Performing Department
Agricultural Experiment Station
Non Technical Summary
Sheridan Research and Extension Center's (ShREC) mission is to serve Wyoming's research, education, and extension needs in horticulture, rangeland restoration, and forage management. These three primary emphasis areas focus on information demands in northeastern Wyoming given the importance of hay production, the impacts of energy development and other rangeland disturbances, and the increasing interest in local foods production. Our broad goals at ShREC are to develop and evaluate plant materials and their associated management strategies across a range of production systems in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions while providing high-quality experiential learning opportunities in agricultural research for students and citizens. Our approaches tie directly to assessment of clientele needs and build around the development of strong partnerships with on-campus faculty, county-based extension educators, industry relationships, and the local communities. Over the long-term, we anticipate that producers in the region will adopt new crops and agricultural practices based on research accomplished at ShREC.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
60%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
Major Goals:1) Develop and evaluate plant materials and their associated management strategies across a range of production systems (horticultural settings, irrigated and dryland forage crops, extensively-managed rangelands) in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions.2) Provide high-quality experiential learning opportunities in agricultural research for students and citizens.These two integrated goals strongly unite the land grant university mission of discovery, dissemination, and engagement with the specific research emphases of ShREC.Specific objectives:DiscoveryIdentify and develop species, cultivars, and germplasm resources suited to Wyoming's environment and production systems.Develop management strategies to improve reclamation of disturbed or degraded lands, to enhance specialty and forage crop production, and to evaluate alternative crops and management strategies for the region.DisseminationCooperate with Sheridan College, UW Extension, and other partners to provide educational programming within our research emphasis areas.Provide experiential and science-based learning opportunities for students, agricultural producers, horticulturalists, agency personnel, and interested citizens in the region.EngagementShREC will serve to encourage and facilitate discussion around agricultural management practices, emerging plant-based markets, and other natural resources issues in the region.
Project Methods
Our research approach spans a broad range of methods ranging from purely basic science to strongly applied science that is directly related to clientele needs. The use of precision breeding, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and conventional plant propagation facilitates the exploration of genetic diversity and novel genetic combinations to enhance suitability or genetic diversity of plant materials. Greenhouse evaluations of growth, competitive ability, stress tolerance, and other characteristics further refine our understanding of how plant materials may perform under controlled conditions. Field evaluations of plant materials, management methods, water regimes, agricultural practices, harvest approaches, and direct areas of environmental interactions further advance development of management recommendations for our region.By incorporating clientele needs assessments into our program planning, we will provide information on relevant subject matter to our diverse clientele. An ongoing internship program, which provides opportunities for undergraduate students to practice agricultural research and production, not only provides valuable experiential learning for UW, Sheridan College, and students from other institutions, but it also develops a pipeline of potential future research assistants, extension partners, and private agricultural partners into the future. We are also developing partnerships with local school districts to increase understanding of basic plant science and agriculture with K-12 students. Our outreach activities will focus on topic-specific field and classroom-based workshops, open panel discussions around emerging issues (such as new technologies or new invasive weeds in the area), and technical assistance to stakeholders in the region with specific agricultural issues or challenges.