Conversion of Conservation Reserve Program Land to Irrigated Research Plots.

In 2004 Kansas State University Foundation took possession of 134 acres of land that was in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This property came out of CRP in October of 2007. An irrigation system has been installed on fifty seven acres. These acres are being transformed into an area that will be used for irrigation research. There are several challenges associated with this process. Some of which were getting water permits, drilling of test wells, arranging for electrical service to the wells and drilling the actual irrigation wells. These and other challenges will be discussed in this presentation.