January 2004
Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter about research and Extension in the Purdue University College of Agriculture.
Purdue answers the call during U.S. mad cow report
By Victor Lechtenberg, Dean of Agriculture
It was two days before Christmas when news broke of a dairy cow in the United States possibly diagnosed with mad cow disease. Suddenly, the holidays became even more hectic for those of us in agriculture.
However, the quick response from Purdue University experts and our colleagues at the Indiana Board of Animal Health, the Indiana Commissioner of Agriculture offices under the lieutenant governor and at the Indiana Beef Council were quite valuable.
We fielded media questions about the potential economic losses of our beef exports, how testing is done for foreign animal diseases and whether consumers could safely eat beef.
People make rational decisions when they know the facts in a timely manner. Purdue and our public partners served an important role in putting this incident into context and quickly responding to the needs of agriculture and the public at large.
During this period of prolonged scrutiny of the beef industry, we will continue to assure the public of the safety of the American beef supply. We will explain the additional safeguards now in place, and we will help producers deal with the economic impact.
Ag economists predict BSE impacts on livestock industry
Purdue experts: test high-risk, older cattle for mad cow disease
Purdue University experts say it's not necessary or economically feasible to test each cow that goes to slaughter for mad cow disease in the United States, even though there have been calls for complete testing in the weeks following the discovery of the illness here.
Leon Thacker, a Purdue veterinary pathologist and head of the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, instead proposes testing animals over 30 months of age as well as high-risk and disabled cattle for mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). High-risk and disabled cattle already are tested in the United States. read more
Animal identification provides multiple benefits
The plan to implement an animal identification program in response to the recent discovery of a U.S. cow infected with mad cow disease stands to benefit the livestock industry as a whole, said Ken Foster, a Purdue University agricultural economist.
"The plan to be able to
identify the origin of any animal, whether it's cattle or hogs or sheep,
will, in the end, cut costs to both farmers and consumers," Foster
said. "The economic cost of any livestock disease is lessened by
interrupting the cycle of the disease and minimizing the number of animals
lost. It's all about speed, and better identification and tracking systems
will help." read
more
Mad cow case could cost
$2 billion
A suspected case of mad cow disease in Washington state will have an immediate
but not devastating impact on the United States beef industry.
Live cattle prices are certain to fall, costing cattle producers money, said Purdue University agricultural economist Chris Hurt. However, those losses will come on the heels of record cattle prices. "The loss of U.S. beef exports represents about 10 percent of U.S. production," Hurt said. "If all other factors remain the same, we would look for a 12 percent to 16 percent drop in cattle prices. This probably adds up to a $2 billion hit to the beef industry at the farm level in 2004. read more
Fish Fry moves to Indiana State Fairgrounds
Husband-and-wife
political team featured
The 2004 Purdue University Ag Alumni Fish Fry on Feb. 7 will feature not
one, but two guest speakers, as well as a new location – the Marsh
Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The Washington, D.C., husband-and-wife team of Democrat James Carville and Republican Mary Matalin will discuss "All's Fair: Love, War and Politics," based on their best-selling book, All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.
"Whatever your political leaning, it should make for a very entertaining fish fry," said Donya Lester, executive secretary of the Ag Alumni Association. "Carville and Matalin are bright and exceptionally witty. And no other husband-and-wife team has had more access to America's last three presidential administrations." read more
Gov.
Kernan to headline Ag Forecast
Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan will headline this year's Purdue University Ag
Forecast at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 7 in Edy's Grand Hall at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
Kernan will address the role of agriculture and biotechnology industries in the economic development of the state. Admission to the forecast is free and open to the public. The ag forecast will conclude in time for participants to attend the Purdue Ag Fish Fry in the Marsh Blue Ribbon Pavilion on the fairgrounds. read more
New method to create microchips quick, inexpensive
Purdue University researchers have developed a new method to quickly and inexpensively create microfluidic chips, analytic devices with potential applications in food safety, biosecurity, clinical diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and other industries.
"This development democratizes the preparation of microfluidic biochips," said Michael Ladisch, Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. "This brings the design and manufacture of these devices within reach of scientists in many laboratories who can now easily test their ideas and conduct research within a typical laboratory setting."
Microfluidics is a branch of nanotechnology that involves manipulating minute quantities of liquids, typically in a chip device approximately the size of a postage stamp. The initial design and manufacture of these chips often requires weeks of work, but the new approach developed by Ladisch and Tom Huang, a graduate student in chemical engineering, cuts that time to hours. read more
Pocket field guide packs wallet-expanding crop tips
For 16 consecutive crop seasons farmers have relied on a little yellow book to grow better corn and soybeans. The tradition continues with the 2004 edition of Purdue University's Corn and Soybean Field Guide.
Commonly known as the "pocket guide," the handy resource contains information on crop production and management. The book is one of Purdue's best-selling Extension publications every year. The 2004 edition, also available in a CD-ROM version, sports a few more pages and a greater use of color, said Corey Gerber, director of Purdue's Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center and field guide project coordinator. read more
Upcoming Events
Jan. 20-Feb. 10 — Regional Beef Forums
Jan. 20-Feb. 5 — Dairy Roadshow
Jan. 20 — Indiana Family Impact Seminars, Indianapolis
Jan. 21-22 — The Heart of America Grazing Conference, Evansville
Jan. 26-28 — Indiana Horticultural Congress, Indianapolis
Jan. 26-30 — Crop Management Workshops
Feb. 2, March 5 — The Beginner's Guide to Grant Writing Workshops
Feb. 13-14 — American Dairy Science Association Student Affiliate Midwest Conference, West Lafayette
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