History

 

Plant and Crop Sciences at Nottingham

Research in the Plant and Crop sciences at Nottingham has a long and illustrious past. The Sutton Bonington campus was originally the Midland Agricultural College and merged with Nottingham University just prior to the University obtaining its full University charter in 1948. The Sutton Bonington campus then focused extensively on crop physiology and the more agricultural side of the plant sciences and became a world renowned centre for developing our understanding of how crops grow and how environmental factors affect productivity.

During the later part of the 20th century, plant science research also blossomed at the main University Park campus, especially in the areas of plant tissue culture and genetics. However, it was not until 1997 that all of the plant science research at Nottingham came together into one Plant Sciences Division and in 2001 all staff moved into a purpose built Plant Science building at the Sutton Bonington campus. In 2008, staff from the Crop Sciences, part of the Division of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, joined Plant Sciences to form the Division of Plant and Crop Sciences. Around 170 people work within the Plant and Crop Sciences Division today making it one of the largest collections of plant and crop scientists in the country.

Information on the history of the Sutton Bonington campus in general is also available.