2
CapitalPress.com
Friday, July 16, 2021
People & Places
Researcher targets toughest weeds
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Established 1928
ONTARIO, Ore. — Weed
scientist Joel Felix says onion
growers are making prog-
ress in their continuing battle
against yellow nutsedge.
Extensive roots, sizable
foliage and efficient seed
spreading make the weed a
formidable foe. Yellow nut-
sedge started causing prob-
lems in the southeastern
Oregon-southwestern Idaho
onion-growing region some
15 years ago.
“And it’s not the easiest
weed to control,” said Felix,
who is based at Oregon State
University’s Malheur Exper-
iment Station near Ontario.
“We’ve been trying to
develop strategies to manage
the weed, mainly by adapting
crop rotations and empha-
sizing yellow nutsedge con-
trol in each crop grown in the
rotation.”
Onions are sensitive to
the herbicides that are effec-
tive in controlling the weed,
he said.
But choosing the right
crops to plant ahead of
onions in the rotation can pay
dividends.
“We have seen the acre-
age of corn increase, and we
think it is a response to try to
clean up their fields of yellow
nutsedge,” Felix said.
A wide selection of her-
bicides can be used on fields
planted to corn, allowing
farmers to target yellow nut-
sedge, he said. Farmers seek-
ing to control it tend to grow
corn two years in a row.
Dry beans, which also
have a good selection of her-
bicides that effectively man-
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher
Western
Innovator
JOEL FELIX
Occupation: Associate
professor, weed ecology
and management, Ore-
gon State University Mal-
heur Experiment Station,
Ontario, since 2006.
Brad Carlson/Capital Press
Joel Felix with weed control studies at the Oregon State University Malheur Experi-
ment Station near Ontario.
age yellow nutsedge, can be
planted following corn, Felix
said. So can sugar beets.
Wheat can also be planted
the year before onions — a
twist since wheat herbicides
do not control yellow nut-
sedge, he said.
“But because yellow nut-
sedge is susceptible to shad-
ing, the wheat provides the
full ground cover, which
does not allow the yellow
nutsedge to grow,” Felix said.
Wheat also leaves less
residue, an advantage when
small onion seeds are planted
about an inch deep the fol-
lowing spring, he said.
The field should be
worked as soon as possible
following wheat harvest to
discourage the yellow nut-
sedge from re-establish-
ing, Felix said. That fall, the
field can be sprayed with an
approved herbicide before
onions are planted in spring.
When onions are grow-
ing, an approved herbicide
applied through drip irriga-
tion can also help control yel-
low nutsedge.
Felix said more grow-
ers are using this herbicide,
which must be applied after
the onions reach the two-leaf
stage. “It’s really effective.
It’s much better than the con-
ventional way of broadcast-
ing it over the top.”
An earlier labeled pesti-
cide, applied by sprayer, was
not effective, he said. “We
started looking at alternative
ways to make this product
work better.”
The current product,
labeled under a special local
need, does not drift, so it is
more efficient and safe, Felix
said.
Besides nutsedge, he has
been testing herbicides for
use in managing various
weeds in onions and sugar
beets.
Glyphosate-resistant
beets have been planted for
years in the Northwest. Gly-
phosate-resistant kochia was
found in Treasure Valley
beet fields in 2014, initially
in western Canyon County,
Idaho, and Malheur County,
Ore.
Education: B.S. and M.S.,
crop physiology, Purdue
University; Ph.D., crop
physiology with an em-
phasis on weed science,
Iowa State University;
post-doctoral work, weed
management in vege-
table crops, Ohio State
University.
Home: Star, Idaho. Grew
up in Tanzania.
Family: Wife Elizabeth,
two adult sons
Hobby: Photographing
landscapes, vegetation
and plants
Rotating into corn can
control Kochia because of
the wide selection of her-
bicides available for corn,
Felix said. But Kochia can
still pose a risk along the field
edges and fence lines, and as
it dislodges and tumbles.
Felix and his colleagues
have also been working
on controlling common
lambsquarters in various
crops, he said.
Anne Long ................. Advertising Director
Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor
Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager
Entire contents copyright © 2021
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is
published weekly by EO Media Group,
2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303.
Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR,
and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR
97308-2048.
To Reach Us
Circulation ...........................800-781-3214
Email ........... Circulation@capitalpress.com
Main line .............................503-364-4431
News Staff
Idaho
Carol Ryan Dumas ..............208-860-3898
Boise
Brad Carlson .......................208-914-8264
Western Washington
Don Jenkins .........................360-722-6975
Eastern Washington
Matthew Weaver ................509-688-9923
Oregon
George Plaven ....................406-560-1655
Mateusz Perkowski .............800-882-6789
Sierra Dawn McClain ..........503-506-8011
Mistaken identity: Cicada killer wasps aren’t Asian giant hornets
By MIA RYDER-MARKS
Capital Press
In her 17 years working as
an extension entomologist in
Eastern Oregon, Silvia Ron-
don has never received more
reports, emails, phone calls
and texts with questions ask-
ing what type of wasp they
just saw.
After the Asian giant hor-
net showed up in Washington
last year, many Oregonians
have been on alert. How-
ever, experts such as Rondon
want you to know the wasp
you come across is more than
likely a cicada killer wasp —
which is fairly harmless to
humans and pets.
“This insect, unless you’re
messing with them and trying
to touch them, they shouldn’t
be a bother. They are a nui-
sance, and they’re impressive,
because they’re very large,”
said Rondon.
Cicada killer wasps are
native to Oregon and emerge
during summer. They live 60
to 75 days before they migrate
back underground until the
next year. Oregonians can
WHAT’S THAT
INSECT?
For insect identification:
plant-entomologists@
oda.state.or.us
Tracy Wilson
Cicada killer wasp specimens at the Central Oregon Ag-
ricultural Research and Extension Center.
expect to see the insect until
September.
Hot spots for the wasps
are primarily in Central and
Eastern Oregon. Rondon said
about 70% of her calls come
from the Pendleton area.
Jim LaBonte, a retired
entomologist from the state
Department of Agriculture’s
insect pest prevention and
management program, said
Eastern Oregon makes a suit-
able habitat for the wasps as
the area is blanketed with
sandy soil and trees — an
environment in which the
wasps can dig their under-
ground nests with ease.
But for the most part, the
cicada killer wasp is harmless
toward humans, he said. Their
prey is another insect — the
cicada.
The female wasp para-
lyzes a cicada with one sting
and then drags the insect back
to its hole, which is dug 10
inches below the surface of
the soil. Sometimes, this can
be an all-day endeavor.
Once inside the nest, the
wasp will dump the cicada
into a side chamber and lay
eggs. As the eggs hatch,
starved larvae eat the cicada
alive — which could take
weeks, LaBonte said.
The male wasps keep
themselves busy by fighting
for a mate and vomiting on
their own heads to stay cool in
the summer heat.
They may sting humans
or pets if they feel threatened,
such as if they are stepped on
or their underground burrow
is disturbed.
“If you disturb their nest,
they’ll get a little agitated,”
said Tracy Wilson, agricul-
tural literacy coordinator at
Oregon State University,
but the wasps are solitary by
nature, so you probably will
not see a swarm of them,
decreasing the risk factor.
People in agriculture or
who have home gardens
shouldn’t worry either; they
only cause minimal landscap-
ing damage as the wasp digs
into the ground to create a
nest for its eggs.
There are a few differ-
ences between the two wasps.
Asian giant hornets are larger,
about 2 inches long, and
have unbroken bands of yel-
low and brown across their
abdomen.
The cicada killer wasp has
three large stripes of yellow
and black around it, and are
about 1 to 1½ inches long and
have a long stinger.
There have been no traces
of the Asian giant hornet in
Oregon.
Wilson said people can
send samples or photographs
their way if they can’t tell the
difference. This will help ease
the worry and help the ODA
track the wasps.
Though Asian giant hor-
nets are not a worry for Ore-
gonians, Rondon, the ento-
mologist, does have one bit of
advice for anyone who comes
across a cicada killer wasp:
“In general, stay away from
them.”
Designer
Randy Wrighthouse .............800-882-6789
To Place Classified Ads
Telephone (toll free) ............800-882-6789
Online ...........CapitalPress.com/classifieds
Subscriptions
Mail rates paid in advance
Easy Pay U.S. $4 /month
(direct withdrawal from bank
or credit card account)
1 year U.S. ...........................................$55
2 years U.S. ........................................$100
1 year Canada .....................................$275
1 year other countries ...........call for quote
1 year Internet only .........................$49.99
1 year 4-H, FFA students/teachers .......$30
9 months 4-H, FFA students/teachers ..$25
Visa and Mastercard accepted
To get information published
Mailing address:
Capital Press
P.O. Box 2048
Salem, OR 97308-2048
News: Contact the main office
or news staff member closest to you,
send the information to
newsroom@capitalpress.com
Former state lawmaker named OFIC president
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
SALEM — The Oregon
Forest and Industries Coun-
cil has hired former state leg-
islator-turned-lobbyist Chris
Edwards as the group’s next
president.
Edwards, who served 10
years in the Oregon Legis-
lature as a Democrat, takes
over for Kristina McNitt,
who is retiring after nine
years leading OFIC, which
represents more than 50 pri-
vate forest-
land owners
and timber
companies.
In a state-
ment, Todd
P a y n e ,
Chris
OFIC board
Edwards
chairman
and CEO of
Seneca Jones Timber Co.,
said Edwards is “truly one
of us.” A native of Eugene,
Edwards worked several
years at his family’s mill in
Goshen, Ore. and later ran a
small timber import-export
company before going into
politics.
“We are extremely fortu-
nate to have secured Chris to
lead OFIC’s high-function-
ing team of professionals,”
Payne said. “We are confi-
dent his track record of find-
ing common ground through
a solutions-oriented, for-
ward-looking
approach
will continue the industry’s
momentum into the next
generation.”
As a lawmaker, Edwards
served in the Oregon House
from 2006 to 2009, repre-
senting District 14, which
includes West Eugene
and Junction City. He was
appointed to the Senate in
2009, representing District
7, which also includes parts
of Eugene and Junction City.
While in the Senate,
Edwards served as chair-
man of the Senate Environ-
ment and Natural Resources
Committee and co-chairman
of the Joint Committee on
Ways and Means Subcom-
mittee on Natural Resources.
In 2016, Edwards stepped
down to become assistant
vice president for strate-
gic initiatives at the Univer-
sity of Oregon. After two
years, he left the university
to start his own government
relations firm, Tivaci Group
LLC, and has lobbied for
OFIC at the State Capitol.
Edwards said he is hon-
ored and excited to take on
the role, adding now is an
exciting time to be involved
in forest policy.
or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press.
Include a contact telephone number.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
Capital Press ag media
CapitalPress.com
FarmSeller.com
MarketPlace.capitalpress.com
facebook.com/CapitalPress
facebook.com/FarmSeller
twitter.com/CapitalPress
youtube.com/CapitalPressvideo
CALENDAR
Submit upcoming ag-related
events on www.capitalpress.com
or by email to newsroom@capital-
press.com.
THROUGH
SATURDAY JULY 17
Linn County Fair: 11 a.m. Linn
County Fair & Expo Center, 3700
Knox Butte Road E, Albany, Ore.
Giant elephant ears, fluffy color-
ful clouds of cotton candy, live
music nightly, carnival rides from
mild to wild and of course, cattle,
pigs and chickens galore will fill
the Linn County Fair & Expo Center
July 15-17 as the Linn County Fair
returns live. Website: https://linn-
countyfair.com/
SATURDAY, JULY 17
Pacific Northwest Christmas
Tree Association Summer Farm
Tour: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The farm
tour will be held at Furrow Farm
and Windy Acres Tree Farm. For
more information, visit our web-
site at https://bit.ly/3gAXIVy or con-
tact Kari Puffer, 503-364-2942, pnw-
christmastree@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
JULY 28-AUG. 1
Deschutes County Fair and
Rodeo: Deschutes County Fair and
Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way,
Redmond, Ore. This year marks the
101st edition of Central Oregon’s
largest event, after COVID-19 forced
the event’s cancellation in 2020. The
theme for the 2021 Fair & Rodeo
is “Back in the Saddle.” This year,
Fair attendees can expect an excit-
ing event full of animals, agricul-
ture, concerts, carnival rides, cotton
candy and corn dogs, along with
shopping, exhibits and food. Web-
site: https://expo.deschutes.org/
THURSDAY, AUG. 5
Internal Auditing for Food
Processors (live online): 1 p.m.
Internal audits allow you to audit
your facility for gaps and compli-
ance. They are an important tool
in the on-going food safety tool-
box for any food manufacturer,
packager, and warehouse and dis-
tribution company. This course is
for those who are new to internal
auditing and those that could use a
refresher course. Cost: $595 Contact
Bill Mullane, 208-426-2266, william-
mullane@techhelp.org. Website:
https://bit.ly/3xt9APY
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
AUG. 10-12
2021 Cattle Industry Conven-
tion & Trade Show: Gaylord Opry-
land Resort, Nashville, Tenn. The
convention will include educational
seminars, exhibits and network-
ing. Website: http://convention.
ncba.org
TUESDAY AUG. 17
Intro to Experimental Statis-
tics. 8:30 a.m. This course will teach
statistical thinking concepts that
are essential to learning from data
and communicating key insights to
your organization, clients, or suppli-
ers. Join Catherine Cantley, exten-
sion professor at the University of
Idaho and TechHelp processing spe-
cialist, as we explore the fundamen-
tals of “storytelling with data” in a
practical industry-based approach.
Website: https://bit.ly/3AF17f3
Index
Markets .................................................10
Opinion ...................................................6
Correction policy
Accuracy is important to Capital Press
staff and to our readers.
If you see a misstatement, omission or
factual error in a headline, story or photo
caption, please call the Capital Press news
department at 503-364-4431, or send
email to newsroom@capitalpress.com.
We want to publish corrections
to set the record straight.