The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (IUNG) was founded in 1950. A tradition of agricultural research in Pulawy, however, goes back to the year 1862, when the Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture and Forestry was here established. The IUNG is also heir to the State Research Institute of Rural Husbandry (PINGW) that was seated in Pulawy in the years 1917-1950.

The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation is the largest and the oldest research-development centre in Poland, conducting agricultural studies under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The broad range of activities comprises crop production, soil science and fertilisation, as well as recognition and protection of agricultural areas against various forms of degradation.