Joe Luck, associate professor of biological systems engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been tapped to serve as the associate director at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead.

Luck, whose new position took effect March 1, joined UNL’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering in April 2012. In addition to his new half-time role with ENREEC, he serves as associate professor and Extension specialist for precision agriculture.

His responsibilities include developing Extension and research programs regarding the application of precision agriculture technologies in crop production. He also formerly taught a course on precision agriculture.  

Luck’s current research and Extension efforts are focused on demonstrating agricultural data management strategies and technology applications for improving crop production efficiency. He works closely with interdisciplinary teams to evaluate technologies — including crop canopy sensors for nitrogen application, advanced pesticide application systems, and other field application systems.

“I am excited to have Dr. Luck join the ENREEC team in this new capacity and look forward to continuing to expand our efforts in research, Extension and education at the center, including those in precision agriculture,” says Doug Zalesky, ENREEC director.

In 2020, Luck received the Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award for Young Scientists from the International Society of Precision Agriculture. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Kentucky. He was raised on a family farm in western Kentucky that produced corn and soybeans and included a small cattle operation. 

ENREEC is 9,663-acre research and education facility of the Agricultural Research Division of UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. About half of the land base is in row crops, and half of those row crops are irrigated.

The other half of the site is seeded to predominantly cool- and warm-season pastures. More than 6,000 domestic farm animals used for research and teaching reside on-site as well. The scope and diversity of ongoing research projects at this location make the site one of the most unique research facilities in the U.S. 

For more information, visit extension.unl.edu/statewide/enre/enrec.

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