The Crop Science Department was created in 12-02-1998 as a result of the association of the formers Horticulture and Agronomy Departments, playing an important role in the Brazilian National Agriculture development. As requirement for the undergraduation Agronomy course of ESALQ-USP, the Department offers six mandatory and 25 eligible disciplines. These disciplines are closely related to agriculture technology in cropping systems of extensive cultivation crops ( wheat, commom bean, rice and sorghum), stimulant (coffee), extraction (sugarcane and rubber), oil (soybean, sunflower and penanut) and fiber (cotton), as well as in vegetable, fruit and flower cropping systems, seed technology, weed biology and management, irrigated agriculture and crop modeling.
The disciplines offered by the Crop Science Department are mostly applied to crop field production, as result consequently a great number of undergraduate students are enrolled every semester in these courses. Taking the disciplines related to applied agriculture the Agronomists formed by ESALQ-USP are well prepared to assume important position in their professional carrier.
The Crop Science Graduation Program, hosted by the Crop Science Department, is responsible for Master of Science (MSc) degree formation since 1968 and Philosophy Doctor (PhD) degree formation since 1986. From its creation the Crop Science Graduation Program has release more than 600 MSc + PhD degrees, being one of the most requested program of the 16 graduation programs at ESALQ-USP by candidates during the admition process.
Applied and basic research areas are focused by the Crop Science Department, which are constantly updated with the introduction of new projects, such as genetic breeding of fruits ‘in vitro’, post harvest of fruits, vegetable and flowers, crop modeling in the agriculture, image analysis in plants, high quality production of nursery plants, vegetable crop production in controlled environment, environmental impact of herbicides and weed and crop herbicide resistance.
The research activities are also granted by official and private agency of financial support allowing development of multidisciplinary projects and in jointed activity with other research institutions. Furthermore, the Department of Crop Science is equipped with the following laboratories: Seed Analysis, Plant Propagation, Image Analysis, Vegetable Production Physiology, Herbicide, Post Harvest, Rubber, Plant Diagnosis, Weed Science, Landscaping. The Department also has available Mills of Seed Processing and Grain Drying and Processing and Rubber Processing.
The researches have been conducted in collaboration with several national institutions, as well as, with international such as: Plant Research International (Wageningen – Holand), Ohio State University (USA), Agricultural Production System Research Unit/DPI/CSIRO (Australia), Instituto Superior de Ciências Agropecuárias de Bayano (Cuba), Food Agriculture Organization, Long Ashton Research Center (England) and Colorado State University (USA).
The activities of university extension have been intensively practiced by the Crop Science Department Staff, offering upgrading courses, software development, growers technical bulletin, as well as growers assistance. It is constituted of 16 professors being 3 full professor, 08 Associate, and 5 Doctors.
The physical area of the department is distributed in three buildings (Horticulture, Agriculture and Seed Science). It is also responsible for a considerable field experimental area where perennial crops (citrus, rubber tree, coffee, mango, banana, peach, etc.) and other annual crops are cultivated for experimental purposes. The irrigated areas are located in a meadow area for flooded rice, one center pivot, and other areas with installation for sprinkler irrigation.
Scientific & Academic and Extension Areas of the Department
- Cropping systems in: Food ( wheat, commom bean, rice and sorghum) & Fiber (cotton) & Stimulant (coffee) & Extraction (sugarcane and rubber) and Oil Crops (soybean, sunflower and penanut).
- Cropping systems in: Fruit & Vegetable and Flower Crops and Landscaping
- Seed Science
- Weed Science
- Irrigated Agriculture & Crop Modeling
