Crop and Soil Environmental Science

We are an interdisciplinary program with broad expertise in both environmental and agronomic (soybeans, small grains, forages) crop sciences. We are committed to improving present and future human health, economic sustainability, and environmental quality through a deeper understanding of processes involving plant/animal/microbe interactions with soil and water in intensively managed and degraded ecosystems.  Specific areas of faculty and student research include plant genetics and breeding for disease resistance and nutritional quality, soil science, water quality, landscape restoration, nutrient and waste management, improvement of agroecosystem productivity, restoration and improved management of ecosystem services over a wide range of rural and urban landscapes. We also have a strong and growing focus on improving food security in developing countries, with our faculty and students conducting research and outreach in some of the world’s poorest countries.