2018 ASHS Annual Conference

In Eastern Oregon, potatoes and onions are the main high-value crops, which can only be planted every 2-3 years in rotation. Other rotational crops, such as wheat and corn, have endured low commodity prices for the past several years, thus growers’ profits are marginal. Therefore, there is a need to increase the rotational crop choices, especially with higher value crops, to increase growers’ profits. In fields with Adkins fine sandy loam at Hermiston, Oregon, we conducted field trials to evaluate the possibility of developing adzuki beans and quinoa, which have great marketing potential. One adzuki bean variety and two quinoa varieties were tested. All the crops were grown under two irrigation systems, i.e. central pivot and drip irrigation. For adzuki beans, four fertilization treatments including low-nitrogen rate, high nitrogen rate, manure, and no-fertilizer control with four replicates were studied as in-season fertilization. The first-year results showed that adzuki bean could be a suitable crop for the region, while quinoa failed to produce seeds. The drip irrigation showed great advantages in promoting the crop growth and/or production. The impact of fertilizer was not apparent for the adzuki bean. Further studies are needed towards selecting proper varieties and developing best crop management practices in order to realize the successful crops and ideal production in this region.