Delta Junction Field Research Site
The
Delta Junction Field Research Site, part of the Agriculture
& Forestry Experiment Station, is located 100 miles
southeast of Fairbanks and 14 miles southeast of Delta Junction
at Mile 1408 Alaska Highway. It is adjacent to an undisturbed
native forest near the Delta Bison Range and near a fire-impacted
forest. Thus the site offers a unique opportunity to study agricultural
ecosystems simultaneously with other ecosystems on similar soil
types and under the same climate regime. Researchers seek to
solve problems encountered by farmers and other land managers
in the Delta Junction area.
Weather
Facts
The area receives an average 15 inches of precipitation annually;
eight inches fall during the growing season. Cold winters and
warm summers dominate the region. The mean annual temperature
is approximately 25 degrees Fahrenheit; the average temperature
for January is -9 degrees Fahrenheit and July's average is 60
degrees Fahrenheit. There are an average of 60 frost-free days
annually. However, the average growing season length for crops
with some frost tolerance is 100 days.
The research site occupies 120 acres, about three-quarters of
which is farmable land. There are two permanent buildings on
the site: a machine storage building with a small repair shop
and a joint office and field laboratory building. The laboratory
contains plant dryers and other equipment for plant and soil
sample preparation and analysis. The site also has several kinds
of commercial-size and small, plot-size farm equipment which
allows for research at different scales and a study of different
crop and soil management practices.
History
- 1978:
Established as an Agricultural Field Research Site
- Designed
to evaluate varieties of small grains, forages and other crops;
enhance soil fertility; and improve crop and soil management
practices
Field
Research
- Research
on soil and crop management seeks to answer questions related
to resource sustainability, water quality and production efficiency
at high latitudes
- Conservation
tillage research is improving soil management practices
for protecting soil from wind erosion and producing good
crop yields
- Studies
of soil-plant relationships are determining optimum fertilizer
use for various crops
- Improved
management practices are being developed and tested to maximize
small grain production at northern latitudes
- Studies
of the effects of soil management on the flux of methane
and nitrous oxide ("greenhouse" gases) are underway
to determine potential relationships between northern agriculture
and global change
- Research
on weed control emphasizes the reduction of herbicide use
along with improved mechanical and cultural weed control
at high latitudes
- Measurements
continue to determine the effects of alternate farming practices
in the north on ground water quality
- Research
is determining the influence of soil management practices
in the north on the decomposition of organic matter, such
as forest floor material and crop residues, and resulting
soil nutrient cycles
- Studies
of nitrogen fixation by legume crops are measuring the potential
for nitrogen fixation by annual and perennial legume crops
under Alaskan conditions
