07-2023 Burdine Developing the Next Generation of Agronomy Leaders through Youth Science Projects

Agronomy is a diverse field of study including disciplines such as: entomology, genetics, physiology, biology, and chemistry. Recent enrollment trends indicate students prefer to specialize in a specific science rather than a generalist discipline like agronomy. As the number of applied-science agronomists decreases, we face a shortage of individuals with knowledge to perform field diagnostics, soil nutrient management, develop farm management plans or to conduct research. As the number of trained field agronomists declines, access to people answering day-to-day questions could become a serious issue.