Academic Programs Catalog

The Bachelor of Science degree in Cropping Systems Science is designed to prepare students for career opportunities as agronomists and cropping system scientists, as farmers and consultants, in private and public businesses, and with government agencies. Cropping systems science involves the application of biological, chemical, and physical science principles to produce plants grown for human food, animal feed, biofuel, and fiber to meet global demand. The use of biotechnology, digital technologies and precision agriculture are important aspects of agricultural food systems today. Cropping systems scientists, agronomists, and farmers strive to improve soil health and develop cropping sequences and management techniques to improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of farms. Conserving soil and water and maintaining long-term farm field productivity and resilience depends largely on the management of cropping systems. This major provides students with the opportunity to understand the challenges and opportunities to integrate scientific innovations with the practice of crop production. Students take courses in crop production, physiology, genetics, precision agriculture, pest management, soil science, meteorology, and professional development courses to prepare for careers in cropping systems science. 

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Cropping Systems Science

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Cropping Systems Science.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Cropping Systems Science major is met by completing CROP 313 and CROP 492. Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.
   
   Students who are enrolled in the Cropping Systems Science major leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, may complete an alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that consists of the following courses:  Plant Biology 105 and 106 combined; and Chemistry 141, 143, and 161.  The completion of Plant Biology 106 and Chemistry 161 satisfies the laboratory requirement.  Plant Biology 105 and 106 combined and Chemistry 141, 143, and 161 may be counted toward both the alternative track and the requirements for the major referenced in item 3. below.
   
   The completion of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources mathematics requirement may also satisfy the University mathematics requirement.
2. The requirements of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Bachelor of Science degree.
   
   Certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be counted toward College requirements as appropriate.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	One of the following courses (3 or 5 credits):
   	MTH	103	College Algebra						3
   	MTH	116	College Algebra and Trigonometry						5
   b.	One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
   	STT	200	Statistical Methods						3
   	STT	201	Statistical Methods						4
   	STT	224	Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Ecologists						3
   	STT	421	Statistics I						3
   c.	One of the following courses (4 credits):
   	CEM	143	Survey of Organic Chemistry						4
   	CEM	251	Organic Chemistry I						4
   d.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	EC	201	Introduction to Microeconomics						3
   	EC	202	Introduction to Macroeconomics						3
   e.	All of the following courses (45 credits):
   	CEM	141	General Chemistry						4
   	CEM	161	Chemistry Laboratory I						1
   	CROP	101	Introduction to Crop Science						3
   	CROP	101L	Introduction to Crop Science Laboratory						1
   	CROP	110	Computer Applications in Agronomy						2
   	CROP	192	Professional Development Seminar I						1
   	CROP	212	Advanced Crop Production						2
   	CROP	226L	Weed Science Laboratory						1
   	CROP	313	Data Interpretation and Writing in the Agronomic Sciences (W)						2
   	CROP	326	Weed Science						2
   	CROP	350	Introduction to Plant Genetics						3
   	CROP	488	Agricultural Cropping Systems: Integration and Problem Solving						3
   	CROP	492	Professional Development Seminar II (W)						1
   	ENT	404	Fundamentals of Entomology						4
   	PLB	105	Plant Biology						3
   	PLB	106	Plant Biology Laboratory						1
   	PLP	405	Plant Pathology						4
   	SOIL	210	Fundamentals of Soil Science						3
   	SOIL	480	Soil Fertility and Management						4
   f.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	HRT	361	Applied Plant Physiology						3
   	PLB	301	Introductory Plant Physiology						3
   g.	Complete 8 credits from the following courses: (8 credits):
   	SOIL	330	Soil Chemistry						2
   	SOIL	340	Applied Soil Physics						2
   	SOIL	360	Soil Biology						3
   	SOIL	470	Soil Resources						3
   h.	Two of the following courses: (4 to 6 credits):
   	AFRE	130	Farm Management I						3
   	CROP	124	Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems						2
   	CROP	135	Crop Scouting and Investigation						3
   	CROP	151	Seed and Grain Quality						2
   	CROP	201	Forage Crops						3
   	CROP	292	Leadership Development in Agriculture						2
   i.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	GEO	103	Introduction to Climate Change Studies						3
   	GEO	203	Introduction to Meteorology						3
   	GEO	402	Agricultural Climatology						3
   j.	One of the following, either i. or ii. (3 or 4 credits):
   	(i)	GEO	221	Introduction to Geographic Information					3
   	(ii)	BE	221	Introduction to Smart Agriculture					1
   		BE	321	Principles of Precision Agriculture					3
   k.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	CROP	420	Cover Crops in Agroecosystems						3
   	CROP	431	International Agricultural Systems						3
   	CROP	441	Plant Breeding and Biotechnology						3
   	CROP	442	Agricultural Ecology						3
   	CROP	451	Biotechnology Applications for Plant Breeding and Genetics						3
   	CROP	460	Plant-Microbe Interactions						3
   	CROP	467	Bioenergy Feedstock Production						3
   	CROP	485	Physiology in Plant Nutrition						3
   	GEO	409	Global Climate Change and Variability						3
   	GEO	410	Geography of Food and Agriculture						3
   l.	One of the following experiential courses (3 credits):
   	CROP	493	Professional Internship in Crop and Soil Sciences						3
   	CROP	499	Undergraduate Research						3