Our Department provides students with comprehensive education in plant production, ranging from the Bachelor’s to Master’s and to doctoral studies. We are guarantors of the following programmes of study:

• Bachelor’s study programme AGRICULTURE. The core of this programme is directed towards teaching of subjects engaged in plant growing and protection. Through creating their own class schedule, students may focus also on other pivotal areas of plant production, such as phytotechnics.
• The follow-up Master’s study programme AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. In this programme, students can directly focus on working as an agronomist or plant protection worker. There is a shortage of both these positions on the labour market and thus, students will find employment without difficulties.
• Doctoral study programme GENERAL PLANT PRODUCTION.

Overall, the objective of the studies that we provide is to prepare qualified specialists educated in plant production and plant protection for agricultural operations, purchasing and processing companies as well as state administration organizations. Students focus on gaining knowledge of field crops and their parts, evaluation of their parameters, both at the levels of individual plants and stamps. Students learn about the growth and development of field crops, their structure and harvest products. We also put great emphasis on interweaving theory with practice and our classes are therefore supplemented with lectures delivered by renowned external experts and educational trips to operating companies.

At our Department, students are encouraged to participate in research and professional activities and thus enrich their knowledge, skills and dexterity beyond the framework of their own studies. These activities include the participation in professional events organised by the Department and cooperation in research projects, which make it possible for students to improve their skills in diagnosing the condition of vegetation, including health condition, analyses of plant materials and in routine or specialized laboratory analyses.

Areas and questions that a prospective student should ask and answer with a “yes”:

• Do I wish to better understand the secret to success in achieving high levels of yield and quality of harvested crop production?
• Would I like to learn to identify plant diseases and pests?
• Do I want to suggest treatment procedure for infected or diseased plants?
• Would I like to learn to recognize plants at the seed level and their different growth stages?
• Is my goal to better understand the situation in the Czech and European agriculture?
• Would I enjoy being able to design commercial lawn?

During their studies at the Department of Plant Production, students undertake operational and professional practical training. The operational practical training is held in our Purpose-Built Facility at the University of South Bohemia, and the professional practical training is undertaken in selected agricultural companies, with the aim of introducing students to the operational environment and the organization and management of plant production in an agricultural company. Practical teaching assumes one of the most pivotal positions within the Department since it enables our graduates to hold more qualified positions after graduating.

After graduating from the Department of Plant Production, our students are qualified to:

• Ensure technological procedures in plant production and to address problems in operating conditions, including teamwork,
• Evaluate the condition of field crops and suggest appropriate measures to achieve the proper development of their vegetation; as such, this qualification predisposes our students to work as technicians in plant production or as agronomists,
• Work as specialists in service and consultancy organizations and supply companies,
• Manage agricultural companies, to hold managerial positions in supply and purchasing organizations operating in plant production,
• Work as specialists in state administration bodies, in cultivation organization or in the area of agricultural research and education.

The main focus of our Department is on applied research, interconnected with the application sphere. We are proud of our intensive cooperation with research institutions and universities in the Czech Republic and abroad. We also work on research projects awarded by the leading grant providers: Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GAČR), Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TAČR), Ministry of Agriculture (National Agency for Agricultural Research - NAZV) and many more.

Our most important research areas include:

• Evaluation of the influence of variety, environmental conditions and other cultivation factors on yield, its structure and quality of production of field crops (wheat, barley, oats, lupins, soybean, flax, potato).
• Evaluation of the influence of conventional and organic technology of growing of cereals and potatoes on yield and quality of production.
• Study of options of reducing drought stress in ware potato crops by applying specific active substances.
• Development and evaluation of possibilities for concentration and isolation of proteins from potato tuber wastewater, oilseed pomace (hemp, flax) and legume seed (lupins).
• Study of bioactive substances, chiefly antioxidants occurring in field crops.
• Evaluation of the effects of grassland and pasture use and alternative management practices on botanical composition, biomass production, biomass quality, species diversity and on the non-productive functions of grassland in the soil environment, hydrosphere and atmosphere
• Use of entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi in biological protection of plants.

It is worth mentioning that students and academic staff are encouraged to pursue studies and work abroad. We cooperate for example with:

• Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland),
• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (Austria),
• The Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities (Poland),
• or the company Biobest Group NV (Belgium).