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Iowa Farm and Ranch
Soybean growers can bring agronomic information to the field, via smartphone As soybean growers head to the field, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has made a wealth of agronomic information available to take along, via smartphone. ISA encourages farmers to check out ISA Mobile (www.iasoybeans.mobi) while doing fieldwork this spring. The association has added a number of production research resources to the website specially adapted for mobile devices. Among the easily accessible publications are the popular Weed Identification Field Guide, featuring full color photos, and the recently published Soybean Diseases book, with identification and
management help regarding 25 soybean diseases. Besides video, the site also features podcasts that farmers can listen to while doing fieldwork; topics covered in the podcasts range from optimum planting dates to managing early season diseases and pests. ISA Director of Contract Research David Wright stated, “This is an ideal resource for busy farmers and crop specialists.” There is no cost to access the soybean agronomic information, derived from checkoff supported research at Iowa State University.
Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference set for May 11 The Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference (SMLVC) will celebrate its 84th annual meeting on May 11 t the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University (ISU) campus. The one-day event is the longest running conference at ISU. Sponsored by the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and ISU Extension, the conference will provide updated information for farm managers, rural appraisers, real estate brokers, lenders and others who have an interest in Iowa farmland. Conference participants are eligible for six hours of continuing education credit for renewal of a real estate and broker's license. This conference has been also approved for six hours of continuing education for Iowa Appraisal License renewal.
General economic conditions and the impacts of the changing rural population will be covered in the morning sessions, said Michael Duffy, professor of economics and ISU Extension farm management specialist, a member of the conference planning committee. Grain and weather outlooks will be covered in the afternoon sessions, as well as the changing relations between cash rents and land values. Registration information and a conference agenda are available online at www.cpm.iastate.edu/Upcoming. Registration costs are $90 on or before May 4, but registration is available up to the day of the event at an increased price of $100.
Storm Recovery Guide available from ISU Extension by Willy Klein, Laura Sternweis and Christopher Weishaar The forces of nature can leave behind debrisstrewn areas, contaminated water, spoiled food and conditions that could lead to health problems. “Storm Recovery Guide,” available from Iowa State University Extension, includes information to help Iowans avoid and recover from some of the hazards created by wind and water. The guide covers a range of topics, from salvaging belongings and restoring damaged buildings to documenting losses and handling
stress. It’s available from ISU Extension county offices and for free download from the ISU Extension Store, www.extension.iastate.edu/store (enter storm recovery guide in the search box). For answers to household cleanup questions following a storm or other disaster, call ISU Extension’s Answer Line at 800-262-3804. For information about legal issues, financial concerns, stress or crisis, call Iowa Concern at 800-447-1985. Remember to take care of people first; then deal with the things that were damaged or lost, ISU Extension specialists advise.
April 2011
Work begins on sequencing bison genome Unlocking the secrets of bison genetic make-up Call it “The dart shot heard round the bison world.” With a dart fired by Dr. Dave Hunter at the Flying D Ranch in Montana last month, a team of scientists formally began the process of sequencing the entire bison genome. Hunter, along with Dr. Steve Olsen with the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Dr. James Derr of Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M graduate student Lauren Dobson, selected a mature bull that is part of the Yellowstone Park Quarantine herd being housed at Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch south of Bozeman. Hunter then anesthetized the bull with a dart gun, and the scientists collected a series of blood, hair and tissue samples. "We even named him Templeton, in honor of Joe Templeton, a pioneer in genetics research," Hunter said in describing the event. Texas A&M will first analyze the samples to determine the genetic characterization of the animal, and to verify that the bull provides a good representation of the species. Scientists at The ARS lab at Iowa State University will then begin the complex process of sequencing the genome. Olsen explained, "It's like a jigsaw puzzle, where you want to get to the point where the pieces line up." He noted that the samples collected from Templeton will use used to develop "fibroblast cell lines" to grow cells that will be used as sources of DNA to be compiled into a type of library for sequencing. Those samples can then be preserved for extensive periods of time. Hunter added that new equipment at Iowa State allows scientists to make longer strands of DNA that are easier to analyze. Using Olsen's jigsaw puzzle analogy, Hunter said, "It's easier to complete the puzzle when you have bigger pieces." The initial genome is being sequence De Novo, meaning that it will be analyzed without a reference point to any other species. According to Hunter, that will provide a solid baseline for identifying unique characteristics in bison. The scientists agree that the mapping of the bison genome will provide the industry with a new set of tools. How those tools will be utilized will be determined in the coming years. Hunter noted, "One of the things we may be able to determine is why bison do not respond to some of the vaccines that are regularly used in cattle." The sequencing of the DNA from the first sample may be completed sometime this fall. The process for the initial animal is estimated to run $400,000, but subsequent samples will cost between $50,000 and $60,000. The USDA Agricultural Research Service is largely underwriting the initial sequencing project in collaboration with scientists at Iowa State University, Texas A&M, and the University of Maryland. The National Buffalo Foundation in January also donated $25,000 for the sequencing project.
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