Impacts for Iowans

Ensuring profitable producers

Iowans expect a good return on their investment in Iowa State University programs.

Here are examples of how the College of Agriculture and ISU Extension help add value to Iowa crops and help producers compete.

Iowa's wine industry pours on the growth

Iowa's grape and wine industry has grown dramatically over the last five years. There were 13 wineries and five wine-grape vineyards in Iowa in 1999. Today, Iowa boasts 44 licensed wineries and more than 275 vineyards. Mike White, ISU crops/viticulture specialist has provided direct technical assistance to 27 Iowa wineries and 180 of these vineyards during the last fiscal year. One example of this new economic activity is the 84-member Iowa Wine Cooperative, based in Osceola. ISU Extension's Value Added Agriculture Program also provided the cooperative with a business feasibility study and business plan. Based on the information provided, the cooperative raised more than $1 million in equity through the sale of shares and state and federal grants to build a new winery. The winery plans produce 20,000-plus gallons of wine annually.

Nutrient management plans easier with ISU program

An Iowa State educational program makes it easier for U.S. livestock producers to get professional assistance when developing comprehensive nutrient management plans. The plans must be prepared either by USDA employees or a certified third-party technical service provider. Robert Burns, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, developed and leads the technical service provider certification program.

Soybean rust management studied in organic production

Iowa State, Michigan State University, University of Florida and the Rodale Institute have received $480,000 from the USDA to evaluate strategies for management of soybean rust in organic systems. Strategies will include extended crop rotations and windbreaks to mitigate spore dispersal, organic-compliant fungicides and biological controls.

New technology to predict crop disease spread

A team of researchers is developing a web-based system to detect, identify, map and predict the spread of plant pathogens and pests. The USDA is providing a three-year $900,000 grant for the work, which will first focus on Asian soybean rust. The team will develop real-time disease/pest risk maps using the National Plant Diagnostic Network's database of nationwide plant disease clinic samples to track diseases and pests. In the case of Asian soybean rust it will provide information to growers so they can apply fungicides at the ideal time.

Branded beef project tied to Iowa landmark

Iowa's reputation as a producer of high-quality beef is the basis for a demonstration project to develop a brand linked to that reputation. Iowa-80 Beef was chosen as the brand name for the project because members of Japan's beef industry often refer to corn-fed U.S. beef as “I-80 beef” and Interstate 80 is a landmark where beef is produced using rations based on corn or corn co-products. The Iowa Beef Center and the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development are collaborating on the project.

Meat quality gene markers improving Iowa's largest industry

Iowa produces nearly 25 percent of the more than 100 million pigs grown annually in the United States. To be competitive, pork must be produced efficiently, plus have the kind of high quality consumers demand. A U.S. patent was issued last summer to Max Rothschild and his colleagues in the Department of Animal Science that covers the use of a genetic marker to improve meat quality. This technology and other recently discovered meat quality markers allow producers to grow better pigs.

Initiative targets Iowa's corn, soybean growers

The Corn and Soybean Initiative is a program to better serve the needs of Iowa's number-one-in-the-nation corn and soybean growers who produce crops worth an estimated $7 million. The initiative is helping integrate Iowa State's applied research and extension programs and expertise in corn and soybean production with a goal of increasing Iowa growers' productivity and global competitiveness. The initiative is a partnership of ISU faculty and staff, extension field crop specialists and agribusinesses, retailers, commodity organizations, farm media and others to maximize opportunities to reach growers with research, extension and educational resources. In its first year, the program has attracted 26 retail partners with 236 locations in 84 Iowa counties.

Air emissions lab hog study reduces ammonia production

In September 2004, the Air Emissions Laboratory opened at Iowa State to study the effect of diet on air emissions, among other air quality issues. The first study investigated the feeding of reduced crude protein diets to grow-finish swine. Preliminary data showed that by reducing crude protein through the inclusion of supplemental amino acids, ammonia emissions could be reduced 20 to 45 percent compared to a typical industry diet. The reduced crude protein diets did not have an impact on weight gain or feed intake of the pigs.