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ers in Franklin County could be an economically viable operation. Tobacco marketing cooperatives could be a feasible proposition.

Alabama, Developing Christmas Trees for Commercial Production in Alabama. Virginia pine has been shown to be a suitable species for commercial production of Christmas trees in Alabama. Basic cultural practices have been developed which are suitable for owners of relatively low acreage farms. Much of the effort at Alabama A&M University has been directed at limited resource landowners in order to possibly supplement their income.

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANTS

Mr. WHITTEN. For fiscal year 1982, under the amended budget, you are requesting $26 million for competitive research grants, an increase of $10 million over the amount available for fiscal year 1981. How would you plan to use the total of $26 million during fiscal year 1982?

Dr. BERTRAND. The Competitive Research Grants program is funding proposals to provide fundamental knowledge in high priority food and agricultural research. The five continuing target areas of research emphasis are biological nitrogen fixation, genetic mechanisms for crop improvement, photosynthesis, biological stress on plants, and human nutrition. A new focus on plant metabolism changes in response to environmental stress will be initiated. A major focus in biological nitrogen fixation has been to understand nitrogen fixation in both symbiotic and free living systems and on the chemistry of the nitrogen fixation process. These studies need to be expanded as well as new studies encouraged on the metabolic fate of fixed nitrogen in the plant-soil-microbe ecosystem. Major emphasis in photosynthesis has been placed on studies on the absorption of sunlight and the transfer of the sun's energy to several pigment systems within the plant and the structure and function of the photosynthetic membranes. In addition to these studies research will be expanded to studies of the regulation of key processes in photosynthesis. Major emphasis in genetic mechanisms for crop improvement has been placed on an understanding of the way the genetic material is regulated in the cell, on plant tissue and cell culture and novel breeding methods. This work will continue and, in addition, emphasis will be placed on understanding physiological barriers to successful regeneration of isolated protoplasts and elucidating gene transfer vehicles. Recombinant DNA technology shows great promise in this area. Major emphasis in biological stress on plants has been on the interaction of plant pests with their hosts and on insect biology so that strategies of control can be worked out. These areas will be expanded and new emphasis placed on research using techniques to study the molecular basis of pathogenicity.

Mr. WHITTEN. In connection with your competitive research grants you state that during the fiscal year 1978 through 1980, 1,894 basic research proposals in four areas of plant sciences were received. You also state that only over one-half of those proposals were judged to be worthy of support, and of those, less than onefourth were actually funded. How many scientist man-years were required to prepare those 1,894 basic research proposals?

Dr. BERTRAND. There is considerable interaction among scientists involved in the planning of research proposals. Competitive Research Grants proposals may have been developed and submit

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for consideration by several granting agencies. Also, the investigator may have developed the proposal for internal institutional purposes and modified it, as appropriate, to meet Competitive Research Grants program guidelines. Groups of proposals may contain projects of widely disparate complexity, from research institutions of diverse competence. The input of scientists having varying levels of expertise in broadly divergent disciplines may have been used.

Considering all of these variables, it is difficult to estimate how much research scientists' time was required to prepare the 1,894 plant science proposals. Based on an assumption that, on the average, it took a scientist three weeks time to develop the proposal, an estimate of the equivalent of 109 man-years could have been required to prepare the proposals.

Mr. WHITTEN. How many scientist man-years of time were devoted to the peer review of those 1,894 proposals?

Dr. THOMAS. Formal records were not maintained of the time devoted by each scientist participating in the peer review. Each scientist brings to the review process unique expertise and capabilities and, therefore, time could vary among the participants. By proposing some average times, we estimate that approximately 19 man-years of effort were utilized by the peer panel members and ad hoc reviewers to review the 1,894 plant science research proposals received from 1978 through 1980.

Mr. WHITTEN. Using the dollar figure that SEA uses for a scientist man-year, which I believed is equivalent to roughly something over $100,000 a year per man-year, what is the cost of preparing and reviewing these 1,894 proposals?

Dr. BERTRAND. The $100,000 per scientist-year is the amount of funds required to fully support the research carried out by a scientist. These costs would support the salaries of the scientists, technicians, laborers, equipment, and operational costs during a year of research effort. In preparing a proposal, the costs would be limited to the time the scientist devoted to preparing the proposal and the typist's time for typing the proposal. It is difficult to estimate the costs of preparing these proposals since many are also submitted to other granting agencies and are revised to meet the granting agency's guidelines. In other cases, the scientist may have developed a new approach to the problem which will require more effort in presenting preliminary research data to convince the reviewers of the validity of the approach proposed. Using the assumption that on the average it requires three weeks of a scientist's time to develop a proposal and using the mid-level salary of a GS-12 scientist, we estimate that it would cost $3,311,470 to prepare the 1,894 plant science research proposals. The 19 scientist man-years devoted to the review of these 1,894 proposals costed out at the midlevel salary of a GS-13 scientist, and including travel, subsistence and honorarium to nonfederal scientists, would be $721,844.

Mr. WHITTEN. In the area of human nutrition research you state that 671 basic research proposals were received during the time period of fiscal years 1978 through 1980, and that less than onesixth of these proposals were funded. How many man-years of scientist time were devoted to the preparation of those 671 proposals?

Dr. BERTRAND. Using the assumption that it requires an average of three weeks to develop a human nutrition research proposal, we estimate that 38.7 man-years of scientist's time were devoted to the preparation of the 671 proposals submitted to the Competitive Research Grants Office for the period 1978 through 1980.

Mr. WHITTEN. How many scientist man-years of peer review time were devoted to the peer review of those 671 proposals?

Dr. BERTRAND. We estimate that approximately seven scientistyears of effort were utilized by the peer panel members and ad hoc reviewers to review the 671 human nutrition research proposals. Mr. WHITTEN. What was the total cost of the preparation and review of those 671 proposals?

Dr. BERTRAND. Utilizing a mid-level salary of GS-12 scientist we estimate that cost of preparation of the 671 human nutrition research proposals would be $1,173,176. The cost of the peer panels review of these proposals, including salaries, travel, subsistence and honorarium paid to nonfederal scientists, would be $254,712.

SOIL EROSION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Mr. WHITTEN. For the STEEP program you are requesting $648,000, an increase of $48,000 over the amount available for fiscal year 1981. How much total funding has this program received since its inception?

Dr. BERTRAND. The STEEP program has received a total of $2,550,000 in Special Research Grant funds over the time interval from fiscal year 1976 to fiscal year 1981. During this same period, other funding was on the order of $12,000,000. Of this amount, approximately 45 percent was contributed by SEA-Agricultural Research, 41 percent by state appropriations, 8 percent by Hatch Act payments, and 6 percent by other sources.

Mr. WHITTEN. What are the future requirements for this program through completion?

Dr. BERTRAND. STEEP was initiated in 1976 as a balanced statefederal program in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon for research over a period of 15 years at a total estimated cost of $35,000,000. That part of the STEEP program projected for support by Special Grant funds was approximately 20 percent of the total or $7,000,000. The combination of reduced funding and decreasing value of the dollar have required an intensive analysis of the entire STEEP program. It is estimated that the program would now require 20 years to complete instead of the original estimated 15 years.

Mr. WHITTEN. What has been accomplished to date under this program?

Dr. BERTRAND. The STEEP program has been functioning for five years and has accomplished a number of research objectives. We would like to submit for the record some of these accomplishments. [The information follows:]

STEEP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Tillage and Plant Management

Maximum winter wheat yields with conventional tillage and reduced tillage systems were obtained with less applied N than no-till.

Soil nitrate levels in January and May were significantly lower in no-till plots than in reduced tillage or conventional tillage plots.

Winter rape for ground cover did not establish following a crop of peas or barley but did establish well on fallow. Late seeding reduced foliage and limits the use of this cropping practice for erosion control.

Winter wheat planting with the chisel planter produced yields on commerical fields that were 107 percent of conventionally seeded fields and reduced soil erosion by 84 percent as compared with conventional planting. One-pass plantings with this equipment made on the contour now appear feasible for the Palouse.

A reduced-tillage potato planting system utilizing strip tillage 15 to 18 inches in width where insecticide, herbicide, and fertilizer are incorporated and residues are left undisturbed in between the rows gave excellent wire worm control, erosion control of sandy soil, and economical yields of potatoes following a cereal crop. Winter wheat is one of the best winter cover crops for wind erosion control in the sandy oil irrigated areas. Spring cereals winter kill and do not retain surface cover when needed. Other plant species such as winter rape, ryegrass, and hairy vetch do not produce enough growth in the fall for adequate ground cover.

Production or appearance of tillers in winter wheat can be accurately predicted using only air temperature data when nitrogen and water are not seriously limiting.

Plant Design

Excellent progress was made in the selection of lines resistant to Cercosporella foot rot and Cephalosporium stripe. Increased varietal resistance will permit earlier planting without the cost of chemical control.

Selecting bulk populations for seedling vigor as measured by emergence rate index and final stand was effective in the selection of crosses having lines with the more potential for seedling vigor.

A screening technique has been developed to evaluate the seedling vigor in low temperature. Varietal differences were apparent in all classes of wheat with varieties or selections from cooler regions generally germinating more rapidly at low temperature (4°C) than those from warmer regions. Spring varieties capable of germinating at the lower temperatures are being used in breeding programs.

Erosion and Runoff

Runoff during major events in 1979-80 was greater on conventional-tilled than on minimum and no-till plots. Soil loss under conventional tillage was three times greater than for minimum-till and four times greater than on no-till systems. The beneficial effects of minimum or no-till systems are dependent on soil conditions and prior weather patterns.

Terraces and dry residue in excess of 1,000 lbs. per acre reduced erosion in northcentral Oregon. Rill meter measurements indicated erosion rates in the range of 20 to 50 tons/acre for non-terraced fields, 10 to 30 tons/acre for terraced fields, and 5 to 15 tons/acre for fields with stubble.

Pest Management

Cephalosporium (Fungus) stripe is favored by no-till, is intermediate in minimumtill, and least in conventional till.

Indications are that VPM-1 and Cappelle-Desprez will have value as sources of resistance to both strawbreaker foot rot and to fungus stripe.

Benlate was applied to over 200,000 acres of winter wheat and the yield response was in the neighborhood of 15 bushels per acre. The date of applications for best results is still not adequately known.

New chemicals have been registered for use against weeds on stubble for no-till summer fallow and for selective kill of cheat grass in winter wheat in Oregon.

Socio-Economics of Erosion Control

A method for assessing the economic value of impaired soil productivity as a consequence of accumulative erosion has been developed.

Further refinements in the 100-year computer simulation model used to project the erosion effects of the use of heavy, medium, and no-till tillage systems on wheat production in the eastern Palouse area have been made. The analysis projected future soil losses, yield levels, and net incomes for each of five land classes in the

area.

A comprehensive farm survey done jointly by economists and sociologists was completed during 1980. The results indicate that farmers continue to expect that technological progress will improve wheat yields, but that they also anticipate that the rate of yield increases will slow. The data also indicate that there has been more widespread adoption of conservation tillage in the lower rainfall areas.

STEEP PROGRAM

Mr. WHITTEN. What are the future goals of this program?

Dr. BERTRAND. Broadly speaking, STEEP was designed to minimize erosion from highly productive agricultural lands in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. We will furnish more specific goals for the record.

[The information follows:]

GOALS OF STEEP PROGRAM

Tillage and Plant Management

Develop combinations of tillage, crops residue management and chemical weed control systems to control erosion and increase crop production.

Enhance seeding establishment by developing new planting arrangements and systems to operate in surface residues and cloddy seedbeds.

Design tillage and planting machinery for improved hillside tillage performance and accelerated uniform plant emergence.

Decrease runoff and increase water infiltration by control of tractor traffic and reduction of compacted traffic pans.

Adapt tillage and cropping practices to farming systems where erosion control structures are required to reduce erosion to tolerable limits.

Plant Design

Develop wheats having the characteristics necessary to reduce erosion and maintain food (feed) production:

Characteristics for reducing wind erosion: Rapid emergence in warm relative dry soils; semi-erect seedling having a proper balance of tillers and leaves to lessen damage by wind; improved winterhardiness in later growth stages (current wheats lose winterhardiness at the growth stage most critical for wind erosion control); plants that conservatively use limited water supplies.

Characteristics for reducing water erosion: Rapid emergence, spreading growth habit, deep-multiple crowns and prolific root branching to anchor the soil and impede runoff; greater straw stength, weed competition, and tolerance to head frost damage, disease and insect damage.

Characteristics for growth in conservation tillage systems: Seedling establishment when surface seeded; emergence through compact-residue covered soil; greater ability to compete with weeds; greater resistance to pathogens and insects harbored in the residue and insensitivity to residue-derived toxins.

Erosion and Runoff Prediction

For short range needs adapt the existing Universal Soil Loss Equation for application to Pacific Northwest conditions of climate, topography, and cropping systems. Reduce and replace empiricism in the equation with physically based descriptions of the erosion process; improve prediction capability by using measurements of soil loss over a range of slope lengths and steepnesses; develop a physically based hydrogic-erosion model to describe water runoff and soil loss from watersheds; study fundamental relationships between upland erosion, sediment load, chemical content, and water flow dynamics.

Pest Management

Integrate control of weeds, diseases, and insects with tillage and plant management systems.

Weed Control: Identify and measure vegetational changes associated with various crop management systems; integrate the use of presently and potentially available herbicides into crop management systems.

Disease Control: Pathological research must seek to control seedborne organisms favored by slow germination in dry soil; soilborne pathogens that are damaging during periods of plant water stress; foliar diseases favored by early seeding in warm, dry areas; diseases favored by prolonged snow cover; pathogens favored by carry-over in residue and volunteer grain; crop damage from microbial toxins produced during straw decomposition.

Insect Contol: Determine insect diversity and composition within each erosiontillage-crop system; integrate established insect control practices (chemical, cultural, and biological) into superior crop management schemes as they develop.

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