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June 8, 2018 CapitalPress.com 5 First Columbia River Treaty talks ‘very productive’ Next talks will be in British Columbia By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press The first two days of nego- tiating updates to the Colum- bia River Treaty were “very productive,” U.S. negotiators say. The talks were May 29-30 in Washington, D.C. Some provisions of the treaty, adopted in 1964 for cooperative development and operation of water resources in the Columbia River Basin, are set to expire in 2024. Negotiators spoke during a conference call May 31 fol- lowing the first round of nego- tiations to modernize the treaty between the U.S. and Canada. Media were advised to identify speakers only as “se- nior U.S. government offi- cials.” “We’re in the beginning stages and right now we’re just reaffirming cooper- ation,” one official said. “We’re just laying out what our future objectives are at this point.” Negotiators are relying on a 2013 regional recom- mendation developed by the Bonneville Power Adminis- tration and U.S. Army Corps Wikimedia Commons The Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington state. The first round of negotiations to update the Columbia River Treaty was last week in Washington, D.C. of Engineers after years of consulting federal agencies, states, tribes and “extensive” stakeholder engagement. “This is our guide, this is our foundation,” the official said. U.S. objectives include continued careful manage- ment of flood risk, ensuring a reliable and economical pow- er supply and better addressing ecosystem concerns. Both the U.S. and Cana- dian governments have also brought up mitigating any im- pacts associated with climate change, an official said. The official declined to go into specific negotiating posi- tions. When asked by reporters whether the Trump adminis- tration had issued “marching orders” or expressed views on the treaty as a good deal or bad deal, the officials reiterated that they were relying on the regional recommendations. Asked if Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum and rene- gotiations of the North Amer- ican Free Trade Agreement would affect negotiations, the official was not aware of any discussions to merge the is- sues. “We have no information that suggests these discus- sions will be impacted at this point,” an official said. Pacific Northwest tribes and First Nations tribes in Canada have expressed con- cerns that they don’t have a seat at negotiations, a reporter said. The officials are “deeply grateful” for the tribes who contributed to the consensus outlined in the 2013 recom- mendation. “We value the expertise and experience of the tribes, and the department has main- tained regular contact and communications with the tribes,” an U.S. official said. “We will continue to consult with the tribes on a regular basis as negotiations proceed. We are working with the tribes to develop an engagement plan that allows for meaning- ful consultation throughout the negotiation process.” The next round of negoti- ations will be Aug. 15-16 in British Columbia. Wheat enters risk period for starch damage in late June By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Washington’s wheat crop will enter the risk period for starch damage in late June, a re- searcher says. It’s a matter of when the wheat reaches the anthesis, or flowering, stage, said Camille Steber, a research plant molec- ular geneticist at the USDA Ag- ricultural Research Service in Pullman, Wash. At that point, farmers will need to be on the lookout for big temperature fluctuations, Steber said. “We just did one last night — we went from the 80s yester- day to the 60s today,” she said June 4. “If that happens in the last week of June, then I would worry. Hopefully, by then our temperatures will even out.” Starch damage, which reduc- es the quality of baked goods and noodles made with wheat, is measured by a falling num- ber test. Farmers were caught off guard in 2016 when roughly 44 percent of soft white wheat samples and 42 percent of club wheat samples tested below 300, the industry standard. The industry estimates starch damage that year cost farmers more than $30 million in lower prices. Last summer, temperatures were consistent during the flowering stage, so there were few instances of falling number tests results below 300, Steber said. In 2017, Steber and her team tested more than 10,000 Washington wheat breeding lines to identify genetic resis- tance to starch damage. This year, she expects to test more than 11,000 lines, and next year she will begin examining Idaho and Oregon lines. She provides the informa- tion to breeders and expects new wheat varieties will be more resistant to starch damage compared to current varieties. Currently, the wheat variet- ies Cara, Skiles and Mary have the most stable falling number test results over time, she said. Otto is the most stable variety adapted to the drier part of the state. Steber provides variety in- formation about falling num- ber tests and starch damage on her website and WSU’s Small Grains websites. “We can only wait and see what the weather does,” she said. “The point where (farmers) could do some- thing is the point where they chose what to plant.” USDA Agricultural Research Service plant molecular geneticist Camille Steber is testing wheat lines for genetic resistance to starch damage. She said wheat is vulnerable to damage from late June to mid-Ju- ly, when it is flowering. The damage is often caused by wide swings in temperature. Capital Press File Stephen Ward/OSU Mateus Pasa previously worked for a year at the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River, Ore. OSU Extension’s new tree fruit specialist from Brazil By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press A new tree fruit specialist has arrived at Oregon State University Extension just in time for the cherry and pear growing seasons. Mateus Pasa was hired in April at the OSU Mid-Co- lumbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River, Ore. A native of Brazil, Pasa spent four years as a re- search pomologist at the San- ta Catarina Agricultural Re- search and Extension Center in São Joaquim. Though he primarily worked with apples during his time in Santa Catarina, Pasa will be responsible for finding ways to improve fruit set and production for pears and cherries in the Columbia River Gorge. “The growers and the fruit industry are very supportive,” Pasa said. “I’m working to help them fix their main prob- lems, and to get better and more efficient and make their orchards more profitable.” Pasa is no stranger to the region. During his doctor- ate program, he spent a year at MCAREC working with Todd Einhorn studying the effects of prohexadione calci- um — a chemical used to thin trees and reduce fire blight — on the growth of pears. Pasa now leads the cherry and pear research program at MCAREC, along with Ashley Thompson, who was also hired in April. Pasa said they will continue to develop new rootstocks that allow for planting orchards in higher densities, paving the way for more mechanization and re- duced labor costs. “We need to think ahead and reduce the need for la- bor,” Pasa said. Pasa can be reached at MCAREC at 541-386-2030, ext. 38216, or by email at ma- teus.pasa@oregonstate.edu. 23-1/102
