Plant Science

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www.cpp.edu/~plantsci

Anna Soper, Interim Chair
Erik Froyen, College Graduate Coordinator

The Plant Science department offers one major, Plant Science (B.S.), with the opportunity for undergraduate students to minor in Agronomy, Horticulture, Pest and Disease Management, Soil Science, Urban and Community Agriculture, and Water Resources and Irrigation Design. We also offer a Plant Science Option within Agriculture M.S. program through the Huntley College of Agriculture.

The curriculum focuses on environmental sustainability, responsible use of water, land, and other natural resources, and incorporates economic profitability components required to keep farms and plant science businesses thriving. We have intentionally incorporated social sustainability components in our curriculum through a required class in ethics, and another in sustainability science.

We emphasize high-impact teaching practices to develop an inclusive and highly skilled workforce in fresh fruit and vegetable, agronomic and tree crop industries; urban and community agriculture, controlled environment agriculture, soil science, horticulture, plant pest and disease management; and plant science across the green industries from water resources and irrigation design, arboriculture, and sports turf management to natural resources conservation, and more.

Graduates from the plant science major can look forward to a wide array of well-paying career opportunities -  descriptions and salary ranges are detailed on our department website.

The department is home to the Huntley College of Agriculture Ornamental Horticulture Unit with over 46,000 square feet of greenhouse space supporting student laboratories, employment, and faculty-mentored research and activities in nursery production, hydroponics, aquaponics, and controlled environment agriculture. The greenhouse complex includes certified organic nursery production, and two 40-foot-long shipping containers modified for indoor vertical agriculture installed in the headhouse.

Department facilities and resources include Spadra Educational Farm, located adjacent to campus with 150 acres of farmland, including  citrus groves, vegetable, field and forage crops, and 10-acres of certified organic vegetable production. Additional cropping is interspersed on campus, including vineyards, heirloom citrus and subtropical fruit blocks, coffee and dragon fruit varietal trials, and avocados. Plant Science Department faculty oversee the student-run campus micro-farm and maintain a 2-acre campus apiary to support our bee science courses and student enterprise projects.

The Center for Turfgrass, Irrigation, and Landscape Technology (CTILT) provides a focal point for field laboratories, student research, and career training and job placement. Students study management of landscapes that are attractive and serve municipal, community, and commercial needs. This includes climate-smart turfgrass and ornamental plant selection with lower maintenance requirements, water conservation, landscape irrigation technology, and golf course and sports field management. Many large and small landscape design and maintenance companies and irrigation consulting firms in the local area and across the nation provide internships and job opportunities to students pursuing careers in the green industry.

Plant Science students are involved in a wide variety of co-curricular activities. Professional and community organizations sponsor and engage with clubs through field trips, guest lectures, workshops, and more. Plant Science instructionally related activity clubs travel and compete in inter-collegiate competitions in horticulture, entomology, turfgrass, irrigation, crops, and soils, and are among the most competitive in the nation. The Department employs many students who assist in all aspects of the department farms, greenhouses, and laboratory facilities, and as research assistants with faculty mentors.

As a department we affirm that faculty scholarship, teaching, and professional development will have the greatest impacts on student success and faculty well-being when department members from all backgrounds commit to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.

Programs

• Plant Science, B.S.: 120 units

• Agriculture, M.S. - Plant Science Subplan/Option: 30 units

• Agronomy Minor: 19 units
• Horticulture Minor: 19 units
• Pest and Disease Management Minor: 18 units
• Soil Science Minor: 19 units
• Urban and Community Agriculture Minor: 18 units
• Water Resources and Irrigation Design Minor: 18 units

Courses

• PLT 1000 - Orientation to Plant Science (1)
• PLT 1120 - Introduction to Horticulture (3)
• PLT 1120L - Introduction to Horticulture Laboratory (1)
• PLT 1130 - Introduction to Agronomy (3)
• PLT 1130L - Introduction to Agronomy Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2000 - Special Study for Lower Division Students (1-3)
• PLT 2020 - Subtropical Fruits (2)
• PLT 2020L - Subtropical Fruits Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2030 - Pomology (2)
• PLT 2030L - Pomology Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2140 - History of Garden Art (3) [GE 3A]
• PLT 2200 - Agronomic Principles and Practices (2)
• PLT 2200L - Agronomic Principles and Practices Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2220 - Culinary Produce Technology (3)
• PLT 2230 - Forage and Pasture Crops (2)
• PLT 2230L - Forage and Pasture Crops Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2260 - Vegetable Crop Systems (2)
• PLT 2260L - Vegetable Crop Systems Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2310 - Introduction to Soil Science (2)
• PLT 2310L - Introduction to Soil Science Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2320 - Basic Irrigation Science (3)
• PLT 2330 - Introduction to Arthropods (2)
• PLT 2330L - Introduction to Arthropods Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2400 - Introduction to Turfgrass Management (2)
• PLT 2400L - Introduction to Turfgrass Management Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2420 - Plant Identification (2)
• PLT 2420L - Plant Identification Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2520 - Computer Aided Design (2)
• PLT 2520L - Computer Aided Design Laboratory (1)
• PLT 2977 - Farmers’ Markets (3)
• PLT 2990 - Special Topics for Lower Division Students (1-3)
• PLT 2990A - Special Topics for Lower Division Students Activity (1-3)
• PLT 2990L - Special Topics for Lower Division Students Laboratory (1-3)
• PLT 3000 - Insects and Civilization (3) [GE 5D]
• PLT 3020 - Technology Innovations in Plant Science (3)
• PLT 3030 - Pesticide Laws and Regulations (3)
• PLT 3200 - Agricultural Insect Pests (2)
• PLT 3200L - Agricultural Insect Pests Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3280 - Arboriculture (2)
• PLT 3280L - Arboriculture Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3310 - Weed Science (2)
• PLT 3310L - Weed Science Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3320LW - Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3320W - Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (2)
• PLT 3360 - Bee Science (2)
• PLT 3360L - Bee Science Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3370 - Native Plant Materials (2)
• PLT 3370L - Native Plant Materials Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3410 - Sprinkler/Drip Irrigation (3)
• PLT 3630 - Professional Development Seminar (1)
• PLT 3650 - Sustainable Agriculture (2)
• PLT 3650L - Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory (1)
• PLT 3760 - Urban and Community Agriculture (3) [GE 5D]
• PLT 3860 - Farm-to-Table (3)
• PLT 4000 - Special Study for Upper Division Students (1-3)
• PLT 4010 - Crop Ecology (3)
• PLT 4030 - Viticulture (2)
• PLT 4030L - Viticulture Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4040 - Plant Breeding (2)
• PLT 4040L - Plant Breeding Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4110 - Environmental Toxicology (3)
• PLT 4160 - Landscape Contracting and Estimating (2)
• PLT 4160L - Landscape Contracting and Estimating Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4190 - Plant Pathology (2)
• PLT 4190L - Plant Pathology Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4210 - Production Mycology (2)
• PLT 4210L - Production Mycology Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4220 - Specialized Plant Propagation (2)
• PLT 4220L - Specialized Plant Propagation Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4280 - Applied Plant Physiology (3)
• PLT 4310 - Soil Chemistry (2)
• PLT 4310L - Soil Chemistry Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4311 - Plants and Civilization (3) [GE 5D]
• PLT 4340 - Golf Course Management (2)
• PLT 4340L - Golf Course Management Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4400 - Integrated Pest Management (3)
• PLT 4410 - Internship (1)
• PLT 4450 - Social and Scientific Aspects of Organic Agriculture (3)
• PLT 4500 - Advanced Beekeeping (2)
• PLT 4500L - Advanced Beekeeping Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4610 - Senior Project (1)
• PLT 4965 - Small-Scale Sustainable Farming (2)
• PLT 4965L - Small-Scale Sustainable Farming Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4975 - Urban Agriculture Policy and Community Development (2)
• PLT 4975L - Urban Agriculture Policy and Community Development Laboratory (1)
• PLT 4985 - Urban Agriculture Business Models (3)
• PLT 4990 - Special Topics for Upper Division Students (1-3)
• PLT 4990A - Special Topics for Upper Division Students Activity (1-3)
• PLT 4990L - Special Topics for Upper Division Students Laboratory (1-3)
• PLT 5000 - Special Study for Graduate Students (1-3)
• PLT 5500 - Seminar in Plant Science (3)
• PLT 5940 - Presentation of Research Proposal (1)
• PLT 5990 - Special Topics for Graduate Students (1-3)
• PLT 5990A - Special Topics for Graduate Students Activity (1-3)
• PLT 5990L - Special Topics for Graduate Students Laboratory (1-3)
• PLT 6910 - Directed Research (1-3)
• PLT 6920 - Independent Research (1-3)
• PLT 6940 - Master’s Thesis/Project Research (1-3)
• PLT 6960 - Master’s Thesis (1-3)
• PLT 6990 - Master’s Degree Continuation (0)

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