IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED MAY 30, 2003:

1. WILDFIRE CHECKLIST
2. INTERNATIONAL ARID LANDS CONSORTIUM
3. THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF ARIZONA AGRICULTURE
4. TEACHING TEACHERS ABOUT AGRICULTURE
5. WHERE DO WATER CONTAMINANTS COME FROM?
6. NEW ARIZONA AGRICULTURAL COMPLEX
7. WEAK BONES--FIGHTING OSTEOPOROSIS
8. TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
9. RANCHERS COPE WITH STATEWIDE DROUGHT
10. EVENTS

1 WILDFIRE CHECKLIST

Arizona is in the midst of a long-lasting drought that's causing added fire danger. In fact, the 2003 high-risk wildfire season is just beginning. Are you prepared to protect yourself and your home? A homeowners fire checklist will help.

Do you have a fully charged fire extinguisher in your kitchen, and does everybody in your family know how to use it? Are smoke detectors installed between living and sleeping areas? Test the detectors monthly and replace batteries twice a year.

Are you prepared for disaster? You should have a 3-day supply of food available that does not require refrigeration or cooking. A 3-day supply of water is also important.

Does your roof meet the Uniform Building Code fire resistant classification of Class B or better? Create a defensible space outside your home by modifying flammable vegetation to a distance of at least 75 feet around all buildings.

Fred Deneke, Cooperative Extension fire education specialist
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/firewise

Drought, famine, and economic disruption threaten the lives and livelihood of nearly 900 million people living in the world's desert and arid regions. Scientists belonging to the International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) believe one step to untangling the mess literally lies beneath our feet, in the soil and water that sustain us all.

Twelve years ago IALC member institutions--six from the United States and one each from Israel, Jordan, and Egypt--began their independent, non-profit organization dedicated to cooperative research and applying new knowledge to develop sustainable ecological practices in arid lands. CALS is one of the IALC members.

IALC has developed projects in Arizona, Texas, Israel, Illinois, South Dakota, New Mexico, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Ethiopia, Chile, Mexico and other regions. Students conduct research in a country not their own.

With scientist-to scientist collaboration for a common goal, other differences drop away, fostering understanding among cultures.

Jim Chamie, IALC
To learn more: http://ialcworld.org

In 1999, Arizona's agriculture accounted for 1.5 percent of gross state product, down from 10 percent before World War II. However, agriculture includes other, less-direct economic benefits to the state's economy. In total, agriculture accounts for about 5 percent of Arizona's gross state product.

Fewer than 4,000 Arizona farmers actually live on the farms they operate. Cattle ranching spreads thinly over nearly all Arizona's 73 million acres.

Decreasing receipts from cotton have shifted the crop into a distant 5th place below lettuce, other vegetables and melons, cattle and calves, and dairy products. Cash receipts from cattle and calves have also fallen to $500-600 million, slightly above half the receipts in the early 1980s. Government subsidies have accounted for 7 to 17 percent of the state's net farm income.

All crops depend almost exclusively on irrigation. Agriculture accounts for nearly 68 percent of all water used, even though less than one-half of one percent of the state's population farms.

Harry Ayer, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/azreview.html

Youngsters can't look out their schoolroom windows to see flourishing farms. Instead, they're probably in the middle of a housing development. Less than 2 percent of the people in the United States are farmers or ranchers. Teachers themselves are very likely unfamiliar with production agriculture.

Every summer CALS provides a 5-day Summer Agricultural Institute for Teachers to educate and encourage them to include agriculture in their lesson plans. They visit agricultural operations, stay with farm families, and learn about the technical aspects of the business of farming--and the wide range of career possibilities for their students.

As a result nearly 60 percent of the attending teachers have incorporated agriculture into their curriculum in some form.

Monica Pastor, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/impacts/6_5.pdf

Blame the raccoons. Scientists discovered these furry masked critters were responsible for about 30 percent of the E. coliform bacteria contamination near Sedona Creek. People caused only 16 percent.

Molecular techniques can now help trace water contaminants to their source, whether it's livestock, wildlife, or human. Source tracking can even identify the type of livestock or wildlife. Scientists now use DNA testing.

Identifying a pollutant source can help identify causes for diseases of previously unknown origins. For example, epidemiological relationships have been established between drinking groundwater and ulcers. Nobody would have guessed that 20 years ago.

Charles Gerba, Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/AZWATER/awr/marapr03/feature1.html

A new facility at the Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson is dedicated to researching the environmental factors that affect the production capacity of farm animals. This state-of-the art, 40,000 square foot, multipurpose building was completed a year ago

The complex features environmental controls for light, temperature, humidity and other factors so that faculty can conduct studies in physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, and molecular biology. Two rooms are equipped with full-spectrum solar lighting to simulate the intensity and radiance of sunlight. The building also has surgical facilities.

The ultimate goal is to understand the genes that control animal response to stress and adjust gene function so animals can better adapt to various environmental conditions.

Robert Collier, Department of Animal Sciences
Colin Kaltenbach, Agricultural Experiment Station
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2002/2.pdf

Weak bones happen when the bone loss is greater than the amount of bone gain. You may not know you have osteoporosis until you break a bone. Simple actions such as sneezing or bending can cause a broken bone.
You can find out if you have a problem with weak bones by having a bone density test. A doctor can look at your risk factors to decide whether you need medicine.

Some foods will help you give your bones all the vitamins, minerals, and protein that you need. Include fruits, vegetables, bread, and low-fat meats, fish and chicken. Three or four servings of low-fat milk daily will also help. Almonds, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, plus juices, bread, and tofu with added calcium are also valuable, along with exercise.

Scottie Misner, Department of Nutritional Sciences
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1295.pdf

The fundamental relationship between a teacher and child makes the diference in the early success rate in school. Early intervention, such as Head Start, has the greatest effect when a teacher builds a close, but not dependent, relationship.

Researchers assumed that other factors would also play a part, such as family background, divorce, job loss, or health problems. Their study showed that parents who had a better relationship with their children's teacher had children who showed more more improvement during the school year.

The research also highlights the importance of the role of teacher in nuturing both parental involvement and a child's adjustment to the clasroom. Teachers do make a difference.

Angela Taylor, Division of Family Studies and Human Development
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2002/14.pdf

Breeding failure is the worst effect a drought can have on cattle. Cows may be unable to eat enough forage to maintain their body weight. Poisoning from toxic green plants can be another problem.

According to livestock experts, ranchers need to evaluate their range to determine the forage supply. They should analyze the forage to determine nutrient deficiencies.

Start a supplementation regime at least 60 days before calving to prevent accelerated weight loss following calving. Protein supplements can be given as infrequently as once a week if the forage supply is adequate but the quality is inferior. If the forage supply is limited, use a protein/energy or a daily energy supplement.

Use water to help distribute livestock to areas that are not being fully grazed. Cull cows to match animal units to available forage.

Jim Sprinkle, Department of Animal Sciences
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/ans/alr/ALR-APR-03.pdf

Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, June 9-14, Mormon Lake, Arizona. Contact Jill Rubio, jrubio@ag.arizona.edu or download http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/plt

The Arizona Studies Academy at NAU, Teaching and Learning about Arizona's Natural Resources June 23-28. To learn more, check http://www.azstudies.org

Neighborhoods Arizona: Energizing Our Community Spirit. June 27-28 at the Mesa Centennial Hall and Convention Center, Mesa Sheraton. Hosted by Maricopa County Cooperative Extension and others. To learn more, contact jwaits@ag.arizona.edu

Arizona Firewise Communities workshop, October 16 at the Tucson Convention Center. To learn more or to register go to http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/firewise, click on Workshops or contact arogstad@ag.arizona.edu

First Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds, Benson, Arizona, October 28-30, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the USDA ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. Submit abstracts by October 15. Mitch McClaran mcclaran@u.arizona.edu

"One Hundred Years of Accomplishments and Contributions" -- at Santa Rita Experimental Range, Tucson, Arizona, October 30-November 1 Submit a title and a 250-word abstract by October 15 to mcclaran@u.arizona.edu.

Let your colleagues know about CALS NewsLines. They (and you) can sign up to receive this free monthly electronic newsletter by visiting http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/newsline/ To remove your email address from the subscription list, send an email to: endnews@ag.arizona.edu The subject line should be: "drop from newsline". No text message is necessary.