Federal

OSU-USDA genomics study stiffens Oregon sudden oak death defenses

Sudden oak death has killed tanoaks and oaks along the West Coast for decades, altering forests, wildlife habitat and cultural resources. In southwest Oregon, it forces hard choices about quarantine, eradication and how to protect...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension brings classroom microgreen gardens to Head Start

In 2022, Oregon State University Extension Service began training Southern Oregon Head Start’s nutrition services team to use the Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum to introduce children to new foods while teaching how food ...

Mar 2026 | Impact Story

OSU studies reveal hemp byproduct shows promise as cattle feed

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...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU research shows smarter ways to manage a costly berry pest

Spotted-wing drosophila is a small fruit fly that can ruin berries right before harvest. Unlike the fruit flies many people know from kitchens, it can lay eggs in firm, ripening fruit still on the plant. The eggs hatch into...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU tests vineyard spray to help protect wine grapes from wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke is a growing risk for wine grapes in Oregon and across the West. When smoke reaches vineyards near harvest, grapes can take in smoke compounds that later affect wine flavor and aroma. In bad years, growers ...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU studies reveal when and how carrot disease spreads

In the high desert of Central Oregon, farmers produce some of the world’s most valuable hybrid carrot seed. But their fields face a persistent and costly threat: a plant disease called bacterial blight, caused by the ...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

Heat dome canopy damage mapped to inform Northwest forest decisions

The 2021 “heat dome” brought record heat to the Pacific Northwest, stressing forests at a scale few managers had seen before. Extreme heat can scorch foliage in the forest canopy, reducing photosynthesis and leaving trees ...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension aids vegetable farmers exploring Asian crops

Vegetable farmers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley face growing pressure to stay profitable. Labor shortages, high costs and new regulations have added challenges for producers already competing with low-priced imports. At the same ...

Dec 2025 | Impact Story

Collaborative OSU effort reduces whale entanglement, earns national honor

Whale entanglement in fishing gear is a serious threat that can cause drowning, injury and interfere with feeding. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2022 West Coast Whale Entanglement Summary, 30 ...

Nov 2025 | Impact Story

Oregon State research shows how grazing timing affects sagebrush wildlife

The sagebrush ecosystem — a vast, dry landscape that supports hundreds of wildlife species and livelihoods in the West — is shrinking and changing. Livestock grazing is the dominant land-use across much of this ecosystem. ...

Oct 2025 | Impact Story