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MAES Associate Director Appointed South Dakota State University Dean Gary Lemme

Gary Lemme, associate director of the MAES, has been named dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at South Dakota State University (SDSU), effective in May.

In his five years at the MAES, Lemme has worked extensively with Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), a coordinated effort among plant-based commodities and businesses, the MAES, Michigan State University Extension, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Farm Bureau to improve Michigan’s plant and agriculture industries, the economy and the environment.

Lemme has also worked on efforts to expand the regional impact of MAES-supported research. He’s encouraged collaboration with scientists in nearby states to better address problems throughout the Upper Midwest. Additionally, Lemme has advanced efforts to leverage MSU intellectual property through extensive shepherding of MAES-generated patents and licensable technology. He’s continued to do research, as well, including a recent project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture exploring how to secure the nation’s food supply.

Prior to joining the MAES in October 1999, Lemme was professor and head of the West Central Research and Outreach Center at the University of Minnesota for seven years, beginning in 1992. From 1990 to 1992, he was assistant dean of academic affairs in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii. From 1981 to 1990, Lemme was assistant professor, associate professor and professor in the Department of Plant Science at SDSU, and from 1979 to 1981, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at MSU.

The move back to Brookings, S.D., is a homecoming of sorts for Lemme. In addition to his time as an SDSU professor in the 1980s, he received both his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and his master’s degree in agronomy from SDSU, in 1974 and 1975, respectively. He received his doctorate in agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1979.

John Baker, acting MAES director will work with Jeff Armstrong, dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to ensure a smooth transition within the MAES.

“During his tenure as associate director of the MAES, Gary has made prodigious contributions to the experiment station, the college and MSU,” said Armstrong. “He has strengthened our relationships with key stakeholders, especially our agricultural commodity groups, and he has provided exceptional leadership for the GREEEN initiative.

“Gary will bring to South Dakota State energy, experience and the ability to solidify existing partnerships and forge new ones,” Armstrong added. “I know I join many others on campus and around the state in congratulating Gary on his appointment.”

Search Committee Formed for MAES Director Position

Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, announced the selection of a search committee for the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) director position.

"We have what I believe is an excellent group of individuals representing all the key MAES constituencies, including the partner colleges, research and extension faculty, graduate students, central administration and public/private sector stakeholders," Armstrong said.

Committee members are:

  • Steve Hanson, chairperson, Department of Agricultural Economics (search committee chairperson)
  • Al Booren, MAES researcher, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Department of Animal Science
  • Larry Busch, MAES researcher, Department of Sociology
  • Irene Cahill, stakeholder representing MSUE/MAES State Council
  • Rique Campa, MAES researcher, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
  • David Campbell, associate dean, College of Social Science
  • Marquita Chamblee, director, CANR/MSUE/MAES Diversity and Pluralism
  • Annemiek Schilder, MAES researcher, Department of Plant Pathology
  • John Ohlrogge, MAES researcher, Department of Plant Biology
  • Tom Herdt, chairperson, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Ken Keegstra, director, Plant Research Laboratory
  • Karen Klomparens, dean, Graduate School (also representing the Provost’s Office)
  • Chuck Reid, director, Land Management Office
  • Michael Roberts, graduate student, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
  • George W. Smith, MAES researcher, Department of Animal Science and Department of Physiology
  • Wayne Wood, president, Michigan Farm Bureau; stakeholder representing the Michigan Commodity Executive Directors

"The future of MSU programs in communities, agriculture and natural resources depends on the continued strength and vision of both the MAES and MSUE," Armstrong said. "To that end, I am committed to finding the individual with the leadership, energy and creativity necessary to expand upon the excellent work of Dr. Ian Gray and, most recently, of Dr. John Baker, acting director."

MAES and MSUE Boost Michigan's Economy

Each year, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) are asked to provide a list of accomplishments to various entities: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the MSU Board of Trustees, the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and other funding agencies.

One of the accomplishments the MAES and MSUE are most proud of is their continuing ability to contribute significantly to Michigan’s economy.

Research done by MAES agricultural economist Jim Oehmke shows that:

  • Every dollar the state invests in the MAES and MSUE leverages $1.49 in federal funds and external contracts, grants and other revenues to serve the state’s citizens.
  • Every dollar the state invests in the MAES and MSUE stimulates another $1.97 in state economic activity and state tax revenues.
  • For every dollar invested, MAES and MSUE research and extension programs generate an estimated $5.67 of benefits to the state and nation.

If the above effects are combined, the ratio of economic and social benefits to net state budget costs is 10:1. That means that for every dollar the state spends on MAES and MSUE, the two organizations return 10 times that amount in either dollars or social benefits. Not many organizations offer such an excellent return on investment.

The MAES and MSUE appreciate the support of their many stakeholders, constituents and private citizens around the state and look forward to providing high quality, relevant research and education throughout 2005.

Workshop Series Focuses on Science's Role in Water Policy

To create a forum for discussion on how to improve and invest in a science-based policy agenda for the future for water use, conservation and protection in Michigan and the Great Lakes region, MSU is sponsoring a workshop series that will bring nationally renowned water scientists and water resource fellows to the area.

"Shaping Future Water Policy: The Role of Science" will take place one Friday per month from February through June at the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development on Forest Road. The morning lecture, from 8 to 10:15 a.m., is open to the public. Each speaker will then meet with the water resource fellows for an intensive question and answer session.

The first workshop in the series takes place on Feb. 11 and features Jean Bahr, of the University of Wisconsin. Her paper is titled "Avoiding Water Follies: Current Challenges in Managing Groundwater and Surface Water as a Single Resource." Bahr received her doctorate in applied earth sciences (hydrogeology) from Stanford University and has been a faculty member in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1987. Her research interests include interactions between physical and biogeochemical processes in groundwater, effects of heterogeneity on solute transport, groundwater-surface water interactions and paleohydrogeology. From 1995 to 1999, Bahr served as the chair of the University of Wisconsin's Water Resources Management graduate program. As the Geological Society of America's 2003 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer, she gave talks at more than 50 institutions on the topic of groundwater as an ecosystem resource. She recently completed a term as chair of the National Research Council's Committee on Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.

The workshops have been organized by:

  • Sandra Batie, Elton R. Smith professor in food and agricultural policy and MAES agricultural economist.
  • James K. Cleland, assistant chief, Water Division, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Lansing programs division chief, Water Bureau, also representing the Michigan American Water Works Association.
  • Garret Johnson, The Nature Conservancy.
  • Mark Mozola, vice president for research, Neogen Corporation.
  • Jim Nicholas, M.S.C.E., Michigan district chief, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey.
  • Joan Rose, Homer Nowlin chair for water research, and MAES-affiliated water scientist.
  • Bill Rustem, senior vice president and senior consultant for environmental policy and economic development, Public Sector Consultants, Inc.

For more information on the workshops, including a complete schedule, visit the workshop Web site.

Scientists Add to Understanding of How Plants Grow and Develop

MSU scientists have identified some of the genetic bricks and mortar used by plants to build cell walls.

Cell walls define plant strength and flexibility, are an important source of renewable biomass and have nutrients essential to human and animal diets. So the potential applications of the research range from new knowledge of plant physiology to the ability to develop better sources of renewable energy and more nutritious crops.

Aaron Liepman, a visiting researcher at the MSU-Department of Energy (DOE) Plant Research Laboratory, was the lead author of the paper on the cell wall research which appeared in January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ken Keegstra, MAES-affiliated plant biologist and director of the MSU-DOE lab, and Curtis Wilkerson, a visiting researcher at the lab, also contributed to the paper.

The MSU team achieved their results by inserting genetic material from mustard and rice plants into fruit fly cells.

Plant and animal cells assemble building block proteins by following genes’ instructions. By watching which proteins the fly cells built from the plants’ genetic instructions, the scientists were able to identify the functions for an entire family of plant genes.

“This new knowledge has fundamental significance for achieving better understanding of how plants grow and develop,” Keegstra said. “It also has potential practical significance for material science, where plant cell walls and their components are used in many materials, and in human health, because plant cell walls and their components are important as dietary fiber in the human diet.”

MAES Scientists Highly Cited

Kathy Hoag was recently updating her syllabus for a biomedical research course she’s teaching this semester when she stumbled on a new database listing offered by ISI Web of Knowledge, an online research tool to help navigate scholarly journals.

The database title, ISIHighlycited.com, attracted her attention. So Hoag, a nutrition and medical technology researcher and member of MSU's Nutritional Immunology Program, conducted a quick search for MSU researchers who might be in the database.

“And guess who was there?” she wrote in congratulatory e-mail to several MSU colleagues. “[MAES food microbiology and toxicology researcher] Jim Pestka! That's right folks, we have an awesome scientist among us that should be duly recognized.”

It turns out that there are several awesome scientists – nine out of the 20 total MSU names on the list – with past or present MAES affiliations: Stephen Boyd, crop and soil sciences researcher; John Giesy, aquatic toxicologist in the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center; Ian Gray, former MAES director and current vice president for research and graduate studies at MSU; Ken Keegstra, plant biologist and director of the MSU-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory; Jack Preiss, biochemistry and molecular biology researcher; Douglas Schemske, horticulture researcher; Jim Tiedje, microbiology and molecular genetics researcher; and Michael Walters, forestry researcher.

Being a "highly cited researcher" means that an individual is among the 250 most cited researchers for their published articles within a specific time period, according to Thomson-ISI, the company that maintains and publishes the database.

"Citation is a direct measure of influence on the literature of a subject, and it is also a strong indicator of scientific contribution, since it is derived from patterns of interaction among millions of published articles."

Hoag may have summed it up best in her kudos note:

“AWESOME, JIM!!!”

And an all-caps AWESOME to the rest of the MAES scientists, as well.

New MAES Faculty Member

The MAES is pleased to announce the appointment of the following new faculty member.

Hui Li was named assistant professor of crop and soil sciences in January. His research focuses on environmental soil chemistry, with an emphasis on investigating the environmental physicochemical processes and ecological impacts of organic contaminants containing complex structures, and applying these basic findings to minimize negative impacts on the environment. He plans to study the environmental fate, transport and effects of emerging contaminants associated with animal manures, composts and biosolids, and develop agricultural practices that reduce any negative effects on land and water.

From 2000 to 2004, Li was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at MSU. He received his doctorate in soil chemistry from Purdue in 1999 and his master's and bachelor's degrees in environmental chemistry from Nanjing University, China, in 1993 and 1990, respectively. He is a member of the Soil Science Society of America; the American Society of Agronomy; and the American Chemical Society, Environmental Chemistry Division.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Week Celebrates 90 Years

It’s a year for anniversaries at Michigan State University. The university is celebrating its sesquicentennial year, and in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Week will take place for the 90th time March 4-12.

ANR Week programs focus on topics such as organic agriculture, heritage livestock, human-powered outdoor recreational equipment, pasteurization, horticulture, increasing literacy through storytelling, grazing livestock and youth development.

Participants can attend educational events about bats (March 8), bees (March 8, 11-12), birds (March 4-5), fish (March 8-9), goats (March 12), horses (March 5 and 11-12), poultry (March 8) and rabbits (March 4-6).

ANR Week also offers activities for youth. FFA and 4-H members can compete in the Crop-O-Rama contest March 9 and attend the 77th Michigan FFA State Convention March 9-11. Students and parents can also participate in interactive workshops showcasing agriculture and natural resource careers March 19.

The Michigan Audubon Society, the Wildflower Association of Michigan, Michigan Herb Associates and the Michigan Barn Preservation Network are among the organizations holding conferences and workshops during ANR Week.

For more information about ANR Week events, visit the ANR Week Web site or contact program coordinator Sandi Bauer at 517-353-3175, ext. 217.

Free ANR Week program guides providing dates, times, locations, costs and descriptions of the events are also available on the ANR Week Web site, from any county MSU Extension office or at the MSU Bulletin Office, 117 Central Services, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824-1001; 517-353-6740.

MAES Scientist Sounds Off in Spudman

MAES crop and soil sciences researcher Dave Douches wrote about MSU's potato breeding program in the January issue of Spudman magazine. Spudman is a national magazine for potato growers, packers, shippers and processors with a circulation of 15,500.

Douches traced the recent history of the MSU program, including the establishment and expansion of the scab nursery, the development of the Muck Soils Research Farm for late blight testing and the incorporation of better tests to look for potato lines with resistance to Colorado potato beetle.

The full text of the article, courtesy of Spudman magazine, is available here (PDF, 11.5 MB).

Grant Supports Alternative Energy Opportunities for Michigan Farmers

Farmers have always been at the mercy of the weather. Now, the wind currents that bring rain and snow may also bring Michigan producers money.

The MAES, Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) and the Michigan Energy Office are exploring the potential of wind energy development in the state -- specifically, on Michigan farms. Wind energy can help diversify the economy of rural areas and provide new sources of income.

“Wind energy is an alternative way for farmers to increase their revenue,” said Lynn Hamilton, project coordinator. “It’s like a third crop.”

The project includes wind energy workshops, information for farmers about the legal aspects of wind energy and help for farmers in determining whether wind energy might be viable for their operations.

Farmers interested in wind energy production have three options. They can lease their land to developers, who put up the capital and operate the wind project while farmers receive payments for use of the property. Farmers may also choose to develop and own the wind turbines themselves, either via cooperative or sole ownership. A third possibility is to install a small-scale wind turbine on the farm to reduce the energy costs of their operations.

“If you can manage the risk initially, in the long term, profitability is good,” Hamilton said.

MSUE farm management agents will work with farmers interested in wind energy to help them pursue grant opportunities and determine the best ownership structure for them.

“The ownership structure determines the amount of revenue that stays in the local community,” said Stephen Harsh, MAES agricultural economics scientist and primary investigator.

Wind farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota have demonstrated how wind energy can help meet the demand for affordable and reliable energy. Because Michigan is more densely populated state than Wisconsin and Minnesota, the introduction of wind energy could meet with some resistance. Necessary steps should be taken to address concerns of residents, including complaints such as sun flicker, hazards to birds, noise and aesthetics.

According to the American Wind Association, Michigan is the 14th windiest state in the United States, and the new wind maps show a viable wind resource in western Michigan and the Thumb areas.

EQIP Funds Help Growers Practice IPM and Adopt Other Environmentally Sound Strategies

Fruit and vegetable growers have a unique opportunity to adopt innovative practices -- with part of the cost picked up by the federal government. To qualify, the practices must address resource conservation.

The good news is that many fruit and vegetable production practices, such as integrated pest management (IPM), can enhance resource conservation, so growers can put together a strong application for these federal programs. The government is encouraging specialty crop growers to apply.

The encouragement comes from the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), first implemented under the 1996 Farm Bill. Funding was beefed up under the 2002 bill. Last year, about $13 million came to Michigan, and about the same is expected this year.

At Altonen Orchards near Elk Rapids, Mich., John and Brian Altonen signed an EQIP contract to build three agrichemical containment facilities (one at each of their widely separated farm locations) and to implement practices such as installing sod centers for erosion control and mulching trees as part of a nutrient management plan.

Brian Altonen credits their success in earning EQIP funds to Pepper Bromelmeier, the NRCS district conservationist in Antrim and Kalkaska counties, who admits to being a strong advocate for “her farmers” and working hard to find ways to help them qualify.

“It’s tough to get a contract now with just one practice,” she said.

Fruit and vegetable farmers compete with livestock producers who want to build manure containment facilities or put in fence and water for grazing systems, and with crop producers who want to change tillage systems. But because horticulture is so complex, there are lots of ways to accumulate the points needed for a successful application. Bromelmeier makes sure her clients know all their options for point-building practices.

The Altonens were already adopting IPM practices, which are a good source of points. Eight years ago, they hired IPM scout Mark Doherty with HortSystems, Inc., who traps to identify pests, monitors weather information on growing degree-days and wetting periods, and recommends when to spray and what are the least damaging spray materials for pest control. The Altonens use two Smart Sprayers that sense the presence and absence of foliage and turn spray nozzles on and off accordingly.

Doherty sits on the foundation board at the MAES Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station and feels a high degree of “ownership” of MSU’s weather monitoring system. He uses Web sites such as MIfruit.com and PestNet, which keep growers informed about wetting periods that affect scab and fireblight and growing degree-days, which influence insect development.

Together, Doherty and Bromelmeier found still other new things that Altonen Orchards could try, many of them based on research by MAES scientists and the staff at the Northwest Research Station.

Sod centers composed of mixed grasses and legumes are a practice that EQIP pays for. Sod alleys not only reduce soil erosion but also provide habitat for beneficial mites and insects, and trap and release nutrients. Legumes in the mix produce nitrogen, which benefits the grass and reduces the need for added nitrogen fertilizer.

As part of a pest management plan, producers can mulch their trees. Mulch suppresses weeds that would otherwise require herbicide applications and can be managed as part of a nutrition program using slow-release materials. The mulch the Altonens put down was legume hay, which is richer in nutrients than straw or wood chips. As the legumes break down, they provide additional nutrients to the trees.

Insect mating disruption is a practice that EQIP encourages because pheromones have less impact on the environment than pesticides for insect control.

EQIP contracts can be for up to three years, and financial incentives are often at 50 percent of the cost to implement. The Altonens have more than 300 acres of fruit and vegetables and maintain a roadside market for about a third of their sales. They raise squash, pumpkins, asparagus and strawberries, and tree fruits include sweet and tart cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, pears and more than 20 varieties of apples. Some of their fruit is sold to Gerber Products.

For more information on production and environmental benefits of using IPM on the farm and how EQIP and other conservation programs may assist, visit www.ipm.msu.edu/farmbill.htm or http://www.agcenter.org.

New Nematology Books from NFSTC

Zhongxiao (Michael) Chen, a research specialist at the MAES-supported National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, recently published two books in nematology.

The books -- Nematology: Advances and Perspectives, Vol. I, Nematode Morphology, Physiology and Ecology and Vol. II, Nematode Management and Utilization -- were published in June 2004.

Nematodes are the most abundant and diversified group in the animal kingdom -- four out of five animals on Earth are nematodes. Nematology was recognized as an independent discipline during the early part of the 20th century and has become an integral part of biological science.

Written as two volumes, the books offer a broad overview of current nematology knowledge. The first volume addresses basic biology; the second covers applied aspects of nematodes as parasites of plants, humans and other animals, and as disease vectors; and the control of pest nematodes.

Contributors to the books include experts from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Co-editing with Chen are Senyu Chen, at the University of Minnesota, and Donald W. Dickson, at the University of Florida.

Ramorum Blight: MSU, MDA and State Agencies Work to Keep Michigan Free from Exotic Disease

Michigan’s $3.67 billion nursery and landscape industry remains free from an exotic plant disease called Ramorum blight, thanks in part to proactive efforts by MAES researchers, Extension specialists and plant pathologists, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prevent the introduction of the disease to the state.

Ramorum blight is caused by a funguslike pathogen called Phytophthora ramorum. The pathogen was discovered in 1993 on rhododendrons and viburnums in Europe and is known to cause disease in more than 60 plant species. The disease was first detected in the United States in 1995 in California, when mature, healthy oak trees suddenly began dying. To date, the disease has been found in 14 states.

So far, Ramorum blight has been found only in the Pacific Northwest, but concerns have been raised about the potential spread of the pathogen through the movement of infected plant materials to non-infected areas such as Michigan.

Ramorum blight is a serious plant disease that attacks many types of nursery plants and trees, including some that are important to the Michigan nursery and landscape industry, such as rhododendron, lilac, Douglas fir and oak species.

Disease symptoms vary from plant to plant but may include leaf spots, needle and tip blight, shoot-tip or twig dieback, and bark cankers. Because many other plant diseases and environmental stresses produce similar symptoms, laboratory testing is required to make a positive diagnosis.

Plant pathologists do not know where the pathogen originated, but the disease can be spread by rainwater or wind, by movement of infected nursery stock, and in contaminated soil on shoes and boots.

Although there are fungicides registered to combat the disease, none can completely eradicate the pathogen from infected plants. In fact, fungicides may actually mask symptoms in infected plants, so infected plants must be removed from the landscape and destroyed.

MSU is assisting the state’s nursery and landscape industry in its quest to prevent introduction of the disease to Michigan. MSU is the host university for the North Central Plant Diagnostics Network (NCPDN), an affiliate of the National Plant Diagnostics Network (NPDN), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). MSU has the laboratory tools and training resources needed to assist USDA/APHIS (the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) in determining if the pathogen is present in diseased plants.

MSU plant diagnosticians continue to work closely with colleagues at the MDA and USDA-APHIS to detect the presence of any potentially infected nursery stock in Michigan. MSU Diagnostic Services has tested more than 1,000 samples as part of trace-forward analyses of plants shipped from nurseries known to have the pathogen. None of the samples have tested positively for P. ramorum.

The MDA continues to participate in a national monitoring effort at nurseries and garden/retail centers to ensure that nursery stock imported from West Coast states is free from Ramorum blight. So far, department officials have analyzed more than 1,650 samples from 29 species of plants, more than any other state involved in the national testing effort. All samples have tested negative.

“Ramorum blight has the potential to destroy Michigan’s native oak resources and place a significant portion of the state’s nursery industry at risk,” said Dan Wyant, MDA director. “MDA, in cooperation with our state, federal and industry partners, is committed to doing everything it can to prevent this exotic disease from harming our landscape and natural resources.”

“The Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association board of directors recognizes that Ramorum blight could potentially be a huge concern for the state,” said Amy Frankmann, executive director of the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA). “The MNLA board urges everyone in the state to cooperate with one another, especially in light of the destruction caused by the emerald ash borer.”

Dennis Fulbright, MAES plant pathology researcher, coordinated planned and random surveys with the U.S. Forest Service to check for potential outbreaks of the disease in forested areas near Michigan nurseries that may have received infected material. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to conduct forest health inventories.

“This was a concerted effort between MSU and government agencies,” Fulbright said. “Even though we used the best tools available in biotechnology circles, it still came down to the trained observer looking for signs of infection and removing material to take back to the laboratory for analysis.”

Last Updated: January 16, 2007
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