Research emphases in Crop Science include the use of molecular, cellular, and quantitative genetic techniques for plant improvement; systems agriculture; weed management and modeling; integrated pest management; crop and forage management systems; forage animal research; plant chemistry and quality; and basic and applied physiology of crop plants.

Research programs are augmented by well-equipped labs, greenhouses, access to the NCSU Phytotron for controlled environmental work, and an excellent field station system with a variety of environments and soils ranging from the mountains, to the Piedmont, and to the coastal plains and blacklands of Eastern NC.