School Sections

Our faculty, staff and students work to shape the food systems and landscapes of today and tomorrow. Members of our section work across New York to make discoveries and share knowledge about fruits, vegetables and landscape plants. They are called on by farmers, greenhouse and turfgrass managers, urban foresters, government officials and many others to solve problems around the globe.

Faculty in the Plant Biology section have a great diversity of interests and together, they work to solve today’s toughest challenges, like global climate change, food shortages, biodiversity loss and new and evolving diseases. Through its broad-based and innovative studies of basic plant biology, this section contributes solutions to these problems at local, state, national and global scales.

For more than one hundred years, Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University has been widely recognized for developing novel breeding methodologies and discovering economically important genes and varieties. Our scientists and students conduct translational research that bridges the gap between fundamental research and its implementation in applied breeding programs.

Faculty, staff, and students in this section are making new scientific discoveries about the interactions between plants and microbes and developing innovative solutions to address the challenges of 21st century agriculture across the globe. We offer unparalleled opportunities to study the origins and consequences of plant diseases and provide essential information to decision-makers, including agriculture producers, educators and policymakers.

Members of this section address the challenge of developing environmentally sustainable agricultural systems to produce food for a growing population. We provide expertise to mitigate the impact of climate change, increase nutrient use efficiency, improve soil health and reduce greenhouse-gas production. We promote productive and sustainable land use practices on regional, national and international scales.