Graduate level courses offered by the Department of Horticulture:
Please see the Graduate Courses AY 2022-2023 for more information on courses offered during this Academic Year.HORT 511. RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES IN HORTICULTURE. (2 Credits)
Introduces beginning graduate students to the faculty in horticulture and provides an in-depth discussion of their research and education programs.
HORT 518. CURRENT TOPICS IN ENTOMOLOGY. (2 Credits)
This is a core course of the Horticulture graduate program. Provides an advanced understanding of entomology and its relationship to other disciplines through critical analysis of the scientific literature. Students practice synthesizing information and presenting findings to peers. Instructors, topics, and specific learning objectives vary from term to term. CROSSLISTED as ENT 518.
Equivalent to: ENT 518
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
Course offered in alternate odd numbered years.
HORT 519. CURRENT TOPICS IN PLANT BREEDING AND GENETICS. (2 Credits)
Provides an advanced understanding of plant breeding and genetics and their relationship to other disciplines through critical analysis of the scientific literature. Students practice synthesizing information and presenting findings to peers. Instructors, topics, and specific learning objectives vary from term to term. CROSSLISTED as PBG 519.
Equivalent to: PBG 519
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
HORT 520. CURRENT TOPICS IN HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH. (2 Credits)
This is a core course in the horticulture graduate program. Students gain an advanced understanding of horticulture science and its relationship to other disciplines through critical analysis of the scientific literature. Students practice synthesizing information and presenting findings to their peers. Instructors, topics and specific learning objectives vary from term to term.
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
HORT 521. HERBS, SPICES, AND MEDICINAL PLANTS. (3 Credits)
Principles of crop ecology, morphology, chemistry and utilization of natural products of herbs, spices, and medicinal plants (HSMP). Examines the history and importance of HSMP, their historic and modern uses, current market trends, botany, collection in the wild, fundamentals of production systems for HSMP, harvesting, drying, and other postharvest operations, natural products and their uses, regulations and legal concerns of herbal products.
Recommended: CROP 200 or equivalent course in HORT.
HORT 533. SYSTEMATICS AND ADAPTATION OF VEGETABLE CROPS. (4 Credits)
Covers the botanical and taxonomic relationships, breeding systems and adaptation of vegetable crops. Fresh material is used to illustrate varietal differences and traits of importance. Lec/lab. CROSSLISTED as CROP 433/CROP 533.
Equivalent to: CROP 533
Recommended: BI 102 or BI 213 or BI 311 or HORT 430 or CSS 430 or HORT 450 or CSS 450
HORT 540. ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS: DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT. (3 Credits)
Design, management, and troubleshooting in organic vegetable production systems. Students learn to integrate knowledge from various technical disciplines and explore the social,economic, and environmental dimensions of vegetable production to analyze and evaluate organic vegetable farm enterprises.
Recommended: CROP/SOIL 530 and ENT 548
HORT 544. INSECT AGROECOLOGY. (3 Credits)
Agroecology incorporates ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agricultural systems. Topics include: the role of insects in sustainable agricultural systems; application of the principles of insect ecology to better manage insect pests and maximize crop yield; conserving beneficial insects and other natural resources in agroecosystems and the surrounding landscape. CROSSLISTED as ENT 544.
Equivalent to: ENT 544
Recommended: General background or previous course work in entomology.
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
HORT 547. ARBORICULTURE. (4 Credits)
The principles and practices of arboriculture, the art and science of selecting, planting, establishing and maintaining trees in urban, suburban, commercial and residential landscapes. Lec/lab CROSSLISTED as FES 447.
Equivalent to: FES 547
HORT 552. BERRY AND GRAPE PHYSIOLOGY AND CULTURE. (4 Credits)
Production of wine grapes, caneberries, strawberries, blueberries, and other miscellaneous berry crops. Emphasis on plant growth and development; pruning and training systems; flower and fruit development and cultivars. Field trips required. Offered in alternate years.
Recommended: HORT 301
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
HORT 555. URBAN FOREST PLANNING, POLICY AND MANAGEMENT. (4 Credits)
Examination of planning, policy, and management strategies used in the stewardship of urban natural resources. Fundamentals for developing effective programs to maximize the economic, environmental, and social values and benefits of urban forest landscapes. CROSSLISTED as FES 555. Taught via Ecampus only.
Equivalent to: FES 555, FOR 555
Recommended: FOR 350 or FES 350 or HORT 350
HORT 556. PHYSIOLOGY AND PRODUCTION OF BERRY CROPS. (4 Credits)
Physiology and production systems of blueberries, red and black raspberries, blackberries, and other berry crops. Emphasis on plant growth and development; flower and fruit development; cultivars; pruning and training systems; irrigation; harvesting; nutrient management; and conventional and organic production systems.
Course offered in alternate odd numbered years.
HORT 563. SEED BIOLOGY. (3 Credits)
Information about reproductive development of plants such as pollination and fertilization, which is important for the initiation of seed formation, will be provided. Embryo and endosperm development as well as accumulation of seed storage materials, which are major events during seed development, will be covered, as well as the dormancy and germination mechanisms in mature seeds. Lectures and discussions (presentations required for graduate students). Offered every even year fall term. CROSSLISTED as CROP 463/CROP 563. Lec/lab.
Equivalent to: CROP 563, HORT 363
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
HORT 580. CASE STUDIES IN CROPPING SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT. (4 Credits)
Decision cases involving the production of field and horticultural crops; individual and group activities; discussion of the decision-making process. Multiple field trips required. A field trip fee will be charged. CROSSLISTED as HORT 580/CROP 580.
Equivalent to: CROP 580, CSS 580
Recommended: CROP 300 or HORT 300
HORT 581. HORTICULTURE PRODUCTION CASE STUDIES. (4 Credits)
Field-based case studies investigate production issues encountered in horticultural crops; individual and group activities; discussion of processes for troubleshooting, decision-making and management recommendations; assessment of economic, practical and logistical feasibility. Prior knowledge of plant physiology, soils, entomology, and plant nutrition are required. Multiple field trips required. A field trip fee will be charged.
Recommended: HORT 301
ENT 518, CURRENT TOPICS IN ENTOMOLOGY, 2 Credits
A core course of the Horticulture graduate program. Provides an advanced understanding of entomology and its relationship to other disciplines through critical analysis of the scientific literature. Practice synthesizing information and presenting findings to peers. Instructors, topics, and specific learning objectives vary from term to term. CROSSLISTED as ENT 518/HORT 518.
Equivalent to: HORT 518
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
Course offered in alternate odd numbered years.
ENT 520, INSECT ECOLOGY, 3 Credits
Insect ecology, evolution, and management. Biophysical ecology; foraging and feeding; life cycles; population dynamics, regulation, and control; species interactions including herbivore-plant, predator-prey, parasite-host, competition, and mutualism; diversity, food web structure, agricultural ecology, exercises merge models, experiments, and sampling. Offered even years.
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
ENT 523, ORGANIC BEEKEEPING AND HONEY PRODUCTION, 3 Credits
In this introduction to the fascinating honey bee and its biology, honey bees are used as model organisms to illustrate general principles of biology, entomology, and sociobiology. Learn the basics of beekeeping, organic beekeeping and honey production. Examine the culture and certification of organic and conventional systems of honey production.
Available via Ecampus
ENT 540, ISSUES IN INSECT TOXICOLOGY, 3 Credits
Introduction to concepts and mechanisms associated with molecular toxicology as it relates to insects, including interactions with naturally occurring and synthetic compounds. Overview of current research in insect toxicology including resistance to pesticides, protection of non-target species, and use of insects as model organisms. Discussion of laboratory and field approaches and potential strategies to address issues in insect toxicology.
Recommended: Background in basic chemistry and biology
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
ENT 542, PRINCIPLES OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: SYSTEMS DESIGN, 4 Credits
Principles of integrated pest management design focusing on the use of systems analysis as a means to integrate management tactics, environmental and biological monitoring, pest control models, and implementation elements into a cohesive whole. Introduction to integrated pest management on websites. Students will design a hypothetical crop-pest management system. Lec/lab.
Equivalent to: HORT 542
Recommended: ENT 311
ENT 544, INSECT AGROECOLOGY, 3 Credits
Agroecology incorporates ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agricultural systems. Topics include: the role of insects in sustainable agricultural systems; application of the principles of insect ecology to better manage insect pests and maximize crop yield; conserving beneficial insects and other natural resources in agroecosystems and the surrounding landscape. CROSSLISTED as ENT 444/HORT 444 and ENT 544/HORT 544.
Equivalent to: HORT 544
Recommended: General background or previous course work in entomology.
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
ENT 548, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC SYSTEMS, 3 Credits
Prevention, detection, and management of pests and diseases in organic plant production systems. Content includes activities that require students to expand their experience of pest management in their locality by incorporating new and emergent technology for monitoring, diagnosing and managing insects, pathogen, and weed pests and their impacts on crops. Discussions will be centered on the logistics and potential of new technologies in pest management, incorporating biological, ecological and sustainable agriculture concepts.
Recommended: ENT 311 with minimum grade of D-
PBG 513, PLANT GENETIC ENGINEERING, 3 Credits
Principles, methods, and recent developments in the genetic engineering of higher plants. Offered alternate years.
Equivalent to: HORT 513
Recommended: (BI 311 and BOT 331) or (CSS 430 or CSS 530) or (HORT 430 or HORT 530) or (PBG 430 or PBG 530)
PBG 519, CURRENT TOPICS IN PLANT BREEDING AND GENETICS, 2 Credits
Provides an advanced understanding of plant breeding and genetics and their relationship to other disciplines through critical analysis of the scientific literature. Practice synthesizing information and presenting findings to peers. Instructors, topics, and specific learning objectives vary from term to term. CROSSLISTED as HORT 519/PBG 519.
Equivalent to: HORT 519
This course is repeatable for 12 credits.
PBG 530, PLANT GENETICS, 3 Credits
Introduction to the principles of plant genetics with an emphasis on the structure and function of economically important plant genomes.
Equivalent to: HORT 530
Recommended: One year of biology and chemistry.
PBG 541, PLANT TISSUE CULTURE, 4 Credits
Principles, methods, and applications of plant tissue culture. Laboratory is important part of course. Topics include callus culture, regeneration, somaclonal variation, micropropagation, anther culture, somatic hybridization, and transformation. CROSSLISTED as PBG 441 and MCB 541/PBG 541.
Equivalent to: HORT 541, MCB 541
Recommended: (BI 311 and BOT 331) or PBG 430
PBG 550, PLANT BREEDING, 4 Credits
An introduction to the genetic improvement of self-pollinated, cross-pollinated, and asexually propagated species and the genetic principles on which breeding methods are based. Example are drawn from a wide range of crops, including cereal grains, grasses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables; guest lecturers discuss their breeding programs. Additional topics include crop evaluation, germplasm preservation, disease resistance, and biotechnology. Lec/lab.
Equivalent to: CSS 550, HORT 550
Recommended: BI 311 or PBG 430 or PBG 530
PBG 551, BREEDING CLONAL CROPS, 1 Credit
The overall goal of the course is to gain fundamental knowledge of breeding methods for clonal crops; these methods are different from those used for seed-propagated crops. Specific examples from a wide array of plant species (tree fruits, berries, tree nuts, potato, sweet potato, cassava, cacao) will be provided to illustrate application of the fundamental knowledge.
Prerequisite: PBG 450 with C or better or PBG 550 with C or better
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
PBG 552, PLANT BREEDING AND SEED PRODUCTION IN ORGANIC SYSTEMS, 3 Credits
Genetic improvement and seed propagation of self-pollinated and cross-pollinated crops bred for and used in organic production. The philosophical basis for organic agriculture will be reviewed in the context of what breeding technologies are allowed and why. Important traits for adaptation to organic production will be described. Models for organic plant breeding and examples of such programs are provided.
Prerequisite: PBG 530 with D or better
Recommended: BI 311 or PBG 430
Available via Ecampus
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
PBG 556, CROP PLANT DOMESTICATION, 2 Credits
Learning is based on discussion of the contemporary literature on crop plant origins and domestication. The major agronomic and horticultural crops will be covered. Topics include primary centers of domestication, traits altered by domestication, effect of genetic architecture and local ecology on domestication, and importance of genetic diversity to current plant improvement efforts.
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
PBG 557, PLANTS AND PATENTS, 2 Credits
Learn about different methods of intellectual property protection in agriculture with a focus on plant patents, plant variety protection and utility patents. The rights, current issues and restrictions that different types of patents allow will be presented through reading the current literature.
Course offered in alternate odd numbered years.
PBG 620, INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR MARKERS, 2 Credits
Principles and methods for molecular marker discovery and analysis. Offered even years. CROSSLISTED as MCB 620/PBG 620.
Equivalent to: MCB 620
Recommended: BI 311 or PBG 430 or PBG 530 or HORT 430 or HORT 530
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
PBG 621, GENETIC MAPPING AND ASSOCIATION, 2 Credits
Principles and methods for genetic map construction and genome-wide association studies. Offered even years. CROSSLISTED as MCB 621/PBG 621.
Equivalent to: MCB 621
Recommended: BI 311 or PBG 430 or PBG 530 or HORT 430 or HORT 530
Course offered in alternate even numbered years.
PBG 650, ADVANCED PLANT BREEDING AND QUANTITATIVE GENETICS, 3 Credits
Pedigree, bulk, single-seed-descent, doubled haploid, backcross, testcross, mass, and half-sib, S~1~, and S~2~ family breeding methods; breeding hybrids and selecting sources of alleles for developing superior hybrids; the nature and consequences of genotype by environment interactions; marker-assisted backcross and inbred line breeding; quantitative trait locus mapping; random linear models; designing and analyzing cultivar, line, and family selection experiments. Offered odd years.
Equivalent to: CSS 650
Recommended: (CSS 430 or CSS 530 or PBG 430 or PBG 530 or HORT 430 or HORT 530) and (CSS 450 or CSS 550 or PBG 450 or PBG 550 or HORT 450 or HORT 550) and (ST 411 or ST 511) and (ST 412 or ST 512) and (ST 413 or ST 513)
Course offered on request.