The chair of Crop Cultivation and Soil Science is one of the fundamental chairs of the Armenian National Agrarian University and it has its unique place and huge role in scientific-educational and also in the field of organization of agri-food production in the country.  The chair has various collaboration relations with international organizations (FAO, UNDP, IFAD, GIZ, IKARDA, VOCA-VISTA ADA, ECPIGR, IPGRI/ Agrobiodiversity/ Agrobiodiversity, etc.).

The chair issues two fundamental specialties in the field of agriculture: “Agronomy, selection and Genetics” and “Technology of Protected Ground” (starting at 2020-2021: “Greenhouse agrotechnology”). The main goal of the chair activity is ensuring the process of implementation of reforms and innovations in the field of agriculture and in agri-production processes, as well as preparing highly qualified specialists meeting the modern requirements of the labor market for the comprehensive development and increase of the agricultural sector. Many reforms aimed at modernizing the educational process and improving the quality of professional education have been initiated and are being implemented for the upcoming period of the department’s activity, in accordance with the goals defined by the strategy of the University.

Scientific-pedagogical and educational-methodological activities are accompanied by the use of new teaching methods, new teaching approaches and advanced technologies, combining theoretical and laboratory-practical classroom courses with the provision of thematic material on the electronic platform. The development of students’ skills to apply theoretical knowledge in practice is constantly important for the chair: the production and pre-graduation practices of chair are organized in in science-production-oriented economies of the university and in scientific units, as well as in the specialized farms, scientific centers and manufacturing companies of the beneficiary public and private sector to ensure the opportunities to receive quality education and improve the environment. The training carried out in the educational process on the basis of scientific innovations, introduced and commercialized, advanced technologies will ensure training of qualified specialists in the field of agriculture and also agri-technological specialty that meets the growing demands of the labor market.

According to the resolution of ANAU Board of Trustees on August 30 at 2019, the Chair of Crop Cultivation and Vegetable Growing and the Chair of General Agriculture were unified and in result the new Chair of Crop Cultivation and Soil Science was created. In 1930 the chair was separated from the Agricultural faculty of Yerevan State University and was moved to the newly formed Armenian Agricultural Institute (currently ANAU). For many years the chair was headed by academicians: M. Tumanyan, A. Matevosyan, professors: A. Tovmasyan, M. Gyulikhanyan.

Throughout its history the chair has published around 40 textbooks and educational plans, more than 1200 scientific articles and other works. The chair staff had a huge contribution in preparing farmers, plant protectors, breeders, in recent years greenhouse specialists as well.