Harper Adams University Postgraduate Prospectus

University Farm Harper Adams students have the unique advantage of being able to practise ‘in the field’ on our own commercial farm. The farm demonstrates sound commercial practice, seeks to innovate and develop and provides an excellent learning resource. After a multi-million pound development, including expanded dairy, pig and poultry units and a food research centre, the farm extends to more than 650 hectares on a number of diverse sites and features a variety of livestock. Soil types vary from a light sandy loam to heavy clay loam and so provide a valuable range of soil conditions for teaching and research. Generally, a three-year rotation aimed at maximising first wheat is practised. This is made possible by the range of break crops on the farm – grass, maize, lucerne, oilseeds and stewardship crops. A significant proportion of the cereal crop is also processed for use by the dairy herd. Water for irrigation is supplied from a reservoir and borehole via a ring main. Farm equipment is typical of that on a modern mixed farm. All major animal enterprises are present, with 380 dairy cows and 100 followers, two sheep flocks demonstrating different management systems, both intensive and extensive beef units and a large-scale commercial egg enterprise. The recently refitted poultry unit now houses more than 70,000 birds and is operated as a joint venture with a local company. Pig research facilities are based on the commercial 230-sow unit, which is managed on a 32-sow batch farrowing system, producing groups of weaners every three weeks. The unit, whose performance is in the top 10 per cent in the UK, is designed to allow a wide range of research with flexible facilities including individual feeding for sows, farrowing pens and crates. Weaner accommodation can provide up to 36 pens of five pigs for research trials. There are five rooms for finishing pigs and one room is designed as a traditional straw-based system with 22 pens. Digestibility pens are available for pigs from weaning to 90 kg. Up to 24 hectares of the grass and arable areas are devoted to staff and student research projects and National Institute of Agricultural Botany variety trials. The production units demonstrate good practice and provide physical and financial data for appraisal work by students. Availability of data is vital to commercial management. The animal enterprises also provide the resources for staff research, postgraduate and commercial trials. Data from the farm is stored on the virtual farm website, giving students access to detailed records of production, marketing and financial activities and estate enterprises. Updated regularly, you will always have reliable, topical information to work with. Detailed weather records from our meteorological station also provide support for research. The farm employs staff to help with student projects, and basic training in practical livestock skills. harper.ac.uk/harperfarm Poultry research facilities A recently-constructed modern poultry facility provides the latest high-welfare accommodation for conducting poultry trials aimed at improving bird health and productivity in the poultry industry. There are two broiler houses with up to 96 floor pens available and laying hen accommodation with 100 colony units allowing for ten birds per unit. Special environmental rooms can be used to measure the effects of temperature, light and humidity. These are complemented by metabolism rooms for measuring nutrient and energy availability. Entomology facilities The Jean Jackson Entomology Centre is a dedicated entomology building on the south side of the campus. It has been remodelled from an existing carbon-friendly building into a specialist entomology laboratory including controlled temperature insect rearing facilities in the form of three walk-in chambers, essential to support both teaching and research. The EntoHub, located in the Ancellor Yard Farm Education Centre, houses an extensive insect collection and resource room for those studying Entomology. Thousands of carefully preserved specimens from across the world can be found in the Insect Collection Room, some of which are more than 100-years-old. The hub, which also houses insect sampling equipment, identification manuals and specialist texts, enables MSc students to improve their taxonomic skills as they will be able to access specimens directly whenever they want rather than just during taught classes. It is also used as a teaching resource, as part of insect curation practicals, for instance. One of the oldest insects in the collection is a large blue butterfly captured in Bude in June 1900, whilst the heaviest is a goliath beetle which can weigh up to 100g. The Regional Food Academy The RFA was established to provide support to the West Midlands food industry in the form of training, education, knowledge transfer and technical consultancy. Gaining hands-on experience of food and the food industry is an important part of the process of education for careers in food. With the creation of the Regional Food Academy food students have access to food processing facilities on-site. Its facilities include a product development kitchen; brewing and cheese-making facilities; a sensory evaluation room; and instrumental analysis rooms. harper.ac.uk/rfa 30 / ON CAMPUS