Horticulture is that branch of plant science which concerns plants that are intensively grown for
food or their functional/aesthetic value. The main emphasis of the horticulture program is on:
pomology, the production of perennial fruit plants; olericulture, the production of vegetable
corps; Floriculture, the production of cut flowers and potted plants; ornamental horticulture, the
production of herbaceous and woody plants in nurseries and garden centers; and landscape
horticulture, the installation and maintenance of turf, herbaceous, and woody plants in residential
and commercial landscapes.
All these areas have numerous subfields including viticulture, the culture of grapes, arboriculture, the care of trees, and turf management, the production and care of turf grasses.
The Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape, and Parks at SDSU offers two horticulture options--business and science. Students interested in pursuing management careers in any of the five fields may elect to follow the business curriculum. Those interested in t he area of research or graduate school may follow the science curriculum.
Horticulture major
In addition to the Agriculture and Biological Sciences core curriculum of basic math, communication, humanities, and the sciences, students majoring in horticulture must fulfill the major requirements.
The horticulture major requirements provide more specific information about growing and propagating horticultural crops, identifying herbaceous and woody plants, and managing insects and pathogens. Students may also elect to follow a business or science emphasis.
Business: the business emphasis provides students with a strong background in a horticulture area of their choice plus an emphasis on sales and marketing, business finance, law, and accounting.
Science: the science emphasis provides students with a strong background in a horticulture area of their choice plus an emphasis on the advanced sciences necessary to enter graduate school. Graduates of the science emphasis pursue graduate programs at South Dakota State University or other universities.
Career Opportunities
Completion of horticulture degree requirements prepares graduates for a career opportunities in production, marketing, servicing, teaching, research, and product development of horticultural crops. These crops include herbaceous and woody landscape plants, fruit crops, greenhouse cut flowers, flowering potted plants and indoor foliage plants, turf, and vegetables.
The horticulture business option trains students for entry level management positions in the production, procurement, wholesale/retail marketing, and maintenance of these crops. This includes jobs such as retail garden center manager, tree care manager, landscape installation and maintenance specialist, greenhouse grower, orchard manager, vegetable farm manager, and turf care specialist. After some initial industry training, many of these individuals go on to establish their own businesses.
Students fulfilling the horticulture science option requirements are prepared for positions in teaching, research, and new product development. This includes jobs such as research in plant breeding, tissue culture, biotechnology, and horticultural chemical development.
The number of opportunities in horticulture is constantly increasing both in South Dakota and the adjacent areas, as well as nationwide. Trained professionals are best equipped to recognize and secure these positions.
Faculty and Facilities
The Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape, and Parks has staff members in horticulture, park management, forestry, and landscape design. Facilities include computer controlled greenhouses and an adjacent headhouse building; research and teaching laboratories in the Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory; McCrory Gardens (located on the east end of campus), which is a teaching and research facility for trees, shrubs, and flowers; N.E. Hansen research farms, which contain horticulture teaching and research plots, including teaching and demonstration plots for tree care, landscape maintenance, nursery management, turf, field production of cut flowers and herbaceous perennials, fruit production, forestry management, and vegetable crops.
Department Highlights
Currently the department has approximately 200 students, 60 of whom are horticulture majors. Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding horticulture students.
Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities, especially the Horticulture Club. The Club is very active, and these activities provide students with excellent opportunities to meet others and to gain career information. The Club sponsors projects and field trips (in and out of state) that help students become familiar with various types of horticultural professional opportunities.
More Information
For more information, contact the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks, Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory, Box 2140A, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007. HFLP@MG.SDSTATE.EDU. Call (605) 688-4712 or fax us at (605) 688-4452.