Chair’s Message:IN THIS ISSUE

Features

Organic ag, the early years ................................................................. 1

Organic cropping systems research highlights .....................2

Student and Alumni Update

Alumni spotlights........................................................................................4

Alumni awards .............................................................................................4 Graduates ........................................................................................................5

Scholarships....................................................................................................6 Student awards ...........................................................................................6

Faculty Update

New faculty......................................................................................................7 Memoriam ........................................... ..........................................................7 Faculty honors and awards .................................................................8

Donor Roll ...............................................................................................9

The new Agricultural and Food Systems degree ...........................................................10

About CSS News… CSS News is the annual Department of Crop and Soil Sciences alumni newsletter highlighting teaching, research and extension activities, as well as our faculty, staff, students and alumni. Your suggestions for stories are welcome. Please send feedback to Bill Pan, Chair (wlpan@wsu.edu).

Visit the department online at http://css.wsu.edu.

Cover Photo

It’s the value of being first. At anything. And so it was, as I waited with eyes closed and ear to my office telephone at 7 a.m. The station manager of a Seattle classic rock station had me on hold, awaiting an on-air interview to discuss our

new Organic Agriculture major. First in the nation.

Must not have been able to get Organic major architects John Reganold or Cathy Perillo out of bed this early, I thought. A quick Google search on the radio program revealed I was in for an interview somewhere between Howard Stern and PBS. Enough jokes to keep the drive-time I-5 crowd entertained, plus an opportunity to do a little advertising and recruiting.

“Stand by, Dr. Pan.” Cue the theme song to Green Acres. I had a momentary flashback to Eddie Arnold and Zsa Zsa Gabor. The radio host cut in as “Goodbye City Life” faded into the background. “Remember the scene from The Graduate? What one word described the hottest career opportunity of the day to Dustin Hoffman? ‘PLASTICS.’” Then, he extrapolated proudly, if there was a remake of that movie, the word today would be “ORGANICS.”

So there it was, a total ’60s flashback mindbender to introduce the Organic major and me to the blurry-eyed drivers stuck in the I-5 parking lot. But then a decent discussion ensued about the organic movement, and what it actually meant to farm organically with increased reliance on biological nutrient cycles and natural pest defenses. We talked about the growing organic appeal to consumers and producers, the emerging new jobs in organic agriculture, and how the academic program was poised to meet the demand (for more details, see the articles herein). With the interview mission completed, it was time for a few parting shots as I was crowned the “Magistrate of Manure” and “Dr. of Dung”—both appropriate titles for a soil fertility specialist, I had to remind myself.

But I wonder if the urban image of agriculture has improved much since the Green Acres era. It’s too bad this image thing keeps getting in our way of attracting good science students into agriculture, where fascinating science challenges abound and career opportunities are exploding along an entire spectrum from biofuel cropping to microbial ecology. We’ve reconfigured our academic programs, teamed together key faculty, and consolidated around the new Agricultural and Food Systems undergraduate degree and promise for expansion of the distance Masters of Science in Agriculture degree. Students can work alongside world-class faculty on research projects. Recent undergraduates have developed projects in crop biotechnology, weed biology, and soil fertility management. In an era in which most academic units are narrowing disciplinary areas, CSS reaches out to entire agricultural and food systems as its outer boundaries. Only in doing so can we complete the research-education-outreach cycle that links our programs between agriculture and an increasingly urban-based society.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our extended family of CSS News readers—alumni with degrees in Agriculture, Agricultural Technology and Management, and Agricultural and Food Systems.

Lastly, as we welcome new faculty members Scot Hulbert, Ian Burke, and David Brown (see page 7), we extend thanks and best wishes to retiring faculty mem-bers Alan Busacca and Fred Muehlbauer. Alan served more than 25 years as a cornerstone of the university’s soil science faculty. His intellectual pursuit of new knowledge on the history of soil formation and soil variability as it affects current land use is unsurpassed. Fred retired after 37 years of service to the USDA-ARS, in addition to his role as an adjunct CSS faculty member. He developed more than 25 varieties of peas, lentils, and chickpeas in his career. In our efforts to continue with such excellence, faculty searches are near completion for positions in soil biology/microbiology and crop biotechnology.

Bill Pan, Chair, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences

Jerry Glover (Ph.D. 2001) identifying grasses in one of the few remaining bottomland tall grass prairie meadows in North Central Kansas. These meadows, consisting primarily of perennial grasses and forbs, have been annually harvested for nearly a century with no fertilizer inputs. Despite the absence of inputs, the meadows yield as much nitrogen in the hay harvest as adjacent high-input annual wheat fields do in grain. Photo by Jim Richardson. Read more about Jerry Glover on page 4.

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Organic Ag, the Early Years

Back in the early �970s, Earl Butz, former Secretary of Agriculture (�97�–�976), was asked why he was not doing more for organic farming. He reputedly replied, “Show me the first �0,000 Americans who are prepared to starve to death and then I’ll do something.” In the �970s and �980s organic agriculture was on the fringe and information on organic production was limited. Fast-forward to 2005 and we find that the organic food and beverage market is 2.5 percent of the total food and beverage market sales in the United States. With annual growth rates of around 20 percent in the past decade, organic agriculture is not only mainstream, but the fastest growing agriculture sector.

What may be more interesting is that the WSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences has been involved with organic agriculture research since the late �970s. In �979, Robert Papendick, a USDA soil scientist and CSS adjunct faculty, led a USDA study team and examined 69 organic farms in 23 states. In �980, his team published a seminal 94-page “Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming,” concluding that organic farming systems in the U.S. were economically viable and environmentally sound. In �98�, Lloyd Elliott (USDA) and Dave Bezdicek (WSU), both CSS faculty, organized the first organic farming symposium at the American Society of Agronomy national meeting, which led to the book Organic Farming: Current Technology and Its Role in a Sustainable Agriculture.

Bezdicek was also the first director of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, which was established by the Washington State Legislature in �99� to promote healthy farms, food, and people. David Granatstein, M.S. Soil Science �986, WSU, has been an integral part of the Center as a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist for the past �2 years (see Granatstein’s spotlight on page 4). Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Ph.D. Soil Science �997, WSU, was hired in 2006 to become the first coordinator of the Center’s Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture (BIOAg) Program, housed at WSU Pullman. In addition, Drs. David Huggins, Ann Kennedy, and Jeff Smith, soil scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and CSS adjunct faculty, have been conducting research in organic and other alternative agricultural systems for the past �5 years.

In 2002 the Center published a survey of organic research and education at WSU that identified almost 50 faculty and staff who were involved in organic research and education projects. One of those faculty is soil scientist John Reganold, who has an international reputation for his research work in organic agriculture. Reganold spearheaded the development of the Organic Agriculture Systems major at WSU, the first and only such major at a U.S. university. Officially approved in June 2006, the major is part of the Agricultural and Food Systems degree program. Visit http://afs.wsu.edu.

Dr. David Bezdicek (standing), with student Thomas B. Moorman (Ph.D. Soil Science, 1983). Dr. Moorman is now a microbiologist with the USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, IA.

Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture

The WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences are leading the development of a graduate certificate in Sustainable Agriculture as a result of interest generated by the new undergraduate Organic Agriculture major. The Sustainable Agriculture graduate certificate would require only 9–�2 course credits in courses such as Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems, Advanced Cropping Systems, and Issues in Sustainable Agriculture. Most students seeking the graduate certificate are expected to be enrolled in another major for their M.S. or Ph.D., but also want to focus on a related area that does not fit solely within their home department. Since these related interests will likely translate into overlap between degree and certificate coursework, obtaining the Sustainable Agriculture graduate certificate would mean taking just one or two extra courses. Students can also earn a graduate certificate after their B.S., even if not enrolled in a traditional graduate program. The new program should be finalized and accepted by May 2007.

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Organic Cropping Systems Research Highlights

Sustainability of Farming Systems

Regents Professor John Reganold analyzes the sustainability of farming systems, including biodynamic, conventional, integrated, no-till, organic, and perennial-grain farming systems. His research group measures sustainability indicators, including soil health, crop quality, financial performance, environmental quality, energy efficiency, and social responsibility. Information that his research adds to the knowledge base of alternative farming systems will expand economic opportunities for farmers and promote reduced use of agrochemicals. In one study, for example, Reganold and colleagues measured the sustainability of organic, integrated, and conventional apple production systems in Washington State over a six-year period. They found that all three systems had comparable apple yields, tree growth, and leaf and fruit nutrient contents. However, the organic and integrated systems had higher soil quality and potentially lower negative environmental impact than the conventional system, in addition to sweeter and less tart apples, higher profits, and greater energy efficiency with the organic system.

Organic Wheat Breeding

The winter wheat breeding program led by Steve Jones in 2006 received the largest USDA organic grant of any program in the nation, almost $700,000 to develop varieties and techniques that will help organic and low-input wheat growers. The organic wheat breeding program is designed to benefit traditional farmers that wish to transition some of their acres to organic production or growers that wish to reduce their off-farm inputs, including developing plants that more efficiently utilize nitrogen and water and compete against weeds. Three Ph.D. students and one postdoc are also researching related topics including end-use quality, disease and pest resistances, yield, and cultural practices. Results in Whitman and Douglas county farm fields show that organic wheat can yield as highly as the best traditional fields when sufficient nitrogen is available.

Organic Grain Production Systems

An interdisciplinary team led by Rich Koenig, soil scientist, and Ian Burke, weed scientist, is studying trade-offs among weed management, soil fertility, and economics that occur during the three-year transition to certified organic production in eastern Washington cereal-based systems. The project, initiated by Rob Gallagher, involves nine transition crop rotations ranging from winter wheat-spring wheat-spring barley to alternating wheat and legumes, to intensive spring or winter legumes managed for grain, forage, or green manure. Rotations with a higher frequency of legumes managed as green manure or forage provide better weed control and improved soil fertility and economic returns than rotations with a higher frequency of grains. Legume-intensive transition rotations also lead to higher hard red spring wheat grain yields, grain protein contents, and economic returns in the organic production phase. This research will provide solutions to weed, fertility, and economic problems faced by eastern Washington growers during the transition to organic cereal production.

Dryland organic grain production field studies at the Boyd Farm, Pullman, WA.

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Organic Cropping Systems Research Highlights

Organic Vegetable Production Systems

Soil scientists Craig Cogger and Andy Bary at WSU Puyallup’s Research and Extension Center study organic vegetable production systems. They have assessed nitrogen availability from organic amendments and fertilizers using field, laboratory, and modeling studies, and are developing farmer-friendly nitrogen management guidelines for a wide range of organic materials. In another study Cogger and Bary are evaluating cover-cropping strategies to augment nitrogen through legumes while providing winter cover and weed suppression. Results show that relay cropping works with many irrigated vegetable crops, and hairy vetch yields the most consistent success. They are also conducting a long-term experiment comparing how different organic vegetable cropping systems affect soils, weeds, and crops. Amendment had the greatest short-term effect across a range of soil properties, and spader tillage reduced soil compaction. Improved soil quality has not yet led to improved yield. Visit http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/soilmgmt/SusAg_Sum_OrganSys.htm for more details.

Tillage with rotary spader in organic vegetable cropping systems experiment at WSU Puyallup R & E Center.

Organic Nitrogen Source in Concord Grape

Soil scientists Joan Davenport and Bob Stevens at WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center are evaluating legume cover crops as an organic nitrogen source in Concord grape. Nitrogen is a critical plant nutrient that can make or break the ability of a high value crop like grape to provide high quality, economically supportable yields. Leguminous cover crops are commonly used as green manures in organic agriculture to provide nitrogen to plants. Concord grape is well-suited for organic production because of low detrimental plant pathogen and insect pest pressure. When Davenport and Stevens compared the release of nitrogen from plowed cover crops to a soluble organic nitrogen source (blood meal) and conventional fertilizers, they found crop yield and quality were maintained with the organic nitrogen sources. Timing of incorporation and seed size made a difference in which cover crop was most compatible with Concord production. The larger seeded hairy vetch planted in the spring proved to be the best choice of the cover crops and timings studied. Removing Concord grape vine from cordon at WSU Prosser IAREC.

Organic Transition Rotations for Vegetable Production Systems

Weed scientist Tim Miller at the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center is conducting research on organic transition rotations for northwestern Washington. Preliminary results from a study on two three-year rotations indicate that certain cover crops, such as mustard or cereal rye and hairy vetch, can effectively suppress weed growth during the winter, although none eliminated growth or seed production of the winter annual weeds predominating in this trial. Preemergence flaming with a propane burner provided excellent weed control in potato and improved weed control in seeded pickling cucumber and transplanted broccoli. This flaming technique, however, not only failed to improve weed control in spinach seed crops but reduced stand counts. An infrared propane unit was more effective for postemergence weed control next to the crop row than either vinegar (20% acetic acid) or clove oil (�5% dilution in water) applied with a shielded sprayer.

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of research and community education, he has worked with soil quality, eco-labeling, and development of the Food Alliance in Portland as a way to reward farmers through market incentives. David also helped lead the Climate-Friendly Farming project, funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and cooperates on many research projects with WSU. He spends increasing amounts of time with organic tree fruit projects. “My life has pretty much been my work…As sustainable agriculture has gone from skepticism to mainstream, it makes me feel very proud, my programs have helped contribute to that.”

David’s wife, Elizabeth Kirby, also graduated in �986 with an M.S. in Soil Science. She has worked as a soil conservationist with the NRCS and a farm inspector with the USDA Organic Program, and is currently eco-labeling for the Food Alliance. For the past six years, Elizabeth has worked part-time with WSU on various projects including tracking organic acreage statistics and developing food safety risk assessment tools for the apple industry. She has kept her work part-time in order to raise their two children, Geneva, �7, and Andrew, �2.

The couple lives in Wenatchee, where they spend their free time skiing, gardening, and volunteering at their children’s schools.

David Granatstein and Elizabeth Kirby, M.S. Soil Science, �986

David Granatstein graduated in �986 with an M.S. in Soil Science under the guidance of Dr. Dave Bezdicek. During his graduate studies, David had the opportunity to work in Southern Africa as the Project Agronomist on a farming systems project, which he claims was the most important part of his graduate experience.

David is currently employed in Wenatchee as an Extension Agent and Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Through a mix

Alumni Spotlights: Where Are They Now?by Hillary Templin, Academic Coordinator

Jerry Glover, Ph.D. Soil Science, 200�(see cover photo)

After receiving a B.S. in Soil Science in �997 and a B.A. in Philosophy in �998, Jerry Glover continued his career at WSU by pursuing a Ph.D. in Soil Science. Working with Dr. John Reganold, Jerry’s research project was to assess the sustainability of apple orchard systems in central Washington.

He enjoyed his time as a Ph.D. student, and after graduating in 200�, went to work for the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. Jerry now serves as a Research Scientist and Director of the Land Institute Graduate Fellowship Program. His research includes studies on native tall grass prairie systems and perennial agriculture systems. He continues to work in close collaboration with WSU faculty including Reganold, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, and Stephen Jones. The Graduate Fellowship Program he directs provides financial support for approximately 20 students each year and it is his job to oversee the selection process and organize the annual week-long workshop. Jerry said he spends his time trying to make positive changes, and hopes he is achieving that goal.

He and wife Cindy Cox, a WSU Plant Pathology alum and Phytogeneticist at the Land Institute, keep busy caring for triplet sons, 7-month-old Sira, Bereket, and Tsega. When not caring for the boys, Jerry is consumed with the renovation of an old farmhouse.

David Granatstein with graduate student Lori

Hoagland at their organic orchard trial

in Wenatchee.

Alumni Awards

Mary Hageman Wiedenhoeft (M.S. �982; Ph.D. �986) received the WSU CAHNRS 2007 Women’s History Recognition Award in the professional and leadership category. She was nominated by barley geneticist Dr. Steve Ullrich. Dr. Alan Ciha (USDA-ARS) was her major professor for both degrees until he left for a position with the Monsanto Company. Dr. Peggy Chevalier ultimately was Hageman- Wiedenhoeft’s major professor of record for the Ph.D. degree. Hageman-Wiedenhoeft is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University.

The U.S. Secretary of Energy named John Zachara (Ph.D. �987) and seven others winners of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award on February 7, 2007. The Lawrence Award honors scientists and engineers at mid-career for exceptional contributions in research and development that support the Department of Energy and its mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States. Zachara, an environmental geochemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, has made seminal scientific contributions to understanding geochemical and microbiologic factors that are critical to the fate and transport of metals and radionuclides in the environment.

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Welcome New AlumsMay 2006 Graduates

Andrew Ahmann, B.S. Crop ScienceTrenton Allen, B.S. Crop ScienceJulia Anderson, B.S. Agriculture (education)Krystal Arrasmith, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementKatina Bates, B.S. AgricultureAdam Berglund, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementTate Berg, B.S. Crop ScienceMatthew Brooks, B.S. Crop ScienceJoseph Brown, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementSarah Carner, B.S. Agriculture (education)Leif Claassen, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementChad Cleveland, B.S. Crop ScienceMichael Clouse, B.S. AgricultureKevin Cochrane, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementSeth Coffman, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementJordan Feider, B.S. Crop ScienceDaniel Freeman, B.S. Crop ScienceKimberly Galland, B.S. Soil ScienceSteven Green, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementJames Hopkins, Jr., B.S. Agriculture (education)Michael Jenner, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementCathy Jordan, B.S. Agriculture (education)Samuel Kniveton, B.S. AgricultureJustin Leighton, B.S. Agriculture (education)Michael McNeil, B.S. Crop ScienceHeather Noyes, B.S. Agriculture (communications)Christopher Read, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementRainey Reeves, B.S. Agriculture (education)Ryan Riley, B.S. Crop ScienceJonathan Roozen, B.S. Ag. Technology and Management

Jeffrey Solbrack, B.S. Ag. Technology and Management (magna cum laude)

Joseph Villegas, B.S. Crop Science (magna cum laude) Rebecca Wallace, B.S. Agriculture (communications)Patrick Williams, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementTabitha Brown, M.S. Soil Science Rachel Hutchens, M.S. AgricultureMarjorie Jernigan, M.S. Soil Science Aleksandre Loladze, M.S. Crop Science KeriAnne Pritchett, M.S. Soil Science Jennifer Regelski-Rotman, M.S. AgricultureJennifer Wagner, M.S. AgricultureLatha Reddy, Ph.D. Crop Science

December 2006 Graduates

Julia Anderson, B.S. Agriculture (education)

Julianne Boshart, B.S. Ag. Technology and Management (cum laude) Robert Brulotte, B.S. Crop Science (summa cum laude) Samantha Graf, B.S. Agriculture (communications)

Dustin Lombardi, B.S. Crop Science (cum laude) Matt Morelli, B.S. Crop ScienceSarah Munro, B.S. Agriculture (education)Michael Paul, B.S. Ag. Technology and ManagementDanielle Reynolds, B.S. Agriculture (communications)Tamara Smith, B.S. Agriculture

Julie Sullivan, B.S Ag. and Food Systems, Organic Agriculture (magna cum laude) Britta Swanson, B.S. Soil ScienceBenjamin Wilmarth, B.S. Crop ScienceJorgen Abellera, M.S. Crop Science Kyle Bair, M.S. Soil Science Cami Browne, M.S. AgricultureKurt Druffel, M.S. AgricultureRobert Goeden, M.S. AgricultureJulia Piaskowski, M.S. Crop Science Chasity Watt, M.S. Crop Science Ling Zhang, Ph.D. Crop Science

Samantha Graf and Danielle Reynolds, Agricultural Communications graduates, December 2006.

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Roscoe and Frances Cox ScholarshipRita Abi-GhanemStephen BramwellCatherine CrosbyJennifer CrupperUpinder GillShane HughesMichael McNeilEmily MeirikKevin MurphyChad PlattPhilip RobertsAndrew RountreeGopesh SahaJasdeep SinghKevin SmithDustin WalshLing Zhang

Roy L. Goss Turfgrass ScholarshipDavid AndrewsRobert BrulotteShaun KnutzenMichael SellmanKevin Smith

Mrs. Frank Greeley-Federation of Garden Clubs ScholarshipBen Keno

Max Hinrichs, Jr. ScholarshipCynthia Krcma

Max Hinrichs, Sr. ScholarshipAndrew Rountree

Thomas and Catherine Hyslop Graduate FellowshipKevin Murphy

C. Dawson Moodie Memorial ScholarshipDoug CollinsLori HoaglandShane Hughes

Frederick Paige ScholarshipKatie DaleDustin Walsh

Reynolds-Biersner ScholarshipLauren HairKevin Smith

June Roberts Agriculture ScholarshipGrant De VriesAlys DurfeyMichael HughesEvan JonesKent StokesHeath Wilson

Tracy Vincent-Sharp Memorial ScholarshipLauren Hair

O.A. Vogel Washington State Crop Improvement Association ScholarshipDustin Walsh

Washington-North Idaho Seed Association ScholarshipGrant De VriesBen Keno

Justin Leighton, a WSU agricultural education senior from Puyallup, was named the 2006 Aggie of the Year. The award recognizes the CAHNRS all-around outstanding senior majoring in either agriculture or natural resources. Leighton has been active in both the horticulture and agricultural education clubs and served as one of two student representatives on the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the college. Governor Christine Gregoire appointed him in 2005 to the WSU Board of Regents, who then appointed him to the Students Book Corporation board of directors.

WSU and UI’s combined soil judging team placed first at the Collegiate Regional Soils Judging contest in Bend, Oregon on October �4, 2006. The team will travel to nationals in Logan, Utah in the spring. WSU soils undergrad team members Britta Swanson and Lauren Hubbard are advised by John Reganold. CeCe Crosby, M.S. student, is advised by Lynne Carpenter-Boggs. The team was coached by M.S. soils student Jennifer Crupper.

The WSU coach and team members…(L-R) Jennifer Crupper, CeCe Crosby, Britta Swanson, Lauren Hubbard.

Lauren Hubbard, Soil Science, Communications, and Women’s Studies undergraduate major, was one of four selected to receive the WSU Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award in January 2007. She has been an advocate for human rights through the WSU Progressive Student Union, YWCA’s Racial Justice Program, and the Coalition for Women Students. Additionally, she represented WSU at the 2006 National Model United Nations in New York.

Student Awards

2006–07 Academic Scholarships/Awardss

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New Faculty

Ian Burke joined WSU on August �, 2006 as an assistant professor/assistant agronomist. Burke teaches and conducts research in weed science, emphasizing weed management and ecology to better understand the control and impact of problematic

weeds in the dryland crops of eastern Washington and other areas of the Pacific Northwest. Burke earned his B.S. in biology

at Old Dominion University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees

in weed science at North Carolina State University under the direction of Dr.

John Wilcut. He was a postdoctoral researcher with the Southern Weed Science Research Unit of the USDA-ARS in Stoneville, Mississippi.

Scot H. Hulbert joined WSU on July �, 2006 as the new R. James Cook Endowed Chair in Cropping Systems Pathology. The position is a joint appointment in the departments of plant pathology and

crop and soil sciences. Hulbert teaches and conducts research on wheat-based cropping

systems in eastern Washington and any aspect of plant disease

management, including ecology epidemiology and host-pathogen genetics. In addition, he provides leadership for a number of ongoing long-term cropping systems research projects. Hulbert received a B.S. in horticulture at WSU in �979 and an M.S. (�982) in vegetable crops and Ph.D. (�987) in genetics at the University of California, Davis. He comes to WSU from Kansas State University and is Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (awarded in 2006) and American Phytopathological Society.

In Memory

Robert L. Hausenbuiller, 87, long-time professor of soil science, passed away on March 26, 2006. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Bob received his B.S. in soil science from Colorado State University. After earning M.S. and Ph.D. agronomy degrees from Washington State College, Bob began his career as a research soil scientist at WSU’s agricultural experiment station at Prosser. In �956 he joined the WSU Intercollege Exchange program in Pakistan, where he worked with members of the agricultural college soils department in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) and taught soil chemistry. Upon his return, he continued to work at Prosser until transferring to Pullman in �96�. During his 23-year tenure, he touched the lives of several thousand students who were privileged to study general soils, soil fertility, and soil management under his tutelage. His comprehensive textbook, Soil Science: Principles and Practices (3rd ed. �985), continues to be a reference in today’s classroom. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, June Hausenbuiller of Pullman; his sons, Robert C. and Brian C.; two grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.

David Brown joined WSU on January �, 2007 as an assistant professor/assistant soil scientist. Brown teaches and conducts research in pedology, with particular interest in the formation of quaternary landscapes, modeling the spatial variability of soils and soil processes, and developing new proximal soil sensing techniques. Brown earned degrees in electrical engineering (B.S.) and rhetoric (B.A.) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in �988; an M.S. in geography from Pennsylvania State University, University Park in �997; and degrees in biometry (M.S.) and soil science (Ph.D.) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, both in �992. He was an assistant professor of landscape pedology at Montana State University in Bozeman.

Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, soil scientist, was promoted to Coordinator of WSU’s Biologically Intensive Agriculture and Organic Farming (BIOAg) program in the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources March 2006. The state Legislature recently approved a one-year appropriation of $400,000 to fund the program. Carpenter-Boggs is responsible for identifying and tapping the university’s capacity across colleges and disciplines to research and document the effectiveness of BIOAg farming techniques.

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John Reganold, professor and soil scientist, was selected to deliver the 2006 WSU Distinguished Faculty Address and named Regents Professor in March 2006. Both prestigious honors were celebrated during WSU Showcase 2006, where Reganold presented “The Sustainability of Organic Agriculture.” Promotion to Regents Professor recognizes individuals who have sustained accomplishment in teaching, scholarship, and public service. Hired in �983, Reganold is one of the world’s premier sustainable agriculture scientists. Five of his publications in the journals Science, Nature, and Scientific American are considered classics. A videostream of his speech may be accessed online at http://experience.wsu.edu.

Kimberlee Kidwell, professor and crop scientist, earned the 2007 Marian E. Smith Faculty Achievement Award at WSU. The award recognizes unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching during the academic year, including successful and innovative performance in instruction. Hired in �994, Kidwell conducts basic and biotechnology research in wheat breeding and genetics, and has released eight spring wheat varieties since �998 that have had a major impact on agriculture in Washington State. She also is the captivating instructor of a popular undergraduate experiential-based life skill enhancement course in the Department of Human Development (HD 205) called “Communication in Human Relations.”

Joseph Yenish, Extension weed scientist, received the 2006 Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award for his numerous outstanding contributions to the improvement of Washington crop production.

Ann Kennedy was named 2006 American Society of Agronomy Fellow and a 2006 Soil Science Society of America Fellow. Kennedy is a soil scientist with the USDA-ARS Land Management and Water Conservation Research at WSU-Pullman, and also an adjunct CSS faculty member. Her research focuses on plant-microbe interactions and soil quality in dryland cropping systems.

Robert Parker received the 2006 College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Excellence in Extension Award. Parker is a weed scientist at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser.

Joan Davenport was named the 2006 Outstanding Consulting Editor of the Year by the American Society of Horticulture Science for the journal HortTechnology. Davenport is a soil scientist at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser where she focuses on soil fertility and plant nutrition for both annual and perennial crop plants grown in irrigated systems.

Robert Stevens received the 2006 Sherman McGregor Award at the annual meeting of the Far West Agribusiness Association in December 2006 at Kennewick. The award recognizes efforts of those in the industry who mirror the legacy of Sherman—stewardship, industry, advocacy, and operating in a forthright and ethical manner. Stevens has worked for over 20 years as a soil scientist at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser (IAREC), serving industry and growers throughout Washington and northeast Oregon. In addition to his Extension appointment, he also serves as Interim Director of the IAREC.

Faculty Honors and Awards

2005-2006 CSS Honor Roll of Donors In appreciation of gifts (>$100) to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006.

Laureates ($1 million or more cumulative)

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Incorporated*Lorenz BohrnsenRoy & Marcella GossNorthwest Agricultural Research Foundation, Incorporated

Benefactors ($100,000 or more cumulative)

Alf Christianson Seed CompanyOtto & Doris AmenAmerican Malting Barley AssociationApplied Phytologics, IncorporatedBayer CorportionE. Donald & Jane BiersnerBusch Agricultural Resources, IncorporatedDonna Camp*Melvin CampKenneth & Bonnie ChristiansonLucille ChristiansonFerne DanielE.I. Du Pont de Nemours & CompanyFMC CorporationGlen FranklinHarry & Edith GoldsworthyCatherine Hyslop*Thomas HyslopGale Kicha*Allen Manring*Betty ManringNorthwest Farm Credit ServicesRoscoe and Frances Cox Charitable Trust*Wallace StaatzDonald & Bettie SteigerPatsy SundermanSyngenta Crop Protection, Incorporated*Gana VaianaWashington State Dry Pea & Lentil Commission*Leonard Young

Platinum Associates ($10,000 or more annual support)

Otto & Doris AmenBASF CorporationBayer CropScience, LPGlen FranklinHarry & Edith GoldsworthyCatherine HyslopOrganic Center **Pacific Natural FoodsJerald & Lois SheffelsDonald & Bettie SteigerSyngenta Crop Protection, Incorporated

Crimson Associates ($5,000 to $9,999 annual support)

Paul & Bonnie BawelCheminova, IncorporatedDow AgroSciences, LLCFoundation for Agronomic ResearchGowan Seed Company, LLCGlenn LeitzWest Coast Theatre Corporation

Silver Associates ($2,500 to $4,999 annual support)

Aquatrols Corporation of AmericaJK Group, IncorporatedSimplot Shared Services

President’s Associates ($1,000 to $2,499 annual support)

Agrium U.S., IncorporatedRobert & Carolyn AllanCampbell Scientific, IncorporatedGaylon & Judith CampbellCleary Chemical CorporationR. James & Beverly CookNorman DonaldsonFluid Fertilizer FoundationLarry & Janet HillerJames D. & Ann L. Moore Charitable Lead TrustJames & Ann MooreNational Pork BoardFrederick & Betty PaigePBI/Gordon CorporationLynn SharpSpecialty Fertilizer ProductsBarry TeeWashington State FFA AssociationWashington-North Idaho Seed Association

Bryan Society ($500 to $999 annual support)

Andersons, IncorporatedStanton & JoAnn BrauenMichael & Betty LeinweberJoseph MajkaMicrosoft CorporationWilliam Pan & Vicki McCrackenDavid & Kay PichaKen Williams

Tower Club ($100 to $499 annual support)

AgproAmerican Malting Barley AssociationDouglas & Kay AnyanDavid & Patricia BezdicekWilliam & Marie BusickFrances CardwellAntony & Amy ChadwickDavid & Barbara CleaveColfax Grange Supply Company, IncorporatedCooperative Agricultural Producers, Incorporated*Edna EskelsonExactrix Global SystemsFarm Credit ServicesEdward & Theresa ForsterBruce & Lavon FrazierGenesee Union Warehouse CompanyCurtis GeringKulvinder GillMargaret GollnickGrange Supply Company, IncorporatedGreat Plains Manufacturing, IncorporatedCurtis & Erika HenningsInland Empire Golf Course Superintendent’s AssociationCarl & Beverly JensenStephen JonesSteven & Janet KaufmanKimberlee KidwellKile Machine & Manufacturing, IncorporatedMarvin KleeneBetty LeeTheodore & Martha MaceKevin McDonnellMcGregor CompanyAlex & Linda McGregorAlan & Jacqueline McKayTroy & Diane MeltonVirginia MorrisonMichael & Laura MrachekRobert & Winona NilanNorth Pine AG Equipment, IncorporatedNu Chem LimitedRandall & Sue ParkerGary & Geraldine PichaTimothy & Megan RiebeJack & Belle RogersJames & Nancy RuarkSt. John Grange SupplySt. John Hardware & Implement Company, IncorporatedCharles & Shirley StaibDavid StoutChunming Su & Wenjian GongMichael & Gail SwanGuy SwansonTekoa Medical Foundation, IncorporatedDan & Genevieve ThompsonDennis & Carol WallaceTerry Warwick & Rochelle BafusWashington State Crop ImprovementWestbred, LLCWestern Farm Service, IncorporatedWhitman County Assoc of Wheat GrowersWilbur-Ellis CompanySpecial Acknowledgment

Colin Campbell and Doug Cobos, for donated teaching of Soils 414/514 and Soils 415/515

*Indicates deceased **Organic major scholarship 9

DEPARTMENT OF CROP & SOIL SCIENCESWASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITYPO BOX 646420PULLMAN, WA 99164-6420

NONPROFIT-ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGEPAID

PULLMAN. WAPERMIT NO 1

The New Agricultural and Food Systems Degree–A Multidisciplinary Approach

Dr. Mike Swan explains a GIS exercise to Jamin Smitchger during a Precision Agricultural Systems lab.

You have learned that WSU is first in the nation to offer a major in Organic Agriculture. What’s more, the new B.S. degree in Agricultural and Food Systems (AFS) also contains four other majors and includes the focus areas of three faculty who were repositioned into the Crop and Soil Sciences Department (from Biological Systems Engineering) at the start of 2006. Jim Durfey, Marv Kleene, and Mike Swan are veterans of agricultural teaching, advising, and mentoring, and bring vibrancy to the department’s teaching programs.

A multidisciplinary team of faculty from across CAHNRS created the AFS degree, which contains five majors altogether:

• Agricultural Business and Technology Systems (with options in Business Management, Production Management, Technology and Communications)

• Agricultural Education • Organic Agricultural Systems • Pest Management Systems • Plant and Soil Systems

Jim Durfey and Mike Swan do the majority of the academic and club advising in the popular Agricultural Business and Technology Systems major, while Marv Kleene continues to oversee the Agricultural Education major that develops the majority of teachers for the state’s high school agriculture programs. Together, they teach and advise more than 80 students annually. CSS faculty Steve Ullrich and John Reganold; and faculty from Horticulture, Entomology, Community and Rural Sociology, Animal Science, Food Science, and the School of Economic Sciences, serve as advisors of the three other majors. Cathy Perillo serves as AFS Program Coordinator.

Most of the new AFS majors were rooted in previously existing degrees in the college. The effort to create the new degree program came from strategic reorganization of college degrees, coupled with the goal of providing students with a multidisciplinary understanding of agricultural and food systems and stronger skills in areas employers are seeking such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.