Horticulture (HORT)

Description: Molecular and cellular approach to the study of plant pathological principles.

Description: Principles of plant disease epidemiology and disease control through cultural, biological, chemical and host plant resistance strategies.

Description: Reading and critiquing, writing, and presenting scientific information. Use research data to compose a manuscript in standard scientific format, and prepare and present a poster to a general audience. Ethical issues in research and writing.

Description: Principles of plant physiology which underlie the relationship between plants and their physical, chemical and biotic environments. An introduction to the ecological niche, limiting factors and adaptation. An overview of the seed germination and ecology, plant and soil water relations, nutrients, plant energy budgets, photosynthesis, carbon balance and plant-animal interactions. An introduction to various field equipment used in ecophysiological studies.

Description: Discussion and practical application of principles and practices of measuring meteorological and related variables near the earth's surface including temperature, humidity, precipitation, pressure, radiation and wind. Performance characteristics of sensors and modern data collection methods are discussed and evaluated.

Description: Physical factors that create the biological environment. Radiation and energy balances of earth's surfaces, terrestrial and marine. Temperature, humidity, and wind regimes near the surface. Control of the physical environment through irrigation, windbreaks, frost protection, manipulation of light, and radiation. Applications to air pollution research. Instruments for measuring environmental conditions and remote sensing of the environment.

Description: The application of fundamental genetics principles in inheritance, gene mapping and DNA analysis to decision making by plant breeders with the goal of improving disease resistance in crop cultivars. Learning is structured by the genetics discovery story told in published research articles and the thinking process of plant breeders who will use these discoveries in their work.

Description: The application of basic science and technology by plant genetic engineering experts with the goal of teaming with plant breeders to improve disease resistance in crop cultivars. Learning is structured by the genetics discovery story told in published research articles and the thinking process of genetic engineers and plant breeders who will use these discoveries in their work.

Description: Molecular genetic basis of biological function in higher plants. Genome organization, gene structure and function, regulation of gene expression, recombinant DNA, and genetic engineering principles. Material taken primarily from current literature.

Description: Spatial arrangements of ecosystems, the interaction among component ecosystems through the flow of energy, materials and organisms, and alteration of this structure through natural or anthropogenic forces.

Description: Fundamental terminology associated with turfgrass and landscape weed management. Weed identification and the cultural practices and herbicide strategies to limit weed invasion and persistence.

Description: Pathogens, epidemiology, and control of diseases specific to turfgrass.

Description: Introduction to the biology of plant pathogenic organisms; pathogen-plant interactions; environmental influences; cultural, resistance, and chemical strategies for plant disease management.

Description: The roles of woody plants in sustainable agricultural systems of temperate regions. Emphasis on the ecological and economic benefits of trees and shrubs in the agricultural landscape. Topics include: habitat diversity and biological control; shelterbelts structure, function, benefits and design; intercropping systems; silvopastoral systems; riparian systems; and production of timber and specialty crops. Comparison of temperate agroforestry systems to those of tropical areas.

Description: Investigate biotechnology and its application in solving problems and connect biotechnology to basic science concepts in biology and chemistry. Integrate individually-designed biotechnology lessons into learning standards.

Description: Principles and application of (IWM). Noxious and invasive weed species. Crops and weed control. Plant population shifts. Use of herbicides and the biologically effective dose. Critical period of weed control and weed threshold. Herbicide tolerant crops.

Description: Graduate level course in problem solving for various plant management situations through understanding the role of and interaction between soil, water, pests, genetics, and more. Through reading assignments and discussion activities, this course will focus on thinking about the interplay of various aspects of production systems as well as how external factors (e.g. wet spring, new insect pest) can affect various system components and management decisions.

Description: Macro and micro nutrient elements and their function in the growth and development of plants. Role of single elements. Interaction and/or balances between elements and nutrient deficiency and/or toxicity symptoms as they affect the physiology of the whole plant. Relationship between crop nutrition and production and/or environmental considerations (e.g. yield, drought, temperature, pests).

Description: Identification, biology and ecology of weedy and invasive plants. Principles of invasive plant management by preventative, cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical means using an adaptive management framework. Herbicide terminology and classification, plant-herbicide and soil-herbicide interactions, equipment calibration and dosage calculations.

Description: Critical evaluation of turfgrass settings to create economical and environmentally friendly management systems for professionally managed turf areas.

Description: Prepare scientifically accurate, high quality illustrations and graphics for the teaching, presentation, and publication of scientific information. Drawing techniques, drafting, copyright, and publication and presentation of scientific art work.

Description: Overview of the technical and sociocultural dimensions of global food insecurity.

Description: Presents a broad view of the various challenges to plant health including abiotic and biotic disease, insects, and weeds. Learn a systematic approach to the diagnosis of plant disorders through hands-on exercises and case studies with application to agronomic and specialty crops and gain experience in presenting their findings to various audiences.

Description: The biology of plants grown for food, fiber, fuel and fun. Connect applied plant science to basic science concepts in biology and chemistry. Integrate individually-designed plant science lessons into learning standards.

Description: Permaculture means "permanent culture," and ..."is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of a natural ecosystem." [Bill Mollison] This course will explore a design/thinking methodology that seeks to provide our essential physical needs, food, water, shelter, energy, etc., while doing so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable manner.

Description: Analysis of production, economics, environmental impacts, and social integration aspects of farms and farming systems

Description: History of organic farming and horticultural systems, organic certification, nutrient and pest management in organic systems, planning organic enterprises including production and marketing, resilience of organic systems in ecological, economic, and social terms; future issues and potentials of organic food systems.

Description: Principles of turfgrass and landscape plant pest management and tools to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches. Creating healthy landscapes and effectiveness of IPM alternatives.

Description: Principles of crop physiology and developmental morphology in relation to function, growth, development, and survival of perennial forage, range, and turf plants. The relationship of physiology and morphological development on plant use and management.

Description: Survey of the principles and practice of plant pathology. The main and genetic elements in plant disease will be covered. Many of the major diseases, as well as their causes and effects, will be surveyed. Course is taught by faculty from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and will be offered in the spring semester of even-numbered calendar years. To enroll, students must be accepted into the horticulture graduate certificate program or get permission.

Description: Life processes of plants, with an emphasis on water relations and hormonal and stress physiology. Includes fundamental concepts underlying the science of crop physiology, including crop phenology, canopy development and light interception, photosynthesis and respiration, and dry matter partitioning. Course is taught by faculty from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and will be offered in the fall semester of even-numbered calendar years. To enroll, students must be accepted into the horticulture graduate certificate program or get permission.

Description: Introduction to the concepts of greenhouse construction, operation and management for a variety of horticultural crops, with an emphasis on ornamental crops. Greenhouse construction, heating, cooling, growing media, pest management, nutrition, fertility, growth regulation, irrigation, post-harvest handling, and marketing of greenhouse crops.

Description: Physiological principles and industry practices in the production, moving, care, and maintenance of interior plants. Career tools to design, install and maintain interior plant-scapes. Review of pertinent literature and class exercises designed to improve skills and knowledge of interior plant physiology, care and maintenance.

Description: Physiological principles and industry practices in the production, moving, care, and maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs, and ground covers. Provides career tools for installation and maintenance woody plants.

Description: Weeds and weed control methods in agronomic and horticultural crops and turf grass with chemical weed control. History of weed control, weed characteristics, weed competition, and methods of weed control including mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical. Discussion of herbicides by family with regard to chemical structure, efficacy, mode and mechanism of action, crop selectivity, soil activity and persistence, and cost.

Description: Cultural nursery crop production practices presented in consideration of current best management practices, conservation of resources, scientific research-based investigations related to nursery cultural practices, potential risks to nursery personnel, and off-site movement of airborne materials and effluents to surrounding areas and public watersheds.

Description: Physiology of plant responses to environmental stresses, with emphasis on current research in selected physiological, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms for tolerance to environmental stresses, such as temperature extremes, drought, salt, pathogens and other plants.

Description: Aspects of grapes from vine anatomy to final products. Cultivars, propagation, canopy management, diseases, weed control, physiology, anatomy, irrigation, wine production, climates and soils.

Description: Plant growth and development specifically of woody plants as viewed from an applied whole-plant physiological level. Plant growth regulators, structure and secondary growth characteristics of woody plants, juvenility, senescence, abscission and dormancy.

Description: Learn state-of-the-art, scale-appropriate methods for growing and marketing specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers in field and high-tunnel production systems. Test innovative products and systems of your own design to gain a competitive advantage in local markets.

Description: History, breeding and production of cannabis for medicinal marijuana and hemp for fiber use when grown using a growth room, greenhouse, high tunnel and/or field. Clarification between scientific evidence and casual information.

Description: Origin, botany, historical and cultural significance of the grapevine and related species. Principles and practices of vineyard establishment, management and processing of grape products, importance and/or scope of grape and wine industry; global and local significance. Culinary applications, health, environmental and safety-related issues, business and industry relations and experience.

Description: Development, structure, and function of tissues and organs of the higher plants. Relationships of structure to physiology and ecology of plants.

Description: Modified root zones and their applications in the turfgrass and landscape management industry. Correct applications and construction techniques.

Description: The process of starting your own enterprise. Competitive environment, risk management, finance for business startups, funding, and business plan writing.

Description: Development converts rural landscapes into housing, roads, malls, parks, and commercial uses. This process fragments landscapes and changes ecosystem functions, drives up land prices, and pushes agriculture into more marginal areas.This multi-disciplinary, experiential course guides students in learning about the urbanization process, the impacts on landscapes, people, and the community, and the choices that are available to informed citizens.

Description: Design, develop and complete a project that requires synthesis of the course topics covered in the primary area of emphasis.

Description: Individual or group projects in research and literature review under supervision and evaluation of a departmental faculty member.

Description: Design, develop and complete a project that requires synthesis of the course topics covered in the primary area of emphasis.

Description: Focus student learning on principles related to mendelian, population, and molecular genetics of plants including allelisms, nonallelic gene interaction, linkage and recombination, mode of inheritance, mutation, epigenetics, DNA-based makers and mapping techniques, inheritance of qualitative and quantitative traits, and plant transformation.

Description: Structure of populations, forces affecting gene frequency and frequency of genotypes, continuous variation, population values and means, genotypic and environmental variances and covariances.

Description: Virus molecular biology; virosphere; virus-vector relationships; plant resistance to virus infection economic impact and control of plant diseases by viruses.

Description: Various topics in horticulture, agronomy or related subjects. Emphasis on techniques.

Description: Expected of all Agronomy and Horticulture graduate students. Presentation of thesis/dissertation or non-thesis topics in agronomy, horticulture or related subjects. Agronomy and Horticulture PhD students should enroll in this course twice.

Description: Investigations, without reference to thesis work, on genetic, physiological, ecological, meteorological, and morphological aspects of horticultural crops.