Plants, Soils, and Climate

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Department Head: Teryl R. Roper
Location: Agricultural Science 322C
Phone: (435) 797-2233
FAX: (435) 797-3376
E-mail: teryl.roper@usu.edu
WWW: http://psc.usu.edu/

Undergraduate Advisor:

Lisa Allen, Agricultural Science 225, (435) 797-0454, lisa.allen@usu.edu

Undergraduate Off-Campus Advisor:

Donna B. Minch, Farmington, (801) 451-4604, donna.minch@usu.edu

Graduate Program Coordinator:

Paul G. Johnson, Agricultural Science 306, (435) 797-7039, paul.johnson@usu.edu

Degrees Offered: Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Crop Science, Horticulture, Environmental Soil/Water Science; BS in Residential Landscape Design and Construction; Master of Science MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biometeorology, Plant Science, Soil Science, and Ecology; Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture (MPSH)

Undergraduate emphases: Crop Science BS, BA—Agronomy, Research/Biotechnology; Horticulture BS, BA—Ornamental Horticulture, Turfgrass Management, Business, Science; Environmental Soil/Water Science BS, BA—Soil, Water, Plant

Graduate specializations: Biometeorology MS, PhD—Agricultural Meteorology, Climatology, Micrometeorology, Remote Sensing, Turbulence in Plant Canopies; Plant Science MS, PhD—Crop Physiology, Crop Production and Management, Molecular Biology, Plant Breeding and Cytology, Plant Biotechnology and Tissue Culture, Plant Nutrition, Space Biology, Weed Science; Soil Science MS, PhD— Molecular Biology, Soil and Water Chemistry, Soil Biochemistry and Ecology, Soil Conservation Systems, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, Soil Physics, Soil-Plant-Water Relations, Soil Taxonomy and Genesis, Soils and Irrigation; Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture (MPSH)—Water Efficient Landscaping

Certificate and Associate Degree Program: Ornamental Horticulture

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

The departmental curricula emphasize understanding the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms that operate in the continuum of the soil, plants, and the atmosphere; and how they affect management of a wide range of agricultural and natural systems.

The undergraduate teaching program facilitates the acquisition and application of knowledge, understanding, and skills by students within their chosen field of study. The program also prepares students to develop lifelong learning skills, understand and appreciate diversity, be productive citizens of the world, and be professionals in their vocations.

The department also provides training of undergraduates for graduate school and maintains a strong graduate program in biometeorology, plant science, and soil science. The research that underlies the graduate program is conducted in biometeorology (micro- and meso-scale), crop biotechnology, crop ecology, crop physiology, crop science, horticulture (general and ornamental), plant breeding, soil microbiology, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, soil fertility, environmental soil and water science, and arid landscaping.

A major effort is directed at extending research and teaching programs to all citizens of the State of Utah.

Departmental Facilities

To support these objectives, departmental facilities include well equipped laboratories and greenhouses on campus. The University has significant acreage for field research at strategic locations throughout the state. In addition, the University has botanical gardens in Ogden and Kaysville, Utah, which offer opportunities to a broad spectra of clientele. The department maintains state-of-the-art analytical equipment for the measurement of critical soil, plant, and climatic variables.

Requirements

Departmental Admission Requirements

Persons meeting the admission requirements  for the University are admitted to the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate by listing the department major code on the University admission application form. A change of major form is used when students in good standing wish to transfer from another department to the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate.

ARCPACS Certification

Students who meet specific requirements are eligible, after five years of work experience, for professional certification as an Agronomist, Crop Scientist, Crop Specialist, Horticulturist, Soil Scientist, Soil Specialist, or Soil Classifier through the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils (ARCPACS). General information about ARCPACS certifications can be found at https://www.agronomy.org/certifications/. Students interested in becoming certified should inform their advisor of their intent. This certification is granted in addition to the bachelor’s degree.

Sample Four-year Plans

Students should consult with their advisor to develop a plan of study tailored to their individual needs and interests. Due to the many changes and new major options, degree plans are not published in this catalog. To obtain current information, students should visit the College of Agriculture Advising Center.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The Plants, Soils, and Climate Department is dedicated to providing undergraduate students with opportunities to participate with faculty members in research and creative activities. Examples of recent research include seed germination requirements, plant growth regulators, salt cedar control, pasture growth dynamics, soil-less media characteristics, gene sequencing, and essential oils from native plants. In addition to faculty mentorship of such activities, students may obtain  grants of up to $1,000 for support of their projects. For further information, students may contact any departmental faculty member, or view the research website at: http://research.usu.edu/

Departmental Assessment

Review and assessment of departmental programs is a commitment of the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department. In 2002, the department completed a USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service review. On an ongoing basis, the department evaluates all academic programs. More information about departmental assessment can be found at: http://psc.usu.edu/htm/about/assessment/

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school. Minimum GPA requirements for participation in departmental honors vary by department, but usually fall within the range of 3.30-3.50. Students may enter the Honors Program at almost any stage in their academic career, including at the junior (and sometimes senior) level. The campus-wide Honors Program, which is open to all qualified students regardless of major, offers a rich array of cultural and social activities, special classes, and the benefit of Honors early registration. Interested students should contact the Honors program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715, honors@usu.edu. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Additional Information

For more information about requirements for undergraduate programs and the sequence in which courses should be taken, see major requirement sheets available from the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department, or accessed online at: www.usu.edu/majorsheets/

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

See general admission requirements . Departmental admission committees and potential graduate student advisors (major professors) consider previous work experience, undergraduate and graduate records and curriculum, and formal recommendations in their decisions concerning acceptance of applicants. Students without an undergraduate or graduate degree in plants, soils, climate, or a closely related field may be required to complete selected undergraduate courses prior to admission as fully matriculated graduate students in the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department. Qualified applicants are occasionally denied admission because faculty members in the applicant’s area of interest do not have the time or funds to advise additional students. The serious applicant is encouraged to discuss his or her goals with appropriate members of the graduate faculty prior to preparing an application.

Graduate student candidates must have scores on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) at or above the 40th percentile. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the Internet-based test is required for candidates from abroad. International students with a prior degree from an English-speaking university are exempted from the TOEFL exam.

Research

Research projects vary over time, depending on funding and other factors. Students are encouraged to visit the home page websites of the graduate faculty to determine research interests and lists of recent publications. Some of the research interests in the department include (1) the control of diseases, nematodes, weeds, and other hazards to fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and field crops; (2) physiological and genetic improvement of fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and field crops(breeding and biotechnology); (3) the evolution, genetic regulation, and utilization of apomixis and other developmental phenomena of higher plants; (4) management of agronomic and horticultural production systems; (5) horticultural landscape water management; (6) soil formation and landscape evolution; (7) soil, plant, water, and nutrient relationships; (8) management of saline and sodic soils; (9) alternative land uses; (10) improved management of animal wastes and biosolids; (11) management of soil microbial processes; (12) drainage and irrigation systems; (13) adaptations to weather and weather modification; (14) analysis and modification of large-scale surface evaporation from atmospheric boundary layer measurements; (15) spatial and temporal properties of sun flecks in plant canopies; and (16) spatial variation in surface fluxes of heat and water vapor in semiarid regions.

Financial Assistance and Assistantships

The financial awards provided by the School of Graduate Studies  are listed in this site. The Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate does not have a formal application form for financial assistance. Most monies used to assist students in the department come from research grants controlled by individual faculty members. Negotiations for financial assistance (research assistantships or part time employment) are made between faculty members and students. The department provides a few part-time teaching assistantships (a semester at a time). Graduate teaching assistants are responsible to their major professor and to the instructor whom they assist. The MS and PhD in Biometeorology are Western Regional Graduate Programs.

Career Opportunities

A broad range of career opportunities exists for students completing the MS or PhD degree from the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate. Graduate students specializing in the plant sciences may expect to find employment as consulting scientists, or in the private sector as plant breeders, weed scientists, etc. Graduate students specializing in the soil sciences may expect to find employment as soil scientists with government agencies or in the private sector, where they may pursue careers in environmental consulting, fertilizer retail, irrigation system design, waste management, mineland reclamation, or related environmental or agricultural pursuits. Graduate students specializing in biometeorology may expect to find employment with government agencies, as consulting scientists, or with the private sector. Graduate students specializing in ecology may expect to find employment as research scientists, as consulting ecologists, or with environmental agencies. Graduate students completing the PhD may also find career opportunities in academia.

Additional Information and Updates

Additional information and updates concerning graduate faculty and graduate student opportunities can be obtained from the Web at: http://psc.usu.edu/

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty

Professors
Janis L. Boettinger, soil genesis, classification and mineralogy
Bruce G. Bugbee, crop physiology
John G. Carman, plant reproduction and development
Daniel T. Drost, vegetable production
Lawrence E. Hipps, biometeorology
David J. Hole, cereal breeding
Roger K. Kjelgren, urban horticulture
Jeanette M. Norton, soil microbiology
V. Philip Rasmussen, sustainable agriculture
Teryl R. Roper, pomology
Larry A. Rupp, ornamental horticulture
Ralph E. Whitesides, weed science

Research Professor
Stanford A. Young, seed production

Adjunct Professors
Michael C. Amacher, soil chemistry
Kevin B. Jensen, forage breeding
Edward J. Souza, plant breeding and genetics
John M. Stark, microbial ecology and biogeochemistry
Jack E. Staub, plant breeding and genetics
Helga Van Miegroet, forest soils

Professors Emeritus
Rulon S. Albrechtsen, plant breeding
Keith R. Allred, forage physiology
J. LaMar Anderson, pomology
Gaylen L. Ashcroft, biometeorology
William F. Campbell, crop stress physiology
Steven A. Dewey, weed science
Wade G. Dewey, plant breeding
John O. Evans, weed science
R. John Hanks, soil physics
Donald T. Jensen, climatology
Jerome J. Jurinak, soil chemistry
R. Paul Larsen, horticulture
H. Paul Rasmussen, horticulture
Frank B. Salisbury, plant physiology
Schuyler D. Seeley, pomology
R. L. Smith, soil science
Alvin R. Southard, soil classification
James H. Thomas, international agronomy
H. Grant Vest, Jr., vegetable breeding
David R. Walker, pomology

Associate Professors
Brent L. Black, pomology
Grant E. Cardon, soil science
Robert R. Gillies, biometeorology
Paul R. Grossl, biogeochemistry
Paul G. Johnson, turfgrass science
Scott B. Jones, soil physics
Kelly L. Kopp, water conservation/turfgrass science
Jennifer W. MacAdam, forage production and physiology

Adjunct Associate Professor
Thomas A. Jones, plant genetics

Assistant Professors
J. Earl Creech, agronomy
Astrid R. Jacobson, soil chemistry
Heidi A. Kratsch, ornamental horticulture
Corey V. Ransom, weed science
Jennifer Reeve, organic and sustainable agriculture

Research Assistant Professor
Raymond L. Cartee, soils and irrigation

Adjunct Assistant Professors
Jayne Belnap, biological soil crusts
Nathaniel Brunsell, biometeorology
Shaun Bushman, plant genetics, molecular biology
Jianli Chen, plant breeding and genetics
Steven R. Larson, research geneticist
Susan Meyer, seed biology
Michael Peel, plant breeding
Joseph Robins, plant genetics
Blair L. Waldron, research geneticist

Senior Lecturer
D. Craig Aston, ornamental horticulture

Research Associate
Robert L. Newhall, soil conservation and sustainable agriculture

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