Emeritus

Current research areas emphasize: biogeochemical and mineralogical processes in seasonally reduced soils and riparian zones focusing on the mobility of P and the role of "green rust" minerals on water quality; management of viticultural soils.

ORE00318 Phosphorus Solubility and Availability in Wet Soils with Annual Cycles of Oxidation and Reduction
Selected Projects:

Selected Projects:

1. Soil geochemistry
2. Redox processes in seasonally reduced soils
3. P cycling in soils
4. Soil Compaction in Western Oregon Vineyards
5. Biogeochemistry of Fe and Mn in a Seasonally Reduced Riparian Soil
6. Purged Well
7. "Growing Your Own Vegetables" - OSU Extension
8. Soil Processes Journal Club

Dan Ball is Professor Emeritus of Weed Science with the Oregon State University, Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center near Pendleton, Oregon. He has served at the Center for over 23 years, with research and Extension responsibilities for weed management in dryland crops, and more recently with weed management in grass seed production in eastern Oregon and Washington.

• Hay, forage, and cereal production.
• Fertility and irrigation management.
• Weed control in organic forage systems.

Current Work Focus: Research on various aspects of soil microbial ecology and microbial physiology including: nitrogen cycling in soils; population ecology of soil bacteria; physiology and ecology of nitrification; genomics of nitrifying bacteria.

Research Projects:

• Niche differentiation of nitrification in soils.
• Response and interaction between nitrifying bacteria to environmental change.

Weed Science

Grass Seed, Vegetable Seed, Peppermint

I serve OSU as Professor Emeritus of Seed Crop Physiology and Ecology and former Department Head of Crop and Soil Science.  Seeds are the foundation of our civilization.  My career in research and teaching has been focused on the seed.  My interests include seed germination and stand establishment, seed development, and seed production.

Soil Science

I work with various techniques to control weeds in dryland wheat production. This work includes seeding rates, seeding patterns, and various in-crop tillage options. Currently I am looking at the effects of green manure on moisture-limited dryland wheat production. In addition, I am studying dryland spring wheat, barley and wheat, plus fallow rotations.

• Gilliam County
• Morrow County
• Sherman County
• Umatilla County
• Wheeler County

Plant and livestock insects

Forage Program Director with research, teaching, extension, and international activities focused on matching forage species to locations based on climate, soils, intended use, and management and alfalfa crop simulation modeling. Undergraduate and graduate teaching and student advising. State, national, and international Extension and outreach in support of Oregon-grown grass and clover species.

I am not accepting new graduate students

Plant Nutrition

Dr. Patrick Hayes is a Professor Emeritus of Barley Breeding and Genetics at Oregon State University. Since 1986 his research team has focused on barley - in its many forms and uses. Research thrusts have included: development of winter and facultative habit malting barley varieties; the many facets of winter hardiness; dissection of quantitative disease resistance; characterization and utilization of genetic diversity; stimulating local barley production; development of multi-use naked barley for organic and conventional systems; exploring the contributions of barley genotype to beer flavor; and barley quality assessment.  The OSU Barley Project has released 23 varieties/germplasms, developed 24 mapping populations/panels, distributed approximately 22 metric tons of barley seed, published 201 papers in refereed journals, and authored 13 book chapters. Pat has taught Plant Genetics to approximately 1,400 students: most graduated with a keen appreciation for the complexity and power of genetics. The rest survived. He has served as Major Professor/co-Major Professor for 34 graduate students, mentored 11 post-docs, and hosted 24 visiting scientists from 15 countries.  Pat retired from full-time work January 1, 2024. He is always available to answer questions, but never to offer unsolicited advice.  

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The processes at the interface between organic matter and mineral surfaces, including mineral surface properties, organic matter properties, bonding mechanisms, adsorption processes, mineral-microbial interactions, and organic matter turnover dynamics.

Projects:

• Organic carbon accumulation in Umbric Ferralsols. Laspau. Graduate Student: Pedro Henrique Rodrigues de Moraes Martinez, (PhD)
• A Mechanistic Understanding of PFAS in Source Zones: Characterization and Control. SERDP. Lead PI: Jennifer Field. Graduate Student: Tom Wanzek (PhD)
• Strengthening Soil Health to Suppress Verticillium Wilt in Potato Production Systems. Northwest Potato Research Consortium. Graduate Student: Larisa LaMere (MSc)
• Which cover crop varieties can improve soil quality in Central Oregon ? ARF. Lead PI: Clare Sullivan. Central Analytical Laboratory.  Lab Manager: Gloria Ambrowiak. Faculty Research Assistant: Adam Fund
• Solidifying the Oregon Soil Health Assessment. NRCS. Central Analytical Laboratory. Gloria Ambrowiak. Faculty Research Assistant: Adam Fund

Weed Science

Agronomy

Career Research Interests

(present day)

(deep past)

Strat and his research groups over the past forty years have studied

• Applications of artificial intelligence in ecosystems science: survey of soil, geomorphological, and ecological units across forests, farms and rangelands in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and elsewhere;
• Theory and practice of visual and installation art as research tool in Earth sciences;
• Bringing sustainability science to cemeteries through research;
• Systems of ancient agriculture; and
• Impacts of earthquakes on natural and cultural systems.

Current Interests

• Building a global vision for a hemp-based living carbon economy.
• Advancing OSU's technology in hemp-based antiviral drug discovery and development.

Research interests include crop water use, irrigation, water and chemical movement through soil, macropore flow, water quality, and alternative crop evaluation and management in a semi-arid climate.

Production of onions, potatoes, and specialty crops using precision irrigation. Lead the research program on environmental issues including erosion control, excessive nutrient losses in surface water runoff, and groundwater contamination with nitrate and Dacthal breakdown products. Effectively participated in a cooperative team effort to correct environmental problems in the County.

Clint’s contributions to horticulture include scientific research and extension that has had a broad impact not only locally, but nationally and globally.  His primary focus on addressing issues of critical importance to growers has resulted in solutions with global as well as local impacts.  Clint’s priorities have been shaped by growers needs rather than by a single commodity or academic discipline.

Potato, contributions to horticulture include
When potato growers in Malheur County, Oregon, faced processing product quality problems in the early 1980s, Clint found that the “sugar ends” were related to water stress, furrow irrigation, and the use of varieties with little tolerance to water stress. 

To be able to test the levels of critical stress Clint ran extensive field evaluations of over a dozen types of soil moisture sensors.  He determined that granular matrix sensors (GMS), particularly the Watermark® sensor had readings that closely reflected differences in potato quality.  The GMS were particularly amenable for use in automated, replicated irrigation research with small incremental differences in irrigation criteria.  This pioneering work for use in research was recognized by the American Society of Agronomy in 2007. 
Using GMS sensors and precision irrigation, Clint found that by carefully managing irrigation and measuring soil moisture, he was able to determine the point of soil moisture that was the threshold for the development of “sugar-ends” under different irrigation systems, research that was applicable to potatoes in many Pacific Northwest locations.

As potato producers have made better use of irrigation scheduling and adopted sprinkler irrigation, Oregon growers regained acres lost due to sugar-ends.  Less water was lost to runoff from sprinkler-irrigated fields and N fertilizer use was improved.  Clint’s solutions to the “sugar end” problem were recognized by the Oregon Potato Commission and Oregon State University in 2003.  Integrated with this effort, Clint has actively participated in a team of Pacific Northwest researchers who have bred, selected, and released 21 new potato varieties including many that are less prone to sugar ends.

GMS use 
Clint introduced the use of GMS sensors and precision irrigation in his other research. Using these sensors, he developed optimal soil water potential recommendations for local potato and onion crops under different types of irrigation.  He is frequently consulted by individuals in other parts of the country and in other countries on how the technology could be applied to their situations, both for scientific research and field applications.

The GMS are feasible to use on family farms.  Following practices introduced by Clint, many growers have installed sensors in their fields to more precisely irrigate crops, particularly onions.  The variations in GMS reading closely corresponded to variations in potato and onion yield and internal quality.  Imprecise irrigation has substantial economic and environmental consequences from either over irrigation or deficit irrigation of water stress sensitive horticultural crops.  Using these GMS, growers have avoided unnecessarily frequent irrigations, saving water, and reducing downstream contamination.

Onion, drip irrigation, and groundwater
Growers faced the possibility of crippling restrictions from groundwater contamination from nitrate and DCPA residues that might be related to over irrigation and fertilization of onion and onion herbicide use.  Using optimal soil water potential and precision irrigation, Clint tested drip, sprinkler, and furrow irrigation for onion production.  He demonstrated that onions grown under drip irrigation had improved yield and quality with lower inputs of water and N fertilizer than furrow irrigation.  Results of the onion trials have been widely adopted by growers locally, in other production regions, and overseas.  Clint encouraged the use of herbicide alternatives to DCPA.

To find options for growers to make N fertilizer more efficient, Clint tested many nitrogen fertilization options for sugar beets, potatoes, onions, and wheat under different irrigation systems.  Nitrogen rates could be reduced for furrow- and drip-irrigated onion and for furrow- and sprinkler-irrigated potato.  Growers have modified their fertilizer practices using less N and more efficient timing, including split applications of N.  Growers are substituting sprinkler irrigation for surface flood irrigation of crops other than potatoes and onions.  Groundwater nitrate and DCPA residue contamination are decreasing through voluntary adoption of innovative practices.  These accomplishments have been recognized by the Oregon Department of Agriculture in 2008, the Hornaday Gold Metal in 2011, and the Onion Hall of Fame in 2012.

Specialty crops
Clint has done innovative research on Stevia rebaudiana (Stevia), Eriodictyon californicum (California Yerba Santa), several pharmaceutical crops, and native wildflower seed production.  Stevia selections with 16-19 % rebaudioside A have been identified.  He has identified cultural practices and superior genetic materials (> 10% leaf dry matter antioxidant content) for California Yerba Santa.  He is currently working on several pharmaceutical crops.  Native wildflower seed production research is being conducted for the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service for use in revegetation following fires.  Using the cultural practice he has identified, some growers are producing seed.

Amazon revegetation
In the early 1970’s land and vegetation in the Amazon and other sensitive areas of Brazil were being disturbed at an accelerating rate along roads, construction sites and other locations resulting in radical erosion with no spontaneous healing.  These opening sores in the landscape were easily created where the rainfall is high and the soil is very shallow and the subsoil is highly acid and infertile.

Vigorous vegetation could stop erosion and legumes could help provide nitrogen on a regular basis to help stimulate new sod and soil formation.  Clint collected native and introduced species. Species were tested for effectiveness of revegetation individually and in mixtures.  Essential nutrient corrections and planting methods were determined.  Tropical legumes capable of fixing nitrogen and growing vigorously in very acid, infertile soils were identified to provide a continuous nitrogen supply.  Species were discovered that grew well including legumes that had not been previously used in tropical agriculture.  Vigorous vegetation was established and this vegetation has evolved through the present towards a natural native composition.  Research reports and a practical manual were written, allowing wide knowledge of effective practices.  Many legume collections were made and shared with germplasm banks in Brasilia and elsewhere. Detailed observations of natural plant succession, soil formation, and soil retention were made in 2013 confirming the early successes.  New journal articles are being prepared.

Program Goals

1. Investigating and improving on-farm management practices for organic nutrient sources such as manure, municipal biosolids, and compost
2. Providing Extension clientele and students with actionable research-based information to guide soil fertility and nutrient management decisions

Projected Program Outcomes

1. Enhanced profitability for farmers
2. Protection of surface and groundwater from nitrogen and phosphorus contamination
3. More recycling of nutrients, less waste to be burned or landfilled
4. Improved soil quality

Extension Specialist Seed Production

Wheat Breeding and Genetics