West Side Research and Extension Center
Welcome
Located in the highly productive agricultural west side of the San Joaquin Valley, the West Side Research and Extension Center (WSREC) is one of nine centers operated by the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. WSREC supports research in agronomic, vegetable, vine and tree crops conducted by researchers from the University of California as well as faculty and staff from other research groups including several California State University campuses and USDA-ARS.
Our research focus
WSREC is well-known as a high yield potential site for variety evaluation and production management research on a diversity of agronomic and vegetable crops. and there has also been long-term effort on supporting research investigating weed management and insect pest control, as well as plant disease identification and control. In addition, WSREC also focuses on evaluating production strategies involving alternative/reduced tillage practices and associated impacts on soil health and air quality, and strategic research directed toward water conservation, deficit irrigation and crop responses to salinity. Many new technologies and practices are a result of 55 years of research, development and shared information.
Research achievements
Over the years, a tremendous bounty of information of great use to the broad agricultural community in the western U.S. has come out of WSREC-based research. The location, facilities and staff resources combine to provide a high crop yield potential site to evaluate cultivars of currently-grown and new crops, and opportunities to address emerging pest and disease issues and both biological and chemical control, evaluate new practices and technology to improve efficiencies in water, salinity and nutrient management, and field-test alternative reduced tillage practices with potential to improve soil quality and resource use efficiencies.
Interested in getting involved?
Learn about Opportunities for Research & Extension at WSREC (PDF).