July 2002

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UI Researchers Study The Causes Of Respiratory Ailments In Beef Calves By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho Each year, respiratory disease in 30- to 180-day-old calves costs U.S. cattle producers between $8 million and $16 million in treatments and calf losses. But typically, neither producers nor their veterinarians understand what really caused the disease: was it a virus, a bacterium or a lethal interaction of the two? Beginning this year at the University of Idaho's Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center near Salmon, veterinary scientists are intensively investigating these questions. Assisted by Washington-Oregon-Idaho veterinary students at the Caine Veterinary Teaching Center at Caldwell, Drs. Jim England, Beth Mamer, Al Ward and Glen Weiser are studying the changes that occur in the populations of potentially disease-causing organisms that calves may carry. The team of researchers will document the types and levels of viruses, bacteria and protozoa they find in animal tissues as calves slip from a state of health to a state of illness. They will identify these organisms using everything from traditional microbiology to DNA fingerprinting and will also note how they respond to different vaccines. "There's no information out there on what causes pneumonias between 30 days and 6 months," says England. "There's information on what causes them before 30 days and after 6 months but there's nothing but supposition in between." In May, veterinary students collected fecal samples, took tracheal swabs and drew blood from 20 healthy calves at the Cummings center. If the demonstration herd is typical of Idaho beef operations, about 2 to 18 percent of the calves will develop respiratory disease between 30 and 180 days of age. The tests will be repeated as necessary until weaning. According to Ward, few pneumonia vaccines have been labeled for use in calves under 6 months because the natural immunity cows transfer to their calves can confound and compromise the vaccines' effectiveness for several months. During the three- to five-year course of the study, the investigators hope to design a herd health program that advises producers on which vaccines to use and when. England and Ward say the demonstration herd at the Cummings center, which includes donated animals from all over Idaho, provides a nearly ideal testing ground for their research on respiratory disease. It gives Ward, an expert on pneumonias caused by Pasteurella bacteria, the opportunity to systematically sort out bacterial strains that cause disease from those that don't. Not only are the Cummings cattle likely to be rich in organisms from their original herds, but the team will monitor them for organisms that may be more common in wildlife grazing nearby. Because the herd is owned and operated by the UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the researchers can also measure the effects of a bout of pneumonia on a calf's growth and reproduction and on the ranch's economics. The former Hot Springs Ranch is currently in the second year of a three-year lease from the Auen Foundation of Palm Desert, Calif. At the end of the lease period, the ranch will be donated to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Other research currently in progress or in planning stages for the Cummings center focuses on improved conception rates, weaning management, electronic identification, alfalfa seed coating, alfalfa tolerance for field traffic, winter-hardy alfalfas, control of spotted knapweed by goats and alternative cow-calf management systems that match livestock needs to forage supplies. Selenium Research By Jean Smith, WSU Cooperative Extension, Franklin & Benton Co. There are a number of on-going research projects being conducted in the United States on selenium and selenium absorption in livestock. These may make a difference in how we provide selenium to our livestock in the future. A number of countries currently fertilize pastures as a means of increasing selenium intake in livestock. Oregon State University is evaluating the value of this practice. If it makes a significant difference in grasses used in the Pacific Northwest, it may be an option in irrigated pastures. There is some use of selenium in fertility management going on in Oregon, but it is not yet approved in Washington. In another study, researchers have found that yeast, raised in a selenium enriched environment, accumulated an organic form of selenium that seems to have better animal absorption when added to a trace mineral supplement. As a result, lower levels of selenium are needed to get adequate levels of selenium in animals. This is very promising and is currently only approved for poultry. A third study, at the University of Florida, is evaluating a long acting injectable form of selenium. This new product may have beneficial effects for as long as a year. At this time, a selenium fortified, granulated trace mineral supplement given free choice is still the best and least expensive way to provide selenium to livestock. This trace mineral impacts many biological functions within livestock. A severe selenium deficiency can affect reproduction, feed efficiency, weight gain, compromise the immune system and result in white muscle disease particularly in young, fast growing animals. Signs of this disease vary from stiffness and chronic lameness to sudden death. So, Where Is The China Market? Reprinted from OWGL Oregon Wheat Newsletter Five months after China's accession to the World Trade Organization on January 1, expectations by some for a large increase in sales of wheat to China remain largely unfulfilled. While China personnel with U.S. Wheat Associates advised market watchers that exporters were not likely to see a sudden increase in purchases in the initial six months of accession and calendar year 2002, USW had expected to see significant increases over recent years in the last half of 2002. Recent evidence of slow WTO implementation, however, has prompted USW/China to adjust their outlook. USW Vice President Matt Weimar was fairly optimistic in late February, predicting that export sales to China may reach 700,000 metric tons for the 2001/2002 marketing year, which ended May 31. That amount would have been more than triple the export sales in the previous year. By late March, however, after witnessing delays by the Chinese government in issuing tariff rate quota (TRQ) allocations, USW lowered its sales expectations. These turned out to be more realistic, as China didn't issue TRQs for wheat and other commodities until the end of March, and it wasn't until early April that all milling companies received notifications of the awards. According to Weimar, there were two primary reasons for China's slowness in issuing quotas. First, after receiving comments from domestic industry and WTO members on the proposed implementation of their agreement, the Chinese government needed to revise their "draft rules for comment." Reportedly, these revisions ultimately caused delays in China's rulemaking on application procedures, and so companies could not apply for TRQ allocations until early February. The second reason for the slow start is that China evidently didn't expect the large number of enterprises applying for allocations. An overwhelming number of applicants over-taxed the capacity of personnel assigned to review and confirm applicants' business status. With several hundred applications for the wheat TRQ alone, the Chinese had to figure out how to divide the quota allocated for the private trade (generally referred to as the "non-State Trading Enterprise" or "non-STE" allocation) between the large number of applicants. Those applications were for a share of the non-STE allocation of 850,000 metric tons. (The STE portion of the wheat TRQ allocation is 90 percent of a total allocation of 8.46MMT, with the remaining 10 percent allocated to non-STE enterprises.) As of the end of May, there was still no official public information on the actual number of recipients, though unofficial information received by USW/China indicates that several hundred enterprises were granted allocations of the quota. Weimar and his colleagues in USW's offices in Beijing and Hong Kong, who are working with the millers, are confident that the milling companies will take up the total non-STE allocation. Quota-holders will either buy directly or approach licensed import-export trading firms to execute contracts based on the mills' specifications. Save Taste Of Summer By Freezing Fresh Strawberries By Peg Herring, Oregon State University Oregon is berry country. Our summer-long parade of raspberries, blackberries and currants begins in June, with the favorite of many: strawberries. Strawberries are well suited for the home garden because they produce fruits very quickly, and require a relatively small amount of space. But whether you grow your own, or buy them from the farmers' market, nothing beats the fresh taste of locally grown strawberries. And strawberries are good for you, too, says Carolyn Raab, food and nutrition specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. They're low in calories and a rich source of vitamin C. One cup of raw strawberries has only 45 calories and provides a full day's supply of vitamin C. Strawberries have antioxidants, too, that help to ward off chronic illness such as cancer. "Strawberries are a fast fruit," Raab said. "Just wash well in a bowl of clean water, drain, remove the green hull, and pop in your mouth." You can preserve that summertime taste and healthy goodness by freezing strawberries whole. Raab recommends that you pick berries in the morning while it is cool and refrigerate immediately. Picked berries lose freshness quickly in heat. Do not wash berries until just before you plan to prepare them. Freezing strawberries in a mixture of sugar and pectin will help retain their firmness after thawing. For three gallons of berries, mix about 3 cups white sugar (depending on sweetness desired) and one package of powdered fruit pectin. Sprinkle over sliced berries and them let sit until it dissolves. Freeze berries in freezer bags or freezer containers. For whole berries, coat with the sugar/pectin mixture and put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet to freeze. After berries are frozen, transfer them to freezer packaging. The frozen berries can be thawed at any time and used to make jam, pies, or syrups. Or partially thaw a handful in a bowl and eat them like a sorbet. Home food preservers can get answers to questions by calling the OSU Extension Food Safety/Preservation hotline from July 15 to Oct. 15 at 1-800-354-7319, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except holidays.) The hotline is operated by OSU Extension Master Food Preserver volunteers and Extension staff. Yellow Leaves May Mean Soil pH Imbalance By Peg Herring, Oregon State University This time of year, yellowish leaves on azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries may indicate a problem. Perhaps the plant needs additional nutrients, such as nitrogen, sulfur or iron. Sometimes yellowing leaves indicates that the soil has the wrong acidity level and the plant is unable to absorb nutrients that are present. John Hart, soil scientist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, suggests how to tell what your sick plant needs. "Remember that many plants&emdash;including rhododendrons, azaleas, huckleberries, heathers and hydrangeas&emdash;typically need a more acid environment than most plants," Hart said. First, apply nitrogen or sulfur fertilizer to the shrub. If your soil is nutrient poor, the fertilized plant should respond by turning back to a healthy green color within a few weeks. If, however, the jaundiced look hangs on, it could be a problem with the acidity of the soil. Soils with low acidity tend to starve some plants of iron. By acidifying the soil, you can correct iron deficiency in plants. If you know your soil pH is too high (too alkaline), mix elemental sulfur or another acidifying material with soil excavated from the planting hole before you plant. To acidify an established tree or shrub, dig four small foot-deep holes away from the trunk and just inside the dripline. Use a small auger or bulb planter to make these small holes deep enough, and take care not to sever roots. Mix the soil from the holes with a total of a half-cup elemental sulfur (S), phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid per plant, and replace the soil mix to the holes. Proceed cautiously with acidification, warns Hart. Test one plant before treating your entire yard. You will need to wait until next spring or summer to gauge the plant's response before you apply any more acid to the soil. Iron can be sprayed directly on the leaves in addition to a soil acidification program if a severe iron deficiency exists. Leaf (foliar) iron sprays usually are short lived and need to be applied every other week during rapid growth. For more information about soil tests and acid-loving plants, contact your county OSU Extension Service office. Boaters & Weeds The latest noxious weed introduced to Idaho's noxious weed list was Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum Spicatum). This extremely aggressive non-native aquatic weed has invaded several northern Idaho lakes including Hayden Lake and Spirit Lake. Since it spreads rapidly and is difficult to control, the best control is prevention. Prevention Tips: Before launching into or leaving any body of water, all boaters should take several simple steps to prevent the spread of invasive weeds and animals: • Remove all plants and animals. • Drain lake or river water. • Dispose of unwanted live bait on shore. • Rinse your boat and equipment with high pressure hot water, especially if moored for more than a day. • Dry everything for at least 5 days. *Based on voluntary prevention guidelines developed by the Recreation Activities Committee of the Federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.

Cuba Buys WA Peas Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet Information From U.S. Representative George R. Nethercutt, Jr.: Cuba is in the midst of purchasing $1-million in peas from Washington state producers, the first such sale since the imposition of an embargo that has lasted 40 years. The deal is all but signed for the purchase of 3000 metric tons of Washington state peas. Tight supplies kept this from being a larger sale, but I'm hopeful that Cuba will purchase more peas after this year's crop is harvested ~n August. More orders could shrink supplies and raise the price of the commodity, which is good news for farmers. Cuba announced intentions in March to purchase approximately 20,000 metric tons of dry peas from Washington state. Tim McGreevy and the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council have worked tirelessly every step of the way to see that this sale is completed, and they deserve the credit for making it happen. This sale gives us one million more reasons why we need to improve our commercial relations with Cuba. Our struggling state economy needs new market opportunities, and this sale shows that lifting embargoes can provide a tangible benefit to our agriculture producers. U.S. Proposes 5-Year Phase Out Of Export Subsidies Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet Information From the Wheat Export Trade and Education Committee (WETEC): during an informal meeting of WTO ag negotiators, the U.S. presented a timetable for the phase out of export subsidies. The proposal aims to eliminate export subsidies in equal installments over a 5-year period from the date the agreement would go into force. The EU continues to resist talk of elimination, but a vast majority of WTO members support their eventual elimination. The EU continues to be the largest user of export subsidies by a significant margin. The EU accounts for 90% of the world's total export subsidies equating to about $2.5-billion per year. The CAIRNS Group reiterated their position on a 50% "down payment" of export subsidies during the first year of the agreement with subsequent reductions to zero over the following 3-year period. There is little doubt that the EU will hold out until the end before agreeing to anything resembling a complete elimination of export subsidies, making this one of the most contentious issues of debate. 2002 Farm Bill Myths And Facts Reprinted from WAWG's Green Sheet "There is nothing more horrible than the murder of beautiful theory by a brutal gang of facts."&emdash;LaRochefoucauld (Source: House Agriculture Committee) Below is a summary from a Summer 2002 publication issued by the House ag committee titled "The Facts on U.S. Farm Policy." The summary dispels myths with facts about U.S. farm policy. MYTH #1: U.S. farm policy bilks taxpayers and busts the budget. FACT #1: U.S. farm policy cost pennies per meal and accounts for little more than one-half of 1% of the U.S. Budget. In fact, the 2002 Farm Bill costs less than the 1996 Farm Bill with emergency assistance. MYTH #2: the 2002 Farm Bill depresses farm prices and increases food prices. FACT #2: American consumers enjoy the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world for 10.9% of income&emdash;less than consumers in any other country. In any case, the 2002 Farm Bill cannot depress farm prices and increase food prices at the same time. MYTH #3: U.S. farm policy helps big corporate agribusiness, not real farm families. FACT #3: big corporate agribusiness actually opposes U.S. farm policy. U.S. farm policy does help all American farm families because all farm families feel the sting of a world market that is not free or fair. MYTH: #4: Farm policy is nothing but corporate welfare benefiting only those receiving direct help. FACT #4: U.S. farm policy is important to national security, ensuring a safe, abundant, and affordable domestic food supply, and vital to a strong rural and urban economy, with the food and fiber industry creating 25-million jobs, producing $3.5-trillion in output, and accounting for 15% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product. MYTH #5: U.S. farm policy interferes with free markets and free trade. FACT #5: U.S. farm policy fully complies with U.S. trade agreements. And with foreign tariffs on ag goods more than 5 times higher than U.S. tariffs, U.S. farm policy helps level the playing field so our farmers can compete in a world market that is not free or fair. MYTH #6: the 2002 Farm Bill shortchanges conservation. FACT #6: the 2002 Farm Bill provides over $39 billion for conservation&emdash;the highest level of funding in history for programs that prevent soil erosion, preserve and restore wetlands, clean the air and water, and enhance wildlife. MYTH #7: all special interests critical of U.S. farm policy just want good public policy. FACT #7: many special interests critical of U.S. farm policy cross the ideological divide but share a common denominator&emdash;agendas that the vast majority of Americans reject. A copy of the publication may be obtained by contacting the House Agriculture Committee at 202/225-2171 or in writing at 1301 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Living With Fire By Frank Gariglio, Forester Reprinted from Forever Soil & Water, a publication of Nez Perce Soil & Water Conservation District You have a cabin or home in the forest... you go there as often as you can to relax and to get away from the pressures of life... it's been the source of many pleasant memories in your life... you've watched your kids grow up here... That's the good news. The bad news? Your home or weekend cabin is surrounded by a source of extremely flammable material! This material is called wood, and under the right circumstances this forest, and your dwelling, can go up in flames in a catastrophic wildfire. In a moment all is changed forever. Although you can't totally eliminate all risk of fire, there are certain precautions that you can take to minimize the threat of fire and to protect your home with "defensible space." The first step is towards protecting your property and dwelling is to understand the nature of fire in your area and to evaluate your property in terms of the fire hazard. Consider the fire history of the area, the age and condition of the timber and other vegetation around your home, the topography, the direction of the prevailing winds and the fuel characteristics sties of the various building and other elements of your home site. The next step is to develop and implement a fire management plan that would minimize the fire risk or potential damage at your site. Some factors, such as wind direction and slope, can not be changed, but many other factors are well within your management control. Landscaping, building locations, the choice of construction materials, and the location of outside propane or water sources all can mean the difference between saving or loosing a home. If you live in a fire prone rural setting, contact the University of Idaho, local fire districts, or the Idaho Department of Lands for further information and assistance. There are also many excellent Internet references that offer educational materials and great technical advice to the rural landowner. Armed with knowledge and coupled with action, you can learn to "live with fire" at your special place in the forest. Reference Sites Include U of I Forest Extension: www.ets.uidaho.extforest US Government: www.firepIan.gov, Firewise Organization: www.firewise.org, National Interagency Fire Center: www.nifc.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.usfa.fema.gov. Green Peach Aphids Like Nightshade Even Better Than Potatoes By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho Nightshade, Juan Alvarez puts it simply, is an "aphid magnet." The noxious weed that is closely related to potatoes also harbors the green peach aphids that infect the crop with potato leafroll virus. Indeed, Alvarez is finding that green peach aphids like nightshade so much that they reproduce up to 50 percent better on the weed than on potatoes. "If you release aphids with potatoes and nightshade in a cage, they will all go to nightshade," says Alvarez, a University of Idaho entomologist at Aberdeen. "Every time we went to the field last year, we found the aphids on nightshade before we found them on potatoes." Potato leafroll virus, or PLRV, can dramatically reduce yields and can continue to take its toll after harvest, producing an internal browning defect called "net necrosis" that lowers potato grade. UI recommendations now advise growers to spray when the first aphid lands on their potatoes. Alvarez cautions growers to keep their nightshade well in check, especially in seed-growing areas where disease prevention is essential. "We have to be more conscious of weed control," he says. In preliminary research this winter, Alvarez determined that PLRV infects nightshade at the same rate as potatoes. He also confirmed that green peach aphids can transmit the virus from nightshade to a potato crop. Now he is examining whether the virus can be transmitted in nightshade seed. So far, he has found PLRV in sap extracted from nightshade seedpods but not in plants grown from that seed. Alvarez suspects that's because seed doesn't have a plant tissue called phloem&emdash;the site of the virus' damage in potatoes&emdash;but he is continuing his tests. With seed-borne transmission, even a few aphids would pose a significant risk to a potato crop, because each nightshade plant can produce more than 45,000 seeds. Interestingly, the presence of PLRV in seedpods may be a silver lining in the weed's dark cloud. Alvarez says seed from infected pods germinates much more poorly than seed from healthy pods, leading to fewer nightshade plants. This season, Alvarez is also testing nightshade plants in the field to find out what percentage of them carry the virus. And, in cooperation with UI entomologist Sanford Eigenbrode, he hopes to learn whether green peach aphids are more attracted to infected nightshade than to healthy nightshade. Research led by Eigenbrode in Moscow has already found that the aphids are drawn to volatile emissions from infected potatoes, but scientists don't know precisely which component of the emissions attracts the insects. That's another question Alvarez hopes to answer one day. "If we could isolate what is attracting them, we could use that as a trap," he says. UI Examines Grain Diets That Enhance Tint In Salmon By Marlene Fritz, University of Idaho Salmon get their namesake color from naturally occurring pigments that move up the aquatic food chain from algae to insects, crabs, shrimp and herring. The color has become such an essential part of salmon's consumer appeal that fish farmers pay $131 million each year&emdash;15 percent of their feed costs&emdash;for a chemically synthesized version of one of those carotenoid pigments called astaxanthin. Then, ironically, they feed the fish yellow corn gluten. Other carotenoid pigments in yellow corn interfere with the expression of the salmon tint. At the University of Idaho's Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station, director Ron Hardy is finding that switching to white corn gluten improves the color of salmon by 20 to 30 percent. That could mean 20 to 30 percent fewer dollars spent on astaxanthin. Gluten&emdash;the mix of elastic proteins in grain crops&emdash;is a very high quality source of nutrition that can replace 20 to 25 percent of fishmeal. Hardy calls the potential market for astaxanthin-supplemented white corn gluten "huge." With 750,000 metric tons of fishmeal now being fed to salmon, that comes to between 150,000 and 200,000 metric tons. While both yellow and white corns will grow in Idaho, Hardy says the real advantage to the state may come if barley also improves color efficiency in salmon. Idaho produced more than 50 million bushels of barley last year and has been the nation's No. 2 barley-producing state for the last two years. At Hagerman, Hardy and John Hamilton, coordinator of a barley products project, are examining the effects of barley protein concentrate on the appearance and taste of salmon. The Swedes and Finns have already developed commercial methods of extracting protein from barley. Hardy and Hamilton are optimistic about the results of the study, which began this spring, because barley protein is free of carotenoids. The project is funded by the Idaho Barley Commission and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. Carotenoid pigments, which Hardy describes as "nature's paints," are also consumed by other fish. They are related to beta-carotene, which gives carrots their color. While some fish deposit the astaxanthin pigment in their skin, only salmon and their relatives deposit it in their muscle tissue.

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