The chair of plant cultivation was founded in 1924 at agricultural faculty of Yerevan State University. Later in 1930 it was transferred to the newly-established Armenian Agricultural Institute. The chair was headed by such famous Academician of R.A. Academy of Sciences as M. Tovmasyan, A. Matevosyan , Professors A. Tovmasyan, M. Gyulkhasyan. The chair of Plant and Vegetable Growing is headed by doctor of sciences, professor A.Sh.Melikyan. In the result of various structural changes the chair of Plant Cultivation unified the chairs of Feed Production and Plant Cultivation were unified becoming a unique intellectual center in the field of agronomy. More than 23 subjects are taught for 23 bachelor, 5 master and 2 PhD students in full-time and part-time terms. More than 37 text-books and a manual, more than 1200 scientific articles and other works have been published during the history of chair. Through its history of 90 years the chair with its qualidied specialists has had a great contribution in the sphere.
Today, the Chair, along with the improvement of curricula, implements scientific and educational-methodological work, which interconnects with the introduction of new teaching methods and advanced technology, the introduction of a credit-based assessment system, is constantly updating the classroom fund, equipped with long-distance learning equipment and with demonstration materials, laboratory equipment, methodological materials for use in existing and distance learning systems. A field experimental database has been created where students complete their research in their graduate thesis. The production practices of the taught subjects are organized in the branch scientific centers where the departmental auditoriums have recently been established. The Chair has a wide range of scientific and educational cooperation with the republican and foreign universities, international organizations and agricultural scientific centers (FAO, UNDP, EUCARPIA, IFAD, VIR, IKARDA, VOCA-VISTA AA, ECPIGR, IPGRI / Agrobiodiversity, etc.). The specialists of the department carry out scientific-practical support and consulting work in the farms in different regions of the Republic of Armenia. Multiple projects are being implemented with the support of international and local organizations (FAO, GIZ, IPGRI, GEF, IFAD) on the improvement of rural infrastructure, efficient use of internal economic potential, introduction of modern agronomic technologies, surface improvement of natural grasslands and pastures, preservation of plant genetic resources, for use in selection and other issues. Today, the ex situ seed collection of the laboratory, which is the largest and richest in the Republic of Armenia, contains over 4500 samples, 2250 of which are wild, and the rest of the foreign scientific centers and Armenian local (Aboriginal) samples. About 1,200 sheets of different herbal plants are also maintained. Laboratory researchers planted seeds of Voskehask, Ararat-7, Marina, Hayk-1, Sis-1, Sis-2, Arpi and Arevik, Syunik-1 , Armavir, Dzyunik sorts. which are circulated in Armenia. Currently, the work is underway to obtain a number of new perspective sorts.