Emerging Issues in Plant Sciences

Catalog description

Emerging Issues in Plant Sciences is a capstone course designed for the Plant Sciences, and is also available to students from other majors. This highly participatory course emphasizes many of the interdisciplinary topics in the plant sciences today, with a focus on balancing plant production with environmental conservation. Topics include: conservation cropping systems and tillage, soil health; transgenic crops; managing landscapes for ecosystem services, climate change, pest and nutrient management alternatives; biofuels; urbanization and regional food systems. It is a team taught course with guest lectures by experts on specific topics and includes student analysis and discussion with the guidance of the instructors. Students will read and write about publications from the peer reviewed literature and research and present about an emerging issue.