IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED DECEMBER 22, 2003:

1. ONLINE PURCHASE SURVEY
2. PLANTS OF THE BIBLE GUIDED TOUR
3. SCIENTISTS MAP WHAT MAKES A ROOT A ROOT
4. NEW STRUCTURES FOR MORE EFFICIENT GREENHOUSE GROWING
5. MASTER WATERSHED STEWARD PROGRAM
6. ARIZONA'S AGRICULTURAL SITUATION
7. IMPACT OF DROUGHT FOR ARIZONA GROWERS
8. JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER TEACHER/LEADER TRAINING
9. SHRUBS AND GROUNDCOVERS FOR OVER 6,000 FEET
10. EVENTS

Where did you do most of your holiday shopping this year? Did you fire up the computer and buy online, or did you drive to the store? A study recently completed in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences shows that shoppers who avoid online purchasing may not trust that it's safe, are not confident about how to complete their purchases and may just prefer the physical experience of shopping at the mall.

UA Division of Retailing and Consumer Sciences researchers are trying to understand the factors that are contributing to the limited adoption of online purchasing. They developed and sent a written survey questionnaire that was sent to 5,000 consumers nationwide, asking where people preferred to look in finding out more about products--physical stores or online retailers--and then where they actually bought the products.

Mary Ann Eastlick, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Division of Retailing and Consumer Sciences To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2003/article5_2003.pdf

2 PLANTS OF THE BIBLE GUIDED TOUR

Explore both botany and scripture during a two-hour walk along the trails and through collections at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, a division of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

"Plants of the Bible" guided walks will be held at 2 p.m. on January 4, 10, and 24 (alternating Saturday and Sunday afternoons). The Arboretum is located about 90 minutes north of Tucson via highways 79 and 60.

Picnic facilities are available, and here are more than two miles of trails to explore. The Arboretum is located off Highway 60 Milepost #223, three miles west of Superior, in Pinal County.

David Oberpriller, Boyce Thompson Arboretum Boyce Thompson location and hours are available at BTAinfo@ag.arizona.edu, phone (520) 689-2723.
To learn more: http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/events/bibleplants.html

3 SCIENTISTS MAP WHAT MAKES A ROOT A ROOT

UA scientists have determined which of the 22,000 genes in different cells of the Arabadopsis plant are switching on and off in root tissue. The result is the first detailed map of when and where the genes are active in the growing root of a flowering plant, offering biologists a way to explore how tissues and organs develop from a single cell.

"This work is an example of how collaborative research can lead to great progress," says UA Plant scientist David Galbraith, whose forte is developing new technologies that other researchers can adopt for their own research.

David Galbraith, Plant Sciences

To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/5.15.html

4 NEW STRUCTURES FOR MORE EFFICIENT GREENHOUSE GROWING

A study exploring niche markets for fresh herbs is also looking at variety in greenhouse structures to provide better growing conditions.

Inside a quarter-acre building at the UA Campus Agricultural Center, plants are grown under retractable roofs in order to get the best of sun and shade, depending on prevailing conditions.

The goal is to find out what grows well in desert retractable roof greenhouses and determine the best techniques for producing high-value crops.

Ursula Schuch, Department of Plant Sciences
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2003/article1_2003.pdf

5 MASTER WATERSHED STEWARD PROGRAM

The Master Watershed Steward Program (MWS) is an adult education program designed to help address water resource issues at local levels by helping individuals understand how their watershed works.

The training course typically consists of 40 hours of course work and two full-day field trips. Upon successful completion of the course, including a comprehensive final examination, participants are granted Associate Master Watershed Steward status.

Using the Cooperative Extension model of volunteer training, after contributing 40 hours of volunteer service to their community participants become Certified Master Watershed Stewards. They then serve their community by becoming resource persons and teachers of research-based watershed information.

Robert Emanuel, Master Watershed Statewide Coordinator
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/watershedsteward/

6 ARIZONA'S AGRICULTURAL SITUATION

Deteriorating range conditions and a continued drought in the state along with increased development of cropland have led to a decrease in land in production. Arizona cotton farmers are expected to harvest 211,900 acres of cotton in 2003, about 9,300 acres fewer than in 2002. Alfalfa prices are currently $6-$7 per ton less than 2002 prices. By August of 2003 Arizona had 266,000 head of cattle on feed, down 6.7 percent from a year earlier.

Deteriorating range conditions and a continued drought in Arizona, combined with the increased development of cropland for urban and suburban uses have led to the decrease in land currently in agricultural production.

Satheesh Aradhyula, Agricultural and Resource Economics
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/AREC/pubs/arizonareviewnewsletter/ArizonaReviewfall2003.pdf

7 IMPACT OF DROUGHT FOR ARIZONA GROWERS

Are you a grower struggling with the impacts of Arizona's drought? A day-long workshop will be held in January for growers in Central Arizona, focusing on the impact of the current drought for the upcoming 2004 growing season.

Highlights include a precipitation forecast, discussion of drought impacts on local areas, an update on the Governor's Drought Task Force, and a presentation water conservation research results from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Speakers include representatives from local, state and federal agencies, the Governor's Drought Task Force and local irrigation districts. The workshop will take place at the Holiday Inn in Casa Grande on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ed Martin, ABE/Maricopa Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/crops/counties/all/meetings/2004/drought012104.html.

8 JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER TEACHER/LEADER TRAINING

Learn to lead Junior Master Gardeners! Junior Master Gardener teacher/leader training will be held January 10, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. (Maricopa County residents only).

Teach young people the joys of gardening. Use a hands-on approach to explore horticulture and environmental science and promote leadership, life skills and self-esteem in children.

Participants will receive free JMG Workbooks ($140 value). The workshop is free although pre-registration is required) and there is limited seating. Only those leaders comitted to using the materials within the next 12 months with 5 or more youth will be considered.

The training will be held at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office, 4341 E Broadway Road, in Phoenix.

Dottie Tucker, Junior Master Gardener Program Coordinator
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/youthgardens

9 SHRUBS AND GROUNDCOVERS FOR OVER 6,000 FEET

With a blanket of snow covering much of the Arizona mountains, summer and its landscaping chores may seem far away. During the cold winter months, many high-altitude gardeners dream of their gardens and pore over gardening catalogs.

To help with plant selection, two new publications from CALS cover shrubs and groundcovers particularly suited for altitudes above 6,000 feet.

Tom DeGomez, School of Renewable Natural Resources
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/natresources/az1285/index.html

10 EVENTS

The Southwest Nutrition and Management Conference, sponsored by the UA Animal Sciences Department, will be held on February 25-26, 2004 at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe, Arizona.

To learn more: http://animal.cals.arizona.edu/swnmc/2004/index.php

Two citrus clinics will be held in January in Maricopa County:
1) Saturday, January 24, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 2558 E. Lehi Road in Mesa, Arizona
2) Saturday, January 31, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Citrus Agricultural Center, in Waddell, Arizona.

To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden

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