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WL
WGC REPORTS
WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION
N applications to improve grain
protein content.
In dryland systems, N is most
effective in influencing grain yield
and protein content when it is
absorbed through the root system.
However, some growers have successfully
used foliar applications of
fluid urea or urea ammonium nitrate
to manage grain protein content
in hard wheat. Research shows
this practice is highly dependent on
favorable weather conditions (cool,
moist) after foliar applications are
made.
WSU’s wheat breeders have made
great strides in developing superior
hard wheat varieties for Eastern
Washington’s climatic conditions,
but their efforts can only go so far.
Farmers are key to ensuring the
varieties of hard red winter, hard
red spring and hard white wheat
meet the protein levels which will
reimburse them for the additional
management the crop demands.
Rich Koenig is a soil scientist and
chairman of the Department of Crop
and Soil Science at Washington State
University
State statistic service
changing to handle cuts
By Scott A. Yates
The National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) has already announced
that it intends to eliminate an array of commodity-related
program reports, but what could be even a bigger change would see
the agency’s main functions consolidate into nine regional centers.
David Knopf, director
for the Washington Field
Office of NASS, made it
clear the change is still
a proposal, but it has
been reported elsewhere
that a senior executive
team within NASS has
accepted the plan and is
awaiting approval from
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The initiative
would streamline the
agency’s 45 field offices
into nine regional offices
while maintaining a token
presence of two employees
in each state. Currently,
Washington State’s field
office has 16 employees.
Under the proposal,
many of the functions
currently performed within Washington would be transferred to a
regional hub based in Sacramento. State and county estimates would
be done from the consolidated location. Part of the task of the two individuals
who would remain behind would be to serve as commodity
organization contacts and to work with the state’s 70, part-time enumerators
who gather information for reports that can’t be conducted on
a regional basis.
Knopf said it’s anticipated the 14 individuals who would not be staying
at the state office, nine of whom are statisticians, would have the
opportunity to transfer to a regional office or receive an early retirement
buy-out, among other possible options. Besides California, the
regional hubs would be located in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Florida,
Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas and Colorado. It’s expected each
hub would have a workforce of approximately 45 employees. In creating
the regional offices, NASS senior staff is said to have considered
which states have similar cash receipts, agricultural issues, existing
survey programs as well as the average workload of the current state
staff.
58 WHEAT LIFE JANUARY 2012