Crop ecology and ecological crop geography in the agronomic curriculum

At the present time only five institutions of the country offer definite courses in crop ecology and of these two offer it to graduate students only. This subject, together with ecological crop geography, merits more attention. The agronomic curriculum can be enriched by the addition of such a course. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate the possibilities of crop ecology and ecological crop geography, to show its application, and to point out the essential factors that in the estimation of the writer may be considered in the course. The general scope of crop ecology and ecological crop geography, is outlined. Crop ecology may be defined as the study of crop plants in relation to their physiological environment. Ecological crop geography may be defined as the study of crop plants in relation to their physiological and social environment. Under social environment is meant the aggregate impress of economic, political, social, and historic forces. Crop ecology deals more directly with the physiological reactions of a plant to its physical environment, with such factors of the habitat as moisture, temperature, light, and composition of the substratum. Ecological crop geography treats the larger realm of crop distribution and is, therefore, concerned with the physiological as well as the social environment. A discussion of the social environment does not enter into the study of crop ecology as such, but for the sake of completeness and especially in view of the fact that the agronomist is ever interested in the world distribution of crops, it is well to treat crop ecology and ecological crop geography together. A review of the literature cited, while making no claim for completeness, will show that a great wealth of material is available to be analyzed and synthesized.