" I heard it through the AgLine"

February 12, 2010

 

 

·        Climate report errors prompt push for reform

·        Sinaloa growers to fill the fresh veggie gap

·        Despite setback, Monsanto to stay in India

·        Wisconsin ranks second in organic farming

·        A passion for breeding better pepper varieties  

 

 

Climate report errors prompt push for reform

 

(AP via Los Angeles Times) Washington: A steady drip of unsettling errors is exposing what scientists are calling "the weaker link" in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning series of international reports on global warming.

 

The flaws -- and the erosion they've caused in public confidence -- have some scientists calling for drastic changes in how future United Nations climate reports are done. A push for reform is being published in Thursday's issue of the scientific journal Nature.

 

The work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is often portrayed as one massive tome. But it is four separate reports on different aspects of global warming, written months apart by distinct groups of scientists.

 

No errors have surfaced in the first and most well-known of the reports, which said the physics of a warming atmosphere and rising seas are man-made and incontrovertible. Four mistakes have been discovered in the second report, which attempts to explain how global warming might affect daily life around the world.

 

"A lot of stuff in there was just not very good," said Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and a lead author of the first report. "A chronic problem is that on the whole area of impacts, getting into the realm of social science, it is a softer science."

 

The second report at times relied on government reports or advocacy group reports instead of peer-reviewed research.

 

The problems found include:

 

* In the Asian chapter, five errors in a single entry on glaciers in the Himalayas say those glaciers would disappear by 2035 -- hundreds of years earlier than other information suggests -- with no research backing it up. An advocacy group was used as a source.

 

* A section about agriculture in northern Africa says global warming and normal climate variability could reduce crop yields. But it gets oversimplified in later summaries so that lower projected crop yields are blamed solely on climate change.

 

* The report says there are more weather disasters than before because of climate change and that they are costing more. But debate continues over whether increased disaster costs are because of global warming or other societal factors, such as increased development in hurricane-prone areas.

 

In Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, four climate change panel authors call for reform, including longtime skeptic John R. Christy of the University of Alabama, Huntsville, who suggests the outright dumping of the panel in favor of an effort modeled after Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia.

 

A fifth author, writing in Nature, argues that the climate change panel's rules are fine but need to be enforced better for future reports, the next of which are to be produced starting in 2013.

 

Many scientists on the climate change panel say it's impressive that only four errors have been found in 986 pages of the second report.

 

However, former panel Chairman Robert Watson said, "We cannot take that attitude. Any mistakes do allow skeptics to have a field day and to use it to undermine public confidence, private-sector confidence, government confidence in the IPCC."

 

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Sinaloa growers to fill the fresh veggie gap

 

(Wire Services) Growers in the Mexican State of Sinaloa are working to maintain a steady supply of fresh winter produce in North America.  In particular, growers are looking to ensure continued access to items such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, and other winter vegetables in light of the recent cold temperatures in Florida.

 

For over 100 years, growers in Sinaloa have worked in tandem with other growing regions across North America, Central America, and Europe to supply fresh produce in the winter months.  Because supplies of winter produce are diversified over several growing regions, when one growing region is affected by weather, another is able to help cover the lost volume.

 

In order to reiterate their commitment in supplying fresh, wholesome, quality produce, the Confederation of Growers Associations of Sinaloa has taken out a full page ad in the January 25 issues of The Packer and The Produce News.  The number one priority is to make sure that consumers continue to enjoy access to adequate supplies of fresh winter produce in their grocery stores and on food service menus.

 

The Sinaloa growers are also calling on their partners throughout the entire supply chain to join them in the commitment to ensuring an uninterrupted flow of fresh produce for consumers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, acknowledging that everyone must work together to maintain the fluid movement of fruits and vegetables to the end consumer.

 

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Despite setback, Monsanto to stay in India

 

(Calcutta News) – Shortly after the Indian government placed an indefinite moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal, US-based firm Monsanto, which owns a stake in the Indian company developing the genetically modified (GM) product, said this week that research on GM crops would continue.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday rejected Bt Brinjal saying that tests certifying the product on health and environment grounds were inadequate. He also pointed to the lack of consensus within the scientific community to allow Bt Brinjal.

While placing a moratorium on it's commercial release, the ministry maintained there was no stay on research on biotechnology in agriculture.

'In keeping with the same, Monsanto will continue to conduct research in our focus crops - cotton, corn and vegetables, in compliance with the regulatory protocols. Monsanto believes better seed, biotech-enhancements, and improved agronomic practices hold the long-term solution to increasing crop productivity sustainably,' the company said in a statement.

Monsanto mainatained that Bt Brinjal was indigenously developed by Indian seed and biotech company Mahyco, using Monsanto's patent gene, in collaboration with public sector institutions.

'Monsanto's association with Mahyco is restricted to the extent of a minority stake of 26 percent in the company, through Monsanto Holdings Private Limited - a 100 percent subsidiary of Monsanto Company, US,' the statement added.

In India, Monsanto's business is managed under two other entities -- Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Limited (MMB) a 50:50 joint venture, and Monsanto India Limited (MIL) in which Monsanto has a 72 percent indirect and direct stake.

 

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Wisconsin ranks second in organic farming

 

(wqow.com) – Governor Jim Doyle announced this week that Wisconsin is second in the nation in the number of organic farms, according to numbers released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural (USDA) Statistics Service.

 

"Farming is the heritage and the future of Wisconsin, and we've worked hard to strengthen and diversify agriculture across the state," Governor Doyle said. "Organic farming is one of the areas that Wisconsin is leading the way, and I am proud to support these efforts."

 

According to the USDA's survey, Wisconsin has 1,222 organic farms, the second highest in the nation, behind California. Wisconsin organic farms use 195,603 acres of land. Organic sales in the state total $132.8 million, including $30.1 million in crops sales and $102.6 million in sales of livestock, poultry and their products. Sixty-four percent of total organic sales in Wisconsin were from milk from cows.

 

Organic farms in Wisconsin had average sales and production expenses similar to all farms statewide. Organic operations had average sales of $115,247 in 2008, compared with average sales of $114,288 for all types of farms, as reported in the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Production expenditures averaged $77,760 per organic farm, compared with the average of $86,011 for all farms.

 

Most Wisconsin organic producers sold their products locally, with 56 percent of sales occurring less than 100 miles from the farm. In Wisconsin, 7 percent of sales were direct to consumers via farm stands, farmers' markets, community supported agriculture, and other arrangements, while over 75 percent of Wisconsin organic sales were to wholesale channels. These percentages are consistent with those seen at the national level.

 

Under Governor Doyle's leadership, Wisconsin has invested and promoted its diverse farm economy. Incentives to help modernize the dairy industry have helped increase milk production to record levels and have strengthened the state's status as the number one producer of cheese in the country. At the same time, efforts to strengthen diversity in agriculture have made Wisconsin a leading producer of cranberries, specialty cheeses, organic vegetables and many other products. To enable successful farming for future generations, the state's best farmland is protected under the Working Lands Initiative that Governor Doyle signed into law in 2009.

 

In his State of the State Address, Governor Doyle called on the Legislature to extend the Dairy Modernization Tax Credit to help hard-pressed dairy farmers invest in their operations. The Governor also called for the development of a Food Processing Modernization Tax Credit to help companies invest in modern agriculture, expand operations, and create jobs.

 

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A passion for breeding better pepper varieties 

 

(willcoxrangenews.com) – Edward Curry's parents planted their first chile crop in 1957, and he grew up in those chile fields in Southeastern Arizona.

 

"My Mom and Dad worked hard at it, and chilies kept them profitable. My Dad started us farming young," he said. "When I was just eight, my Dad was looking for a better chile and I flew with him to New Mexico to a seed farm. That made a big impression on me and I became interested in genetics at a young age."

 

He went to Elfrida High School and then on to one semester of college, but he really didn't enjoy learning at a desk. So, he turned to his passion for chilies, and started to build his own education.

 

"I wanted to do more than just grow chilies; I wanted to breed chilies. It was a challenge," he said, and his desire grew into a lifelong interest in chile genetics.

 

Now, Curry, at 53, is internationally known for his work in chile genetics.

 

He has just filed a utility patent on a chile that he and his partner, Phil Villa, bred.

 

The 'Phil Villa' chile pepper, as he calls it, "has very unique properties and flavor. To file for a utility patent on a plant, you have to show extreme differences and specific value. It's a very difficult thing to do," Curry said.

 

"I am also currently working with a group doing the Genome mapping for peppers - making descriptions of every gene in peppers. There are five scientists tied to it and the project costs about $30 billion," he said.

 

But let's back up a bit.

 

In 1986, Curry started the Curry Seed and Chile Co., now a 1,200-acre farm in the Sulphur Springs Valley near Pearce.

 

Curry said most of his knowledge of genetics came from working with his former teacher and current partner, Phil Villa, a well-known chile breeder.

 

Others who helped him learn were Jeff Silvertooth of the University of Arizona; Ben Villalone of Texas A&M - known as 'Dr. Pepper' for "taming" the jalapeno, and Stephanie Walker of New Mexico State University, among others.

 

"I have spent the last 30 years trying to understand gene traits - and I still don't have near the knowledge I need," Curry said.

 

For many years, he has worked on developing new and improved hybrids that are now produced with uniform quality, flavor and heat.

 

"In 1993, we were the first to stabilize heat in the commercial chile industry. Once you learn how, it's not hard to do," he said.

 

Then about eight years ago, Curry was asked by Mexico's Department of Agriculture to improve the yield of the Guaillo pepper.

 

"I doubled the yield and kept the unique flavor of the Guaillo," which is a popular Mexican pepper with high oil content used for drying, he said.

 

In another pepper, Curry has developed a thin-skinned cross.

 

"By making the epidermis of the chile thinner (for roasting purposes), this has made a 10-percent difference in sales in the industry and several millions of dollars per season," Curry said. "This allows people to start eating the skin, which has more nutrients."

 

"We have a patent pending for this new thin-skin variety," he added.

 

Curry summed up his work: "We're playing with gene packages."

 

In 1995, Curry was asked to attend the Asian Vegetable Research & Development Center in Taiwan, where he was invited to swap genetic material, which PhDs use for breeding work.

 

"I came back with the specific gene I was looking for," he said. "I was very honored to be there. This center is supported by the United Nations and there are 7,000 cultivars of pepper in the seed bank there."

 

Curry said, "In third world countries, most of the farms are very small - often one acre - and they're trying to keep up with growing populations. The numbers of acres of farmland are shrinking and the population is growing. It is the job of the agriculturists to feed the world. Nutrition and high yield are important. That is why genetic breeding is important."

 

Locally, the Currys hosted their fourth Field Day in September 2009, where about 70 researchers from the Southwest (and elsewhere in the U.S.) come to his farm to study the genetics of the chili industry.

 

The genetic origins for 80 to 90 percent of the New Mexico variety green chilies grown commercially in the U.S. can be traced back to Curry's farm in Arizona, he said, as the Curry Seed & Chile Company supplies chile seed to growers in the Southwestern U.S. and in several states in Mexico.

 

"We're at the heart of chili research," he said.

 

"There's great joy in that, however I always worry about making a mistake. I could screw up and that could affect 90 percent of the industry," he said.

 

In 1996, he partnered with Jeannie England at the Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Co., a manufacturer and retailer of chili products. He said his father and Jeannie's father (Gene England) had worked together since Gene started the company in 1943.

 

His chile paste is canned at Curry's Farm in Pearce and he sends it to Santa Cruz. It ends up at several big-name companies. And, Curry's hot pepper mash ends up at Tyson Foods for hot wings.

 

"Our farm is one of the few seed-to-shelf farms. We do the genetics, grow the crops in the fields, and then all the processing and canning right here," he said.

 

Chile research is not only for the food industry, however.

 

Capsaicin is the ingredient found in different types of hot peppers that makes the peppers spicy hot. When a capsaicin cream or ointment is used on the skin, the capsaicin helps relieve pain by first stimulating and then decreasing the intensity of pain signals in the body.

 

"The capsaicin is formed at the top of the placenta where the seed is formed and it can be used for anesthesia - it deadens the nerves. The chile industry is on the cutting edge in bio-pharmaceuticals. In the work that I am doing (generally, making genetic selections based on Scoville heat unit measurements for peppers and the five genes that make up capsaicin), I had to sign a silence agreement," Curry said.

 

Created in 1912, the Scoville heat unit is the closest thing to a standard for measuring the heat in a pepper. It is a measurement that involves adding sugar to a solution until one can no longer taste the pepper. The more sugar, the higher the spice, the greater measurement in Scoville units.

 

"I'm 53 and my kids think I can eat fire! I've spent 30 years tasting chilies - it deadens the nerves over the years, so I really can't taste the heat as much. That's what we've found out for local anesthetics, as well," Curry said, adding if you walk into the area where the chile is crushed, the atomized capsaicin "is great for a sinus headache."

 

"Over the next 30 years, there will be a lot more usage of capsaicin medicinally," he added.

 

Curry is a bit surprised by his status at this point. In September 2008, he was the guest speaker at the International Pepper Conference held at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

 

"I was this farm boy talking to a bunch of doctors!" he said, obviously amazed at his own predicament.

 

Curry and his wife Jeanette have four children currently at home, Keiffer, Mikey, Jordan and Tyler, who is running part of the farm: "We may be Curry & Sons Farm one day," he said.

 

While speaking to members of several FFA chapters who visited Curry's farm in October, he said, "If I can inspire one of you to study genetics, it's worth doing this. Gene manipulation is what will hold our world together and keep us from being hungry. And I'd like to keep America in the forefront of this industry.

 

"But, I enjoy speaking and encouraging young folks. And I tell them, whatever you do, you've got to have passion for it. Education never stops. We are searching everyday for something to uncover. So, if there's one thing I can pass on, it is, love what you do.

 

"For me, my heart is here on my farm. I put what profit we make back into my research -- it is my hobby, my passion. People go on vacation, or love fishing. For me, I don't have to go to the mountains to have fun. It's here. The farm and my research ... it's my life."

 

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