Welcome to the ISU Seed Science Center

More than 100 Years of Excellence in Seed Testing, Research, and Outreach

The Seed Science Center at Iowa State University is a center of excellence nationally and internationally in seed research, education, technology transfer, and international seed programs. It provides a focus for teaching, research, and extension programs on seed in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and it is a global leader in introducing science into policy to benefit world seed trade.

The Seed Science Center is home to the largest public seed testing laboratory in the world. For more than 100 years, the lab has provided accurate and professional seed-testing services for members of the seed industry.

Seed Science Center faculty members are committed to providing quality research and education to produce the next generation of leaders in the seed industry. Faculty specializing in seed physiology, seed pathology, risk management, and seed conditioning conduct cutting-edge research projects in sustainable agriculture, biotechnology, crop utilization, computer technologies, microbiology, toxicology, and molecular biology.   

Working to provide access to quality seed, facilitating seed trade, and promoting the growth and development of the seed industry are important missions of the Center's Global Programs. In the past 20 years, center scientists have designed and conducted programs in more than 80 countries around the world to achieve these goals.
                         
For more information about the Seed Science Center at Iowa State University, contact seedsci@iastate.edu.

 

News

March 7, 2024
Seed Physiology and the Environment is a professional development course offered by Iowa State University that provides a learning opportunity for those with experience in the field. This opportunity to study with a renowned professor is presented in online environment using recorded lectures, discussion, and activities that reinforce the concepts of seed physiology. As an industry professional...
February 29, 2024
The former director of the Iowa State University Seed Science Center and current director of the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Manjit Misra, delivered the 2024 George Washington Carver Convocation address at Tuskegee University in early February.  In 1894, attending Iowa State University, Carver became the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree....
February 16, 2024
SEED SCHOLARS OF TODAY; SEED LEADERS OF TOMORROW AMES, IA – The Iowa State University (ISU) Seed Science Center (SSC) and Iowa Seed Association (ISA) awarded 11 scholarships to 10 students this week at the annual Agribusiness Showcase and Conference.  The awards included eight ISA scholarships of $1,000 each, the $1,000 Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship, the $1,000 Lisa Shepherd Jenkins...

Now Available for Viewing

Join Iowa State University Seed Science Center on a journey around the world to discover the grand collaboration between nature and humanity to feed, clothe, and beautify the world! This film series was developed to engage and inspire youth, the public, and the policy makers on the beauty and value of seeds to society.