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 AgComm
News Purdue Extension Purdue
Agriculture Purdue University 
Jay Akridge Olivia Maddox Cherryl Frederick 
Agricultural Communication |
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Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter for business and community leaders on research, academics and Extension across Indiana and around the globe. Purdue Agriculture focuses efforts on crop protection To help protect our nation's food supply and the economic viability of farmers, Purdue Agriculture has established the Center for Crop Biosecurity and Invasive Species. The purpose of the center is to identify invasive plants, insects and pathogens that could damage our crops and to discover ways to mitigate them. Ray Martyn, who has broad understanding of plant pests and diseases, leads the center, which also includes the Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. Martyn previously served as head of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. While Purdue Agriculture already is an important part of the National Plant Diagnostic Network, that network is charged only with identifying pathogens. The new center will go beyond identification to try to better understand crop risks and the proper way to respond to them. This center will accumulate information on crop threats that could occur either by natural or accidental introduction, or intentionally through an act of terrorism. The Purdue center also will provide education to those on the front lines in dealing with harmful pests and pathogens. Related link: Purdue Center for Crop Biosecurity set to protect Early soybean planting a growing trend in state Look up "early bird" in the dictionary and you might find a picture of an Indiana soybean farmer. A survey of Hoosier soybean producers by Purdue University found that growers are planting much earlier than they did a decade ago. Producers said they've moved up their planting operations in order to increase the odds of harvesting bigger crops and avoid planting delays caused by late spring rain, said Shawn Conley, Purdue Extension soybean specialist and survey coordinator. "In recent years we've seen a movement among growers to plant earlier," Conley said. "In our survey, we found that 67 percent of growers across the state of Indiana are planting their soybeans earlier today than they did 10 years ago. They are planting anywhere from one to three weeks earlier." More than 1,300 farmers across the state participated in the Purdue survey conducted this past fall. Complete survey results will be released in a report due out this spring. read more Workshop to provide guidelines for farmers' markets Five workshops scheduled across the state will provide an overview of marketing ideas, food handling regulations and insurance issues for farmers' market vendors and market masters, organizers and managers.
These one-day workshops will offer farmers' market participants a chance to voice their opinions and get ideas for handling certain issues during a roundtable discussion. Breakout sessions will focus on marketing issues like helping market masters reach the public and vendors and helping market vendors with product pricing and displays. "We want farmers' market vendors and market masters to be on the same page regarding the Indiana State Department of Health guidelines and insurance rules and regulations," said Jennifer Dennis, workshop coordinator and an assistant professor of horticulture and landscape architecture as well as agricultural economics at Purdue University. read more Field guide an agronomic best-seller - again A popular Purdue University agronomic reference book is flying off the shelves, but farmers who act quickly still can ensure a copy lands in their mailboxes.
The little yellow book, commonly called the "pocket guide," provides a wealth of management advice and information on raising corn and soybeans. The full-color guide is 293 pages. "This year we've expanded the number of pages by about 50," said Gerber. "The primary changes have been in the corn and soybean production sections." The field guide is available by calling the toll-free Purdue Extension hotline at (888) 398-4636 (EXT-INFO). A form for mail orders can be downloaded online. The Web page also contains a link for viewing sample pages from the 2006 field guide. read more Emerald ash borer Web site details quarantines, treatment options Hoosiers concerned about what emerald ash borer might mean for their trees and neighborhoods can get information about the state's plans and various treatment and replacement options on Purdue University 's Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Web site at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/eab.
Resources on the Web site include a recent videoconference with specialists from Purdue's departments of entomology and forestry and natural resources, along with representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The program includes discussions about tree replacement, disposal and treatment options, as well as presentations detailing the EAB overview and insecticide research. read more Purdue Agriculture honors nine distinguished alums Nine alumni received Distinguished Agricultural Alumni (DAA) awards earlier this month during a ceremony on the Purdue University campus. "We feel very fortunate to be able to recognize these outstanding men and women," said Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. "The Distinguished Ag Alumni program is designed to identify and recognize alumni who are accomplished in their chosen profession and in their communities. These nine people personify Purdue Agriculture." Honored this year were: Gary C. Bergstrom, Ithaca, N.Y.; Steven Bishop, Cincinnati, Ohio; Michael Culy, Indianapolis; Kun-Liang Guan, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Leslie Holland-Bartles, Anchorage, Alaska; Mark Kimmel, Modesto, Calif.; Chip Perfect, Lawrenceburg, Ind.; Matthew C. Reynolds, Auburn Hills, Mich.; and Max T. Rodibaugh, Frankfort, Ind. read more Upcoming Events Apr. 1 -- Purdue Block and Bridle Livestock Judging Contest Apr. 8 - Jun. 16 -- Operating An Efficient Farmers' Market Workshop Apr. 9 -- Purdue Ag Alumni Gala Week Reception Apr. 11 -- Undergraduate Research and Poster Symposium Apr. 12 & May 3 -- Grant Writing Workshop Apr. 14 -- Snyder Memorial Lecture Apr. 25 -- An Introduction to Starting a Specialty Food Business in Indiana Apr. 25-26 -- Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference
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Farmers' markets are expanding nationwide, providing local farmers an outlet to sell a range of products, such as produce, freezer beef and flowers.
Sales of the 18th annual "Corn and Soybean Field Guide" are up from 2005, said Corey Gerber, director of Purdue's Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center and field guide project coordinator. 
"Now that Indiana isn't cutting down ash trees around known infestations, it really becomes the responsibility of municipalities, utility companies and private residents to determine how they're going to deal with EAB," said Jodie Ellis, the exotic insects education coordinator at Purdue. "The Web site can give people the information they need to make those decisions."