GILLILAN AG RESEARCH
GLP & REGULATORY TRIALS
Gillilan Ag Research is uniquely positioned geographically to offer field testing in 3 EPA regions as described in OPPTS 860.1500. The physical address of the primary test location falls within the boundaries of Region 4, with the Region 5 border (KY/TN state line) less than 10 miles away, and the Region 2 border (I-65) 22 miles east of the farm.
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Gillilan Ag Research employs both in-house QA and contract QA services, depending on workloads and project-specific needs.
Trial Types
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✔ MOR/RAC
✔ Decline
✔ Processing
✔ Soil dissipation
Test Systems
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✔ Field and sweet corn
✔ Soybeans
✔ Wheat
✔ Tobacco
✔ Hemp
✔ Vegetable crops
EFFICACY & PERFORMACE TRIALS
✔ Herbicide testing and crop safety
✔ Insecticide and fungicide testing
✔ Adjuvant screening within any discipline
✔ Fertility/PGR/Biostimulants
✔ Seed Treatments and In-furrow
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✔ Spray Drift and deposition
✔ Turf
✔ Soil amendments
✔ Variety performance with 2 locations available
Crops
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✔ Field & sweet corn
✔ Soybeans
✔ Wheat & other small grains
✔ Tobacco
✔ Turf (warm & cool seasons)
✔ Pasture
✔ Hemp
✔ Vegetable crops
Weeds​​
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GR horseweed, GR Palmer amaranth, G-Susceptible amaranthus spp., velvetleaf, ragweed, morning glory spp., cocklebur, horse nettle, Johnsongrass, fall panicum, goosegrass, crabgrass, Poa, henbit, chickweed, and wild buttercup.
Diseases​​
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Gray leaf spot, SDS (Sudden Death Syndrome), Cercospora frogeye leaf spot, downy and powdery mildew, and root rot diseases (Fusarium, Pythium, Rhizoctonia). Inoculation of some diseases available.
Insects​​
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Armyworms, corn rootworm (artificial populations recommended), cutworm, tobacco budworm, stink bug spp., soybean loopers, aphids (including sugarcane aphid), thrips, and leaf hoppers.
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​*Many of these species can be artificially introduced to create a high-pressure environment for testing purposes)
MEET US
Jo
Owner and Principle Field Investigator
Jo Gillilan is a product development professional with 19 years of experience as a research scientist in the agriculture and turf/hort industry. Growing up on a tobacco farm in middle TN, and shadowing her father who is an agronomist, Jo was inspired early on to pursue her own career in research agriculture.
In 2004, Jo completed her M.S. degree at the University of KY. There, she studied the effects of poultry litter as a nutrient source for tobacco production, and the quality effects of secondary and micronutrients on leaf quality. Afterwards, Jo began working as a field biologist for Scotts Miracle-Gro R&D in Marysville, OH. During her employment at Scotts MG, she led projects in many product categories including turf and horticulture fertilizers, growing media, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Jo seized the opportunity to return to school in 2009 as a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University when approached by her employer with an offer of sponsorship. Her research objectives involved an herbicide and insecticide screening methodology for EPA 25b minimum risk pesticides with surfactant systems. Her dual role as Scotts R&D scientist and OSU Ph.D. student lasted for three years, and culminated in a patent application for discovering a synergistic pesticidal effect between select plant essential oils and short to medium chain length fatty acids.
In 2013, Jo made a career change and accepted a research manager role with Winfield United’s Product Development Team. This move brought Jo back home to Springfield, TN, where she led field research projects in the southern half of the U.S. across all product categories. The role with Winfield United greatly expanded her professional network by representing the company at NAICC and working with many CRO’s across the south. Jo left her industry job in late 2018, and in 2019, Gillilan Ag Research was formed. She has been conducting field research at her three current TN locations for the past 9 years.
Laura
Research Technician
Laura Greene is a research technician and joined Gillilan Ag Research in 2018. Her responsibilities include trial layout and assistance with applications, sampling and field maintenance tasks. Laura has over twenty years of experience working on the family farm in various roles.
John
Maintenance and Operations Lead
John Gillilan oversees facility improvements, customizing equipment for specific trial needs and operation of heavy equipment. In addition to maintenance activities, John assists during critical events such as planting, making applications, collecting samples and crop destruct.
Laura
Research Technician
Laura Greene is a research technician and joined Gillilan Ag Research in 2018. Her responsibilities include trial layout and assistance with applications, sampling and field maintenance tasks. Laura has over twenty years of experience working on the family farm in various roles.
John
Maintenance and Operations Lead
John Gillilan oversees facility improvements, customizing equipment for specific trial needs and operation of heavy equipment. In addition to maintenance activities, John assists during critical events such as planting, making applications, collecting samples and crop destruct.
Buddy
Buddy Bourne is the QA for GLP studies. Buddy has farmed tobacco and row crops for over 45 years in TN. He also has over 15 years of experience as an industry tobacco agronomist and private consultant. Buddy has held other jobs within the tobacco industry during his career including tobacco buyer and seed salesperson. Buddy has worked closely with the USDA Soil Conservation group in Robertson Co, TN for many years, hosting field days and collaborating with them on cover crops, carbon sequestration and other agronomic practices such as no-till and conservation tillage practices in row crops and tobacco. In addition to his QA duties, Buddy is an excellent source of overall agronomic expertise for Gillilan Ag Research.
