Research on plant hydraulics helps explain the effect of drought stress on shade trees By Sadie Keller, Rebecca Sheridan, Scout Dahms-May, Carolyn Scagel and Lloyd Nackley In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the heart of the nursery industry, rainfall is scarce during the summer and humidity is low. The plant stress resulting from the low soil moisture, […]
How to catch a thrips
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Rigorous scouting can help manage tip-feeding thrips before they cause irreparable damage By Lloyd Nackley and Melissa Scherr Thrips belong to the insect order Thysanoptera, of which there are several species that are damaging to nursery and ornamental crops. Whether there is only one or many, we call them thrips regardless, just like with other […]
The fight against flatheaded borers
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Oregon State University researchers from the Nackley (nursery) and Wiman (orchards) programs have teamed up with scientists from across the country to study the biology and management of flatheaded borers. Flatheaded borers are beetles, from the order Coleoptera and the Buprestidae family, that can be devastating pests of ornamental trees grown in nurseries, transplanted landscape trees, trees grown for wood or other products, and fruit and nut crops.
Call it ‘herbal distancing’
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Research shows that spacing out boxwood shrubs in production prevents the spread of infectious spores By Mana Ohkura, Lloyd Nackley, Carolyn Scagel and Jerry E. Weiland It’s been a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic started. We have been hearing how social distancing prevents the spread of the virus and we see signs […]
Setting up for spray success
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Growers of variable crops can reduce chemical waste and ensure coverage by systematically adapting their approach By Brian Hill and Lloyd Nackley We can’t all mount lasers on our air-blast sprayers,” a Willamette Valley grower said recently in a conversation with researchers. It’s true that some growers actually can mount lasers. Lasers are now a […]
The cold shoulder season
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Nursery growers effectively use cold storage to support sales of deciduous trees Plants in the Pacific Northwest experience a wide range of temperatures, from hot, dry summers to cold, wet winters. Deciduous plants grow when conditions are favorable. They enter dormancy when environmental conditions are too cold, dark, or otherwise unsuitable for growth. Deciduous trees, […]
Sense and sensor ability
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NWREC’s Irrigation Classroom evaluates how to best use soil moisture sensors to improve water use efficiency Perhaps it goes without saying, but the millions of trees, vines and shrubs — growing on thousands of acres — require large amounts of water and fertilizer. As a large consumer of water, agriculture has been vilified for assumed […]
The smart greenhouse
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By Lloyd Nackley, Chet Udell and Alan Dennis OSU researchers look to repurpose and adapt high-tech trackers and sensors for plant production Greenhouses are critical for nearly all nursery operations. They enable greater control over the growing environment for plants, providing numerous advantages in the face of unpredictable weather and increasing droughts. That’s why many […]
Seeing the light on powdery mildew
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Testing the efficacy of using ultraviolet spectral lights to protect greenhouse tomatoes By Kristine R. Buckland, Cynthia M. Ocamb, Lloyd Nackley and Ann L. Rasmussen Widespread outbreaks of powdery mildew have been occurring in fresh market tomato crops in western Oregon over the past decade. Disease incidence and severity tend to be greater in tomatoes […]
The value of the green label
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Survey tests whether customers will pay more, as well as which messages resonate the most By Lloyd Nackley, Bruce Colman and Sharon Selvaggio We’ve all heard it. People are worried about pollinators and want to do what they can to help. Some are planting pollinator gardens, taking up beekeeping, or choosing organic foods to try […]