With increasing fertilizer and fuel costs, producers are increasingly keen to improve on-farm nutrient cycling through biologically intensive methods. Currently, poor plant-soil-microbe interactions do not support healthy nutrient flow, which limits crop yield and favors fertilizer-dependent farming. Slow residue breakdown also inhibits direct seeding adoption and adherence since heavy residue at seeding time impedes direct […]
Improving the sustainability of agriculture requires a wide range of research from the basic to the applied, from molecular to whole organism, and from field to system level. In-field studies are irreplaceable for gaining knowledge of best practices, varieties, rotations, crop mixtures, and other factors that will make real differences in agricultural productivity and environmental […]
The online agricultural carbon calculator, OFoot, provides a user-friendly interface suitable for not just researchers, but also producers and students, to estimate whole farm carbon footprints. OFoot continues to be a key component to many research, extension, and educational efforts. New planned projects require the tool to be stable, easily maintained, and have good performance. […]
Dryland wheat-fallow producers have begun switching to a direct seed tillage system for soil health benefits such as reduced runoff, increased water infiltration, increased consistency of crop stands, more and longer period of surface cover from crop residue, better soil moisture, and fewer dust clouds at planting time. However, this practice often requires increased pesticide […]
Grazing cattle may be managed in such a way to improve the productive capacity and/or health of the land that supports them. This study assessed and continues to assess the soil health and productivity of a certified organic ranch pasture under a variety of grazing and fertility treatments. Two different strategies of planned grazing management […]
Soil acidification is a growing challenge in Washington’s agricultural soils due to long term application of ammonia-based fertilizers. Acidic soil is detrimental to legume-rhizobia symbioses and nitrogen fixation. We seek to find acid tolerant and effective strains of Mesorhizobium spp. and Rhizobium leguminosarum, which associate with chickpeas and dry peas/lentils, respectively. The ultimate mission of […]
Farmland in urban-influenced regions produces the majority of vegetables and fruits grown in the U.S., yet rural-urban interface (RUI) farms are threatened by development pressure, climate change, economic conditions, and infrastructure loss (American Farmland Trust, 2007). Developing innovative marketing relationships and strategic policy alliances with urban consumers can potentially enhance RUI farm viability. Community-led food […]
This proposal addresses the BIOAg priority area: Breeding, varietal selection, management practices, processing, or marketing practices to increase food quality, nutrition, safety, or access. Arsenic contaminates soil and water in many areas around the world. Fruit growing areas of Washington are contaminated from lead arsenate use as an insecticide. Other regions have natural deposits or […]
Organic agriculture uses tillage for several purposes including incorporation of organic inputs. Tillage also speeds oxidation of inputs and soil organic carbon (SOC). In order to understand and model the potential of organic inputs to change total SOC, we need to better characterize the effect of tillage on the simultaneous mineralization and oxidation of inputs […]
This research addresses primary constraints on organic dryland grain production in Eastern Washington by developing conservation tillage practices for organic systems, N supply data for grain crops after forages, methods of establishing organic crops, alternative forages, and economic comparisons of mixed crop-livestock systems versus other alternatives. Integration of crops with livestock provides nutrient cycling, and […]