Soil Carbon Research

 Crop farmers…you may have to think about putting something else into your rotation in the future...carbon management. I’m David Sparks and I’ll be back with that story after this important message. Scientists at Oregon State University, the University of Idaho and Washington State University want to take a long-term look at dryland agriculture and ways to sustain it in the Northwest's interior by establishing a single coordinated project to share expertise, research sites and computing power available from the three institutions.

 The research would study farming's effects on soil carbon and soil management that may be affected by climate change and other factors. To map out a long term agricultural project focused on non-irrigated wheat and other cereal crops, the team received a US Department of Agriculture grant for $200,000. Dr. Sanford Eigenbrode, professor and chair of entomology, University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences expands on the project: “It’ long been a concern that our soils were subjected to large risks for erosion and more directly, lately, a focus on the soil organic carbon as a key aspect of that resource.”  No-till farming is prominent in the research. If approved, the plan would lead to a multi-million dollar, decade-long project that would begin in about two years.