Spring 2010 - College of Agriculture - Montana State University

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DevelopmentWrappin’ it upWith the close of another academicyear, MSU’s College of Agriculturewill award diplomas to students thathave elected to enrich their lives andincrease their earning power througheducation. As we say goodbye tothese students, we wish them successin their careers. With every graduation,new chapters of great storiesbegin. Just as our outstanding alumni before them, College of Agriculturegraduates will go on to start businesses, raise families, feedour nation, lead companies and lead governments.As supporters and alumni, you play a big role in the success ofour graduates. Many College of Agriculture students rely on scholarshipsto finance their education. Often times, without scholarshipsupport, students are forced to delay their education or work hoursthat prolong or jeopardize their studies. Because scholarships areso important to students, the way scholarship endowments aremanaged within the MSU Foundation is critical.As many of us are painfully aware, the economic challenges of2008 and 2009 were hard on investment portfolios and the investmentpool of the MSU Foundation was not immune. While thepool performed better than the Standard and Poor index and thoseof many peer institutions, it declined by nearly 20 percent fromJuly 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, amounting to a loss of $18,349,925.Given these challenges, our generous supporters stepped up. Ourfriends and alumni responded by making gifts that allowed us tomeet scholarship commitments and provide the support necessaryfor our outstanding students to continue making progress towardMSU degrees. This generosity reminded me of how lucky we are tobe a part of an agriculture community that maintains its commitment,even in lean times.With all of the bad news we have had to bear in the last couple ofyears, I am thrilled to report some good news. During the calendaryear 2009, the MSU Foundation’s investments gained 29 percent. Onthe College of Agriculture level, this growth equates to a $75,000increase in the amount of scholarship dollars reaching students.This is welcome news and a reason to be optimistic. However, it isthe generosity of our supporters that is a true cause for celebration.Even while dealing with personal economic challenges, you stood withus, and that is a shining example of how commitment can lead to greataccomplishment. Thank you for your loyalty and encouragement.Corners continued from coverplaces a 0.2 parts per million cadmium limit on durumwheat intended for human consumption. Montanadurum wheat must meet that limit for export.Durum currently grown in Montana can be high incadmium, a nonessential heavy metal that can causehealth problems in some people. Diet is the mainsource of cadmium for nonsmokers, with cereal productsaccounting for up to 20 percent of daily intake.In Montana, cadmium accumulates in the durumgrain and is transferred to wheat-containing productslike pasta.“By chance, varieties of durum that grow well inMontana have a genetic predisposition to absorb morecadmium.” Eckhoff said.Eckhoff crossed high quality lines as female parentsand low cadmium accumulation lines as male parents.The progeny were grown in the greenhouse at EARCand the subsequent generation was grown in thefield. Using a genetic marker, these third generationplants were screened for the low cadmium accumulationgene at the USDA-ARS Western Regional SmallGrains Genotyping Laboratory in Pullman, Wash.Eighty-seven lines had the low cadmium accumulationgene. These lines are now growing in the field andwill be evaluated for agronomic and quality characteristics.They will also be used as parent plants tomaintain populations.In the next few years, the low cadmium cultivar will begrown at RCs around the state and evaluated for yield.Tyler WiltgenDirector of DevelopmentClass of ’05 (BS) Ag Education & ’07 (MS) Applied EconomicsLow cadmium durum in the EARC greenhouse.Photo by Joyce Eckhoff.4
ResearchResearchers weighthe risks, benefits ofspraying mosquitoesEvening maneuvers and a mannequin named“Tyvek Man” are involved in MSU research weighingthe risks and benefits of spraying mosquitoes.To conduct their field work, Bob Peterson, associateprofessor of entomology, and his studentsdrive a pickup truck across an MSU researchfield and release a cloud of insecticide. Then theyreturn to the spot to collect dead mosquitoes andinsecticide droplets that landed on the ground oron Tyvek Man’s white overalls.The researchers take their samples to the lab to determinewhether it’s riskier to use a specific pesticide or not to useit, Peterson said. They look at the pesticide’s effect on theenvironment, and the potential impact on water, soil, animals,and people. They also consider the diseases that could spreadif the pesticide isn’t applied.Peterson and his team conduct their field work during summerevenings when adult female mosquitoes are most likelyto fly. That’s generally July and August in Montana, and earlytomid- June in California, where Peterson also conductsexperiments. The scientists focus on adult females, becausethey’re the mosquitoes that bite humans and others. In theMSU bakes a better breadFor undergraduates looking for a parttimejob, the Cereal Quality Laboratory(CQL) might be the place to look.“We hire six to nine students a year,”said CQL manager, Deanna Nash. “It’sgreat for them because they get paidwhile learning lab skills and scientificmethods, but they also learn how tobalance work and school.”The CQL cooperates with MSU’swheat breeders, field technicians,research center scientists, and othersto ensure that high quality wheat isreleased and recommended by the MontanaAgricultural Experiment Station.Additionally, the CQL assists with thedevelopment of new markets for Montanawheat and other small grains.“MSU’s wheat breeders are improvingwheat varieties. They grow new plantCollin Preftakes with Tyvek man. Photo by Bob Peterson.crosses all over the state,” said Nash. “Inthe fall, they send the harvest samplesto us to test.”Nash and the CQL staff conduct 17,000analyses for protein and moisture levelson the harvested crosses. This ensures thatStudent working in the Cereal QualityLaboratory. Photo by Kelly Gorham.process of obtaining blood to nourish their eggs, some of themosquitoes transmit diseases like West Nile Virus.MSU researchers in the Biological Risk Assessment programhave analyzed the benefits and risks of pesticides for mosquitoessince 2002, Peterson said. That’s when West Nile Virus becamea major public health concern in western North America.The group has found, so far, that the risks from exposureto mosquito insecticides are among the lowest the group hasestimated or observed. If insecticides are used according tothe product label, the risks will remain well within currentlevels of concern.“The risks from West Nile Virus are very real and exceedthe risks from exposure to the mosquito insecticides used tocontrol this public health threat,” Peterson said.Montana will maintain its reputation forhigh protein and high quality wheat.Using the CQL’s results, MSU’splant breeders can focus on varietiesthat meet these protein and qualitystandards. Advanced varieties are testedagain at CQL.CQL tests the end products of thewheat by milling flour and test bakingbreads. They also evaluate noodles,since some Montana wheat is sold tothe Asian noodle market.“Every single test we do matters tosomeone along the line: farmers, elevatoroperators, millers and bakers,” Nash said.The tests matter to the student staff, too.“Most of the students start as freshmenand continue working here throughgraduation,” Nash said. “It’s nice toknow they enjoy their time at CQL.”5
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Spring 2010 - College of Agriculture - Montana State University

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