Pacific Ag Research is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California with seven sites along the Central Coast including the Salinas Valley (to the north) and San Joaquin Valley (to the east). Here we conduct research on: pesticide efficacy, fertility and crop yield, greenhouse horticulture, product application engineering, and much more.
Agriculture Research in the West
New greenhouses at the Edna farm in San Luis Obispo, CA
Spray application in the vineyard at the Pacific Ag headquarters using a six nozzle spray boom with a compressed CO2 backpack sprayer
The Pacific Ag Research farm near San Luis Obispo has well-developed field and greenhouse facilities. This is also home to our specialized laboratories that include complete plant pathology and entomology labs, including a research insectary. In addition, a general biology lab processes a wide variety of experimental samples that include: plant material, soils, water, and other study-specific matrices. Owing to its location in the heart of California’s Central Coast viticulture industry, an experimental winery tests grape samples from the research vineyard to identify potential adverse effects of test substances on many important variables such as momentum of fermentation, taste, and other sensory attributes of the finished wine.
Our clients range from start-up companies with a single new product to test to multi-national agrichemical manufacturers with well-developed product lines. We work closely with new clients in developing protocols and assisting with trial design. Working from the San Luis Obispo center, statewide farming operations are managed with a fleet of mobile cultivation and product application equipment that meet a large range of testing needs. One hundred and fifty miles north of the San Luis Obispo headquarters is the Pacific Ag Salinas Valley research center. Here a wide variety of studies are conducted on soil and foliar pathogens, coastal insect pests, weed management, and new genetics for leafy greens and berry crops.
It is well known that California closely regulates the testing of experimental products, so in order to manage this need we employ a full-time regulations and permits manager. Regulatory management include: research authorizations (RA’s) and notices of intent (NOI’s) to spray, and advanced notice of crop destruction following completion of the field research.
To assure client satisfaction, all reports contain summaries of experimental methods, statistical comparisons of variables, and graphical representations that assist in the interpretation of otherwise complex results.
Lettuce field in the Salinas Valley, CA
Lettuce grown in the hydroponic greenhouses at the Pacific Ag headquarters in San Luis Obispo, CA