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IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED June 23, 2006:
- DEAN SANDER NEW VP FOR UA OUTREACH
- XERISCAPE AND WATER CONSERVATION
- WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE JULY 13-14
- INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS
- NEW BOOKLET: INVASIVE NON-NATIVE PLANTS IN ARIZONA WILDLANDS
- ANIMAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS LONG CALS HISTORY
- VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR TOMATO CONSUMPTION STUDY
- SOIL AND SITE EVALUATION WORKSHOP AUGUST 22-23
- ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
- HERBICIDE SHORT COURSE IN PHOENIX AUGUST 2-3
- UA TRACTOR PULL TEAM IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
1 DEAN SANDER NEW VP FOR UA OUTREACH
Eugene Sander, currently dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and vice provost for outreach, will be the new vice president for outreach. He will retain his duties as dean, a position he has held since coming to the UA in 1987.
Sander will oversee the UA South in Sierra Vista, Benson and Douglas, as well as "2+2" programs with Cochise and Pima community colleges, the joint UA-PCC admissions program in Tucson, agricultural partnerships in Yuma and various distance-learning and online programs.
Eugene Sander, Dean's office
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/9.15.html
2 XERISCAPE AND WATER CONSERVATION
Many gardeners in the Southwest are familiar with the term "xeriscape" because it defines a common-sense approach to landscaping in the desert to minimize water use.
What most people fail to understand is that any home landscape can become a xeriscape through the use of water-conserving principles.
Although a component of xeriscape is the use of drought-tolerant plants, that doesn't mean strictly desert landscaping with cacti and succulents. Many of our commonly used Mediterranean plants are also drought-tolerant, including oleander, bougainvillea, olive, rosemary, lavender and Indian hawthorn. It's not so much what you grow, but how you water that makes the difference.
An efficient irrigation system is important. One that has several zones for watering plants with different requirements on different schedules is ideal. But even if you don't have such a system, you can water more efficiently by watering less frequently but for a longer period of time. Deep watering provides a reserve of soil moisture that plants can draw from, allowing them to go longer between watering. This saves water and keeps plants healthier. Frequent, shallow watering wastes water and stresses plants for moisture.
John Begeman, Pima County Cooperative Extension
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/18.4.html
3 WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE JULY 13-14
The tenth annual Arizona Women in Agriculture conference will be held July 13-14 in Flagstaff.
Co-sponsored by the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation Women's Leadership Committee, the theme of the conference this year is "Agriculture: It's Our Culture."
Keynote speaker Michele Payn-Knoper of Indiana will share lessons learned across the agriculture industry and discuss key ways to fight for the future of agriculture. The conference is open to men and women interested in enhancing their leadership skills.
The conference will be held at the Radisson Woodlands in Flagstaff, with a special program the evening of July 13 at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Conference registration is $40.00 per person. Registration deadline is July 10.
Monica Pastor, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
To learn more:
http://www.azfb.org/waic.htm
4 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS
Better pest control with fewer pesticide applications is the goal of integrated pest management (IPM) programs in Arizona schools. The key to the program is regular monitoring for pests along with inspection. Keeping pests out of areas by excluding them with barriers such as sealing holes is one part of the strategy. Removing food and moisture sources so that pests don't get too comfortable is another.
The Mesa School District was recently awarded the IPM Certification Star Award for its committment to IPM. The district serves 74,000 students, is the largest school district in Arizona and the seventh largest in the U.S.
To read more about IPM programs in Tucson's schools, go to:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/11.20.html
For more about IPM in general see the link below.
Dawn Gouge, Maricopa Agricultural Center
To learn more:
http://www.ipminstitute.org/IPM_Star/ipmstar_about.htm
5 NEW BOOKLET: INVASIVE NON-NATIVE PLANTS IN ARIZONA WILDLANDS
Invasive non-native plants, especially those that alter ecological processes such as fire and hydrologic regimes, are a significant threat to Arizona's wildlands. From field bindweed to giant salvinia, and leafy spurge to perennial ryegrass, these plants have made themselves at home on the range. But because federal and state noxious weed lists are concerned primarily with agricultural pests, a full picture of the problem plants has been developed by the Arizona Wildlands Invasive Plant Working Group.
A 23-page booklet, available from the Southwest Vegetation Management Association (SVMA), categorizes the problem plants according to high, medium and low impacts, has colorful close-up photographs and includes charts reflecting impact and distribution range.
The list is intended to provide useful information to land managers, industry, and other stakeholders in making management decisions. Use of the list is voluntary. Periodic updates may be necessary as new information on listed plants is acquired or as new non-native plants become established in Arizona's wildlands.
The SVMA was organized in 1997 to increase awareness about invasive vegetation and foster cooperation between vegetation managers.
The list is available as a pdf download at the link below.
Larry Howery, School of Natural Resources
To learn more:
http://www.swvma.org/InvasiveNon-NativePlantsThatThreatenWildlandsInArizona.
pdf
6 ANIMAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS LONG CALS HISTORY
Earlier this year Ron Allen took over the reins as head of the CALS Animal Sciences Department.
Although new to the position, Allen is certainly no stranger to the University of Arizona and has been an active member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since coming to Arizona from Michigan State University in 1980. Allen's contributions to the college have been in teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses, overseeing his highly respected research program and serving in many administrative roles, including associate head of the Animal Sciences Department since 2003.
Ron Allen, Animal Sciences
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/7.7.html
7 VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR TOMATO CONSUMPTION STUDY
Researchers at the University of Arizona are looking at the biological value of high lycopene tomatoes in the human diet. Two CALS researchers, Chieri Kubota, Department of Plant Sciences and Cynthia Thomson, Department of Nutrition Sciences, are studying the effects of a lycopene-rich diet under a grant funded by BIO5, the UA's collaborative research institute.
The goal of one portion of the study is to determine the effects of eating standard versus high-lycopene content tomatoes on blood lycopene levels and on oxidative stress reduction among healthy adults.
Men and postmenopausal women between 45 & 65 years old are eligible, and must be 1) willing to adhere to the prescribed lycopene-free diet, 2) willing to eat 2 tomatoes per day, and 3) available for clinic visits, telephone contact and able to complete study questionnaires. Qualified participants will be compensated upon completion of the study.
If you are interested in participating in the study and would like more information, please call Julie West at 520-321-7748
Cynthia Thomson, Nutritional Sciences
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2005/article11_2005.pdf
8 SOIL AND SITE EVALUATION WORKSHOP AUGUST 22-23
About 25 percent of the United States population lives in areas that use onsite wastewater treatment systems. There is a need to educate septic system owners and pumpers who maintain the systems, as well as designers, installers, contractors, regulators, and health officials on the proper siting, design, installation, operation, and maintenance of onsite wastewater treatment and dispersal systems.
In 1998, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension developed the Onsite Wastewater Education (OWE) Program. The OWE Program reaches owners of onsite wastewater treatment and dispersal systems, county and state regulators, and the onsite wastewater industry in Arizona. The program has two objectives, 1) to raise septic system owners' awareness of onsite operation and maintenance, and 2) to train the Arizona onsite wastewater treatment community. In 2002, the Onsite Wastewater Training Facility was established at the Maricopa Agricultural Center.
A two-day course covering soil and site evaluation for onsite wastewater treatment systems will be held August 22-23 at the Yavapai County Public Works Ready Room, 1090 Commerce Dr. in Prescott. The meeting is scheduled from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. both days.
Kitt Farrell-Poe, Yuma Agricultural Center
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/waterquality/onsite/SoilSiteFlierAug2006.htm
9 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
The University of Arizona's Environmental Research Laboratory (ERL), located on 8.6 acres next to the Tucson International Airport, is an established leader of environmental research and education in arid regions. It is the home of the UA National Science Foundation Water Quality Center.
The overall goal of ERL is to improve the health, welfare and living standards of communities in desert areas through the application of appropriate and sustainable technologies. The laboratory's projects are relevant to arid regions throughout the world.
Desert ecosystem maintenance and restoration projects use native desert plants, grown at onsite greenhouses, to revegetate lands left barren due to mining, overgrazing, abandoned farmland or other unsustainable land use practices. An urban environmental research program focuses on developing a range of appropriate and sustainable technologies that help communities reduce energy and water consumption, while enhancing the quality of life in desert environments.
The ERL has 30 years of experience in desert food production and is world-renowned for its research of salt tolerant crops for food and forage. In addition, as part of an effort to improve water quality and protect human health, the laboratory conducts toxicological and enviromental studies to minimize human risks from contaminated air, soil and water.
Ian Pepper, Environmental Research Laboratory
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/SWES/erl/research/
10 HERBICIDE SHORT COURSE IN PHOENIX AUGUST 2-3
"Herbicide Activity and Behavior in Plants and Soil" is the title of the 13th Annual Maricopa County Summer Short Course to be held August 2-3. The short course will be offered from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office, 4341 E. Broadway Rd. in Phoenix.
The guest Speaker is James L. "Jim" Griffin, weed scientist and professor in the Department of Agronomy at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Highlights include sessions on herbicide/plant interactions: absorption and translocation of herbicides applied to soil and foliage, metabolism of herbicides in plants, herbicide chemistry, and a review of organic chemistry and herbicide chemistry.
Registration fee of $125 includes lunch both days, refreshments, and course notes. The deadline for registration is July 28. Continuing education units are available. See registration form at the link below.
Kai Umeda, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
To learn more:
http://turf.arizona.edu/2006%20maricopa%20county%20summer%20short%20course.p
df
11 UA TRACTOR PULL TEAM IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
A team of UA engineering students built a four-engine "tractor" that features twin I-beam suspension, rear swing arms, dual wheels and a homebuilt limited slip setup.
In early June they loaded up the tractor and headed for Peoria, Illinois. and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' "1/4-scale Tractor Student Design Competition."
To say that UA's entry is unusual is something of an understatement. This is the first year that competition officials have allowed entries with multiple engines. So the UA team decided to use as many engines as possible to pack in the maximum horsepower while staying under the tractor's 900-pound overall weight limit.
Their results were mixed: the team placed 15th in the light division and fourth in the heavy division, which allows weight to be added to the rear. They placed first in the technical inspection and were awarded a much-needed $2000 arc welder.
Don Slack, Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering
To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/14.9.html
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