December 2004

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Canada Wants Tariff On U.S. Pulse Crops From USA Dry Pea & Lentil's Pulse Pipeline Eight WTO member countries, including the European Union and Canada, are pushing for yet another retaliatory tariff against U.S. products. However, the EU and Canada have filed different lists of U.S. products that they want to be sanctioned. While the only agricultural product on the EU list is sweet corn, Canada is asking for imposition of a 100% surtax on dried peas, lentils, chickpeas and beans. Joe Bloms of Agricore United said that the proposed surcharge would dramatically impact many North Dakota growers. "There are a number of growers in the northern tier of North Dakota that haul their peas and lentils up to Canada. When you take away another buyer in this kind of business," he said, it has a huge impact, especially to growers." The WTO ruled, in August of this year, that the seven countries (Brazil, Chile, EU, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and Canada) could retaliate against the U.S. for its failure to repeal the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act, also known as the Byrd Amendment, of 2000. The Byrd Amendment allows duties to be collected on specified products imported into the U.S. that directly compete with domestic business. Further, it mandates that duties collected under the anti-dumping and countervailing act can be distributed to U.S. companies that brought or supported complaints against particular imports. The Canadian softwood industry has been impacted by the Byrd Amendment provisions. The complaining WTO countries contend that U.S. companies that bring trade remedy cases "stand to benefit not only from the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on competing imports, but also from direct payments from the U.S. government when those duties are disbursed." The WTO ruled that the Byrd Amendment was inconsistent with WTO agreements and gave the U.S. until December 27, 2003 to find a remedy. The latest step, the request for retaliatory measures, came in late November. The EU has urged the U.S. to take steps to comply with the WTO ruling before sanctions are imposed. If the retaliatory tariffs do go into effect, it would likely happen in early 2005. The WTO ruled that the Byrd Amendment was inconsistent with WTO agreements and gave the U.S. until December 27, 2003 to find a remedy. The latest step, the request for retaliatory measures, came in late November. The EU has urged the U.S. to take steps to comply with the WTO ruling before sanctions are imposed. If the retaliatory tariffs do go into effect, it would likely happen in early 2005. New Salmon Parasite Detection Developed By Virginia Gewin, Oregon State University Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a molecular method to detect and measure a salmon and trout parasite thought partially responsible for controversial salmon die-offs in the Klamath River. As many as 30 to 40 percent of fish captured in the lower Klamath River are infected with one particular myxozoan species, Ceratomyxa shasta, explained Jerri Bartholomew, a researcher in OSU's Department of Microbiology and the Center for Fish Disease Research. Until now, researchers had no quick, easy way to test for the parasite in water samples. Using the organism's own DNA, this newly developed assay can detect even 1/1000th of a parasite spore in a water sample. To detect Ceratomyxa shasta prior to this breakthrough, scientists had to maintain fish in cages along areas of the river suspected to be infectious, then return them to the laboratory and wait for months to see if clinical signs appeared. There was no way to quantify the number of infectious spores moving through the water. "This is a huge jump in what we're able to do," said Bartholomew. "We wanted to offer a tool that would be useful if managers were to test management options like altering flows at certain times of year, so that effects could be determined immediately." Natural resource managers welcome the new tool. "Jerri's doing cutting-edge research that provides us with an accurate tool to assess spore levels quickly," said Scott Foott, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pathologist. "Without advances like this, all we can do is limp along and quantify dead fish, which doesn't allow us to do any innovative management." Bartholomew and her colleagues have discovered that Ceratomyxa shasta is not evenly distributed throughout the Klamath. "The parasite's life cycle is only established in the main stem of the Klamath, not the tributaries," said Bartholomew. The OSU researchers also have found that the dams on the Klamath appear to act as a partial barrier to Ceratomyxa shasta. "Above the dams, the parasite is still present, but the severity of infection drops off," she explained. The research group is using information from the new method to determine the unusual distribution pattern. An additional clue to its distribution may come from Ceratomyxa shasta's unique ecology. It has two hosts&emdash;salmonid fish and a type of aquatic worm. "We think the distribution is determined by habitat requirements of the worm host," Bartholomew said. So far, the scientists do not know how the various tributary salmon populations are affected by disease problems in the main stem Klamath River. They say that knowing the distribution pattern of the salmon parasite is critical for future management. Bartholomew and her colleagues are planning on investigating why the infection is localized in the main stem. They are also interested in testing management actions that might reduce parasite levels. One example might include a large-scale flow experiment, not unlike the flushing flow water releases researchers conducted from the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado River a few years ago. This would allow them to better understand how the normal hydrology of the river system controls the number of worm hosts. Salmon from the tributaries of the Klamath River are distinct salmon populations and are important to maintain each species' genetic diversity, explained Foott. Unfortunately, the survival rate for Ceratomyxa shasta-infected salmonids is not good. "If it's infected in the main stem Klamath River," Foott said, "it's probably dead." OSU Offers Vine & Wine Intelligence Network By Virginia Gewin, Oregon State University Oregon State University is planning to provide Oregon's rapidly growing wine industry with a one-stop shop for the latest research and information in a new organization called Vine and Wine Intelligence Network, or VVIN. About 50 OSU researchers and staff are taking part in this information network, which will serve the 250 existing Oregon wineries. With experts in everything from growing grapes to marketing and consumer research, OSU faculty and staff are on hand to help Oregon's wine industry. Ulrich Orth, assistant professor of agribusiness and food marketing at OSU's North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, has coordinated OSU's expertise in areas key to the wine business &endash; growing grapes, wine making, business management, as well as art and computer science. Orth is from Germany, where interdisciplinary cooperation in the wine industry is not uncommon, he says. "In talking to people in the wine industry here, they were only aware of isolated experts at Oregon State," said Orth. "It was amazing that so few people recognized the breadth and depth of information available at OSU." Given OSU's role as a land grant university, Orth believes the Vine and Wine Intelligence Network will be a valuable extension of that mission. OSU's wine network can provide research, courses, seminars, internship, networking opportunities, and consulting services, he pointed out. And, by including the business aspects of the wine industry, OSU's network will distinguish itself, he added. While other wine centers exist in California and Texas as well as France and Italy, they typically focus solely on the grape or the wine. "Our integrative character would be really new, and elevate OSU above what is currently available," Orth added. Already contributing $200 million to the Oregon economy, the wine industry stands to benefit even further from the network and become an invaluable resource for Oregon's future. The wine industry has grown more than 30 percent in the past four years and the new network will make the exchange of knowledge between the academic world and industry even better, say those in the wine industry. "Communication is one of the highest priorities for members of our industry," says Ted Casteel, Chair of the Oregon Wine Board's Research committee. "This network will help facilitate the transfer of information to people as they need it." OSU's VVIN has garnered endorsements by Gov. Ted Kulongoski and OSU President Ed Ray, as well as local vintners. "All of these aspects, from agriculture to wine making to marketing, should be addressed together to impact the needs of our industry and to be more relevant to our industry as a whole," says John Weisinger, of Weisinger's Vineyard and Winery in Ashland, Ore. Weisinger applauds Orth's involvement, calling his recent work marketing Oregon wines the most valuable research he's seen in the recent past. "There is broad support throughout Oregon's most productive wine valleys, such as the Rogue, Willamette, and Columbia," says Orth. Efforts are underway at OSU to turn the Vine and Wine Intelligence Network into a full-fledged, professionally-managed Center of Excellence, dependent on external funding. "The center would act as a crystallization point to bring in other experts and make them available to Oregon," explained Orth. Orth says that the majority of funding required is solely to pay an executive director. "Forming a center is not about directing a lot of money towards building new facilities, it's about organizing the wealth of resources already available," says Orth. VVIN has applied for funding from the U.S. Dept. of Education to enhance the future center's international perspective and networking opportunities for OSU students as well as those in Oregon's wine industry. Visit the OSU Vine and Wine Intelligence Network. Sorting Stick Brings Big $$$ At the Whitman County Cattlemen's annual meeting held November 23rd, a sorting stick donated by Harold Catlin of All-West Select Sires, sold for $650.00 dollars. It was first sold to Washington State Senator Mark Schoesler of Ritzville. Auctioneer Butch Booker asked if Mark would donate the $25.00 dollars he bid to Beefing Up The Troops, a group sponsored by the Colorado Beef Commission that sends beef jerky to the troops, and he agreed. Butch then said he would match up to $150.00 if others would like to join in the "coalition of the willing." Twenty local cattlemen and women, business-owners, college professors, and teachers promptly joined. A world record price for a sorting stick was set in Whitman County, Washington. According to it's EPD's, it was grossly over sold. Keeping A Garden Journal Helps Make Better Gardeners By Carol Savonen, Oregon State University Maybe this is your year to start keeping a garden journal. There are many great reasons to do so. A garden journal need not be fancy or expensive. A blank bound book or a ring binder filled with loose-leaf paper can make a great place to record what you do in the garden and yard. Or, splurge and get a fancy commercial journal as a special gift for the gardener in your life. There are many nice ones on the market. A journal can help a gardener plan from year to year, by jogging the memory about what, when and where seeds and plants were grown, explained Barb Fick, home horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Having a year-to-year record of where things are planted will also help with crop rotation, changing the types of vegetables and flowers planted in any given location each year. Rotation discourages depletion of soil nutrients, pest outbreaks and soil borne disease. By recording each year's seasonal "landmarks" such as precipitation patterns, unusual weather, the date of the first crocus bloom, the first frost and the arrival of the first hummingbird, kinds of butterflies and other pollinators seen, gardeners can compare different years to one another and relate them to variety performance. At the beginning of each season, draw a sketch of your garden beds and write down the variety names and planting dates in the journal. Or use a digital camera to do the same. Later, record weeding, fertilizing and harvest dates and how well each variety performed. Germination, flowering dates and pertinent weather information are also useful. Record other details such as irrigation methods, what you used for trellising or support devices or how you controlled pests. Added up, these details may prove invaluable insight over the years to come. If you record pest outbreaks in relation to what plants they are found on, it might help you plan the next year's garden. The same holds true to beneficial insects and their host plants. To keep track of the amount of money spent on seed, fertilizer and garden tools, a journal can come in handy. It can also be a good way of keeping track of yields and a safe place to record the varieties of any woody plants you plant. "Too often, gardeners save the tag on a woody perennial for reference, but don't put the information elsewhere," said Fick. "The tag disappears and whoops &endash; was that 'Berberis thunbergii,' 'Rose Glow' or 'Crimson Pygmy'?" But be forewarned - having saved your gardening experiences, and being able to look back on past records may give you a "green thumb" aura that may bring neighbors seeking your advice on gardening matters. Most of all, a garden journal can give you a feeling of accomplishment. When you add up the countless hours and varieties and methods used, most gardeners will feel proud of what they've done.

Honeysuckle Berries Coming Soon From HomeWise, University of Idaho In Japan and Russia, the tart fruit of edible blue-berried honeysuckle is harvested for health-promoting jams, jellies, juices and other popular products. Rich in such antioxidants as vitamin C and other nutritious compounds, edible honeysuckle made the transition from a wild shrub to commercial varieties in those nations during the past half-century. Dan Barney, University of Idaho horticulturist at Sandpoint, hopes Idaho homeowners, market gardeners and even commercial fruit growers will soon have edible blue honeysuckles to plant in their climates. In collaboration with Oregon State University's Maxine Thompson, Barney is evaluating about 500 Russian and Japanese honeysuckle bushes and intends to plant "a lot more" next spring. Not all honeysuckles are edible: indeed, Barney says the fruit and leaves of some species that are either native to the United States or introduced here are highly toxic. Of the 180 species of honeysuckle found worldwide, the reliably edible ones&emdash;and the ones Barney and Thompson are testing&emdash;are Lonicera caerulea variety edulis. Barney says the Russian plants don't appear to be well-adapted to the Pacific Northwest, but he is much more encouraged by the Japanese plants. Already, one of the Japanese selections Barney is examining at Sandpoint may be destined for a name and a release date in a few years. Several selections that Thompson is evaluating in Corvallis look promising as well. Barney thinks the best of the project's edible blue honeysuckles&emdash;with their large bluish-green leaves and pale yellow flowers&emdash;would also be welcome additions to Idaho landscapes. He knows they will attract wildlife to the garden, but he is particularly interested in measuring their sweetness to people. He is also rating each plant for cold hardiness, fruit size and yields, flowering and fruit-maturity dates and for stiff, upright canes that can hold berries off the ground. After just three short years of observation, edible blue honeysuckle looks like a "very easy plant to grow," says Barney. "It has quite a wide range of growing conditions and it grows very rapidly. If I plant a seed in January or February, I may have fruit on that plant as early as the following year." "Homeowners will also like that it's very early," says Barney. "It bears fruit when strawberries do," so impatient gardeners and jam-makers wouldn't have long to wait into the growing season. Hot Compost Turns Waste Into Reward By Peg Herring and Carol Savonen, Oregon State University Like spinning straw into gold, composting can create excellent mulch, fertilizer and soil conditioner from the humblest of ingredients. Compost can be hot or cold, according to Dan Sullivan, organic waste recycling specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Hot composting is quicker and more thorough, but, like spinning straw, requires a bit of technique. The key to composting is to supply a balance of air, water, energy materials, and bulking agents. Energy materials are typically green and soft. They are a nutritious, easy-to-digest meal for microorganisms. Examples include grass clippings or flower and vegetable trimmings. Compost pile bulking agents are typically rigid, woody materials that are low in readily decomposable carbohydrates. The low-carb bulking agents add air space to the pile. Examples include wood chips or corn stalks. Hot composting speeds up the decay process by favoring the growth of heat-loving microorganisms. When conditions are favorable, compost piles heat rapidly to 120 to 150 degrees. The high temperature kills most weed seeds and disease organisms. Once the hot phase is complete, lower-temperature microorganisms, worms, and other invertebrates complete the decay process. When successfully hot composting, the process should produce high-quality, finished compost in eight to 10 weeks. To maintain a hot compost pile, mix energy materials with enough bulking agent to allow air to enter the pile. Keep the pile moist and turn it when it starts to cool. When you turn the pile, check the moisture. If the pile gets too soggy, add more bulking agent. The pile is too wet if you can wring water out of it by squeezing with your hand. If the pile is dry, add water as you turn the pile. If you have the right moisture in the pile, and it does not get hot after turning, it usually means that the microorganisms have eaten most of the easily decomposable organic matter, and the curing process has begun. Chop raw materials to about an inch in diameter before composting. Contrary to popular opinion, layering is not the best way to build a pile. Materials should be thoroughly mixed from the beginning. Add new material to the center of the pile to help aerate the middle. You do not need a bin or container to make compost. Piles work well. However, some people prefer containers because they look tidy and help shield contents from pests. In any case, compost volume should be big enough to hold heat. A pile that begins with about one cubic yard of material is big enough for year-round composting, even where winters are cold. That means a bin about three feet wide, three feet high and three feet deep will be big enough to retain heat. Keep the pile moist, but not wet. Cover the pile during wet winter weather and in dry summer weather. Use a pitchfork to turn the pile once a week to aerate it. Well aerated, the pile will heat rapidly and stay hot for about a month. The pile then needs to sit for another four to six weeks to cure. Curing affects microbial activity and the availability of nitrogen. The volume of finished compost is half or less of the volume of the original raw material. With two compost piles or bins, you can let one batch cure while you start a second batch. Think twice before putting just anything into your home compost pile, recommends Sullivan. Avoid composting chemically treated wood products, such as sawdust from chemically treated wood, which may contain toxic arsenic, copper and chromium compounds. Avoid composting meat and fatty food wastes that attract pests like rats. And be cautious when using manure. "You can't be assured that microorganisms in manure that can cause human disease are killed unless you carefully monitor pile temperatures," warned Sullivan. "To be certain of pathogen kill, the pile must reach temperatures greater than 130 degrees, and the pile must be turned often. Turning the pile moves the cooler material on the edges of the pile into the center where it is hottest." You need about five turns during the hot composting phase to assure pathogen kill, according to Sullivan. After each turn, temperatures greater than 130 degrees for three days are needed to kill most human disease causing organisms. "The best advice regarding what to compost is probably, 'When in doubt, keep it out,' said Sullivan. Prevent Water Pollution When Treating Your Mossy Roof By Carol Savonen, Oregon State University Many people seem to pay attention to their roofs in the fall, as leaves pile up and fall rains and winter snow are just around the corner. Once up on the roof, you may notice quite a crop of moss or lichen starting. Of course, you will want to do something about it, or your roof may deteriorate. The trouble is, many of the chemicals sold to kill roof moss and lichen typically contain copper, zinc and iron sulfate materials. And these eventually wash into the environment. They are harmful to aquatic life. Oregon State University horticulturist Ross Penhallegon says there are alternatives to help ease the environmental impacts of treating roof moss. Check for debris and leaves on the roof every couple of months and remove them by sweeping, hand removal or with careful power washing. Leaves and debris hold moisture, encourage moss, fungal and algae growth, thereby damaging your shingles. If you get a new roof, choose a non-organic roofing material such as fiberglass shingles or sheet metal roofing, which resist moss and algae growth. If you do have to treat your roof: Use products that are less toxic and designed to protect the environment. Read the labels before you buy the product. If you hire someone to treat your roof, ask what kind of treatment they use and how they handle runoff. Use the minimum concentration as recommended on the product label. Disconnect your downspouts from the gutters when applying liquid treatments. The runoff will filter through the soil, tie up in the organic matter and slowly break down, instead of going to the nearest surface water. After your roof is treated, wait at least three rainfalls before reconnecting the downspouts. Treat roofs only in dry weather to give it time to soak into the roof rather than wash off in the rain. Remove hanging branches or other plant material that shades the roof. Yearly clearing will significantly remove the moss that grows there, said Penhallegon. Copper and zinc strips might be the method of choice for some. These metal strips allow small amounts of zinc and copper to leach onto the roof, keeping moss from growing. Live In The City? Plant Tough Urban Trees By Carol Savonen, Oregon State University The next time you are downtown, check out the types of mature trees growing in spaces surrounded by sidewalks, surrounded by buildings or growing where air pollution is thick. These trees are survivors&emdash;the ones that can tolerate soil compaction, air pollution, heat deflected from pavement and root disturbance. Here are some recommendations for trees that tolerate city conditions from Jan McNeilan, consumer horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, head of the OSU Master Gardener program and co-author of "The Pacific Northwest Gardener's Book of Lists." The following trees are suitable for tough urban areas in all regions of the Pacific Northwest, including the east side of the Cascades: most species of maple, hawthorns, ashes, ginkgo, thornless honey locust, sweetgum and flowering crabapples. Other species suitable for urban environments in western Oregon include: red horsechestnut, hornbeam, hackberry, Marshall green ash, goldenrain tree, sour gum, Callery pear, oak, linden, lacebark elm and Japanese zelkova. Contact your municipal or city planning department, the local county office of the OSU Extension Service or an arborist to find out if there are any ordinances that suggest the proper type of tree to plant in your city. OSU Extension offers more than a dozen downloadable publications about choosing, planting and caring for landscape plants appropriate to your area of the state, on-line for no charge. Visit the OSU Extension publications website to see a list. Or, if you don't have access to the Internet, these publications are also available in print versions. Call 1-800-561-6719 to order an OSU Extension and Experiment Station Publications and Videos catalog. Use Caution With Wood Ash On Your Lawn And Garden By Peg Herring, Oregon State University Although wood ash is a valuable fertilizer for most lawns and gardens in western Oregon, use it with caution. Wood ash is alkaline, which means it has a high pH level. Use the same precautions with it as when handling other strongly alkaline materials, such as household bleach, according to Dan Sullivan, soil scientist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Here are some ways to protect yourself from the health hazards of wood ash. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask. Do not scatter ashes in the wind. Apply recommended amounts to moist soil and rake lightly to mix. Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard, coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These materials can contain potentially harmful substances. For example, the glue in cardboard boxes and paper bags contains boron, an element that can inhibit plant growth if found in excessive levels. Do not use wood ash on alkaline soils; or where potatoes will be planted; or on acid-loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. If it is concentrated in one place, excessive salt from the ash can leach into the soil and create a harmful environment for plants. Do not apply ash at time of seeding. Ash contains too many salts for seedlings. Do not add ash with nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S), urea (46-0-0) or ammonium nitrate (34-0-0). These fertilizers lose their nitrogen as ammonia gas when mixed with high pH materials such as wood ash. For a lawn, wait at least a month after wood ash application before applying nitrogen fertilizer to allow time for the soil to reduce the alkalinity of the ash. Christmas Riddles Q. What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas Eve ? A. Black mail ! Q. Who delievers cat's Christmas presents ? A. Santa Paws ! Q. Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney ? A. Because it soots him ! Q. Who delievers elephants's Christmas presents? A. Elephanta Claus ! Q. How many chimneys does Father Christmas go down ? A. Stacks ! Q. Why is Santa like a bear on Christmas Eve ? A. Because he's Sooty !

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