If you have a hunch that this has been a very dry spring, then we may have some data to back you up. According to Bob Barry, a technician for CAF, "we are having the driest March + April + May since 1930, and, possibly since 1893." The total precipitation for all of March through May was only 1.2 inches; a far bit less than our average 5.3 inches (Figure 1). Figure 1: March, ...
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Pacific Northwest Weather Events and Soil Erosion Trends
At the Palouse Conservation Field Station, located near Pullman, WA, plot studies with treatments that include multiple tillage operations and no residue exhibited large losses of soil and water in surface runoff, whereas direct-seed treatments have shown negligible runoff and erosion. Direct seeding reduces energy costs, loss of precipitation to runoff, and provides off-site ...
Adapting to the Landscape for Research Instead of Altering Your Research for Sampling Methods
(Part 1 of 2) The greater Palouse Region is unique in many ways. The landscapes and average rainfall vary greatly across the area. There are many a day out in the field where one of us will say, “well if it was flat, we could do this…”. Farming in this region does not benefit from any flat fields worth mentioning, and the CAF LTAR site is no exception. Historically, this has p ...
Join our team as a Scientist
We are excited to announce that four Scientist positions are currently being advertised at usajobs.gov. Cropping Systems Agronomist/Ecologist (Research Agronomist/Research Ecologist) The goal of the research, within an interdisciplinary team, is to develop integrated and economically viable cropping systems that mitigate and adapt to climate change, reduce pest infestations, ...