College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
May 7, 2018
Top Stories
Soybean Rust Video Wins International Award
A soybean rust video produced under the scientific and editorial guidance of Thomas Baum, Daren Mueller and Steven Whitham, plant pathology and microbiology, has been selected by the international World Media Festival jury to receive an Intermedia-Globe Silver Award. “Soybean Rust: The Life Cycle of Phakopsora pachyrhizi” is a teaching video that explains the life cycle of the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of an aggressive disease capable of causing defoliation and significant yield loss. More
Research
EEOB Researchers Model How Land-Use Changes Affect Carbon Storage
Expanded agricultural activity throughout the Midwest since 1850 has reduced the amount of carbon that can be stored in the soil, according to models designed by ISU scientists, including Chaoqun Lu and Zhen Yu, ecology, evolution and organismal biology. However, modern farming practices such as no till can improve carbon sequestration, which could help to slow climate change. More
Researchers Receive USDA Grant to Study Monarch Butterfly Ecology
ISU scientists, including Steve Bradbury, natural resource ecology and management and entomology, will advance the understanding of monarch butterfly ecology through a grant funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture Pollinator Health Program. Researchers will use indoor and field studies to develop landscape-scale models of monarch movement and population responses. More
Johnson Co-Author of New CAST Report
Anna Johnson, animal science, is co-author of a new report published by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. “Scientific, Ethical and Economic Aspects of Farm Animal Welfare” addresses the current issues facing agricultural animal production, insights into the origins of current welfare concerns, major scientific advances that have occurred since the 1997 CAST Task Force Report, and outstanding challenges and priority areas for future research, coordination and outreach relative to agricultural animal welfare. More
Rao’s Research Highlighted in Progressive Farmer Article
An article in the May 2018 issue of Progressive Farmer details how scientists, including Guru Rao, are studying how roots help produce higher yields and better crops. Rao is associate vice president for research and professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology. Rao and his research team have collaborated with scientists worldwide on the discovery of a protein that regulates formative cell division in the Arabidopsis root, a plant frequently used for research.
FSHN Study Suggests Blood Sugar Levels May Influence Brain Activity
For millions of Americans who are obese and living with diabetes or prediabetes, feelings of sadness, anger and anxiety are often part of daily life. A new ISU study by Auriel Willette and Tovah Wolf, food science and human nutrition, suggests those negative feelings may stem from problems regulating blood sugar levels that influence emotional response in the brain. More
Teaching and Students
Students Place First in Flexible Packaging Contest
Emily Hurban, graduate student in food science and human nutrition, and Autumn Rudlong, senior in food science, won first place honors in the Flexible Packaging Association 2018 Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge for their Wine-O Gelatin Shots. They wanted to reduce the amount of packaging wasted from traditional Jell-O shots, which typically are stored and served in polystyrene cups with plastic lids. Plus, the students wanted to create a type of packaging that was easier to transport and less bulky. More
Plant Sale Extravaganza to Support Student Clubs
A Plant Sale Extravaganza will be held at Reiman Gardens this weekend. A pre-sale for members only will be held Friday, May 11, 3 to 7 p.m. A sale open to the public will be held Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will support the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Graduate Student Organization, the Graduate Student Horticulture Society, ISU Horticulture Club, Reiman Gardens and the Story County Master Gardener Association.
Extension and Outreach
2018 ISU Animal Industry Report Available Online
The 2018 ISU Animal Industry Report is now available online. The annual report, now in its 15th year, features a variety of animal industry-related research done at Iowa State that is supported by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. The report is coordinated through the animal science department. This year's edition has nearly 80 articles organized under eight categories ranging from animal products and environment to poultry and small ruminants. More
Around the College
CALS to Receive Portion of $5 Million Gift from Land O'Lakes Foundation
The Land O'Lakes Foundation has made a $5 million commitment to ISU. A portion of that commitment will support scholarships in CALS, as well as provide flexible funding to facilitate future interactions with students. More
CBC Symposium and Workshop Scheduled for May 9-10
The Crop Bioengineering Center and Interdepartmental Plant Biology Program are hosting a symposium and a workshop May 8 to 10 about the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 and how it is being used in plant sciences. “Genome Editing — Putting Together the Pieces” will be held at the Molecular Biology Building. The series begins with a Loomis Symposium, which is full at this time. The Loomis lecturer is J. Keith Joung, associate chief of pathology for research at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. The CBC symposium and workshop on May 9 and 10 require registration and a fee for attendance. More information and registration for these events is available online. More
Xin and Raman Selected as Exemplary Faculty Mentors
Distinguished Professor Hongwei Xin and Morrill Professor Raj Raman were selected as 2017-2018 Exemplary Faculty Mentors awarded by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. They were honored by Provost Wickert and Associate Provost Bratsch-Prince at a ceremony on May 2 in the Memorial Union. More
ABE Nominee Receives Honorary Degree
During the afternoon commencement ceremony on May 5, Jon Kinzenbaw – farmer, inventor, manufacturer and entrepreneur – received an honorary Doctor of Science degree and delivered brief remarks. For more than 52 years, Kinzenbaw, CEO and chairman of the board for Kinze Manufacturing Inc. in Williamsburg, has brought innovative technologies and mechanization to production agriculture, all while continuing to farm himself. Faculty members in agricultural and biosystems engineering nominated Kinzenbaw for the honorary degree. More
Calendar
May 7: Retirement Reception for Forrest Nutter
A retirement reception for Forrest Nutter, plant pathology and microbiology, will be held May 7 at 2 to 4 p.m. in 248 Bessey Hall. There will be a program at approximately 2:10 p.m. A card signing will be available throughout the reception. More
Research Development Announcements and Funding Opportunities
Internal Competition: USDA AFRI Education and Workforce Development
The USDA AFRI Education and Workforce Development funding opportunity includes two limited submission opportunities. The Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers and Education Professionals program area seeks to increase the number of K-14 teachers and educational professionals trained in food and agricultural sciences. The Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates program area promotes research and extension learning experiences for undergraduates such that upon graduation they may enter the agricultural workforce with exceptional skills. Submissions to each program area are limited to three per institution. Pre-proposals for both programs are due May 24. Contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu). More
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
May 30 (letter of intent): DOE BioEnergy Engineering for Products Synthesis; 20 percent cost share. More
May 30 (letter of intent): DOE Affordable and Sustainable Energy Crops; 20 percent cost share required. More
May 30 (letter of intent): DOE Process Development for Advanced Biofuels and Biopower; 20 percent cost share required. More
May 30 (letter of intent): DOE Efficient Carbon Utilization in Algal Systems; 20 percent cost share required. More
June 18: EPA National Priorities: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; minimum 25 percent non-federal cost share. More
June 25: Department of State Clean and Advanced Energy Investment Accelerator. More
July 31: NSF Smart and Autonomous Systems. More
Communications Kiosk
Affect vs. Effect
“Affect” is most often used as a verb and means to influence: The game will affect the standings. “Effect” is most often used as a noun and means result: The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the effect of his actions. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2017 edition, pg. 7)
Marginalia
Farm Owners Less Connected to Their Land
Renting farmland is nothing new. The difference is the landowner is increasingly not the farmer next door or a landlord intimately involved in the farming operation. Instead, many farmers rent from multiple owners who may have little to no connection to farming or the local community and who may own land strictly for investment purposes. Gordon Arbuckle and Wendong Zhang, economics, contribute to an article in the April 23 issue of the Missourian on farm owners being less connected to their land. More
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.
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