Research requires a strong foundation

By Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture

The Hatch Act of 1887 created agricultural experiment stations in each state. This partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and land-grant universities provides the infrastructure needed to address local, regional and national agricultural issues.

Unfortunately, support for the system has eroded in recent years. Since 1997, federal funding for agricultural experiment stations, in terms of constant dollars, has declined 24 percent.

Purdue Agriculture receives a mix of research funding from federal and state agencies, producer groups and the private sector. Most of the money is awarded for short-term studies based on competitive proposals.

However, the federal and state base funds provide the people and infrastructure -- faculty, farms, greenhouses and laboratories --  that are essential to carry on the research. Competitive grants are an important part of our mission, but the short-term nature of grant funding could erode our long-term research capacity.

Base support funds the faculty and research that will go into soybean rust monitoring, avian influenza prevention and water quality studies; these projects might not happen otherwise. I hope the next Farm Bill reaffirms the commitment to this unique federal-state partnership for public agricultural research.

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