Washington hop growers, which produce nearly 20 percent of the world supply, rely entirely on emergency exemptions for control of mites and have suffered export losses because pesticides used on hops are often not in harmony with customer countries. Approximately 75 percent of the nation's supply of spinach, beet Swiss chard, radish, carrot, and cauliflower seeds are produced in Washington. Yet, the ratio of research and development to investments is alarmingly low, .16 percent. It is WSU research which gave the Washington wine industry its start and can help continue its future expansion. Expanded research could focus on alternative rootstocks for pest resistance, cover crops, and wine quality issues.
Additional funding is leveraged through federal programs.