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CPSC30050

Academic Year 2026/2027

Organic Agriculture (CPSC30050)

Subject:
Crop Science
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Agriculture & Food Science
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Gary Gillespie
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
Yes
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed to give the student an overview of the main concepts related to organic farming. Topics covered include the factors that need to be considered in the conversion from a conventional system to an organic system, maintenance of soil fertility, crop rotations, manure management and composting, green manuring, pest and disease control in crops, principles of organic livestock production and markets and marketing for organic produce. Successful completion of this module is approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as a training method for access into the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module the student should be able to:
- Discuss the factors to be considered in the conversion to organic production
- Describe and discuss the maintenance of soil fertility in an organic system.
- Describe and discuss the prevention and control of weeds, diseases and pests in an organic cropping system.
- Compare and contrast the principles of livestock production on an organic farm compared to a conventional farm.
- Discuss the principles of marketing of organic produce.

Indicative Module Content:

Main topics on the organic agriculture (OA) module are:
- Considerations to Conversion to OA.
- Nutrient Management in OA.
- Pest and Disease Management in OA.
- Weed Management in OA.
- Soil Cultivation
- Animal Husbandry in OA

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

50

Autonomous Student Learning

36

Lectures

24

Total

110


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
On the syllabus of the module, there is a section to highlight the range of student abilities, the levels of student engagement and clarity of student understanding about the outcomes and content of the module.
We teach by reinforcing interactions between instructors and student and highlight the complexity of the assessment tasks.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Students are asked to provide a video summary of a peer-reviewed scientific article related to organic agriculture Week 6 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
10
No
Exam (In-person): End of semester in person exam composed of MCQ, short answer and long answer questions End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
No
Group Work Assignment: A group project in which a conventional farm is converted to an organic farm with an accompanied written and referenced report detailing what and why the changes / suggestions have been made. Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
50
No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback for the review of a scientific article is done individually post-assessment. There will be an in-class opportunity for students to discuss and receive feedback on the draft version of the farm conversion report prior to submission of the assessment method. Throughout the module many MCQ questions examples are discussed to highlight 1) the importance of reading the questions properly, 2) the main concepts of the lectures and 3) the role of continuing study and assessment.

Name Role
Dr Gary Gillespie Tutor
Dr Mary Harty Tutor
Assoc Professor Alan Kelly Tutor
Professor Karina Pierce Tutor
Dr Siobhán Walsh Tutor