A circular diagram on the screen reads "Career Pathways." In this circular diagram, A variety of career options are listed, such as Animal Systems, Biotechnology Systems, Environmental Service Systems, Food Products and Processing, Natural Resource Systems, Plant Systems, Power, Structural and Technical Systems, and Agribusiness Systems. "Plant Systems" is highlighted on the choice wheel. Two people inspect crops on an organic farm .A plant scientist examines a plant in her lab. Next, A scientist examines seedlings in a lab.
The plant system pathway covers all green and growing, rooted plants on the planet. Plants are eaten, used for medicines, and provide beauty to the world around us. In a plant systems career, you can work in areas as varied as the types of plants on our earth. For example, as a plant scientist, you may improve crops for higher yield or make crops adaptable to a new climatic area. Or you may develop crops that are resistant to insects, can withstand drought, and produce more food with less space.
In a flower shop, a man buys flowers from a florist. Three women are working on a farm. A woman stands on the farm, happily checking the soil with a notepad and a pen in hand. The screen transitions to outside a farm; a water pump stands ready to be used. A woman picks strawberries from the plant. The screen transitions to a lab person preparing a plant.
Plant systems careers also include people working with plants for aesthetics and beauty, such as flower breeders, floriculturists, or landscape architects. SAEs in the Plant Systems pathway are wide ranging. For instance, you could start your own soil sampling business, or work for an irrigation installation business. You could raise pumpkins, strawberries, corn, forages, or even trees. Plants are literally all around us, and so are the SAE opportunities.
A girl appears on screen, expressions and body language reflecting deep thought. Three images follow, each sequentially displayed. The first one shows turfing grass. The second depicts a compost bin. In the third image, a girl holds compost in her hand, forming the shape of a heart, and the Fourth image features farmland. In an indoor garden, a woman prepares plants and organizes them in a tray. On a local pumpkin farm, people harvest pumpkins.
You could also decide to research the best turf grass varieties for your area or design landscapes with low maintenance and water needs. You could build and maintain compost bins at school and use the mulch to maintain landscapes around the campus. With a little more effort and research, you might even be able to process your compost and sell it to homeowners for their landscapes. Other options for your SAE include working at a golf course, greenhouse, florist, or nursery. You could even develop an agro-tourism stop at a local farm for spring or fall crops.
A man examines plants in an indoor garden and puts them on a garden table with many other plants. Subsequently, An individual fills a plant pot with soil mixture from a big container. A woman in an apron prepares plantation pots ready to sow seeds. Next, In an organic farm, a man prunes vine plants. Two farmers sell fresh fruits and vegetables to a woman. One fills a bag with fruits, and the other one maintains a notebook.
So, if you enjoy gardening, growing plants, and understanding how things grow, you may enjoy a Plant Systems SAE. Ultimately, a plant systems SAE will allow you to learn skills that can be used in a career in agriculture. Plant-based career skills include propagation, pest identification and management, and pruning. You could also learn about marketing and finances, and even apply them in plant careers.
In a bell pepper farm, A woman, surrounded by carefully grown plants, harvests red bell peppers and fills her bucket. A female scientist sits in a lab with a few test tubes on her table. Holding a test tube containing a sapling in one hand, she extracts a solution from a flask with the other and fills the test tube. Later, she examines the sapling in the test tube.
In the plant systems pathway, the level of education you need depends greatly on the field you wish to enter. Entry-level positions may only require a high school diploma, whereas higher level positions often require master’s degrees and PhDs.
Two men stand on farmland and discuss over a tablet. Next, A man and woman stand on farmland, inspecting the land before discussing their findings on a tablet. In a greenhouse, a woman examines fruit plants. Behind her, two individuals take packets of soil in a trolley. A woman wears an apron, safety glasses and gloves. She sprinkles some powder on the plants carefully.
One example of a career in this pathway is a Crop Adjuster. A Crop Adjuster is a person who inspects fields when an insurance claim has been made after hail, flood, freeze, hurricane or other natural disaster. Yes, farmers do insure the investment in their fields of crops. Other careers could involve working directly with plants, such as working as a Florist or Greenhouse Manager. Another option is to be a Horticulturist- someone who oversees research programs for ornamental and vegetative plants. Still other careers include being a Plant Breeder or Plant Geneticist, creating new varieties of plants from established plants.
A man sits at a dining table and enjoys his plant-based meal on the plate. A man eats fresh veggies, leaves, and fruits with a fork and knife. Subsequently, In a food buffet, an individual fills their bowl of meal with fresh corn and sprouts. The screen transitions to rows of carefully-tended crops flourishing on a farm. A woman sits in a greenhouse and examines small plants with a device in her other hand.
As consumers turn to more plant-based diets, and desire variety and nutrition with their food, plant-based careers will continue to be highly available. Further, with our changing climate, we will need plant scientists to develop varieties, management plans, and supports for our crops to ensure the global food supply. A career in plant science awaits your growing mind.