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WGC REVIEW WL Weed scientist do over In March 2011, the Washington Grain Commission voted to contribute $1.5 million toward a weed science professorship at Washington State University. After a nationwide search and interviews with the two finalists, Rich Koenig, chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, said faculty members were unable to reach a consensus on the top candidate. “Both had excellent academic records. However, neither was deemed a good fit for the extension responsibilities,” he said. The decision was unanimous to continue the search, Koenig said. For now, the position is considered “open until filled.” Believe It Or Not! America’s longest running side-by-side comparison of organic and chemical agriculture, a 30-year study sponsored by the Rodale Institute, has found that after an initial decline in yields during the first few years of transition, the organic system not only rebounded to match or surpass the conventional system in yields, but far exceeded conventional income. Different organic systems were used including organic manure and organic legumes. Although the study looked at corn and soybean rotations primarily, wheat was added to the conventional system in 2004 and proved to be the study’s most profitable crop, netting $835/acre/year. The organic system was said to be especially cost effective during drought years when its yields were 31 percent higher than conventional. For the complete report go to www.rodaleinstitute.org/fst30years Into the red— wheat, that is The spring wheat breeding program at WSU has turned a corner. After decades of predominantly breeding and releasing varieties of soft white wheat, 65 percent of the program’s efforts are now directed toward developing hard red spring cultivars. Another 10 percent is directed toward hard white. Michael Pumphrey recently told the Washington Grain Commission that while the yield of hard red types will not be 100 percent of soft white, they will be close. Research and breeding efforts are focused on improving their ability to make protein. As for quality, Pumphrey said he would line up today’s WSU’s red spring varieties with any competitor available. WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION Million Acres and MMT 40.0 35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 Wheat in Canada Acres Production Yield Poly. (Acres) 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 1.40 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00 Yield - MT/acre Acreage goes south up North Look at a graph of Canadian wheat acres from 1991 to 2010 as Glen Squires, vice president of the Washington Grain Commission, recently did, and a not-so-subtle downward trend is the picture revealed. From more than 35 million acres, Canadian acreage declined to just over 20 million acres in 2010. Did the Canadian Wheat Board have anything to do with the decline Some might argue that farmers shifted out of wheat and into crops they could market themselves, like canola or peas and lentils. Now, the question is whether the demise of the board will lead farmers to see new marketing opportunities and reasons to increase acreage. WHEAT LIFE JANUARY 2012 43
WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION WL WGC REVIEW That’s water over the dam Remember last spring when the Snake and Columbia rivers were running so high that Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) told wind turbine providers to shut down at nights and on weekends so that hydroelectric power generated by dams (at a significantly lower cost) would have someplace to go Turns out the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told BPA they goofed. The electric system administration now has to come up with plans that don’t discriminate against wind generators in the event of a similar situation. Crystal ball gazing wheat:Quality Three keys of The Washington Grain Commission has hung its hat on ensuring farmers have access to the highest quality varieties. So when news comes that two Northwest millers have indicated a reluctance to take shipments of a specific variety, it is indeed a moment for concern. The variety in question, Xerpha, is a WSU cross between Eltan, an Eastern Washington soft white wheat workhorse, and Estica, a feed-type hard red winter wheat from Europe. Xerpha has proven to be an excellent yielder and, as yet, there has been no rumbling from export customers about the quality of grain they are receiving. It is important that farmers bear in mind the domestic millers’ concerns when it comes to Xerpha. There are many varieties available that exceed its quality attributes and nearly meet its agronomic performance. Keeping our customers happy is worth something. Judge not-good-enough steps down District Court Judge James Redden, who has rejected three salmon restoration plans from three U.S. presidents for the Columbia Basin hydroelectric system, announced in an email that he is taking himself off the case. Last August, he ruled the Obama’s update of the Bush restoration plan, known as a biological opinion, was vague. Although he left the plan in force for now, he said it was time to consider new options, including removing some of the dams. Redden, who is 82, gave no reason for asking the case be reassigned. Will Stelle, Northwest regional director of the NOAA Fisheries Service, doesn’t expect a new judge to divert much from the course set by Redden. “He has already laid out the road map for us,” Stelle said. “We will follow that road map.” Tom Mick, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission, recently attended a meeting in Minneapolis where the impact of the elimination of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) on the U.S. market was discussed. Although there is some concern about a flood of Canadian wheat headed south, Mick said experts at the meeting believe it doesn’t make economic sense to move wheat into the U.S. much beyond 40 miles from the border. Meanwhile, there is a belief that the quality of Canadian wheat will decline. Currently, growers can only plant a limited number of authorized varieties in Canada. With the elimination of the CWB, not only will farmers be able to market wheat on their own, they’ll be able to choose which varieties to grow. It’s expected that some U.S. wheat varieties will head north as a result. The question, which doesn’t have an answer for now, is how Canada’s foreign customers will react. Under the CWB they received special benefits, like cleaned wheat, at no cost. But not faster than a speeding bullet A report on National Public Radio highlighted the efficiency of the U.S. barge industry and barge company efforts in the Midwest to ensure the public knows exactly which transportation alternative is the most efficient. Television commercials tout barges as superior to railroads and trucks both in terms of fuel burned and emissions released into the atmosphere. To help the public understand barge capacity, the companies are redefining loads in terms more easily understood. For instance, instead of saying a barge can carry 1,500 tons of wheat, they’re saying it carries the equivalent of 2.5 million loaves of bread. Barges ply 12,000 miles of navigable waterways in the U.S. (including the 360 miles along the Snake and Columbia rivers), but the locks which make the system possible have outlived their 50-year lifespan. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineer spokesman said the agency’s $180 million repair budget is only enough to fix things as they break and not enough for preventative maintenance. In all, the system needs $8 billion worth of work. 44 WHEAT LIFE JANUARY 2012
Page 1 and 2: W L HEAT IFE The official publicati
Page 3 and 4: WAWG President’s Perspective 2 WA
Page 5 and 6: Why in-pLace BeTTer coVeraGe. incre
Page 7 and 8: TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK This just
Page 9 and 10: DC agenda set Washington’s wheat
Page 11 and 12: CUTTNG CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY YOU
Page 13 and 14: Quality Fuels & Lubricants Prompt,
Page 15 and 16: Transition Planning - Asset Protect
Page 17 and 18: Industry, work, character, honesty,
Page 19 and 20: POLICY MATTERS WL Jetties at top of
Page 21 and 22: The Washington, D.C., hand FEATURE
Page 23 and 24: MACHINING • FABRICATION • REPAI
Page 25 and 26: 2011/12 Senate Committees Senate Ag
Page 27 and 28: WL FEATURE Global Demand, Local Imp
Page 29 and 30: WL FEATURE Where does our fertilize
Page 31 and 32: At the Wheat Marketing Center in Po
Page 33 and 34: PROFILES WL “I decided that in li
Page 35 and 36: PROFILES WL as part of a living tru
Page 37 and 38: and were driven to get the job done
Page 39: WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION Apply h
Page 43 and 44: WL WGC REPORTS EPORTS RWASHINGTON G
Page 45 and 46: WL WGC REPORTS WASHINGTON GRAIN COM
Page 47 and 48: WL WGC REPORTS $MARTPHONES FARMERS
Page 51 and 52: WL WGC REPORTS Belt tightening at F
Page 53 and 54: WL WGC REPORTS Table 1. Worksheet f
Page 57 and 58: WIDE WORLD OF WHEAT Photo by ANDREW
Page 59 and 60: WL FEATURE Getting the word out A c
Page 61 and 62: WL FEATURE Mitchell & Lewis Co. Dur
Page 63 and 64: WL FEATURE Raising the roof on an o
Page 65 and 66: WL FEATURE project. The use of the
Page 67 and 68: Your wheat life... Two-year-old Jac
Page 69: CIH-PF-02 Advertiser Index A & L Su

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