CSS News 2007-08 (pdf) - Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences ...

2007–08
CSS News
A publication for alumni and friends of the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences
Our Emerging Emphasis on Biofuels
Also in this issue:
New Alums, Alumni Spotlights,
Honor Roll of Donors, and more ...

FROM THE CHAIR’S DESK
Nationally ranked
Everyone knows that the Cougar men’s basketball team achieved top 10 rankings for much of
the first half of the 2007–08 season, but did you know that according to the Chronicle of Higher
Education, our Crop Science/Agronomy program is ranked seventh in the nation, and second in
the western U.S.? And WSU’s plant sciences program, which many CSS faculty are members of, is
ranked second nationally? These results are truly a tribute to our terrific faculty, staff, and students
that work hard to deliver nationally competitive research, teaching, and Extension programs. A key
to our success is addressing Washington’s agricultural issues with
great fundamental science and technology transfer.
Bill Pan, CSS Chair
It’s a good time to be hitting our stride. WSU’s new president,
Dr. Elson Floyd, is making agriculture a top priority. At our 2007
Spillman Farm Field Day and again at the naming of the O.A. Vogel Plant Sciences building,
President Floyd established an institutional commitment to agriculture in his address to
growers, WSU researchers, and legislators. The ball is now in our court to provide leadership
as a major driver of Washington agriculture with world class research and education.
WSU President Elson Floyd speaking
at Spillman Agronomy Farm Field
Day, July 12, 2007
budget.
Globally networked
Enhanced global leadership is another of Dr. Floyd’s major priorities, which CSS fulfilled
in 2007 by training students from all over the world, facilitating faculty visits, and
participating in international projects.
Keynote seminar speakers included Dr. Daniel Hillel, internationally renowned
environmentalist, historian, and soil physicist, and Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, former CSS
faculty and department chair, current Director General of the World Vegetable Center,
and future Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(referred to as CIMMYT, which is derived from the Spanish version of the name).
Kim Campbell, USDA wheat geneticist and adjunct CSS faculty, continued to lead a
collaboration with CIMMYT and agriculturalists in Central Asia and the Caucasus. John
Brabb, CSS financial manager, effectively managed this very complicated international
CSS alumni Chris Pannkuk (Ph.D. Soil Science ’94), director of WSU International Programs; Mike Barber, director of WSU’s
Water Research Center; John Winder, associate dean and director of WSU Extension; and I attended a planning session in
Amman, Jordan, before organizing a contingency of CSS faculty to support a multi-institutional USDA-funded project to
“Rebuild Agricultural Extension in Iraq.” An education program on soil testing was delivered to 100 Iraqi Extension personnel
in Egypt by Extension weed scientist Bob Parker, Barber, Pannkuk, myself, and graduate student Rita Abi-Ghanem, with
support from CSS alumni Hesham Abdou (Ph.D. Soil Science ’03) and Oumarou Badini (Ph.D. Soil Science ’07). A second
program on fertilizer management, composting, and participatory breeding was delivered in Syria to 30 Iraqi Extension
personnel by Rich Koenig, Pannkuk, Abi-Ghanem, and Kevin Murphy (Ph.D. Crop Science ’07), currently a research associate
in Stephen Jones’ winter wheat breeding program at WSU. Additional trainings are being planned for 2008.
Changing faces
It’s challenging and exhilarating to keep moving forward in a rapidly changing
world. Shifting overseas and domestic markets, dramatic changes in the economics
and environmental implications of farming, and new demands for agricultural
products all require that we stay flexible and adaptable. Most recently we hired
Michael Neff (Ph.D. Botany ’95, University of Washington), a crop biotechnologist
from Washington University in St. Louis, to research the fundamental plant
processes involved in plant biomass yields, biofuels, and bioproducts, as well as
teach courses in plant biotechnology. Ann-Marie Fortuna (Ph.D. Soil Science ’01,
Michigan Stage University), a soil biologist from USDA-ARS in Maine, also joined us
in 2007 to conduct molecular biology studies of N cycling and other soil functions
Michael Neff Ann-Marie Fortuna
important in sustainable cropping systems. In addition, she teaches courses in soil biology and soil microbiology/
biochemistry. Fortuna replaces long-time faculty member David Bezdicek, who retired in 2004.
Time to catch our breath? No way. Suddenly the foundation of our wheat breeding and variety development team shifted when
Kim Kidwell was hired in August 2007 as Associate Dean of CAHNRS Academic Programs. She graciously agreed to serve as
interim spring wheat breeder until we refill the position. With this transition, Kidwell culminates a stellar career as a productive
From the Chair
2
Continued on Page 10

IN THIS ISSuE ...
Special Feature
Our emerging emphasis on biofuels ........ 3
Student and Alumni Update
New alumni ............................................. 6
Student awards ........................................ 6
Scholarships ............................................. 7
Alumni spotlights ........................... 7, 8, 12
Faculty and Staff Honors
and Awards .......................................... 9
Donor Roll .......................................... 11
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).
Writers/editors:
Kathy Barnard, Desiree Kiliz, Debra Marsh,
Bill Pan, Dora Rollins, Hillary Templin
Graphic Designer:
Melissa Strong
Cover photo:
Canola skies, courtesy of the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service
You can visit the department online at
http://css.wsu.edu.
Our Emerging Emphasis
on Biofuels
Global increases in energy demand over supply, combined with
environmental concerns, have turned the spotlight on biofuels
produced from crops. In response to public appeal for home-grown
biofuels, the Washington State legislature and state agencies turned
to WSU research and Extension programs to help make that happen.
At CSS we are starting at square one by evaluating and adapting
alternative crop feedstocks; next comes integrating them into existing
cropping systems, producing them economically and sustainably
without outcompeting food production, and in the end ensuring we
develop systems that result in a positive energy balance! We embark on
this mission with cautious optimism, and with full knowledge that any
real progress will require a sustained global commitment to the vision.
BuILDING BIOMASS
Crops on steroids
Michael Neff, assistant professor of crop biotechnology, is studying
how plants regulate steroid hormone levels to modulate their size
and stature. His work could lead to dramatically increased yields in
a variety of crop plants, including those used to create biofuels and
bioproducts.
Specifically, Neff is using Arabidopsis, an easy-to-grow plant with a
fully-sequenced genome, to better understand how plants use light
as a source of information and how the signaling pathways activated
by light interact with plant hormone pathways to influence a plant’s
height and heft.
“These brassino-steroids have the potential to increase yield in crop
plants because they have the same structure in all plants,” Neff said.
“If we identify an enzyme that inactivates the steroid, we can target
that enzyme, remove it, and allow the increased steroid levels to help
the plant bulk up.”
Working with wheat worldwide
Kulvinder Gill, who holds the O.A.
Vogel Endowed Chair in Wheat
Breeding and Genetics, hypothesizes
that some lines of wheat yield more
ethanol than others because of
differences in straw composition.
Gill is analyzing the lignin and
cellulose content of more than
800 lines from every major wheat
breeding program worldwide. His
next step is to group them according
to high cellulose, low cellulose, high
lignin, and low lignin content. From
Kulvinder Gill
each of those classes, he will take
representative samples and produce
ethanol to identify any differences.
Once a line is identified with the right composition of cellulose
and lignins, those genes can be transferred to the best Northwest
Biofuels
3
Continued on Page 4

Biofuels
wheat varieties—a process that would take just two years,
according to Gill.
Giant payoffs with giant reed
Robert Stevens, director of the Irrigated Agriculture
Research and Extension Center at Prosser, and Bill Pan
are studying the growth habits and characteristics of giant
reed (Arundo donax), which is a vigorous riparian weed
throughout much of the southern U.S., for possible use in
paper production, conversion to ethanol, and as a direct
fuel source in gasification.
“Giant reed produces an extremely high quantity of shoot
and root biomass—well beyond any other known plant,”
said Pan. “As such, its adaption as a crop in irrigated eastern
Washington and control management issues are being
evaluated.”
Since the plant does not produce seed and is unlikely to
survive without adequate irrigation in a desert environment
such as the Columbia Basin, cultivated Arundo is unlikely to
spread as long as it is transported in closed systems.
Bob Parker, Extension weed scientist at the Irrigated
Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, is
studying the best methods for controlling feral stands and
volunteer plants using glysophate.
Switching to switchgrass
Continued from Page 3
Robert Stevens (left) and Steve Fransen showing switchgrass trials
Steve Fransen, forage crop specialist at the Irrigated
Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, Robert
Stevens, and USDA-ARS scientists Hal Collins and Rick
Boydston, are evaluating switchgrass for use in ethanol
production and environmental restoration. To be economical
for growers and local biofuels production facilities, low-cost,
high-return, sustainable crops are required.
“Initiated in 2002, the switchgrass research plots at Paterson
and Prosser in the irrigated lower Columbia Basin of central
Washington are the oldest west of the Rocky Mountains,”
said Collins. These valued research trials have demonstrated
the production and adaptation possibilities of this longlived
perennial that does well in warm weather and has
deep penetrating roots.
4
In addition to its potential as a source of biofuel,
switchgrass may also be a low-cost alternative crop that
can restore degraded soils. In contrast to corn, which
accounts for 90% of the domestic ethanol feedstock supply,
switchgrass does not require tillage so soil loss from erosion
is minimized, and lower fertilizer requirements and fewer
pest issues mean decreased fertilizer and pesticide use. Once
established, research indicates that switchgrass can produce
a harvestable biomass under low moisture, making it a
viable option for growers facing water restrictions.
High expectations for tall wheatgrass
USDA-NRCS scientist Mark Stannard is comparing biotypes
of the tall wheatgrass that grows in eastern Washington
pastures, CRP fields, and wildlife refuge plantings. Some
of the original ‘Alkar’ tall wheatgrass pasture plantings
from over 50 years ago are still alive and performing well.
However, “‘Alkar’ was never intended to be a biofuel, and
other tall wheatgrass biotypes might prove superior to this
old vanguard,” said Stannard.
Tall wheatgrass outperforms all other plants on salinesubirrigated
ground and seven tons/acre yields are not
uncommon, but many questions remain unanswered about
growing it for the biofuel industry, including which biotype
is best; if it can be efficiently converted to ethanol, and how
much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are needed to
maximize productivity.
OILSEED ADAPTATION AND POTENTIAL
Eastern Washington
Oilseed crops have been grown with some success in eastern
Washington, particularly under irrigation, but the yield
variability is high under dryland conditions. Fundamental
information on variety performance and best agronomic
practices for the high, intermediate, and low-rainfall
agroclimatic zones of eastern Washington is needed to
Weed Management in Oilseed Crops
WSU weed scientists Joe Yenish, Ian Burke, and Tim
Miller are evaluating various herbicides for weed
control efficacy and crop safety in canola, camelina,
and yellow mustard via field trials set up across the
state in the four major agroclimatic zones (at Albion,
Davenport, Lind, and Snohomish). “This information
is critical to support the pesticide labeling needs and
exempt emergency uses of herbicides in these crops,”
said Yenish.
Weed management for organic canola production is
also being addressed because of the large demand
for organic canola meal, a protein supplement
for livestock that is in short supply in the Pacific
Northwest. At WSU’s Mount Vernon Northwestern
Washington Research and Extension Center, Miller is
testing weed control efficacy in spring-planted canola
using stale seedbeds coupled with flaming or organic
herbicides such as vinegar and clove oil.

Canola trials at Othello
clearly establish oilseeds as viable alternative rotation crops
with cereal grain crops.
“Unique climatic conditions are of particular importance.
While the oilseed crops that grow over the winter
typically have the best yield potential, getting good stands
established in the fall can be challenging in our dryland
conditions,” said Scot Hulbert, Cook Chair for Cropping
Systems Pathology. Along with USDA-ARS scientists David
Huggins and Frank Young, Hulbert is conducting a large
germplasm screening of several Brassica species, including
canolas and mustards, to examine their ability to survive as
small plants through a variety of precipitation levels and air
temperatures. Regional research trials at Pullman, Ralston,
Othello, Okanogan, and Reardon will then determine those
cultivars most adaptable by rainfall zone and best planting
dates and methods. The most promising cultivars will
continue on in evaluations for seed yield potential, as well
as oil yield and quality.
Soil Fertility Management
in Oilseed Crops
WSU soil scientists Richard Koenig, Robert Stevens,
and Bill Pan are conducting studies to gather
baseline information on canola and camelina nutrient
requirements and management because “biomass
accumulation and nutrient uptake patterns over the
lifecycle of a crop can provide valuable insight into
nutrient needs,” according to Koenig.
The team is also conducting trials to optimize the rate
and timing of applying major nutrients to canola and
camelina. Sulfur is known to ensure high canola and
other brassica crop seed yields, but little is known on
how nitrogen and sulfur fertility affect oil yield and
quality. Ian Burke will analyze seed from the trials to
fill in this data gap.
This work will provide growers with the knowledge
needed to make economic-based fertility
management decisions to achieve optimum yield and
biofuel quality from oilseed crops.
5
Tim Smith, research technician, inspects camelina trials at the Lind
dryland field station
Trials with camelina, a rugged Brassica relative cultivated in
ancient times, are also being conducted across Washington’s
drylands to determine the relative performance of winter and
spring cultivars as well as the best varieties for each region.
Bill Schillinger, cropping systems scientist, is initiating a
comprehensive cropping systems study at Lind to compare the
traditional 2-year winter wheat–summer fallow rotation with a
3-year winter wheat–camelina–summer fallow rotation.
Central Washington
High oil-yield safflower plants
An Hang, specialty crops research agronomist, Steven
Fransen, and USDA-ARS scientists Hal Collins, Rick
Boydston, and Ashok Alva, have initiated a series of
trials evaluating spring and winter canola/rapeseed,
mustard, sunflower, safflower, soybean, and camelina in
the irrigated cropping zones of central Washington.
The interdisciplinary team is looking at the basic
agronomics of how these plants are established, including
their fertility and irrigation requirements. In addition,
Biofuels
Continued on Page 10

STUDENT AWARDS
Julie Dawson, Crop Science Ph.D. candidate in the winter
wheat breeding program, won the 2007 Distinguished
Service Learning Award from the WSU Center for Civic
Engagement for her active involvement with the Palouse
Food Project, a coalition of community groups working on
hunger issues in Whitman County. Dawson organized and
coordinated student-run gardens at the Pullman Community
Gardens (Koppel Farm) and St. James Episcopal
Church to get the produce from these gardens to food
banks in Pullman.
Matt Williams, Crop Science M.S. candidate, took second
place in the graduate student paper contest at the March
2007 Western Society of Weed Science Conference for his
presentation titled “Mesotrione Impregnated Fertilizer
for Weed Control during Turfgrass Establishment.” Maria
Lockard, Crop Science B.S. candidate, placed first in the
undergraduate poster competition with “Investigation into
Prickly Lettuce Tolerance of 2,4-D and Glysophate.”
CAHNRS Awards
Robert Brulotte (B.S. Crop Science–Turf Management ’06,
summa cum laude), Michael Cassara
(B.S. Agriculture–Education ’07), and
Josh Knodel (B.S. Ag. Technology &
Management ’07) were each named
CAHNRS Outstanding Seniors in their
respective majors. After graduating,
Brulotte, a returning student from 1997,
accepted a first assistant superintendent
position with Sudden Valley Golf
Course near Bellingham. Cassara, whose
lifelong ambition is to teach agriculture,
Josh Knodel
is continuing his education with us in
pursuit of a Master’s degree. Entering
WSU as a Dean’s Merit scholarship recipient, Knodel
accepted a position with the John Deere Corporation.
Chris Proctor (B.S. Crop Science–Turf Management ’07,
summa cum laude) was named the American Society of
Agronomy–Crop Science Society of America–Soil Science
Society of America Outstanding Senior. He is also staying
on at WSU as an M.S. candidate in the same field.
Lauren Hubbard (B.S. Soil Science, B.A. Women’s Studies,
B.A. Communication ’07, magna cum laude) was named
CAHNRS Outstanding Senior in Soil Science, Aggie of the
Year, and the all-around outstanding senior. Hubbard was
also awarded the WSU Martin Luther King Distinguished
Service Award in
January 2007, and
served as a 2006
Model United Nations
representative. Upon
graduation, Hubbard
joined the Peace Corp.
All CAHNRS award
recipients were
recognized at the
annual CAHNRS
awards banquet in
April 2007.
Bill Pan, CSS Chair, congratulating
Lauren Hubbard, 2007 Aggie of the Year
6
WELCOME NEW ALUMS
MAy 2007 GRADuATES
Laylah Bewick, M.S. ......................................... Crop Science
James Bonner, B.S. ........................................... Crop Science
Noah Bonds, M.S............................................... Soil Science
Michael Cassara, B.S. ........................Agriculture (education)
Bryan Englund, B.S. ............Ag. Technology & Management
Tanyalee Erwin, M.S. ........................................... Agriculture
Tracy Hanger, B.S. ............................................ Crop Science
Lori Hoagland, Ph.D. ......................................... Soil Science
Lauren Hubbard, B.S. ......................................... Soil Science
(magna cum laude)
Ben Keno, B.S. ................................................. Crop Science
Brady Kiesz, B.S. .................Ag. Technology & Management
Craig Kincaid, B.S. ..............Ag. Technology & Management
Josh Knodel, B.S. .................Ag. Technology & Management
Suzanne Kopan, M.S. ....................................... Crop Science
Kevin Murphy, Ph.D. ........................................ Crop Science
Randi Nickels, B.S. ...........................Agriculture (education)
(summa cum laude)
Kai Pang, B.S. .................................................. Crop Science
Owen Peth, B.S. ..................Ag. Technology & Management
Kevin Smith, B.S. ............................................. Crop Science
Kari Stenshol, B.S. ...............Ag. Technology & Management
Denine Trump, M.S. ........................................... Agriculture
Carl Walker, M.S. ............................................. Crop Science
AuGuST 2007 GRADuATES
Lauren Hair, B.S. .............................................Crop Science
Kristy Ott, M.S. .................................................Soil Science
Chris Proctor, B.S. ..........................................Crop Science
(summa cum laude)
Jennifer Reeve, Ph.D. ........................................Soil Science
Susan Richards, M.S. ..........................................Agriculture
Steven Smith, M.S. ............................................Agriculture
Matthew Stowe, M.S. .......................................Soil Science
Brandon Wilhelm, B.S. ....................................Crop Science
DECEMBER 2007 GRADuATES
Joshua Fitts, B.S. ............... Ag. Technology & Management
Joe Hill, B.S. ....................................................Crop Science
Christy Ludwigsen, B.S. .................. Agriculture (education)
Jackqueline Madill, M.S. .....................................Agriculture
Jasdeep Mutti, Ph.D. .......................................Crop Science
Alan Petro, B.S. ................. Ag. Technology & Management
Zachary Rashford, B.S. ...... Ag. Technology & Management
Aubrey Reeves, B.S.......................... Agriculture (education)
William Simons, B.S. .......................................Crop Science
Justin Stone, B.S. ............... Ag. Technology & Management
John Wisse, B.S. ................ Ag. Technology & Management
Kyle Young, B.S...............................................Crop Science

CSS ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS 2007-08
Bertramson Student Travel Fund
2007 CSS Graduate Student State
Agriculture Tour—13 students
participated
Roscoe and Frances Cox
Scholarship
Rita Abi-Ghanem
Megan Alcott
David Andrews
Doug Collins
Jennifer Crupper
Catherine Crosby
Katie Dale
Cherie Flint
Shaun Knutzen
Cynthia Krcma
Emily Meirik
Sindhu Nair
Triven Pillai
Chad Platt
Philip Roberts
Michael Sellman
Dilpreet Singh
Kulbir Singh
Upinder Singh Gill
Dustin Walsh
Matthew Williams
Estate of Elizabeth M. Felgenhauer
Katie Dale
Cherie Flint
Cynthia Krcma
Dustin Walsh
Roy L. Goss Turfgrass Scholarship
David Andrews
Katie Dodson
Shaun Knutzen
Chad Platt
Michael Sellman
Matt Williams
Kyle Young
Mrs. Frank Greeley-Federation of
Garden Clubs Scholarship
Cynthia Krcma
Max Hinrichs, Jr. Scholarship
Megan Alcott
Max Hinrichs, Sr. Scholarship
Megan Alcott
C. Dawson Moodie Memorial
Scholarship
Katie Dale
Thomas and Catherine Hylsop
Graduate Fellowship
Arron Carter
Grant Poole
Reynolds-Biersner Scholarship
Brandon Arnold
Katie Dale
Cherie Flint
Tracy Hanger
June Roberts Agriculture
Scholarship
Erinn Argo
Jacob Bredstrand
Michael Boer
Samantha Clark
Grant DeVries
Katie Detering
Gregory Emtman
Michael Hughes
Evan Jones
Brian Kiesz
Luke Korthuis
Garrett Linstrum
Sophie Mayate
Jacqueline Meyer
Tyler Ruzicka
Weston Sellars
Kent Stokes
Rachel Teel
Heath Wilson
Adam Zediker
D.W. Steiger Family Graduate
Fellowship
Arron Carter
Grant Poole
Upinder Singh Gill
Tracy Vincent Sharp Memorial
Scholarship
Megan Alcott
Tracy Hanger
O.A. Vogel Washington State
Crop Improvement Association
Scholarship
Dustin Walsh
Washington–North Idaho Seed
Association Scholarship
Nicole Groth
Cynthia Krcma
Don Schlect
7
Hill slides into
career, national
award
Joe Hill (B.S. Crop Science–Turf
Management
’07) won one
of four 2007
Sports Turf
Managers
Association
National Field
of the Year
awards for
short-season
Class A minor
league baseball.
The award
recognizes both a facility’s
Joe Hill
excellence and the sports turf
manager’s expertise in his or her
field.
Winning this award was quite
a feat for the Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho, native. Hill worked as
turf manager for the Spokane
Indians while attending classes
in Pullman. He credits the
important people in his life and
the education he received for his
successes.
“My parents were a large part of
my success—they’ve always been
supportive. My peers, advisor,
and professors at WSU and those
who worked with me at the
Indians also made a huge impact
with what they taught me,” said
Hill. “I chose to come to WSU
because it has a great turfgrass
management program and a rich
tradition. It also helped that the
campus is close to home.”
For Hill, this award marks the
beginning of an ambitious
career. He is now at The Club
at Black Rock, a private golf
course in Coeur d’Alene. “This
new position offers me a great
opportunity and hopefully
will open a few doors in the
golf industry and possibly my
future,” said Hill. “I hope I can
make a positive name for myself
in the industry, but I would like
nothing more than to be happy
with success, wealth, and a
family.”

Riechers holds double
ACES faculty awards
Dean Riechers (Ph.D. Crop Science ’96),
associate professor of weed science physiology
in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences
(ACES) at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign (UIUC),
received the 2008 College
of ACES Faculty Award for
Excellence in Research.
He was nominated by his
colleague, Dr. Aaron Hager.
It was only in 2004 that
Riechers received the
teaching counterpart to
this award. “Having been
Dean Riechers
nominated by my peers and
selected to receive both of
these awards is very special and rewarding,”
said Riechers, who earned both a B.S. in
agricultural sciences and an M.S. in agronomy/
weed science from UIUC.
Riechers joined WSU weed scientist Patrick
Fuerst’s research program in 1992. Riechers’
Ph.D. project involved herbicide safeners
(chemical compounds that protect cereal crops
against injury from herbicides) for winter wheat
as a possible way to selectively control jointed
goatgrass.
Later in his thesis program, winter wheat
breeder Stephen Jones suggested Riechers
include wild wheat relatives in his research,
which led to some interesting discoveries about
wheat’s ancestral relationships and genome
contribution to gene expression.
Riechers’ graduate committee was composed
of several outstanding scientists and mentors,
including Stephen Jones, Patrick Fuerst,
retired crop physiologist Robert Warner, and
molecular plant scientist Rodney Croteau.
“Each committee member brought something
unique to the project regarding their individual
areas of expertise,” said Riechers. “I feel very
fortunate to have joined the department when
I did.”
At UIUC Riechers is building on the research
he conducted at WSU—working toward
greater understanding of the biochemical
and molecular basis for herbicide selectivity
between crops and weeds to achieve enhanced
management effectiveness and broader
application.
L-R: Rick Adams, son Ricky Adams, and WSU President Elson Floyd
8
Adams named 2007 WSU
Dad of the Year
WSU alum and father of four Rick Adams (B.S.
Agriculture–Education ’75) was named WSU Dad of
the Year for 2007 based in part on his son Ricky’s
nomination.
June 2008 will mark both Adam’s retirement and 33
years of FFA teaching and advising at Prosser High
School, which has one of the largest FFA programs in the
state.
Adams’ decision to become a high school agricultural
education teacher was a “Coug to Coug” situation. “My
ag ed teacher, Roy Hallstrom, was a WSU alum, and he
motivated me to pursue this field,” said Adams. “I saw
what he did for other kids, and thought if I could do
what he did, it would be a great way to spend a career.”
Adams grew up on a small apple farm in Cowiche.
He chose WSU to earn his bachelor’s degree because
“that was where ag ed was, and I always wanted to
be a Cougar.” Once he arrived in Pullman he found a
challenging curriculum and an extended family, many
in the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity he joined. “WSU was
just a big family, and we developed so many close ties,”
Adams remembers. “The friendships you make [at WSU]
can last a lifetime.”

Faculty and Staff Honors and Awards
Mary Kate Alexander, principal assistant to the CSS chair, received the 2007 CAHNRS Administrative Professional Staff
Excellence Award. She has worked in the department for nearly 28 years. Ron Bolton, agricultural technologist, received
the 2007 CAHNRS Classified Technical Staff Excellence Award for his support of the soil science program as a computer,
lab, and field technologist since 1988. Both were recognized at the annual CAHNRS awards banquet in April 2007.
Tim Miller, associate weed scientist and Extension specialist at the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington
Research and Extension Center, received the 2007 Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award for significant contributions to
agronomic crop production and soil management. He was presented the award at the Center’s annual field day in July
2007. Carl Libbey, scientific assistant to Miller’s program, received the Outstanding Professional Staff Award from the
Western Society of Weed Science at their March 2007 annual meeting in Portland, Oregon.
Jim Cook was honored at the Cook Agronomy Farm dedication before an audience of 200 at the Precision Agriculture Field
Day’s lunch program on June 28, 2007. In 2006 the WSU Board of Regents voted to name the University’s precision agriculture
and direct seed farm north of Pullman for Cook, who retired in 2005 after 40 years of service to WSU and the USDA-ARS.
Bill Pan was named a 2007 Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. A soil scientist, Pan joined the CSS faculty in
1984 and has served as department chair since 2002. His
research focuses on the nutrient cycling and root ecology
of cereal-based cropping systems. Phil Miklas, research
geneticist with USDA-ARS at the Vegetable and Forage Crops
Research Unit in Prosser, and CSS adjunct faculty, was one of
10 members named Crop Science Society of America Fellow
in 2007. Miklas’ program develops enhanced germplasm lines
and improved dry edible bean cultivars. Selection as fellow is
the highest honor the societies can bestow on its members.
Both Pan and Miklas were recognized in November 2007 at
the joint annual meetings of both societies in New Orleans.
Richard Koenig, soil fertility Extension specialist, was
also recognized by the American Society of Agronomy at
the November 2007 New Orleans society meetings with
a certificate of excellence for outstanding agronomic
educational material. He co-authored a regional (Montana,
Washington, Idaho) 11-page publication titled “Management
of Urea Fertilizer to Minimize Volatilization.”
Steven R. Lyon, a senior scientific assistant in WSU’s
winter wheat breeding program, received the O.A. Vogel
Crop Improvement Award on November 13, 2007, at the annual meeting of the Washington State Crop Improvement
Association in Pasco. The annual award recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the pure seed
program or crop production in Washington State. Lyon, who has worked for WSU for 15 years, manages all aspects of the
winter wheat breeding program on a day-to-day basis, including staff and student employees. He also gives talks to grower
groups at field tours, represents the winter wheat breeding program at meetings outside of Pullman, and writes articles
about the research program for popular media.
Stephen Jones, author of the 2009 World Book encyclopedia wheat entry
9
Henry Shands (left), President of the Crop Science Society of America,
congratulates Phil Miklas, 2007 CSSA Fellow
Stephen Jones, winter wheat breeder and CSS professor,
made headlines with his research and development of
perennial wheat in the June 5, 2007, science section
of the New York Times. Jones also recently completed
the “wheat” entry for the 2009 edition of World Book
encyclopedia. In addition to updating and reviewing
existing information, Jones contributed discussion on the
positive environmental aspects of wheat breeding and
lessening the environmental footprint of farming.
Robert Stevens, Extension soil scientist and interim
director of the Irrigated Agricultural Research and
Extension Center, received the 2007 Leadership Award at
the biannual Western Nutrient Management and Water
Quality conference on March 8, 2007, in Salt Lake City.
The conference is organized by the Western Education/
Extension and Research Activities project committee,
whose purpose is to bring scientists together to coordinate
related research via informal work groups, task forces, and
symposia for exchange of experience and opinions.

Biofuels
Value-Added Biopesticides
Several oilseed crops produce chemical compounds
and changes in soil microbial communities that
reduce soil-borne pathogens, insects, and weed
seedlings. As a result, they benefit growers across
the state by lowering the need for pesticides, which
is particularly promising for organic systems. Lynne
Carpenter-Boggs, BIOAg Coordinator for WSU’s
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural
Resources, is evaluating several brassica seedmeals
for potential use as an organic nitrogen fertilizer,
organic pesticide, and organic damping-off control in
greenhouses. “Given the current prices for biodiesel
oilseeds, a good market for post-crush seedmeals
would make these crops a lot more economically
attractive,” said Carpenter-Boggs.
the studies involve monitoring plant characteristics
related to yield, nutrition, water use efficiency, and oil
concentration and chemical composition in the seed.
“We have a holistic view. Agronomics, land stewardship,
and environmental, social, and economic concerns go
hand in hand,” said Collins. Crops such as canola and
safflower have an oil concentration in the 40% range,
while soybean and mustard are in the 20% to 30%
range, respectively. Crops with higher oil concentrations
require less acreage to support processing facilities than
those with lower concentrations.
Oilseed crops could contribute to the development
of an extremely valuable and resilient special oil
and bioproducts industry in the Columbia Basin of
central Washington—similar to the diversified food
processing industry. For example, safflower, canola,
camelina, and flax are low in saturated fat, and high
in monounsaturated oil content (almost 60%) with
beneficial omega-3 fatty acid compounds; both of these
are valuable product components in the burgeoning
From the Chair
10
Dairy cows in western Washington
organic foods market. Alternatively, rapeseed yields oil
suitable for industrial applications such as surfactants,
plastics, cosmetics, and lubricants.
Western Washington
Continued from Page 5
The western Washington agricultural landscape is dominated
by dairy, high-value specialty crops, grasses, and forest. Farm
size is generally smaller than east of the Cascades and the
maritime climate and complex crop rotations present special
challenges for production of oilseed crops.
Tim Miller and Craig Cogger, Extension soil scientist at
WSU’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center, believe
significant opportunity for canola production exists on
organically certified land. Canola meal, the residual after
the oil is extracted, is an important feed product for organic
dairies, which is a rapidly growing segment of Washington’s
dairy industry. Current prices for imported organic
canola meal are three to four times that for conventional
canola meal, representing both an opportunity for valueadded
canola production as well as reduced feed costs
for Washington’s organic dairies. Miller and Cogger are
conducting agronomic trials for canola on organically
certified ground at Puyallup to determine optimal timing
and nitrogen management for fall and spring canola. At
Mount Vernon they are evaluating the seed yield and oil
composition of safflower, sunflower, flax, and camelina.
Continued from Page 2
and innovative wheat breeder and researcher. She and her team released several new varieties widely used by the wheat industry.
Kidwell was also an innovative and inspirational educator, and fortunately for the students of WSU, she vows to maintain some
of her classroom teaching. We look forward to working with her in her new leadership role with academic programming.
Another loss, John Burns retired in January 2008 after completing a 32-year career at WSU. He served 25 years as a
Whitman County agricultural Extension agent, then as the variety testing Extension agronomist for CSS since 2000. Burns
did an outstanding job of stabilizing and improving the quality of this essential program that generates and communicates
information growers need to make informed variety selection choices. This program is a key interface between CSS and the
agriculture industry.
We will greatly miss both of these colleagues and wish them the best in their future endeavors. We now have huge shoes to
fill. Searches are underway to refill both positions and we hope to have new faculty in place by fall 2008. With the passage
of time, the players change but the commitment to excellence and quality continues.
—Bill Pan

2006-07 CSS HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
In appreciation of gifts (>$100) to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007
Laureates
($1 million or more cumulative)
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
*Lorenz Bohrnsen
Roy and Marcella Goss
Northwest Agricultural Research
Foundation, Inc.
Benefactors
($100,000 or more cumulative)
Alf Christianson Seed Company
Otto and Doris Amen
American Malting Barley Association
Applied Phytologics, Inc.
Bayer Corportion
E. Donald and Jane Biersner
Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc.
Donna Camp
*Melvin Camp
Ken and Sue Christianson
Lucille Christianson
*Ferne Daniel
E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company
FMC Corporation
Glen Franklin
Harry and Edith Goldsworthy
Catherine Hyslop
*Thomas Hyslop
Gale Kicha
*Allen Manring
*Betty Manring
Northwest Farm Credit Services
Roscoe and Frances Cox Charitable Trust
*Wallace Staatz
Donald and Bettie Steiger
Patsy Sunderman
Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc.
*Gana Vaiana
Washington State Dry Pea & Lentil
Commission
*Leonard Young
Platinum Associates
($10,000 or more annual support)
E. Donald and Jane Biersner
Glen Franklin
Organic Center
*Martha Pinney
*Wallace Staatz
Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc.
BASF Corporation
Gaylon and Judith Campbell
Ken and Sue Christianson
Lucille Christianson
E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company
Harry and Edith Goldsworthy
International Plant Nutrition Institute
Lesco Services, Inc.
Donald and Bettie Steiger
Crimson Associates
($5,000 to $9,999 annual support)
Aquatrols Corporation of America
Bayer CropScience, LP
Cheminova, Inc.
Decagon Devices, Inc.
Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, LLC
Glenn Leitz
Silver Associates
($2,500 to $4,999 annual support)
AMVAC Chemical Corporation
Bayer Crop Science
Cleary Chemical Corporation
*Elizabeth Felgenhauer
Fluid Fertilizer Foundation
Gowan Seed Company, LLC
National Pork Board
Washington State Hay Growers
Association
Washington–North Idaho Seed Association
President’s Associates
($1,000 to $2,499 annual support)
Agrium U.S., Inc.
Robert and Carolyn Allan
Paul and Bonnie Bawel
Donna Camp
Campbell Scientific, Inc.
R. James and Beverly Cook
Crites Moscow Growers, Inc.
Norman Donaldson
Monsanto Company
James and Ann Moore
William Pan and Vicki McCracken
ProGene, LLC
Tilth Producers of Washington
Dietrich and Penny Von Wettstein
Washington State FFA Association
Claudia Wilhelm
Yakima Klickitat County Association of
Wheat Growers
Bryan Society
($500 to $999 annual support)
Exactrix Global Systems
Curtis Gering
Michael and Betty Leinweber
Microsoft Corporation
Scotts Company
Wilbur-Ellis Company
11
Tower Club
($100 to $499 annual support)
Agpro
Bank of Whitman
Stanton and JoAnn Brauen
Xiwen Cai
Climate Solutions
Colfax Grange Supply Company, Inc.
Connell Grain Growers
Connell Oil, Incorporated
Cooperative Agricultural Producers, Inc.
Franklin County Wheat Growers
Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
Dana and Valerie Herron
James and Doris Howell
Carl and Beverly Jensen
Stephen Jones
Kimberlee Kidwell
Kile Machine & Manufacturing, Inc.
Andris and Jolanta Kleinhofs
Richard Koenig
Joseph Majka
McGregor Company
Alex and Linda McGregor
Alan and Jacqueline McKay
Timothy Miller
Fred and Linda Muehlbauer
National Center for Appropriate
Technology
North Pine AG Equipment, Inc.
Nu Chem Limited
Wesley and Mary Lee Nuxoll
Pacific NW Direct Seed Association
Palouse Welding & Machine, Inc.
Randall and Sue Parker
PCI Industries, Inc.
Gary and Geraldine Picha
Timothy and Megan Riebe
Ritzville Chemicals, Inc.
Ritzville Warehouse Company
James and Nancy Ruark
St. John Hardware & Implement
Company
C. Robert and Shirley E. Staib
David Stout
Michael and Gail Swan
Guy Swanson
James and Jeanne Tribbett
Union Elevator & Warehouse
Uniontown Co-Operative Association
Dennis and Carol Wallace
Westbred, LLC
Western Farm Service, Inc.
Wilbur-Ellis Company
_________________________________
*Indicates deceased

Lupkes hits a long drive—back to Pullman
Todd Lupkes’ (B.S. Crop Science–Turfgrass Management
’92) return to the Palouse began soon after receiving
word of a job opening late one Friday night, with a
Monday closing date. Six days, six hundred miles, and
one unfortunate deer later, Lupkes’ wife knew it. “We’re
moving to Pullman, aren’t we?” she intuited as he walked
in the door of his Gig Harbor home.
Days later, Lupkes was hired as superintendent of the
Palouse Ridge Golf Club by CourseCo, the golf course
management company WSU contracted to build a
premier 18-hole, Scottish-links style golf course. The
course is scheduled to open in August 2008.
“Ten months later I still have goose bumps. I can’t
even describe it—everything happened so fast,” said
Lupkes. “I am so thankful to have simply been given this
opportunity to prove and show I have the skills.”
According to Lupkes, experience by doing is the key to
his success. At the age of 10, his family managed a ninehole
public golf course in Centralia, which they operated
while living in the club house.
After graduating in 1992, Lupkes worked for five years
as assistant superintendent at the Overlake Golf and
Country Club, and the past nine years as superintendent
at the Gig Harbor Country Club. He received superintendent certification in 2000 from the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America in recognition of “superior levels of achievement in golf course management.” Lupkes served twice
as president of the Western Washington Golf Course Superintendents Association and is a current board member of the
Northwest Turfgrass Association.
Of particular importance to Lupkes is his pledge to make the WSU turfgrass management program the best it can be by
mentoring and inspiring the many promising students and providing valuable learning opportunities at the golf course.
“The irony is that many of the people I work with now were also here back then,” Lupkes said while reflecting on his WSU
education. “Now it’s a different relationship. I’m working with them instead of passing them in the hall, and that’s really
neat. After what has happened in the last 10 months, I can’t imagine where I’d go from here that’s up, but I’d love to find
out. Maybe a director of golf someday.”
In the meantime, this avid Coug and his wife Dawn, along with their two children, Julia, 8, and Elise, 6, are enjoying their
time in Pullman—not to mention their season football and basketball tickets. “I had to buy a five-bedroom home so our
friends and family have a place to stay for the games,” he laughed.
Department of Crop & Soil Sciences
Washington State University
PO Box 646420
Pullman, WA 99164-6420
L-R: Mike Bednar (B.S. Crop Science–Turf Management ’04), Palouse Ridge
Golf Course assistant superintendent; Todd Lupkes, Palouse Ridge Golf
Course superintendent; and Charles Golob, long-time research technician
supervisor in WSU’s turfgrass management program.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PULLMAN, WA
PERMIT NO. 12