Most of the seed varieties of grain, corn, rice, tomatoes and other crops widely used in American agriculture originated in the labs of Cornell, and the school has made many sterling contributions to the agricultural development of the Third World.
以育種方面來說，目前在美國農業界應用得十分廣泛的穀類、玉米、水稻、蕃茄等品種，多半出於康乃爾研究人員之手。所以有人說：「沒有康乃爾，就沒有美國農業。」不只是對美國農業界，康乃爾對第三世界國家的農業發展也貢獻良多。