Grants

Irrigation efficiency is a priority for sustainable orchard management. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is a management strategy that has been shown to conserve water, reduce vegetative growth and pruning costs, reduce leaching of agrochemicals into groundwater, and improve fruit quality attributes. In apple specifically, fruit quality effects of RDI have included reduced fruit size and […]

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 […]

Knowledge of the underlying factors of cider’s sensory characteristics and the techniques for assessment is critical to the consistent production of high-quality end product. Our research-based peer-reviewed guide provides an understanding both the theory and practice of cider evaluation, information that provides a much needed foundation for teaching or studying the principles of cider making. […]

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. […]

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 […]

Raised beds in pumpkin cropping systems are frequently mulched with polyethylene (PE), providing numerous benefits. However, PE mulch has negative environmental consequences since it can remain in the soil for years. Biodegradable plastic mulch films (BDM) that are soil incorporated and biodegraded by microorganisms may present a sustainable alternative. Verticillium dahliae causes Verticillium wilt on […]

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 […]

Warm-season perennial grasses (WSG) native to the American tallgrass prairie have tremendous production potential under irrigation. Central Washington irrigated pastures occupied by cool-season grasses exhibit dramatically slower growth during meteorological summer. Grazing land is a scarce resource in Washington State for which there is high demand. Further, many ranchers’ business growth is limited by unavailability […]

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 […]

The goal of this project was to develop innovative approaches to delivering the Organic & Sustainable Agriculture major (previously known as the “Organic Agriculture Systems” major) at the new WSU Everett campus. This major focuses on sustainable approaches to agriculture, and its initiation at WSU Everett provides opportunities to train competent, sustainability-focused students for agricultural […]