April 2002

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Pesticide User Fees And Possible New Farm Policy Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet &emdash;Reported by Gretchen Borck The following information is presented at the request from Croplife America (ACPA) was passed along by Fred Degorglo, of Dupont Ag Products and board member of Washington Friends of Farms and Forests (WFFF), for your consideration. It concerns increases in pesticide user fees that may be passed along to growers. The administration wants to impose $84-million/yr. in pesticide user fees for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect, starting Oct. 1: $26-million for new pesticide registrations/uses ("registration fees") and $58-million for tolerance decisions ("tolerance fees"). The pesticide industry currently pays $19-million/yr.: $17-million/yr. in maintenance fees to help pay for EPA's re-registration program to reassess older pesticides using current science and $2-million/yr. in tolerance fees. This would result in a 342% increase in pesticide user fees. Farm Input costs would likely increase for pesticides. Fewer pesticides will be available for growers because higher user fees will mean higher costs for registering new pesticides and keeping old ones. EPA will get NO NEW FUNDS, with no resulting improved performance or work: the U.S. Treasury will receive the new registration fees, not EPA; the $58-million In increased tolerance fees will merely replace federal funds that currently pay for EPA pesticide programs; and EPA expects to collect $35.5-million more in tolerance fees than it will spend in the coming year on tolerance actions. OMB wants to charge tolerance fees retroactive to 1996, for EPA work already done and paid for. If you are concerned about this proposal, urge Farm Bill conferees to prevent imposition of major new pesticide user fees by supporting the pesticide fees provision in the Senate-passed farm bill. The solution is to support efforts by Senate ag committee chairman Harkin (D-IA) and ranking member Lugar (R-IN) to expand the current Senate farm bill's pesticide fees provision to include their legislation to prevent collection of these fees and continue the status quo approach (S. 1474). Brazil To Challenge U.S. Soybean Subsidies At The WTO Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet Brazilian Agricultural Minister Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes indicated that a formal challenge to U.S. soybean subsidies in the World Trade organization (WTO) would occur soon. He also stated that Brazil was preparing to make formal challenges to EU sugar subsidies and U.S. cotton subsidies. Brazil is the second leading soybean producer in the world and closing in on the U.S. thanks to more efficient production and lowers costs. Pratini announced that Brazil was moving forward with a formal complaint after bilateral discussions and informal complaints failed to secure any reform. He also estimated that Brazil was losing $1-billion in annual revenue due to subsidies of the U.S. soybean industry. Brazil's insistence on eliminating export and distorting domestic subsidies continues to be one of the largest stumbling blocks in negotiations to form a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and a free trade agreement between the EU and the countries of MERCOSUR. Cuba Buys More Wheat Reprinted from OWGL's Wheat Letter In a surprising development, Cuba made additional purchases of U.S. agricultural commodities last week, including at least 75,000 tons of hard red winter (HRW) wheat. "This, of course, is really great news and most unexpected, at least so soon," remarked USW Vice President Paul Dickerson, referring to the rapidity of commercial sales following the humanitarian sales recently. "The purchase isn't too shocking, though, when you consider the quality of wheat that they had to accept from other sources when we were out of the picture." From the purely economic perspective, Cuban millers increased flour extraction by 3%, and they are getting better volume, color and flavor from bread made from the HRW they recently bought. But other reasons for the purchases are playing a role, as well. "These purchases are another indication of their desire to normalize relations," observed USW Vice President Nelson Denlinger. "We welcome their gesture, and we continue to urge the Bush Administration to bring their foreign policy into the 21st century by opening trade with any nation that seeks a positive relationship. Cuba is clearly in that camp." Apple & Potato Farmers To Receive $38 Million In Relief Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently announced that USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation will provide nearly $38 million to approximately 1,775 American apple and potato farmers hit by natural disasters in 1999 and 2000. These payments, made under the Quality Loss Program for Apples and Potatoes, will be issued starting March 22, 2002. "These funds will help farmers recover from losses due to natural disasters during the past two-year period, said Veneman." Because the total of the claims filed was in excess of $129 million and, by statute, only $38 million is available for the program, farmers will be paid 27.8 percent of their qualifying losses. The $38 million compensates farmers for crop quality loss not included in previous disaster programs. Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center or Farm Service Agency office for additional information about this and other USDA programs. Politicians' Accident A bus load of politicians were driving down a country road one afternoon, when all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field. Seeing what happened, the old farmer went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer, "Were they all dead?" The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie." Is Cheap Seed A Bargain? By Don Mehlhoff, NRCS-Soil Conservationist Reprinted from Nez Perce SWCD Conservation Quarterly We have all bought grass seed at one time or another. It is not uncommon to buy the bargain mix to keep the costs down. What we sometimes might fail to realize is that bargain seed may cost you substantially more in the end. Lets say that we plan to seed a 20 acre field that no longer produces well, due to salinity problems. We purchase the bargain tall wheat-grass for $2.85/lb. and plan to seed a rate of 16 lb./acre. The seed has a purity of 70% and a germination rate of 65%. To achieve the 16 lb./acre rate we will need to seed 35 lb/acre of bulk seed for a total cost of $99.75/acre or $1,995 for the entire 20 acre plot. The more expensive tall wheatgrsss seed that we passed up had a price tag of $4.00/lb. However, it had a purity of 98% and germination of 90%. To achieve the 16 lb/acre rate we would need to buy 18 lb. of bulk wheatgrass seed for a total cost of $67.50/acre or $1,350 for the entire 20 acre plot. The bottom line is that the bargain seed in this scenario has turned out costing us $645 more. Even beyond the initial cost of the grass seed, also consider the coot of planting weed seeds. Low purity grass seed sometimes contains hundreds of thousands of weed seeds. Whoever heard of purposely seeding weeds! Buying bargain seed may not be such a bargain after all. Recycle Lore Reprinted from Nez Perce SWCD Conservation Quarterly Did you know that Americans throw away enough office paper annually to build a wall 12-feet high stretching from Los Angeles to New York City? And that every Sunday, we fail to recycle nearly 90% of our Sunday papers that take about 500,000 trees to produce? If everyone in the United States recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, the U.S. could save an estimated equivalent of about 25 million trees a year. Considering that if one tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year, those 25 million trees could remove over a billion pounds of pollutants over the same period, helping to improve air quality. Did you know that we Americans throw away enough aluminum every 3 months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet? And that 20 aluminum cans can be produced from recycled aluminum with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new can. Glass and plastic are also high on the list of materials we need to recycle more effectively. Considering that every American generates an estimated 4.4 pounds of trash a day, we should all be aware of our recycling responsibility. For more information on how you can improve local recycling efforts, go to http://americarecydesday.org. How Soil Erosion Became A National Problem Reprinted from Nez Perce SWCD Conservation Quarterly Our soil erosion problems began in colonial times. Erosion on colonial farms was often severe because settlers did not adapt European farming methods to the different climate in North America. In England, for example, much of the rain falls as relatively low-intensity or small raindrops during long storms. But in North America, most rain falls as large drops in intense storms. Another reason for erosion was economics. Rather than invest in their soil by rotating crops and adding manure, many farmers grew the same cash crop every year until the soil was depleted of nutrients and organic matter. Then they farmed somewhere else. After all, land was cheap and plentiful. The development of farm tractors began in the early 1900's, enabling a farmer to produce crops on many more acres in much less time. Later, during 1930's, economic depression left millions of Americans unemployed. Many banks, factories, and other businesses failed. Thousands of farmers went broke because of scarce credit, poor markets, recurring drought and severe erosion. Across the Dust Bowl, an area that centers on the Oklahoma Pan-handle, soil eroded by strong winds repeatedly blackened the sky. In the Midwest and Southeast, decades of poor management had led to severe erosion damage on millions of acres of farmland. Erosion had become a major threat to the recovery of the Nation's economy. In this atmosphere of crisis, the Congress in 1933 established the Soil Erosion Service, which in turn established demonstration projects to show farmers how to control soil erosion. In 1935 Congress transferred the agency to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), renamed it the Soil Conservation Service, and increased its duties to include technical help to farmers. The name was changed again in the 1990's to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Erosion control had become a public as well as private responsibility. Because farmers needed local help in planning and applying conservation, soil conservation districts were formed. By the late 1940's, nearly every acre of privately owned land in the Nation 'was part of a conservation district. These districts are local units of State government and have primary responsibility for local conservation programs. Districts provide help directly to land users, and they are the main conduit for conservation assistance from the State and Federal government. USDA provides most of this assistance; however an increasing amount of help is being given by State and local governments. Much of the technology for conservation help 'was developed in NRCS or resulted from research by land grant universities and USDA's Agricultural Research Service. NRCS also works closely with USDA's Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management in the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal, State, and local agencies. Emergency Loan Program More Accessible To Farmers Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently announced new rules that will make it easier and faster for farmers who have suffered losses due to natural disasters to get federal loans. Local Farm Service Agency offices will process all new Emergency Loan Program applications from farmers under these rules, which are effective immediately. "FSA farm loan employees initiated these changes to make the program more responsive to all farmers, from those who raise livestock to those who grow traditional crops like corn, wheat and soybeans," said Veneman. "Farmers can now borrow 100 percent of production losses rather than the previous 80 percent, and they will have to go through fewer steps to apply for a loan. These are the most significant changes to the program in more than 15 years." Veneman made the announcement during a trip to Montana where she met with farmers and ranchers in Missoula with Congressman Denny Rehberg. The Secretary also attended a rural development conference in Bozeman with Senator Conrad Burns and Governor Judy Martz. Farmers now can borrow the full amount of their losses, up to the maximum $500,000 outstanding balance. This reduces the need for farmers to apply for additional assistance through other USDA loan programs. The change will benefit borrowers by decreasing the number of loan applications they must complete. In addition, USDA will use established production information when available, rather than requiring borrowers to submit additional records to calculate qualifying production losses.  USDA also has simplified steps local FSA staff must follow to determine applicant eligibility and loan amounts. These changes will reduce paperwork for borrowers and shorten loan processing time. The program also will be more accessible to livestock producers. In the past, these producers, unlike farmers who grow crops like corn, soybeans and wheat, had a difficult time qualifying for emergency loans. USDA has updated loss determination methods, originally developed with crop production in mind, to accommodate the different production levels and margins of livestock production. The Emergency Loan Program provides about $150 million annually to more than 2,500 farmers who cannot obtain commercial credit. The program helps farmers who have suffered physical or production losses in counties declared disaster areas by the President or Secretary of Agriculture. Loans may be used to restore property, pay production costs associated with the disaster year, pay living expenses, reorganize the farming operation and refinance debts.  USDA has not changed eligibility guidelines, which are set by law. To qualify, a farmer must have farmed in a declared disaster area or contiguous county; have suffered a 30-percent loss in crop production or a physical loss to livestock, livestock products, real estate or chattel property; be a citizen or hold permanent residency status; have an acceptable credit history; be unable to receive credit from commercial sources; and meet all other regulatory criteria.  Producers must also be able to show they can repay the loan and have collateral to secure the loan. Further information on the emergency loan program is available from local USDA service centers or on the FSA web site at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov . Some Salmon May Lose Federal Protection National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Administrator Bob Lohn says the agency is drawing up a report detailing how to remove some of the 26 protected salmon populations from the Endangered Species list. NMFS also will set recovery targets for how many fish must be breeding in the Columbia and Snake river systems before they lose ESA protection. But NMFS won't try to answer a key&emdash;and controversial&emdash;question about the role of hatchery-bred fish in that equation. Lohn told the Seattle P-I that the federal courts must decide whether hatchery fish should be counted toward recovery goals. Ploughing The Land A husband and wife were driving down a country lane on their way to visit some friends. They came to a muddy patch in the road and the car became bogged. After a few minutes of trying to get the car out by themselves, they saw a young farmer coming down the lane, driving some oxen before him. The farmer stopped when he saw the couple in trouble and offered to pull the car out of the mud for $50. The husband accepted and minutes later the car was free. The farmer turned to the husband and said, "You know, you're the tenth car I've helped out of the mud today." The husband looks around at the fields incredulously and asks the farmer, "When do you have time to plough your land? At night?" "No," the young farmer replied seriously, "Night is when I put the water in the hole."

More Ag Products Via Columbia River Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet In order to help farmers ship more food, Sen. Larry Sheahan (360-786-7620, R-Spokane) helped sponsor the Columbia River dredging project, which will help farmers move more food down the Columbia River and create more family-wage jobs. "The Columbia River dredging project is important to our farmers because it allows them to get thek products to the buyers faster and easier," Sheahan said. "By dredging the river an additional three feet, we can have larger ships carrying more food up and down the river." The $ 17.7-million allocated for the project is part of the larger construction budget passed by the Legislature. The money will be used in conjunction with funding from Oregon and the federal government. "Our farmers will benefit greatly from this project because they'll be able to ship more food to the buying market," Sheahan added. Variety Development At OSU: Delivering Technologies, Market Opportunities and Choices By C. James Peterson, Professor, Wheat Breeding & Genetics, Warren E. Kronstad Endowed Chair for Wheat Research Department of Crop & soil Science, Oregon State University Article reprinted from Oregon Wheat, March 2002 In wheat breeding, our focus is on the future; making choices today that will impact production, marketing, and profitability over the next few decades. We know it is sometimes hard to get excited about the future when the recent past, and present, hasn't been too kind to agriculture. We are working hard to change that, with our goal to deliver new choices and new technologies to growers through improved wheat varieties. Those choices will soon include varieties targeted for specific management practices or production zones; varieties with novel disease resistance, herbicide resistance, or other proprietary traits; varieties for identity preserved marketing and market development; as well as conventional' public varieties with performance stability and broad adaptation. In this brief article, I wanted to review some of the progress to-date, new strategies and technologies, and reasons why we get excited about the 'not-so-distant' future. The first is 0R939526, a new OSU soft white winter wheat variety sent forward to the OSU Variety Release Committee with the proposed name 'Tubbs'. The name was chosen to recognize the leadership and many contributions of Frank Tubbs to the Oregon wheat industry. Tubbs is broadly adapted semidwarf variety derived from the cross Madsen/Malcolm and carries resistance to Pseudocercosporella footrot from the parent variety Madsen. Most important, however, Tubbs has superior grain yields and has consistently ranked at the top of state and regional variety trials throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In over 120 site by years of testing, Tubbs has averaged 107.7 bu/a grain yield compared with 99.6 bu/a for Stephens and 99.8 bu/a for Madsen. In 9 I site by years of testing, Tubbs has averaged 103.3 bu/a compared with Weatherford at 99.7 bu/a. Tubbs averages 2 days later in heading date than Stephens and 2 days earlier than Weatherford. In stripe rust evaluations, Tubbs generally has shown intermediate to low infection intensities suggesting adequate adult plant resistance. Test weight of Tubbs has averaged 0.3 lb/bu lower than Stephens, but it has average kernel weight higher than that of Madsen. Grain protein content of Tubbs has averaged 0.4 percentage points lower than Madsen and Stephens and it had very similar milling and baking qualities. Tubbs should be an excellent fit for production areas that are currently dominated by Stephens or Madsen. Herbicide Resistant Varieties Growers will soon have a new option and technology for weed control, especially for control of grassy weeds and jointed goatgrass, using herbicide resistant wheat varieties. Varieties are being developed in several public and private breeding programs in the PNW, including here at OSU. Our collaborations with American Cyanamid, now BASF, began in 1995. The goal was to develop soft white varieties with genetic resistance to the imidazolinone herbicide. In 2002, we have four 'Clearfield' soft white winter selections on preliminary Breeder seed increase. Although we have limited performance data on these soft white lines to date, the herbicide resistance trait is of sufficient value that we are 'fast-tracking' these selections. Based on combinations of Madsen, Stephens, and Weatherford parentages, the lines are now being evaluated in Statewide and Regional nursery trials. With promising results from field and quality lab evaluations, we expect to advance one or two of the selections to Foundation seed increase next fall. Our goal for the first OSU-Clearfield variety release is a Stephens or Madsen type with at least equal performance, disease resistance and end-use quality. As we look toward commercialization, however, there are plenty of 'business issues' to be resolved and choices to be made. Release of an OSU-Clearfield variety will not be simple. Enforcement of intellectual property rights, controlled and authorized use of the gene, variety, and technology, and promotion of technology stewardship are expected if we are to participate in commercialization. Discussions with OWC, OWGL, growers, and wheat industry representatives were initiated last August to develop commercialization strategies for release of OSU-developed Clearfield wheat varieties. Now expanded and formalized as an 'Executive Advisory Committee', industry representatives will work with OSU to develop variety release strategies and address plant variety protection, licensing, enforcement, and stewardship programs. Our goal is to make the technology widely available at lowest possible cost, recognizing that there will be 'costs of technology stewardship; whether in terms of restricted access, limited use, or in technology fees. The decisions made in the coming year will not only impact release of Clearfield varieties, but will impact our efforts to work with private companies and access proprietary traits for the future. Hard White Wheat Development Although anticipated for several years now, we have delayed release of the first OSU hard white winter wheat variety. This past fall, we shelved the last of the 'Ivory' reselections which had been in Statewide Variety trials and on Foundation seed increase. After several years of testing, we were continually disappointed with protein quality and inconsistent dough-handling and bread properties of the lines. Superior end-use quality is critical to establishing a new hard white export market for the Pacific Northwest and our quality expectations for hard whites have changed. The focus is now on multi-product performance, including bread and noodle applications. Evidence of stripe rust susceptibility in the selection 0R85051319 further sealed its fate. We have not lessened our commitment to hard white development. Rather, hard whites are an important component of a greater strategy; that is, to diversify the market through enhanced and novel end-use qualities in both hard and soft wheat varieties. With support from our new OSU Cereal Chemist, Dr. Andrew Ross, redesign of our hard white germplasm base is well underway. We know the target products, the testing protocols, and the biochemical compositions that are desired in Asian hard white markets. We have the populations and genetic diversity in place. The focus is now on the quality testing needed to rapidly and efficiently identify progeny with improved protein quality, noodle color, noodle texture, and multi-product applications. Through continued collaborations with the Wheat Marketing Center and USDA Western Wheat Quality Lab, we anticipate release of both hard and soft wheat varieties with novel end-use qualities, providing growers with new choices for marketing and market development. Varieties, Management, And Genetic Diversity There is incredible diversity of production environments for wheat in the PNW, which is further complicated by the wide array of management practices used throughout the region. We have long focused on selection and release of broadly adapted varieties to compensate for this environmental diversity. In the future, we expect varieties to be developed as part of an integrated management package', chosen for their application to site-specific management situations. Three years ago, we established five additional test sites to characterize our breeding materials under more diverse environments and management practices. Through support of OSU pathologists Dick Smiley and Chris Mundt, inoculated screening nurseries also were established for Cephalosporium stripe, strawbreaker footrot, and Fusarium crown rot diseases. With Don Wysocki and Erling Jacobsen, we are now evaluating advanced breeding lines and populations under direct-seed conditions. Through this comprehensive testing, we will more quickly identify superior and unique combinations of genes and traits applicable to site-specific management situations. For example, we recognize the need for superior disease resistance for high residue management situations. 0R941431, which carries superior tolerance to Cephalosporium stripe, strawbreaker and other footrots, is serving as a genetic base for targeting direct-seed practices. In contrast, for irrigated, high yield, situations our focus is 0R9900553 and similar lines with short stature and very high spike fertility. For drier areas, new ideotypes and taller wheats are needed, such as the selection 0R941611. In developing an array of varieties with distinct 'packages' of traits, growers will have choice of varieties that can best complement management strategies and address specific production constraints. Breeding progress also depends on continued exchange and infusion of new genes and germplasm. Our long-term commitment to free germplasm exchange with both public and private programs continues, and continues to strength our program. The HybriTech germplasm donated to OSU last year presented a unique opportunity to expand our genetic base through work with large numbers of new populations and lines. Although the HybriTech germplasm was being developed and selected for commercialization of hybrid wheat, the stocks will be of tremendous benefit in our pureline breeding efforts. It was a challenge to characterize and downsize the stocks this past year due to superior plant type, high yield potential, and overall promising performance of the germplasm. OSU germplasm played a large role in the HybriTech program, but the donated stocks included many unique parents, parental combinations and germplasms. More extensive, multilocation testing of the HybriTech stocks is underway for 2002; which will further characterize disease resistance, adaptation, yield potential, and end-use quality attributes of the material. With thanks to the OWC, OWGL, and our many grower cooperators, the research pieces and strategies are in now place to deliver new technologies packaged as highly productive wheat varieties. In the near future, these varieties will provide growers with important options and flexibility needed to meet the diverse wheat production, management, and marketing needs of Oregon. The Nitty-Gritty Of Dirt By Peg Herring, Oregon State University Underfoot, but not well understood, soil is everywhere. It has been described as Earth's placenta, nourishing life from the elements of rock, air and water. In most ecosystems, there is more life teeming underground than above. But not all soils are created equal. Oregon has more than a thousand kinds of soil, each with its own characteristics. There's Willamette (one of the most productive soils in the state), WallaWalla (dryland soil of the Columbia Basin wheat fields) and Quincy (sandy, wind-blown soil around Hermiston). The characteristics of garden soil vary beyond these regional differences. Soil is a mixture of ancient weathered rock, organic matter and air. It is home to countless bugs, bacteria, and fungi that churn out nutrients from the raw materials. Tiny roots bind all the bits together in a spongy network. Healthy, spongy soil includes some small pores that hold water and some larger pores that allow excess water to drain deeper down. If soil is compacted, these pores are squished so water runs off the top and roots can't penetrate. Adding organic matter can improve the productivity of most soil types. Organic matter rebuilds pores in compacted or fine-textured soils. With the help of microorganisms, organic matter decomposes into humus, which holds the porous sponge together. Tilling when soil is too wet can damage soil structure. If you can roll a handful of soil into a worm shape, it is too wet to till. Wait to till when moist soil crumbles in your hand. Soil supplies many essential nutrients to plants. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are primary nutrients that are in the largest demand by plants. There are other nutrients that are necessary in much smaller amounts. Each nutrient deficiency causes characteristic symptoms. A garden soil test will give you information about the nutrients available in your soil and may solve garden mysteries like hollow potatoes, stubby carrots or abnormally short ears of corn. And an accurate soil test may save a gardener money. "A soil test is like taking an inventory of the nutrients available to plants," says John Hart, soil scientist with Oregon State University Extension Service. "You can avoid putting on the wrong kind or too much fertilizer if you know what nutrients you already have." Garden soils should be tested every three to five years. The sample can be taken any time of year, as long as fertilizer has not been applied recently. Laboratory soil testing gives more accurate results than soil testing kits sold at garden centers for soil pH and essential nutrient levels. For a list of soil labs that do tests for home gardeners, pick up the OSU Extension's publication "A List of Analytical Laboratories Serving Oregon," (EM 8677). To learn more about assessing the health of garden soils, two new publications are available from your local OSU Extension Service or Soil and Water Conservation District office. "The Willamette Valley Soil Quality Card" (EM8711) and "Guide" (EM8710) can help home gardeners conduct their own soil analysis beyond what is revealed by soil chemistry tests. The card is a checklist for measuring soil compaction, soil structure, the abundance of soil organisms, the infiltration rate of water, and the condition of growing plants. The companion "Soil Quality Guide" explains the importance of each indicator, instructions for assessing your soil, and what you can do to improve the quality of your soil reflected by these measures. It also outlines more in-depth tests that can be done with simple household materials. For more information on "A List of Analytical Laboratories Serving Oregon," (EM 8677), "The Willamette Valley Soil Quality Card," (EM 8711), and "The Willamette Valley Soil Quality Guide," (EM 8710), visit our on-line catalog. Our publications and video catalog at: http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat shows which publications are available on the Web and which can be ordered as printed publications. What Was America Like In 1491? Next time you're in a discussion where somebody who claims agriculture and other natural resource industries have changed the landscape of America from the pristine wilderness it was before Europeans arrived, you may find new archeological and anthropological thinking helpful. You can read about it in <http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/int2002-03-07.htm>The Pristine Myth  in the March 7, 2002 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.  It seems some researchers now believe American natives farmed huge areas of land in the Western Hemisphere, and may have used fire to clear the Great Plains. (Huh, what a concept. Fire as an agricultural management tool.) And the population of the "New World" may have been greater than Europe at the time of Columbus.  Make Your Own Potting Soil By Peg Herring, Oregon State University It may be too early to put seeds in the ground, but itchy gardeners can get ready to grow by mixing up a batch of clean potting soil for starting seeds. Mixing up your own is more economical than buying sterile potting mix at a garden store. A good germinating medium is fine textured and free of pests, diseases and weed seeds. It should be low in fertility and soluble salts and capable of holding and moving moisture. But beware. Soil straight from your backyard just won't do the job, says Barb Fick, home horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Typical backyard soil is too compacted and full of weed seeds. Native soil may not drain as well as potting mixes, and it can develop a crust that prevents seedlings from pushing though the surface. And it is not pasteurized, which can cause diseases in seedlings. Fick's recipe for a good basic pasteurized soil for starting seedlings is a mixture of one-third pasteurized soil or finished compost, one-third sand or perlite and one-third peat moss. You can use your oven to pasteurize a small quantity of seedling soil. Put slightly moist garden soil or compost in a heat-resistant pan and cover with a lid or foil. Place in a 250°F oven with a food thermometer, to ensure that the mix reaches a temperature of 180°F for a full half-hour. Avoid overheating it, as the structure of the soil may be damaged. Sand, peat moss and perlite are available at most nurseries and garden stores, and a mixture of one-half peat moss and one-half perlite or sand works well, too, according to Fick. Another task is to clean your pots, trays and flats in preparation for planting. Scrape old dirt from containers, then rinse them in a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water to kill remaining plant disease microorganisms that could invade your tender young seedlings. Hearing Set For Quarantine On Citrus Longhorned Beetle From WSDA The state Department of Agriculture is holding a hearing to take public comment on the Longhorned Beetle quarantine currently in effect in parts of Tukwila. The public hearing will be held Wednesday, April 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the Showalter Middle School, 4628 S. 144th Street, Tukwila. Department of Agriculture officials will give a brief presentation and then take comments from the public. The quarantine was established last November to help prevent the spread of the Citrus Longhorned Beetle in Washington. The quarantine area extends about 1/2 mile around the site where three Citrus Longhorned Beetles were captured and where entomologists found evidence that five beetles escaped (Macadam Road S. and S. 144th in Tukwila). The quarantine prohibits moving the beetle or any potentially infested plant material out of the quarantine area including certain trees, tree prunings, deadwood, and firewood. The department is holding the public hearing as part of the formal process to put the quarantine in place on a continuing basis. A copy of the quarantine language is available in Tukwila at Foster Library and City Hall and on the department's Web site. Written comments on the quarantine may be submitted by mail, e-mail, or fax through April 10. Comments are to be sent to Clinton Campbell at Pest Program, Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560 or e-mail: pestprogram@agr.wa.gov or fax: (360) 902-2094. The Citrus Longhorned Beetle is a serious insect pest that attacks and eventually kills hardwood trees. It is closely related to the Asian longhorned beetle that has caused thousands of trees to be destroyed in New York City and Chicago. Information on the Citrus Longhorned Beetle is available on the Department of Agriculture's Web site at www.wa.gov/agr/CitrusLHBeetle.htm. The public can also call the department's toll-free hotline at 1-800-443-6684.

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