Priority Areas
With direct input from industry experts and researchers at local universities, the RANGE has identified a list of technology development opportunities with direct applications to the beef and dairy sectors. These R&D projects span the five strategic priorities listed below. The RANGE is currently formalizing partnerships with research labs at institutions like Rockwell Automation, Texas Tech, West Texas A&M, and Amarillo College to design shovel-ready research projects for launch in Q3 of 2023.
Water Stewardship
The Texas Panhandle has limited rainfall and a rapidly diminishing stock of underground water in the Ogallala Aquifer. The RANGE is researching, developing, and commercializing viable water conservation and deposition techniques for the agricultural industries that ensure long-term sustainability and ecological health in our growing water crisis.
-
Cost-reduction technologies irrigation installation and improvement in watering technologies .
-
Technology, policy, and right-of-way development to re-route water from water-rich regions.
-
Water de-salination.
-
Development of lowered water usage forage varieties.
Environmental Stewardship & Emissions Reduction
Developing technology that decreases the environmental footprint (specifically Methane and Carbon and Nitrogen Emissions) of the Panhandle’s beef and dairy industry can position the region as a leader in sustainable protein and create a real value proposition for differentiating Amarillo-made beef against competitors.
-
Accurately measure and model emissions.
-
Develop technologies that reduce methane emissions.
-
Develop compostable net wrap.
-
Onsite solids concentration, water recapture and purification, and reuse in dairy production.
Workforce Development & Automation Assistance
The food, crop & energy production industries are under constant pressure to produce more food with decreasing labor and for a decreased cost. Labor's increasing technological demands present challenges that jeopardize industry resiliency and the US food, fiber and fuel supply. The RANGE is facilitating public/private partnerships to introduce new technologies to aid in the future of human + machine productivity.
These strategies include:
-
New labor training methods and modules for increased learning and retention.
-
New technologies that automate redundant and hazardous tasks.
Data Management & Analytics
A collaborative approach to Advanced Data Analytics will transform the region’s industries by enabling the leveraging of data generation and large Data Sets and other technologies to:
-
Reduce resource use.
-
Improve production practices.
-
Improve animal health tracking.
-
Reduce financial risk.
-
Increase food safety.
Health & Nutrition
Access to nutritious foods and healthcare is paramount to individuals & our rural communities. In the expansive landscapes of our region, these resources are essential cornerstones of health and vitality. Through collaboration and forward-thinking initiatives, we aim to make nutritious foods and healthcare readily accessible to all, fostering healthier lives and communities across the Texas Panhandle through:
-
Support of research and implementation of programs that address food rural health care access
-
Support of research and implementation that address food access & insecurity.
-
Research and development of studies examining food production and distribution costs of dietary staples.