Mission Statements

Our Department of Plant Science mission encompasses all areas of scholarship involving agricultural and environmental plant science. This includes undergraduate and graduate instruction and mentorship, fundamental and applied research, and dissemination of research-based information and technologies beyond the academic community.

Our teaching mission is to provide a research-based, integrative undergraduate and graduate educational experience for the biology of agricultural plant species, plant systems and their management, and plant relationships to other organisms and their environments. Courses and majors provide fundamental, interdisciplinary understanding of agricultural and environmental plant science at all levels of organization from the cell and molecular through plant-production systems, postharvest handling and managed ecosystems. This includes genetics and plant improvement, plant biotechology, plant physiology, plant ecology, botany, interactions with natural and urban environments, and connections with society and societal changes. Faculty teach undergraduate courses in the biotechnology, biological sciences, and agricultural majors and participate in one or more graduate groups.

The research mission encompasses the full spectrum of scholarship in the landgrant university which includes fundamental discovery, integration and application. The faculty provide research leadership in the national and international community of plant scientists; and develop research-based information and technologies necessary to maintain California’s agricultural economy at the forefront of the world, to foster agricultural and environmental sustainability, and to assure a safe, healthful and stable food supply. Our research is focused on plant species of importance in agricultural production and managed ecosystems worldwide, with an emphasis on areas of particular importance to California. Specific aspects of our research missions are described in the mission statements for the sections.

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Our outreach and extension mission is focused on the transfer and dissemination of information and technologies generated by our scholarly activities in plant science to a wider community of California’s agricultural producers and plant science industries, managers of environmental systems, formulators of public policy, consumers and the public at large. This mission emphasizes our responsibilities to the Agricultural Experiment Station, UC Cooperative Extension, and our partnership relationships with county-based Cooperative Extension advisors

Section of Agricultural Plant Biology

The Section of Agricultural Plant Biology is responsible for research, outreach and extension associated with the generation and application of knowledge on biological processes in plants for addressing contemporary issues in agriculture and environmental science. The section focuses on interdisciplinary research that translates fundamental advances in biology into enhanced crop performance and agricultural sustainability. Members take comparative and complementary approaches with non-crop and crop model systems to understand the control of complex traits of agronomic and environmental importance. The section is also responsible for outreach to stakeholder groups such as the biotechnology, agrochemical, life science, seed and nursery industries; commodity groups; consumer organizations; state and federal agencies; and non-profit institutions and
foundations.

Section of Crop and Ecosystem Sciences

The Section of Crop and Ecosystem Sciences is engaged in research, outreach and extension concerned with understanding and improving field-crop production, vegetation and animal management in natural resource systems; promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, including biodiversity, while enhancing environmental quality and human health; and incorporating science into public policy issues. Research in plant genetics, genomics, physiology, evolutionary biology, and ecology is fully integrated with crop production, ecosystem management and restoration, and biological conservation. This section includes faculty who work primarily on extensively managed crops, and managed and natural ecosystems in California, the US, and abroad through international collaborations.

The section focuses on plant and environmental sciences as these relate to major land uses in California, namely, agronomic crop production, grazing, and conservation and recreation. External clientele include growers, processors, land managers and users, and state and federal agencies.

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Section of Horticultural Sciences

The Section of Horticultural Sciences is responsible for research, outreach and extension focused on the biology, production and postharvest quality of horticultural crop species whose products benefit producers, consumers and associated business clientele in California and around the world. Disciplinary research in biochemistry, ecology, evolution, genetics, genomics, plant physiology and reproductive biology is used to solve problems in horticultural crop production and management, plant breeding, biotechnology and weed science. Advances in knowledge are derived primarily from studies of horticultural crop plant species and their wild relatives.

The section’s focus is driven by the unique challenges and opportunities of the world’s most important horticultural crops, many of which are grown primarily in California. The section’s faculty provides research and outreach leadership to enhance and improve the national and international competitiveness of California’s horticultural enterprise. External stakeholder clientele include producers, processors, and managers in California’s horticultural industries, and national and international agencies concerned with sustainable production of horticultural commodities.