About Plant Sciences

Our Mission

The Division of Plant Sciences was formed on August 1, 2005, through the consolidation of the former departments of Agronomy, Entomology, Horticulture and Plant Microbiology and Pathology. Programs formerly housed in those departments now reside in the division. The Division of Plant Sciences provides leadership for plant, insect and microbe-based research, education and extension programs in the College.

The division is the sole academic program in the state to address issues related to plant production, plant protection and plant biology from the laboratory to the field. We intend to be at the national and international forefront of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, extension and education in applied and basic aspects of plant sciences.

Division faculty contribute to advances in conventional, sustainable and alternative production systems, plant biology, genetics and breeding, plant protection and pest management, plant-insect/pathogen interactions, plant-soil relationships and environmental quality.

Value Statement

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) strongly endorses the principles embodied in MU's value statement - respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence. In that context, we seek to recruit and retain outstanding scholars who are:

Committed to blending service with scholarship
Leaders
Good colleagues who will collaborate with others from diverse disciplines and backgrounds
Flexible and adaptable in an era of rapid change

Diversity Statement

CAFNR aspires to build a community where diversity is embraced through educational and program excellence, which will lead to:

Respect for others.
Awareness of choices.
Variety of experiences.
Understanding of issues.
A community where we all feel safe to cross boundaries.