Crop Science (CRSC)
Department of Plant Agriculture, Ontario Agricultural College
The Crop Science major is designed for students who want to apply the latest advancements in the biological sciences to contemporary problems in the plant production industry with an emphasis on agronomy and cropping systems. This major is appropriate for students who wish to focus on the production of field crops for food, fuel or biomaterials, and breeding improved crop varieties. Students can also incorporate a variety of field trips, experiential learning in the workplace and independent study into their program of studies.
Students interested in adding a business emphasis to their studies are encouraged to consider the Certificate of Business offered by the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics. This may require an additional semester to complete.
Students interested in organic agriculture should consider the Certificate in Organic Agriculture.
The Co-op program in Crop Science facilitates the transition of students from academic studies to a professional career by enhancing the integration of theory and practice.
Major Requirements (Honours)
This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Credit Summary
- In semester 5 students must choose Option A: Production and Management, or Option B: Research.
- Option A: 14.00 credits from required courses, 3.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 credits of humanities and social sciences, and 2.50 credits of free electives.
- Option B: 15.00 credits from required courses, 3.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 credits of humanities and social sciences, and 1.50 credits of free electives.
- A humanities or social science courses (0.50 credits) at the 1000-level or above. See Program Counsellor for acceptable list of courses.
Recommended Program Sequence
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| AGR*1110 | Introduction to the Agri-Food Systems | 1.00 |
| BIOL*1050 | Biology of Plants & Animals in Managed Ecosystems | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1040 | General Chemistry I | 0.50 |
| MATH*1080 | Elements of Calculus I | 0.50 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| AGR*1350 | Animal Production Systems and Industry: Dairy, Poultry and Egg | 0.50 |
| BIOL*1090 | Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1050 | General Chemistry II | 0.50 |
| FARE*1400 | Economics of the Agri-Food System | 1.00 |
| Semester 3 | ||
| AGR*2320 | Soils in Agroecosystems | 0.50 |
| AGR*2470 | Introduction to Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| BOT*2100 | Life Strategies of Plants | 0.50 |
| FARE*2700 | Survey of Natural Resource Economics | 0.50 |
| MBG*2400 | Fundamentals of Plant and Animal Genetics | 0.50 |
| Semester 4 | ||
| AGR*2050 | Agroecology | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| ENVS*2040 | Plant Health and the Environment | 0.50 |
| STAT*2040 | Statistics I | 0.50 |
| 0.50 electives or restricted electives | 0.50 | |
Option A - Production and Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 | ||
| ENVS*3210 | Plant Pathology | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| ENVS*4100 | Integrated Management of Invasive Insect Pests | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3110 | Crop Physiology | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| CROP*4240 | Weed Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4090 | Soil Management | 0.50 |
| or ENVS*4160 | Soil and Nutrient Management | |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| AGR*4600 | Agriculture and Food Issues Problem Solving | 1.00 |
| CROP*4220 | Cropping Systems | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
Option B - Research
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 | ||
| AGR*3450 | Research Methods in Agricultural Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*3210 | Plant Pathology | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| ENVS*4100 | Integrated Management of Invasive Insect Pests | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3110 | Crop Physiology | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| AGR*4450 | Research Project I | 0.50 |
| CROP*4240 | Weed Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4090 | Soil Management | 0.50 |
| or ENVS*4160 | Soil and Nutrient Management | |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| AGR*4460 | Research Project II | 1.00 |
| CROP*4220 | Cropping Systems | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
Restricted Electives - Option A and Option B
A minimum of 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or higher, of which 5.00 credits must be in agricultural science and of which 3.50 credits must be at the 4000 level. Refer to Program Counsellor for list of agricultural science courses
Students must take a minimum of 3.00 credits of restricted electives from the following lists:
Crop Production
A minimum of 1.50 credits from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGR*4020 | Precision Techniques for Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| CROP*3300 | Grain Crops | 0.50 |
| CROP*3310 | Protein and Oilseed Crops | 0.50 |
| CROP*3340 | Managed Grasslands | 0.50 |
| ENVS*3080 | Soil and Water Conservation | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4390 | Soil Variability and Land Evaluation | 0.50 |
| HORT*4380 | Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops | 0.50 |
| OAGR*2070 | Introduction to Organic Agriculture | 1.00 |
Pest Management
A minimum of 0.50 from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS*3020 | Pesticides and the Environment | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4180 | Insecticide Biological Activity and Resistance | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4190 | Biological Activity of Herbicides | 0.50 |
| PBIO*4070 | Biological and Cultural Control of Plant Diseases | 0.50 |
Genetics, Biotechnology and Physiology
A minimum of 0.50 from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MBG*3100 | Plant Genetics | 0.50 |
| MBG*4160 | Plant Breeding | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3120 | Plant Physiology | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3750 | Plant Tissue Culture | 0.50 |
| PBIO*4750 | Genetic Engineering of Plants | 0.50 |
Experiential Learning
Students may take these additional courses as part of their restricted electives:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGR*2500 | Field Course in International Agriculture | 0.50 |
| AGR*3010 | Special Studies in Agricultural Science I | 0.50 |
| CROP*4260 | Crop Science Field Trip | 0.50 |
| IAEF*3500 | Experiential Education | 0.50 |
| IAEF*3510 | Interdisciplinary Flexible Internship | 0.50 |
Co-op Requirements (Honours)
This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Academic and Co-op Work Term Schedule
| Year | Fall | Winter | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academic Semester 1 | Academic Semester 2 | Off |
| 2 | Academic Semester 3 COOP*1100 | Academic Semester 4 | COOP*1000 Work Term I |
| 3 | COOP*2000 Work Term II | Academic Semester 5 | Off |
| 4 | Academic Semester 6 | COOP*3000 Work Term III | COOP*4000 Work Term IV |
| 5 | Academic Semester 7 | Academic Semester 8 | N/A |
Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements.
For additional program information, students should consult their Co-op Coordinator and Co-op Faculty Advisor, listed on the Co-operative Education website.
Credit Summary
- In semester 5 students must choose Option A: Production and Management, or Option B: Research.
- Option A: 14.00 credits from required courses, 3.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 credits of humanities and social sciences, and 2.50 credits of free electives.
- Option B: 15.00 credits from required courses, 3.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 credits of humanities and social sciences, and 1.50 credits of free electives.
- A minimum of 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or higher, of which 5.00 credits must be in agricultural science and of which 3.50 credits must be at the 4000 level. Refer to a Program Counsellor for a list of agricultural science courses.
- A humanities or social science courses (0.50 credits) at the 1000-level or above. See Program Counsellor for acceptable list of courses.
- Co-op Work Terms: 2.00 credits
- Total Credits Required to Graduate: 22.00 credits
Recommended Program Sequence
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 - Fall | ||
| AGR*1110 | Introduction to the Agri-Food Systems | 1.00 |
| BIOL*1050 | Biology of Plants & Animals in Managed Ecosystems | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1040 | General Chemistry I | 0.50 |
| MATH*1080 | Elements of Calculus I | 0.50 |
| Semester 2 - Winter | ||
| AGR*1350 | Animal Production Systems and Industry: Dairy, Poultry and Egg | 0.50 |
| BIOL*1090 | Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1050 | General Chemistry II | 0.50 |
| FARE*1400 | Economics of the Agri-Food System | 1.00 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 3 - Fall | ||
| AGR*2320 | Soils in Agroecosystems | 0.50 |
| AGR*2470 | Introduction to Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| BOT*2100 | Life Strategies of Plants | 0.50 |
| COOP*1100 | Introduction to Co-operative Education | 0.00 |
| FARE*2700 | Survey of Natural Resource Economics | 0.50 |
| MBG*2400 | Fundamentals of Plant and Animal Genetics | 0.50 |
| Semester 4 - Winter | ||
| AGR*2050 | Agroecology | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| ENVS*2040 | Plant Health and the Environment | 0.50 |
| STAT*2040 | Statistics I | 0.50 |
| 0.50 electives or restricted electives | 0.50 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*1000 | Co-op Work Term I | 0.50 |
Option A - Production and Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | ||
| COOP*2000 | Co-op Work Term II | 0.50 |
| Semester 5 - Winter | ||
| ENVS*4100 | Integrated Management of Invasive Insect Pests | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3110 | Crop Physiology | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 6 - Fall | ||
| ENVS*3210 | Plant Pathology | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Winter Semester | ||
| COOP*3000 | Co-op Work Term III | 0.50 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*4000 | Co-op Work Term IV | 0.50 |
| Semester 7 - Fall | ||
| CROP*4240 | Weed Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4090 | Soil Management | 0.50 |
| or ENVS*4160 | Soil and Nutrient Management | |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 8 - Winter | ||
| AGR*4600 | Agriculture and Food Issues Problem Solving | 1.00 |
| CROP*4220 | Cropping Systems | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
Option B - Research
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | ||
| COOP*2000 | Co-op Work Term II | 0.50 |
| Semester 5 - Winter | ||
| ENVS*4100 | Integrated Management of Invasive Insect Pests | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3110 | Crop Physiology | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 6 - Fall | ||
| AGR*3450 | Research Methods in Agricultural Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*3210 | Plant Pathology | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
| Winter Semester | ||
| COOP*3000 | Co-op Work Term III | 0.50 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*4000 | Co-op Work Term IV | 0.50 |
| Semester 7 - Fall | ||
| AGR*4450 | Research Project I | 0.50 |
| CROP*4240 | Weed Science | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4090 | Soil Management | 0.50 |
| or ENVS*4160 | Soil and Nutrient Management | |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
| Semester 8 - Winter | ||
| AGR*4460 | Research Project II | 1.00 |
| CROP*4220 | Cropping Systems | 0.50 |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives | 1.00 | |
Restricted Electives - Option A and Option B
Students must take a minimum of 3.00 credits of restricted electives from the following lists:
Crop Production
A minimum of 1.50 credits from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGR*4020 | Precision Techniques for Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| CROP*3300 | Grain Crops | 0.50 |
| CROP*3310 | Protein and Oilseed Crops | 0.50 |
| CROP*3340 | Managed Grasslands | 0.50 |
| ENVS*3080 | Soil and Water Conservation | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4390 | Soil Variability and Land Evaluation | 0.50 |
| HORT*4380 | Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops | 0.50 |
| OAGR*2070 | Introduction to Organic Agriculture | 1.00 |
Pest Management
A minimum of 0.50 from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS*3020 | Pesticides and the Environment | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4180 | Insecticide Biological Activity and Resistance | 0.50 |
| ENVS*4190 | Biological Activity of Herbicides | 0.50 |
| PBIO*4070 | Biological and Cultural Control of Plant Diseases | 0.50 |
Genetics, Biotechnology and Physiology
A minimum of 0.50 from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MBG*3100 | Plant Genetics | 0.50 |
| MBG*4160 | Plant Breeding | 0.50 |
| PBIO*3750 | Plant Tissue Culture | 0.50 |
| PBIO*4750 | Genetic Engineering of Plants | 0.50 |
Experiential Learning
Student may take these additional courses as part of their restricted electives:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGR*2500 | Field Course in International Agriculture | 0.50 |
| AGR*3010 | Special Studies in Agricultural Science I | 0.50 |
| CROP*4260 | Crop Science Field Trip | 0.50 |