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Agronomy and Plant Genetics (AGRO) Courses

Academic Unit: Agronomy & Plant Genetics

AGRO 1101 - Biology of Plant Food Systems [BIOL]
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Designed for students who are not majors in a life science program, but who wish to acquire a better understanding of biological concepts especially as they relate to their lives. We examine current issues related to food, food production and the environment which provide the context to investigate fundamental concepts of biology including productivity, energy, genetic change in populations, and environmental responses to human activity. We use a problem-based learning approach to explore three contemporary issues of great importance: risks and benefits of GMOs, farming and food, and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Lab, greenhouse, field, and classroom discussions.
AGRO 1103 - Crops, Environment, and Society [ENV]
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: AGUM 2222 (inactive)
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.
AGRO 1661W - Engaging Plant Science [WI]
(2 cr; A-F only; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was AGRO 1660W until 06-SEP-22, was AGRO 1660 until 21-JAN-14
This course engages students in educational experiences to develop skills to navigate the plant sciences. As an orientation course, it will introduce you to some of the important resources available to you as a student at the University of Minnesota in the College of Food Agricultural, and Natural Resources Sciences. A major learning objective is to increase your ability to access and utilize the primary literature in the plant sciences. This course will also introduce you to fundamental skills and best practices in managing and analyzing data that you will use in subsequent plant science courses. As a writing intensive course, you will get instruction and practice in scientific writing. This course is delivered in a hybrid (in person/online) format. This will require careful planning, self-discipline, and good time management to view pre-recorded lectures and successfully complete the various online learning activities, quizzes and assignments. The specific plant science content that you will learn will come from your research to complete a literature review assignment, reading and analyzing papers, and working with data sets from published research. The ultimate goal is to enhance your competency as a self-learner to serve you in your academic pursuit of a degree at the University of Minnesota and beyond.
AGRO 1921 - Coffee from the Ground Up
(2 cr; A-F only; offered Every Fall)
This freshman seminar is all about coffee: its history, geography, biology, breeding, production, processing, economics, sustainability, and brewing. Through team exercises, students will discover how measurable qualities of a cup of coffee are influenced by factors such as species, type of roast, grind size, brew ratio, temperature, and brewing method. The class will culminate with a team competition judged by a panel. Students will develop skills in oral and written expression, working with others, and solving problems in a manner that combines science and art. Overall, the course will help students discover and appreciate how something that seems so simple is the product of a creative and complex process.
AGRO 2022 - Growth and Development of Minnesota Field Crops
(1 cr; S-N only; offered Periodic Fall; may be repeated for 3 credits)
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
(2 cr; Prereq-AGRO 1101 or AGRO 1103 or BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009 or HORT 1001 or PLPA 1005; Student Option; 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
(1 cr; Student Option; 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.
AGRO 2502 - Introduction to Integrated Weed Management
(1 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Fall; may be repeated for 2 credits)
Equivalent courses: CFAN 3001 (inactive, starting 19-JAN-16, was AGRI 3001 until 05-SEP-06)
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 3093 - Directed Study
(1 cr [max 4]; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 6 credits; may be repeated 6 times)
Equivalent courses: was AGRO 1093 until 21-JAN-20
Directed study: A course in which a student designs and carries out a directed study on selected topics or problems under the direction of a faculty member; eg, literature review. Directed study courses may be taken for variable credit and special permission is needed for enrollment. Students enrolling in a directed study will be required to use the University-wide on-line directed study contract process in order to enroll. Instructor consent required. No more than 6 credits of directed study counts towards CFANS major requirements.
AGRO 3203W - Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen [WI GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: was ANSC 3203W until 16-JAN-01, was ANSC 3203W until 05-SEP-00, was AGRO 3203 until 05-SEP-00, was ANSC 3203 until 07-SEP-99, ANSC 3203W, AGUM 2224 (inactive)
Ecological/ethical concerns of food production systems in global agriculture: past, present, and future. Underlying ethical positions about how agroecosystems should be configured. Decision cases, discussions, videos, other media.
AGRO 3305 - Agroecosystems of the world [GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; 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
(3 cr; Prereq-BIOL 1009 or equiv; A-F only; 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.
AGRO 4093 - Directed Studies for Advanced Students
(1 cr [max 4]; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 12 credits; may be repeated 12 times)
Allows study of agronomy in greater depth or in areas not currently offered in formal courses. Tutorial instruction under staff guidance. Instructor consent required. No more than 6 credits of directed study counts towards CFANS major requirements.
AGRO 4094W - Undergraduate Directed Thesis Research [WI]
(2 cr; S-N only; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer)
Equivalent courses: was AGRO 4097W until 21-JAN-20, was AGRO 4097 until 05-SEP-17
Research and thesis writing experience conducted under supervision of a CFANS faculty advisor and course instructor. The student is responsible for identifying the faculty advisor and conducting research prior to registering for this course. A course permission number is given after providing a student-faculty learning contract. The goal of this course is to produce a written thesis in the format of a peer-reviewed scientific article. Students will meet weekly with the course instructor to discuss writing about research. Students will complete a series of staged writing assignments for each section of the thesis (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion etc.). After review by the faculty advisor, the student will revise and submit their final draft. Final drafts will be published in the University of Minnesota Library Digital Conservancy (https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/203510).
AGRO 4105 - Crop Management Field School: A Hands-on Immersion
(1 cr; A-F only; offered Every Summer; may be repeated for 2 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
In this course, you will apply and integrate principles and concepts of agronomy, plant pathology, entomology, and soil and weed science in a hands-on field setting with real-life scenarios and problems common in production agriculture. prereqs: BIOL 1001, 1009 or HORT 1001; AGRO 1103, and SOIL 2125
AGRO 4505 - Biology, Ecology, and Management of Invasive Plants
(3 cr; Student Option; 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.
AGRO 4605 - Data-Driven Agronomy
(3 cr; Prereq-AGRO 1661W; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: AGRO 5605
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, organize it, and analyze it to test hypotheses and solve problems. Discussions and labs will be interactive and will require individual and group-level critical thinking.
AGRO 4888 - Issues in Sustainable Agriculture
(2 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: AGRO 8010 (starting 20-JAN-15, was SAGR 8010 until 03-SEP-24)
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.
AGRO 5021 - Plant Breeding Principles
(3 cr; Prereq-PLSC 3401 and an introductory statistics course that includes analysis of variance, such as BIOL 3272 or STAT 3011; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
This course is intended for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students that are either: 1) not plant breeding majors who will benefit from a basic understanding of how genetics is applied to plant improvement; or 2) plant breeding majors lacking prior coursework in plant breeding. The objective of this course is to develop an understanding of the underlying principles, ideas, and concepts important to applying genetic principles to plant breeding, evaluating breeding methods, and enhancing genetic progress and efficiency.
AGRO 5121 - Applied Experimental Design
(4 cr; Prereq-Stat 5021 or NR 5021 or equiv or instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: ENT 5121
Principles of sampling methodologies, experimental design, and statistical analyses. Methods/procedures in generating scientific hypotheses. Organizing, initiating, conducting, and analyzing scientific experiments using experimental designs and statistical procedures.
AGRO 5311 - Research Methods in Crop Improvement and Production
(1 cr; Prereq-applied plant sciences grad; S-N or Audit; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was AGRO 5310 until 03-SEP-02
Demonstrations and discussions of techniques in crop improvement and/or production research. Presentations integrate biotechnology with traditional breeding methods; production sessions emphasize ecologically sound cropping systems.
AGRO 5321 - Ecology of Agricultural Systems
(3 cr; Prereq-No freshmen or sophomores ; A-F or Audit; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: was AGRO 8205 until 05-SEP-00, ENT 5321 (inactive, starting 07-SEP-99)
Ecological approach to problems in agricultural systems. Formal methodologies of systems inquiry are developed/applied.
AGRO 5431 - Applied Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Analysis, interpretation, visualization of large plant genomic datasets. Basic computer programming, applying large-scale genomics to answer basic/applied biological questions, understanding limitations of each application, presenting concise visual findings from large-scale datasets.
AGRO 5605 - Data-Driven Agronomy
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Fall; may be repeated for 6 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
Equivalent courses: AGRO 4605 (starting 05-SEP-23)
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, organize it, and analyze it to test hypotheses and solve problems. Discussions and labs will be interactive and will require individual and group-level critical thinking.
AGRO 5999 - Special Topics: Workshop in Agronomy (Topics course)
(1 cr [max 6]; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 18 credits; may be repeated 3 times)
Workshops on various topics in agronomy and plant genetics. Presenters/faculty may include guest lecturers/experts. Topics specified in class schedule.
AGRO 8010 - Colloquium in Sustainable Agriculture
(2 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was SAGR 8010 until 03-SEP-24, AGRO 4888 (starting 03-SEP-19)
Forum for University faculty and students, and representatives of the farming community, including farmers, grassroots organizations, agricultural businesses, and representatives of state agencies, to engage in discussions on topics related to sustainability of food production.
AGRO 8202 - Breeding for Quantitative Traits in Plants
(3 cr; Prereq-graduate-level course in plant breeding [AGRO 5021 or equivalent] and graduate-level course in statistics [STAT 5021 or NR 5021 or equivalent] or instructor consent; Student Option; offered Spring Even Year)
Principles and concepts of population and quantitative genetics/application in designing and implementing a plant breeding program/theory, experimental approaches, and evidence that form the basis for these concepts and breeding strategies.
AGRO 8241 - Chromosomal and Molecular Genetics of Plant Improvement
(3 cr; Prereq-BIOL 4003 or GCD 3022 or an equivalent introductory genetics course; Student Option; offered Fall Even Year)
Mixture of classic/current info in molecular plant genetics, biotech, and genomics. Students devise experiments in breeding, genetics, genomics, physiology, cellular/molecular biology, and other areas.
AGRO 8280 - Current Topics in Applied Plant Sciences (Topics course)
(1 cr [max 3]; S-N or Audit; offered Every Spring; may be repeated for 4 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
Topics presented by faculty or visiting scientists.
AGRO 8900 - Advanced Discussions (Topics course)
(1 cr [max 3]; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 36 credits; may be repeated 12 times)
Equivalent courses: was HORT 8900 until 03-SEP-02, was HORT 8900 until 07-SEP-99, HORT 8900 (ending 20-JAN-15)
Special workshops or courses in applied plant sciences for graduate students only.

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