CAIA Testbed: Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center

The CAIA testbed at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center is available for research, teaching, and extension activities focused on precision monitoring and management of nursery crops, turfgrass, and small fruit crops, along with stormwater management. The Hampton Roads AREC has monitoring equipment for storm water research, light boxes and sensors for determining leaf color and turf cover, laboratory equipment for DNA research on plant pathogens, growth chambers,  drones, and the capability to do remote pest monitoring (automated pheromone traps) and remote sensing (hyperspectral signatures) of invasive insects. The station has approximately four acres of warm- and cool-season turfgrass and one acre of strawberry and blackberry plantings, as well as areas for research on container- and field-grown nursery crops. Station faculty address invasive insects, diseases and weeds impacting horticultural crops. The drive from the Blacksburg campus to the Hampton Roads AREC is approximately 5 hours.