Professor Emeritus Dwayne L. Beck is the former Research Manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, South Dakota.  He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Northern State University in 1975 and a Ph.D. in Agronomy from South Dakota State University in 1983. Prior to the beginning of DLRF in 1990, he was the Research Manager at James Valley Research Center at SDSU.  He formally retired as DLRF manager in February of 2022 but remains active in the effort. 

Dr. Beck's emphasis is on designing no-till systems for irrigated and dryland areas in arid and semi-arid ecosystems in North America and elsewhere. His primary achievements deal with the development of programs that have allowed producers to profitably adopt no-till techniques in large portions of the great plains and prairies. Primary in this effort was the identification of the extremely important role played by crop rotation in minimizing weed, disease, and insect problems while increasing potential profitability.

The Dakota Lakes Research Farm consists of 1,320 acres of land in three parcels representing the major soil types in the region.  About 250 acres is irrigated. The entire operation is managed using no-till techniques. Dr. Beck was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Dakota Lakes Research Farm Corporation is a not-for-profit corporation (501 C3) that owns the land and fixed facility used to perform this research.  It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of active farmers.   Research is performed by scientists from South Dakota State University, USDA-ARS, and other appropriate institutions.  Over 2,000 visitors tour the station each year.

Learn more at www.dakotalakes.com.