About agInnovation South

Collaborating for a stronger, more resilient South through agricultural innovation.

agInnovation South unites the directors of fifteen State Agricultural Experiment Stations across the southern United States—including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands—in a shared mission to strengthen agriculture, food systems, natural resources, human health, and community well-being. As the southern region of the national agInnovation network of Land-grant Universities, we work together to turn research discoveries into real-world impact.

Research supported in part by the Multistate Research Fund (MRF)—a federal appropriation authorized by the Hatch Act—along with state, federal, and private investments, enables scientists and universities across the region to pool expertise, share resources, and tackle the challenges that matter most to farmers, families, and communities.

agInnovation South works closely with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA), representing the collective voice of southern experiment station directors. The association also connects regional research leaders with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and other federal research agencies, ensuring that Southern perspectives help shape national priorities, programs, and funding opportunities.

As one of five regional associations that comprise the national agInnovation network, agInnovation South helps coordinate multistate research, strengthen the Land-grant research enterprise, and provide leadership on behalf of the system to the USDA, Congress, and other partners committed to a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture and the communities it serves.

Early History of the Regional Associations

The Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, established in 1887, laid the foundation for today’s Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). As North America’s oldest higher education association, it played a defining role in advancing agricultural education and research. Over time, its mission expanded, leading to the creation of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities in 1926 and the adoption of the APLU name in 2009.

Within this national framework, the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP) was formed in 1905 to strengthen coordination among Agricultural Experiment Stations and ensure research results reached stakeholders. Originally composed of six directors, ESCOP guided system-wide planning and collaboration. In 2024, ESCOP rebranded as agInnovation, reflecting a modern, collaborative network that connects research and innovation across the Land-grant system.

Regional collaboration began in 1946 with the Research and Marketing Act, which dedicated a portion of Hatch Act funds to regional research. That same year, the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors—now agInnovation South—was established to organize and manage research important to the region. The 1998 Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act later formalized this as multistate research, creating the Multistate Research Fund (MRF). Today, five regional executive directors guide the agInnovation network, working with the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly, USDA, and Congress to advance national priorities in agricultural research.