Through the efforts of two Oregon State extension agents, a state extension specialist and some farmers there's improved pesticide application on 23,600 acres in Polk and Yamhill Counties. Maybe we can do both. The research also suggests ranchers can develop and maintain wildlife habitat with minimum time, expense and effort. The Great Smoke-out. But traditionally, growers burn the stubble in their fields after harvest to stimulate growth of the next crop and to reduce insect, weed and disease problems.
Urban dwellers complain about the impact on air quality.
Now Idaho researchers and extension agents are showing that farmers can produce seed crops without burning. Agricultural engineers at Clemson have developed a way of simplifying ponds that trap sediment from construction sites. The technique is used for the design of most sediment ponds in South Carolina. Making beans a friendlier crop. A land-grant team in Nebraska has developed new bean varieties that resist rust, a serious fungal disease.