The role and mission of the South Central Agricultural Laboratory is the development and refinement of irrigated crop production practices for Nebraska agriculture and beyond.
The South Central Agricultural Laboratory is an agricultural research site of the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC). SCAL is located in Clay County near the communities of Harvard and Clay Center, Nebraska. The physical address is 851 Highway 6, Harvard, NE 68944.
Approximately 100+ applied field research trials are conducted annually by University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service scientists.
Research focuses on irrigation and water management, soil fertility, entomology, weed science, cropping systems, disease management, and crop variety testing.
Numerous UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resource master's and doctoral students also actively engage in research projects at SCAL each year.
Research trials are conducted utilizing lateral-move pivot irrigation, center pivot irrigation and sub-surface drip irrigation technologies.
Vast majority of acreage is planted to corn and soybean.
