Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Agronomy Minor

Agronomy & Plant Genetics
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Program Type: Undergraduate free-standing minor
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2020
  • Required credits in this minor: 17 to 19
This minor provides strong science-based courses emphasizing crop management in the context of sustainable ecosystems. It is well suited for students majoring in agriculture, food, and environmental education; animal science; business and economics; environmental science; or for students seeking knowledge and principles of crop production.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Minor Requirements
No more than 6 credits may count toward a student's major(s) and this minor. A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required for minor program coursework.
Minor Courses
AGRO 1103 - Crops, Environment, and Society [ENV] (4.0 cr)
SOIL 2125 - Basic Soil Science [PHYS, ENV] (4.0 cr)
Electives
Take 9 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 2022 - Growth and Development of Minnesota Field Crops (1.0 cr)
· AGRO 2402 - The Science of Cannabis (2.0 cr)
· AGRO 2501 - Plant Identification for Urban and Rural Landscapes (1.0 cr)
· AGRO 2502 - Introduction to Integrated Weed Management (1.0 cr)
· AGRO 3305 - Agroecosystems of the world [GP] (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 3660 - Plant Genetic Resources: Identification, Conservation, and Utilization (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 4505 - Biology, Ecology, and Management of Invasive Plants (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 4605 - Strategies for Agricultural Production and Management (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 4888 - Issues in Sustainable Agriculture (2.0 cr)
· CFAN 2333 - Insects, Microbes, and Plants: Ecology of Pest Management [TS] (3.0 cr)
· PLPA 2001 - Introductory Plant Pathology (3.0 cr)
· PLSC 3002 - Seed Science, Technology, and Society (2.0 cr)
· PLSC 3401 - Plant Genetics and Breeding (4.0 cr)
· SOIL 3416 - Plant Nutrients in the Environment (3.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2021


View checkpoint chart:
· Agronomy Minor
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AGRO 1103 - Crops, Environment, and Society (ENV)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro 1103/AgUM 2222
Typically offered: Every Fall
Plants are used for food, fuel, and fiber to sustain humans across the globe. Where and how these plants are produced is determined by soil, weather, natural biodiversity, and human culture. In turn, agricultural production of plants shapes the natural environment and society. This class will provide students with an overview of crop production including the history of agriculture, food chemistry, and plant growth and physiology as it relates to agriculture. Students will evaluate crop production practices in terms of their economic, social, and environmental outcomes, and highlight tradeoffs and synergies among these outcomes. In the lab, students will receive hands-on experiences with field crops as they collect, analyze, and synthesize data from field experiments to inform decision-making in agriculture.
SOIL 2125 - Basic Soil Science (PHYS, ENV)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Soil 2125/Soil 5125
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Basic physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Soil genesis classification, principles of soil fertility. Use of soil survey information to make a land-use plan. WWW used for lab preparation information. prereq: [CHEM 1015, CHEM 1017] or CHEM 1021 or equiv
AGRO 2022 - Growth and Development of Minnesota Field Crops
Credits: 1.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Students learn how field crop species grow and develop, how unique traits of crop species contribute to ecosystem services, and how to identify important growth stages of crops. In addition to traditional agronomic crops (small grains, alfalfa, soybean and corn), students will work with annual and perennial species that represent emerging crops grown for grain, oil seed, novel products, cover crops and biomass. Course work includes lectures, labs (greenhouse and field), and online assignments and quizzes. prereqs: AGRO 1101 or HORT 1001 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 1001 and AGRO 1103
AGRO 2402 - The Science of Cannabis
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Botany, growth and development of cannabis, industrial and medical uses, cultivation of industrial and medical cannabis, human health and social impacts, federal and state regulations.
AGRO 2501 - Plant Identification for Urban and Rural Landscapes
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Identification of weed species and native herbaceous plants that are important in crop production, turf management, horticulture production, and landscapes systems. This course will emphasize the identification of weed species and other plants found in Minnesota and the upper Midwest area of the United States. Plant families, life cycles, habitats and relationships to humans. prereq: Biol 1009 or equiv
AGRO 2502 - Introduction to Integrated Weed Management
Credits: 1.0 [max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro 2502/ CFAN 3001
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Weeds reduce crop yield and quality, affect human health, and result in significant economic loss. This course is for undergraduate students interested in learning more about weed management techniques in an applied context. The goal is to develop a basic understanding of how weed biology and ecology are used to select and integrate weed control tools for effective long-term management of weeds in annual and perennial cropping systems. The topics to be covered in this course will include basic understanding of weed biology/ecology, knowledge of different mechanical, cultural, and chemical weed control tools, and process for integration to meet specific goals. The course involves active, hands-on learning around new technologies as well as guest lecturers from industry. Agro 1103 or Biol 1009 is recommended. Agro 2501 is highly encouraged.
AGRO 3305 - Agroecosystems of the world (GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Explore four different areas of world (Minnesota, Morocco, Nepal, Costa Rica) by networking with locals on ground in each region through online interactions. Food, agriculture, environment. Biophysical/socio-cultural aspects of agroecosystems through unique multi-disciplinary lens.
AGRO 3660 - Plant Genetic Resources: Identification, Conservation, and Utilization
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Importance of plant genetic diversity. Morphological, molecular, and computational methods of identifying/conserving genetic resources. Biological basis of genetic diversity. Case studies in crop improvement. prereq: Introductory biology
AGRO 4505 - Biology, Ecology, and Management of Invasive Plants
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Ecology/biology of invasive plant species (weeds). Principles of invasive plant management in agricultural/horticultural, urban, wetland, aquatic, and other non-cropland landscape systems, utilizing biological, cultural, and chemical means. Management strategies to design systems that optimize invasive plant management in terms of economic, environmental, and social impacts. prereq: 4005, [Bio 3002 or equiv], Soil 2125, [Agro 2501 or Hort 1011]
AGRO 4605 - Strategies for Agricultural Production and Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Some of humanity's greatest challenges are related to agriculture. The human population continues to grow and food, fuel, and fiber production are critical to improving human lives around the world. In this course, students will learn the principles of crop production and apply those principles to address real-world agricultural challenges using quantitative tools and skills. Students will learn how to find, access, and use publicly available data to better make decisions in agriculture. Group activities will require students to synthesize information from peer-reviewed research and apply that information to practical problems. This class includes trips to field research plots to collect data, organizing it, and analyzing it to test hypotheses and solve problems. Discussions and labs will be interactive and will require individual and group-level critical thinking. prereq: 1101 or equivalent, [CHEM1015/17 or equivalent], SOIL1125 or equivalent], [jr or sr or grad student or instr consent]
AGRO 4888 - Issues in Sustainable Agriculture
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Agroecology, sustainable practices, production economics, environmental quality, holistic resource management, healthy food/water, rural communities. Meet sustainable-agriculture advocates, including farmers, faculty, and representatives of non-profit sustainable-agriculture organizations. prereq: 1103, Soil 1125 or 2125 or equiv
CFAN 2333 - Insects, Microbes, and Plants: Ecology of Pest Management (TS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course uses fundamental concepts of ecology and evolution to illuminate and solve the challenges in managing insects and microbes in today?s global context of food and fiber production. Students will learn relevant aspects of insect and microbial biology to be able to situate concrete management problems in an appropriate ecological and evolutionary conceptual framework. Students will apply these concepts and discuss ecological and management controversies, such as what can we learn from natural areas to better manage food and fiber production systems. Case studies, readings, and discussion topics will emphasize factors influencing responsible management decisions.
PLPA 2001 - Introductory Plant Pathology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Biology of the major groups of plant pathogens, symptoms and signs of plant disease, plant disease diagnosis, and principles of disease management. Lecture and laboratory. prereq: BIOL 1009 or equiv
PLSC 3002 - Seed Science, Technology, and Society
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Cultivate an understanding of seed and appreciation for seed with respect to agriculture. Focus of this course will be on agronomic crop seeds produced in the upper Midwest. prereq: HORT 1001 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 2002 or consent of the instructor
PLSC 3401 - Plant Genetics and Breeding
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro 4401/Hort 4401/PLSC 3401
Typically offered: Every Spring
Principles of plant genetics and environmental variation. Applications of genetics to crop evolution and breeding of self-pollinated, cross-pollinated, and asexually propagated crops. Investigation of hybridization, variation, and selection. Course is offered with two alternating instructors: Spring Odd its with Eric Watkins. Spring Even is with Aaron Lorenz. Prerequisites: BIOL 1009 or 1009H
SOIL 3416 - Plant Nutrients in the Environment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Fundamental concepts in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Discuss dynamics of mineral elements in soil, plants, and the environment. Evaluation, interpretation, and correction of plant nutrient problems. prereq: SOIL 2125