Dairy scientists evaluate effective feeding strategies for by-product feeds, and nutritional programs for preventing fatty liver and ketosis in early lactating dairy cattle. Animal scientists use Arlington to conduct a variety of nutritional, physiological and genetic studies on beef cattle, swine and sheep. Poultry scientists use the station for basic and applied research with chickens and turkeys. Veterinary scientists have facilities to look at various aspects of animal health and reproduction. They maintain a special disease-free cattle herd for research on viruses which infect dairy cattle.
Plant scientists use the Arlington station to study all of Wisconsin's major crops.
Agronomists conduct breeding and genetic trials including the latest in plant biotechnology for dent and sweet corn, small grains, soybeans, processing peas, alfalfa, red clover and forage grasses. They also evaluate the effectiveness of both commercial and experimental chemicals and cultural practices such as conservation tillage, crop rotation and mechanical weed control. Plant pathologists are using the station to evaluate the ecology of pathogens such as those which cause brown spot disease in snap beans, and to develop systems for biological disease control. Arlington is also home for the nation's largest elm germplasm collection, which is used in the search for resistance to Dutch elm disease. Soil scientists are using plots at Arlington to refine a system for keeping accurate track of the nitrogen being contributed to fields by legumes and manure.