Kimberly Research and Extension Center

Research and Extension Center photos
Kimberly Research and Extension Center irrigation system

The Kimberly Research and Extension Center addresses issues in potatoes, sugar beets, small grains, irrigation, water quality and forages.

Kimberly Research and Extension Center

The Kimberly Research and Extension Center conducts research and Extension projects related to potatoes, sugar beets, dry beans, forages, small grains, entomology, weed science, irrigation and water resources.

The heart of the Kimberly Research and Extension Center is the farm that consists of 180 acres of irrigated land. The center also has four greenhouses, laboratories, office space and a potato storage research complex. Facilities and resources are shared with the USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory.

Since 1950, the Kimberly Research and Extension Center has responded to Idaho’s changing agricultural needs with research and Extension programs that improve production practices for a variety of crops. 

Field requests
  • Field request forms are usually sent out in the fall and the spring but may be requested from the farm manager at any time.
  • Please send in completed field requests as soon as plot needs are known or by the requested date.
  • The field allocation committee meets by early March to finalize assignments.
  • If you are submitting a proposal that will require large acreage, please let the farm manager know as soon as possible. Larger acreage can sometimes be held back if it is known that a need is coming.
  • Note any multi-year needs or residual effects of your study. Specify how the crop and any associated wastes are to be disposed of and who will be doing so.
  • The farm will provide one normal soil test per field per year if requested. This consists of 0-1 foot and 1-2 foot samples. We generally do a complete test on the top foot and N, P & K on the second foot. If you need additional samples taken by the farm please provide a budget number and any special instructions with your field request or work order.
  • After planting, complete plot diagrams are needed for the farm maps and records.
  • If you change or decide not to utilize your farm request, it needs to be done both in writing and verbally. Field charges still may apply if it is done late in the season.
  • Each project is responsible for notifying the farm and/or superintendent if a field will have different management needs, e.g. irrigation scheduling, fertility management, harvest dates, etc. This applies to individual studies or a group of studies.

Contact Beth Brune at bbrune@uidaho.edu to obtain a preliminary field request form.

All requests for work done in fields, greenhouses and other facilities at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center must be done by submitting an electronic work order. The purpose of this is to minimize errors affecting research and crop production.

  • Please do not request work to be done by verbally communicating with the farm manager or farm crew member without following up with a work order, unless it is an emergency or other extenuating circumstance.
  • After completing the work order, email or deliver to Beth Brune.
Research and Extension Center photos

Research programs

Explore the different research programs housed at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center, including dry beans, entomology, forages, irrigation, potatoes, water resources and weed science.

Dry beans

The University of Idaho dry bean breeding program is one of 10 public breeding programs in the U.S. and has been developing bean varieties for Idaho’s dry bean industry since 1925.

Recent research activities include:

  • Assessment of new market classes of dry beans.
  • Characterization of past cultivars.
  • Search for and use of favorable alleles in exotic germplasm.
  • Studying cultivar response pattern and inheritance of soil zinc deficiency resistance.
  • Introgression of white mold resistance from the secondary gene pool.
  • Breeding for great northern and pinto beans.
  • Improvement of common bean landraces of the western U.S. for sustainable farming system.

Entomology

The entomology program conducts research on the biology, behavior and ecology of insect pests and their natural enemies in order to develop economically and environmentally sound management strategies — primarily in sugar beets and potatoes.

Specific interests include:

  • Applied behavioral and chemical ecology
  • Mating behavior
  • Plant-insect interactions
  • Biological control

University of Idaho Extension programs deliver research-based information regarding insect pest management to enhance the working knowledge of producers, county educators, crop advisors, master gardeners and other agricultural clientele. Commodity responsibilities for extension efforts include alfalfa, cereals, corn, dry beans, potatoes and sugar beets.

Sign up for the Pacific Northwest Pest Alert Network to receive updates on current pest infestations on specific crops.  

Contact Erik Wenninger at 208-423-6677 or erikw@uidaho.edu to learn more.  

Forages

The forage research program addresses these areas:

  • Environmental effects on forage yield and quality. This research focuses on the development of functional relationships among environmental effects — specifically temperatures and thermal time, and responses of forage yield and quality.
  • Alfalfa, cool-season grass and corn silage variety trials provide unbiased and timely information on yield, forage quality and persistence of alfalfa in southern Idaho.
  • Forage yield and quality of summer planted annual forages are being evaluated for fall/winter utilization.
Animal nutrition resources
Publications
Related links

Contact Pramod Acharya at 208-423-6652 or pacharya@uidaho.edu for more information.

Irrigation water management

This program focuses on irrigation scheduling and water and equipment management, including urban and suburban settings, for water conservation. Aspects of this program include:

  • Water, soil moisture and crop water use measurement
  • Irrigation system selection, design and maintenance
  • Improved irrigation water management strategies

Research efforts include:

  • Field measurement and modeling of crop water use and soil moisture movement
  • Soil moisture monitoring equipment
  • Improved irrigation water management strategies
  • Flow hydraulics and erosion in irrigation furrows
  • Design of buried drip irrigation systems
  • Evaluation of seepage from dairy lagoons and recommended construction practices

Current UI Extension topics include irrigation with limited water supplies and system maintenance impact on uniformity of water application.

Center pivot irrigation of corn

Review  Center pivot irrigation for corn: water management and system design considerations in southern Idaho, BUL 881, to learn more about water requirements during different crop stages of corn, impact of water stress during different growing stages on yield and quality of silage corn. This publication also discusses irrigation system design considerations to avoid water stress and resulting impacts on yield and quality.

Contact Emily Bedwell at ebedwell@uidaho.edu for more information.

Potatoes

Much of the research done at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center is related to potato issues, including storage management, production and disease management. Projects include potato sprout and disease control in storage, variety specific storage management and optimizing field and storage conditions to maintain high quality potatoes.

Storage

The University of Idaho Potato Production and Storage program is based out of the Kimberly Research and Extension Center. Learn more by visiting the U of I Potato website.

Disease management

U of I faculty are continually investigating potato related diseases and effective disease management techniques. Learn more by visiting the U of I Potato website.

Contact Nora Olsen at 208-423-6634 or norao@uidaho.edu to learn more.  

Water resources

The water resources group at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center is a national leader on consumption of water by irrigated agriculture and natural systems.

View the water resources website to learn more.

Weed science

Weed science research at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center focused on herbicide resistant weeds and herbicide injury/symptomology.  

View the weed science website to learn more.   

News and events

Our people

Pramod Acharya

Assistant professor and Extension specialist

Albert Adjesiwor

Assistant professor and Extension specialist

Nora Olsen

Professor and Extension specialist

Gustavo Teixeira

Assistant professor and Extension specialist

Erik Wenninger

Professor and Extension specialist; integrated pest management coordinator

Desireè Wickwar

Program manager, integrated pest management, Extension implementation program

Staff