Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources

Inspired solutions for the future of agriculture and the environment

CSANR invests in new research and partnerships to create systems-level solutions for Washington agriculture. We work alongside producers, agencies, and researchers to turn small investments into big results.

The Brix Question

High Brix doesn’t guarantee pest-free plants. CSANR’s Andrew McGuire examines the evidence—or lack thereof—behind a popular theory linking Brix, plant health, and insect pressure.

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Verle Kaiser Conservation Endowment

Get up to $5,000 for education and outreach activities that promote and demonstrate practices to reduce soil erosion in the Palouse and Inland Empire. Proposal screening begins November 2.

Access call for proposals

News & announcements

Putting Peaola to the Test

July 30, 2026

Lauren Stubbs is studying pea-canola intercropping to improve soil health and farm sustainability.

Forecast from State, WSU Shows Potential Risks to Water Supplies

July 7, 2026

Draft 2026 Columbia River Forecast is open for public comment through July.

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Hidden Field

Resources

CSANR offers tools, professional development, funding, and other opportunities to researchers, educators, producers, and professionals in agriculture and natural resources.

Kaiser Conservation Endowment

Educators and conservation professionals can apply for up to $5000 to teach soil conservation in the Palouse.

Search Products

Explore a database of CSANR’s publications, videos, and other products.

Practical Adaptation for Specialty Crops

Extension professionals can apply for a week-long course on farming with increasing weather viability.

Publications Library Archive

Find archived CSANR publications from decades of research.

An Online Toolbox for Understanding and Communicating AI in Sustainable Agriculture

An 11-video lecture series on agriculture and AI designed for agricultural professionals.

Dairy Roadmap

Strategies to help dairies lower emissions and strengthen environmental stewardship statewide.

Perspectives

Unraveling the Brix-Insect Story

August 26, 2026

Andrew McGuire examines the limited evidence behind claims that high leaf-sap Brix protects crops from insect pests.

Dominant Factors: What Actually Builds Soil Organic Matter

June 10, 2026

Organic and conventional systems can build soil when their practices support the dominant drivers of organic matter.

Why Soil Inoculants Fail

March 16, 2026

Research shows why most soil inoculants struggle to establish in field soils and rarely deliver consistent crop benefits.