Deirdre Griffin LaHue
Incentive programs to promote climate mitigation and soil health often resort to incentivizing practice adoption and crudely estimated benefits, rather than the actual soil carbon accrual. A transition to incentivizing the benefit itself, aligned with the principles of true cost accounting, is critical.
Buckwheat is a common summer cover crop in western Washington (WWA) that provides exceptional weed suppression and pollinator support to crop rotations. However, buckwheat is rarely grown to seed in WWA due to lack of access to high performing and characterized varieties. Release of high-yielding public varieties could transform the value of buckwheat in rotation, […]
Tillage is a crucial stage in annual agricultural systems that terminates overwintering vegetation, incorporates plant residues, and prepares the soil for crops. These activities degrade soil health and impact indicators such as soil microbial biomass, organic matter, and aggregate stability. Weed populations are also influenced by tillage as seed and vegetative parts are horizontally and […]