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SUNNY Temp: 59 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 8, 2003 David Sugar, a fruit storage research specialist with the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center in Central Point, will remain working on Rogue Valley research thanks to a two-year gift from the local fruit tree industry. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Fruit Growers to the rescue League gathered funding to keep OSUplant pathologist in the county By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Scientific research in the local fruit industry will continue with the financial support of Jackson County growers. The Fruit Growers League of Jackson County on Wednesday will present Oregon State University with a $60,000 gift with another to come next year to retain an agricultural researcher at the university’s research and extension center in Central Point. Facing budget cuts along with other Oregon schools, the university announced in December that it planned to move two of its three Southern Oregon researchers to other areas of the state. Advertisement "This region has unique problems," said Bill Eckart, executive director of the Fruit Growers League. "I felt that we could rally together and do something." The league started soliciting donations in March. By May, the organization had reached its goal, with some donors contributing $100 while larger agricultural interests chipped in thousands, Eckart said. The gift will keep plant pathologist David Sugar working for the local fruit-growing industry for the next two years. Tending Jackson County orchards for the past 25 years, Sugar helps fruit growers monitor and prevent disease to both their trees and harvested crops, reducing the use of sprays. His research also has promoted using ethylene to ripen and market pears early in the season. Without Sugar’s work, local growers would possibly lose up to 20 percent of their marketable fruit to disease and decay, Eckart said. Sugar was to be transferred to Hood River, also a major fruit producer for the state. However, research conducted there — primarily on Bartlett and Anjou pears — likely would not benefit Rogue Valley growers who prize the Bosc and Comice varieties. Jackson County has about 7,000 acres of orchards, which have been more fruitful in recent years thanks to local agricultural research, Eckart said. "We may be a smaller region compared to the Hood River region, but we produce very select products," Eckart said. A blow to the Rogue Valley’s fruit-growing industry likely would be felt throughout the whole community, said Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland. Hannon worked with Oregon State University and the league to find a solution to the budget crunch. "Regardless of how people perceive the fruit industry in the Rogue Valley, it’s still a major contributor economically," he said. Local growers view their contribution as a short-term solution, Eckart said. However, it isn’t clear if the state can fund the research and extension center in the next two-year budget cycle, he said. The center still will lose one researcher specializing in water quality and quantity issues to the university’s Klamath Falls research center, said Phil VanBuskirk, administrator of the Southern Oregon center. The Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center receives nearly 70 percent of its annual $1.5 million budget from state and federal funding, VanBuskirk said. Jackson County contributes 10 percent while 20 percent of funding comes through grants and contracts, he added. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times