WSU's Dry Land Research Station at Lind, Wa. is recognized as having the lowest annual precipitation of all the State and Federal dryland research facilities in the US. It has a 105 year existence. The 101 year average is 9.61" per year. The lowest annual rainfall was 4.36 in 1977, and the highest annual rainfall was 22.71" in 1948. The 2023 crop year (Sept--May) total is 7.42". The take home points for me this year (June 15th) are the following:
--Staff: The Lind Station has a new Director, Dr. Surendra Singh, a new scientist, Dr. Shikha Singh, and a new Technician, Steven Jaurez.
--Winter Peas: There is an attempt expand the normal rotation of (winter wheat - fallow), by introducing winter peas into the rotation. Current research has shown: -- providing inoculant increases the yield an average of 6.6%, --discovery of a bacterium that surpasses diseases in peas, -- discovered a bacterium that develop super sized nodules on pea roots, -- pea pod weevil are present with no past history of growing peas in the area. As a result research is ongoing to find resistant varieties to the pest, -- the plots were very short on residue. The researcher stated that even a small amount of residue in row with the pea made a significant improvement in winter survivability, -- the microbial community was different for different pea varieties, -- all variety trials were moment seeded in late October.
-- Endangered Species Act (ESA): New forms of regulation are being foisted on farming activities in the state. Some of them may effect agriculture in our area. I'm including two pic's of a brochure handed out offering some explanation. It includes a website that we need to become familiar.
-- Russian Thistles: are a major pest in low precipitation growing areas. Currently all control applications of Spartan, Charge, Fierce, and Metribuzin on the plots looked good. Researchers will be looking for control differences when rain arrives.
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