Plant and Soil Science (PSS)

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1000 Level Courses

1100. Freshman and Transfer Student Seminar (1:1:0). Exposure to scientific disciplines, time management strategies, various learning styles, support services, employment opportunities, and social organizations within the Department of Plant and Soil Science.

1321. [AGRI 1307, 1407] Agronomic Plant Science (3:3:0). Importance, distribution, and use of major world agronomic crops. Fundamentals of growth, structure, and improvements are also stressed. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement.

1411. [AGRI 1415, HORT 1401] Principles of Horticulture (4:3:2). Principles and practices of growth and development, structure, nomenclature, use of horticultural plants and how they are affected by the environment. Fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.

2000 Level Courses

2130. Urban Soils Laboratory (1:0:2). Prerequisite: PSS 2330 or concurrent. Discussion and practical experience with soils in the urban environment. Partially fulfills Core Natural Science requirement.

2210. Floral Design (2:1:2). Floral design as a commercial enterprise. Emphasis on principles of floral design, patterns of arrangements, and elements of color composition. Field trips required.

2311. Vegetable Crops (3:2:3). Principles and practices in home vegetable gardening, with an introduction to commercial production and marketing of major vegetable crops. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement.

2312. Propagation Methods (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. Propagation techniques of commercial nurseries and greenhouse ranges; study of the physiological reaction and cutting material. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement. (Writing Intensive)

2313. Herbaceous Plant Materials (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. Study of the principal herbaceous plants and plant families, palms, roses, and subtropic landscape plants.

2330. Urban Soils (3:3:0). Utilization of soils in urban environments with emphasis on nutrients, water management, and physical properties. Partially fulfills Core Natural Science requirement. (Credit not given for PSS 2432)

2401 [AGRI 1413] Introductory Entomology (4:3:2). An introduction to the arthropods with major emphasis on the insects. Insect structure, function, identification, and relationships to man, plants, and animals with be discussed. Fulfills Core Natural Sciences requirement.

2432. Principles and Practices in Soils (4:3:2). Prerequisite: CHEM 1305 and 1105. Formation and composition, physical and chemical properties, hydraulic and thermal relationships of soil. Role of soil in ecosystems. Fulfills Core Technology and Applied Science requirement. (Writing Intensive)

3000 Level Courses

3309. Introduction to Turfgrass Science (3:2:3). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. An overview of turfgrass selection, growth, adaptation and management. Specialized practices relative to home lawns, athletic fields, golf courses, and utility turfs.

3317. Interior Plants (3:2:3). Selection and maintenance of interior plants and planting facilities.

3318. Woody Plants (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. Discussion and selection of woody plants used for ornamental purposes in the landscape setting. The course will be divided between deciduous and evergreen plants.

3321. Forage and Pasture Crops (3:3:0). The production and use of forage and pasture crops.

3322. Grain, Fiber, and Oilseed Crops (3:3:0). History, distribution, use, plant form, growth and development, and cultural and production practices of important agronomic crops.

3323. Crop Physiology (3:3:0). Presents fundamental concepts underlying the science of crop physiology, including crop phenology, canopy development and light interception, photosynthesis and respiration, and dry matter partitioning.

3324. Seed Science (3:3:0). Analysis of seed for planting. Seed quality as related to production, processing, storing, and handling. Study of federal and state seed laws.

3421. Fundamental Principles of Genetics (4:4:0). Prerequisite: PSS 1321 or BIOL 1401. Mendelian genetic principles and chromosomal basis of heredity and genetic analysis based on recombinant DNA. (Writing Intensive)

4000 Level Courses

4000. Internship (V1-3). Prerequisite: Approval of department chair. A supervised study course providing in-service training and practice in various areas of plant science. May be repeated for credit.

4001. Problems (V1-3). Prerequisite: Approval of instructor. An assigned problem and individual instruction in a specific area, Plant Science. May be repeated for credit with approval of department chair.

4100. Seminar (1:1:0). Utilization of writing and oral presentation skills. Continued enhancement of education skills and adherence to professional ethics.

4301. Agricultural Compounds (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2401 and CHEM 3303, 3103. Nature, mode of action, and uses of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and other pesticides.

4305. Integrated Pest Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2401. The principles and practices of integration of all available control strategies in the management of arthropod pest populations.

4313. Arboriculture (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. The physiological principles and industry practices in the production, moving, care, and maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs, and ground covers. Required field trips.

4314. Garden Center Management (3:3:0). The principles of management, marketing, structures, and distribution for retail establishments. (Writing Intensive)

4316. Turfgrass Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 3309. Second course in turfgrass management including turf physiology, nutrition, weed control, insects, and diseases.

4317. Golf Course Construction (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 3309 or consent of instructor. Phases of golf course construction with emphasis on how construction decisions impact future management practices and concerns.

4318. Turf Pest Management (3:2:3). Prerequisite: PSS 3309 or consent of instructor. Provides background of the major turfgrass pests and their control with special emphasis on integrated pest management.

4321. Fundamental Principles of Plant Breeding (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 3421. Practical application of genetics and biotechnology in the breeding and improvement of plants.

4325. Crop Water Management (3:3:0). Evaluation of the primary irrigation systems used in crop production, soil-plant interactions affecting water supply, and methods of monitoring soil and plant water status.

4330. Environmental Soil Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Chemistry of inorganic and organic soil components with emphasis on environmental significance of soil solution-solid phase equilibria, sorption phenomena, ion exchange processes, reaction kinetics, redox reactions, and acidity processes.

4332. Soil Classification (3:2:3). Prerequisite: Approval of instructor for nonagriculture majors. Soil profile morphology. Classification systems with emphasis on the taxonomic system of the United States.

4335. Soil Fertility Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Nutrient availability as influenced by the properties of soils, use of fertilizers and soil amendments; methods and time of application of fertilizer.

4336. Soil Physical Properties (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432 and 6 hours of mathematics. Physical properties of soils: structure and movement of water, air, and temperature.

4337. Environmental Soil Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes of soil as they relate to environmental quality.

4411. Greenhouse Crop Production (4:3:3). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. Greenhouse construction, heating, cooling, growing media, pest management, nutrition, fertility, growth regulation, irrigation, post-harvest handling, marketing of greenhouse crops. Required field trips.

4415. Plant Biotechnology (4:3:2). Prerequisite: PSS 3421. The study of plant biotechnology with emphasis on industry topics such as research, marketability, product development, and regulatory and intellectual property issues. (Writing Intensive)

4421. Principles of Weed Science (4:3:2). Fundamentals of chemical weed control. Emphasis on herbicide families, names, usage, absorption, translocation, mechanism of action, and factors influencing selectivity and soil persistence. The laboratory will emphasize labels, calculations, equipment, calibrations and usage, and methods of application.

4425. Agricultural Plant Pathology (4:3:2). Identification and management of diseases of agricultural and horticultural plants. Diagnostic methods used to identify basic plant pathogens.

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5000 Level Courses

5000. Professional Internship (V1-6). Prerequisite: Consent of department chairperson. Supervised study providing advanced training for master’s students. Emphasis is on scientific and technical training.

5001. Problems in Plant and Soil Science (V1-3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Selected problems based on the student’s needs and interests, not included in other courses. May be repeated for credit with approval of department.

5100. Seminar (1:1:0). Current research in all aspects of plant and soil science including presentations by internationally recognized scientists. May be repeated for credit.

5231. Applied Geostatistics (2:2:0). Application of regionalized variable theory to surface and subsurface land forms using semivariograms and kriging.

5232. International Agronomic Development (2:2:0). Overview of world food situation. Role of assistance programs and international and national research centers in the development of agronomic research and outreach for developing countries.

5303. Host Plant Resistance to Arthropod Pests (3:3:0). Applied co-evolution aspects of plant-insect interactions. Covers developmental, physiological and behavioral aspects of arthropod-plant interactions.

5304. Economic Entomology (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2401 or consent of instructor. A synthesis of the theory and practice of insect control including prediction and implementations of control strategies in agricultural systems.

5306. Advanced Insect Anatomy and Physiology (3:2:3). Prerequisite: PSS 2401. The structure and function of insect organ systems.

5307. Pesticides (3:3:0). Advanced study of the registration, development, and legal use of pesticides.

5310. Insect Ecology (3:3:0). The effects of environmental factors on insect abundance, composition, complexity, and dynamics of insect community systems.

5314. Advanced Turf Pest Management (3:2:3). Prerequisite: PSS 3309 or consent of instructor. Examines the biology and ecology of major turfgrass pests to develop best management practices for various turf environments.

5316. Advanced Arboriculture (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. Advanced principles associated with anatomical, physiological, and chemical changes in woody plants.

5317. Advanced Nursery Management (3:3:0). Principles of nursery production, cultural management, and marketing of both wholesale and retail commodities.

5318. Advanced Turfgrass Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 3309. An advanced course in turfgrass science including turf physiology, nutrition, insects, diseases, and weed control.

5319. Advanced Interiorscaping (3:2:2). Prerequisite: PSS 1411. A tropical foliage plant course for graduate students with no previous training in interiorscaping. Emphasis is placed on plant identification, selection, design, lighting and maintenance.

5321. Plant Breeding Theory (3:3:0). Breeding and plant improvement presented at an advanced level.

5322. Organic Plant Metabolism (3:3:0). Considerations of cellular organization and its relation to cellular metabolism. Bioenergetics and biochemistry of the organic constituents of living systems including their synthesis and metabolism are considered.

5323. Environmental Crop Physiology (3:3:0). The plant-environment interaction in relation to growth and production of crop communities. Radiant energy, carbon dioxide, water, and temperature relationships in crop stands.

5324. Mode and Mechanism of Herbicide Action (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Herbicide classification, activity, crop selectivity, and resistant plants.

5325. Transgenic and Plant Cell Genetics (3:3:0). Genome organization in plants, interspecific hybridization, cytoplasmic male sterility, self-incompatibility, tissue culture, in-vitro screening, and transformation technologies.

5326. Advanced Seed Science (3:3:0). In-depth study of seed and seedling anatomy, the sequence of events and factors affecting germination and emergence, and the characteristics of dormancy and vigor.

5327. Soil-Plant-Animal Interrelationships in Grazing Lands (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 3321. Ecological and nutritional principles of livestock grazing are established. Mineral cycling, antiquality factors, limitations to intake, and research methodology in forage-livestock systems are presented.

5328. Forages and Livestock in Pasture Ecosystems (3:3:0). Systems of grazing management are presented from the perspective of ecosystems in pasture lands and other grazing lands with intensified management.

5329. Precision Agriculture (3:3:0). Introduction to site-specific management of agricultural crops emphasizing collection and use of geospatial information in performing variable-rate farming practices.

5330. Advanced Environmental Soil Chemistry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Chemistry of inorganic and organic soil components with emphasis on environmental significance of soil solution-solid phase equilibria, sorportion phenomena, ion exchange processes reaction kinetics, redox reactions, and acidity processes.

5331. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Not open to students having had PSS 4335. Evaluation and application of theory to soil fertility and fertilizers; a study of nutrient needs and nutrient reactions in soil; and predicting nutrient need and response.

5332. Pedology (3:3:0). Processes of rock weathering with associated soil formation. Genesis of clay minerals. Soil forming factors and their interrelationships.

5333. Soil and Plant Relationships (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432. Selected topics in soil-plant relationships. Cause and effect, management, and control of factors influencing plant growth in the soil.

5334. Soils and Crops in Arid Lands (3:3:0). Potentials for utilizing soils, rainfall patterns, and plant characteristics for crop production in arid lands.

5335. Soil Physics (3:3:0). Physical characteristics of soils and porous media and principles underlying flow and distribution of water, air, and heat in soils.

5336. Soil Mineralogy (3:3:0). The mineralogical makeup of sand, silt, and clay. The relation of physical and chemical soil properties to mineralogy.

5337. Advanced Soil Classification (3:2:3). A study of the taxonomic System of Soil Classification as used in the United States.

5351. Environmental Instrumentation and Measurements (3:1:4). Setting up and programming a data logger to collect environmental measurements related to soil, atmosphere, and plant conditions using a variety of sensors.

5370. U.S. and Global Cotton Fiber-Textile Industries (3:3:0). Examination of factors affecting cotton production, processing, marketing, and utilization as an industrial raw material for textile manufacturing.

5371. Structure and Functionalization of Cotton Fibers (3:3:0). Fundamental understanding of the structure of cotton fibers and their characterization. Presents techniques used to functionalize the cotton fabric to create “smart” textiles.

5372. Textile Manufacturing Systems (3:3:0). Fundamental principles and processes for converting fibers into textile structures and evaluating and optimizing performance criteria in yarn and fabric production. Advanced process and quality control.

5376. Advanced Studies in Cotton Fibers (3:3:0). Examination of the structure of cotton fibers, meaning and measurement of fiber properties, and issues related to increasing cotton’s use-value as an industrial raw material.

5377. Cotton Fiber: Genotype to Phenotype Characterization (3:3:0). An integrated approach that relates cotton fiber morphogenesis to fiber macro- and microstructures to fiber physical and mechanical properties.

5401. Advanced Insect Taxonomy (4:3:3). Taxonomy, keys, descriptions, biology, and literature for all insect orders will be discussed. Sight identification of over 200 families is stressed in laboratories. A specific taxon will be assigned for detailed study, and a collection is required.

5415. Advanced Greenhouse Crop Production (4:3:3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Greenhouse construction, heating, cooling, growing media, pest management, nutrition, fertility, growth regulation, irrigation, post-harvest handling, marketing greenhouse crops. Required field trips.

5421. Genetically Modified Crops (4:3:2). Prerequisite: Course in genetics. This course will examine the contemporary methods and genetic principles of plant biotechnology and the commercialization of genetically modified plants.

5425. Advanced Agricultural Plant Pathology (4:3:2). Prerequisite: Approval of instructor. Identification of causal agents of plant diseases (fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses). Emphasis will be placed on diagnostic methods, isolation, and inoculation.

5429. Advanced Principles of Weed Science (4:3:2). Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Weeds, weed control, plant identification, and equipment presented at an advanced level.

6000 Level Courses

6000. Master’s Thesis (V1-6).

6001. Selected Topics in Plant and Soil Science (V1-3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Individual study of advanced topics in plant and soil science. May be repeated in different areas for credit.

6211. Principles and Practices in Viticulture (2:2:0). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Introduction to the physiology and anatomy of grapevines and the application of best management practices for commercial production of wine grapes.

6301. Quantitative Agricultural Remote Sensing (3:3:0). A general course in the theory and application of remote sensing to quantifying soil and vegetation characteristics relevant to agriculture and natural biosystems.

6302. Plant Growth Modeling (3:3;0). Development, testing, and application of mathematical models of plant growth relevant to agriculture and natural biosystems.

6322. Advanced Plant Breeding (3:3:0). Qualitative and quantitative inheritance, heterosis, selection theory and breeding methodology for crop plant improvement, genotype by environment interaction, and application of cellular and molecular techniques to plant breeding.

6323. Plant-Water Relations (3:3:0). Comprehensive understanding of biophysical factors affecting water status of plant tissue and resultant physiological responses.

6331. Advanced Environmental Soil Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: PSS 2432 or equivalent. Applications of soil chemical, physical, and biological principles to environmental issues.

6424. Structural Genomics of Plants and Animals (4:3:2). Gene structure and cloning, molecular markers, population structure, QTL and association mapping, physical mapping and position cloning, genome sequencing and structure, SNP identification and analysis. S, even years.

7000 Level Courses

7000. Research (V1-12).

8000 Level Courses

8000. Doctor’s Dissertation (V1-12).

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