Pest and Plant Disease Management

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 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 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'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

School IPM Program protects health and safety of Oregon children

Asthma is the top cause of absenteeism in U.S. public K-12 schools. Mice urine is an asthma trigger, and mice are one of the top pests in Oregon schools. Mice and other pests can carry numerous life-threatening diseases. ...

Jan 2024 | Impact Story

Project Happy Apples helps gardeners fight devastating codling moth

The popularity of fruit trees for home gardens continues to grow. Gardeners can’t get enough, and apples and pears top the list of must-have trees. But codling moth, the most devastating of pests for these fruits, can ...

Apr 2019 | 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

OSU develops detection method for incurable crown gall disease

Crown gall disease is an incurable malady that affects numerous species of plants, including many of economic importance to Oregon. Crown gall disease is caused by a soil bacterium that modifies the plant’s genome and causes ...

Impact Story

OSU Wheat Breeding Program makes gains in disease resistance

With the leading wheat varieties in Oregon and Washington, Oregon State University's Wheat Breeding Program has a long-standing reputation for success. Each year, OSU tests more than 40,000 genetically distinct lines specifically for ...

Jun 2021 | Impact Story