Farmers\u27 Trust in Sources of Production and Climate Information and Their Use of Technology

A regionally representative survey of 900 Inland Pacific Northwest farmers showed that farmers trust other farmers and agribusiness most for production management decisions but trust university Extension most for climate change information. Additionally, in responding to questions about use of the Internet and mobile applications for making farm management decisions, many farmers indicated that they use the Internet daily but mobile applications much less regularly to access farm-related information. These results suggest that university Extension personnel have an important role to play in informing farmers about climate change and can do so effectively by using certain digital tools alongside other more traditional avenues for information delivery

BioEarth: Envisioning and developing a new regional earth system model to inform natural and agricultural resource management

As managers of agricultural and natural resources are confronted with uncertainties in global change impacts, the complexities associated with the interconnected cycling of nitrogen, carbon, and water present daunting management challenges. Existing models provide detailed information on specific sub-systems (e.g., land, air, water, and economics). An increasing awareness of the unintended consequences of management decisions resulting from interconnectedness of these sub-systems, however, necessitates coupled regional earth system models (EaSMs). Decision makers’ needs and priorities can be integrated into the model design and development processes to enhance decision-making relevance and “usability” of EaSMs. BioEarth is a research initiative currently under development with a focus on the U.S. Pacific Northwest region that explores the coupling of multiple stand-alone EaSMs to generate usable information for resource decision-making. Direct engagement between model developers and non-academic stakeholders involved in resource and environmental management decisions throughout the model development process is a critical component of this effort. BioEarth utilizes a bottom-up approach for its land surface model that preserves fine spatial-scale sensitivities and lateral hydrologic connectivity, which makes it unique among many regional EaSMs. This paper describes the BioEarth initiative and highlights opportunities and challenges associated with coupling multiple stand-alone models to generate usable information for agricultural and natural resource decision-making

Nitrogen availability and native plants' nutrient responses in the heath barrens and surrounding forests of the Pocono Plateau, Pennsylvania

The species-rich Pocono heath barrens unexpectedly persist on a similar soil type and moisture\ud regime as adjacent forests. Field and greenhouse experiments evaluated the hypothesis that barrens\ud fragments have persisted despite forty years of fire suppression because the barrens plants alter nitrogen\ud cycling, lowering mineral nitrogen levels and inhibiting invasion by most forest species. A greenhouse\ud test using Carex pensylvanica suggests that there may be less available nitrogen in barrens soil than in\ud forest soil. The difference in available nitrogen seems to be large enough to cause a physiological\ud response in Carex pensylvanica growth, indicating that the difference is biologically significant.\ud However, a bioassay of nitrogen uptake by fine roots of Acer rubrum and Amelanchier spp. suggests that i\ud the few trees growing in the barrens are no more nitrogen stressed than those in the forest. It seems\ud likely that these trees are able to invade the barrens because they are able to tolerate low nitrogen conditions. Because of this trait, Acer rubrum may be a key species in transitions from barrens to forest

Advances in dryland farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is an important wheat production region. In 2015, the National Agricultural Statistics Service indicated that Washington, Idaho, and Oregon harvested more than 240 million bushels of wheat, worth an estimated $1.3 billion. The major areas of production in the inland Pacific Northwest include three major land resource areas with distinctive geologic features and soils as defined by the US Department of Agriculture: the Columbia Basin, the Columbia Plateau, and the Palouse and Nez Perce Prairies, all of which are within the Northwestern Wheat and Range Region. It also includes a small portion of dryland cropping in the North Rocky Mountains major land resource area, adjacent to the eastern edge of the Palouse and Nez Perce Prairies. In the dryland areas, which are the focus of this book, wheat is grown in rotation with crop fallow and much smaller acreages of other small grains, legumes, and alternative crops. In light of ongoing and new challenges being faced by farmers in the region it is an opportune time to synthesize research-based advances in knowledge to support farmer decision-making and improve the long-term productive capacity of farmland in the region. This book should be viewed as a resource that launches further inquiry rather than an end point

Nitrogen availability and native plants\u27 nutrient responses in the heath barrens and surrounding forests of the Pocono Plateau, Pennsylvania

The species-rich Pocono heath barrens unexpectedly persist on a similar soil type and moisture regime as adjacent forests. Field and greenhouse experiments evaluated the hypothesis that barrens fragments have persisted despite forty years of fire suppression because the barrens plants alter nitrogen cycling, lowering mineral nitrogen levels and inhibiting invasion by most forest species. A greenhouse test using Carex pensylvanica suggests that there may be less available nitrogen in barrens soil than in forest soil. The difference in available nitrogen seems to be large enough to cause a physiological response in Carex pensylvanica growth, indicating that the difference is biologically significant. However, a bioassay of nitrogen uptake by fine roots of Acer rubrum and Amelanchier spp. suggests that i the few trees growing in the barrens are no more nitrogen stressed than those in the forest. It seems likely that these trees are able to invade the barrens because they are able to tolerate low nitrogen conditions. Because of this trait, Acer rubrum may be a key species in transitions from barrens to forest

Strip-tillage for onions and sweet corn : Lorin Grigg : Farmer-to-Farmer Case Study Series : Increasing Resilience Among Farmers in the Pacific Northwest

Lorin Grigg grows onions and sweet corn under sprinkler irrigation in Quincy, Washington. In this publication, Grigg discusses his strategy for cover cropping to protect seedlings from windblown sand and reduce wind erosion. This case study is part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Case Study project, which explores innovative approaches regional farmers are using that may increase their resilience in the face of a changing climate

A community-based response to flooding : Jay Gordon : Farmer-to-Farmer Case Study Series : Increasing Resilience Among Farmers in the Pacific Northwest

Jay Gordon is a dairy farmer in Elma, WA, and the director of government relations and policy for the Washington State Dairy Federation. After recent frequent and severe flooding events, he has been working with others in his community to develop a strategy for lessening the impacts of future flooding in their watershed. The importance of active consensus-building, high-quality research partnerships, and having the capacity to support these efforts are key lessons he thinks can help other communities coping with climate change and water-related issues. See the video that introduces Gordon and describes his experience with flooding and helping to organize a response in the Chehalis Valley where he lives and farms. This case study is part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Case Study project, which explores innovative approaches regional farmers are using that may increase their resilience in the face of a changing climate

Approaches to nutrient recovery from dairy manure

To support dairy, dairy-allied industry, and agency knowledge and decision-making, this paper provides an overview of the major nutrient recovery (NR) approaches now emerging or in use for recovery or removal of P, N, K, and other salts from dairy manure, particularly after anaerobic digestion (AD). Technologies, markets, and regulatory frameworks are evolving quickly and, as a result, this paper, its technology evaluations, associated performance, and cost estimates must be considered a time-sensitive snapshot of a changing industry

Guide to biosolids quality

Biosolids are the material produced from digestion of sewage at city wastewater treatment plants. Biosolids may be spread over land for plant fertilization and soil conditioning. This publication summarizes the benefits of land-applied biosolids, describes and discusses major categories of contaminants, and explains what is currently known about emerging contaminants in biosolids. While this publication does not include a comprehensive list of individual contaminants, it does discuss the more relevant classes of contaminants