Research Overview

Our talented faculty research scientists and extension specialists, graduate students, and technical staff work together to conduct multidisciplinary, translational research with a focus on irrigated agricultural commodities and production systems relevant to the Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley.

Primary Research Areas

Precision Agriculture

We lead research projects in agricultural engineering and automation, robotics, and unmanned aerial systems (drones).

Crop & Soil Sciences

Faculty lead research projects to understand soil nutrients and parasites and cropping systems for biofuel and forage utilization.

Entomology & IPM

Our faculty lead research projects in integrated pest management to support annual and perennial crop growers.

Food Safety

Faculty in food safety lead research projects in post-harvest food processing and sanitation, agricultural water use in irrigation, cooling, and foliar sprays, as well as microorganism contamination.

Horticulture

Faculty lead research projects on high efficiency orchard systems, applied whole-tree physiology, cold hardiness, mechanization, nutrition, and precision pollination.

Plant Breeding

WSU and USDA-ARS faculty lead research projects in cherry, stone fruit, hop, and potato plant breeding to provide these industries with regionally-relevant cultivars.

Plant Pathology

WSU and USDA-ARS plant pathology faculty lead research projects to support the disease management efforts of tree fruit, grape, potato and hop growers.

Viticulture

Viticulture faculty research projects focus on IPM, phenology, mechanization, and irrigation, canopy, vineyard, and disease management.

Collaboration

WSU Prosser IAREC and is one of four Research and Extension Centers within the WSU College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) system. Prosser IAREC is home to 18 faculty scientists and employs about 100 administrative, classified, and hourly support staff. Faculty scientists also mentor over 40 graduate students.

In addition to WSU personnel, Prosser IAREC also has 7 scientists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Washington State Department of Agriculture on site. These partnerships provide unique opportunities for multi-agency and interdisciplinary collaborations on critical research endeavors.

Publications