August 1998 News Releases

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August 24, 1998

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO OFFERS RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE
DESIGN SHORT COURSE SEPT. 22-24 IN BOISE

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

BOISE, Idaho--On Sept. 22-24 in Boise, the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System will offer a three-day short course in residential landscape design to homeowners, professional landscapers and avid gardeners.

This repeat session of last March's sell-out class will provide participants with 18 hours of intensive training in the design of attractive, useful outdoor spaces.

Taught by Stephen Drown, professor and chair of the University of Idaho's landscape architecture department, it will cover traditions and contemporary issues in landscape design, critical design steps, concept development, site analysis, and foundations of form, scale and composition. Participants will learn to draw professional landscape graphics and to create a landscape master plan.

Drown, who developed an award-winning landscape architecture firm during two decades of teaching at Ohio State University, specializes in design principles and theory, graphics illustration, and site design of both residential and public gardens. He has presented more than 50 short courses in landscape design to homeowners and landscapers.

The Residential Landscape Design Short Course will be taught at the university's Ada County Extension Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The $179 course fee, due by Sept. 14, includes a reference binder. Pre-registration is required and enrollment will be limited to 45.

For more information, call extension horticulturist Michael Colt at the University of Idaho's Parma Research and Extension Center at (208) 722-6701.

August 6, 1998

U.I. HIRES EXTENSION NUTRITION SPECIALIST FOR BOISE CENTER

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

BOISE, Idaho—Martha Raidl has joined the faculty of the University of Idaho College of Agriculture as extension nutrition education specialist at the university's Boise Center.

Raidl, formerly director of East Tennessee State University's master's degree in clinical nutrition, will provide statewide leadership for the Extension Nutrition Program and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. She will collaborate with other agencies on foods and nutrition projects, provide nutrition training to extension educators, develop nutrition publications and conduct research in nutrition education.

Raidl earned a bachelor's degree in medical dietetics at the University of Illinois Medical Center, a master's degree in foods and nutrition at the University of Illinois, a doctorate in foods and nutrition at Purdue University and is a registered dietitian.

While at Purdue, Raidl developed computer-assisted nutrition instruction programs for undergraduate and graduate students. She has also worked as a clinical and outpatient dietitian in Illinois, Florida and England and for the Flour Advisory Bureau in the United Kingdom.

August 6, 1998

THAEMERT JOINS U.I. EXTENSION FACULTY IN LINCOLN COUNTY

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

SHOSHONE, Idaho—Ron Thaemert, formerly an agriculture science and technology instructor at Shoshone and Buhl high schools, has joined the faculty of the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System in Lincoln County.

Thaemert, who says he accepted the extension educator position because he likes the challenge of working with new technologies in production agriculture, will focus his educational efforts on Lincoln County crop production and 4-H programs.

Most recently at Shoshone High School, Thaemert spent six years teaching at Buhl High School, two years as a fieldman for Reeders Flying Service in Twin Falls and six years as a dairy specialist for Producers Livestock Marketing Association in Jerome. He grew up on a farm near Filer and has farmed at Wendell.

Thaemert holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural education from the University of Idaho. He began his new job on July 27.

August 6, 1998

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO OFFERS FOUR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES
IN AGRICULTURE TO TREASURE VALLEY RESIDENTS THIS FALL

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

PARMA, Idaho—Treasure Valley residents interesting in taking University of Idaho agriculture coursework can choose from among four classes--agribusiness management, leadership development, animal disease management and weed control--being offered by distance education this fall.

Three of the courses will be taught live and interactively at the university's Parma Research and Extension Center by compressed video originating in Moscow or Twin Falls. The fourth class, in agribusiness management, will be videotape-based for individualized study and available through the Treasure Valley Community College's agriculture department. The four courses are

Agribusiness Management AGEC 391, 3 credits, Aug. 24-Dec. 18, taught by agricultural economist John Foltz and covering the economic theory of business, applications to agricultural processing and service management, and accounting, statistics and efficiency studies for problem-solving.
Developing Leaders AGED 450/550, 2 credits, 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 25-Dec. 15, taught by agriculture teacher-educator Jim Connors and offering an action-oriented, participatory examination of aspects of leadership.
Animal Disease Management AVS 471, 3 credits, 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 26-Dec. 16, taught by veterinarian Bruce Anderson and focusing on principles of immunity, disease resistance, transmission and prevention, as well as clinical signs, development and control of major diseases of economic importance in domestic animals.
Weed Control PLSC 338, 3 credits, 4-6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays (with lab), Aug. 24-Dec. 16, taught by weed scientists Don Morishita and Gary Lee and examining the nature and scope of weed problems, weed identification and biology, and the principles, theory and practice of mechanical, chemical and biological weed control.

Fees for Idaho residents are $110 per credit for undergraduate students and $137 for graduate students.

For more information about these or other College of Agriculture off-campus courses, call Marilyn Crumley at (208) 885-6359 in Moscow.

August 6, 1998

UNIV. OF IDAHO HOSTS POTATO FIELD DAY AUG. 18 AT ABERDEEN R&E CENTER

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

ABERDEEN, Idaho—Scientists at the University of Idaho and USDA-Agricultural Research Service invite the public to a Potato Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center.

Beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding after a sponsored lunch, the field day will focus on research in potato weed management, soil fertility, late blight control, breeding and germplasm enhancement, potato variety development, planting depth and soil-borne diseases. Specifically, scientists will display and discuss projects covering:

Effects of additives on postemergence activity of Matrix
Effectiveness of experimental and registered herbicides
Comparison of weed control in Roundup-tolerant potatoes treated with single and multiple applications of Roundup
Influence of irrigation amounts on metribuzin and Matrix effectiveness
Overview of precision fertilization research for potatoes
Evaluation of fungicide treatments for late blight control
Advanced and intermediate yield, disease and late blight resistance breeding trials
Transgenic varieties, blackspot resistance, pathogen resistance and reduced glycoalkaloids
New varieties and advanced breeding selections, along with variety management studies
Planting depth and hilling practices
Investigations of manganese and interactions between Vapam and crop rotations for control of potato early dying caused by Verticillium

For more information, contact Jeff Stark at (208) 397-4181 at the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center.

August 6, 1998

UNIV. OF IDAHO DISPLAYS DRY BEAN VARIETIES AND RESEARCH AUG. 18

By Marlene Fritz, Communications Specialist

KIMBERLY, Idaho—The University of Idaho College of Agriculture will host a Dry Bean Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at 1 p.m. after a sponsored lunch, the public will tour trials of herbicide effectiveness and bean seed treatments. Participants will also view three new bean varieties—UI 320 pinto, UI 465 great northern and UI 259 small red—as well as 36 entries in the National Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery and 108 advanced breeding lines, among them USDA-Prosser's new Burke pinto.

For more information, contact Kathy Stewart-Williams at (208) 423-6653 in Kimberly. The Kimberly R&E Center is located five miles east of Twin Falls on Kimberly Road.