Research and Extension Activities at Aroostook Farm
The University of Maine's Potato Research Facility in Presque Isle, Maine
History of Aroostook Farm
After the state purchased Highmoor
Farm in Monmouth in the early 1900s for agricultural research, farmers in other
parts of the state began to talk about the need for other farms, arguing that
differences in soil, climate, and cropping practices could best be studied
locally. In 1912 a committee of farmers from Aroostook appealed to the
legislature to appropriate funds to purchase a farm in Aroostook County. After
looking at various pieces of land, a committee decided to purchase 275 acres
about a mile and a half south of Presque Isle village, a property known as the
Greenwood Farm. The asking price was $20,000 even though the farmhouse had
recently burned. Farmers and businessmen located in Presque Isle contributed
toward the total cost of the land, and in 1915 the legislature appropriated
$18,000.
As the work carried on at Aroostook Farm by the University and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture increased, there was need for additional land. In 1939, the Annis Farm,
adjacent to the old Greenwood holdings, was purchased and incorporated into an expanded
Aroostook Farm. This additional acreage provided for much-needed crop rotation and
lessened competition for space between the Station staff and that of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
Weather records have been kept at
Aroostook Farm almost from the time the land was purchased. These records were
the responsibility of the farm superintendent until automatic equipment became
available.
 Current
Information
Aroostook Farm encompasses 425 acres of land on the Houlton Road in Presque
Isle. The main buildings on the farm are the farm superintendent’s home, the
barn, and laboratory/office building with four labs and the main
office.There are two machine storages, a shop, potato storage research
facility, and various other offices. A new 2,800 sq-ft greenhouse, which
provides year-round potato research capabilities, was completed in 2004.
Research & Extension Activities
Aroostook Farm, the largest of The University of Maine’s five experimental
farms, has been involved in considering a wide range of problems related to
the Maine potato industry.
Current research at Aroostook Farm includes development and testing of new
potato varieties and investigations on the effects of cultural practices on
potato growth, development, yield, and quality. To help with the problem of
diseases of potatoes, scientists are investigating the molecular genetics of
potato pathogens, developing new, faster methods to detect potato viruses in
seed stock, and working to develop more disease-resistant potato varieties.
Researchers are examining the effects of soil amendments and crop rotation
on soil properties and potato productivity and looking at how the use of
manure and yard waste affects the soil.
To help growers control insect pests, scientists are evaluating new insect
management techniques and materials, integrating biological control of the
Colorado potato beetle into pest management programs, and developing new
ways to control insects that reduce dependence on chemical insecticides.
Aroostook Farm is also the site of a long-term potato ecosystem study.
In addition to the research projects, the farm maintains a collection of
diseased potato tubers for teaching and identification. Personnel at the
farm help growers identify potato diseases and test potatoes for diseases
and sugar content, and to identify varieties. A Cooperative Extension office
is also located on the farm. Extension activities based here include the
potato-pest-scouting program. Extension activities such as the Spudlines
newsletter and the annual potato conference help transfer the research
results directly to the potato growers.
Aroostook Farm is also used by the USDA-ARS New England Plant, Soil, and
Water Laboratory to conduct research on potato grown in various three-year
rotations with soybean, canola, sweet corn, green bean, and barley/clover.
Aroostook Farm is also the base for offices of the USDA’s plant breeding
operations in Maine. The USDA’s plant breeding operations also conducts
various demonstration plots at Aroostook Farm.
Directions
North: I-95 North,
to U.S. -1 North exit # 302 toward Presque Isle/Mars Hill. Turn left on to
North St/U.S. 1 North. Turn Left onto Benjamin St/U.S. 1 North. Continue to
follow U.S. 1 ending at 59 Houlton Road.
South: U.S. 1 toward Beaulieu
Rd/Madawaska Rd. Turn slight left onto U.S.-1 South/ME-89 West. Continue to
follow U.S. 1 South, ending at 59 Houlton Rd.
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