Western Agricultural Research Station
History
The Western Agricultural Research Station was established in 1958. It houses one of the world's oldest no-till experimental plots, started by Ohio State scientists in the early 1960s. The renovated barns that used to house Western ARS were replaced with new facilities in 2008. Included are offices, a workshop, a conference room, and seed and machinery storage areas.
Research Focus
The Western ARS maintains intensive research programs that address the profitability and sustainability of western Ohio's most important agricultural industries: agronomic crops (corn, soybeans, and wheat among them); specialty crops (such as pumpkins and sweet corn). Swine production is currently being phased out.
Once focused on alfalfa and forage grasses, Western ARS now often conducts research projects on barley, small grains breeding, IPM and cover crops. Additionally, the station is home to one-of-a-kind studies on no-till crop production, carbon sequestration in no-till farmland, and bioenergy crops.
Precision agriculture is the newest research at Western ARS, comparing variable rate seeding with various planting down pressures and seeding depths. Drones are taking aerial imagery photographs throughout the growing season to help farmers make better management decisions, and studies are also being conducted with drones on where they are applying fungicides.
The number of research projects involving growth regulators, micronutrients, and biologicals in corn, soybeans, and wheat is increasing. In-furrow placement of starter fertilizers continues to raise many questions with Ohio farmers. Current studies at Western ARS are evaluating different rates and types of starter fertilizer with other methods of application. Other research includes fungicide studies and cover crop work with weed competition and reducing herbicide rates.
Due to wet weather in the spring, farmers are often forced to plant earlier or later than ideal. With funding from Ohio Soybean Council, Dr. Laura Lindsey identifies management practices that maximize soybean yield for various planting date timeframes at Western ARS.
Different classes of fungicides are applied to corn and soybeans at different growth stages to determine the best integrated pest management strategy and rate disease control — key information that helps growers apply fungicides only when needed to save on input costs and decrease chemical use. Research is being conducted in field corn production with stacked corn hybrids and seed treatments. Fungicide efficacy and IPM strategies are evaluated at Western as well.
Current weed studies include management of herbicide-resistant weeds, integration of herbicide-tolerant crops; and evaluation of novel herbicide chemistry. Multi-state research programs seek to determine the critical period of weed control, cumulative stress on non-herbicide tolerant crops and herbicide application timing in herbicide-tolerant crops. Sweet corn varieties are comparing various spray treatments for control of late-season insect pressure in sweet corn.
With increasing concerns of fertilizer runoff in Ohio lakes and rivers, CFAES researchers are conducting more studies involving fertilizer rates and placement, application timing, and long-term phosphorous and potassium studies on corn and soybean production. They are evaluating fall versus spring application, strip-till versus conventional tillage versus broadcast applications, and fertilizer runoff.
Western is instrumental to ongoing internationally recognized studies on soil carbon sequestration. Studies in soil reconditioning, residue management and cover crops are being evaluated in continuous corn environments to improve soil structure. Bioenergy crops, including switchgrass, are also being evaluated at the station.
Contact the station
Western ARS
7721 S Charleston Pike
S Charleston, OH 45368
Phone: 937-462-8016
Joe Davlin, Manager
davlin.1@osu.edu
Morgan Stacy, Farm Coordinator 3
Zack Orahood, Farm Coordinator 3
Ryan Daulton, Farm Coordinator 3
Taylor Lewis, Farm Coordinator 2
Chuck McNier, Farm Coordinator 1