Weed Science in a Crop Protection Program

Abstract

An increasingly urgent need exists for men, broadly yet specifically, trained in the areas of crop protection. Crop protection includes weed control, insect control, plant disease control, and pesticide analysis. The need extends across teaching, research, development, sales, application, management, and other areas encompassed by crop protection. Administrative and financial advantages may result from the development of this type of program. Curricula for the BS, MS, and PhD degrees have been developed which offer a broad base of crop protection but allow pursuit of the degree from (or specialization in) any of the areas of crop protection. At the same time, however, chemistry and physiology form the disciplinary basis of all science curricula and the focal point is graduate training. Four courses relevant to all areas of crop protection and five additional courses in weed science have been developed.