1 CHAIR’S MESSAGE: Reflections and Renewal This is a milestone year in Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS). In 2005 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spillman Agronomy Farm and the 100th year of crop breeding at Washington State University (see p. 3). And what perfect timing to move into a state of the art laboratory building, a first step to ensure another century of success for our crop molecular genetics and breeding programs. Our CSS teach- ing laboratory courses will also move into the new building. These programs provide experience and training in an amaz- ing breadth and depth of the discipline, from organic and perennial wheat breeding to the molecular transgenics of improved disease resistance, end use, and plant bioproducts. The completion date for Phase I of the Coincidentally, our turf science field laboratory, established Plant Biosciences complex is June, 2005. in the early 1980’s (see p. 4), will also be moving this year. The new turf research facility will be directly adjacent to the new 18-hole WSU golf course, which will provide expanded An excellent example of interdepartmental collaboration is turf management learning opportunities for our students. the current hybridization of introductory crop science and horticulture courses at the 100 and 200 levels, led by Teresa Our research and extension (R&E) centers throughout Koenig, Kathleen Willemson, and Larry Hiller. Four courses the state are also undergoing significant change. Dr. Bob in the two departments were reconfigured and condensed Stevens agreed to serve as interim director of the Irrigated into two new shared plant science courses. Peggy Chevalier Agriculture Research and Extension Center at Prosser, join- played a key advising role in this process. This gain in ing two other recently-assigned director colleagues, Debra efficiency allowed Kim Kidwell to follow her passion for Inglis at Mt. Vernon and Jon Newkirk at Puyallup. The fac- working with undergraduates in a new course for her, ulty and staff operating out of these centers address the key Human Development (HD) 205, Interpersonal Communi- agricultural and environmental issues of each region (see cations (see p. 10). Over one hundred students enroll in p. 5). In addition, they play an increasing role in teaching this course each semester, and it has received very positive and graduate training. In 2004, seven CSS graduate students student feedback. were advised by CSS R&E and adjunct faculty. Telecommuni- cation technologies such as internet video conferencing and Brady Carter resigned from his position in the wheat qual- course offerings have allowed us to more closely link our ity program to begin working with Decagon Devices in Pull- degree programs to the R&E centers. man. To fill the void, Byung Kee Baik, former cereal chemist with the Department of Food Science and the Impact Cen- An external review of CSS was conducted in 2004, led by ter, has been hired into a CSS tenure-track position in cereal Dr. Dwayne Westfall (Soil Science, Colorado State Uni- chemistry with an emphasis on end use quality. Dr. Baik, versity) and Dr. Bikram Gill (Crop Genetics, Kansas State with two degrees in agronomy and a Ph.D. in cereal chem- University). Our staff worked hard to collect and summarize istry, will oversee the wheat quality evaluation for the state the data that identified the following trends: breeding programs in collaboration with the USDA wheat • increased reliance on external grant funding and quality program. He will also conduct research in cereal and private contributions to support high quality programs legume end use quality as well as teach undergraduate while state support for core faculty and staff declines crop physiology and graduate cereal chemistry. • decreased enrollment of students interested in Hans Kok joined us this past fall as the new WSU/UI soil traditional agriculture programs, but increased conservation cropping systems Extension specialist. Dr. Kok interest in turf management and organic agriculture is a former graduate of WSU and brings with him experience • good balance between domestic and international, as an Extension specialist at Kansas State University and a male and female graduate students no-till specialist with Monsanto. • a decline in number of core teaching faculty We were saddened by the passing of Jim Maguire, a great friend and long-time CSS colleague in seed science and tech- Departmental mission and benchmarks for success have nology. Jim was a positive spirit in our department for many been defined and refined. These plans include: years and he will be greatly missed. See In Memoriam (p. 6). • stabilization of core areas of crop and soil sciences Dave Bezdicek retired after 31 years of service to WSU as a • integration and collaboration with other departments researcher and teacher in soil microbiology. Dave intends to and colleges across campus continue his involvement with several bluegrass bands in • increased research experience for our students the area. Peggy Chevalier also retired from the department after 26 years of teaching and research in crop physiology. • greater emphasis on internationalism She plans to spend more time hiking and sightseeing. Both Future emphasis will be placed on biointensive agriculture of these colleagues were cornerstones in CSS, representing and molecular genetics of plant bioproducts. Plans to col- their respective disciplines and impacting the lives of count- laborate on a cross-college Agricultural and Food Systems less students. Most recently, Judi Wutzke, CSS administra- degree program featuring a new Organic Agriculture major tive manager, retired in December 2004 after 26 years of were led by Cathy Perillo and Peggy Chevalier. Similarly, service. She and her husband have relocated closer to her soils faculty Markus Flury, Alan Busacca, and I continue roots in the Clearwater Valley. discussions with Geology, Environmental Science, and As we say goodbye to old friends and greet new colleagues Natural Resource Sciences on forming a School of in this milestone year, we look forward to another 100 years Environmental and Earth Sciences. of educating and mentoring future crop and soils profession- als, researching new discoveries, and transferring knowledge Front cover (left to right): to benefit agriculture and society. Bob Allan, Bob Nilan, Cal Konzak, Orville Vogel by Bill Pan, Chair, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences 2 COVER STORY: Milestones in Crop Research and Development The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences is celebrating football team was the Farmers. The first game was played on two important anniversaries this year: the 100-year November 10, 1894, with the Farmers beating the University anniversary of the first wheat variety developed at of Idaho’s team 10 to 0. It seems that in football the names WSU and the 50-year anniversary of the inception have changed but the results have not! Spillman and his of Spillman Research Farm. Both achievements will be wife loved the Palouse and WSU so much that when they highlighted in this year’s Spillman Farm tour on July 7. passed way in the 1930’s they had their ashes spread over the campus. The first wheat variety released from WSU was Hybrid 60, a hard white winter club wheat. It was one of the first, if Spillman Research Farm was developed in 1955 by Dr. Or- not the first, wheat variety released in the country that was ville Vogel, the third wheat breeder at WSU. This farmland the result of a planned hybridization. Many other varieties located two miles south of Pullman was purchased through followed this first release and by 1911 WSU varieties were a novel combination of state and wheat grower money. grown on over 500,000 acres. Today over 90 percent of the Many of the highest producing wheats in the Pacific wheat grown in the state was developed in the Department Northwest today were developed at Spillman Farm. of Crop and Soil Sciences. Please join us this year in celebrating the achievements All of the early wheat releases came from a program initiated and dedication of William Jasper Spillman, Orville Vogel, by Dr. William Jasper Spillman, WSU’s first wheat breeder. and many others who did so much for Washington State Spillman was hired in 1894 and, besides being the first agriculture. wheat breeder, he was also the first football coach. In 1894 WSU was called Washington Agricultural College and its by Stephen Jones, Winter Wheat Breeder, WSU-Pullman Spillman Farm’s First 50 Seeing the cover photo of Orville Vogel, Cal Konzak, Bob Nilan, and myself by the Spillman Farm sign nearly 50 years Spillman Farm has served as the field research laboratory ago brought back many memories. Orville has since passed for dozens of past and present graduate students. It also away and the three of us who are still around certainly look has been the main worksite for many CSS undergraduate different then we did all those years ago (particularly our students earning their way through WSU. Those of you hairstyles!). It is quite remarkable that we each spent most, that worked on the crews of Carl Muir and John Pritchett if not all, of our careers at WSU. Our combined careers rep- learned firsthand about good work ethic. resent more than 150 years of working to help the farmers of Washington State. The importance of Spillman Farm will not diminish as time passes. Multimillion dollar structures on campus Each one of us, I believe, has had successful and personally will not replace its vital role in crop improvement. I rewarding careers. Variety development was a major accom- spoke at the Spillman Farm Field Day in July of 1996, plishment, notably Gaines, Madsen, and Alpowa wheats, the year I retired. I said then the farm was operating on and Steptoe barley. These breeding programs also made ma- a shoestring.