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  2000 Table of Contents

2000 STEEP III Progress Report

RESEARCH PROJECT TITLE: Northwest Coalition on Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research.

INVESTIGATORS:

R. James Cook, Eric Gallandt and Roger Veseth, Washington State University; Mike Weiss and Roger Veseth, University of Idaho; Richard Smiley, Oregon State University; Dave Huggins, Anne Kennedy, and Dale Wilkins, Agricultural Research Service; Dennis Roe, National Resource Conservation Service; and Russ Zenner, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.

FINAL REPORT:

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

  1. To establish a technical working group of researchers, growers, and agribusiness representatives as a communications network and process for exchanging technical information and new innovations among the existing and emerging direct-seed cropping systems studies in the Inland Northwest;
  2. To establish a taskforce that includes applicable agricultural/environmental/financial groups and government agencies as a source of ideas and support needed to accelerate the development and grower-adoption of direct-seed cropping systems in the region;
  3. To establish a broad-based Northwest coalition on direct-seed cropping systems research as an on-going grass-roots mechanism for identifying, prioritizing, conducting, implementing and funding direct-seed, intensive-cropping research and education across the agronomic zones of the region.

KEY WORDS: Direct-Seed, Cropping Systems, Coalition

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

Direct-seed cropping systems, combined with more intensive cropping, hold the promise of simultaneously increasing the region's economic competitiveness while significantly improving environmental quality. However, grower transition to and adoption of direct-seed intensive-cropping systems represents the most revolutionary and complex change in the history of dryland agriculture in the Inland Northwest and would significantly impact the entire agricultural system and supporting institutions of this region. Providing significant resources for the research and education necessary to help farms undergo this change within the limits of reasonable economic risk are beyond the bounds of any one research discipline, institution, or organization. So as to expand awareness and participation by stakeholders, develop and prioritize research needs, and both optimize and justify the use of resources, a strategic plan is needed as a shared vision and framework for coordination, cooperation, and communication among the researchers, growers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, environmentalists, and the public.

ZONE OF INTEREST: All agronomic zones in the Inland Northwest will be represented in this Coalition, including the low- intermediate- and high-precipitation zones of this region.

ABSTRACT OF RESEARCH FINDINGS:

The original idea of a "Northwest Coalition on Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research" came from the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council in early 1998 as a means to bring industry representatives together in support of more research and education on direct seeding. This STEEP project was designed to take the Coalition concept to the next steps, including, if possible, to form a coalition. A Steering Committee was formed with representation from growers and researchers from the Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The products and outcomes of this project, now completed, are as follows. 1. A briefing document, referred to as "talking points," was developed for distribution among growers, researchers, bankers, university administrators, and others as a guide to understanding the complex issues driving and retarding the trend towards greater use of direct seeding. 2. A workshop was organized and held January 25, 2000, on the WSU campus entitled "Creating the Future for Northwest Direct Seed Systems-Experiences in Building Coalitions." Two model programs on building coalitions where showcased-The Wisconsin Potato IMP Program, by Walt Stevenson, University of Wisconsin, and the Dakota Lakes Farms Direct-Seed Research and Demonstration, by Dwayne Beck, South Dakota State University. 3. Leadership and the venue was provided for formation of the new Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association (PNDSA), with the organizational meeting held January 25, 2000, following the workshop. This new Association can now fulfill most or all of the vision of the proposed Coalition, making the concept of a direct seed coalition redundant. This new organization has about 150 members from the three Northwest states with the goals of "increasing direct seed acreage in the Pacific Northwest to 2 million acres in the next five years" and of partnering with a wide coalition of stakeholders. 4. The Coalition Steering Committee, functioning under the auspices of the new PNDSA, served as the Steering Committee for a four-state (ID, OR, MT, and WA) "consortium proposal entitled "Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research: Foundation for Retooling Northwest Agriculture, submitted to the USDA-CSREES Initiative on Future Agriculture and Food Systems but not funded. 5. A draft document entitled "Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research in the Pacific Northwest" has been completed as a lay-audience summary of work in progress and is now under review by members of the Steering Committee.

RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION:

The idea to establish a "Northwest Coalition on Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research" came first from the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council in early 1998 as an attempt to bring industry representatives together in support of more research and education on direct seeding. A meeting was held January 6, 1998, in Pasco, WA, just prior to the first Northwest Direct Seed Intensive Cropping Conference. This was followed by a meeting at WSU TriCities in February, 1998. Growers and researchers from each of the three states of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington were present at each meeting, and there was a consensus that a broad-based cooperative effort was needed in both research and education within the region to provide growers with the information needed on whether and how to make a transition on their farm towards direct seeding and more intensive cropping. However, there were no clear next steps in forming this a coalition and consequently the concept was not pursued further although the need has not diminished. This STEEP project was designed to help growers and other stakeholders move ahead towards achieving the goals envisioned for this Coalition.

The steps have taken to date or planned are outlined below.

Formation of a Steering Committee

A Steering Committee was formed in May, 1999, that includes representation from each of three major commodity groups in the Inland Northwest (wheat, barley, and pulse crops) as well as researchers from the University of Idaho, Oregon State University (Pendleton), Washington State University, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Establishment of long-term goals for the Coalition

The following goals were developed as a vision for what can be accomplished through this Coalition over the long-term, with significant progress towards some of these goals expected within the one-year time-frame of this STEEP project.

  • Increase the educational opportunities on benefits and risks of direct seeding, including at the level of 1) producer, 2) regulatory agencies, and 3) legislators;
  • Help growers in the transition phase from tillage-based to direct-seed cropping systems;
  • Document profitability of direct seeding and associated more intensive cropping systems;
  • Address environmental concerns, including both water and air quality concerns, and the potential effects on the environment from this technology;
  • Address loss of soil and soil quality due to conventional farming practices, including, provide the tools, expertise, and/or leadership to evaluate effects of farming practices on the natural resource base of this region;
  • Consider endangered species issues (salmon, etc.) as impacted by an increase in direct seeding;
  • Lead and facilitate a "retooling" of inland Northwest agriculture, including the research and education programs, cropping systems, and resource management, all with the goals of enhancing the competitive advantages of the region's agriculture while reducing the effects of farming practices on the environment and natural resource base.
  • Expand the budget base for direct seed cropping systems research and education in the Northwest.

Work Completed or Nearly Completed During the One-Year Duration of this Project

Two levels of activity were envisioned as the infrastructure of this Coalition: 1) The research and extension/education programs of the region's land grant universities, USDA-ARS, and the private sector; and 2) a wider circle of organizational and stakeholder representation, such as state commodity organizations, financial institutions, agribusinesses, and environmental groups. With this infrastructure in mind, the Steering Committee has completed or is completing the following projects or facilitated the following outcomes.

  • A short document referred to as "talking points" and considered as a "work in progress" is being shared with growers, researchers, bankers, university administrators, and others as a guide to understanding the complex issues including the economic risks to growers, but also the need for this change if Northwest growers and especially dryland farmers in the region are to remain economically competitive while being in compliance with issues such as clean water and air.
  • A lay-audience report describing the research and extension/education programs on direct-seed cropping systems within the three-state region is now in draft form and under review by representative members of the Steering Committee. The initial draft of this report was developed by Norm Herdrich, a freelance writer. This report is intended to complement the Case Studies produced with STEEP funding. More specifically, the report is intended to serve two purposes: 1) an educational resource for growers and the broader community of stakeholders and other groups interested in the changes underway in Northwest agriculture and 2) a means to identify gaps as well overlap within the region's research and extension/education direct-seed cropping systems programs. A publication is planned for June 30, 2001.
  • A half-day workshop was organized and held January 25, 2000, on the WSU campus entitled "Creating the Future for Northwest Direct Seed Systems-Experiences in Building Coalitions." Two model programs on building coalitions where showcased-The Wisconsin Potato IMP Program, by Walt Stevenson, University of Wisconsin, and the Dakota Lakes Farms Direct-Seed Research and Demonstration, by Dwayne Beck, South Dakota State University. Approximately 150 growers attended this workshop
  • The idea to form a new grower organization, the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association (PNDSA), grew out of discussions during the Northwest Direct Seed Cropping Systems Conference held January 4-6, 2000, in Pendleton, OR. However, it was largely the plans already in place through efforts of the Steering Committee formed as part of this STEEP project that served as the spring board to form this new association, including, the organizational meeting for this new association was held January 25, 2000, following the workshop on building coalitions.

    This new Association can now fulfill most or all of the vision of the proposed Coalition, making the concept of a direct seed cropping systems research coalition redundant. For example, a key component of the proposed Coalition was to reach out to a wider group of stakeholders with interests in the economic and environmental benefits of direct seeding but that traditionally worked independently. The new PNDSA is now establishing a formal means of "Partnering," where partners "share PNDSA's commitment to direct seeding as a preferred strategy in achieving economic and environmental benefit. Partners will gain the advantage of the affiliation with growers and the leverage PNDSA can provide by uniting groups that have traditionally worked independently to effect environmental improvement."

    This new organization now has about 150 members from the three Northwest states with the goal of "increasing direct seed acreage in the Pacific Northwest to 2 million acres in the next five years.

  • The Coalition Steering Committee, functioning under the auspices of the new PNDSA, served as the Steering Committee for a four-state (ID, OR, MT, and WA) consortium proposal entitled "Direct-Seed Cropping Systems Research: Foundation for Retooling Northwest Agriculture, submitted to the USDA-CSREES Initiative on Future Agriculture and Food Systems, with a proposed budget of $4,997,642. While not funded, the process by which the proposal was developed provided a major opportunity for further team-building and regional planning for direct seed cropping systems research and education. A unique feature of the proposal was its dual accountability to both the land grant universities and ARS responsible for the work and the growers represented by the new PNDSA.

INTERACTION (COOPERATION) WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS CONDUCTING RELATED ACTIVITY:

This project is highly interactive, involving scientists, growers, and industry representatives in Idaho, Oregon, Washington and now also Montana.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS: NONE
     
 

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