Current Research

Carvel Research and Education Center

The Thurman Adams Jr. Agricultural Research Farm (347 acres) along with the Warrington Irrigation Research Farm (126 acres) are key resources of the Carvel Research & Education Center that provide the venue for agronomic, vegetable and fruit research critical to Delaware agriculture as well as the region. In any given year there are several hundred field and greenhouse research trials evaluating pest management (weeds, diseases and insects), nutrient and irrigation management, variety testing, cover cropping systems, cultural practices, precision agriculture and specialty crops. Critical funding to support this research comes from federal, state, county and numerous allied industries all in partnership to sustain Delaware agriculture as the top industry in the state. High school and college students provide important support to conduct these trials and in turn receive excellent work based learning opportunities from our team of 50+ faculty and staff for their professional development.

UD graduate student Adelaide Mullin reports out on watermelon disease research

Nematode field tours update growers on control measures

Agriculture professionals review UD results during annual field tours

UD graduate student Jamie Taraila is researching cover crop mixtures with faculty advisors Jarrod Miller (shown) and Amy Shober. The research is funded by the NRCS, and is aided by UAV technology.

Mark VanGessel holding up weed guide at recent weed day tour

Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Specialist, presents research at annual Weed Day

Carvel hosted a tour of malted barely research

Research on Agronomic Down Force in Planting

a line of five students in blue UD shirts stand outside a corn field

UD Graduate students present crop disease research topics at the 2024 Field Crop Tour

Extension reports out to growers on current root knot nematode controls in soybeans and lima beans

Irrigation Research is crucial to water management and quality

Annual updates on root knot nematode damage in soybean and lima bean crops

I appreciate the research our UD Extension team is doing in the area of irrigation management, nutrient utilization and application timing, cover crops and weed suppression, pest management, and plant health. The recent effort at the Carvel Center to put together a team of Extension researchers in the areas of agronomy, plant pathology, weed science, entomology and ag engineering that can work together with ag producers will enable us to develop wholistic cropping systems.
- R.C. Willin President, Willin Farms, LLC