Chungnam National University offers hands-on agricultural programs
Students from Chungnam National University and Yuseong Bio Science Technology High School pose during the “2026 Morakmorak Nongshim” green bio career exploration program at the university's affiliated farm in Daejeon, Friday. Courtesy of Chungnam National University
Students gain practical experience in crop cultivation, harvesting
Chungnam National University is nurturing future agricultural workers through programs that give university and high school students practical experience in crop cultivation and harvesting.
The university said its Department of Crop Science and GreenBio Convergence and Open Sharing System (COSS) project group held the “2026 Morakmorak Nongshim” green bio career exploration program at the university's affiliated farm on Friday.
The program brought together about 60 participants, including students from the university and Yuseong Bio Science Technology High School in Daejeon.
Under the guidance of professor Shim Kyu-chan, participants harvested wild rice, while professor Lee Sung-woo led a session on soybean harvesting.
They learned about the ecological value of wild rice as a genetic resource and the importance of conserving native seeds.
Explanations of crop growth characteristics and cultivation and harvesting methods also helped participants better understand the diversity of food crops and the need to preserve genetic resources.
The program builds on the “Green Bio Mo-ment Program,” which featured instruction in rice breeding and wild rice planting in the first semester, followed by the harvesting of crops planted and grown by students in the second semester.
The program also promotes interdisciplinary, hands-on learning through collaboration among the Department of Crop Science, the GreenBio COSS project group and local high schools.
“This program is particularly meaningful because students were able to go beyond the classroom and laboratory to gain hands-on experience with crop growth and harvesting in real agricultural settings,” Lee said.
“We hope the program will help students understand the importance of plant resources and food crops while broadening their interest in the future of agriculture and the green bio industry by connecting university expertise with career exploration for local high school students.”
“This program was designed to allow students to observe the crops they planted grow and bear fruit and to experience harvesting them firsthand,” said Lee Jun-heon, director of the GreenBio COSS project group.
“We hope the experience will help students appreciate the value of food crops, including rice and soybeans, and spark their interest in sustainable agriculture and the green bio sector.”