TREND WATCH

Argentinian Model for Training Aircraft: LTV Corp. of Dallas has chosen a foreign military aircraft on which to base its entry in a huge U.S. military procurement program. LTV is one of several competitors preparing to bid on the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, the all-purpose trainer for the Air Force and Navy. The initial contract calls for more than 500 Air Force and 300 Navy aircraft, with the possibility of as many as 1,000 planes in the long run. Instead of building its own trainer from scratch, LTV found a plane by Fabrica Militar de Aviones in Argentina that fits most of the specifications and can be altered to fit the U.S. military’s needs. The military’s decision will not be made until the beginning of 1994. Dallas Morning News

Good and Bad Crop News: Cool, wet spring weather across the United States delayed planting and slowed early plant growth of peas, corn and green beans, and resulted in smaller crops than expected. To make matters worse, the sudden warm weather in recent weeks has caused many crops to mature all at once rather than at the staggered pace planned by farmers. However, this may be good news for processors, because a little bit of crop shortfall raises prices and profit margins, and the odd weather did not cause major crop shortages. Milwaukee Business Journal

Maine Takes Aim Against Waste: Maine is so serious about recycling that it has committed itself to recycling half its solid waste by 1994. To that end, it has outlawed the single-serving juice boxes that fit so neatly into lunch boxes. The ban on these boxes, as well as mandatory deposits on all beverage containers except those for dairy products, took effect at the beginning of this month. State officials say the boxes, which are made of plastic on paper on aluminum, are not recyclable at present. Boston Globe