Crop breeding, genetics and cytogenetics (cereals, oilseeds, potatoes); forage and pasture management; grain crop production; post-harvest seed technology; seed biology; seed crop physiology; seed production; weed biology; weed management
Specific areas in crop science in which a student can prepare for his or her thesis include cereal breeding and genetics, grass breeding and genetics, forage and pasture management, seed production and technology, seed crop physiology, seed biology, post-harvest seed technology, and weed science.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics (PBG) graduate option at Oregon State University embodies the Land Grant mission of integrated research, teaching and extension in the context of cultivar development and fundamental genetics. Plant breeding is a collaborative discipline spanning everything from classical field approaches to gene manipulation at the molecular level. Breeders regularly cooperate with pathologists, entomologists, soil scientists, physiologists, food scientists, genomicists, molecular biologists and experts in other fields.
Students in the Plant Breeding and Genetics graduate option will learn an interdisciplinary approach to applied plant breeding by taking courses across a broad spectrum of disciplines. The option may be tailored to meet students’ career goals including further graduate study, as well as direct entry into public or private sector breeding programs. After completing the degree, students will have fundamental knowledge of plant breeding that may be applied to a range of crops including annual and perennial horticultural crops, agronomic food and feed crops, and forestry products.
