More than a decade after the body of a 70-foot blue whale washed up on the southern Oregon Coast, its skeleton will be installed in a permanent educational display at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
The study, led by Jeremy Rockweit, a postdoctoral student at Oregon State, identified forest areas used by the northern spotted owl for nesting and roosting that were more and less likely to persist through fire. They have now incorporated...
Boxwood blight causes serious losses in nursery production by making plants unsalable and increasing management costs. Oregon is the nation’s leading producer of boxwood, supplying about one-fifth of the U.S. market, so disease outbreaks have...
On a summer day in Southeast Alaska, a group of students crouches near a stream, lowering a grapefruit-sized device into cold, fast-moving water. The sensor looks simple, almost improvised, but it is quietly collecting temperature, pressure,...
James Osborne, professor, enology Extension specialist and director of the Oregon Wine Research Institute at Oregon State University, has received the American Society for Enology and Viticulture’s Anita Oberholster Award for Extension...
When the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Program launched in 1976, Pat Patterson wasn’t the one in her family who planned to sign up. Her husband, Robert, was.
Wave Moretto is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences in the College of Agriculture Sciences. She just received first place in the ...
Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences named 24 new members of its Diamond Pioneer Registry April 14. The registry, created in 1983 for the college’s 75th anniversary, honors those with lifetime contributions to agriculture...
In the latest published study from her dissertation research, Jen Hayes, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State, examined whether native plant cultivars differ from wild native plants not just in pollinator visits, but in floral traits that...
“Our main finding is that trust in government was an important part for people and that they were willing to pay more for that label,” said lead author Katherine Fuller, an assistant professor at Oregon State University who studies consumer...
In a good winter, the snow piles up in mountains across the Pacific Northwest, turning the snowpack in a reserve to maintain water levels. The water that’s melted from the snow helps rivers flow during the spring and summer, but the faster it...
The competition was the kind of creative opportunity Aidyn Whitehead was looking for when she transferred to OSU in winter term to study Food Science and Technology. “These skills are precisely what we will carry with us when we enter the field...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named its 2026 class of Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) scholars, and OSU College of...
“This winter has been exactly like what our paper had said the future will be like,” said Zach Butler, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University and lead study author, who has a part-time job forecasting winter weather in Oregon for the...
To address workforce gaps, Oregon State developed a flexible, self-paced training program through Professional and Continuing Education in the Division of Extension and Engagement. The program offers multiple entry points, including an...
A 38-foot female gray whale washed ashore a few miles north of Yachats on Sunday. According to Jim Rice, stranding program manager for the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, the adult female had been dead for a couple days...
Commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. The fatality rate is 117 deaths per 100,000 workers — compared with a national average of four. Along the Oregon Coast, fatalities are most often tied to...
Oregon’s food and beverage industry is a major economic driver, but it faces growing challenges tied to efficiency, sustainability and coordination across the supply chain.
Oregon is the center of the U.S. hazelnut industry, and the crop is an important driver of farm income, processing activity and rural economic vitality in the Willamette Valley. Hazelnuts support growers, nurseries, processors, exporters and...
Historically low snowpack and drought in the West this year have brought a myriad of complications for the agricultural industry. As irrigation season begins, this winter’s drought and record-high temperatures are creating a...
Without direct experiences growing plants and trying healthy foods, students can struggle to connect STEM concepts to daily life and build lifelong habits that support health and environmental stewardship. Experiential programs can help fill...
Mild winter weather will most likely coax roses into bloom early, which means dealing with the usual diseases and pests earlier, too. When it comes to one of the country’s most popular perennials, the “big four” problems are powdery mildew,...
Across Oregon, agricultural producers want to improve soil health to strengthen productivity, reduce risk and build resilience. But many still lack practical, trusted guidance to interpret soil health and fertility results and connect...
Gilliam County in north-central Oregon is one of the state’s leading dryland wheat-producing regions and part of the Columbia Plateau’s grain belt. The county’s rolling wheat fields support a large share of its agricultural economy. These...
2025 marked another outstanding year for the College of Agricultural Sciences, with over $110 million in research funding awarded to our top projects. We continue to secure major support from state, federal, and non-profit partners—fueling...
If all goes as planned, the skeleton — after help from scientists and specialists from around the world — will be fully reassembled in May outside the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, completing a journey from surf to scientific...
Gray-tailed voles are a recurring pest in Oregon agriculture and can cause serious crop damage when populations surge. In the Willamette Valley, grass seed fields provide prime habitat.
Scientists may have clues about the cause of death based on the whale's emaciated appearance. Leigh Torres is a researcher at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center who has been studying the health of gray whales along the...
The small farms program for the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Services in Douglas County is a one-stop resource for anyone wishing to improve their gardening skills, be it larger scale farms or backyard enthusiasts.
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An olive oil produced from fruit harvested at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center has earned a bronze medal at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.
“We start with bee biology and ecology, so participants understand not just what to do, but why it matters.” Said Jen Hayes, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab and the program’s primary instructor.
“It’s the longest migration of any mammal on the planet,” said Josh Stewart, an assistant professor at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute. But as much as tourists come from worldwide to gather along Oregon’s cliffs and shores to...
“One weakness of just GPS data is that we don't know why they're using the habitat,” said doctoral student Jessalyn Ayars. “If you put a GPS collar on me, most of the year, you'd find that I'd spend eight hours a day at a desk. And so for...
The sagebrush biome is the largest native ecosystem in North America and one of the most at risk. Altered fire regimes, expanding juniper and invasive annual grasses have made management more difficult across Oregon and the West.
People sometimes assume I started on a premed track and then “switched” to research, but my path was more straightforward than that. I earned a BA B.A. in biology, followed by a Ph.D. in biochemistry and postdoctoral training in developmental...
During an OSU “vole summit” that Josh Twining helped organize last year, farmers offered a variety of imaginative suggestions for killing voles, such as underground explosives, lethal robots and oversized vacuums. Though he was intrigued by the...
"Prices for the past several years on grass seed crops have been very, very low," said Christy Taner, Associate Professor of Practice at OSU Extension. "And the seed hasn't been selling as well as people would like. And so, financially things...
Invasive species are nonnative plants and animals that can spread quickly and cause environmental or economic harm. In Oregon, they harm agriculture, aquaculture and forests, damage infrastructure, habitats, outcompete native species for food,...
“Climate change education is a priority topic for the Master Gardener Program,” said Brooke Edmunds, an OSU Extension community horticulturist in Marion and Polk counties and associate professor of practice in the Oregon State University...
By identifying cover crops that perform well on the Oregon Coast and showing that higher seeding rates may not improve results, OSU Extension helped growers reduce unnecessary expenses and make more efficient use of land, labor and seed.
Last June, when Steve Young started as director of Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center, he was impressed by the world-class research emerging from the Aurora, Ore., center.
Russell Smith-Ollivierre used blue ultraviolet light to show how easily pesticides can transfer from one surface to another, such as from skin to pen to tabletop. The setting was a core pesticide training course. “We just try to make it...
Investing in the Next Generation
The E.R. Jackman Foundation Board has been active this winter, continuing its support of students, research, and engagement across the College of Agricultural Sciences. We’re...
In 1999 hundreds of gray whales washed up along the west coast of North America. More in 2000. They lost an estimated 25% of their population. But then the whale population recovered and people moved on. Until it happened again in 2019. And...
Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Forestry, in partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, conducted a study, published in the journal Phytopathology, that used...
Vegetable specialty seed production is a cornerstone of agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. More than 170 seed crops — including brassicas, spinach, radish, carrot, onion and many others — are grown on relatively small acreages but generate...
Joshua Twining, a faculty member at OSU and PdD student Jessalyn Ayars, helped expand the study late last year. Bobcat population density seems quite low which could explain the persisting fisher population, Titus told Ashland.news on the basis...
Many growers assumed that producing high flower yields for cannabinoid extraction required heavy irrigation, in part because hemp plants can grow large and have a “lush” appearance, and because early production models borrowed from greenhouse...
“The key to container gardening is really in the soil and making sure you have a good draining soil and pots that have holes in the bottom of them,” says Erica Chernoh, assistant professor of practice in commercial and community horticulture...
The Soil Sleuth Series became one of the first visible Extension education efforts in Josephine County following the return of local service and helped re-establish Extension as a trusted technical resource.
As a pilot effort, Forestry and Natural Resources Extension facilitated a fungal diversity monitoring “test run” on Nov. 15, 2025, by partnering with the Mycology Program in OSU’s Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. Together, the team...
Oregon’s tree fruit and nut industries are a cornerstone of rural economies, supporting farm jobs, packing and processing and regional supply chains. Pears, apples and sweet cherries alone totaled $227.9 million in farm gate value in Oregon...
Small Farms Conference session delves into websites, Google, newsletters and social media. OSU studies found customers often discover agritourism farms through word-of-mouth from friends of family, but want to follow them or discover more...
“People sometimes go in to protect species when it’s already too late,” said Ivan Arismendi, an associate professor in Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. “With our model, decision makers can...
Oregon’s hemp industry generates a large volume of spent hemp biomass — the leftover plant material after cannabidiol is extracted. The material has a strong nutrient profile and could serve as a cost-competitive alternative to other forages...
James Cassidy is an award-winning instructor and soil expert in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. He is the founder of OSU’s two-acre student-run farm in Corvallis and presents about soil to native plant societies, arborist associations...
In early 2022, many small-scale goat and sheep producers in Lane County faced a critical gap when the last veterinarian who regularly served small ruminants retired. With fewer local options for timely care, producers needed practical skills,...
Access to farmland remains a significant obstacle for new producers and those looking to expand. “This year, our main focus is trying to see if we can buy or lease land,” said Jocelyn Martinez, whose family owns Sunrise Organic Farm in North...
In winter, the nursery production research plots at Oregon State’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) rest under bare branches and steady rain.
Red maples stand leafless. Nursery containers are tucked away. By...
Growing up we always had a variety of animals in our home. I was bonded to all of them, including temporary animal residents we sometimes cared for as they recovered from illness or injury. I knew I wanted to work with animals from a very young...
Lily Olmo, a Ph.D. student in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, is one of 20 recipients nationally of the Ecological Society of America’s 2026 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA).
There has been limited Oregon-based research that tracks how seasonal conditions and day-to-day farm decisions influence the mix of bacteria in raw milk over time, especially across both organic and conventional dairies. In response,...
Melissa Fery’s chance encounter in a meeting led to an overseas work trip she’ll never forget — and a renewed sense of purpose in the power of Extension.
Oregon State University’s National and Global Scholarships Advising office is pleased to announce that five students have been nominated to represent OSU and compete nationally for the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Final selection of...
Over the past 15 years, Oregon State University researchers and partners have worked through the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and the Oregon State University Extension Service to develop tools that help farms manage spotted-wing...
Oregon State University scientists Jeness Scott and Jeremiah Dung at the OSU Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Madras launched a yearlong study in two commercial carrot seed fields in Central Oregon. They installed...
Researchers in Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station are testing a spray-on coating that could be applied to grapes before smoke arrives. The goal is simple: Create a thin layer on...
Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, and her collaborators from the University of California, Davis, Korea University and Florida State University, have developed a deep learning-based model for rapid detection and...
Luyao Ma, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, and her collaborators from the University of California, Davis, Korea University and Florida State University, have developed a deep learning-based model for rapid detection and...
“As a community, we’re trying to step away from the sensationalized side of it, so we try to call them white sharks as opposed to great whites,” said Taylor Chapple, associate professor at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science...
Professor Chad Higgins of Oregon State University is one of the most optimistic scientists you’ll meet. His team studied 20 million possible futures for earth, based on energy, water and food production. Only a handful of those scenarios lead...
Students who pursue a degree online with Oregon State University receive an outstanding education thanks largely to the expertise of the OSU faculty, according to a list published Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
“Plastics are disrupting the microbiome of the soil,” said Susanne Brander, an associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University. “When organisms like earthworms consume microplastics, it impacts their...
“In North America and worldwide, carnivore communities are undergoing major changes,” said ...
Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino, professor at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is working on a solution to save Kennedy’s beloved pinot noir. Dr. Tomasino explains the science behind why smoke makes grapes taste “ashy” and...
After three years of research on working farms in Lincoln, Tillamook and Clatsop counties, Oregon State University researchers and partners now have clearer answers about which forage plants grow best in the pasture conditions of the central...
The sheep and horse centers, two of several Oregon State University agricultural centers, are located a few miles off campus. They employ student workers and engage in research and education activities.
Oregon farmers will soon be able to plant hazelnut trees with a new genetic source of Eastern Filbert Blight resistance than they’ve traditionally relied on. Oregon State University recently obtained a plant patent for “Lagerstedt,” a new...
Oregon State University’s Extension Service issued a publication in October of 2025, entitled Threat-Based Ecostate Mapping: Using Big Data to Guide Management Across Sagebrush Landscapes.
Researchers at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute are trying to bridge the gap with data. Leigh Torres, an associate professor who leads the Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna (GEMM) Lab, uses Coast Guard helicopters and...
Christmas is behind us, so what do the more than 300 Christmas tree growers do for the rest of the year? According to Priya Rajarapu, a researcher from Oregon State University, there’s a lot that has to be done to make sure those crops stay...
In partnership with the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, the new MBA brings the advanced business management principles the program is known for — markets, costs and valuations, sales and legal environments, operations,...
Juvenile salmon experienced a mix of favorable and challenging ocean conditions off the West Coast in 2025, according to an annual analysis by NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University researchers.
When planting crops that require years to mature, such as fruit or nut trees, farmers are betting on what they think will be successful, says Tim Delbridge, an assistant professor at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences....