GUIDE TO MAJORS AND PROGRAMS
College of Agriculture
Agronomy
Overview
Agronomy is the study of plants and soils
and their interaction with the environment.
Using science
as their basis, agronomists focus
on sustaining the world’s food production,
protecting the quality of the environment,
and conserving vital soil and water resources.
Their challenge is to understand, manage and
protect Earth’s vital resources while addressing
humanity’s basic concerns on the quality of life.
Agronomy is basic to food production and
offers exciting careers to those interested in
food, feed and fiber production. Agronomy is a
broad discipline that encompasses soil, water,
environmental, crop, range and weed sciences;
plant breeding and genetics; and soil and water
conservation.
Professional options
Careers
Environmental consultant
n Crop consultant
n Soil and range conservationist
n Plant breeder
n Crop biotechnologist
n Seed sales representative
n Research scientist
n Financial institution loan officer
n Production agronomist
n Farm service agent
n Crop insurance adjuster
n Range manager
n Precision agriculture specialist
n
Employers
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Seed companies
n Cooperative Extension Service
n Farmer cooperatives
n Chemical companies
n Farm Service Agency
n Environmental consulting firms
n Equipment manufacturers
n Independent or corporate crop
consulting firms
n Two- and four-year institutions of
higher education
n
n
Points of pride
The agronomy program’s crops judging team
has won 14 national championships in the
past 17 years. The soil judging team won the
national championship in 2008 and 2009.
Academics
Degree options
Business and industry
With an emphasis on economics and business
courses, students are prepared for sales, service
and management positions within the areas of
plant, soil and water resources management.
Consulting and production
Consulting and production integrates a broad
spectrum of crop growth and pest protection
strategies with principles and practices of
using soil, plant
and water resources. This
option prepares students for involvement with
growers and producers by providing regulatory
information on fertility, seed, weed and pest
management or being involved with farm
operations at the production or
management levels.
Plant science
and biotechnology
Enhanced by ongoing public and private
research and development, the plant science
and biotechnology option focuses on the role
of cutting-edge technology on advances in crop
improvements and production and their vital
roles in feeding the world.
Soil and environmental science
Soil science focuses on the physical, chemical
and biological properties of soils, their many
uses, fertility and moisture, and managing them
to ensure optimum crop growth.
Soil science also includes additional aspects
of soil uses, such as road and waterway
construction, building site preparation and
waste disposal. Environmental science focuses
on understanding natural cycles and processes
involving soil, plants, water and air resources.
This knowledge is applied toward sustaining a
quality environment in the face of the increasing
demands society places on these resources.
Range management
Range management is the application of
concepts, methods and ecological principles
in using natural grassland resources for food
production while protecting these valuable
natural ecosystems. Grasslands are managed
for many uses, including grazing, watershed,
recreation and wildlife.
Precision agriculture
Precision agriculture integrates crop, soil and
weather data. It uses the latest technology to
develop site-specific management systems to
increase yield, profit and reduced environmental
impact. Graduates are prepared to collect,
interpret and apply agronomic data to optimize
crop production.
Faculty
One of the Department of Agronomy’s greatest
strengths is its faculty. Advisors make it a point
k-state.edu/admissions/academics
to know their students, and with an average
student-faculty ratio of 15 to 1, there is a strong
emphasis on individual attention.
Facilities
The department has excellent classroom and
laboratory facilities in the Throckmorton Plant
Sciences Center. Attached greenhouse facilities
provide opportunities for research and teaching.
Excellent computer facilities are used extensively
for research, teaching and extension programs.
More than 800 acres of irrigated and dryland
farmland are available near campus for research
and teaching, and the department also uses
range research units containing 2,436 acres of
typical Flint Hills tallgrass prairie.
The North Farm is home to the Learning Farm,
a resource used by students and faculty to
integrate academic and practical experiences in
key agronomy courses.
Activities
Clubs
The Wheat State Agronomy Club provides
excellent opportunities to become acquainted
with fellow students and faculty members in
an informal setting. Through club meetings,
social activities
and participation in regional
and national events, students meet many
professionals in the field.
Student teams
The department also supports intercollegiate
crops, soils and weed science judging teams,
as well as a forage quiz bowl team that
compete in regional and national contests.
The crops judging team has won 14 national
championships in the past 17 years.
The soils and weeds judging teams continue
to be very strong competitors. The soil
judging team was crowned with the national
championship for the first time in 2008 and
repeated the win in 2009.
The weeds team has consistently been a top
contender in the NCWSS competition. The
forage quiz bowl team won its second straight
national competition.
Research
Many student assistant positions are available to
undergraduates to work for the various research
projects in the agronomy department.
Financial assistance
Many scholarships are available to students
majoring in agronomy, and several are
designated specifically for freshmen and transfer
students. Approximately 75 students receive
scholarship awards totaling more than $125,000
each year from the department.
Suggested coursework
Bachelor of Science in agriculture
(127 semester hours)
Hrs.Courses
Core Courses
3
Expository Writing I
3
Expository Writing II
2
Public Speaking IA
3
College Algebra
4
Crop Science
4Soils
1-2
Computer Science
4
Chemistry I
4
Chemistry II
3-5Organic/Biochemistry
4
Prin. Of Biology
4
General Physics I
1
Agronomy Orientation
3
Agric. Econ. & Agric. Bus.
or
Prin. Of Microeconomics
3-9
Social sciences/humanities electives
3
Communications electives
All options except soil and environmental sciences
require Principles of Macroeconomics.
One of the following courses: International Experience
in Agronomy, Agronomy Capstone, Site Specific
Agriculture, NRES Capstone.
Precision Agriculture option
3
Intro Precision Ag Software
3
Weed Science
3
Crop Growth and Development
3
Soil Fertility
2
Soil Fertility Lab
3
Internship in Agronomy
3
Soil Genesis and Classification
3
Site Specific Agriculture
3
Cartography and Them Mapping
4
Geographic Info Systems I
3
Plane Trigonometry
4
General Physics
3Biometrics
3
Economic Entomology
3
Precision Ag Technologies
3
Princ. Plant Pathology
6
Agriculture Electives
8-12 General Electives
Two of the following courses: Environmental Quality,
Applications of Nutrient Management, Cropping
Systems, Soil Microbiology, Integrated Weed
Management, Physical Properties of Soils.
Two of the following courses: Remote Sensing of
Environment, Geographic Systems Info II, Intro to
Unmanned Air Systems, Small Unman Air Design, Intro
to Autopilots Mission.
One of the following courses: Genetics, Chemical
Application Systems/Lab, Sensors and Controls for
Ag, Water Management and Irrigation/Lab, Plant
Physiology, Fundamentals of Ecology, Crop Diseases.
Consulting and Production option
3
Weed Science
3
Crop Growth and Development
3
Soil Fertility
2
Soil Fertility Lab
3
Internship in Agronomy
3
Integrated Weed Management
3
Accounting for Bus. Operations
or
Farm and Ranch Management
3Biometrics
3
Water Management and Irrigation/Lab
3
Economic Entomology
or
General Entomology
2
Insect Pest Diagnosis
or
3
Insect Pest Management
3
Princ. Of Plant Pathology
2
Crop Diseases
5-6
Agronomy Electives
12
Agriculture Electives
5-10 General Electives
One of the following courses: Soil Microbiology,
Genetics, General Microbiology, Plant Physiology,
Fundamentals of Ecology, Geographic Informational
Systems I, General Physics II.
Business and Industry option
3
Weed Science
3
Crop Growth and Development
3
Soil Fertility
3
Internship in Agronomy
3
Accounting for Bus. Operations
3
Business and Econ Statistics
3
Economic Entomology
3
Principles Of Plant Pathology
8-9
Agronomy Electives
12
Agric. Econ/Business Electives
3
Agriculture Electives
12-17 General Electives
Two of the following courses: Soil Microbiology,
Genetics, General Microbiology, Plant Physiology,
Fundamentals of Ecology, Geographic Info Systems I,
General Calculus and Linear Algebra, General Physics I.
Range Management option
3
Range Management
3
Soil Genesis and Classification
1
Field ID Range & Pasture
2
Grassland Monitoring
1
Grassland Monitoring Lab
3
Range Management Problems
3
Range Ecology
2
Range Grasses
3
Range Management Planning
3
Plant Physiology
4
Taxonomy of Flowering Plants
3
Fundamentals of Ecology
or
Plant Ecology
3
Plane Trigonometry
3
Earth in Action
3
Principles of Animal Science
3
Beef Science
3
Economic Entomology
2-3
Agronomy Electives
3
Biological/Physical Science Elective
12-16 General Electives
Soil and Environmental science option
3
Environmental Quality
3
Soil Fertility
3
Internship in Agronomy
3
Soil Genesis and Classification
3
Soil and Environmental Chemistry
3
Soil Microbiology
3
Physical Properties of Soil
3
Earth in Action
1
Geology Lab
3
Plane Trigonometry
3Biometrics
9
Agronomy Electives
14-15 General Electives
12 credit hours from the following courses: Climate
Change and Agriculture, Agricultural Meteorology,
Watershed Management, Hydrology for Biological
Systems, General Biochemistry, Plant Physiology,
Fundamentals of Ecology, Chemical Analysis, Intro
to Natural Resource Management, Geology and
Environment, Geographic Information Systems I,
Geomorphology, Fundamentals of Climatology,
Remote Sensing of Environment, Geography of
Water Resources, Analytical Geometry and Calculus I,
Analytical Geometry and Calculus II, General Physics II.
One of the following courses: Intro to Archaeology,
Environmental History, Geology of Natural Resources,
Environmental Sociology.
Plant Science and Biotechnology
3
Weed Science
3
Crop Growth and Development
3
Soil Fertility
3
Internship in Agronomy
3Biotechnology
3
Crop Improv. And Biotechnology
3
Contemporary Issues in Global Agriculture
4
Modern Genetics
or
3Genetics
3
Plant Physiology
1
Plant Physiology Lab
3
Economic Entomology
3
Prin. Of Plant Pathology
3
Plane Trigonometry
3Biometrics
6
Agronomy Electives
11
General Electives
12 credit hours from the following courses: Plant
Genetics, General Biochemistry, Fundamentals of
Ecology, Genetics of Microorganisms, Molecular
Genetics Lab, Intro to Plant Resistance, Plant Resistance
to Insects, Crop Diseases, Plant Resistance to Diseases,
Analytical Geometry and Calculus I, Analytical
Geometry and Calculus II, General Physics II.
For more information about
agronomy, contact:
Department of Agronomy
Kansas State University
1022 Throckmorton Hall
1712 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66506–5501
785-532-7258
agronomy@k-state.edu
agronomy.k-state.edu
For more information about
Kansas State University, contact:
Office of Admissions
Kansas State University
119 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506-0102
1-800-432-8270 (toll free) or
785-532-6250
k-state@k-state.edu
k-state.edu/admissions
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2016