Extension News from the West

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – When Washington State University weed scientist Tim Miller teamed up with fruit researchers in the United Kingdom last summer, he was hoping to learn how weeds affect the quality and nutritional value of raspberries. He will travel to the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie, Scotland for a second year of berry trials May 14-23 and, when he returns, his findings may help growers produce a higher quality “superfruit.”

Raspberries are one of the “superfruits” being studied this summer by WSU Mount Vernon weed scientist Tim Miller and his colleagues in Scotland. Photo by Tim Miller, WSU. Click image to download hi-res file.

Miller developed the series of trial projects in order to find out whether weeds, or the herbicides used to control them, produce fruit with less of the vitamin C and other antioxidants and nutrients that make berries so healthful and appealing to consumers. His research complements that of UK researchers who have perfected the method for measuring the amount of many compounds in raspberry and black currant, two of the so-called superfruits that contain large amounts of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals that can impair the body’s immune system. Superfuits are believed to help fight damage by boosting the immune system, enabling the body to better ward off colds, flu and other infections.

“Since we both grow berries, it was a natural thing for a Pacific Northwest weed scientist and the small fruit breeders in the United Kingdom to team up and see what some of the factors are that affect berry quality,” said Miller.

For raspberries, one common factor may be how weeds are managed.

“Producers in the Pacific Northwest, as in Scotland, use herbicides to manage cane growth and control weeds,” Miller said. Their research may determine – for the first time – whether weed control also influences berry quality, sugar content, color and antioxidant level.

According to Miller, last summer’s initial results linked the presence of some hard-to-control weeds like broadleaf dock, fireweed and quackgrass to such negative impacts on berries as lower sugar and vitamin C content and reduced color and juice sweetness. He said this year’s trials will provide even more useful information for berry growers and consumers across the globe.

“A better understanding of the potential effects of management decisions will give growers one more tool to improve not only the yield of their fruit, but also how good those fruits are for consumers,” Miller said.

“Whenever you test living plants in the real world, you can expect some variation in the results from year to year,” he said. “If berry quality factors respond the same way two years in a row, it’s a good indication that you are looking at a true response rather than simply a response due to temperature or some other environmental factor.”

-Cathy McKenzie

PULLMAN, Wash. — This fall WSU will launch a new online Master of Science in Agriculture degree program that focuses on food science and management. The new degree is the first in the nation to combine food science with business management courses, giving graduates an edge in the industry and helping to meet growing demand.

Dr. Jeff Culbertson, director of the new online Food Science and Management program, notes that every year there are 30-40% more food science jobs than qualified candidates in the US. “The industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. In 1990, the average number of products on grocery store shelves was 5000. Today, that number is 25,000. The number of products has just skyrocketed, and behind every product is a group of trained people who developed each one.”

The unique degree offers plenty of core science courses but also executive management courses designed to prepare students for the project management, budget development, human resource management and other challenges they will likely encounter on the job.

“The degree opens the door to enhancing earning potential – it could triple or even quadruple with a master’s degree,” Culbertson said. “Students employed in the food industry with a B.S. in one of the sciences often plateau in their careers fairly quickly, say in 3-5 years. A master’s opens the door to career advancement.” The degree also opens doors for those who are not currently employed in the food industry.

Several courses in the program focus on environmental sustainability and environmental toxicology. The food and beverage industry now recognizes opportunities for turning waste into useable materials – to generate steam, electricity or heat. For example, Budweiser produces a lot of spent grain which, in the past, they sold as cattle feed. Now they ferment that waste grain to produce fuel that is in turn used to generate energy. In fact, one plant in Columbus, Ohio is 90 percent self-sufficient in producing its energy, according to Culbertson.

Culbertson and his colleagues have the track record for teaching effective online courses. He has been developing and teaching online courses for over 18 years, giving him plenty of experience in what works well.

“The program is bound to be a good experience because we know what we’re doing,” Culbertson said. His colleague, Greg Möller, a University of Idaho professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology, teaches several of the online Food Science and Management courses and is nationally recognized for his film-based course in global sustainability, part of the Food Science and Management curriculum. Culbertson and Möller are both award-winning educators.

The Master’s in Agriculture: Food Science and Management option is offered jointly by Washington State University and the University of Idaho School of Food Science.

Cooperative Extension is hosting a statewide Local Food Summit on May 14 to foster collaboration among various University departments and partner organizations who are working to develop Arizona's local food systems. At this working summit, participants will develop action plans for how University of Arizona entities and partners can support socially equitable, economically viable, and environmentally sound local food systems.

Time and Place Date:  05/14/2013 - 8:00am - 5:00pm Location:  South Ballroom, UA Student Union 1303 E University Blvd Tucson, AZ 85721 See map: Google Maps Cost and Registration Cost:  Free Registration Required:  Yes Additional Information Link to more information:  Registration Link to more information:  Flyer Offers volunteer opportunities:  No Offers Continuing Education credit:  No Contact Davenport, Jesse A few questions Expiration date:  Wed, 05/15/2013 Event category:  Conference

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Cooperative Extension is hosting a statewide Local Food Summit on May 14 to foster collaboration among various University departments and partner organizations who are working to develop Arizona's local food systems. At this working summit, participants will develop action plans for how University of Arizona entities and partners can support socially equitable, economically viable, and environmentally sound local food systems.

More than 80 students, including Milena Go, Jade Fillmore, Lauren Hudson (left to right) in partner with local merchants will present visual displays at the Chocolate Decadence event on April 11.

PULLMAN, Wash.— Chocolate Decadence is an invitation to support the local economy, help Washington State University undergraduates build a sweet resume, and indulge in chocolate treats April 11.

Just in time for WSU Mom’s Weekend, 81 visual design and merchandising students have collaborated creatively with Pullman businesses to install spring-themed window and store displays. The public is encouraged to take advantage of free chocolate giveaways, vote for their favorite displays, and participate in store promotions at each of the 21 locations.

“Many people like to get their map and try to hit all the chocolate stops,” said Amberly Boone, event coordinator for Pullman Chamber of Commerce. “It is a very fun way for people to explore Pullman.”

The event takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. An event map is available on the Pullman Chamber of Commerce web site: http://bit.ly/XbgcLi.

In the early planning stages of the visual display project, AMDT student Jade Fillmore snaps a photo of the storefront of Ric-O-Shay.

“We are really trying to promote the economic prosperity of Pullman and connect WSU to the community,” said professor Carol Salusso, who teaches Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles courses. “Merchants act as mentors to students who get real-life experience in visual merchandising.”

Yvonne Skinner, co-owner of Ric-O-Shay, is planning to crack open some raspberry chocolate jam from Whidbey Island, Wash. she sells in the shop. Mitch Chandler, owner of Neill’s Flowers and Gifts, is sticking with a previous hit, tried and true chocolate fondue.

Yvonne Skinner, co-owner of Ric-O-Shay, is planning to crack open some raspberry chocolate jam from Whidbey Island, Wash. sold in the shop.

“We’ve done this three times. Each group (of students) brings something different to the project and we give them guidance in a practical experience,” Chandler said. “It’s a great program and gets lots of people downtown.”

Students have partnered with The Bookie, Design Effects, Lily Bee’s Consignment Shop, Neill’s Flowers and Gifts, GLASSPhemy, Flirt, Ric-O-Shay, Sam Dial Jewelers, Crimson and Gray, At Home Designs: Framing it up, Atom Heart Music, Prune Orchard, B&L Bicycle Shop, Wild Ivy, R-top Theatre, 2nd Chance Thrift, Daily Grind/Licks, Barnacle Bills, Pets R People 2, Betty’s Alterations, and Dissemore’s.

Workshop will aim to strengthen the economic stability of America’s agricultural producers

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency to offer an Impact of Future Growth in Nevada Dairies Workshop. The half-day workshop will be held in Eureka on April 15 and in Lovelock on April 29, 8 a.m. to noon.

The program, funded by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, focuses on helping producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk-management solutions. The workshop will give attendees an overall view of what the dairy industry will look like and how it will impact the region, according to Jennifer Kintz, registration coordinator for the class with Cooperative Extension. It will also discuss dairy and alfalfa hay prices in Nevada and opportunities available for new dairy operations.

With a new dairy expected to be in operation in the area this year, the workshop will provide valuable information for agricultural producers and how the new dairy will help the agricultural area of Nevada as a whole, Kintz said.

“As of right now we ship a lot of our alfalfa to California, Kintz said. “Once the dairy goes into full operation we will not be shipping our Nevada alfalfa over to California anymore because we will need it for this dairy operation.”

The growth in Nevada dairies is expected to have an effect on Nevada.

“This is going to be such a huge impact on our region, Kintz said. “Any county that is agriculturally based, especially Lyon and Pershing Counties, are going to be affected because of the amount of productivity that is going to come out of alfalfa.”

The registration fee is $20 per farm, and one or two individuals from each farm may attend. To register and for more information, contact Jennifer Kintz at kintzj@unce.unr.edu. More information can also be found here

The Master Gardeners will staff an information table at the Earth Day Farmers Market at Town Square on Friday April 19, from 3 to 7pm to answer questions, give gardening advice and offer free gardening publications.

ALSO

The Master Gardeners will staff an information table at the Cactus Show and Art Fair at Moon-Sun Cactus and Koi Gardens (6430 McGill Ave., LV 89122-near Tropicana/Boulder Hwy). The Cactus Show is Saturday and Sunday, April 20 and 21 from 9am to 4pm.

For more info, email or call the Master Gardener Help Desk at 702-257-5555.

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PULLMAN, Wash. – The grain-like seed crop quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has grown in popularity and likely will be grown more widely in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant recently awarded to Washington State University researchers.

Varieties of quinoa grow in plots at WSU’s organic farm in Pullman. Photo by Brian Clark, Washington
State University. Click image to download hi-res version.

Quinoa is in demand because it is a highly nutritious, high-protein, gluten-free alternative to grains and rice. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa, with a goal to “focus world attention on the role that quinoa´s biodiversity and nutritional value play in providing food security and nutrition and the eradication of poverty.”

Traditional quinoa producing countries like Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru are not keeping up with U.S. demand, said Kevin Murphy, lead scientist and plant breeder for the WSU project.

Varieties of quinoa grow in plots at WSU’s organic farm in Pullman. Photo by Brian Clark, Washington State University. Click image to download hi-res version.

“Demand is driving distributors, wholesalers and retailers to seek domestic, reliable sources of quinoa, and this spells opportunity for Pacific Northwest farmers,” he said. “Consumers want organic and local sources of quinoa.”

The WSU project aims to identify the best varieties suited for organic production in the region, develop best management practices for production and assess market demand and future marketing options for quinoa growers and sellers.

Quinoa’s potential to increase options for regional farmers and locavores, as well as to address global food security, lies in its adaptability to marginal growing conditions.

“Compared to other crops, quinoa has excellent drought and salinity tolerance,” Murphy said. “Quinoa can adapt to many environmental and climatic conditions. It thrives in a wide range of soil pH and tolerates light frost and late rains.”

A needed improvement is heat tolerance. So far, Murphy’s trials indicate that varieties bred from Chilean germplasm are best adapted to high maximum temperatures in the Pacific Northwest.

WSU will host the International Quinoa Research Symposium Aug. 12-14 in conjunction with the International Year of the Quinoa. Researchers from around the world will gather in Pullman, Wash. to learn about research, varieties and breeding field trials.

-Sylvia Kantor

A child holds a hissing cockroach at a previous WSU Insect Expo. Click image for a high-resolution version.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Local children and their parents can learn how fast a cockroach can race, pet a tarantula and more at an April 20 Insect Expo, sponsored by Washington State University’s Entomology Graduate Student Association. The event, set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will take place in Ensminger Pavilion.

Insect-themed craft projects, face painting and live insect displays are also part of the fun, all geared toward helping Palouse-area families discover more about the world of insects.

“I personally very much enjoy interacting with the children and their parents in the live insect exhibits,” said Rebecca Schmidt, event coordinator and EGSA president. “It’s great to see children abandon some of their preconceptions about insects in order to hold a hissing cockroach or pet a tarantula. It’s especially rewarding to watch the parents overcome their fears in order to set an example for their children.”

EGSA’s mission is to promote entomology among WSU graduate students and provide public educational outreach to the Palouse. For details, visit the association’s Facebook page.

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Stopping the Spread of Sudden Oak Death

Sudden Oak Death (SOD) has killed millions of oak trees in California, but since receiving its common name in 1995, SOD has also been found infecting flowers in Washington State nurseries. The latest tally for the cost of the Washington campaign to contain Phytophthora ramorum, the fungus-like organism that causes SOD, is more than $400,000 in destroyed nursery plants over two years. These losses, coupled with additional measures such as quarantine, labor, and disposal, have driven some Washington nurseries out of business.

Oak twig showing “Sudden Oak Death” caused by Phytophthora ramorum. Photo: Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service.

Contaminated nursery stock is only one potential source of this devastating disease. P. ramorum has also infested waterways in a number of states, including the Sammamish River in King County, Washington. Forty-six entities have rights to use this water to irrigate nearly 2,800 acres that span nurseries, parks, farms, and church properties.

Because P. ramorum has not been detected on plants along the Sammamish River, scientists presume that the organism needs to reach a certain concentration in the water to cause disease. Gary Chastagner, a WSU researcher based at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center who specializes in disease management of ornamental plants, likens P. ramorum infection to the common cold. “People are constantly exposed to the cold virus, but usually don’t fall ill. However, under the right conditions, when virus levels are high enough, we get laid low.”

Targeting Research at Expanding Problem

As P. ramorum only became established in the United States in the mid-1990s, relatively little is known about how it spreads in waterways. To find out how to stop further invasions, Chastagner has received a $30,000 grant from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that will allow investigation of P. ramorum levels in irrigation water that trigger infection in rhododendron, camellia, and viburnum.

Because of the potential risks, Chastagner and research associate Marianne Elliott will conduct the SOD study at the National Ornamentals Research Site at Dominican University in California (NORS-DUC), the only authorized facility in the United States for this purpose. At NORS-DUC, they will apply overhead irrigation to plants using water infested with varying levels of P. ramorum. Keeping water on the plant surfaces for long periods will produce conditions favorable to the disease and potentially enable the researchers to determine its tipping point.

-Bob Hoffmann

Innovative New Food Science Degree to Meet Growing Industry Demand

Food scientists evaluate the quality of test bread loaves made with a blend of durum and spring wheats. Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA ARS.

This fall WSU and the University of Idaho will launch a new online Master of Science in Agriculture program that integrates food science and management. The new degree is the first in the nation to combine food science with business management courses, giving graduates an edge in the industry and helping to meet growing demand.

Dr. Jeff Culbertson, director of the new online Food Science and Management program, notes that every year there are 30-40% more food science jobs than qualified candidates in the United States. “The industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. In 1990, the average number of products on grocery store shelves was 5,000. Today that number is 25,000. The number of products has just skyrocketed, and behind every product is a group of trained people who developed each one.”

The unique degree offers plenty of core science, but also executive management courses, budget development, human resource management, and other challenges students will likely encounter on the job. “This M.S. in Ag opens the door to enhancing earning potential-–it could triple or even quadruple,” Culbertson said. “Students employed in the food industry with a B.S. in one of the sciences often plateau in their careers fairly quickly, say in 3-5 years. A master’s opens the door to career advancement,” including for those who are not currently employed in the food industry.

Several courses in the groundbreaking Food Science and Management program focus on environmental sustainability and toxicology because the food and beverage industry now recognizes opportunities for turning waste into power sources such as steam, electricity, and heat. For example, Budweiser produces a lot of spent grain which, in the past, they sold as cattle feed. Now they ferment that waste grain to produce fuel that is in turn used to generate energy. One plant in Columbus, Ohio, is already 90 percent self-sufficient, according to Culbertson.

Culbertson and his colleagues have a track record for teaching effective online courses. After 18 years, the “program is bound to be a good experience because we know what we’re doing,” Culbertson said. His colleague, Greg Möller, a UI professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology, teaches several of the online food science and management courses and is nationally recognized for his film-based course in global sustainability, which is part of the new curriculum. Both are award-winning educators.

Learn more about the new program, including how to apply, by visiting http://msag.wsu.edu/food-science/.

-Sylvia Kantor

Race Cockroaches and More at WSU Insect Expo April 20

A child holds a hissing cockroach at a previous WSU Insect Expo.

Local children and their parents can learn how fast a cockroach can run, pet a tarantula, and have more fun with arthropods at the April 20 Insect Expo, sponsored by the WSU Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA). The event, set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will take place in Ensminger Pavilion.

Insect-themed craft projects, face painting, and live insect displays are also on the agenda, all geared toward helping Palouse-area families discover more about the world of insects.

“I personally very much enjoy interacting with the children and their parents in the live insect exhibits,” said Rebecca Schmidt, event coordinator and EGSA president. “It’s great to see children abandon some of their preconceptions about insects in order to hold a hissing cockroach or pet a tarantula. It’s especially rewarding to watch the parents overcome their fears in order to set an example for their children.”

The EGSA’s mission is to promote entomology among WSU graduate students and provide public educational outreach to the Palouse. For details, visit the association’s Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/Ze6PLx.

-Nella Letizia

Sometimes “solid rock” turns out to be anything but sturdy stuff.

Limestone and a couple other related sedimentary rocks are common in some parts of the country, including in Florida. The chemistry of limestone and groundwater can combine to make for sinkholes, or vertical holes in bedrock that can open up quickly.

Sinkholes are caused by the fact that groundwater, percolating downward from the land surface, is acidic. And acids eat away at limestone, dissolving it. That means over time limestone bedrock can start to resemble Swiss cheese, with caverns and holes within it. At some point, if a hole grows to large enough, it undermines the ground at the surface. The surface layer then falls into the hole created in the limestone bedrock.

Earlier this year a Florida man in a Tampa suburb fell into a sinkhole that opened one night beneath the bedroom of his home. He called to his brother for help.

Jeremy Bush tried to aid his brother, scrambling down into the hole and digging with a shovel. But Jeff Bush wasn’t to be found. When police arrived, they pulled Jeremy Bush out of the hole, saying it was unsafe because it was still spreading and potentially would undermine the whole house.

John and Tina Furlow, another Florida couple, face a more slowly expanding sinkhole that threatens their home. For more than a year they’ve watched a sinkhole on their property expand, undermining a room in their house. It’s an ongoing tale that may make fresh headlines at any time.

Sinkholes are one feature of what geologists call karst topography. Around the world, some karst regions have thousands of caves and sinkholes. The voids are formed as groundwater seeps through cracks or bedding planes in the bedrock. Slowly the bedrock dissolves and the voids grow. As they do so they increase the rate of groundwater percolation so that water is drained from landscapes via the subsurface instead of via streams above. In some karst areas streams simply sink into the ground, disappearing from view at the surface. A karst “fenster” occurs where an underground stream emerges from a spring at the surface for a few feet, but then disappears back underground, often cascading down into a sinkhole.

The acid in the groundwater is, by and large, completely natural. There’s a little bit of carbon dioxide in the air, produced by the respiration of ecosystems and augmented since the industrial revolution by the burning of fossil fuels. Rainwater with dissolved carbon dioxide in it seeps through soil where more carbon dioxide is added to the water by plant root systems. The resulting carbonic-acid solution can dissolve limestone and related rocks.

Chemistry and the water cycle create karst topography. Unfortunately, from time to time, voids open quite suddenly at the surface of the Earth, as was the case under the place where Jeff Bush was sleeping. The Furlows are facing more gradual change, but it’s plenty dangerous. Sometimes underground changes set the stage for results none of us would choose.

Clark County Master Gardeners will offer a tour of the Demonstration Gardens on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. The Demonstrations Gardens are located at the Clark County/ Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89123 (I-215 and Windmill Lane). The tour is free and open to the public. Saturday’s topic is Desert Plants Come Alive.

Volunteer Master Gardeners will discuss desert adapted plants which can be successfully grown in the home landscape. The Demonstration Gardens contain over 500 species of desert appropriate landscape plants, including: trees, shrubs, perennials, palms, cacti and agaves. Plants are identified by botanical and common names. The grounds are open for self-guided walks on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To join the monthly tour, meet in the Courtyard by 10 a.m. Walking shoes, water, hats, etc. are suggested. Groups (5 or more people) are requested to email Ann Edmunds, program coordinator, or call her at 257-5587 at least two weeks in advance. For more information call or email the Master Gardener Help Desk at 702-257-5555 or visit the Facebook page.

There are two features of this time of year that make my heart glad. One is the rapidly increasing length of the day. In September we lose daylight quickly, but in the spring we gain it all back just as rapidly. Although the same pattern is repeated each year (so you’d think I’d be used to it) I’m always somehow surprised and delighted when we get to this time of year and have early sunrises and spreading daylight in the evening.

The other part of this time of year that gladdens my soul is the singing of birds. Starting as soon as it gets light, the birds go at it, vocalizing for their own purposes but entertaining all of us who listen for a minute before we rush off to work.

Recently scientists announced new findings regarding bird songs and what makes them possible in terms of fundamental neurobiology. Songbirds, it turns out, are interesting to study because when they hatch out of their eggs they don’t know the songs they will later sing as adults. That means they are a bit like us people when we are born. Like the birds, we have to learn to make sounds and speak like our parents, it’s not something we are born able to do.

It’s not that birds and people are highly similar in evolutionary terms and thus share this same basic trait of needing to learn how to vocalize like our kin. Indeed it’s been about 300 million years since birds and humans had a common evolutionary ancestor – that’s a long time even by geologic standards! At some point since that long ago split, both the animals that became birds and the primates that later led to us people independently acquired the ability to make complex tones and sounds.

Erich Jarvis of Duke University Medical Center is a neurobiologist who has “gone to the birds” in his quest to understand how it is some animals learn to speak the languages in which different species are immersed. He and his colleagues recently announced findings of their work. One of the take away messages of the research is that brains in quite different species have evolved over time in similar ways to produce highly useful features like songs and speech.

“I feel more comfortable that we can link structures in songbird brains to analogous structures in human brains due to convergent evolution,” Jarvis said to a reporter from ScienceNews.

Jarvis and company have discovered some 80 genes that turn off and on in like manner in the brains of songbirds and people. The genes don’t behave that way in the brains of birds that don’t learn tunes from their parents.

The research could have some useful applications. It’s possible that combining it with the data that describes the entire genetic code of people could yield practical information about things like speech disorders.

Like the longer and longer days we’re enjoying, that would be something to sing about.

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University will lead a $16.2 million effort to develop wheat varieties that are better at tolerating the high temperatures found in most of the world’s growing regions – temperatures that are likely to increase with global warming.

The research will be supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR). The work is part of the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future.

Researchers aim to have their first set of “climate-resilient” varieties in five years.

The research will focus on the North Indian River Plain, which is home to nearly 1 billion people and faces challenges such as limited water and rising temperatures, said Kulvinder Gill, project director and the Vogel Endowed Chair for Wheat Breeding and Genetics at WSU.

“The project will benefit all wheat growing regions of the world,” he said, “as heat during certain stages of the plant’s development is an issue in most wheat growing regions.”

The researchers will combine conventional and newly developed breeding tools to identify genes or sets of genes associated with heat tolerance, a rarely studied trait with an outsized importance in yields. A wheat plant’s productivity falls off dramatically when temperatures rise above 82 degrees F, and the effects are particularly dramatic in the flowering stage, when the plant sets the seed that is ultimately harvested and milled for food.

Every rise of just a couple of degrees above 82 in the flowering stage cuts yields by 3 to 4 percent. Some parts of the North Indian River Plain can reach 95 degrees during flowering, said Gill, who worked in the withering heat of his family’s Punjab farm as a child.

The Climate Resilient Wheat project will continue efforts by Gill and colleagues to help wheat plants deal with environmental stresses. He is in the later stages of a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation and the Gates Foundation to develop drought-tolerant “desert wheat.”

Support from USAID will leverage more than $11 million from other partners and fund research at WSU and project-related activities in India, said Gill.

The effort will include researchers from Kansas State University, the seed manufacturer and processor DuPont Pioneer, India’s Directorate of Wheat research and National Bureau of Plant Genetics Resources, GB Pant University, CCS Meerut University, Punjab Agricultural University, Rajendra Agricultural University and two private companies in India. As many as 35 Ph.D. students and 30 postdoctoral or research fellows will also be involved.

-Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer

PULLMAN, Wash.—Cougar couture—from ski wear to red-carpet finery to repurposed garments made from tents, seeds and football jerseys—will take to the runway during Washington State University’s Mom’s Weekend in mid-April.

Publicity design by student Lizzy Carrell.

The fashion show, hosted and produced by students and faculty of WSU’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles (AMDT), will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, in Beasley Coliseum. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $12 at http://TicketsWest.com and Beasley Coliseum. They will cost $15 at the door.

The theme of the 30th annual show is “Boundless Expression,” as illustrated by AMDT junior Lizzy Carrell of Bothell, Wash., in publicity materials.

Despite a slowly rebounding economy, the fashion show continues to be one of the more affordable events on campus during Mom’s Weekend, said Bailey Stokes, AMDT instructor and the show’s director for two years. The show is also the perfect environment for students to thrive in a real-life experience.

“I think there’s a level of camaraderie that develops among students and faculty that you don’t get in a traditional classroom setting,” Stokes said. “And it’s fun to see students step up to the challenge of making a production like this successful.”

A dress made by AMDT alumna Carlie Bailes from recycled tires was among the designs showcased by AMDT students at the 2012 Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show. Photo by David Stokes. Click image for a high-resolution version.

The 2013 senior designers include Shateara Cornmesser of Spangle, Wash.; Kalli Deleon of Cle Elum, Wash.; Breda Fitzgerald of Pullman; Christopher Fitzgerald of Tacoma, Wash.; Breanna Guerrero of Kennewick, Wash.; Sze Nga Lau of Hong Kong, China; Toru Okuyama of Vancouver, Wash.; Robyn Olson of Edgewood, Wash.; Katie Patchin of Lacey, Wash.; Deborah Rodriquez of Lynnwood, Wash.; Man Ling Tsang of Hong Kong; Stephanie Wilson of Odessa, Wash.; and Merrill Worlund of Allyn, Wash.

Back by popular demand will be sustainable garments created by students out of recycled materials. For example, Okuyama made a winter coat from old tents. Four students—Cornmesser, Breda Fitzgerald, Guerrero and Lau—created dresses from recycled seed, mesh and shopping bags.

Patchin, whose father is a coach, recycled old football jerseys into a long evening gown. Wilson incorporated painted corn husks and kernels in her dress. Other designs make use of red plastic drinking cups and aluminum pop cans.

“There were a lot of different materials used to create the garments, and that’s kind of neat,” said Catherine Black, AMDT associate professor. “You can see the time the students put in.”

AMDT juniors will be part of the show for the third year, Stokes said. They will present work from two first-semester AMDT classes, creative adaptations of a “boyfriend” shirt, tailored jackets and an original design project.

“I think we have a good group of students this year,” she said. “It should be a lot of fun, but also crazy. You end up eating, breathing and living fashion show.”

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Congratulations to Student SURCA Award Winners and Their Mentors

Arts and Design: The Crimson Award went to students Corinne Markle, Anna Hartley, and Beth Ross, mentored by Kathleen Ryan and Bob Krikac (Interior Design), for their work on a “Rural Town History Museum Co-Design.” Gray Awards: Catherine Weisenburger, mentors Kathleen Ryan and Bob Krikac  (Interior Design) for her project, “Rebuilding the Core of a Small Rural Washington Town”; and Gordon Stumpo, mentor Patricia Fischer (AMDT), for his project “Princess Diana: A Study in Creative Interpretation.”

Organismal, Population, Ecological, and Evolutionary Biology. A Gray Award went to Emily Martin, mentored by Jeb Owen (Entomology), for her work on “Physiological Trade-Off due to Immune Response to Blood-Feeding Ectoparasites.”

Molecular, Cellular, and Chemical Biology: A Gray Award was won by Nicole Clark, mentored by James Pru (Animal Sciences), for her research on “Non-Classical Progesterone Signaling in Uterine Physiology.” An Early Career Award went to Michele Reinelt, also mentored by James Pru, for her research on “Funcitional Analysis of E2A and HEB in Female Reproduction.”

Social Sciences: A Gray Award went to Yadira Olivera, mentored by Thomas Power (Human Development), for her study of “Latina Mothers’ Interaction Quality and Children’s Emotional Regulation.”

Nominate a CAHNRS Senior Who Exemplifies Excellence

The Big Ten Seniors award program recognizes WSU seniors who best represent an aspect of the college experience in areas of academics, athletics, campus involvement, community service, and visual/performing arts. Please nominate a senior who is outstanding in one or more of these areas. For details, see alumni.wsu.edu/bigten. Nominations must be received by Friday, April 12.

Required Lab Self-Inspections

Lab self-inspections are required each year. This year the CAHNRS Safety Committee is requesting that all labs send in their completed reports to sbrooks@wsu.edu by May 1, 2013. The committee is particularly interested in the self-inspection worksheet under the heading of corrective action. A comparison of the reports will reveal any common problems. This will allow better or more specific training and promotion of safer lab practices. You can obtain the Safety Inspection Checklist at http://bit.ly/TrUDcX.

Upcoming Events Retirement Reception for Jack Rogers, April 7

The Department of Plant Pathology is hosting a retirement reception for Dr. Jack Rogers on April 7, 2-4 p.m., at the Paradise Creek Brewery. Friends and family are invited to come wish Dr. Rogers well. Dr. Rogers retired in January after 50 years on the WSU faculty. The Brewery is located at 245 SE Paradise St. in downtown Pullman. Rogers has been honored by promotion to Regents Professor and was recognized with the Eminent Faculty award, the highest honor a faculty member can receive at WSU.

Chocolate Decadence, April 11

The Pullman Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with WSU AMDT, invites you to experience Chocolate Decadence. Sample free chocolates and shop locally while checking out visual displays created by WSU students. Participating businesses include The Bookie, Design Effects, Lily Bee’s Consignment Shop, GLASSPhemy, Flirt, Ric-O-Shay, Neill’s Flowers and Gifts, Sam Dial Jewelers, Crimson and Gray, At Home Designs: Framing it up, Atom Heart Music, Prune Orchard, B&L Bicycle Shop, Daily Grind/Licks, Wild Ivy, RTOP Theatre, 2nd Chance Thrift, Barnacle Bills, Pets R People 2, and Dissmore’s IGA. April 11, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Food Science Talk, April 16

Speaker Dr. Lisa Mauer, professor in the department of food science at Purdue University, will present a talk entitled “Fundamentals and consequences of water-solid interactions, with an emphasis on deliquescence.” Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend the talk, April 16, 1-2 p.m., in FSHN 104A. Dr. Mauer’s talk will be followed by an open meeting for interested faculty from 2-3 pm. For more information, contact Dr. Boon Chew (335-1427 or boonchew@wsu.edu) or see the promotional flyer at http://bit.ly/ZCiXoo.

Virginia Lee “Change the World” Fellowship Fundraiser, April 18

Wine Tasting at Merry Cellars, Thursday, April 18, 6 – 8 p.m. Complimentary Wine Tasting – Hors d’oeuvres from Banyan’s – Raffle. After Virginia Lee’s untimely death at the age of 24, WSU founded the Dr. Virginia Lee “Change the World” Fellowship Fund, to be awarded to graduate students with a desire to make a difference in our world. Please join us as we work in her honor to make a difference.Our friend and fellow graduate student Virginia Lee was diagnosed in the fall of 2010 with a very aggressive form of cancer. She passed away three months later, on New Year’s Eve. She was 24 years old. Virginia’s ambition was to use her education to give back to the world. WSU awarded Virginia an honorary doctorate while she was in the hospital. Please join us in contributing to her fellowship fund at a wine tasting at Merry Cellars, on (repeat date and time).Presale tickets: $25 student/$35 general public.You must be 21 to attend. Donations in lieu of attendance welcome.For tickets or for more information, please contact Stefanie Tietz at stietz@wsu.edu.  Sponsored by Molecular Plant Science Graduate Students.

Ralph Cavalieri Goodbye Party, April 25

Come say so long and happy trails to Ralph Cavalieri as he moved full time into his new position as Associate Vice President for Alternative Energy for WSU. We’ll gather April 25, 3 – 5 p.m. in the Vogel Atrium overlooking Martin Stadium to thank Ralph for his leadership and 28 years of service to CAHNRS. A short program will begin at 3:30. Refreshments will be served. Ralph Cavalieri was a faculty member in Biological Systems Engineering (formerly Agricultural Engineering) as from 1985 to 1991. From 1991-2000, Cavalieri served as chair of BSE. From 2000-2013 as the associate dean of CAHNRS and director of the Agricultural Research Center. If you have any interesting stories or pictures you would like to share about CAHNRS days with Ralph, please send them to sbrooks@wsu.edu.

Kudos

Congratulations to plant pathology graduate students, Jeff Bullock (Ph.D. student with Dr. Ken Eastwell) and Bhanu Priya Donda (Ph.D. student with Dr. Naidu Rayapati). They are part of a six-member team that was one of the finalists in WSU Global Case Competition and were invited to the final oral presentation round.  Members of the team include, besides Bullock and Donda from plant pathology, Shreya Shah, Kale Harrison, and Gunnar Hoff from the School of Engineering, and Kristin Houmes from the School of Nursing. The Global Case Competition (http://bit.ly/ZCjbvT) is a WSU event, organized by the Office of International Programs, that brings students together to develop solutions to complex global issues with local implication.

Entomology graduate student Robert Zinna, mentored by Dr. Laura Levine, has been granted a NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI) award from June 18-Aug. 21. Zinna will conduct research at Nagoya University with Professor Teruyuki Niimi, an internationally renowned developmental biologist. The purpose and goals of the fellowship are to study the evolution and development of genetic patterning mechanisms in rhinoceros beetle horns, as well as establish a new international collaboration between WSU and Nagoya University. This EAPSI award provides Zinna first-hand research experience in Japan; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture, and language of Japan. The EAPSI will provide Zinna with a pre-departure orientation, a summer stipend, and travel expenses to the research site. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the EAPSI partner agency in Japan, will pay in-country living expenses during the Summer Institute.

Recent News Releases

• WSU Students to Showcase Style, Recycled Garments during Mom’s Weekend Fashion Show
• Race Cockroaches and More at WSU Insect Expo April 20
• Research Cultivates Seeds of Opportunity
• Chocolate Decadence builds resumes and local economy

New In eNewsletters

The march 27 issue of On Solid Ground features stories on biofuels, the brown marmorated stink bug invasion, and food science grad student Megan Waldrop. Check it out at http://bit.ly/16tuWch.

The latest issue of Voice of the Vine has a feature on wine serving temperatures and the second phase of David James’ Vineyard Beauty with Benefits program. Sip these stories and more at http://bit.ly/11YiiBB.

The current issue of Green Times has a cool feature on recycling drain-clogging struvite for its plant nutrients, a feature on how rain gardens and low-impact development are helping reduce run-off pollution in the Puget Sound, and news of a new publication from the WSU Extension Online Bookstore about alternatives to polyethylene mulch. Glean the green at http://bit.ly/XTlvnc.

Archives

CAHNRS News is archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/category/cnews/.

<p>BOZEMAN -&nbsp;Forty-four mayors and city managers from across Montana attended the Montana Executive Forum in Helena on March 6-7.</p> <p>Presented jointly...

New CAHNRS Paid Internship Program—Deadline Extended!

Twenty students have the opportunity for a paid, faculty-mentored internship in the summer or fall of 2013. Available locations include the Pullman, Vancouver and Tri-Cities campuses, WSU’s Research and Extension Centers, and County Extension Offices. The college will provide $2,500 per intern to each faculty mentor in partial support of these internship experiences. The deadline to submit the online application has been extended to March 25. For additional details, please see http://academic.cahnrs.wsu.edu/experiential/internship-information/.

Nominate a CAHNRS Senior Who Exemplifies Excellence

The Big Ten Seniors award program recognizes WSU seniors who best represent an aspect of the college experience in areas of academics, athletics, campus involvement, community service, and visual/performing arts. Please nominate a senior who is outstanding in one or more of these areas. For details, see alumni.wsu.edu/bigten. Nominations must be received by Friday, April 12.

Newly Promoted and/or Tenured Faculty

Congratulations to our newly tenured and/or promoted CAHNRS and WSU Extension faculty! Catherine Black, Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles, Professor; Bhaskar Bondada, Horticulture, Associate Professor; Lindsey Du Toit, Plant Pathology, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC, Professor, Scientist, and Extension Specialist E-4; Katherine Evens, Horticulture, WSU Wenatchee TFREC, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Manuel Garcia-Perez, Biological Systems Engineering, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Laura Hill, Human Development, Professor and Extension Specialist E-4; Bidisha Mandal, School of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist E-3; Todd Murray, WSU Extension, Skamania County, Extension County Director E-3; Holly Neibergs, Animal Sciences, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Jeb Owen, Entomology, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Shyam Sablani, Biological Systems Engineering, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Mark Swanson, School of the Environment, Associate Professor and Associate Scientist; Jia Yan, School of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor; Kevin Zobrist, WSU Extension, Snohomish County, Extension Regional Specialist E-3.

Retirement Reception for Professor Jack Rogers

The Washington State University Department of Plant Pathology is hosting a retirement reception for Dr. Jack Rogers on April 7, 2-4 p.m., at the Paradise Creek Brewery. Friends and family are invited to come wish Dr. Rogers well. Dr. Rogers retired in January after 50 years on the WSU faculty. The Brewery is located at 245 SE Paradise St. in downtown Pullman. Rogers has been honored by promotion to Regents Professor and was recognized with the Eminent Faculty award, the highest honor a faculty member can receive at WSU.

Required Lab Self-Inspections

Lab self-inspections are required each year. This year the CAHNRS Safety Committee is requesting that all labs send in their completed reports to sbrooks@wsu.edu by May 1, 2013. The committee is particularly interested in the self-inspection worksheet under the heading of corrective action. A comparison of the reports will reveal any common problems. This will allow better or more specific training and promotion of safer lab practices. You can obtain the Safety Inspection Checklist at http://bit.ly/TrUDcX.

Events Campbell Professorship Celebration

The Gaylon S. Campbell Distinguished Professorship in Environmental Biophysics has been created to honor the 27-year career of Professor Campbell as a faculty member at Washington State University. This professorship builds upon Dr. Campbell’s legacy of research and teaching to develop and refine models of water, gas, and energy fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, with a focus on agriculture and other managed ecosystems. Come to the celebration Saturday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m. at Decagon Devices, Inc., 2365 NE Hopkins Court in Pullman.

Robert E. Allan Symposium

Speakers include Dr. Randall Wisser, Assistant Professor of Plant Genetics at the University of Delaware, Between meat grinding and sculpting: what are we learning about quantitative disease resistance in maize? and Dr. Sarah Hake, Adjunct Professor at Berkeley Center Director: USDA Plant Gene Expression Center, Regulation of plant architecture in maize—master regulators and background modifiers. Monday, March 25, 1:15 – 4:00 p.m. in the CUB Room 210, to be followed by poster session and potluck at the Ensminger Pavilion beginning 4:30 p.m. See Allan Symposium flyer.

“Explore Exporting” Seminar

This seminar, sponsored by the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association, offers Washington food and agriculture businesses information and resources from industry experts on how exporting can help their companies grow. March 28, 2013, 8:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Seattle, Washington. See details at http://bit.ly/Z2feSX.

Showcase 2013

Washington State University’s “World Class. Face to Face.” SHOWCASE events will take place on March 28-29. The Provost has approved the use of three hours of work time for all university employees to attend the Academic Showcase and/or the Distinguished Faculty Address. He is doing so to encourage faculty, staff and students in your area to schedule their attendance with their supervisor so it does not disrupt university operations and so everyone may take advantage of the opportunity to view firsthand the body of work that will be displayed at the poster session and/or to attend the Distinguished Faculty Address. See more about Showcase, including the complete schedule, at http://bit.ly/wsushowcase.

Science in Your Glass

What role does science play in the quality of wine? Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the Washington State University viticulture and enology program, explores this and other questions in “Science in Your Glass,” a WSU Innovators luncheon, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. See details at http://bit.ly/scienceinyourglass.

Chocolate Decadence

The Pullman Chamber of Commerce in partnership with WSU AMDT invites you to experience Chocolate Decadence. Sample free chocolates and shop locally while checking out visual displays created by WSU students. Participating businesses: The Bookie, Design Effects, Lily Bee’s Consignment Shop, GLASSPhemy, Flirt, Ric-O-Shay, Neill’s Flowers and Gifts, Sam Dial Jewelers, Crimson and Gray, At Home Designs: Framing it up, Atom Heart Music, Prune Orchard, B&L Bicycle Shop, Daily Grind/Licks, Wild Ivy, R-top Theatre, 2nd Chance Thrift, Barnacle Bills, Pets R People 2, and Dissemore’s. Thursday, April 11, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Virginia Lee Fundraiser

Third Annual Dr. Virginia Lee “Change the World” Fellowship Fundraiser Wine Tasting and Silent Auction, Thursday April 18, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Merry Cellars Winery. Pre-sale tickets $25 for students and $35 for the general public. You must be 21 to attend. See details at http://bit.ly/virginia-lee.

Seminars

Bandar Alfaifi, Biological Systems Engineering Ph.D. candidate, Computer-simulation analyses to improve radio frequency (RF) heating uniformity in dried fruits for insect control, and Pierre Wensel, Biological Systems Engineering Ph.D. candidate, Bio-prospecting Extremophilic Microalgae for Biodiesel, Friday, March 22, 2013 at 4 p.m. in FSHN T-101.

Sudeep Bag, Ph.D. exit seminar, Biological, epidemiological and molecular insights into thrips – Iris yellow spot virus pest complex, Monday, March 25,  4:10 p.m. in Johnson Hall 343, WECN Dial-up #5777077. See Announcement.

The Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles is hosting Debra Laney, Finish Developer of the Global Technical Team as the second speaker in a Cotton Across the Supply Chain seminar series. Ms. Laney will be discussing the Levi Strauss & Co. Water-Less Denim Program that they use to provide sustainable products to their consumers. Thursday, March 26, from 12:10-1:15 p.m. in Kruegel Hall Room 53.

Shantel Martinez, Crop Science M.S. student, Joint Crop & Molecular Plant Sciences Seminar, Evaluating Seed Dormancy, Hormone Response, and Pre-Harvest Sprouting Resistance of an ABA Hypersensitive Mutant Zak ERA8, Wednesday, March 27, 12:10 p.m. in Webster Physical Sciences Room 17.

Sushan Ru, Horitculture Ph.D. student, Thursday, March 28, 2:50 – 3:40 p.m., Pullman Murrow 55 and transmitted via AMS.

Ziru “Steven” Liu, Soil Science Ph.D. student, Colloid and Colloid-Facilitated Radionuclide Transport at the US DOE Hanford Site, Monday, April 1, 1:10 p.m., Johnson Hall 204. Arrangements have been made to broadcast to Mt. Vernon, Prosser, Puyallup, and Wenatchee stations.

Dr. Roger Innes, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Biology, Indiana University, Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Pathogen Recognition in Plants, Monday, April 1,  4:10 p.m. in Johnson Hall 343, WECN Dial-up #5777077. See Announcement.

Jennifer Trapp, Crop Science Ph.D. student, Breeding for Drought Resistance in Common Bean, Monday, April 1, 2:10 p.m., Johnson Hall Room 204 and via WECN.

Samantha Downey, Crop Science M.S. student, A Silent Approach to Rust Resistance-Using Agrobacterium Transformation to Develop Stable Rust Resistant Wheat, Monday, April 1, 3:10-4:00 p.m., Johnson Hall Room 204 and via WECN.

Jeremy Cowan, Ph.D. student, Evaluating Biodegradable Plastic Mulches for Specialty Crop Production: A Multi-faceted Approach, Thursday, April 4, 2:50 – 3:40 p.m., Pullman Murrow 55 and transmitted via AMS.

Kudos

Dr. Lindsey du Toit of WSU Mount Vernon NWREC received the Syngenta Award from the American Phytopathological Society. This award is given by Syngenta Crop Protection to an APS member for an outstanding recent contribution to teaching, research, or extension in plant pathology.

Dr. Tim Miller of WSU Mount Vernon NWREC received the Presidential Award of Merit from the Western Society of Weed Science for his demonstrated and continued distinguished service to the society.

Amy Salamone, Ph.D. student with Dr. Debbie Inglis, has been selected to receive the prestigious Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholarship from the ARCS-Seattle Chapter (http://www.seattlearcsfoundation.org/).

Recent News Releases

Warm winter sets stage for growing season
Workshop meets growing interest in ciders, tree fruit
Learn to teach environmental education at March 30 workshop
Licensee Sought to Commercialize New Apple Variety from WSU

All our news releases are archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/news-archive/.

New in CAHNRS e-Newsletters

The March 13 edition of On Solid Ground discusses how struvite, a fertilizer from animal manure, can mitigate water pollution problems while providing a renewable source of phosphorus. Also: collaborative management of thrips-caused crop losses, improving dairy cattle fertility, and the search for a licensee to commercialize a new WSU apple.
See more at http://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/2013/03/13/wsus-on-solid-ground-struvite-cattle-fertility-new-apple-march-13-2013/.

Archives

CAHNRS News is archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/category/cnews/.

PULLMAN, Wash. – As temperatures swiftly advanced and retreated to provide Northwest residents with glimpses of both summer and winter, Washington was a competitive battleground for starkly different air masses in March.

While much of the first week of the month was quite cool, very mild weather quickly followed and persisted through mid-March. Unusually cold weather the third week of March transitioned to the warmest weather of 2013 at the end of the month.

Early March was generally chilly, as cold upper-level low pressure brought several inches of snow to the Ellensburg area and a chilly, 40-degree high to Moxee on March 6. However, high temperatures warmed into the 60s a week later, and Alderdale reached 71 degrees on March 13.

The month ended with very warm weather, as temperatures rose to the 70s on Easter Sunday for the first time since October. Many of these areas had been in the teens just a few days earlier.

As cold air advanced again after mid-March, the weather pendulum swung sharply back toward winter. Temperatures on the morning of March 19 dropped to a chilly 18 degrees at LaCrosse. Benton City dropped to 18 degrees on March 24, which caused some cherry damage in the region.

The highest impact weather event of the month was the potent storm that affected Washington on March 19 and after.

“This weather system featured many of the key ingredients of a powerful Northwest storm, including high winds, heavy rain, heavy snow and rapid temperature fluctuations,” said Nic Loyd, AgWeatherNet meteorologist at Washington State University. “Parts of eastern Washington approached 70 degrees on March 20, while temperatures just a day or two later fell into the teens.”

A Web based, publicly available system, AgWeatherNet provides access to near real-time weather data and value-added products from WSU’s statewide weather network, along with decision aids for agricultural producers and other users.

Up to two inches of rain fell in western Washington during the storm, from late March 19 until the morning of March 21, while around two feet of snow fell in the Cascade high country. As the strong cold front crossed the state on March 20, winds gusted as high as 65 mph, with 15 minute sustained winds peaking at 47 mph at Huntsville.

At College Place (near Walla Walla), the temperature rose to 70 degrees by noon, and then fell 20 degrees in a half hour. Even after the main storm had departed, the lingering effects were felt for several days.

On March 22, a Puget Sound convergence zone produced several inches of snowfall around Everett in the lowlands of western Washington. Scattered showers and gusty winds continued that day, before calmer conditions allowed for a series of very cold nights.

Moxee experienced four consecutive mornings in the teens, March 22-25, while temperatures in the 20s were widespread across Washington. In fact, nearly all of AgWeatherNet’s 140 sites recorded low temperatures below freezing on March 23 and 24.

Overall, March was drier than normal and temperatures were above average during the day. Washington crops have generally been faring well, even with the recent large temperature swings.

“Despite the cold temperatures that followed the March 20 storm, accurate forecasts well in advance of this critical event allowed many growers to take appropriate action to protect their orchards,” said AgWeatherNet director Gerrit Hoogenboom. “Unfortunately, the long duration of the cold temperatures did cause isolated frost damage in cherries around Benton County.”