About the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center
- 1. Panhandle Extension District Panhandle Research and Extension Center
- 3. 12 County-Based Extension Offices
- 4. County-based personnel: Extension Educators 4-H Assistants Office Support Staff
- 5. Administrative Hub: Panhandle Research & Extension Center
- 6. History: 1909 UNL, USDA homestead east of Mitchell 1918 - Experimental Range in Sioux Co. granted 1956 - Administration for County Extension 1967 - Sioux Munitions Depot/HPAL established 1971 - Research & Extension admin combined 1974 - UNL acquires former Hiram Scott College
- 8. 1910: Breaking the sod at the Experiment Station
- 9. Threshing the first crop at the Experiment Station, 1910
- 10. Knorr-Holden Continuous Corn Plot
- 12. Wheat rotation research, ca. 1914
- 13. Early livestock feeding tour
- 14. Panhandle R&E Center Centennial, 2010: The old and the new
- 15. Human Resource Capacity Specialists 14 faculty members, research/extension appointments Joint appointments with campus departments Technical Support 25 research technicians/technologists 12 operational / business/ facilities support Educators and Assistants 20 extension educators 6 extension assistants/coordinator
- 16. Academic Disciplines Ag Economics Alternative Crops Breeding Dry Bean Breeding Soil/Nutrient Management Crop Physiology/Potato Weed Management Cow-Calf Production/ Range Management Feedlot Nutrition/ Management Plant Pathology Entomology Geoscience Entrepreneur/Business Development Dryland Cropping Systems Irrigation Management Range/Forage Management
- 17. Facilities Scotts Bluff Ag Lab - 156 irrigated acres Mitchell Ag Lab - 269 irrigated acres Panhandle Research Feedlot - 105 pens High Plains Ag Lab (Sidney) 710 rain-fed acres 1600 acres of crested wheatgrass Sioux Co. Experimental Range - 800 acres Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory
- 18. Scotts Bluff Ag Lab 156 irrigated acres Several greenhouses Laboratories: weed science, dry bean breeding, alternative crops breeding, entomology, plant physiology/potatoes, soils, plant pathology DA Murphy Arboretum
- 30. Mitchell Ag Lab 269 irrigated acres Panhandle Research Feedlot - 105 pens
- 35. Sioux Co. Experimental Range - 800 acres
- 36. High Plains Ag Lab (Sidney) 710 rain-fed acres 1600 acres of crested wheatgrass
- 39. Panhandle Agriculture 4800 farms 5.7 million acres of rangeland 270,000 beef cows 2.2 million acres of dryland crops wheat, proso millet, sunflowers 732,000 acres irrigated farmland corn, sugarbeets, dry beans, alfalfa, potatoes 660,000 cattle on feed 5,698,482 732,589 2,210,655 Range Irrigated Dryland
- 40. Diverse Agricultural Production Traditional crops Hay Wheat Corn Specialty crops Dry bean Sugarbeet Sunflower Proso millet Other crops Potatoes Grass seed Chicory - Grapes 5,698,482 732,589 2,210,655 Range Irrigated Dryland
- 41. Spires of Extension: Cropping Systems Beef Systems 4-H Youth Development The Learning Child Community Vitality Nutrition and Health Water and Environment
- 42. Panhandle Extension Engaging the Public Field Days Open Houses Workshops Feedlot Round Table Advanced Cropping School 4-H Expo County Fairs Advanced Cropping School Dry Bean Day and Field Day Demonstrations Tours Classes: ServSafe, Medicare, TEAMS
Editor's Notes
- The Panhandle has probably the most diverse agricultural production area as anywhere in the state. As you can see 2/3 of the region is used for range land. Dryland cropping systems make up 25% followed by 8.5 % being irrigated. Over 60% of this land is irrigated by center pivot systems. The major crops grown in the region include hay(includes both alfalfa and meadow hay) wheat and corn. Specialty crops include dry bean and sugarbeet that include a substantial infrastructure in the North Platte Valley along with dryland sunflowers and proso millet. After the recent drought sunflower has also been introduced more and more into irrigated crop rotations. Other crops include potatoes, grass seed, chicory and grapes.