Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Welcome to the Southern Piedmont AREC - Rooted in Service Since 1974.
Located in Blackstone, Virginia, the center is dedicated to research and Extension programs for sustainable production of tobacco, forage crops, beef cattle, small fruits, and grains.
The Southern Piedmont AREC team is comprised of 6 resident faculty, 11 full-time staff, and additional seasonal employees. The resident faculty members conduct research and Extension programs on tobacco, forages, and small fruits crops, and collaborate with other faculty (from Virginia Tech and other institutions) to study alternative crops for Southside Virginia. Crops grown at the center include tobacco, Bermudagrass, crabgrass, annual ryegrass, corn, wheat, barley, soybeans, strawberries, and mung beans. Faculty expertise includes agronomy, plant pathology, forages, entomology, and animal science.
DISCIPLINES
- Tobacco agronomy
- Tobacco curing technology and efficiency
- Tobacco disease management
- Ruminant livestock
- Forage production and management
- Small fruit disease management
- Specialty crop production
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
- Tobacco curing, monitoring, and automation
- Spore trapping and predictive model development
- Drone technology to assess crop development and pest detection
- Silvopasture
FACILITIES
- 1,180-acre farm with 130 acres of crop research plots, 120 acres of research grazing, and a 40-acre silvopasture area
- Specialized tobacco curing facilities
- Extensive greenhouse facilities and high tunnels
- 150-person auditorium
- Multiple fully-equipped laboratory facilities, including the Cox Road Lab
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
- Tobacco industry and growers
- Agrichemical industry
- Forage and livestock industry
- Virginia Farm Bureau, SWCD, NRCS, VDACS
Latest AREC News and Updates
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Article ItemVirginia Tech researchers help answer an urgent call for native seeds in Southside Virginia , article
Facing a national shortage of native seeds, researchers are partnering with underserved farmers in the Southern Piedmont region of Virginia to create a native seed pipeline, supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Date: 01/23/2024 -
Article Item2024 Master Cattlemen's Program , article
Virginia Cooperative Extension will be offering the Virginia Master Cattlemen program online in Spring 2024.
Date: 01/11/2024 -
Article Item2024 Tobacco Production Meetings , article
Upcoming Tobacco Production Meetings will be held on: January 9, 2024 - Southern Piedmont AREC- Blackstone, VA January 25, 2024 - Old Dominion Ag Complex - Chatham, VA
Date: 12/15/2023
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Related Links
- American Forage and Grassland Council
- American Society of Agronomy
- Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Cooperation
- The Noble Research Institute
- Research Center Administrators Society
- Southern Piedmont Entomology Laboratory
- VCE 2023 Agronomy Handbook
- Virginia Farm Bureau
- Virginia Forage and Grassland Council
- Zeng Lab at Virginia Tech - Southern Piedmont AREC