand the fundamental concepts of agricultural systems within the context of contemporary markets, policy and research. Exact topics covered in the module will vary according to the issues affecting the agricultural industry in any one year, but examples include: dairy production, arable production, soils, agri-environmental interactions, labour and machinery management and farm business systems. You’ll have lectures from academics currently researching these fields and will visit the University Farm and external farms to see what you’ve learnt in practice.

Through lectures and hands-on animal handling and other practical sessions, you'll study:

• animal evolution and diversity across the animal kingdom
• animal diversity, ecology, and bioethics
• animal development and behaviour
• animal domestication, breeding, and genetics
• sustainability of livestock animal production
• systems of livestock production as a food source

Grasslands are used for forage in agricultural systems but are also important as habitat for wild animals, birds and beneficial insects.

• You’ll learn about the latest developments and policy issues around the world
• You’ll examine the morphology and physiology of forage grass species
• You'll understand the mechanisms of grass growth, production and utilisation. Looking at how these are influenced by management practices.

Alongside lectures, you’ll visit farms and use the latest software to identify grass plants and calculate a pasture budget. This is a 10 credit module.

Nutrients are vital to human and animal health, but how do they work? In this module, you’ll be given a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts in the field of nutrition. Depending on your interests, you can study human or animal nutrition, or both. Understand how the food we eat influences our health. Explore how the food eaten by animals impacts on food production and the global food system.

You’ll study:

• micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals
• macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• metabolism, and how nutrients give us energy
• the influence of nutrition in diseases such as cancer and diabetes

How can you use science to help improve global food security? This module introduces you to the issues of global food security and the complexity existing in different parts of our food generation system. Looking across the food supply chain, you’ll cover the evolution of crops, crop and animal production, and the food industry. Importantly, you’ll also look at sustainable nutrition because food security isn’t just about supply – it’s important that people are getting the right kind of food. You’ll learn about these issues through a mix of lectures and practical laboratory sessions. You’ll also develop professional skills to work safely in laboratory situations.

Cells are the basic functional units of life, but how do they grow and develop? In this module, you’ll follow the lifecycle of cells. You'll focus on mitosis, meiosis, cell division and differentiation. We’ll put cells not just under the microscope, but use advanced laboratory technologies to explore the ultrastructure of cells. These are the parts of cells too small to be seen through ordinary laboratory equipment. You’ll then put this science to the test, to apply cellular biology to applied genetics.

You’ll study:

• structures and ultrastructures of animal and plant cells
• microscopic features of bacteria and viruses
• gene replication, expression and inheritance
• laboratory methods used to discover how cells work

In a series of lectures, workshops and practicals you’ll further develop your understanding of gene structure, function and regulation and investigate how this knowledge can be applied in recombinant DNA technology through DNA sequencing and genetic engineering. Specialist options within animal, plant and microbial spheres will allow for subject specific applications of genetic techniques and theories which form an underpinning knowledge base for subsequent modules.

Have you ever wondered how some crops can resist diseases? This module provides you with the fundamentals for understanding biochemical processes in living organisms. You’ll be introduced to the basic structure, properties and functions of the four key biological macromolecules: nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. You’ll also look at the metabolic pathways occurring in cells, such as respiration, photosynthesis and the biosynthetic pathways for the key macromolecules. In addition to lectures, you’ll have practical laboratory sessions to learn how to use key biochemical techniques for the separation and analysis of macromolecules and measurement of the metabolic process.

The tutorials component of this module is intended to enhance your transition into university and guide you through the academic expectations of your degrees. This part of the module is spread throughout the year and includes three generic sessions on ‘study skills and plagiarism’, ‘study opportunities’ and ‘career and personal development’, and a series of small group tutorials with your academic tutor to develop generic skills such as finding crucial information, oral presentation, data handling and presentation of results, preparation for examinations, and essay writing skills relevant to biosciences.

The Foundation Science content has three elements: chemistry, maths and statistics and physics. The chemistry element will include: elements and periodic table; atomic structure and bonding; intermolecular attractions, chemical equilibrium; acids and bases, oxidation and reduction; rates of reaction; basic organic chemistry, isomerism, and rings.  The Maths and Stats element will include: calculations, algebra, functions and relationships, powers, logarithms, descriptive statistics, significance, regression and presenting data. The Physics element will include: units and dimensions; power, energy and heat; light and the electromagnetic spectrum; attenuation/absorption; and radioactivity.

There is also an IT element, which interfaces with generic IT training for undergraduates provided within the University.

A highly applied module, you’ll learn about animal physiology, nutrition and management and use your knowledge to think critically about production systems. Focusing on the nutrition, growth and welfare of farmed animals, you’ll cover a wide range of subjects, including investigating the energy and protein evaluation systems for ruminants and non-ruminants and the differential maturity of individual carcass components. You’ll compare systems of production for all major species of livestock and explore how these different systems integrate with each other and other enterprises on farms. Visits to local livestock farms give you the opportunity to further develop your understanding within a ‘real-life’ context and are a core component of the module.

This module will introduce the major effects of diseases on the body’s physiological and immunological systems. The main types of disease will then be systematically discussed using a range of companion, farm and exotic animal species including poultry, equine, bovine and ovine species. You’ll have lectures and laboratory practicals each week.

The nature of agrifood commodities and products creates particular challenges for those buying and selling these goods, with implications for risk, stability and profitability for the agricultural business. This module examines the role of marketing in the successful operation of an agribusiness. Working in teams, you’ll examine how to use marketing to meet the challenges and opportunities faced by today’s agribusinesses.

This module aims to introduce you to agricultural management decision making in practice through team-based activity, integrating science, business and economics. Working in small teams and supported by teaching staff and industry consultants, you will be responsible for making management (science and business) decisions relating to the production of a crop or livestock enterprise for commercial purposes. The challenge will be based on the University Farm. Your team’s decisions – in the roles of both professional consultant and farm manager - will be implemented by technical staff.

For this module you will have lectures plus significant ‘field time’, including formal field site visits and informal field observation visits.  

Economic analysis can help you answer important management questions:

• How much fertiliser should I apply to my wheat?
• If demand for beer is going up, how will that affect the price I receive for my barley?

Through this module you’ll gain an understanding of economic ideas and principles and be able to apply them to a range of problems of interest to agricultural and environmental scientists and managers. You’ll also examine the arguments for government intervention to correct ‘market failures’ with reference to the latest government environmental schemes. 

In this module you will develop and consolidate your professional competencies and abilities as an agricultural scientist. You’ll improve your core professional skills in the scientific method, experimentation, data analysis and measurement techniques that enable you carry out scientifically-sound research in animal, crop or management science. You’ll also cover discipline-specific topics. There will be a mix of lectures, workshops and group activity sessions for you to work on your skills. 

You'll cover the core research process and data analysis skills including literature searches, data collection and processing, and statistical analysis. This will prepare you for your third year research project. Research projects are also selected during this module.

Soils are the most complex biomaterial on earth. An understanding of the basic concepts concerning the form and function of soils is important for future management strategies such as mitigating the effects of climate change and providing safe and sustainable food. This module focuses on the important soil properties from physical, chemical and biological perspectives including soil organic matter, soil chemical reactions, soil fauna and flora, and soil-water relations.

In this module you’ll learn about the development, physiology and regulation of mammalian reproduction, the control of avian reproduction, and lactation. You’ll cover mammalian reproduction, including physiological control, cyclicity and reproductive efficiency. You’ll also consider avian physiology and reproduction in domestic fowl, with an emphasis on the nutritional and metabolic challenges associated with commercial rates of egg lay. Lactation will also be covered, where you’ll learn about the development of mammary tissue, the biochemistry of milk synthesis, the endocrine control of milk secretion, and the metabolic correlates of lactation in dairy ruminants. You’ll have a mix of lectures and practical laboratory sessions for experimental work and dissection.

Innovation and enterprise are key drivers of agri-business success and growth. You’ll explore a range of topics including:

• knowledge transfer and exchange
• intellectual property surrounding new innovations
• planning issues for businesses and technologies supporting sustainable intensification projects.

You’ll examine the issues surrounding green energy, taxation, inheritance and business succession. 

How important is protein quality in your livestock’s diet? How can you formulate an optimum diet? In this module you’ll learn about diet formulation and food analysis. You’ll examine topics such as: dietary energy and nutritional energetics, protein and amino acid nutrition, and regulation of appetite and energy expenditure. You’ll be able to calculate the different energy requirements of animals in different physiological or pathological states. There will be a mix of lectures, seminars and computer-based workshops to apply what you’ve learnt. 

In this module you’ll develop your understanding of how and why policies relating to agriculture, the environment and food are developed, and you will gain a valuable insight into how to influence policy. The module will be delivered via a series of lectures and guest speakers, which from organisations such as: Defra, the National Farmers Union (NFU), agri-businesses within the input supply chain and food retailers.

A comprehensive introduction to the study of animal behaviour, from the physiological and genetic bases of behaviour to its development through learning and its adaptive significance in the natural environment. Through practical classes, you will learn about the physiological basis of fundamental behaviours. Using examples from across the animal kingdom, you will learn how predictive modelling, experimental and observational approaches integrate to explain how and why animals behave as they do.

In this summer field course, you will work with agricultural students from around the world to investigate the role of innovation and entrepreneurship for success. Through visits to leading agri-business and research institutes, you will experience the issues faced by British agriculture and see the innovations driving the industry.

How can production systems be adapted to meet demands for animal products in contrasting global markets? In this module, you’ll use your knowledge of physiology, nutrition, genetics, health, welfare and management to study the production of meat, milk and eggs, and the wellbeing of the animals in these production systems. You’ll undertake a detailed study of the integration of the production, nutrition, product quality, management and health of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry at UK and global scales. You’ll be able to critically analyse key performance indicators and provide solutions to problems encountered in livestock production enterprises. You’ll have a mix of lectures, group work and farm visits to develop and apply your knowledge.

The project gives you an opportunity to use your initiative and knowledge to undertake original research under the supervision of an individual member of academic staff. You will design the study, gain familiarity with relevant analysis techniques, undertake data collection, and where appropriate safety procedures relevant to the topic. You will undertake appropriate quantitative analysis and prepare a report of approximately 5000 words.

A major part of your degree at Nottingham this year is your research project, specialising in animal production. Our academic staff are known internationally for applied animal science research in fertility, nutrition, reproduction and product quality. More recently, research has also looked at the effect of diets on methane emissions from ruminants.

Examples of recent student projects include:

• The effect of feeding system and management practices on enteric methane emissions from dairy cows on commercial farms
• Patterns of milking behaviour in robotic milking
• Reducing heat stress in dairy cows
• Dietary effects on methane production by ruminant livestock
• A financial appraisal of anaerobic digestion at the University Farm
• Is diversification a viable option for UK dairy farmers?
• Assessing the use of a mobile NIR device to measure fresh grass quality in real-time
• The relationship between milk yields, variable costs and the overall profitability of dairy
• An investigation into English and Welsh sheep farmer opinions on Schmallenberg virus

Rural Business Research Unit (RBRU) and University Farm 

Based at Sutton Bonington Campus, the RBRU is the lead centre for the government-funded Farm Business Survey, collecting financial and environmental data from over 2000 farms. University Farm is a 450 hectare arable, dairy and sheep farm, with land and people dedicated to student teaching and research work. Both are available for your research project.

How do you apply management principles to modern rural businesses? This module will develop your knowledge of business management principles and provide you with an opportunity to apply these principles to the type of problems facing rural businesses at the present time. You’ll construct and interpret business accounts, use investment appraisal techniques, learn about labour and machinery management and explore different forms of farm business organisation. Using a ‘real-life’ case study, you’ll also learn and practice teamwork, time management and data analysis skills, which are vital when working in business. You’ll have a mix of lectures, practical classes and farm visits, as well as guest lectures from invited speakers to give you insights into the management and finance of rural businesses.

Consultancy is a strong growth area for jobs in agriculture. In this module you’ll be introduced to the practicalities of management consultancy and have the opportunity to integrate your knowledge of management principles to a case study of your choice based on a real-life commercial farm. You’ll learn how to appraise individual enterprises and whole firms with a view to improving the respective financial and technical performance of the business. With a strong focus on working productively as an individual, you’ll assess problems and opportunities, analyse information and data, and identify and meet objectives in order to aid managerial decision-making. To find out more about how consultancy works in practice, you’ll have guest lectures from invited speakers from industry in addition to your lectures and workshops.

Want to know more about the nutrition of your dog or horse, or maybe what an elephant needs to eat? In this module you’ll study the nutrition, health and welfare of major companion species, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and some zoo/exotic species. You’ll learn about the interactions between nutrition, health and longevity within the broad area of ‘clinical nutrition’. Bringing in current research, you’ll look at the problems arising from keeping animals in captivity, and how social interactions between humans and companion animals can impact upon animal health and welfare. You’ll have lectures from current researchers and have a field trip to put what you’ve learnt into practice.

This module will further develop your specialised knowledge of animal nutrition. At an advanced level, you’ll learn about the role of micronutrient and trace minerals and organic micronutrients (including vitamins B, choline and essential fatty acids) in the nutritional requirements for animal health and growth in both ruminant and non-ruminant species. You’ll also examine the various factors involved in the regulation of animal growth and product quality and look at selected examples of metabolic disorders. Using the most up-to-date scientific research, you’ll explore specialist aspects of ruminant nutrition and produce scientific work of your own.

Building on the principles of animal development from earlier modules, you will be introduced to the world of the biotechnology industry, the techniques involved, and to the opportunities offered by this growing sector. You’ll learn about the genetic and epigenetic basis of gene regulation, and how this knowledge is used for developing new disease treatments and for improving livestock production and animal welfare.

Animal-human interactions raise some prominent ethical issues. In this module, you’ll examine the ethical dimensions concerning animal agriculture, modern biotechnologies and research in the biosciences, in relation to both humans and non-human species. You’ll learn about the ethical frameworks used to analyse specific dilemmas raised by the human use of animals. Using specific animal and biotechnology case studies, you’ll interpret the main ethical theories and principles and apply them to the case studies to inform professional decision-making. You’ll have a mix of lectures and seminars to explore these concepts.

In this popular module, you’ll attend a five day field course to study selected field-grown crop species that have been chosen as models to illustrate major systems of production. You’ll examine the scientific principles that govern the management of field-grown crops through production to final end use, with particular emphasis being given to their physiology and ecology. Through field visits, you’ll observe and critically appraise the efficiency of current commercial production strategies and assess the scope to exploit plant responses to the environment at specific growth stages for optimal control of quality and yield. You’ll learn about the optimisation of quality and yield of crops through the manipulation of leaf, stem and root development, and the impact of post-harvest physiology on handling and storage. The field course is typically primarily based at the Sutton Bonington Campus with day-long trips to industry, farms and research organisations, and one overnight stay in an arable region.

Act as an agronomist and apply your understanding of crop and soil management to a real life situation. You will be asked to develop a long term crop management plan for a specific scenario, taking into account, soil management, rotational design, crop protection, environmental management and policy constraints. You will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a research agronomist to discuss your plan as it develops and receive feedback for further development.

You will discuss your plan as it develops with the module convenor, who will provide feedback for further development. Assessment is through the submission of a 10 year crop management plan for the farm scenario allocated at the start of the module.

Building on Applied Bioethics 1, you’ll investigate widely accepted ethical principles and apply your insights to contemporary ethical issues in agricultural, food and environmental sciences. You’ll explore the ethical dimensions of prominent issues raised by the agricultural practices (including the use of biotechnology and GM crops) designed to meet the nutritional needs of the global population. You’ll also learn about how ethical theory can inform professional choices and public policies related to food production and environmental management. You’ll have a mix of lectures, tutorials and team-based exercises to develop a sound understanding of ethical principles.