College News
Iowa State Ranks High in Ag Science Journal Citations
Over the last decade, Iowa State ranked 11th for scientific journal citations in the agricultural sciences, according to Thomson Scientific's Essential Science Indicators. Under what Thomson calls citation impact, or citations per paper, Iowa State's ranking was 17. The data is based on articles published in the 118 journals Thomson indexed between January 1996 and February 2006. Food science, nutrition and environmental science are the predominant fields Thomson classified as agricultural sciences.
Agricultural Business Club Wins Tops Awards
The Iowa State Agricultural Business Club was named Outstanding Chapter at the annual meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association held last month. The award is based on the total program of activities carried out by the club. This is the seventh time since 1992 the club has won the Outstanding Chapter award. The Ag Business Club also won the first place award for the best creative idea, achieving a sweep of the two top club awards presented. The Creative Club contest began in 2000 and the club has now won it five of the seven years it has been awarded. It was the third time the club won both the outstanding chapter and creative awards. The Creative Club Idea award this year was for the club's version of the "Wheel of Fortune Game" to encourage member attendance. The club president is Devin Mogler, a junior in agricultural business. The club's advisers are Ron Deiter and William Edwards, economics.
College Dates for Upcoming Year on the Web
The Agricultural Student Council's new student barbecue is set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Farm Bureau Pavilion. That is the same day as the College's fall convocation. Keep up with the College's important dates by checking the list online.
College Seeks Tech Transfer and Economic Development Information
The College is seeking information by Aug. 14 for an Iowa State report that is developed each fall that details efforts in technology transfer and economic development. This information is shared with the Board of Regents, lawmakers and other governmental officials. The College is asked to provide specific information about technology transfer and economic development work with individuals, businesses or communities that resulted in documented behavior change or action. Examples might be helping a client apply new research, technology or processes; developing a business or operational plan for a farm or agribusiness; or working with communities or organizations to implement strategies that focus on economic development. A Web-based report form is being used to gather the information. Provide details on activities from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 that fit into any of the eight categories. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Aug. 14. Contacts: Paul Brown, 515-294-7801, pwbrown@iastate.edu, or Susan Thompson, 515-294-0705, sander@iastate.edu.
Top Soybean Pathogen Target of Clinic
Faculty from the plant pathology and agronomy departments developed and conducted a first all-day clinic July 26 on the biology and management of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The session was held at the ISU Field Extension Education Laboratory west of Ames. SCN is one of the most wide-spread problems and the most damaging pest of soybeans in the United States. Agribusiness personnel from North Carolina, Illinois, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa participated in the inaugural program, which was organized and led by Greg Tylka, plant pathology. Tylka was assisted by faculty members Palle Pedersen and Thomas Baum. The program was a mix of lectures, demonstrations of field plot research equipment, and hands-on activities with microscopes, infected soybean plants and nematode samples. The clinic will be held next year, with plans to expand the event to two days.
Plant Pathology Professor Named to Endowed Chair
Gwyn Beattie has been named to an endowed chair, the Robert Earle Buchanan Distinguished Professorship of Bacteriology for Research and Nomenclature, in the College of Agriculture at Iowa State.
Researcher Studies Gene Families to Explore Diversity
Stephen Proulx studies gene families to explore how genomes become diverse and evolve. The assistant professor in the ecology, evolution and organismal biology department uses mathematical tools and computer models to determine how environmental and evolutionary factors structure a genome.
New Publication Offers Rationale for Nitrogen Use in Corn
A new publication is available through ISU Extension that explores a recently developed regional Corn Belt approach to nitrogen rate guidelines. The publication was developed by soil fertility specialists at Iowa State and five other Midwest universities.
Aug. 10 Workshop to Focus on Grazing Native Plants
A workshop in Ames Thursday, Aug. 10, will show how Iowa prairie plants can be managed for livestock forage and how grazing can be used for land management for wildlife and native plants. Learn more:
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2006/native_080406.htm
Alumnus and USDA Researcher Dies at 84
Alumnus John G. Moseman, 84, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research scientist who specialized in studying the pests that infect barley, died July 24 of lung cancer at his home in Gaithersburg, Md., according to a Washington Post obituary. He spent more than 40 years at the USDA where he wrote more than 100 research papers, coordinated international research projects, was the keynote speaker at many worldwide conferences on cereal crops, and did his best to maintain the scientific ethos of sharing knowledge worldwide, despite politics. He earned a doctorate in plant pathology from Iowa State in 1950. (Washington Post, Aug. 3, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/02/AR20060…)
Deadlines & Reminders
Sept. 5: Fall Convocation, 3:30 p.m., Food Science Courtyard
Sept. 14: McNay Research and Demonstration Farm anniversary celebration, 10 a.m.
Communications Kiosk
Just the Fax
"Fax" is both a noun and a verb and derived from facsimile transmission, the foreshortened fax is almost universally preferred for convenience. The plural is faxes. Note the word is governed by the same rules of capitalization as other common nouns. FAX is incorrect: the word is not an acronym.
(The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003)
Infograzing
Extension's Annual Conference Set for Sept. 11 and 12
The theme of the 2006 Extension Annual Conference is "The Relevance Code: Deciphering the Extension Road Map." It is scheduled for Sep. 11-12. Conference sessions will examine how to make Extension's role more relevant in the lives of Iowans. The deadline for early registration is Aug. 25. More: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/annualconf06/home.html
External Voices
New Student Wants to be Part of Sustainable Agriculture
"Well, I hate to say it, but, for the time being, this is going to be the last regular edition of Farm Fresh Perspectives. By the time you read this, I will have already begun classes at Iowa State University in business management and sustainable agriculture. If we want to see new alternative farms become truly sustainable ventures, then farmer-entrepreneurs have to have as much business and marketing savvy as they do skill in the field or the pasture. I want to be part of that."
--Andy Larson, visiting research specialist in agriculture, University of Illinois Extension, Rockford Center, from the Rock River Times, Aug. 2
Next issue: Aug. 14
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
Subscribe: Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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