| Issue: September/October 2012 |
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ARS scientists participate in 2012 international soils meeting ARS Soil scientist conducts soils lab for ND college students MT ARS representatives speak to teacher's group ARS Botanist to participate in Western Regional Biological Control project meeting ARS Plant Ecologist hosts symposium at International EcoSummit MT ARS Safety officer leads e-waste training at state environmental conference |
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MT ARS scientists to participate in 2012 international soils meeting Three NPARL scientists are participating in the 2012 joint International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America set for October 21-24 in Cincinnati, OH. Giving two oral and one poster presentation is NPARL Soil Scientist Upendra Sainju. Dr. Sainju will discuss "Dryland Soil Management Practices Effect on Nitrogen-Use Efficiency and Nitrous Oxide Emissions" and "Comparison of Soil Carbon Dioxide Flux Measurements by Static and Portable Chambers In Various Management Practices" both on Oct. 23. His poster presentation is set for Oct. 22 and is entitled "Irrigation System and Tillage Effects on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions." Also presenting posters are NPARL Agronomist Brett Allen ("Nitrogen Use of Three Oilseeds in Rotation with Durum") and NPARL Soil Physicist Jay Jabro ("Irrigation Frequency Effect on Water Use and Water Productivity of Sugarbeet, Malt Barley and Potato") both on Oct. 24. In addition, former NPARL Weed Ecologist Andrew Lenssen, now with Iowa State University-Ames, will present a poster on research he conducted while at Sidney ARS entitled "Rotation and Management Influence Spring Wheat Water Use and Yield" also on Oct. 24. All events are open to meeting registrants and the media. Drs. Sainju, Jabro and Allen are all members of the Sidney ARS lab's Agricultural Systems Unit.
(Upendra Sainju, 406.433.9408, upendra.sainju@ars.usda.gov) (Brett Allen, 406.433.9402, brett.allen@ars.usda.gov) (Jay Jabro, 406.433.9442, jay.jabro@ars.usda.gov)
ARS Soil scientist conducts soils lab for ND college students NPARL Soil Physicist Jay Jabro and Technician Dale Spracklin conducted a soils lab October 10 for Williston (ND) State College students at the request of their instructor Kim Murphy. This is the second year Murphy has asked to have the Sidney (MT) ARS lab host the glass which teaches students soil particle analysis and how to use the hydrometer method for evaluating soil types. Dr. Jabro and Spracklin provide the instruction and all materials, reagents, soil, glassware and the hydrometers themselves for the class. Each student and the instructor will be able to do their own evaluations at separate stations under the direction of the Sidney ARS staff. Dr. Jabro and Mr. Spracklin are both members of the lab's Agricultural Systems Research Unit.
(Jay Jabro, 406.433.9442, jay.jabro@ars.usda.gov) (Dale Spracklin, 406.433.9482, dale.spracklin@ars.usda.gov)
MT ARS representatives speak to teacher's group NPARL Biological Science Technician Joy Barsotti and Technical Information Specialist Beth Redlin spoke on October 4th to more than a dozen area elementary and high school teachers on "Women in Research" at a meeting of the Sidney, MT chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the International Society of Women Educators. Redlin gave an overview of ARS and the Sidney, MT lab, along with details on the number of women involved in research at the Sidney facility. Barsotti, a member of the lab's Agricultural Systems Research Unit, then gave a presentation describing all the "behind the scenes" work done by technicians like herself in partnership with and support of the scientists' research at the Sidney ARS lab. Much of that work is conducted by women, who account for 9 of the 13 technicians currently on staff. Redlin and Barsotti were invited to participate by the group's president, Lynn Christensen, who had toured the local ARS facility with her 5th grade students in the past and wanted to introduce other local teachers to the opportunities there. Also participating in the evening program was Mary Schaff, a technician with the neighboring Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center.
(Joy Barsotti, 406.433.2020, joy.barsotti@ars.usda.gov) (Beth Redlin, 406.433.9427, beth.redlin@ars.usda.gov)
ARS Botanist to participate in Western Regional Biological Control project meeting NPARL Botanist and Pest Management Research Unit Leader John Gaskin will be participating in the W3185 Western Regional biological control committee project meeting in Pacific Grove California, October 3-5. Dr. Gaskin will be giving a presentation entitled "Diversity and distribution of invasive knotweed species and genotypes in Western North America" at 9:30 am on Friday, Oct. 5. The W3185 project is entitled "Biological Control in Pest Management Systems of Plants" and involves researchers from USDA-ARS and Universities in 8 western states and Guam, along with researchers from universities in Delaware, Kentucky, and New York. The five-year project is working on biological control of both arthropod pests and weeds. Also participating in the W3185 project is NPARL Entomologist Kevin Delaney, also with the Sidney, MT facility's Pest Management Research Unit.
(John Gaskin, 406.433.9444, john.gaskin@ars.usda.gov)
ARS Plant Ecologist hosts symposium at International EcoSummit NPARL Plant Ecologist Erin Espeland is participating in the 4th International EcoSummit to be held in Columbus, Ohio Sept. 30 though Oct. 5. The conference theme is Ecological Sustainability: Restoring the Planet's Ecosystem Services, and Dr. Espeland will chair a symposium at the event entitled "Evolutionary processes and restoration: managing for long-term success." The symposium includes talks ranging from sustainability of agronomic practices and materials in Latin America to restoring the riparian American west, to assisted migration of tree species (forest sustainability in the face of climate change) in the Great Lakes region. Dr. Espeland will be talking about her work studying the ecological factors that influence evolutionary potential in restoration species. Dr. Espeland's presentation is Monday, Oct. 1 at 3:15 pm and is titled "Ecological and maternal effects on effective population size." More than 1,500 scientists, economists, policymakers and corporate leaders from around the world are scheduled to attend EcoSummit 2012, which will explore how innovative, science-based strategies can be used in socially and culturally-acceptable ways to create, manage and restore ecosystems. The event is hosted by Ohio State University, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and the City of Columbus.
(Erin Espeland, 406-433.9416, erin.espeland@ars.usda.gov)
MT ARS Safety officer leads e-waste training at state environmental conference NPARL Safety and Occupational Health Specialist Jackie Couture was invited to give two trainings on establishing and building a community-wide e-waste recycling events at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Economy, Energy and Environment Conference held in Bozeman, MT, Sept. 12-13. Couture gave a preconference training session Wednesday on "E-rase your E-waste Events" which she helped initiate in the Sidney, MT, community in 2005. She provided the two dozen participants with tips and tricks for putting together similar events in their own communities, providing information on building community support, finding an e-cycler, recruiting volunteers and handling all the elements needed to host a successful event. In addition to the preconference training, she also reprised her presentation during the regular conference on Thursday afternoon. The Sidney, MT, "E-rase your E-waste effort is now in its 8th year and has successfully removed more than 250,000 pounds of e-waste, and its accompanying hazardous materials, from that rural community's landfill. Participants today, including businesses, government agencies and individuals can also recycle their e-waste for free under the program. The E-rase your E-waste program has been recognized locally, nationally and by Montana DEQ and has become a model for community e-waste recycling in rural areas. Recently, Richland County officials recognized Couture, NPARL Technical Information Specialist Beth Redlin and NPARL Research Leaders Dr. Robert Evans and Dr. John Gaskin for their contributions to the e-waste recycling effort over the years. The first event was held at the lab in 2005.
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