Summary

Advanced plant science outcomes focus on real-world crop production decisions, from soil health and erosion control to breeding, fertility, and pest resistance management. Youth evaluate tillage vs. no-till effects on soil quality, compare Tennessee soils and regions, and explore how climate drives crop choices worldwide. Projects include modeling hybrid breeding, diagnosing nutrient problems, calculating nitrogen needs (with and without cover crops), and testing fertilization effects on corn and soybeans. Learners also build integrated pest and pesticide-resistance management plans, compare BT crop traits versus BT sprays, and examine long-term challenges and business planning for row-crop farming.