LifeScapes Fall 2007 by Texas A&M AgriLife

Lifescapes TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

TEACHING • RESEARCH • EXTENSION • SERVICE

FALL 2007

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TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE Elsa A. Murano Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Texas Cooperative Extension Texas Forest Service Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

DEPARTMENTS 38 Giving

42 Noteworthy 46 Accolades

NATURAL RESOURCES

BIOENERGY

TEACHING

YOUTH OUTREACH

FORESTS

INTERNATIONAL

FOOD SCIENCE

My P erspective Texas A&M Agriculture is all about impact — on our natural

resources, long-term energy and food needs, and the development of future generations, not only here in Texas but around the globe. It’s a calling that we take seriously through our teaching, research, extension and service missions encompassed within e Texas A&M University System. Lifescapes is a snapshot of the signiﬁcant progress being made in many of Texas A&M Agriculture’s focus areas by our worldrenowned faculty, staﬀ and researchers. On the following pages, you’ll quickly notice that we are committed to tackling the tough issues that face us today and could impact our tomorrow. From the ravaged countryside of Iraq to the stars surrounding the International Space Station, agriculture and the life sciences hold the answers to many of the pressing situations impacting our future peace and prosperity. ere is no denying that Agriculture Is Life! And Texas A&M Agriculture is positioned to take this message worldwide. Gig ’em!

Elsa A. Murano, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor and Dean Agriculture and Life Sciences The Texas A&M University System

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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Texas A&M Agriculture Texas A&M has been a recognized leader in agriculture, natural resources and life sciences since Texas A&M University became a land-grant institution in 1876. Texas A&M Agriculture encompasses five components of The Texas A&M University System: the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas Cooperative Extension, the Texas Forest Service, and the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. With teaching, research, extension and service facilities throughout Texas, Texas A&M Agriculture serves people of all ages and backgrounds and is a cornerstone of one of the state’s premier institutions of higher education.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University prepares students for careers in life sciences, food and nutrition, natural resource and environmental management, and agricultural production and economics. With more than 6,500 students and 300 faculty in 14 departments and 16 institutes and centers, the college offers cutting-edge courses taught by a diverse faculty and provides individualized advising and instruction.

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Established in 1887, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station conducts research to benefit consumers and the agricultural industry — while conserving and protecting our natural resources. Its researchers have made many innovative agricultural advances, including development of numerous successful new crops such as the Texas 1015 onion and the TAM Mild Jalapeño pepper, which has revolutionized the U.S. salsa industry. Current major research includes the efficient use and conservation of water resources, the development of fruits and vegetables with higher levels of disease-fighting compounds, and the adaptation of crops for making biofuels.

Texas Cooperative Extension Established in 1915, Texas Cooperative Extension provides Texans with continuing education programs and services related to the food and fiber industry, environmental and natural resources conservation, family and consumer sciences, youth development, nutrition and health, and community economic development. More than 900 professional educators and some 90,000 volunteers team up throughout Texas to serve families, youth, communities and businesses in all 254 counties. Among those served are the hundreds of thousands of young people who benefit annually from Extension’s 4-H and youth development programs.

Texas Forest Service A recognized leader in forest and tree development, wildfire prevention and mitigation, and urban and community forestry, the Texas Forest Service collaborates with regional governments and agencies to ensure that the state’s forests are protected and used wisely. Established in 1915, the Texas Forest Service has 66 offices. As the state’s disaster-management agency, it recently led management and recovery efforts following the space shuttle Columbia crash, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, and flooding in central Texas.

Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Established in 1967, the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is one of the world’s largest and

Texas Forest Service

busiest. With headquarters in College Station, a second full-service laboratory in Amarillo, and poultry laborato-

Texas Cooperative Extension County Office

ries in Center and Gonzales, Texas, it receives more than 220,000 requests annually for assistance in diagnosing animal diseases and is one of five state labs that form the hub of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. The College Station facility houses the state’s only Biosafety Level 3 labs, equipped to study the most deadly animal diseases.

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NATURAL RESOURCES The Trinity River is a primary water source for 40 percent of Texas’s population. With its headwaters near Dallas– Fort Worth, the river extends 512 miles to Galveston Bay. Nearly 2,000 miles of its tributaries drain 11.5 million acres.

River Reborn 6

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im Reed and his family — like other property owners in the Trinity River bottom — weren’t always fond of the river. It smelled of sewage from nearby Dallas and Fort Worth, and it ﬂooded their ranch, causing cattle to get stuck in the mud.

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“My impression of the

landowners is that they’re

willing to do Generations ago, ranchers and farmers cleared land

something, but they

along the Trinity River to graze cattle and grow cotton. Now, with little vegetation to slow storm water, runoﬀ ﬂows quickly over the land and into the river, eroding the banks along the way.

don’t all have

“e river has broadened and deepened just in my lifetime,” says Reed, 63, whose 1,800-acre Kerens ranch has been in the family for some 100 years.

direction.”

But thanks to the Trinity River Basin Environmental Restoration Initiative, announced by Governor Rick Perry in September 2005, the Reeds and their neighbors have had a change of heart. ey

— Jim Reed, landowner Kerens, Texas

now realize that the Trinity can help protect their land for generations to come, if they in turn help nurture the river’s ecosystems. Two institutes of Texas A&M Agriculture are leading the restoration initiative. e Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) coordinates urban projects, and the Institute for Renewable Natural Resources manages rural eﬀorts. Both are units of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Cooperative Extension.

PRECEDING PAGES: Ducks gather in restored habitat along the Trinity River. LEFT: Landowner Jim Reed surveys riverbank erosion. ABOVE RIGHT: An eagle’s nest is one of many signs of returning wildlife along the river’s edge.

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Reed and other landowners along the river, such as cardiologist Robert McFarlane of Palestine, have pledged support. “We think it’s great,” says McFarlane, who owns Big Woods Hunting Resort in Tennessee Colony. “It’s been unfolding for a long time, and it’s going in the right direction.” McFarlane and Reed helped found the Trinity River Basin Conservation Foundation in 2005 to foster efforts to improve the river’s quality. Family members plant trees and native plants to restore the river’s wetlands and other wildlife habitats. Restoring wildlife habitat has allowed them to supplement a cattleranching operation that has declined over the years. Visitors to the Reed Family Ranch now pay to hunt white-tailed deer, ducks and hogs. Others camp, fish and birdwatch. Dr. Jim Cathey, a Texas Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist, has been instrumental in making the Trinity River restoration project run smoothly. He writes manuals and brochures on restoring and managing habitats, hosts group seminars, and consults with landowners. He says the property owners are able to do things that the state cannot, such as reintroduce native plants and wildlife on private land along the river. “e initiative provides leverage to get federal funds for restoration,” Cathey says. Cathey and his team recently set off from the river’s headwaters 70 miles northwest of Fort Worth and headed toward Wallisville, near Houston, where the river empties into Galveston Bay. ey visited landowners and scientists along the way to check on their progress and provide guidance. “My impression of the landowners is that they’re willing to do something, but they don’t all have direction,” Reed says. “Dr. Cathey’s work will help.” Where the Trinity flows into Galveston Bay, cliff swallows, osprey, a great blue heron and an alligator greeted Cathey’s group. He was encouraged. “Restoring the Trinity will be a win-win situation for both humans and wildlife,” he said. RIGHT: Workers at the Rosewood Seagoville Ranch near Dallas harvest reeds that filter water and create habitat for wildlife.

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Field to Fuel Tank

BIOENERGY In order to meet the United States’ long-term energy needs, agricultural feedstocks and waste products are taking center stage in bioenergy production — and Texas A&M Agriculture is leading the way.

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“is could have the most

important impact on agriculture

hen Governor Rick Perry pledged $5 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to the Texas A&M

Agriculture and Engineering BioEnergy Alliance in July, he re-emphasized the importance of biofuels

in 150

years.”

research in Texas. Texas A&M Agriculture has been on the fast track with its bioenergy initiatives, leading the way with innovative ﬁeld research, forming key partnerships

—Under Secretary Gale Buchanan, U.S. Department of Agriculture

and making national headlines. In May, Chevron became a partner in biofuels advancements led by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. One month later, another $4 million was allocated to the Experiment Station by the state legislature. At the national level, Dr. Gale Buchanan, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, visited the College Station campus this past spring for a tour of Texas A&M Agriculture’s biofuels activities.

LEFT: Plant scientist Dr. Bill Rooney walks among test plots of high-tonnage sorghum he developed for use in biofuels production.

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“Texas is uniquely positioned to help meet President Bush’s goal of replacing 30 percent of the current U.S. transportation petroleum needs by 2030,”

“e thrust of our

says Dr. Mark Hussey, director of the Texas Agricul-

research

tural Experiment Station. Texas is already one of the nation’s top biomassproducing states, with a large forest industry, thousands of acres of crops, and some 25 percent of the nation’s beef cattle produced in the Panhandle alone.

is multifaceted;

“e thrust of our research is multifaceted; we’re looking at a variety of alternative fuel methods, from sorghum to mesquite to feedlot waste,” says Hussey. “is could lead to some big economic opportunities

we’re looking at a

for regional economies throughout the state.” A tall, high-tonnage sorghum developed by Experiment Station plant scientist Dr. Bill Rooney

variety of alternative

is being tested in the High Plains and in South

biofuels production. By taking genes from non-

Texas. Processing plants that produce ethanol from

sugar-producing plants and transferring them into

sorghum could soon spring up in rural regions of Texas, creating jobs and improving the economy.

fuel methods,

Station deputy associate director. e economics of

has pioneered methods for growing a hardy, drought-tolerant variety in cooler, drier parts of the

“e sugarcane industry has been doing this for a long time,” says Dr. Bill McCutchen, Experiment

existing varieties of commercial sugarcane, Mirkov

from sorghum to

state. Unlike sugar-producing cane grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the new sugarcane will be

harvesting a crop and transporting it to a mill for

grown only for producing ethanol from the ﬁbrous

agriculture in 150 years,” Buchanan said. “To fully

conversion could be applied to sorghum engineered

parts of the plant. is process, called cellulose con-

meet the nation’s needs for sustainable resources, we

for biofuels production, he says.

“is could have the most important impact on

have to look at all types of feedstocks.” Texas A&M Agriculture is doing just that. Its bio-

mesquite to

sorghum and other plants.

Early Experiment Station studies have shown that transporting sorghum biofeedstocks from the ﬁeld to

fuels research spans the state and includes crops bred

the processing plant is most economically feasible

speciﬁcally for high-tonnage biomass for making bio-

when harvesting 20-plus dry tons of sorghum per

fuels and generating electricity. It also includes agri-

acre within a 40-mile radius of the plant.

cultural engineering research to determine the best

Dr. Erik Mirkov, a virologist and molecular biolo-

methods for processing biomass and to design crop-

gist with the Experiment Station at its Weslaco cen-

ping systems that prove proﬁtable for farmers.

ter, is leading improvements in sugarcane for

version, will also be used in producing biofuels from “Texas can really capitalize and take advantage

feedlot waste.”

of this,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, after a biofuels tour at Texas A&M. “For decades we have used what’s underground [to pro-

—Dr. Mark Hussey, director

duce energy], and now we can use what’s above the ground.”

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

ABOVE LEFT: Researcher and professor Dr. Sergio Capareda (left) discusses his biofuels research with Experiment Station Director Dr. Mark Hussey. ABOVE RIGHT: Researchers at the Weslaco center develop improved varieties of sugarcane.

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TEACHING Abundant in the human digestive tract, E. coli is the world’s most well-understood bacterium and the most widely used research organism in the field of molecular genetics. Vital to advancements in human health, it is often used in DNA sequencing and cloning.

Culture Community he bacterium Escherichia coli is usually thought of only in terms of the news headlines it generates as a cause of serious foodborne illness. But many scientists use it as a “model organism” for study because of the insight it can provide into the biology of other organisms.

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EcoliWiki is based on the Wikipedia free online encyclopedia concept, in which anyone can add or edit information about a topic. is openness can be a little frightening for scientists, Hu says. But the

“A lot of

success of Wikipedia is beginning to change minds, and the race to add new Web sites using Wiki technology is much like “the race to be the coolest kid on

what is known

the block,” he adds. e National Institutes of Health will fund EcoliWiki at $200,000 a year for three years, which will pay the staﬀ for programming, workshops, content

in molecular

generation, and administration; provide hardware infrastructure and support; and cover the cost of travel, publication and supplies.

biology Students and scientists alike can access a Web-based research community compiling information about the bacterium E. coli.

Collaborating on the Web site are researchers from Texas A&M, Georgetown University, Purdue

As such, it is now the subject of a Web-based vir-

University, the University of Oklahoma, Stanford

tual community called EcoliWiki.org, a joint project

Research Institute, Nara Institute of Science and

is based on

between several universities and organizations.

Center at Yale University.

“A lot of what is known in molecular biology is based on model organisms, one of which is E. coli,” says Dr. Jim Hu, associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A&M University. “But

Technology in Japan, and the Coli Genetic Stock

model organisms,

Hundreds of hours went into gathering information worldwide, preparing for the Web site’s launch this past August. Participating scientists — who will

despite its prominent place in research, it lacked a

access the site via password — will add and edit in-

central resource for information.”

formation as their research progresses. Anyone will

What knowledge there is, Hu says, is scattered

one of which is

EcoliWiki is expected to capture the spirit of com-

among scientiﬁc publications or is known only to individual researchers. It’s important to gather that

E. coli.”

knowledge into one place. To illustrate the universality of E. coli research, Hu quotes University of

least two cells of interest: the one they are studying

munity often felt when scientists come together informally to trade ideas after sessions at professional conferences. Now scientists and citizens alike will beneﬁt from their online collaboration.

Michigan microbiology and immunology professor Fred Neidhardt, who says, “All cell biologists have at

be able to search the site for information.

—Dr. Jim Hu, associate professor Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

and E. coli.”

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YOUTH OUTREACH

100 Years Young

The face of Texas 4-H has changed dramatically over the past century. In addition to providing fun and educational programs for youth in both urban and rural settings, Texas 4-H awarded college scholarships totaling more than $1.9 million in 2007.

fter an unsuccessful year of trying to per-

suade the farmers in his community to try new methods of growing corn, Jack County

Extension agent Tom Marks commented, “Next year, I’ll try the pups.” He did just that. In 1908 he created the 25-member Boys’ Corn Club. By teaching those “pups” new agricultural techniques, he planted the seeds of the 4-H movement in Texas. Marks’s experiment was a resounding success. e crops planted by the Corn Club members outshone their fathers’ harvests, and the adult farmers were persuaded that the “newfangled” techniques proposed by their Extension agent really did work. Over the next century, that 25-member Corn Club grew into Texas 4-H, which today is part of Texas Cooperative Extension and reaches more than a million Texas kids with learn-by-doing experiences that RIGHT: Circa 1918 Girl’s Canning Club, one of the forerunners of modern 4-H.

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prepare them to be responsible, productive adults. Today’s 4-H’ers live in big cities, small towns, and every place in between. eir interests encompass agriculture as well as leadership and public speaking, computer technology, nutrition, the environment, and much more. One of today’s 4-H’ers is 7-year-old Clover Kid (the 4-H introductory program for 5- to 8-yearolds) J. T. Armatta, who, with his sister Sydney, recently took a trip aboard the Karma with their 4-H club. e Karma, a former shrimp boat now operated by Texas Cooperative Extension and Texas Sea Grant Extension, is part of the Floating Classroom Program, in which kids learn about the importance of the Gulf Coast and how to help care for it. J. T. and Sydney agree that they like 4-H “because it’s fun.” But their mother, former 4-H’er Lori Armatta, says that’s only part of how they beneﬁt. “It educates them so much,” she says. “ey learn a lot of responsibility by taking care of their animals.”

ished; they’re conﬁdent; they’re fun — just great kids

Lori says that Sydney is also gaining leadership

all around, “ says Debbie Farnum, longtime 4-H

skills by teaching her brother what she has learned

parent and volunteer leader.

through her 4-H projects.

“I’m still blown away by what 4-H has done over

At a recent 4-H reunion held in Austin, former

the past hundred years,” says Debbie’s son, former

4-H’ers and their parents gathered for an evening of

4-H’er Daniel Farnum. “It started as a corn club in

celebration and reminiscences about the organiza-

some small town, and it’s ended up as technology,

tion that has, for many, been a lifetime commitment.

public speaking, the people that we see in our gov-

“In 4-H, I learned how to be a more open person.

ernment and politics. 4-H is everywhere. And the

Now I’m really outgoing, and I can just go up to

new challenges, the new opportunities and new

anybody and talk to them and make a new friend —

technologies are going to keep 4-H going forever!”

even on the plane on the way up here!” says Micah Karber, laughing. She is now an Extension agent for 4-H, serving Bell County. “4-H’ers are the greatest kids on earth. ey’re pol-

For a time line of 4-H milestones over the past century, visit the Texas 4-H Web site at http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/general/highlights.htm.

LEFT: J. T. Armatta explores the wildlife on a Texas beach. ABOVE: Harris County 4-H’ers Nicole Cuccerre and Joe Perez enjoy the challenge of insect identification.

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FORESTS As the ownership of Texas forests changes hands, the Texas Forest Service is revising its educational programs to help new owners — many of them urban dwellers buying small acreages — manage the state’s timber resources wisely.

Forests for the Future mma and Bill Bookout are two of Texas’s newest family forest owners. In their early seventies and retired, they recently moved from Allen, a suburb of Dallas, to 12 wooded acres near Huntsville. ey own their pine forest for aesthetic reasons — not for ﬁnancial gain.

E 26

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“e trees will never be harvested “e trees will never be harvested in our lifetimes,” Emma says ﬁrmly. But they knew nothing about growing pine trees

blocks of former industry-owned land are being sold (TIMOs). Indications are these new corporate own-

for decades, she says. To ﬁnd out what to do, the

ers are maintaining a high level of investment in

Bookouts called on foresters with the Texas Forest

timber production and good forest management

Service, who showed them how to keep their wood-

practices. However, the long-term sustainability of

lands healthy by careful thinning, replanting and

these forestlands is unknown, as TIMOs strive to

otherwise caring for their trees.

maximize return on investment to their stakeholders

made it,” Emma says. Increasingly, people like the Bookouts represent the changing clientele served by the Texas Forest Service. ere was a time when the Forest Service

the city dweller who acquires relatively small timberland acreage as either a home for retirement or a weekend retreat. Families and ﬁrms that have owned

to timber investment management organizations

in East Texas, having lived in the Blackland region

“If it hadn’t been for their help, we could not have

in our

of its 1.1 million acres of forests. Many of these large

lifetimes.”

timberland for years know the need for such practices as selective cutting to sustain forest health. e new landowners, however, often must be convinced of the value of tried-and-proven management strate-

—Emma Bookout, family forest owner Huntsville, Texas

gies to protect as well as conserve Texas forestland. While its existing programs remain relevant, the Texas Forest Service is also providing its staﬀ new

over a short investment horizon of 10 to 20 years.

educational opportunities and communications tools

Not only have the ownership patterns changed, but the way the new family forest owners want to

to work with the new breed of Texas timberland

manage the land has changed as well.

owners, Soldinger says. Preparing and training agency employees to eﬀec-

“In some ways, they don’t want to manage it at all,”

did a lot of work on large acreages in cooperation

says Angela Soldinger, the agency’s conservation ed-

tively address the new management goals of this

with the timber industry, which, as late as the year

ucation coordinator. “ey want to preserve the for-

changing clientele will help ensure the state’s forests

2000, owned fully one-third of the state’s forests.

est, not conserve it.” And that means change for the

and trees are protected and provide a sustainable

way the Texas Forest Service does business, she says.

ﬂow of environmental and economic beneﬁts for fu-

No more. Early this year, the last remaining timber company in East Texas announced plans to divest all

ture generations.

For example, a new and growing demographic is ABOVE LEFT: Emma and Bill Bookout admire the trees on land they bought near Huntsville. ABOVE RIGHT: Ryan Witt, Texas Forest Service district forester, explains to Bill Bookout the fire danger of having trees too close to structures.

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INTERNATIONAL Texas A&M has been helping to rebuild the agricultural sector in Iraq since 2003 and now leads a consortium of land-grant institutions to improve Iraq’s agricultural extension program. Farmers have seen production increases of 25%–200% since the revitalization began.

Roots of Peace J

wad Kadhem, a farmer in Abu Ghraib, is one of thousands of Iraqis who have beneﬁted from Texas A&M Agriculture’s eﬀorts to help stabilize Iraq’s agricultural sector over the past four years.

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“I learned better ways to plant my crops to control weeds and insects,” Jwad related by phone in Arabic

“e

future of

to Dr. Ma’ad Mohammed, an assistant research scientist at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M. “And I was introduced to a new variety of potato that I didn’t

agriculture in our own

know about, which produced about 60% more than the potato I was planting.” Since 2003, Texas A&M faculty and staﬀ have

country

depends

been in Iraq, working with farmers, government agencies, businesses, university faculty, students and

partly upon

others to improve the country’s agricultural capacity. Eﬀorts began with an agreement between the U.S. Agency for International Development and Texas A&M’s International Agriculture Oﬃce, now the Borlaug Institute.

taking advantage of

“A&M was chosen to lead a consortium of universities and government agencies as part of a $107 mil-

opportunities for

lion project to assess and prioritize ways to rebuild

private sector development, livestock improvement,

Working with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture,

high-value agriculture, and government-to-market

Whitney, who is now based in Jordan, conducted his

transition.

ﬁrst train-the-trainer seminar in Egypt. Twenty-ﬁve

In late 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new $5.3 million Iraq Agricultural

Iraqi university trainers and 73 trainees participated. Texas A&M’s primary areas of responsibility for

the Iraqi agricultural sector,” says Dr. Edwin Price,

Extension Revitalization project, in which Texas

the project are livestock and poultry production,

associate vice chancellor and director of the Borlaug

Cooperative Extension would lead a team of ﬁve

animal health, dairy production, and grazingland

land-grant institutions to improve Iraq’s agricultural

improvement.

Institute. As part of this Agriculture Reconstruction and

teaching, research

Development Initiative, the consortium conducted crop technology demonstrations across 16 Iraqi governorates. Iraqi farmers were introduced to U.S.

and

extension in

extension and training. e project also has components for improving women’s health and nutrition

traveled to Iraq at the request of the U.S. Depart-

and for developing youth leadership.

ment of Defense to make recommendations for

“We’re working with the Iraqi Extension Program,

methods of planting, irrigation, fertilization, inte-

which has professionals throughout Iraq,” says Bob

grated pest management, and other modern produc-

Whitney, team leader for the project. “ey reach

tion and management practices.

other

nations.”

As a result, from 2003 to 2006, Iraqi farmers saw an overall production increase of 90% for rice, 200% for tomatoes, 150% for potatoes, 200% for maize, and 25%–35% for wheat. Other areas of eﬀort in-

—Dr. Edwin Price, director Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture

cluded crop-soil-water relationships, marshland use,

In spring 2007, Texas A&M faculty and staﬀ

improving agricultural employment in Iraq over a nine-month period. “rough these eﬀorts in Iraq and other countries,

about half of the Iraqi workforce, so showing them

we not only help others; we help ourselves,” says

new agricultural methods and technology they can

Price. “e future of agriculture in our own country

teach to others will signiﬁcantly help agricultural re-

depends partly upon taking advantage of opportuni-

vitalization.” Whitney is a former Texas Cooperative

ties for teaching, research and extension in other

Extension agent for agriculture in Comanche

nations.”

County, Texas. ABOVE: Iraqi rice farmers saw a production increase of 90% between 2003 and 2006 with the introduction of U.S. crop technology.

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FOOD SCIENCE With an average stay of about six months aboard the International Space Station, expedition crew members need safe, wholesome, and palate-pleasing foods. A partnership working at Texas A&M will soon produce about 40 percent of the meals consumed in space. A : NAS Photo

Feeding the Space Race 34

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ike most good cooks, Lori Neish is still looking to create that perfect cheesecake. However, perfection for Neish is a bit more involved. It requires sealing her confection in a gray plastic pouch, heating it to 250 degrees and putting it under 35 pounds of pressure.

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“We eventually

expect to produce about 40

percent

of the foods e ultimate taste test will occur maybe two or

used by astronauts

A&M University Research Park. rough the part-

e partnership began in January, and the support

three years later and not in this world. Orbiting

nership that created the facility, NASA provided the

from the Experiment Station has been invaluable,

some 200 miles above Earth, an astronaut living

necessary equipment to create a ﬁrst-class pilot plant

she says. e availability of the retort and related

for processing shelf-stable food products.

facilities makes it possible to conduct a high degree

aboard the International Space Station will cut

at the space

station.”

A key piece of equipment is a computer-operated

open the pouch, take a big bite of that cheesecake, and smile, perhaps thinking, “Just like Mama used to make.” Neish is actually a Lockheed Martin food scientist

—Lori Neish, food scientist Lockheed Martin

retort (a commercial pressure cooker the size of a

ing. Highly motivated students, who are food science

bathtub), which heat-processes the food-ﬁlled

majors, have provided valuable assistance — while

pouches to destroy bacteria that could cause spoilage

learning themselves.

who is working in partnership with NASA, Wyle

and foodborne illness. Heating the food pouches

and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to

under pressure prevents them from bursting. e result is a thermostabilized food that is ready

produce an array of tasty, nutritious, ready-to-eat foods for astronauts at the space station, and for fu-

to eat, yet is also sterile, which means it can be stored

ture missions to the moon and Mars.

for up to ﬁve years. “We eventually expect to produce about 40 percent

She does her work in an industrial kitchen at the

of experimentation in food preparation and process-

Experiment Station oﬃcials say they hope that research ﬁndings from this partnership will lead to new food-production techniques and advances in overall food safety. As for that perfect cheesecake in a pouch, Neish admits it’s a goal that’s not yet within reach. But in

Space Food Research Facility, located within the Na-

of the foods used by astronauts at the space station,”

the meantime, taste testers are raving about her

tional Center for Electron Beam Food Research, a

Neish says. at amounts to annually providing 31

cherry-blueberry cobbler.

unit of the Experiment Station located at the Texas

food items in quantities of 200 pouches each. ABOVE LEFT: Food scientist Lori Neish holds drab pouches of surprisingly tasty foods. ABOVE RIGHT: Neish and student technicians Kelly Flowers (left) and Monica Johnson (right) load trays of pouches into a computer-operated retort.

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

Giving

GALLONS OF GENEROSITY For a century, “the Little Creamery in Brenham” has been making life a little sweeter. And the Kruse family, which guides Blue Bell, has made a century’s worth of contributions to Texas agriculture. “e Kruses are among the ﬁrst families of Texas agriculture, particularly when it comes to philanthropic contributions and individual contributions of time and talent,” says Dr. Elsa Murano, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences for e Texas A&M University System. Celebrating its centennial year, Blue Bell employs more than 800 people in and around Washington County and uses the daily “services” of 50,000 to

honored as Distinguished Alumni at Texas

60,000 Texas dairy cattle. e ﬁrm has a multibil-

A&M, remain active in the company and in nu-

lion-dollar impact on the state’s agricultural econ-

merous philanthropic activities.

omy, and its national impact includes another 2,000

e Kruse family tradition of giving continues

employees at 46 distribution centers in 17 states.

into the next generation, through Paul Kruse ’77,

“We are glad that two generations of the Kruse

Ed.’s son and the current Blue Bell president and

family have already chosen Texas A&M as their

chief executive oﬃcer, and Jim Kruse ’92,

alma mater, and we are grateful to be among the

Howard’s son and the company controller.

beneﬁciaries of their long tradition of philanthropy,”

“At Blue Bell, we try to create an environment

Murano says. “is tradition has beneﬁted their

that encourages giving,” says Paul Kruse, who

community, their county, their state and nation.”

serves on an executive leadership committee that

Ed. Kruse ’49 and Howard Kruse ’52, who gradu-

advises and supports Texas A&M Agriculture.

ated with degrees in dairy manufacturing, say this

“We Kruses all have diﬀerent personalities, but

tradition began with their father, E. F. Kruse.

we all share a desire to give back.”

“Our dad considered work a blessing, and he told

Almost daily, he says, the Kruse family or Blue

us it was important to share the fruits of our labor

Bell Creameries or its employees contribute to a

with others,” says Howard Kruse, president emeritus

community group, nonproﬁt organization, educa-

and Blue Bell board member.

tional institution, or charity. It’s the giving back

Now in their seventies, the two brothers, both

that sweetens the work of making ice cream.

LEFT: Howard, Paul and Ed. Kruse (LEFT TO RIGHT) pose in front of the new Blue Bell Cow and Girl sculpture created by Veryl Goodnight and dedicated at the company headquarters in Brenham. ABOVE: Ed. and Howard Kruse proudly display the Blue Bell 100th Anniversary logo.

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

Witt is a former head of the department and holds its Bradberry Recreation and Youth Development

R. B. Dooley, who once taught agricultural educa-

Chair. The fund will address a need he has seen first-

tion at Texas A&M, has been honored by relatives

hand: attracting graduate students by assisting with

who followed in his footsteps at the university.

tuition costs.

Dooley’s son Larry is an associate professor in edu-

“We need more scholars who can help us under-

associate professor in agricultural education.

give them the needed tools to become contributing

Together with Larry’s mother, Mrs. Hazel Dooley, the

adults, especially during those outside-of-school

family has established a $25,000 endowed scholar-

hours, when they are most vulnerable to negative

ship — the first graduate scholarship for the Depart-

influences,” he says. “Even kids who stay out of

ment of Agricultural Leadership, Education and

trouble don’t necessarily have what they need to

Communications — designed to attract outstanding

succeed, and that’s an area that needs addressing

students with financial needs. Faculty donors are ensuring the future of the col-

This isn’t the first gift to A&M by the Witts; earlier

GIVING: AN A&M FACULTY TRADITION

ing their treasure as well as their talents to further

cational administration, and Larry’s wife, Kim, is an

stand how to positively motivate adolescents and

as well.”

Texas A&M Agriculture faculty members are shar-

Often, giving is a family affair. The memory of

they donated $47,000 to fund undergraduate schol-

lege through gifts such as these and building on a tradition of generosity beyond the classroom.

arships in the department.

teaching efforts in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Our faculty supports our students and teaching programs in so many ways, both inside and outside

COUNCIL’S MISSION IS SUPPORTING STUDENTS

The College of Agriculture Development Council (COADC) helps support undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M by recruiting students, rais-

of the classroom,” says Dr. Elsa Murano, vice chan-

ing scholarships, and serving as agribusiness advisers to the dean

cellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences for

for the enhancement of the college. Currently, the COADC has

The Texas A&M University System. “We are ex-

provided more than $1 million in matching funds, with an endow-

tremely grateful for their generosity, which has be-

ment market value of more than $2.3 million. The council also

come another fine tradition here at Texas A&M.”

gives active, positive reinforcement and support to the various

Faculty donors have given generously over the

departments within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

years, most often to benefit future students in the

by mentoring students, speaking to classes, offering student in-

form of scholarships and other support.

ternship opportunities, and even arranging visits to the various

Among them are Dr. Peter Witt and his wife,

agricultural businesses that council members own or operate.

Dr. Joyce Nies, who have established a $250,000

Providing financial assistance to undergraduate student organiza-

endowment that will help students pursuing studies

tions and judging teams is an example of the many ways that the

in youth development in the Department of Recre-

COADC financially supports the college. In 2006, the COADC

ation, Park and Tourism Sciences.

contributed some $14,000 to 29 different student organizations.

Dr. Peter Witt and his wife, Dr. Joyce Nies, are among the many faculty members who have made generous donations. RIGHT: Kandace Perry, poultry science major, received the $1,000 COADC Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Sumbera Endowed Scholarship.

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

Noteworthy

PROTECTING THE TEXAS WINE AND GRAPE INDUSTRY A number of small insects, primarily the glassywinged sharpshooter, cost the Texas wine industry millions of dollars by spreading the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce’s disease in vineyards. e bacteria clog the vascular tissue of grapevines, killing them by blocking the movement of water and nutrients and causing cells to break down. Texas has the nation’s ﬁfth-largest wine industry, with an annual economic impact of more than $1

others,” says Experiment Station entomologist

billion. To help the industry survive and thrive, the

Dr. Isabelle Lauziere. “And we hope to use the

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas

greenhouses to help identify — and raise — natural

Cooperative Extension have partnered with the U.S.

enemies of the sharpshooter.”

Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant

“e facility provides something that has been

Health Inspection Service, Texas Tech University, the

needed for a long time: an infrastructure for study-

University of Houston–Downtown, and the Univer-

ing this disease in the very heart of Texas wine coun-

sity of Texas–Tyler to form the Texas Pierce’s Disease

try,” says Jim Kamas, an Extension fruit specialist in

Research and Extension Program. A new facility for

Fredericksburg who will oversee research activities at

ﬁnding solutions to this single-greatest threat to the

the vineyard.

wine industry opened in Fredericksburg, Texas, on June 14. e 3,200-square-foot facility includes a main

Local vintners agree that mitigating the eﬀects of Pierce’s disease is vital to the economic security of the Texas wine industry, and Texas A&M

building, three large greenhouses, and a 1-acre re-

Agriculture has taken broad steps toward achieving

search and demonstration vineyard for studying root-

that goal.

stock susceptibility to the disease and environmental eﬀects on wine-grape quality and production. Experts in entomology, molecular biology, and plant pathology and physiology will collaborate on research and education related to Pierce’s disease. “We hope to answer some questions about why these sharpshooters seem to prefer certain plants over LEFT: Becker Vineyards, located near Stonewall in the Texas Hill Country, is one of the state’s many vineyards benefiting from the Texas Pierce’s Disease program. ABOVE: Grapevines infected with Pierce’s disease show extensive leaf damage.

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

MANAGING EMERGENCIES, FROM FIRE TO FLOOD

Most people know that when wildfires threaten some part of Texas, it’s the Texas Forest Service that is called in to lead the effort to extinguish them. But the governor also summons these

RESPONDING TO ANIMAL-DISEASE OUTBREAKS

When Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory experts — then led by now-retired director Dr. Lelve Gayle — couldn’t find a mobile unit to help lower response time during virulent animal-dis-

same dedicated people whenever the state faces floods, hurri-

ease outbreaks, they designed their own. The mobile specimen-

canes, tornadoes, or any other emergency deemed a significant

processing unit, housed in a trailer about the size of a recreational

threat to its citizens.

vehicle, greatly enhances the lab’s testing capacity when diseases

So when Hurricane Dean threatened the Texas coast before it

such as foot-and-mouth or avian influenza threaten.

swept into Mexico in August, the Texas Forest Service had teams

The lab can be ready to process blood and tissue samples within

and equipment poised to move wherever they might have been

24 to 48 hours. The samples are bar-coded, entered into a com-

needed. And when heavy rains caused flooding in central Texas

puter database, and then transported to the main laboratory in

earlier in the summer, the Texas Forest Service deployed teams to

College Station, where robotic equipment allows technicians to

coordinate response efforts.

conduct up to 6,000 tests per day. Bringing in these triaged sam-

The most valued expertise the agency brings, honed by years

ples saves money, manpower and valuable laboratory space that

of dealing with the challenges of fighting wildfires, is its leader-

would otherwise be dedicated to specimen processing.

ship in emergency management, especially at the local level. Its

The mobile unit has the same Biosafety Level 3 rating as the main

Lone Star State Incident Management Team consists of 160 spe-

lab. With showers for technicians and a ventilation system that re-

cially trained professionals who can go wherever the trouble is.

moves airborne viruses, the unit prevents disease organisms from escaping into the environment.

EARNING A MASTER’S

Texas A&M University students can now earn a master’s degree

ENHANCING

DEGREE THROUGH SERVICE ABROAD

in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences while serving as a

TEXAS BEEF PRODUCTION

Peace Corps volunteer abroad in a new program to be offered next spring.

trays, supermarket customers now find a multitude of heat-andserve items for the choosing, along with numerous branded beef items. The ever-changing beef consumer drives product innovation

The Master’s International Program is the result of a partnership

throughout the cattle industry.

between the college and the Peace Corps, which allows Peace

Through its annual three-day Beef Cattle Short Course, Texas

Corps volunteers to earn academic credit for their experience and

Cooperative Extension helps beef producers understand emerging

complete degrees in fields ranging from agricultural economics to

markets and develop products to attract discerning buyers.

wildlife sciences.

“Consumers want to know where their product comes from, and

Students at Texas A&M will complete 24 graduate study hours

they want to know that it’s safe,” says Dr. Jason Cleere, Extension

in agriculture and natural resources, and then work for two years

beef cattle specialist and coordinator of the short course, which at-

at a Peace Corps foreign assignment. Since the Peace Corps

tracted nearly 1,500 producers to Texas A&M University in College

began in 1961, more than 500 Aggies have served as volunteers

Station this summer.

around the world. Forty-five Texas A&M students are currently

One of Extension’s most successful programs, the Beef Cattle

serving in the Peace Corps.

Short Course is in its 53rd year. It provides information for both

The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture will

novice and longtime ranchers and includes the Cattleman’s Col-

be the initial contact for the new partnership

Instead of cuts of beef simply shrink-wrapped on white Styrofoam

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

lege, where participants are offered workshops on 15–20 topics.

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

Accolades

GAYLE RETIRES FROM TEXAS VETERINARY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY

BORLAUG HONORED WITH CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

Dr. Lelve G. Gayle retired July 31 as executive director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory after a 31-year career. He became executive director in 2002 and oversaw a major upgrade in the lab’s capabilities during his tenure. Gayle earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1964 and his Master of Science degree in veterinary toxicology in 1980, both at Texas A&M

Dr. Norman Borlaug, known throughout the world as an

University. He received a Texas A&M University System Regents

agriculturalist who saved billions of people from starvation,

Fellow Service Award in 1999 and has served as president of the

received the Congressional Gold Medal on July 17 in the

Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice and the Texas Veterinary

Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The medal is the highest

Medical Association.

civilian award given by the legislative branch of the U.S. government. In measures passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in December 2006, Dr. Borlaug was credited with

BECKHAM INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL 4-H HALL OF FAME

Tammera Beckham, a retired Bell County Extension agent for 4-H, has been inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame. This is the highest honor bestowed on individuals for exemplary service to 4-H throughout their careers. She served as a Texas

saving “more lives than any

Cooperative Extension agent in Grayson, Lubbock and Bell coun-

other person who has ever

ties. She has been a member of both the Texas and the National

lived.”

Association of Extension 4-H Agents since 1980, holding almost

Borlaug, 93, earned the title

every office, including that of national president. Among her many

“father of the Green Revolu-

professional awards is the Mary W. Wells Memorial Diversity

tion” by developing high-

Award, presented in 1999, the year she retired from Extension.

yielding dwarf wheat varieties that greatly increased grain production in Mexico, India, In the Capitol Rotunda (LEFT TO RIGHT) are Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Norman Borlaug, President George W. Bush, and Senate Leader Harry Reid.

Pakistan and other countries where populations often went hungry. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in 1970 and the National Medal of Science in 2004. He has received numerous other awards and honors throughout his ca-

EL PASO RESEARCH TEAM WINS ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

reer, in the United States and internationally.

Dr. George Di Giovanni and his team at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station’s El Paso Research and Extension Center have won the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Environmental Excellence Award in Agriculture for their research in E. coli bacterial source-tracking in water. The team includes postdoctoral

He is a Distinguished Professor of soil and crop sciences at

student Dr. Elizabeth Casarez, Dr. Suresh Pillai at Texas A&M in

Texas A&M University, where he has been teaching, lecturing

College Station, and Dr. Joanna Mott at Texas A&M–Corpus

and consulting since 1984. The Borlaug Center for Southern

Christi. Results showed that wildlife accounted for the greatest

Crop Improvement and the Borlaug Institute for International

number of bacteria in central Texas watersheds, with livestock sec-

Agriculture at Texas A&M were named in his honor.

ond and human sewage third. Their genetic library of E. coli bacteria may save millions of dollars on similar projects in the future.

LIFESCAPES | FALL 2007

TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

See and learn more about some of the stories in this issue of Lifescapes.

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TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURE

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