Programs

The primary research and outreach program goal is to enhance value-added agribusiness opportunities for specialty crops in the state of Washington. As such, areas of research are focused on consumer demand analysis and economics of technological change; specifically research assessing consumers’ preferences for foods including fresh fruit quality, understanding production and marketing dynamics impacts on the profitability of food production operations’ and adoption of new technologies—at the field and the processing level.

The Aquatic Toxicology program is driven by an interest in anthropogenically-released contaminants, concern for their impacts to aquatic ecosystems, and a desire to effect change. The program focuses on research on the toxicity of urban stormwater runoff to aquatic animals as well as the ability of green stormwater infrastructure technologies (GSI) to prevent those toxic impacts.

The Watershed Hydrology program integrates research, education and outreach centered on modeling watershed-level hydrology and soil erosion. This research provides tools to understand and quantify erosion processes that impact management of agricultural and natural resources assets, as well as tracking the impacts of excessive sedimentation in surface waters which can clog stream channels and negatively impact aquatic biota.

The Ecotoxicology Program studies the impacts of pesticides and other toxicants on populations, communities, and food webs with particular emphasis on aquatic organisms inhabiting rivers and streams in the Pacific Northwest, including salmon and the invertebrates that they feed upon. This is accomplished through a mix of laboratory and field studies, developing toxicity data for animals exposed to various chemicals—particularly the effects of low concentrations of the mixtures and concentrations of pesticides commonly found in Washington fresh water systems.

The Low Impact Development program develops education and outreach materials to inform a broad audience—encompassing school children, elected officials, scientists and developers—on the biogeochemical transformation of pollutants carried by stormwater and reduction of stormwater runoff. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that stormwater is rendered non-toxic to the humans and ecosystems downstream and that those downstream regions do not become flooded. To do this, we conduct experiments with one of the country’s most extensive replicated GSI testing facilities installed at Puyallup

This program focuses on organic farming systems, organic amendments, composting, cover crop management and soil health working with an interdisciplinary team studying a range of issues important to small scale, direct-market, and organic agriculture, including nutrient management, food safety, soil quality, weed management, economics, marketing, and on-farm research.

The Ornamental Plant Pathology program conducts research relating to diseases of ornamental plants, including Christmas trees, nursery plants, ornamental bulbs and cut flowers, and disease impacting native plants. Our research seeks to develop tools to better identify, track, and treat pathogens, as well as identifying and developing disease-resistant species for commercial propagation. Specifically, our program focuses on ornamental bulb crops, diseases and postharvest keepability of Christmas trees, and Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of sudden oak death and ramorum foliar blight.

The WSU Puyallup Plant Diagnostic Lab provides one-on-one identification of both home and commercial pests. The clinic deals with over a thousand specimens per year. Clients are able to bring in samples of plants and insects for an accurate problem diagnosis. The clinic also provides training to Washington State Master Gardeners to better provide information within the communities they serve.

The mission of the WSU Ravenholt Urban Forest Health Lab is to engage urban communities to enhance climate resiliency through novel education, service, and research about urban forests.

The Small Fruit Breeding and Genetics Program works to develop new raspberry and strawberry cultivars adapted to the Pacific Northwest that have excellent flavor, high yields and improved disease resistance. The program also conducts research on genetic variation and cultivar responses. Research in the near future will be on the nutritional properties of raspberries, root rot tolerance and machine harvestability of raspberries.

Our principal research interest is in the area of flow and transport in porous media, particularly in the vadose zone. Specific areas of focus include: (1) Fate and transport of colloids and nanoparticles in porous media; (2) characterization of water flow and solute transport in the vadose zone, (3) soil physical instrumentation and their applications, (4) sustainable use of soil resources. Our program comprises fundamental research on soil physical and chemical processes governing flow and transport of matter in the subsurface, as well as applied research on how these processes affect management of soils, ecosystems, and human behavior.

The Washington Stormwater Center is a collaboration between Washington State University and the University of Washington which serves NPDES permittees and stormwater managers as they navigate the complexities and challenges of stormwater management. We provide tools for stormwater management by supporting municipalities, stormwater permittees, and businesses in their efforts to control stormwater and protect water quality.