14 CapitalPress.com
January 1, 2016
Scientist asks growers to
watch for herbicide resistance
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
ABERDEEN, Idaho — A
University of Idaho Extension
weed scientist is asking grow-
ers and agronomists to save
weed seeds for research pur-
poses in the coming season if
they encounter redroot pigweed
or common lamb’s quarters that
withstand herbicide treatments.
Pam Hutchinson suspects
metribuzin herbicide resistance
may be on the rise within Ida-
ho’s populations of redroot pig-
weed and lamb’s quarters.
In 2005, Hutchinson re-
ceived her first report of
metribuzin resistance suspect-
ed in redroot pigweed from
a grower in Shelley, who ac-
knowledged he’d used the
chemical every other year on
potatoes since the 1970s.
“He said metribuzin was
no longer controlling redroot
pigweed, but it had controlled
it really well in the past,”
Hutchinson said, adding that he
switched to other herbicides.
More recently, growers
throughout Southern Idaho’s
potato production area have
also reported evidence of
metribuzin-resistant lamb’s
quarters.
Hutchinson hopes to plant
seeds from weeds that sur-
vive metribuzin applications
for testing in a greenhouse to
confirm that resistance is oc-
curring.
Metribuzin, which inhib-
its photosynthesis in weeds,
was one of the first herbicides
approved for potatoes. It can
be used before potato plants
emerge, but is the only her-
bicide labeled for post-emer-
gence lamb’s quarters control
in spuds.
Hutchinson said an in-
crease in lamb’s quarters
could also be the result of a
weed shift, due to the fact
that popular herbicides, such
as glyphosate, control hairy
nightshade but are less effec-
tive on lamb’s quarters.
“We’re using products
that target the worst weeds
but miss lamb’s quarters,”
Hutchinson said, adding that
there hasn’t been a new her-
bicide chemistry released in
20 years.
Hutchinson did the re-
search to justify a spe-
cial-needs label in Idaho
and Washington potatoes for
Linex, a pre-emergence herbi-
cide with strong lamb’s quar-
ters control.
Hutchinson’s research ap-
plication to survey Idaho for
metribuzin-resistant weeds
was denied, but the Northwest
Potato Research Consortium
has requested a full proposal
on a collaborative project in-
volving the four Northwest
weed scientists regarding tri-
als into blending herbicides to
target specific weeds and de-
lay or prevent resistance.
“If we don’t take care of
(metribuzin) then we’re in
trouble,” Hutchinson said.
“There are only a few other
herbicides that in potatoes
will control common lamb’s
quarters.”
She advises growers to
keep a history of herbicides
use and weed history in fields
to help evaluate chemicals
that may have worked in the
past but appear to be losing
their effectiveness.
Courtesy of EcoFarm Conference
Attendees of last winter’s EcoFarm Conference take a bus tour to farms on California’s Central Coast in January. This winter’s conference
will be held Jan. 20-23 in Pacific Grove, Calif.
2016 EcoFarm Conference
to focus on water, soil health
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif.
— Replenishing water sources
and keeping soils healthy will
be key themes of this winter’s
36th annual EcoFarm Confer-
ence, set for Jan. 20-23 at the
Asilomar Conference Grounds
here.
With the theme, “Regener-
ating Our Lands and Water,”
the Ecological Farming Associ-
ation’s annual gathering will in-
clude workshops on irrigation
efficiency, composting, man-
aging crop nutrients to control
plant disease, supporting bee
health and other topics.
“I think what we’re really
highlighting this year is the rel-
evance of our theme ... within
the scope of the current issues
we’re facing with drought
and soil health,” conference
spokeswoman Emily Summer-
lin said in an email. She noted
that 2015 was designated the
International Year of Soils by
the United Nations’ General
Assembly.
“We have a soil and water
‘track’ that goes along with the
theme, with several pre-confer-
ences and workshops that cover
irrigation solutions, compost-
ing” and related topics, Sum-
merlin said. “We are presenting
these organic and ecological
farming practices as a solu-
tion.”
Farmers, marketers, activ-
ists, educators and others attend
the yearly conference, one of the
West’s largest for organic and
environmentally conscious pro-
ducers. While the first gather-
ing drew only about 50 people,
about 2,000 now attend the con-
ference and it has grown every
year, organizers say.
Among the dozens of pre-
senters lined up for this year’s
conference will be Purdue Uni-
versity professor emeritus Don
Huber, who will discuss what he
considers the “failed promises”
and “flawed science” behind
genetic engineering, and Andre
Leu of IFOAM Organics Inter-
national in Australia, who will
discuss pesticide residues in
food and children’s health.
The Ecological Farming
Association, or EcoFarm, is a
nonprofit educational organiza-
tion founded in 1981. The group
gets funding through various ac-
tivities and projects, donations,
grants, memberships and busi-
ness sponsorships, according to
its website.
At the heart of the group’s
calendar is the conference,
which also features tastings of
local wine and beer, live enter-
tainment and an exhibitor mar-
ketplace. Pre-conference activ-
ities include a bus tour of local
organic farms and workshops
on organic agricultural research,
succession planning, compost
and soil health and other topics.
Pulse industry wants
customers to take pledge
Split pea ice cream
helps introduce
International
Year of Pulses
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
The U.S. pulse industry is
asking consumers to take the
Pulse Pledge.
By signing up for the
pledge online, participants
agree to eat pulses once a
week for 10 weeks. In return
they will receive pulse reci-
pes via email and a chance to
win prizes, said Todd Scholz,
vice president of research and
member services at the USA
Dry Pea and Lentil Council.
The pledge is one of sever-
al promotions planned for the
International Year of Pulses
to increase consumption and
awareness of pulse crops —
dry peas, lentils and chick-
peas, or garbanzo beans.
Other promotions include:
• The pulse industry is
launching an international
brand campaign. A logo will
indicate which products con-
tain pulses. The campaign
will continue for three or four
years, or perhaps longer.
“We hope for 20 years,”
Scholz said. “It will be a logo
desired by the people that are
making pulse products. We
hope it’s self-sustaining, con-
tinues on and helps market
our products.”
• The international year
kicked off Nov. 18 with a cel-
ebration in New York. Pulse
industry representatives met
with dignitaries at the Unit-
ed Nations and served dishes
made using pulse products,
including split pea ice cream
and “pumpkin” pie made only
with red lentils.
The next day, industry
members talked about lentils
as a solution to such world
health problems as diabetes,
heart disease, obesity and
nutrition issues in less-devel-
oped countries.
• An international “pulse
feast” is slated for Jan. 6, with
a meal occurring in every
Online
http://pulsepledge.com/
time zone. An invitation-only
event will take place at noon
in Pullman, Wash.
“Every hour, there will be
a new pulse feast going on,”
Scholz said.
Each feast will be covered
using social media.
• A western IYOP launch
event is slated for Jan. 27
at the Culinary Institute of
America in St. Helena, Calif.
• Farmers are considering
an assessment increase to pay
for the international year, the
brand campaign and an en-
dowed chair at Washington
State University.
Ballots will go to Washing-
ton farmers in March, Scholz
said. The current assessment
is 1 percent of the net value
at the first point of sale. The
council is asking for a three-
year increase to 2 percent.
Idaho Pea and Lentil Com-
mission members will make
the decision, but asked for an
advisory poll of farmers, also
slated for March.
“We expect to generate
around a million dollars from
Washington and Idaho per
year,” Scholz said.
Montana currently grows
the most pulse crops in the
country, so Scholz expects
about $2 million from farmers
in that state.
The request comes as dry
conditions caused low yields
in the Palouse, with peas
down roughly 20 to 30 per-
cent and lentil yields down by
50 percent. The chickpea crop
was impacted less.
“We had a terrible season,
it was probably the worst
year since 1977,” Scholz
said. “As a national industry,
our yields and production
are down. Of course, that’s
the year we choose to ask
for an assessment increase.
But I think the excitement is
still there. The industry has a
history of gathering together
and assessing themselves an
increase so they can meet
whatever challenge it might
be.”
Pulse organizations
weigh name changes
Washington, Idaho
farmers make
decision in March
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
Several organizations rep-
resenting pulse farmers are
considering changing their
names to reflect the Interna-
tional Year of Pulses.
The Western Pea and Len-
til Growers Association has
already voted to change its
name to the Western Pulse
Growers Association, said
Todd Scholz, vice president of
research and member services
for the USA Dry Pea and Len-
til Council.
The Washington Dry Pea
and Lentil Commission will
decide whether to make the
change to the Washington
Pulse Crop Commission in
March.
The Idaho Pea and Lentil
Commission has considered
it, but it would be more com-
plicated because there is an
existing Idaho Bean Commis-
sion, Scholz said.
The North Dakota Dry Pea
and Lentil Council will have
to change state law to change
its name. The next time this
could happen would be in
2017, Scholz said.
Breeders working on new genetically modified sugar beet variety
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
BOISE — Two global
plant breeding and seed
companies are jointly de-
veloping a new sugar beet
variety designed to help
growers better control
weeds.
The genetically engi-
neered sugar beet will be
the next generation of weed
control technology in sugar
beets and it will be tolerant
to three different herbicides:
glyphosate, glufosinate and
dicamba.
“We’re very excited
about it. We think it’s going
to increase grower produc-
tivity,” KWS Saat Research
scientist Aaron Hummel
told growers Dec. 9 during
the Snake River Sugar Beet
Conference.
Virtually all of the sug-
ar beets grown on 180,000
acres in this region have
been genetically engineered
by Monsanto Co. to resist
its popular Roundup herbi-
cide.
Snake River Sugar Co.,
a cooperative of farmers
that supplies sugar beets to
Amalgamated Sugar Co.,
estimates the adoption of
sugar beets is saving Idaho
and Eastern Oregon growers
an estimated $22 million a
year.
“We believe the (new)
trait will help you continue
that trend,” Hummel said.
“We believe (this variety)
will provide growers with
great options for weed con-
trol.”
KWS, a plant breeding
company headquartered in
Germany, signed a commer-
cial agreement with U.S.-
based Monsanto this year to
develop the new sugar beet
variety.
Trials and development
will occur over the next
three years and the new
variety is expected to hit
the market in eight to 10
years.
Monsanto and KWS also
partnered in developing
Roundup Ready sugar beets.
The combination of the
three traits stacked into
one variety should prevent
the proliferation of herbi-
cide-resistant weeds be-
cause any weed resistant
to any of the three modes
of action would be killed
by the others, Hummel
said.
“If (a weed) is resistant to
one chemical, then the next
one will probably knock it
out,” said Idaho sugar beet
farmer Galen Lee. “I’m
very excited about it.”
University of Idaho and
Oregon State University
weed scientists last year
discovered the presence of
some kochia weeds in this
area that are resistant to gly-
phosate, the active ingredi-
ent in Roundup.
Hummel said the new
product will not be a silver
bullet for weed control but
should be integrated into
a comprehensive manage-
ment program.
It’s not a single solution,
he said, “but it’s a very good
solution that will help you
have more options to man-
age glyphosate resistance in
weeds.”
UI weed scientist Don
Morishita said he believes
the idea of the new sugar
beet variety with three traits
is a good one.
But, he added, some ko-
chia weeds are resistant to
dicamba and glufosinate,
which works great in the
Midwest, but doesn’t work
as well in the dry, low-hu-
midity environments in this
region.
“I think this idea of
stacking traits is a reason-
able one but I’m not entire-
ly sold that (dicamba and
glufosinate) are the best
two traits to stack into sug-
ar beets grown in Idaho and
Oregon,” he said.
“Going by experience,
weeds always find a way
of developing resistance,”
said OSU weed scientist
Joel Felix. But, he add-
ed, “It’s nice to see new
products, in this case a hy-
brid that would be able to
withstand three modes of
action.”
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Aaron Hummel, a research scientist with plant breeding company
KWS Saat, discusses the development of a new sugar beet variety
that will be resistant to three different herbicides, during a sugar
beet conference in Boise Dec. 9.