
Since 1914, research and development initiatives at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UW have supported Wyoming’s farmers, ranchers and agriculture economy by taking on the cost and risk involved with dedicating resources to experimental techniques. It now includes four regional Agricultural Research & Extension Centers that conduct producer-driven crop, livestock, irrigation and range management research in Lingle, Sheridan, Powell and Laramie.
The Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station provided more than $500,000 to support 144 producer-oriented projects in 2013.
For example, faculty members were asked to help answer the question “What would happen to producer profits if Roundup Ready sugarbeet technology was no longer available?” Students and faculty have also worked on projects such as methods to quickly identify humans, livestock and wildlife infected with brucellosis; methods to dramatically reduce environmental and economic treatment costs for grasshopper and locust control; and studying issues affecting sage-grouse and elk habitats primarily in energy-development areas.
In the last three years, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources generated 35 percent of all patents filed by the university.