Agriculture and Natural Resources

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'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

Extension draws attention to discounted Coggins exams in Warm Springs

Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is an incurable, often fatal infectious disease that threatens horse, donkey and mule populations. Even if the animal survives the initial effects of the disease, it carries the virus for the rest ...

Aug 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

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