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 […]
Researchers: Plants can make complex decisions
By — Posted
Is the phrase “smarter than a potted plant” an insult? Not necessarily. Researchers at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Göttingen, both in Germany, have concluded that plants can evaluate risks, consider changing circumstances and make complex decisions. They reached this conclusion after studying barberry shrubs that were aborting their […]
February Digger busts myths about crape myrtles
By — Posted
Crape myrtles have been slow to catch on in the Pacific Northwest for a variety of reasons. They’re thought to be unsuitable for our wet climate, and not cold hardy enough to survive here. But that’s not true, according to garden writer Kim Pokorny. Her cover story in the fresh-off-the-press February issue of Digger gives […]
OAN thanks six ‘Friends of Nurseries’
By — Posted
The Oregon Association of Nurseries issued this press release today: The Oregon Association of Nurseries will recognize six Oregon elected officials as “Friends of Nurseries” at its 2013 Convention, to be held Friday at The Oregon Garden resort in Silverton, Ore. The six include three Republicans and three Democrats. They are Gov. John Kitzhaber (D), […]
May Digger arrives in mailboxes
By — Posted
The May issue of Digger has been mailed to subscribers, and the cover story this month is on plants with a stunning silvery look (PDF). From agaves to Japanese painted ferns, plants with silver hues not only make a striking impression in the landscape, their color also often represents survival tactics such as drought tolerance […]
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 […]
OSU ag dean leaving for DC post
By — Posted
Sonny Ramaswamy, the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, is leaving. President Obama has appointed him as the new director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA replaced the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) in 2009 and oversees all federally-funded agricultural research. Ramaswamy arrived […]
Enjoy Oregon: The State of Perfection
By — Posted
When it comes to nurseries, Oregon is The State of Perfection. That’s why the January issue of Digger is dedicated to four of Oregon’s outstanding wholesale nurseries. The issue takes you inside four top growers so you can see how and why Oregon’s nurseries excel at what they do: Crispin’s Creations Nursery in Molalla, Robinson […]
Scientists ID possible cause for honeybee colony collapse
By — Posted
For five years, scientists have puzzled over the origin of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is believed responsible for a decline in the honeybee populations that many agricultural producers depend upon. Now it appears that a scientist at San Francisco State University may have discovered one possible culprit quite by accident. He uncovered an insect […]
Researchers study turning poplar leaves into biodegradable plastic
By — Posted
As noted in the upcoming April issue of Digger, various researchers have looked at such disparate ingredients as cow manure, bamboo, corn starch resins, recycled paper, feathers and coir fiber as the basis for constructing alternatives to the plastic nursery pot. Now one could add the leaves of hybrid poplar trees to the list. As […]