Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751050
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2016 77 a Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant for more than $400,000 to take the research further. It's called "Accelerating the Development, Evaluation, and Adoption of New Apple Rootstock Technologies to Improve Apple Grower Profitability and Sustainability." In all, Musacchi is the principal investigator or co-princi- pal investigator of projects with a collective value of more than $7.5 million. Endowed researchers also are able to attract collab- orators, like Musacchi already has. He is organizing a 2020 International Society for Horticultural Science symposium in Wenatchee named "Integrating Canopy, Rootstock and Environmental Physiology in Orchard Systems." The Belgium-based group, one of the leading horticultural science organizations in the world, holds this large symposium once every four years and has been in the United States only twice — Wenatchee hosted in 1996 and Geneva, New York, in 2008. Structure of the endowment The endowment is divided into three sections: Endowed chairs, extension information and technology transfer, and research facilities and operations. They all work a little differently. A total of $12 million of the endowment is allocated for the work of six endowed chairs, including Musacchi. The university pays the salaries, benefits and moving costs of the endowed chairs, while the interest from the endowment covers the cost of their projects, such as laboratory equipment, travel or hiring graduate students as assistants. Searches for an endowed chair of soil and rhizosphere ecology and a chair for postharvest systems are underway, while other potential areas of specialty for future endowed chairs may be engineering, automation and molecular biology. The chair slots are funded for up to $2.5 million. Musacchi's is at $1.5 million. Assuming 4 percent interest, that funding would provide him $300,000 in seed money over five years, the term of his position, available quarterly as long as the investments perform positively. If they don't, the money freezes until the original value is restored. The university has the option of renewing his endowment after five years, though a review could come anytime, he said. Another $12 million goes to information and technol- ogy transfer. The endowment interest directly pays for the salaries in this category, such as extension specialists like Blakey, web designers and others. Their jobs involve taking the conclusions of the endowed chairs and getting them into the hands of growers, packers, field represen- tatives and supply chain representatives. Other outreach areas of expertise in the future may include food safety, integrated pest management, entomology and web development, to name a few. The position of tree fruit team leader also is on the slate and is currently filled on an interim basis by Karen Lewis, though hers is not an endowment position. That leaves $8 million for research operations, which may mean improving orchards and facilities. For exam- ple, the university could use the interest from that por- tion of the endowment money to put wind machines or netting in a research orchard. Activities of the endowment are governed by the university's College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences and the Endowment Advisory Committee, a group of growers that meets four times a year. The committee takes a direct role in overseeing the work, too. The endowed chairs face an annual review from both the university and the committee. "This certainly increases the pressure on my shoul- ders," Musacchi said. Throughout the nation, crop industries often ante up for researchers and research projects. The tree fruit industry's endowment was the first to set up such a three-pronged approach, Godwin said. The structure allows flexibility to move money around and gives the researchers and extension staffers the ability to use endowment funds to attract other grants by proving the industry has skin in the game and guarantees seed money each funding cycle. In short, it gives growers some ownership of the uni- versity's work. "It's great to have a partner who is willing to vote with money," Godwin said. • Nitrogen Purge Option Available ULTRA LOW OXYGEN OPERATION ULTRA LOW OXYGEN OPERATION Complete storage technology for fruits and vegetables. CO 2 SCRUBBERS •SAVE TIME •SAVE MONEY •INCREASE FRUIT QUALITY GO LO 2 WITH SHIFLETT'S CO 2 SCRUBBERS • Sizes to fit your needs –25 models to choose from –Custom sizing available to 100,000 bins • Complete system installation SHIFLETT'S ADVANTAGES: • Saves time and money (no lime) • Independent room control • Local sales and service for over 30 years 104 - 11th N.E. • East Wenatchee WA 98802-USA Tel: 509-884-1540, Fax 509-884-0619 www.shiflettsinc.com • E-mail: shiflettsinc@shiflettsinc.com Gasket Seal CA Doors NOW AVAILABLE Shiflett's Scrubber 2thds 2-1-13_3/4 vert dummy 1/4/13 11:25 AM Page 1