Project Number: 3620-41000-115-10
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 19, 2008
End Date: Mar 31, 2009

Objective:
Objective 1: Develop preliminary cropping guidelines for euphorbia production in the semi-arid western USA. Objective 2: Produce bulk euphorbia seed for oil processing studies at NCAUR.

Approach:
Building on previous work, these studies will be designed to answer continuing questions regarding crop agronomic factors including: planting date, irrigation rate, planting density, and cultivar response. In addition, we need to generate information regarding fertility response (specifically in response to nitrogen) that was not addressed in earlier studies. These field studies will be conducted at both the Klamath Basin Research & Extension Center (KBREC) near Klamath Falls, OR, and at SOREC. Although these two sites are only 80 miles apart, the KBREC site¿s elevation is about 3000 ft higher than the SOREC site. Thus, while both are located in productive agricultural areas, they represent two distinctly different zones within the Mediterranean, semi-arid climate found in much of the western USA. At KBREC, we also plan to re-plant and re-select some hybrids and superior individual plant selections made in earlier studies. In all cases, the field studies will be laid out in a standard replicated design, with plot size determined by treatments and equipment requirements. Some studies (e.g. plant density responses) can be done in small plots, whereas other studies (e.g. irrigation response) require larger plots. Observations will be made during the season and seed will be harvested and processed using research-scale equipment. KBREC and SOREC currently have nearly all equipment needed to perform these studies, although some modification and repairs are anticipated. Some transport of equipment and staff between the two locations will be required. Allowing for the particular variables of each study, plots will be maintained for maximum production using best known practices. After seed is harvested from the plots, and samples are saved for analysis of seed properties and oil content, the remaining seed from the agronomic studies will be added to the bulk seed produced under objective 2 and forwarded to USDA-NCAUR for their oil chemistry/processing studies, outside the scope of this SCA. Data will be analyzed using standard statistical methods.