3 October 2008 Lincoln horticultural students encouraged to 'ask questions' in 'research-led' teaching environment

 

 

"As a university our role at Lincoln in relation to the horticultural industry is to produce graduates, and diploma and certificate holders who are not only skilled and proficient in all the husbandries associated with horticulture, but who have learnt how to ask questions, seek answers and develop new knowledge," says Senior Lecturer Mike Morley Bunker.

 

"At a university teaching and research go hand in hand and this is the learning environment you'll be exposed to if you come to Lincoln University for your horticultural qualification."

 

It is an approach which has led Lincoln University to contribute an immense amount of innovation and development to the industry.

 

This has ranged over planting practices, growth, health and disease control principles, harvesting techniques and post-harvest treatments.

 

"The fact that our students study research-informed courses in a research-active environment gives special job-market value to the Lincoln University's horticultural qualifications they achieve," says Mr Morley-Bunker.

 

Lincoln University has a small orchard for teaching and sufficient trees for small research purposes.

 

"With our orchard we make our students 'do things', but we also encourage them to develop their powers of observation, enquiry and ability to formulate answers.

 

"To sum up the Lincoln University approach to horticulture - it is hands on work leading to asking questions."

 

Recent research at Lincoln University on a frost protection technology for olives is a good example of research providing answers to questions. The question was how to protect ripening olives from frost damage. The answer, resulting from appropriate research, was to spray the olives with a naturally occurring product - glycine betaine - found in many
organisms including plants. That's just one of the research stories horticultural students at Lincoln University will hear about and learn from during their courses.

 

Right now however it's been a good year in the orchard and the students have enjoyed this year's combination of "hands on work" and "asking questions".

 

There are opportunities to study horticulture at Lincoln University within the programmes for Bachelor of Science - majors in Plant and Horticultural Sciences and in Food Science - the Diploma in Horticulture and Diploma in Horticultural Management.