# AESC30210

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Academic Year 2025/2026

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#### Plant Protection - Pests (AESC30210)

Subject:
:   Agricultural&Environmental Sci

College:
:   Health & Agricultural Sciences

School:
:   Agriculture & Food Science

Level:
:   3 (Degree)

Credits:
:   5

Module Coordinator:
:   Professor Olaf Schmidt

Trimester:
:   Autumn

Mode of Delivery:
:   On Campus

Internship Module:
:   No

How will I be graded?
:   Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course provides an overview of the biology and management of animal pests of economic importance in horticulture. The module covers the biology, classification and identification of the major animal pests the damage caused by pest species and methods for damage prevention; as well as the principles of pest control and integrated management of pests in horticulture. Beneficial groups (e.g. for crop pollination, natural pest regulation) are also covered.

## About this Module

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### What will I learn?

###### Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:\
- Recognise major animal pest species and beneficial groups in horticulture.\
- Describe the biology and economic importance of the main pest and beneficial groups.\
- Recognise types of pest damage, identify the causal organisms and make recommendations for their control.\
- Recommend methods for pest avoidance and control, and describe the principles of integrated pest management.

###### Indicative Module Content:

Topics include: The biology, classification and identification of animal pests in major taxonomic groups (Nematoda, Mollusca, Arthropoda, vertebrates) and of selected beneficial groups; the recognition of the damage caused by pest species; the nature and incidence of pest outbreaks; methods for damage prevention; principles of pest control; integrated management of invertebrate pests in horticulture using cultural, physical, biological and chemical methods; pest management concepts for birds and mammals.

### How will I learn?

###### Student Effort Hours:

| Student Effort Type | Hours |
| --- | --- |
| Specified Learning Activities | 20 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 60 |
| Lectures | 20 |
| Laboratories | 10 |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 110 |

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###### Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

The modules uses lectures and laboratory practicals to cover general entomology and the biology and identification of the most important invertebrate taxa (pests and beneficials). The module comprises taught lecture classes and a total of 5 x 2 hour practical classes held in the laboratory for class groups A and B on alternate weeks during the trimester. Students will be informed of their practical class group at the start of the trimester. This teaching is done together with AESC30100 Pests, Parasites and Beneficials.\
A number of dedicated, specialised lectures will deal with pest problems in particular horticultural crops such as indoor/protected crops and woody species, as well as vertebrate pests.

### Am I eligible to take this module?

###### Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

**Learning Requirements:**\

First year biology

**Learning Exclusions:**\

This module (AESC 30210) and AESC 30100 Pests and Parasites ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. Students who take AESC30100 cannot take this module.

\

###### Module Requisites and Incompatibles

**Incompatibles:**\
AESC20050 - *Applied Zoology*, AESC30100 - *Pests, Parasites & Beneficials*, AESC30150 - *Forest Protection*\
\
**Equivalents:**\
Plant Protection - Pests (ERM30040)\
\
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 \

### How will I be assessed?

###### Assessment Strategy

| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exam (In-person): Final written examination | End of trimester  Duration:  2 hr(s) | Graded | No | 60 | No |
| Practical Skills Assessment: Lab Reports: Assessment of in-class lab reports submitted at the end of practical classes | Week 3, Week 5, Week 7 | Graded | No | 30 | No |
| Quizzes/Short Exercises: Online MCQ | Week 9, Week 10 | Graded | No | 10 | No |

\

###### Carry forward of passed components

Yes

\

### What happens if I fail?

| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
| --- | --- |
| Spring | Yes - 2 Hour |

*Please see [Student Jargon Buster](https://www.ucd.ie/students/services/ucdstudentjargonbuster/) for more information about remediation types and timing.* \

### Assessment feedback

###### Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment\
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment\

###### How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual and class feedback are provided on lab reports, in the form of annotated and graded worksheets submitted by students at the end of each practical.

### Associated Staff

| Name | Role |
| --- | --- |
| Assoc Professor Dara Stanley | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |

### When is this module offered?

**Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.**

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Autumn | Practical | Offering 1 | Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks | Fri 11:00 - 12:50 |
| Autumn | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks | Mon 10:00 - 10:50 |
| Autumn | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Wed 10:00 - 10:50 |
| Autumn | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Wed 10:00 - 10:50 |

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