There are many soil health benefits of applying high rates of organic amendments. For example, a recent meta-analysis found adding organic amendments increased soil organic matter across multiple studies by an average of 29% in croplands and 34% in grasslands (Figure 1 below, Beillouin et al., 2023). This is the power of winning a pyramid scheme. What the studies don’t consider, however, is what happens to the losers of a pyramid scheme. What do I mean by all this? With organic amendments, all of it had to grow somewhere.

Compost is used as a nutrient source as well as soil conditioner with a number of noted benefits in agricultural production systems. Compost application improves soil structure, soil moisture retention and builds up soil organic matter (Doran, 1996). Compost application has also been shown to activate soil microbial communities that help in nutrient cycling. Past studies have reported that compost helps improve soil water infiltration and binds the soil particles, helping reduce erodibility (Nigusse et al., 2015).

Roots of Resilience, in collaboration with Lazy R Ranch, is proud to announce a comprehensive workshop, “Tame the Flames,” aimed at educating and demonstrating effective wildfire management strategies through grazing and forestry practices. Scheduled for June 22-23, this event will gather experts and stakeholders to share insights, strategies, and practical demonstrations on wildfire management.

BIOAg, the Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture Program, is a flagship CSANR program that drives a large portion of our core mission- to engage WSU faculty with research that facilitates solutions for the sustainability of Washington’s agriculture.

Did you know that CSANR supports the Washington Professional Development Program through Western SARE? The goal of our professional development program is to help WSU Extension, CDs, NRCS, and other agency personnel to gain knowledge and skills that will help them serve their constituents in these areas to promote the health of Washington’s people, land, […]

More soil tests and data are available to farmers than ever. While this can be empowering, it can also be confusing. New information on soil chemistry, biology, and physics can sometimes be difficult to translate into action. In this webinar series hosted by the Washington Soil Health Initiative, they highlight projects across Washington that are using soil data to inform real, on-farm management decisions. 

WSU, the Northwest Horticultural Council, and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, and Washington State Tree Fruit Association have partnered to develop a life cycle assessment (LCA) for apple production based on conditions experienced in the Pacific Northwest. To accurately understand production practices and generate data for this LCA, the research team is requesting that apple production professionals complete this survey regarding production practices and orchard infrastructure.

The Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative, hosted at the UW Climate Impacts Group, is excited to launch our first-ever Science Justice Summer School. This two-week program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will dive into a range of justice-related topics through lectures, discussion groups and more. 

Interested in learning more about whether carbon markets could provide additional revenue for your farm?  Join Washington State University and the University of Idaho for The “Green” Gold Rush: Opportunities and Risks of Carbon Markets for Washington Dairies, Digesters and Beyond.

In February 2024, SoilCon returns — with a different look — including a series of engaging events to advance soil health practices and knowledge. Over the past three years, SoilCon has been an incredible free resource for agricultural professionals to learn science-based soil health information, and this year promises to deliver even more valuable insights