Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A newsletter for faculty, staff and students

July-August 2005 • Vol. 31, No. 4

Notables

Departments, Centers, Branch Stations, other units and individuals may submit items to Amalie Holland, AGCS, AGRI 110 (ahollan@uark.edu)

Eligible items include invited presentations, awards, trips abroad, election to leadership positions, new faculty and staff, retirements, etc. Include jpg photos @72 dpi.

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness

Bruce Ahrendsen was the leader of an intensive week of study on international agribusiness at the Czech University of Agriculture in Prague. It was the final week of study for students in the International MBA in Agribusiness program at the University. The week involved visiting Staropramen Prague Breweries, the second largest brewer in the Czech Republic. The students met with company management and prepared and presented recommendations for the business as part of their study. Also, Dr. Ahrendsen presented lectures and led discussions on marketing, management and finance.

Preston LaFerney taught a new Honors course during the spring semester (AFLS 3003H, "Global Issues in AFLS") which culminated with a class trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, May 16-26. The trip was arranged by Ray Barclay. David Edmark participated in the class and trip in order to develop materials publicizing the new Honors course. Laura Sossamon, a freshman AEAB major and Kristin Bateman, a junior AEAB minor both participated. See Vision story: “Global Studies classmates tour Scotland.”

Mark Cochran and Andrew McKenzie attended the North Central Regional Project 134 “Applied Commodity Price Analysis, Forecasting and Market Risk Management” in St. Louis to confer with colleagues from the University of Illinois on a book covering the economics of basis trading.

Eric Wailes was selected as Eramus Mundous Scholar – visiting Universities of Ghent, Cordada, Rennes and Humbolt studying trade and farm policy. This was the first year U.S. scholars were eligible; Dr. Wailes was one of six scholars selected nationally.

Mike Popp helped teach a two-week intensive program on bio-materials in Toulouse, France. Students Daniel Skipper and Tory Hodges participated in the program. Dr. Popp also presented a seminar entitled, “Economics of Renewable Resources” at the University of Ghent.

H.L. Goodwin traveled to Washington, D.C., to chair a Food Safety and Animal Health Working Group for the Farm Foundation on the future of animal agriculture in North America.

Tory Hodges was one of eighty students nationally to receive a Morris K. Udall Scholarship.

Agricultural and Extension Education

A poster presented by Courtney Wimmer, Sarah Heuer and Jefferson Miller in the refereed poster session at the 2005 AAAE Southern Region Conference received the Outstanding Poster Award. The poster, entitled "Using Role-Playing to Teach Risk and Crisis Communication Skills," was also selected for presentation at the 2005 AAAE National Conference in May. 

Jefferson Miller received an Award of Excellence at the 2005 meeting of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) June 1 in San Antonio.

Matt Hardin, Sarah Heuer, Jay Mirus, Jeff Pratt, Dana Stewart, Lindsay West, and Courtney Wimmer received awards at the 2005 Critique and Contest Awards Banquet at the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) National Convention during the ACE meetings in San Antonio June 1. Over 370 entries were judged, and awards were presented to the top 20 percent of entries in each category. The University of Arkansas ACT Chapter submitted 37 entries and received 12 awards. 

ACE awards for communication projects presented June 1 were: Silver, Karen Eskew and Aaron Bartlett for Poultry Science interactive CD; Silver, Jennifer Vickery, Elizabeth Fortune, Julie Thompson and Lamar James (all CES) and Howell Medders and Fred Miller for Division of Ag Strategic Plan direct mail; Silver, Chris Meux (CES), logo design; Bronze, Kevin Quinn (CES) for broadcast programs and spots.

Keith Warnock, Aaron Dickinson, George Wardlow and Don Johnson received the 1st Runner-Up Poster Award in the refereed poster session at the 2005 AAAE Southern Region Conference. The poster, entitled "Ethanol 85 (E-85) Versus Unleaded Gasoline: Comparison of Power and Efficiency in Single Cylinder Air-Cooled Engines," was also selected for presentation at the 2005 AAAE National Conference in May. 

A research paper by Dorothy Effa and Don Herring was selected as the Outstanding Paper Presentation at the 21st Annual Conference of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. The paper was one of 60 accepted for presentation from 135 proposals submitted for review.

An article co-authored by Michael Pate, George Wardlow and Don Johnson was selected as the Journal Article of the Year for 2004 (Volume 45) for the Journal of Agricultural Education. The article, "Effects of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving on the Troubleshooting Performance of Undergraduate Students in a Power Technology Course," was selected from 35 articles published in the Journal during 2004. 

Don Herring presented the Distinguished Mystery Lecture entitled, "Impactful Living," at the 2005 AAAE Southern Region Conference.

Don Johnson presented two posters at the 51st Annual Conference of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA): (1) "Real Time Data Collection and Display in the College Classroom," and (2) "Computer Tasks Required in Selected Undergraduate Agriculture Courses." Dr. Johnson also received the Teaching Fellow Award from NACTA at the awards banquet during the conference. 

Dana Stewart, representing the Collegiate Farm Bureau at the University of Arkansas, was the state winner of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet.

Awards for projects involving Agricultural Communication Services present by the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association June 14 were: FIRST PLACE: Karen Eskew, development annual reports Something to Crow About; and Web page for recruitment (Poultry Science). Howell Medders, Judy Howard, Fred Miller and Ashley Harris, alumni and donor publications, newsletter, The Graduate. Aaron Bartlett, Howell Medders, Diana Bisbee, Fred Miller, Ashley Harris, Donna Graham, Dave Edmark (and a cast of dozens); miscellaneous multi-media projects, recruitment, College video. Howell Medders, Judy Howard, Fred Miller and Karen Eskew, Sandi Caster; miscellaneous multi-media, alumni: College centennial celebration projects. SECOND PLACE: Howell Medders, Judy Howard, Fred Miller, development projects, special campaigns and reports: Value Added -- economic impact of agriculture report. Karen Eskew and Frank Jones, alumni and donor 1-3 color periodicals: Avian Advice. Howell Medders, Bob Reynolds, Judy Howard, Jennifer Vickery, Fred Miller, Lamar James, Chris Meux, Elizabeth Fortune, alumni and donor 4-color periodical:  Arkansas Land and Life.

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Four posters were presented at the Annual Conference of the Arkansas Water Resources Association in Fayetteville April 19. M.I. Leh, I. Chaubey, J.V. Brahana and J. Murdock presented a poster entitled, “Quantification of critical runoff contributing areas in a pasture watershed.” Dr. Chaubey also presented posters with V. Garg entitled “Diffuse light effect on the accuracy of remote sensing model of water quality assessment,” with B. Schaffer and P. Tacker entitled “Development of an integrated water quality - water management program in Arkansas Delta,” and with E. Mutlu and H. Hexmoor entitled, “Development of a neural net model to predict total phosphorus concentration in Eucha watershed.”

Entomology

Donn T. Johnson presented a poster at the 3rd Organic Tree Fruit Symposium in Chelan, Wash., June 7 titled “Alternative pest management practices in fruit," by Donn Johnson, Barb Lewis and John Aselage.

Food Science

Terry Siebenmorgen was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers at the ASAE annual meeting July 19 in Tampa.

Navam Hettiarachchy was appointed to the "Journal of Food Processing and Food Preservation" editorial board. Dr. Hettiarachchy presented an invited paper, "Total phenolics, phenolic acid constituents, antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of selected plant extracts," at the International Annual Conference on Antioxidants & Free Radicals in Health-Nutrition & Radio-protectors and the Annual Conference of the Society for Free Radical Research in India January 10-12 at St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, India.  

A. Proctor, H.S. Lam and M. Monsoor, respectively, presented papers entitled “FTIR evaluation of antioxidant effects of quercitin, catechin and á tocopherol in LDL oxidation” by A. Proctor, H.S. Lam, J. Nyalal, M.D. Morris and W.G. Smith, “Rapid antioxidant capacity determination of fruit extracts by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy” by H.S. Lam, A. Proctor and L.R. Howard and “Aqueous extraction of rice bran emulsified oil and the oxidative stability or rice bran” by M. Monsoor and A. Proctor at the Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists Society in Salt Lake City May 1-4.

Human and Environmental Sciences

Jerald C. Foote gave an invited presentation, “Can I Take This? Decision Making for High-Risk Dietary Supplement Users,” at the National Kidney Foundation annual meeting May 4 in Washington, D.C.

Horticulture

John Clark was selected as a Fellow, the highest honor awarded, in the American Society of Horticulture Science (ASHS).

Jim Robbins and David Hensley attended and presented information about Arkansas’ programs at the annual Western Extension and Research meeting on nursery production, transition handling and use of perennial nursery stock in the Netherlands.

The department honored eleven graduating seniors, four M.S. students and two Ph.D. students at a luncheon. Awards and recipients were: Vaile Watts Award for Outstanding Seniors – John Kauffman, P.J. Herschey, Abel Tomlinson and Chase Turpin; Outstanding Graduate Student - Josh Landreth; Outstanding Ph.D. Student - Eric Stafne; John and Jaye Harris Outstanding Graduate Student in Ornamentals - Bruce Dunn; John and Kaye Harris Internship Awards - Wendy Fleeman and Marie Golbski. Eric Stafne was the third-time recipient of the J.N. Moore Graduate Fellowship in Horticultural Plant Breeding and Genetics.

Faculty members were also recognized at the luncheon for awards and honors received during the year. Brad Murphy and Teddy Morelock received the John W. White Outstanding Research Team Award. Gerald Klingaman received the Arkansas Nurserymen’s Association Sturdy Oaks Award. David Hensley received the Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science Leadership and Administration Award. James Robbins received the Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Extension Award.

Scott Starr, a 1997 graduate, has been named director of Operations of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Prior to his appointment to the Garden, he worked for the Peel House Foundation in Bentonville as the Compton Gardens site manager.

Members of the department participated in the 3rd National Symposium on Science and Technology of Organic Tree Fruit Production June 7-10 in Chelan, Wash. Curt R. Rom presented an invited paper titled “Status and Potential for Organic Fruit Production in the Southern Region.” Heather Friedrich and Jason McAfee also presented submitted papers.

Plant Pathology

Richard D. Cartwright and J. Ples Spradley participated in the USDA CSREES Soybean Rust Scenario Workshop May 3 in St. Louis along with other invited extension specialists from the United States.

Eugene A. Milus was awarded a USDA/NRI Sabbatical Grant in the Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions Program for the full amount of $98,843; his proposal was ranked #1 among all proposals submitted. From March 2006 through August 2006, Dr. Milus will work with Dr. Mogens Hovmoller and Dr. Annmarie Justesen on "Phenotypic and Molecular Diversity of the Fungus Causing Stripe Rust of Wheat" at the Danish Ministry of Agriculture Research Center at Flakkberg, Denmark.

James C. Correll served as a selected panel member to review USDA/NRI grants submitted to the Plant-Microbe Interaction. Dr. Marty Dickman served as Chair of the 20-member panel.

David O. TeBeest served on the Review Team /Panel Member for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, NP304 Panel, Weed Science, Biological Control in Beltsville, Md., January 12-14. Dr. TeBeest also served on the Review Team/Panel Member for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center in Stoneville, Miss., April 4-5.

Robert T. Robbins attended the Breeding Cotton for Resistance to Nematodes Conference in Memphis June 9. Dr. Robbins also attended the Society of Nematologists Annual Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, and presented a poster titled "Reproduction of Reniform Nematode on Soybean cultivars in 2004 Tests" by Robbins, E. Shipe (Clemson University, P. Chen, L. Rakes, L.E. Jackson, E.E. Gbur, and D. G. Dombek) July 9-13. Chang-Hwan Bae, a senior graduate assistant, presented "Molecular Genetic Analysis of the Lance Nematode Hoplolaimus" by Bae, A.L. Szalanski, and R.T. Robbins.

Craig S. Rothrock served on the LSU departmental program Review Team.

John C. Rupe is serving on the technical committee in charge of compiling the APS National Soybean Rust Symposium, which will be held November in Nashville.

The Department is privileged to announce the C. Roy Adair & K. Bollenbacher Undergraduate Research Internship recipients for Summer 2005:     

Kimberley A. Dennis, Omaha, Neb., is an Adair Scholar researching "Characterization and Distribution of a New Virus Identified in Blackberry Plants in Arkansas" under the guidance of Rose C. Gergerich.

Matthew B. Crook, Willard, Utah, is an Adair Scholar researching "Molecular techniques to Characterize Fungi" with James C. Correll as his advisor.

Gilia V. Thomas, Alpena is a Bollenbacher Scholar researching "The Effect of Soil Crusting on Damping Off" with Craig S. Rothrock as her advisor.

Wayra Novia-Gine of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, is also an Adair Scholar researching "Plant Gene Responses to Chewing Insects" under the direction of Kenneth L. Korth.

This Adair/Bollenbacher internship program enables students to become active participants in research projects. By providing hands-on experience, the internships facilitate the students’ transition from undergraduate to graduate education. Eligible students must be in the upper 25% of their class and have completed 90 credits or more toward their undergraduate degree. The interns will participate full-time for the summer semester with research faculty in Plant Pathology on applied or basic research projects relevant to the understanding and control of plant diseases; they actively contribute to the entire scientific process of developing testable hypothesis, experimental planning and design, conducting experimental work, data collection and analysis, and oral and written reporting results.

Northeast Research and Extension Center

Fred Bourland gave an invited presentation titled "Cotton Varieties with High Yield and Excellent Fiber Quality?" sponsored by Cotton Incorporated at the 18th Annual EFS (Engineered Fiber Selection) System Conference June 6-8 in Memphis.

Daniel Stephenson, System Agronomist, started as a new faculty member July 1. Dr. Stephenson is a native of Alabama with B.S. and M.S. degrees from Auburn University. He completed his Ph.D. in the UA Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Department and has worked in a post-doctorial position at the University of Florida. His work will address cropping systems and methods that will enhance profitability and sustainability of agriculture in the Delta region of Arkansas.

Poultry Science

Casey Owens gave a presentation titled “Intramuscular fat and meat quality: Current and future strategies for poultry” at the Annual Technical Symposium of the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Meat Science Association and Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council February 2 in Gatineau, Canada. Dr. Owens also gave an invited presentation titled “Tenderness assessment of commercial broilers” by Owens, L.C. Cavitt, J.M. Mehaffey and J-F.C. Meullenet at the ANECA Annual Meeting April 27-30 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Dr. Owens presented a paper titled “Evaluating the effect of shortened aging times on meat quality of breast fillets from five commercial broiler strains at 6 and 7 weeks of age” by Owens, J. M. Mehaffey, J-F. C. Meullenet, S. R. McKee and J. L. Emmert at the XVII European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat & XI European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products May 23-26 in Doorwerth, Netherlands. Dr. Owens co-coordinator and presented Poultry 101: Exploring Poultry Product Quality May 10-12. Figures from a manuscript co-authored by Wayne Kuenzel, Alex Jurkevic (visiting professor from Lithuania), Luc Berghman (Texas A&M University) and Larry Cornett (UAMS) titled “Characterization and immunohistochemical visualization of the vasotocin VT2 receptor in the pituitary gland of the chicken, Gallus, gallus.” will appear on the cover of the August 2005 Journal of Comparative Endocrinology.

Susan Watkins served as director of the recent National Egg Quality School May 16-19 in Indianapolis. The school provides a comprehensive overview of the table egg industry and all facets of production and processing that impact the quality and integrity of the final product. Sixty participants attended this year's school.

Southeast Research and Extension Center

Recent promotions approved for SEREC faculty and staff were:

Jeremy Greene, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Chuck Capps, Program Technician II; and Greg Montgomery, Program Technician II.

Jeremy Greene presented a paper entitled “Stink bug: flourishing in low-spray environments” at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Branch of Entomological Society of America (SEB-ESA) in Tunica, Miss., March 6-9.  Dr. Greene was recently elected Secretary/Chair-Elect of SERA-IEG 23 for 2005-2006.

The annual Beef and Forage Field Day was held May 5 at the Southeast Research and Extension Center with approximately 100 people in attendance. Whitney Whitworth, Tom Troxel, Greg Montgomery, Stacey Gunter and Shane Gadberry gave presentations.

Kelly Bryant participated in the Delta States Farm Management Group annual meeting May 23-25 in Farmerville, La.