Agriculture and Natural Resources

OSU Extension responds to avian flu with coordinated outreach

When the deadly highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in Oregon in May 2022, poultry businesses were forced to cull infected birds, people with backyard chickens were worried about the fate of their birds and ...

Jun 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps Warm Springs tribal members loop back to food preservation

The summer of 2022 brought high temperatures, high gas prices, and high food prices to Oregon. On the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs reservation, where food preservation is a means of food security, those higher prices ...

May 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension research helps wheat growers fight serious stripe rust disease

If conditions are right, stripe rust can wipe out a crop of winter wheat, costing Oregon farmers millions of dollars. In a state where wheat is the sixth-most valuable commodity, a disease that can devastate crops casts a ...

May 2023 | Impact Story

Pruning social media campaign reaches thousands of Oregon gardeners

Ask a gardener about their biggest challenges and pruning would be at the top of the list. It can be an overwhelming job that intimidates many people. In the winter of 2021, a request was posted to the the Oregon State...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension newsletter helps mint growers save money on pest control

Oregon ranks second in the United States in mint production, with a value estimated worth $28.7 million in 2022. Losses from pests like mint root borer and variegated cutworm can eat into farmers’ profits. These two most ...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension outreach helps slow the spread of deadly X-disease in cherries

Cherry growers in the Columbia River Gorge dread the emergence of X-disease, which makes cherries small, flavorless and unmarketable. At least 239,856 cherry trees were removed between 2015-2023, costing growers an estimated $115 ...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension microgreens gardening course reaches thousands of Oregonians

According to the latest National Gardening Association survey, about 55% of U.S. households had a garden in 2021. That number continues to grow with more than 18 million Americans starting the popular activity during the COVID-19...

Apr 2023 | Impact Story

Solve Pest and Weed Problems website gives gardeners solutions

Pests and diseases are the bane of the gardener’s existence. One minute there’s a healthy cucumber, the next it’s a moldy mess. Searching for reliable information can be frustrating, particularly for research-based knowledge ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

OSU Extension soil fertility study saves grower costs of applying gypsum to hemp crop

Crop production can be challenging on the serpentine soils of southwestern Oregon, where hemp production is an important local crop. Made up of the mineral serpentinite, the soils contain high levels of magnesium and other metals...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story

Comparison of irrigation systems shows promise for hay growers in water-depleted northern Lake County

The environment in the Fort Rock-Christmas Lake Valley basin and Silver Lake region of Lake County is unique because of its dry climate, hot summer days, cool nights and soil type, making it one of the best alfalfa-growing ...

Mar 2023 | Impact Story