The OSU Malheur Experiment Station conducted its annual field day where agricultural researchers shared their latest trials and experiments with the farming community.
More than 30 people attended the event on Wednesday, July 12, including farmers, representatives of pesticide and herbicide companies, crop advisers and others from the agricultural community around Treasure Valley.
The Malheur Experiment Station started in 1942 and has been guiding the community through agricultural issues specific to the Malheur region. For years, the station has been researching varieties of onions, potatoes, wheat and other important crops in Treasure Valley and observing which varieties grow better in southeastern Oregon climate.
Researchers also study the effects of pesticides and herbicides on certain crops and provide guidance on how and when to apply them.
Staci Simonich, director of the agricultural school at Oregon State University, said visiting the Malheur station is one of the best parts of her job.
“This station truly is special given the support from state funders and adviser committees,” she said.
Several companies involved in food production help fund the research, including McCain Foods and Treasure Valley Seed Co. Many pesticide and herbicide companies in the area provide their products to the station for testing under in hot and dry weather conditions.
William Buhrig, senior faculty research assistant at the station, showed the audience varieties of potatoes and onions that were better suited to the Malheur climate, especially in the face of worsening summer heat and droughts.
“Most of the time, we know when we’re going to be in drought conditions, so we can plant a variety that’s going to be compatible,” he said.
He said most varieties of onion can survive in adverse conditions, but during hot days when the soil dries, drip irrigation systems can be designed to meet the moisture needs while conserving water.
Udayakumar Sekaran, one of the new faculty members at the station, demonstrated a wireless sensor for measuring soil temperature and moisture that he developed with funding and assistance from Clemson University in South Carolina and McCain Foods.
Soil sensors usually require a lot wiring that can make it difficult for farmers to spread them across the farm, Sekaran said, and can also be expensive. Farmers are forced to go out to the sensors and check the readings every couple of days.
But with his technology, Sekaran said, they can gather real-time soil data remotely.
Sekaran hopes to make his sensor affordable for farmers so they can consistently survey soil in many parts of their farms and provide any necessary moisture or shade, especially during the hot summer season when plants experience heat stress and drying.
Stuart Reitz, director of the station, said that the field day is meant to be an opportunity for growers to have conversations with the researchers about what would help them.
“If farming goes away in this community, the community goes away,” he said. “We are here to support the local community. We hope we are doing important research that is relevant to their needs.”
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