AE 412 - Sustainable Cropping Agriculture Management

Credits: 4

As a result of increase public interest in the practices and processes used in food production in the U.S., modern and future cropping agriculture management must focus on a more holistic approach to crop management. Many cropping agriculture enterprises are managed to influence the production outcome directly through manipulation of soils, landscapes, type of cropping systems, and implementation of various mechanical or chemical systems. As a result, cropping agriculture management must define sustainability for their operations, and identify and incorporate ‘best practices’ in regard to economic, social and ecological stewardship of all resources. This course focuses on the use of various cropping systems in arid and semi-arid environments, and how the various systems can be evaluated for sustainability based on production performance, economics, and ecological outcomes. Students must have at least junior standing to register for this course.

Prerequisites: BIOL 103/BIOL 104, CHEM 101, BA 225, BA 303, BA 312, AE 342, STAT 243Z and ECON 202