Backed by a more than $3 million fund created by potato growers, processors and suppliers, Washington State University recently created a new Distinguished Endowed Chair that will focus on Soil Health for Potato Cropping Systems. The primary focus of the position launched late last year will be studying not only the health of soil, but how to make soils more sustainable and productive. Scot Hulbert, associate dean for research at WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences said this Chair will serve as another tool in the farm community’s effort to better understand the importance of soil health.

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“We’ve focused on the plant pathology of it and the horticulture of it, problems like compaction and the agronomics of it, but this is a position really to focus on the health of the soil from a holistic, everything perspective, from the microbiology to the physical structure of it.”

Hulbert added the hope is this position will not only help with issues such as wind and water erosion, but also look at how to improve yields. Hulbert added this position will benefit potato growers across the entire Northwest.

“Our potato breeding program is a tristate breeding program and it also involves the USDA ARS folks very heavily, so it’s really a four part breeding program and we expect this to be like that.”

The new Chair will join WSU’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.

The potato industry creates $7.4 billion in economic activity in Washington as well as 35,000 jobs from value-added processing and exports.




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