About Brent - Sustainable Agriculture
Practical solutions to agricultural problems
Brent holds a BS in Horticultural Science from Colorado State University and an MS in Plant Pathology from Oregon State University and is currently a doctoral student at OSU set to complete his degree during the winter season of 2025-2026. Brent has expertise in plant pathology, horticulture, viticulture, and spray application technology and has been involved in agricultural science and research for 13 years. After graduating with his MS in 2018, he was hired to investigate how laser-guided Intelligent Sprayers can be used to improve pesticide use efficiency in wine grapes, blueberries, hazelnuts, and nursery crops. Most of the research with the Intelligent Sprayer has been focused on evaluating their use with organic and biological fungicides, that need good coverage to be efficacious, a difficulty with low volume precision sprayers. En route to his current role, Brent also completed a graduate certificate in geographic information science (GIS) at OSU in 2024, and a drone pilot license. Together, these qualifications and experience enabled acquisition and processing of multispectral, thermal and conventional color data into useful maps for plant health assessment on farm scale in the 2024 growing season. Through research and publishing peer-reviewed, extension, and online publications, Brent has built up a reputation as a plant pathology and spray application technology expert in the Pacific Northwest and has been invited to speak at conferences on his work. Brent is passionate about the practical application of science and working with diverse groups to achieve the most efficient outcomes for crop production, farmers and the environment. Outside of agriculture, Brent enjoys rock climbing, fishing, skiing, and many other outdoor pursuits.
Plant Pathology
Brent is a plant pathology professional always striving to find the most efficient ways to solve agricultural problems. Practical is the name of the game, with solutions tailored to each situation. Brent has experience in a wide variety of cropping systems using conventional, organic disease control, and sustainable agriculture strategies. Brent has worked in tissue culture labs, greenhouses, arable crop fields (sorghum, corn, etc.), small garden plots, nurseries, orchards and vineyards. Brent brings his experience in the lab, field, and ag tech to these settings and has worked with growers of a wide variety of crops to improve their operations.
Geographic Information Science (GIS)
GIS is a technology used to capture, store, analyze, and visualize spatial or geographic data. It enables users to understand patterns, relationships, and trends by linking data to specific locations on a map. GIS is useful for agriculture and ag tech by allowing for a wider, field-scale perspective that can be easily gathered and analyzed. These perspectives can be used to target disease control and facilitate sustainable agriculture. Brent holds a graduate GIS certificate from Oregon State University, and has worked with a variety of data types and workflows.
Biological and Organic Fungicides
Brent is an expert on organic and biological fungicides. These products comply with sustainable certification programs, while being softer on workers and the environment. They also have short re-entry and pre-harvest intervals. These products also reduce chemical usage in crops, while mitigating fungicide resistance.