Public Access and Hunting at SEPAC SEPAC is the only Purdue research farm that allows public access and hunting on its property. Public access is allowed on the 1,600 acres north of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. Before this land was transferred to Purdue University in 2005, it was managed by the Department of Natural Resources. When the land was transferred, Purdue University agreed to continue to allow hunting and public access. There are several guidelines visitors to this area should keep in mind. There is no cost, but a permit is required. The permit application can be found on SEPAC’s website. The application asks for name, address and phone number. The permit gives access for hunting, hiking, bird watching, mushroom gathering and other similar activities. Visitors must follow all hunting laws and regulations. Maps showing the public access areas are available on the SEPAC website. Hunting and public access are not allowed on the SEPAC farmstead and surrounding fields. Visitors who request a permit for a second year will be asked to complete a brief survey describing their experiences at SEPAC during the previous year.
A soybean test field. ABOVE: Superintendent Don Biehle at one of the first research sites located on the SEPAC property. CIRCLE: A soybean plant exhibiting sudden death syndrome being researched. The syndrome was discovered in Arkansas in 1971, but has now spread throughout most of North Central America. OPPOSITE PAGE: Corn grows in a test field.
of drainage has increased due to the buildup of earthworm populations. “We’ve got very high earthworm populations,” Biehle explains. “The reason we have that is because we’re not doing tillage. We’re not disturbing their habitat. They develop a channel that goes through the soil all the way up to the surface. With no-till, we’re leaving that there. We’re not tearing it up and disturbing it.” Most of the research at SEPAC focuses on corn and soybeans. Research studies have included nitrogen application, seed varieties, weed control, planting dates and water drainage. Other agronomic crops studied include alfalfa, oats, canola, grain sorghum and oil-producing sunflowers. At times, SEPAC has hosted research on alternative crops, including growing medicinal herbs, such as ginseng and Echinacea, and growing flowers, such as zinnias and sunflowers. Forestry provides more opportunities for research at SEPAC. Former Purdue Extension forester Jack Siefert did a lot of research on establishing tree plantations during the years he was at SEPAC. Small tree plantations on hilly land and other small corners not suitable for corn and soybeans made effective use of those acres. When Purdue acquired the 1,600 acres north of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, it gained established timberland for forestry research. Jewell Yeager continues to provide support for the Purdue Department of Forestry as well as support for Rob Chapman, the Purdue Extension forest wildlife specialist who has an office at SEPAC. Biehle works with Purdue Extension staff to get the word about the latest research at SEPAC out to area farmers. They can come see the results of the research at field days throughout the year. “We’ve got the facilities,” Biehle says. “We’ve got the plots and things to show. We work with extension people to do the advertising.” About 150 to
200 people attend field days annually. Researchers also make their results available through printed publications that are available through county extension offices and on Purdue University’s website. SEPAC also hosts diagnostic training days for representatives from commercial providers, such as co-ops and seed companies. The development of global positioning systems (GPS) paired with computer software has changed the way research is done at SEPAC. In the past, researchers relied on farming small plots to keep uniform field conditions so they could test a single variable. These small plots had to be farmed with small equipment or even by hand. Even though the data was valid, it was hard to transfer to a large farming operation. “Lots of times the farmers would look at that and say, ‘That’s not how we do it, so I don’t believe you,’” Biehle explains. Now with the precise location provided by a GPS receiver, a computer on each tractor or other equipment can track research plots within a larger field. Not only can the computer program track the differences in yield in different areas within the field, it can also treat blocks within the field differently by applying fertilizers or pesticides at varying rates to different areas. Biehle and his staff can farm the fields using full-size equipment similar to what farmers use in their own fields. As GPS and technology for precision agriculture become more widely available, farmers can use it to analyze the data from their own fields to increase their yields. “So not only can we use it for research,” Biehle says. “We’re saying to the farmer, you can do your own. It’s not just how the soils in Jennings County are. It’s how it works in your own field.” In addition to providing land, equipment and labor for agricultural research projects, SEPAC is a working farm. After the corn dries and the soybeans ripen in the fields, Biehle and his staff will harvest the field and sell the crops. Money from crop sales funds the buildings, equipment, maintenance and everything needed to keep the farm running. Staff salaries are the only things funded through state tax money. Purdue professors may also receive grants to fund some research projects. As farming practices and technology continue to evolve, SEPAC will continue to provide the location, knowledge and labor to host applied research in agronomics and forestry. The research done over the past 37 years has changed farming practices. “What’s even more amazing is what’s going to happen in the next 30 years,” Biehle says. *FI
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