Ph.D.Plant Sciences

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague - Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources

General plant production branch covers all the disciplines from the fields of applied biology, ecology and environmental sciences that are considered to be the theoretical principles of agronomy and crop production. Some of the key scientific disciplines within the frame of this grouping are thus botany and plant physiology, applied genetics, agroecology, biometeorology and climatology, and more practically focused discipline branches of agronomy such as general crop husbandry and weed science. Research at the Department of Botany and Plant Physiology is focused mainly on the production and stress physiology of plants with applications in crop production. Another important areas are floristic, phytocoenological and taxonomy studies clarifying the processes of succession on the sites at various levels and intensity of man disturbance and their impacts on the diversity of plant communities. Research at the Department of Agroecology and Biometeorology covers the areas of impact of biophysical and socioeconomic environment, as well as the problematic of production systems and agronomic methods and their optimizing from the production viewpoint, also involving adverse off-site impacts on landscape, soil environment and the associated organisms, as for example the associated plants and beneficial arthropods. Meteorological and climatological research focuses on agrometeorological models and the measurement of the temperature, radiation and hydrology characteristics. Climate change is increasingly important issue. Furthermore the research assesses options for applying soil conservation technologies in view of yield creation and soil properties. Research in the area of weed science focuses on the biology and ecology of important weed taxa, and chemical and non-chemical weed management. Researchers and teachers have won a number of external project grants. The largest share of the projects have been funded by National Agency pro Agricultural Research and Czech Technological Agency, focusing on technologies of soil tillage and planting, weed management and precision farming methods. To mention some of the significant international projects, FP6 and FP7 EU projects focused on environmental risk and sustainable cultivation of genetically modified crops in European conditions. Evident is cooperation with a number of national and international research partners, active membership in international organisations, for instance Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology, European Society for Agronomy, European Weed Research Society, European Meteorological Society and expertise provision to European Food Safety Authority, etc.

Graduate profile

Graduates gain a deep understanding through theoretical courses (climatology, botany, plant physiology and biochemistry, genetics, breeding, plant nutrition etc.), which are important for understanding life processes, and the influence of environmental conditions and farming practices on crop production and product quality.

Possibilities of employment:

as researchers in research institutions and universities,

managers and researchers in agrochemical industry and breeding companies,

private advisory service,

regulatory officers,

managers in specialized companies,

senior officers in the state administration.