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July
27, 2006
North Central Research Extension Center Breaks Ground for Lab, Greenhouse Researchers at North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center in Minot are looking forward to working in the center’s new agronomy research laboratory and greenhouse. They helped break ground for the one-story, 10,000-square-foot structure during the center’s recent annual Field Day. The building is scheduled to be completed in summer 2007. The building will create a more efficient flow of materials from seed preparation through harvesting, seed cleaning and sample analyses, according to Jay Fisher, center director. Putting all of the rooms on one floor eliminates the need for elevators or stairs. Plus, staff will have more room to work on crop production research, such as pest diagnoses and seed treating, counting, weighing, washing, drying, packaging, dissecting and sample rating. “It will enhance educational activities, such as hands-on training in weed, disease and insect identification; nutrient deficiencies; and crop staging in workshops and crop scout schools,” Fisher says. Researchers have been doing their work in the grain storage area and the center’s old seed house, which lacks adequate space and is hard to heat or cool. “A greenhouse, spray chamber and growth chamber will fill a critical void in our research capabilities and will complement our field research with the ability to conduct studies under controlled conditions,” Fisher says. The greenhouse will give researchers opportunities to do preliminary crop evaluation and weed, disease and insect studies before the growing season starts. Working in controlled conditions means researchers can study the influence of fertility, relative humidity, temperature, soil alkalinity or acidity and other factors on crop and pest management. D.C. Coston, NDSU vice president for Agriculture and University Extension, says the new lab and greenhouse will allow North Central scientists to collaborate with colleagues in Fargo and NDSU’s other Research Extension Centers to conduct studies that haven’t been possible. North Central is one of eight Research Extension Centers throughout the state that develop agricultural technology and techniques for North Dakota and the rest of the world. The center, established in 1945, specializes in crop research, Extension Service educational activities and foundation seed production. The 2005 North Dakota Legislature approved the expenditure of up to $1.69 million for the lab and greenhouse. The Legislature specified $440,000 would come from the sale of bonds. A local capital campaign raised another $1.1 million. For more information about the center and its work, visit its Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/minot/. ### Source: Jay
Fisher, (701) 857-7679, jfisher@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Cutline: This is the site of a new agronomy research lab and greenhouse at NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center in Minot. University officials and center staff help break ground for the facility during the center’s recent Field Day. |
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