News
In the News
Gray-tailed voles are a recurring pest in Oregon agriculture and can cause serious crop damage when populations surge. In the Willamette Valley, grass seed fields provide prime habitat.
The Soil Sleuth Series became one of the first visible Extension education efforts in Josephine County following the return of local service and helped re-establish Extension as a trusted technical resource.
Melissa Fery’s chance encounter in a meeting led to an overseas work trip she’ll never forget — and a renewed sense of purpose in the power of Extension.
Alex Kremer | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Soil Science Option
Dr. Markus Kleber, Professor of Soil Science, retired on December 31, 2025.
An Oregon State University weed science project with potentially wide-ranging implications for vegetable production has received a nearly $1 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a quick-setting, environmentally friendly alternative to concrete they hope can one day be used to rapidly 3-D print homes and infrastructure.
In the remote foothills of the Himalayas, a group of 10 Oregon State University students learned about rural life through the lens of Bhutanese farmers during the university’s first-ever study abroad course in Bhutan this September.
Weeds pose a serious threat to Oregon agriculture. They reduce yields, lower seed and grain quality, and can keep shipments from meeting market standards. This challenge is statewide although its impacts vary by region.
By advancing effective alternatives to glyphosate and promoting integrated management, Oregon State is helping protect the productivity and sustainability of Oregon’s wheat industry.
During the quiet summer months, the College of Agricultural Sciences brings an opportunity to learn about what kind of research they do to better their community and advance food science.
“There is not another land grant university that has a team this size and with this potential,” said Chris Schreiner, chief executive officer of Oregon Tilth, a leading organic certifier. “It’s historic.”
Building carbon-rich soils through legume-based crop rotations and no-till farming enhances soil health and water retention, leading to potentially higher yields for Oregon wheat farmers.
Would you like your homegrown potatoes to stay fresh and last longer? Research has shown there are best practices to harvesting and storing potatoes to ensure freshness.
David "DJ" Rogers | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Soil Science Option
Chessie Beery | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Agronomy Option | Soil Science Minor | 2025 CSS Outstanding Senior Award Receipient
Anna Perry | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Soil Science Option | 2025 CSS Outstanding Senior Award Receipient
Hana You’s first six months as an Extension field crops specialist for the north Willamette Valley have involved not just learning about the area’s agriculture but learning more about the communities she serves.
Breeding Barleys for Distilling That Don’t Contain Carcinogen Precursor
10 Questions with Manoj Shukla, incoming department head of Crop and Soil Science. He is currently a professor of soil physics at New Mexico State University (NMSU), where he leads and manages the soil physics program.
Michelle Markesteyn, PhD and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek share the successes of the Oregon Farm To School program and Oregon Harvest for Schools
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Brigid Meints has accepted a new position in the Department of Crop and Soil Science as Assistant Professor (Practice) and Extension Specialist in Organic Grains and Pulses, effective October 1, 2024.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Victor Ribeiro has joined the Department of Crop and Soil Science as Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Weed Science effective September 16, 2024.
Easier for farmers to process and healthier than its hulled counterpart, naked barley is being studied at Oregon State University thanks in part to a $3.5 million grant.
Cody Holubeck | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Soil Science Option
About Cody:
Charles Harris | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Agronomy Option
Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, who spoke at the Hyslop Farm Field Day in Corvallis on May 22, said the agency will unveil a new strategic plan in June that focuses on customer service.
The global beer industry no longer looked the same after Oregon had developed a hop with intense citrus flavor in the ‘60s, and an American approach to brewing the pale ale in the ‘90s.
Lex Robertson | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Soil Science Option | 2024 CSS Outstanding Senior Award Receipient
About Lex:
Lane Marsh | Crop and Soil Science Undergraduate | Agronomy Option | Crop and Soil Science Club Secretary
About Lane:
Get a garden growing with the Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge! Michelle Markesteyn, Oregon State University Extension’s Farm to School Coordinator, joined KATU to share more about the statewide seed giveaway,
Efforts to develop new markets for naked barley recently crossed the $10 million mark with the award of a $3.5 million grant from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Yakun Zhang has joined the Department of Crop and Soil Science as Assistant Professor of Soil Science - Pedology effective November 16, 2023.
Following a comprehensive search, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences has named Dr. Lauren Gwin as its new Director of the Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems (SFCFS).
Farmers are seeing their barley crops impacted by extreme heat, drought and unpredictable growing seasons.
A national project focused on organic naked barley for multiple end-uses, led by Dr. Brigid Meints of Oregon State University, has been re-funded after two successful iterations.
“The organic potato industry cannot depend on traditional chemical anti-sprouting treatments since synthetic chemicals are banned in certified organic,” said Valtcho Jeliazkov of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
“One of the strategies that we’re going to have to employ, I believe, is to have more barley, and more diverse barley, grown in more places,” says Patrick Hayes, professor of barley breeding and genetics at Oregon State University.
OSU Extension researchers are endeavoring to find an alternative to chlorpyrifos which was banned by the EPA in 2020.
New funding aims to help landowners sequester carbon in the soil of working farms and ranches.