General info
In the State of Kansas, the city of Smith Center, is the continental geographic center of the United States. The highest attitude in Kansas is 1260 in and the lowest 213 m above sea level. The Kansas climate is continental, subject to rapid changes in temperature in all seasons. Normal extremes range from 38ºC to -12ºC. Rainfall will vary from < 50 cm in the northwest to > 100 cm in the southeast. In spite of the rigors of a continental climate, Kansas with an earlier spring and a longer summer than its neighbors to the north and northeast, is far enough sould to admit a somewhat wider range of ornamental tree and shrubs. Wheat is the primary crop produced in Kansas, with corn (maize), soybeans, and forage grasses also being of importance. Significant beef production occurs in the grasslands of the eastern Kansas Flint Hills. Cattle are finished in many large feedlots throughout the state. Commercial floriculture is the largest production horticulture industry in Kansas involved in multiple crop production and sales areas, including greenhouse production of bedding and potted flowering plants, field production of cut flowers, retail nursery/garden center sales, retail floral sales, and landscape horticulture installation and services. Food crop production includes apples being grown along the Missouri River in northeastern Kansas; peaches in the southcentral area around Wichita; potatoes, asparagus, and strawberries in the Kansas River Valley in the east central region; and native and new introductions of pecans in southeastern Kansas. Turf grass production and lawn maintenance is a rapidly expanding industry throughout the state. Kansas is also known for people-plant (horticultural therapy) programs as noted by increasing numbers of community gardens, school gardens, farmers markets, and other types of institutional gardening programs found throughout the state. Historically, horticultural research in Kansas has been directed to testing the adaptation of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plant species. Evaluation of hardy understocks, breeding hardier varieties, and altering the growing environment through improved irrigation, high tunnel greenhouses, and other systems has occurred. Similar to other north central states, horticultural research is done through the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station as part of Kansas State University in Manhattan. Research stations are operated for forestry crops at Ashland Bottoms near Manhattan, for turf grasses at Rocky Ford near Manhattan, for ornamental and food crops in eastern Kansas at Olathe, for turf, ornamentals, fruits and vegetables crops in southcentral Kansas at Wichita, and for pecans and nut crops at Chetopa in southeastern Kansas. In western Kansas, horticultural research is done at field stations near Colby, Garden City, and Tribune. Organisations / Institutes:
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Last updated: Wed Dec 17 16:24:51 NFT 2003