USU is conducting research on salt-tolerant turfgrass

By Janessa Fillingim

Certain types of Kentucky bluegrass are currently being examined, tested and kept under close watch inside Utah State University labs by students and faculty for its unique ability to tolerate salt.

Paul Johnson, a professor and the department head of Plants, Soils and Climate at USU, said the exact mechanism for the salt-tolerant trait is still being researched. But it probably deals with how the plant reacts to various ions in the plant cells, such as calcium and sodium. Shaun Bushman, Johnson’s cooperator, is working to identify which genes are turned on and off when the plants are exposed to salt.

Johnson said the salt tolerant turf found thus far lacks other important quality traits such as high shoot density, moderate to fine leaf texture, wear tolerance and color.

“We are looking to work with a private industry to use our material, hybridize and select for salt-tolerant and other good traits we look for in turf grass,” he said.

Bushman, who has been leading the research, said it will probably take about two to three years before the turf is available to the public.

One of the biggest challenges with project, Bushman said, is growing the turf out in the field.

“Growing the organism in a green-house is one thing but implementing it in fields and lawns is completely different,” he said.

This particular study has been going on for the past five or six years, Johnson said.  But work involving drought-tolerant grasses and better adapted species and varieties has been going on at the university since 1998.

Johnson said turfgrass does amazing things for us in the city but is “sort of forgotten and misunderstood in some ways.”

“In short, it is one of the very few plant species out there that allow us to use, to trample on, to play on, to have picnics on and keep growing,” he said. “Not to mention the psychological benefits of being in and around green living plants.”

Utah-native plants are being examined for water conservation and ornamental landscaping

By Janessa Fillingim

A variety of Utah-native plants are currently being examined for their ability to conserve water and be used in attractive landscapes. These plants are under observation in Utah State University Botanical laboratories and at the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping.

“Our goal is to find native plants that can work as water-conserving plants in ornamental landscapes,” said Larry Rupp, a USU professor and landscape horticulture specialist.

There are two different approaches to this, Rupp said. One is to look for superior specimens of native plants that will be more attractive and functional in the landscape.

“Once we find such plants, we then work out a means of propagating them so that their unique characteristics can be maintained,” he said. “Eventually we hope to see them adopted and produced by the nursery industry.”

The other approach is to hybridize the plants and screen for superior offspring that have ornamental potential, he said.

The premise behind the research, Rupp said, is that native plants are better adapted to local conditions and use less water than some exotic plants currently being used.

“We hope that by selecting native plants with great characteristics, consumers and the industry will want to use them,” Rupp said. “As a result, we will have functional, attractive landscapes that save water.”

Richard Anderson, a curator of plant development at the USU Extension in Kaysville, said some of the characteristics may include wise use of regional, natural resources such as water and soil or exhibit tolerance to climatic extremes.

He said these plants are of high quality and have been selected over time to exhibit these kinds of traits.

However, it can be difficult to develop a market for them, Rupp said. If the plants are not available in the nursery, consumers are less likely to buy them. But most nurseries won’t grow the plants until there is a significant consumer demand.

“Hopefully we will be able to release some real winners and help build that market,” Rupp said.

Anderson said he has received more public acceptance to these plants by demonstrating their “wonderful characteristics” more than focusing excessively on the fact that they are native to the area.

Those involved in this work are very aware of USU’s good image in this industry and do what they can to maintain it.

“We want to make sure USU establishes a reputation for only the highest quality plant materials,” Rupp said.

In order to assure each selection meets USU’s standard of excellence, Anderson said each plant selection is vetted through a peer review process prior to public release.

Rupp said this water-conserving, ornamental plant life has many benefits.

“The benefits would be reduced sustainability, reduced irrigation requirements and possibly local production by Utah growers,” he said. “It is a great opportunity to make a real contribution toward helping solve the important question of how we can save water while still enjoying the quality of life we get from our landscapes.”

USU students and faculty are examining water-conserving turf

By Janessa Fillingim

Water-conserving turf is being studied and tested inside Utah State University laboratories by students and faculty to help improve drought situations in Utah.

“These turfgrasses have been through intensive plant selection and breeding processes and have been selected for their drought-tolerance characteristics,” said Kelly Kopp, a USU professor and a water conservation and turfgrass specialist.

These characteristics give the grass the ability to maintain green color under drought conditions, she said.

Kopp said the grasses currently being examined already had two years of pre-qualification research but only recently arrived at USU for testing.

“They will have two more years of research and data collection with me,” she said. “The varieties are also being tested at other locations in the U.S. so that a variety of environmental conditions are considered.”

“We are watching the California drought situation with interest,” said Larry Rupp, a professor and a USU Extension landscape horticulture specialist. “They have done some things that have hurt their landscapes without really saving much water. We hope to learn from them and do a better job in Utah.”

Kopp is also working with the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance, a seed-producer driven organization that sponsors this specific type of research all around North America. Kopp said Once the water-conserving turf is in the marketplace, it will be available on the company’s website.

“There are many benefits to having turfgrass in a landscape,” Kopp said. “Grasses prevent runoff, absorb carbon dioxide, provide atmospheric cooling and release oxygen into the atmosphere.”

Paul Johnson, the department head of Plants, Soils and Climate at USU said turf is “sort of forgotten and misunderstood in some ways” but it does amazing things for people who live in cities.

There are “psychological benefits of being in and around green, living plants,” Johnson said.

More information about water-conserving turf can be found at http://www.tgwca.org.

USU’s new equestrian-aided therapy program is starting to get underway

By Janessa Fillingim

Horses and humans will work side-by-side to overcome physical, cognitive and emotional struggles with a new Utah State University program, Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies. It focuses specifically on veterans, individuals with disabilities and their families.

Since the program is only in the beginning stages, no clinical services are currently being offered, said Karl Hoopes, an equine extension specialist and veterinarian. However, a search is going on for a director for the program who will help move it forward.

“We hope to start in the spring as we get the right people in place,” Hoopes said.

Funding is also being sought to help the program get started. Sherrie Pettie, who will serve as the primary instructor for the equine-assisted therapies, said for now, the plan is to have the activities held on a USU farm with equestrian arenas. The problem is that one of the arenas is uncovered. While the outdoor arena is not an issue during the summer, in the winter it will be unusable. Funding is needed to cover the arena.

“That’s the short-term goal,” Pettie said. “The long-term goal is to move to a new location.”

The USU farm is already very busy, she said. A place that is less distracting would provide a better learning environment.

Funding is also needed to purchase horses and equipment for the program participants.

A lot of time and effort will be put into selecting horses for the individuals’ specific struggles. The horses are selected for the people who will relate most to them. Petty said an example of this could be a horse that has a lame leg and a veteran who has a dysfunctional limb.

Petty said the main goal for the program is to get the participants to “relate their experiences with the horse to their personal lives.”

“A good instructor will be able to come up with a metaphor for each activity the person does with the horse,” she said.

An example of an activity, Petty said, would be three poles lying on the ground that the individual must lead the horse over. The instructor would ask how those poles relate to obstacles in the person’s life.

The horse is a good animal for teaching individuals because they are constantly giving feedback, Petty said, unlike a dog who will love them no matter what.

“If someone goes barreling up to the horse, it’ll shy away,” she said. “They have to think about how to change their behavior so they get a different response.”

She also said since the horse is so big, it forces the person to focus on what they’re doing and be in the moment.

The program is intended to help struggling individuals find “strength and independence though the power of the horse,” according to Petty’s course syllabus.

“I know how horses have changed me,” Hoopes said. “We learn about ourselves. We learn about communication. We learn about emotion. We learn about group interactions.”

Subway’s vow of antibiotic-free meat met with local controversy

By Janessa Fillingim

Subway, the world’s largest fast-food chain, has vowed to sell only antibiotic-free meat in the coming years — and Utah State University agricultural agent Clark Israelsen thinks the decision is ludicrous.

“They make it sound like we’re using antibiotics recklessly,” Israelsen said. “With how expensive they are, that is not the case.”

It is not uncommon for a dose of antibiotics to cost between $40 and $50 per animal, Israelsen said.

He said those who are “worked-up about the antibiotics” are the same people who go to the medicine cabinet as soon as they start feeling like they have a cold.

“That’s essentially what we do,” he said. “We take care of the animals so they don’t get sick.”

Meat approved for sale in the United States goes through a waiting period where it is checked for any problems. There is a very specific process that must be followed in order for the meat to sell.

“We follow that process religiously,” Israelsen said. “There are no antibiotics in the meat when it is sold.”

None of the managers at the three Subway locations in Logan knew about the company’s vow and all say they don’t have any choice in the matter.

“We don’t get to pick what meat comes in,” said Patty Frazier, one of the Subway managers. “The corporation makes the decision.”

Dominic Bria, the marketing manager at USU, said Subway’s vow was an example of issue-oriented-marketing, which is a tactic designed to sway views either for or against something. In this case, the Subway marketing managers are trying to sway customers toward antibiotic-free meat.

“It won’t affect everyone,” he said. “But it will attract some and they are probably hoping it will bring in more customers.”

Bria said the Subway marketing managers probably didn’t make the decision.

“It probably came from the guy upstairs and they turned it in to an advertisement,” he said.

In response to the vow, Israelsen said the biggest thing the extension agents are trying to do is “educate and help consumers understand that our meat is safe.”

More information about USU Extension and the safety of local meat can be found at www.extension.usu.edu