Grains

Grains like wheat, barley, and corn are major crops in Washington, covering some 2.5 million acres in 2012. Grown for both export and domestic use, the food produced from these crops make up the core calories in many people’s diets. Research to better manage pests, soil fertility, and the environmental impact of growing these crops is important to maintain their production in Western, Central and Eastern Washington.

Featured Publications

Farmer-to-Farmer & Rancher-to-Rancher Case Studies Series

Authors include: Yorgey, G., Borrelli, K., Painter, K., Davis, H., Hall, S., Hudson, T., Neibergs, S., Reeves, M., Kruger, C., McGuire A., Finkelnburg, D., Roe, D., Brooks, E., and Kantor, S. 2016-2019. PNW Extension Publications and videos. These series explore strategies that innovative regional farmers and ranchers are using that enhance resilience to climate change and […]

Disease Management for Wheat and Barley (PDF)

Kirby, E., T. Paulitz, T. Murray, K. Schroeder, X. Chen. 2017. Chapter 10 In Yorgey, G. and C. Kruger, eds. Advances in Dryland Production Systems in the Pacific Northwest. Washington State University Extension, Pullman, WA.

Integrating Livestock into Dryland Organic Crop Rotations

Carpenter-Boggs, L., Painter, K., and Wachter, J. Recorded webinar presentation delivered October 22, 2013.  It covers a variety of reasons to integrate livestock into crop rotations, and summarizes past research on the topic. It is directed towards beginning growers interested in diversifying their income and crop rotations, towards educators and Extension workers, and towards a more […]

Dryland Organic Agriculture in the PNW: Meeting Opportunities and Challenges

At the Tilth Producers of Washington Conference in November 2011, WSU hosted a Dryland Organic Agriculture Symposium. The presentations and keynote from that symposium were recorded and are now available for online viewing. This special symposium addressed agronomic and economic issues specific to dryland organic production.  Speakers and attendees came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Also, […]

Additional Publications

Dryland Organic Production

Includes presentations on marketing, general production, and no-till production from two annual workshops.

The Bread Lab – Plant Breeding

The goal of the Plant Breeding program at The Bread Labis to add to the long-term environmental and economic health of farming in western Washington while producing a food crop that is safe and high in nutritional value. The complexities of farming systems in western Washington are acknowledged and nonreductionist approaches are favored.

Profitable Strategies for Transitioning to Organic Grain Production in the Arid West (PDF)

A large-scale field project on transitioning to organic grain (primarily wheat) production in the Palouse region (dryland, annual cropping) was started in 2002. Three years of transition and two years of wheat production have been monitored, with nine different cropping systems. Weed control and fertility have been big challenges. An economic analysis indicates that using […]

Browse all Grain Publications

External Links

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