Parma Research & Extension Center

The Parma Research and Extension Center, established in 1925, arose from the need for research and extension efforts to sustain and improve the productivity of the crops grown in southwest Idaho. Located one mile north of Parma, Idaho, the 200 acre center houses University of Idaho faculty members whose research and extension programs focus on production, storage, and related problems of vegetables, forages, cereals, hop, mint, fruit and seed crops. Farm land at the center is devoted to research on many of the crops produced in the Treasure Valley. Ninety acres at the main station are used for row crop and hop research. Two miles north of the main station is 80 acres of desert land, 25 of which are devoted to tree fruit and small fruit research programs. Ten acres are to remain as uncultivated desert land in perpetuity.

Ten faculty conduct research and extension programs at the center. These programs include entomology, crop management, soils, horticulture, pomology, nematology, plant pathology, and weed science. Helping to carry-out the programs are 15 additional full-time support staff including research support scientists, post doctoral fellows, scientific and technical aides, farm and maintenance crew and office staff.

Research at Parma is not limited to the field. The facility provides 5,100 square feet of greenhouse space that is utilized year-round. There are 540 square feet of growth chamber rooms that are used for entomology research projects. There are approximately 7,500 square feet of office space and meeting rooms for faculty and support staff, and nearly 5,000 square feet of laboratory space.

The information below briefly outlines the activities at the Parma Research and Extension Center.

     Entomology

• insect pest management on urban and agriculture crops;
• development of an integrated pest management program for hop;
• research on insect vectored viruses of small grains and potatoes and insecticides;
• insecticide resistance in Colorado potato beetle;
• research on pollination systems for alfalfa and other crops.

     Plant Pathology

• soil and plant analysis for nematodes; development of economical control practices for potato, sugarbeet and fruit tree nematodes; plant disease diagnosis and management; research on epidemiology and control of diseases of seed crops, onion, potato, and fruit crops.

 

     Plant Science

• commercial and environmental horticultural programs focusing on improved cultural and management practices;
• management and cultural strategies to assist fruit growers in producing quality fruit with good storability;
• quality alfalfa production strategies including stand longevity;
• new potato varieties and related cultural practices to reduce disorders unique to southwest Idaho; cultural practices to reduce onion storage losses;
• study of seed vigor and quality and improved seed production methods;
• weed management in irrigated cropping systems and non-cropped areas.

     Soil Science

• develop and evaluate diagnostic procedures for identifying yield-limiting nutrient concentrations in plants and soils; improve fertilizer use efficiency in southern Idaho crops.

Other Links

Pollination Ecology
Southern Entomology Newsletter

Parma R&E Center Staff
PSES
College of Agriculture
University of Idaho


Direct comments to valeriew@uidaho.edu.

Revised April 4, 2000.
Copyright © 1997, Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho. All rights reserved.