Merlin A. Dillon
Area Extension Agent - Agronomy
Colorado State University
San Luis Valley Research Center
0249 East Road 9 North
Center, CO 81125
Phone: 719-754-3494, ext. 12
Fax: 719-754-2619
E-mail: merlin.dillon@colostate.edu
Education:
- M.S. Agronomy, Colorado State University, 1970.
- B.S. Agronomy, Panhandle State University, 1967.
Current Position:
Merlin (Merl) became the San Luis Valley Area Extension Agronomist in 1982. This position is 100% extension but includes applied field research. Extension efforts include educational meetings for producers: including the Forage/Livestock Conference, Potato/Grain Conference, commercial applicator training, consultants' breakfast meetings, field days, farm tours, and farm visits. Other efforts include newsletters and radio articles. Crop water-use estimates are calculated each day during the irrigation season and are made available to producers via radio, newspaper, recorded message, and on the San Luis Valley Research Center's web page.
His research involves applied studies on forages (primarily alfalfa) and small grains. The alfalfa variety trial is a three-year evaluation of commercial entries. The San Luis Valley location in one of five in Colorado and represents the higher altitudes of the state. The small grain trials includes variety evaluations of wheat (soft white spring, hard red spring, and durum), malt barley, feed barley, and oats. Alternate crop trials include quinoa and canola.
Professional Affiliations:
- National Association of County Agricultural Agents
- American Society of Agronomy
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