CALS NewsLine from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED December 23 , 2008:
- VICKI CHANDLER ACCEPTS CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER POSITION
- MULTI-STATE EFFORT TO SUPPRESS LYGUS BUG IN COTTON
- UA GRANT TO TARGET OVERWEIGHT YOUTH
- CHARLES GERBA NAMED 2008 AAAS FELLOW
- WINTER PROTECTION FOR TROPICAL CONTAINER PLANTS IN THE DESERT
- RUSSELL TRONSTAD HONORED WITH UA DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD
- NEW GLEN G. CURTIS BUILDING AT YUMA AGRICULTURAL CENTER
- TWO UA PROFESSORS TO LEAD NATIONAL ACADEMIES' CLIMATE PANELS
- NEW CALS PUBLICATIONS: DECEMBER
- SOYEON SHIM FIRST TO RECEIVE NEW FUNDRAISING AWARD
- CALS IN THE NEWS: DECEMBER
1 VICKI CHANDLER ACCEPTS CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER POSITION
A unique opportunity to direct philanthropic funding toward transformative scientific research has BIO5 Director Vicki L. Chandler on her way to the San Francisco Bay Area next year. She has been tapped for the position of chief program officer, science for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Her work there begins Feb. 17, 2009.
Chandler will step down as director of the BIO5 Institute, but she will continue to devote about 20 percent of her time on her research program at The University of Arizona, including her involvement in the iPlant Collaborative, a project administered by BIO5 and funded through a $50 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
"I love the UA and living in Tucson. It's been an incredible 12 years. I've benefitted from the intellectual environment here and will continue to do so. And the BIO5 Institute is in great shape. I'm stepping down as director at a time of real organizational strength. We have terrific faculty and staff in place," Chandler said.
A Regents' professor in the departments of plant sciences and molecular and cellular biology, Chandler holds the Weiler Endowed Chair for Excellence in Agriculture and Life Sciences, a position she will retain along with her UA research activities.
Read more from the December 22 issue of UANews at the link below, and from the December 23 issue of the Arizona Daily Star at http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/272925.
Vicki Chandler, BIO5 Institute, chandler@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://uanews.opi.arizona.edu/node/23206
2 MULTI-STATE EFFORT TO SUPPRESS LYGUS BUG IN COTTON
After holding the title of No. 1 pest in Arizona cotton for the past 10 years, the Lygus bug is now the focus of a four-state effort to suppress its reach and reduce its potential damage across multiple crops.
In cotton alone, yield losses to this serious pest have averaged over $6.9 million annually in Arizona for the past 10 years. Across the Cotton Belt, Lygus infested more than five million acres in 2007. Nearly $100 million was spent on sprays, but despite these control efforts, over $50 million was lost in yield to Lygus. In addition to cotton, Lygus attacks a wide array of vegetable, field and fruit crops, and will migrate to susceptible new crops introduced to an area.
Although Arizona cotton growers have kept Lygus at bay since 1999 through an effective integrated pest management (IPM) program, the insect has expanded its feeding range across the Southwest, calling for a more comprehensive approach.
Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service's Risk Avoidance & Mitigation Program (RAMP), scientists, growers and agricultural industry representatives in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas are working together to reduce the risk of Lygus infestation at three levels: the individual grower's field, the local landscape and the wider ecosystem. The program includes co-principal investigators from USDA, University of California, New Mexico State University, Texas A&M and the UA as the lead institution.
Read more from the CALS Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Report at the link below.
Peter Ellsworth, Maricopa Agricultural Center, peterell@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2007/article4.pdf
3 UA GRANT TO TARGET OVERWEIGHT YOUTH
A group of researchers at The University of Arizona is devising a plan to target childhood obesity through the very technology that is partly to blame for the increasingly large number of growing young waistlines.
The study, "Stealth Health: Youth Innovation, Mobile Technology, Online Social Networking, and Informal Learning to Promote Physical Activity," is funded by a three-year, $1,476,300 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Scott Going, UA professor of nutritional sciences, is the principal investigator of the grant. Co-principal investigators include Nobuko Hongu, an assistant professor and nutrition extension specialist in the UA nutritional sciences department; Mimi Nichter, UA associate professor of anthropology; Barron Orr, associate professor and geospatial extension specialist in the UA Office of Arid Lands Studies; and Denise J. Roe, professor in the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.
The prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. continues to rise, and while a number of factors contribute to the problem, Going and his colleagues are focusing on "screen-time" technology. Mounting evidence shows that young people who spend their days sitting in class at school and being sedentary during their free time with computers, televisions and video games are more likely to gain weight than those who engage in physical activities.
The current consensus, Going said, is that many programs combat obesity with limited, short-lived success. Reaching the significant majority of youth who traditionally do not participate in formal healthy lifestyle education programs, either on their own or led by an expert, requires an informal approach that engages youth where they are in their everyday lives. Going thinks that can happen by capitalizing on mobile phone technology and online social networks through the design of a youth-friendly nutrition and physical activity, or NPA, program.
Read the rest of this November 21 UANews article at the link below. The story was also featured in the November 23 issue of the Arizona Daily Star at http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/268580.
Scott Going, Department of Nutritional Sciences, going@email.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://uanews.org/node/22750
4 CHARLES GERBA NAMED 2008 AAAS FELLOW
University of Arizona professors Charles P. Gerba and William Y. Vélez have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon association members by their peers.
This year 486 members have been awarded the honor by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, known as AAAS, because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
Gerba, professor of soil, water and environmental science and microbiology and immunology, was elected for his distinguished contributions to the field of health-related water microbiology and environmental microbiology.
He has brought the field of microbiology to center stage, fulfilling requests to discuss his research on "Dateline," "48 Hours," "Today," "20/20" and "Good Morning America." Widely known as Dr. Germ, Gerba has become the nation's expert on domestic and public hygiene.
Gerba has extensively researched the detection, concentration and movement of critical bacterial and viral pathogens in water and has contributed greatly to the training of environmental microbiologists. He has also been a leader in developing the field of quantitative microbial risk assessment to better understand the risk of pathogens in environments.
Gerba's work in this area was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Association and was used by the Environmental Protection Agency to set standards for surface water treatment in the United States.
Read more from the December 22 issue of UANews at the link below.
Charles Gerba, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, gerba@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://uanews.opi.arizona.edu/node/23114
5 WINTER PROTECTION FOR TROPICAL CONTAINER PLANTS IN THE DESERT
Lots of interesting and exotic plants can be grown successfully in Southern Arizona. Even if you live in the high desert, you can take steps to periodically protect these tropical container plants from the cold.
Some of the best tropicals for containers include Tropical Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia regina), Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milli), Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia versicolor), and Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii). All have striking blooms, except the Pygmy Date Palm, which has exceptional foliage and form. And all can be grown outdoors with protection on cold nights. In the high desert, they need to come indoors or in a home greenhouse during cold weather.
Read the rest of this December 21 article from the Arizona Daily Star at the link below.
John Begeman, Pima County Cooperative Extension, jbegeman@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/272156.php
6 RUSSELL TRONSTAD HONORED WITH UA DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD
Russell Tronstad wasn't much older than his 12-year-old son when he was operating heavy equipment on his family's Montana ranch. Years later, he's taken his farming and ranching background to a whole new and modern level, developing online tools to aid with livestock management and crops marketing.
Diane Austin, who has taught students ranging from second grade to college, has always had a passion for research and education. With the help of her students, she's worked with a number of communities--including American Indian tribes, border towns and areas affected by Hurricane Katrina--to tackle important environmental issues.
Both Tronstad and Austin will receive The University of Arizona's Distinguished Faculty Outreach Professor Awards at Saturday's winter commencement. The award recognizes faculty members who have significantly contributed to the University's outreach mission through scholarship-based outreach to the state, nation and world. It includes the honorary title and a $5,000 base salary increase.
Since joining the UA in 1989, Tronstad, a professor and specialist in the department of agricultural and resource economics, has led numerous research and outreach projects and co-authored several publications to aid farming and ranching communities, particularly in rural Arizona. His recent research undertakings include a study, conducted with a graduate student, on the costs of illegal immigration on Arizona's border ranches ^S including fence repairs, litter cleanup and livestock losses ^S and a study on trade flow between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
Read more from the December 17 issue of Lo Que Pasa at the link below.
Russell Tronstad, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, tronstad@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://lqp.arizona.edu/node/900
7 NEW GLEN G. CURTIS BUILDING AT YUMA AGRICULTURAL CENTER
After decades of operating in 1950s-era buildings and trailers, CALS' Yuma Agricultural Center (YAC) researchers and staff have a new home. The new Glen G. Curtis Building's 20,000 square feet offer state-of-the-art laboratories, a multi-media conference room and office space in a single location for all Yuma faculty.
Given the challenges facing agriculture today, this new facility is more important than ever. Newspaper headlines report the latest food safety recall, farm labor shortages, ever-rising fuel and fertilizer costs, water shortages and pesticide pollution. Nationally recognized Curtis Building researchers tackle these crises every day, working hard to provide science-based solutions for the agricultural industry.
"The new building means we can serve agriculture even better" according to YAC Director Charles Sanchez. "We've always seen ourselves as partners with growers, shippers, and even consumers. This modern facility will allow us to do even more to keep food safe, to protect our natural environment and to insure sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture in Arizona."
Many YAC programs support the high value vegetable and citrus industries in the lower Colorado River region. Research and outreach programs cover plant physiology, plant biochemistry, crop production, insect biology and control, disease biology and control, weed ecology, soil and water management, fate and transport of environmental contaminants, food safety, and agricultural mechanization.
Read the rest of this article from the CALS Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report at the link below. For more about the building's dedication ceremony, see the Yuma Daily Sun's November 14 issue: http://www.yumasun.com/news/share_45825___article.html/enthusiasm_growers.html
Charles Sanchez, Yuma Agricultural Center, sanchez@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/general/resrpt2007/article14.pdf
8 TWO UA PROFESSORS TO LEAD NATIONAL ACADEMIES' CLIMATE PANELS
TTwo University of Arizona professors whose research examines a range of issues on water, environment and sustainability have been named by the National Academies to head panels for a study on the nation's response to climate change.
The National Academies include the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.
Kathy Jacobs, executive director of the Arizona Water Institute, has been appointed as chair of the study on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. Diana Liverman, incoming co-director of the Institute for Environment and Society at the UA, will become vice-chair of the study on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change.
Jacobs and Liverman will both sit on the main Committee on America's Climate Choices, which brings together scientists, and political, civic and business leaders, to convene a major summit in Washington, D.C., in spring 2009.
The committee also will coordinate the work of the four study panels that will examine the serious and sweeping issues associated with global climate change, including the science and technology challenges involved, and provide advice on responding with the most effective steps and most promising strategies. The two panels led by Jacobs and Liverman also will work closely with two other panels: Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change and Advancing the Science of Climate Change.
Read the rest of this story from the December 3 edition of UANews at the link below.
Kathy Jacobs, Arizona Water Institute, kjacobs@hwr.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://uanews.opi.arizona.edu/node/22853
9 NEW CALS PUBLICATIONS: DECEMBER
PESTS AND DISEASES OF SUCCULENTS
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. These 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.
Despite their adaptations succulents suffer from diseases, insect pests and cultural problems. Some of the more common problems that occur in agave, aloes, cacti and yuccas in Arizona are discussed in a new Arizona Cooperative Extension bulletin: Problems and Pests of Agave, Aloe, Cactus and Yucca. To print a copy, go to http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1399.pdf.
Jack Kelly, Pima County Cooperative Extension, jackelly@ag.arizona.edu
Mary Olsen, Extension Plant Pathology, molsen@ag.arizona.edu
READING THE NUTRITION FACTS LABEL: A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH
All packaged foods have labels which contain useful information to help you better understand the food you are purchasing. This new Cooperative Extension guide walks you through the basics of the Nutrition Facts label. Work carefully through the five steps to make the smartest and healthiest food choices. See http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1477.pdf.
Kay Hongu, Department of Nutritional Sciences, hongu@email.arizona.edu
SLOWING BACTERIAL GROWTH IN FOOD
Even though most bacteria will not harm you, some types of bacteria given favorable conditions can produce sickness in susceptible individuals, including children and the elderly. When bacteria have nutrients (food), moisture and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly and can cause serious illness.
A standard rule, recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to keep hot foods above 140° F and cold foods below 40° F. Temperatures in between these two are known as the "Danger Zone." Outside of the danger zone, it has been found that above 160° F, heat destroys bacteria. On the other hand, refrigerating foods below 40° F only slows the growth of bacteria but does not kill them. Also, freezing stops their development, but does not destroy bacteria. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the "Danger Zone," some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.
Read more from the new CALS Nutritional Sciences publication "Time and Temperature Make a Difference" at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1086.pdf
Other new food safety guides include:
"Cutting Boards (Plastic vs. Wood)"
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1076.pdf
"Package Dating of Goods"
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1088.pdf
"Ham Safety and Storage"
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1089.pdf
"Unpasteurized Cider and Juice"
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1087.pdf
"Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points"
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1070.pdf
Scottie Misner, Department of Nutritional Sciences, misner@ag.arizona.edu
UNDERSTANDING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High Blood Pressure or hypertension is a risk factor for heart and kidney diseases, as well as strokes. In fact, more than a million heart attacks and a half a million strokes are caused in part by high blood pressure. Most people think high blood pressure affects only adults. That's not the case however. For some children, high blood pressure is caused by problems with kidneys or heart. But for some children poor lifestyle habits, such as unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, contribute to high blood pressure. High blood pressure in children has become a natural extension of the nationwide obesity epidemic.
Find out more about high blood pressure, including ways to lower it, by reading the new CALS publication "High Blood Pressure" at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1230.pdf
Scottie Misner, Department of Nutritional Sciences, misner@ag.arizona.edu
10 SOYEON SHIM FIRST TO RECEIVE NEW FUNDRAISING AWARD
After spearheading a $25 million fundraising campaign to build the new McClelland Park building to house the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, director Soyeon Shim was honored with The University of Arizona Foundation's Eugene G. Sander Endowed Faculty Fundraising Award.
Shim wasn't the only one in for a surprise when she was presented with a plaque for her efforts by the UA Foundation. Eugene Sander, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was also presented with a plaque as he learned for the first time that the annual award will bear his name.
"I was absolutely totally surprised," Sander said. "I must admit that I'm really honored."
The award, endowed by the UA Foundation board this fall and to be given annually, honors faculty members who have shown leadership in fundraising for the University.
"When the UA Foundation established an award to honor faculty members, Gene was an obvious and deserving choice" for the award name, said Jim Moore, president and CEO of the UA Foundation.
Sander founded, and for 21 years chaired, the Deans Plus Development Committee (he added the Plus to the name to include the non-deans involved) to encourage active fundraising involvement at the college and unit level. He is credited with helping raise tens of millions of dollars in private contributions since joining the UA in 1987.
Read the rest of the November 26 article that appeared in University Communications' Lo Que Pasa at the link below.
Soyeon Shim, Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, shim@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://lqp.arizona.edu/node/838
NEW PROGRAM WILL STUDY SEASONAL CHANGES IN WILDLIFE
A new Wildlife Phenology Program will enlist professional and citizen scientists across the country to monitor and record seasonal wildlife events to help managers understand and respond to climatic and other environmental changes.
The Wildlife Society (TWS) and the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) announced the program today as the second phase in the USA-NPN's monitoring efforts; the Plant Phenology Program started in 2007. The program will be housed at the National Coordinating Office of the USA-NPN, at The University of Arizona in Tucson.
Phenology is the study of the seasonal timing of plant and animal life-cycle events such as bird, fish and mammal migration; emergence from hibernation; and the leafing, blooming and fruiting of plants. Changes in the timing of these events are among the most sensitive biological responses to climate change. Over much of the world, spring events are occurring earlier. Consequently, many time-sensitive relationships, such as those between animals and their prey or plants and their pollinators are being disrupted.
"Wildlife managers are trying to quickly adapt to a changing climate, and this program is designed to help them adapt effectively," said Michael Hutchins, executive director of TWS.
A tremendous amount of knowledge can be gained from monitoring phenology, added Jake Weltzin, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist and executive director of USA-NPN. "We will gather information that can be used to predict migration times, disease spread, and ecosystem and animal distribution changes. This nationwide network will help provide decision-makers with the solid information they need."
Read more from the December 2 edition of RedOrbit at http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1603666/new_program_will_study_seasonal_changes_in_wildlife/index.html?source=r_science
Jake Weltzin, USA-NPN, jweltzin@usgs.gov
SHARON HOELSCHER DAY HONORED AS EXTENSION EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
Sharon Hoelscher Day, an area agent in family and consumer sciences with The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Maricopa County, was recently honored by the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences, or NEAFCS.
Hoelscher Day received the 2008 Extension Educator of the Year award at the Extension Galaxy Conference in Indianapolis. The conference was attended by 2,500 extension professionals from more than 70 land-grant universities and the United States Department of Agriculture.
The award recognized Hoelscher Day for her outstanding outreach education efforts in Maricopa County. She initiated Safe Food 2010, a multi-year food safety project; Bone Builders, a community-based osteoporosis prevention education program for women and older men in Arizona; Walk Across Arizona, a team program designed to increase physical activity levels in communities; and other health promotion programs.
Hoelscher Day was the 2003-04 NEAFCS national president and 2005 national president of the Joint Council of Extension Professionals, or JCEP, a group of six professional associations. Currently, she represents JCEP on the national Extension Committee on Organization and Policy's Budget and Legislation Committee. In 2004, Hoelscher Day was honored as Extension Faculty of the Year for the UA Cooperative Extension and, currently, she is president of the Arizona Osteoporosis Coalition.
Read more from the November 24 edition of UANews at http://uanews.org/node/22773
Sharon Hoelscher Day, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension,
shday@ag.arizona.edu
TAINTED MEATS POINT TO C. DIFF SUPERBUG IN FOOD
A potentially deadly intestinal germ increasingly found in hospitals is also showing up in a more unsavory setting: grocery store meats.
More than 40 percent of packaged meats sampled from three Arizona chain stores tested positive for Clostridium difficile, a gut bug known as C. diff., according to newly complete analysis of 2006 data collected by a University of Arizona scientist.
Nearly 30 percent of the contaminated samples of ground beef, pork and turkey and ready-to-eat meats like summer sausage were identical or closely related to a super-toxic strain of C. diff blamed for growing rates of illness and death in the U.S.--raising the possibility that the bacterial infections may be transmitted through food.
"These data suggest that domestic animals, by way of retail meats, may be a source of C. difficile for human infection," said J. Glenn Songer, a professor of veterinary science at the Tucson school, who talked with msnbc.com about work now under review by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read the rest of this story from the November 18 edition of msnbc at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774614/
Glenn Songer, Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, gsonger@email.arizona.edu
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