The Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences addresses humanity’s grand challenges through programs of research, education, and outreach that range from investigations of the inner workings of plants to their interactions with landscapes and climate. Our scholarly interests include the disciplines of agronomy, horticulture, ecology, agroecology, plant breeding and plant genetics, crop science, weed science, and production agriculture as they relate to agronomic and horticultural systems. Many plant species and cropping systems are studied for a diversity of uses that contribute to ecosystem, community, and individual health and well-being. Many faculty and staff in the department have appointments partially funded by the Division of Extension, which supports the people of Wisconsin (and beyond) through educational programming and applied research. Members of the department engage in transdisciplinary efforts that leverage advances in technology and data science to improve the resilience and adaptiveness of agricultural systems in the face of climate change; improve the sustainability of agricultural systems; and contribute to positive socio-ecological outcomes by increasing access to more sustainably produced food, feed, fiber and fuel.
The department was formed in 2023 by joining together the Department of Agronomy and the Department of Horticulture. The new department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Agronomy and Horticulture, and our faculty train graduate students in a wide range of graduate programs, including Agroecology and Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics.
People
Professors
Ané, Colquhoun, Conley, de Leon, Goldman, Jackson, Jahn, Kaeppler, S., Krysan (chair), Kucharik, Lauer, Renz, Stoltenberg, Tracy
Associate Professors
Atucha, Dawson, Endelman, Gutierrez, Jull, Kaeppler, H., Picasso, Wang, Werle
Assistant Professors
Ellison, Hall, Kohmann, Kovaleski
USDA Scientists
Bamberg, Bethke, Mura, Simon, Weng, Zalapa
Instructional Staff
Anibas, Calderon, Luiken, Oosterwyk, Sanford