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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. Agriculture research reaches beyond the farm Farmers have always been innovators. Adopting new technologies to improve farm production has long been part of agricultural tradition. However, the impact of this research doesn't stop at the farm gate. For example, the recent national recall of spinach and reports of salmonella in produce show that food-borne pathogens can pass through the food chain undetected. Ensuring the safety of our food begins on the farm. Producers must continue to adopt management practices that protect the integrity of crops and reduce the likelihood of contamination. Purdue University experts are among those trying to determine the best practices to enhance food safety at the producer level. Purdue researchers also are developing technologies that can search out and destroy these microorganisms during food processing. Improved food safety is just one benefit of agriculture research. Others include a quality environment, renewable fuel sources, and protection from foreign pests and diseases. As a result, agriculture research makes our nation a better and safer place for all Americans. Indiana case is northernmost advance of soybean rust
The new case, detected in a soybean plot on a Purdue University research farm near Purdue's West Lafayette campus, is among six rust cases confirmed in the Hoosier state in the past week. Rust also was found in Knox, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties in southwest Indiana. "We found rust in some late-maturing soybeans at Purdue's Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE)," said Greg Shaner, Purdue Extension plant pathologist. "This is by far the northernmost find of soybean rust in the United States." The recent flurry of rust finds in Indiana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky provides valuable lessons for farmers and soybean researchers, Shaner said. "What we've learned is that even without a tremendous amount of rust at the source, viable rust spores moved several hundred miles over a two- or three-day period," he said. "If this had happened earlier in the season when our soybeans were still green, I think we'd be seeing rust all over the place. For more information on soybean rust, visit the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab Web site or call the Purdue soybean rust hotline at (866) 458-RUST (7878). read more Purdue agricultural graduates report fast job search, better pay An agricultural degree from Purdue University was the ticket to a quick job search for spring graduates. Seventy-two percent of May graduates reported landing jobs by Oct. 1, at an average annual salary of $36,234, according to a report by Purdue's College of Agriculture. The report was based on information provided by 98 percent of the 334 students receiving degrees this spring. Both the percentage of new graduates employed and starting average salaries were up slightly from those reported one year ago, continuing a long trend of strong job placement and pay among May agricultural graduates, said Allan Goecker, assistant dean and associate director of academic programs. "We've seen a remarkably consistent trend over the years of job placement within four months of graduation," Goecker said. "Some graduates also are choosing to continue their education." Starting salaries were up across the board for graduates in the agricultural and food engineering, food science and manufacturing, and natural resources management programs. "Overall, our May graduates reported a 2 percent increase in starting salaries from our May 2005 graduates," Goecker said. "When we see what is happening in the economy, that increase is not significantly out of line." read more Price already right for selling corn, agricultural economist says Corn growers entered harvest expecting to store their crop and wait for higher market prices. The wait already is over, said Chris Hurt, Purdue University agricultural economist. "It looks like we'll have higher prices the rest of this year and into early next year," Hurt said. Corn prices surged in mid-October when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a corn production estimate lower than what it had projected in September. The USDA predicted the nation's farmers would produce 10.9 billion bushels of corn this year, at an average yield of 153.5 bushels per acre. Indiana growers now are expected to produce 882.8 million bushels of corn this year, at a per-acre average of 165 bushels. Markets reacted quickly, catching some people by surprise, Hurt said. "We're seeing corn prices through the central part of the Midwest approaching $3 a bushel, and that's very much at the high end of the USDA estimate for the year," he said. "Up until the last few weeks we've all been saying store the corn crop. Now, there should be some consideration by producers -- especially those who don't have sufficient on-farm storage -- to look at doing some pricing of that crop out of the field right now." read more New biochip helps study living cells, may speed drug development Purdue University researchers have developed a biochip that measures the electrical activities of cells and is capable of obtaining 60 times more data in just one reading than is possible with current technology. In the near term, the biochip could speed scientific research, which could accelerate drug development for muscle and nerve disorders like epilepsy and help create more productive crop varieties. "Instead of doing one experiment per day, as is often the case, this technology is automated and capable of performing hundreds of experiments in one day," said Marshall Porterfield, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering who leads the team developing the chip. The technology could be used to screen and identify different crop lines, Porterfield said. "For example, let's say you were interested in developing corn varieties that need less fertilizer," he said. "If you had a library of genes that were associated with high nitrogen-use efficiency -- thus making the plant need less nitrogen fertilizer -- you could transform a group of maize cells with these genes and then screen each cell to determine the most efficient. Then you could raise the one that needed the least fertilizer, rather than putting a lot of different genes into hundreds of plants and waiting for them to grow, as is currently done." read more Trip abroad to open doors to understanding Latino culture As part of a program that seeks to improve the lives of Latinos in Indiana, Purdue Extension is sponsoring a trip to Mexico Feb. 24 - March 4 to provide a glimpse of life in a Latino culture. The trip is open to the public and is geared toward those who work directly with the Latino population. "There is a huge demographic change for which we are unprepared," said Purdue Extension educator Susan Tharp. "We encourage community, business and church leaders, and medical and service workers who are involved with the Latino population to attend." The trip itinerary will feature several cities and cultural activities outside of the normal tourist attractions, said Purdue Extension specialist Lee Stanish. For more information about the trip or to get a registration form, contact Tharp at (765) 659-6380, tharps@purdue.edu. read more DNR administrator to head Indiana State Chemist office
The office administers laws covering animal feeds, fertilizers, pesticides and seeds in the state. The agency is charged with ensuring food safety, user safety, proper labeling and protecting the environment. Waltz has been state entomologist and director of the Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources since 1988. In his new capacity, he also will retain the title of state entomologist. "I look forward to working as a member of the Purdue University community and continuing many relationships I have established through the years within a new venue," Waltz said. read more Upcoming Events Nov. 1-Dec. 1: Income Tax School & Agricultural Workshops Nov. 9: Townsend Outstanding Communicator in Agriculture Debate January:
Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy seeks applications
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Asian soybean rust has stretched its diseased arm farther north, with fungal infection found in Tippecanoe County, Ind.
Gov. Mitch Daniels has appointed Robert Waltz of Indianapolis as Indiana state chemist. He will manage the