AgResearch & Extension

At the UT Institute of Agriculture, UT AgResearch confronts grand challenges facing modern civilization as we feed, clothe, house, and heal an ever-growing population, while beautifying and caring for our environment. Modern problems require innovative science from UTIA experts. With multidisciplinary and public and private partnerships, the Department of Plant Sciences intends to discover these opportunities and create Real. Life. Solutions.

UT Extension provides a gateway to AgResearch as the outreach unit of UTIA. It is a statewide educational organization, funded by federal, state, and local governments, that brings research-based information about agriculture to the people of Tennessee. With an office in each of the state’s ninety-five counties, Extension helps Tennesseans improve their quality of life.

Find out how the Institute extends Real. Life. Solutions. to the thing we all have in common— YOU.


Discover Extension publications from Plant Sciences faculty and staff.

Directory

Explore Plant Sciences faculty and their areas of research and programming.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Programs

AgResearch and Extension coordinates multiple programs that bring research based information to the fields of our community partners. From riverbeds to backyards, Plant Sciences is always working to improve agriculture.

Large leafy greens grow under a high tunnel as a farmer inspects his garden
Commercial Vegetable
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A bee feeds on a small yellow flower in the sun
Horticulture
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Three students talk over a 3 D map relating to a UT River Studio project
River Studio
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cotton plant with dark green leaves and clean white cotton buds
Crops
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Alfalfa with purple bloom
Forages
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Roses grow under a high tunnel on a sunny day
Sustainable Nursery & Landscape
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A field of young corn stalks stand in the sun
Herbicide Stewardship
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multiple sunflowers stand at the base of a cultivated hill under a fluffy white sky
Organic and Sustainable Crops
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Racheff Chair of Excellence researches biotechnology, genomics, and ecology.

Master Programs

Whether it be improving a cattle operation with better forage practices, advancing a horticulture hobby, or enhancing a green business, Plant Sciences offers a range of public educational programs.

AgResearch and Education Centers

Ten AgResearch and Education Centers support researchers, serve as experiential learning laboratories for students, and provide spaces for public education.

Student pick vegetables from the Organic Crops Unit's fields on a sunny summer morning
The East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center's Organic Crops Unit facilitates student internships and provides fresh produce to consumers.

Centers

Plant Sciences oversees multiple Centers engaged in research, which extend pragmatic solutions for pressing issues in agriculture. These also give opportunities for students to gain real-world experience in appreciable fields.

Up close look at a green plant cell
Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology
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Multiple hay bales sit under a blue sky
Beef and Forage Center
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Tennessee Plant Research Center
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Specialized Facilities

Plant Sciences hosts a range of facilities supporting students, scientists, Extension professionals, industry members, and the public. These spaces are open, living classrooms, laboratories, and gathering spaces providing access to nationally recognized, cutting-edge programming.

A couple holds hands in front of a bank taken over by kudzu
These plants shaped the lives of Tennesseans and their agricultural practices.