STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA
Innovative Agricultural Solutions
Our research enhances water efficiency, improves farm productivity, and ensures climate resilience in agriculture, working with farmers, policymakers, and industry leaders to develop data-driven solutions.
At CSU's One Water Solutions Institute, we advance agricultural water management through smart irrigation, precision agriculture, and sustainable solutions. By supporting farmers and ranchers with innovative technologies, we promote healthy soils, clean water, and efficient operations—driving sustainability, profitability, and thriving communities.
Irrigation Technologies
Innovative irrigation strategies are increasingly important due to challenges such as water scarcity, climate change, and the need for more efficient resource management for resilient food production systems.
Farm and Ranch Management
Integrating novel strategies and technologies into farm and ranch operations can enhance water efficiency, conserve natural resources, and contribute to the sustainability of rural communities and ecosystems.
Conservation Systems
Implementing water conservation practices can help reduce water usage, increase crop yields, and improve the long-term sustainability of agricultural operations in the face of increasing water scarcity and climate variability.
Irrigation Technologies
Farmers irrigate more than 20 million acres in the Great Plains, most in the western half of this region. In the arid West, farmland accounts for much of the market value of crops produced in the region. Many farms are individually owned and a relatively large number of farmers make irrigation scheduling decisions in-season each year. With declining water supplies, drought uncertainty, and other pressures, farmers continue to demand new water conservation technologies.
Our team provides state-of-the-art technologies and tools for improving production, profitability, and sustainability of agricultural operations while conserving water.
Farm and Ranch Management
Farms and ranches occupy more than 85% of the 450 million acres of the Great Plains. Mountain valleys to the west provide unique farming environments supporting local communities and food product diversity. Feed grain production supplies feedlots, hog farms, dairies, and poultry operations across the country. Specialty crop farms cluster near urban areas.
We understand the geographic extent and complexity of the agricultural landscape and provide tools for continuous improvement in productive capacity, product diversity, and food security as our communities continue to grow.
Conservation Systems
The U.S. Farm Bill Conservation Program provides substantial resources for technical and financial assistance to conserve natural resources on agricultural lands to sustain long-term productivity and provide ecosystem services benefiting rural communities. Recent private/non-profit/public sector agricultural sustainability initiatives have generated a need for integrated approaches to resource assessment and conservation technologies.
We provide a variety of data, modeling, analytical, and collaboration tools to facilitate integrated approaches to conservation management.