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Vegetable Research Station

P. O. Box 2608
3810 Thornhill Street
Alma, AR 72921 (near Kibler)
479-474-0475
Fax:479-474-0164
Dennis Motes, Resident Director In Charge: dmotes@uark.edu

Driving directions:

From I-40, take Exit 13 onto Hwy 71 South. Proceed for .5 miles straight on to Hwy. 162 West.Proceed on Hwy. 162 West through Alma for 4.4 miles into Kibler. Turn south off of Hwy. 162 West onto Thornhill Street (Hwy. 819 South). Proceed 3.5 miles on Thornhill Street to the Station entrance on the right.

The Vegetable Research Station is a small but highly utilized station that serves as a field laboratory for the research faculty and extension specialists from the main campus at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The station consists of 87 acres of irrigated plot land owned by the University of Arkansas and is staffed by a Resident Director, two Research Associates, and three classified employees. The main campus departments served include Horticulture Plant Pathology Entomology Food Science and Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences.

MISSION

The primary mission of the station is to conduct research on vegetable crops that are important to the local economy and the state. Special emphasis is placed on breeding programs in spinach, greens, and southern peas for disease resistance and improved quality, as well as disease and insect control. Research on agronomic crops is also an important part of the work with variety testing in wheat and soybeans being carried out along with fungicide testing, soil fertility studies, a canola breeding program, and a wheat breeding program and nursery being maintained at the station.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

We are currently coordinating the research projects involved with the departments on campus and with the Cooperative Extension Service. These projects include plot production of breeding programs, variety trials, seed increases, pesticide studies, cultural studies, and fertility studies on not only horticultural crops, but the agronomic crops as well. Maintenance of the plots includes soil preparation, planting, fertilizing, spraying, cultivation, irrigation, data collection, harvesting, and greenhouse breeding work. Graduate students are also assisted in completing their thesis plot work.

The Vegetable Research Station has played an integral part in the release of numerous varieties of vegetables to include: tomatoes, okra, cucumber, spinach, greens, and southern peas. Many of the statewide grower recommendations are based upon research work completed at the station.

We work very closely with the Cooperative Extension Service, professional company field representatives, growers, and gardeners. Public speaking engagements are given upon request and we visit most of the civic organizations and schools in the area. The station is open to visitor groups in the form of tours, study days, master gardener courses, and specialty commodity groups. Being available to the public and presenting the station in a positive manner have been very important in the success of our work at the Vegetable Research Station.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND INVESTIGATORS

Breeding of Spinach, Greens and Southern Peas -- Dr. Teddy Morelock, Horticulture

Vegetable Variety and Cultural Work -- Dr. Craig Andersen, Horticulture

Wheat and Canola Breeding and Variety Testing -- Dr. Robert Bacon, Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences

Vegetable Herbicide Testing -- Dr.Nilda Burgos, Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences

Soybean Variety Testing -- Don Dombek,Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences

Herbicide Tolerance Screening -- Dr. Nilda Burgos, Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences

Insecticide Trials -- Dr. Paul McLeod, Entomology

Plant Disease Research -- Dr. James Correll, Plant Pathology

Wheat Breeding and Pathology -- Dr. Gene Milus, Plant Pathology

Plant Diseases &ndash Dr. Craig Rothrock, Plant Pathology

Soybean and Rice Pathology &ndash Dr. Rick Cartwright , Plant Pathology

Evaluation of Soybean Breeding Lines &ndash Dr. Pengyin Chen, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science

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Division of Agriculture
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
E214 AFLS Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701 • USA
Phone (479) 575-4446
Fax (479) 575-6363

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