Which pair of areas are commonly tested in agricultural CDEs?

• A. Plant science and horticulture
• B. Animal science and forestry
• C. Plant science and animal science
• D. Horticulture and soil science

Answer: (C)

Plant science and animal science are commonly tested together because they cover the two main pillars of farming: crop production and livestock production. Plant science includes how crops grow, how pests and diseases affect plants, and practices to maximize yield, while animal science covers nutrition, housing, genetics, reproduction, and health. Together they represent the broad range of topics students need to understand to manage an agricultural operation and are the areas most frequently integrated into many CDE events. While horticulture focuses on garden crops and ornamentals and soil science and forestry address more specialized or separate areas, the pair that best reflects the common scope of CDEs is plant science and animal science.