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STEEP FUNDING, OBJECTIVES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND COMMITTEES
Funding
Funded by USDA - Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service during 1996 through 2005 at approximately $500,000/year
Objectives
- Determine the impact of farming practices and systems on soil, water and air quality
- Develop new technologies and increase efficiency of inputs that improve profitability of conservation farming systems.
- Assess the profitability of conservation farming systems, document growers’ progress in implementing conservation farming practices, and identify effective and profitable conservation policies.
- Accelerate grower access to and adaptation of profitable conservation farming systems technologies.
Highlights of STEEP Accomplishments
This research has provided producers with new technology to help them meet ever pressing environmental, resource conservation and economic challenges. The following list provides a few examples of these accomplishments and advances towards more environmentally friendly and profitable farming in the PNW.
- Adapted soil erosion prediction technology for the climate conditions, soils, landscape, and production systems unique to the PNW.
- Developed and tested many of the conservation options producers are using to meet conservation compliance requirements of recent Farm Bills.
- Documented the impacts of cropland soil erosion on long-term soil productivity, environmental quality and farm and regional economics, and increased producer and public awareness of the problem.
- Increased producer use of conservation tillage systems and supporting conservation practices in the PNW
- Developed technology and prototype equipment for improving residue placement, fertilizer use efficiency, seed placement, and overall success of conservation tillage systems.
- Increased number of agricultural service industries and producers building or modifying their equipment for direct application of fertilizer with little or no prior tillage under “shank and seed” minimum tillage systems, which provides cost-effective conservation options.
- Improved understanding of the interactions between crop pests and tillage systems, crop rotations and other production practices has lead to the development of more successful pest management systems in conservation tillage and reduced the reliance on pesticides.
- Breeding of new crop cultivars with improved pest resistance has facilitated the adoption of conservation practices and reduced pesticide use.
- Adaptation and evaluation of predictive models to help develop effective pesticide and nutrient management practices for increased protection of surface and groundwater quality.
- Development of alternative crops and their production practices have improved the success of conservation tillage systems through improved pest control and economic stability.
- Increased producer access to new technologies for improved effectiveness and profitability of conservation farming systems.
Why Has STEEP Been Effective?
- Producer motivated - The idea for STEEP originated with concerned producers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. They actively participate with scientists and agricultural support personnel in planning and evaluating research, and field-testing of new technologies.
- Multidisciplinary research effort - about 90 scientists in over 14 disciplines have participated in research and technology transfer.
STEEP Committees
November 2005
Industry Advisory Committee*
* Term ends at the January meeting in the year indicated
Technical Coordinating Committee
Administrative Committee
- Dwayne Buxton, ARS Western Regional Research Center Director, Albany, CA
- Charles Boyer, Associate Director, OSU Agric. Experiment Station, Corvallis, OR
- Ralph Cavalieri, Assoc. Director, WSU Agricultural Research Center, Pullman, WA
- Sandra Ristow, Assoc. Director, WSU Agricultural Research Center, Pullman, WA
- Greg Bohach, Director, UI Agricultural Experiment Station, Moscow, ID
- Scott Reed, Dean and Director, Director, OSU Extended Education and Extension Service, Corvallis, OR
- Gus Hughbanks, State Conservationist, USDA-NRCS, Spokane, WA
- Charlotte Eberlein, Director, UI Cooperative Extension System, Moscow, ID
- Ed Adams, WSU Cooperative Extension, Spokane, WA
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