Table of Contents:
New Members Named to National Sustainable Ag Council 1
Federal Biotech Research Inadequate, Say Two from MSU 2
Smithsonian Institution Converts to IPM 2
Fungi Biocontrols May Help Greenhouse Industry 3
Upcoming Events 3
SCS Finds 92% of Conservation Plans Are on Schedule 3
Groups Sue EPA for Identities of Pesticide Ingredients 4
SAN Invites News Participants 4
Farmers Move From Chemicals to Compost, Says Biocycle 4
Pesticide Residues Remain After Washing, Group Says 5
Position 5
Resources 5
NEW MEMBERS NAMED TO NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AG ADVISORY COUNCIL
Fourteen public sector members were named last month to the
National Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Council, joining the 14
private sector members named last January (see AAN, February,
1993). Established under the 1990 Farm Bill, the Council, which
met early this month, will advise the Secretary of Agriculture on
research, education, policy, and financial issues related to
sustainable agriculture. It will make recommendations to the
Secretary on research and extension initiatives related to
sustainable agriculture; promotion of sustainable agriculture
programs; cooperation of SARE research and extension activities;
facilitation of cooperation and integration between sustainable
agriculture, water quality, integrated pest management, food
safety, and other related programs; and submission of an annual
report on sustainable agriculture. The public sector members of
the Council are:
James V. Aidala, Jr., Associate Assistant Administrator,
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, EPA, Washington,
D.C.; Dale E. Bauman, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry,
Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, New York;
Michael Dunn, Administrator, Farmers Home Administration,
Washington, D.C.; Jane Potter Gates, Coordinator, Alternative
Farming Systems Information Center, Beltsville, MD; Robert D.
Heil, Executive Director, Colorado State University; Vivan M.
Jennings, Deputy Administrator of Agriculture, Extension Service,
USDA, Washington, D.C.; Daniel E. Kugler, Deputy Administrator,
Cooperative State Research Service, Special Programs, Washington,
D.C.;
Marvin A. Norcross, Executive Assistant to Administrator,
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, Washington, D.C.;
Patrick O'Brien, Supervisor, Ag Economics, Economic Research
Service, USDA, Washington, D.C.; Stephen E. Ragone, Assistant
Director for Research, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA; John
Marcus Safley, Assistant Director, Soil Conservation Service,
USDA, Washington, D.C.; R. David Smith, Associate Director,
Cornell Cooperative Extension, N.Y.; Jan van Schilfgaarde,
Associate Deputy Administrator, Agricultural Research Service,
USDA, Beltsville, MD; and Melvin E. Walker, Jr., Dean, School of
Agriculture, Home Economics and Allied Programs, Research
Director, Fort Valley State College, GA.
GOVERNMENT BIOTECH RESEARCH INADEQUATE, SAY TWO MSU SCIENTISTS
The federal government's work on regulating bioengineered
plants is inadequate, according to two scientists from Michigan
State University, one of the nation's leading centers of
agricultural research. According to an article last month in The
New York Times, gene-altered crops engineered to resist viral
diseases "may be more risky than the government believes and
should not be exempted from federal oversight," say Dr. Gus A. de
Zoeten, chairman of the botany and plant pathology department,
and Dr. Richard Allison, a plant virologist. They also say that
the government has not supported sufficient research to assess
the risk of genetically engineered plants and is relying too
heavily on the opinion of experts, rather than on clear
scientific data. Dr. Allison's research, the results of which
were published in Science, showed that the genes inserted into
plants can recombine with natural plant viruses and produce new
viruses at a rate higher than government experts had theorized;
although the bioengineered plants were developed to resist
existing viruses, the new viruses could cause significant damage
to crops. "My stake is to have scientists lead the way in doing
the research on safety and not just to base their opinions on
what they think will happen," said Dr. de Zoeten.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CONVERTS TO IPM
The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum
complex, has adopted an integrated pest management (IPM) program
for its greenhouses and planted landscapes, according to an
article in The Washington Post. Out of concern for the
environment and the health of its visitors, the Smithsonian has
begun a comprehensive program to reduce its pesticide use in and
around its buildings and public gardens, which are visited by 25
million people a year. A limited IPM program, adopted three
years ago, was expanded this year to include the Institution's
greenhouses, which contain its collection of orchids; in the
fall, the plantings in the museums themselves will become part of
the program. According to the Smithsonian's entomologist, Mark
Hardin, the three main benefits of its IPM program are a
reduction in the use of toxic pesticides, a switch to more benign
chemicals, and the use of the strongest pesticides in a much more
targeted and effective way. At the same time, he said, the
Institution is "exposing the public to a lot less risk of coming
into contact with toxic chemicals."
FUNGI BIOCONTROLS MAY FIGHT MAJOR THREATS TO GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY
Researchers at the University of Vermont are studying
several insect pathogenic fungi for incorporation into greenhouse
IPM strategies to fight western flower thrips and the green peach
aphid, major economic threats to the greenhouse industry. With
funding from the SARE program, scientists are investigating the
fungi Verticillium lecanii, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium
anisopliae, and Paecilomyces farinosus to identify the best and
most suitable strains for biocontrol management. By initially
selecting western flower thrip-pathogenic strains, the
researchers will be able to show which strains have potential for
use against other pests such as the green peach aphid, making
them more cost-effective for greenhouse use.
They also hope to determine the persistence of fungal
inoculum in greenhouse soils, which increases the probability of
contact with a susceptible host, thereby enhancing the
possibility of infection. For more information, contact Margaret
Skinner, laboratory and field technician, or Michael Brownridge,
research assistant professor and insect pathologist, Entomology
Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, P.O. Box 53400,
Burlington, VT 05405-3400; (802) 658-4453.
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 10-16, "Alternative Building Techniques: Design and
Construction" will be held at Sandy Bar Ranch, P.O. Box 347,
Orleans, CA 95556; (916) 627-3379.
July 15, Minnesota Cattlemen's Association summer tour will
start in Mora, MN; contact Steve Kruse, (612) 689-3756, or Terry
Salmela, Minnesota Extension Service, (612) 679-3010.
July 20-24, "Two Years After UNCED: Exploring Partnerships
for Sustainable Development" will be held in Davenport, IA;
contact Patrick Frese, Event Management Unlimited, 2224 East 12th
St., Davenport, IA 52803; (319) 324-4941.
July 20, "Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Pest
Management Field Day" will be held at the Beltsville Agriculture
Research Center, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD; contact Don Bills or
Dana Lamberti, (301) 504-7338.
August 5-7, Northeast Organic Farming Association 20th
Annual Summer Conference will be held at Hampshire College,
Amherst, MA; contact Julie Rawson, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre, MA
01005; (508) 355-2853.
SCS FINDS 92% OF CONSERVATION PLANS ARE ON SCHEDULE
About 92% of the conservation plans for America's most
highly erodible croplands are being carried out on schedule,
according to a review released last month by the USDA's Soil
Conservation Service. Of these plans, 50% have already been
fully implemented. The review covered 53,000 plans on eight
million acres; of this total, 4.7% have been granted one-year
extensions, or variances. The SCS estimates that erosion on the
most highly erodible lands will be reduced by about 66%, from an
estimated average of 17.5 tons per acre in 1985 to six tons per
acre by the end of this year. The conservation plans were
developed on highly erodible cropland as a result of a
conservation provision in the Food Security Act of 1985, which
linked soil conservation to farm program benefits for the first
time.
GROUPS SUE EPA OVER IDENTITIES OF PESTICIDE INGREDIENTS
The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and
the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides last
month sued the EPA under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing
that it must disclose the identities of the ingredients in six
pesticide formulations. The groups charged that EPA "improperly
accepts manufacturers' unsubstantiated claims that the identity
of 'inert' ingredients in pesticide products is confidential
business information and trade secret." "Inert" ingredients
include 2,300 substances that are added to pesticides but not
named on product labels. The lawsuit asks that the EPA policy be
declared illegal and the ingredients of the six pesticide
formulations be made available to the groups.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NETWORK INVITES NEW PARTICIPANTS
The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a national
network of people from land grant universities, private nonprofit
groups, agribusinesses, and Extension, invites new participants
to join its effort to promote effective, decentralized
communication about sustainable agriculture. SAN offers a
directory of experts, computer-linked discussion groups,
publishing help, materials showcasing, and information sharing by
e-mail, on Internet, or on diskette. Participants can also order
publications, use computer databases, be in the Directory, and
request information. For more information, contact Gabriel
Hegyes, SAN Coordinator, SANlink, c/o AFSIC, Room 304, National
Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville, MD
20705; (301) 504-6425.
FARMERS MOVE FROM CHEMICALS TO COMPOST, SAYS BIOCYCLE
As farmers and growers shift away from excessive reliance on
pesticides and fertilizers, "they get major help from
applications of composted products," according to a special six-
page "Focus on Agriculture" in the April, 1994, issue of
BioCycle. "A major push for change in farming methods is coming
from off the farm policies as well as farm economics," according
to the magazine. "Compost is increasingly recognized as being
vital to the success of that change." Articles in the section
examine a company that helps farmers set up integrated biological
systems and supplies farmers with compost as part of an organic
matter management system; a composting team effort in Maine which
involved five governmental agencies; a shift to composting by
dairy farmers; and a movement among California vineyards to
compost the by-products of growing grapes and producing wine.
PESTICIDE RESIDUES REMAIN EVEN AFTER WASHING FOOD, REPORT FINDS
Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables "does not remove
or decrease the number of pesticides present" in the food,
according to a new analysis of government data on pesticide
residues, done by the Environmental Working Group. It found that
more than 80% of peach, apple, and celery samples contained
residues of one or more pesticides, even when they had been
prepared for normal consumption. "Washed, Peeled --
Contaminated" is $10 plus $3 shipping/handling from Environmental
Working Group, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, #600, Washington, D.C.
20009; (202) 667-6982.
POSITION
Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center seeks a
volunteer farmer for two years to develop a teaching farm at an
ecumenical institute and train Christian seminarians for rural
leadership; housing and health insurance provided; for job
description, contact Janet Long at AMERC, 300 Harrison Road,
Berea, KY 40403; (606) 986-2576.
RESOURCES
Northeast Sustainable Apple Production Newsletter is
inviting written contributions suitable for the newsletter, aimed
at growers, marketers, researchers, and consultants involved in
apple production and sales; contact Daniel R. Cooley, Editor,
Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fernald Hall, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; fax, (413) 545-2532.
"Pesticides in the Home and Community: Health Risks and
Policy Alternatives," 108 pages, a publication of the California
Policy Seminar and a report of the Environmental Health Policy
Program, is available from Environmental Health Policy Program,
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of
Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
(510) 642-8853.
"International Workshop on Sustainable Land Management for
the 21st Century," the proceedings of the June 20-26, 1993,
workshop of the same name, is available from Cindy LaValley,
International Workshop Organizing Committee, University of
Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
T1K3M4; (403) 329-2244.
"Profitable Ideas for the Small Farm," 16 pages, a reprint
from "Growing for Market," is $10 from Fairplain Publications,
P.O. Box 3747, Lawrence, KS 66046; (913) 841-2559; 12-issue
subscriptions to "Growing for Market" are $26 a year.
"Whole Farm Case Studies of Horticultural Crop Producers in
the Maritime Pacific Northwest," SB 678, a report on a
collaborative project of Oregon State University and Washington
State University, is available at no charge from Publications
Orders, Agricultural Communications, Oregon State University,
Administrative Services A422, Corvallis, OR 97331-2119.
"Beginning Farmer Sustainable Agriculture Project Interim
Report," which summarizes the findings of a project cosponsored
by the Center of Rural Affairs, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
and Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, is $4 from Center
for Rural Affairs, P.O. Box 736, Hartington, NE 68739; (402) 254-
6893; Nebraska residents add $.20 sales tax.
"Worm Digest," a new quarterly newsletter about worms and
worm composting, published by the Edible City Resource Center, is
$4.50 a year from Worm Digest, Box 544, Eugene, OR 97440-9998.
"Forage Legumes: Clovers, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Cicer
Milkvetch, Crownvetch, Sainfoin and Alfalfa," 40 pages, #SB-5963-
NR, is $5, payable to University of Minnesota, from Distribution
Center, 20 Coffey Hall, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
55108; (612) 625-8173 for credit card orders; Minnesota residents
add $.33 sales tax.
"Sweet Corn IPM: Insect Management," a 30-minute video, is
$15, payable to University of Massachusetts, from Bulletin
Center, Thatcher Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
01003.
"Clean Water and Agriculture," an education packet prepared
by Minnesota Rural Futures and the Minnesota Project, is $5 from
The Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. West, #315, St. Paul,
MN 55104; (612) 645-6159.