Overview

The Evolution of Agricultural Research on Texas' Blackland Prairie and Beyond. In the early 1900s, Texas agriculture and impoverished tenant farm families faced depleted soils, severe soil erosion, and low crop yields. In response, the Texas Legislature in 1909 sanctioned the establishment of up to ten agricultural research stations across the state's primary agricultural regions. This book traces the growth and collaborative research achievements of the Blackland Research and Extension Center and Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, Texas. Initiated as Temple Substation No. 5, the station began field research in 1911 and soon was joined by USDA scientists. Over the past 115 years, the station's focus has shifted, first from observational field research to sophisticated field and laboratory research, then to complex simulation models of agricultural systems and components, and most recently to applications of artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture. Through its field, laboratory, and computer modeling research, the station has made significant contributions, both nationally and internationally, to soil and water conservation and grazing land, crop land, and watershed management. The book also explores five key elements of the station's success: its focus on users and their needs, the integration of fundamental and applied research, the combination of field and laboratory research, the interagency and interdisciplinary collaborations on problem-solving research, and a history of visionary leadership. These elements combine to present a useful model for agricultural research centers worldwide, highlighting the value of collaboration in scientific research.

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C. Allan Jones, Emeritus Professor and Director of the Blackland Research and Extension Center, is former Associate Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Director of the Texas Water Resources Institute. With a Ph.D. in Botany from Washington State University, he has conducted significant research in Brazil, Colombia, Hawaii, and Texas. His research has included work on upland rice, forage grasses, sugarcane, and maize, and he has authored over 90 research publications and six books. A Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, he also served as President of the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development. W.L. Hargrove, former Director of the Center for Environmental Resource Management at the University of Texas at El Paso, began his career as an undergraduate student worker and then graduate student at Blackland Research and Extension Center. He has devoted his 40-year career to environmental issues and natural resources management. Holding a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Soil Science from the University of Kentucky, his professional journey includes research and administrative roles at the University of Georgia, Kansas State University, and the University of Texas at El Paso. He has led several large interdisciplinary research projects on natural resource management and has authored over 100 scientific articles or book chapters. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

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