AgroHydrology Research & Innovation Lab

08/24/2026

Our lab was honored to welcome OSU President Jayathi Murthy to the Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Madras.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the water challenges facing Central Oregon agriculture and the importance of research that is informed by growers’ needs, strengthened through collaboration, and translated into practical solutions.
Thank you, President Murthy, for taking the time to learn more about the work underway at COAREC and for recognizing the faculty, staff, students, growers, and community partners who make it possible.

Last week, I visited Oregon State University’s Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Madras. As Oregon faces increasing pressure from drought, wildfire, water scarcity and changing agricultural systems, OSU’s research and Extension efforts matter more than ever. We’re wo...

08/12/2026

Oregon producers need irrigation technologies that deliver the right amount of water at the right place and time amid persistent drought, reduced water availability, and rising energy costs.
Variable rate irrigation (VRI) allows center pivot and linear move systems to apply different amounts of water across a field in a single irrigation cycle. Instead of applying a uniform rate, VRI can match irrigation to varying soil and crop water needs across the field.
Our research at the Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center uses a newly installed VRI system to evaluate how specialty crops respond to different irrigation levels under Central Oregon conditions. Our goal is to generate current, locally relevant data that helps Oregon producers make informed irrigation decisions.

08/03/2026

We’re excited to kick off soil texture analyses for one of our irrigation studies at Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center! Thanks to Shikha Dubey who is leading the work. Soil texture is a critical physical property that directly influences water retention and crop response to irrigation. Through this project, we want to understand how different irrigation cut-off timings impact Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) seed yield and quality in Oregon. We look forward to sharing the findings with growers and the scientific community. Stay tuned for updates!

07/20/2026

The Agricultural Water Management Technical Assistance Program, known as AgTAP, brings together Extension and research faculty to develop science-based tools, field demonstrations and technical assistance for agricultural water users across the state.

New tools support drought resilience and irrigation decisions statewide.

07/03/2026

Welcome to the Agrohydrology Research & Innovation Lab! We're glad you are here.

We conduct research and develop practical solutions to improve agricultural water management through innovations in irrigation, hydrology, and water resources.

Follow us for research updates, field activities, educational resources, and the latest updates from our lab.

To learn more about our research, team, and ongoing projects, visit our website:

AGHRI Lab at Oregon State University, advancing sustainable water management through hydrological modeling, remote sensing, AI, and precision irrigation.