CALS NewsLine from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

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IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED January 30, 2009:

1. UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR PAUL N. WILSON
2. WALK ACROSS ARIZONA BEGINS FEBRUARY 1
3. TIME TO START SEEDS FOR SPRING
4. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE MARCH 17
5. NEW CALS PUBLICATIONS: JANUARY
6. GREENHOUSE SHORT COURSE APRIL 26-29
7. CALS IN THE NEWS--JANUARY

1 UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR PAUL N. WILSON

For more than 25 years, Paul Wilson, a professor of agricultural and resource economics, has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education.

Over the past 10 years he has taught more than 2,000 students, many in high-enrollment courses. His teaching accomplishments, underscored by high student ratings of his innovative teaching methods, have been recognized in his receipt of the College of Agriculture and Life Science's Excellence in Teaching Award.

Despite efforts to reduce his advising load of half his department's undergraduates, students keep flocking to his office whether assigned to him or not.

Wilson has published articles on team learning and distance learning, and has organized symposia and seminars on teaching.

He also has earned several teaching awards including the Meritorious Teaching Award from the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association.

While sharing his commitment and passion for teaching, he has maintained an active research program on water use and agricultural economics. Wilson is clearly a research scholar and outstanding teacher and the pinnacle of what we hope to achieve in a student-centered research university.

Read more from the January 21 issue of UANews (a comprehensive article that covers recently designated regents professors and university distinguished professors) at the link below.

Paul Wilson, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, pwilson@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://uanews.org/node/23553

2 2 WALK ACROSS ARIZONA BEGINS FEBRUARY 1

Got a New Year's resolution to get more exercise? Break out your walking shoes and join the 2009 Walk Across Arizona Campaign. The 8-week program is organized into teams of up to 10 people with a team captain. Each team member receives a pedometer and a team T-shirt. Get your pals, neighbors or co-workers out to build a healthy habit and walk for fitness. Last year, 284 teams from 7 counties in Arizona walked 663,453 miles to improve their health.

Walk Across Arizona is part of statewide Healthy Lifestyle Education offered through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. It is NOT a walk-a-thon or fund-raiser, but a way to motivate people to start moving and keep moving. You can start the healthy habit of walking everyday with this 8-week, statewide walking challenge.

The walking program officially begins February 1 and ends on March 28. It's not too late to join. Program incentives (pedometer and T-shirt) are included in the registration fee. For more information, see the website below; click on the information for your county.

Linda Block, Pima County Cooperative Extension, lblock@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/walkacrossaz/

3 TIME TO START SEEDS FOR SPRING

The time is rapidly approaching to begin starting your seeds for spring's garden crop. Most vegetables take three to four weeks to grow from seed to a seedling of size and vigor fit enough to be planted in the garden. Early plantings of tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplant can go into the garden in March. That means it's time to get your seeds ready to start.

If you have seeds saved from last year or before, no doubt they can be used. However, keep in mind that the viability (ability of the seed to germinate) will be affected over time. The shelf life of some popular vegetables:

• Short-lived seeds (one or two years): sweet corn, onion, pepper, parsley, parsnip.
• Intermediate seeds (three or four years): tomato, bean, broccoli, pea, carrot, spinach.
• Long-lived seeds (five years): eggplant, cucumber, melon, squash, cabbage.

These times are based on optimal storage conditions that include keeping seeds cool and dry. It's no problem keeping them dry in Arizona. The cool part can be accomplished by storing seeds in the refrigerator at temperatures between 35 and 41 degrees.

First, keep various types of seed separate by placing them in small, zip-style plastic bags. Label each bag according to the type of seed and the date of storage.

Place the individual seed bags in glass jars with screw-top lids. To absorb any residual moisture in the jar, put a layer of desiccant, such as silica gel or powdered milk, in the bottom of the jar. Screw the lids on tightly and place them in the refrigerator. If you don't have the space, just place the jar(s) in a cool, dark location in the garage (during the winter), then back inside as the temperatures warm this spring.

Read the rest of this article from the January 25 issue of 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/277056.php

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE MARCH 17

A conference on "Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resources Planning" will be held at The University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The conference is sponsored by the Water Resources Research Center in collaboration with the Morris K. Udall Foundation and the Arizona Water Institute.

Betsy Rieke, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science and Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, will present the opening keynote address on her experiences with major water negotiations. Planners, stakeholders and engagement professionals will share their knowledge and experiences in the field. New technologies and innovations applied in a range of water planning processes will also be covered. Luncheon speaker Grady Gammage will share his thoughts on the challenges facing Arizona's water planners and stakeholders.

A dedicated poster session will enhance the sharing of information and participants will have the opportunity to choose one of three interactive workshops to share experiences and craft new ideas.

Anyone with an interest in water resources planning is encouraged to attend. All participants, including students, must register. Registration, agenda and conference information can be found at the link below.

Jane Cripps, Water Resources Research Center, jcripps@cals.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/azwater/programs/conf2009

5 NEW CALS PUBLICATIONS: JANUARY

PUBLICATIONS ON CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN INDIAN COUNTRY

The University of Arizona Indian Country Extension working group has produced a series of 16 publications about the tribes and reservations where the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has offices for federally recognized tribal extension programs (FRTEP), including the Colorado River Indian Tribes, Hualapai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe.

Three publications were produced for, and with, each of these tribes and their reservations on the process of conducting research in Indian country; each reservation and its extension programs; and reservation quick facts. The publications on research in Indian Country are intended to inform the UA and its employees about conducting research and extension programs on reservations and with tribes in Arizona. The remaining publications are more descriptive of the situation on the 5 FRTEP reservations.

For these and other publications go to
http://www.indiancountryextension.org/publications.php.
To learn more about FRTEP at CALS, see http://www.indiancountryextension.org/state.php?=1
Joe Hiller, Native American Programs, jghiller@ag.arizona.edu

BATTY ABOUT BATS

Arizona has 28 recorded species of bats, with populations in desert, grassland, woodland, and urban habitats. The smallest, Western pipistrelle, measures just 2.5 inches long, while the largest, Western Mastiff, measures up to 7.5 inches long. As Arizona's population grows, so does the urban-wildlife interface, leading to increased encounters with bats.

A new Cooperative Extension publication, "Batty About Bats," provides a general overview of bat biology and behavior with emphasis on urban environments, on the use of integrated pest management techniques that are in keeping with bat conservation guidelines, and on rabies awareness and prevention.

Print a copy of the full-color 16-page publication at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1456.pdf
Dawn Gouge, Department of Entomology, dhgouge@ag.arizona.edu

CEAC NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE

The Winter/Spring issue of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC)newsletter is available online. The current issue includes information on upcoming events, short courses, seminars, faculty and student research, ongoing projects and even a call for applicants for a CEAC greenhouse technician position in Antarctica.

To download a copy of the newsletter, go to the link below. For more information about the CEAC, see http://ag.arizona.edu/ceac/.

Connie Hackathorn, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, ceac@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://cals.arizona.edu/ceac/newsletters/spring08.pdf

6 GREENHOUSE SHORT COURSE APRIL 26-29

Now in its 9th year, the Greenhouse Crop Production & Engineering Design Short Course offers three days of intensive education and practical experiences in the science of hydroponic crop production, and the engineering of controlled environments. The short course will be held Sunday, April 26 through Wednesday, April 29 at the Sheraton Tucson.

Sponsored by the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, the Short Course's format gives attendees multiple opportunities to interact with some of the world's leading controlled environment agriculture experts. This year's theme is "Eye on Economics and Energy (E3): For the Small and the Experienced Grower." Attendees will be presented with the information and methodologies necessary to develop a successful greenhouse operation.

The comprehensive program covers all aspects of greehnouse management, from crop production and protection to energy management, finances, equipment and more. Tours of the CEAC greenhouse projects in Tucson and the Eurofresh greenhouses in Cochise County are also featured.

The full agenda is at http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Agenda.aspx?i=dca22662-c38b-42b6-a858-7fecb4e169d6. Register now at the link below.

Connie Hackathorn, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, ceac@ag.arizona.edu
To learn more: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?i=dca22662-c38b-42b6-a858-7fecb4e169d6

7 CALS IN THE NEWS--JANUARY

CITIZENS SOUGHT TO GATHER DATA ON SCIENCE OF NATURE

Migrating birds signal spring. A wise gardener knows when the last frost usually occurs. We can't help but notice when our mesquites lose their leaves in our pools or the olive blooms trigger runny noses. Converting that folk wisdom to scientific data is the goal of the National Phenology Network, run by the U.S. Geological Survey and housed at the University of Arizona.

Scientists learn a lot about our environment by studying variations over time in the budding dates of plants or the migration of animals, and they are more and more looking toward those records as indicators of climate change, said Jake Weltsin, executive director of the Phenology Network. It's a labor-intensive science that usually involves decades of commitment to careful observation of a single geographic area.

The expanding program of the national network wants to enlist thousands more citizen scientists to record the leafing out of trees, the blooming of flowers, the arrival of bees and butterflies, and the hibernation of animals.

"You can't build an instrument to tell you when a robin shows up or a bud bursts," said Gary Woodard, associate director of SAHRA, which stands for Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas. Woodard's group is working on a redesign of the network's Web page that will make it simpler for citizen scientists to sign up. By March, they expect to complete their effort to make it easy to use.

Read more from the January 25 issue of the Arizona Daily Star at http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/277396.php. Also see uanews.org/node/23117
Jake Weltzin, USA-National Phenology Network, jweltzin@usgs.gov
Aaryn Olsson, Office of Arid Lands Studies, aaryn@email.arizona.edu

UA LAB TO CHECK FOR 'TOXIC NEEDLES IN HAYSTACK'

A lab to study environmental contaminants potentially toxic to human health opened Wednesday at the University of Arizona.

The Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants, known as ALEC, uses super-sensitive instruments to test water, soil and tissue for minute amounts of substances such as uranium, heavy metals and organic compounds, including pharmaceuticals, said Jon Chorover, co-director of the lab.

"We're looking at what individuals are being exposed to in their environment," Chorover said. "Most other equipment doesn't have the sensitivity to go to the very low levels these compounds exist at in natural waters," he said. "We take samples and find the needles in a haystack."

Planned research includes determining how contaminants move in the environment, Chorover said.

"Our main goal is to serve the Arizona water research community, public, private or government," said John Chesley, co-director at ALEC. The lab is available to researchers from the state's three universities, as well as other water agencies, Chesley said. The facility offers hands-on testing, and faculty and students can run their own samples, he said.

Read the rest of the January 22 Tucson Citizen article at http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/108291.php
Jon Chorover, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, chorover@cals.arizona.edu

CITRUS DISEASE CONTROL IN THE LOW DESERT

There are about 150 citrus diseases worldwide. Arizona growers combat 16 diseases.

"Extreme heat impacts a pathogen's ability to survive and infect plants," said Matheron, who is based at the Yuma Agricultural Center, Yuma, Ariz. "Pathogens that cause exotic citrus diseases don't exist in the low desert. If a pathogen was introduced, environmental factors could very well prohibit disease development."

Matheron discussed citrus diseases with growers at a workshop in Phoenix, Ariz. His comments were based on low desert citrus production areas including Yuma, Ariz., central Arizona, and California's Imperial and Coachella valleys including the Blythe area. Matheron says fungi or fungi-related organisms cause about half of Arizona's citrus disease problems including the Phytophthora-caused root rot, gummosis, and brown rot.

Others problems include Hendersonula branch wilt (sooty canker), lemon tree wood rot, dry root rot, blue and green fruit molds, Alternaria fruit rot, and Rio Grande gummosis. Diseases caused by non-fungi pathogens include slow decline, stubborn disease, citrus tristeza, and psorosis.

Matheron says the development of citrus disease requires three main ingredients: a host plant, virulent pathogen, and a favorable environment for host and pathogen interaction to initiate the disease.

"Sometimes a disease requires a fourth component; a vector to introduce the pathogen into the host plant," Matheron said. An example is the Asian citrus psyllid insect, the primary vector for citrus greening (Huanglongbing) disease currently found in Florida and Louisiana. The psyllid has been confirmed in California's San Diego and Imperial counties, but not in Arizona. Neither state has a confirmed case of citrus greening.

Read the rest from the January 17 edition of Western Farm Press at http://westernfarmpress.com/citrus/disease-control-0120/
Mike Matheron, Yuma Agricultural Center, matheron@ag.arizona.edu

FRANK CROSSWHITE: LEGACY OF BOTANIST LIVES ON AT BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM

Zoology's loss was botany's gain when Frank Crosswhite opted to study the field of plant science.

Crosswhite's work with penstemon species was definitive, his knowledge of desert plants was legendary, and his in-depth research was above reproach.

Crosswhite and his wife, Carol, both Ph.D.s, are credited by many fellow scientists with making Boyce Thompson Arboretum what it is today--a unique Southern Arizona oasis where research students and amateur gardeners alike can learn about desert plants in a 320-acre living classroom.

"The arboretum is all his. He has done so much there," said Dan Bach, owner of Bach's Cactus Nursery in Tucson. "Between he and Carol, the arboretum took on their personality, and it was such a wonderful place to go."

Frank Crosswhite accomplished what few people do, cultivating a legacy that will last far beyond his Dec. 12 death from kidney disease. He was 69.

Read more from the January 12 issue of the Arizona Daily Star at http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/275462.php

WATER HARVESTING

A precious natural resource many Tucsonans let trickle away could mean big savings.

Harvested rainwater could be used to offset drinkable water now pumped, treated, delivered and used outdoors, said James J. Riley, associate professor of soil, water and environmental science at the University of Arizona.

An increase in rainwater harvesting could make it unnecessary to secure new, expensive and less desirable sources of water as the area's water needs grow, he said.

"If you could save the requirement of having to provide extra water by using rainwater, you could save a lot of installation costs, meters and piping to provide that source of water," he said. "You could really reduce what it would cost.

"If you use the water that falls on your property and roof for irrigating, we can save a lot of the groundwater we are pumping," he said. "We could save enough so that it might not be necessary to treat sewage to potable water quality standards in the future."

Read more from the January 12 article in the Tucson Citizen at http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/107340.php. The article includes tips for starting a rainwater harvesting system.

James Riley, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, jjriley@ag.arizona.edu

DIRECTOR DEPARTING UA'S SCIENCE LAB

The pending departure of University of Arizona Bio5 Director Vicki Chandler will leave the state's top two university bioscience labs with new leadership.

Chandler will leave Bio5 next month to take a position with the San Francisco-based Gordon and Berry Moore Foundation. George Poste last year announced he will step down as director of Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute. His replacement could be named early this year.

Both publicly funded research labs, created to spur innovation and high-paying jobs in Arizona, face steep budget cuts this year due to the slowdown in sales-tax collections that provide the main source of state funding.

Chandler said the fact that Bio5 faces a tight budget this year made her decision to leave even more difficult.

"I am the kind of person who doesn't want to leave when the chips are down," said Chandler, who starts her new position Feb. 17. "Funding is tough now federally. It is certainly tough in Arizona with the economy."

Chandler said Bio5 will collect $4 million in sales-tax contributions this year, or 20 percent less than one year ago. The budget crunch means Bio5 cannot fund new projects, but there is enough money to fund existing projects for faculty.

She urged the Legislature to maintain the state's $25 million funding commitment to Science Foundation Arizona, which issues grants to promote science and math education, research and innovation. The state's annual $25 million contribution is matched by private sources.

Read more from the January 13 Arizona Republic article at
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/01/12/20090112biz-chandler0113.html
Vicki Chandler, BIO5 Institute, chandler@ag.arizona.edu

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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