Academic Units

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (AGSC)

Course Descriptions

Elective Courses for the BS Degree in Agriculture

AGSC 230 Natural Management of Garden Pests 3.0; 3 cr.
This course introduces students to living organisms regarded as pests and to methods that help in management of these pests. The emphasis is on concepts and techniques that can be applied in harmony with the health of humans, domestic animals, and the general environment. This environmentally oriented course shows how to prevent, manage, and combat pests in the garden. Free elective. Students majoring in agriculture or Landscape cannot receive credit for AGSC 230.

AGSC 233 Vegetable Production 2.3; 3 cr.
The principles and techniques of vegetable crop production, including nutrition, culture, and harvest of crops in organic and conventional production systems. Prerequisite: AGSC 224 or consent of instructor.

AGSC 243 Marketing and Food Products 3.0; 3 cr.
A course that examines in detail the marketing of agricultural and food products, using case studies.

AGSC 250 Theory and Practice of Organic Farming Systems 3.0; 3 cr.
Advances in organic farming and growing systems with emphasis on farm planning, certification, marketing, information, and organic farming practices.

AGSC 251 Living Organic 3.0; 3 cr.
An introduction to organic farming and growing systems with emphasis on how to use growing practices in horticulture and animal production. Science elective. Not offered to FAFS students.

AGSC 261 Hydraulics 3.0; 3 cr.
Principles of mass and energy conservation, pipe flow, canal flow, measurement of fluid flow, and application of hydraulic principles to irrigation system design.

AGSC 262 Irrigation Methods 3.0; 3 cr.
Hydraulics of surface irrigation systems; design of border, furrow, and controlled flooding irrigation; hydraulics of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems; methods of evaluation of each system.

AGSC 263 Pesticide Application Technology 2.3; 3 cr.
Basics of sprayers, principles of operation of field and orchard sprayers, performance parameters and evaluation, drop size technology, spray transport and dispersal, drift and deposition measurement, pesticide reduction drift control, and safety in handling and storage.

AGSC 270 Computer Applications in Agriculture 1.3; 2 cr.
An overview of computer hardware and software; applying basic programming language and other packages to problem solving in agriculture.

AGSC 271 Environment Control in Agriculture 3.0; 3 cr.
Materials and design characteristics of farm structures; basics of heat and mass transfer; design of environment control systems for animals, plants, and storage of agricultural materials and products.

AGSC 273 Plant-Soil-Water Relationships 3.0; 3 cr.
Physical relationships of soil moisture and plant growth, soil physical properties, determination of crop water use and irrigation requirement, and irrigation scheduling. Prerequisite: AGSC 228 or consent of instructor.

AGSC 277 Basic Hydrology 3.0; 3 cr.
Applied methods in hydrologic analysis and design; hydrologic cycle components including precipitation, infiltration, ground water, and surface runoff; basic considerations of reservoir flow routing and management.

AGSC 287 Crop Production in Dry Regions 3.0; 3 cr.
A detailed account of crop production in dry regions: physical characteristics, widely grown crops, and suitable cultural practices.

AGSC 288 The Art of Honey Making 2.3; 3 cr.
The art and science of keeping honeybee colonies. Covers the processes of caring for bee colonies through utilizing available resources around the social honeybee colony, and wild and cultivated plants in the use of food, to glean as many potential products and services from the colony as possible. Science elective. Not offered to FAFS students.

AGSC 291 Introduction to Beekeeping 2.3; 3 cr.
Different aspects of culturing the honeybee starting with the behavioral patterns of bee colonies and ending with bee management considerations.

AGSC 293 Integrated Plant Health Management 3.0; 3 cr.
for Economic Crops
Basic concepts of the integrated approach to the proper management of plant diseases and insect pests of economic crops including components of plant health management (PHM) programs, and the feasibility and economics of various management strategies; specific PHM cases on major crops are discussed. Prerequisites: AGSC 221 and AGSC 232.

AGSC 294 Applied Plant Protection 2.3; 3 cr.
Observation and study of insect pests and plant diseases on field and greenhouse crops, with emphasis on recognition, evaluation, and control. Prerequisites: AGSC 221, AGSC 232 or equivalent.

AGSC 295 Pesticides 3.0; 3 cr.
A survey of the commonly used insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and related materials as to their chemistry, mode of action, and relation of structure to activity, toxicity, metabolism, and hazards to the environment.

AGSC 299 Special Topics in Agricultural Science 2 cr.
Directed study. Tutorial. Prerequisites: fourth year standing and consent of instructor.

^P Part-time

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