Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Tuesday that Oregon State University will receive more than $642,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build out a tool that diagnoses invasive diseases in native plants.
Alberta the cow waited patiently while ranchers crowded around to help her give birth. This wasn’t just any delivery and Alberta isn’t a real cow, however. She’s a model that gives lessons in how to help a cow overcome a difficult birth.
Olea, a project started in 2017 by Oregon State University, has been helping advise farmers like Durant and Wendland on olive cultivation methods and soil suitability. Scientists at Olea have also planted more than 100 varieties of olive trees...
Q: I am currently removing landscaping plastic from my backyard. It appears the previous owners thought white stretchy plastic would be a good idea (probably 15 years ago), so they covered the soil with a, now super thin, layer of mulch which...
A team of researchers led by Oregon State University (OSU) has found that tropical birds, which usually have shorter and rounder wings compared to their body length and shape, are less able to adapt to habitat fragmentation than the long-,...
For decades, Oregon has been the epicenter for all things berry: Oregon State University’s unique research center is dedicated to them and farmers have cultivated strawberries across the Willamette Valley since the 1800s. But our best...
“The wind chime is a really interesting translation, and musicification or a sonification of an unseen environmental phenomenon,” said Oregon State University researcher Chet Udell. “It’s giving me information that could be useful if I’m...
Participants flocked in record numbers to the 2023 Hyslop Farm Field Day on May 24, an event that Tom Chastain, head of the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University, dubbed “the longtime open house” for OSU and USDA...
Q: Just noticed these knobby galls on two of my tulip trees. What causes them – insect, fungus? How should I treat? – Benton County
Thirty Umatilla County residents are learning how to turn seeds into supper through a free six-week home gardening course in Pendleton.
When Lindsey Rubottom set out on a trade mission to Japan to share the benefits of Oregon hops with the growing Japanese brewing industry, she was nearing the tail end of her PhD studies. Her role at this three-day event was to serve as the...
Ezequiel Lopez-Reyes, Oregon State University Extension Service Open Campus and Juntos student success coordinator, has been growing his home garden for five years. It’s full of peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, epazote and cilantro. He grows so...
“For blue whales, like many marine organisms, sound is critically important,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Dawn Barlow of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute.
As the 2022-2023 academic year nears its end, this edition of The Source covers the latest news from the College of AgSci. New leadership members, an epic turnout for #DamProudDay, huge grants for new research, amazing student work, celebrating...
It's worth bearing in mind that many interactions with sharks are with smaller species that are unlikely to cause serious injuries, said James Sulikowski, director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station at Oregon State University....
There is no denying the importance of agriculture. The United Nations predicts that by 2050, the world population could reach 9.7 billion, increasing the number of people who will need access to food, water and other resources. In 2023, over...
A former Dallas Cowboys quarterback teamed up with Oregon State University’s beer and food science departments before launching his low-calorie, low-carb beer a year ago, according to the ...
Local expert says there probably aren’t more than last year, but they’ve come out of the woodwork (literally) all at once.
The practice has already drawn interest from some solar developers who hope to implement the systems on a wide scale.
In 2020, Dave and Lois Cho started CHO Wines, the first known Korean American-...
KBND News reached out to Andony Melathopoulos, Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University, and a pollinator health expert. He sent this statement, “Localized downturns in wild and natural bee populations...
Of the 15 students awarded international Gilman scholarships this year, five are from the College of Agricultural Sciences – more than any other College!
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship...
New program encourages more students to study abroad
For the first time, the College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Forestry partnered with the National and Global Scholarships Advising Office to receive a grant from...
Entomologist Jeffrey Miller, retired from Oregon State University, has been painstakingly adding data points to the existing maps of Oregon butterflies.
James Sulikowski interview about sharks on the Elizabeth Vargas Reports. May 15, 2023
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Q: My big, beautiful dogwood is hardly blooming this year after many years of abundant and full bloom cycles. I’ve noticed some other dogwoods in town also not blooming. With the interesting weather, my guess is that is the cause. But I was...
In the 125 years since Dracula came on the scene and spooked us into believing bats are bad, we’re beginning to get a grasp on the truth: Their voracious appetite for insects turns them into a living pesticide that saves farmers billions of...
Following an exhaustive national search, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences has named Dr. James Sulikowski as the director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment...
Oregon State University Extension Service and research faculty in Morrow and Umatilla counties are working with growers and looking at the effectiveness of new fungicides.
New research led by an Oregon State University scientist begins to unravel the role dust plays in nourishing global ocean ecosystems while helping regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
OSU has been selected to co-lead a $30 million U.S. Department of Agriculture regional food business center that will support farmers, ranchers and other food-related businesses to access new markets and navigate federal, state and local...
Wildfire stalks Sergio Arispe. The Oregon State University extension agent understands the influence wildfire can wield on rangeland. When he allows his mind to wander and it settles on wildfire, the images hover of once pristine rangeland...
Oregon State University researcher Neil Shay says they’ve been testing mice to see how much raspberries impact things like weight gain.
It's been a wet and cold spring this year, which means gardeners might have had to wait a little longer than normal to get their summer plants in the ground. With warmer weather on the way, we're entering a transition period great for planting...
Donnelly and OSU colleagues Jason Clark of the College of Engineering and Quincy Clark of the colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Education are aiming to create a kitchen compost container that automatically measures household food waste.
Working with Elizabeth Tomasino at Oregon State University to run the sensory panel, the researchers found that at 100% whiskey, the panellists could easily tell all the whiskies apart from each other.
“That’s an advantage in the summer when it’s hot,” said Gabe Flick, who farms there and is a weed scientist and Oregon State University instructor. “But it can cause a challenge in the spring, when you need to dry out enough to plant.”
The Central Oregon Chapter of OSU Master Gardeners presents a free Virtual Q&A session to answer your questions about the video “Growing Vegetables in Central Oregon,” available at ...
Hay testing is a crucial practice to ensure optimal nutrition among livestock. On this podcast, Lorrie Boyer talks with Shelby Filley, Regional Livestock and Forages Specialist from Oregon State University Extension Service. Shelby discusses...
Although foresters and farmers often work in harmony, Peter Schreder, an Oregon State University professor and extension agent in Wallowa County, said he sees room for more overlap between them.
Q: We planted new lawns in both front and back yards last fall. The front yard was done by one landscaper with fill from either Albany or Corvallis. The back yard was done by a second landscaper using fill from between Lebanon and Sweet Home....
Darrin Walenta, an agronomist with field crop responsibilities for Wallowa, Baker and Union counties for Oregon State University Extension, said they are placing traps that contain pheromones of the female armyworm moths in likely hot spots...
Three Oregon State University graduate students will talk about their research on Douglas-fir trees and fungi, habitat restoration in the Willamette Valley and pest management in vineyards during Oregon State University's Science Pub event at 6...
In 2011 Jim Myers did something no one had done before. The Oregon State University vegetable breeder released the first purple tomato containing the same healthy compound found in blueberries.
The berry industry around the world felt the energy, dedication and innovation Dr. Bernadine Strik brought to her work as berry specialist for Oregon State University Extension Service for 34 years. Now we have to say goodbye. Bernadine passed...
After a decline in honeybees more than a decade ago, the pollinators have largely rebounded. But little data exists to assess the status of their wild counterparts.
On April 13, the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State held a lunch to celebrate the lifetime contributions of 12 new inductees to the Diamond Pioneer Agricultural Achievement Registry.
The Diamond Pioneer Agricultural...
OSU MANRRS Chapter – Conference Report submitted by Wanda Crannell
Atlanta, Georgia, April 12 – 16, 2023
“OSU MANRRS Chapter representation at the National MANRRS Conference was truly...
Oregon State University researchers have discovered a new class of compounds that contributes to the ashy or smoky flavors in wine made with grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.
Q: I’ve been in the southeast hills of Salem for nearly 20 years. I have long been a hummingbird feeder/admirer (even before living here). Over the years, the local population near my house has increased.
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is obviously an eager traveler. Like other invasive pests we have seen from Asia in recent decades, such as spotted-wing drosophila and brown marmorated stink bug, it can spread across its host range in the absence of...
Native bees in the Oregon Coast Range are diverse and abundant in clearcut areas within a few years of timber harvest but their numbers drop sharply as planted trees grow and the forest canopy closes, research by Oregon State University shows...
OSU’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center focuses on growers issues
Extension and Experiment Station leaders from across the U.S. West gathered March 27-30 at Colorado State University’s Spur campus in Denver to connect and collaborate on the future of the land-grant mission.
For years, Oregon wine growers thought they’d dodged the vine mealybug bullet. However, recent studies prove otherwise. This small bug wreaking havoc in California now threatens its northern neighbor.
North America has about 3,510 bee species, and OSU researchers have identified an estimated 782 bee species in the state.
Fewer than 10% of bee species are social; most are solitary.
There was only one problem: as a close cousin of marijuana, hemp farming had been banned in the United States as part of the crackdown on illicit drugs. The solution, hemp advocates said, was to legalize weed. As a ploy to decriminalize a...
Oregon State University is finalizing an assessment asking farmers and ranchers across the state what they need to better weather extreme heat and drought.
The project was funded in 2021 as part of a larger $100 million emergency...
Oregon State University (OSU) administers three “Statewide Public Service Programs”, including Ag Experiment Stations, Extension Services, and Forest Research Labs. In Klamath County, two of these programs are combined at the Klamath Basin...
Klamath County is ranked 5th in total agricultural farm gate value out of 36 counties and is first in total organic agricultural revenue for the State of Oregon. The Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center (KBREC) exists to support this...
From cleaning up your yard to wearing light-colored clothes, there are things you can do to protect yourself from ticks.
In the fertile soils of Oregon’s Hood River orchards, growers may be able to back off fertilizer temporarily in the face of high prices.
Ezequiel Lopez-Reyes will never forget the taste of fresh fruit and vegetables brought straight from his father’s farm field when he was a child in Mexico. In honor of that memory, he established a plot of his own in Oregon.
Oregon State University Extension Service is bringing back an online training course for farmers and ranchers interested in adding agritourism to their operations.
17 years of whale sighting data shows that as the Fraser River Chinook salmon population dropped, the time spent by the Southern Residents around the San Juan Islands also declined – by more than 75%, said Joshua Stewart, an assistant...
The skeleton of a rare 70-foot blue whale that washed up on the Oregon coast several years ago will journey to Alberta, Canada later this week so a team of preservation and restoration specialists can prepare it for public display at Oregon...
The isolation that’s part of agricultural work can be just one of the stressors facing people in rural Oregon. A new bill in the Oregon Legislature would allocate money to pay for a hotline where farmers, ranchers and foresters could reach out...
“One of the biggest mistakes people make is to plant too early,” said Weston Miller, a former horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “They get excited when it’s sunny for a few days, put plants in the ground and...
“We’ve been able to geographically locate some areas where the risk of entanglement for whales is higher,” said Solene Derville, a postdoctoral fellow at Oregon State’s Marine Mammal Institute. “We’ve also discovered that risk varies with time...
Two Oregon State University marine mammal researchers, Angela Szesciorka and Kate Stafford, analyzed 11 years’ worth of recordings of whale songs and looked at sea ice information for a ...
I have a drainage problem in my back yard. During the rainy season, there is standing water in places, mostly in the lawn. I am an avid gardener with lots of established beds. Is there any solution to the drainage problem that doesn’t involve...
Zhao is an internationally recognized researcher whose work aims to reduce the food industry’s dependence on single use plastic packaging. Her patented and licensed edible coating technique has had a broad impact in agriculture and the food...
The human-dog bond is ancient: we have co-evolved together since before writing even existed. Our long cohabitation with dogs has granted both species a unique insight into the other's feelings: dogs, for instance, know when you are looking...
“It’s all about the timing of when you do those treatments," Johnson said. "And just trying to hit those windows when the soil and the desirable vegetation is least susceptible to being damaged.”
A new partnership between regional vineyards and Oregon State University is aimed at strengthening habitat for native bees.
For the 10th year, the world can watch chickens hatch via the Oregon State University Extension Service livestream.
Climate change, drought, land use and wildfire on the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of western United States negatively impact the iconic sage-grouse, which has seen its population decline over the decades. Although there are efforts to promote...
To celebrate National Oregon Day on March 8, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is highlighting the innovative NIFA-funded research conducted by Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Lane Selman, a professor of practice at Oregon State University and founder of the Culinary Breeding Network, is a bit of a matchmaker between farmers, chefs, plant breeders and consumers in the Pacific Northwest.
Hoping this title caught your attention, we’ll make try to make this story simpler with some up-front definitions.
Maris Otter: A famous “heirloom” 2-row malting barley variety from England. Maris Otter was released in 1966...
This 24-page, magazine-style guide was introduced in 1991 and has helped teach thousands of Oregonians how to grow a vegetable garden. But until last August, it wasn’t accessible for gardeners who wanted information in Spanish.
Greater numbers of Bison in Yellowstone National Park may come at a cost to the biological diversity of the important streamside habitats of the Park according to a new report in the journal Ecosphere Bison influences on composition...
A camera crew, fresh from Los Angeles, runs through a cornfield north of Corvallis.
It’s 2004, and they are looking for a rock star. He played bass for...
A new study of New Zealand blue whales’ vocalizations indicates the whales are present year-round in the South Taranaki Bight and their behavior is influenced by environmental conditions in the region.
Chemical analysis and historical records shed light on movement—and near extinction—of southern right whales
OSU Marine Mammal Institute associate director and geneticist Prof Scott Baker is in Dunedin, researching Otago Museum’s collection of jewelry made from teeth — specifically, dolphin teeth.
Do rose bushes need to be trimmed down every year? If not, how often and what time of year?
Trees and plants need extra pampering during the winter. Experts say to leave snow at the plant base to insulate roots, but shake heavy snow off shrubs and trees to keep branches from bending or breaking.
As sea ice declines in the Arctic, bowhead whales are staying north of the Bering Strait more frequently, a shift that could affect the long-term health of the bowhead population and impact the Indigenous communities that rely on the whales, a...
Gardeners are beginning to think about spring and may have questions. To ask one, simply go to the OSU Extension website, type it in and include the county where you live. A photo is very helpful.
The Central Oregon Chapter of OSU Master Gardeners™, in cooperation with the Oregon State University Extension Service, will present free vegetable gardening classes in cities around the region.
In Corvallis, the Turkish Student Association at Oregon State University feels for their friends and family. This is the case for Mustafa Bozkus, a graduate student at OSU studying horticulture.
After four dead whales washed up on Oregon beaches in January, it was natural to wonder: Is this normal?
Oregon State University would receive $1 million to study pest control alternatives under a bill that’s partly meant to replace certain insecticides in specialty crops. New chemistries offer crop protection that’s safer for people and the...
Scott Lukas, berry program leader in OSU's endowed professorship for the Northwest berry and management production program, said breeders have been developing blueberries with traits that "align with the needs of producers, processors and...
In Oregon, farmers, educators and gardeners are exploring the benefits of dry farming. The method relies on water stored in soil during a rainy season to produce crops during a dry season. The Dry Farming Collaborative at Oregon State...
Q: I’ve got jumping worms in my garden. As far as I can tell they aren’t causing any problems, but I have read that they can cause difficulties. I’ve also got them in my compost contained in a garbage can where they have multiplied...
The Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge, Oregon State University Extension’s statewide seed giveaway, returns for a fourth year in 2023 featuring a continued partnership with the Oregon Potato Commission.
Starting Feb. 6, individuals...
The record-breaking price of eggs has encouraged some people to consider raising chickens in the backyard, but it’s important to do some research before buying those cute little chicks.