Projects with a sustainable agriculture orientation are emphasized. Driving directions Columbia, Boone County Sanborn Field Sanborn Field is a long-term research field with over 100 years of soil and crop management activities. Documentation of the past, 2. Research, and 4. Driving directions Columbia, Boone County South Farms South Farms include commodity-specific research farms and Research Support Services, which provides equipment and labor for many of the projects.
Researchers conduct work in swine, beef, sheep, horses, turfgrass, poultry, and entomology.
The MU Department of Agricultural Engineering is looking at machinery for one-pass incorporation and the effects of improper spray applications. Additionally, the Missouri Foundation Seed program uses the South Farms to increase the sales of newly developed seed varieties to dealers. The Southwest Center was established in 1959 through the purchase of an 898-acre site that represented soil types in this region. Alternative strategies for overcoming fescue toxicosis and the investigation of positive environmental techniques for land application of agricultural and processing wastes such as pasture fertilizers highlight current research. Researchers also work in forage grass breeding, small grains research, and horticultural research.