Agricultural Experiment Station

OSU creates new barley varieties for food, beer and forage

Barley has been an underappreciated cousin of wheat, even though it is one of the world's oldest cultivated crops. But that's changing amid a growing interest in microbrews and whole-grain diets. Helping lead the way is its ...

Feb 2019 | Impact Story

OSU educates growers about invasive, fruit-damaging fly

Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is a notorious pest that feeds on ripening soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, cherries, and peaches. Controlling it is difficult for a host of reasons, including its short generation time, wide ...

Jun 2021 | Impact Story

OSU establishes demonstration orchard for state’s growing cider industry

Oregon’s cider industry is growing rapidly and the state is emerging as a national leader in craft cider production. The Pacific Northwest is home to one-quarter of the nation’s cider-makers. Interestingly, most of the cider ...

Jan 2021 | Impact Story

OSU Honey Bee Lab helps keep pollinators healthy and thriving

Honeybees are crucial pollinators for many crops, including apples, blueberries, cherries, carrots, clover, melons, almonds and broccoli. Nationwide, they pollinate an estimated $20 billion in food crops each year. But the total number...

Jun 2021 | Impact Story

OSU research keeps Oregon Christmas tree industry No. 1 in the nation

Oregon is the No. 1 producer of Christmas trees in the United States, selling about 4.5 million trees a year. With a market value of $110 million, Oregon's Christmas tree industry ranked as the 14th most valuable Oregon ...

Apr 2021 | Impact Story

OSU research results in glysophate alternatives for wheat farmers

Eastern Oregon wheat farmers face a daunting situation – persistent weeds becoming resistant to the commonly used herbicide called glyphosate. In the Pacific Northwest, Russian thistle infests nearly 5 million acres and costs ...

Apr 2022 | Impact Story

OSU Sagebrush Habitat Team responds to threats to vast ecosystem

The invasion of annual grasses, an unprecedented rise in wildfire, and encroachment by conifers have substantially contributed to a 50% reduction in Oregon’s sagebrush ecosystem over the past 150 years. Such extensive habitat ...

Jun 2021 | Impact Story

OSU-invented wristband reveals pollution risks

People are exposed to a range of pollutants every day but do not often know which ones—or to what degree. Measuring a person's contact with toxins can also be difficult, requiring expensive and bulky devices that people are...

Jun 2021 | Impact Story

OSU’s 10-year study gives organic blueberry growers a leg up

Finding ways to reduce costs while increasing production is critical for organic blueberry growers. Organic fertilizers cost 10 times more than conventional products and approved herbicides are less effective and costlier. The Oregon ...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

Disease-resistant potatoes boost Pacific Northwest farmers

Potatoes are susceptible to a number of pathogens such as potato virus Y, Columbia root knot nematode, and verticillium wilt. Pacific Northwest scientists including Oregon State University's Sagar Sathuvalli are constantly at work to...

Feb 2019 | Impact Story