| Weekly News 2008 |
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April B. Leytem, Soil Scientist, Kimberly, ID, received the Pacific West Area Early Career Scientist Award for excellence in planning and conducting collaborative research within the environmentally crucial field of phosphorus cycling in plant-animal-soil-water systems.
On September 12, Brad King participated in the Annual Pacific Northwest Section of ASABE meeting. Presented results from 2008 center pivot runoff experiments conducted at NWISRL. Performed the duties of Secretary/Treasurer for the PNW ASABE meeting
ARS Agriculural Engineer receives regional Engineer of the Year award.
Dave Bjorneberg, Agricultural Engineer, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, received the Engineer of the Year Award for the Pacific Northwest Region of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers at their annual meeting on September 12 in Boise, ID.
ARS scientist participates in sugarbeet research planning meeting on September 11, 2008. The purpose of the meeting was to determine important research topics and objectives related to strip tillage use in sugarbeet production. The meeting was attended by ARS soil scientist David Tarkalson, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, employees of Amalgamated Sugar Inc., and University of Idaho scientists. Strip tillage has been estimated to reduce sugarbeet production costs (mainly fuel costs) by approximately $20+ per acre compared to conventional tillage practices.
On September 11, Brad King participated in the NRCS Western States Irrigation Engineers Information Exchange (WSITE) and presented results of 2008 center pivot runoff experiments. Dr. Bjorneberg and I visited with Loren Vander Griend from Nelson Irrigation Corp regarding the results, remaining 2008 testing, and CRADA plans for 2009.
On September 4, ARS scientist, Carl Strausbaugh, was interviewed by Don Lilleboe, the editor for the “Sugarbeet Grower” trade journal. We discussed the current status of pathology related research projects being conducted by the sugarbeet program located in Kimberly, ID. Sugarbeet projects aimed at improving storability and control of curly top and root rots were discussed.
On September 3-4, Jim Ippolito and Dave Bjorneberg attended the 2008 CEAP workshop, held in conjunction with the National Sedimentation Laboratory’s 50th Celebration Technical Conference, in Oxford, MS.
ARS plant pathologist describes work on curly top species in the western U.S.
On August 12-13, plant pathologist Carl Strausbaugh, ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented research data on the curly top species in the western U.S. and their management and control on sugarbeet at the Curly Top Working Group meeting held in Kimberly, ID. Scientists and industry personnel were in attendance.
ARS scientists give tour of curly top and rhizomania nurseries in southern Idaho.
On August 26, plant pathologist Carl Strausbaugh and molecular biologist Imad Eujayl will present the Curly Top and Rhizomania Nurseries during the southern Idaho 2008 Variety Trial Tour. Scientists, industry personnel, and growers will attend.
On July 10, the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, hosted a field day. Approximately 30 people were shown current research projects on strip till sugar beets, center pivot sprinkler evaluation, sugar beet irrigation management, self-watering potatoes, sugar beet genetics evaluations, bed-planted potatoes and agricultural air quality monitoring. Pat McCoy with the Capital Press and Cindy Snyder with the Ag Weekly & Times News wrote articles for regional and local papers after the field day.
On July 22, ARS scientist, Carl Strausbaugh, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented research data on the impact of field disease problems on the storability of sugarbeet at the Beet Sugar agricultural School in Boise, ID sponsored by the McGinnis Institute of Beet Sugar Technology. Nancy Butler, editor with the sugar producer magazine “Sugar,” was in attendance and indicated she would like a follow up interview at a later date. Others in attendance at the presentation were fieldmen and industry personnel.
On July 23, representatives from the foundry industry, state regulatory agencies, USDA-ARS, U.S. EPA, The Ohio State University and soil blenders met to discuss the use of spent foundry sands in soil-related applications. Environmental data generated by the USDA-ARS was presented at the forum, revealing that spent sands from iron, aluminum, and steel foundries are safe to use in manufactured soils. The ultimate purpose of the forum was to advance the knowledge about the effective use of spent foundry sands in manufactured soils. A simultaneous web cast was available to individuals unable to attend the forum.
On July 27, ARS scientist, Carl Strausbaugh, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented research data on the development of a cultivars selection program for the storability of sugarbeet at the annual American Phytopathological Society meeting held in Minneapolis, MN. Scientists and industry personnel attended the meeting.
On July 10, the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, will have a field day from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. which is open to the general public. Field tours will include strip till sugar beets, center pivot sprinkler evaluation, sugar beet irrigation management, self-watering potatoes, sugar beet genetics evaluations, and bed-planted potatoes.
April Leytem, Research Soil Scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, was this year's winner of the Early Career Scientist of the Year Award from the Pacific West Area for excellence in planning and conducting collaborative research within the environmentally crucial field of phosphorus cycling in plant-animal-soil-water systems. This program annually recognizes the creative efforts, scientific leadership and the major research accomplishments of ARS research scientists.
ARS Agricultural Engineers receive paper award. Agricultural Engineers Dave Bjorneberg, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Lab, and Robert Evans, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, along with Clare Prestwich, NRCS Irrigation Engineer at the West National Technology Support Center, received a 2008 Superior ASABE Paper Award for “Evaluating the Surface Irrigation Soil Loss (SISL) Model” that was published in Applied Engineering in Agriculture. The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) paper awards committee selects up to 2.5% of the papers published each year to receive Superior recognition.
ARS Scientists Participate in Career Fair. On March 25, soil scientists Gary Lehrsch and David Tarkalson, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, discussed career opportunities in ARS with about 35 to 40 of the more than 800 attendees at the 2008 Southern Idaho Career Fair, held on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. The scientists described openings for summer employment with students and openings for year-round employment, both temporary and permanent, with non-students. Interested attendees were given application forms and instructions, along with suggestions to make both their career choice and job search successful.
ARS scientist interviewed for an article on curly top management research on sugarbeet: On March 26, 2008 Carl Strausbaugh, research plant pathologist, was interviewed by Nancy I. Butler, editor for Sugar Producer magazine, for an article on curly top management research on sugarbeet. Strausbaugh provided a summary of research targeted at controlling curly top in sugarbeet. The management methods were based on the use of host resistance and Poncho, an environmentally friendly insecticide seed treatment based on the active ingredient clothianidin. Clothianidin reduces curly top in commercial sugarbeet fields by controlling the beet leafhopper, curly top virus vector, which allows for increased yield and storability. Preliminary data suggests clothianidin will also influence the control of other pests such as leafminer, root maggot, black bean aphid, and root aphid. Clothianidin has also proven to be a valuable research tool since it protects sugarbeet germplasm susceptible to curly top to a level that it can be screened for resistance to other disease problems. Strausbaugh works in the sugarbeet program at the ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID.
On March 4, Jim Ippolito, soil scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented “Organic waste nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics under dryland ecosystems" at the 2008 Idaho Nutrient Management Conference for Professionals in Jerome, ID.
On March 5-6, Jim Ippolito, soil scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, attended the 18th High Altitude Revegetation Workshop held in Fort Collins, CO. Two students gave presentations that included Dr. Ippolito as co-author. Presentation titles were: "The use fo 5 riparian shrub species for revegetation of fluvial mine tailing deposits" and "Biosolids use for reclaiming fluvial mine tailings.”
On February 21-22, Dr. David Tarkalson, soil scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented two lectures on "Soils" to 40 seniors at Twin Falls High School, Twin Falls, ID. The lectures were composed of both demonstration and lecture components to facilitate class participation and interest. The lecture helped students increase their knowledge of the role soil has in plant growth, human nutrition, and environmental protection and to better understand the role and importance of ARS in soils related research and technology advancements.
Dr. Rick Lentz, soil scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, was invited to make two presentation at the “Workshop on Polyacrylamide (PAM) and Alternatives to PAM” held February 26 at the ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA. The first presented a USDA-ARS perspective on PAM use. The second presented research on PAM applications in irrigated agriculture with emphasis on its relationship to seepage reduction in water delivery canals. Participants included principal PAM researchers, stakeholders, and industry representatives.
On March 3-4, Dr. Imad Eujayl, research microbiologist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, is invited to visit with Syngenta Research and Development team in Longmont, CO, where he will meet with Drs. Roy Martens and Rebecca Larson to present a research proposal on genetic mapping of curly top resistance in sugar beet. Dr. Eujayl will also visit the ARS sugar beet research unit at Ft. Collins, CO, on March 5 and meet with Drs. Lee Panella and Chris Richards to discuss further collaboration on sugar beet germplasm characterization.
Dr. Bradley King, agricultural engineer at the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, participated in Western Labratories, Inc. and Western Ag Research Potato Agronomy Workshops in Rexburg, ID on January 18 and Pocatello, ID on January 21. Potato growers representing over 100,000 acres of commercial production in Eastern Idaho attended the workshops. Dr. King presented two years of research showing reduced water and nutrient requirements when growing potatoes in wide flat beds versus conventional hills.
On January 8, Dr. David Tarkalson, soil scientist, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, will make an invited presentation on deficit irrigation at the Far West Idaho Winter Conference in Jackpot, NV.
On January 12, Dr. Imad Eujayl, research molecular biologist, will present research results on association mapping a new approach to implement DNA marker assisted selection in cultivated sugar beet at the International Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAGXVI) in San Diego, CA. The PAG conference attracts worldwide molecular geneticists and biotechnology industry.
On January 14th, Dr. Imad Eujayl, ARS Research Molecular Biologist, will join other ARS sugar beet geneticist for sugar beet variety trial tour in the Imperial Valley area, CA.
On January 7, Dr. Bradley King, agricultural engineer, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, will make an invited presentation on the importance of good irrigation uniformity in achieving efficient irrigation water use at the Far West Idaho Winter Conference in Jackpot, NV.
On January 10, Dr. Bradley King, agricultural engineer, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, will make an invited presentation on sprinkler head and nozzle selection and elevation for achieving good irrigation uniformity and efficient water use at the Idaho Irrigation Equipment Show in Burley, ID.
Dr. Bradley King, agricultural engineer, Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, will make invited presentations on potato yield response to planting potatoes in wide bed versus conventional hill planting to potato growers in Rexburg, ID, and Pocatello, ID, on January 18 and 21, respectively.
ARS scientist invited to present research on the management of curly top in sugarbeets: On January 8, Carl Strausbaugh, research plant pathologist, will present research on the management of curly top in sugarbeets at the Far West Idaho Winter Conference in Jackpot, NV. Strausbaugh will present data on the use of host resistance and environmentally friendly insecticide seed treatments for the management of curly top in sugarbeets. The meeting will bring together scientists, growers, and industry personnel to discuss current management options for the control of curly top in sugarbeets. Strausbaugh works in the sugarbeet program at the ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID.
ARS scientist invited to present research on the management of curly top in sugarbeets: On January 11, Carl Strausbaugh, research plant pathologist, will present research on the management of curly top in sugarbeets at the 2008 University of Idaho Sugarbeet Conference in Twin Falls, ID. Strausbaugh will present data on the use of host resistance and environmentally friendly insecticide seed treatments for the management of curly top in sugarbeets. The meeting will bring together scientists, growers, and industry personnel to discuss current management options for the control of curly top in sugarbeets. Strausbaugh works in the sugarbeet program at the ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID.
