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 AgComm
News Purdue Extension Purdue
Agriculture Purdue University 
Jay Akridge Olivia Maddox Cherryl Frederick  Agricultural Communication |
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April 2009 Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter for business and community leaders on research, academics and Extension across Indiana and around the globe. Current economy puts focus on new opportunities An economic downturn may provide the incentive — maybe through necessity— for some entrepreneurs to begin their own businesses. My own grandfather found this to be true during the Great Depression in 1933 when he founded the farm supply business in Kentucky that my brother runs today. Purdue Extension has been working to help entrepreneurs explore their dreams for several years. Among the resources for those who want to consider starting their own businesses is the business planner InVenture located on the Internet, which helps people establish a strategy for starting up their enterprise. The business planner is located at https://www.agecon.purdue.edu/planner/. Ironically, by working through the planner, some individuals have decided not to proceed further with their business idea. And, while perhaps initially disappointing, the objective look that a tool like INVenture provides may be the very best advice, keeping what looked like a good idea from turning into an expensive failure. Purdue Extension has a long history of helping people improve their lives and livelihoods. The land-grant mission is alive and well, and we are certainly going to continue to use the resources of the university to help citizens weather the storm and find new opportunities. Study finds big shifts in Indiana immigrant trends since 1990
Today's Indiana immigrant likely is Mexican or Asian, under age 40, a blue-collar laborer and not as proficient in English as foreign-born people who came to the United States even 20 years ago, according to a Purdue University study. "The immigrant population is young, it's growing and it is increasingly diverse," said Brigitte Waldorf, a Purdue agricultural economist and the study's lead researcher. "It used to be most Indiana immigrants were from Europe, but not anymore." Purdue's study, "Immigrants in Indiana: Where They Live, Who They Are, and What They Do," provides a demographic snapshot of the state's foreign-born population. Read the study online at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/pubs/paer/2009/february/waldorf.asp. Chip can make sure safe food products aren't unduly discarded
A tiny chip developed at Purdue University can detect harmful bacteria in food products more accurately and significantly quicker than more traditional tests. Arun Bhunia, Purdue professor of food science, found a way to use human cell receptors in biochips to detect the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium common in deli meats and some unpasteurized cheeses. Listeria monocytogenes can cause sickness and death in people with weakened immune systems. "If you want to modify this, you could use different receptors to detect salmonella, E.coli or any other pathogenic bacteria," Bhunia said. "There are many potential uses." Row crop production on its way to normalcy, Purdue economist says The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Prospective Plantings Report didn't show much change from last year - acreage devoted to soybeans practically the same, corn down 1 percent. "The last two years, 2007 and 2008, we've just seen massive acreage shifts for corn and soybeans," said Chris Hurt, Purdue Extension agricultural economist. "This report shows that we are starting to get back to an equilibrium or closer to a balance here in much of the Midwest. "In Indiana we are about 50/50 corn and soybeans. That's about where we were going into 2007 and 2008, so I think we are moving back toward a little bit more stability." Hurt and fellow agricultural economist Corinne Alexander presented their analysis of the report via IP videoconference, which is archived at http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/programs/outlook_connect.asp. The USDA Prospective Plantings Report is available at http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1136. Researchers identify a process that regulates seed germination
Purdue University researchers have determined a process that regulates activity of genes that control seed germination and seedling development.
Mike Hasegawa, the Bruno C. Moser Distinguished Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Kenji Miura, a former Purdue postdoctoral researcher and now an assistant professor at Tsukuba University in Japan, discovered the step involved in keeping seeds from germinating in adverse conditions such as freezing temperatures or drought, a factor in the survival of plant species. The work is part of ongoing research that has uncovered that similar processes affect a plant's freeze tolerance and absorption of phosphate. "We've found the process, called sumoylation, is involved in the regulation of some major agricultural traits," Hasegawa said. "It is fundamental, basic research like this that allows us to understand how plants respond to hormones and environmental conditions." Nanoscopic probes can track down and attack cancer cells
A researcher has developed probes that can help pinpoint the location of tumors and might one day be able to directly attack cancer cells. Joseph Irudayaraj, a Purdue University associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, developed the nanoscale, multifunctional probes, which have antibodies on board, to search out and attach to cancer cells. "If we have a tumor, these probes should have the ability to latch on to it," Irudayaraj said. "The probe could carry drugs to target and treat, as well as reveal, cancer cells." Economists: What sent farm prices up now bringing them down A trio of economic factors that sent commodity prices soaring in mid-2008 has since reversed course and is pushing prices lower, according to an updated report by three Purdue University agricultural economists. "The three major drivers that we identified last year were trends in global production and consumption, the value of the dollar, and biofuels," said Wally Tyner, who, along with Philip Abbott and Chris Hurt, released "What's Driving Food Prices?" this past July. "One of the key questions we asked in doing this new study was, 'Are these same three that drove prices up the ladder now driving prices down the ladder?' The answer is yes." To read the July 2008 "What's Driving Food Prices?" report and update, go to the Farm Foundation Web site at http://www.farmfoundation.org. Mintert named assistant director of Purdue Extension Service
James R. Mintert, Extension state leader and livestock marketing economist at Kansas State University, has been named assistant director of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. "Jim Mintert is a highly successful Extension livestock marketing economist at Kansas State University with programs known nationwide," said Chuck Hibberd, Purdue Extension director and associate dean of agriculture. "This experience, combined with Jim's tremendous leadership skills will help us continue to position our agriculture and natural resources Extension programs to effectively serve the critical, emerging needs of our clientele." As assistant director, Mintert will lead Purdue Extension's agricultural and natural resources programming. Purdue Extension provides educational programs and production and marketing information for crop and livestock producers in Indiana's 92 counties. Mintert succeeds Thomas Jordan, who has returned to his prior assignment as Extension weeds specialist. Upcoming Events April 17: Agricultural Economics Snyder Lecture April 18: Indiana Dairy Youth Conference April 18-19: Purdue University Spring Fest April 19-22: Food Animal Agriculture Discover Conference April 21-22: Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Converence April 25: Master Gardeners Spring Symposium April 25: Purdue Beef Unit Production Sale May 2-3: Draft Horse Workshop May 5-6: Hardwood Workshop May 7: Lumber Grading Workshop |
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