The following taxonomic keys are adapted in part from the subgeneric and species descriptions and keys produced by McGinley (2003), Gibbs et al. (2013) and Gardner and Gibbs (2022). Additional identification information was provided by Jason Gibbs, Thilina Hettiarachchi (University of Manitoba), and Joel Gardner (Washington State University). While these...
Managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) play a vital role in pollinating cultivated crops worldwide. Honey bee colony declines reported in the past two decades have been associated with stressors such as pests and diseases, pesticide exposure, and poor nutrition. In the wake of these colony declines, beekeepers have strived to...
Daikon, mizuna, mizspoona, and komatsuna are novel Asian vegetables for which a market exists in Oregon, especially in the organic sector. However, these crops are currently not grown widely in the area, despite the favorable growing environment of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Little is known about the appropriate application level of...
Escalating demand for organic blueberries has driven a significant expansion of northern highbush blueberry (NHB; Vaccinium corymbosum L.) production area. This expansion is particularly pronounced in regions of the Pacific Northwest where native soil conditions are sub-optimal for NHB, notably east of the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon and Washington,...
Honey bees are vital for our food production and ecosystem due to their critical pollination services. The beekeepers in the United States and worldwide have reported significant colony losses for over fifteen years. Several stressors are implicated in these colony declines, including parasites, diseases, poor nutrition, and pesticide exposure. There...
This key to the bee genera of the Pacific Northwest provides dichotomous couplets which aid the user in identifying 60 genera of bees which occur or may occur in the region. The key architecture is based strongly on the key to the genera of North and Central America published in...
This species key to female bumble bees of the Pacific Northwest provides dichotomous couplets which aid the user in identifying 27 species which occur or have occurred historically, and may still be present in the region. The key architecture is based strongly on the key to species for females found...
This species key to male bumble bees of the Pacific Northwest provides dichotomous couplets which aid the user in identifying 27 species which occur or have occurred historically, and may still be present in the region. The key architecture is based strongly on the key to species for males found...
One of the most economically important genes in squash (Cucurbita spp.) is the B gene which conditions precocious depletion of chlorophyll in preanthesis fruit. The B genes are found naturally occurring in at least three of the five domesticated species of Cucurbita, including C. pepo, C. maxima and, most recently...
Oregon State University campus grounds have long been admired for their beauty and the diversity of over 65,000 individual woody plants that grace the 570 acres of campus. The woody plant collection has provided a living learning laboratory for the university and surrounding community for decades. The campus grounds include...
The accessions used to create the Snap Bean Diversity Panel (SnAP) were 378 snap bean cultivars and germplasm lines selected from North American and European germplasm. This panel supplements the 150 member Bean CAP snap bean diversity panel (SBDP) with an additional 228 snap bean accessions. The Bean CAP SBDP...
Cannabis production has gained popularity over the last 10 years. There is a growing demand for true-to-type grain, fiber, and resin crops. Breeding for homozygous trait development with traditional methods can take as long as 8 years. With dihaploid breeding, homozygosity can be achieved in 2 generations saving breeders time...
Hemp is a dioecious, annual, flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family. It has been used for thousands of years to produce textiles, essential oils, and medicines. The overall purpose of these experiments was to propagate the cannabinoid-free cultivar, ‘I3’, and follow up by inducing polyploidy in the ‘I3’ hemp via...
Cannabis sativa L. is emerging as an economically important crop, particularly for its high levels of cannabinoid production. One of these cannabinoids, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), is the precursor to many well-researched cannabinoids such as the psychotropic delta-9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA i.e., THCA) and the medically relevant cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). CBGA has...
The Pacific Northwest region of the United States is known for quality production of blueberries, blackberries, and red raspberries. However, as the climate shifts to warmer, drier, and more extreme summers, growing these water intensive berry crops is becoming increasingly difficult. Furthermore, water regulations within agriculture are becoming more prevalent...
Cabbage maggot, Delia radicum (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) impacts the production of Brassicaceae crops worldwide. The larva feed on the roots of crops causing reductions in yields due to impaired root function and unmarketability of crops. Chemical and cultural management programs are commonly used to control cabbage maggot with varying rates of...
Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley are predominately planted to perennial grass cover in the alleyways of vineyards. This grass cover is grown to increase worker and equipment traction, as well as reduce erosion and manage vine vegetative vigor. However, with increasing frequencies of drought and warming temperatures, the use of...
Farewell-to-spring (Clarkia amoena) is native to the Pacific Northwest and commonly found in gardens, due to its aesthetic value and purported benefits to pollinators. Oregon and Washington are home to five subspecies of C. amoena, yet commercially available seed is limited to C. amoena ssp. lindleyi and C. amoena cultivars....
The Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission (OPVC) is one of twenty-three commodity commissions that fall under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). In 2020, the OPVC was successfully awarded a 3-year grant under the FDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to conduct ‘Market Research and Development to...
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) comes in a huge assortment of fresh and dried varieties, including snap beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Together, these and other market classes provide a third of the daily dietary protein in some cultures, particularly in Africa, Asia, and developing nations in the Americas....
Organic vegetable growers rely on legume cover crops as an economical source of plant-available N. This research evaluated N contributions to summer vegetable crops by cover crops (CC) residues by monitoring soil nitrate (NO3-N) concentrations during the summer crop growing season. Replicated field plots were established with three CC mixes:...
Organic vegetable growers rely on legume cover crops as an economical source of plant-available N. This research evaluated N contributions to summer vegetable crops by cover crops (CC) residues by monitoring soil nitrate (NO3-N) concentrations during the summer crop growing season. Replicated field plots were established with three CC mixes:...
Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) is a highly adaptable landscape plant known for pollinator attraction. Unfortunately, it is also regarded as an invasive plant in highly disturbed environments across the globe. It is an invasive species in Oregon, officially classified as a class B noxious weed in 2004. Currently the state...
Nonchemical weed control strategies are in short supply in snap beans, particularly strategies that target weeds within the seed row. Recent work demonstrated the limitations of propane flaming and organic herbicides for weed control in stale seedbeds. There was very little improvement in weed control with propane flame or organic...
Approximately 900 lines were evaluated, from which 351 lines (337 experimental and 14 named cultivars) were then genotyped. The lines that were retained were planted in the field in 2021 at the Vegetable Research Farm and DNA was extracted from developing leaves. The DNA was quantified, adjusted for concentration and...
With the hot summers of recent years causing significant heat damage to broccoli heads within the Willamette valley, varietal screenings for newer and more heat tolerant varieties became necessary. Most commercially available broccoli varieties are bred for production within milder and more climatically stable regions, such as the Salinas Valley...
The certified organic blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) market has continued to expand in the last two decades, including in Oregon. The development of an industry-public research coalition has fostered expansion. In 2015, a survey consisting of on-site, in-person interviews with certified and transitional organic growers in Oregon found the majority of...
Results from vegetation management trials involving horticultural crops conducted during the past year are compiled and reported by faculty members of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, the Oregon State Extension Service, and colleagues who cooperated from adjacent states along with local enterprises. This work was conducted throughout Oregon and involved...
Organically certified Northern Highbush Blueberry (NHB; Vaccinium corymbosum L.) production in the Columbia Basin region of Oregon and Washington is expanding. Soils in the region are typically calcareous and highly alkaline, often requiring pH adjustment to an ideal range of 4.5–5.5 to support the establishment of the acid-loving, ericaceous crop....
The European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a tree nut crop that is important in Oregon, which produces 99% of the United States’ hazelnuts but only 5% of the world’s supply. In order to maintain this market share, farmers in Oregon need cultivars that produce high quality nuts, mature early,...
Chrysobothris mali Horn and C. femorata Olivier (Coleoptera : Buprestidae) are two flatheaded wood boring beetle species that have become economically impactful pests in North American high value tree cropping systems. Both species are native to North America, with C. femorata occurring across the continent (Wellso and Manley 2007), whereas...
Improving crop cultivars for use on organic farms is pertinent, as current elite germplasm is less resilient within the more variable context of organic farm environments. Although a growing number of studies have focused on organic plant breeding in cereal crops, very few have focused on vegetable crops, especially those...
Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) is a US Pacific Northwest specialty crop prized for its unique flavor profile and nutritional attributes. A major obstacle for the raspberry industry is Black raspberry necrosis virus vectored by the large raspberry aphid (Amphorophora agathonica). Market expansion depends on production, which is currently hindered...
Due to a growing body of literature documenting declines in pollinator populations, there has been increased public interest in pollinator conservation. In urban and suburban landscapes, many gardeners and urban land managers are interested in gardening for pollinators, particularly bees. Simultaneously, many homeowners and municipalities are interested in other aspects...
With confirmation of non-nutritive sugar, erythritol, having insecticidal properties to Dipterans, this thesis research focuses on use of erythritol as a human-safe management tool for small berry and cherry pest, Drosophila suzukii, commonly referred to as spotted-wing drosophila. Drosophila suzukii is a destructive invasive fruit fly from Asia with an...
The accessions used to create the Snap Bean Diversity Panel were 150 snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars and breeding lines selected from North American and European germplasm to create a population that is representative of the snap bean market class from a historical and geographical viewpoint. This panel was developed...
Previous studies indicated that fertigating with nitrogen (N) was more effective than using granular N fertilizers in production of northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). To build on these findings, four studies were conducted in western Oregon to determine whether fertigation was also an effective method for applying other nutrients,...
The recently emerged Grapevine Red Botch Virus (GRBV) impedes proper berry ripening primarily by reducing sugar accumulation and color development in red-fruited Vitis vinifera L. cultivars. To date, there is no recommended management strategy for virus spread or the impacts of the disease beyond removal and replacement of infected vines....
Pacific flatheaded borer (PFB), Chrysobothris mali Horn (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has recently become a serious pest in newly planted European hazelnut, Corylus avellana L. (Betulaceae) in Oregon. Larvae feeding on the inner bark can lead to girdling, loss of transpiration, and ultimately can cause dieback or death of the tree. Although...
Results from vegetation management trials involving horticultural crops conducted during the past year are compiled and reported by faculty members of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, the Oregon State Extension Service, and colleagues who cooperated from adjacent states along with local enterprises. This work was conducted throughout Oregon and involved...
Specialty organic fertilizers used in organic vegetable production are expensive. So, from environmental and economic perspectives, growers want to maximize nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency by the crop. This research was conducted to (1) determine sufficient N fertilizer rates for organic broccoli, (2) evaluate the efficacy of a specialty organic...
Specialty organic fertilizers used in organic vegetable production are expensive. So, from environmental and economic perspectives, growers want to maximize nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency by the crop. This research was conducted to (1) determine sufficient N fertilizer rates for organic broccoli, (2) evaluate the efficacy of a specialty organic...
Nitrogen (N) is the most important nutrient to manage in the overall wine production system, since N has a large influence on vine productivity and fruit quality in the vineyard and also on fermentation kinetics and fermentation-derived aromas in the winery. Previous studies investigated the influence of either vineyard N...
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) is a prolific annual grassy weed that can be found worldwide in most landscapes. Known for its ability to produce seedhead at low heights (0.32 cm), thrive in over-maintained areas, and germinate anywhere, annual bluegrass is a highly invasive weed. Due to annual bluegrass’ persistence,...
Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot] resistant to multiple herbicide sites of action continues to limit winter wheat production in western Oregon. In addition to impacting wheat production, multiple resistant Italian ryegrass may threaten the market for annual ryegrass seed for cover crops if wheat fields with...
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an insect of global concern that causes serious damage to soft-skinned fruits. D. suzukii is widespread in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia and is listed as an invasive pest with strict quarantine protocols governing import and export. Given the damage caused by D....
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is a serious pest in soft and stone fruit industries worldwide. The unique serrated ovipositor of female Drosophila suzukii allowed the species to reproduce in intact, ripening fruit before the harvest. Current control methods rely heavily on insecticide application, only becoming less profitable due to the...
Betalains are a group of compounds that are major natural food colorants used by the food processing industry. These secondary compounds are found in only a few orders of plants with the Caryophyllales being the source of several domesticated crops. In particular, the family Chenopodiaceae in general and table beets...
European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a diploid with 11 pairs of chromosomes (2n = 2x = 22), monoecious, dichogamous and wind-pollinated. Eastern filbert blight (EFB) caused by Anisogramma anomala is a serious disease of European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) in North America, and infection leads to cankers that girdle branches...
Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), the causal agent of red blotch disease (RBD) in grapevine, Vitis vinifera L., is an emerging pathogen of significance to the wine grape industry of Oregon, USA. To address knowledge gaps of GRBV epidemiology, spread of GRBV was evaluated in Oregon vineyards over four years....