The Department of Crop Protection conducts basic and applied research in crop protection on arable and permanent crops of Nigeria and indeed Tropical Africa.  These investigations utilize research laboratories, screen houses, insect museum, field laboratory and experimental plots on the University Crops farm and University Extension Villages with interest in the following areas:

Research in the Department deals with crop diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, insects, nematodes and viruses. These include:

1 Development of disease management programmes based on integration of biological, genetic, cultural and reduced chemical input.

2 Epidemiological studies for evaluating interaction between climatic and biotic factors which affect disease development.

3 Research in methods for seed borne pathogen control.

4 Pest management in organic farming

Fundamental and applied studies at the biochemical and molecular levels for determining pathogenicity factors and plant response.