Agricultural Research Service
50th Anniversary

Local Event

Mid-West Area
Columbia, Missouri

• History
• Photos

Animal Physiology Research Unit
Biological Control of Insects Research Unit
Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit
Plant Genetics Research Unit
Columbia, Missouri

The Animal Physiology Research Unit (1 scientist) was formed in 1986 and works on stress responses and endocrine systems in neo-natal pigs.

The Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory (BCIRL, 5 scientists) opened in 1965 and is situated on 10 acres of Federally owned property in Research Park on the campus of the University of Missouri. Work minimizes negative impacts from insects and weeds through the use of biological control strategies.

The Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit (9 scientists) was constituted in 1987 from personnel in the former North Central Watershed Research Unit and part of the former Crop Production Research Unit. Work is on cropping systems at the field scale and water quality at the watershed scale.

The Plant Genetics Research Unit (13 scientists) was formed in 1988 from the former Cereal Genetics Research Unit and part of the former Crop Production Research Unit. Work is on breeding, genetics, and molecular biology of corn, soybeans, and wheat.

All Units except for BCIRL are housed in appropriate Departments of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources of the University of Missouri.

1937 Midwest Claypan Research Farm (McCredie Farm) established near Kingdom City, MO, by the USDA-Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station to study problems common to the soils and topography of the region. The origins of the Research Unit followed in 1939.

1941 Runoff and erosion plots established at the McCredie Farm. From 1961-1998, these plots produced new soil conservation practices and contributed significantly to the understanding of erosion embodied in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE).

1953 The Watershed Research Unit came under the newly-established Agricultural Research Service.

1962 North Central Hydrology Research Watershed Research Unit established, with existing work included and new field-scale watersheds established at Treynor, Iowa.

1964 Released corn inbred line Mo17; used in more than 12% of the hybrid corn seed produced in the United States in 1979.

1983 Discovered a parasite, Edovum puttleri, that has proven effective in the control of the Colorado potato beetle.

1990 Under the 1989 Presidential Initiative on Enhancing Water Quality, the Missouri Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) site was established on the Goodwater Creek watershed to test the effect of agricultural practices on ground water.

1992 Public access available to the Maize Genome Database (MaizeDB, now MaizeGDB at www.maizegdb.org), a database of genetic information on corn.

1996 Released ARS-2620, a rhizomateous birdsfoot trefoil; no other US birdsfoot trefoil has rhizomes.

2001 Established an ARS presence at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, with two scientists focused on soybean seed composition for food, feed, and industrial uses.

2003 The Senate Appropriations Committee provided funding of $2.7M for FY2004 to complete the planning and design of a National Plant and Genetics Security Center. Approval of the FY2004 Appropriation Bill is pending.

2003 Edward H. Coe, Research Geneticist, Plant Genetics, completed 48 years of creditable service with ARS at Columbia, MO.

No Photos available at this time.