Crop & Soil Sciences

This program deals with plants and their uses, focusing on plants used for commercial and ornamental horticulture, turf, agronomic crops, and grasslands. Plants provide food, animal feed, fiber, medicines, natural products such as oils and latex, and renewable feedstocks for bioenergy production. Plants enliven and sustain our environments, providing ornamentals and turf for recreation and aesthetic pleasure, and ecosystem services such as soil protection, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. Extension efforts focus on 1) improving plants through plant breeding, genetics, and genomics, 2) developing new and improved uses of plants and plant products (biobased products), and 3) improving the production, processing, and marketing practices which increase profitability, ensure quality, and are environmentally friendly.

Virginia Cooperative Extension provides research-based information to you in a number of ways.

Want to learn more?

Email your questions to Bobby Clark, Crop & Soil Sciences Extension Agent