Soil Health Lab | WSU NWREC
Our group investigates how soil is impacted by farming management to inform best practices and advance knowledge of how soil health operates in the Pacific Northwest. Our research integrates the multiple components of soil health–physical, chemical, and biological–in many of the specialty cropping systems of Washington state.
We are located at the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC) in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Recent News
Welcome, Charchit!
January 12, 2026
Welcome to new PhD student Charchit Bansal. Charchit recently earned his M.S. in Soil Science from University of Missouri, where he explored how terracing affects soil properties and how innovative tile inlet technologies influence water quality in the Midwest. He’ll now be investigating the long-term impacts of biosolids land application on soil health functions in Washington’s dryland systems. We’re happy to have you on the team, Charchit!
Welcome to new PhD student Charchit Bansal. Charchit recently earned his M.S. in Soil Science from University of Missouri, where he explored how terracing affects soil properties and how innovative tile inlet technologies influence water quality in the Midwest. He’ll now be investigating the long-term impacts of biosolids land application on soil health functions in Washington’s dryland systems. We’re happy to have you on the team, Charchit!
Congrats, Evan!
January 5, 2026
Today PhD Student Evan Domsic successfully defended his PhD dissertation, titled “Unlocking quinoa’s (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) budding potential: Overcoming barriers to its adoption as a rotational crop in Western Washington and Beyond.” Evan was co-advised by Kevin Murphy, and his other committee member was Dr. Tarah Sullivan. Well done, Dr. Domsic!
Today PhD Student Evan Domsic successfully defended his PhD dissertation, titled “Unlocking quinoa’s (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) budding potential: Overcoming barriers to its adoption as a rotational crop in Western Washington and Beyond.” Evan was co-advised by Kevin Murphy, and his other committee member was Dr. Tarah Sullivan. Well done, Dr. Domsic!
Interview on soil structure for The Evergreen Thumb podcast
November 15, 2025
Deirdre recently did an interview for The Evergreen Thumb podcast discussing the importance of soil structure, how it forms, and how we protect it. Check it out here!
Deirdre recently did an interview for The Evergreen Thumb podcast discussing the importance of soil structure, how it forms, and how we protect it. Check it out here!
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