Planting time at ACRE

Preparing for a new season of agriculture

As the spring semester nears its conclusion, activities on Purdue's campuses are winding down. But activity at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE) is kicking into high gear.

Established in 1949 as the Agronomy Farm, ACRE is the campus-based field research station for crops and soils research for the agronomy department and other departments working on field crops. The 1,134-acre farm located seven miles northwest of campus is utilized by over 50 researchers from eight departments, conducting nearly 200 research projects.

The Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center, dedicated in 2016, has added a new facet to the research conducted on the ACRE campus. The world-class phenotyping facility brings together engineers, aviation and computer scientists, and agronomists to apply their knowledge to the most pressing problems in plant sciences in the most difficult and important environment – the field that impacts our entire food production system. Studies range from basic to applied research including: plant breeding and genetics; crop production and soil tillage management; plant physiology; soil fertility; weed control, disease and insect resistance and control; and variety performance evaluation for corn, soybeans, small grains, sorghum and alfalfa.