Posts Tagged: Intermountain REC

Intermountain REC seeks research proposals

The Intermountain Research and Extension Center is soliciting proposals from researchers for new and continuing research projects in 2021-22. 

IREC is a 140-acre research facility located at 4,000 feet elevation near the Oregon border. The Center specializes in crops grown in Northeast California including potato, small grain, onion, peppermint, forage grasses and alfalfa; however, most cool season field and vegetable crops can be accommodated and grown at the center.

Research topics of interest include variety development, integrated pest management, irrigation management, plant nutrition and agriculture-wildlife interactions. Available facilities and equipment include a greenhouse, controlled post-harvest facility, drying ovens, an automated potato grading line, a mini-still for essential oil extraction, clean and dirty laboratory spaces, specialized small plot pressurized irrigation equipment, research-adapted small plot planters and harvesters, and a full line of commercial farm equipment for field and vegetable crop production.

IREC also has a multi-purpose conference and laboratory building for extension events with high-speed internet connection, wifi, and audio-visual equipment for video conferencing. Technical assistance is available for all farming practices, field instrumentation and equipment operation, data collection, and data entry and analysis.

The center's Research Advisory Committee will evaluate proposed research for scientific merit and regional need. Approved projects will be eligible for center-provided support, which includes land, labor, technical assistance, equipment and facilities.

Questions about the research proposal process or about research opportunities at IREC should be directed to Rob Wilson, center director, or Darrin Culp, center superintendent at (530) 667-5117.

Proposals may be submitted into the REC Manage System via the IREC website at IREC Proposal Submission http://irec.ucanr.edu/Research/Submitting_a_Proposal beginning Jan. 21 and are due no later than March 1, 2021.

Intermountain REC calls for proposals

The Intermountain Research and Extension Center is soliciting proposals from researchers for new and continuing research projects in 2019-20. 

IREC is a 140-acre research facility located at 4,000 feet elevation near the Oregon border. The center specializes in crops grown in Northeast California including potato, small grain, onion, peppermint, forage grasses and alfalfa; however, most cool season field and vegetable crops can be accommodated and grown at the center. 

Research topics of interest include variety development, integrated pest management, irrigation management, plant nutrition and agriculture-wildlife interactions. Available facilities and equipment at the center include a greenhouse, controlled postharvest facility, drying ovens, an automated potato grading line, a mini-still for essential oil extraction, clean and dirty laboratory space, specialized small plot pressurized irrigation equipment, research-adapted small plot planters and harvesters, and a full line of commercial farm equipment for field and vegetable crop production.

IREC also has a multi-purpose conference and laboratory building for extension events with high-speed internet connection, wifi, and audio-visual equipment for video conferencing. Technical assistance is available for all farming practices, field instrumentation and equipment operation, data collection, and data entry and analysis. 

The center's Research Advisory Committee will evaluate proposed research for scientific merit and regional need. Approved projects will be eligible for center-provided support, which includes land, labor, technical assistance, equipment and facilities. 

Questions about the research proposal process or about research opportunities here at IREC should be directed to Rob Wilson, IREC director, or Darrin Culp, center superintendent, at 530/667-5117. 

Proposals may be submitted into the REC Manage System via http://irec.ucanr.edu at IREC Proposal Submission beginning Jan. 1, 2019, and are due no later than March 1, 2019. 

Intermountain REC brings state-of-the-art conferencing to Tulelake

Intermountain Research and Extension Center (IREC) celebrated the grand opening of a multipurpose conference and laboratory building on July 26. The facility will be available for use by private and public groups for business meetings, job fairs, trainings and conferences.

"The facility is the first in the Tulelake area to offer modern audio-visual infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity capable of supporting remote presentations to stay in touch with groups from around the world," said Rob Wilson, IREC director. "We hope this facility will greatly increase the visibility and accessibility of local events and help draw more regional attention to the area."

The conference room was dedicated in honor of the late John Staunton, a local research collaborator with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources who passed away in 2015. Staunton Farms and the Staunton family donated $25,000 to support the building project and recognize the Tulelake farmer and his long-standing support of agriculture and research.

Winema Elevators/Western Milling, Sensient Natural Ingredients, Macy's Flying Service, and Basin Fertilizer also contributed support.

UC awarded approximately $2 million for this capital improvement project with funds from UC lease revenue bonds to pay for most of the building's design and construction costs, but additional support is needed to complete the project. Intermountain REC has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to pay for tables, chairs, furnishing and lab equipment for the building.

A special UC fund has been created to collect tax-deductible contributions to be used solely for this building project. Donations over $50 will receive recognition in print and on the IREC website. Donations over $1,000 will receive recognition on the donor wall in the building entryway. Name plate recognition on the donor wall will be based on the gift amount: Gold ($2,500+), Silver ($1,750 to $2,499), and Bronze ($1,000 to $1,749). Donations can be made via check using the enclosed envelope or by credit card by visiting the IREC website at http://irec.ucanr.edu and clicking the “Make a gift” link.

The ribbon cutting followed the 2018 IREC field day, an annual event that showcases the research underway at the 140-acre facility. Charlie Pickett of USDA, UC Davis Plant Breeding Center director Charlie Brummer, UCCE farm advisors David Lile and Rachael Long and UCCE specialist Dan Putnam joined Wilson in giving research updates on the tour.

Research presentations included work on biological control of cereal leaf beetle, influence of fall harvest management of irrigated grass hays, onion white rot, managing alfalfa weevil and clover rootcucurlio, pulse crop options for theKlamath Basin, cover crops and amendments, cutting schedule effects on lowlignin alfalfa andgermplasm evaluation of alfalfa and tallfescue.

Reporter Danielle Jester, who covered the events for the Siskiyou Daily News, noted the palpable absence of the late Steve Orloff, who was a UCCE farm advisor for Siskiyou County for 25 years. “Orloff's absence was noticeably felt throughout the day,” she wrote. “He passed away in October of 2017, and his influence in Siskiyou County's ag industry was very apparent, evidenced in part by the many mentions of his name and work throughout the day. IREC paid tribute to Orloff in the final page of its field day guide, which featured a full-page image of Orloff during a previous field day, with the words, ‘We miss you, Steve.'”

In the news article, Jester also wrote, “The information gleaned through research at the IREC can be invaluable to farmers and other researchers. Through its years of experimentation, the center has helped growers develop more effective practices in a wide range of areas, from determining the crops that will grow best in the local climate, to selecting the most economically viable crops for the region, to understanding the most effective ways to manage pests and disease.”

 

 

Forty UCCE position proposals submitted as process enters phase 2

The 2018 UC Cooperative Extension call for positions process has entered phase 2. The UCCE county directors and REC directors have submitted 20 CE advisor position proposals and the executive associate deans, working with campus departments, have submitted 20 CE specialist position proposals. Both groups engaged program teams, statewide programs/institutes, and external stakeholders in the development of these proposals. All 40 phase 1 proposals are posted on the 2018 Call for Position web page: http://ucanr.edu/2018callforpositions.

Phase 2 is underway:

• Program teams are reviewing the 40 phase 1 proposals to determine if there are any positions they feel are of higher priority.
• If so, each program team can propose one additional CE advisor position and one additional CE specialist position by August 1-- remembering that the more proposals there are at the end, the lower the probability of being approved for recruitment.
• The proposals that didn't make the phase 1 final 40 can be picked up by Program Teams. Proposed positions available for pick up can be found on the proposal ideas web page.

“We thank the ANR network for actively engaging in this participatory process to strengthen and rebuild CE positions statewide,” said Wendy Powers, associate vice president.

Lagrimini aims to invest in ANR for the future

Mark Lagrimini, UC ANR's new vice provost of research and extension, moved into his office at 2801 Second Street in Davis on June 1.

As Vice Provost of Research and Extension, Lagrimini will oversee county-based Cooperative Extension personnel and employees at the nine UC Research and Extension Centers. His hiring was announced via ANR Update Feb. 21.

“State funding for public universities has been decreasing all across the county, including California. If UC ANR wishes to stay relevant, and continue to be a resource for Californians, then we will have to seek untapped sources of income. I will help our centers and county offices to become more entrepreneurial, and operate more as a business,” said Lagrimini, who was a professor in the Department of Agronomy & Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining ANR.

Lagrimini noted that ANR needs to recognize the true value for its services, and charge appropriately. Additional revenue-generating possibilities include the marketing of crops and livestock, creative uses for our facilities, and more aggressive philanthropy efforts.  

He is looking forward to traveling the state to familiarize himself with ANR people and facilities.

“I need to meet people face to face,” he said. “I need to see all the research and extension facilities and county extension offices and meet the directors and ANR team members. Each location is unique, and will require differing approaches to achieve financial stability.”

Broadly, ANR will work with grant writers at UC Office of the President as an effort to successfully obtain federal funding to support our programs.

“We must continuously make investments, even in periods of budget-cutting,” said Lagrimini, a former project leader for Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. in Research Triangle Park, NC. “We'll have to make strategic investments to stay relevant in the future. Capital investment in infrastructure will make our research facilities attractive to collaborators and position ourselves for the next 50 years. If we just tread water, we won't be able to help Californians reach their potential. We need to be on the cutting edge to be a leader.”

Lagrimini encourages invitations to events that will give him perspective on California agriculture and ANR's activities.

“We have people who are energetic, creative and passionate about what they're doing and we need to provide support for them,” he said.

Lagrimini can be reached at (530) 750-1369 in the office, cell (402) 304-0400 andmlagrimini@ucanr.edu.

To read more about Lagrimini's background, see //ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26475.

 

Read more