The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

TPSS 601 Crop Modeling is a graduate course on crop models and crop simulations. It requires some calculus background and makes use of regression analysis and computer simulations. Students have used simulation programs such as CSMP (Continuous System Modeling Program, IBM) and STELLA (isee systems). The programs SAS, StatView (Abacus Corporation), and PC SAS have been utilized for statistical analysis. TPSS 300 Tropical Production Systems is a required undergraduate course, and TPSS 674 Plant Growth and Development is an elective graduate course. Concerns over the mathematics and science proficiencies of students have led to using some of the mathematics, quantitative methods, and computer simulations from TPSS 601 in these two TPSS courses. This paper discusses how this was done. Systems analysis was introduced into the courses, looking at the whole plant and crop production from a systems approach. This also included using systems thinking from STELLA. Basic calculus, which is not a prerequisite for these courses, was covered to help students understand modeling, simulation, and crop models. Students performed online computer simulations such as Virtual Plants. They discussed scientific articles on a simulation model of the growth and development of flowering rose shoots, a peach crop yield and tree growth simulation model, and an Easter lily flowering model. Students learned about growth analysis including growth curves, growth equations, simple and compound rates of growth, and yield components. They analyzed allometric equations for tropical tree species. In covering dormancy, chill unit and heat unit models were introduced. In addition, the graphical tracking technique for floriculture crop scheduling was presented. Incorporating these quantitative methods into the TPSS 300 and TPSS 674 courses have helped enhance student learning and increase course rigor.