Science in Agriculture  | TSLN.com

To the general observer, production agriculture may seem like a simple and straight forward profession. You plant a crop, you harvest the crop, you sell the harvest. You get livestock, you raise the livestock, you sell the livestock. This is a drastic oversimplification of the process and could not be further from the truth.

In fact, there are far more complexities to running a successful operation than many people realize. Those in production agriculture face constant obstacles, challenges and difficulties thrown at their operations on a daily basis. One of the ways our producers face some of these challenges is through science.

When dealing with livestock, feed testing helps makes sure animal feed follows the label so you can provide the animals with the nutrients they need for their goals. Forage analysis assists ranchers, feeders, and hay producers in determining the nutrient value of various hays, silages, and forage products. The dairy and meat testing help protect the industry by providing regulatory oversight and testing of these products.

When looking at the crop side of things, fertilizer and pesticide testing helps assure these products meet standards or label guarantees. Utilizing the proper fertilizers and pesticides can make a dramatic difference in soil health and success of the crop being grown. And finally, water testing supports livestock, crops, and human consumption through a wide variety of testing options for water. Everything from regulatory tests to testing personal wells to determine water quality

The Analytical Services Laboratory (ASL) at the Wyoming Department of Agriculture helps producers make several decisions based on scientific data. ASL has testing programs that focus on feed and forage, fertilizer, meat, dairy, pesticides, and water. Each of these programs helps provide agriculture producers with vital information for their business operations. The analytical testing done at the Analytical Services Laboratory provides valuable data or oversight that ultimately supports high quality production agriculture in Wyoming.

Sound scientific data helps producers know what they are feeding their animals, trust the fertilizer and pesticide products they are applying to their crops, and provides information for regulatory oversight that protects the industry. There are many challenges to running an agricultural operation in Wyoming but analytical science can help lessen some of those challenges each day. 

Wyoming Department of Agriculture

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