Shaping the Future of Buckwheat in Western Washington Agroecosystems: Progress Report 2021

This progress report documents baseline evaluation of commercial and experimental buckwheat lines for agronomic and agroecological performance in western Washington. Field trials were conducted at Viva Farms in Burlington and the Organic Seed Alliance Washington Research Farm in Chimacum using a randomized complete block design. Six entries were evaluated, including commercial varieties and experimental breeding lines.

Traits measured included canopy transmissivity, days to flowering, cyme density, maturity, lodging, aboveground biomass, and seed yield. Preliminary results showed variation in flowering time and yield across lines, with KIS Doris yielding highest at Viva Farms, while yields were low and not significantly different at the Chimacum site. No significant differences were observed in canopy transmissivity among lines.

Producer engagement included conference presentations, virtual field days, and undergraduate internship training. Results provide early insight into tradeoffs between agronomic performance and ecological function and will guide future breeding and adoption decisions for buckwheat in western Washington rotations.