Oregon State University (OSU) has been awarded a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with farmers and Native American Tribes on cropping practices that can enhance soil health and reduce the carbon footprint of the Pacific Northwest potato industry. Jeffrey Steiner is the project leader and Associate Director of the OSU Global Innovation Center.
OSU is also collaborating with the University of Idaho and Washington State University, Tribal nations, commodity groups and potato processing businesses on the five-year project that funded under the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.
More than 62% of U.S. potatoes are grown in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and they have an economic value of $2.2 billion annually, according to USDA statistics. Nearly 500,000 acres of potatoes are grown in the three-state region.
Potato production typically uses practices that greatly disturb the soil, particularly at harvest, so organic matter does not build up and greenhouse gases are lost to the atmosphere, project leaders said. This project is designed to assist farmers who want to use soil health building practices that result in climate-smart outcomes.
Oregon State and collaborators at universities and the Soil Health Institute, a nonprofit based in North Carolina, will focus on how climate-smart practices and rotation crops grown with potatoes (those crops produced in the three years between potato crop production years) can offset the effects of the soil-disturbing practices. Rotation crops include cereal grains, alfalfa, corn, hemp and onions. Climate-smart practices include reduced tillage seedings, use of cover crops and mulching residues.
The researchers believe using the proper combinations of these techniques could significantly increase soil organic matter, reduce soil nutrient losses and improve the water holding capacity of the soil – improvements that increase soil health, save water and lead to climate-smart outcomes.
“We want to provide potato farmers incentives for implementing climate-smart practices that make sense for them and their farm conditions,” Steiner said. The project will also help develop ways to market and promote climate-smart potatoes. Some of the producers envision selling branded consumer products that could provide a climate-smart premium to participating farmers and processors.
Editor’s Take:
Identifying ways to improve both the production and marketing of a crop like potatoes is a laudable goal. Improving soil health alone would be a worthwhile outcome as long as the identified practices do not break the bank and fit nicely into established routines. But to have the potential to increase income via branded products that bring a premium price in the marketplace, is truly a great bonus. Helping to improve sustainability, reduce the environmental impact and potentially increase farmer income all at the same time, would be a real win-win scenario. As we have said many times, farmers and ranchers are constantly seeking new innovative ways to do a better job of raising their crops. And, don’t forget, if someone comes into your dealership looking for a truck, ask this simple question – Are you a farmer or rancher? That way you not only qualify them for AgPack, but you can thank them for all they do to produce the abundant feed, fuel, fiber and food we all depend on every day. Thank a farmer today and sell them a truck!
