A team of researchers is developing a Smart Sprayer, which will be demonstrated at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 at Hans Nelson and Sons Nursery, 31020 S.E. Waybill Road, Boring, Oregon. The sprayer, which is still being tested, uses a laser to detect the height, width and volume of the plants in a row. With […]
ODA issues emergency action on neonicotinoids
By — Posted
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has instituted an emergency action regarding the use of two neonicotinoid pesticides. The mandate is in response to a rash of bumble bee die-offs that have been reported around the state over the past several weeks. The emergency action specifically prohibits the use of dinotefuran and imidacloprid on linden […]
Stone appointed to Task Force on Pollinator Health
By — Posted
Gov. John Kitzhaber announced the appointment of OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone to serve on the Task Force on Pollinator Health. The task force was created as a provision of the “Save Oregon’s Pollinators Act” (House Bill 4139); its job is to bring to the 2015 session new legislation to address the threat that pesticides […]
Extension workshop on April 29 to cover biological controls
By — Posted
For those interested in using biological control to manage pests in the greenhouse or nursery, Oregon State University will be hosting an all-day program titled Bugs in the System from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29 at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center (15210 NE Miley Rd., Aurora, Ore.). Those attending will learn […]
EPA proposes new pesticide rules
By — Posted
For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new worker protection standards for the application of pesticides. These new rules would apply on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses, and would cover workers who handle and apply pesticides, as well as those who handle treated products. “The EPA and the […]
House approves bill creating Pollinator Health Task Force
By — Posted
As reported recently in the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.), a proposal to reclassify neonicotinoids as “restricted use pesticides” has been removed from a bill currently before the Oregon Legislature. The classification would have meant that only licensed applicators could use the class of chemicals. Instead, the bill calls for creation of a Pollinator Health Task […]
ODA to lift temporary dinotefuran rule, replace with label restrictions
By — Posted
The Oregon Department of Agriculture plans to lift temporary restrictions on the use of the insecticide dinotefuran, effective Dec. 24. These rules will be replaced with new, Oregon-specific label restrictions. The decision was announced on Thursday (Nov. 21) at a meeting of the House Interim Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. At that meeting, OAN […]
OAN president responds to pesticide issue
By — Posted
In his column for the September issue of Digger, OAN President Carson Lord has responded to the recent rush to regulate neonicotinoid class pesticides. Although the misuse of these chemicals caused the deaths of honeybees, the chemicals were the subject of extensive review prior to approval. They are safe if used properly. In his column, […]
Officials keep an eye on invasive Japanese beetle
By — Posted
Photo by Randy L. Rasmussen / The Oregonian Presently, Oregon remains officially Japanese-beetle free, thanks to the efforts of the state’s insect pest prevention and management program. According to an in-depth story recently published by The Oregonian, workers for the Oregon Department of Agriculture use pheromone and scent traps to catch any adult beetles, and […]
New version of intelligent sprayer arrives in Oregon
By — Posted
USDA engineering technician Adam Clark drives the intelligent sprayer down a row of Japanese maples at Hans Nelson and Son Nursery Inc. in Boring, Ore. The machine detects where plant material is located and only sprays solution where it is needed. From where we sit, the intelligent sprayer being researched by the USDA Agricultural Research […]