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IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED October 31, 2006:

1. LANDSCAPE WATERING NEEDS CHANGE WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES
2. POTENTIALLY FATAL BACTERIA FOUND IN TUCSON MEAT
3. GRANT TO MAKE KARTCHNER CAVERNS A MICROBIAL OBSERVATORY
4. TAKE CHARGE AMERICA INSTITUTE AT THE UA INCLUDES FAMILY FINANCIAL EDUCATION
5. UA WATER FORUM NOVEMBER 2 IN TUCSON
6. THE LAKIN FAMILY PLAZA TO BE DEDICATED NOVEMBER 10
7. NEW BOOK ON ARIZONA WATER POLICY
8. SOIL SOLARIZATION AS METHOD OF DISEASE CONTROL IN YUMA AGRICULTURAL FIELDS
9. PESTS AND DISEASES OF SUCCULENT PLANTS IN ARIZONA
10. INFORMATION ON DISEASES AMONG DIVERSE AUDIENCES
11. MONEY MANAGEMENT VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN PHOENIX NOV. 30 AND DEC. 7
12. SYMPOSIUM ON RACE TRACK INDUSTRY DECEMBER 5-7 IN TUCSON

1 LANDSCAPE WATERING NEEDS CHANGE WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES

As temperatures cool throughout Arizona, many people run the risk of overwatering or underwatering plants in their landscapes. Overwatering can damage or even kill plants as well as leaving the homeowner with high water bills.

Learning to water efficiently and effectively is the key to properly watering trees and shrubs. The soil surrounding the plant's roots, called the root zone, serves as a storage tank from which the plant draws moisture and nutrients. Most trees and shrubs shed rain water to the drip line, much like an umbrella. The most active water absorption area is at the drip line and beyond, which is there the plant should be watered, not close to the trunk. Most of the roots spread 1 ½ to 4 times as wide as the plant's canopy.

Most drip irrigation systems do not have enough well-placed and spaced emitters. Add emitters and increase the area watered as the plants grow. If trees are in a lawn, water the trees separately from the grass. Deep watering promotes deep rooting of trees and shrubs. If not, tree roots may grow on the soil surface and be susceptible to damage (or even uprooted) during high winds.

Cado Daily, Cochise County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/water/az1298.pdf

2 POTENTIALLY FATAL BACTERIA FOUND IN TUCSON MEAT

A potentially fatal bacteria has been found in meats recently bought in Tucson, triggering a federal investigation to determine if tainted meat is sickening Americans.

The bacteria--known as Clostridium difficile, or C. diff--has been around for decades, but until now was linked mainly to infections in elderly hospital patients taking antibiotics, and never with eating any kind of food.

Discovering the bacteria in meats has scientists now wondering if possible food-borne transmission may be playing a role in all this. UA researchers were stunned to find the epidemic strain in several of the meat samples bought and tested in Tucson.

To read the complete story, published in the October 20, 2006 issue of the Arizona Daily Star, go to http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/151997

Glenn Songer, Department of Animal Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/7.8.html

3 GRANT TO MAKE KARTCHNER CAVERNS A MICROBIAL OBSERVATORY

University of Arizona researchers will investigate the lives of Kartchner Caverns State Park's tiniest inhabitants with the help of a $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The five-year grant to the UA will add Kartchner Caverns, part of the Arizona State Parks system, to the National Science Foundation's worldwide network of Microbial Observatories.

The grant brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines in the UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Co-principal investigators are Raina Maier, professor of soil, water and environmental science, Barry M. Pryor, assistant professor of plant pathology; Leland S. Pierson III, professor of plant pathology; and Rod Wing, professor of plant sciences and director of UA's Arizona Genomics Institute. Maier and Wing are also members of UA's BIO5 Institute.

Raina Maier, Department of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/6.16.html

4 TAKE CHARGE AMERICA INSTITUTE AT THE UA INCLUDES FAMILY FINANCIAL EDUCATION

The UA Take Charge America Institute for Consumer Financial Education and Research recently teamed up with the national-award winning Family Economics and Financial Education Project (FEFE). The mission of the FEFE is to provide educators with no-cost curriculum materials and the skills and confidence to effectively teach family economics and finance to their students.

The project began in Montana 2001 with the goal of determining what makes a curriculum work and how to effectively disseminate it to educators. In a collaborative effort with family economics and finance educators, it was determined that an effective curriculum must be easy to understand, simple to use and low-cost.

Three distinct strengths resulted from this collaboration: (a) a curriculum designed, tested, and edited by educators for educators; (b) professional development opportunities offered to educators to expand their knowledge through training, newsletters, and individual assistance; and (c) lesson plans designed for students grades 7-12 in a straightforward, ready-to-teach format.

Nicole Chinadle, Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/fcs/tcai/consumer_link/fall06.pdf

5 UA WATER FORUM NOVEMBER 2 IN TUCSON

The UA Water Forum, sponsored by the UA Water Sustainability Program (WSP), is designed to highlight WSP research, education and outreach at UA. This research is funded through the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF).

This year's program will be held on November 2 at the UA campus Student Union, Grand Ballroom South. The theme is Tools and Technology for Water Sustainability. The speakers program runs from 2:00 to 4:20 p.m., accompanied by a poster session held from noon until 5:00 p.m.

Opening remarks at 2:00 p.m. by Gene Sander, Water Sustainability Program director and CALS dean and vice president, and Sharon Megdal, Water Resources Research Center director, will be followed by five speakers, with closing remaks at 4:00 p.m. by UA President Robert Shelton.

Topics include: 1) The Water Village: Developing Technology for Water Safety, Security and Reuse, 2) Water Use and Reuse in High-Technology Industries, 3)Low Cost Bioreactor for the Treatment of Perchlorate and Nitrate in Groundwater, 4) Monitoring Impacts of Climate Fluctuation and Change on Water Resources: SAHRA Web Applications and Volunteer Networks, and 5) Extending the Reach of Tools and Technology for Water Sustainability.

Jackie Moxley, Water Resources Research Center

To learn more:
http://www.uawater.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/uawater/news.pl?ID=50

6 THE LAKIN FAMILY PLAZA TO BE DEDICATED NOVEMBER 10

One of CALS' newest buildings will feature a specially designed outdoor space. The Lakin Family Plaza will be a tree-shaded, open plaza and part of McClelland Park, the future new home of the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. The plaza is intended to represent the importance of families and children and reinforce the need to teach and understand life-span development and human relations though programs such as the family studies and human development major.

The donors, Charles A. and Maxine Lakin, will be honored Friday, November 10, 2006. Long-time residents and pioneers of Arizona, the Lakins are proud parents and grandparents who have long valued the institutions of family, community, and education as integral components of successful societies.

Charles A. "Chuck" Lakin attended the University of Arizona (UA) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and has been involved in Arizona agriculture nearly his entire life. He pioneered the development of the complete-pellet horse feeds for which Lakin Milling Company became known.

Maxine Lakin graduated from UA with a degree in Business and has maintained a lifelong commitment to improving agricultural practices, education, and the environment.

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/4.24.html

7 NEW BOOK ON ARIZONA WATER POLICY

The central challenge encountered by Arizona and many other arid regions in the world is keeping a sustainable water supply in the face of rapid population growth and other competing demands. A new book, Arizona Water Policy, Management Innovations in an Urbanizing, Arid Region, highlights new approaches that Arizona has pioneered for managing its water needs.

Written by University of Arizona water experts, the essays in the book address these issues from academic, professional, and policy perspectives that include economics, climatology, law, and engineering. Among the innovations explored in the book is Arizona's Groundwater Management Act.

A review of the book and ordering information is available at the link below.

Bonnie Colby, Agricultural and Resource Economics

To learn more:
http://www.rff.org/rff/rff_press/bookdetail.cfm?outputID=9365

8 SOIL SOLARIZATION AS METHOD OF DISEASE CONTROL IN YUMA AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

When faced with a pest that threatens their crops, Yuma vegetable producers don't automatically reach for a bottle of pesticide and spray their fields. They have a toolbox of other options they may turn to first in an effort to protect their crops. Use of nonchemical tools, or cultural practices, is part of an approach called integrated pest management. These alternatives include crop rotation, soilless culture, planting of cover crops and resistant varieties and soil solarization.

Solarization is a method in which clear plastic is laid on the soil surface to trap solar radiation and heat the soil to temperatures high enough to kill pests. The top six inches of soil can heat up to as high as 125 degrees--hot enough to kill a wide range of soil-inhabiting pests.

Fusarium wilt first appeared in U.S. lettuce in Huron, California in 1995. The disease was found in Yuma County, Arizona lettuce fields in 2001. While few fields currently have Fusarium wilt, more is expected to be found this year. One of the wilt's spores allows the fungus to remain in the soil for an estimated 10 to 15 years. Soil solarization and soil flooding are being investigated as possible control measures for Fusarium wilt.

Factors helping to drive the search for alternative pest control methods include declining profit margins, rising costs, global competition and an increase in environmental regulations that threaten to reduce the number of chemical pest controls.

Mike Matheron, Yuma Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/crops/vegetables/quality/newsletter/2006/westveg0907.pdf

9 PESTS AND DISEASES OF SUCCULENT PLANTS IN ARIZONA

Agaves, aloes, cacti and yuccas are classified as succulents--plants that have highly specialized anatomical features such as thick waxy cuticles, fleshy or minimal leaves, modified leaves (spines), and roots with extra storage capabilities for food and water.

Despite their adaptations, succulents suffer from diseases, insect pests and horticultural problems. Some of the more common problems that occur in agave, aloes, cacti and yuccas in Arizona are discussed in the bulletin "Problems and Pests of Agave, Aloe, Cactus and Yucca" now available from CALSmart.

Their modifications allow them to survive and thrive in harsh desert environments. They survive long periods of drought in areas of sparse rainfall and intense heat. During stressful periods many succulents cease to grow. They drop unnecessary leaves, dehydrate and become dormant until conditions for growth return.

To download a copy of the new bulletin, go to the link below.

Jack Kelly, Pima County Cooperative Extension Mary Olsen, Department of Plant Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1399.pdf

10 INFORMATION ON DISEASES AMONG DIVERSE AUDIENCES

Heart disease, diabetes and cancer stike people from all walks of life. About 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3% of the population, have diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce insulin or cannot adequately use the insulin it has. Insulin is needed by the body to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy needed for daily activities. Genetics and environmental factors such as being overweight and physically inactive seem to play roles.

A series of publications on how heart disease, diabetes and cancer affect diverse audience are available from CALSmart. To learn about diabetes, go to the link below.

Ruth Jackson, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/dept/agbusforum2006.html

11 MONEY MANAGEMENT VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN PHOENIX NOV. 30 AND DEC. 7

How do families learn about managing money, getting the most for their limited dollars and saving for the things they want and need? One way is through Money Management Advisor volunteers who are trained by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Money Management Advisor volunteers teach money management skills to limited income families in neighborhood centers, churches, community sites and parent programs. The training program is geared to adults interested in teaching limited income families how to improve their financial status through money/budgeting skills.

The next two-part training will be Thursday, Nov. 30 and Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Participants should attend both days. The cost for the workshop is $25 for a notebook of lessons, handouts in English and Spanish plus the two-day training.

Sharon Hoelscher Day, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/fcs/mm.html

12 SYMPOSIUM ON RACE TRACK INDUSTRY DECEMBER 5-7 IN TUCSON

Wagering issues, equine safety, 'racinos' (a racetrack and casino gaming combination) and marketing will be among the topics covered at this year's University of Arizona Symposium on Racing and Gaming, to be held December 4-7 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson.

Panels will be conducted December 5-7, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on December 5 and 8:30 a.m. on December 6-7. Included for the first time on this year's agenda will be a panel on "The Blog: New Media Monster?"

Presented by the UA's Race Track Industry Program, the symposium is the largest multi-breed racing and gaming conference in the world, as it annually attracts more than 1,000 industry leaders representing thoroughbred, standardbred, American Quarter Horse, greyhound, and gaming interests.

Steve Barham, Department of Animal Sciences Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/rtip/Symposium/Symposiuminfo.html

To find out about available CALS publications and upcoming events, go to http://cals.arizona.edu/. If you have questions or comments about NewsLine, send an email to newseditor@ag.arizona.edu. Previous issues can be viewed at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/newsline/previous-issues.html

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