Soils & Fertility

Forage production is the largest agricultural land use in western Washington supporting a diverse livestock industry. Poor grazing management and repeated hay removal, without amendment contribute to reduced productivity, encroachment of weeds, erosion, and inadequate forage quality to support animal health. This integrated research and extension project will address the WSU Sustaining Resources Grand Challenge. […]

Soil erosion is the first order measure of agricultural soil sustainability. Clear economic incentives and accounting of public and private true cost are needed to identify pathways from conventional to transformational, biologically intensive management. Erosion occurs disproportionately from critical source areas, but the spatial distribution and temporal variability in erosion mechanisms are not well characterized. […]

It’s our Future that’s at stake” was the rallying cry of tens of thousands of students in cities nationwide just a few days ago as they coordinated a global climate strike. The youth of the world are worried, and rightly so, regarding the future of our planet.  This is why targeting elementary-age students with a […]

Our proposed work directly addresses the Sustaining Health Grand Challenge through the initiation of the first collaborative study between CAHNRS and ESFCOM, utilizing our Soil to Society research pipeline: including plant breeding and varietal development for nutritional characteristics and evaluating effectiveness in improving human health and well-being. Novel barley varieties high in the soluble fiber […]

Weeds cause extensive loss in agricultural production and are particularly damaging in organic systems. Control generally relies on mechanical cultivation which reduces soil carbon, decimates soil fauna, and increases erosion potential. Cover cropping, a biologically intensive practice, can be an effective tool to reduce weed pressure and improve soil quality, but it also introduces new […]

In order to feed 9 billion people by the year 2050 current agricultural systems will need major increases in water, nutrient, and land use efficiencies. The monoculture production systems currently prevalent in developed countries will no longer be able to adequately support the population. Intensified agriculture will be required to replace and augment current production […]

Washington State is the number one producer of processed red raspberries in the nation. Raspberry growers in Whatcom County rely on dairy manure as a ready source to improve soil health prior to planting. Soil is a dynamic entity harboring billions of microorganisms and plays a crucial role in plant production. The microbial quality of […]

Soil acidification is a significant issue faced by agriculture in Eastern Washington. Acidification increases concentration of exchangeable aluminum (Al) in soil and reduces nutrient availability leading to reduced plant vigor, greater disease incidence, and reduced yield. Liming is the recommended remedy, but economic feasibility is questionable due to its high cost and limited supply of […]

Quantification of  weed seedbanks is essential for the evaluation and improvement of integrated weed management systems by farmers and integral in the Sustaining Resources Grand Challenge. Currently, weed scientists filter seed from the soil and count them – a hopelessly time consuming process that cannot be scaled or used by farmers. If farmers could quantify […]

We have identified a gene from Sinorhizobium medicae that substantially increases nodulation of Sinorhizobium meliloti on barrel medic and Rhizobium leguminosarum on pea and increases biomass of nodulated barrel medic by ~40%.  The glx gene appears to work by overcoming plant-mediated inhibition of nodule formation and is the first gene we know of with this […]