Southern

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 foresters confront Swiss needle cast disease, mountain pine beetles

A serious epidemic of Swiss needle cast has hit the west slope of the Oregon Coast Range. This native fungal foliage disease can significantly reduce growth rates and the competitiveness of Douglas-fir, the most important timber...

Impact Story

OSU helps Oregon's forest products industry remain competitive

About 80% of Oregon’s forestland is classified as “timberland" – forestland that can productively grow commercial-grade timber. From the end of World War II until 1989, timber harvests in Oregon generally ranged from 7 ...

Jun 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 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's Croptime helps farmers plant veggies at the right time

Well-timed harvests enable growers to meet demand for consistent supplies of produce. Good timing also helps farmers schedule labor when they need it, and can help minimize pest damage at stages during the growing season when ...

Feb 2021 | Impact Story

Extension helps deliver critical reforesting information and seedlings to woodland owners affected by 2020 wildfires

Following the 2020 Labor Day week wildfires that affected more than 180,000 acres of family-owned forestland in Oregon, many of the more than 5,000 owners found it almost impossible to find seedlings or tree planters to ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension Small Farms Program among nation’s best

A majority of the 35,547 farms in Oregon are small-acreage, meaning they are 50 acres or less in area. The smallest farms, or those with less than 10 acres, account for 32% of all farms. Farms between 10 and 50 acres ...

Apr 2024 | Impact Story

Oregon communities strive for health and longevity in Blue Zones Project

Not only are people unhealthy, so are whole communities. By many measurements, access to nutritious food, good health care and fitness opportunities fell short in three Oregon cities – Klamath Falls, The Dalles and Grants Pass...

Jan 2023 | Impact Story