2017 27.1 Research Shared at Conference
During the Tilth Conference in November, researchers had a chance to share some of their latest projects and new results as part of the Saturday afternoon poster session. For many of the graduate students who attended, the poster session was also a chance to network both with each other and with
other conference-goers. Here are some of the topics that were covered:
Biological Suppression of Human Pathogens in Organic Mixed Vegetables
Researchers from the WSU Entomology Department shared the results of a study that looked at the effectiveness of dung beetles at consuming pig manure applied to mixed-vegetable fields. The activity of dung beetles may help to reduce the presence of disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli. The researchers conducted their study at commercial vegetable farms up and down the west coast, and found that farms with the greatest diversity of dung beetle species also tend to have the highest rates of manure removal by the beetles, meaning that biodiversity may boost natural suppression of human pathogens. Learn more about this and other projects at the research group’s website: entomology.wsu.edu/billsnyder/research/
Poster authors: Matthew Jones, Thomas Besser, David Headrick, Jonathan Reganold, Bill Snyder
Alternative Management Practices for Plant Parasitic nematodes in Pacific Northwest Raspberry Production
Rachel Rudolph, a PhD candidate from the WSU Horticulture Department, shared the results of a study examining cover crops as an alternative to repeated cultivation for managing root lesion nematodes in PNW raspberry fields. Learn more at: smallfruits.wsu.edu/
Poster authors: Rachel Rudolph, Inga Zasada, Lisa DeVetter
Dairy-Cropsyst: A Gaseous Emission and Nutrient Fate Modeling Tool
Researchers from WSU Biological Systems Engineering presented the recently developed tool “Dairy-CropSyst,” which can assist managers of large dairy feeding operations in evaluating the effects of manure handling strategies on greenhouse gas emissions and crop-available nutrients. Want to know more? Watch this webinar: csanr.wsu.edu/webinars/anaerobic-digestion/signup/apr20/
Poster authors: T. Khalil, C. Stöckle, B. Carlson, N. Uslar-Valle, C. Frear, R. Nelson, J. Ma
Induction of Defenses in Dormant Wild Oat and Wheat by a Seed-Pathogenic Fungus
Matt James from the WSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences described a study that uses wheat and wild oats to understand how dormant seeds sense and defend against pathogens in the soil. A recent research article on the subject can be found here: journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2014.00689/full
Poster authors: Matt James, E. Patrick Fuerst, Patricia Okubara, Craig Morris
Sarah Collier, Tilth Alliance Farm Program Education Manager
