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CapitalPress.com
August 3, 2018
People & Places
Back to hazelnut fundamentals
Nik Wiman looks
for methods to
maximize growth
of popular nut trees
Western
Innovator
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
For a crop that’s been
grown in Oregon’s Willamette
Valley for over a century,
there’s still a lot to be learned
about hazelnuts.
As hazelnut growers were
preoccupied with defeating
their mortal enemy — a fun-
gal pathogen known as East-
ern Filbert Blight — there
wasn’t as much energy devot-
ed to studying basic produc-
tion.
“Everybody’s been chas-
ing the Eastern Filbert Blight.
We knew very little about the
disease when it first came
in,” said Nik Wiman, Oregon
State University’s orchard
specialist in Western Oregon.
Now that growers have
developed ways to combat
the pathogen and OSU has
introduced several hazelnut
cultivars resistant to the dis-
ease, Wiman can focus on the
fundamentals: How to protect
trees from insect invaders?
What is the best mulch to use?
How much water to apply?
“We’re trying to maximize
growth,” he said.
While opinions on produc-
tion methods are often based
on anecdotes, Wiman is trying
to develop recommendations
grounded in data and science.
Much of OSU’s research
on nutrients has grown outdat-
ed as farmers have replaced
traditional varieties, such as
Barcelona, with new ones that
spring from other parts of the
globe.
As it turns out, nutrient
demands can vary significant-
ly among cultivars. Growers
Nik Wiman
Occupation: Orchard
specialist at Oregon State
University
Hometown: Corvallis, Ore.
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Nik Wiman, hazelnut orchard specialist at Oregon State University.
also have more flexibility
these days with fertilizers
that are applied to leaves or
through irrigation lines.
Traditionally,
growers
only fertilized during spring
because it was thought hazel-
nuts didn’t take up nutrients in
the summer. However, that’s
only the case if they’re not
irrigated.
Wiman is wrapping up a
three-year study that aims to
refine the timing of fertilizer
applications and better under-
stand their effects on tree and
nut development.
The issue is complicated
because the tree’s response to
nutrients depends on the accu-
mulation of heat over the sea-
son, so timing will vary from
year to year.
“There is so much change,
even in a small time frame like
a month,” Wiman said.
Irrigation studies
Hazelnuts were historically
grown as a dryland crop but
the industry is increasingly
turning to irrigation, especially
to get young trees established.
Wiman has found that trees
respond better to sprinklers
than drip irrigation, since
there’s better water penetration
of the entire soil surface.
With drip irrigation, on the
other hand, dry soil can pull
water away from the tree’s root
mass.
Even so, drip lines are like-
ly to remain the standard in
hazelnut orchards, simply be-
cause many farms don’t have
access to ample irrigation wa-
ter, Wiman said.
Over time, the industry will
probably adopt automated irri-
gation controls that begin wa-
tering orchards as soon as soil
moisture or tree sap sensors
indicate it’s necessary, he said.
“We want to promote re-
sponsible water use,” he said.
Rows of hazelnut trees
growing at Oregon State Uni-
versity’s North Willamette
Research and Extension Cen-
ter in Aurora receive varying
amounts of irrigation, with
Wiman and his researchers
carefully measuring the effects
on each tree.
It’s likely that releasing
smaller amounts of water over
time is more beneficial than
irrigating all at once, since the
water stays closer to the surface
rather than seeping too deep for
roots to absorb, he said.
Pest control
As an entomologist, Wiman
also spends time on the pests
that afflict hazelnut orchards.
Flathead borers, for exam-
ple, are especially drawn to
young trees, which is a prob-
lem for Oregon’s burgeoning
industry — more than half
the acreage is non-bearing, he
said.
Farmers who found the bor-
ers in their orchards brought
branches to Wiman, who
sealed them in wax to preserve
moisture and observed their
development.
Such observation yielded
biological information about
the insect that wasn’t previ-
ously available. It also turns
out the borers have a natu-
ral enemy: a wasp that lays
eggs into their larvae, killing
them.
Encouraging such benefi-
cial predators is a matter of ju-
dicious pesticide use to avoid
killing off these “biological
controls,” Wiman said.
That’s a tough task with
brown marmorated stink bugs,
a recently introduced pest from
Asia that difficult to treat with-
out broad-spectrum chemicals
that also kill helpful insects.
Oregon
agricultural
groups are asking their
members to aid farmers and
ranchers who lost crops, live-
stock, equipment and feed to
the wildfires that have swept
across parts of the state. A
fund has also been estab-
lished for the family of the
farmer who died while plow-
ting a fire line to protect a
neighbor’s property.
Both the Oregon Farm
Bureau and the Oregon Cat-
tlemen’s Association have
efforts underway to raise
money for the victims. The
cattlemen’s association is
also collecting hay, equip-
ment and supplies for the
victims.
“Please, please, please
consider donating to help out
the farmers devastated by
the Substation Fire,” Kathy
Freeborn Hadley of the Ore-
gon Farm Bureau wrote in a
Facebook post.
Associated Press File
A boy stands at an area damaged by the Substation Fire near
Moro, Ore., on July 20.
Education: Bachelor’s
degree in biology from
Montana State University,
Master’s degree in ento-
mology from Montana State
University, Doctorate in
entomology from Washing-
ton State University.
“They can actually feed
right through the shell and
damage the kernel inside,”
Wiman said.
Fortunately, another wasp
species preys on stink bugs,
which is how their population
is limited in Asia. The insects
are being bred at OSU’s re-
search center in Aurora and
released at infested sites.
“It showed up on its own.
It followed its host,” Wiman
said. “We think it’s going
to have a huge effect long
term.”
Wiman said it’s an excit-
ing time to work as a hazelnut
researcher, since the industry
is experiencing “incredible
growth.” He also appreci-
ates the “culture of sharing”
among hazelnut farmers.
“These growers feel like
family almost,” Wiman said.
“There’s a lot of innovation
by the growers themselves.”
Idaho State Fairgrounds, 97 Park St.,
Blackfoot, Idaho. Website: https://fun
atthefair.com/
8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Lundberg Fami-
ly Farms, 5311 Midway, Richvale,
Calif. Topics include rice growth,
water management, tillage, vari-
ety selection, fertility and weeds.
Enrollment is limited to 75 people.
Cost: $100. Website: http://ucanr.
edu/rice2018
East Bardsley Ave., Tulare, Calif.
New Food Safety Modernization
Act regulations require that import-
ers must have a program in place
to verify that their foreign suppliers
are producing food in a manner that
provides the same level of public
health protection as the preventive
controls or produce safety regula-
tions, as appropriate, and to ensure
that the supplier’s food is not adul-
terated or misbranded with respect
to allergen labeling. Participants will
receive an official FSVP certificate
after the class. Cost. $599. Web-
site: https://bit.ly/2uvR7Ez
lis, Ore. The special guest speakers
are Lauren Gwin of Niche Meat
Processor Assistance Network and
local pastured poultry farmer Laura
Sage of Redbird Acres. Agriculture
specialists from Oregon State Uni-
versity and the University of Cali-
fornia will be present both days to
talk with local producers. Cost: $40.
Website: https://bit.ly/2n9hk7x
Saturday-Sunday
Aug. 4-5
The Great Oregon Steam-Up.
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Powerland Heritage
Park, 3995 Brooklake Road NE,
Brooks, Ore. Foreign and gar-
den tractors are featured in this
year’s event, which also includes a
steam-powered sawmill and thresh-
ing and hundreds of displays and
museums. The Parade of Power is
each day at 1:30 p.m. Cost: $12.
Website: http://antiquepowerland.com/
Wednesday, Aug. 15
Thursday, Aug. 23
Sunday, Aug. 5
Raised Country Music Festival.
1-6 p.m. Antelope Church Lawn,
Antelope, Ore. Steve and RonaLee
Campbell, a Chuckwagon Barbe-
cue by Paradise Rose Ranch, a
petting zoo and face painting; the
Mud Springs Gospel Band and Joni
Harms are featured. Cost: Free
Tuesday, Aug. 7
Rice Production Workshop.
Friday, Aug. 10
Stream Restoration Workshop.
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. University of Ida-
ho Extension Office, 1808 N. Third
St., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The
workshop will include a classroom
session and a field trip showing
stream restoration projects. Space
is limited. For more information,
call 208-446-1680. Cost: $20 Web-
site: http://uidaho.edu/extension/
forestry
Saturday, Aug. 11
Yachats River Valley Farm Tour.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Yachats Chamber of
Commerce, 241 U.S. Highway 101,
Yachats, Ore. Fun for all on the ar-
ea’s small farms. Go to the Yachats
Chamber office for information and
to download a map. Cost: Free.
Contact: 541-547-4461
Monday-Tuesday
Aug. 13-14
FSMA Foreign Supplier Verifi-
cation Workshop. College of Se-
quoias Tulare College Center, 4999
Organic Hazelnuts Second An-
nual Summer Farm Tour. 9:30 a.m.-
4:30 p.m. Cold Springs Farm, 35541
Cold Springs Road, Lebanon, Ore.
Join the Organic Hazelnut Growers
Association’s summer tour at one
certified organic farm and one tran-
sitioning farm. Cost: $18 for mem-
bers of Organic Hazelnut Growers
Association. $45 for non-members.
Website: http://www.pesticide.org/
organichazelnuts
Wednesday-Thursday
Aug. 15-16
Pastured Poultry Training. 8:30
a.m.-4 p.m. Oldfield Animal Teach-
ing Facility, Oregon State Universi-
ty, 3521 SW Campus Way, Corval-
Friday-Sunday
Aug. 17-26
Western Idaho Fair. Western Idaho
Fairgrounds, 5610 Glenwood St., Boi-
se, Idaho. Website: www.idahofair.com
Inaugural Washington FFA Foun-
dation Golf Tournament. 1:30-6 p.m.
Apple Tree Golf Course, 8804 Occi-
dental Road, Yakima, Wash. To take
part, contact FFA Foundation Executive
Director Jesse Taylor at jesse@wash-
ingtonffa.org or 253-208-9071. A dinner
and auction will follow the tournament.
Friday-Monday
Aug. 24-Sept. 3
Oregon State Fair. Oregon State
Fair and Exposition Center, 2330 17th
St. NE, Salem, Ore. https://oregonstate-
fair.org/
Friday-Saturday
Aug. 31-Sept. 8
Eastern Idaho State Fair. Eastern
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
Calendar
To submit an event go to the Com-
munity Events calendar on the home
page of our website at www.capi-
talpress.com and click on “Submit
an Event.” Calendar items can
also be mailed to Capital Press,
1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR
97301 or emailed to newsroom@
capitalpress.com. Write “Calendar”
in the subject line.
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
said. To make a donation of
fencing material, hay, truck-
ing or time, email OCA Com-
munications Director Robyn
Smith at robyn.smith@orcat-
tle.com.
“We are working hard to
build a relief effort team and
would appreciate any assis-
tance we can get,” the organi-
zation said.
Checks made out to the
“Oregon Farm Bureau Fire
Relief Fund” can be mailed
to the Oregon Farm Bureau,
c/o Patty Kuester, 1320 Cap-
itol St. NE, Salem, OR 97301.
The OFB and Wasco County
Farm Bureau will work to-
gether to decide where to best
use funds that are received.
For those wanting to help
the family of John Ruby, the
farmer who died, Columbia
Bank in The Dalles has set
up a fund. Donations can be
sent to Columbia Bank, 316
E Third St., The Dalles, OR
97058. Call 541-298-6647 for
more information.
gon — much of it farms and
ranch land — before it was
brought under control late
last week. A farmer, 64-year-
old John Ruby, died as he was
plowing a fire line in an ef-
fort to protect his neighbor’s
property, and growers lost
upwards of 2 million bushels
of wheat to the flames. That’s
about 25 percent of the area’s
wheat crop.
“It is with heavy hearts
Corporate Officers
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Family: Wife, Michel, and
two daughters
that we continue to witness
the mass destruction and dev-
astation caused by wildfires
that continue to rage across
Oregon, affecting ranching
families,” the cattlemen’s
association said in a press
release. “Not only have these
ranchers lost horses, feed and
beef cattle, one farmer lost
his life trying to prevent fire
from spreading.
“We ask Oregon ranchers
to come together and support
their fellow ranching families
in this time of need,” the or-
ganization said.
To donate to wildfire re-
lief, go to the OCA Stew-
ardship Fund at https://
orcattle.com/donate/
and
click on “Donation-Steward-
ship Fund.” Under purpose,
click “Fire Assistance Fund.”
Funds raised will be given to
a wildfire relief fund.
“The surviving cattle and
ranching families are in des-
perate need of essentials like
hay and fencing,” the OCA
“Rural Oregonians sup-
port their neighbors, as we
saw by the immediate action
taken by many heroic farm-
ers who worked alongside
first-responders to put out the
Substation Fire,” said Anne
Marie Moss, Farm Bureau
communications director, in
a press release.
The wind-driven Substa-
tion Fire burned 123 square
miles of north-central Ore-
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
Age: 42
Ag groups seek donations for Oregon wildfire victims
Capital Press
Capital Press
Friday-Sunday
Aug. 31-Sept. 23
Washington State Fair. 110 Ninth
Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. www.the-
fair.com/
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Oregon Farm Bureau Classic
Golf Tourney. 1 p.m. Stone Creek
Golf Club, 14603 S. Stoneridge
Drive, Oregon City, Ore. Contact:
tiffany@oregonfb.org
Saturday, Sept. 22
Hood River Hops Fest. Noon-
8 p.m. Columbia Lot, Fifth and
Columbia, Hood River, Ore. The
Hood River Hops Fest is an annual
celebration of beer’s bitter friend,
freshly harvested hops. Hood River
County is surrounded by world-re-
nowned hop growing regions, and
since 2003 brewers have gathered
each September in downtown Hood
River to share their fresh-hop beer
creations. The family-friendly event
features more than 50 breweries
with more than 60 fresh-hop beers,
plus a variety of food vendors, live
music, and an awesome collectible
mug. Website: http://hoodriver.org/
hops-fest/
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Index
Dairy ...................................... 9
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
Clarification
Prior to the May 19 fatal
mauling of a cyclist in Western
Washington, the last human
killed by a cougar in the U.S.
was a 55-year-old man in New
Mexico in 2008. A story in the
July 27 edition of the Capital
Press reported the last fatal
attack was in 1924, and it was
not clear that the reference
was to attacks in Washington.