Farms and Facilities

Overview

The laboratory and field facilities in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences are well-equipped for graduate study and faculty research. Greenhouses, growth chambers, mass spectrometry, controlled temperature germinators, low temperature storage facilities, seed technology laboratories, tissue culture laboratories, and equipment and facilities for histological, cytological, biochemical, physiological and molecular investigations are available for use. In addition, the Department has both turf, dryland and irrigated field laboratories and advanced field equipment. Extensive and unique facilities for radiation and chemical mutagenesis are available on the Washington State University campus.

We are excited about the future as we progressively move our laboratories to new facilities. The first building in the proposed biotechnology complex was completed May 2004. Known as the Vogel Plant Biosciences I building, it houses plant breeders, geneticists, and pathologists in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, as well as a plant transformation core laboratory from the Center for Integrated Biotechnology, and a number of USDA-ARS scientists. The Biotechnology Life Sciences building was the second completed building. A total of five more buildings — all interconnected — may eventually be built.

Excellent facilities for research are also available at the research and extension centers in ProsserPuyallupMount Vernon unit, and Wenatchee.

University facilities such as the WSU librariesInformation TechnologyFranceschi Microscopy & Imaging CenterGeoanalytical Laboratory, and advanced facilities for molecular genetics research augment departmental facilities.

Policy and Forms for Cook Farm, Spillman Farm, and Palouse Conservation Field Station

If you are planning on doing research at Cook Farm, Spillman Farm, or PCFS, then please use the forms below so we can improve the quality of your research. The land use request form is designed to help us in the planning phase and to track field operations and chemical usage through a database. The request form should be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to your estimated start date. At the conclusion of your experiment, you will be expected to complete the End of Year report. You will need to record actual chemicals used and their rates, GPS coordinates of your plot, any deviations from details listed on your request form, and other such details.

Farms, Facilities, and Land

Cook Agronomy Farm

The 140-acre Cook Agronomy Farm, located five miles northeast of Pullman, is a new long-term research site managed under continuous direct seeding with field scale equipment since 1999. The research is focused on developing direct seed cropping systems and precision-agriculture technologies for this “typical” Palouse landscape. A 90-acre portion of the Farm has been intensively grid sampled at 370 GPS-referenced sites for data on soil characteristics, soil nutrients, soil water content and crop use, yield, grain protein, weed seedbank, and soilborne pathogens.

Lind Dryland Research Station

The Lind Dryland Research Station was established in 1915 to “promote the betterment of dryland farming” in the 8-to 12-inch rainfall area of eastern Washington. The 1320 acre Lind station has the lowest rainfall of any state or federal facility devoted to dryland research in the United States. Wheat breeding, variety adaptation, weed and disease control, soil fertility, erosion control, and residue management are the main research priorities. Visit the Lind Station Facebook page for more information.

Eggert Family Organic Farm

The 30 acre Eggert Family Organic Farm is located on Animal Sciences Road directly east of the main Pullman campus. It operates through the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and was first certified organic in 2004. It remains certified by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Palouse Conservation Field Station

The Palouse Conservation Field Station, located 1.5 miles north of Pullman, was established as one of 10 original erosion experiment stations throughout the United States during the period 1929 to 1933. Scientists from the USDA-ARS and Washington State University utilize this 200-acre research farm to conduct a wide variety of research projects related to farming systems to improve soil and water conservation on the Palouse.

Washington Grains’ Plant Growth Facility

The Plant Growth Facilities greenhouses and growth chambers, serve the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences and affiliated USDA programs as the primary controlled environment space for research and teaching projects.  The Plant Growth facilities are comprised of over 49,000 sq. feet of greenhouse space and 65 climate controlled growth chambers. Facilities date back to the 1960’s with the newest additions being completed in 1998 (Wheat Research Greenhouses), 2007 (Horticulture Instructional Greenhouses), and 2015 (Small Grains Research Greenhouses).

Certified organic research land at WSU Puyallup

WSU Puyallup has 6 acres of certified organic research land. Experiments in progress on the land include the organic farming systems experiment, cover crop trials, organic potato and squash variety trials, and pasture blends trials, and a pastured poultry pilot study.

Spillman Farm

The Spillman Agronomy Farm is located on 382 acres five miles southeast of Pullman, WA in the midst of the rich Palouse soils. Many of the highest producing wheat in the Pacific Northwest today were developed at Spillman Agronomy Farm. In addition to wheat, the Spillman Agronomy Farm has also served as the foundation for barley and legume breeding programs that have provided significant additional economic returns to Washington farmers during the past 50 years.

Turfgrass and Agronomy Research Center

Construction of a new turfgrass research facility on the Pullman campus was completed in the summer of 2005. It includes a USGA experimental green, 15 turfgrass plots (80′ x 80′), an office/shop, and a storage building.

Wilke Research and Extension Farm

The Wilke Research and Extension Farm is located on the east edge of Davenport, WA at 39440 St Rt 2 East. The 320-acre farm was bequeathed to WSU in the 1980’s by Beulah Wilson Wilke for use as an agricultural research facility. Funding for the work at the Wilke Farm comes from research and extension grants and through the proceeds of the crops grown. The research goals are centered on the need to develop cropping systems that enhance farm profitability and improve soil quality.

PDF Accessibility

If you require an alternative format for any of the content provided on this website, please contact:

Samantha Crow
Program Specialist 2
509-677-3671
samantha.crow@wsu.edu