Welcome

video icon View the video "Food, Fuel & the Future of Our World: The Challenge"featuring USDA-NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra   (Produced by ISU Foundation)

Welcome to the Iowa State University Seed Science Center 

Seed is a critical component to the future of food, fuel, and fiber production throughout the world. Statistics show that seed trade in the U.S. is valued at more than $12 billion each year, with annual seed exports exceeding $1.2 billion.

From the early research of George Washington Carver to today's biotech seeds that feed, fuel, and supply the world, Iowa State University time and again has proven itself as a leader. We at the Seed Science Center, as part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State, are proud of our history of excellence in seed testing, research, and outreach that dates back more than 100 years.

As a global center of excellence in seed science, technology, and systems, our center houses the largest comprehensive public seed laboratory in the world. Certified by the National Seed Health System, the ISU Seed Lab tests more than 35,000 samples annually for more than 350 pathogens and conducts phytosanitary and routine health testing on more than 300 species of seeds. The USDA designated the Seed Science Center to administer the National Seed Health System to ensure that our phytosanitary system is based on science so that misunderstandings or misinterpretations of tests do not cause costly undue rejection of American seed shipments.

We are extremely fortunate to have 135 talented center faculty, affiliated faculty, staff, graduate students, and visiting scientists—individuals that we proudly refer to as "the best minds"—engaged in cutting-edge center research and activities. Together we are committed to meeting the global food security challenges that lie ahead in feeding our growing world population by the year 2050.

We invite you to contact us at seedsci@iastate.edu to explore the many ways that we can partner together to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers—in our own backyard as well as around the world—as we work to educate the next generation of seed industry professionals.

Lulu Rodriguez, Interim Director and Global Programs, Seed Science Center
Manjit K. Misra, Former Director Seed Science Center and BIGMAP Director