Agri-research center opens doors Saturday

They can make a female insect unattractive to other insects.

They use satellites to sense when a specific spot in a field needs water.

The 23 scientists at the Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa ask big questions and discover solutions to make farm production more bountiful and efficient.

Center Director Steve Naranjo calls the mission “field to fork,” and it’s accomplished through research in plant physiology and genetics, water management and conservation, and pest management and biocontrol with an emphasis locally on arid land management.

The center — in Maricopa since 2006 and in the Valley since the 1950s – is part of the Agricultural Research Service, which falls under the United States Department of Agriculture.

The scientists will share their work with the public Saturday during Farm Day, when displays, including farm equipment, and activities will be open to the public.

“We want people to understand their taxes are being used in a good way,” said entomologist Colin Brent.

In association with the University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agricultural Center, the event will include a few unscientific activities such as cricket spitting.

“There are some excellent spitters out there,” Brent said. It’s been two years since the facility off Smith-Enke Road east of White and Parker Road hosted a farm day. 4H projects and Maricopa Master Gardeners also will be on hand.

The center employs 60 to 100 people, depending on the season; all the scientists have doctorates. It leases 20 of UA’s 2,000 acres. About half the staff live in Maricopa.

The 100,000-square-foot research facility includes individual labs for its scientists and support teams. There are 16 greenhouses and a variety of environmentally controlled units monitoring plants and insects.

Plants

Matt Jenks, plant physiologist and geneticist, is working on the guayule plant, among other projects.

“We’re trying to make it a crop,” he said. “How do you grow it economically?”

The native wooden shrub produces rubber and latex, and he’s researching its use as a biofuel. Also, since the plant does not contain the protein many people are allergic to in latex, it might be a good candidate for products ranging from surgical gloves to condoms.

Jenks, who previously was at Purdue University, said he is “very excited about the support the USDA gives me for long-term projects.” He appreciates devoting time on research and not chasing grant monies.

Jenks also works on global climate change and “oil seed crops to see how more can be produced at higher quality to be converted to such things as jet fuel.”

“We really target our work to help local and regional farmers be more effective producers,” he said.

Water

Kevin Bronson specializes in water management and is studying remote sensing to be used to pinpoint where specifically in a field and at what particular time watering is needed.

Traditionally farmers use weather-station information to time watering, but those stations can be far apart, he explained. Bronson is exploring types of sensing from infrared to electromagnetic to thermal, and from satellites to aircraft to farm equipment. He works with NASA on some projects.

“Irrigating by satellite or by planes sounds a little farfetched,” Bronson said, but high yields can take a lot of water and he works to balance the equation.

Bronson is working on water management with the Ak-Chin Indian Community on 100 of its acres where he previously did measurements.
Insects.

“Now for the fun stuff,” Brent said as he opens drawers full of living insects and marvels at the efficiency of spiders killing plant-harmful prey.
“(Spiders) are excellent at what they do, as are a number of bugs; we don’t want to disturb their nature,” he said.