Construction of the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture at Nebraska Innovation Campus launched with a ceremonial turning of dirt on May 6.
The state-of-the-art research center is a partnership between the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Nebraska Innovation Campus. The Center will focus on the challenges and opportunities in agricultural innovation for the 21st century. The new center will be a $160 million USDA laboratory. It’s expected to double the USDA’s science and support staff presence at the University of Nebraska. The new greenhouse space in the center will allow ARS to perform research on wheat, barley, sorghum, forage and bioenergy grasses, and other crops.
The complex will also function as a hub for multidisciplinary experts, including scientists and engineers who will collaborate with industry and producers to improve water and food security, increase the resilience of the agricultural landscape, and enhance agricultural profitability.