Agriculture and Natural Resources

OSU Extension gives Master Gardeners tools to broaden understanding of biodiversity

From tiny insects to towering trees, Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener volunteers are often called upon to identify the flora and fauna of Oregon. Plant and animal identification is a specialized skill that...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story

OSU Extension’s hemp harvest-timing research helps growers stay legal and protect profits

Hemp has the potential to become a major agricultural commodity in Oregon and the United States, with hemp plant fiber being used in manufactured products, including clothing, construction materials and packaging. Meanwhile, hemp ...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story

Woodland Pollinator Stewards enhance bee habitat on private lands

Pollinator health has captured the interest of the country as people become concerned about dwindling populations of bees. Oregon forests are home to an estimated 300 native bee species but there’s much to learn about their ...

Mar 2022 | Impact Story

Fledgling olive industry gets support from OSU research

Interest in growing olives, a high-value specialty crop, grows by the year in Oregon. Yet, research-based information about the feasibility of growing olives in the state doesn’t exist. Research is essential due to climate and ...

Feb 2022 | Impact Story

Teen learning experiences transformed by dive into VR app creation

Coupled with broad, societal misconceptions about food and agriculture, an aging crisis is threatening farming. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the average age of an American farmer is 57, 10 years older than the ...

Feb 2022 | Impact Story

OSU researcher provides insight for hemp resilience to extreme heat

Recent extreme summer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest – such as the 2021 heat dome that resulted in record-setting high temperatures across the state – have been detrimental to the hemp growers of Oregon. Many farmers ...

Feb 2022 | Impact Story

OSU hemp center leads environmental sustainability and equity efforts

Hemp has the potential to become a major agricultural commodity in Oregon and the United States, with hemp plant fiber being used in manufactured products, including clothing, construction materials and packaging. Meanwhile, hemp ...

Feb 2022 | Impact Story

OSU research finds slugs go 'bonkers' for bread dough

Since the beginning of recorded history, slugs have ravaged crops and today are responsible for billions of dollars in damage – including between $60-$100 million to Oregon’s valuable grass seed industry alone, according to ...

Nov 2021 | Impact Story

Viticulturist finds that southern Oregon vineyards could save costs on water

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s AgriMet network is a free weather station widely used by growers to determine how much water they need to irrigate their crops. Many wine grape growers in the Pacific Northwest use personal ...

Nov 2021 | Impact Story

Agrivoltaics research could lead to more sustainable farming

Agrivoltaics is the concept of using arable land to simultaneously grow crops and generate solar power. Co-developing land for both solar photovoltaic power and agriculture could provide 20% of total electricity generation in the ...

Sep 2021 | Impact Story