New Facilities, Equipment and More Will Enhance On-Site Research
JACKSON, Tenn. – Crop production plays a vital role in Tennessee’s agricultural economy, generating more than $3 billion in cash receipts in 2022. To celebrate new additions to one of its premier crop research centers, University of Tennessee AgResearch hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
The event highlighted new on-site facilities, precision agriculture equipment and laboratory renovations funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This $50-million investment, made possible by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), was received by UT AgResearch in 2023 and distributed to the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center as well as nine other UT AgResearch and Education Centers.
The ceremony featured officials from UT and TDA, members of local and state government, representatives from the agricultural industry and others. Attendees gathered inside the center for remarks, followed by a wagon tour of the grounds and a ribbon cutting outside the new housing duplex.
“These additions and renovations represent a critical step in the modernization of our centers,” says Hongwei Xin, dean of UT AgResearch. “Agriculture is Tennessee’s largest industry with a $103 billion economic impact, and UT AgResearch is proud to contribute to the land-grant mission of delivering data-driven solutions to producers in our state and beyond. We’re especially grateful to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for making this ARP investment possible.”
Speakers at the ceremony included UT System President Randy Boyd; Keith Carver, senior vice chancellor and senior vice president for UTIA; Hongwei Xin, dean of UT AgResearch; Scott Stewart, director of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center; and Carol Coley McDonald, assistant commissioner for policy and legislation for TDA.
New additions to the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center include an eight-bedroom housing duplex for short-term accommodations of visiting scientists, graduate students and others, as well as a headhouse featuring offices and a climate-controlled workspace for the horticultural team for the UT Gardens, Jackson. Other structures include two equipment sheds providing 10,000 square feet of semi-enclosed shelter for machinery and a 1,800-square-foot greenhouse for conducting pesticide application trials in a controlled environment. Renovations were also completed on existing laboratories.
To improve data quality and operational efficiency, precision agriculture equipment was acquired. This includes two precision plot planters, a research plot combine, an Avenger® plot sprayer and a lateral irrigation system with precision watering capabilities.
“Our new equipment will improve seed placement, ensure harvest accuracy, enhance pesticide application and protect valuable field trials during droughts,” says Scott Stewart, director of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center. “Producers rely on our research in agronomy, weed science, crop physiology, entomology and other critical areas. Each addition to the center strengthens our ability to meet their needs at every stage of production.”
To learn more about how ARP funding was used across the state, visit agresearch.tennessee.edu/agrec-modernization-in-progress.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.