Spillman Farm Field Day Returns to the Palouse

Join WSU Extension, WSU cereal breeding programs, and USDA-ARS research scientists for a jam-packed morning of research and education at the 2026 WSU Spillman Farm Field Day on Monday, June 22, 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

The WSU Spillman Farm Field Day, being held for the first time in several years, will showcase the wheat, barley, and chickpea research that is being done in and around Pullman. With far reaching implications for dryland producers across Eastern Washington, this event features field tours and discussions led by researchers about crop health and quality, weed management, and the future of small grains and legumes production on the Palouse.

Registration is free and begins at 8:15 a.m. at the Sand Road WSU winter wheat variety trial — 46.695556, -117.129000 — south of Pullman. After presentations at the winter wheat sites, attendees will transition to the Spillman Farm, located at 1452 Johnson Road, where they will load onto bleacher trailers to be transported around the farm. Lunch is being sponsored by the Whitman County Association of Wheat Growers and Washington Genetics, and will be provided following the tours.

Two Washington pesticide recertification credits are available to attendees who participate in the entire event.

Agenda At-A-Glance

Starting Point – Sand Road WSU Winter Wheat Variety Trial – 46.695556, -117.129000 

8:15 a.m. – Registration

8:30 a.m. – Opening Remarks

• Variety Updates – Multi-year summaries
• Morgan Menaker, Regional Extension Agronomist – Fungicides and alternative inputs for wheat health
• Dr. Amber Hauvermale and Dr. Alison Thompson – The New Falling Number Test and screening for late maturity alpha amylase
• Wheat Breeder and industry breeder updates.

10:00 a.m. – Transition to Spillman Farm – Sheaf Building – 46.696152, -117.147007

• Kaur Gagandeep (Presentation in Sheaf Building) – Timing and method of micronutrients in winter wheat production

*Load onto bleachers to drive around farm for other talks. *

• Dr. Arron Carter, WSU Winter Wheat Breeder – Development of herbicide tolerant wheat
• Dr. George Vandemark, Grain Legume Genetics and Physiology Research Unit – Spring Chickpea Production
• Dr. Bob Brueggeman, Barley Research & Education – Program updates
• Dr. Mike Pumphrey – WSU Spring Wheat Breeding
• Dr. Olivia Landau, Weed Scientist, USDA-ARS – Weed seedbank sampling
• Dr. Xianming Chen, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS – Spring wheat stripe rust variety yield loss, fungicide testing, 2026 stripe rust update

12:00 p.m. – Lunch at Sheaf Building – Jimmy John’s

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information or reasonable accommodation need to contact us at small.grains@wsu.edu at least two weeks prior to the event. Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.  Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.