A dust storm circa 1930.
The following partial listing of past and present scientific investigations at the Dryland Research Station illustrates the diverse needs of growers in low-rainfall dryland areas:
- Develop and test winter wheat and spring wheat varieties
- Develop winter club and soft white winter wheat varieties adapted to the dryland areas which have the ability to emerge from deep planting.
- Select and test early generation and advanced breeding lines of barley varieties.
- Evaluate end-use quality of wheat and barley varieties and experimental breeding lines to meet the rigorous demands of domestic and overseas customers.
- Evaluate no-till management systems for annual spring cropping.
- Evaluate soil ripping and surface pitting after winter wheat seeding to reduce erosion on frozen soil and improve over winter water storage.
- Investigate long-term cropping systems for profitable and sustainable production in dryland areas.
- Evaluate tillage, residue and crop management systems for returning CRP to crop production.
- Adaptation of alternative crops for low-rainfall dryland areas.
- Suppression of downy brome and jointed goatgrass with rhizobacteria.
- Russian thistle competition with winter wheat and spring wheat.
- Postharvest water use by Russian thistle.
- Chemical control of downy brome in winter wheat.
- Chemical control of Russian thistle in winter wheat and spring wheat.
- Identify wheat varieties and plant traits that enhance competition with jointed goatgrass.
- Screen for root disease reaction as part of no-till spring cereal root disease evaluation and control experiments.
- Wind and dust measurements, supplemented by a portable wind tunnel, to provide predictions for wind erosion and associated fugitive dust emissions associated with varying roughness and residue conditions.
- Dryland adaptation of several perennial grasses for forage and erosion control.
- Experimental tree plantings to determine varieties useful for erosion control, shade, and wind abatement on farmsteads and fields.