Source: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
CASHING IN ON COVER: VALUATION OF BUCKWHEAT LINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND HUMAN HEALTH.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1028294
Grant No.
2022-67011-36702
Cumulative Award Amt.
$120,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-09525
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2022
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2023
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[A7101]- AFRI Predoctoral Fellowships
Recipient Organization
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
240 FRENCH ADMINISTRATION BLDG
PULLMAN,WA 99164-0001
Performing Department
Crop and Soil Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Diversification of cropping systems confers resilience to biological disturbances that are exacerbated by climate change. Cover cropping is a valuable tool for adding functional diversity to rotations but adoption can be limited by the associated costs. The development of cash crop varieties that simultaneously provide functional diversity and economic viability would reduce barriers to diversification. However, the interactions between agronomic performance and other ecosystem services and the acceptability of tradeoffs for producers remain unexplored. We propose to assess performance tradeoffs and acceptability using buckwheat as a model crop. We will i) establish a baseline for agronomic performance, ecological value, and nutritional quality for a panel of buckwheat commercial varieties and breeding lines and ii) assess producer valuation of these services. Specifically we will assess the relationship between the provisioning of pollinator and weed suppressive services, seed yield, and seed phenolic compound content within our panel. We will also conduct a survey that will evaluate producer willingness to accept yield reductions in exchange for agroecological and other agronomic traits. Our survey will be used to identify suitable varieties for our region and identify directions to improve upon the baseline established in Objective 1. The project will also provide considerable career development opportunities for PD Breslauer. We will address two AFRI Farm Bill Priority areas: Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health, and Plant Health and Production and Plant Products by increasing our understanding of the extent and acceptability of tradeoffs between agronomic, agroecological, and nutritional traits.?
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2041599106070%
2041599108115%
2041599107015%
Knowledge Area
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest);

Subject Of Investigation
1599 - Grain crops, general/other;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1070 - Ecology; 1081 - Breeding;
Goals / Objectives
Our goal isto take a first step to developing productive, ecologically valuable, and marketable buckwheat lines for producers in Western Washington. We aim to assess the suitability of lines in our region, niche end use potential, and optimal breeding targets. We will achieve two objectives: (1) dissect the relationships between yield, agroecological service provisioning, and nutritional quality traits in buckwheat and (2) assess producer willingness to pay for agroecological and agronomic traits. The proposed research will inform the selection of suitable commercial varieties for Western Washingtonand guide the development of improved buckwheat lines.
Project Methods
Objective 1a) Field assessment of agroecological and agronomic performance.Two years of variety trials will be conducted at two sites in Western Washington (WWA) to evaluate the agronomic and agroecological performance of commercial and experimental buckwheat lines. The first season of trials are ongoing, and our second season will be in Year 1 of this proposal. We will evaluate a panel of six buckwheat lines, three from WSU breeding programs and three commercial checks, including a commercial common buckwheat variety, a commercial tartary buckwheat (F. tataricum), and a cover crop seed source. Entries will be planted at field sites in Mount Vernon, WA, and Chimacum, WA in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Canopy traits, including fractional interception of PAR, emergence rate, plant height, and biomass production, will be assessed in each line. Fractional interception of PAR will be measured using an MQ-301 quantum line sensor (Apogee Instruments, Logan, UT) four, six, and eight weeks after planting. Readings will be taken from the top and base of the canopy on clear days around solar noon. Emergence rate will be recorded five and ten days after planting. Plant height and aboveground biomass production will be measured at peak flowering (50% of plants have open flowers). Pollinator support services will be estimated from the timing and density of flowering in each line. Percent of plants in flower will be assessed using a transect method. Cyme density at peak flowering will be estimated using a transect point density method. Plants will be considered mature when 50% of seeds have turned brown. At this point, plants will be swathed, windrowed, and later combine harvested to determine yield per plot.Objective 1b) Assessment of seed phenolic content.Seeds will be analyzed for major phenolic compounds by collaborators at the Crop Research Institute (see Document of Collaboration). Antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total phenols and 20 individual phenolic compounds will be evaluated in all buckwheat samples, by High Performance and Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography using an Dionex UltiMate 3000 system (Thermo Fischer Scientific, Waltham, MA).Objective 2)Survey Western Washington producers' valuation of agroecological and agronomic traits in buckwheat.In Year 1, we will deploy a mail survey (with web option) that includes a choice experiment to assess producers' WTP for buckwheat agroecological characteristics when grown for seed. This approach has been used for producer-driven trait prioritization in other public breeding programs and enables the assessment of agroecological traits in the context of potential economic tradeoffs. Producers will be presented with a series of two hypothetical buckwheat variety scenarios and asked to choose their preferred variety given a list of attributes. Each scenario will provide scores for agroecological functions (i.e., earliness and intensity of weed suppression and pollinator support) and hypothetical returns per acre. Once survey construction is complete, we will seek exemption status from the WSU Institutional Review Board. Surveys will be mailed to producers in WWA with a minimum of 8 ha (n=500). Survey design, distribution, and management will be executed through a contract with the WSU Social and Economic Sciences Research Center which has already been funded through separate funding. Survey design and best practices will be used to improve the overall response rate.

Progress 01/01/22 to 12/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During the duration of this project, the primary audiences for project activities were During the current reporting period, the primary audience for project activities were Pacific Northwest farmers, undergraduate students, and fellow researchers. I (PD Breslauer) spoke about buckwheat production to western Oregon specialty seed farmers (January 2022), and about the project objectives and preliminary results to small-scale organic farmers and fellow researchers at the Organic Seed Alliance Washington Field Day (September 2022). In2023, I spoke about this projectat a range of field days including Washington School Nutrition Association Pre-Meeting (Summer 2023), Buckwheat Fest (Fall 2023), and the Buckwheat, Millet, and Shiitake Field Day (Fall 2023). I also mentored an undergraduate intern in preparing a research poster related associated with Objective 1 of this project. The student presented this poster at the Washington State University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities to their peers and university researchers (March 2022). This student is a coauthor on the manuscript associated with this objective. Changes/Problems:Objective 1: An unprecedented cool wet spring caused the loss of one of two planned field sites for 2022. Therefore, we have a total of three site years for this project that will be reported on instead of four. Objective 2: We changed our approach for the valuation survey to expand our statistical power and impact. Our farmer population is now western Washington farmers who have grown any edible seed crop (cereals, oilseeds, legumes, or alternative grains) in recent history. Farmers were asked to comment on their motivations, value derived from growing these crops in rotation, and major challenges that they face. This change allowed us to characterize the needs, priorities, and struggles of a previously undefined group of farmers in western Washington. Because this group will be the primary target for improved buckwheat varieties in western Washington, this survey will accomplish the original objective of understanding farmer valuation of a wide range of breeding targets for edible seed crops in rotation. This approachenabled us to have the unexpected outcome of informing priorities for other edible seed crops in rotation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training: The advisory board members served as an important resource for understanding my (PD Breslauer) study system. During the first year of the project I had a problem with a field trial as part of Objective 1 (See Changes/Problems). With their input and the help of my advisor, I was able to understand the cause of the problem and determine the best course of action for the accomplishment of our project objectives. Professional Development: During this project, I was able to attend two international professional meetings- the ECOBREED Annual Meeting (May 2022) and theInternational Symposium on Buckwheat (June 2023) to meet with fellow country representatives, including scientists from the CRI who collaborate on this project and work with buckwheat. I met with my industry mentor six times to polish my resume, discuss potential employers, and refine my LinkedIn presence. I also took a three-credit semester long leadership course in which I learned about leadership theory and practice and developed a 25-page leadership development plan. I presented project findings at a number of professional meetings and field days detailed in this report, honing my presentation and extension skills. These meetings allowed me to also network with fellow food systems professionals which allowed me to obtain a position after my program finishes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through field day and conference presentations and publications outlined in this report. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Datawere collected characterizing buckwheat yield, biomass production, flowering characteristics, and canopy development of buckwheat varieties. There were distinct differences in the onset of flowering and maturityand there was preliminary evidence that weed suppressive ability is variety-dependent. No one variety was identified as unilaterally superior but long- and short-season varieties were identified. Objective 2: A survey was created and disseminated to a sampling frame of 286 farm businesses and completed by 56 eligible edible seed crop (ESC) producers. Data including farm practices, challenges to growing ESC, and producer valuation of ESCecosystem services were collected. Producers across all scales equally valued ESC contributions to producing food and supporting soil health. However, these producers faced distinct scale and certification-dependent challenges to producing, processing, and marketing edible seed crops.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2024 Citation: Agronomic and Agroecological Performance of Buckwheat Genotypes in Western Washington. Breslauer, R., A. Chatman, and K. Murphy.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Breslauer, R.S., J. ODea, S. Bramwell, and K. Murphy. 2023. Buckwheat Production West of the Cascades. PNW732. Washington State University.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Breslauer, R., E. Nalbandian, T. Reinman, M. Rezaey, G.M. Ganjyal, K.M. Murphy, Buckwheat Production and Value-Added Processing: A Review of Potential Western Washington Cropping and Food System Applications. Sustainability 2023, 15, 14758, doi:10.3390/su152014758
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: A Survey of Edible Seed Crop Producers in Western Washington. Breslauer, R.*, J. Goldberger, and K. Murphy. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting 2023. St. Louis, MO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Canopy Development and Agronomic Performance of Buckwheat Genotypes in Washington State. Breslauer, R.*, A. Chatman, and K. Murphy. International Symposium on Buckwheat 2023. Pu?awy, Poland.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Canopy Development and Agronomic Performance of Buckwheat Genotypes in Washington State. Breslauer, R.*, A. Chatman, and K. Murphy. Tilth Conference. Port Townsend, WA.


Progress 01/01/22 to 12/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:During the current reporting period, the primary audience for project activities were Pacific Northwest farmers, undergraduate students, and fellow researchers. I (PD Breslauer) spoke about buckwheat production to western Oregon specialty seed farmers (January 2022), and about the project objectives and preliminary results to small-scale organic farmers and fellow researchers at the Organic Seed Alliance Washington Field Day (September 2022). I also mentored an undergraduate intern in preparing a research poster related associated with Objective 1 of this project. The student presented this poster at the Washington State University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities to their peers and university researchers (March 2022). Changes/Problems:Objective 1: An unprecedented cool wet spring caused the loss of one of two planned field sites for 2022. Therefore, we will have a total of three site years for this project that will be reported on instead of four. Objective 2: We have changed our approach for the valuation survey to expand our statistical power and impact. Our farmer population is now western Washington farmers who have grown any edible seed crop (cereals, oilseeds, legumes, or alternative grains) in recent history. Farmers will be asked to comment on their motivations, value derived from growing these crops in rotation, and major challenges that they face. This change will allow us to characterize the needs, priorities, and struggles of a previously undefined group of farmers in western Washington. Because this group will be the primary target for improved buckwheat varieties in western Washington, this survey will accomplish the original objective of understanding farmer valuation of a wide range of breeding targets for edible seed crops in rotation. This approach will enable us to have the unexpected outcome of informing priorities for other edible seed crops in rotation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training: The advisory board members served as an important resource for understanding my (PD Breslauer) study system. During the reporting period I had a problem with a field trial as part of Objective 1 (See Changes/Problems). With their input and the help of my advisor, I was able to understand the cause of the problem and determine the best course of action for the accomplishment of our project objectives. Professional Development: During this reporting period, I was able to attend my first international professional meeting- the ECOBREED Annual Meeting (May 2022) to meet with fellow country representatives, including scientists from the CRI who collaborate on this project. I met with my industry mentor six times to polish my resume, discuss potential employers, and refine my LinkedIn presence. I also took a three-credit semester long leadership course in which I learned about leadership theory and practice and developed a 25-page leadership development plan. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data generated from this project is still preliminary and full analyses and interpretation are underway. Dissemination will be the main focus of the next reporting period. Preliminary results have been communicated to farmer and research audiences as outlined in the "target audience" section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, I will complete Objective 1 and focus on disseminating and publishing the results of this objective. Dissemination activities will include speaking at field days and at the International Buckwheat Research Association meeting in July. Additionally, the production manual will be completed and published through Washington State University. The producer survey will be completed and disseminated, through the Sustainable Seed Systems Lab webpage and/or peer reviewed publication.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Impact statement: Diversification of cropping systems confers resilience to biological disturbances that are exacerbated by climate change. Cover cropping is a valuable tool for adding functional diversity to crop rotations but adoption can be limited by the associated costs. The development of cash crop varieties that simultaneously provide functional diversity and economic viability would reduce barriers to diversification. However, the interactions between agronomic performance and other ecosystem services and the acceptability of tradeoffs for farmers remain largely unexplored. Here we use buckwheat as a model "Cash for Cover" crop in western Washington that provides both a marketable commodity and valuable impacts on the cropping system. The short-term impacts of this project include i) enumeration of the tradeoffs between agronomic, nutritional, and ecological traits in existing buckwheat varieties and populations, ii) documentation of the extent to which farmers value these traits, and iii) training and graduation of a PhD student in the Agricultural Sciences. The medium- and long- term impacts of this project include i) development of improved buckwheat varieties that align with western Washington farmers' needs, and ii) increased buckwheat acreage and cropping system diversification. Objective 1: All data collection except for the phenolic analyses were completed for this objective during the reporting period. Data analysis and publication preparation are in progress for other parameters and will be disseminated during the next reporting period. Objective 2: The survey instrument was created, refined, and will be finalized in the next month. Survey dissemination planning is in progress and will be completed during the next reporting period.

Publications