Purdue Ag News Roundup

July 2, 1998 Purdue appoints livestock judging coach WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- In a tip of the hat to the days of Purdue University's dominance in collegiate livestock judging, the Department of Animal Sciences has hired Matt Claeys as livestock judging coach. Claeys also will serve as a beef cattle specialist with the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. This is the first time a staff member has served as coach since 1992. "Matt will add to our great beef team at Purdue. He brings a great understanding of the beef cattle industry that is strengthened by his Midwestern roots and his training in cattle growth and development," said Jeff Armstrong head of the animal sciences department. "I believe that beef producers, students and the entire Indiana livestock industry will benefit from his expertise." Claeys began his new job July 1. Formerly an Extension animal husbandry specialist with North Carolina State University, he was responsible for coordinating 4-H livestock judging events and teaching livestock management practices to producers there. He was a scholarship student judge at the Black Hawk East Community College in Illinois and received his bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Illinois. Claeys has a master's degree from Auburn and is finishing doctoral studies at Purdue. "As coach I have three objectives: to develop students as agricultural leaders, effective communicators and logical thinkers," Claeys said. Clint Rusk, a livestock specialist in Purdue's Department of 4-H Youth who judges a dozen national shows and state fairs a year, said: "Purdue has traditionally been a force to be reckoned with in collegiate livestock judging competitions. Matt will have the opportunity to energize the program, which in turn will help recruit outstanding students to the department." Rusk said livestock judging is the agricultural equivalent of debate societies and moot court competitions: "It's an invaluable experience for any student." He said livestock judging teams attract members from throughout the university. "Professional contacts, traveling and extracurricular experiences are additional benefits for the students," said Rusk, who coached 10 livestock judging teams at Colorado State University before coming to Purdue. Armstrong said he has heard from several Purdue animal sciences alumni who applaud the appointment. Purdue 1998 Distinguished Ag Alumnus Jill Greene of Clive, Iowa, a principal in the Meyocks & Priebe marketing communications company, said livestock judging played a crucial role in her education at Purdue. "While judging on the livestock team, I had to make a decision, write an observation and, in two minutes, convince someone else that what I had done was right and why," Greene said. "It's very similar to what I do in my job today." Armstrong said the historical purpose of livestock judging was to help improve animal breeds and meat quality. "Today the value in livestock judging is what it does to improve the student. They learn skills that will serve them for a lifetime," Armstrong said. Biologist asks anglers to observe perch limits WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Yellow perch are disappearing from Lake Michigan, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is working to help assure that this species remains a viable Lake Michigan fish. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's biological resources specialist Pat Charlebois encourages anglers to pay special attention to limits set by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "Anglers in Illinois waters are permitted to take only those yellow perch that are between 8 and 10 inches in length," Charlebois said. "Additionally, there's a daily bag limit of 15 per person. These regulations apply to all Illinois waters of Lake Michigan including the Chicago and Calumet rivers." Indiana has a daily limit of 15 per person with no size limit. The Lake Michigan yellow perch fishery reopened July 1 following closure during June when yellow perch reproduce. The yellow perch has long been a popular fish in the southern Lake Michigan region both for commercial and sport fishing. When studies indicated a significant decline in perch populations in Lake Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and other Lake Michigan states responded to recommendations of the yellow perch task group of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission by regulating commercial and sport fishing. "By complying with these regulations, anglers will contribute to the availability of yellow perch in the future," Charlebois said. "It is especially important that we preserve our yellow perch populations for cultural as well as ecological reasons. Yellow perch are native to Lake Michigan and are an important component of the ecosystem." Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is funding research to help determine factors that affect Lake Michigan yellow perch survival and growth. John Janssen of Loyola University in Chicago is conducing a two-year study as part of a collaborative project with Michigan Sea Grant and Wisconsin Sea Grant. "We don't know if yellow perch are being eaten or if they're just starving to death," Janssen said. "To determine whether larval perch are getting enough food, we are using the ratio between RNA and DNA. DNA stays constant in an organism's cells, but RNA, which is used in the production of proteins such as muscle and enzymes, varies greatly in concentration inside cells and is a sensitive index of how much protein the cells are producing." Charlebois noted that the Fisheries Divisions of both Illinois and Indiana and the Illinois Natural History Survey also are conducting research on yellow perch populations. The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of 29 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. CONTACTS: Charlebois, (847) 872-0140; e-mail p_char@ix.netcom.com; Janssen, (773) 508-3281. Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page