A key focus of the research programme is to improve grassland productivity, nutritive value and utilisation and research is closely integrated with other research programmes in soils and plant nutrition and livestock production.
Research areas include perennial ryegrass breeding, grassland agronomy, agroforestry, mushroom and apple production and disease control.
The plant health and diagnostics programme provides an important emergency response capability and aims to prevent the introduction or spread of serious plant pests and diseases that threaten agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
Statutory services include seed certification, plant testing and plant disease analysis.