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10 CapitalPress.com November 23, 2018 May 18, 2018 9 CapitalPress.com Unique foundation aids OSU research Automated lettuce thinning saves time, reduces costs CORVALLIS, Ore. — Jean Hall has experienced ¿UVWKDQG LPSDFW WKDW UH- By PADMA WKH NAGAPPAN For the Capital Press ceiving a competitive grant from the Agricultural Re- search Foundation has in had on Monterey County Cal- her work. ifornia could be called let- a professor in the tuce Hall, central, since it supplies College Veterinary about 60 of percent of the Medi- leaf cine at Oregon Univer- lettuce and half State of all the sity, researching the in effects head is lettuce grown the RI IHHGLQJ VHOHQLXPIRUWL¿HG U.S. hay During to cattle planting, as a method germi- of improving their health. can The nation of the seedlings outcome of her so research be a problem, growers is H[SHFWHG WR LQÀXHQFH KRZ routinely over seed, and later cattle health issues ones, are so ad- take out unwanted dressed, to the the lettuce according plants are spaced foundation’s evenly about annual 10 to 12 report. inches “Funding I have of received apart. This process remov- through ARF Competi- al is called the thinning. tive In Grant .... has played the Salinas Valley with- a VLJQL¿FDQW LQ KHOSLQJ in Monterey UROH County, many my colleagues I advance lettuce growers and have been this to discover using frontier automated thinners best for practices in (selenium) sup- lettuce, because of the labor plementation,” Hall said shortage and rising labor in an email. costs. Mounted on tractors, has received six it’s She an increasingly common grants foundation sight on from fields the in Salinas. over the last decade. When manufacturers first The marketing importance the of seleni- began auto- um has thinners been known de- mated a few for years cades, but the wanted most effective ago, growers to see method delivery to cattle if it was of worth investing in is still or being buying renting investigated. them. Re- Hall said in the report that searchers from California she “increasing and the State believes University-Fresno bioavailable concentrations others collaborated to com- of selenium in forage through pare their performance with the of selenium fertilizer hand use thinning, and found it is the a most economical made significant impact. and practical method to provide They found manual thin- supplementation ning took about to 7.5 cattle.” hours, Located the OSU thin- cam- while the on automated pus, the the foundation was two es- ner did job in about tablished in 1934. It awards hours. short-term funding to re- “When we did this, if searchers, two plants each were year very giving close out a maximum of $12,500 to about 23 applicants. “We focus on younger faculty, associate professors who aren’t tenured yet and it helps launch careers,” said Russ Karow, executive di- rector of the foundation. “If 2QOLQHDXFWLRQVHOOVÀHHFH as sheep are sheared Mitch Lies/For the Capital Press Members of the Dry Farming Collaborative gather in Corvallis, Ore., last summer for one of several field days hosted by the collaborative each year. At center is Dick Wadsworth, a Veneta, Ore., farmer who has been dry farming for decades. Courtesy Photo auction, I cut them a check for more than market price for the wool and keep the auction re- ceipts to cover costs, including the cost of my crew.” At least of half Horticulture of the online Department at auction customers live in OSU, who is involved in the the Midwest and the East Coast. collaborative. Valentine shears who through- Dick Wadsworth, has RXW dry WKH farming 3DFL¿F for 1RUWKZHVW been decades, works out of his three shearing first in California and more re- trailers on and brings cently his sometimes farm in Veneta, along said his wool press when he Ore., the collaborative’s shears close to home. research is invaluable. “I may are shear one of weekend “There a lot places on obviously Whidbey Island, you have to Washing- irrigate,” ton, and the said. next in Willows, Wadsworth “But there California, that’s you the also are a and lot when of places case I and use for the people customer’s fa- don’t, to learn cilities,” Valentine said. try that, especially if they have “I row to shear sheep crops and my they customer’s want to farm or- as if they is were my own and I ganically, invaluable.” know animals is that have “This that research definitely injuries aren’t needed,” said productive.” Allen Dong, a When the farmer from asked Elmira, about Ore., who name Darkside Val- also is part of the Shearing, collaborative. entine is laughed and admitted “There very little information was known among his on that the he effect of dry farming on fellow shearers for being hard variety.” to The please when things collaborative also didn’t pro- live up a to vehicle his standards. vides for farmers heard that to one and “I researchers share of as my it buddies growers commented when gathers and research- they were times coming to the at val- ers several a year dry ley to help shear they farming field me days. The that collab- were going to a the dark online side, orative also has robust and it stuck,” presence, Garrett Valentine said. said. “I’m a Pink fan so “With all of Floyd the work that I decided to run with we are doing now, we the are Dark- going the Moon theme it to side be of demystifying dry and farm- worked.” ing, so to speak,” Garrett said. Interest in dry farming grows Many growers are using automated thinners for lettuce because of a labor shortage and rising labor costs. Mounted on tractors, it’s an increasingly common sight on fields in Salinas, Calif. By MITCH LIES together, the machine rec- trol. They can be operated ognized them as one and left by one person, who can pro- them in the bed, but the per- gram in the spacing parame- son thinning by hand would ters. Based on this, the sys- know better,” explained Anil tem will calculate distance Shrestha, head of the Depart- between plants, remove un- ment of Viticulture and Enol- wanted plants by spraying a ogy and a professor of weed registered product, and then you’re at brand new, $12,500 move The gener- science CSU-Fresno. on, foundation selecting keeper isn’t ates its and the spe- “So a in small such amount cases, and the it plants as operational it goes down ODXQFKHV HIIRUW WR ¿QG line. cial program support funds grower has WKH to send someone Yanli data. You need through in background to remove the doubles by A couple investments, weeks after the =KDQJ PDQDJHU RI man- ¿QDQFH background data before hand, which takes up more ap- first thinning, a repeat plying he for added. more grants.” research, said in weeds the an- process removes time,” “Machines ual and Karow time, has but worked with and nual report. left behind in doubles do reduce the tech- the foundation since State commodity commis- nology is not there yet July in the first round. Time savings 2015. of He’s a retired professor delivered sions also grants to terms recognition.” by provide the automated and Crop and Science thinners researchers, Karow growers said. Es- However, the Soil machines can help Department head way who pecially for the employees smaller com- have come a long com- has who can delegate been with OSU models, for 30 years. makes pared to early and to missions, other areas it such as sense irriga- for As a professor he worked them work with the foun- and to harvesting. currently manufacturers are tion with the on foundation was dation. “If you were to visit the working making and them familiar with operations. The foundation made area, where all is the in- up recognize weeds its and plants, Salinas of 23 board members repre- is happening, you’ll he Because said. of his involvement novation commodities. LWZDVDQHDV\¿WIRUKLP a lot of many different brands Automated thinners, in see senting serve Since to its beginning, machineries, with three-year differ- addition removing extras, the of Members but there isn’t said. a limita- foundation has received and ent terms, models,” Shrestha also provide some weed con- managed over $190.8 million tion on the number of times in donor gifts and grants to they can be re-appointed. “We’ve had people in- support research across all categories of agriculture, volved for 15 to 20 years,” according to the annual re- Karow said. “Wheat produc- port. Last year, it provided tion, melons, livestock, uni- $8.1 million for research versity emeritus, lawyers, in- through grants. vestment people. A spread of For the Capital Press In 2013, recognizing that many of the small farms she worked with had little or no access to irrigation, Oregon State University Small Farms Extension Agent Amy Garrett people the who Oregon would Dry be helpful began Farm- in the review process.” ing Project. Although the foundation Two summers later, the helps commission grants, it project got a boost from Moth- also Nature works — with board er in the form mem- of a bers to clarify budgetary drought. questions in proposals “That year, even many and of work growers with younger faculty to the who had water form their rights had proposal. their irrigation re- Karow that he Water has stricted by said the Oregon worked with other univer- Resources Department during sities outside Oregon who the growing season, including want to similar Garrett foun- some as create early as a June,” dation. “We’re unique in the said. nation,” Karow said. A dry-farming demonstra- tion Hall that is year using drew her well, 2016- Gar- 2018 said, grant focus was of rett and on the the project feeding selenium-enriched off and running. alfalfa to weaned Today hay the project beef has calves for into eight a weeks to see evolved collaborative if it among improves that other their topics perfor- is re- mance and site health. searching and varietal suit- In the report, Hall on said ability to dry farming 30 she “believes (selenium sup- sites across Oregon and Wash- plementation) can be readily ington. adapted Oregon Begun to in 2016, cattle the pro- Dry duction systems.” Farming Collaborative is fund- SALEM, Ore. — Sheep shearer Jacob Valentine auc- RQOLQH from EHIRUH ed WLRQV in part ÀHHFH by grants the LW even leaves barn. USDA’s Risk the Management owner and op- Valentine, Agency and the USDA North- erator of Darkside west Climate Hub, one Shearing, of 10 has his staff in video the event climate hubs the U.S. de- live to while custom- signed help potential farmers adapt to ers watch on Facebook. They climate change. VHH WKH DQLPDO LQ IXOO ÀHHFH Understanding wheth- it comes to off dry and er the soils wool are as conducive D FORVHXS ÀHHFH DV LW farming is key RI to WKH determining is skirted. whether a farm The can bidding sustain goes the quickly. Garrett said. Andy technique, 9DOHQWLQHLVD¿IWKJHQHUD- Gallagher, a soil scientist from tion shearer in Crab- Corvallis hired who by lives the collab- tree, Ore. orative to research soil adapt- ability, 7KHLGHDWRDXFWLRQÀHHFHV said deep, silty soils during shearing came to to the him appear most conducive one afternoon. practice, with loam soils also “... promise. I saw a couple of real- showing O\QLFHÀHHFHVJHWVDFNHGLQD As for varietal adaptabil- ity, commercial researchers bale,” are Valentine looking said. “That seemed of like such at different varieties toma- a shame hand toes, winter because squash, I knew zucchini, spinners melons, dry would beans have and loved flour to have Among them.” the tomatoes, corn. He decided to do which some- the Early Girl variety, about extensively it, going live is thing dry farmed in on a Facebook page be- California, is yielding well he and longed good to with quality approximately showing under ÀHHFHORYHUV dry PHPEHU farming. And while yields sales in. are The down in started Winter pouring Sweet and give my North “When Georgia I shear, Candy I Roaster customer a choice squash, storage quality of is keep- up ing they their are wool selling ac- it to when dry or farmed, me,” he “When a Stone, grow- cording to said. Alexandra er decides to participate the a vegetable specialist in in the WSU developing orchard system for mechanical cider apple harvest FaTech18-2/108 STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR SALE! l a t e M RECYCLING 541-461-3443 PacificRecyclingInc.NET FaTech18-3/110 Business / Farm Cleanup Old Tractors Odds & Ends FaTech18-4/103 Farm Equipment to Misc. Metals EQUIPMENT TYPES MOUNT VERNON, Wash. Containers - We offer 20’, 40’ — Apples are a notoriously labor-intensive crop. Prone and 45’ container. Special to bruising, they must be requests available. hand-harvested, a proposition that becomes more challeng- MODIFICATIONS ing — and expensive — by the year. AVAILABLE For cider apple growers, • Personnel Doors however, a solution may be on • Windows the way: mechanized harvest. At Washington State Uni- • Roll Doors versity’s Mt. Vernon North- • Vents western Washington Research • Skylight and Extension Center, Carol Ann Miles is developing a • Special Request whole-orchard plan for thin- Modifications ning, pruning and harvesting cider apples mechanically. Inspired by technology used to a 10-foot height and uni- hand, are able to sustain bruis- Call a must Quote by the Northwest raspberry in- Andrew form width. for Rows also Today! ing without negatively impact- dustry, 503-421-3443 Miles’ system uses an be • spaced to accommodate the LQJ WKH TXDOLW\ RI WKH ¿QLVKHG email achrest@cgini.com over-the-row mechanical har- machinery and truck. Miles says cider. The WSU team conduct- vester that gently shakes apples her NWREC test plot is planted ed several trials comparing cider loose using rotating and vibrat- on 12-foot spacing, but 15-foot from hand-harvested, unbruised LQJ UXEEHUL]HG PHWDO ¿QJHUV may be more appropriate. apples as well as mechanically The apples are then transferred Mechanized harvest has so harvested, bruised apples and to the down-belt, a conveyor far remained out of reach of the IRXQG QR VLJQL¿FDQW GLIIHUHQFH belt that goes straight into the dessert apple industry, but Miles LQÀDYRU back of a truck driving along- thinks cider apples present more In Europe, all cider apples side the harvester. opportunities. “All mechanical are mechanically harvested us- To work within this sys- harvesting will result in 100 per- ing shake-and-sweep systems. tem, orchards must be special- cent bruising,” says Miles, not- While those systems are effec- ly planted in a fruiting wall ing that a bruised dessert apple tive, they are not compatible FRQ¿JXUDWLRQZLWKDOOWUHHVRQ loses virtually all of its value. with the U.S. regulatory envi- the same rootstock and pruned Cider apples, on the other ronment or industry structure. 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