The Booneville Plant Materials Center (ARPMC) along with the USDA
Agricultural Research Service and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
make up the Dale Bumpers Small Farm Research Center. The ARPMC provides plant
solutions addressing conservation problems in areas from the rugged Ozarks to
the western coastal plain. The Center serves portions of Arkansas, Missouri, and
Oklahoma.
The area is characterized by small family farms. Forage, poultry, and timber
production are the major land uses. The soils are most often shallow, stony, and
erosive. The area’s economy is supported largely by agriculture, coal mining,
and tourism.
The Center focuses on protection and enhancement of water quality,
pastureland, woodlands, wildlife habitat, and critical area treatment. The ARPMC
works to reduce erosion on highways, reclaim mining sites, and assess the
biomass production potential of switchgrass.
The Booneville Plant Materials Center has developed improved conservation
plants, including Hampton Germplasm big bluestem, OH 370 Germplasm big bluestem,
and ‘Bumpers’ eastern gamagrass.
Contact
6883 S. State Highway 23
Booneville, AR 72927-9214
Telephone: 479-675-5182
FAX: 479-675-5466
Email: Randy.King@ar.usda.gov
About Us
