Abstract
The crop consulting and agrochemical industries long have expressed concern that although academic programs in entomology, plant pathology, and weed science produce knowledgeable and skilled research scientists and teachers, such graduates are overly specialized (e.g., Tammen and Wood 1977, Bradshaw and Marquardt 1990, Ferguson 1990, Raun 1991). Members of the crop consulting and agrochemical professions typically solve plant production and protection problems that require multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge. Indeed, integrated pest management (IPM) specialists in all fields recognize the importance of other disciplines, but few university graduates actually receive comprehensive training in more than one traditional academic discipline. Academic institutions sometimes are criticized for producing abundant staff for academic institutions bur inadequate numbers of professionals who can diagnose constrainrs on plant production and recommend comprehensive solutions. Existing doctoral degree programs tend to be devoted to developing a high degree of knowledge in a specialized area of science. Although specialization may be appropriate for students desiring academic careers emphasizing research, these doctoral programs do not produce the broadly educated problem-solvers needed in some sectors of society. Are graduates of such traditional programs equipped to diagnose plant stress or to foster practical IPM? In too many cases the answer is no.
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