Washington State University will celebrate a century of research in the lower Yakima Valley this weekend.  The school will mark the occasion Saturday at the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, better known as the Prosser Center.

 

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Naidu Rayapati, Director of the IAREC, said when it started in 1919, researchers focused on forage crops and animal husbandry.  He said as time has marched on the Center has grown and migrated away from its heavy livestock focus.

 

“And over the past 100 years it has expanded not only its focus but also its reach across the country as well as across the world.  So, in fact the Prosser research center represents a truly worldwide research and extension center.”

 

Rayapati added they focus on specialty crops, such as tree fruit, cherries, hops, wine grapes, as well as a host of diseases.  He said the IAREC is well positioned to help farmers in the future.

 

“Not only at addressing diseases and pest problems, but also deploying technology tools that will help with precision agriculture by exploiting current technologies in terms of robotics in terms of agriculture weather net [and many others].”

 

 

 

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