Understanding plant production systems is fundamental to sustaining current productivity levels in Ontario field and horticultural crops and turf.  The department was formed to make applied and basic discoveries in plant science leading to sustainable and profitable agricultural production in the major field and horticultural commodities in Ontario. This research strives to keep production systems profitable and environmentally sustainable through improvements in crop production/management technologies and plant breeding/genetics methodologies.  The outcome of this research is knowledge of the: appropriate management regimes to optimize crop production in field and controlled environments; effects of the environment on plant productivity; interactions between weeds and pests and crops; and long term impacts of plant production on the ecological health of waterways, soils and greenspaces in rural environments.  

Dr. J. Cline: Pomology
Dr. C. Gillard: Dry bean agronomy and pest management
Dr. D. Hooker: Field Crop Agronomy
Dr. R. Martin: Sustainable agriculture
Dr. M. R. McDonald: Protection of vegetable crops
Dr. J. Nasielski: Agronomy and Crop Physiology
Dr. J. O'Sullivan: Weed and crop management for vegetable crops
Dr. M. Raizada: Beneficial microbes and sustainable agriculture kits
Dr. D. Robinson: Weed Management Specialist
Dr. A. Schaafsma: Entomology/pathology of field crops
Dr. K. Schneider: Forage and service crops, sustainable agriculture
Dr. P. Sikkema: Weed management
Dr. J. Sulik: Precision agronomy, geographic techniques, and spatiotemporal analysis
Dr. C. Swanton: Weed Science
Dr. R. Van Acker: Weed ecology, biosafety and transgene confinement