Extension Service Site Publications

• (2023) Resilient dryland farming appropriation (RDFA) 2021 – 2022 annual report: Alternative crop trial Integrating alternative crops into wheat-fallow systems may enhance overall sustainability and soil health. Under the Resilient Dryland Farming Alliance (RDFA), a grower-led initiative, an array of potential alternative crops are being evaluated for diversified and intensified wheat-based systems. This annual report presents the alternative crop yields from the third year of the alternative crop trials. Further details about the overall rationale, objectives, long-term vision, and funding for the RDFA can be found under the "Field Crops" topic here on the OSU Extension website.
• (2022) Resilient dryland farming appropriation (RDFA) 2021 – 2022 annual report: Cover crop trial This report presents the data from the third year of a three-year study. In this relatively wet season, fall-planted cover crops, particularly winter peas and the fall mix, produced substantial biomass and provided season-long ground cover. Spring-planted cover crops had insufficient time to grow before termination was necessary and did not produce substantial biomass. More details about the RDFA project can be found at the project's main page (link provided on .pdf).
• (2022) The First Evaluation of the ‘WieSEL’ Integrated Plot Combine Grain Yield System A study of the WeiSEL, manufactured by Zurn Harvesting of Germany, shows that the new plot combine yield measurement system is a less expensive and reliable alternative to manual yield collection methods.
• (2021) Resilient dryland farming appropriation (RDFA) 2020 – 2021 annual report: Cover crop trial This report includes preliminary data for the second of a three-year study. Since this year was a record drought year, results could vary from a normal rainfall year. Finalized data and observations will be released in future as peer-reviewed studies, reports, and extension articles. For more information, please visit the RDFA project page.
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• (2021) Designing cover and alternative crops for dryland cropping systems in eastern Oregon The Introduction to Resilient Dryland Farming Alliance Project aims to assist growers in designing wheat-alternate cropping systems that will improve soil health without decreasing wheat yields.
• (2019) Eyespot of Wheat: How to identify and control this common fungal disease Eyespot is a fungal disease that causes losses of up to 50 percent in winter wheat fields. The disease is also called strawbreaker foot rot. Learn the steps you can take to keep eyespot of wheat from infecting fields, and to limit its spread.
• (2023) Agronomic Zones of the Dryland Pacific Northwest With an annual wheat harvest valued at $2.1 billion, producers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington know the value of farming practices adapted to each region, county, and field. Researchers mapped precipitation, soil depth, and growing degree day data to divide this important growing region into six geographic zones. These agronomic zones serve as a basis for applying research and management strategies.
• (2018) Cereal Pathology The Pendleton Cereal Pathology lab at Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center (CBARC) is focused on serving the producers and stakeholders of high quality Oregon wheat. The focus is to conduct relevant, practical, and applied research on the biology and control of plant-pathogenic fungi and nematodes that limit yields of dryland wheat production in the Inland Pacific Northwest.
• (2017) Field Guide for Diagnosing Common Wheat Maladies of the Pacific Northwest This field guide provides an overview of basic plant pathology concepts that are relevant to disease identification in wheat. It introduces tools to help distinguish between biotic and abiotic injuries, and discusses patterns of biotic injury in the field to help differentiate seed-borne, foliar, and soil-borne plant pathogens. The document concludes with two diagnostic keys that provide photographs and brief descriptions of common wheat diseases of the Pacific Northwest.