Welcome to the website of the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. For more than 100 years, our department has served the Commonwealth of Virginia with knowledge and practice for sustainable crop production and land management. We are an interdisciplinary department with expertise in both environmental and agronomic (crops, turf, and soils) sciences. We are committed to improving present and future human health, livelihoods and environmental quality through a deeper understanding of processes involving plants, living organisms, soil, and water in intensively managed and degraded ecosystems. We focus our expertise in agronomy, plant improvement, and environmental science on the enhancement of agroecosystem productivity and environmental quality in a variety of rural and urban landscapes. We also have a strong and growing focus on improving food security in developing countries, with our faculty and students conducting research and outreach in some of the world’s poorest countries.Our award-winning faculty carry out research and outreach programs that create positive impacts in Virginia and around the world. More than 250 students are currently enrolled in our two undergraduate degree programs, Environmental Science, and Crop and Soil Science. More than 50 graduate students are studying for M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. We are committed to individual and personal attention and outstanding learning opportunities for our students, inside and outside the classroom. Come explore what our department has to offer!

CSES Facts

  • Founded in 1908 as the "Department of Agronomy"
  • The name was changed in 1987 to "Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"

CSES "by the numbers"

  • Number of on-campus faculty members 23
  • Number of off-campus faculty: 7
  • Faculty who are College Endowed Professors: 2
  • Faculty who are international professional society fellows: 5
  • Faculty who are editors of scientific journals: 6
  • Undergraduate students: more than 250
  • Graduate students: 52