Population growth could drive use of biotechnology Mar 14, 2016 Joyce Lobeck, Contributing Writer | Western Farm Press

The biggest challenge for genetically modified crops is overcoming public resistance, says Timothy Dennehy, former entomologist with the University of Arizona. Denneny, who now manages the global insecticide resistance program for Bayer CropSciences, says it’s a delicate balancing act to convince people. “We can’t win by shoving things down people’s throats,” he said at the recent Southwest Ag Summit at Yuma, Ariz. “We have to respect people’s opinions, even if they’re not science based.” By 2050, conference speakers noted, the world will need to double its food production. How it will do that is the question. We’re not making new land,” said Jeffrey Silvertooth, associate dean and director for extension and economic development for the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Just the opposite, in fact: Millions of acres of arable land for growing crops are being lost around the world due to degradation. “We’re already facing widespread hunger,” Silvertooth says. There is a bottleneck caused by unprecedented growth in population, expected to exceed nine billion by 2050, placing maximum demand on natural resources and maximum need for human ingenuity. “Norman Borlaug showed what can be done with technology,” Silvertooth says, referring to the American biologist who has been called “the father of the Green Revolution” for his plant breeding research. “He was addressing the same issue in the 1940s — the population monster.” In a research position in Mexico, Borlaug developed semi-dwarf, high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat varieties and combined them with modern agricultural production techniques in Mexico, Pakistan, and India. Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963, and wheat yields nearly doubled between 1965 and 1970 in Pakistan and India, staving off starvation for a billion people. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increased food supply. “But the hunger war isn’t over,” Silvertooth says. “The problem hasn’t gone away. We still have a lot of work to do.” Plant breeding — the crossing of plants with desirable traits to create a new variety — has been going on since the dawn of human agriculture some 10,000 years ago, he notes. “Plants today are very different from their parent plants. Corn is a good example; you can hardly see the similarities in the plants.” Ancient farmers in what is now Mexico took the first steps in domesticating maize (also known as corn) when they simply chose which kernels to plant. They saved kernels from plants with desirable characteristics and planted them for the next season's harvest. Maize cobs became larger over time, with more rows of kernels, and eventually took on the form of the modern crop. Transgenic or molecular breeding takes that selective process a step further in the lab, transferring a gene for a desired trait into a recipient plant, then backcrossing or traditionally breeding the recipient several times until the modified property is incorporated into the plant’s genome for commercial use. Benefits of GMO’s Traits might include natural resistance to a destructive pest or disease, herbicide tolerance, higher yields, improved quality, or increased nutritional value. Transgenic crops, also known as GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or biotechs, have met with resistance amid fears they might harm humans or the environment. There is no scientific evidence of harm to humans, and they’re actually beneficial to the environment, Silvertooth says. He cites the example of the pink bollworm that was devastating the cotton industry in the early 1950s, when fields were being sprayed 15 to 20 times a year. Transgenic cotton containing the Bt gene that made the plant toxic to the bollworm was first planted in Arizona in 1996. Its adoption resulted in an 82 percent decrease in pesticide applications, increasing safety for workers and improving field ecology through recovery of beneficial insects. Today nearly all — if not all — cotton planted in Arizona, and much of the crop worldwide, is Bt varieties. “We see the benefit in Arizona,” Silvertooth says. “It’s a viable technology that has its place.” That view is not universally shared around the world. For example, two African countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have rejected shipments of genetically modified corn from the United States, even though millions of their citizens were in need of emergency food aid. Rick Ward, director of the University of Arizona Maricopa Agriculture Center, added his voice to the urgency for new technology to close the food gap. While food production has increased over the years, he says, the rate of increase is declining. “We won’t make the 69 percent increases in food production needed by 2050 unless we push out forests — and that’s not good for climate change,” Ward said. “But we can’t have places with people with empty stomachs. The challenge whether people will be poisoned by GMOs; it’s whether their children and grandchildren will be fighting over food. It’s not about a fuzzy feeling about food, it’s about basic humanity.” Yet, he says, there’s not one GMO field of wheat planted in the world. “Wheat is an extraordinarily important crop but not one country allows anyone to plant a commercial GMO wheat field.” Acceptance of other GMO crops is growing around the globe, Ward says. In 1996, six countries — the U.S., China, Argentina, Canada, Australia, and Mexico — planted biotech crops. By 2014, 18 million farmers in 28 countries planted more than 46 million acres of biotech crops, a 100-fold increase, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications. Another 39 countries imported biotech crops in 2014. While the dominant biotech crops are soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola, other crops are quickly being added to the list. The U.S. recently approved biotech potatoes and alfalfa, Bangladesh just approved Bt eggplant (the poor man’s potato there), Taiwan has approved GMO cotton, Australia and New Zealand in January approved GMO sugar beets. The European Union recently approved a law to allow member countries to decide whether to grow GMOs. Ward, who worked on wheat breeding with Borlaug in Mexico and on projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan, says it’s also critical to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. For instance, the Gulf of Mexico often becomes a dead zone from fertilizer runoff, with an impact on fish, wildlife, and humans. Meanwhile, Hawaii has resisted all GMO crops except papayas, says Dennehy. That crop was in danger of extinction until a biotech variety resistant to a devastating virus was developed, “Industry is working very hard,” he says. “The last 12 months there has been an avalanche of new and novel possibilities.”

Public meetings to address access to state Wildlife Management Areas

Public meetings to address access to state Wildlife Management Areas SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will conduct four public meetings to outline proposed changes to the Gaining Access into Nature program for State Game Commission-owned Wildlife Management Areas. The program outlines the use of these Wildlife Management Areas for recreational activities other than, or in addition to, hunting, fishing and trapping, such as hiking, wildlife viewing, and horseback riding. The proposed changes are intended to make it easier for the public to access and enjoy Commissioned-owned and managed properties. Department staff will conduct a short presentation, accept public comments and answer questions. The meetings will be at 6 p.m. at the following locations: • Abiquiu, March 28, Rio Arriba County Rural Event Center. • Taos, March 29, Taos County Agricultural Center. • Roswell, March 30, New Mexico Game and Fish office. • Silver City, March 31, Grant County Administration Building. The current recommendation from the Department is to manage designated properties as “open unless otherwise closed,” and to eliminate the need for a special GAIN permit. Access would be allowed for a group of up to four people, provided at least one of those individuals possesses a hunting, fishing, or trapping license and/or a Habitat Management and Access Validation permit. Current rules require every member in a group visiting a wildlife management area to possess a GAIN permit and/or a hunting, fishing or trapping license. Other proposed changes include increasing the camping limit to 14 days, allowing scouting activities for seven days before a hunt period, and updating specific access rules for certain properties. No license or permit is required for youths under 18 years old. Please visit www.wildlife.state.nm.us for more information about the proposed changes. The department is accepting email comments on the proposed changes at DGF-GAIN@state.nm.us.

Circular 678: Poisonous Plants of New Mexico Rangelands

Circular 678: Poisonous Plants of New Mexico Rangelands By Christopher D. Allison (Range Scientist, Linebery Policy Center for Natural Resource Management) Jason L. Turner (Professor/Extension Horse Specialist, Dept. of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources) John C. Wenzel (Extension Veterinarian, Dept. of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources) http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR678_sm.pdf NOTE: A high-resulution (82.9 MB) version for print is also available: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR678.pdf

NMSU to host annual Indian Livestock Days on May 11-13 in Albuquerque

NMSU to host annual Indian Livestock Days on May 11-13 in Albuquerque DATE: 03/21/2016 WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Kathy Landers, 505-870-3336, kalander@nmsu.edu ALBUQUERQUE – Cattle production in the Indian Country of northwestern New Mexico is on the increase, with revenue of $125 million in 2015, according to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture annual agricultural statistics. To help producers continue to improve their herds and profit, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service hosts the New Mexico Indian Livestock Days annually in Albuquerque. This year’s conference will be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, May 11 to 13, at Route 66 Casino Hotel on Interstate 25 west of Albuquerque. “The participants have asked for more live demonstrations, so this year we have added a second afternoon of three outdoor sessions,” said Kathy Landers, NMSU McKinley County Extension county director. “As always, there is going to be a lot of information for livestock producers.” The conference registration begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 11. The first series of outdoor programs will be during the afternoon on bull selection, cattle reproduction and calf castration. “The programs will be repeated so people can attend all three,” said Landers. The full schedule of presentations will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 12. Topics during the morning indoor sessions will include developing a livestock association, cost of owning a cow, and updates from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency. Thursday, beginning at 1 p.m., there will be sessions outdoors and indoors. As on Wednesday, the outdoor sessions will repeat three times. Topics will include trailer safety and hauling, horse health and horse confirmation. Indoor sessions will be canning, season extension, soil building and drip irrigation. Friday, May 13, sessions will begin at 8 a.m. and concluded at 4 p.m. Topics will include rodent control, invasive weeds, brush control, cattle prices, range management, an update from the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service and a panel of livestock producers sharing success stories. Registration fee is $75 if received by May 1; after that date and for walk-ins, the cost is $100. Registration includes lunch on Thursday and Friday. Register on line at http://indianlivestock.nmsu.edu, or by mail at NMSU-CES – Northern, 4001 Office Court, Suite 308, Santa Fe, NM 87507. Special room rates of $69 per night have been secured at Route 66 Hotel if reserved by May 1. Call for reservations at 1-866-352-7866 and ask for NM Livestock 2016 group rate. - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

EPA Observes National Poison Prevention Week and Urges Public to Store Common Household Products out of Children’s Reach

March 21, 2016 In This Update: EPA Observes National Poison Prevention Week and Urges Public to Store Common Household Products out of Children’s Reach During National Poison Prevention Week, March 20-26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is highlighting the importance of properly storing common household products like cleaning supplies and insect repellents. Keeping these products out of children’s reach is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your kids from accidental poisonings. Help spread the word about Poison Prevention Week by sharing our blog post and messages through social media, listservs, and other outreach opportunities: • Read Assistant Administrator Jim Jones’ blog on poison prevention • Retweet us In 2014, America’s 56 poison control centers served 323 million people nation-wide. Of their 2.9 million cases, about 2.2 million involved people coming into contact with dangerous or potentially dangerous substances. According to recently published poison center data, in 2014, nearly 140,000 calls to poison centers involved pesticides, including disinfectants. Moreover, the California Poison Control System and the Central California Children’s Hospital identified more than 1,400 cases of accidental poisoning caused by storage of non-food substances in soda bottles, unmarked bottles, cups or glasses. National Poison Prevention Week is a time to raise awareness about simple steps that can be taken to prevent poisonings. Most poisonings happen in people’s homes and are preventable. Check out our poison prevention tips at www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/reduce-your-childs-chances-pesticide-poisoning.

Melvin "Pee Wee" Eugene Switzer, 82 passed away. Pee Wee was Brand Inspector for Eddy County.

Melvin "Pee Wee" Eugene Switzer, 82, of Tower Dr., Carlsbad, NM, passed away on February 26, 2016 at his home. Graveside services will be held at 11 am on Monday, March 14, 2016 at the Carlsbad Cemetery (new section). Rev. Jimmy Tarvin of the Loving Baptist Church will officiate. There is no public visitation. Services have been entrusted to West Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at westfuneralhomellc.com Melvin Eugene "PeeWee" Switzer was born to Elmer Ned and Verna Lea (Trotter) Switzer on December 12, 1933 in Ingram, TX. He was raised in Ingram and moved to Carlsbad as a young man to work with family in Queens, NM. Pee Wee and Gayla Hepler Switzer were married August 31, 1952 in Carlsbad and she preceded him in death in 1997. As a young family, PeeWee and Gayla lived in the Ingram area for a very brief period, and then moved to Carlsbad. He worked at IMC Potash Mines when his children were young, then the family moved to the Elmer Hepler Ranch in Dog Canyon. They continued to live in the Dog Canyon and Crow Flat area until around 1977. PeeWee and Gayla then moved to Hayward, California, where PeeWee hauled race horses to the various fairs and race tracks throughout California. Moving back to New Mexico in 1980, PeeWee became a New Mexico Livestock Inspector and later retired from that profession. Martha Jane "Martie" Weldy and PeeWee Switzer were married June 15, 2000. He was a lifetime member of the Eddy County Sherriff's Posse and Carlsbad B.P.O.Elk's Lodge #1558. PeeWee liked spending time with his grandkids, fishing and going to the park, spending time in his garden, playing dominoes, telling tales of his younger days and playing jokes on everyone. But most of all PeeWee loved spending time with his wife, Martie. He is preceded in death by his wife Gayla Hepler Switzer, his parents, 2 brothers and one sister. PeeWee is survived by his wife Martie Switzer of Carlsbad, children: Jane Switzer Terrell and husband J.B. of Ruidoso, NM, Zana Switzer Moore and husband David of Alpine, TX, John Switzer and wife Diana of Carlsbad, NM, Joe Switzer and wife Estella of Hondo, NM, Joe Thompson and wife Tina, Doug Thompson and wife Sherri and Tausha Wright, all of Carlsbad; brother-in-law, Ken Schilling of Kerrville, TX; mother and father-in-law, Jane and Doug Weldy; brother and sister-in-laws (Martie's side) Edward Weldy, Dale and Tiguna Weldy, David Weldy, Steve and Lana Weldy, all of Hobbs, NM; Tammy and Mark Luna of Midland, TX; 22 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Pallbearers: Elmer (Joe) Switzer, John Switzer, Joe Thompson, Doug Thompson, Shawn Walker and Tim Trotter. Honorary Pallbearers: Bryen and Steve Anthony Villegas, Matthew and Stetson Thompson, Bill Havens, Jay Trotter and Justin Green. Special Honorary Pallbearers: Eddy County Sheriff's Posse Members. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/currentargus/obituary.aspx?n=melvin-eugene-switzer-pee-wee&pid=178021062&fhid=7499#sthash.klSi6GqH.dpuf

NMSU researcher develops model to help chile growers battle weeds

NMSU researcher develops model to help chile growers battle weeds DATE: 03/14/2016 WRITER: Kristie Garcia, 575-646-4211, kmgarcia@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Brian Schutte, 575-646-7082, bschutte@nmsu.edu The tall morning glory weed can be problematic for chile growers. The presence of this weed in crops may lead to an increase in harvesting time or hoeing time and may also result in fewer chile pods. A solution just may be integrated pest management that focuses on the soil seed bank. Brian Schutte at New Mexico State University developed a user-friendly economic model that strives to assist growers with saving time in the long run. Schutte is an assistant professor of weed physiology in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. “A focus of my work is not just to direct (pest) management to the emerged plant but also to direct management toward the seeds in the soil to prevent them from producing seedlings that eventually become costly problems,” Schutte said. “With this model, we are trying to link tangible management outcomes back to the soil seed bank.” Schutte explained that with an increase in seed-bank density, there is a greater possibility that a large number of weeds will escape treatment. The interactive model, which may be accessed through Schutte’s faculty link on the NMSU Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science website, is in a spreadsheet format. Growers may input information regarding morning glory infestation estimates, expected chile crop yield and details regarding the type of herbicide used. “Growers would then see the effects of increasing the number of seeds in the soil on management outcomes, such as hoe time requirements – how long they’ll be in the field hoeing – and harvest time requirements,” Schutte said. If people have to reach around the tall twining weeds when removing the chile pods from the plant, it will add time to the harvesting process. With the help of several NMSU students over a two-year period, Schutte completed the model in late November after conducting several field studies. He plans to make improvements to the model as needed. While chile is not the only crop with tall morning glory as its enemy, the weed is particularly problematic in chile, as it is difficult to control and manage. Hence, the decision was made to use chile crops in this study. Tall morning glories may appear from May through August, which makes it challenging for growers to know when to apply control methods. Because it is an annual weed and completes its life cycle in one growing season, tall morning glory depends highly on the seeds in the soil seed bank. “It’s dependent upon the seeds in soil for year-to-year persistence,” Schutte said. “Ultimately, we hope to reduce the number of morning glory and other annual weeds in chile fields.” Schutte had opportunities in January and February to present the model to growers, including attendees at NMSU’s annual New Mexico Chile Conference in Las Cruces. He hopes more and more people in the agricultural industry will take advantage of this new learning tool. “The hope is that as people better appreciate the impacts of this seed bank, they will make efforts toward reducing the number of seeds in soil,” Schutte explained. “There are a number of things they can do, but the first thing is to just prevent them from setting seed to begin with. That’s the goal here with this project.” The model, which was funded by the Western IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Center, may be accessed at: http://aces.nmsu.edu/faculty/schutte/index.html. For more information, contact Schutte at bschutte@nmsu.edu