Western Colorado Research Center - Grand Valley

08/28/2023

Great article by Shannon Mullane at The Colorado Sun discussing research into applications of artificial intelligence for irrigation.

Perry Cabot and his research partners think artificial intelligence could reshape the future of agriculture in the Colorado River Basin.

07/19/2022

This year at the Grand Valley research station our Hunger Relief field has watermelons sprouting up this week!

The Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief, established by the Western Colorado Research Center, is supported by the dedication of volunteers as well as that of Orchard Mesa and Rogers Mesa research stations to growing and distributing quality fruit and vegetables to schools and hunger relief organizations in Western Colorado. Learn more about the program at their website linked below:

https://communityalliance.extension.colostate.edu

07/19/2022

Informative article from The Colorado Sun on research being done by Dr. Perry Cabot, Paul Bruchez, and other farmers and ranchers in Kremmling, Colorado. This project is revealing important observations on the options for water conservation practices at high altitudes and gathering data for consumptive use of irrigation water in this region for valuation.

Amid pressure on the Colorado River, an agricultural research project is teaching scientists and ranchers about water conservation.

07/11/2022

Pictured are some plants from our garden important to native pollinators - Penstemon linarioides (Silverton Blue Mat) and Penstemon newberryi (Mountain Pride). Penstemon varieties will easily establish in well-drained, rocky soil with very little water making them a great plant for waterwise gardens!

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy), Ratibida columnaris (Mexican Hat), Gaillardia pulchella (Indian Blanket), and Lotus corniculatus (Birdsfoot trefoil) are all drought tolerant plants that have popped back up now established this year in one of our non-irrigated fields.

All of these are great options for xeriscapes (landscapes designed to limit or eliminate the need for irrigation) and while Lotus corniculatus (Birdsfoot trefoil) can form dense mats harmful to native plants in some parts of the United States, in arid Western regions it can be used to help limit roadside erosion and to improve pasture quality with its nitrogen fixing abilities.

Thank you again to PictureThis - an app for quick and accurate identification of plants, insects and more!

07/11/2022

Colorado Water Basin Roundtables, established in 2005, are a piece of the implementation called on by the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act which provides a space for communities to connect across their water needs. CSU Extension's 'Water As a Bridge Video' serves as a great introduction to these meetings. Linked here:

https://engagement.colostate.edu/community-voices/water-as-a-bridge/

There are 8 major basins each with meeting information found here:

https://cwcb.colorado.gov/about-us/basin-roundtables

Colorado Basin Roundtable Website:

https://www.coloradobasinroundtable.org

Check out https://engagecwcb.org/ and https://water22.org/ for more information on how to get involved!

Colorado Water Conservation Board

07/11/2022

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a measurement of proportions of near infrared (NIR) and visual red light (Red) reflected by plants. Calculated NDVI = (NIR-Red)/(NIR+Red), we are looking at the use of this index to draw conclusions about plant stresses. One such evaluation was performed on a set of plots on May 4, 2021 with different irrigation and nitrogen application rates. Using drone technology from we gather data in order to calculate NDVI, which clearly captured the "spectral signatures" of the different plots.

07/11/2022

Melissa Schreiner is our new CSU extension entomologist pictured here along with some of the lovely and unique insect photography she has taken so far! is working on several Cooperative Agriculture Pest Surveys monitoring for exotic pests in stone fruit and grapes across the Tri-River Area. She and her team have found insects new to the area this spring including the Banana Yucca Leaf Moth and the American Plum Borer. She is also actively participating in several insecticide trials, Colorado State Master Gardener and other educational programs, and supporting community members and programs with the provision of insect and plant damage diagnostics and solving agricultural, urban, public health, and natural resource pest management issues.

Her favorite insect group at the moment is solitary hunting wasps for their rich biodiversity in the Grand Valley as well as their misunderstand and under appreciated status. Fascinatingly, they can be solitary or social creatures, generalists or specialists, active hunters with exquisite colorful and metallic appearances, some are parasitic, some decompose, and all drive important processes for their ecosystems.

Check out on Facebook and on Instagram!

07/11/2022

Pictured here from our lovely PlantSelect garden at the research station are Eriogonum umbellatum (Kannah Creek® Buckwheat) and Delosperma dyeri (Red Mountain® Flame Ice Plant), respectively. Buckwheat is an important native pollinator as it keeps feeding pollinators late in the season and is an excellent companion plant for other natives like penstemons, lupines, asters, and native bunch grasses. Flame ice plant has bright red and green flowers and foliage. It is not only cold and drought tolerant but can cover large areas as a non-flammable ground cover.

Big thank you to for aid in identification and information and to Plant Select - check out https://plantselect.org for more information on these and other plants native to the Rocky Mountain region.

07/11/2022

The WCRC-GV is one of several Colorado sites that will be working on a newly awarded grant under the Pulse Crop Health Initiative. The project, entitled "Improving Environmental and Economic Sustainability Outcomes through Incorporation of Pulses into Irrigated and Dryland Crop Rotations," is a multi-disciplinary effort focused on quantifying the potential of pulse crops (specifically, dry peas, lentils, and cowpeas) to improve environmental and economic sustainability through incorporation into both dryland and irrigated wheat rotations in semi-arid and arid climates. Members of our team including Prof. Jessica Davis, Chelsea Didinger, Tymofiy Lutsiv, Babatunde Ojetunde and Dr. Perry Cabot connected to start planning the upcoming planting.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/fargo-nd/etsarc/docs/pulse-crop-health-initiative/

07/01/2022

A change of scenery for the introduction of CSU Extension Agriculture and Business Management Specialist - Jenny Beiermann! Pictured here working with NRCS they skied into a Snotel site collecting precipitation data and snow levels in winter to forecast drought for the coming year and measure water levels available for producers in the coming production season. One of her current projects involves working with farmers in the upper Colorado basin on market-based solutions for the current water shortages Colorado is facing.

07/01/2022

SLVRC Farm Manager Zach Czarnecki made it up for a training day with Peter Hofpointer from WINTERSTEIGER US on our new 2005 Classic Plot Combine with HarvestMaster weighing system. Thank you to the Wheat Research Foundation for supporting this purchase. With this new machine, we can work with both small grains and larger pulse crops for better research quality. The new plot combine will be shared among the WCRC units as well as our partner stations in the San Luis and Southwest Colorado.

06/30/2022

Great article written by Chris Outcalt at The Colorado Sun, featuring Lowell King. The WCRC-GV is happy to be working with Mr. King to study the value of winter grains as a possible way to offset summer water demands, while also improving soil health and still enjoying the benefits of a profit-oriented farming system.

Regenerative agriculture could help Colorado save water as its supplies dwindle amid a megadrought. But will the industry embrace it?