October 2004

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

As of the first of October, 91 percent of our spring graduates were either employed or continuing their education, and 73 percent are working or studying in Indiana.
Purdue Agriculture grads are helping plug the so-called brain-drain in Indiana, and they are helping grow our state’s economy. Economists predict that agriculture is one of the sectors where job growth in the state is most probable, and many of those jobs will be in areas that are not traditionally thought of as agriculture.

Each year more and more of our graduates accept positions in value-added and service areas. While the economy dictates job creation, the shift in employment also is tied to our enrollment. We have a growing number of students studying horticulture, forestry and natural resources, and food science. These programs prepare graduates to find work in a market dominated by value-added positions.

Purdue University – and Purdue Agriculture – are preparing educated, innovative leaders for Indiana’s industries, and we help drive innovations in nutrition, health and medicine.
We help create new jobs in Indiana so our graduates can live and work in the state which helps grow the state’s new economy.

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NSF launches one-of-a-kind tree genetics center

Purdue University will lead a new National Science Foundation research center dedicated to improving the quality of valuable hardwood tree species through advances in genetics.

The joint center will involve scientists at Purdue and Oregon State University in addition to several federal agencies, private companies and trade associations. This partnership will allow forestry researchers to advance their work in improving the quality of hardwood tree species native to Indiana and much of the Midwest, such as black walnut, northern red oak and black cherry, which are highly prized by the fine furniture and cabinetry industries.

Scientists affiliated with the new Center for Tree Genetics will build upon the genetics research already under way at the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, or HTIRC, a joint U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Purdue research facility.

"This center is the only tree genetics center that the NSF has funded anywhere," said Charles Michler, head of the HTIRC and director of the Center for Tree Genetics. "This recognition acknowledges our position as one of the top forestry programs in the country." read more

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Lifestyle changes boost poultry, fish consumption

Chicken and fish are carving out a larger place on America's dinner plate at the expense of cattle and pigs.

Purdue University researchers studying 30 years of U.S. Department of Agriculture data found that a combination of demographic, health and ease-of-preparation factors led to increased consumption of poultry and fish in the United States. Meanwhile, consumption of beef and pork either dipped or stagnated.

"We looked at USDA per capita consumption data from 1970 to 1999, and beef consumption decreased while pork consumption stayed about the same," said Christiane Schroeter, a Purdue agricultural economics graduate student. "Poultry had a huge increase in consumption, and there also was a slight increase in fish consumption. There's definitely been a change in the overall pattern."

Before the mid-1980s, beef and pork were Nos. 1 and 2 in per capita consumption among the four meat groups. By the late 1980s, poultry zoomed past pork in consumer demand and, by the end of the 20th century, poultry consumption had nearly pulled even with beef. Fish consumption, while a distant fourth, gradually rose throughout the 30-year study period. read more

Asian lady beetles set to return, but their numbers are lower

Homeowners weary of their annual fight with Asian lady beetles may see fewer this year. Tim Gibb, a Purdue Extension entomologist, said Asian lady beetles will still be around, but there are indications that their numbers could be down when compared to last year.

"From sampling in soybean fields, the early indications are that the population of lady beetles will not be as high this year as it has been the past couple of years," Gibb said. "Using that as an indicator of whether or not we're going to have beetle pressure in homes, it may be telling us we're not going to have as big a problem."

The decrease is probably due to lower soybean aphid numbers throughout the state. The lady beetle is a natural predator of aphids. read more

Approximately half of the Corn Belt's crop acres will be harvested by yield monitor-equipped machinery in 2004, Lowenberg-DeBoer said. Around a third of the combines with yield monitors also are fitted with global positioning system (GPS) receivers, which allow farmers to record the location of yields and make yield maps. read more

Urban foresters provide data for tree management plans

Businesses conduct periodic inventories to establish a record of how much stock they have on hand and what they need to replace. A Purdue Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Extension program helps Indiana cities and towns find out the same information about trees that are located in municipal rights of way.

Street tree inventories compile information that helps city planners maintain diversity in tree species, determine health conditions and identify hazards to people, buildings and utility lines.

"Diversity is important so that the urban landscape won't be completely decimated by a pest invasion or disease," said Rita McKenzie, Purdue Extension urban forester. "A street tree inventory establishes a baseline. You have to know what you have before you can manage it." read more

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