The Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Cuarto was created in 1953. In 1987 it was renamed the Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS). It is a research centre attached to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
The mission of the IRNAS is to investigate the use and conservation of the natural resources soil, water and plant, with special attention to arid and semi-arid areas, in response to the problems arising from its exploitation.