Research Stations
Upper Piedmont Research Station
|
|
||
| 1944 Wentworth Street Reidsville, NC 27320-7302 PHONE: (336) 349-8347 FAX: (336) 634-5697 |
The Upper Piedmont Research Station was created on rented land in Rural Hall in 1948. In 1954 the donation of Chinqua-Penn Plantation led to the current home of the UPRS. The UPRS currently consists of 900 acres of land and adjoins the Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H center that consists of 250 acres.
The Upper Piedmont region of North Carolina consists of steep slopes, clay soils and a lot of land well suited for grazing cattle and cow/calf production. The UPRS conducts research using a herd of registered Black Angus cattle that was donated to the university by the Penn’s in the 1950’s. The herd has been recognized by the American Angus Association to be a historic herd of cattle. Studies with the cattle include but are not limited to estrus synchronization, fescue toxicity, feed efficiency and in-vitro fertilization. The station has a newly installed Grow Safe system installed for feed efficiency research. UPRS is also home to one of the longest continuous no-till corn and soy bean research plots that exist in the country. Research is also being conducted on nitrogen needs for stockpiling fescue for winter and incorporation of warm season grasses such as switch grass and eastern gamma grass for grazing.
Infrastructure
The UPRS consists of 900 acres of land that is home to 400 acres of pasture and grasslands and 75 acres of crop and rotational land. The rest of the property is covered with native hard wood trees. The station is located adjacent to the Chinqua-Penn mansion and the Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H center. The station also has a cattle sale facility located on site and hosts the annual Spring Fever Sale for the North Carolina Angus Association.
Community Partnership
The station hosts a 1.5-mile long nature trail that is accessible to the public 7-days per week. The trail winds along the borders of the station and along riparian buffer zones between cattle pastures. The station also hosts the North Carolina Angus Association’s Spring Fever Sale each year.
Events
The UPRS hosts the N.C. Angus Association’s Spring Fever Sale each year in May. In 2008, the station hosted the first annual 'NC Research Stations Female Cattle Auction' where cows from the research stations will be sold. The event was held again in 2009 and wth the succes of the first two years, it will continue as an important event.
