Food and agriculture are significant contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, responsible for about 26% to 31% of total global emissions. As such, it is important to understand pathways and barriers to the adoption of agricultural practices that can reduce GHG emissions. Washington is the fourth largest wheat growing state, by acreage, in the U.S., representing over 3 million acres, and generating over $900 million in production value in 2020. In 2022, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) surveyed dryland farmers about their soil management practices to (a) learn more about trends in soil management across time and space, including the prevalence of and barriers to adoption of conservation practices; and (b) quantify economic costs and benefits to employing varied soil management strategies. Based on survey responses, this study models emission reductions of CO<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O from different management scenarios (i.e., switching from intensive tillage to reduced tillage, adopting cover crops) using USDA’s leading agriculture emissions model, COMET-Farm. This study also includes economic analyses of different land management practices within dryland farming, and how they correspond to emission reductions for different locations and farm sizes.

Survey data reveals trends in costs/benefits and carbon abatement potential in Washington's dryland wheat

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