Umatilla County Research Articles

First Report of Pectobacterium versatile Causing Potato Soft Rot in Oregon and Washington.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Norkotah) tubers with symptoms of soft rot were submitted to Oregon State University, Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center Plant Clinic in 2019. One submission in May, originated from a field with poor emergence and seed piece decay (~20% affected) in Umatilla County, Oregon. The second submission, in September, originated from a field in Washington. From each submission, ~100 mg tissue at the margin of infection was washed with distilled water, excised, macerated in 500 L sterile distilled water for 5 minutes. The resulting solution was streaked on crystal violet pectate (CVP) medium and incubated at 28°C for 24 hours. One colony, representative of the many white colonies that formed depressions on CVP plates, was isolated from each submission. Bacterial isolates from Oregon and Washington were named JB56A and JB133A, respectively, and preserved in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth with 15% glycerol at -80°C for long-term storage. Genomic DNA was extracted from JB56A and JB133A cultures grown in LB broth overnight at 30°C using the Wizard SV Genomic DNA kit. The partial dnaX gene (537 bp) was amplified from genomic DNA of each isolate using dnaXf/dnaXr primers (Slawiak et al. 2009) and sequenced. These sequences were deposited to the NCBI GenBank Database, accession numbers MW930747 (JB56A) and MW930748 (JB133A). BLAST analyses (Altschul et al. 1990) using default parameters indicated that the dnaX sequences of JB56A and JB133A were 99.2% (533/537) and 98.7% (530/537) identical to that of P. versatile SCC1 (CP021894). A condensed maximum likelihood tree was built using the partial dnaX sequence of the two query strains, twelve Pectobacterium reference strains to include all known species of Pectobacterium, and four Dickeya species as an outgroup (Fig. S1). JB56A and JB133A formed a monophyletic clade with P. versatile SCC1. Potato (cv. Upstate Abundance) tuber and stem bioassays (Ma et al. 2018) were conducted twice to assess the pathogenicity of these isolates. Tubers were wounded with a sterile 2 mm wide wooden applicator stick and 5 μl culture grown in LB broth overnight (~109 CFU) was pipetted into the wound. Tubers were incubated at 29°C for 24 hours and cut through puncture sites to observe symptoms. Stems of four- or five-week-old plants were wounded with a sterile toothpick about 10 cm above the soil line and a smear of JB56A or JB133A grown on LB agar was inserted into the wound using a toothpick and incubated in a greenhouse for 72 hours. Positive controls (D. dianthicola ME23) and negative controls (no bacteria) were included in both assays. Tubers and stems exhibited disease symptoms after 24 and 72 hours, respectively, following inoculation with JB56A, JB133A, and D. dianthicola ME23. No symptoms were observed for negative controls. The identity of bacteria re-isolated from the margin of stem lesions was confirmed by partial dnaX sequence analyses. P. versatile was recently described as a distinct species based on whole genome sequence comparisons (Portier et al. 2019). In 2018, we isolated P. versatile from potato stems with blackleg disease in New York, and a recent study found that it was isolated in the US from an iris in 1946 (Ma et al. 2021; Portier et al. 2019). However, the geographic distribution and importance of this pathogen in the US remains largely unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of potato soft rot caused by P. versatile in Oregon and Washington, two important potato producing states.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cluster Associated With Deer Harvested at a Single Wildlife Hunting Area, Oregon, 2017.

The Oregon Health Authority routinely investigates clusters of reportable enteric diseases identified by whole-genome sequencing. While investigating 2 cases of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in 2019, in which both patients were exposed to the same home-processed "jerky" and clinical isolates matched within 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we discovered, by searching the National Library of Medicine's National Center for Biotechnology Information website, 3 other cases of E coli O157:H7 from 3 Oregon counties-Tillamook, Umatilla, and Douglas-whose clinical isolates were within 9 SNPs of the 2 initial matched cases. We analyzed interview data for 3 case patients and followed up with additional hypothesis-generating questions. Onset of illness for the Tillamook, Umatilla, and Douglas county cases were October 7, 2017, October 27, 2017, and April 30, 2018, respectively. The median age of the 5 case patients was 16 years. Parents of 2 of the 5 case patients, each from a different county, had harvested deer approximately 20 miles from each other in the same Douglas County wildlife hunting unit in late September 2017. The case from Umatilla County was lost to follow-up. Although it is well documented that deer are a viable and substantial reservoir of E coli O157:H7, to our knowledge, this is the first time that venison from a common wildlife hunting unit was found to be associated with a cluster of illnesses. This finding suggests a geographic nidus for E coli O157:H7. We recommend routinely asking about wildlife hunting units when developing exposure hypotheses involving potential venison-associated clusters.

Vertical Distribution of Insect Pests Using Insect Towers Placed Near Potato Fields in the Lower Columbia Basin.

This study was conducted at the Oregon State University Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, Umatilla County, OR, during the 2016 and 2017 potato, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), growing seasons. The objective was to determine the vertical distribution of hemipteran (Bactericera cockerelli Šulc, Circulifer tenellus Baker, Myzus persicae Sulzer, Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas, and Lygus spp.) and thysanopteran (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande and Thrips tabaci Lindeman) potato pests using insect towers placed near potato fields. Towers were 8 m tall and secured to the ground with metal cables. In each tower, yellow sticky cards were mounted at 1.5 m intervals up to 7.6 m aboveground. Data were collected at 7-d intervals from mid-April until mid or end of August. This study showed that B. cockerelli, C. tenellus, M. persicae, Lygus spp., and both species of thrips were captured on sticky cards placed closest to the ground; in both years, as sticky card height increased, abundances decreased. In contrast, trapped M. euphorbiae numbers were not affected by sticky card height. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the lower Columbia Basin of Oregon that evaluated the vertical distribution of major potato pests.

OregonScape

Oregonscape For decades schools have used visual images in their classes.Such visuals have included videos,films, slides,and in the early twentieth century,lantern slides.Lantern slides were large,generally 3 1/2 inches by 4 inches, and were originally printed on glass. Later slides were made of film sandwiched between glass sheets. Nearly all lantern slides were black-and-white photos, but they were often hand-colored, as in this example (see our weblink below for the color version). This view of a modern eastern Oregon hog farm, titled “Hogs, Corn, Alfalfa and Orchard Beyond, Umatilla County,” was taken in the early 1920s and is the fourth slide in a set used in Portland schools to teach children about Oregon industries . Premier Oregon photographer Arthur M. Prentiss photographed the set, entitled Stock Raising and Meat Packing in Oregon. The Davies Family Research Library collections include a 1915 pamphlet Pacific-Northwest Swine Husbandry, issued by the Portland Union Stock Yards Company, which discusses hog raising practices shown here.The“A”shaped portable houses are described as“one of the easiest the farmer can construct.” The pamphlet includes a materials list, and a construction diagram, and recommends the houses face south so the interior can be heated by sunlight. It also advises that “above everything, build your own fences right, and build them permanent.” Of course, there is much more to raising hogs than houses and fences. Look beyond the row of five little houses, and there is a stack of corn waiting to be turned into hog feed. Beyond that is a corner of an alfalfa field, also used for hog feed.A young orchard grows to the left of the hog pens — presumably the fruit will end up on the farmer’s table. — Mikki Tint, former special collections librarian, OHS Research Library Learn more about the lantern slide at www.ohs.org/research/quarterly/oregonscape.cfm. OHS Research Library #bb011560 ...

Potential for ethanol production from conservation reserve program lands in Oregon

Increase in energy demand has led towards considering lignocellulosic feedstocks as potential for ethanol production. Aim of this study was to estimate the potential of grass straws from conservation reserve program (CRP) lands as feedstocks for ethanol production. The CRP was initiated to ensure reduction in soil erosion with a concomitant improvement in water quality and aquatic habitats. Species and abundance of various grasses in CRP sites can vary substantially. Ethanol yield from biomass is directly correlated to sugar content among other factors. It therefore becomes important to study the variability in the biomass composition from different CRP sites to reliably estimate biofuel production potential. Grass samples were collected from five fields contracted to CRP in Umatilla County in Northeastern Oregon. Composition of these samples was experimentally determined and was statistically verified to be similar for most of the sites. Sugar content was highest (60.70%) and statistically different for only one site (CRA 8.2). Our results suggest that biomass harvested from different sites did not significantly vary in terms of their chemical composition and therefore could be used in a single integrated process to produce bioethanol. Total potential ethanol yield from various CRP lands in Oregon, assuming a 10 yr harvesting frequency, was estimated to be 40 × 106 l of ethanol (28.5–53.7 × 106 l/yr) with current management practices subject to other constraints.

Trap Response of Dargida terrapictalis (Buckett) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to a Sex Attractant in Wheat-Growing Areas of Eastern Washington and Neighboring Oregon

Abstract Traps in eastern Washington and northeast Oregon wheat fields, baited with a sex attractant for the moth of the wheat head armyworm Dargida diffusa (Walker), captured the congener moth Dargida terrapictalis (Buckett). When the two components of a sex attractant for the wheat head armyworm were tested singly versus together in a trap, nearly all D. terrapictalis captured were in traps baited with the combination of (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate and (Z)-11-hexadecenal, indicating synergy of the two compounds as attractants. Traps baited with this sex attractant and maintained through the growing season captured D. terrapictalis primarily in May in Umatilla County, Oregon, and in June and early July in eastern Washington. Small numbers of D. diffusa were present also in these traps, largely coincident in time with D. terrapictalis captured. This is the first demonstration of a sex attractant for D. terrapictalis and confirms the presence of D. diffusa in the states of Oregon and Washington through the ...

Measured Energy Savings after Installing New Condensing Boilers and Retro-commissioning the Heat Recovery System at a County Jail

The Umatilla County Justice Center installed a $200,000 project in December 2007 that replaced a failed piece of equipment and lowered natural gas use. Two new high efficiency boilers were installed to provide space heating and domestic hot water, and the existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were retro-commissioned for energy savings. The facility's gas use has been reduced by 53% since these projects were installed two years ago. This article provides a background of the projects and presents the measured energy savings.

First Report of Soilborne wheat mosaic virus on Wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Columbia Basin of Oregon.

The Columbia Basin of Oregon consists of six counties (Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco, and Umatilla) and is the major wheat-producing region in the state. In 2005, these counties produced 300,277 ha of mostly fall-planted wheat. While primarily a dryland production area, wheat (approximately 8,094 ha) is also grown as a rotational crop under irrigation. Stunted and chlorotic winter wheat plants with leaves exhibiting a mosaic pattern consistent with that caused by Soilborne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) were observed in March 2005. These plants originated from four center-pivot irrigated fields in Umatilla County with each field approximately 50.6 ha. One-half of one field was planted with cv. Western Breeders 470 (WB470) and the other half with cv. Tubbs, while the three other fields were planted to Tubbs. In the split-planted field, symptoms were widespread in the WB470 half but only observed in low-lying areas planted with Tubbs. ELISA with a monoclonal antibody (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN) confirmed the presence of SBWMV, which is transmitted by the soilborne organism Polymyxa graminis. Electron microscopy confirmed rigid, rod-shaped particles that were 19 nm wide and of two size classes, 138 to 222 and 416 to 471 nm long. Presence of SBWMV was further verified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using SBWMV RNA-2 specific primers (sense 5'-AAAGAGTCTIGCGTRTARCAYTC-3' and antisense 5'-AACGGTGTTAGTAARYTRGGKGA-3'), which amplified the predicted 338-bp product from the coat protein gene (1). Additional positive samples were found in 2006 from fall-planted wheat cvs. WB 528 and MJ9 from two additional 50.6-ha fields in Umatilla County. In 2005, yield of WB470 in the split-planted field was reduced by approximately 15% compared with yields obtained in similar fields planted with WB470 not exhibiting symptoms. SBWMV has been reported previously in Oregon (2) but nearly 322 km to the west in an area that is not the major wheat-producing region in Oregon. Because of the apparent reduced susceptibility of Tubbs, which is an older cultivar, as compared with WB470, WB528, and MJ9, which are three new high-yielding cultivars, additional research is needed to identify the reaction to SBWMV of cultivars adapted for production in the Pacific Northwest, particularly if this disease becomes widely distributed in both irrigated and dryland production areas.

Water Rights Permit Is Needed to Tap Spring

Dorothy Norden owns land that borders McKay Creek in Umatilla County, Ore. A spring on the property flows down a rock‐lined channel until part of it is diverted into an irrigation ditch and part is diverted into a pond. An older, unlined channel runs from the two diversions toward the creek. In 1994, a state watermaster concluded that water flowing from the spring down the rock‐lined channel, if not for the diversion, would continue to flow into the creek and eventually into the Umatilla River. The watermaster ordered Norden to obtain a water rights permit before she was entitled to divert water. Norden petitioned for review. The trial court ruled for her. The Court of Appeals of Oregon said testimony showed that the rock‐lined channel was in fact an improved natural channel. Even if the channel was entirely filled in, the spring flowed in sufficient quantity and the ground was sufficiently saturated that the water would make its way to the creek. Thus, the appellate court said the trial court had erred in reversing the watermaster's order. Norden was required to obtain a water rights permit to use water from the spring.

Annual Spring Barley Growth, Yield, and Root Rot in High- and Low-Residue Tillage Systems

Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown annually in a high-residue management system has been favorably viewed as a means of reducing soil erosion without compromising income from traditional winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/fallow rotations in the northwestern USA. Rhizoctonia root rot (R. solani Kuhn), however, is more severe on barley than on wheat, especially in nontilled soil. Constraints of this disease to spring barley production without tillage are not known. The objective of this study was to determine effects of tillage history on diseases, growth, and yield of spring barley in semi-arid eastern Oregon. Spring barley was produced at two locations under a moldboard plow-based system, a no-till system, or various sequences of tillage alternated with no-till [...]

Isolation of Northway Serotype and Other Bunyamwera Serogroup Bunyaviruses from California and Oregon Mosquitoes, 1969–1985

Eight previously untyped Bunyamwera serogroup bunyaviruses that had been isolated from mosquitoes collected in California and Oregon between 1969 and 1985, were identified by cross-neutralization tests. Four viruses from Anopheles freeborni and a virus from Aedes sierrensis collected in Butte County in the Central Valley of California in 1970-71 were shown to belong to the Northway serotype. The existence of a Northway serotype virus in California had been inferred from previous serologic surveys of deer and horses, but these are the first Northway serotype viruses to be identified from the contiguous United States or from An. freeborni. This is also the first isolation of any virus from Ae. sierrensis. Two viruses from Culiseta inornata collected in Umatilla County, Oregon in 1969 may represent a new serotype in the Bunyamwera serocomplex of the Bunyamwera serogroup. The name "Stanfield" is proposed for this serotype, which is closely related to the Cache Valley and Northway bunyavirus serotypes. A virus from Ae. taeniorhynchus collected in San Diego County, California in 1985 was confirmed to belong to the Main Drain serotype. Previously, Main Drain serotype viruses in California have been associated principally with Culicoides variipennis.

Factors Associated with Unemployment among American Indians in the Pacific Northwest

T HE ROLE OF CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT in perpetuating economic deprivation among Native Americans is well-known. The 1970 Census revealed that only 63 percent of Indian males 16 years and older were in the labor force, as compared to 77 percent for the nation as a whole (Office of the Secretary, 1974). The disadvantage is even greater for rural Indian males, only 56 percent of whom are in the labor force. Low level of labor force participation also characterizes Indian females. Their 35 percent labor force participation is 6 percent below the national average (41 percent). The rate of rural Indian females is even lower (29 percent). Exclusion from the labor force is only part of the problem. Indians who are in the labor force manifest unemployment rates several times higher than the national average. In 1970, Indian males aged 16 and over had an unemployment rate of 11.6 percent, three times higher than the national rate (3.9 percent). The same pattern applies to Indian females, who experience twice as much unemployment as women in general (5.1 percent versus 10.2 percent). On some reservations unemployment rates are even higher. For example, according to the 1970 U.S. Census the unemployment rate for males on the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana was 32.2 percent, and on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming it was 32.8 percent. Yet apart from documenting these high rates, there has been little empirical research on antecedents and correlates of unemployment among Indians. In fact, one comprehensive review of research on employment discrimination against minorities notes the paradox that there have been few studies of employment problems among these, the most disadvantaged minority in the nation.' This paper reports the test of several hypotheses about correlates of unemployment among Indians residing in Umatilla County in northeast Oregon. The county includes the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the city of Pendleton. The dependent variable is unemployment, measured both with respect to current employment status and amount of unemployment over the entire work history. The independent variables