Purdue Agriculture Report

JANUARY 2003

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

Purdue Agriculture sets funding priorities for next biennium
From Dean of Agriculture Victor Lechtenberg

I hope you find this newsletter a convenient connection to the latest research and education activities at Purdue. Please feel free to forward it to others. At the bottom of this page are links to other information sources and an option to subscribe or unsubscribe.

During the 2003 session of the Indiana General Assembly, legislators will pass a budget for the two-year biennium that runs from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2005. We all know that it's going to be difficult for the state to reach a balanced budget, and we've kept our budget requests to a minimum. The College of Agriculture's priorities for 2003-05 are to reinstate funding to three key areas:

Restore two positions in the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. With last year's West Nile virus outbreak and concerns about Chronic Wasting Disease in whitetail deer, the lab needs to be at full diagnostic capability.
Restore the seven percent cut in Extension funding. Without adequate state funding for Extension, the countywide system will have to shrink. Currently, there are twelve positions vacant due to funding shortages.
Restore the seven percent cut to applied agricultural research and Extension funds. Without these funds, we cannot conduct research that addresses critical areas, such as agricultural competitiveness and alternative enterprises.

In addition, Purdue University is seeking a two percent increase for faculty and staff compensation and a one percent increase for supplies and expenses.

Purdue, Indiana universities collaborate for better medicine

Purdue University and Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have launched a collaboration to increase knowledge of diseases and develop better treatments for humans and animals.

Scientists from Purdue's schools of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and the IU School of Medicine are initiating the Program of Comparative Medicine through a $2 million, two-year start-up grant from the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund.

"Much of the work we do at Purdue in both the Department of Animal Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine impacts both animal and human health," said Randy Woodson, director of agricultural research and co-author of the proposal that netted the state funding. "Purdue's role is to develop animal models for human diseases that also will provide benefits for improved pet and livestock health and productivity." read more

Purdue professor responds to accusations of U.S. agroterrorism

Scientific research doesn't support a recent Serbian newspaper article accusing the United States of agroterrorism by introducing the western corn rootworm beetle into Yugoslavia during the early 1990s, said a Purdue University expert who was asked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to respond to the accusations.

C. Richard Edwards, a professor of entomology, said it's more likely that the pest was accidentally introduced through passenger or cargo air travel. "I don't really believe that someone planted the insect there," said Edwards, who has traveled to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, five times in the past seven years to research the insect and assist local entomologists. "It is highly likely that the insects hitched a ride on an airplane into Yugoslavia in the mid-1980s, and they weren't observed until 1992 when plant damage was first noticed." read more

Families learn financial management skills

A single parent who immigrated to the United States hopes to secure the American dream for his daughters. A farm couple wants to protect their retirement fund and pass their legacy on to their children. A widow who has never written a check must learn to handle the finances. These are among the many people who have benefited from courses in basic financial management offered through Purdue Extension Consumer and Family Sciences.

Recent media coverage has brought family finances to the fore. But consumers are often unsure how to choose among the skyrocketing number of financial products and services available to them. "There is so much information that people are overwhelmed," said Janet Bechman, Purdue Extension family resource management specialist. "That's the biggest challenge." read more

Norman Borlaug to speak at Purdue Ag Fish Fry

Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize-winner and father of the "Green Revolution," which was responsible for feeding millions of people in Third World countries, will be the guest speaker at the 2003 Purdue University Ag Fish Fry, Feb. 8.

"The message that Dr. Borlaug brings is one that rings true to our alumni: that technology and biotechnology are the answers to feeding the world's population," said Donya Lester, executive secretary of the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association.

Prior to the Fish Fry, the annual Ag Forecast will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a discussion of rural economies by Mark Drabenstott, vice president and director of the Center for the Study of Rural America, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Upcoming Events

Jan. 31-Feb. 1 - Farming Together Workshop
Feb. 8 - Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry and Ag Forecast, for tickets contact the Ag Alumni Association at 765-494-8593 or debby@purdue.edu.

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