EUGENE (AP) — Gov. Ted Kulongoski has proposed a ban on all grass field burning in the Willamette Valley by 2011.

Kulongoski wants to cut the acreage that grass seed farmers can burn by half in 2010 before banning it completely the next year.

The governor says he is concerned about health effects from exposure to smoke. He says studies show it is a serious risk for people with asthma or heart disease, along with children and the elderly.

Grass seed is a multimillion-dollar crop in Oregon, which provides much of the seed for the rest of the world. Farmers burn their fields every year to get rid of pests and plant disease.  His proposed ban will go to the Legislature next year for consideration.