Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station

Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station (VAES)

As a Land-grant university of Virginia, VAES expands on the Hatch Act of 1887's mission to perform basic and applied research on agricultural, environmental, natural, and community resource issues related to the future needs of Virginia, the region, the nation, and the world.

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The Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station (VAES) is the research enterprise for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including academic departments and off-campus agricultural research and Extension centers (ARECs). Our team includes >350 scientists located in three colleges on the VT campus: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE), and Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM). VAES, along with our partner Virginia Cooperative Extension, comprise the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Agency 229. Together with our partners across Virginia and around the world, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), VAES scientists and engineers are bringing innovation and securing agriculture, food, and health through basic and applied research.

Research is designed to provide knowledge that will enhance the quality of individual and family life and the social and economic vigor of Virginia. Researchers utilize the best techniques of qualitative and quantitative research to form the knowledge base for instruction of and application to the broader mission of the land-grant university.

Apart from serving the needs of Virginia's animal, plant, and seafood industries, VAES-supported research fosters conservation of natural resources and benefits consumers and all citizens of the state in rural, urban, and suburban communities. Discoveries resulting from VAES-supported research have facilitated economic development in the state in the form of start-up companies located in Virginia Tech's Corporate Research Center. In addition, the VAES research programs include numerous activities in the international arena.

Explore our ARECs →

Learn more about our College Research Departments →

Latest VAES news

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New research finds mechanism that regulates PTSD in the female brain , article
Virginia Tech researchers discovered a protein that could lead to better therapeutic treatment for females with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Date: 05.18.2023
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Virginia Tech researchers conduct proof-of-concept study on mosquito scent preferences , article
Using scented soaps, Virginia Tech researchers found that the smell of certain body soaps could make humans more or less attractive to mosquitoes.
Date: 05.16.2023
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In memoriam: Joseph H. Barlow Sr., alumnus and former member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors , article
Barlow, who served as a member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors from 1992-95, died April 27. He was 93.
Date: 05.16.2023
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Virginia Tech student part of cohort to advance solutions for issues in agriculture through Farm Foundation scholar program , article
Evan McKay, a master’s student in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was recently accepted into the Farm Foundation’s Agricultural Scholars program.
Date: 04.14.2023
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J. Christopher Bergh honored with emeritus status , article
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2000, Bergh made significant contributions to tree fruit and grape entomology and supported tree fruit and grape producers in Virginia by providing timely, accurate information and guidance in effective integrated pest management.
Date: 04.14.2023
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Calling all canines: Help sniff out the dangerous spotted lanternfly , article
Researchers in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are deploying teams of dogs and their owners to help detect spotted lanternfly eggs before they become a major threat to growers.
Date: 04.11.2023