December 7, 2000. Dennis Kincaid made a presentation at the SIS (scientific
irrigation scheduling) Mini-technical Conference at Idaho Falls, sponsored
by the Idaho Department of Water Resources. The talk titled "How to run your
pivot to get the water where you want it" gave information about crop water
use, system capacity requirements and irrigation efficiency for center pivot
irrigation systems. About 30 farmers, consultants and industry people attend
the session. (KIM20001222N1)
December 10-12, 2000. Hank Mayland participated in the National Alfalfa
Conference in Las Vegas, NV. PM/AM-cutting strategies were discussed.
Many alfalfa producers are aware of the benefits and are adopting
afternoon-cutting management. Some hay associations and researchers are
testing the concept in their environment. (KIM20001222N2)
December 18, 2000. Rick Lentz and Dale Westermann participated in a Southern
Idaho in-service training workshop for extension personnel on field corn,
small grain and nutrient management. Rick and Dale discussed their research
on phosphorus transfer and transport processes affecting leaching and runoff
in irrigated agricultural systems. Fifteen Idaho county and state extension
personnel attended the training workshop. (KIM20001222N3)
November 20, 2000. Rick Lentz presented a seminar entitled "Using
Polyacrylamide to Control Furrow Irrigation-Induced Erosion" at Sandia
Laboratory in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Sandia Lab and University researchers
attended the presentation. Lentz and cooperating Sandia researchers are
using the Sandia Sedflume to examine detachment and transport processes
under various sediment and water flow conditions. (KIM20001207N1)
November 29-December 1, 2000. Bob Sojka, Dave Bjorneberg and Dale Westermann
attended the ARS 201-National Water Quality and Management Program workshop
in Irving, TX. The workshop was attended by 201-National Program Leaders,
Research Leaders and Lead Scientists of research projects to coordinate
research activities prior to developing individual project plans and to plan
national research initiatives. The three components in this National Program
are Agricultural Watershed Management, Irrigation and Drainage Management,
and Water Quality Protection and Management. (KIM20001207N2)
November 5-9, 2000. Scientists Gary Lehrsch, Rick Lentz, Hank Mayland,
Kris Aase, Jim Wright, Bob Sojka and Dale Westermann attended the
2000 annual meetings of the ASA, CSSA & SSSA in Minneapolis, MN.
While at the meetings, they presented a total of nine oral and poster
papers, some of which were invited. In addition, Bob Sojka started
his term as chair-elect for SSSA Division S6. Approximately 6,000
scientists attend these annual meetings. (KIM20001122N1)
November 14-16, 2000. Scientists Rick Lentz, Dennis Kincaid, Dave
Bjorneberg, Bob Sojka, Jim Wright and Dale Westermann attended the
4th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium in Phoenix, AZ. This
symposium was sponsored by the ASAE in association with the Irrigation
Association, who held their annual meeting and trade show immediately
prior to the symposium. The ARS-NWISRL scientists presented a total
of nine oral and poster papers covering crop water use, sprinkler
technology, the use of polyacrylamide (PAM) to control soil erosion
and infiltration under surface and sprinkler irrigation, and
phosphorus losses under surface irrigation. All papers are contained
in a special ASAE publication. The symposium was attended by over 350
scientists from the U.S. and several foreign countries. (KIM20001122N2)
October 19, 2000. Peter Droogers, International Water Management
Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, presented a seminar on "Combining
Remote Sensing and Hydrological Models to Enhance Spatial and Temporal
Resolution." The institute is one of the International Centers for
Agricultural Science like International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
He also visited with some of the staff while here. (KIM20001026N1)
October 23, 2000. Hank Mayland was contacted by Melissa Sprague, Ph.D.
student, who is planning to research management practices to improve
nutritive value and palatability of fodder for dairy cattle. She is
interested in work that we have done on diurnal cycling of soluble
carbohydrates in forages. She was provided with a summary of studies
underway or completed and a number of questions that remained
unanswered. Melissa will be doing her studies at Hamilton, Victoria,
in Australia. (KIM20001026N2)
October 23-24, 2000. Jim Wright and Dale Westermann discussed ARS
career opportunities and research activities at the Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL) with two soils
laboratory classes from the College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls.
Sixteen students visited the NWISRL as part of their formal course
requirements being taught by Ross Spackman. Mr. Spackman is currently
working on a Ph.D. through the University of Idaho and in cooperation
with Drs. Bob Sojka and James Entry, ARS Soil Scientists.
(KIM20001026N3)
October 24, 2000. Hank Mayland was contacted by Arne Møller, of
Agri Contact, a technology transfer organization in Hundested, Denmark.
Mr. Møller was provided general information about using canola as a
phytoremediator of high soil selenium soils. The canola herbage was
then fed to animals in low selenium areas to meet their
selenium-nutrition needs. (KIM20001026N4)
October 25, 2000. T.L. Spofford, Irrigation Engineer, from
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Water and
Climate Center (NWCC) - Water Science and Technology Team in Portland,
OR, visited with ARS and UI scientists at the Northwest Irrigation
and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL). While at Kimberly, Spofford
gave a short outline of the organization of the NWCC and how ARS could
be involved in their program. The NWCC provides information on animal
waste management, water and wind erosion, irrigation and water
management, hydrology, nutrient management, pest management, water
quality and wetlands/drainage issues to NRCS, producers and the
general public. (KIM20001026N5)
October 5, 2000. Dr. Jim Wright was visited by Rich Kessler of the
University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory (UO-SRML).
The UO-SRML operates solar monitoring stations around the Northwest to
obtain high quality solar radiation data for solar energy resource
evaluation and long-term climate studies. They would like to install a
High Quality Solar Radiation Measurement station at Kimberly and are
seeking the cooperation of ARS in these efforts. Solar radiation
measurements are a key component of the procedures developed for
estimating crop evapotranspiration from weather data. The goal of the
UO-SRML is to utilize the past comprehensive record of solar radiation
data obtained by ARS and the AgriMet station at Kimberly and to extend
this with precision instrumentation and measurement of many of the
components of solar radiation not now being measured. This cooperative
effort will be beneficial to ARS as well as those supporting the UO-SRML
in providing additional data for research efforts in optimizing the use
of water and energy in irrigated agriculture and the impacts of climate
and climate change on agriculture in general. (KIM20001019N1)
September 19, 2000. Hank Mayland visited with Jess Walls,
representative for FOSS North American, about opportunities to use
Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict total nonstructural
carbohydrates (TNC) in forage materials. This technology would
greatly enhance producer adoption of afternoon forage harvesting to
take advantage of increased TNC in forage and subsequent increased
animal productivity. (KIM20000928N1)
August 30, 2000. Dennis Kincaid hosted a group of four from Sask
Water, the provincial water research and extension agency for
Saskatchewan, Canada. Sask Water is located at Moosejaw, Saskatchewan.
Dr. Kincaid described the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Laboratory's research and discussed issues related to irrigation and
water quality, and took them on a tour of farms in the area. They
also visited with the Twin Falls Canal Company and Northside Canal
Company. (KIM20000831N1)
August 24, 2000. At the request of Dr. Richard G. Allen, Professor
of Water Resources, University of Idaho, James Wright and David
Bjorneberg of the Kimberly ARS staff, presented research results and
discussed irrigation research in general to a group of graduate
students from the Utah State University Department of Biological and
Irrigation Engineering/International Irrigation Center. Students
were from the United States and several foreign countries. They were
interested in results on crop water use research and on the use of
minimum tillage and polyacrylamide (PAM) to reduce irrigation induced
soil erosion. (KIM20000831N2)
August 28, 2000. Ashok Alva, Soil Scientist-Research Leader, and
Hal Collins, Soil Microbiologist, both from the USDA-ARS group at
Prosser, WA, visited the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Laboratory (NWISRL) to get better acquainted with the research program
and the individual scientists at Kimberly. Dr. Alva also gave an
overview of the current research program at Prosser and explored
possible future cooperation to develop a cropping systems research
program for irrigated crop production in the Pacific Northwest, with
emphasis on potato production. (KIM20000831N3)
August 29, 2000. Bob Sojka and Dale Westermann attended a meeting of
the Pacific Northwest ARS Scientists in Boise, ID, to explore the
potential of developing a proposal to evaluate the effect of
agricultural practices (includes rangeland and grazing) on salmonid
habitat. The proposal would focus on three primary areas: 1) fate
and transport of nutrients, pesticides and pathogens, 2) impact on
water temperature, and 3) sediment transport to surface waters.
Greater than 80% of the land area in the Pacific Northwest is impacted
by the listing of salmonid fishes under the Endangered Species Act.
Close to $1 billion is now being spent yearly in the Pacific Northwest
on salmonid recovery efforts. (KIM20000831N4)
August 3-4, 2000. Dale Westermann participated in the Idaho Bean
Workshop and Field Day celebrating 75 years of field bean research
at the Kimberly University of Idaho (UI) Research and Extension
Center and 50 years of the dry bean cooperative nursery. The
conference was organized by Dr. Shree Singh, UI Bean Breeder.
Dale Westermann along with coauthor, Brad Brown, UI, presented an
oral paper on the status of soil fertility and plant nutritional
information needed for dry and garden bean production in the western
U.S. Participants were from all major U.S. dry bean production
areas and eleven foreign countries. (KIM20000810N1)
Dr. Dan Strawn visited the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research
Laboratory (NWISRL) on Tuesday, August 8, 2000. Dr. Strawn is a new
soil chemist for the University of Idaho. He is located at the main
campus in Moscow. Dan took the opportunity to become more familiar
with the ARS scientists at Kimberly and to explore their perceptions
of key research questions that need to be addressed. The NWISRL
welcomed Dan's visit and emphasized the importance of building a
strong commitment among the faculty on the main campus to conduct
research that addresses arid zone irrigated agriculture, which
accounts for the agricultural mainstream economy of the State of
Idaho. Dan likewise informed the NWISRL staff of several new
instrumentation technologies and analytical techniques available to
the field of soil chemistry, and explored the potential for
collaborations with the NWISRL staff to initiate use of these
technologies to address the research needs of the NWISRL.
(KIM20000810N2)
August 9, 2000. Dave Ferguson (Boise) and Keith Griswold (Caldwell),
Idaho Soil Conservation Commission, met with Rick Lentz, Dave
Bjorneberg and Dale Westermann to discuss the background information
on selected best management practices (BMPs) and how this information
may be converted to phosphorus effluent trading credits on the lower
Boise river watershed. This trading would compensate agriculture
for using selected BMPs to reduce sediment and phosphorus losses
in irrigation runoff and return flows. A developing total maximum
daily load (TMDL) on the Brownlee Reservoir Watershed will soon
mandate a reduction in phosphorus loadings from the Boise River
as well as from six other rivers in Idaho and Oregon that enter the
Snake River-Brownlee Reservoir system. Research studies at Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL) developed much of
the information being used in these BMPs, especially that related to
sediment and phosphorus trapping for the various management systems.
(KIM20000810N3)
August 9, 2000. Mr. Robert Palmer, entrepreneur from Elko, Nevada,
visited with Dennis Kincaid, Jim Wright, and Hank Mayland about
establishing a sprinkler-irrigated alfalfa production enterprise near
Eureka, Nevada. Soil, water, environment, equipment, and other
factors affecting alfalfa production were discussed. Data and
technical publications prepared by our staff were shared with
Mr. Palmer. (KIM20000810N4)
July 24, 2000. Bob Rodriguez, reporter for the Fresno, CA, Bee
contacted both Gary Banuelos, Fresno, and Hank Mayland, Kimberly,
regarding the phytoremediation article appearing in Agricultural
Research magazine. Mr. Rodriguez was interested in the concept of
phytoremediation, why we were concerned about selenium, how did we
join in this research, how did the research results apply to the
Central Valley, and what were the long term benefits of
phytoremediation research. (KIM20000803N1)
July 25, 2000. Dale Westermann attended a meeting at the WRRC,
Albany, CA, called by the Area Director, Dr. A. Betschart, to review
ARS research objectives related to animal-pathogen relationships.
This included studies with E. coli 0157:H7 in compost, contaminated
water, food products, irrigation/flood water, and ground water
recharge. Jane Robens, ARS-NPL for Food Quality from Beltsville, MD,
and ARS representatives from Fresno, Phoenix, Riverside, Albany,
and Fargo attended. (KIM20000803N2)
July 27-29, 2000. Dale Westermann attended the annual meeting of the
SERA-IEG 17 at Madison, WI. The meeting's major theme was minimizing
agricultural phsophorus losses for protection of the water resource:
linking phosphorus research at various scales. About 125 phosphorus
researchers from the U.S. and several foreign countries attended the
workshop and discussed phosphorus transfer and transport issues, the
NRCS Phosphorus Index development, and protocol issues related to the
national phosphorus project. (KIM20000803N3)
July 20, 2000. Mr. Alan Kozak, Millersburg, OH, called to thank
Hank Mayland for his helpful suggestions regarding his dairy operation.
He had contacted Dr. Mayland in December 1999, and again April 2000
regarding a new 120 acre pasture of a blended perennial ryegrass that
his dairy cows refused to graze. Mr. Kozak followed up on Dr. Mayland's
suggestion and sent grass tillers to several labs where endophyte
infection has since been documented. This and several lots planted in
New York were apparently contaminated with seed containing the
endophyte. The endophyte likely produced volatile toxins that were
unacceptable to the cows. Mr. Kozak has replanted about 100 acres to
brown mid-rib sorghum that the cows like well once they got accustomed
to it. He also cut about 125 acres of alfalfa/grass between 4:00 and
11:00 p.m. following our earlier findings. (KIM20000720N1)
June 21, 2000. Rick Lentz, Bob Sojka, and Dave Bjorneberg hosted a
group of primary grade teachers for Water Camp 2000 at the Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory. More than thirty teachers
from across southern Idaho participated in the educational tour.
Dr. Lentz was invited by University of Idaho Extension Educator,
Howard Niebling, to organize a demonstration and discussion on the
use of polyacrylamide (PAM) in irrigated agriculture to prevent soil
erosion and manage infiltration. The three soil scientists summarized
some of the extensive PAM research conducted at the laboratory in the
last nine years. (KIM20000706N1)
July 5, 2000. Ed White, journalist for 'Western Producer,' an
agricultural newspaper of Saskatoon, Sashkatchewan, interviewed
Hank Mayland about ramifications of the ARS news release 'Canola--A
Superb Selenium Slurper' for western Canada. Dr. Mayland described
the excess and deficient aspects of Selenium nutrition for animals.
He also discussed the use of Phytoremediators to extract heavy metals
and the proposed use of vegetative plants, like canola, to serve as a
source of Selenium for animals being raised on otherwise Selenium
deficient forage. (KIM20000706N2)
June 11-14, 2000. Rick Lentz attended the 81st Annual Meeting of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division
and Western Society of Soil Science in Ashland, Oregon, where he gave
an oral and poster presentation entitled "Managing Infiltration from
Ponded and Flowing Water with Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) and
Surfactants". Lentz reported laboratory results which showed how PAM
or PAM plus surfactant treatments can be used to selectively reduce
water infiltration in irrigation furrows and soil-lined distribution
canals. The use of these new techniques potentially can increase
furrow irrigation application uniformity and water-use efficiency,
and reduce water leakage from irrigation water distribution canals.
Thus, the technology may help conserve irrigation water and help
prevent water, fertilizer, and agri-chemical leaching losses that
typically occur at the inflow end of irrigation furrows.
(KIM20000622N1)
June 13-16, 2000. Bob Sojka and David Horne visited the Lubbock,
Texas, ARS group. Dr. Horne is a Soil Physicist from Massey
University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, spending a six-month
sabbatical at the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Lab,
working with Dr. Sojka. Dr. Sojka presented a seminar entitled
"Reinventing Irrigation with Polyacrylamide (PAM)," and Dr. Horne
presented a seminar entitled "An Introduction to Some Soil Water
and Structure Management Issues in New Zealand." The seminars
were each attended by approximately 50 people from the Lubbock
location and Texas Tech University. The remainder of the visit
was occupied by planning among Sojka, Horne and the Lubbock ARS
Lab Director, Dr. Dan Upchurch, for a field study involving drip
irrigation water management. (KIM20000622N2)
June 19, 2000. Bob Sojka was phone-interviewed by Vicky Boyd,
Editor of "The Grower" magazine. Ms. Boyd is preparing a story
entitled "Clearly Better" on polyacrylamide (PAM) use for erosion
reduction, runoff water quality improvement and infiltration
enhancement in irrigated agriculture. The story focuses on
improvements made in the Stanislaus County, California Hydrologic
Project and the improvements it has made in recent years improving
the quality of irrigation return flows. The Kimberly Idaho ARS
work was noted as a seminal chapter in the technology development,
and the article drew heavily from Kimberly publications and website
information for technical detail. The Kimberly PAM website was
posted as an information source for readers. (KIM20000622N3)
Bob Sojka was elected this Spring as Soil Science Society Division
S-6 Chair-Elect. SSSA Division S-6 deals with the science of soil
and water conservation and management. The Division Chair
participates in a three-year cycle of responsibilities, representing
the division in society board meetings, conducting the division
business meeting, and planning the division annual scientific program.
The Soil Science Society of America has a membership of approximately
5,000, and Division S-6 is one of the largest of ten subject matter
divisions. Dr. Sojka has served SSSA as an Associate Editor and as
a Technical Editor of the Soil Science Society of America Journal.
(KIM20000622N4)
June 9, 2000. Jim Wright, Soil Scientist, Northwest Irrigation and
Soils Research Laboratory, spent an afternoon visiting with Robin
Wells, an engineer with the Energy Division of the Idaho Department
of Water Resources (IDWR), concerning the use of evapotranspiration
(ET) crop coefficients for predicting crop water use in southern Idaho.
IDWR is utilizing the crop ET estimates provided by the AgriMet program
of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which utilizes the results of ARS
research at Kimberly, to help irrigators manage their systems more
efficiently. Of particular concern are procedures for adjusting for
unusual climatic differences and varied conditions that exist in some
farming areas which are close to surrounding dry regions, such as exist
near lava flows and rock outcrops. Jim Wright reviewed the theoretical
considerations of the crop coefficients and reference ET equations
resulting from the ARS research and suggested means of adapting these
to the varied local climatic conditions. He also initiated some
changes in the AgriMet report that will hopefully help IDWR in their
task of providing irrigation management guidance for these circumstances.
(KIM20000615N1)
June 13, 2000. Dr. Howard Thomas, Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) Technology Specialist for the West Region, made a
short presentation on the new NRCS technology transfer organization
and how his position fits into that system. He is the primary contact
for technology transfer information as it relates to NRCS in the
western U.S. Dr. Thomas also took this opportunity to visit with
each project leader about their conservation related research programs.
(KIM20000615N2)
June 5, 2000. Rick Lentz, Dave Bjorneberg and Dale Westermann
attended a meeting called by the Idaho Soil Conservation Commission
to form an agricultural pollution abatement plan - BMP (best
management practice) effectiveness committee. Individuals
attending were from Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Idaho Department of Agriculture, Division of Environmental Quality,
and University of Idaho. An initial high priority item to be
evaluated by this committee is the use of BMPs in phosphorus
effluent trading to meet TMDL (total maximum daily load) standards
for the lower Boise river. (KIM20000608N1)
June 6, 2000. Dr. David Horne, Soil Scientist, Massey University,
Palmerston North, New Zealand, presented a seminar on "New Zealand
Agriculture, Soils, and Soil Science." Dr. Horne described New
Zealand agriculture as largely pasture-based for sheep and dairy
cow production. He noted that New Zealand has a 'Commodity Based
Economy' which has suffered greatly following formation of the
European Community. New Zealand is needing a 'Value Added Economy.'
Agricultural research there is now heavily committed to 'keeping it
green.' Dave is here on a six-month sabbatic working with Dr. Bob
Sojka on aspects of polyacrylamide (PAM) effects on water infiltration
into soils. (KIM20000608N2)
May 26, 2000. Lee Maddox of the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Columbia, TN,
conducted a radio interview with Hank Mayland, USDA-ARS Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, on the benefits of cutting
hay in the afternoon. Dr. Mayland also discussed the time-lapse video
tape illustrating the preference by steers for the PM-cut forage. A
tape and explanatory text were sent to Lee for viewing and for use in
a later TV broadcast. (KIM20000601N1)
May 30, 2000. Hank Mayland, USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils
Research Laboratory, Glenn Shewmaker and Ron Thaemert, University of
Idaho, participated in an Alfalfa Grazing School held on a ranch near
Star, Idaho. They were given three years of performance data and
observed grazing behavior of the 250 cow-calf pairs on alfalfa. The
experience provided supporting evidence for a paper that Dr. Mayland
is writing on grazing behavior and diurnal soluble carbohydrate
distribution in forage plants. (KIM20000601N2)
May 18, 2000. "Pouring a glass of milk is only a few steps away
from pouring a glass of sunshine." This quote is the lead-in to a
story on 'Late-afternoon-cut hay makes more milk' published in May
10, 2000, Hoard's Dairyman. This article promotes the concept
developed by Hank Mayland several years ago that afternoon-cut
forage has increased feed value compared to morning-cut forage.
Several researchers are contributing to the overall knowledge base.
(KIM20000525N1)
May 23, 2000. Dr. Benton Glaze, University of Idaho Extension
Livestock Specialist (beef & swine), gave a seminar on 'Selection
Response and Genetic Parameters in Polled Hereford Cattle
Selected for Feed Conversion'. Results of the study were of interest.
Most interesting were the shared experiences of analyzing the huge data
set using newly developed statistical software. The handicaps included
missing data, and not having had a direct hand in conducting the actual
research. (KIM20000525N2)
May 11, 2000. Hank Mayland was party to a two-hour conference call
originated by staff members of Caribou National Forest, Soda Springs,
Idaho. They are concerned with Selenium issues in salvage soils,
spoils, water, plants, bioavailability, plant uptake, percolation to
ground water, and water quality. The U.S. Forest Service staff on
Caribou will be drafting standards for the P-mining companies in the
area. (KIM20000518N1)
May 15, 2000. Jim Entry, Soil Microbiologist at the Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented a
seminar on the "Efficacy of PAM to reduce microorganisms in water."
(KIM20000518N2)
May 15, 2000. Evert Byington, USDA-ARS National Program Leader for
NP-205 Rangeland, Pasture and Forage, visited the project leaders and
became more familiar with the mission of the location. He was hosted
by Hank Mayland who shared his research efforts into mineral cycling
in the soil-plant-animal system and more recent work on benefits of
afternoon cutting of forage. Dr. Mayland also arranged a luncheon
session with three dairy-forage producers in the Magic Valley. The
group then briefly toured some of the dairy areas where challenges of
forage harvesting, conservation, storage, and quality assessment were
strongly evident. (KIM20000518N3)
April 4, 2000. Kris Aase, Soil Scientist at the Northwest Irrigation
and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented a seminar on
sprinkler-irrigation water quality influences P in runoff. Dr. Aase
presented some early findings that he and cooperators will study in
more detail. (KIM20000511N1)
April 18, 2000. David Bjorneberg, Agricultural Engineer at the
Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID,
presented a seminar on "P dynamics of surface water runoff".
Dr. Bjorneberg presented early findings of P runoff from a straw
mulch that was sprinkle-irrigated with RO- or 1/2 RO-tap water.
Investigators found unexpected results that they will be studying
in more detail. (KIM20000511N2)
April 19, 2000. Upon request of Kurt Reitsma, South Dakota State
Department of Agriculture in Pierre, Hank Mayland sent ten copies
of the ARS special publication "Saline Seep: Diagnosis, Control,
and Reclamation." This publication is out of print and only 12
copies are currently available. (KIM20000511N3)
April 25, 2000. Richard Allen, Water Resources Engineer with the
University of Idaho and officed in the Northwest Irrigation and
Soils Research Laboratory at Kimberly, Idaho, presented a seminar
on "How to put the E in ET: the UN-FAO-56 procedure." Dr. Allen
was one of the authors instrumental in writing the UN-FAO-56
document incorporating some results from Dr. Jim Wright's
evapotranspiration (ET) research program. Dr. Allen was complimentary
of the Kimberly ET research and showed how evaporation could be
accounted for in the water balance equation. (KIM20000511N4)
May 1-2, 2000. Bob Sojka and David J. Horne, visiting New Zealand
Soil Physicist, traveled to Moscow, Idaho, to meet with students and
faculty interested in research on polyacrylamide (PAM) use for erosion
control, infiltration enhancement and water clarification. Dr. Horne
is spending a six month sabbatic with the Northwest Irrigation and
Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL) to study the effects of PAM on
infiltration uniformity. In Moscow, Sojka met with Ross Spackman, a
Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant Soils and Entomological Sciences;
Sojka is on Spackman's degree committee. On May 2nd Sojka presented a
seminar in the Engineering Department on work from the NWISRL use of
PAM for erosion control and runoff water quality improvement.
(KIM20000511N5)
May 3, 2000. David Bjorneberg, Agricultural Engineer, and Rick Lentz,
Soil Scientist, along with five technical and office staff of the
Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL)
participated in Water Festival 2000 at the College of Southern Idaho,
Twin Falls. This educational activity for 6th grade students addressed
important water resource issues and featured 20 learning stations.
The NWISRL set up two stations describing ARS research efforts,
irrigation systems, soil and water management, and use of polyacrylamide
(PAM) in furrow irrigation to reduce erosion in fields and decrease
sediment and nutrient loads in irrigation return flows entering the
Snake River. Over 900 6th grade students from 16 schools in Twin Falls
and surrounding communities attended the day-long event. (KIM20000511N6)
May 2, 2000. Rick Lentz, Soil Scientist at the Northwest Irrigation
and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL), Kimberly, ID, presented a
seminar entitled "Temperature effects on furrow infiltration". Dr.
Lentz discussed the series of studies completed in cooperation with Dr.
David Bjorneberg, Agricultural Engineer, NWISRL, which showed a
significant influence of temperature on irrigation furrow infiltration
rates. These studies appear to be the first to identify and quantify
this phenomenon in the field. Irrigators can use this information to
increase furrow advance rates on fields with longer, softer (high
intake), or little-sloped furrows, resulting in increased water use
efficiency and reduced nutrient leaching losses at inflow ends of
furrows. (KIM20000511N7)
May 5, 2000. Dr. Al Nihat Balci, Istanbul, Turkey, and David Mead,
Twin Falls, ID, toured the Laboratory with Dale Westermann. Dr. Balci
attended Utah State University and Washington State University and
recently retired from being the Director of a watershed research group
in Istanbul. He was very interested in the research program at Kimberly,
particularly the ongoing studies to reduce irrigation induced soil
erosion. Mr. Mead is a Twin Falls banker supportive of the Laboratory
and had attended Utah State University with Dr. Balci. (KIM20000511N8)
May 9, 2000. Bob Sojka, Soil Scientist at the Northwest Irrigation
and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, ID, presented a seminar on
"Water quality issues in irrigated agriculture in Australia." Dr.
Sojka was invited by the Institute of Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture
(ISIA) at Tatura, Victoria, the Goulburn-Murray Water District, and
the Australian Land Resource and Development Council (LRRDC) because
of his research and knowledge of polyacrylamide (PAM). (KIM20000511N9)
Bob Sojka was interviewed on Monday, 25 April, by Mark Anderson
for video footage to be released through the Idaho State University
Information Office. The interview focused on recent work at the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northwest Irrigation and Soils
Research Lab (NWISRL), by Sojka and NWISRL co-investigator, Dr.
James Entry, that has explored the sequestration of microorganisms
from irrigation runoff water using polyacrylamide (PAM) as an erosion
and infiltration management additive to the irrigation water. The
NWISRL and Dr. Maribeth Watwood of Idaho State University's (ISU)
Biological Science Department have had several collaborative projects
looking on PAM effects on microorganisms. The sequestration work,
while not a direct collaboration, was an outgrowth of the original
work and has pointed the way for projects at ISU, NWISRL and
University of Idaho to look at additional potential for PAM to
sequester microorganisms in managed surface waters. To date the
sequestration work by Sojka and Entry has resulted in two journal
publications and a patent. The interview also touched briefly on
a related project with Dr. Don Morishita, weed scientist at the
University of Idaho, in which a similar sequestration was seen for
weed seed. Sequestration of microorganisms and weed seed by PAM helps
prevent the spread of weeds and diseases within farmers' fields and
among neighboring fields via irrigation return flows. Ultimately this
effect should lead to a reduced need for pesticides and could have
public health implications for controlling coliforms and other human
health-threatening organisms in return flows to riparian waters.
(KIM20000427N1)
Bob Sojka attended a meeting of the Water Quality and Management
writing team from 11-13 April in Beltsville, Maryland. The writing
team met to help ARS National Program Staff produce a finalized
version of the National Program Action Plan. The action plan is a
guiding statement of the agency's water quality and management
research in its Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural
Systems division. The document will serve as the framework for the
formulation of national research teams. Sojka was one of several
members responsible for the Irrigation and Drainage component of
the action plan. (KIM20000427N2)
Rick Lentz and Bob Sojka represented the Northwest Irrigation and
Soils Research Lab in Kanasas City, MO, 17-19 May at an ARS Soil
Resource Management national program action plan workshop. The
workshop brought together representatives of nearly all ARS research
units with research activity covered under the Soil Resource
Management national program for the purpose of beginning to identify
research teams to pursue lines of research identified in the Soil
Resource Management national program statement. (KIM20000427N3)
April 12, 2000. Hank Mayland was contacted by Troy Downing, Oregon
State University Dairy Extension Specialist at Tillamook, Oregon,
regarding the increase in forage quality during the day. 150 dairies
having about 150 cows each rely largely on pasture. A possible
meeting with dairy producers in the area was discussed. They are
concerned about varietal difference in palatability and Phosphorous
capture. (KIM20000420N1)
April 12, 2000. Dave Bjorneberg discussed practical aspects of using
polyacrylamide (PAM) with surface irrigation at a Hispanic Irrigators'
Workshop in Twin Falls, Idaho. The workshop was sponsored by the three
conservation districts in Twin Falls County along with the Mid-Snake
Resource Conservation and Development District and the Twin Falls Canal
Company. The purpose of the workshop was to raise Hispanic irrigators'
awareness about irrigation management including chemical and electrical
safety. Thirteen irrigators attended the workshop. Participants were
given cards to certify that they attended the workshop. (KIM20000420N2)
April 19, 2000. Hank Mayland was contacted by Ray Melander of Customer
One Farm Cooperative of Merrill, Wisconsin, about the PM-cutting
technology. Mr. Melander was interested in adding this technology to
their newsletter and webb site (customeronecoop.com). Copies of
published research material were forwarded him. (KIM20000420N3)
March 31, 2000. Dave Bjorneberg discussed water quality issues with
about 30 members of the West End Men's Club, a civic group in Buhl,
Idaho, at their regular weekly meeting. He discussed total maximum
daily loads (TMDLs) for sediment and phosphorus on the Snake River,
management practices that irrigated agriculture can use to reduce
negative impacts on water quality, and current research at the
Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory that may result in
new management practices for irrigated agriculture. Farmers and
landowners in the group were particularly interested in how water
quality standards could affect their operations and how they can
justify the costs of best management practices given the current low
farm prices. (KIM2000.0406N1)
April 3, 2000. The April edition of the New Holland News published an
article entitled "If Cows Could Talk About Hay and Silage." The
article highlighted the benefits of PM vs AM cutting on increasing
forage value, animal preference, and animal performance. The information
in the article is the result of research by Hank Mayland and cooperators
since August 1996. (KIM2000.0406N2)
April 4, 2000. Kris Aase presented a seminar entitled "Sprinkler-irrigation
Water Quality Influences P in Water Runoff." He discussed relationships
of phosphorus in runoff from sprinkler irrigated soils to soil phosphorus
forms. The relationships are not simple, and some of the difficulties were
discussed in relation to P eutrophication of lakes and streams. The
seminar was attended by ARS and University of Idaho personnel. (KIM2000.0406N3)
Dr. Jim Entry returned to Kimberly from a nine-week visit to Griffith
University in Brisbane, Australia. The trip was sponsored by the
Organization for Economic and Co-operative Development. During his
stay, Dr. Entry co-operated with Dr. Ian Phillips and Dr. Helen
Stratton at the School of Environmental Engineering at the Nathan
Campus. The investigators tested the efficacy of polyacrylamide (PAM),
+ Al(SO4)3 and PAM + CaO to filter chemical and coliform bacteria
contained in hog waste flowing through columns with different soil
types in a laboratory study. A field study was conducted at the
Alistaer Park Farm in Dalby, Queensland, to investigate the efficacy of
(PAM), + Al(SO4)3 and PAM + CaO to filter chemical and coliform
bacteria contained in hog waste flowing over three different soil
types. Results of this study will be reported in a journal article.
Information gained in the trip to Australia will be incorporated into
Dr. Entry's research program. (KIM2000.0323N1)
March 17, 2000. Katy Flanagan and Gary Grimm of Mountain Visions gave
a seminar on multimedia options for technology transfer. This Boise,
Idaho, group has been working with natural resource agencies to utilize
various media for information transfer. Video, internet,
interactive-webb pages, and CD-ROM technology were discussed with nine
members of our staff. (KIM2000.0323N2)
March 21, 2000. Dr. Nora Olsen, Potato Specialist with the University
of Idaho, presented a seminar for state and federal researchers. She
talked about the Importance of Seed Vigor and Quality with emphasis on
physiological age of the seed piece and its affect of productivity.
(KIM20000323N3)
March 22, 2000. Dr. Bob Sojka was interviewed by Marlene Fritz of the
University of Idaho's Information Service regarding recent findings in
a cooperative project with Dr. Don Morishita of the University of Idaho.
Sojka and Morishita teamed for a two-year corn study that examined the
effects of polyacrylamide (PAM) and herbides on sediment loss,
infiltration, and loss of four important weed species seeds
(Kochia--Kochia scoparia; Redroot Pigweed--Amaranthus retroflexus;
Lambsquarters--Chenopodium album; and Hairy Nightshade--Solanum
sarracoides). Herbicide treatment controlled weeds, however,
non-herbicide treatment had higher infiltration, less erosion, and less
weed seed loss than herbicide treatments (because of the vegetative
mulching effect of the weeds). PAM treatments, with or without
herbicides, had slightly higher infiltration, very little erosion, and
greatly reduced weed seed loss. The study showed that PAM can effectively
sequester weed seed from runoff water while controlling erosion. The
study is important because it shows that using PAM helps prevent the
spread of weed seeds down along a furrow and between fields. Ultimately
this could help reduce the amount of herbicide needed to control weeds.
Sojka and Morishita have been funded by the Pacific Northwest's STEEP
project to expand their work, looking at similar dynamics in field beans,
and measuring herbicide residues in the soil and runoff. (KIM2000.0323N4)
March 16, 2000. NWISRL Soil Scientist Dr. Bob Sojka returned to
Kimberly last week from a two month visit with Australia's Institute
for Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture (ISIA) at Tatura, Victoria.
The trip was sponsored by ISIA, Australia's Land and Water Resources
Research and Development Council, Goulburn Murray Water, and
Australia's suppliers of agricultural polyacrylamide (PAM).
During his stay, Dr. Sojka visited irrigated agriculture in five
of Australia's six states, assessing the nature and extent of erosion
and infiltration problems and the potential for using PAM to help
solve the problems. During the trip, Dr. Sojka personally
interviewed over 40 Australian farmers and farm managers on their
farms, spoke at one field day and conducted eight PAM workshops,
whose combined attendance numbered about 150 scientists,
conservationists and water managers. The visit will result in a
report to the trip sponsors and to ARS, and development of one or
more research proposals with ISIA to investigate specific aspects of
PAM use for Australia's agricultural and environmental needs.
Insights and ideas gleaned from the Australian trip will also be
applied to Dr. Sojka's research program in the U.S. (KIM2000.0316N1)
7 March 2000. Nathan Oberg, U of Idaho, graduate student, presented a
seminar on the 'Role of Jasmonates in Potato Physiology'. The potato
storage industry has relied on CIPC for many years to prevent sprouting
in potato tubers. Janmonates are being investigated as alternative
compounds as use of CIPC is being phased out. Representatives of the
jasmonate family are found in many crops and seem to carry out some
hormonal functions. (KIM2000.0309N1)
March 6, 2000. Dale Westermann announced that the ARS Northwest
Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory located northeast of Kimberly
has over 1000 publications to its credit! The Laboratory was started in
1963-64 and at one time had 20 scientists working on soil and
irrigation problems. It now has 10 scientists. It’s mission is to
develop environmentally compatible and economically sustainable new and
improved integrated water, soil, nutrient and crop management practices
for irrigated agriculture in the United States. Significant
agricultural production problems recently solved includes the control
of irrigation-induced soil erosion with polyacrylamide(PAM) and the
effect of harvesting practices on forage quality and animal production.
Additional information may be obtained by calling 208-423-5582 or visiting
their web page at http://kimberly.ars.usda.gov . (KIM2000.0309N2)
March 7, 2000. Dale Westermann met with David Roper, Vice President
National Pork Producers and discussed ways that the ARS-NWISRL could
provide information to help develop science-based nutrient management
plans. Of particular interest is the criteria to use when making lagoon
and manure applications on a phosphorus loading basis, the best way to
handle solids separated from lagoon liquids, the value of manure as a
soil amendment, and the potential problems with enteric organisms.
(KIM2000.0309N3)
February 22, 2000. Hank Mayland, upon request by Evert Byington,
Leader of NP-205, provided a four paragraph summary of his research
on forage cues and benefits of afternoon cutting of forage. Names
and addresses of cooperators were provided for this ARS annual
report. (KIM2000.0302N1)
February 23-24, 2000. Dale Westermann attended a meeting of the
NRCS western regional agronomists and water quality specialists in
Spokane, Washington. The purpose of this meeting was to
coordinate activities as each state develops their phosphorus index. The
phosphorus index is a resource management tool to indicate the relative
potential impact of phosphorus movement from agricultural land on surface
and ground water. Dr. Westermann discussed with the group the soil, site
and management factors that affect phosphorus movement from irrigated
land. (KIM2000.0302N2)
February 28, 2000. Dale Westermann presented a seminar on
phosphorus in irrigation runoff water over calcareous soils. The
seminar was well attended with University of Idaho, Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality, and private consultants being present. More
research is needed on P species originating from soil inorganic and
organic sources on these calcareous soils before we fully understand this
system. (KIM2000.0302N3)
February 28, 2000. Hank Mayland was consulted by Jay
Christensen of Pickett Equipment, Burley, Idaho, about
environmental, forage type, and harvesting equipment effects related to
harvesting, conserving, and storing quality hay. Mr. Christensen became
aware of our forage work while surfing the internet. Pickett Equipment is
considering designing and building a forage conditioner- windrower to
increase drying rate of cut forages. (KIM2000.0302N4)
February 29, 2000. Dave Bjorneberg gave a presentation about best
management practices for irrigated agriculture at the Division IV
Idaho Association of Conservation Districts (IACD) Spring Meeting in
Bellevue, Idaho. Division IV includes 11 south-central Idaho conservation
districts. Dr. Bjorneberg discussed accepted technologies for minimizing
negative impacts on water quality, current irrigation and water quality
research at the Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory
(NWISRL), and possible future research topics. Forty-seven people
attended the meeting including conservation district board members and
staff, NRCS district conservationists, and IACD personnel. The attendees
were also encouraged to contact the NWISRL whenever they identify
important research topics. (KIM2000.0302N5)
February 11, 2000. Dr. Harold Steppuhn, Research Hydrologist, with
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Swift Current, Saskatchewan,
visited with Kris Aase and gave a seminar on selecting grasses for
salinity tolerance. (KIM2000.0224N1)
February 13-18, 2000. Hank Mayland participated in program
planning, daily presentations, and technology transfer while at the
annual meeting of the Society of Range Management in Boise,
Idaho. The meeting was attended by 1,483 students, ranchers,
educators, and agency technicians. (KIM2000.0224N2)
February 4, 2000. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Idaho
Department of Agriculture, and University of Idaho personnel, along
with Dale Westermann, met to review the plans for a computer aided
nutrient management program. This program is being developed for
use on Idaho's One Plan website to facilitate the development of
nutrient management plans for all farming-cropping enterprises,
including irrigated/nonirrigated, Confined Animal Feeding Operations
(CAFOs) and Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs). It will include
geographic information system (GIS), animal sizing, and nutrient
balance modules. It is anticipated that this program will substantially
reduce the amount of planner's time currently necessary to develop
these plans. A beta copy of the program should be available by July
1, 2000. (KIM2000.0210N1)
January 20-21, 2000. Hank Mayland was invited to discuss benefits
of PM-forage cutting to the 75 growers/dairymen present at the
Michigan Forage Council meeting at St Johns, Michigan. He also
gave a seminar in Animal Science as Michigan State University,
East Lansing. (KIM2000.0203N1)
January 25-26, 2000. Hank Mayland participated in Wisconsin
Forage Council meetings in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, attended
by 160 people representing dairy, forage, industry, and education.
He presented information on 'Factors affecting palatability and intake
of alfalfa and grasses. He focused on benefits of PM vs AM cutting
on increasing forage value, animal preference, and animal
performance. The animal preferencing video was shown during two
formal presentations and another 8-10 times upon request by small
groups and individuals. As a result of the interest generated by Dr.
Mayland's presentation, Wisconsin Forage Council will fund sampling
and testing to evaluate PM/AM-cutting in their environment during
2000. (KIM2000.0203N2)
January 24 & 27, 2000. Hank Mayland visited with U.S. Dairy
Forage Research Center and University of Wisconsin staff to discuss
opportunities for research on select aspects of PM-cutting of forage
for dry hay or haylage. He also presented a seminar to about 35
USDA-ARS and University of Wisconsin staff and students.
(KIM2000.0203N3)
January 25, 2000. Hank Mayland was interviewed by Ann Paulmann,
Assistant Farm Director, Wisconsin Farm Report, Madison,
Wisconsin, and Bob Bosold, Farm Director, WAXX, Eau Claire,
Wisconsin, about PM/AM cutting of forage. (KIM2000.0203N4)
February 1, 2000. Dale Westermann presented a seminar at
NWISRL on phosphorous nutrient management. About 30 ARS,
University of Idaho, and several representatives from testing labs
attended. (KIM2000.0203N5)
February 3, 2000. Hank Mayland presented a seminar on benefits of
PM vs AM forage cutting to enhancing forage quality, animal
preference, animal intake, and animal production to the Animal,
Dairy, and Veterinary Department, Utah State University, Logan,
Utah. (KIM2000.0203N6)
January 26, 2000. Rick Lentz and Gary Lehrsch participated in a
meeting with representatives of the Idaho potato processing industry,
State of Idaho Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ), State of
Washington Department of Ecology, Universities of Idaho and
Minnesota, Washington State University, and environmental
consultants. One purpose of the meeting was to review recent
Minnesota research on water flow and nutrient transport beneath
application sites that received potato processing wastewater during
the non-growing season. Dr. Lehrsch also served as an invited
member of a panel that discussed similarities and differences
between non-growing season wastewater application in Minnesota
and Idaho. Members of the panel pointed out design considerations
for an experiment to both characterize and monitor water movement
and solute transport within and below crop root zones of winter-time
land application sites in Idaho. (KIM2000.0127N1)
January 4-6, 2000. Dale Westermann participated in the Idaho Crop
Protection Association annual winter meetings in Jackpot, Nevada. He
discussed management factors affecting phosphorus availability in
calcareous soils, and soil-plant micronutrient availability relationships.
This meeting is attended by over 500 crop production specialists from
Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Nevada. (KIM2000.0120N1)
January 11-13, 2000. Rick Lentz attended the Nonpoint Source Water
Quality Monitoring Results Workshop in Boise, Idaho. Attendants from
several states discussed the latest research related to stream, river and
reservoir systems, including effects of ecosystem and watershed, and
forest, range, and irrigation effects on water quality and biological
parameters. Lentz presented a poster entitled “Phosphorus leaching from
furrow-irrigated calcareous soils.” (KIM2000.0120N2)
January 12-13, 2000. Dale Westermann discussed the potassium nutritional
management aspects, and the use of compost and green manures in potato
production at two Columbia Basin production workshops jointly
sponsored by Washington State University Cooperative Extension and
Washington State Potato Commission. The workshops were held in
Moses Lake and Pasco, Washington, and attended by about 250
individuals. (KIM2000.0120N3)
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