PSS Research Facilities: New Deal Farm
The New Deal Farm has approximately 120 acres that support the crop production research
for the Department of Plant and Soil Science. Nearly half of this area is in grazing
paddocks used by the Thornton Distinguished Professor of Plant Science. The remaining
area supports research on irrigation management, cotton physiology, cotton stress
tolerance, weed science, soil fertility, and forage physiology.
The New Deal Research Farm is located on FM 1729, about 6 miles east of the town
of New Deal, and a 20-minute drive from the Texas Tech campus. The farm is at 33°
44' 13.76" N, 101° 43' 58.04"W, the elevation is 3,262 feet (994 m) above sea level,
and the average annual rainfall is 18.6 in (472 mm). The average dates of last and
first frosts are April 1 and November 9, respectively. This site is irrigated with
subsurface drip irrigation systems supported by two wells that supply less than 350
gallons per minute. The newest installation of subsurface drip irrigation includes
more than 30 zones that can be irrigated independently. The site is on a Pullman clay
loam soil typical of the fine-textured soils found from Lubbock to Amarillo. Declining
irrigation water supplies are forcing an increased emphasis on limited irrigation
and dryland production systems. Close proximity to the Burnett Center, the USDA-ARS
Cropping Systems Laboratory, and the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center
at Lubbock make this an excellent site to support cooperative research.
Contact Information:
Paul Green,Operations Manager, New Deal Farm
Phone: (806) 577-7009
paul.green@ttu.edu
Map to New Deal Farm
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