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10 CapitalPress.com May 19, 2017 Washington Snow mold damage minimal, researchers say By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Eastern Washington farmers who had snow mold on their wheat earlier this year had to wait to see if the crop would recover, and now it looks like the damage will be minimal, researchers say. “Which was a little bit surprising,” said Ryan Hig- ginbotham, director of Washington State Univer- sity’s cereal variety testing program. “Given the level of snow cover we had, I ex- pected to see more long-term damage. But the resistant varieties bounce back very well.” Higginbotham expected some areas where the snow cover lasted longest to have more damage. “If it didn’t recover, it’s not going to,” he said. WSU Extension plant pa- thologist Tim Murray also expected worse damage. Snow covered most of East- ern Washington for 60 days, and up to 110 days in the Waterville Plateau, an area that often has snow mold. Farmers there tend to plant varieties with good snow mold resistance, he said, “In a way, it’s not surpris- ing that the damage wasn’t really all that severe,” he said. “Nobody’s growing something up there that is fully susceptible.” Twenty farmers in Prescott, Wash., got a rare instance of snow mold due to different varieties and ear- lier planting dates. Actual damage varied in the Prescott area of south- eastern Washington, Murray said. “This is one of the dis- eases that is just very weath- WSU dryland research station reports record snow cover May, June rains would boost wheat yields By MATTHEW WEAVER Tim Murray/Washington State University Washington State University researchers say much of the wheat impacted by snow mold has rebounded nicely. er-dependent,” he said, pointing to frozen soil and length of snow cover as key factors. During a 20-year period, snow mold occurs about half the time, he said. “It’s not like you can predict which half of those years it’s going to be,” Mur- ray said. “You might have it three or four years in a row, and then not have it at all for three or four years.” Wheat breeders now have good information on the next wheat variety lines in devel- opment and can discard sus- ceptible lines, Higginbotham said. His field trials didn’t produce any big surprises. “The ones we have known possessed snow mold resis- tance still showed to be re- sistant,” Higginbotham said. Higginbotham recently released snow mold ratings for wheat varieties. Grow- ers who worry about snow mold each year should select the highest-rated variety for their production needs, he said. “If you only see snow mold once every 20 or 30 years, then I wouldn’t sacri- fice yield potential for snow mold resistance,” he said. Capital Press Precipitation is near an all- time high at Washington State University’s dryland research station in Lind, Wash., after a record number of days with continuous snow cover. The 76 days of snow cover beat the previous record of 70 days in 1985, said Bill Schil- linger, station director. The station has had 14.13 inches of precipitation for the crop year, which runs Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. That puts the year at fourth-place in the sta- tion’s recorded history, dating back 97 years. The station received the most precipitation in 1948, with 22.71 inches. The aver- Courtesy Washington State University WSU’s dryland research station in Lind, Wash., reported a record 76 days of continuous snow cover. Online http://lindstation.wsu.edu/ age is 9.56 inches. “It’s so wet this year, it’s already moved our 97-year average,” Schillinger said. “Even if we don’t get another drop of rain, we’ve gone from 9.56 inches of annual pre- cip average long-term up to 9.60 inches. We gained four one-hundredths.” The station hasn’t had this much precipitation to this point in mid-May in 97 years of accurate records, Schil- linger said. Researchers combine the amount of moisture stored during the winter and rain that falls during the grow- ing season, April through June. Rain in May and June boosts yields, Schillinger said. Winter wheat yields at the Lind station average 38 bushels per acre. Schillinger expects “substantially” higher yields this year, but says anything can happen between now and harvest. In 1997, when the sta- tion received 15.01 inches of precipitation, yields av- eraged 77 bushels per acre. “These farmers are about ready to get a break here,” Schillinger said. “They’ve gone through some drought years and wheat prices went low.” Farm Bureau, allies drop suit against minimum wage Coalition won’t appeal ruling of lower court By DON JENKINS Capital Press The Washington Farm Bureau and other business groups have dropped their effort to overturn the vot- er-approved initiative that raised the minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave for workers. The business coalition announced Friday it won’t appeal a judge’s ruling that upheld the constitutionality of Initiative 1433. The coalition had argued I-1433 violated the state con- stitution by having two sub- jects. Kittitas County Superi- or Court Judge Scott Sparks ruled I-1433 had just one sub- ject, labor standards. National Federation of In- dependent Business state di- rector Patrick Connor issued a parting criticism of the de- cision. “What this ruling tells fu- ture initiative drafters is that they can overlook the Wash- ington Constitution’s crystal clear instruction that the titles of ballot initiatives be a sin- gle subject,” Connor said in a written statement. I-1433 passed in Novem- ber and raised the minimum wage to $11 an hour on Jan. 1, tying Washington with New York and Massachusetts for the state with the highest pay floor. Yearly increases are scheduled until the wage reaches $13.50 in 2020, with annual increases for inflation after that. Employers will be required to provide paid sick leave beginning next year. In a written ruling, Sparks said he set a high bar for over- turning a voter-passed law. He said the challengers failed to show beyond a reasonable doubt that I-1433 was uncon- stitutional. For precedent, he cited a 2015 state Supreme Court ruling, Filo Foods v. City of SeaTac. The court upheld a city ballot measure that raised the minimum wage for some workers in the city and includ- ed other labor provisions. The court held the measure’s only subject was labor standards. Washington FFA chooses new state officers By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington FFA installed a new slate of officers to cap its annual gathering, which attracted 3,318 members and advisers. The new officers will demonstrate the power of let- ting the student leadership or- ganization truly be guided by students, the organization’s officials say. New officers elected Matthew Weaver/Capital Press during the 87th Washington A joyous Seth Smith of Tonasket, the incoming president of the FFA Convention and Expo Washington State FFA, hugs a friend at the end of the FFA conven- in Pullman, Wash., are presi- tion May 13 in Pullman, Wash. dent Seth Smith of Tonasket, Smith hopes to attend law Smith said he doesn’t have vice president Mollee Gray of Medical Lake, secretary an agriculture background, school and ultimately work in Taylor Enns of White River, but became involved in FFA natural resources law or water treasurer Sydney Klaveano through a novice parliamen- rights law. Outgoing president Alyssa of Pullman, reporter Kelci tary procedure leadership de- McGee in her retiring address Scharff of Cheney and senti- velopment event. “It opened up all these urged members not to get so nel Matt Rounsley of Tenino. Smith said he hopes to doors and this new journey distracted by their goals that talk about FFA’s possibilities I’m on ... learning about this they miss the beauty of living for all students in the coming industry,” he said. “I realized in the moment. “Over the next few years, how passionate I was about year. “It’s really open for every- it and how effective it was in that (FFA) jacket will serve as a collection of both great mo- our world.” body,” he said. ments as well as moments of struggle,” she said. “Hold on tightly to both.” “I’m excited to hear from them what they envision Washington FFA to be in the next year,” Rebecca Wal- lace, Washington FFA state adviser, said of the new of- ficers. “I can’t wait to see what kind of expectations they set for themselves this year, and then surpass,” said Abbie De- Meerleer, Washington FFA Association executive direc- tor. “This is a dynamic new group of individuals, and I think they’re going to have some pretty innovative and exciting ideas for the associ- ation.” DeMeerleer hopes the in- dustry greets the new officers with open arms, to help them better understand the “ins and outs” of the industry and its trading partners “so that these six students, in all of their travels throughout the year, can best represent not only FFA, but Washington agricul- ture as a whole.”. Washington FFA Association From left, new Washington FFA state president Seth Smith of Tonasket, treasurer Sydney Klaveano of Pullman; reporter Kelci Scharff of Cheney; vice president Mollee Gray of Medical Lake; secretary Taylor Enns of White River and sentinel Matthew Roun- sley of Tenino. Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Outgoing Washington State FFA president Alyssa McGee of Sumner delivers her retiring address during the convention May 13 in Pullman. 20-1\#6
