Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Plant Science Department
South Dakota State University. College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences. Plant Science Department
South Dakota State University. Department of Plant Science
South Dakota State University. Plant Science Dept.
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Plant Science Department at South Dakota State University was established in 1969 through the merger of the Agronomy and Plant Pathology Departments. In 1979, entomologists were added when the Entomology and Zoology Department was dissolved. Thus, the department’s history reflects the evolution of these three academic areas.
Agronomy instruction began in 1888, with early field trials conducted through the Agricultural Experiment Station. Initially part of the Geology and Agronomy Department, agronomy became an independent department in 1902. Over the decades, the department developed strengths in plant breeding, crop and soil science, and seed variety research and instruction.
Plant pathology followed a similar trajectory, with early instruction offered under the Botany Department. The department underwent multiple name changes—reflecting its evolving focus—before officially becoming the Plant Pathology Department in 1950. Research was primarily conducted through the Agricultural Experiment Station.
The Entomology and Zoology Department existed from 1920 to 1979, though courses in these areas were offered as early as 1887. Scientific investigations began in 1888 under the Agricultural Experiment Station. The department shifted from the General Science Division to the Agriculture Division in 1925. From 1938 to 1963, wildlife management courses were included before becoming a separate area. When the department was dissolved in 1979, entomology joined Plant Science, while zoology moved to Biology.
In 2011, the Plant Science Department merged with the Department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks. The department’s expertise now includes agronomy, entomology, genetics, horticulture, landscape architecture, plant pathology, plant physiology, soil science, and weed science. It offers B.S. degrees in Agronomy, Horticulture, and Landscape Architecture, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Agronomy and Biological Science. The department consistently ranks among the top at SDSU for research expenditures and productivity.
Facilities span six campus buildings, housing laboratories, greenhouses, seed facilities, and the functional genomics core. Additional resources include the SDSU Seed Testing Laboratory, Plant Diagnostics Clinic, Seed Certification, and Foundation Seed Stocks Division. Research is also conducted at three nearby research farms and four statewide research stations. Field Specialists are based in six regional extension offices. The department’s newest facility is the McCrory Gardens Education and Outreach Center.