Our homebase is Jeffords Hall, a life sciences building that opened its doors to students in the fall of 2010. Its faculty research labs and undergraduate teaching labs are cutting edge, full of state-of-the-art equipment.
The Plant and Soil Science Department houses facilities that are unique at University of Vermont. Jeffords Hall Outdoor Educational Laboratories provide an arboretum, stormwater treatment laboratory, urban agriculture plots, and raised beds to serve students through curriculum, service, and research.
The UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center (HREC), also known as the “Hort Farm,” is the primary field laboratory site for applied teaching, research, and outreach activities on agronomic and horticultural crops. Consisting of 97 acres of fields, orchards, vineyards, woody ornamentals and lowland forest, it is the site of Catamount Farm, and the Farmer Training Program.
UVM Greenhouses consist of 8,000 square feet, divided into 11 compartments including an outdoor nursery connecting to Jeffords Hall. The facilities serve multiple functions as a venue for teaching, research and outreach by Plant and Soil Science and other UVM programs.
The Agriculture and Environmental Testing Lab provides analytical services to UVM researchers by housing instrumentation (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer, ion chromatograph, CNH elemental analyzer, and flow injection autoanalyzer) that is normally not affordable in individual labs. Analysis is available either by hands-on use or a fee-per-sample basis. Training and support are available. Public clients may submit soil samples to the lab for testing.
In the Cereal Grains and Hops Testing Lab, we perform quality analysis on commercial cereal grains, hops, and malting barley samples received from farmers and researchers across the region.
The Entomology Research Lab represents a team of scientists committed to the development of effective biological control agents for forest, greenhouse and vegetable insect pest management. Insect pest problems are addressed with an interdisciplinary approach, using insights drawn from a diverse group of senior scientists, the assistance of specialized technicians, and graduate students. Emphasis is placed on practical aspects of research to solve ‘real world’ problems. Though focused on agricultural problems of Vermont, our projects have national and international significance as well. Through our work, we attempt to develop management options that are environmentally sound, economically viable and sustainable, and encourage their implementation through outreach and education.
The Field Sample Prep Room, located in Room 124 of Jeffords Hall, houses equipment to analyze texture and stable aggregate of soil and to extract soil nematodes and microarthropods. The room is equipped with soil traps and a floor with a drain to handle volumes of water. A steam sterilization cart is available to disinfest soils of pathogens and movable benches allow the facility to be reconfigured to conduct a multitude of other research tasks.
The Plant Diagnostic Clinic serves Vermont clients of greenhouses, farms and orchards by assisting in the identification and control of pests and diseases. The clinic provides gardening pest and disease information through its database of over 60,000 pages of extension fact sheets and bulletins from 46 different universities and government institutions across the US and Canada. Furthermore, the clinic is the state hub for pesticide application training and certification examinations.
