Purdue Agriculture Report

Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter for business and community leaders on research, academics and Extension across Indiana and around the globe.

I’m looking forward to a new year and my new job as Dean of Purdue Agriculture. It is an exciting time on campus and across the state, and I am humbled to be able lead the dynamic College of Agriculture.

There are many new opportunities for agriculture in the year ahead. For instance, Congress will begin work on the next Farm Bill and a new administration will lead our state. Everyone within Purdue Agriculture looks forward to working with our federal, state and local leaders to help address the growing challenges across our state and country.

The food, agriculture and natural resource system in Indiana – and across the country – is very strong, thanks in part to the development and implementation of advanced technologies. Purdue Agriculture has always worked to bring new technologies to the field, shop floor and beyond, and is poised to continue that tradition through advanced-manufacturing efforts.

Major advances within the life sciences are driving modern agriculture from crop biotechnology to animal health and from productivity to food safety and nutrition. Technological solutions for these concerns are emerging from discoveries in the life sciences.

Environmental policies need to be based on sound science. Indiana has an abundance of natural resources that support a very productive agriculture industry. Stewardship of these resources is critical to all of our futures. Purdue Agriculture is a leader in environmental sciences and natural resources research and education. We will work with local, state and federal leaders as they develop the next environmental regulations.

Supporting advanced manufacturing, the life sciences, and environmental sciences are just part of how Purdue will continue to help Indiana generate new economy jobs and strengthen rural communities.

Fuzz-free strawberries forecast with new food safety treatment

Open up a pint of strawberries from the grocery store, and more often than not you'll find a fuzzy berry or two in the mix. A blast of chlorine dioxide gas, however, promises to not only keep those berries fuzz-free, but also to kill off harmful bacteria living on their surface more efficiently than methods currently used by the food industry, say Purdue University researchers.

"Strawberries are tricky," said Rich Linton, professor of food science and one of the leaders of the current study on decontaminating strawberries. "They're notoriously difficult to clean, and their surface composition actually encourages bugs to grow."

Those bugs can include potentially lethal bacteria, such as E. coli, as well as viruses including hepatitis A, which caused an outbreak linked to frozen strawberries in 1996.

Linton and his colleagues at Purdue's Center for Food Safety Engineering, who already have demonstrated the efficacy of using chlorine dioxide gas to kill pathogens on the surface of apples and green peppers, have shown the treatment also removes significantly higher levels of pathogens than the current industry-standard chlorinated water rinse. read more

Soybean rust
Will it reach the Midwest next year?

The report of soybean rust in Louisiana means Midwest farmers may have to deal with the problem next growing season if the right mix of plant hosts and weather develops, according to Purdue University experts.

"We don't yet know how widespread the infection is, but if you find it in one location, it's likely that it's also on other nearby spots that you've not yet detected," said Ray Martyn, a professor and head of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. "If it's not controlled in Louisiana, then it could be a problem for Indiana farmers next summer."

Martyn said soybean rust could easily make the trek from the southern states to the Midwest during the next growing season if conditions are favorable. read more

What will the price tag be?

A devastating soybean disease has arrived in the United States, bringing with it a potentially high price tag for American farmers.

Phakopsora pachyrhizi – commonly known as Asian soybean rust – can decimate untreated soybean fields. The disease could hit farmers' pocketbooks hard and have repercussions for livestock producers and consumers, as well, said Chris Hurt, Purdue University agricultural economist.

Soybean growers forced to spray infected crops with fungicides would see dramatic increases in their production costs, Hurt said. The higher costs, coupled with slim profit margins, could drive some farmers out of the soybean business, he said. read more

Disaster preparedness is no game - unless you're playing this one

"Disaster Dave's Misadventures," an educational computer activity developed by Purdue Extension with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has just been released for the public. The focus of the program is to teach disaster-readiness skills in a fun and entertaining fashion. This is done through Disaster Dave, whom students help navigate through a variety of natural and other disasters.

"We know that students learn best when they interact with materials," says Purdue 4-H specialist Roger Tormoehlen. "We designed the game to provide simulated scenarios, portraying real disasters that can be influenced by student actions." read more

"Across the country, net farm income is expected to reach nearly $74 billion, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates," Hurt said. "This is about 24 percent higher than the previous record set just a year ago in 2003.

"So how does this pan out for a farm belt state like Indiana? We estimate Indiana's total net farm income will exceed $1.5 billion." The state's record net income per farm was $53,559, set in 1973. In recent years Indiana's average farm income reached $25,000 twice - in 1996 and 1997. Two years ago average income was just $6,539 per farm, however.

Both crop and livestock producers are enjoying profitable income years, Hurt said. read more

On Dec. 2 co-workers, former students and longtime friends honored Patterson's giving spirit and many achievements with a ceremony and seminar taking place in recognition of an endowed chair being named for him. The Indiana Crop Improvement Association, Lilly Endowment and Combs Estate Trust are funding The Fred L. Patterson Chair in Agronomy, which will be held by a researcher in translational plant genomics. The first researcher to hold the Patterson chair has not yet been selected.

"Fred embodies the teamwork so essential to successful research, and his part in developing more than 50 varieties of wheat, oat and barley is proof of his forward thinking," said Randy Woodson, dean of Purdue Agriculture. "He taught and mentored students from all over the world who have gone on to lead the way in crop breeding and genetics." read more