• One of the largest public seed testing labs in the U.S.

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

September 4, 2024
Sandhya Adhikar, the recipient of The Edda G. Sehgal Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Seed Science is a trailblazing first-generation graduate student from Nepal who dreams of unraveling the secrets of seed pathology to combat disease and ensure food security for a growing global population. Adhikari, who started her graduate career this fall at the Iowa State University (ISU) Seed Science...
September 3, 2024
As August closed with the excitement of the Farm Progress Show, Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center (SSC) hosted several international visitors, including a prominent group from NURIMAT, the Center of International Relations for Mato Grosso, Brazil. From August 27 to 30, this delegation, comprising representatives from the state government and the four public universities of Mato Grosso,...
August 29, 2024
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State University Seed Science Center (SSC) proudly announces that applications are now open for the 2024 David Lambert “Hunger Fighter” scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one deserving sophomore or junior who demonstrates a strong commitment to seed science, global food security, and childhood nutrition. The “Hunger Fighter” scholarship honors the legacy...

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.