Food & Agriculture

WSU research explores the pros and cons of pumpkin production on biodegradable mulch, a practice that puts less plastic waste in the landfill.

WSU scientists have developed a way to triple the shelf life of ready-to-eat macaroni and cheese, a development that could have benefits for everything from space travel to military use.

New research shows large wine challenges tend to favor wines with high ethanol and sugar levels. Flavors often associated with sweetness also increase the chances of winning top prizes.

AgWeatherNet is partnering with Mount Vernon researchers to better serve the expanding small fruit, dairy, vegetable seed, tulip, and potato industries.

WSU’s Charles Edwards has devised a new treatment for Brettanomyces bruxellensis (“Brett” for short)—a barrel-dwelling spoilage yeast that can taint wine, often imparting undesirable aromas and flavors.

The first-of-its-kind development is expected to make it easier to find treatments for a disease that has destroyed millions of acres of orange, grapefruit and lemon groves around the world.

The tour will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19 on the farm, located on Animal Science Road behind the WSU Bear Research, Education and Conservation Center in Pullman.

To make room for planned commercial development on the edge of the Pullman campus, WSU’s turfgrass farm is getting a new home where researchers will work at ways to grow more grass with fewer seeds and breed varieties that are more resistant to drought.

Not only is Ryan expected to dominate spring wheat acreage this year, WSU scientists say it could transform the market for wheat growers and their customers, here and abroad.

The Fellow designation recognizes the impact both Marsh and McCluskey have had in the field of agricultural, resource, and environmental economics.

An elementary school in the Mount Vernon School District received a $25,000 grant to start a robotics gardening program with the help of WSU Extension.

The new system could not only be a vital irrigation option for growers in arid south central Washington, but it could have broader, more global application as well.

In a scientific first, WSU researchers have found that tomato spotted wilt virus, part of a group called tospoviruses, may be able to sense light and respond to plant growth hormones.

WSU’s growing collaboration with Germany’s interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences is adding a global perspective to the University’s work to advance agricultural science and develop sustainable methods of food production.

Of the 10 raspberry varieties that Puyallup-based small fruit breeder Patrick Moore has released in his 31 years at WSU, “this is one of the best,” he said.

Two scientists at WSU are launching new research this spring into better plant defenses based on genes and vaccines.