Soil Sciences

Hoophouses give WSU organic farm an early launch

By Scott Weybright, CAHNRS Communications PULLMAN, Wash. — When you’re a teaching farm at a university, the winter and early spring months require creativity and innovation. “There just isn’t much for students to do in the fields in the spring semester,” said Brad Jaeckel, manager of the Washington State University’s Eggert Family Organic Farm. “So […]

Nov. 19: Workshop on making, applying great compost

CARNATION, Wash. – The benefits of compost are well known, but making and using it well takes some know-how and planning. A Washington State University Extension compost workshop will be 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 19, at Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center, 10819 Carnation-Duvall Rd. NE, Carnation.

Sept. 22-24: Public invited to help plan for sea level rise

By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences SEATTLE – Community workshops to design a “blue greenway” to help the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods adapt to rising tides associated with climate change will be held Sept. 22-24 at Seattle Community College’s Georgetown campus in C222.

A win-win for farmers and slowing climate change

By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – Climate change is already transforming agriculture in Washington. To help farmers deal with climate change, Bill Pan, a Washington State University professor of crop and soil sciences, is talking to them about ways to both adapt to changes and slow them down.

Hope for saving salmon lies in reducing stormwater pollution

SEATTLE, Wash. – Salmon exposed to toxic stormwater can die in a matter of hours. But preliminary new findings by Washington State University researchers suggest that bioretention systems, such as rain gardens, that filter out contaminants from stormwater runoff are key for preventing lethal impacts on fish.

Scientists publish case study for growing food on Mars

By Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University and the University of Idaho are helping students figure out how to farm on Mars, much like astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, attempts in the critically acclaimed movie “The Martian.”