News Archives

Christy Tanner watches a drone take off over a grass seed field near Corvallis.  Credit: Francesca Lear

Christy Tanner, an assistant professor of practice based in the Willamette Valley, uses the drone and its two cameras to measure the damage voles are doing to the grass seed crop. The multispectral camera allows her to calculate a value called...

Christy Tanner | September 2024 | Read full story

Ben Davis

Following a national search, Ben Davis has been named the new Director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University. Davis holds an MFA in Creative Writing from OSU and brings a decade of...

Benjamin Davis | September 2024 | Read full story

Wastewater treatment plant in Lebanon, Oregon

Over two years the OSU team, which includes Tyler Radniecki of the College of Engineering and Gerrad Jones and Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo of the College of Agricultural Sciences, will study 40 wastewater treatment utilities serving areas with...


Construction crews removed the top of the cofferdam that was left of Iron Gate Dam. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/Hearst Newspapers/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

Julie Alexander, senior researcher at Oregon State University, said even without climate change, dam installations still alter the flow regime of rivers, which then changes the water’s temperatures since reservoirs act as thermal units that get...

September 2024 | Read full story

Salmon Shark

“Historically they were called salmon sharks because they were seen at the river mouths up in Alaska eating salmon," Alexandra McInturf, a researcher with Oregon State University, said.


Cattle on the range

Oregon State University Extension Service is coordinating a program for people to donate hay or pasture to ranchers affected by the fires.


onions

With onion production comes an unexpected drawback: plastic pollution from the irrigation systems that are instrumental to crop success. Drip tape irrigation in particular produces two million pounds of plastic waste each year in Malheur County...


Michael Crain, Teagan Maloney, and Tyler Phelps stand in front of the interseeding technology they helped engineer. Fourth group member Spencer Von Flue is not pictured. (Tyler Phelps, Oregon State University)

Nick Andrews, Oregon State University Extension Service’s organic vegetable specialist, is one of the university’s resident experts on cover crops and a founding board member of the Western Cover Crops Council.


OSU, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, students making cheese in current OSU Creamery

If you’re a cheese lover ready to take things to the next level, an upcoming workshop may be just the thing for you. Sarah Masoni is the OSU FIC’s director of product and process development. She told KOIN 6 News that as a cheese lover and...


Yan Yan and her poster. Photo by Anders Wohler

The life of a graduate student in science can make it hard to maintain social connections and work-life balance. For Yan Yan, moving from a major metropolis in China to a rural research station in the U.S. has brought culture shock and...

Yan Yan | August 2024 | Read full story

Wind turbine blade painted black at a wind farm near Glenrock, Wyoming operated by PacifiCorp. Credit: PacifiCorp.

The Oregon State researchers, working with federal, industry and nonprofit partners, and funded in part by the Oregon Legislature, are building on recent research in Norway that found a nearly 72% decline in bird collisions with turbine blades...


field of tulips

In Oregon, farmers and ranchers are contending with wildfires, water shortages and invasive species. Still, Oregonians continue to start small farms in the state. Next month, Oregon State University Extension Service — along with other agencies...


With drought, wildfire and other extreme weather events, climate change is bringing stress and a feeling of uncertainty for many farmers and ranchers. It’s also bringing along a new hurdle for many in the agricultural world – climate grief.


Potatoes being dug up

The study gives a perspective on how valuable those investments might be as a way to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the air. Five researchers from universities across the U.S. collaborated on it, including Daniel Bigelow, a natural...


“There are definite social norms that say if you have rodents living near you it’s associated with dirtiness, garbage and waste products,” said Dana Sanchez, wildlife specialist for Oregon State University Extension Service. “There’s a...


Indigo Rose Tomato

In the world of organic farming, the job of creating those new varieties falls to a plant breeder: someone who, often painstakingly, crosses plants until they create a new variety. Dr. Jim Myers, one of the most accomplished plant breeders in...


crate of Oregon strawberries

Glenda Hyde teaches classes on food safety and preservation at Oregon State University Extension Service in Redmond. She said they get a lot of questions about how smoke affects fruits and vegetables from local gardens and farms.

August 2024 | Read full story

Cheatgrass and other invasive species are threatening impo...


Brian Pearson

Mid-Columbia Research and Extension Center Director Brian Pearson comes to Hood River, Ore., from the University of Florida, where he researched specialty crops for 18 years.


“Herding cats” may be shorthand for an impossible task, but according to Monique Udell, Director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, cats can be trained....


OSU Extension offices are soliciting hay, livestock feed and monetary donations to buy feed for displaced livestock. They will work with Oregon Cattlemen’s Association to transport the resources to ranchers who are in need.

August 2024 | Read full story

Sheep graze under the 35th Street Solar Array at Oregon State University. Photo by Mark Floyd, Oregon State University.

“There is, in my opinion, no need to stop farming under solar panels ever,” said Chad Higgins, an associate professor at OSU. “And if you do, it’s a lack of imagination.”


students with migrant agricultural backgrounds attended Agricultural Sciences’ Summer Program

24 students with migrant agricultural backgrounds attended Agricultural Sciences’ Summer Program/ OSU Junior MANRRS Summer Leadership Institute to promote and enhance leadership, higher education, professionalism, communication, community,...


Karen Lewotsky, rural partnerships and water policy director for the Oregon Environmental Council, walks through what the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic can do on July 23, 2024.

“We were trying to determine if these vehicles can work in an agricultural setting, in an environment where they’re exposed to dirt, snow and the rigors of farming,” said Brian Pearson, the director of MCAREC. “In terms of what my expectations...


While it may initially appear that strawberries are fruits covered in seeds, this is not actually the case.


“Orchards are really interesting agricultural systems because they're somewhat permanent,” said Nik Wiman, an orchard crop specialist with the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Extension Service.


Broadnose Sevengill Shark

Oregon State University researchers have made the first scientific confirmation in Puget Sound of two distinct shark species, one of them critically endangered.


vendor booths at the FIC 25th Annivesary

The Oregon State University Food Innovation Center in the Pearl District plays a crucial role in food safety regulations. Some of these roles include helping entrepreneurs develop their products and figure out things like shelf...


This graphic shows the path of a basking shark from the time it was tagged, then struck by a vessel and then where it was when the tag released. Image courtesy Big Fish Lab, Oregon State University.

Hours after tagging an endangered basking shark off the coast of Ireland in April, researchers captured what they believe is the first ever video of a shark or any large marine animal being struck by a boat.

The data, collected by an...


Karina Gallardo, a Washington State University agricultural economist, explains the complex math behind her enterprise budget for harvest robotics at a March industry meeting in Yakima, Washington.

Clark Seavert, an Oregon State University economist, suspects most growers don’t understand their own costs as well as they think they do. Enterprise budgets help “cut through the coffee shop chatter,” he said.


Lisa Ballance

We are delighted that President Biden nominated Lisa T. Ballance, of Oregon State University, to chair the Marine Mammal Commission. 

At Oregon State, Lisa serves as Director of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute,...


Lisa Ballance

Lisa T. Ballance, director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University and Endowed Chair of Marine Mammal Research, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be chair and member of the Marine Mammal Commission.


Restoring Ross Island: Solving Cyanobacteria Outbreaks on the Lower Willamette

The Willamette River connects Portland, both literally and figuratively, and Ross Island is at the heart. It holds the key to our past and future relationship with the river. But, years of industrial activity and a changing climate have created...


Eagles Flying

"For long-lived species, like a golden eagle, if you add half a percent back to the population and you continue to do that over time, it can become exponential growth. That was super-exciting," said Christian Hagen, a researcher at Oregon State...


field of rubber tires.  Photo: Civil Eats

Auto tires shed dangerous microplastics and harmful chemicals. New research suggests that both can make their way into crops.


hops on the vine

When Cynthia Ocamb was invited to tour a hop field in the early 2000s, she did not expect to see a prevalence of Fusarium canker higher than the single digits.


Big Fish Lab working with a shark on a boat

A team made up of researchers from Oregon State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and NOAA are scanning the waters of South Puget Sound trying to uncover the mysteries of these newly discovered species in our waters.


Frozen Raspberries

Oregon State University researcher Neil Shay says they’ve been testing mice to see how much raspberries impact things like weight gain


Members of the OSU Extension Communications office Henry Carnell (from left), LeAnn Locher, Alan Dennis, Diana Reyes, Ann Marie Murphy, Janet Donnelly and Jennifer Alexander pose with awards at the ACE Conference in Salt Lake City. (OSU Extension Comms)

Faculty and staff in the Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement took home nine awards — including three gold — from the 2024 Critique & Awards program of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture,...

July 2024 | Read full story

Tractor working on the Lewis Brown Farm

Oregon farmers and ranchers are increasingly dealing with severe droughts, wildfires, sweltering heat waves and pests that can all-together decimate entire fields. With stress and uncertainty about the future because of climate change,...


Gray Whales

Leigh Torres and her team of scientists from Oregon State University perform field studies on the conveniently located whales. Fecal samples that Torres calls “biological gold” provide scientists with abundant data about the whales. Two...


Adriana Perez

The impact of undergraduate experiential learning after graduation.
When deciding where I wanted to go to college, I was impressed by Oregon State University’s priority for students to have hands-on experiential...


screenshot of the Oregon Wildflowers App

Available for download on both Apple and Android devices, the Oregon Wildflowers app provides multimedia and information on nearly 1,000 wildflowers, shrubs and vines common in Oregon and adjacent areas in Idaho, Washington and California. For...


hammerhead shark

It's officially shark week! Research Associate from OSU's Big Fish Lab, Dr. Alexandra McInturf, helped us celebrate and appreciate these often-misunderstood creatures! To keep up on all of the research being done and learn how you can help with...


lawn. Photo: Adobe Stock

Our team researched, rated and scored the most popular national lawn care companies based on our in-depth methodology.


Canned vegetables. Photo by Amanda Loman.

The toll-free hotline, 800-354-7319, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Oct. 11. When the hotline is closed, callers can leave a message. The hotline is staffed by certified Master Food Preserver volunteers in several...

July 2024 | Read full story

ash on tomato plants

We emphasize preventive pest management over reactive pest control. Identify and monitor problems before acting and opt for the least toxic approach that will remedy the problem. Favor biological control agents (predators, parasitoids) over...

July 2024 | Read full story

Rows of blackberries grow at Oregon State University's North Willamette Research and Extension Center. On the left managed with a new-over-old style, on the right was managed in the traditional August training method. Photo: Kyle Odegard/Capital Press

Farmer wisdom on blackberry maintenance — or the lack thereof — is being backed with evidence.Many growers are turning to “new-over-old” primocane management instead of traditional August pruning. New vines simply get tossed over the existing...


James Osborne

Originally from New Zealand– a country of stunning landscapes, natural geography and world-class wines– Osborne grew up on a dairy farm. He gained an innate appreciation for nature while learning the inner workings of farm life. After high...


Organic Farming Class with a table of plant starts. Photo: James Cassidy

Certified Organic Regina Cherries!

This is a big deal for us!  We’ve been waiting for the cherries to get ripe and they are in!  Certified Organic Regina Cherries! The BEST of all sweet cherries – really! Consistent winner in taste...

July 2024 | Read full story

Big Fish Lab working with a shark on a boat

Oregon State University’s Big Fish Lab is giving a “grand finale” presentation of its educational “Summer of the Shark” series — which includes an in-person shark dissection — at McMenamins Bagdad Theater and Pub in Southeast Portland on July...


Ryan Contreras

Greenhouse Grower’s July cover story will feature a closer look at how university horticulture departments from across the country are attracting new blood to the industry while fostering career development. 


Dr. Christiane Löhr (left) and Dr. Siva Kolluri prepare for cell culture work in the Kolluri Laboratory in the Agriculture and Life Sciences Building on April 12, 2024. Photo: Taylor Cockrell

“The holy grail in cancer research is finding a molecular target that plays a major, essential role in cancer cell growth that you can go after without causing side effects – that is, without affecting regular cells,” said Siva Kolluri,...


Jeff Reimer

Following an extensive search, the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University has named Dr. Jeff Reimer as the department head for Applied Economics, effective July 8, 2024.

Reimer has been in the Department of...


Tajamul Hussain, postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, gives a demonstration on evaluating irrigation and nitrogen application. June 26, 2024, in Hermiston. Photo: Yasser Marte/East Oregonian

"I think we learn more from the people who are coming than they learn from the information we provide you guys," HAREC Director Carlos Bonilla said. "We get a lot of feedback from all of you. They spend the entire morning with you guys talking...


Researchers capture a sample of juvenile fish from the coast of Kodiak Island in Alaska.

“These coastal habitats aren’t supporting fish in the same way that they used to as a result of marine heat waves,” said lead author Hillary Thalmann, a graduate student in OSU’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences. “...


Stephanie Harvey

The College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University has named Stephanie Harvey as CAS Financial Officer, effective July 22, 2024.

Harvey is a dedicated financial professional, most recently serving as the Director of...

June 2024 | Read full story

Silhouette of a farm windmill. Photo by Betsy Hartley.

The latest data made available by the USDA Census of Agriculture show that the value of Oregon farmland has increased by 23% over a five-year period, compared with just 7% nationally. Dan Bigelow is an assistant professor in the department of...


Taylor Chapple holding a shark

Despite the recent attacks, Oregon State University shark expert Taylor Chapple told KOIN 6 News that the odds of a shark attack occurring in Oregon, or anywhere else on the West Coast, are very low. According to a study co-...


Naked barley team members and stakeholders gathered in Cold Spring, NY in October 2023 to strategize next steps for the project

Easier for farmers to process and healthier than its hulled counterpart, naked barley is being studied at Oregon State University thanks in part to a $3.5 million grant.


Bryan Andresen, Open Range, Eastern Oregon, 2023, digital photographic print, 20” x 24”.

Central Oregon Community College’s Barber Library Rotunda Gallery is exhibiting “Art About Agriculture: RESOURCEful” from July 3 to Aug. 22, with an opening reception from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3. 

The juried exhibition, an...


sheep in a pasture next to the sea.  Adobe Stock image

I arrived in New Zealand after twenty-four hours of travel in a sleepy dreamlike state of exhaustion. Outside the car window, a new world rushed by. Vast green pastures dotted with sheep, towering mountains in the distance. A shallow river cut...


U.S. Department of State logo

Oregon State University has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program.  Oregon State University is one of 37 U.S. colleges and universities that will use...

June 2024 | Read full story

a translucent spider with long legs against a light grey background

“If you keep the house very clean with no insects or other prey, spiders will not have food and will stay out,” said Surendra Dara, Ph.D., an entomologist and professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. “Regular...


cannabis and white pills

The study focused on communities in Oregon, and found that opioid prescription rates decreased when cannabis dispensaries were located within one mile.


woman standing next to a mannequin wearing hemp clothing

“The Global Hemp Innovation Center appreciates being able to partner with the apparel design program because such efforts generate student interest, but also in the long term can help create market opportunities for hemp produced in the region...


Golden strawberry hanging from a stem with a leaf attached

Local strawberries found at u-picks and farmers markets are redder and sweeter than those grown in warm climates such as Mexico and California.


Across their entire lifecycle, the species is reliant on every habitat type in the region, said Christian Hagen, an associate professor at Oregon State University who studies sage grouse and their habitat (Hagen also used to have Vold’s job)....


Orchard View Farms produces cherries and pears in The Dalles in the Columbia River Gorge. (Oregon Department of Agriculture)

The estimated value of Oregon farmland increased by $10.7 billion between 2017 and 2022, according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture


Cherries

The Oregon State University Extension Service in Union County is warning cherry tree owners of the emergence of the first adult western cherry fruit flies in the county.

June 2024 | Read full story

Two PCFG gray whales.

Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found.


Julie Pett-Ridge

Dr. Julie Pett-Ridge has been appointed as the Assistant Dean of Graduate Education and Research for the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) at Oregon State University, effective July 1.

Pett-Ridge, who has been a dedicated CAS...


Unhealthy kelp forest. Photo Courtesy GEMM Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University.

There is supposed to be kelp growing on the ocean floor, close to the Oregon coast. But many a ...


These Hino azaleas add a brilliant streak of color to the garden at Tsuru Island at the Gresham Japanese Garden.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Timely advice on garden chores, fertilizing, pest control, and more from OSU Extension.

May 2024 | Read full story

Ruby detects a vole at Voles, Dogs and Raptors Field Day. (Courtesy Photo)

A group of more than 40 attended Oregon State University Extension's Voles, Dogs and Raptors Field Day in April. “Voles are a concern because they are a grass-eating animal that also burrows,” said Dana Sanchez, OSU Extension’s wildlife...


Shovel-happy volunteers. Courtesy of OSU Extension Office

Many people join a Master Gardener program because they come from places where all they need to do is throw seeds on the ground and watch them sprout. After arriving to the High Desert, these poor souls soon realize this harsh environment...

May 2024 | Read full story

Dr. Christiane Löhr (left) and Dr. Siva Kolluri prepare for cell culture work in the Kolluri Laboratory in the Agriculture and Life Sciences Building on April 12, 2024. Photo: Taylor Cockrell

“So many times our normal cells (and) under constant stress,” Kumar Siva Kolluri, professor in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences said.  “So it means you need to have some (cells) that protect the normal cells from all kinds of insults...


5 bales of straw

Straw bales take up little space and produce almost anything you can grow in an in-ground garden, said Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. The rectangular straw bales bring gardening up to a more...


shark

There’s a lot of fisheries management here in the Pacific Northwest to keep ecosystems and economies healthy. Dungeness crab, halibut, salmon—these are important industries. But we just don’t know much about the impact sharks have in...


Slug Chat

Watch an online 45-minute lunchtime SLUG CHAT with Associate Professor and Primary Investigator of OSU’s Invertebrate Crop Pest Lab, Rory McDonnell. Dr. McDonnell’s work focuses on understanding the ecology of invasive slugs and snails, and...


Silhouette of a farm windmill. Photo by Betsy Hartley.

Farmers and ranchers deal with overwhelming stress from market fluctuations, crop failures, the vagaries of weather, injuries and other setbacks that can lead to depression and too often suicide. The Oregon State University Extension Service is...


Michael Kondo at his retirement party. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ley

Michael Kondo played a huge part in helping design the oasis that the garden is today. He started in 1977 and held his role for 40 years. Kondo took on the role of head gardener after graduating from Oregon State University with a degree in...

May 2024 | Read full story

A gray whale swimming in kelp. Source: GEMM Lab, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University. Photos and videos collected under NOAA/NMFS research permit #16111.

“This study shows the cascading impacts of a change in the coastal ocean ecosystem in a way that has not been documented before,” said the study’s lead author, Lisa Hildebrand, a doctoral candidate in the Marine Mammal Institute’s Geospatial...


salmon in a stream. Photo: Lincoln County Leader

“Previous studies have shown that hatchery-origin chinook salmon have lower reproductive success relative to their natural-origin counterparts when they spawn in the wild, but this study looks beyond that,” said Kathleen O’Malley, who directs...


Camellia sasanqua 'White Doves'.Dawn Meredith Peck

Is your camellia bush looking a little bedraggled? Some older plants are so full of leaves and thin branches that they bear poor quality flowers. Others carry leaves burned by winter wind and low temperatures, making the shrubs look sickly....


bee gathering nectar

Klamath Community College Agriculture and the Agricultural Education & Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University have been partners since the face-to-face age prior to the pandemic.

Upholding a strong partnership, the...


Organic Farming Class with a table of plant starts. Photo: James Cassidy

Come check out our table grape plants:

  • Interlocken
  • Candace
  • Flame
  • NY Muscat
  • Concord

By appointment only. Contact: Noah Saunders,...

May 2024 | Read full story

Patricia Stock headshot

Following an extensive national search, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences has named Dr. S. Patricia Stock as the new department head of Horticulture, effective August 5, 2024.

Stock joins OSU with an extensive...

May 2024 | Read full story

Maria Zamora Re, right, speaks about irrigation techniques during Washington State University’s Spanish-language field day dedicated to irrigation basics and management in tree fruit at the Roza research orchard (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Irrigation specialist Maria Zamora Re has been at Oregon State University for three years but made her first public presentation specifically to the tree fruit industry on May 8 at a Washington State University field day near Prosser.


Scientists led by Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz and Stacey L. Harper assessed how spherical and triangular-shaped silver nanoparticles with five different surface chemistries affected their uptake and toxicity in a laboratory microcosm of...


Kwame Stephenson and Alex McBean

The Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center (KBREC), a research and experimental station of Oregon State University welcomes two students from Jamaica. The students are spending the summer at the station as part of their requirements to...

May 2024 | Read full story

Cattle on the range

The goal of a new project led by Oregon State University Extension Service is to create a fast-acting information network among Cooperative Extension agents and veterinarians in the departments of agriculture in three western states – Oregon,...


A beached whale calf covered in killer whale bite marks washed ashore in Bandon on May 6, 2024. (Photos courtesy of Jim Rice, OSU)

The carcass of a gray whale calf covered in killer whale bite marks washed up onto Tish-A-Tang Beach in Bandon on May 6. Oregon State University Stranding Program Manager Jim Rice told KOIN 6 News that the calf “clearly succumbed to killer...

May 2024 | Read full story

Roberto Ponce Velez

Roberto Ponce Velez, an OSU junior in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences has been named a 2024 Udall Scholar in the Environment category.

May 2024 | Read full story

Basking sharks are known to exhibit coordinated swimming behavior, as shown in this picture, when in hotspot locations (Image: Irish Basking Shark Group).

It’s astounding,” says Alex McInturf, a coordinator for the Irish Basking Shark Group, an international team of scientists. While sightings in New Zealand and...


As April showers give way to sunnier May days, we Oregon gardeners eagerly awaiting the right conditions for spring planting can’t help but ask: Are we there yet? The answer is never so simple as choosing a date on the calendar. We’ve rounded...

May 2024 | Read full story

Aerial images comparing the sizes of adult male Bigg’s and Resident killer whales, both taken in the Salish Sea off southern Vancouver Island. Images were collected by John Durban and Holly Fearnbach using a non-invasive drone

Recent research with drones that collect precise aerial photos has helped differentiate Bigg’s killer whales as longer and larger. This might better equip them to go after large marine mammal prey. The smaller size of residents is likely better...

May 2024 | Read full story

Marbled murrelet, photo by Brett Lovelace

Researchers developed a machine learning algorithm known as a convolutional neural network to mine the recordings for murrelet calls.

May 2024 | Read full story

Air pollution. Photo: Pexels- Chris LeBoutillier

On this edition of Oregon On The Record, you’ll hear from two nationally known scientists from Oregon State University, professors Jamie DeWitt and Jennifer Field, who are leading researchers on PFAS, or forever chemicals, and their impact on...


JC Boyle Dam on Klamath River

A giant sediment pulse — millions of cubic yards of silt, clay and dead algae — trapped for decades behind the dams is now flowing downstream.