JACKSON COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Researchers are looking for better ways to help make Wisconsin’s official fruit — the cranberry — better.
With the harvest underway, scientists say a new research center in Jackson County is designed to do just that.
Behind the metal walls of a cranberry and green colored building, the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station is open for business.
Officials say the new center features storage, a small laboratory, and a classroom with sessions in person, or online.
“We’ve got two televisions and a projector. We have internet, so we can connect with growers who are in central Wisconsin, who are in northern Wisconsin, with the researchers in southern Wisconsin,” said Allison Jonjak, Cranberry Outreach Specialist.
Jonjak tells FOX 11 scientists may conduct experiments in the lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and field testing will happen in 14 cranberry beds located on site.
“I had two herbicide trials out, and we also had some frost protection trials out. That was with the physiologist. We’ve also taken a lot of samples for plant pathology. So testing diseases.”
The station opened in June. Before that, commercial cranberry growers were asked to help by providing space for research.
“There’s only so much you can do under that type of model. You can’t go traipsing around in the beds. You can’t be destroying vines, and doing research projects that are going to have, may have a long-term affect, or damage the crop,” said Tom Lochner, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association Executive Director.
Lochner tells FOX 11 the new facility will help fill that need. Jonjak agrees.
“We’re able to do that work in a consistent place. Other growers can come and look at the research as it’s in progress without interfering with anyone else’s privacy. So it’s a really good way to keep that research in everybody’s front view, and get the results to the growers without impacting the growers to get that research done.”
Officials say the entire research station project costs about $1.8 million. Money from The U.S. Department of Agriculture, UW-Madison, The Wisconsin Cranberry Research and Education Foundation and other fundraising efforts helped pay for the initiative. They say this is a working marsh, and money from the cranberry harvest will also be used to offset costs.
Wisconsin leads the nation in cranberry production, and the facility is one of only five cranberry research stations in North America. The others are in New Jersey; Massachusetts; Washington state; and British Columbia, Canada.
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