Biochar is a highly porous, carbon-rich residue produced by thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis) of plant biomass and carbonaceous organic materials under oxygen-controlled conditions. Chars produced by this process tend to have high ion-exchange capacities and, when added to soil, increase retention of water and nutrients and improve soil aggregation, porosity, and...
The effect of pressure trunk injections of K₂HPO₄, and K₂SO₄.
solutions on the mineral content, growth, yield and fruit quality of
sweet cherry and mineral content of prune were investigated. A
complimentary study presented in Appendix 1, was conducted to
evaluate the short term effectiveness of K soil amendments, mulching...
Mechanisms by which plant organs accumulate
photoassimilate are important in determining final sink size
and may involve invertase activity. Because strawberry
fruit are strong sinks for sugars, changes in invertase
levels during development and mechanisms of sugar uptake
within the fruit were examined.
Fruit from greenhouse-grown, day-neutral strawberries,
(Fragaria X...
The leaching of water soluble phenolic compounds from
cold stressed Rhododendron leaves was found to be a reliable
indicator of tissue damage. In sublethally stressed leaf
tissues, more and novel phenolic compounds appeared and were
hypothesized to be precursors of cell wall components such
as lignin and suberin. Subsequent radiolabeling...
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....
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,...
The azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides Scott) is a global pest of rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp.). It is originally from Asia, has been established in the eastern U.S. for the past century, and was recently detected in the Pacific Northwest in 2008-2009. Stephanitis pyrioides feeds on the underside of...
Cover crop establishment in late-season crops, like sweet corn, may be difficult due to the relatively short operational window following crop harvest. In regions like western Oregon, where fall-precipitation can occur when the crop is still in the field, cover crops may not be able to be planted, due to...