Briefly . . .

‘Sneaky’ Killer Still Seeping Into Homes

2009’s Grasshopper Crop Has Arrived (also see box)

Build a Better Tomato Cage

Fortune 200 Company to Host KARL Class X

‘Sneaky’ Killer Still Seeping Into Homes

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Smoking is by far the worst. For nonsmokers, however, the No. 1 cause of lung cancer is exposure to a single, naturally occurring source of indoor air pollution – radon – which is also the No. 2 cause overall.

One in four Kansas homes could have dangerous levels of radon, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s better than the averages for Nebraska and Iowa. But, it’s much worse than the national average: one in 15 homes.

“Many Kansans have undetected exposures. The only way to know what the radon level is in any home is to test,” said Bruce Snead, indoor air specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Radon is sneaky, Snead said. When it seeps in from the soil beneath a house, it can accumulate. But, it won’t provide any warning signs, such as nausea or a bad smell -- even though it’s radioactive. (Radon gas is the result of the decay of uranium-238 in soil and rock.)

Working with the KSU-based Kansas Radon Program and its coordinator, Brian Hanson, Snead has been providing the needed technical training for many central U.S. radon measurement and mitigation professionals. The two also have been working with real estate agents, local governments and Kansas legislators to increase both awareness and testing and to reduce the radon risks.

Depending on house features, radon mitigation typically costs from $1,000 to $1,500, Snead said. In most cases, it combines sealing foundation leaks and installing a system that draws the gas from under the house and exhausts it above the building, using a pipe and small fan.

“Good help is available now,” he said. “Kansans, at least, also can get KRP testing instructions and an at-cost kit from their county or district Extension office. That test kit will tell homeowners whether they have reason to call in a pro.”

Further information is available by calling the Kansas Radon Hotline at 1-800-693-5343 or accessing the KRP Web site at http://www.kansasradonprogram.org.

2009’s Grasshopper Crop Has Arrived

MANHATTAN, Kan. – This year’s grasshoppers have hatched. They don’t have wings and look like tiny versions of their parents. But, they’re still so small that most yard and garden owners have yet to notice.

“Depending on the weather, the nymphs usually have grown to about 3/16-inch long by early to mid June,” said Bob Bauernfeind, entomologist with Kansas State University Research and Extension. “That’s when you’re likely to see them only if you notice small holes in garden plant leaves and then examine the damaged plants more closely, looking for nymphs.”

Scouting for an invasion can be a good idea. The smaller and younger grasshoppers are, the easier they are to control, Bauernfeind said, adding: “When they mature, grasshoppers have a tough exoskeleton (hard shell) that serves as a barrier against the penetration of insecticides. That really reduces the effectiveness of control efforts.”

Active insecticide ingredients that are proven grasshopper controls include carbaryl, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin and permethrin. These options translate into a wide array of effective products now available.

“With food crops, you’ll need to make note of and observe your selected product’s instructions about post-treatment harvest intervals,” he said. “For your garden as a whole, you’ll need to remember that you may have to spray more than once if grasshoppers continue moving into your garden.”

Marketed in Kansas under the tradenames Nolo Bait™ and Semaspore™, today’s “organically acceptable” grasshopper controls contain the spores of the protozoan Nosema locustae. This natural pesticide ingredient has proven to be slow-acting but effective, if used under the right conditions.

“The problem is: These organic products were designed for use in treating rangeland – large acreages – as a long-term control strategy. They’re basically for use in and around grasshopper hatching sites. Homeowners may not be able to achieve comparable results,” Bauernfeind said.

Box:
 

Most people think that a microbe (microorganism) is a “bug” that is too tiny to see without a microscope, yet is fully capable of making people sick. That’s just one role microbes can play, however, because a microbe can be a bacteria, virus, fungus or protozoan.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that most of the live microbes used as pesticides are bacteria, such as the widely popular Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products. But, just as bacteria are one-cell plants, protozoans are one-celled animals. And, the protozoan  Nosema locustae is now registered as the active ingredient in an “organic” grasshopper control.

--Compiled by: K-State Research and Extension

Build a Better Tomato Cage

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Unless designed well, tomato cages can have more to do with frustrating gardeners than with penning up plants. They can lean, blow over, collapse, exclude harvesting hands. …

Good cages allow tomato vines to grow vertically, keeping fruit and leaves out of the dirt. This saves garden space, said Rick Snell, natural resources agent, Kansas State University Research and Extension.

The vertical position also provides better air circulation around each plant, helping prevent such diseases as early blight and Septoria leaf spot, he said. The cages’ support allows tomato plants to grow normally, too, without gardeners’ having to remove the vines’ many suckers (shoots between stems and branches).

“As one result, well-caged plants can not only produce well but also have enough foliage to shade and protect their fruit by the time our hot summer months arrive,” Snell said.

Unfortunately, many cages available commercially leave a lot to be desired, he said.

“Because of the force of summertime winds and the weight of tomato vines’ foliage and fruit, cages and similar kinds of support have to be sturdy and anchored. But, the cheap, widely available wire cages that are shaped like an inverted cone are often too small and top-heavy for the job,” Snell explained. “With stronger, better balanced cage designs, a limiting factor now is they can cost up to $100 – or more.” 

He suggests gardeners make their own from the “fencing” used to reinforce concrete (available, if not on display, at some big-box home centers) or from woven-wire livestock fencing (at many farm stores). Either has hand-size spaces between wires. Both are bendable, but rigid enough to form a self-supporting cage. Staking’s sole role will be to keep the wind from blowing them over.

Standard vined or indeterminate tomato varieties need a cage that’s 5 feet tall or more. Most newer compact or semi-determinate varieties can use a cage that’s 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall.

“Tomato cages should be about 20 to 24 inches in diameter. That’s about the same as a 5-foot length of reinforcing wire, formed into a circle,” Snell said. “If you need to make cuts, though, wear heavy work gloves and wear eye protection. You’ll probably want to use a hacksaw, heavy wire snips or bolt cutters.”

Cleaning off and washing tomato cages with a 1:10 bleach-water solution at the end of each season is a good practice, he added. Given that, reinforcing wire cages can last 20 to 30 years -- even stored outside.

Fortune 200 Company to Host KARL Class X

     CHS to Train Kansas Agricultural Leaders in Corporate Strategic Management

MANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the 35 largest private companies in the United States has agreed to lead the current Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership class through a fall 2010 Blue Chip Seminar.

CHS is a diversified energy, grains and foods company that also offers risk management services. It plans to host the 30 members of KARL’s Class X at its corporate headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

“CHS is one of KARL’s most highly valued supporters, contributing $5,000 a year toward our training efforts since 2001. But, our having their corporate management team also host this seminar is a real honor,” said Jack Lindquist, president and director of KARL, Inc., based with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

CHS has been in the Fortune 200 (the top of the Fortune 500) for years. Its owners are farmers, ranchers, agricultural cooperatives, and thousands of preferred stockholders across the United States.

The initials in the company’s name come from a corporate forerunner: Cenex Harvest States, which itself was formed in a 1998 merger between two regional agricultural cooperatives -- Cenex, Inc., and Harvest States Cooperatives. As a result of the merger, the company’s roots extend back to the late 1920s.

The Blue Chip part of the two-year KARL training curriculum is an in-depth seminar about corporate strategic management, Lindquist said. Class X will learn about CHS’s management philosophy on such practices as customer focus, innovation, and building and supporting strong leaders.

“The Blue Chip Seminar’s underlying question is always the same: How can we sustain profitable industries, businesses and communities in a competitive environment,” he said. “Naturally, that includes decisions about corporate and social responsibility, employee engagement, and operational excellence.

“CHS says it’s committed to providing the essential resources that enrich lives around the world. Learning how its management team is guiding the company toward that goal should be fascinating.”

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