August 2003

Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter about research and Extension in the Purdue University College of Agriculture.

By Victor Lechtenberg, Dean of Agriculture

Purdue Agriculture has a proud history of teaching young people of Indiana about our food, agriculture, and natural resource systems and a multitude of other topics through our 4-H programs. We are equally proud of our role in educating the next generation of agricultural communicators and high school agricultural science teachers. We are now bringing these three programs together into one department—Youth Development and Agricultural Education.

Bringing these units together strengthens our academic research, our scholarly capacity and our ability to interact with young people across Indiana. Statewide, we expect 4-H to grow stronger and attract a wider array of youth interested in a broad range of career opportunities. We plan to add a new faculty position/academic counselor in agricultural communications. We will maintain our emphasis on hands-on education through internships and student contact with the Agricultural Communication staff. This move also will benefit students who are studying to become agricultural science teachers. They will see higher caliber technical content in their curriculum and, for the first time, the key professors will be in the same school as their students.

This new department is a model for multi-disciplinary research and education that today’s complex issues require. We are excited to be bringing the faculty, staff and students together, and we expect these changes to bring benefits that will reach far beyond the boundaries of campus.

Indiana State Fair

Purdue Agriculture provides array of activities
Learn how a female mosquito sucks blood, test your knowledge of our environment, find out about healthy eating habits. These are among the many exhibits and activities representing the schools of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine and Consumer and Family Sciences at the Indiana State Fair, Aug. 6-17.

"There will be information-packed displays for both children and adults to enjoy," said Dana Neary, events and education activities coordinator at Purdue. "This is our opportunity to showcase what we're doing in research, extension and teaching." read more

A celebration of all that's Purdue Aug. 13
The second university-wide Purdue Day at the Indiana State Fair takes place, Wednesday, Aug. 13, with more than 50 tents on Main Street with interactive Purdue booths and displays that showcase the university's schools, departments and achievements. Additonally, the Boilermaker Special will give train rides and the Purdue Musical Organizations will perform.

"Purdue Day is a great way for us to travel to a central location where we can visit with our old friends and make new ones," said Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement. "Our visit to the State Fair also is part of a larger, statewide initiative in which it is our goal to travel to cities and towns across Indiana to bring our university to Hoosier citizens." read more

Exhibit shows right path to water quality
One Indiana State Fair exhibit will use native grasses to demonstrate how landscaping can prevent water contamination and slow runoff as part of a display of water quality management practices. "The Pathway to Water Quality is an interactive exhibit that will show how everything has to work together to keep the water clean," said Jim Krejci, Purdue Extension soil and water conservation coordinator. "The exhibit area includes a log cabin, a freshwater well, a covered bridge and a flowing stream." read more

Purdue developing model for studying human disease

A $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is helping Purdue University scientists move closer to making zebrafish the premier laboratory animal for studying human development and disease.

The goal of the three-year grant, which began Aug. 1, is to create zebrafish in which a gene has been modified or permanently turned off, and the offspring inherit the alteration, said Paul Collodi, Department of Animal Sciences professor and senior researcher on the project. The researchers are interested not just in making a genetic change, or mutation, in one fish, but also in its future generations, and more.

"The goal is to enable us to learn the role of specific genes in the zebrafish, which is an organism that is easy to study," Collodi said. "This information then can be applied to studying gene function that's involved in human disease and embryo development."
read more

Abnormal plant shows scientists path to plant, animal development

A pickle-shaped root is revealing how plants develop from embryos to adults and also may hold answers about cancer cell growth.

Purdue University researchers have uncovered nine specific genes that are shut off before plants make the developmental transition from the embryonic stage to adulthood. Results of the latest study are published in the July issue of The Plant Journal.

"We now have data supporting the hypothesis that the gene PKL is a master regulator of genes that promote embryonic identity," said Joe Ogas, an associate professor of biochemistry. "Some of the genes we identified are known to control plant embryo development. They tell the plant, 'be a seed.' Then PKL says, 'You're done being a seed,' and turns them off." read more

New CD-ROM puts producers in virtual soybean fields

Farmers and other crop professionals have a new tool to aid them in soybean production — a CD-ROM developed by Purdue University researchers called "Soybean Growth, Development and Diagnostics."

"This is a world-class diagnostic tool," said Lee Schweitzer, a professor of agronomy at Purdue and lead developer of the CD. "It contains a wealth of information in a highly visual and easy to use format."

The CD contains multimedia coverage of 104 damage factors affecting soybeans. Color photos and video and sound clips cover things like disease, herbicide injury, insects, nematodes, nutrient deficiency and other damage.

"Soybean Growth, Development and Diagnostics" is available for $100 through the Agricultural Communication Media Distribution Center, 231 S. University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2064, phone (888) 398-4636 or e-mail media.order@purdue.edu.
read more

Purdue experts hold informational sessions at Farm World Expo

Purdue University experts will educate visitors to the Farm World Expo about the latest techniques in technology and farming during free seminars. The expo takes place Aug. 19-21 at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds in Terre Haute, Ind.

"This year's event will be the largest outdoor farm show in Indiana, and we're very excited about hosting the expo," said David Blower, Farm World editor.

Purdue faculty will be among the experts giving seminars on all three days of the show. "Purdue is the authority when it come to agricultural research and information in Indiana," Blower said. "We're extremely pleased to have Purdue experts involved." read more

Upcoming Events

August 21, 2003 — Agronomy Farm 50th Anniversary

August 21-24, 2003 — Swiss Wine Festival, Vevay, Ind.

 

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