Ag and Life Sciences ONLINE

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COLLEGE NEWS
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FORUM ON AVIAN INFLUENZA AT IOWA STATE NOV. 17
A forum on the impact avian influenza might have on Iowa was held Thursday on the Iowa State campus, hosted by the Institute for Food Safety and Security. The focus of discussions during the forum was how various groups could work together to protect Iowa's poultry, turkey and swine industries and maintain public confidence in the food supply, if the disease does arrive in the United States. Presentations by academic researchers, state officials and commodity group leaders provided background for those in attendance to use as they discussed sharing, supporting and communicating existing response plans. Results of the forum are expected to be an important component in a January meeting hosted by the University of Iowa that will look at the public health aspect of avian influenza.

BAUM NAMED PLANT PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Thomas Baum, Iowa State associate professor, became chair of the Department of Plant Pathology effective Nov. 1. Baum was named department chair following an internal search to replace former chair Charlotte Bronson, who was appointed associate vice provost for research in September. Learn more: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2005releases/baum.html

ISU TAKES STEPS TO PRESERVE WORLD'S OLDEST CHICKEN LINES
The ISU Poultry Research Center is home to the world's oldest inbred research lines of chickens. With the potential that something could happen to wipe them out, germplasm was recently submitted to a U.S. Department of Agriculture center so the lines are protected. Details: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2005releases/chickens.html

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM PLANNED
A national symposium focusing on animal agriculture and the environment will be held Jan. 5 to 6 in Kansas City. “Visions for Animal Agriculture and the Environment” is being organized by the Department of Animal Science and the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State. Details: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2005releases/airy.html

WORKSHOP FEATURES NEW RESOURCES FOR FARMER-LED BUSINESSES
The latest research on ecolabels, niche meat marketing and a number of other new business planning and market discovery tools will be introduced Dec. 8 at a workshop hosted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Dec. 5 is the registration deadline for the daylong workshop that will feature short presentations by leaders of more than 30 projects. Learn more: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2005/workshop_111705.htm

IOWA STATE PART OF PROJECT TO SEQUENCE CORN GENOME
Iowa State is one of four institutions on the team selected for a $29.5 million, three-year project to sequence the maize genome, the most complex genome to be sequenced to date. Agronomy professor Patrick Schnable is one of the ISU scientists who will play a major role in the project -- assembling the DNA sequence data. Details: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2005/nov/genome.shtml

AGRONOMY FACULTY, ALUMNI, STUDENT HONORED
Several College of Agriculture faculty, alumni and a student were presented awards at the annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) earlier this month. Awards went to:
- Antonio Mallarino, agronomy, was named a fellow by the American Society of Agronomy
- Alfred Blackmer, agronomy, was presented the Werner L. Nelson Award for Diagnosis of Yield-Limiting Factors, which recognizes outstanding performance in the development, acceptance and/or implementation of diagnostic techniques and approaches in the field
- Mary Wiedenhoeft, agronomy, was presented the Agronomic Resident Education Award
- Russell Mullen, agronomy, was presented the Crop Science Society’s Teaching Award
- Jason Haegele, senior in agronomy and agricultural and biosystems engineering, was presented the Hank Beachell Future Leader Scholarship by the ASA
- Lee Burras, agronomy, was elected a division chair of the ASA
Alumni who came away with honors included:
- Jerry Hatfield, National Soil Tilth Lab director, who was elected president of the ASA
- Vivan Jennings, CEO of Asoyia LLC, was presented ASA’s Monsanto Professional Certification Service Award
- Darrell Nelson, recently retired dean for Agricultural Research and Director of the agricultural experiment station at the University of Nebraska, was presented the Agronomic Service Award
- Bill Wiebold, plant sciences professor at the University of Missouri, was presented the Agronomic Extension Education Award
- Norman Hopper, plant and soil science professor at Texas Tech University, was presented the CSSA’s Seed Science Award
- Raymond Allmaras, professor emeritus in the soil, water and climate department at the University of Minnesota, was presented the Soil Science Professional Service Award

NEW CENTER WILL STUDY WEATHER IMPACTS
The College of Agriculture is one of the campus units endorsing a new Iowa State University Center for Weather Impacts on Mobility and Safety. The new center will be housed under the Center for Transportation Research and Education to research, develop and transfer methods and technology to better manage the impact of weather and climate on surface transportation safety and mobility. Thomas Maze, civil engineering professor, will be the director. Gene Takle, agronomy, will serve on the center’s executive committee. The committee will develop operating procedures for the center and create a board of directors.

FORESTRY CLUB BEGINS SELLING CHRISTMAS TREES SATURDAY
The forestry club will sell Christmas trees starting this weekend. A variety of trees will be for sale in Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Building on these dates: Saturdays, Nov. 26, Dec 3 and 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, Nov. 27, Dec. 4 and 11 from noon to 6 p.m.; and Dec. 2 and 9 from 3-6 p.m.

DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Nov. 29: Lecture, "Is Humanity Sustainable," William Rees, professor and former director of the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, 7 p.m., 207 Marston Hall
Dec. 1: Deadline to participate in Iowa Center for Botanical Supplement Research competitive renewal, contact: Diane Birt, center director, at dbirt@iastate.edu
Dec. 6: College of Agriculture budget forum, noon, Room 13 Curtiss Hall, more: http://www.iastate.edu/~budgetmodel/
Dec. 7: Deadline to order Block and Bridle gift sets of cheese and sausage, order forms are available at 120 Kildee Hall, contact: ssc@iastate.edu or 4-1865.

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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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THINKING THANKFULLY THIS THANKSGIVING
“Thankfully” traditionally means appreciatively or gratefully. It should not be used as a substitute for thank goodness or fortunately. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. 2003)

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INFOGRAZING
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OREGON CHRISTMAS TREE SURPLUS CUTS INTO PROFITS
Overplanting by Christmas tree farmers in Oregon has created a surplus that is hurting their revenues, the Associated Press reported. Oregon is the leading producer of natural Christmas trees, supplying about a quarter of the estimated 27.1 million sold nationwide last year. The industry also has been burned by high fuel prices, and there's a shortage of available labor to help cut and pack the firs. Growers face a potential shortage of trucks to deliver trees to out-of-state buyers, a potentially serious problem given that 90 percent of the Oregon harvest is shipped out of state.

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EXTERNAL VOICES
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HIGH SCHOOL AG: YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING
"You learn a lot more than just how to scoop poop. This is not like a normal class where you just read a book. You actually get to work and feel like you're doing something."
--Erin Shevlin, a junior talking about her agriculture classes at Valmeyer High School in Illinois. The Associated Press article stated that enrollment in Illinois' high school agriculture programs is 26,488, the highest it's been since the early 1970s and up from 11,733 15 years ago. (Associated Press, Nov. 17)

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MARGINALIA
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LOVE AT LONG LAST: STORY FEATURES ISU ANIMAL SCIENCE ALUM
The story of how an animal science alum reconnected with his high school sweetheart after nearly 70 years was told in last week’s Arizona Republic. Wayne Stevens, who earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1937, lost touch with Frances Beckett after both went to different colleges and met who became their spouses. After becoming widowed, they got reacquainted in their native Shenandoah with the help of Beckett’s sister. The two 89-year-olds married last May in Shenandoah. The active couple is wintering in Scottsdale, Ariz. More: http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/1115fam_lovestory.html.


Next issue: Nov. 28

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AG ONLINE
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EDITOR
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/

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