Professor
wei.yang [at] oregonstate.edu

Office: 503-678-1264

North Willamette Research and Extension Center

North Willamette Res & Ext Ctr 15210 NE Miley Rd

North Willamette Res & Ext Ctr

15210 NE Miley Rd

Aurora, OR 97002-9543

My responsibility is to provide leadership for the blueberry education program in the North Willamette District where the most of the state’s blueberry industry is concentrated. I also conduct applied research in blueberry production systems to support my extension activities.

Current projects:

1. Blueberry rootstock propagation, evaluation, and rootstock/cultivar interactions

TC protocol development for V. arboreum (with North American Plants LLC)
V. arboreum seedling field performance evaluation
Rootstock and cultivar interactions (with UF and UC Kearney Ag Center)

2. Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) control in berry crops

Insecticides deliver methods via helicopter and micro-spray system (with WSU)
Attractants evaluation and field sanitation in blueberries
Alternative row and border spray (graduate student project)
SWD marking and dispersal study (graduate student project)

At OSU

Career Links:

Spotted Wing Drosophila

Department of Horticulture

Berry Crops Production Systems Program

North Willamette Research and Extension Center

I accept graduate students for Horticulture

Professional Accomplishments

Employment:

2006-present Associate Professor, Oregon State University, North Willamette Research and Extension Center
2001-2006 Assistant Professor, Oregon State University, North Willamette Research and Extension Center
1999-2001 Research Associate, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University
1993-1999 Graduate Research/teaching Assistant, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Horticulture
1992-1993 Researcher, Shaanxi Fruit Crops Research Center, P.R. China
1990-1991 Visiting fellow, USDA - ARS, Appalachian Fruit Research Station
1986-1990 Researcher, Shaanxi Fruit Crops Research Center, Xi'An, P. R. China

Education:

Ph.D., Horticulture, Penn State University, 1999
M.S., Horticulture, Penn State University, 1996
B.S., Plant Physiology, Northwest University, PRC, 1986

My Awards

My Publications

Outreach and Extension

Extension Service Site Publications

(2022) Delicate Machine Harvesters Enter Fresh Blueberry Market Normally fresh blueberries purchased in the supermarket are harvested by hand. However, with labor shortages and costs increasing there are benefits to machine harvested berries. Extension researchers in collaboration with industry partners to develop a machine to harvest unbruised berries for the fresh blueberry market, reducing labor costs by 75%.
(2021) Soft-catch system could reduce costs for Oregon's fresh blueberry industry he mechanism boasts a soft surface for catching the delicate berries in contrast to the hard polycarbonate surface of traditional over-the-row machines (OTR), which have been used to harvest blueberries for processing – not fresh market – for 30 years.
(2006) Nutrient Management for Blueberries in Oregon Learn how much fertilizer to apply and when to apply it to grow healthy blueberries. Learn the ins and outs of acidifying soil for blueberry production.
(2005) Blueberry gall midge: Identification, life cycle and plant injury Learn to identify blueberry gall midge infestation, understand the midge's life cycle and monitor for damage.
(2014) Can I grow garlic next to my berries?

My extension activities include SWD education, field visits, giving presentations at grower meetings and field days, publishing newsletters and extension materials, and serving as editor and webmaster for the berrygrape.org website. I organize three berry events annually.

The Blueberry Conference
The Berry Day at the NWHS meeting
The Blueberry Pruning Workshop in December

Primary tabs

Wei Yang

North Willamette Research and Extension Center

North Willamette Res & Ext Ctr 15210 NE Miley Rd

Extension Service Site Publications

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