IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED JULY 29, 2005:

1. SUMMER SHORT COURSE ON MANAGING ARID LAND SOILS
2. ARIZONA DELIVERS WEB SITE
3. DESERT CITRUS RESEARCH
4. V BAR V RANCH EXPLORERS FIELD DAY
5. BONE BUILDERS VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN PHOENIX
6. IMPROVING TOMATO SEEDLING SURVIVAL
7. PEST OF EUCALYPTUS TREES
8. DESIGN OF ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS
9. IN MEMORIAM: RETIRED EXTENSION DIRECTOR RICHARD HARRIS
10. DURUM WHEAT
11. NEW SITE FOR DESERT LEGUME PROGRAM
12. MASTER WATERSHED PROGRAM VOLUNTEER TRAINING

1 SUMMER SHORT COURSE ON MANAGING ARID LAND SOILS

The 12th annual Maricopa County Summer Short Course will be offered Thursday, August 4 in Phoenix. The topic is Soil Science and Analytical Interpretation--the management of arid land and salt-affected soils.

The course will include: 1) basic principles of soil science--origin, nature and constitution of soils; their chemical, physical, and biological properties in relation to plant growth, 2) principles of plant nutrition and nutrient acquisition with emphasis on the effect of soil and water salinity, and 3) principles of using soil and plant tissue testing for evaluating soil and water.

The short course will be held from 7:30 a.m. (7:00 a.m. check-in) to 4:30 p.m. at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., in Phoenix.

Presenters include Tom Thompson, professor and extension specialist; Jim Walworth, associate professor and specialist, both from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science; and Brian Whitlark, agronomist, Target Specialty Products, Tempe, Arizona.

Registration (before July 29) is $25.00, which includes lunch, handouts and refreshments. At the door the fee is $40.00.

Kai Umeda, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/turf/2005_SummerShortCourse.pdf

2 ARIZONA DELIVERS WEB SITE

Arizona Delivers is a convenient Web site featuring single-page descriptions of Cooperative Extension educational outreach programs and their local community impact. The site, searchable by topic or county, includes reports on programs in 43 topic areas that are updated annually.

The site includes results in 4-H youth development, agricultural literacy, livestock, crops, consumer issues, financial planning, nutrition, rangelands, water issues, wildlife, integrated pest management and many other programs. Each article is accompanied by the name of a UA faculty contact for more information.

Cooperative Extension connects Arizona communities with research, information and expertise developed at The University of Arizona, the state's land-grant institution. With offices in all 15 counties and on Indian reservations, Cooperative Extension agents bring knowledge to people
every day to enhance their work and enrich their lives.

Joanne Littlefield, Educational Communications and Technologies

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/delivers

3 DESERT CITRUS RESEARCH

The miles of citrus orchards that used to stretch into the horizon are disappearing from the landscape in central Arizona to make way for houses. About 9,300 acres of citrus were harvested in 2003, down from 10,100 in 2001. According to the Arizona Agricultural Statistics Bulletin, Arizona's orange, lemon, grapefruit, and tangerine acreage in 2003 decreased by 1,200 acres from 2002.

The total value of all citrus production, at $40.3 million was 28 percent less than the previous year. Yet citrus production remains a viable agricultural venture in the state. From variety trials of crops that look promising for central Arizona farmers, to investigation of improved irrigation and fertilization practices, researchers at the 40-acre University of Arizona Citrus Agricultural Center (CAC) research strategies that may help citrus farmers enhance profitability.

James Truman, Citrus Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2004/article13_2004.pdf

4 V BAR V RANCH EXPLORERS FIELD DAY

Each summer the public is invited to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' V Bar V Ranch to learn about the many aspects of research being conducted there. This year the "Ranch Explorers Field Day" will be held August 27 from 9:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Mahan Park section of the ranch, near Happy Jack, Arizona.

Proposed educational activities for the day include presentations on the artificial insemination of cattle; livestock ID/electronic ear tagging; current activities on the V Bar V Ranch; the Arizona Livestock Incident Reporting Team (ALIRT); and Dutch-oven cooking. Educational displays, youth activities, hay rides, and bovine bingo will round out the day.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the University of Arizona's acquisition of the V Bar V Ranch. To celebrate, this year's Ranch Explorers Day will highlight accomplishments, renovations, and innovations at the ranch.

The V Bar V Ranch, owned and operated by the University of Arizona, is representative of a typical Arizona ranch, grazing cattle year round on US Forest Service lands. Located in both Coconino and Yavapai Counties, the 77,000-acre ranch starts at Camp Verde and runs east about 30 miles over the Mogollon Rim to Happy Jack. The ranch includes 43.8 acres of private land at summer headquarters near Happy Jack, with the remainder of the property
contained within the Walker Basin Grazing Allotment administered by the Forest Service.

To register or for more information, call the V Bar V Ranch office at (928) 646-9113 x19, or email Debra Pearson at dpearson@ag.arizona.edu.

David Schafer, Resident Director, V Bar V Ranch

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/vbarv/

5 BONE BUILDERS VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN PHOENIX

Awareness and prevention are critical in combating osteoporosis. One woman in two over the age of 50 will have osteoporosis fractures.

Volunteers are needed to educate women of all ages and races about how they can reduce their risk of frail bones and osteoporosis. It only takes a few hours a month to become a Bone Builders volunteer and make a difference in the health of women.

The next 12-hour training session will be September 16-17 at the UA Health Sciences building, 4001 N. Third St., Phoenix.

Volunteer opportunities include staffing health fair displays and sharing health information with others in the workplace, church or community.

Bone Builders's newest program is a 10-week series called Physical Activity for Inactive Seniors. Bone Builders and community volunteers work with local senior centers to provide individual fitness assessments and teach activities to improve balance to prevent falls, increase endurance and strength and improve flexibility. Each exercise class includes a mini-lesson on reducing risks for osteoporosis through good nutrition and physical activity.

The next train-the-trainer workshop for the Bone Builders Physical Activity Program for Inactive Seniors will be held September 8-9 at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Rd. in Phoenix.

Sharon Hoelscher Day, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://www.bonebuilders.org

6 IMPROVING TOMATO SEEDLING SURVIVAL

Every year millions of grafted seedling tomato plants are loaded into refrigerated trucks and shipped to greenhouses in Arizona, Texas and other states. Grafted seedlings combine high-producing tomato varieties with disease resistant rootstocks. Although the demand is high, the production of these high quality transplants is not yet widespread in the United States. Greenhouse producers purchase them from specialty propagators in Canada.

The drawback is that the stress of the long-haul trip can weaken the plants and cause them to yield poorly after they are transplanted into hydroponic systems (where plants are grown in nutrient solutions). Their maturity may be delayed, affecting the size and number of fruit produced.

Two researchers at the UA's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) in Tucson are working with a Canadian transplant propagator and an Arizona greenhouse producer to learn more about how to reduce the failure rate in transporting tomato seedlings over long distances.

Chieri Kubota, Department of Plant Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2004/article1_2004.pdf

7 PEST OF EUCALYPTUS TREES

Lerp psyllids are sap-sucking insects related to scale insects. During their immature nymphal stages they construct a round, white, waxy covering (a "lerp") beneath which they shelter and feed.

Red gum lerp psyllids (Glycaspis brimblecombei) first appeared in California in 1998 and rapidly became a serious pest of Eucalyptus. Attacks defoliate the trees and reduce their vigor, which can kill the trees after two to four years.

What to look for: 1) White cone-shaped caps, 1/16-1/4"-wide, on leaves. These are the lerps. 2) Small, yellow insects under lerps which are the psyllid nymphs. 3) Sticky honeydew and sooty mold on the leaves around lerps. 4) Leaf loss and thinning in trees. 5) Trees taking on a brown, dead look.

John Begeman, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/18.2.html

8 DESIGN OF ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS

About 25 percent of the United States population lives in areas that use onsite wastewater treatment systems. Surface water and groundwater contamination associated with septic systems often stems from failures due to age or improper maintenance. Even properly functioning systems can cause environmental degradation and pose public health risks.

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Onsite Wastewater Education (OWE) Program reaches owners of onsite wastewater treatment and dispersal systems, county and state regulators, and the onsite wastewater industry in Arizona. A workshop entitled "Wastewater Treatment Systems: Introduction to Design" will be held August 25-26, at the Pinal County Cooperative Extension office in Casa Grande.

Kitt Farrell-Poe, Yuma Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/waterquality/OWTFPage.htm#workshopschedule

9 IN MEMORIAM: RETIRED EXTENSION DIRECTOR RICHARD HARRIS

Former Arizona Cooperative Extension agent Richard Harris died on July 17. A native of Arizona, he spent 29 years as an extension agent, and served part of those as county director for the Santa Cruz Cooperative Extension. He retired in 1997.

Harris assisted livestock producers with marketing and environmental goals; studied ways to protect wine grapes from frosts and diseases; led 4-H clubs; and promoted tree planting and environmental education.

More can be found at the Arizona Daily Star link below.

To learn more:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/clips/86086

10 DURUM WHEAT

Arizona produces some of the best durum wheat in the world, widely praised for its quality and sought after by Italian pasta makers.

The 2005 Arizona durum crop was harvested within the last several weeks and is on the way to market.

In the 2003 crop year, 115,000 Arizona acres were planted with durum, yielding 345,000 tons of grain valued at $54 million. Much of the crop is exported, primarily to Italy.

The Arizona Daily Star published a story about Arizona's durum wheat crop on July 10, 2005. See the link below.

Mike Ottman, Department of Plant Sciences

To learn more:
http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/83297.php

11 NEW SITE FOR DESERT LEGUME PROGRAM

The Desert Legume Program (DELEP) was established in 1988 as a joint project of The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. DELEP plays an important role in conserving legume biodiversity. Maintaining biological diversity is a growing concern worldwide as human populations increase and more natural areas are diverted for human use. As development of natural lands continues, it is inevitable that many species may be lost without conservation efforts.

DELEP publishes a newsletter three times per year. The purpose of the newsletter, titled Aridus, is to stimulate interest in desert legumes, to inform readers of DELEP's activities, and to encourage support for DELEP programs. Subscriptions are available upon request. Back issues of Aridus are listed on the Web site and are available from the DELEP office.

Matt Johnson, Arboretum Affairs

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/desertlegumeprogram/index.html

12 MASTER WATERSHED PROGRAM VOLUNTEER TRAINING

We all live in a watershed, an area of land that drains into a common water body. Whatever happens to land and water resources in watersheds very often influences the quality and quantity of water available to all Arizonans. Master Watershed Stewards are highly trained volunteers working closely with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to improve the health of their watersheds.

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension is taking applications for the new statewide Arizona Master Watershed Steward Program until August 17. Participants undergo an intensive, 50-hour course from September 1 through November 10 in Tucson on watersheds and water resources, including general principles of hydrology, climatology, water conservation, geology, soils, ecology, water quality and water management.

Participants successfully completing the program who wish to become certified Master Watershed Stewards will be expected to donate 40 hours of volunteer service.

The course will be held at the UA Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson and costs $125. Applications are due by August 17.

Robert Emanuel, Arizona Master Watershed Steward Program

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/watershedsteward/events.html

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