We hear about climate change from the media, but the information can be confusing and politically charged. WSU soil scientist Craig Cogger presented a two-part webinar series to cut through the confusion and understand the science of climate change. View Part 1, What does the science really tell us about past and current climate trends? HERE. View Part 2, Climate models, skepticism, and our response to climate disruption HERE.
Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Columbia River Basin Agriculture through Integrated Crop Systems, Hydrologic, and Water Management Modeling
Rajagopalan, K., K. Chinnayakanahalli, J.C. Adam, C.S. Stockle, R. Nelson, M. Brady, M.E. Barber, S. Dinesh, K. Malek, G. Yorgey, C. Kruger, T. Marsh, and J. Yoder, 2011. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, San Francisco, CA, Dec. 6.
Vegetable crop production and alternative crop development such as edamame, wasabi, bamboo, and organic seed production. Work is targeted for both small-scale and large commercial growers, with emphasis on organic production. Links include new fact sheets and information on grafted vegetables http://vegetables.wsu.edu/graftingVegetables.html .
Stability of anthocyanins in frozen and freeze-dried raspberries during long-term storage: In relation to glass transition
Syamaladevi, R. M., Sablani, S. S., Tang, J., Powers, J. and Swanson, B. G. 2011. Journal of Food Science 76: 414-421.
Galinato, Suzette P., David Granatstein and Mykel R. Taylor. 2011. 2010 Cost Estimates of Establishing and Producing Organic Apples in Washington. Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet FS041E. Excel workbook (enterprise budgets) available http://extecon.wsu.edu/pages/Enterprise_Budgets. Select “apples” for access to the FS041E workbook.
(Recorded Webinar) Andrews, Preston. WSU. 2011.
WSU scientist Lynne Carpenter-Boggs is working with an international group of scientists to help find bean varieties and microbial inoculates that will improve yields on the ancient soils that farms in many parts of Africa must contend with. Dr. Carpenter-Boggs took a Flip camera to Africa and shot some wonderful footage of farms, people and animals.
Galinato, S., J. Yoder and D. Granatstein. 2011. Energy Policy, 39(10):6344-6350.
Burrows, C. 2011. WSU Whatcom County Extension. This article is an update on potential aminopyralid residue in manure, composted manure and silage. Mitigation actions include bioassay tests by composting facilities, outreach and education to prevent export of manure from operations where aminopyralid was applied, and proposed product label changes.
WSU scientists have conducted extensive research on Anaerobic Digestion (AD) as a technology for recovery of methane (energy), stable carbon, and nutrients from organic wastes such as manure, food processing wastes and the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW). Our research has evaluated the technical and economic performance of commercially available systems, developed improved AD reactors, and commercialized WSU patented nutrient recovery technology. This webinar, presented by CSANR director Chad Kruger and CSANR scientist Craig Frear, will provide an update on the latest results from the WSU Climate Friendly Farming Project’s AD research.
Frear, C., W. Liao, T. Ewing, and S. Chen. Clean – Soil, Air, Water 2011,39 (7), 697–704.
Schnepf, C., J. Creighton, A. Grotta, S. Kantor. 2011. Full report available here.
Grotta, A., J. Creighton, C. Schnepf, S. Kantor. 2011.
Creighton, J., C. Schnepf, A. Grotta, S. Kantor. 2011.
Schnepf, C., J. Creighton, A. Grotta, S. Kantor. 2011. Executive summary available here.
Kantor, S., J. Creighton, C. Schnepf, A. Grotta. 2011.
The Northwest Biocarbon Initiative aims to galvanize farmers, foresters, community leaders, and thinkers to demonstrate the essential role that natural systems can play in ensuring long-term climate stability. The Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is part of this collaboration with several of the Northwest’s leading conservation organizations who see this effort as a logical extension of our region’s rich natural resource heritage and our history of groundbreaking innovation and stewardship.
Private forest landowners in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere face the same challenges as public land managers with regard to changing forest conditions. However, little is known regarding the understanding family forest landowners have about climate change and the potential impacts on how they manage their forests. Consequently, the degree to which private landowners are prepared to respond effectively is unknown. To make sure new research and extension programming related to climate change and western forests is as useful as possible for family forest owners, researchers at three universities conducted a needs assessment in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to determine family forest owners’ perceptions, understanding, and educational needs regarding the impact of climate change on their forests. The Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Idaho reports are linked here, as well as an executive summary of the Idaho report.
Smith, T. 1995-1997. This WSU Chelan-Douglas County Extension website summary features results from in-orchard compost trials in North Central Washington. Report includes an overview of compost materials and use in orchards.
Managed grazing update provided by Extension Educator Steve Van Vleet. Sept 2011.
Steury, 2011. Article highlighting CSANR soil research in Washington State Magazine.
Sudermann, 2011. Article highlighting CSANR climate change research in Washington State Magazine.
Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 1: Literature Review of Pyrolysis Reactors
Garcia-Perez, M., T. Lewis, C. Kruger. 2011. Funding for this study is provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology with the intention to address the growing demand for information on the design of advanced pyrolysis units. This is the first of a series of reports exploring the use of biomass thermochemical conversion technologies to sequester carbon and to produce fuels and chemicals.
WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS040E. Yorgey, G., C. Kruger, K. Steward, C. Frear, & N. Mena. August 2011.
Goldberger, J. 2011. Journal of Rural Studies 27(3):288-296.
Biogas potential and microbial population distributions in flushed dairy manure and implications on anaerobic digestion technology
Frear, C., Wang, Z., Li, C., Chen, S., (2011). Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 86:145-152.
July, 2011. Tables of organic cropland acres and county distribution for 2005-2010. Livestock numbers and farmgate sales are not included.
Mullinix, K. and Granatstein, D. 2011. Intl. J. Fruit Sci. 11:74-87.
Research on apple and strawberry by Dr. Preston Andrews, Dr. John Reganold, and Dr. Neil Davies.
An Integrated Pathogen Control, Ammonia and Phosphorus Recovery System for Manure and/or Organic Wastes
Q. Zhao, A. Jiang, L. Yu, C. Frear, and S. Chen. Poster presented June 2011.
Western Rural Development Center’s Rural Connections Newsletter Climate Change issue June 2011 contains three articles written by CSANR faculty and staff members. View the entire issue here (6 MB), or view the individual articles by clicking the titles here: Anaerobic Digestion in the Pacific Northwest; Climate Change and Family Forest Landowners in the Pacific Northwest: Attitudes & Understanding; Climate Change and Agriculture in the Pacific Northwest.
This WSU Master Gardeners website provides information for home gardeners on backyard composting, kitchen waste composting, and livestock manure composting.
This WSU Small Farms Team website provides links to various resources on compost science, operations and equipment, compost tea, and vermicomposting.
WSU operates a full scale composting facility on the Pullman campus to recycle organic waste, while providing teaching and research opportunities.
The WSU Puyallup Research Center faculty have conducted extensive work on compost, manure and biosolids. This website provides information on yard waste and food waste composts, clopyralid, calculating bulk density, nutrient management for organic systems and compost facility operator training events. The site has links to the Compost Mix Calculator the Organic Fertilizer Calculator and Center research publications.
An archive of digital photos of various aspects of agricultural composting and compost use to assist agricultural professionals and others in their education programs. Produced as part of the Compost Education and Resources for Western Agriculture project with funding from the Western SARE Program.
WSU Viticulture and Enology Research and Extension. Contains links to articles, publications and posters.
WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center webpage. Contains links to additional resources and presentations.
An Integrated Pathogen Control, Ammonia and Phosphorus Recovery System for Manure and/or Organic Wastes
C. Frear. May 2011. PowerPoint presentation at 2011 AgSTAR Conference.
Overview of Biomass Pyrolysis Technologies – Historical developments and potential for the production of bio-char, advances fuels and high value chemicals
Recorded webinar (online presentation) from June 1st, 2011 by Manuel Garcia-Perez, PhD; Assistant Professor, Biological Systems Engineering. The reactors used for biomass pyrolysis can be classified into slow and fast pyrolysis. While slow pyrolysis reactors are mainly used to produce charcoal, fast pyrolysis is the technology of choice to maximize bio-oil yields. Yields as high as 80 wt can be obtained with this technology. During the webinar historical developments and potential of pyrolysis technologies for the production of bio-char, advanced fuels and high value chemicals are discussed.
A powerpoint created by Dr. K. Killinger, WSU.
WSU Food Safety website.
Types of mustard for green manures, contacts for WA seed and estimates for mustard acreage by year.
Yoder, J., S. Galinato, D. Granatstein and M. Garcia-Perez. 2011. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(5):1851-1862.
PowerPoint presentation on certified crop and livestock trends.
Hulbert,S., S. Guy, B. Pan, T. Paulitz, B. Schillinger, D. Wysocki, and K. Sowers. 2011. DRAFT Extension Fact Sheet.
Sowers, K., D. Roe, and B. Pan. 2011. Extension Bulletin EM037E.
Three oilseed crop production workshops were held the last week of January 2011 at Okanogan, Reardan and Colfax, Washington. Presenters included regional producers, university researchers, agency personnel, and industry representatives. Attendance surpassed 250 during the three days, indicating a renewed interest in utilizing oilseed crops for rotation benefits, potential economic advantages, high quality meal for livestock, and ‘home-grown’ biodiesel.
Beginning in 2002, organic amendments, cover crops, and soil quality have been investigated in our farming systems experiment. An interdisciplinary team is studying a range of issues important to smale scale, direct-market, and organic agriculture, including nutrient management, soil quality, weed management, economics, marketing, and on-farm research.
(Revised Feb. 7, 2012)
Recorded webinar (online presentation) from Jan 2011 by Craig Cogger, Crop and Soils Scientist and Extension Educator. This seminar discusses research and guidelines on soil amendment choices based on use, nitrogen availability, carbon sequestration potential, handling nutrient imbalances in organic amendments, and an update on herbicide issues in some composts.
Digests and agendas from yearly WSU Extension High Residue Farming under Irrigation workshops in Moses Lake, Washington. 2004 to present.
Andy McGuire, Agricultural Systems Educator WSU Extension. Program website.
WSU Organic Fruit Production website at the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.
A worksheet to facilitate preliminary planning for a biogas plant on a small farm.
With support from USDA Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (Western SARE), CSANR developed a project to explore options for developing improved technology for applications in small farm settings in the US. Resources developed in the project are available on this site.
Bipolar effects of settling time on active biomass retention in anaerobic sequencing batch reactors digesting flushed dairy manure
Z. Wang, J. Ma, S. Chen. Bioresource Technology. Volume 102, Issue 2, January 2011, Pages 697–702.