Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are non-toxic nanomaterials derived from plant cellulose, which is the most abundant, renewable biomass found in nature. Recently, CNFs were shown to effectively reduce the severity of Asian soybean rust, generating much attention for agricultural use. To investigate the potential application of CNFs for field crops including potatoes, this proposed project will […]
Pear IPM programs focusing on selective pesticides and cultural controls are demonstrated to effectively manage the most challenging pest, pear psylla, better than conventional programs relying on broad-spectrum insecticides. IPM programs are also less expensive, safer for workers, and more environmentally responsible. Washington pear growers spray 10-15 broad-spectrum insecticides per season, costing around $1500/acre while […]
Agricultural intensification to meet the food needs of an increasing global population has placed tremendous pressure on our ability to maintain the health and quality of our soils. More holistic agricultural systems that encourage sustainable waste management and reuse are urgently needed to protect soil health and its roles in food production and security. Vermicompost […]
X-disease, colloquially referred to as “little cherry disease” is the key threat to Pacific Northwest cherry production and the only management options are tree removal and control of leafhoppers that vector the phytoplasma pathogen. With little natural enemy knowledge, vector control focuses only on chemical controls, suspending integrated management principles. Here, we propose using primers […]
Winter pea could be a transformative crop in Washington due to high yields, tolerance for a wide range of conditions, and potential to provide income stability for farmers. In contrast to spring peas, winter peas have higher nutrition and can grow in more severe environments. Yet, although acreage of winter peas is growing rapidly, there […]
State-wide mapping of soil-health indicators and related agricultural practices is key to tracking our progress towards improving sustainability of agriculture. While this information and low-cost platforms to gather this information for large areas are currently lacking, there have been some recent successes such as satelliteimagery based tillage class mapping for the United States Corn Belt. […]
Sustainable agriculture in Washington State drives to be economically viable while being environmentally responsible through improvements made to both on- and off-farm practices. Effective and efficient monitoring programs are an essential piece of policy implementation and adaptive management for sustainability. In our previous BioAg research, we hypothesized that remotely sensed data are underutilized in these […]
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, […]
Codling moth is the key pest in Washington apples, a $2 billion industry. WSU research suggests that reducing insecticide rates by 90% in conventional farms can provide control equivalent to full rates by improving predator conservation that supplements chemical control. However, fears of promoting insecticide resistance has prevented industry adoption. In organic blocks, codling moth […]
The organic agriculture sector in Washington achieved an estimated $776 million in farm-gate sales in 2019. Regular, accurate statistical data on this sector are not available from the standard government sources, thus WSU has been compiling data continuously since 2004. Growers, processors, consultants, businesses and others in the organic sector need solid data upon which […]