August 2002

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Paper On Exchange Rates, Ag Markets To Be Published From OWGL's Wheat Letter The challenge of American agriculture is not simply the production of a crop, but the development and maintenance of markets to purchase that crop. For wheat producers, one-half of that market has been through exports. That challenge is not only through competition of other suppliers, but an exchange rate that makes U.S. grain more expensive to customers. In his 1974 paper, The Exchange Rate and U.S. Agriculture, published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Dr. G. Edward Schuh raised this issue. Just three years earlier, the United States had abandoned the Bretton Woods system of currency regulation that was based on stable but adjustable exchange. This structure was replaced with a system of floating exchange rates. While many factors embody the complex issue of monetary issues and farm income, Dr. Schuh argued that the issue of the value of currency had not been considered as a factor in farm policy. Twenty-five years later, the validity of his contention is as dramatic as it ever was. The early 1970s were marked by an increase in agricultural prices that occurred during a time when devaluation returned the stability of the dollar. This was followed by the sustained appreciation of the dollar in the early 1980s and a period of time of falling exports, high interest rates, and falling land prices. Following the restoration of the dollar in the mid 1980s farm exports began to increase, farm income strengthened, and government payments declined. The 1996 Farm Bill, developed after a nine-year period of exchange stability, functioned in a period of time marked by the rising of the dollar and economic crisis in agriculture. In his February 2002 paper, Exchange Rate Effects on Agricultural Trade, Dr. David Orden, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech points to the fact that the United States is now in the fourth year of continuous increase in value of the U.S. dollar. This, he points out begins with the Asian financial crisis, devaluation and floating of the Brazilian currency, weakening of the Euro, and a decline of the currency of Canada, Australia, New Zealand as well as Argentina. All of these circumstances contribute to the value of the U.S. dollar. This has resulted in economic turbulence in agricultural prices, and the rise and fall of the fortunes of American producers. While this is certainly an oversimplification of a complex process, there is simplicity involved. If the United States dollar has a higher value than the currency of other suppliers, the cost of United States' products will be higher. Dr. Orden's paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association in February and will be published in August in the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics. The paper may be accessed on the NAWG website. Will Different Research Method Help America's Fish? By Andy Duncan, Oregon State University A flawed method of research has contributed to a dramatic decline in fish populations across much of North America, researchers from Colorado State University and Oregon State University have charged in an international scientific journal. "Although our failure as a society to conserve stream fishes is tied to complex economic, cultural, and philosophical issues, we contend that there is also a fundamental problem plaguing the scientific basis for much stream fish conservation biology and management," write the scientists in an article in the June issue of Bioscience. The problem is that for decades fisheries ecologists have studied short fragments of rivers and streams over two- to four-year periods, drawing conclusions "only weakly linked" to the large-scale, long-term challenges that land managers often address. The article's authors - Kurt Fausch of Colorado State University and Christian Torgersen, Colden Baxter and Hiram Li of Oregon State University - note that rivers and streams are "by their very nature long ribbons of aquatic habitat," moving and changing over long periods of time. A more effective method of studying the processes that interact to influence fish populations would be to develop a continuous view of an entire "riverscape, unfolding through time," say the authors. The stakes are high, they assert. "One symptom of our incomplete understanding," say the authors, "is the alarming rate of decline over the last 50 years of fishes that inhabit rivers and streams of North America." "The public is aware that salmon are disappearing from the Pacific Northwest, with about a quarter of the 214 stocks of anadromous (ocean-going) salmon and trout imperiled a decade ago. Even little-known small fishes native to Great Plains and southwestern desert streams have suffered drastic declines." Ensuring that "a modicum of stream fish biodiversity is sustained for future generations," the four scientists say, will require different ways of thinking, sampling riverscapes and planning landscapes. School Days In The Field By Terence L. Day, Washington State University Summer is no respite from school days for WSU's agricultural faculty. The classroom just moves out-of-doors to research facilities and plots in commercial farmers' fields. Their students are farmers and other workers in agricultural industries. WSU has been holding field days under one name or another for more than a hundred years. Faculty either go out into the state to teach groups of farmers or invite producers to meet them at WSU research facilities around the state. Scientists give progress reports on various research projects, keeping producers abreast of developing new technologies and better systems of farming. About 120 farmers attended the June 27 Direct Seed Field Day at the conservation farm near Pullman. It was sponsored by WSU, University of Idaho and USDA Agricultural Research Service to promote direct seeding, a type of farming that eliminates or reduces plowing. WSU holds field days throughout Washington each year for growers of many commodities, including wheat, legumes, apples and potatoes. Other field days focus on a technology, such as direct seeding or precision agriculture. They are held throughout the year, but the summer growing season is particularly busy. Field days are an important element in WSU's landgrant mission to extend scientific information to citizens who can use it to improve their welfare. CRP Emergency Haying & Grazing Program Expanded Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently approved 18 states for Conservation Reserve Program emergency haying and grazing statewide, making all CRP participants in these states basically eligible for this emergency measure. Veneman also said USDA will waive rental reduction fees to encourage donation of hay to farmers and ranchers in immediate need. "Drought and severe weather conditions have depleted hay stocks and grazing lands across the country," said Veneman. "This approval provides immediate relief to livestock producers and encourages donations of hay to producers who need immediate assistance." The 18 approved states are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. State Farm Service Agency committees may limit the area within the states if conditions do not warrant haying and grazing in all areas. USDA previously authorized counties in states most stricken by severe weather conditions to be considered for haying and grazing, but approval was on a county-by-county basis. Since May, over 300 counties in 15 states have been approved for haying and/or grazing. Today's announcement makes CRP participants statewide in the 18 states eligible if the state committee determines conditions warrant release without waiting for county approval. CRP participants must submit applications for individual approval to their local FSA offices. Haying and grazing is authorized until Aug. 31, 2002, or until disaster conditions no longer exist, whichever comes first. Land devoted to certain special practices will not be eligible for haying and grazing because of environmental considerations. CRP participants who are unaffected by disasters or do not own or lease livestock can make their CRP acreage available for grazing or can donate hay to those in need.  USDA has developed a website for producers to list information concerning the need for available hay.  The website address is: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet/. CRP annual rental payments will be reduced 25 percent to account for the areas hayed or grazed unless the hay is donated. At least 50 percent of the CRP acreage must be left unhayed and 25 percent left ungrazed. Hay harvested from CRP acreage may not be sold. CRP offers annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving cover on eligible land. USDA will monitor producers and regulate approvals to ensure the land is safely hayed and grazed without damaging conservation covers. USDA has other programs to assist drought stricken producers, including emergency farm loans, federal crop insurance, the emergency conservation program and the noninsured crop disaster assistance program. For more information and eligibility requirements on USDA disaster assistance, producers should contact their local FSA office or visit FSA's website at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov. Conservation Reserve Program Emergency Haying & Grazing Questions & Answers 1. Why is USDA making this announcement? USDA has monitored conditions through the spring and summer. In addition to other USDA programs to mitigate the effects of drought and excessive moisture, FSA released some CRP acreage for grazing on May 22, 2002, and for haying on July 2, 2002. However, conditions have not substantially improved and in some cases continue to broaden. 2. What does this announcement do? This announcement makes regions of the country eligible to hay or graze their CRP acreage. The severity and extent of the damage is such that FSA has determined there is no need for state and local offices to justify approvals on a county-by-county basis. 3. What states are included? The 18 states eligible are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. 4. Are there any limitations applicable to this announcement? USDA's Farm Service Agency has delegated to its state committees the authority to limit the area within the state covered by this authority if conditions do not warrant haying or grazing.  Also, land devoted to certain practices is not eligible. 5. How does this apply to other areas of the country? Areas not covered by this announcement may seek haying or grazing authority on a county-by-county basis if they have suffered a 40 percent deviation in normal moisture.  In these cases, FSA headquarters office responds within one workday. 6. Are there other provisions? To provide for the protection of wildlife, haying and grazing participants must not hay or graze certain highly-desirable environmental acreage, such as filter strips, water ways and riparian buffers. Participants will receive a payment reduction equal to 25 percent of their annual rental payment. U.S. Trade Proposal To Expand Access To Overseas Markets The United States recently announced an ambitious proposal for reforming the rules of global agricultural trade that would level the playing field for all countries by substantially reducing global trade barriers, slashing trade-distorting subsidies and eliminating export subsidies. "Our proposal lays out our vision for reforming and liberalizing global trade in agricultural goods," said U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick. "Our initiative opens a world of opportunity for America's farmers. We outline practical steps for ensuring that our farmers can thrive, while opening doors for other countries to participate in the growing global agricultural marketplace." "U.S. farmers and ranchers support free trade because they rely heavily on market expansion for continued growth," said Veneman. "However, we need to level the playing field by reducing and eliminating the unfair trade barriers that not only hurt our farmers, but other countries around the world. The goal of the U.S. proposal is to bring more equity to the world agricultural trading system and strengthen the rules of trade." The U.S. proposal, which will be presented to members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) next week in Geneva, Switzerland, outlines a strategy for reducing and eventually eliminating tariffs and other forms of trade-distorting subsidies in agriculture. Under the U.S. market access proposal, all WTO members would reduce tariffs using a formula that would demand greater reductions of high tariffs than low tariffs, and result in no tariff over 25 percent. This would result in global average allowed agricultural tariffs falling from 62% to 15%.  The U.S. proposal also calls for a number of specific reforms that would substantially improve market access opportunities. The U.S. proposal on domestic support would simplify the current system: subsidies would be considered either trade distorting or non-trade distorting. Trade-distorting support would be capped at 5 percent of the value of agricultural production.  This would result in a global reduction of over $100 billion of allowed trade distorting support.  Non-trade distorting support would not be limited as long as certain criteria are met. Currently, the allowable level of trade-distorting support for WTO members is disproportionate. The EU, with roughly the same value of agricultural production as the United States, can provide $60 billion in support a year, while the United States is limited to $19 billion (so called "amber box" payments). The EU can support its farmers at a rate that is approximately 25 percent of the value of its agricultural production, Japan can provide support equal to 40 percent of its value of production, but the United States is limited to less than 10 percent of the value of its production.  In addition, the EU spends over $20 billion in trade distorting "blue box" programs while the U.S. spends zero. "The U.S. package addresses the disparities that exist under current WTO commitments and increases the market orientation of world agricultural trade," said Zoellick. "The average U.S. agricultural tariff is 12 percent, while the average worldwide tariff is 62 percent, with many tariffs in excess of 100 percent. Our approach to reducing these tariffs goes beyond the incremental formula of the Uruguay Round and creates a more equitable result at far lower levels." "This proposal is aggressive, visionary and assures U.S. leadership as we move forward in the WTO negotiations," said Veneman. "Under current WTO rules, the scales are unbalanced and this proposal would put U.S. farmers and ranchers on an equal footing with others around the world." Secretary Veneman will brief Agriculture Ministers from key U.S. trading partners in Japan on Thursday, July 25, and provide public briefings throughout her Asia trip. A complete packet of agriculture trade facts, charts, Q's & A's and other documents are available on line at http://www.ustr.gov and http://www.usda.gov. Senate Hearing On Pesticide Harmonization Reprinted from WAWG's The Green Sheet From NAWG&emdash; The Senate Subcommittee on Production and Price Competidveness, with Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) serving as chairman, held a hearing recendy on a pesticide harmonization (between the U.S. and Canada) amendment whose author was Senator Byron Dorgan D-ND). Subcommittee members Pat Roberts (R-KS), the ranking minority member on the committee, and Max Baucus (D-MT) also briefly attended the hearing. While the focus of the hearing was on the pesticide bill, a significant amount of time was spent by senators Roberts and Conrad criticizing USDA's decision to separate loan rates for sunflowers. Conrad also questioned the changes in flax and crambe loan provisions. The message to USDA was clear&emdash;fix the situation administratively, or Congress will intervene. Baucus also spoke about the growing need for ag disaster assistance. Senator Dornan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) led the panel of witnesses, illustrating the need to pass legislation to address price disparities faced by U.S. and Canadian producers. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Steve Johnson, who is responsible for pesticide activities at EPA, testified that movement toward joint registrations and review sharing is progressing; he stated that 12 products have been registered jointly and another 11 are in the pipeline. He stated that EPA supports the intent of the bill, but has concerns over some implemetation issues including confidentiality of data, and the public disclosure laws of Washington and Vermont as problem areas. Crop life America (CIA) President Jay Vroom also testified on the bill, representing the manufacturers of crop protection products. He acknowledged a need to pass legislation on the issue, but requested consideration of amendments in 6 areas: confidentiality of proprietary formulation information; waiver of liability if the distribution is authorized over the objection of the manufauturer; involvement of EPA at the front end regarding the decision of whether a product is "substantially similar" (perhaps using the 24[c] process); restrict the program to farmers purchasing for their own use (not distributors); update the binational study done a few years ago on disparities; and establish hard deadlines for harmonization of the regulatory processes between the 2 countries. There was broad support in principle among the panelists for everything but the "own use" element. This panel included North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Jack Dafrymple, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, Barry Bushue, representing the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Dave Fredrickson of the National Farmers Union. Jurisdictional issues between Senate committees may prevent the addition of the harmonization deadlines to this bill. While always supporting the intent of the bill, NAWG had earlier raised some concerns about confidentiality and the possibility of trading an international border concern for an interstate one, particularly if one state registered a compound and a neighboring state did not. To address both issues, NAWG floated a concept&emdash;to have EPA make the decision at the national level about whether compounds were "substantialiy similar" and if that determination was made, use of the Canadian compound would be allowed in all 50 states. Confidential data would reside only at EPA, and the concern over state public disclosure laws would become irrelevant. NAWG staff met with EPA officials recently to discuss the issue; they were informed that EPA is most concerned about the workload increase that would come with this bill. NAWG views the added workload as very minor, but concluded from EPA that they believe they lack time and money to render the "substantially similar" determination in a timely manner. As a result, NAWG adopted the state level model that is outlined in Senator Dorgan's bill as written, and endorsed his bill during a conference call meeting. NAWG will be working in both the House and Senate to achieve passage of the bill, while continuing to work with interested parties on refinements to the proposal Senator Dorgan signaled an intention to attach the language as an amendment to the ag appropriations bill, which is expected to come up for consideration in the Senate soon. Corn Blotch Leafminer Detected In Idaho Cornfield By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho The corn blotch leafminer made its first known appearance in Idaho last week (July 14-20) when it was found in a cornfield in northeastern Idaho's Rigby area. Previously reported in Southeastern and Midwestern states and, in 1995, in Nebraska, the pest announces its presence with tell-tale lines under the skins of corn leaves that merge to form large, blotchy, burned-looking areas. Juan Alvarez, University of Idaho entomologist at Aberdeen, says field damage in other states has been "very limited" but that large populations of the leafminers could potentially produce economic losses. Although the leafminers in the Rigby field were "quite numerous," Alvarez doubts the insect will be a serious pest in Idaho this year. He suspects it proliferated in the field after its natural enemies were killed by insecticides applied against other pests. Scientists believe the corn blotch leafminer, or Agromyza parvicornis, occurs only in corn, but very little is actually known about it. "It isn't usually an economically important pest, so it has not been studied and information on its control is very limited," Alvarez says. No insecticides are currently registered for use against it. The adult corn blotch leafminer is a small, black or brown, clear-winged fly about 1/10th of an inch long. Female flies deposit eggs on the upper or lower surfaces of corn leaves. The eggs hatch in a few days, and the larvae immediately begin feeding inside leaf tissue. The larvae are 1/5 to 1/8 inch long and a translucent greenish-yellow color. Damaged leaf areas look like a silvery film over the leaf mines. According to Alvarez, the mines weaken the leaves and provide easier access for bacterial and fungal diseases. After the larvae complete their development, they transform into light- to dark-brown pupae, about 1/6 to 1/8 inch long, inside the mines. Adults emerge after seven days to repeat the cycle. Although no known economic thresholds have been established for corn blotch leafminers, a University of Nebraska publication compares their damage to hail damage and associates 50 percent destruction of leaf area with 6 percent potential yield loss. Alvarez says corn growers who suspect that this new leafminer is infesting their crop should contact UI Extension educators Gale Harding at 208/356-3191 in Madison County or J. Reed Findlay at 208/236-7310 in Bannock County or their local UI Extension educator. For photos of the pest and its damage, click on http://www.ag.uidaho.edu/news.

NW Renewable Energy Festival Sept. 20-22, at the Whitman College campus in Walla Walla, the Third Annual Northwest Renewable Energy Festival will offer information on solar and wind energy, energy efficiency and conservation, hydro and biomass energy, home construction, Green Tags/Blue sky, fuel cell energy, solar model cars and hybrid vehicles, reducing energy costs, recycling and waste reduction, and solar cooking&emdash;oh, and Wastruments... musical instruments made from disposable materials (www.enufwaste.com). Those who attend will have the opportunity to: learn about renewable energy and conservation from the experts; attend over 30 educational workshops; visit over 30 exhibitors who will demonstrate creative energy products for homes and businesses; meet the Renewable Energy leaders who share a vision of energy independence; see hybrid cars and watch model solar car races; and enjoy good food and entertainment. Entrance to the festival is free. For more information call 509-525-8479; and visit the Web at www.nwrefest.org. USDA, DOE Team Up To Produce Bioenergy A microturbine generator that runs on methane biogas from animal manure will be evaluated as a source of electricity and heat for a research dairy farm in a cooperative project of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Bio-Power and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. The microturbine system could generate as much as 26 kilowatts (kw) of electricity and approximately 400,000 British thermal units (btu) per hour of heat for small dairy operations of less than 250 cows.  "This project is an example of the positive partnership between USDA and DOE to combine resources and capabilities to develop renewable energy for on-farm use, while also addressing an animal waste management issue," said Rodney J. Brown, deputy under secretary for research, education and economics. "A system that operates efficiently and is cost-effective would provide an alternative energy source for dairy farmers and help them to lower their operating costs." ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ARS operates the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) at Beltsville, Md., where the project will be conducted. "This system will help produce renewable energy to restore our nation's energy vitality and protect the environment while enhancing the rural economy," said Richard Moorer, deputy assistant secretary for technology development within DOE's energy efficiency and renewable energy office. "We're illustrating that agriculture and energy interests can work hand in hand." The Department of Energy is providing the microturbine generator for the project.  Acting research leader Louis Gasbarre and his colleagues in the ARS Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory will oversee operation of the microturbine system's test periods and provide analysis for manure, methane and greenhouse gas emissions. This technology provides an alternate use of dairy cow manure. Tons of manure are produced by the 1,400-pound dairy cows and pumped from the barn into an anaerobic digester, where the liquid and solids are separated. The solids go to composting and the liquids are further processed in the digester to produce a biogas that contains methane. The methane gas is captured and used in the microturbine generator, and the remaining liquid&emdash; with odor significantly reduced&emdash;is used for fertilizing the crops at BARC. The ARS research team will also evaluate the technology's environmental and economic impact. If this type of system proves to be efficient and cost-effective, it could provide an alternative energy source for dairy farmers. Energy costs are a large portion of dairy operating costs. The system also could help reduce methane emissions that contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Scientific contact: Louis Gasbarre, Acting Research Leader, Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, phone 301/504-8509. Want Fall Color? These Annuals Will Bloom Into Fall By Carol Savonen, Oregon State University If your garden looks a little bare and bedraggled in the late summer and early fall, you can slip in some last minute annual starts that will bloom until the first hard frost. There are late blooming annuals that are known to bloom right up to the final minute before a killing frost, says Jan McNeilan, consumer horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Here are a few: Mask flower, Browallia, Plume cockscomb, Cosmos, African daisy, Sweet alyssum, Blue sage, Marigold, Zinnia, Fibrous begonia, Calendula, Drown daisy, Dahlia, Common heliotrope, Flowering tobacco, Scarlet sage and Black-Eyed Susan. USDA Provides Wildlife Habitat Recovery Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently encouraged landowners whose property has been damaged or destroyed by fire or impacted by drought conditions to apply for assistance through USDA's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). "This program will provide assistance to landowners for habitat damage caused by fire and drought," said Veneman. "We continue to examine every available program to help those who have suffered from disasters." Through WHIP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps landowners who wish to improve wildlife habitat conditions on their property. By providing technical expertise and up to 75 percent of the cost of implementing habitat improvement practices, NRCS can help landowners who wish to help their lands recover from habitat damage. NRCS can enter into one-year wildlife emergency agreements to help landowners meet the immediate habitat needs of wildlife affected by these natural disasters. Efforts may include planting native seeds and forbs, leaving food plots within existing fields, establishing buffers and stabilizing steep slopes. Standard five- to 10-year WHIP agreements are available to help landowners implement wildlife habitat practices where natural processes have been compromised. Efforts may include installing water delivery systems, restoring natural landscape features, planting native shrubs and trees, and other wildlife habitat development practices that benefit targeted species. NRCS may provide increased cost-share assistance for long-term agreements to help landowners create long lasting habitat for especially vulnerable wildlife species. In the recently enacted 2002 Farm Bill, Congress authorized up to $15 million for fiscal year 2002 and an additional $30 million for fiscal year 2003 for WHIP. For more information about WHIP and other conservation programs, please contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or your local conservation district. Information also is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.usda.gov/farmbill. OSU Scientist Develops Natural Disinfectant From Wine By Theresa Novak, Oregon State University White wine, often sipped as the perfect accompaniment to an elegant entree, may soon be available as a natural anti-bacterial spray for the kitchen. Mark Daeschel, an Oregon State University food scientist, is a microbial safety specialist. He and OSU research assistants Jessica Just and Joy Waite have completed research indicating that wine kills bacteria when it is consumed with a meal. That means those who take wine with their entrée are less likely to come down with food poisoning. "Simply put, the wine kills the bugs," Daeschel said. Something in the grape has anti-bacterial properties that kill germs that cause common types of food poisoning, such as E. coli and salmonella. It also kills Staphylococcus aureaus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, all of which can contaminate food and cause illness. The wine appears to have some benefits that might be attractive to consumers as well, Daeshel said. It's environmentally safe. "That appeals to people concerned about the environment, and also to people who are concerned about their exposure to chemical residues," he said. The spray has additional environmental - and economic - benefits. "It's made from waste wine," Daeschel said. Although winemakers don't like to get specific, wineries can generate considerable amounts of waste wine before producing a batch that meets all of their quality and flavor standards. "Waste wine is a reality," Daeschel said. Because of environmental regulations, "you can't just dump it down the drain anymore." That isn't to say that Daeschel now can just have a tanker truck deliver waste wine, put it in a spray bottle, and sell it. There is still much to be done in development. For one thing, it is illegal to pour an alcoholic beverage in a spray bottle and then sell it as a kitchen disinfectant to people under 21, as this runs counter to laws enforced by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The wine-based spray must be denatured by the addition of enough salt to render it undrinkable. It is similar to the process by which cooking wine is made suitable for commercial sale. Only certain types of wine are suitable. "Well, you don't use red wine, obviously," Daeschel said, "unless you want to stain surfaces." Sweet wines like Rieslings aren't suitable, he added, since they have so much sugar that they would leave a sticky residue. However, dry white wines work very well. "A nice Sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay are best for a formulation like this," he said. What about that "Eau de skid row alley" bouquet wine gets when it oxidizes? Fragrance neutralizers could render that a moot point, with possible natural freshening scents added so that no trace of wine smell lingers. Ongoing tests will determine the product's shelf life and effectiveness over time, Daeschel said. Wind-Borne Dust May Carry Clues To Ancient Climate By Peg Herring, Oregon State University There may be more hitchhiking on the winds than we suspect. Jay Noller, a professor of soil science at Oregon State University, has found that wind-born dust particles may carry new clues about how climate has changed in the Pacific Northwest. Noller presented his ideas today at a meeting of the Cordilleran Section of the Geological Society of America in Corvallis. Soil changes as climate changes, leaving behind a layered record of wet and dry spells or cold and hot periods over long geologic time scales. Soil may also contain particles blown in from great distances at particular times. Noller has found that by tracing the source of wind-deposited particles, he may be able to correlate known events at the source with particular layers in the soil where far-flung particles came to rest. Here is how it works. The northwest coast is a windy place. The wind that tugs at kites also carries tiny dust particles, some from as far away as central Asia. Giant firs that cloak our coastline comb that wind, and sift those particles from the air. Conifers are among the best scavengers of wind-born particles, says Noller. They capture these particles in a web of fine needles. The particles wash into the soil where they remain as a signature of climatic events at a particular time. Tracing the source of far-flung particles may help scientists more accurately date soil layers and increase their understanding of how our climate has changed through time. Scientist Issues 'Global Swarming' Warning By Andy Duncan, Oregon State University Our planet is threatened by another high-stakes environmental problem linked to human activities, an Oregon State University researcher warned today (March 28, 2002) at an international meeting. Call it, "global swarming." Throughout the world, non-native plants and animals that range in size from "viruses to water buffalo" are driving out native life forms, wildlife ecologist Bruce Coblentz told scientists assembled in Chicago for the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. We haven't yet comprehended the magnitude of the problem, said the OSU researcher, who has studied the impact of non-native creatures much of his career in places such as Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean, the Galapagos Archipelago off the coast of Ecuador and islands off the southern California coast. In a presentation titled "Biological Invasions: Global Swarming is Heating Up," Coblentz said that "every successful species invasion is analogous to an explosion. An invasion is the shock wave that radiates out from the point of detonation, and each invading species proceeds at its own rate." Native species often become "living debts" for an invasion, he said. Their eventual extinction, no matter how hard humans try to counteract it, is the price that will be paid within the natural system. "And we don't even know what the full price is," he added. "In other words, successful biological invasions are going to cause extinctions, but we don't necessarily know when, or whose." He discussed the spread of non-native European starlings from Central Park in New York City to Alaska in only a little more than 60 years, and Sika deer expanding their range more gradually, but steadily, on the eastern shore of Maryland. "Homogenization of biotas (the plants, animals and microorganisms of regions) worldwide and the extinction events almost certain to occur as a result will surely shape the course of future organic evolution," the researcher told scientists attending the conference. "The end result, to be played out over the next few million years, is that we are diminishing the options," he added. "Rather than proceeding with a rich diversity of organisms, many of which have evolved to specifically exploit certain unique conditions and environments, future evolution will involve a more limited diversity of organisms that share a single trait of being able to succeed in a human-dominated landscape." Pretty much every environment in the world already has been disturbed by humans, the researcher emphasized. Also, human transportation systems now allow organisms place-bound for eons to leapfrog oceans and other natural barriers, sometimes as crops, livestock or pets, and sometimes as stowaways. Biological invasions are expensive to human societies in several ways, Coblentz said, pointing to lost crop production, disease, lost production of desirable native species and physical damage to natural ecosystems and human property. "Dollar estimates for damages associated with invasive species in the United States alone are staggering," he said. "For example, the Office of Technology Assessment estimated a minimum cost associated with 79 invasive species in the United States to be at least $97 billion for the 85-year period 1906-1991." One researcher put the figure much higher, at more than $137 billion per year, he noted. How can humans combat the problem more effectively? "The rate of spread ... is important in determining how quickly and how intensively control measures must be instituted to be effective against an invasive species," Coblentz said. "In fact, the time factor may be the key to beginning to think responsibly about invasions." "Those (invasions) that occur too slowly to be noticed by our temporal frame of reference may not elicit any reaction by ecologists or natural resource managers," he said. "Nevertheless, they may still be tremendously rapid by measures of ecological time. A seeming non-problem could really be a major problem, but humans are too short-lived to perceive it." It is ironic that humans would attempt to stem the tide of biological invasions, the researcher noted. "... Homo sapiens have probably been the most invasive species in the history of the planet," he said. "In comparison with rates of reproduction and dispersal by which we sometimes judge invasibility, humans are quite inferior, yet the outcome of our global invasion from its origin in tropical Africa has been absolute." The researcher spoke of "bleak" possibilities in the 21st century, in terms of extinction of native creatures. "On the other hand," he said, "we still have most of our biota and habitats that can be preserved, and the time to assure their preservation has already arrived." USDA Report Finds Ethanol Is Energy Efficient Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the results of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture study that confirms the energy efficiency of ethanol and its positive role in reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil. "This new research shows that ethanol is a valuable energy source." Veneman said. "This report supports President Bush's energy policy which calls for additional renewable sources of energy." The report, "The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update," published by USDA's Office of the Chief Economist, concludes that ethanol production is energy efficient because it yields 34 percent more energy than is used in growing and harvesting the corn and distilling it into ethanol. The report is available on the Web at http://www.usda.gov/oce. The report concludes that the net energy value of corn ethanol has become positive in recent years due to technological advances in ethanol conversion and increased efficiency in farm production. Ethanol produces much more energy than it consumes when compared to other products such as petroleum. Moreover, ethanol production uses abundant domestic supplies of energy to convert corn into a premium liquid fuel that can displace petroleum imports. Ethanol production has grown in the United States from a few million gallons in the late 1970s to about 1.8 billion gallons in 2001, spurred by national energy security concerns, new federal gasoline standards, and government incentives. The increase in ethanol production has stimulated the U.S. agricultural economy because most ethanol is made from corn.  The boost in ethanol demand has created a significant new market for corn. According to the report, today's higher corn yields, lower energy use per unit of output in the fertilizer industry and advances in fuel conversion technologies have greatly enhanced the economic and technical feasibility of producing ethanol. Studies using older data tend to overestimate energy use because the efficiency of growing corn and converting it to ethanol has improved significantly over the past 20 years. Politician's 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." The Watermelon Solution A farmer in the country has a watermelon patch and upon inspection he discovers that some of the local kids have been helping themselves to a feast. The farmer thinks of ways to discourage this profit-eating situation. So he puts up a sign that reads "WARNING! ONE OF THESE WATERMELONS CONTAINS CYANIDE!" He smiled smugly as he watched the kids run off the next night without eating any of his melons. The farmer returns to the watermelon patch a week later to discover that none of the watermelons have been eaten, but finds another sign that reads: "NOW THERE ARE TWO!"

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