soil conservation districts in the Pacific Northwest have also joined together and are recommending a major program on soil and water conservation research for the Pacific Northwest.

In the light of our recent experience in establishing facilities for soil and water conservation research, I would estimate that a major laboratory that would enable us to attack the wide array of fundamental problems pertaining to soil and water resources of the Columbia River Basin would cost $1,089,880. Annual operating costs for such a venture would cost, we estimate, about $995,500. A financial breakdown of these costs is presented in the attached statement. Also included is a brief discussion of the kinds of soil and water problems that need vigorous investigation.

There is alo attached a copy of the Summary Report, Columbia River Basin Area Agricultural Program, mentioned above, which sets forth the official findings of the Department pertaining to the soil and water problems of the region. There are no funds provided in the 1959 budget to cover the initiation of the research program under discussion. In our submission of recommendations for the 1960 budget we will give consideration to attaining the means to meet the soil and water research problems of the Pacific Northwest along with equally pressing problems prevailing in many other parts of the country.

Sincerely yours,

CECIL H. WADLEIGH, Director.

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH LABORATORY AND PROGRAM FOR THE

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

The nature and extent of the soil and water problems of the Pacific Northwest has received considerable attention in recent years. The United States Department of Agriculture in an official report entitled "Summary, Columbia River Basin Agricultural Program" in May 1954 discussed many of these problems. They point out that land use is an important factor related to water problems; that many farms, towns, and even some large cities are so located that they suffer flood damage during the occasional high streamflow; and that important treatment and adequate management of the land on the watersheds are major factors contributing to this water problem. Water conservation and control are inseparable parts of good land management. A more or less detailed breakdown of the problems are listed in this report.

In 1953, a committee consisting of people from agricultural colleges, wheat industry, Federal Government, and several other State officials met and prepared a report on research required to meet the problems farmers are encountering on wheatlands in the Pacific Northwest. This was later published in a bulletin entitled "Pacific Northwest Wheat Research Program," Circular 293, of the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station, dated September 1956. This document points out that the soil and water problems include those of erosion control, moisture conservation, fertility improvement, soil structure improvement, crop sequences, and management methods.

The 1957 Yearbook of Agriculture beginning on page 475 discusses the Pacific Northwest wheat region. The authors of this article stress the important soil and water management problems on conservation of moisture, maintenance of fertility and organic matter, control of erosion, and balance of available nutrients and moisture as key factors in the agriculture of the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. H. B. Cheney and others of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in Advances of Agronomy, 1956, in discussing field crop production and soil management in the Pacific Northwest emphasizes the complex soil factors by pointing out that 28 different great soil groups are involved in the Columbia Basin area. They further show the erratic summer precipitation, the need for moisture conservation and the danger of erosion and floods during certain times of the year. They point out that the streamflow in the Pacific Northwest is greater than in all areas of the United States west of the Mississippi River. Development is still in the early stages. This article gives a good example of many of the soil and water management problems important in crop production in the Columbia Basin area. More recently the State Soil Conservation District Association of the Pacific Northwest developed a brochure entitled "Soil and Water Conservation Research Laboratory for the Pacific Northwest" in which they pinpoint many of the soil and water problems of the area.

The various studies referred to above, while differing in degree and approach, can more or less be summarized into the following three categories dealing with soil and water problems. They are dry farm land, range land, and irrigated

land. Within each of these categories, each of the problems may be stated as follows: The problems associated with dryland farming are essentially those of (a) moisture conservation: (b) erosion control; (c) soil fertility requirements; (d) soil and water management including crop sequences, crop cover and stubble management; and (3) soil structure improvement.

The range land problems are essentially those associated with (a) moisture conservation; (b) erosion control; (c) soil fertility requirements; (d) methods of evaluating soil and water conditions; (e) methods of establishing vegetation on badly eroded, overgrazed and/or burned-over lands; and (f) mountain meadow improvement including saline and alkali areas.

The problems associated with irrigation are those of (a) irrigation water management; (b) drainage water management; (c) soil fertility and nutritional relations; and (d) soil-plant-water relationships.

It is apparent from the listing above that dryland farm areas, dryland ranges, and irrigated lands have many problems which are similar. For instance, soil fertility, moisture conservation, and erosion problems are of importance on all of the lands. The important point is that all of these problems deal basically with soil and water, their interrelationships not only with each other but also with plants. Groups of scientists can best work as teams on these various problems and the fundamental findings then reduced to practice wherever the problem may exist.

Mr. HORAN. Mr. Chairman, I have a statement that I would like to present to the committee at this time on behalf of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and the Oregon Wheat Growers League, with your permission. I think it is factual in its information. Mr. WHITTEN. Without objection, it will be included in the record at this point.

(The above-mentioned document follows:)

JOINT STATEMENT BY WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF WHEAT GROWERS AND OREGON WHEAT GROWERS LEAGUE

PART I. AN EXPANDED SOIL AND WATER RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR MANAGING SOILS FOR WHEAT PRODUCTION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Erosion of soils in the Pacific Northwest wheat area presents a grim threat to sustained production of wheat and other crops. Lands in the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho during the past several seasons have been particularly damaged by erosion. This unchecked erosion if allowed to continue will eventually remove all of the soil from the steeper slopes, exposing unfertile subsoil and bedrock. Erosion losses over the entire area are reducing the organic matter and nutrient levels in soils, thereby reducing yields and farm income. The consequent deterioration in soil structure is increasing runoff, accelerating the rate of erosion, and decreasing moisture storage vital in any type of dryland program. Wind erosion is also a problem in the drier areas of lighter textured soils.

The productiveness of wheatlands in the northwest has been phenomenal for the short time that they have been farmed. This fact has made it easy to overlook their decline to date. Funds for research have not been sufficient to do much more than point to the problems. We do not understand how to prevent the movement of the soil and water down the hill with the spring thaw of snow or heavy summer rains. Many areas are still farmed in a manner that is conducive to severe water erosion. Problems pertaining to tillage operations, adaptable crops, and crop sequences, yield decreases connected with decline in soil structure, fertility, and ways of conserving moisture for the following crop, are not adequately understood.

Although the agricultural problems for the various soils and climatic conditions differ in their overall solution there are problems of a specific nature which will find application in any of the areas of the Pacific Northwest. At present there is a small amount of work being done at the State and Federal branch stations. A great need exists for additional work where soil and plant samples from sites of field investigations and special problems may be analyzed. Some of the problems that require a regional attack are such things as a need for basic research on effect of the chemical, and physical properties of the soil on

infiltration, permeability and water storage capacity. The effect of climatic variables in relation to the nutrient levels and moisture availability for maximum production are also required.

In our age of science, more precise equipment and better means of chemical and physical investigations are being developed daily; usually this involves expensive and complicated apparatus. Such apparatus cannot be placed at every location, but one piece might well be placed in a central branch station or laboratory where it could meet the requirements of the entire area. Great savings would result if special apparatus could be concentrated in one location. Difficult soil and plant problems could be attacked, and new progress made, that would result in the control of erosion and maintain fertility of these lands.

As with specialized equipment, brains and know-how of scientists, could also be better utilized if concentrated in a central location. Specialization is required and specialization is expensive if work is distributed at many locations. In addition to the central branch station or laboratory it would be necessary to establish field trial experiments in several other areas of different soil types, and under a number of different climatic conditions in the Pacific Northwest. All of the outlying field testing stations now in existence would fit into this central approach. However, they would need strengthening along with the central program.

Relative priority rating based on a survey in the States of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, weighted according to wheat production, give priority to the following soil and water conservation problems.

1. Erosion control.—This would involve expanded work on maintaining a crop or residue cover on the land, conveying runoff water down the slopes without erosion, tillage equipment, special conservation practices such as contouring, strip cropping, and related cultural management. The objectives of the research are to control wind and water erosion without reducing wheat yields.

2. Moisture conservation.-The usable soil moisture supply and its relationship to available soil nutrients sets the limit of wheat yields in most of the area involved. Work on this problem will include methods of decreasing losses of water by runoff and evaporation, thus increasing the supply at the time of maximum use by the crop.

3. Crop sequences and management methods.-Wheat dominates the cropping program in the area, yet questions concerning soil building crops and crop sequences continue to arise. Gaps in our information exist on suitable cropping systems which provide a place for grass, legumes, weed control, cover crops, green manure crops, fertilizers, and residues. A limited amount of work is in progress. Basic and detailed experiments are required to provide the answers to these problems.

4. Soil structure improvement.-The structure of wheat-producing soils has declined from the virgin state as a result of cropping practices and erosion. Associated with deterioration of structure is lowered infiltration, increased runoff resulting in severe erosion, and lowered crop yields. Chemical and microbiological changes are a part of the problem. Methods of evaluating, measuring, and improving structure of soils will be investigated.

5. Fertilizers and fertility improvement.—Fertilizer use on wheat is increasing year by year. Proper use of fertilizers is the key to sustained production and utilization of residue essential for soil conservation. With continued decline in fertility levels, commercial fertilizers are being used without adequate information. Additional work on this problem would include determination of types of fertilizer to apply, amount, time of application, and climatic conditions, which influence crop response in a particular region.

The above program of research would be most effective if coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture through cooperative agreements with the experiment stations located in the various States.

Because of the regional nature of the problem, the USDA should supply most of the facilities, salaries, and operating costs of this important program. Work would also be closely coordinated with farmer-industrial groups, such as the Oregon and Washington Wheat Growers Leagues, the State organizations of soil conservation districts, and the Pacific Northwest Crop Improvement Association. The income from wheat alone in the Northwest is over $300 million annually. Soil and water conservation research has not kept pace with the ever-growing needs. The fact is that less money is being spent at the present time for soil and water conservation research than was spent in 1940, based on the present value of the dollar.

Plans for a stronger soil and water research program should have a regionalwise approach for the sake of efficiency and economy. This can be accomplished in either of two ways. One way is to enlarge the facilities and increase the personnel at the present land-grant college branch research stations in the Pacific Northwest. The other way would be to establish a central laboratory, probably at one of the already existing stations, and to strengthen the work presently being done at the other existing stations.

In order to get this much needed work done by either of the methods suggested will require an additional $995,000 recurring budget for salaries and annual operating costs together with an overall nonrecurring budget of $1,090,000 for added operating facilities such as offices, laboratories, garages, sheds, etc. These figures were developed for us by the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division of Agricultural Research Service at Beltsville, Md. The estimates cover the overall needs of the Pacific Northwest for research work on dry farmlands, irrigated farmlands and rangeland. While our statement only covers the work necessary to strengthen the program on dry land farms, we are certain the Department feels it would be more economical to consider all phases of the necessary work at one time.

PART II. EXPANDED WHEAT BREEDING AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TO SUPPLEMENT THE PRESENT PROGRAM OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

The Federal wheat breeding program of the Pacific Northwest has been hampered because the present wheat breeders have to spend much of their time carrying out needed variety, performance and yield tests at representative localities throughout the area. Therefore, it is recommended that a technician be employed in the Pacific Northwest to carry out such tests and thereby relieve the wheat breeders at the branch stations of this responsibility. This would permit these breeders to spend more time utilizing new techniques for breeding for increased winter hardiness and improved quality. Strengthening of these efforts would require that the facilities for testing for cold resistance and quality be added. Preliminary tests indicate that artificial hardening and freezing facilities may be useful in selecting cold-resistant crosses during the early generations. At present, the use of such a method is limited because the present facilities for hardening are inadequate.

Increased greenhouse and hardening facilities, and the addition of suitable growth chamber facilities would be necessary before this phase of wheat improvement could be accomplished.

Another phase of wheat improvement that needs to be strengthened is that of breeding directly for quality. Recently developed microtechniques for measuring milling quality and protein content give indications that these may have reached the stage where they can be utilized in selecting segregating material for improved milling quality, and for a specific level of protein content, or the potential for a specific protein content. Additional laboratory equipment and laboratory assistance are necessary for such research.

A third endeavor needed in the strengthening of the wheat-improvement program is a fundamental study of the growth and the development of the wheat plant. These studies should include research on environmental effects on wheatplant development, physiochemical reactions during plant development and many other fundamental studies. The answers to many applied problems such as winter hardiness, disease reaction, etc., may be found when plant growth and development are better understood. Such an endeavor will require the employment of a plant physiologist. Additional greenhouse and growth chamber facilities will be essential for this type of research.

In order to accomplish this work it will require an additional recurring budget of $50,000 for salaries and annual operating costs and a nonrecurring budget of $90,000 for greenhouse facilities and growth chambers.

CONCLUSION

We, in the Pacific Northwest, are happy to be able to report to Congress that our State and Federal research workers have always worked together as a team. We can assure you that we have received the maximum benefits from the research funds now being used in our area. And we are certain that increased funds placed in the Pacific Northwest will give us maximum results for the dollars spent.

We have presented our suggestions for strengthening both the soil and water and wheat breeding programs in our statement today. Since both programs will require additional facilities, it is our thinking that economy can be attained by considering the entire program at one time. This could avoid the necessity of building two facilities when one slightly larger building might be all that is needed.

This statement has purposely been vague as to whether we need a central USDA laboratory or a strengthening of our present State and Federal stations. Next week, on March 18, a meeting is being held in the State of Washington, to be attended by the presidents of our land-grant colleges, the directors of our State experiment stations, representatives of our State soil conservation districts, representatives of our State wheat growers associations and representatives of the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA.

We are certain, after this meeting, that we can report to you, through our good friend, Congressman Walt Horan, that an agreement has been reached as to how best to accomplish this much needed research work.

Mr. WHITTEN. We appreciate your statement and the interest you have in this subject, and assure you of the interest the committee has in it.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a comment on the record, if I may.

Mr. WHITTEN. Of course.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Mr. Root, I think you are absolutely right when you caution the Congress against going too hurriedly in the proposed reduction in production research.

Just because we do have temporary surpluses is no reason why we should forget or quit our research into real problems of wheat and other small grains; and by so doing, we might suffer incomparable harm in the future.

After all, it does take a good many years to develop a certain strain of wheat; does it not?

Mr. Roor. Yes, it does, it takes many years to develop a certain strain of wheat and this is happening with the present program-I am in hopes that the increase in civil-service salaries will correct it— we are losing scientists to industry from our agricultural research program, and it is hurting agricultural research, some of these research programs are going to have to be curtailed. You cannot stop a program and then start it again a year later, without losing several years of time in getting the program on schedule.

Mr. ANDERSEN. You are absolutely right.

Mr. HORAN. Mr. Chairman, may I'interpose here?

Mr. WHITTEN. Yes.

Mr. ANDERSEN. I will yield.

Mr. HORAN. Are you aware of the fact, or have you taken cognizance of the fact that the agronomist gets $2,000 less than if he were a chemical engineer fresh out of college?

Mr. ROOT. We are aware of it, but in order to keep my testimony from getting too long, I didn't use any examples of this fact which you have mentioned in my statement.

Mr. ANDERSEN. Mr. Root, I appreciate personally your coming before this committee and making this statement for the record. I believe your statement had very much merit.

Mr. ROOT. Thank you.

Mr. WHITTEN. In connection with the statement on production research, another angle to it is that, with present costs of operations in agriculture increasing in every direction, the farmer would have

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