In the midst of double-digit growth in market demand for organic products, there is a lag in the growth of certified organic production in the United States. This thesis investigated the motivations and barriers farmers face when making the transition to organic agriculture. Three distinct organic farmer typologies were identified:...
The report integrates a survey of organic farmers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho; conversations with focus groups made up of southern Oregon organic farmers and organic farming stakeholders; and interviews with Oregon State University organic agriculture researchers. It highlights research, education, and policy issues identified by organic farmers and researchers....
The study was conducted in an organic trailing blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus, Watson) planting established at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, OR on 26 May 2010. Three weed management systems were compared for 'Marion' and 'Black Diamond': 1) non-weeded; 2) hand-hoed two to three times...
Weeds in snap beans drag down yield and contaminate products sent to processors or markets. They may even make it impossible to harvest the crop mechanically. It is worth the effort to be proactive when managing weeds in row crops. Proactive rather than reactive approaches are essential to successful management...
There is limited information available on production of trailing blackberry, particularly certified organic plantings, which are of interest to growers as there is increased consumer demand and a price premium over conventionally-produced fruit. Various production strategies were evaluated for their effect on yield, biomass production, carbon (C), and nutrient concentrations...
Published January 1998. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
This ethnographic study examined some of the ways that global markets and the infrastructure of agribusiness affect local smallholder farmers in the Ten Rivers region who are transitioning toward more sustainable and traditional agricultural methods. The purpose of this research was to discover what barriers smallholder farmers face in developing...
Despite increasing consumer demand for organic food and farm products and double-digit annual sales growth, U.S. organic production is currently flat and unable to meet demand. This report presents findings from a national survey of farmers about their experiences with organic transition, exploring motivations, obstacles, and desired resources and support...
Landscape heterogeneity is thought to differ among farm management types (i.e. organic and conventional), and this difference is hypothesized to result in variations in pest control by natural enemies. However, it is unclear if these variations in pest control are driven by landscape structure or by farm management practices themselves....
Organic aquaculture was first introduced in Vietnam by VASEP in 1999 and determined by the Government of Vietnam as an strategic direction for development of sustainable and responsible aquaculture. Through a
cooperation arrangement between VASEP and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO), the first organic black tiger shrimp farm was...
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...
The impact of fertilizer source and cultivar on growth, fruit quality, and yield was evaluated in organic blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) from 2011-2013 in three studies. In all studies, plants were drip irrigated, and weeds were managed using a woven polypropylene, permeable landscape fabric (weed mat). At a...
Legume cover crops can serve as important sources of nitrogen (N) in sustainable agriculture and can be economically beneficial when fertilizer inputs are reduced without a yield reduction. Synchronizing N mineralization from organic materials with the needs of the subsequent crop is a challenge for organic growers.
Predicting plant available...
Potatoes require adequate nitrogen to produce quality tubers and high yields. Organic farming practices are designed to build soil nutrient levels
gradually. In organic systems, nitrogen (N) enters the soil in the form of crop residue and amendments (e.g., manures, composts, and specialty products).
Much of the N added to...
Organic agriculture is an important and growing sector of U.S. and world food production. Consumers are increasingly aware of and interested in the production practices and impacts associated with agriculture and as such, are showing a preference for sustainably produced, raised, and harvested foods. In order to continue to meet...
Published October 1981. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
This publication summarizes background information on the several dairy areas in Oregon. A prospective buyer of a dairy or dairy-related business should visit different areas before making a final decision.
Published June 1928. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Several species of flea beetles are commonly found in organic potato fields in North America. Adults of many of these species feed on the leaves of potatoes
and other plants in the family Solanaceae, but tuber flea beetle larvae are the most common cause of flea beetle damage to potato...
A 0.4 ha planting of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) was established in Oct. 2006 to evaluate the effects of cultivar (Duke and Liberty), planting method (flat versus raised beds), weed management (sawdust mulch and hand-weed control; compost plus sawdust mulch with acetic acid, flaming, and hand-weeding used as needed; and...
Published June 1934. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published September 1933. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published July 1922. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published April 1917. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Blackberry (Rubus sp.) fruit are a good source of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and are consumed in fresh and processed forms. Though organic products become more popular, limited information is available about how different organic production methods affect the post-harvest quality of blackberry fruit. The objective of this project was...
Published September 1924. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published January 1948. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published January 1952. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The atmospheric transport of anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) from Asian sources to the Western U.S. was investigated. In addition, the SOC extraction method was optimized. Hansen solubility parameter plots were used to aid in the pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) solvent selection of air sampling media in order to minimize...
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soilborne pathogen that causes root rot disease of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). When new installations of susceptible blueberry cultivars are infected with P. cinnamomi, plants often fail to grow significant new tissue, greatly reducing yields over the life of the planting. Chemical fungicides are available...
Around the globe, an array of alternative agrifood movements has emerged largely in response to the ecological and socio-economic threat caused by industrialized agricultural processes. From organic agriculture, to Slow Food, Locavore, and the Food Sovereignty movement, people around the world are reasserting their right to healthy and culturally appropriate...
As part of a participatory research project, where farmers and Oregon State University researchers collaborated, aspects of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growing systems were studied. It was determined through conversations with the farmers that quantification of certain growth parameters of potato was lacking, including dry matter accumulation, crop nitrogen (N)...
Published March 1973. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The middle Deschutes River between Bend, Oregon and Lake Billy Chinook typically experiences critically low flows during the irrigation season. Commercial agriculture in the North Unit Irrigation District and Central Oregon Irrigation District is one major user of Deschutes River water. The overall objective of this research was to estimate...
Published February 1918. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published June 1987. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published July 1956. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Chemicals must be bioavailable for there to be a potential for exposure and consequent risk to human or environmental health. Passive sampling devices (PSDs) are used to quantify the time-integrated concentration of bioavailable contaminants. We demonstrate that PSDs can be paired with the zebrafish developmental toxicity bioassay to produce site-specific,...
The data set presented here includes the discrete depth profile data and time series data
from the vertical profiling cruises carried out as a portion of the “Coastal Ocean Advances in Shelf Transport” (COAST) project. The primary purpose for collection of this data set was to calibrate the optical parameters...
The purpose of this study was to make a preliminary
investigation of the productivity of some of the soils
within the Willamette catena under different systems of
soil management. The study was carried out at four experimental
sites near Corvallis, Oregon, during the 1962 growing
season. The soil at each...
Published April 1954. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
To give the many Oregon farmers, who, are unable to leave
home to take a four-year course in the Agricultural College, a
share in the advantages of a higher education the Experiment
Station has for years conducted- farmers' institutes in various
parts of the state.
The success of these encouraged...
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a critical component of the carbon cycle linking terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Although many factors influence DOM fluxes and quality in rivers, controls on DOM compositions in catchments of the western U.S. are poorly understood. UV and fluorescent spectroscopy is a simpler, faster, and less...
Experiments were designed to answer key questions about diatom-derived organic matter cycling (i.e., production and degradation) in coastal systems. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) production was examined in axenic batch cultures of five diatom species. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release rates varied between species, but were significantly higher for all species...
Sensory properties of four important volatile sulfur compounds, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), diethyl disulfide (DEDS), methanethiol (MeSH) and ethanethiol (EtSH), were determined in base Oregon Pinot noir wine in order to understand their impacts on wine aroma. Detection thresholds of these four compounds in base wine were determined first. All four...
Published November 1960. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Signs of climate change across the Pacific Northwest indicate changing patterns of timing and availability of stream flow. Declining summer low flows, decreasing snow pack, higher temperatures and an increasing fraction of mountain precipitation falling as rain, raise concerns about future reliability of stream flows. These changes will likely affect...
This study investigates the relationship between total and ionic copper in samples taken from the Tualatin River and wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) that discharge into the Tualatin River. Copper speciation was analyzed by determining conditional stability constants and densities of copper binding ligands on the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in...
The seasonal distribution of bioavailable organochiorine contaminants in surface
water and the potential environmental factors influencing their bioavailability were
evaluated. The study was carried at the lower Willamette River at Portland Harbor, Oregon
where surface water runoff varied according to season. Bioavailable water concentrations of
DDTs and PCBs were determined...
Summertime, wind-driven upwelling off the Oregon coast delivers nutrient rich water to the surface that fuels the autotrophic production of particulate organic carbon (POC). This POC can be transported horizontally by fluid motions and vertically by sinking to the bottom where it can be entrained in the benthic boundary layer...
For oysters, "The objective of these studies was to determine the biological feasibility of using the heated effluent from coastal nuclear power plants for culturing the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas." (p.1) Work included oyster growth experiments, seasonal growth experiments and closed system studies. For salmon, "The objective of these studies...
Working conditions in the international garment industry have long been a concern and a process to assess and certify fair trade practices was developed as a means by which to improve those conditions. Standards for fair trade apparel include safe working conditions, fair wages, compliance with laws, and reduced environmental...
The mechanisms governing short- and long-term belowground carbon dynamics need to be understood. As part of a larger project developed to assess the effect of quantity and quality of litter inputs on the rate of soil organic matter (SOM) formation, I examined SOM in the H. J. Andrews Detritus Input...
The specific objectives of this dissertation are to determine subsurface flow
behaviors across different antecedent wetness conditions from a top-down perspective
and to mechanistically assess the hydrological controls on DOC and N transport at the
hillslope and catchment scale. The study area is a small catchment where hillslopes
issue directly...
The conflict over water allocation in the Upper Klamath Basin encompasses many important, complex, and difficult questions. One aspect of the situation, energy pricing, has come under increased scrutiny in connection with relicensing of the Klamath River hydropower operations, which is scheduled to take effect in 2006.
Agricultural water supplies are becoming increasingly uncertain in the western United States due to rising demand from competing water users, environmental restrictions on surface water withdrawals due to water quality and endangered species concerns, and, potentially, climate-induced hydrological changes. Since many rural areas in the West depend economically upon irrigated...
High vegetative growth of Pinot Noir vine is a common problem in most vineyards of Oregon's Willamette Valley, where sunlight exposure and heat accumulation are limited. Consequently, growers in this region commonly use vineyard management strategies to regulate vine vigor and improve grape and wine quality. Wine quality is greatly...
Oregon is the number one producer of cool-season grass seed in the United
States. The center of the grass seed industry of Oregon is located in the Willamette
Valley, where about 470,000 acres of seed are grown. Innovative grass seed growers
of the area are beginning to implement precision agriculture...
To better understand the impact of land use on stream nutrient export, a synoptic sampling of 57 sub-basins within the Willamette River basin was conducted during winter baseflow conditions (February 2009). I assessed whether stream dissolved organic carbon (DOC), NO₃⁻ and Cl⁻ and specific ultra-violet absorbance (SUVA) values were correlated...
In 2001, an extreme drought tightened water supply in the Upper Klamath Basin (basin) while earlier increases in Endangered Species Act (ESA) water requirements for basin fish species that same year elevated demands. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), which manages irrigation water in parts of the basin located near the...