Agriculture is the primary industry in south carolina, with 25,000 farms across 4.7 million acres that contribute over $46 billion to the state's annual economy and provide over 247,000 jobs

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Clemson University $6.911 million under the Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act (CFDA 10.203) on October 1, 2025.

Clemson University's Division of Research conducted agricultural research activities across the main campus and six research and education centers throughout South Carolina through September 30, 2027. The research focused on advancing agricultural and forestry competitiveness, economic development, food supply safeguarding, natural resource preservation, and workforce preparation. Specific initiatives included the Advanced Plant Technology program, which uses traditional plant breeding and molecular genetics to develop new crops and crop-based products; the Precision Agriculture program, which develops devices and methodologies for site-specific and efficient application of inputs such as water, fertilizer, and pesticides; research on cost reduction for managing weeds, diseases, and insect pests in agronomic and specialty crops; irrigation water management improvements using real-time soil and weather data; forest climate data collection and management; and silviculture techniques to enhance forest growth and quality.

The Hatch Act formula grant program supports State Agricultural Experiment Stations in conducting broad agricultural research covering all aspects of agriculture including soil and water management, food quality and safety, forestry, aquaculture, and rural development. Award recipients may subcontract to ineligible organizations when necessary for project conduct. Funds were expected to be fully expended in the fiscal year of appropriation; up to 100 percent of funds may carry over for up to one year after the appropriation year without prior approval.

Forestry is also an important economic driver in SC, contributing over $21.2 billion annually. With diverse natural resources across the state, tourism is an additional economic force, accounting for expenditures of $24.4 billion annually. Supporting and improving the livelihood and quality of life for SC residents are what drive the programming and research focus for clemson university. The plan of work reflects research activities to benefit agribusiness, communities, and citizens of SC. The research is conducted on the main campus of clemson university and in each of the six research and education centers (RECS) located across the state. Focus areas include advancing the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry, economic development, safeguarding the food supply, preserving natural resources, and preparing younger generations to become produ ctive citizens. Research to improve the productivity and profitability of agricultural systems includes our advanced plant technology (APT) program and our precision agriculture program. The APT program uses traditional plant breeding and molecular genetics to DEV elop new crops and crop-based products. The precision agriculture program develops devices and methodologies for site-specific and more efficient use of inputs (e.g., water, fertilizer, pesticides). Research activities specific to the major agronomic and specialty crops focus on reduction of costs to manage weeds, diseases and insect pests. Likewise, investigators are developing improvements to irrigation water management using realtime soil and weather inputs. Research programs to sustain conservation of natural resources include: 1) remote climatic data collection and data management on forests, 2) techniques to enhance forest growth and quality (silviculture, harvesting operations, forest management, and forest health), 3) hydrologic and forest productivity processes along hydroperiods and salinity gradients. Research in food safety, security and nutrition focuses on 1) effectiveness of rendering and post-process storage conditions to prevent the growth of animal disease pathogens, 2) development of rapid detection methods for food contaminants, 3) improvements in packaging to enhance food safety and food quality and reducing food waste.