Understanding continental crust formation and modification is a fundamental and longstanding geologic problem. Influx of mantle-derived basaltic magma and partial melting of the crust are two ways to drive crustal differentiation. This process results in a low density upper crust and denser, more refractory lower crust, creating significant and vastly...
Published June 1958. 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
Many streams in eastern Oregon are listed as water quality impaired on the basis of water temperature. However, it is often difficult to predict water temperature for these streams even if there are no anthropogenic impacts. We measured air and water temperature and stream characteristics on three Type C and...
In 2000 and 2001, research at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Madras, Oregon evaluated drip irrigation significant reduction in water usage, increased seed yields, and a decrease in disease. As a result, drip irrigation was placed in commercial fields in 2002. Drip irrigation is now used in the...
A case study was performed in 2000 and 2001 to characterize the thermal pattern of four morphologically similar eastern Oregon streams and to identify the physical and environmental factors that expressed significant and functionally viable relationships with stream temperature (daily maximum, daily minimum and daily rate of heating). Stream and...
Seasonal wetlands in arid and semi-arid lands provide an important source of surface water in otherwise dry lands. Central Oregon's high desert, located in the Northern Great Basin (NGB) is dotted with hundreds of seasonal pools, locally called playas. The playas hold water or snow during parts of winter and...
General characteristics of cattle ranching operations in Eastern Oregon with 20 or more brood cows are presented in this report. This information is based on a stratified random sample of 502 ranchers taken from an estimated total population of 2,148. The characteristics as presented do not pertain to a specific...
Published May 1966. 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 May 1964. 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 May 1963. 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
Myxobolus cerebralis, a myxozoan parasite of salmonids, is the causative agent of whirling disease. The parasite is considered widespread throughout northeastern Oregon in the Grande Ronde and Imnaha River basins where threatened and endangered salmonid populations exist. The work presented in this thesis comprises several studies that assess the effects...
Published September 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
Published February 1982. 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
Between 1965 and 1975, four alfalfa variety test trials, which included 38 different varieties, were conducted at Redmond and Alfalfa by the Central Oregon Experiment Station. Two trials were completed and two are continuing. Hay yields averaged 6.79 and 5.39 tons per acre per year in the completed trials at...
Published October 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
Good management practices are essential if optimum fertilizer responses are to be realized. These practices include use of recommended varieties, selection of adapted soils, weed control, disease and insect control, good seedbed preparation, proper seeding methods, and timely planting and
harvesting. Follow recommended soil sampling procedures to estimate fertilizer needs....
Good management practices are essential if optimum fertilizer responses are to be realized. These practices include use of recommended varieties, selection of adapted soils, weed control, disease and insect control, good seedbed preparation, proper seeding methods, and timely harvest. Because of the influence of soil type, climatic conditions, and other...
Good management practices are essential if optimum fertilizer responses are to be realized. These practices include adequate irrigation, use of recommended varieties, selection of adapted soils, weed control, disease and insect control, proper seeding methods, and timely harvest. It is important that the soil be sampled and tested as a...
Several kinds of berry crops can be grown successfully in Central
Oregon. The key is to select varieties suited to local growing conditions and follow recommendations for planting and care.
Are you longing to enjoy the fragrance and color of roses in your
yard? With thoughtful attention to planting and care, many types of
roses can be grown successfully in Central Oregon. The following tips
will help you grow this popular landscape plant.
The comfortable, sunny climate and numerous
recreational activities east of the Cascade Mountain
Range in Oregon and Washington attract many
new residents each year. Unfortunately, these new residents
often fi nd that their previous gardening experience doesn’t
translate into success in their new environment. Long-time
residents also are frustrated by...
Published February 1968. 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
Eastern Oregon’s climate presents special challenges
to home gardeners. A short growing season
and cool nights make it difficult to grow warmseason
crops. Nevertheless, by choosing the right
varieties and providing extra protection to your
plants, you can enjoy a productive and successful
garden.
Published January 1944. 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
Without the natural occurrence of fire in ponderosa pine forests of the western US, lodgepole pine has started to dominate regeneration in many forest stands and may be gradually replacing ponderosa pine over time. This development, however, conflicts with recent efforts in this region to restore old-aged, open ponderosa pine...
This study was designed and implemented to observe
the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater levels
and temperatures adjacent to a beaver pond in semi-arid
central Oregon. The study site was located on the eastern
boundary of Painted Hills National Monument along Bridge
Creek, a tributary to the John Day...
Alfalfa is an extremely important crop in the agricultural economy of Central Oregon. Some of the alfalfa is fed in livestock operations on the farms where it is produced, but most of it is sold as baled hay for use in other parts of the state and region.
Annual yields...
Alfalfa hay yields in Central Oregon are only about one-half of their potential level. Annual yields of 4 to 5 tons per acre have been considered to be very good, but if the best known establishment and management practices are conscientiously applied, much higher yields are possible. Studies done at...
Over the last 50 years, riparian zones in the semi-arid West have gained recognition as disproportionately important habitats for both breeding bird communities and agricultural operations. Despite growing interest in exploring avian-habitat relationships in these systems to better inform land management, few studies have attempted to describe temporal changes in...
Biological plant invasions are diminishing the ecological integrity and function of ecosystems worldwide. A primary example of this is in the Great Basin of the United States, where invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae L. Nevski), are dominating many sagebrush-steppe ecosystems. In these invaded...
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) cover has more than doubled within the last century and currently occupies over 9 million acres in the Intermountain West. Encroachment has altered the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and plants in these systems, forming nutrient enriched 'resource islands,' under tree canopies. The purpose of this...
Explica el uso de los sensores matriciales granulares para la medición de la tensión de humedad del suelo. Explica cómo instalar estos sensores y cómo usar los datos registrados para la programación del riego. (Discusses the use of granular matrix sensors (GMS) for monitoring soil moisture content . Explains how...
This publication discusses the use of granular matrix sensors (GMS) for monitoring soil moisture content. It explains how to install GMS and use the recorded data for irrigation scheduling.
Sound and essential management practices, succinctly described, for maintaining a high quality, productive pasture and healthy livestock. The publication is primarily directed to eastern Oregon small acreage landowners.
Published September 1980. 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 influence of streambank location and timing of herbivory on success of planted Booth's willow (Salix boothii Dorn) cuttings along a Rosgen C5-type stream in an eastern Oregon meadow was determined. Willow cuttings were planted on two morphological locations (i.e. point bar and floodplain) in May of 2002 and 2003....
Revised September 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
Published September 1985. 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 August 1963. 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
Revised April 1984. 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 August 1958. 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 May 1941. 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
Fertilization is part of the overall management of peppermint and spearmint that includes planting of disease-resistant varieties, selection of appropriate soils, irrigation, timely harvest, and control of diseases, weeds, insects, and nematodes. Other OSU publications cover pest control on peppermint (see page 4). Crop response to fertilizer may differ with...
Native meadows produce a significant portion of the hay used for winter feed in eastern Oregon. Without fertilization, an average meadow will yield approximately 1 ton of hay per acre. With proper fertilization, yields often can be increased by 2 to 3 tons, and hay quality such as protein content...
Una de las herramientas más eficaces utilizadas por el Malheur Experiment Station durante las últimas dos décadas es el sensor matricial granular (o GMS por sus siglas en inglés), el cual mide la humedad del suelo. El sensor tiene sólo 7,5 cm de largo, y normalmente se entierra verticalmente en...
One of the most important tools we have been using at the Malheur Agricultural Experiment Station over the past two decades is the granular matrix sensor (GMS, Watermark Soil Moisture Sensor, Irrometer Co., Riverside, CA), which measures soil moisture. It is only about 3 inches long and normally is buried...
Central Oregon is the primary U.S. hybrid carrot seed production area, supplying seed to the domestic fresh market carrot industry. Approximately 85 percent of the hybrid carrot seed planted in the United States is grown
in Jefferson and adjoining counties. The Madras and Culver areas support most of the carrot...
Published March 1971. 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 successful production of hard wheat with acceptable protein is based, in part, on an effective nitrogen (N) management plan. This fact sheet discusses the principles of managing N
for hard wheat production and explains how to calculate an N application rate. The information contained in this fact
sheet is...
Long-term experiments were started at Pendleton and Moro, Oregon in the 1930's to evaluate the effects of tillage, fertilizer, and residue management on crop productivity in non-irrigated semi-arid regions. Coupled with multi-year varietal improvement, rotation, and green manure studies, they define those practices which sustain soil productivity and improve crop...
Published November 1943. 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 1931. 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
Wildfire exclusion over the past century or more has resulted in extensive fuel accumulations throughout much of the West that combined with recent climatic patterns have increased the frequency of relatively uncommon, large, high-severity wildfires. Forest restoration treatments intended to alter landscape-level fire disturbance patterns can be difficult to implement...
Pleuropogon oregonus Chase is a rare wetland grass endemic to eastern Oregon. The species is composed of two widely separated populations, one in Lake County and one in Union County. In order to reduce the risk of extinction, the Oregon Department of Agriculture Native Plant Conservation Program initiated several reintroduction...
Speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is a small cyprinid that is geographically widespread throughout western North America, and the most frequently occurring sh in Oregon. Because of the genetic and morphological variation in this species across its range, it has been referred to as a "species complex" and no revision to...
Liming is a new practice for the inland Pacific Northwest, necessitated by soil acidification caused by nitrogen fertilization. This publication provides guidance on how to evaluate cropping systems for lime need and how to determine lime application rate.
This study consisted of two research projects in the Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Beetle & A. Young) S.L. Welsh) alliance, the most extensive of the big sagebrush complex in the Intermountain West. In the first project, we intensively sampled 107 relatively undisturbed, late seral Wyoming big sagebrush...
Reprinted November 1967. 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 October 1961. 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
Good management practices are essential if optimum fertilizer responses are to be realized. These practices include adequate irrigation, use of recommended varieties, selection of adapted soils, weed control, disease and insect control, good seedbed preparation, proper seeding methods, and timely harvest. Because of the influence of soil type, climatic conditions,...
Good management practices are essential if optimum fertilizer responses are to be realized. These practices include adequate irrigation, use of recommended varieties, selection of adapted soils, weed control, disease and insect control, good seedbed preparation, proper seeding methods, and timely harvest. Follow recommended soil sampling and testing procedures to estimate...
Are you interested in growing fruit trees in your landscape? There are
several kinds of fruit trees that can be grown successfully in Central
Oregon—the challenge lies in selecting varieties that are most likely to
bear fruit in this region.
Some good goals for a well-managed, small-acreage horse
farm are:
• A productive pasture with plenty of grass and few weeds
• Less dust during the dry season and less mud during the wet season
• Healthy horses free of problems associated with dust, manure,
mud, and toxic plants
•...
Time was the most significant factor influencing brush and grass change inside and outside cattle exclosures over a 37-year period (1937-1974).
The 10 exclosures (2 ha) represent the big and low sagebrush (A. tridentata and A. arbuscula) Qunchgrass vegetation of eastern Oregon and were established on the Squaw Butte Experiment...
Flexible cropping systems allow for an opportunistic change in an established rotation. Plant-available soil water is the most reliable indicator of potential yield.
Second of a planned series of mill studies to test the adequacy of a log grading system for species associated with ponderosa pine, the study reported was made with the cooperation of Stilwell-Pengilley Lumber Company, under the direction of a committee representing participating agencies, namely:
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau...
Expansion of Juniperus occidentalis into the sagebrush steppe has resulted in significant changes in understory composition. A consequence of increased J. occidentalis dominance may be a depletion of the seed bank. The potential for depletion is problematic because a reduction in the amount of species available from the seed bank...
Relatively recent increases in ponderosa pine abundance have effected unprecedented changes to ecosystem structure and function. Efforts to restore ponderosa pine systems are often focused on the manipulation of tree structure and the re-introduction of a more natural fire regime. Successful restoration should also incorporate understory components but information addressing...
For twenty-two years, I observed trees and shrubs planted for windbreaks in eastern Oregon. In this paper some conclusions are drawn, although I will be the first to emphasize that the knowledge we need and do not have would fill a much more extensive report. My observations and field work...
Weeping alkaligrass (Puccinellia distans) and Nuttall’s alkaligrass (Puccinellia
nuttalliana) infest Kentucky bluegrass seed fields of eastern Oregon. Weeping
alkaligrass is an introduced species from Eurasia, whereas Nuttall’s alkaligrass is
native to semi arid environments of western North America. These species are often
referred to collectively as ‘alkaligrass’; however, for farmers...
Oregon has been moving forward with biomass energy development. Large-scale biomass power and cogeneration (producing heat and electricity) have been the focus of the last twenty-five years, while small-scale thermal bioenergy installations (producing heat) have dramatically increased during the last decade. In eastern Oregon, bioenergy is closely linked to restoration...
Published June 1976. 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 March 1984. 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 1982. 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
Revised May 1982. 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 November 1962. 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 May 2005. Reviewed March 2016. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu
Because forage quality of cool season grasses declines to sub-maintenance levels for ruminants late in the growing season in the northern Great Basin, there is a need to elevate protein levels and digestibility of grasses for both wild and domestic ruminants in late summer. Anderson and Scherzinger (1975) proposed using...
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a widespread exotic weed in the Intermountain sagebrush steppe. An annual grass, it is highly prolific and very competitive with native perennial grass seedlings. A clipping experiment carried out at two cheatgrass-dominated sites (Lincoln Bench and Succor Creek) in eastern Oregon analyzed effects of defoliation...
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a widely used turfgrass in many temperate-climate areas of the United States and around the world.
It is popular because it is an adaptable, longlived perennial that forms a medium-textured, dark green turf with good leaf density and
aggressive sod-forming rhizomes.
Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.), also known as roughstalk bluegrass, is commonly used in the southern United States to overseed golf course greens, fairways, and landscape areas in the winter. Warm-season grasses go dormant and turn brown during the cool season, and rough bluegrass generally is mixed with ryegrass to...
Growing native plants can be rewarding in many ways. They add beauty
with colorful flowers, foliage, texture, and scents. If planted in a suitable habitat, native plants are well adapted to our soils and climate. This reduces the need for supplemental water (once established) and maintenance, and makes it easy...
On piñon-juniper encroached sites that lack the understory fuels to carry a prescribed fire, treatment options are limited to mechanical methods. Cutting with chainsaws and leaving the trees on site has been the primary treatment method for such sites, however this method creates a potential fire hazard, particularly in the...
An accuracy assessment of two broad-scale vegetation databases for eastern Oregon, both developed from satellite imagery, was performed to assess the usefulness of the databases for forest landscape planning and assessment efforts. The two databases were the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) vegetation database and the U.S. Geological Survey National...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a sagebrush obligate species, has contracted in extent by nearly half its original distribution. This is primarily due to habitat loss and degradation over the past 150 years. During winter, sage-grouse depend completely on sagebrush habitat for food and cover, yet sage-grouse winter ecology has been...
This research was undertaken to provide barley growers, processors, and consumers with quality food barley. Because all currently available varieties of food barley are of spring growth habit, the first phase of the research involved agronomic assessment of these varieties under Oregon conditions. Because winter barley usually yields more than...
Growing stock inventory on industrial and nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) lands in eastern Oregon has declined over the past 20 yr, as harvesting and mortality losses to insects and disease have outpaced growth. Over the same time period, harvest rates on private lands have varied, with no distinct trend to...
Published February 1988. 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
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni; hereafter elk) populations in northeast Oregon have declined in the past 10 to 20 years. Concurrent with these declines, cougar (Puma concolor) populations have apparently increased, leading to speculation that predation by cougars may be responsible for declining...