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Arizona Department of Agriculture files, Karnal bunt1996-1998

RG 9 SG 3 Series 1

Historical Note

On March 8, 1996 the United States Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of Karnal bunt at a seed dealership in southwestern Arizona. It was found in Arizona durum wheat seed produced in the state in 1995. Karnal bunt is a fungal disease of wheat, durum wheat and triticale, which is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It is caused by the smut fungus Tilletia indica and is spread by spores which can be carried on a variety of surfaces including plants and plant parts, seeds, soil, elevators, buildings, farm equipment, tools and even vehicles. Spores can also be windborne although the sporidia are fragile and may be able to move only short distances. Infected plants produce less grain and the quality of the grain is affected. Flour made from bunted kernels is discolored and has an unpleasant, though harmless, fishy odor and taste. Typically, only a portion of the kernel is affected so the disease is sometimes called partial bunt.

The disease was first reported in 1931 in wheat growing areas near the city of Karnal, India. The disease has also been found in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and in northwestern Mexico. A number of countries prohibit or restrict the importation of wheat grain or seed from countries where Karnal bunt is known to occur. The U.S. is among the top three wheat-exporting countries, along with France and Canada. The finding in 1996 was the first evidence of the disease in the U.S. Concerns existed at the time that importing wheat countries would impose trade restrictions and seriously affect the US wheat market.

Governor Fife Symington and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) quickly declared an emergency which freed up funding and other resources to combat the disease. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) quarantined the State of Arizona, several counties in New Mexico, Texas and California, and restricted movement of grain and related equipment. The USDA established a panel of technical experts to determine the origin of the infection and develop an action plan. Governor Symington created a Task Force within the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) to implement an action plan and monitor day-to-day activities of the quarantine.

The ADA received lab test results by fax from the state agriculture lab. The reports came in for several days and for many days, faxes were received hourly. On March 19, thirteen reports were received; on March 20, eighteen were received; March 21, twelve were received; and so it continued for the rest of March and into April, 1996. Director Keith Kelly received the fax and copies were distributed to staff and task force members.

Scope and Content

The 11 boxes of the Karnal bunt collection provide a record of the actions taken by the federal government and the State of Arizona and insight into the response from other wheat-producing states.

Three issues stand out in this collection: first, the Karnal Bunt State Task Force, appointed to develop an action plan and monitor day to day activities of the quarantine and the state’s response; second, the research and discussion on whether the spores found in Oregon’s rye grass were the same species as those found in Arizona wheat; and third, the extensive correspondence, communication and debate among growers (local and across the U.S.), the scientific community and federal and state governments. The collection includes correspondence from a number of well-known local and national individuals, including US Congressman Bob Stump, Arizona Governor Fyfe Symington and Mr. Isi Siddiqui, who was with the California Department of Agriculture at the time (See SS 5).

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

All photocopies of original materials are made by staff. We reserve the right to refuse copy services based on physical condition and possible damage to the materials.

For preservation purposes, if microfilm copies are available, patrons will use the microfilm first.

Under Arizona Revised Statute 39-141, public records used for commercial purposes have additional requirements. Please contact the Arizona State Archives for further information.

Copyright

It is the researcher’s responsibility to determine the copyright status of materials he or she uses. The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records is not legally or financially responsible for any copyright infringement by researchers.

Many documents held by the Arizona State Archives fall under the Public Record law (ARS 41-1350). Documents created by the government are not copyrighted. The United States of America Copyright Law (P.L. 94-553, effective Jan. 1, 1978) extends statutory rights of authority to unpublished works which were previously protected by literary property rights under common law. Such works do not have to be registered with the Copyright Office to receive protection under the law.

Related Material

Separated Material

Six cassette tapes and seven minicassette tapes, of meetings in July and August 1996 and February 1997, were placed in Box 11.

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Credit Line

Bibliographic citations must cite the title of the record group(s), the box or volume number, the History and Archives Division and the name of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in full. Please use the following example:

Governor George W.P. Hunt to Ely Sims, November 21, 1919, Box 14, Office of the Governor, RG 1, History and Archives Division, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.

Provenance

The Arizona Department of Agriculture delivered 13 boxes of records to ASLAPR in 1999. Eleven boxes contained documents related to Karnal bunt, including subject files, state agricultural laboratory field test results and correspondence. The files were created and maintained by Department staff, including Director Keith Kelly, Deputy Director John Hagen, Karnal bunt project manager Ken Boyd and Public Information Officer Keith Meyer.

Accession A-1999-004

Processing Information

The Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) delivered 13 boxes of records to the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Eleven boxes contained documents related to the discovery of Karnal bunt in Arizona wheat fields in 1996. Two boxes contained documents generated by the Department, but were unrelated to Karnal bunt. Those two boxes contained administrative records of the Director’s office (calendars, building facilities, federal grants, risk management, travel), and other files related to biofuels, the Commission on the Arizona Environment, and meat and poultry audits from 1995.

Of the eleven boxes related to Karnal bunt, four contained subject files, organized, alphabetized and labeled from the office of Director Keith Kelly. Two boxes contained reports from the state agricultural laboratory on field tests and spore counts. Three boxes contained files from other Department staff – Ken Boyd who was the Karnal Bunt project manager for the state and liaison with the USDA; Keith Meyer who was the Education Outreach Specialist and Public Information Officer; and John Hagen who was the Deputy Director of the Department. When received, Mr. Hagen’s files were not organized to a fine level of detail, but were grouped into general categories. Many are quite large. Mr. Hagen’s original order is retained with the exception of the “correspondence” files which were organized by date during processing. Mr. Hagen’s keywords were used to a large extent. Please note, some of the documents found in Mr. Hagen’s files may also be found in other sub-series.

Director Kelly’s working file consisted of a file with a metal clasp that held papers that had two holes punched in the top. This file was approximately five inches thick. In order to facilitate review and copying, the documents were removed from the original folder and organized by date, as subseries 7.

In the final box processed there were several bright green file folders tagged with red Avery labels. Those files became subseries 6 – Meetings. Mixed in with these folders were additional papers that appear to be part of the Director’s working files. In addition to the files were six cassette tapes and seven minicassette tapes. The minicassette tapes are found in Box 9, folders 282 and 284. The cassette tapes, of meetings in July and August 1996 and February 1997, were separated and placed in Box 11.

Most of the files were organized into labeled folders. There is some duplication among the staff files and the Director’s files. The remaining boxes contained files, folders and correspondence that do not appear to be associated with any particular staff person. Those were organized by topic.

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