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Courses in Plant Sciences (PLS)

(Formerly courses in Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources, Agronomy, Crop Science and Management, Pomology, Range Science and Vegetable Crops.)

Lower Division Courses

1. Agriculture, Nature and Society (3)

Lecture—2 hours; discussion/laboratory—1 hour. Multiple perspectives and connections between the natural sciences, social sciences, and agriculture. Emphasis on agriculture's central position between nature and society and its key role in our search for a productive, lasting and hospitable environment. Several full-period field trips provide hands-on learning. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 1. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 1.)—I. (I.) Gradziel

2. Botany and Physiology of Cultivated Plants (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion/laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: high school course in biology and chemistry recommended. A holistic introduction to the underlying botanical and physiological principles of cultivated plants and their response to the environment. Includes concepts behind plant selection, cultivation, and utilization. Laboratories include discussion and interactive demonstrations. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 2. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 2.)—II. (II.) Saltveit, Marrush

10. Fruits and Nuts of California and the World (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Field trip on seventh Saturday of quarter (1/2 day). Biological and environmental principles of tree-crop agriculture emphasizing California production. Topics include temperate and subtropical species, biotechnology and genetic improvement, environmental physiology, plant and crop growth, pest and disease control, consumer issues. GE credit: SciEng. Not open for credit to students who have completed Pomology 10. (Former course Pomology 10.)—II. (II.) Polito

21. Applications of Microcomputers in Agriculture (3)

Lecture—1.5 hours; laboratory/discussion—2 hours; autotutorial—2 hours. Prerequisite: high school algebra. Concepts of computing and applications using personal computers, spreadsheets, database management, word processing and communications. Not open for students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 21, Computer Science Engineering 15, 30, 35, or Engineering 5. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 21.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Laca, Geng

49. Organic Crop Production Practices (3)

Lecture—1 hour; discussion—1 hour; field work—3 hours. Principles and practices of organic production of annual crops. Topics include organic crop, soil, and pest management, cover cropping, composting, seeding, transplanting, irrigation, harvesting and marketing. Includes field trip(s). Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 49. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 49.) (P/NP grading only.)—I, III. (I, III.) Van Horn

92. Internship (1-12)

Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Work experience on or off campus in subject areas pertaining to plant and environmental sciences. Internship supervised by faculty member.
(P/NP grading only.)

98. Directed Group Study (1-5)

Primarily for lower division students.
(P/NP grading only.)

99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Primarily for lower division students. (P/NP grading only.)

Upper Division Courses

101. Agriculture and the Environment (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 2 or consent of instructor. Interaction between agriculture and the environment. Principles required to analyze conflict and develop solutions to complex problems facing society. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 101. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 101.)—II. (II.) Phillips

105. Concepts in Pest Management (3)

Lecture—2 hours; laboratory/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C or course 2, Chemistry 8B. Introduction to the ecological principles of integrated pest management, biology of different classes of pests and the types of losses they cause, population assessment, evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of different techniques used for pest management, IPM programs. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 105. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 105.)

107. Small Fruit Production (2)

Lecture—2 hours; two field trips arranged at mutual convenience. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C or the equivalent. Strawberries (Fragaria), blackberries-raspberries (Rubus), blueberries-cranberries (Vaccinium) as important nutritional resources; their origin, production and utilization with emphasis on recent progress in integrated management. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 107. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 107.) Offered in alternate years.—(II.) Shaw

110A. Principles of Agronomic Crop Production in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course in general botany or course 2 recommended. Fundamentals of field crop production in temperate and tropical climates. Resource utilization and economic, political and social problems are considered in relation to technological problems and their influences on agricultural development. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110A. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110A.)

110B. Management of Agronomic Crops in Temperate and Tropical Systems (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: course in general botany or course 2; course 110A recommended. Application of agronomic principles in production of temperate and tropical crops. Specific crops discussed with reference to management and efficient use of physical and biological resources. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110B. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110B.)—III. (III.) Travis, Rains

110C. Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production (4)

Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 2; course 110A recommended. Horticultural principles applied to production and management systems for vegetable crops. Laboratory and discussion will illustrate efficient field management and resource use practices. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110C. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110C.)—I. (I.) Bloom, Marrush

110L. Principles of Agronomy Laboratory (1)

Laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 110B (may be taken concurrently). Field-oriented introduction to principles of agronomic crop production. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110L. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 110L.)

112. Forage Crop Ecology (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C or consent of instructor. Forages as a world resource in food production. Ecological principles governing the adaptation, establishment, growth and management of perennial and annual forages, including pastures, rangelands and hay; aspects of forage quality which affect feeding value to livestock. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 112. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 112.) Offered in alternate years.—III. Teuber

118. Seed Production and Quality (4)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 2 or Biological Sciences 1C; Plant Biology 152 recommended. Principles of crop seed production, storage and utilization. Biological and environmental factors influencing seed quality. Measurement and preservation of seed vigor and viability. Technological aspects of crop establishment from seeds. Laboratories include field trips to seed industry facilities. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 118. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 118.) Offered in alternate years.—(III.) Bradford

120. Applied Statistics in Agricultural Science (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion/laboratory—2 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Applications of statistical methods to the analysis and interpretation of research data in plant, animal, behavioral, food and nutritional sciences. Lectures cover basic concepts and statistical methods. Specialized laboratory sections cover procedures, data processing and interpretations. GE credit: SciEng. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 120. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 120.)—I. (I.) Teuber

121. Systems Analysis in Agriculture and Resource Management (4)

Lecture—2 hours; discussion/laboratory—2 hours. Prerequisite: course 21 or equivalent computer experience; Mathematics 16A. The process of systems analysis and dynamic simulation of biological and environmental systems, use of systems analysis for development of optimal management strategies for agricultural and environmental systems. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 121. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 121.)—I. (I.) Foin

122. Management of Information for the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (4)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 21 or consent of instructor. Introduction to systems and technology for acquiring, storing, manipulating and communicating various types of information including numerical data, text, graphics and multimedia images. Laboratory exercises introduce a wide variety of information management systems used in offices and laboratories. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 122. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 122.)

130. Rangelands: Ecology, Conservation and Restoration (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C; introductory ecology course and junior standing recommended. Introduction to the ecological principles and processes important for an understanding of the dynamics of range ecosystems. Emphasis on ecological and evolutionary concepts underlying management strategies for conserving biological diversity and environmental quality in rangelands. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 130. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 130.)—(II.) Rice

131. Identification and Ecology of Grasses (2)

Lecture—7.5 hours; laboratory—20 hours; discussion—5 hours (total for course). Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C or course 2; Plant Biology 102 and junior standing recommended. Taxonomy and identification of western grasses. Development of skills in using plant identification keys. Ecology and evolution of grasses in grazing ecosystems. Given the week following spring quarter. Offered in alternate years. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 131. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 131.)—III. Rice

134. Comparative Ecology of Major Rangeland Systems (3)

Lecture—3 hours; one Saturday field trip required. Prerequisite: course 130 or the equivalent; Environmental Science and Policy 100 recommended. Study of vegetation structure, composition, and succession in North American rangeland communities. Description and comparison of interactions between vegetation and grazing animals on grassland, desert, forested, and tundra rangelands. Discussion of current rangeland management strategies. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 134. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 134.)

135. Ecology and Community Structure of Grassland and Savannah Herbivores (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A or 1B and course 2, or Biological Sciences 1C; general ecology course (Environmental Science and Policy 100) recommended. Feeding ecology of grassland herbivores and its importance in evolution of herbivore communities and social systems. Optimal foraging, interspecific interactions, and primary productivity are considered as factors structuring natural and managed grassland and savannah systems. Offered in alternate years. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 135. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 135.)—(I.) Demment

137. Field Course in Rangeland Monitoring and Management (2)

Lecture—1 hour; fieldwork—3 hours (week-long intensive field course given the week following spring quarter). Prerequisite: course 2 or the equivalent; Plant Biology 102 and junior standing recommended. Introduction to rangeland vegetation monitoring methods and management strategies. Field sampling of vegetation composition and structure, soil status, and wildlife and fish habitat. Grazing management strategies to achieve desired future condition of rangelands. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 137. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 137.)

150. Cropping Systems of the World (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 2 or Biological Sciences 1C, and Soil Science 10. General concepts of the functioning of cropping systems as related to resource availability, energy flow, economic yield, sustainability and integration; means of increasing resource use efficiency; low and high input cropping systems in temperate and tropical zones. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 150. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 150.)—II. (II.) van Kessel

160. Agroforestry: Global and Local Perspectives (3)

Lecture/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 2 or Biological Sciences 1C, Plant Biology 142 or a general ecology course (Environmental Science and Policy 100). Traditional and evolving use of trees in agricultural ecosystems; their multiple roles in environmental stabilization and production of food, fuel, and fiber; and socioeconomic barriers to the adoption and implementation of agroforestry practices. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 160. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 160.) (Same course as International Agricultural Development 160.) Offered in alternate years.—I. Gradziel

170A. Fruit and Nut Cropping Systems (2)

Lecture—1 hour; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 2, Biological Sciences 1C, or consent of instructor. Overview of production and handling systems of major pomological crops, analysis of current cultural and harvesting problems and concerns associated with commercial fruit growing. Offered in alternate years. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 170A. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 170A.)—(I.) Gradziel

170B. Fruit and Nut Cropping Systems (2)

Lecture—1 hour; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 2, Biological Sciences 1C, or consent of instructor. Overview of production and handling systems of major pomological crops, including analysis of current cultural and harvesting problems and concerns associated with commercial fruit growing. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 170B. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 170B.) Offered in alternate years.—(III.) Gradziel, McGranahan

180. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 21 or equivalent familiarity with computers, course 120 or the equivalent, Mathematics 16A. Management and analysis of georeferenced data. Spatial database management and modeling. Applications to agriculture, biological resource management and social sciences. Cartographic modeling. Vector and raster-based geographic information systems. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 132 or 180. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 180.) (Same course as Applied Biological Systems Technology 180.)—I. (I.) Plant

190. Seminar on Alternatives in Agriculture (2)

Seminar—2 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Seminar on topics related to alternative theories, practices and systems of agriculture and the relationship of agriculture to the environment and society. Scientific, technological, social, political and economic perspectives. May be repeated for credit. (Former course Agricultural Management and Rangeland Resources 190.) (P/NP grading only.)—I, II. (II.) Van Horn

192. Internship (1-12)

Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Work experience on or off campus in plant and environmental sciences. Internship supervised by a faculty member. (P/NP grading only.)

194H. Senior Honors Thesis (2-6)

Independent study. Prerequisite: Senior standing; overall GPA of 3.250 or higher and consent of master adviser. Two or three successive quarters of guided research on a subject of special interest to the student. (P/NP grading only; deferred grading only, pending completion of thesis.)

197T. Tutoring in Plant Sciences (1-5)

Tutorial—1-5 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing, completion of course being tutored or the equivalent, consent of instructor. Leading small voluntary discussion or lab groups affiliated with one of the department's regular courses. May be repeated for up to eight units of credit. (P/NP grading only.)

198. Directed Group Study (1-5)

(P/NP grading only.)

199. Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5)

Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)

Graduate Courses

205. Experimental Design and Analysis (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 120 or the equivalent. Graduate students in agricultural and environmental sciences will be introduced to the research process and statistical methods to plan, conduct and interpret experiments. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agronomy 205. (Former course Agronomy 205.)
—II. (II.) Dubcovsky

206. Multivariate Systems and Modeling (4)

Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 120 or the equivalent. Graduate students in the biological and environmental sciences will be presented multiple regression, multivariate and computer modeling methods needed to conduct research experiments and analyze multivariate data systems.—III. (III.) Laca

211. Principles and Practices of HPLC (2)

Lecture—1 hour; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: undergraduate physics and chemistry; Biological Sciences 102, 103 recommended. Principles and theory of HPLC involving various modes of separation and detection. Optimization of separation using isocratic and gradient elution. Develop practical knowledge about the use, maintenance and troubleshooting of HPLC equipment, including HPLC columns. Development of new HPLC methods. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agronomy 211. (Former course Agronomy 211.)—III. (III.) Goyal

212. Postharvest Biology and Biotechnology of Fruits and Nuts (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Plant Biology 172 or the equivalent. Review of postharvest biology of fruits and nuts in relation to biotechnological procedures used in handling, emphasizing research needs. Not open for credit to students who have completed Pomology 212. (Former course Pomology 212.) Offered in alternate years.—(III.) Kader, Mitcham

213. Postharvest Physiology of Vegetables (3)

Lecture—2 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Plant Biology 172. Comparative physiology of harvest vegetables; emphasis on maturation, senescence, compositional changes, physiological disorders and effects of environmental factors. Concepts and research procedures. Not open for credit to students who have completed Vegetable Crops 212. (Former course Vegetable Crops 212.) Offered in alternate years.—(III.) Saltveit

216. Ecology and Agriculture (3)

Lecture/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: Plant Biology 142 or consent of instructor. Ecological principles and relationships as applied to agriculture. Integration of ecological approaches into agricultural research to develop environmentally sound management practices. Topics include crop autecology, biotic interactions among crops and pests, and crops systems ecology. Not open for credit to students who have completed Vegetable Crops 216. (Former course Vegetable Crops 216.) (Same course as Ecology 216.)—I. (I.) Jackson

220. Genomics and Biotechnology of Plant Improvement (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 101 or the equivalent. Integration of modern biotechnology and classical plant breeding including the impact of structural, comparative and functional genomics on gene discovery, characterization and exploitation. Also covers molecular markers, plant transformation, hybrid production, disease resistance, and novel output traits. Not open for credit to students who have completed Vegetable Crops 220. (Former course Vegetable Crops 220.) (Same course as Genetics 220.)—Michelmore

221. Genomics and Breeding of Vegetable Crops (3)

Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 101 or equivalent. Preview of genome structure, mapping, gene tagging and development of other genetic resources applied to improvement of major vegetables. For graduate students contemplating a career in modern vegetable breeding and biotechnology. Not open for credit to students who have completed Vegetable Crops 221. (Former course Vegetable Crops 221.)—III. (III.) Quiros

222. Advanced Plant Breeding (4)

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite: course 205; Genetics Graduate Group 201D or Animal Genetics 107; Plant Biology 154. Philosophy, methods, and problems in developing improved plant species. Topics include: inbreeding, heterosis, progeny testing, breeding methodology, index selection, germplasm conservation, and breeding for stress resistance. Laboratories include tours of breeding facilities and calculation and interpretation of quantitative data. Not open for credit to students who have completed Agronomy 221. (Former course Agronomy 221.) Offered in alternate years.—(III.) Teuber

290. Seminar (1-2)

Seminar—1-2 hours. Topics of current interest related to Plant Sciences. (S/U grading only.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)

290C. Research Group Conference (1)

Discussion—1-2 hours. Prerequisite: students in a plant science graduate program. Research conference conducted by departmental faculty to discuss design, philosophy, and interpretation of ongoing specific research areas. (S/U grading only.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)

297T. Tutoring in Plant Science (1-5)

Tutoring—1-5 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor; completion of course to be tutored or the equivalent. Designed for graduate students who desire teaching experience but are not teaching assistants. May be repeated for credit for a total of 5 units. Same course may not be tutored more than one time. (S/U grading only.)

298. Group Study (1-5)

299. Research (1-12)

Prerequisite: graduate standing. (S/U grading only.)

Professional Course

396. Teaching Assistant Training Practicum (1-4)

Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit. (S/U grading only.)