Academic Wage Appt - Salaried
alex.stone [at] oregonstate.edu

Office: 541-737-5461
Other: (541) 602-4676

I have been investigating the use of the biological control agent commercially available as Contans (Coniothyrium minitans) as a control for white mold of vegetables, especially snap beans grown by processed vegetable growers. This project has been supported by grants from Western SARE, Western Region IPM, and the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission.

I am working on identifying the cause of cucurbit wilt (with Ken Johnson and the Plant Clinic, OSU Botany and Plant Pathology) and finding solutions to other production problems (fruit rots, storage quality) associated with the production of cucurbit crops (Golden Delicious, other winter squash, cucumbers) in western Oregon. This project is supported by a grant from Western SARE.

I am working with Aaron Heinrich and Dan Sullivan on pH management (in combination with cultural practices and biological control) for suppression of clubroot in crucifers. This project has been supported by grants from OSU Ag Research Foundation and the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission.

I am working on a project with cooperators in Washington and California in which we are describing soil and pest management practices and functions on long term organic farms as well as working to find solutions to their intractable soil and pest problems. This project is supported by a grant from Western SARE.

In the past I have evaluated cover crops and rotation for their potential to suppress root rot of sweet corn; we have shown that oats are the winter cover crop most consistently suppressive and a four rotation reduced root rot severity. This project was supported by the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission.

A few years ago I worked with others at OSU and 10 or so of Oregon's most experienced organic vegetable farmers on Ospud, a participatory organic potato research and outreach project - learn more at Participatory Organic Potato Project. This project was supported by Western SARE.

I work with Oregon conventional and organic vegetable farmers on cultural and biological control of plant diseases (corn root rot, bean mold, cucurbit wilt, clubroot) and cover cropping. I also work with the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission on its sustainability initiative, with a current focus on wildife habitat conservation on Willamette Valley farms.

I lead http://oregonvegetables.com and am a leadership team member of eOrganic, the Organic Agriculture resource area for eXtension. Find us at http://eOrganic.info and http://eXtension.org/organic_production.

I produced Weed 'Em and Reap, which is a 2-DVD series of videos highlighting farmers and researchers working on non-chemical weed management and reduced tillage strategies. You can find all of the Weed 'em and Reap videos at http://oregonvegetables.com and at eOrganic's YouTube site.

At OSU

Affiliated with:

Horticulture

Career Links:

Oregon Vegetables

Organic Agriculture Program

Department of Horticulture

Ospud Participatory Organic Potato Project

eOrganic YouTube

eOrganic

Professional Accomplishments

Employment:

Vegetable specialist in the Dept of Horticulture since 2000.

Education:

Biology (BS, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH)
Environmental Science (PhD Ohio State University, emphases Plant Pathology and Soil Science)
postdoctoral project in the Soils Dept at Univ. of WI Madison

My Awards

My Publications

2014

Journal Article

A. Formiga, Stone, A., Heleba, D., McQueen, J., and Coe, M., “Evaluation of the eOrganic Webinar Program”, Journal of Extension, vol. 52, no. 4, 2014.

Web Article

A. Stone, “Organic Management of Late Blight of Potato and Tomato (Phytophthora infestans)”, 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.extension.org/pages/18361/organic-management-of-late-blight-of-potato-and-tomato-phytophthora-infestans#.VBnA7WO4Jq0.

A. Stone and Brewer, L., “Organic Seed Resource Guide”, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://eorganic.org/node/378.

A. Stone, “White Mold of Snap Bean and Other Vegetable Crops”, 2014. [Online]. Available: http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/white-mold-snap-bean-and-other-vegetable-crops.

2012

Journal Article

A. Stone, Treadwell, D., Formiga, A., McQueen, J., Wander, M., Riddle, J., Darby, H., and Heleba, D., “eOrganic: the Organic Agriculture Community of Practice for eXtension”, HortTechnology, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 583-588, 2012.

2010

Web Article

A. Stone, “Incorporating High Tunnels into a Diversified Organic Vegetable Farm in Oregon: Case Study of Gathering Together Farm”, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.extension.org/pages/18352/incorporating-high-tunnels-into-a-diversified-organic-vegetable-farm-in-oregon:-case-study-of-gather#.VBnAN2O4Jq0.

A. Stone, “Organic Management of Late Blight of Potato and Tomato with Copper Products”, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.extension.org/pages/18351/organic-management-of-late-blight-of-potato-and-tomato-with-copper-products#.VBnAm2O4Jq0.

2006

Journal Article

H. Darby, Stone, A., and Dick, R., “Compost and manure mediated impacts on soilborne pathogens and soil quality”, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., vol. 70, pp. 347-358, 2006.

M. C. Cespedes-Leon, Stone, A., and Dick, R., “Organic soil amendments: impacts on snap bean common root rot and soil quality”, Appl. Soil Ecol., vol. 31, pp. 199-210, 2006.

A. Dreves, Dalthorp, D., Stone, A., and Fisher, G. C., “Spring emergence and seasonal flight of Delia radicum (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) in Western Oregon”, Environ. Entomol, vol. 35, pp. 465-477, 2006.

Outreach and Extension

Extension Service Site Publications

(2022) Medicinal Herb Production in the Pacific Northwest Medicinal herb crops are a diverse group consisting of both annual and perennial species. Some herbs are harvested for their flower or leaf tissue; others are harvested for root tissue or fruit. Within the herb production industry, there are opportunities to identify crops that may fit well in the cropping systems of the Pacific Northwest.
(2019) Kabocha and Buttercup Squash for Western Oregon Gardens Kabocha and buttercup squash are gaining popularity for their outstanding culinary characteristics and small size. The squashes' intriguing history, production practices, flavor and uses may inspire more gardeners to grow and eat this exceptional vegetable.
(2016) Integrated Clubroot Control Strategies of Brassicas: Nonchemical Control Strategies Clubroot (causal organism, Plasmodiophora brassicae) is a major soilborne disease of brassica crops in the Willamette Valley. It’s incidence and severity is increasing due to a high demand for brassicas that has resulted in more land dedicated to growing these crops and to short rotations. This publication provides information on integrated control strategies to minimize crop loss.
(2008) What's Wrong with my Potato Tubers? Diagnosing Tuber Abnormalities in Western Oregon and Washington Describes and illustrates (color photos) tuber damage caused by insect pests, plant diseases, and physiological disorders.
(2023) Vegetable Gardening in Oregon Provides an introduction to vegetable gardening in Oregon. Discusses site selection and preparation, planting, and basic garden care. Includes production pointers and recommended varieties for many common garden vegetables. A sample garden layout is included.

I lead http://oregonvegetables.com, OSU's vegetable production web portal. There you can find the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission website, VegNet, and information on vegetable production, sustainability, and wildlife habitat conservation for vegetable growers in Oregon.

I am a member of the leadership team for eOrganic, the national eXtension Community of Practice at http://eOrganic.info and http://eXtension.org/organic_production.

Links to some of my outreach projects:

White Mold of Snap Bean and Other Vegetable Crops

Oregon Vegetables.com

Root Rot of Sweet Corn in the Willamette Valley

http://Youtube.com/eOrganic (I produced the Weed 'Em and Reap I and II series)

http://eXtension.org/organic_production

Participatory Organic Potato Project