Special Grants
Aquaculture
The purpose of this initiative is to establish a comprehensive research and outreach program at the Northwest Center for Aquaculture Research and Education jointly operated by Washington State University and the University of Idaho. The program addresses constraints limiting the aquaculture industry in the US Pacific Northwest. Rainbow trout are the particular focus of the initiative. Expansion of aquaculture is limited by the threat of domestic and foreign pathogens, which can close both domestic and foreign markets, and by related issues. Deliverables from this program include tests and vaccines for emerging or foreign fish pathogens, biomarkers indicating optimal fish health, new recirculation technologies for growing trout, and new and safe seafood processing technology for market expansion. The program will educate graduate students, tribal members and industry personnel in areas related to aquaculture. Additionally, the program focuses on making aquaculture environmentally friendly and will foster the expansion of the industry in the Pacific Northwest.
Asparagus Initiative
The advent of various trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Andean Trade Pact have placed the Washington/Oregon and Michigan asparagus industries at a competitive disadvantage in international and domestic markets. Fresh asparagus imports into the U.S. from Peru increased from 8.4 million pounds in 1992 to 65.7 million pounds in 2000. Imports from Peru and Columbia represented over 40% of all asparagus imports into the U.S. in 2000. Half of the current costs of asparagus production, packing, processing, and distribution are composed of labor costs. With NAFTA and the Andean Trade Pact in place, the asparagus industry in the U.S. which provides wages of $9.00 per hour is attempting to compete with the countries where the labor costs are $0.40 to $0.60 per hour. In order for the U.S. asparagus industry is to remain competitive, technology must be substituted for labor and the workforce shifted to value-added employment. Fresh and processed asparagus from other countries such as Mexico in addition to Peru and Colombia has displaced U.S. production both in the domestic and export markets. The present effort will seek ways to keep the U.S. asparagus industry competitive in world and domestic markets.
Barley Gene Mapping
This national barley gene mapping effort is administered by Oregon State University. It was transferred from Washington State University in 1995. The goal of this project is to map genetic attributes of barley and identify economically important agronomic and quality traits that can be incorporated into breeding programs in the Pacific Northwest. All genetic stocks, probes, markers, and data generated by this program are publicly available. Excellent progress is being made.
Central Asia and the Caucasus
The eight countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) are the center of origin for many of the important crops grown in the U.S. (wheat, barley, apples, alfalfa, onions) and some of the intractable weeds found in the western states (tumble weeds, goat grass, and cheat grass). Diversity of plant germplasm, research results, and cropping systems from this region are of extreme importance to U.S. agriculture. Meanwhile, these countries face formidable challenges in their quest to recover from the collapse of the Soviet Union and to become viable independent countries. Past cropping practices have led to serious degradation of natural resources, soil and water quality, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability of crop production. Recent drought conditions have escalated the impact. Deprivation and degradation have created severe humanitarian and environmental concerns and have bred social and political instability. Plagued by dwindling resources and weak infrastructures, the institutions of research, outreach, and education have the desire but not the means needed to build a firm agricultural base for future democratic and economic growth. A safe and abundant food supply is a priority shared by all of these governments. This research supports revitalization of the agricultural research and technology-
transfer sectors and the educational systems that support them in the CAC, while bringing enormous benefit to U.S. farmers and research institutions. A Consortium of land grant universities consisting of Washington State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Nebraska, Kansas State University, Oregon State University, and The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will lead the effort to upgrade skills of agricultural scientists in the region and improve effectiveness of the public-sector research organizations, especially in wheat breeding and cropping systems. The Consortium will also support the formulation of appropriate policies, market infrastructure, and private-sector involvement in agriculture.
Cool Season Food Legumes
The Cool Season Food Legume research program was established in 1991 to improve the efficiency and ultimately the sustainability of the U.S. dry pea, fresh pea, lentil, and chickpea industries. The program involves Federal and State university scientists in cooperative research driven by industry needs. The identification of genetically superior qualities in the breeding program; the management of diseases, nematodes, and insects; the reduction of soil erosion and improvement in water quality; and the development of value-added products and new markets remain the focus of this project. Program scientists are also working to develop legume varieties that produce more biomass than current varieties and legume residues that better resist breakdown and decomposition, so that growers can meet soil conservation requirements. This effort of Washington and Idaho provides national leadership for a crop essential to Pacific Northwest rotation systems.
Developement and Feasibility of Perennial Wheat for Highly Erodable Lands
The loss of soil by wind is a direct cause of lower air quality in urban
areas. Erosion caused by water reduces water quality in streams and
rivers. The EPA Water Quality Inventory Act of 1995 judged agriculture
as the leading source of degradation of wetland water quality and
nutrient pollution in lakes and estuaries. Planting perennial wheat may
offer a viable option in systems designed for stewardship and
sustainability. Perennial wheat is not a new concept, but because of
the value placed on environmental stewardship and reducing soil erosion,
it may be time to research the value of this crop. Perennial wheat
offers the value of constant soil coverage by plant material, resistance
to most pests and diseases as well as providing a potential source of
straw for new fiber products. The overall goal of this research is to
make perennial wheat a viable part of small grains cropping systems,
especially in areas where soil erosion potential is high or where the
Conservation Reserve Program is now used for soil erosion control.
Grass Seed Cropping Systems for a Sustainable Agriculture
Over 90% of the U.S. cool season forage and turfgrass is produced in the Pacific Northwest. The grass seed industry is facing some critical environmental and economic challenges including: public pressure to phase out open-field burning; alleviation of smoke, dust, and chemical trespass from crop production areas; lack of integrated cropping systems; and development of maximum genetic and biological potential. These high-priority research and education needs are being addressed through a sustainable production system, utilizing the research and technology expertise of scientists from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and USDA-ARS with input from industry representatives. Industry and state funds have also been directed toward this project.
Jointed Goatgrass -- A Threat to U.S. Wheat Production
Jointed goatgrass infests nearly 5 million acres of winter wheat in the western U.S., costing wheat growers an estimated $145 million annually. Jointed goatgrass is impossible to control selectively in wheat with current methods because it is genetically related to wheat and has increased rapidly with widespread adoption of conservation tillage systems. The goal of this project is to reduce the impact of jointed goatgrass on wheat production by a multidisciplinary national research effort among State and Federal scientists. Research focuses on strategic approaches to integrated weed management and control, population dynamics (i.e., spread and distribution of the weed and genetic variation), and bioeconomics. All funded work has a technology transfer plan to ensure that wheat growers directly benefit from this program. Projects are funded only after competitive review for scientific merit, grower evaluation, and adherence to project priorities. A comprehensive peer and stakeholder review of the project will be conducted in 1998.
Multistate Potato Variety Development
The National Potato Council is working for a $2,000,000 special grant to support the national potato variety development program. The states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho request $375,000 per state (total $1,125,000 for the tri-state portion of this program). These funds are being requested for research work dedicated to producing new varieties that are resistant to pathogenic diseases, require less pesticides to produce, have desirable marketing characteristics, and offer Northwest growers additional production choices. As a result of the serious incidence of late blight in the Northwest, there is increased need for potato varieties that have resistance. Preliminary screening of a limited number of clones currently in the Northwest Tri-State Variety Development program or Western Coordinating Committee trials indicates the parental material used to originate these materials have resistance to some late blight strains. Additional effort is needed to identify horticulturally acceptable clones with late blight resistance and both early generation and advanced clonal material that have a high level of resistance for use as crossing parents.
Organic Cropping Research and Education for the Northwest
The organic food industry has been growing at a rate of 20-30% for the
past nine years, with a commensurate increase in the land farmed under certified organic management. There is an increased need for research and education on organic farming practices and systems. In Washington, the organic food industry is valued at over $100 million per year. Acreage devoted to organic farming has increased 8-fold since 1993. The Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is developing a comprehensive organic farming research education program for testing the efficacy of organic pest management materials and fertilizers. The following six components comprise the research program for this initiative: development of certified organic experimental land for major crops; organic seed protection and production technology; managing plants and soil underneath trees, vines and berries; organic weed control methods for annual crops; examining the effect of production practices on food quality and testing the efficacy of organic pest management materials and fertilizers.
Pacific Northwest Small Fruit Center
The Northwest Center for Small Fruit Research is a network of Federal (ARS) and State scientists and industry cooperators from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho who identify priorities and conduct a coordinated research program on berry and grape crops. All projects funded by the Center are reviewed both for scientific quality and relevance of research to industry needs. The Center provides a progressive approach to genetics research, plant breeding, pest management, decision-based marketing and packaging, processing methods to improve quality, and production methods directed towards increased quality. The Center fosters the development of a national exchange network for small fruit research. Growers, marketers, consumers, and the environment benefit from the joint efforts of those involved in the Center.
PM-10 Air Quality Study
This is the sixth year request to address wind erosion in Washington state. The initial 5-year project produced outstanding knowledge and information to air-quality agencies, farmers, and urban regions. This initial database must now be exploited to produce region-wide understanding, acceptance, and implementation. The 1990 Clean Air Act mandates monitoring and control of particulates of size 10 microns and smaller. Newer regulations are emphasizing particle size of 2.5 microns. The PM-10 project is responding to this need and collecting data on PM-2.5. More work is needed to develop solutions using these new criteria. Many urban areas, including those located in the Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington, northern Oregon, and the Idaho panhandle, have experienced concentrations of these particulates which exceed Federal standards. In several of these cases, a significant amount of the material has been generated upwind from agricultural fields, entrained in the regional wind patterns, and deposited in urban areas.
This multidisciplinary and multiagency team is examining Columbia Plateau variables impacting wind erosion, air dispersion/transport/deposition modeling, intense simultaneous field measurements of wind erosion and PM-10 emissions, control strategies, and public information dissemination. This program provides benefits not only to growers but also to communities, urban areas, and the environment. This project has generated strong cooperation from universities, state, and Federal environmental protection and resource conservation agencies. Landowners are cooperating with scientists, and data crucial to the understanding of wind erosion is being collected to develop effective control strategies. Past work has developed evidence on the fundamentals of wind erosion and control measures. A manual of Best Management Practices (BMP) is near completion. Future areas of emphasis should include on-farm testing of Best Management Practices, extension and education programs, and implementation of BMPs to achieve reduced wind erosion. A peer review of the PM-10 project was conducted in fall 1997, and the preliminary report was extremely supportive of the project.
STEEP -- Solutions to Environmental and Economic Problems
STEEP is an agricultural/environmental research and education partnership to address production and environmental issues in Pacific Northwest agriculture. The STEEP program features a multidisciplinary, multiagency, and multistate approach to problem solving, with growers highly involved in setting priorities and program direction. STEEP builds upon the successes of previous STEEP efforts and focuses on determining the impact of farming practices on soil, water, and air quality; developing new technologies that improve profitability of conservation farming systems; and accelerating grower evaluation and adoption of improved and profitable conservation systems. The STEEP program provides the nucleus that brings together additional funding from producer organizations, state institutions, federal agencies, and agri-industry for cost-effective research and education efforts that benefit wheat, barley, and pea/lentil producers; the environment; and citizens of the Pacific Northwest. Competitive review of proposals assures high-quality science and selection of projects that address STEEP priorities and regional needs.
An example is the newly established $1.5 million R. J. Cook Endowed Chair provided by the Washington wheat industry to develop improved conservation farming systems. The most recent Direct Seeding Conference, co-sponsored by STEEP, attracted 900 growers from the Pacific Northwest. STEEP is having a tremendous impact on the adoption of conservation farming in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington Agricultural Competitiveness (IMPACT/CINTRAFOR)
This program supports the International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) at WSU and CINTRAFOR at the University of Washington. The WSU IMPACT program receives 57.7% of the funds. The IMPACT Center applies science and technology to determine new export marketing opportunities; solves technical problems (such as diseases, insects, and health and safety regulations) that impede exports; and develops new products, processes, technologies, or strategies for increased agricultural exports. Export opportunities have become crucial to the prices and incomes received by Pacific Northwest farmers and processors and are of major benefit to rural economics and the national balance of payments. IMPACT receives matching State appropriations and private-sector funds for specific projects.
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