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UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center
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The J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center (JPCREC) is one of eight off-campus research centers in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The JPCREC consists of 1,700 acres in the Piedmont region with varying soil types and includes modern field equipment. The center consists of five separate units in Oconee and Greene Counties.

Local agronomic crops include beef cattle, hay, cotton, and corn.


  • USDA zone 8A with lows from 10-15 deg. F and annual precipitation of 48 inches. The growing season for summer annual row crops is April 1-Oct 30.

  • Soil series vary considerably across the REC. The predominant soil series are the Cecil sandy loam, Wickham sandy loam and Chewacla fine loam.

  • Total acreage: 1,700
    • 365 cultivated
    • 550 non-cultivated hay and pasture
    • 270 acres irrigated
    Irrigation capabilities:
    • JPCREC irrigation capabilities consist of overhead irrigation delivered by center pivot, lateral move systems, and permanent stationary guns
    • Ponds/lakes/rivers - all overhead irrigation is sourced from ponds
    • 6 center pivots (3VR), area covered is 200 acres
    • 3 linear move systems, area covered is 70 acres
    Production systems:
    • Conventional tillage - 100 acres
    • Strip tillage - 200 acres
    • No-till - 100 acres
    • Pasture/hay - 600 acres
    • Cattle (head) - 200 Angus and AngusX brood cows

    • Office - 25,000 sq.ft.
    • Maintenance shop - (1) 4,000 sq.ft., (1) 16,000 sq.ft.
    • Laboratories/classrooms - (6) - 3,100 sq.ft.
    • Conference/meeting rooms - (5) - 3,450 sq.ft.
    • Pesticide storage - 380 sq.ft.
    • 3 covered cattle working facilities - 8,000 sq.ft.

    • Tractors: 2 JD 6170, JD 6140, JD 6105, 2 JD 4230, CIH 115, CIH 140, various <50 hp. tractors
    • Fertilizer Spreaders: various plot-sized drop and spin spreaders, 9PT Chandler variable rate
    • Planters: 2 JD 4 row-36” JD 4 row-30” 10’ Great Plains drill, 15’ JD drill, 30’ JD drill
    • Sprayers: JD 40 series Hi-boy, JD 6000 Hi-boy, various row-crop sprayers
    • Tillage: harrows, chisel plows, strip-till rigs, vertical tillage tool, etc.
    • Harvest: JD S680
    • Livestock: NH grinder mixer
       

Is the JPCREC open for tours?

The JPCREC's primary annual field day (including a corn boil) is held in late June and is open to anyone interested in learning more about the center and its current research efforts. There are also field days and demonstrations at various times during the year highlighting specific areas of research at the center.

If you would like to schedule a visit to the JPCREC, please contact Brooke Powell at bpowell@uga.edu.

Contact us

History

The J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center, located in Watkinsville, Georgia, is the newest REC in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A former USDA-ARS research station, the 1055-acre facility was closed by USDA as part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012. In the fall of 2013, the station was transferred to CAES to be used for agricultural and natural resources research, instruction, and extension. The facility's mission, "to develop and transfer environmentally sustainable and profitable agricultural systems to landowners and managers to protect the natural resource base, build accord with non-agricultural sectors, and support healthy rural economies," has not changed under CAES' management.

The JPCREC, previously known as the USDA-ARS J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center, has a long legacy of research on grazing land and cattle herd management, soil protection and carbon sequestration, water quality and conservation, animal and cropping systems, and integrated watershed research, among others. CAES is committed to continuing and expanding this research legacy. In addition, the facility is ideally suited for teaching, extension, and demonstration activities such as the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Training. Similar to other CAES Research and Education Centers, JPCREC is being operated as a college-wide facility, with the superintendent reporting directly to the Office of the Associate Dean for Research at the Athens campus.


About J. Phil Campbell, Sr.
Campbell was a pioneer in agricultural work, particularly in Extension. He was associated with Congressman Lever of South Carolina and Senator Smith of Georgia, sponsors of the Smith-Lever Act, which created the Cooperative Extension Service. Camp Wilkins, the former 4-H Club camp at UGA, was built under his leadership. He was Superintendent of the first agricultural high school in Georgia; state agent for South Carolina Farmers Cooperative Demonstration, a forerunner of the present Extension Service; regional supervisor for the Farmer's Cooperative Demonstration in Washington, D.C.; state agent and director for the Cooperative Extension Service; and Head of the Cooperative Relations in Extension section.
J. Phill Campbell Sr.