Our Work and Priorities

The University of Georgia created the Stripling Irrigation Research Park (SIRP) to be an innovative irrigation research and education center. The park is an easily accessible facility to offer assistance for farmers in irrigation management as well as to provide general information to the public regarding the role of water in the regional economy.

Scientists, engineers, and extension specialists collaborate with the staff and administration of the park to define crop water needs and improve food, feed, and fiber production using efficient irrigation methods. Industry partners are able to test equipment and water conservation strategies for Georgia under the objective eye of the college’s researchers. SIRP provides educational opportunities and demonstrations for farmers, irrigation companies, as well as students in local technical colleges and universities. Additionally, we often collaborate with the local Mitchell County Extension Office staff. 

Agricultural water conservation is at the forefront of topics in southwest Georgia with the increasing frequency of drought periods and increasing water demands throughout the Apalachicola – Chattahoochee – Flint (ACF) River Basin. Thus, the mission of the Stripling Park has included conservation ideals since its inception. With the ongoing “water wars” over water flow and demand in the ACF River Basin, maximizing efficiency and conservation efforts in this region has become a priority.

About us


We investigate the latest production and technological practices, striving for producer profitability and sustainability.
Research and Education Centers (RECs) are hubs for innovation and discovery that address the most critical issues facing agricultural production throughout the state. Ultimately, our findings are shared with stakeholders through the extension and outreach efforts of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Young pecan trees CAES News
CAES horticulture professor among eight UGA faculty named NAI Senior Members
The National Academy of Inventors has selected eight University of Georgia researchers as 2025 NAI Senior Members, surpassing its own record of five inductees set last year. UGA now has 24 Senior Members overall. “We are thrilled to celebrate these latest UGA elections to the country’s leading organization for groundbreaking inventors and innovators,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “Their dedication to translating research into tangible impact embodies the university’s land-grant mission and our commitment to serving society through innovation.”
Horticulture doctoral student Rebekah Maynard inspects the development stage of chamomile inflorescences for a study specifically targeting biopharmaceuticals, served to find fast-growing, efficient crops that could be produced on a massive scale, an important consideration for the profitability of controlled-environment agriculture. CAES News
CAES vertical farming research sheds light on producing medicinal compounds
New research on using controlled environment agriculture to grow plants with medicinal properties could lead to production methods that will increase one anti-cancer compound naturally produced by certain species of plants. The study, led by doctoral student Rebekah Maynard, was designed to identify crops used in medical treatments and develop CEA production strategies that will increase the concentration of an anti-cancer compound produced by the plants.