07/13/07 CIG and PCN money

The Natural Resources Conservation Service says six Idaho projects will get 725 thousand dollars for innovative on-the-ground conservation projects. The Conservation Innovation Grants cover half the cost of projects like planting potatoes on flat-wide beds in contrast to conventional rows, direct seeding, bluegrass seed production without burning and pest management, including GPS technology to specifically locate potato cyst nematode populations to help reduce pesticide applications. Producers and grant recipients have to match the federal dollars one for one. Speaking of federal dollars more are coming to Idaho to battle the potato cyst nematode. CRAPO "The US Department of Agriculture announced the release of an additional 500 thousand dollars and that's on top of dollars that have already been provided." Senator Mike Crapo and the rest of the Idaho delegation applaud the half million dollars which is added to ten million dollars allocated by USDA last April. The potato cyst nematode was discovered 14 months ago and through intensive testing has only been found in seven Bingham County potato fields. The federal and state effort is not aimed at controlling PCN but rather to completely eradicate it. That process is likely to take years and more money is going to be needed in the future. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott