SIPS Soil & Crop Sciences Section
Our mission is to generate and communicate knowledge about agroecosystems and their sustainable management in the face of accelerating global change. We achieve this by educating students for stewardship of agro-ecosystems, conducting scientific research on sustainable land management, and using our extension and outreach programs for the benefit of our stakeholders.
Many faculty conduct programs focusing on New York and the northeastern United States region, as well as in many countries around the world having temperate, sub-tropical and tropical environments. Learn more about the history of our section and the vision of our school.
Soil & Crop Sciences
Our section addresses the challenge of developing environmentally sustainable agricultural systems to produce food for a growing world population, mitigating the impacts of climate change, increasing nutrient use efficiency and improving soil health.
Research Areas in Soil & Crop Sciences
Graduate and undergraduate training
Soil & Crop Sciences offers degrees and training opportunities at all stages of the educational pipeline
Graduate field of soil & crop sciences
Students interested in obtaining an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in the graduate field of soil & crop sciences can select from four concentrations.
- Agronomy
- Field crop science
- Soil science
- Environmental information systems
Master of Professional Studies
Our MPS programs are one-year, course-based degrees, ideal for individuals interested in in-depth study of the issues and advancements in plant and soil sciences. Choose from specializations in Controlled Environment Agriculture, viticulture, public garden leadership, hemp science, plant protection, geospatial applications and more.
Undergraduate — plant sciences major
Undergraduates majoring in the plant sciences can choose to concentrate in soil science, preparing them for careers in soil health, conservation and agriculture, whether in private industry or public government/university sectors.
Undergraduate — agricultural sciences major
Undergraduate students have the opportunity to major in agricultural sciences, an interdisciplinary program to which Soil and Crop Sciences faculty and staff contribute significant instruction and research opportunities.
Undergraduate — soil science minor
Undergraduate students in diverse majors can add a minor in soil science, and gain in depth knowledge of this discipline.
Undergraduate — crop management minor
Undergraduate students in diverse majors can add a minor in crop management, providing a strong foundation in this area.
Undergraduate research — Microbial Friends & Foes
Microbial Friends & Foes undergraduate research experience is sponsored by the Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease. Participants are placed in host labs at Cornell working on many different aspects of microbial interactions with plants and animals.
Undergraduate research — other
The Office of Undergraduate Research provides information about exploring the wealth of research opportunities at Cornell.
The Honors Program in Biological Sciences is designed to offer advanced training in laboratory and field research through the performance of an original research project under the direct guidance of a member of the Cornell faculty.
News from the SIPS Soil & Crop Sciences Section
Learn more about recent developments in our research, outreach, and education
News
Solving problems like climate change could require dismantling rigid academic boundaries, so that researchers of various backgrounds may collaborate through an “undisciplinary” approach.
Spotlight
Solar energy developers and farmers need land to operate, and a Cornell research project aims to demonstrate how co-locating solar arrays on farmland can be an environmentally friendly way to benefit both the renewable energy and agriculture industries.
News
Michael Gore, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor and chair of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is leading a multidisciplinary project to...
News
Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large Bram Govaerts is visiting Cornell’s Ithaca campus the week of March 14. Govaerts is the Director of the Integrated Development Program and Regional Representative for the Americas in the International Maize and...
News
Mario Herrero and Johannes Lehmann each made the 2021 list of most influential scientists.