IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED JANUARY 26, 2005:

1. FEEDING 9 BILLION PEOPLE BY THE YEAR 2050
2. WOOD ROT OF LEMON TREES
3. LAB EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
4. STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE (SIFE)
5. GLOBAL RETAILING CONFERENCE
6. CLASSROOM LESSONS ON AGRICULTURE
7. NEW PUBLICATION
8. URBANIZATION AND AGRICULTURE
9. PUBLIC WORKSHOPS ON DESERT PLANTS (TUCSON)
10. WATER-EFFICIENT CLASSES FOR LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS (PHOENIX)
11. CALS RESEARCH AWARDS
    

1 FEEDING 9 BILLION PEOPLE BY THE YEAR 2050

CALS plant scientist Brian Larkins studies the regulation of seed development and the synthesis of storage proteins in developing maize seeds. His research has significant implications for improving human nutrition, particularly in developing countries where maize is a dietary staple.

The rate of growth of the human population has begun to decline, but we still face the prospect of needing to feed 9 billion people by the year 2050. How will we do this in the face of a diminishing supply of arable land and water, an ever increasing loss of top soil and environmental pollution resulting from current agricultural practices? Plant breeders believe we have not yet reached the maximum potential yield of cereal crops, but discovering ways to further increase their production and nutritional value is a challenge to scientists around the world.

Larkins will give a free public lecture on this topic Tuesday, February 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson.

Brian Larkins, Department of Plant Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/5.28.html

2 WOOD ROT OF LEMON TREES

Wood rots are a fact of life in Arizona lemon groves, especially when browning branches are evident in the groves.

To manage and prevent wood rot disease in lemons, a grower should consider both short- and long-term measures. The foremost short-term step is to prune out diseased wood. This step is critical, and should be a regular production practice, but should also be done as soon as possible following wind storms or freeze damage. Prune the branch back to a point where there is no longer evidence of the disease on the cut surface of the limb.

Saw blades should be sharp enough to produce a smooth cut. Jagged cuts will provide sites for reinfestation of clean wood. Diseased wood should be removed from the grove as soon as possible.

Glenn Wright, Yuma Mesa Agriculture Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/aes/citrusnews/citrusnewsletter9-4.pdf

3 LAB EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Three years ago 21-year-old Josh Farr was a microbiology major at the University of Arizona, desperate for some laboratory experience on campus. The job he found took him to a summer cornfield. There he learned to cross different varieties of maize and collect corn tissue samples for DNA testing in the Department of Plant Sciences, in the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Farr, who graduated last spring, is now a full-time research technician in the program where he started as a student. He and other students involved in gene regulation have had the chance to explore natural gene silencing systems in maize, where heredity is somehow controlled -- not through the changes in DNA sequence, but through proteins that interact with the sequence to reversibly silence genes.

Findings in the lab are contributing to a better understanding of plant physiology, development and evolution, and also have practical applications in agriculture and in biology.

Vicki Chandler, BIO-5 Institute

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/5.29.html

4 STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE (SIFE)

Students at the University of Arizona are gaining valuable retailing experience at The A Store, which opened at the Tucson Mall in fall, 2004.

Featuring a wide array of UA logo merchandise, The A Store provides retail training for students who are responsible for staffing, merchandising, product development, sales and store design. These students, who belong to Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), receive academic credit through independent studies for their efforts.

The SIFE club is part of an international non-profit organization whose mission is to build collegiate teams who teach free enterprise.

Another SIFE team outreach project is Credit-Wise Cats, which started in 1999 and is a student-run organization that provides personal financial education.

Melinda Burke, Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/4.19.html

5 GLOBAL RETAILING CONFERENCE

The UA Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences Education and Research is
sponsoring a Global Retailing Conference April 14-15, 2005 at the Marriott
Starr Pass Resort and Spa in Tucson.

The keynote Speaker is Terry Lundgren, president, chairman and CEO of Federated Department Stores. This year's theme, "Service Smarts!" will focus on how differential experiences can impact the bottom line.

Other speakers include executives and consultants from a wide range of businesses. Sample presentation topics are: "The 'Why' Behind the Buys -- Using Customer Attitude Segmentation to Build Customer Loyalty", "Understanding and Selling to the Incoming Generation of Teens" and "The State of Global Retailing."

Melinda Burke, John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/fcs/crcs/conference/speakers2005.html

6 CLASSROOM LESSONS ON AGRICULTURE

As part of Arizona Cooperative Extension's Agricultural Literacy Program, 30 lessons on agriculture are available for downloading for classroom use. Sixteen Arizona teachers wrote the lessons, which explain different aspects of Arizona's specialty crop industry. The curriculum spans grades K-12.

Aligned to Arizona's Academic Standard, each lesson encompasses more than one subject area and is available as a separate PDF file.

This project was paid for by a grant from the Arizona Department of Agriculture's (ADA) office of Marketing and Outreach. Funds were made available to the ADA by Congressional appropriation.

Monica Pastor, 4-H Youth Development, Maricopa County

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/agliteracy/statelessons/lessons.htm

7 NEW PUBLICATION

Our day-to-day existence depends on having access to fresh water. Arizonans use about 130 gallons of potable water per person per day. In addition, each day in the U.S. about 1400 gallons of fresh water are needed to grow one person's food supply, produce electric power, and support industrial production. The environment, the water cycle, and human activities determine water quality. Consumers need to be aware of the water sources in Arizona and be familiar with the quality of the water they are using.

A recently published guide was funded through the UA Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) Water Sustainability Program. "Arizona Know Your Water--A Consumer's Guide to Water Sources, Quality Regulations, and Home Water Treatment Options" was written by Janick Artiola, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science; Kathryn Farrell-Poe, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; and Jacqueline Moxley, Water Resources Research Center.

This convenient spiral bound volume covers water use and water sources in Arizona, minerals and contaminants in water, water quality regulations and standards, and home water treatment options. Each option is fully described, including operation and maintenance tips.

Copies of the booklet can be viewed online, are available at county extension offices, and can be ordered on-line at CALSmart (http://cals.arizona.edu/calsmart).

Janick Artiola, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science

To learn more:
http://www.uawater.arizona.edu/pubs/pubs.html

8 URBANIZATION AND AGRICULTURE

Increasingly, urban centers throughout the United States are spreading into what had been agricultural land. The change in land use affects everything from groundwater to local economies.

The CALS Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona, with major sponsorship from Risk Management Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Cardon Endowment for Agricultural and Resource Economics, has organized a unique opportunity to hear presenters with local, regional, and national viewpoints and expertise address Urbanization and Agriculture.

The one-day conference will be held on Tuesday, February 22 in Mesa, Arizona at the Phoenix Hilton East (Highway 60 and Alma School Road).

Registration costs are $60 by February 15th, $85 after; $30 for students. Registration and program details for this 20th annual Arizona Agribusiness. Forum are located at the url below.

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/dept/agbusforum2005.html

9 PUBLIC WORKSHOPS ON DESERT PLANTS (TUCSON)

Water$mart public workshops are designed to teach about water-thrifty plants and how to care for them. Two workshops are scheduled in February in Tucson.

Desert Landscaping - February 03, 2005 from 09:00 am until 12:00 pm, is a demonstration showing how and why desert plants are unique, landscape design guidelines and maintenance for desert plants.

Hands-On Drip Irrigation - February 05, 2005 at 09:00 am until 12:00 pm, will show how to install and maintain a drip irrigation system. Kits are used to familiarize participants with the parts involved and allow them to put the system together during the workshop.

Both of these free workshops will be held at Tohono Chul Park; 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte in Tucson. Pre-registration is required.

Vicki Richards, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pima/low4/Watersmartschedule.html

10 WATER-EFFICIENT CLASSES FOR LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS (PHOENIX)

Smartscape is a training program for nursery and landscape professionals designed to encourage consistent horticultural practices compatible with the Sonoran Desert. The program is endorsed by statewide landscape organizations.

Energy- and water-efficient landscaping, also known as xeriscaping, demonstrates how to create beautiful and efficient landscapes compatible with our desert communities. UA presenters include Terry H. Mikel, commercial horticulture extension agent; Lucy Bradley, urban horticulture extension agent; and Ursula Schuch, associate specialist, plant science.

Smartscape is presented as a series of eight 2½-hour workshops. The next training series begins February 28 at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Road in Phoenix.

To learn more:
http://www.amwua.org/conservation/smartscape.htm

11 CALS RESEARCH AWARDS

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recently announced its annual research awards. The recipients include:

CALS Outstanding Research Faculty of the Year: Ron Allen, Professor, Animal Sciences.
He has an international reputation as a leader in muscle biology, has been awarded several NIH grants and has had continuous support from the USDA NRI since its inception. Allen has many intra-university, national and international collaborative relationships. He is a member of both the University of Arizona Interdisciplinary Nutrition Program and the Interdisciplinary Physiology Program.

CALS Outstanding Research Staff: Charles De Fer, instrument maker, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. As a highly skilled machinist and welder, De Fer is a highly skilled machinist and welder. He is able to construct complicated agricultural machinery from scratch, sometimes with only a rudimentary plan and minimal guidance from the researcher. His advice on materials and construction methods is sought after and listened to by faculty, staff and students alike.

CALS Outstanding Research Team: Mount Graham Biology Program--John Koprowski, Vicki Greer, Sadie Bertelsen and Sarah King; School of Natural Resources.
This program conducts interdisciplinary research to increase understanding of high elevation ecosystems in the sky islands (mountainous areas) of the desert Southwest. The program originated from a congressional mandate to monitor the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel as part of the Arizona-Idaho Conservation Act of 1988. The program monitors the impact of the Mount Graham International Observatory on the montane ecosystem of the Pinaleno Mountains.

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2004/researchawards_2004.pdf

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