Mrs. Schaffner
the science and technology of producing and using
plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber,
and reclamation.
 SCIENCE
 Biology
 Chemistry
 Economics
 Ecology
 Earth science
 Genetics
Agronomist today are involved with many issues
including …
 producing food
 creating healthier food
 managing environmental impact of agriculture
 creating energy from plants.
 Crop Rotation
 Irrigation
 Drainage
 Plant breeding
 plant physiology
 soil classification
 soil fertility
 weed control
 insect
 pest control
 Selective Breeding of Plants to produce the best crop
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under various conditions
Increase crop yield
Improve nutritional value
Develop new types of plants (hybrid)
Must meet the following:
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Market
Land and water access
Quality and quantity inputs
Risk protection
Agricultural credit
lab activity requiring field testing of the new crop
varieties that are developed.
 Defined as: manipulation involving taking genes from
their normal location in one organism and either
transferring them elsewhere or putting them back into
the original organism
 A part of Biotechnology
 American Association of the Advancement of Science
called genetic engineering one of the 4 major scientific
revolutions of this century.
1944 DNA ID as genetic material
1952 Double strand DNA structure ID
1973 First transgenic bacteria prepared
1976 First genetic engineering company (Genetech)
established
1980 First patent for genetically engineered microbe
1982 Approval of first genetically engineered drug
1986 First field test of genetically engineered plant
1987 Genetic engineering patent extended to higher
life-forms
the management of agricultural systems with an
emphasis on ecological and environmental
perspectives.
Examples…
 sustainable agriculture
 organic farming
 alternative food systems
 development of alternative cropping systems
Agronomy
 Corn
 Biofuel
 Cotton
 Potatoes
 Soybean
 Sugar
 Wheat
 Barley
Cereal Grain
 Oats
 Rice
 Rye
 Sorghum
 Spelt
 Triticale
 Wild Rice
 Buckwheat
 Lesson on each crop
 Quiz on each crop
 Overall Test