Aaron Heinrich

From 2012 until 2017 I provided research support for several faculty members in the Horticulture and Crop and Soil Science Departments, as well a directed my own grant funded applied research program under the guidance of faculty. Although the focus of much of my work has been on nutrient management in vegetable crops, I worked on a variety of topics including disease and weed management. 

In 2017 I took a new position at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center providing support to the orchard crop extension specialist, Nik Wiman. In this position I will be working primarily with hazelnuts and cider apples.

The primary objective of my research is to provide the agricultural community with practical, science based information and technology necessary to be economically competitive and environmentally sustainable.

Vegetable crops

Nutrient Management

• Evaluate the potential for enhanced efficiency fertilizers to reduce improve crop production by reducing nitrate leaching and ammonia volatilization losses.
• Refine phosphorus fertilizer recommendations for sweet corn and snap beans.
• Elucidate the effect of bean root rot on the ability of the crop to access soil phosphorus.
• Provide organic farmerswith resources on how to manage their soil fertility program to minimize environmental losses.
• Measure the N mineralization potential of conventionally and organically managed soils growing processed vegetables.
• Evaluate theeconomics and performance of liming materials

Disease Management

• Identify the most economical control strategies to control the disease, clubroot in brassicas. These include: 1) crop rotation, 2) soil pH management, and 3) growing resistant varieties.

Cover cropping

• Utilize various cover cropping strategies to minimize nutrient and sediment loss, focusing on the seasonal floodplain.

Water Management

• Explore the potential to reduce water use through deficit irrigation yet maintain yield and product quality
• Explore the relationship between root diseases and irrigation for winter squash