Crop Diversity and Intensity in the Dryland Pacific Northwest: Current Status and Future Opportunities.

Decisions regarding crop choice are a function of interactive biophysical and socio-economic factors and expressed geographically through land use and cover. Spatially geo-referenced cropland use/cover data are available annually through the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS). We are using these data in the dryland cropping region of the Pacific Northwest to: (1) provide information on annual crop choices and to assess shifts in cropland use/cover over time; (2) geospatially quantify and identify opportunities for crop diversification and intensification; (3) evaluate biophysical (e.g. climate, soils, terrain) and socio-economic drivers (e.g. commodity prices) of crop choice, thereby aiding development of decision support tools; and (4) geospatially target research, education and outreach efforts that enable future crop diversification and intensification. Achieving these goals will realize major objectives of a project entitled “Regional Approaches to Climate Change for Pacific Northwest Agriculture (REACCH)” that engages researchers, stakeholders, students, the public, and policymakers to acquire a more holistic understanding of climate change and associated agricultural mitigation and adaptation strategies.