About Us
Overview
K-State Research and Extension is a short name f
or the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. We are a partnership between Kansas State University and federal, state, and county government, with offices in every Kansas county. We conduct research throughout Kansas that is shared by Extension agents and others on our Web sites and through numerous conferences, workshops, field days, publications, newsletters and more.
History
The Mound Valley Branch Experiment Station was established in 1948 by legislative action directed by the Southeast Kansas Agricultural Research Association when the federal government transferred a 242 acre tract of land to the Kansas State college of Agriculture and Applied Science (now Kansas State University). The Branch officially opened on July 12, 1950. In 1966, an additional tract of 49 acres near Columbus, KS, was added, and the name was changed to the Southeast Branch Experiment Station. In 1967, the legislature transfer 465 acres of land from the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center to the Kansas Board of Regents. In 1980, the headquarters of the Station moved to the Parsons location. In 2015, the name was changed to the Southeast Research and Extension Center when the Southeast Area Extension office was moved onto the station. Both research and extension activities are now housed in a new building, completed in 2015, located in Parsons.
Human Resources
There are 7 faculty located at Parsons. Faculty expertise is complemented by full-time support staff including clerical, accounting, and crop and animal technicians. Graduate students are involved in the animal and crops research, and student workers are hired for the summer field season. To learn more, please visit our faculty and staff page.
Facilities/Land Resources
The research facilities at Parsons is housed in 9 buildings, including the main office and meeting facility, and field and chemistry laboratories. The facility at Mound Valley includes 7 buildings and a feedlot. One field building is available at the research field near Columbus, KS. Additional research is conducted at fields near Altamont, KS. Land resources are used for field crops research and variety testing of corn, forages, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat. Pastures are used for beef cattle research, and testing of general hay, native pasture, and silage production.
Fiscal Resources
Funding comes from a variety of sources including state appropriations (salaries and wages, operating, supplemental allocations for equipment and maintenance), crop sales (fees), grants, and gifts.
