Purdue Ag News Roundup
Purdue Ag News Roundup
The symposium, a kick-off event for the new Purdue University Environmental Sciences and Engineering Institute (ESEI), is free and open to the public.
"People can stop by and meet professors and graduate students who are doing environmental research," said Ron Turco, director of ESEI. "Corporations interested in collaborating with ESEI on environmental projects are welcome to look us over, too."
ESEI aims to pull together Purdue resources and expertise to provide cutting-edge, cost-effective solutions to environmental problems. The 65 faculty members of ESEI include soil scientists, microbiologists, geologists, plant and animal ecologists, chemists, and researchers in all fields of engineering.
"ESEI is cross-disciplinary -- we have no allegiance to any single department or school. We want to look beyond that," Turco said. "We want to establish cooperative research with universities, industry and government agencies. We want to eliminate redundancy. And we want to provide opportunities for students in all areas of environmental sciences and engineering."
Turco will open the symposium at 1 p.m. in Krannert Auditorium (Room 140), Krannert Building. He will be followed by Bernie Engel, Purdue professor of agricultural and biological engineering, who will talk about using geographic information systems and advanced computer technologies for environmental planning.
Between 3:30 and 6 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 212, ESEI researchers will present posters describing 72 current environmental projects.
The symposium concludes with a talk by Ray Anderson at 7:30 p.m., also in Krannert Auditorium. Anderson is chairman of Interface Inc., which specializes in textiles and floor coverings. He emphasizes environmental responsibility in manufacturing and challenges his employees "to take our company even beyond being sustainable to becoming restorative, that is, to put back more than we ourselves take, and do good to the earth rather than harm."
CONTACT: Lesley Oliver, conference coordinator, (765) 494-8098; e-mail, loliver@purdue.edu; Web, http://www.agry.purdue.edu/agronomy/water/groups/rtesei1.htm
The Purdue Grain Quality Laboratory analyzes grain for free for Indiana producers, grain handlers, processors and plant breeders. Since October 1996, the service has analyzed 5,000 corn, soybean, soybean meal and wheat samples, including samples from a 150,000-bushel high-oil corn contract that paid Indiana farmers up to $60,000 in premiums.
For corn, the analysis measures the levels of protein, starch, oil and moisture, as well as kernel density. For soybeans and soybean meal, the test provides quantitative values for moisture, protein, oil and fiber. This information is important to farmers who feed their grain to livestock or who plan to soon market their grain for specific attributes.
"The grain industry is rapidly changing from a grade-based marketing system to one that will buy and sell grain and oilseeds based on end-use traits," said Dirk Maier, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service specialist in crop handling and processing and the lab's director. "For example, high-oil corn premiums range from 10 to 40 cents per bushel, and the recent excess demand drove old-crop high-oil premiums to over 80 cents per bushel. The Extension service needs to continue to lead the way in educating producers, elevators and processors about these significant changes and their associated costs and benefits."
The lab's analysis is nondestructive; it is done with a state-of-the-art near-infrared light analyzer to test kernels. Maier said the results can be sent out two days after the lab gets the sample.
"We normally mail the results out, but we can respond by fax or by e-mail if that is how the producer or elevator would like to get the information back," he said. Farmers who have their grain tested also will receive test results for various hybrids grown throughout Indiana, and at Purdue plots.
"Farmers like to compare their crops with other crops, and this gives them a chance to do that," Maier said. "This might be especially important to a producer who grows grain only to feed his livestock and doesn't take it to an elevator."
Testing provides an additional benefit for livestock producers, because it gives them specific nutritional information about their crop.
"For example, there is significant interest in growing high-oil corn for livestock," Maier said. "We can tell them if the oil content is 3 percent or 7.5 percent or what it might be. We can do the same thing with the protein content of high-energy feed. This takes some of the guesswork out of feeding their livestock. Rather than using some artificial standard number to calculate their livestock feed rations, the producers can use the actual numbers."
Knowing the percentages of the grain quality factors also will help those who are interested in marketing or buying grain based on these factors. "Currently, marketing is based primarily on grade. In the past, there was no significant incentive for a farmer to grow grain for certain characteristics other than grade," he said. That may soon change, however, as more end-users buy grain for specific qualities. "It makes more sense for a company that produces corn starch to buy grain that has a high starch content," he said.
Maier said marketing crops based on quality traits desired by end-users can increase the crop value by 10 cents to 40 cents per bushel. "For the 1996 to 1997 marketing year, if just 10 percent of Indiana's corn and soybeans had been marketed this way, it could have generated as much as $35 million for Indiana producers," he said.
Samples should be 450 grams of whole grain (roughly one pound). The service prefers dry grain, but is able to test any sample if necessary. Samples should be sent to the Purdue Grain Quality Lab, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1146. Those with questions about submitting samples should contact Jenni Briggs, laboratory manager, at (765) 494-9772, or can e-mail questions to grainlab@ecn.purdue.edu
The lab's site on the World Wide Web is at http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~grainlab
CONTACT: Dirk Maier, (765) 494-1175; e-mail: maier@ecn.purdue.edu
The Indiana Beef Evaluation and Economics Feeding (IBEEF) Program was introduced to assist beef producers by providing performance, carcass and economic information on steer progeny from the herd. IBEEF was designed not to only assist producers, but also to improve utilization of Indiana cattle.
Larry Nelson, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service beef specialist, said beef producers are encouraged to enter groups of at least five steers born between Jan. 1 and April 30 of this year.
"Steers may be either purebred or crossbred," Nelson said. "The minimum consignment is five head from one owner. Sire groups of at least five steers are recommended, but multiple-sire groups also are acceptable. Steers must weigh at least 600 pounds each upon delivery to designated pick-up points on Nov. 15."
Each producer will retain ownership of his/her cattle and will be responsible for feed, processing, yardage, veterinary and medication costs. There's a $35-per-head registration fee, as well.
"The daily yardage charge is 25 cents per head," Nelson said. "Feed costs will be prorated based on the beginning and ending weights of the steers. Total costs will be deducted from gross receipts after carcass evaluation and sale."
To find out more about IBEEF rules or to get consignment forms, contact the Extension office in your county, the Indiana Beef Cattle Association (IBCA), or the Indiana Beef Evaluation Program (IBEP). IBCA, IBEP, the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, and Smoker Farm of Wanatah are the program's sponsors.
CONTACT: Nelson, (765) 494-8256; e-mail, Larry_Nelson@acn.purdue.edu
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
