Genetic Map Should Speed Development of Snow Mold-Resistant Wheat A blanket of snow protects winter wheat from freezing, but heavy snow cover for too long on unfrozen ground can lead to a disease problem that farmers don’t want: snow mold. Snow mold is a fungus-caused disease of wheat and other grasses, including lawns. When severe, […]
AgWeatherNet Hits the Palouse The Washington State University AgWeatherNet team recently installed a weather station at WSU’s Spillman Agronomy Farm located two miles southeast of Pullman. The station is equipped with sensors for monitoring and recording air temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, solar radiation, leaf wetness, soil temperature and moisture at a depth […]
Neither Rain nor Heat As consumers, it’s easy to take for granted the perfectly shaped and colored produce we purchase in supermarkets. But food growers face a plethora of issues that threaten the profitability of their operations. For tree fruit growers, too much sun or too much rain can spell disaster. The sun’s radiant energy […]
Future Fuel of Champions? Washington’s wheat growers help feed the world. If WSU’s Kulvinder Gill gets his way, they may also help fuel your car. Gill holds the O.A. Vogel Chair in Wheat Breeding and Genetics. Researchers think that Washington’s waste biomass, including wheat straw, could potentially supply 20 to 30 percent of the state’s […]
Helpful Bugs Take a Bite Out of Invasive Weeds No matter where you live in Washington State, there are invasive weeds that plague the land, from the smallest of backyards to the largest of farm acreage. A great deal of research is looking at alternative ways to control weeds, rather than using chemical sprays that […]
Happy Holidays! We’re breaking out our snowshoes and heading for the four corners of the compass over the next couple of weeks. We’ll return to our computers and our regular publishing schedule with the January 9 issue. From all of us at On Solid Ground, happy holidays! On Solid Ground is a weekly, electronic newsletter […]
Wake of the Flood As the waters rose, WSU Extension extended a hand to those in need. Once they dug themselves out of the mud, extension educators in affected counties aided residents, farmers and ranchers with practical flood-recovery advice. We’ve assembled some of the collective wisdom and experience of extension personnel and others on a […]
Feeling Snacky? Try Legumes From crisp bits to tubular puffs, WSU researchers in collaboration with Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed crunchy, great-tasting snacks made with legumes. The tasty edibles, made from garbanzos, lentils, dry peas and beans are also good for you. WSU’s biological systems engineering scientist Juming Tang and food scientist Barry Swanson, […]
Economic Outlook Conference Energy and agriculture will be the focus of the first annual Washington State University Economic Issues and Outlook Conference scheduled Dec. 6-7 at the Red Lion Inn at Pasco. “The agriculture and energy sectors are operating in unprecedented economic conditions and experiencing record commodity prices,” said Tom Marsh, associate professor in WSU’s […]
Cattle Boot Camp Coming to WSU The American Angus Association announced Monday that, in collaboration with the Angus Foundation and WSU, the association will conduct a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp in Washington state in January 2008. The Boot Camp is open to all cattle producers and will offer an overview of the various segments of the […]