Linkages between soil and food quality in traditional plant systems

Northwest Indian College, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the research efforts of faculty at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will inform the body of knowledge about issues of biological significance. The proposed research focuses on the production of culturally relevant berry and root crops on agricultural land within a coastal marine ecosystem. The goals are to: 1) establish and cultivate traditional berry and roots crops on tribally owned land and link food quality to soil quality; and 2) increase faculty research capacity and engage tribal college students in soil ecology, plant biology, and ethnobiology. The connection of faculty to research and thereby the students to culturally and geographically relevant research is an important step in retaining students who are more likely to pursue advanced degrees. The faculty research project tests hypotheses that state a) increased biological diversity increases the level of phytonutrients in perrenial and annual traditional plants, and b) low input, organic nitrogen applications will increase biological diversity and the percentage of organic matter in soil, and reduce the amount of nitrate activity in plant tissue. A cultivation system of traditional plants will be established with fertility treatments applied and assessed over a two-year period. Plant tissue will be examined for survival and growth, phytonutrients and nitrate activity, and yield. Additionally, soil quality, biologic activity, and biodiversity metagenomic analysis will be performed. The PI will collaborate with partners at the Northwest Indian College Institute for Indigenous Foods and Traditions and the Swinomish Tribal Community, as well as advisors at the University of Victoria, USDA-ARS Horticultural Unit, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Department of Science, Engineering, and Energy. This project will provide: 1) a venue for demonstrating and investigating regionally significant best management practices (BMPs) for soil management and restoration; 2) new methods for quantifying the nutritional value and physiological response of traditional plants; and 3) culturally relevant research and education opportunities for faculty and students.