Mir earns a well-deserved honor

Strong University of Idaho Extension programs have profoundly benefitted the people of Elmore County for generations, and their value has become even more apparent during these trying economic times.

Mir-M. Seyedbagheri, U of I Extension Educator, has provided educational workshops, trainings and services for Elmore growers and residents for more than 25 years. He provides our growers and residents with cutting-edge information and services including agricultural, environmental, and horticultural technologies, weed and pest control, mosquito abatement, 4-H youth development, community development, and Master Gardeners classes for certification.

In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, this year Mir has been selected to receive the Governor's Award for Environmental Stewardship.

Growers and the county as a whole benefit from Mir's applied research, educational workshops, technological training, and on-farm consultations.

For 25 years he has conducted applied research trials in Elmore County on nutrient and irrigation management, variety selection, and disease and pest control in potatoes, sugar beets, small grains and alfalfa.

A pioneer in the field of humic substances in Idaho, today Mir is internationally recognized for his applied research on the impact of humic substances on soil and plant metabolism and crop production, and his findings have been published in major scientific journals.

Growers in Elmore County and the state have reduced their costs and increased crop production as a direct result of Mir's research, workshops, trainings and on-farm consultations.

Interwoven with Mir's teachings on basic soil and water conservation and cultural and biological methods for weed and pest control, are the latest scientific and technological advances that he gleans from state, regional, national and international scientific conferences that he attends and where he presents findings from his applied research trials in Elmore County.

Mir's applied research, international publications and "meeting of minds" with the international scientific community have been very beneficial for the Elmore County growers and economy, and have accorded Elmore County agriculture international recognition in the global agricultural market.

Mir's educational program has a profound impact on gardeners and horticulturists.

In addition to the Master Gardeners program, Mir teaches soil classes for the UI "Living on the Land" courses and several community gardening workshops.

Soil is a living system and Mir's primary focus is to educate growers and gardeners on the importance of returning our soils to their natural organic state before the critical depletion of our soils that has taken place over the past 100 years.

The University of Idaho conducted a survey of over 800 Idaho residents in order to determine the impact of the Master Gardener and Horticulture programs.

Following is a comparison of the results in regard to those who have attended extension horticulture educational workshops and training programs versus those who have not:

* People who have attended extension educational programs are three times more likely to use water-conserving "xeriscaping" practices than people who have not attended extension horticulture programs. Certified Master Gardeners are four times more likely to use xeriscaping practices.

* Master Gardeners are more likely to have paving stone, brick, or other permeable surfaces that allow water penetration into the soil. Those who have not attended Extension Horticulture programs are more likely to have concrete slabs, obstructing water penetration and increasing flow into the storm drainage system.

* People who have never attended extension horticulture workshops are two to three times more likely to leave their grass clippings for trash pick-up, increasing costs for garbage service as well as shortening the life expectancy of the landfill. Those who have attended Extension programs are more likely to leave the clippings on the lawn or use them in compost, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

* People who have attended extension horticulture workshops are 50 percent less likely to haul their woody plant waste to the dump or transfer station, thus conserving landfill resources.

* Master Gardeners are four times more likely to scout for pests before applying chemicals than those who have never attended an extension horticulture program, and are only half as likely to use chemical pesticides as their primary tool to control insects.

* Residents who have attended extension horticulture programs are two to three times more likely to have tested their soil for fertility, thus are less likely to overapply fertilizers that can leach into water systems.

New Master Gardener classes will be held in February 2012. Anyone interested in joining the class can contact the Elmore extension office at 587-2136 ext. 509, or send an e-mail to: elmore@uidaho.edu.

-- Elmore County extension office