As Chairman of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, I am proud to present the 2014
Dryland Field Day Abstracts: Highlights of Research Progress. This publication is intended to
introduce you to the numerous research projects conducted by WSU faculty and USDA-ARS
research scientists working as part of, or in cooperation with, the Department of Crop and Soil
Sciences. To learn more about the Department please visit us on the web at http://
www.css.wsu.edu. There you will find detailed information about faculty members and research
programs in the Department.
Crop and Soil Sciences is growing! We have made new hires in Agricultural Education (Dr. Joey
Blackburn), Soil Microbiology (Dr. Tara Sullivan-Guest), Barley and Alternative Crop Breeding (Dr.
Kevin Murphy), Crop Physiology (Dr. Karen Sanguinet), and Quantitative Genetics (Dr. Zhiwu
Zhang). We are just beginning a search for someone to fill a research and extension position in
soil fertility management. We are excited to have these new faculty members join us in our
efforts to solve the problems facing the agricultural industry.
We are engaged in many research activities of local, regional, and national importance. Our 2014
department-sponsored field days are just one way for us to showcase the latest developments in
our research programs. This publication is also an opportunity to thank the sponsors of this
research, namely the wheat, barley, legume, and alternative crop growers of the State of
Washington and the related agricultural industries that support them. Your generous
contributions have allowed us to develop an extraordinarily strong research and extension base
that produces competitive plant varieties to meet your specific needs and provides practical
solutions to your agronomic challenges