Presenter(s): Calvin Penkauskas—Environmental Science and Biology
Faculty Mentor(s): Alejandro Brambila, Lauren Hallett
Session 2: Oregon Trails
The Oregon hazelnut industry makes up over 99% of domestic production and 4% worldwide . The key economic pest of hazelnuts in the Pacific Northwest is filbertworm and population sinks are located in nearby oak habitat . This is of concern because there is only 5% of oak habitat left in the Willamette Valley, which is mostly on private agricultural land, and oaks are an important keystone species . Here, I present a case study of a novel strategy to reconcile this conflict by using domesticated pigs (hogs) to reduce pest pressure in surrounding native oak habitat . I investigated the use of hogs to glean filbertworm infested acorns from an oak woodland floor, the effects on the mating population, and the subsequent proportion of infested acorns . My results demonstrate that grazing in oak patches can be an effective method to reduce filbertworm pest populations . While hog silvopasture has potential to be an effective biological pest control method, this practice will only be implemented widely if hazelnut farmers are receptive to the benefits it can provide . Furthermore, in addition to supporting diverse and sustainable farm operations, silvopasturing hogs in oak patches can benefit oak conservation goals by converting them from a landowner’s liability into an asset . Since this novel pest management approach seeks to regionally benefit both environmental concerns and farmers, this example provides a model for similar challenges and conflicts where agricultural and wildlands interact in the same landscape .