Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station

Composite Products May Open New Markets for Ag and Offer New Construction Materials

An endless number of jokes could be made about a house made from manure-based products. But it's no laughing matter -- MSU Extension (MSUE) and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) are working together on an idea that may help farmers handle waste, provide them with a new source of income and offer new, environmentally friendly products to the construction industry.

MSUE educator Charles Gould has a vision for new lines of composite materials that use a combination of plastic and manure fibers, instead of the wood that makes up current fiberboard and other building supplies, to develop products for use in the construction of everything from playground equipment to homes.

It starts with cows. Lots of cows, actually. There are more than 40,000 dairy cattle in Allegan, Ottawa and Kent counties, where housing development has limited the land available for manure application.

Farmers looking for alternatives to land application can choose to compost manure. Composting reduces its volume, makes it a more stable fertilizer source and eliminates odor. Another option is to use an anaerobic digester, which breaks manure solids down into a sterile, organic fibrous material and captures methane gas that can be used to produce electricity for the farm or sold to utility companies.

Gould read an article about how Iowa State University's biological composites lab successfully combined the fibrous material from a digester with plastic to create composite materials. He immediately saw the possibilities for western Michigan and contacted the lab director to request a visit and more information.

"They were gracious enough to show me what they were doing, and I thought, 'We can do this at MSU,'" Gould said. "I went to Laurent Matuana, MAES forestry researcher, who happened to know the researchers at Iowa State, and we developed a project proposal together."

The two submitted the proposal to the Michigan Biomass Energy Program. They received a small community education grant to hire Alex Cook, an undergraduate student, to develop two prototype products: a digester fiber/plastic composite product that could be used as decking and a medium-density fiberboard. The two products were tested and compared to similar products made using wood fiber. The products made with fiber from a digester passed with flying colors, meeting or exceeding industry standards for properties such as strength, stiffness and internal bond.

The digester fiber/plastic decking product performed better in tests against similar decking products made with wood/plastic. When two composite types were compared, the digester fiber/plastic decking product had properties that were superior to those of the wood product, including a darker color, which potentially could be more resistant to UV rays.

During the production process, the fibers intertwine and increase the strength of resulting composites. This offers an advantage in areas such as load-bearing capacity or material strength.

"The properties of the medium-density fiberboard met or exceeded standard requirements," Matuana said. "We have shown that value-added products can be successfully manufactured from digester fibers. Everything being equal, the digester fibers are giving us much better properties than wood."

There are numerous possibilities for construction materials containing the digester fibers. Because the chemicals used in the production of pressure-treated wood have been shown to be harmful to human health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has outlawed use of pressure-treated wood in playground equipment. Fiber/plastic "lumber" could take its place. Other uses might include products for siding, furniture or lakefront seawalls.

Gould has already approached managers at two western Michigan home improvement retail chains to ascertain their feelings about carrying digester fiber/plastic decking or medium-density fiberboard made with the fibrous material from a digester.

"They indicated a willingness to purchase the product even though it was made out of fiber once found in manure because they perceived the products to be green," he said. The most common question asked was about odor. Neither the fiber/plastic decking nor the medium-density fiberboard emits an odor.

So when will a contractor be showing up at the door to build a fiber/plastic backyard deck? As in most cases, the answers are tied to questions of time and money.

"We do not foresee any problems pounding holes or drilling into it at this point, but that's one thing that still needs to be tested," Gould said, "and we need to find more money to do that."

Matuana concurred.

"There's still a lot to be done. Properties related to nailability, screwability and humidity have not been investigated," he pointed out.

Gould and Matuana are planning to submit another funding proposal to the Michigan Biomass Energy Program and are looking to other funding sources, both through grants and the private sector. They also need to begin work on marketing plans.

Though the field of new, environmentally friendly materials could have positive economic impacts on the construction, nursery and possibly even the forestry industries, Gould is still thinking about the possibilities for his primary audience -- farms and rural communities.

"There is a limited land base for manure application. Keeping Michigan's livestock industry strong and viable means we have to find a home for the manure generated by these farms," he said. "Why not make products from manure that benefit society, add value to the farming operation and, at the same time, fit nicely into a sustainable manure management system? At the end of the day, it's really all about sustainability."

Kells Named Crop and Soil Sciences Chairperson

James Kells was named chairperson of the MSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, effective Jan. 1.

Kells had been acting department chair since April 2005. He replaced Doug Buhler, who chaired the department from August 2000 to March 2005 before being named associate director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean for research for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Kells has been a Department of Crop and Soil Sciences faculty member since 1982 and served as associate chair of the department from 2003 to 2005. In addition to teaching, he holds appointments as a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station researcher and an MSU Extension specialist. He has held key leadership roles with both the Weed Science Society of America and the North Central Weed Science Society, and he has served on numerous professional review committees.

His honors include the Campus Personnel Award from Michigan Farm Bureau, the Specialist of the Year award from the Michigan Association of Extension Agents and the MSU Outstanding Extension Specialist Award.

"Jim Kells' service as acting chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences has been marked by excellence," said Jeffrey D. Armstrong, dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "He enjoys great respect among both colleagues and stakeholders for his superior service throughout his years on the faculty. I am confident that, through his leadership and vision, the department will continue at the national forefront in engagement, discovery and learning that are relevant to the needs of our constituents."

Kells holds both a bachelor's degree in crop and soil sciences and a doctorate in weed science from Michigan State University. He received a master's degree in weed science from the University of Kentucky.

Norris Named First Guyer/Seevers Chair

Patricia Norris, MAES natural resource economist, has been named the first holder of the Gordon and Norma Guyer and Gary L. Seevers Chair in Natural Resource Conservation at MSU, following a national search.

The Guyer/Seevers chair was created to address critical issues in the use and conservation of Michigan's natural resources, with an emphasis on stakeholder involvement and teaching students to take leadership roles in natural resource fields. Its goal is to have a positive and sustained effect on Michigan's natural resources through those who are managing them today and those who will do so in the future.

Norris, an MSU faculty member since 1996, has an extensive background in issues affecting land and water resources and has conducted research addressing issues in soil conservation, water quality, groundwater management, wetland policy, land markets, land use conflicts and farmland preservation. She co-chairs the MSU Extension Land Use Team, which conducts educational and training programs in land use policy and resource management.

The Gordon and Norma Guyer and Gary L. Seevers Chair in Natural Resource Conservation will focus on finding comprehensive solutions to natural resources issues in a three-tiered effort: cultivating student leadership for natural resource fields, conducting research focused on natural resource use, and serving as a resource to industry, government and non-profit organizations involved in making decisions affecting natural resources.

"I am tremendously pleased that Pat Norris will be our first Guyer/Seevers chair," said Scott Witter, chairperson of the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies (CARRS). (The Guyer/Seevers chair is housed in CARRS.) "Her work in market-based policy approaches to natural resource issues and her strong outreach background are a natural fit for the vision of this position."

"Pat Norris' skills and expertise will shape the Guyer/Seevers chair as a national model for stakeholder-driven approaches to natural resource conservation," said Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR). "I am extremely grateful to Dr. Gordon Guyer and Dr. Gary Seevers for their vision and leadership in establishing this endowed chair, which will allow us to engage in more coordinated and comprehensive planning of the uses to which Michigan's natural resources are put."

Before coming to MSU in 1996, Norris was associate professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University. A native of Georgia, she received her undergraduate degree in agricultural economics from the University of Georgia and her master's and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics from Virginia Tech. She received the Outstanding Extension Program Award from the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics in 2005 and the Outstanding Extension Specialist Award from the MSU Extension Specialists Association in 2004. She is past president of the MSU Extension Specialists Association and a member of the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Southern Agricultural Economics Association and numerous professional honor societies. She has served as a peer reviewer for nearly two dozen professional journals and was a member of the editorial council for the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics for five years.

Gordon Guyer and Gary Seevers are both triple-degree alumni of the CANR: Guyer received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in entomology; Seevers received a bachelor's degree in animal science and a master's degree and doctorate in agricultural economics. Guyer, who served as the 18th president of MSU, served the university in many capacities, including vice president for governmental affairs, director of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, associate dean of the colleges of Natural Science and Agriculture and Natural Resources, director of MSU Extension, director of the Pesticide Research Center, and professor and chairperson of the Department of Entomology. He continues his service to MSU with many professional and volunteer projects and programs. Seevers, of Westport, Conn., is an accomplished economist and financial market specialist who served a distinguished career in Washington and on Wall Street before retiring as a limited partner with Goldman Sachs.

Vargas to be Honored by Golf Industry

Joe Vargas Jr., MAES turfgrass scientist for 38 years, will receive the 2007 Green Section Award from the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) Feb. 23 at the USGA Green Section Education Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The annual award recognizes contributions to golf from turfgrass research.

"It was a great surprise when I was told I was going to receive this award," Vargas said. "I was shocked. I have gotten a lot of awards, but this one is very special."

"Few have contributed more to turfgrass management than Vargas within the past four decades," said a USGA representative. "Dr. Vargas has been challenging normal turfgrass management practices from the start."

"I always have spoken my mind," Vargas said. "But everything I've ever introduced has been based on solid research."

In the 1970s, Vargas discovered that, contrary to popular opinion at the time, annual bluegrass does not routinely die from high temperatures in the summer but from two diseases common to the grass. Vargas identified the problem and suggested new management techniques. Today, annual bluegrass is the principal turfgrass species on many golf courses.

Vargas also was the first to recognize that a bacterium caused the decline of a specific strand of creeping bentgrass. This research and other work that followed helped turfgrass managers realize that bacteria can affect turfgrasses. It also helped lead to the introduction of new creeping bentgrass varieties.

Karl Danneberger, turfgrass researcher at Ohio State University, called Vargas one of the five most widely known turfgrass scientists in the world.

"He is at the forefront of turfgrass diagnosis," Danneberger said. "I do not know of anyone who is better in identifying a golf course superintendent's problem on site."

Vargas has published more than 300 articles on turfgrass diseases and related subjects. His books are widely used in the industry, especially Management of Turfgrass Diseases, which is on almost all golf course superintendents' shelves. His current research is aimed at developing healthy grasses that require fewer pesticides, need less sunlight and are more disease-resistant.

A native of Fall River, Mass., Vargas worked on the maintenance staff at the Fall River Country Club as a teenager. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island, his master's degree from Oklahoma State and his doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He came to MSU in 1968.

Vargas has delivered more than 1,000 presentations at various turfgrass conferences throughout the world, including talks in Australia, Argentina, China, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa, some of the hot spots in golf's new frontier.

"My career has been a love affair since I was 14 years old," Vargas said. "Why would I ever retire? This is what I enjoy doing. And there is so much more to do. We have to find better ways of managing grasses."

Olsen Named MSUE Agriculture State Leader

Larry Olsen has been named MSU Extension state leader for agriculture, effective Feb. 16.

Olsen has served as acting state leader for agriculture since July 2006. He will retain a 25 percent appointment in the Department of Entomology and continue his research and Extension work.

Olsen has been a Department of Entomology faculty member since 1988. In addition to teaching, he holds a research appointment with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and serves as the co-director of the North Central Region Integrated Pest Management Center. He has served as an interim national program leader for pesticide applicator training program and has held key leadership roles with the North American Agromedicine Consortium and Project GREEEN. Olsen has served on numerous professional review committees and regularly receives grants in support of his educational programs.

"Larry Olsen is recognized and respected by colleagues and stakeholders alike for his superior service throughout his tenure on the entomology faculty and with MSU Extension," said Tom Coon, MSU Extension director.

Olsen's program excellence has been recognized with the Epsilon Sigma Phi National Honorary State Award of Visionary Leadership and by the Professional Plant Growers Association, among others.

Olsen received his doctoral and master's degrees in entomology from MSU and a bachelor's degree in biology from Adrian College.

New Faculty Member

The MAES is pleased to welcome a new faculty member with an MAES appointment.

Zhengfei Guan, an expert in econometric analysis, was named assistant professor of agricultural economics in January. His research interests include measuring the performance of agribusinesses, the economics of sustainable agriculture and production modeling, as well as agricultural and environmental issues in China.

From 2004 to 2006, Guan held various university positions, including visiting scholar in the Department of Economics at the State University of New York at Binghamton and postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. While at Wageningen University, he worked on a European dairy industry model. From 1992 to 1999, Guan monitored and evaluated World Bank projects and conducted financial planning and analysis for the Department of Finance and Planning of the Jiangsu Agribusiness Group.

Guan received his doctorate in business economics and his master's degree in agricultural economics and management, from Wageningen University in 2005 and 2001, respectively. His dissertation focused on arable farming, and his thesis focused on horticultural firms. He received his bachelor's degree in international economics and trade from Nanjing University in 1992.

2007 Michigan IR-4 Meeting Set for March in Lansing

Economic and specialty crop trends in Michigan, pest management options, pesticide regulatory policy and related topics will be the focus of a Michigan IR-4 meeting March 20.

Since 1963, IR-4 (Interregional Research Project No. 4) has worked with growers and chemical companies to register existing chemical products for use on specialty crops and reregister older products. IR-4 uses input from these groups to ensure that the program concentrates on pest control needs deemed most important by specialty crop growers.

Corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton are grown on millions of acres across the country and most new pesticides are created for these major crops. But crops grown in smaller quantities, known as specialty crops, need pest control solutions, too. Tomatoes, apples, potatoes, squash, lettuce, flowers and shrubs are all hugely popular, but their acreage classifies them as specialty crops.

"This meeting is for all stakeholders concerned about pest management for specialty crops," said Satoru Miyazaki, IR-4 regional field coordinator. "We focus on the most critical pest management needs of specialty crop producers."

The meeting runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development, 3535 Forest Road, Lansing. An optional workshop on submitting project clearance requests will follow. There is no registration fee, and lunch will be served.

Space is limited. The registration deadline is March 16. For more information or to register, call Gwen Skinner at 517-355-0123, ext. 123, or Miyazaki at 517-336-4611 or e-mail ncrir4@msu.edu.

View the Michigan IR-4 Meeting agenda and registration form.

MSU Gears Up to Celebrate ANR Week

Farmers, agriculturists, foresters and others interested in livestock, land and water are invited to Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Week, March 2-10 at Michigan State University. The annual event, formerly known as Farmers' Week, is hosted by the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, MSU Extension and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.

This year's festivities include educational programs ranging from forest stewardship training to a pasteurizer operator workshop and a Master Gardener program. In addition, ANR Week is the setting for numerous annual meetings and conferences, including the Michigan State Rabbit Breeders (with meeting and shows March 2-4), the Michigan Wildflower Conference (March 5), the Michigan FFA Convention (March 7-9), the Michigan Barn Preservation Network Conference (March 9) and the Beekeepers Annual Conference (March 10).

Other events include heritage livestock, organic agriculture, horticulture, grazing livestock and youth development programs.

For a complete list of programs, conferences and educational opportunities, visit www.canr.msu.edu/anrweek or contact program coordinator Sandi Bauer at 517-353-3175, ext. 217, or e-mail bauer@msu.edu. Free ANR Week program guides with dates, times, locations, costs and event descriptions are available from any county MSU Extension office or the MSU Bulletin Office, 117 Central Services, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824-1001; 517-353-6740.