In meetings around the state and through a mail survey, to solicit
reactions on whether or not Arizona Land and People should be continued
and in what format, we were surprised by the number of requests that we
received for an electronic college newsletter. Therefore we are about to
launch a new companion to Arizona Land & People, called CALS NewsLine.
This is based on the CALS Weekly Bulletin, but will be sent out once a
month. More importantly it is focused on an external audience. A sample
issue can be found below. As with the Weekly Bulletin, the articles will
be very brief, with a link to more material online.
We am sharing this information with you, in case you want to subscribe,
and for you to share a short notice about this electronic newsletters
in newsletters you distribute.
To subscribe to newsline, fill out the form at
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/newsline/
A sample of the newsletter is below:
-----------------
CALS NewsLine is dedicated to helping you learn more about our programs and
activities.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to NewsLine, go to the end of this newsletter.
IN THIS MONTH'S NEWSLINE:
1 CUT COST, REDUCE SPRAYING, IMPROVE COTTON QUALITY IN ARIZONA
2 HAPPIER FAMILIES
3 CLEANER WATER FOR ARIZONA DAIRIES
4 MULTI-MEDIA CLASSROOM LEARNING
5 LOOKING FOR ANTI-CANCER DRUGS IN THE SONORAN DESERT
6 EROSION CONTROL AFTER WILDFIRES
7 ROOF RAT CONTROL
8 FEEDING CITRUS TREES
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1 CUT COST, REDUCE SPRAYING, IMPROVE COTTON QUALITY IN ARIZONA
In the last three years, less than half Arizona's 250,000 acres of cotton
were sprayed to control two major pests - pink bollworm and silverleaf
whitefly. In 1995, only seven years ago, all Arizona cotton fields were
treated for these two insects. Now, growers save money on insecticides at
the same time they improve the quality and salability of their crop.
What happened? CALS cotton scientists, the cotton industry, and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture all encouraged growers to use transgenic cotton
containing Bt to control bollworm infestations. Insect growth regulators
control whiteflies.
Peter Ellsworth, Department of Entomology, Maricopa Agricultural Center
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/impacts
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2 HAPPIER FAMILIES
Young parents are learning to use less harsh, but still effective
discipline -learning how to take care of their homes - learning where and
how to get the help they need.
High risk families getting this help from Cooperative Extension often
include too-young, too-tired parents. They're parents whose lives are torn
by fighting abuse, alcohol, or drug addictions.
In Pinal County, extension agents teach paraprofessionals and community
volunteers to work one-on-one with parents. The successful program now
includes truant teenagers, prisoners soon to be released, and parents going
off welfare.
Ninety-four percent of participants in The Family and Community Connection
program report their lives have changed for the better.
Darcy Dixon, Pinal County extension agent
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/impacts
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3 CLEANER WATER FOR ARIZONA DAIRIES
Man-made wetlands can enable dairies to meet today's stringent clean water
regulations.
Cities around the country have developed wastewater treatment wetland
systems that duplicate what happens in natural wetlands. In both systems,
water plants, animals, microorganisms, and the environment interact to
improve water quality.
Dairy wastewater has a high organic content, making it difficult to reuse.
CALS researchers investigated less complex and less expensive variations of
the man-made wetlands used in cities.
The wetlands mimic a natural setting, allowing plant to do the work of
complicated machinery. Treatment cells or ponds filter and remove
contaminants, and clay pond liners protect groundwater from contamination.
Mineral oil, a larvicide, limits mosquito breeding.
Bob Freitas, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Martin Karpisak, Office of Arid Lands Studies
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2001/04.html
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4 MULTI-MEDIA CLASSROOM LEARNING
Keeping up with teaching standards and professional demands isn't easy for
agricultural education teachers in remote Arizona areas. Traveling long
distances to attend university classes is costly and time-consuming. Now
they have an alternative.
CALS developed a self-contained multimedia command center to deliver
workshops to teachers and students wherever they are in the state.
Instructors can capture classroom participation, use email, the Internet,
multimedia, video, and 3-D image display.
High-quality classroom videos can go directly to off-site students. They can
interact and ask questions using email.
As one teacher said, "This technology enabled me to complete my degree
without traveling 230 miles or paying the added expense."
Jack Elliot, Department of Agricultural Education
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/impacts
--------
5 LOOKING FOR ANTI-CANCER DRUGS IN THE SONORAN DESERT
CALS scientists are helping search the Sonoran desert for plants and
microorganisms with anti-cancer properties. After testing compounds from
more than 500 plant species, the researchers found several that fight solid
malignant tumors in the colon, lung, breast, and prostate.
Desert plants are a cancer-attacking possibility because they're exposed
to a great deal of light, which speeds their metabolism. Scientists select
compounds from plant roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. They
also test microorganisms living around root surfaces.
These tests require many steps to extract and purify active plant
ingredients. Researchers are looking for plant extracts that stop
angiogenesis - a process in which a tumor begins to produce its own blood
supply, allowing it to grow faster.
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2001/14.html
--------
6 EROSION CONTROL AFTER WILDFIRES
Wildfires destroy soil protection from shrubs, grasses, trees, and the
normal forest floor litter. In severe, slow-moving fires, burning vegetative
materials create a gas that condenses and forms a waxy coating. It repels
water and causes greater water runoff. The most immediate consequence is a
greater potential for erosion during heavy rains or snow.
Once it's safe to return to the property, landowners should act quickly to
minimize erosion. Fell damaged trees, cut off limbs, and put them in
alternating rows perpendicular to the slope. Create check dams in drainages
using straw bales. Spread straw to protect the soil and reseeding efforts.
Use water bars to reduce soil erosion on roads.
Frederick J. Deneke, School of Renewable Natural Resources
Jim Sprinkle, Coconino, Gila, and Yavapai counties Cooperative Extension
Check the publication Soil Erosion Control after Wildfire.
To learn more: http://www.ext.colostate.edu
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7 ROOF RAT CONTROL
Have you heard a furtive scurrying in your attic? You could have roof rats;
these citrus-lovers are now infesting some homes in the Phoenix area. Rattus
Rattus are agile climbers and forage for food at night. They're fond of
fruit, especially citrus, but they'll also eat pet food, birdseed, and
garbage.
Getting rid of roof rats isn't easy; they can invade your home through
very small openings. You can't successfully repel or frighten them off,
but you can trap roof rats or poison them with bait.
The best advice is to get professional help.
Lawrence M. Sullivan, School of Renewable Natural Resources
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1280.pdf
--------
8 FEEDING CITRUS TREES
Nitrogen is usually the only fertilizer your citrus trees need. Use
commercial fertilizer rather than animal manure, because it may cause iron
chlorosis. A mature grapefruit tree in good condition needs one pound of
nitrogen every year; apply half in February and the rest between May and
August. Oranges and other citrus trees need two pounds each.
Arizona citrus trees may also lack iron, zinc, manganese; the diagnosis
depends on the symptoms. These nutrients are not normally needed before the
trees are three to five years old.
Mary Olsen, Mike Matheron, Mike McClure, Zhongguo Xiong, Department of Plant
Pathology
To learn more, check the publication Diseases of Citrus in Arizona. Click on
the address below.
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/diseases/az1154.pdf
_______________________________________________________________________
Robert Casler and Linda Ffolliott
ECAT
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