futuresfuturesMAES Research:

Global Scope, Local Impact

MICHIGANAGRICULTURAL

EXPERIMENT STATION

WINTER 2007 VOL. 24 NO. 4

2 | FUTURES

With the click of a mouse, someone in Chinaor Australia can order dried cherries, wine,cheese or maple syrup from Michigan. The bur-geoning global community seems to be mostapparent in business, especially the business ofagriculture. There are hazards associated withglobal agriculture — diseases and invasivespecies are only two of the threats — but thereare also almost limitless opportunities for newmarkets, new knowledge and new technology.

MAES Director Steve Pueppke pointed outthat globalization affects almost every aspect ofagriculture, from the types of crops grown tohow they’re processed, marketed, packaged andshipped.

“Globalization has created options forMichigan to produce and distribute new kindsof products that were not available a decade ortwo ago,” Pueppke said.

The Michigan Agricultural ExperimentStation has a long history of encouraging andsponsoring global research collaborations.Research partnerships between MAES scientistsand researchers in other countries bring newknowledge and technology to Michigan andenrich work done at the university.

In this issue of Futures, you can read aboutMAES scientists from a range of disciplines whoare collaborating with researchers around theworld on work that will enhance Michigan’seconomy and environment and the quality oflife of the state’s residents.

Dave Douches, MAES potato breeder andgenetic scientist, has participated in researchpartnerships with scientists from Egypt,Indonesia and South Africa and is exploringcollaborations with Chinese researchers (Chinais the world’s No. 1 potato grower). His aim is todevelop potato varieties that are high quality,high yielding, and resistant to a number of dis-eases and insects. Michigan potato breedershave been able to participate in some of theinternational exchanges that Douches’ researchhas fostered.

MAES animal scientists Cathy Ernst andJeanne Burton use functional genomics andgenomewide genetic approaches to study meatquality, reproduction and health, and they arepartnering with scientists around the world tosolve problems faced by people and animals.

Russ Freed, MAES canola breeder, alsoserved as director of PFID-Fruits and Vegetables,a program that works to open up markets forsmaller farmers from a range of countries,including Nicaragua, Zambia and India. In theprocess, the program has helped introduceMichigan agribusinesses to markets and coop-erative opportunities in these countries.

MAES scientist Kris Berglund worksextensively with scientists at the LuleåUniversity of Technology in Sweden. Berglundsees parallels between Michigan and Swedenand thinks the state could use some of theinnovative Swedish approaches to push thetransition to a bioeconomy.

In his 35-plus-year career, MAES soil bio-physics scientist Alvin Smucker has collaborat-ed with researchers from more than 20 coun-tries. As he works to increase the amount ofcarbon that can be captured and held by soil,Smucker has developed analytical tools thathave enhanced MSU’s global reputation.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Futures andthat it helps you understand a little more aboutthe Michigan Agricultural Experiment Stationand the research it funds. If you have commentsabout this issue or would like to subscribe (it’s free!), send a note to Futures Editor, 109Agriculture Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039, or send an e-mail to depolo@msu.edu. You can also call517-355-0123.

For the latest information about MAESresearch and events, I invite you to subscribe tothe free MAES e-mail newsletter. Sign up byvisiting the MAES Web site at www.maes.msu.edu/news.htm. You also can view this and pastissues of Futures on the Web site by clicking onthe “research publications” tab.

::: Jamie DePolo

Boldly Going Global

Winter 2007 | 3

MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION ::: Winter 2007 Vol. 24 No. 4

19 Growing the Bioeconomy Below ZeroMAES scientist Kris Berglund works extensively withscientists at the Luleå University of Technology inSweden. Can the Swedes’ commitment to bio-basedproducts be a model for Michigan?

22 A Soil AmbassadorAlvin Smucker, MAES soil biophysics scientist, workswith scientists around the world toward a commongoal: improving biomass production and carbonsequestration by soils.

25 Research in the News

31 Directory

All photography by Kurt Stepnitz, University Relations photographer,except where noted.

Cover photoillustration by Christine Altese.

4 Boldly Going GlobalThe Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station has along history of encouraging and sponsoring globalresearch collaborations. Research partnershipsbetween MAES scientists and researchers in othercountries bring new knowledge and technology toMichigan.

8 A Tuber with International ImpactAs the world’s No. 4 food crop, the potato nourishespeople from Ecuador to South Africa and all pointsin between. MAES researcher Dave Douches hascollaborative projects with researchers around theworld to keep Michigan’s potato industry thriving.

13 Animal Genetics Go GlobalMichigan State has a growing internationalreputation in animal genetics. MAES scientists usingfunctional genomics and genomewide geneticapproaches to study meat quality, reproduction andhealth are partnering with scientists around theworld to solve problems faced by people andanimals.

17 A Steady SupplyGlobal partnerships fostered by MSU through thePartnerships for Food Industry Development-Fruitsand Vegetables project help keep fresh produce onstore shelves year round.

Jamie DePolo, Editor

Christine Altese, Art Director

Steve Pueppke, Director

John Baker, Associate Director

Doug Buhler, Associate Director

Futures is published quarterly by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment

Station. To receive Futures free of charge write to Futures Editor, 109

Agriculture Hall, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824, or call (517) 355-0123.

Permission to reprint material in this issue is granted, providing the

meaning is not changed. Credit given to the publication as the source

of the material is appreciated. Use of trade names is for identification

only and does not imply endorsement or criticism of the products.

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With the advent of the Internet, trade agree-ments and the idea that there are about sixdegrees of separation between any two people inthe world, the global community continues tocoalesce. This is most apparent in business, espe-cially the business of agriculture. Though thereare certainly some hazards involved with globalagriculture — invasive species and diseases arejust a few — there are also many opportunities:

new markets, new knowledge, new technologies.“We need to be globally aware and engaged

because globalization affects almost every aspectof agriculture,” said Steve Pueppke, director ofthe Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.Pueppke’s views are well-informed. Before join-ing Michigan State, he directed Global Connect asassociate dean for research in the College ofAgricultural, Consumer and EnvironmentalSciences at the University of Illinois. GlobalConnect is an initiative focused on the globaliza-tion of the college’s academic, research and out-

“Michigan cannot participate in a global economy

if our citizens do not have an understanding of the global workplace and the

opportunity to interact with educational systems in countries other than our own.

More and more, our economy extends beyond our national borders.”

—Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Ian Gray, vice president

for research and

graduate studies and

former MAES director,

welcomes Gov. Jennifer

Granholm at the

beginning of her tour

of MSU research labs.

Both Gray and

Granholm view global

interaction as critical to

Michigan’s future.

Winter 2007 | 5

reach programs. Pueppke also has been a visitingprofessor at universities in Switzerland andGermany. “Globalization has greatly enriched ourfood options at the grocery store and in restau-rants,” he continued. “This has created optionsfor Michigan to produce and distribute new kindsof products that were not available a decade ortwo ago. Even if we choose to ignore these oppor-tunities or hazards, they’re not going to go away.At MSU and in the MAES, we’re capitalizing onthe opportunities and mitigating the hazards.”

The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Stationhas a long history of encouraging and sponsoringglobal research collaborations. The land-grant

mission charges institutions with providing solu-tions to the problems of the people in their states.To do this, the MAES generates knowledgethrough strategic research to enhance agricul-ture, natural resources, and families and commu-nities in Michigan. Research partnershipsbetween MAES scientists and scientists in othercountries bring new knowledge and technologyto Michigan and enrich work being done at theuniversity. As part of her “Boldness by Design”strategic plan, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simonhas called for MSU to redefine itself as a land-grant university for the 21st century — to becomea “global-grant” university, speeding the transla-

Collaborations

with the best minds

from around

the world

enrich Michigan

MAES Director StevePueppke (center) visits theInstitute for Tea Science at Zhejiang Universitywith the director ofinternational programs at Zhejiang University(left) and John Santas, of the University of

Illinois (right).

Boldly Going Global

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tion of basic discoveries into effects that can be feltin mid-Michigan, across the nation and around theworld.

“President’s Simon’s concept of global-grantperfectly positions MSU and the MAES for the

future,” Pueppke said. “There will be increasingdemand for researchers who are globally sophisti-cated. In fact, it will become a requirement. Theinstitutions that address this opportunity seriouslywill have a competitive advantage in placing theirgraduates and securing research funding.”

“We want to be the leading land-grant institu-tion. To do that, we need to make the leap to glob-al-grant,” said Ian Gray, MSU vice president forresearch and graduate studies and former MAESdirector. “We’ve always had international research,but the idea of global-grant is a more formalizedapproach. The MAES has a major commitment tointernational research — it’s absolutely key for theentire university to embrace the concept. Our sci-entists will have more opportunities to engage inscholarly activities that enhance MSU and reallymake a difference in Michigan and in the world.”

Historically, the MAES has served as a catalystfor multidisciplinary research across campus,encouraging scientists from various departmentsto work together to solve problems facingMichigan. Global collaboration just adds new facesand cultures to this commitment to serve and helpthe state.

A Two-way DialoguePut simply, the MAES wants to bring the best

new ideas and technology to Michigan and putthem to use to help people. It also wants to helppeople wherever they are in the world. Thisexchange benefits both the state and the countriesto which MAES scientists travel. For example, asMAES researchers work to drive the state’s transi-tion to a bio-based economy, global research col-laborations will be imperative.

“Brazil has a much better developed bioethanolindustry — all the way from production to distribu-tion to flex-fuel vehicles,” Pueppke said. “Europe isahead of us with regard to biodiesel, and govern-ments there are moving ahead aggressively on

making biofuels from cellulose. Global partner-ships help us to understand why these countriesare where they are and to make more informeddecisions about our future directions.”

Research that spans the globe also enhancesMSU’s reputation and attracts top internationalscholars to the university, both as students and aseducators and researchers. It also serves as a show-case for Michigan agricultural goods and services,creating market opportunities for the state’s pro-ducers and processors. In 2005, Michigan’s agricul-tural exports were valued at $961 million, accord-ing to statistics from the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.

“We’re looking at a global economy, one that isbecoming more and more global all the time,” saidDan Clay, director of the Institute of InternationalAgriculture (IIA). “One of the things MSU does bestis to help our stakeholders build alliances. We helpthem understand international markets and trade.This is imperative if the state is going to be compet-itive in the global marketplace.”

The IIA is home to many of the university’sexternally funded international development proj-ects, including the Partnership to EnhanceAgriculture in Rwanda through Linkages (PEARL),which helped develop One Thousand Hills CustomRoast Rwanda Coffee, available through the MSUonline store, and the Bean/Cowpea CollaborativeResearch Support Program (CRSP), which hasenriched diets in Africa, Latin America and theCaribbean. Almost all IIA work involves research,consulting, education and training that willimprove the collaborating country, by reducingpoverty and increasing food quantity and quality.

“When you’re looking at solving big problems,poverty and hunger are two of the biggest,” Claysaid. “That’s what universities do — they enhanceand transform lives. It’s a good feeling to be part ofan organization that is doing good things.”

In the long run, enhancing the standard of livingin developing countries will provide dividends tothe United States and, ultimately, to Michigan.

“In addition to doing the good work of improv-ing the lives of impoverished people around theworld and exposing Michigan stakeholders to glob-al markets, these programs contribute to thegrowth and rising income levels in developingcountries,” Clay explained. “And as their incomegrows, their participation in markets grows, andthey become markets for Michigan commoditiesthemselves. The more we improve the welfare ofthe world, the more markets there are for theUnited States and Michigan to participate in.”

IIA programs also have tangible benefits specif-ically for Michigan growers and processors.

“Michigan bean growers are huge supporters ofthe CRSP,” Clay said. “This project is an excellent

“I think we’ll see a world where the barriers to the flow

of information, goods and people will be much lower than

in the past. And this will be beneficial for everyone.”

Winter 2007 | 7

example of direct benefits to Michigan growers.”“Of all the U.S. Agency for International

Development-funded programs at MSU, I wouldsay the CRSP truly brings benefits to Michigan,”said Irv Widders, MAES horticultural researcherand CRSP director. “CRSP is the backbone of drybean research, and the Michigan bean industry isenormously supportive. There are companies thathave no interest at all in foreign markets that arestaunch supporters of CRSP. They recognize thevalue of the research being done.”

CRSP collaborative research focuses on twomain areas: dry bean breeding and genetics,including germ plasm exchanges between MSUand collaborating foreign institutions, and nutri-tional information on dry beans. Michigan growersare especially interested in research that docu-ments the health benefits of dry beans. If thesebenefits are scientifically proven, they give beans acompetitive advantage over other food products,both in the United States and around the world.CRSP research by MAES food science and humannutrition researcher Maurice Bennink has foundthat regular consumption of beans (about three tofour times weekly) can reduce the risk of colon can-cer up to 50 percent. Bennink’s research has alsoshown that beans are a good source of high quality

protein and can have a protective effect for severalchronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.

“The CRSP has a very strong relationship withthe Michigan bean industry, as well as growersaround the country,” Widders said. “Because of theCRSP, MSU is known as one of the top places fordry bean research in the world.”

“We’ve seen direct benefits to our industry fromthe CRSP,” said Bob Green, executive director of theMichigan Bean Commission. “The research hasused results from around the world to createimproved varieties. The project, and Dr. Widders inparticular, has helped us get grants to fundresearch on beans and nutrition. It’s definitelyhelped us.”

All of which reinforces Pueppke’s vision of thefuture of global research partnerships in the MAES.

“As our collaborations continue to grow andproduce greater benefits, the distinctions between‘us’ here and ‘them’ there will fade away,” Pueppkesaid. “I think we’ll see a world where the barriers tothe flow of information, goods and people will bemuch lower than in the past. And this will be bene-ficial for everyone because we can all take advan-tage of the best resources available.”

::: Jamie DePolo

Dan Clay, director of the

MSU Institute for

International Agriculture

(second from left), and Tim

Schilling, of Texas A & M

(second from right), with

some of the PEARL project

participants in Rwanda.

Clay conceived and

launched PEARL in 2001.

Dan Clay, director of the

MSU Institute for

International Agriculture

(second from left), and Tim

Schilling, of Texas A & M

(second from right), with

some of the PEARL project

participants in Rwanda.

Clay conceived and

launched PEARL in 2001.

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A Tuber with International Impact

Winter 2007 | 9

t’s been worshipped as a god, banned from the Englishcourt and responsible for major population shifts inEurope. Consider the power of the potato:

• In 500 B.C., the Incas worshipped the potato as atype of deity.

• In 1589, legend has it that Sir Walter Raleigh gaveQueen Elizabeth I a potato plant as a gift. The queenhosted a banquet for the court with a menu featur-ing potatoes. But the cooks — unfamiliar with thevegetable — threw out the tubers and served theboiled leaves and stems instead. Since these parts ofthe plant are poisonous, everyone became deathlyill. Potatoes were banned from the court.

• Between 1846 and 1850, the Irish potato faminehalved the population of Ireland and set in motion amass emigration of starving Irish to the rest ofEurope and North America.

• Potatoes produce more nutritious food faster and onless land than any other food crop in almost anyhabitat. Potatoes provide all the vital nutrients peo-ple need except calcium and vitamins A and D.Combining potatoes with milk gives the humanbody every nutrient it needs.

• In 1992, Vice President Dan Quayle added an “e” tothe end of “potato” while visiting a sixth-gradespelling bee, cementing his legacy as a political joke.

• The United Nations General Assembly has declared2008 to be the International Year of the Potato, a des-ignation it hopes will focus world attention on therole that the potato can play in providing food secu-rity and alleviating poverty and hunger.

Michigan is the country’s 10th largest potato grower,producing almost 14 million hundredweight in 2005,according the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

As the world’s No. 4 food crop, the

humble potato nourishes

people from Ecuador to

South Africa and all

points in between. MAES

researcher Dave Douches

has collaborative projects with

researchers around the world to keep

Michigan’s potato industry thriving.

Large picture: MAES scientist Dave Douches (right)and Diedrich Visser, entomologist at ARC SouthAfrica, examine tubers in a Bt potato field trial inRoodeplaat, South Africa. Left inset: Karim Maredia(left), MSU professor of entomology who is part ofthe Bt potato project team, and Douches visit the Btpotato trial in Ceres, in the Western Cape of SouthAfrica. Right inset: Dan Clay (left), director of theMSU Institute of International Agriculture, discussespotato research with Visser and Douches in thefields at Roodeplaat, South Africa.

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Potatoes added almost $110 million to the state’s economy in2005. Around the world, the United States ranks fifth in potatoproduction, behind China, the Russian Federation, India and theUkraine. Germany, Poland, Belarus, the Netherlands and Franceround out the top 10.

“Everybody in the world eats potatoes,” said Dave Douches,MAES potato breeder and genetic scientist. “And almost everycountry in the world studies potatoes.”

Douches’ aim as a breeder is to create varieties that have high

yield potential, good appearance, excellent processing qualities(for chip and frozen processing), bruising tolerance and pestresistance, including resistance to the Colorado potato beetle,pitted scab, late blight, potato early die, tuber rot and storagediseases — Fusarium dry rot, Erwinia soft rot and late blight.Because potatoes are not native to North America (evidence sug-gests that potatoes originated somewhere between Peru andBolivia), Douches has developed a number of international col-laborations to exchange genetic material and information.

“Potatoes have a narrow genetic base and reproduce asexual-ly, so it’s difficult to introduce desirable traits, such as pest resist-ance, by conventional breeding,” he explained. “In 1992, westarted working with researchers in several developing countries,including Egypt and Indonesia, through the ABSP [AgriculturalBiotechnology Support Project] to develop transgenic potatoesresistant to potato tuber moths.”

The potato tuber moth is the most serious potato pest world-wide. The moth damages growing plants in the field by feastingon leaves and can reduce yield by 30 percent. Moth eggs and lar-vae in harvested potatoes can infest storage facilities. Infestedstored potatoes are then likely to succumb to bacterial infection,which makes them unfit to eat or use as seed. Small farm storagefacilities can see an entire crop wiped out by the moth.Insecticides are available to control the moth, but they’re highlytoxic and expensive to use.

“Though we don’t have potato tuber moths in Michigan, wedo have Colorado potato beetles, which are a severe problem forus,” Douches explained. “Also, tuber moths are becoming anemerging problem in the Pacific Northwest. The process ofgetting insect resistance into a plant is the same, no matter whatinsect you’re trying to fight. The breeder and the entomologistgain from looking at the interaction between the plant andmore than one insect. So the expertise we’re developing here willcross over to other areas and has definite benefits for Michiganpotato growers.”

Douches was invited to China to discuss breeding potatoes that areresistant to late blight. In the Hunan Province countryside, mostavailable land is used for food production.

Dave Douches displays tubes of disease- and virus-free tissue cultureplants in his potato advanced breeding lines. The university’s potatobreeding program has sent MSU lines to other countries through tissue culture to satisfy government phytosanitary requirements onimporting potatoes.

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Taking on a Worldwide Tuber PestFunded by the U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID), ABSP sought to reduce poverty and hunger throughagricultural biotechnology by developing expertise in research,policy development, licensing and outreach in developing coun-tries. Its scope included corn and cucurbits as well as potatoes.Douches found that genes from the natural soil bacteriumBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) could be introduced into potatoplants. The Bt genes then protected the potato plants from thetuber moths. Approved for use by organic growers, Bt has beenused to kill insects for about 30 years. It affects only specific pestinsects and is harmless to people, birds, animals and beneficialinsects. Ultimately two lines of Bt Spunta potatoes (as the tubermoth-resistant varieties were named) with commercial potentialwere identified.

When the funding for the original ABSP project ended,Douches began working with researchers in South Africa whowere also interested in the tuber-moth-resistant potatoes. TheSpunta lines were field tested in Egypt and South Africa. The col-laboration with South Africa became its own funded project, andin 2003, Douches and his collaborators at the RoodeplaatVegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute in Pretoria began col-

lecting the necessary data for commercial approval of a Spuntavariety in South Africa.

Because the Bt Spunta potatoes are transgenic — they have agene from another organism inserted into them — extensive reg-ulatory and safety data must be gathered and evaluated beforethe crop can be released commercially to growers.

“Our goal is to deregulate a transgenic Bt potato variety inSouth Africa and then release an insect-resistant variety throughthe public sector,” Douches continued. “This is a long-termproject — you can’t just start and stop it. We’ve been working on

it in some form since 1992. There are a lot of steps that have to befollowed, and they need to be done in a specific way. Thisresearch is helping both South Africa and MSU build the infra-structure and capacity to deregulate a transgenic crop. In asense, our team of researchers, which includes experts inbreeding, entomology, socioeconomics, communications andregulatory requirements, is building a ‘deregulation package’that can be used for other crops and projects.”

Other MSU researchers working on the project are JohanBrink, director of biotechnology programs in the MSU Instituteof International Agriculture (IIA); Hector Quemada, IIA visitingassociate professor; Karim Maredia, IIA short course programsdirector, who also coordinates the Borlaug Fellowship Programat MSU; Kelly Zarka, molecular research technician in Douches’lab; and Walter Pett, assistant professor of entomology.

According to Douches, the Spunta potato lines offer growerssafe, economic control of potato tuber moths, reduce insecticideuse in the field, and reduce or eliminate insecticide use on pota-toes in storage.

“We’ve run field trials in the United States, Egypt and SouthAfrica,” Douches explained. “Our results showed complete con-trol of potato tuber moth in Egypt and South Africa. There wereno infestations in the leaves and tubers in the field and no infes-tation in storage. The benefits of Bt potatoes to farmers and con-sumers will be reduced input costs (less insecticide used),

While in China, Douches visited the potato breeding program at theChinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences in Beijing. Liping Jin (right),Chinese potato researcher, shows the greenhouse containing plants forthe breeding program to M.S. Ramana, potato cytogeneticist from theNetherlands.

Chinese potato scientists visit a commercial potato field in the HunanProvince of China. Potatoes are being double-cropped with rice tomaximize the food production capacity of the land. China is the world’stop potato-producing country, with almost 10 times more land in potatoproduction than the United States.

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increased marketable yield, improved quality, reduced posthar-vest losses, reduced human exposure to pesticides and less pes-ticide residue on potato tubers.”

Michigan Potato Industry Sees BenefitsThe Michigan potato industry is a strong supporter of

Douches’ research, and industry representatives have par-ticipated in some of the international exchanges the researchhas fostered.

“These international collaborations have given Michiganpotato growers the opportunity to interact with researchers andgrowers from other countries,” Douches said. “They become partof the global university.”

Through Douches’ research partnerships, which bring inter-

national scientists and growers to the state, Michigan growershave met and interacted with South African potato growers andindustry representatives, as well as potato growers fromMadagascar. Michigan potato growers also attended the WorldPotato Conference in 2006.

“Dave is running a major research program with many com-ponents, including teaching, basic research, applied researchand variety development,” said Ben Kudwa, executive director ofthe Michigan Potato Industry Commission. “Michigan growersknow the value of having a comprehensive program like this inMichigan. You always learn something from interactions withgrowers from other countries. This research has benefits forMichigan growers.”

Kudwa said that Michigan potato growers are also very inter-ested in the deregulation package that Douches and the Bt pota-to team are creating for South Africa. Though not directlyinvolved, he said the industry is interested in the infrastructureassociated with the approval process for genetically modifiedpotatoes, as well as how these potatoes would be accepted inMichigan.

“This technology could be very beneficial to Michigan potatogrowers, to the environment and to the economy,” Kudwa said.“But we have to know if Michigan consumers would accept aproduct like this.”

Douches’ global partnerships and interactions with foreignindustry officials also open doors for further discussions aboutexporting Michigan potatoes to other countries.

“We’re intrigued by the exploratory visit Dr. Douches hasmade to China,” Kudwa said. “China is the No. 1 producer ofpotatoes in the world, but you don’t think of China as a potatoproducer. And there are more than 1.3 billion people in China.The logistics of supplying that many people with a consistentfood supply are mind-boggling. It’s difficult for us to exportMichigan potatoes because of our location in the center of theUnited States. But we’d be foolish to ignore 1.3 billion consumers.As I said, there are many components to this research. And thereis definitely something for Michigan potato growers in it.”

::: Jamie DePolo

The Norman E. Borlaug International AgriculturalScience and Technology Fellows Program helps developingcountries enhance their sustainable agriculture practicesby providing short-term scientific training and collabora-tive research opportunities to researchers, policy-makersand university faculty members. These visiting scholarsfrom developing countries work with mentors at land-grant universities and 1890 colleges, government agencies,international research centers, and other nonprofit insti-tutions and private companies. Douches has hosted sever-al Borlaug scholars in his potato breeding and genetics lab.

The Borlaug Fellowship Program started in 2004 in

honor of Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prizein 1970 for his success in developing high-yielding wheatvarieties and reversing severe food shortages in India andPakistan. Credited with saving millions of lives, his workhelped eliminate recurring famines in South Asia andhelped global food production outpace populationgrowth.

The program is open to participants worldwide butfocuses on African, South and Central American, andAsian nations. The program is administered by the ForeignAgricultural Service in cooperation with USAID and theU.S. State Department.

At the end of their trip, MAES scientist Dave Douches and Dutchscientist M.S. Ramana (third and second from right, respectively)attended a Chinese banquet hosted by Dongyu Qu (third from left),vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences.

Borlaug Fellowship Program Helps Train Global Scholars

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Michigan State has a growing international reputation in animal genetics. Michigan

Agricultural Experiment Station scientists using functional genomics and genomewide

genetic approaches to study meat quality, reproduction and health are partnering

with scientists around the world to solve problems faced by people and animals.

Animal Genetics GoGlobal Which Genes Make Meat Mouth-watering?

The words for beef and pork vary from language to language, but the response to asucculent piece of meat, perfectly prepared, is practically universal: “Mmmmmmm.”

Animal producers, however, are at somewhat of a disadvantage in rearing cattle andpigs that have consistently high quality meat year after year. Right now, quality can’ttruly be determined until after the animal is slaughtered and the cuts of meat are grad-ed. Farmers extrapolate ideas about meat quality based on the animal’s appearance,

Winter 2007 | 13

Rachael Kruska, a graduate student studying with MAESscientist Jeanne Burton (left), and Erica Lindstrom, ananimal science senior who also works in Burton’s lab(right), work with Patty Weber, Burton’s labcoordinator and senior research associate, to rungel electrophoresis of several cloned cDNAs ofneutrophil genes that change expression inresponse to stress and stress hormones. ThecDNAs will be purified out of the gels andused to study the genes in more detail.Lindstrom plans to start a master’s degreeprogram as a Walsh Fellow studyingcooperative weaning and transportstress in beef cattle. The work will bedone cooperatively between Burton’slab and a Teagasc (the Irish versionof the MAES) scientist, BernadetteEarley, of the Grange BeefResearch Centre in Ireland.

size and other characteristics; animalsthought to have high meat quality arebred to continue those positive traits inthe herd. Animals thought to have lowerquality are not used for breeding.

“Ultimately, meat quality is an end-of-life issue,” said Cathy Ernst, MAES animalscience researcher. “If desirable traits arefound after slaughter, it’s too late to usethat animal in the breeding herd and passthose traits on to the next generation.”

Ernst studies the molecular genetics ofpigs and beef cattle, seeking to parse outthe suite of genes responsible for control-ling meat quality. In her experiments, shelooks at the genetic makeup of animalswith outstanding meat quality and thencompares that DNA with DNA from otheranimals with outstanding quality to iden-tify common genes. Ultimately, she wouldlike to offer producers a simple blood testfor meat quality. Once the genes are iden-tified, DNA could be extracted from ananimal’s blood sample and the geneticinformation would predict meat quality

long before slaughter. This would allowproducers to make much more informeddecisions about breeding and culling.

Though the pig genome isn’t complete-ly sequenced yet (Ernst expects that adraft sequence will be done by the end of2007), scientists believe it will be similarin size to the human genome — about 3billion base pairs. The bovine genomesequencing is done, and it, too, is similarin size to the human genome. Becausethere are so many genes to look at, inter-national collaborations are invaluable toErnst’s research.

“My first international collaborationwas with scientists in Ireland,” she said.“We exchanged bovine DNA, and my Irishcolleagues sent a graduate student to mylab for training. The more DNA sampleswe can use to validate our work, the betterand more reliable results we have.Scientists around the world looking at thistopic want to work together. We all havethe same goal of high quality meat.”

While various cultures have different

desired characteristics for meat, issuesrelating to quality exist around the world.Some cultures prefer very lean meat; oth-ers like meat that has more fat and is well-marbled. What’s important to producers isproviding the meat quality desired byconsumers and providing it consistently.

“Consumer preferences may differ, butthe genes controlling the traits are in mostinstances the same,” Ernst explained.“We’ll just be targeting different allelicvariants for those genes.”

Ernst said traits involved in high qual-ity meat include:

• Flavor and juiciness, which are relat-ed to water-holding capacity and thequantity of intramuscular fat (mar-bling).

• Tenderness, which is influenced byprotein breakdown, connective tis-sue characteristics and other factors.

Producers also want animals that havegood growth rates and reproductiveperformance, traits controlled by dif-ferent genes.

“All these desired traits have to be con-sidered in a production system,” Ernstsaid. “Raising animals with these traits hasto be economically viable for producers.”

Recently, Ernst has worked with scien-tists from Korea, Brazil and Thailand onpork quality and is investigating a poten-tial collaboration with Chinese pigresearchers. In addition, Ernst and MAESanimal scientist Ron Bates have collabo-

14 | FUTURES

MAES animal scientist Cathy Ernst studies the molecular genetics of pigs and beef cattle toidentify the genes responsible for meat quality. Though various countries have different desiredcharacteristics for meat, issues relating to quality exist around the world. Ernst says internationalcollaborations make her work progress faster.

“My international experiences have been phenomenal.

Ernst expects that a draft sequence of the piggenome will be available by the end of 2007.The pig genome will be similar in size to thehuman genome.

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rations with Swedish and German porkresearchers. As MSU’s reputation grows inthis area, scientists who don’t have thecapability to conduct molecular geneticsresearch look for opportunities to come toEast Lansing for training. In 2007, Ernst isplanning to host two African scientists fortraining visits.

International trade and marketing ofmeat products is extremely important in aglobal economy. Collaborations not onlyenhance the research results of Ernst andher international collaborators but alsobenefit producers in Michigan and eachof their respective countries. It is alsoessential for students to understand mar-keting and trade issues.

“Even though I am working at a basicresearch level,” Ernst added, “I can bringmy international experiences into theclassroom to enhance the connection forour students between what we do in live-stock and meat production in Michiganand the United States and what is hap-pening in the global marketplace.

“My international experiences havebeen phenomenal,” she continued.“International work has broadened myresearch perspectives and allowed me tosee firsthand how researchers from othercountries interact with their industrygroups. Our meat quality research couldget done without international collabora-tions, but the collaborations enhance thework and definitely make it progressfaster.”

Understanding the Genes thatControl Animal Health Can Lead toBetter Human Health

Researchers have long used animalmodels to study how the human bodyreacts at the genetic level to disease,stress, nutritional deficiencies and otherailments. Traditionally, the animals weresmall — mice, rats and other rodents —because they were easy to handle andshelter. But thanks to work by MichiganAgricultural Experiment Station animalfunctional genomics scientists, biomed-ical researchers now are realizing that

larger agricultural animals such as dairycows or pigs may be better models todecode the secrets of human gene func-tion and health.

Functional genomics research identi-fies the expression and function of thou-

sands of genes and the proteins theyencode that underlie the key traits, physi-ology or development of an organism.

In May 2006, Michigan State hosted theSecond International Symposium onAnimal Functional Genomics (ISAFG),organized by Jeanne Burton, MAES ani-mal scientist and head of the MSUImmunogenetics Laboratory, andGuilherme Rosa, former MSU assistantprofessor of animal science, who is now atthe University of Wisconsin-Madison. Thesymposium featured leading functionalgenomics scientists from around theworld. Topics addressed included thestudy of large gene sets that underlieimmune system responses to parasitesand environmental and physiological

stressors, fertility, growth, and metab-olism.

“The Second International Symposiumon Animal Functional Genomics was atremendous success, bringing scientistsfrom around the world to MSU to

exchange ideas and present the latestresearch in an area that is transformingthe way animal biology is studied,” saidPaul Coussens, MAES animal scientist anddirector of the MSU Center for AnimalFunctional Genomics. “In addition, it isclear that functional genomics is makingdomestic species more attractive as bio-medical models.”

In recognition of the potential for agri-cultural animals, fish and wild animals toserve as biomedical models, as well as thequality of the research presented at theSecond ISAFG, the journal PhysiologicalGenomics published a special issue inDecember 2006 on animal functionalgenomics featuring 12 papers that werepresented at the symposium.

Jeanne Burton, MAES animal science researcher and head of the MSU Immunogenetics Laboratory(right), works with Rachel Kruska, a graduate student in Burton’s lab (seated), on a project thatseeks to identify the protein networks that regulate gene expression in neutrophils of stresseddairy cattle.

International work has broadened my research perspective.”

“High priority human health researchareas such as disease susceptibility andpathogenesis, fertility, behavior, obesity,and muscle development could beenhanced by using agricultural species asbiomedical models,” said Burton, who isalso a member of the MSU Center forAnimal Functional Genomics. “As westudy ways to improve animal health, wealso can improve human health.Publication of agricultural animal andaquaculture functional genomics researchin topnotch journals such as PhysiologicalGenomics is important because it meansbiomedical researchers are seeing howvaluable this work is.

“We were able to bring the top thoughtleaders in this discipline together at thesymposium, and the program was excel-

lent,” Burton continued. “The caliber ofthe symposium led to the special issue ofPhysiological Genomics, which is aunique way to share this information withthe public.”

The special issue is available online athttp://physiolgenomics.physiology.org/.

The symposium was supported by theMSU Center for Animal FunctionalGenomics and a grant from the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)National Research Initiative GenomicsProgram, as well as by donations fromcorporate sponsors Applied Biosystems,Beckman Coulter, Fisher Scientific,Genomic Solutions, Invitrogen, MolecularDevices, Operon, Tecan and ArrayIt.

MSU’s leadership in animal functionalgenomics also extends to training future

leading scientists. The university recentlyreceived a USDA National Needs Fellow-ship grant to support four graduate doc-toral fellowships in animal functionalgenomics. Coussens is the principal inves-tigator for the grant. Karen Plaut, chairper-son of the MSU Department of AnimalScience, Burton, and 13 other MSU animalscience and veterinary medicine facultymembers are co-investigators.

“Dr. Burton’s efforts to organize aninternational meeting on functionalgenomics and her work with PhysiologicalGenomics to publish an entire issuefocusing on the meeting demonstrate herdedication to educating scientists acrossthe nation and the world,” Plaut said.“These efforts put the MSU Departmentof Animal Science in a leadership role andhelped secure the National NeedsGraduate Fellowship awards.”

The U.S. Department of AgricultureNational Needs program is funding twofellowships, and the MSU Department ofAnimal Science and the MichiganAgricultural Experiment Station are fund-ing the other two.

“Functional genomics is makingdomestic species more attractive as bio-medical models, and the Center forAnimal Functional Genomics at MSU isvery proud to be a part of this effort,”Coussens said. “The USDA grant to fundgraduate students in the critical areas ofbioinformatics and functional genomicswill ensure that there is a new generationof scientists familiar with the use of these post-genome sequence tools toenhance both biomedical and agriculturalsciences.”

“Through the MSU Center for AnimalFunctional Genomics, there are tremen-dous international connections,” Burtonadded. “Our fellows will have exposure tothe best minds in the world. It’s wonderfulto have this opportunity for our students.”

For more information about the MSU Center for Animal FunctionalGenomics, visit the Center’s Web site athttp://cafg.msu.edu.

::: Jamie DePolo

16 | FUTURES

MAES scientist Cathy Ernst (center) has collaborated with colleagues Kwan-Suk Kim (left) and Jong-Joo Kim (right) in South Korea on the molecular genetics of pork quality. Later this year, she willhost two African scientists in her lab for training visits.

“Our fellows will have exposure to the best minds in the world. It’s wonderful to have this opportunity for our students.”

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Global partnerships fostered by MSU help keep fruits and vegetables

on store shelves year round.

The last decade has brought changes to the waymany people in Michigan buy food and the waysome farmers supply food to retailers. As conglom-

erate stores began carrying food, including fresh fruits andvegetables, they wanted to offer their customers consistentquality and selection. So these large retailers began requir-ing vendors to guarantee a 12-month supply of the productunder contract. To keep their contracts, producers had tofigure out how to offer a year-round supply of even the mostdelicate tropical fruits.

“In the past 10 years, stores began demanding specificsizes, shapes and textures for fruits and vegetables,”explained Russ Freed, MAES crop and soil sciencesresearcher and former director of the Partnerships for FoodIndustry Development (PFID)-Fruits and Vegetables, a pro-gram funded by the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) and administered through the MSUInstitute of International Agriculture. “Also, many of the bigcompanies require that farmers be able to supply 12 monthsof a commodity, such as mangoes, bananas, blueberries,whatever. This is having an effect on farmers. To provide a

12-month supply, you need to be a big farmer or a coalitionof smaller farmers.”

Started in 2001 at MSU, PFID works to increase the com-petitiveness of small- and medium-scale producers in devel-oping countries around the world. By linking these smallerfarmers with local, national and international markets, PFIDboosts economic development in the developing countries.The program has the added bonus of creating new businessopportunities for Michigan producers and processors.

According to Freed, who was PFID-Fruits and Vegetablesdirector from 2005 to 2006, PFID collaborates with publicand private entities to open up markets for smaller farmersfrom a range of countries, including Nicaragua, Zambia andIndia. In doing so, it has helped introduce Michigan

A STEADY SUPPLY

MAES scientist Russ Freed led the PFID-Fruits and Vegetablesprogram for 2 years. Some of the program’s partners in Nicaraguaare (from left): Sebastian Araya, Finca owner; Felipe Lazaro, Fincaworker; Freed; Lolita de Araya, Araya’s wife; and Alejo Espinozaand Vicente Reyes, of Technoserve. Finca is a microfinance organi-zation that works with farmers in Latin America. Technoserve is anongovernmental organization that gives technical assistance to thefarmers on how to grow their crops.

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agribusinesses to markets and cooperative opportunities inthese countries. For example, a Michigan spice company has setup a paprika processing plant in Namibia. This ensures that thecompany has a ready supply of paprika for consumers and alsogives Namibian farmers a new market for their product. Othercompanies have contracted with growers in Central America tosupply coffee and bananas and with growers in India for man-goes. PFID does not work with crops that are exported from the

United States to avoid any potential conflicts with U.S. exporters.“The major activity of PFID is promoting economic develop-

ment and growth among farmers that are making less than $2per day,” Freed said. “That scenario doesn’t fit in with the con-cept of sustainability, for either people or agriculture. If thesefarmers are able to expand their operations, they’ll have moremoney and be able to buy more and higher quality food. In turn,this will create new markets in those countries that Michigangrowers can fill. Because we work so closely with the farmers, wecan introduce people to one another.”

Typically, PFID begins helping fruit and vegetable farmersexpand local markets by improving infrastructure, such as trans-portation, communication and production techniques. Thisleads to higher quality products and increased consumption,which improves the health of the local population. Then thefarmers move on to regional and international markets.

A Nicaraguan Success StorySince 2003, PFID has been helping Nicaraguan fruit and veg-

etable farmers become more competitive and to increase grow-ers’ access to high value markets. PFID scientists designed tech-nical assistance programs tailored to participating producers’needs, with the ultimate goal of helping them consistently andefficiently produce high quality and safe produce for local,regional and export markets. In addition to PFID scientists, thepartnership includes the following businesses, agencies and gov-ernmental organizations: Hortifruiti and La Colonia supermar-ket chains, Catholic Relief Services, Technoserve, AdventistDevelopment and Relief Agency, Project Concern International,Save the Children, World Relief Corporation and theInter–American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation.

Despite some economic improvements, Nicaragua is the sec-ond poorest country in the Americas. About half of the popula-tion lives in poverty, and 17 percent lives in extreme poverty.About 75 percent of Nicaragua’s poor people live in rural areasand depend on agriculture for employment in addition to food.The Nicaraguan government would like to encourage economicgrowth in rural areas to reduce poverty as well as the potential forpolitical instability.

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with theUnited States has forced the Nicaraguan economy to globalizevery quickly, which has created both opportunities and threats

for Nicaraguan agriculture. For producers who can meet region-al and global market standards and then move into these newmarkets, there are many opportunities. But these producers haveto be prepared to meet the inevitable competition that will comebecause of lower trade barriers.

Phase I of the Nicaraguan project was completed in 2005, andthe results were impressive: sales of fruits and vegetablesincreased by $7.4 million, more than 11,000 jobs were created,

and more than 9,000 acres went into production. Twenty-fouralliances were formed and 26 market contracts between farmersand buyers were formalized. In addition, six associationsimproved their business practices. All the results exceeded thetargets set by the program.

In addition, about a quarter of the program participants weresingle mothers and female heads of household. In Nicaragua,women make up about 20 percent of rural workers who don’town any land. Off-farm jobs in transport, packaging and agricul-tural labor that were created as crops became more diverse andsales of fruits and vegetable increased were important sources ofincome for these women.

“I haven’t seen a better development project than the projectin Nicaragua,” Freed said. “It’s really having an impact. Oneaspect of the program involves teaching at-risk youth how togrow fruits and vegetables and then how to market them. They’relearning that you can make a living without resorting to crime.”

To continue the momentum of the project, Phase II started in2006. PFID scientists continue to provide technical assistance, aswell as identify potential buyers and evaluate markets, and helpbuild strong, lasting alliances between buyers and Nicaraguansuppliers. They’re also working with public and private organiza-tions to get rid of any supply chain constraints to fresh producesales.

PFID also provides research opportunities for graduate stu-dents, some from the United States and some from developingcountries.

“Many of our graduate students are studying market intelli-gence — what’s the demand around the world for what can begrown in Nicaragua?” Freed said. “Right now, Nicaragua is theNo. 1 exporter of okra into Miami. Honduras and Mexico used tobe the biggest exporters of okra, but Nicaragua has done a goodjob of forming alliances and marketing its okra. Other studentsare studying the market for a processed banana product.

“I think it’s a great program because it allows faculty membersto do research within PFID,” Freed concluded, “and it also allowsthem to bring their international experiences to the classroom.Instead of just talking about what’s happening in global markets,professors can give their students firsthand experience anddetails.”

::: Jamie DePolo

18 | FUTURES

“I haven’t seen a better development project than the one in

Nicaragua. It’s really having an impact.”

Winter 2007 | 19

Just below the Arctic Circle and 4,500 miles away from

East Lansing, Kris Berglund, MAES biochemical processingresearcher, is collaborating on products and processes thatmay play a crucial role in furthering Michigan’s bioeconomy.

“Sweden has a national initiative to eliminate all uses ofpetroleum-based products by 2020 and instead use prod-ucts made from renewable resources,” Berglund explained.“There are parallels between Michigan and Sweden. Thepopulation is roughly the same, as is the land mass of each.Also, neither Sweden nor Michigan has large amounts of

Growing theBioeconomy

Below Zero

MAES scientist

Kris Berglund works

extensively with scientists

at the Luleå University of

Technology in Sweden. Can

the Swedes’ commitment to

bio-based products be a

model for Michigan?

Growing theBioeconomy

Below Zero

MAES scientist Kris Berglund presents information on his newcompany, Working Bugs, at an energy technology and policyforum with Maud Olofsson, Swedish deputy prime minister andminister for enterprise and energy.

investment capital. I think Michigan could use some of the inno-vative approaches that Sweden is developing to really push thetransition to a bioeconomy.”

Berglund is in a unique position to know. He’s helping todevelop some of Sweden’s innovative approaches to creating bio-products and processes. In addition to his MSU appointment,Berglund is also a professor in the Department of Biochemicaland Chemical Process Engineering, a department he helpedfound at the Luleå University of Technology (LTU) in Luleå,Sweden. Berglund’s collaborations in his family’s native land (hisgrandfather is from a town 9 miles from Luleå) have spawnedenterprises in Michigan (in Scottville and Webberville), Swedenand France and raised tantalizing possibilities for diversifiedbiorefineries that crank out bioproducts ranging from fuels tochemicals.

MSU Biotechnology Creates Products from Renewable Resources

Diversified Natural Products (DNP), the Scottville-basedcompany, uses Berglund’s research to make new bio-basedproducts. The company has two divisions — bio-based fuels andchemicals, and gourmet and nutritionally enhanced foods. Theunifying theme is agriculture-based biotechnology that harness-es readily available natural resources. One of the company’s firstproducts is exotic specialty mushrooms, including the elusivemorel. This is the first time morels have been mass-producedindoors. Other products that DNP is producing or plans toproduce are a sodium-free salt substitute invented at MSU andmarketed under the trademark HälsoSalt and a natural choles-terol-lowering product. DNP received a 21st Century Jobs Fundaward to produce the cholesterol-lowering product, which iscurrently on the market in Canada.

DNP’s bio-based fuels and chemicals division produces suc-cinic acid from “green” sources. Global demand for succinic acidis enormous — it’s used in everything from industrial solventsand biodegradable polymers to airport runway deicers. DNPmakes succinic acid from natural sugars derived from sourcessuch as Michigan corn. Fifteen of DNP’s patents have sprungfrom Berglund’s research. DNP also has a Swedish subsidiary,and at the beginning of 2007 it announced plans to build a 5,000-ton bio-based succinic acid plant in France.

Working Bugs, the Webberville-based company, is a partner-ship between Spartan Technology Development, anotherBerglund company based in East Lansing, and the MichiganBrewing Company, the Webberville beer brewer. As the nameimplies, Working Bugs identifies microbes that could be used infermentation processes to make products from renewableresources, as well as intermediate chemicals that are then usedto make other bio-based products.

The research to identify potentially useful microbes will bedone in Sweden at LTU and the DNP subsidiary. The chemicalcatalysis and reaction research will be conducted at MichiganState, and the processes will be integrated, validated and com-mercialized through Working Bugs.

20 | FUTURES

Maud Olofsson, Sweden’s deputy prime minister andminister for enterprise and energy (top photo), explains keyenergy policy initiatives in Sweden at the Energy TechnologyPolicy Forum Jan. 9. The forum was sponsored by NextEnergy,a nonprofit corporation founded by the state to acceleratethe research, development and commercialization ofalternative energy in Michigan. Jim Croce (center photo, left)is the CEO of NextEnergy. Part of the forum was aimed atexploring collaborations on alternative energy betweenMichigan and Sweden.

Winter 2007 | 21

“The microbes will come from a variety ofplaces,” Berglund explained. “Once we identify anorganism that might work, we have to refine it andscale it up so production is economically viable.When research identifies something we’re confi-dent in, Working Bugs will test it on a large scale.”

A Diversified Vision for the BioeconomyBerglund is also working on producing biofuels

and other bioproducts from black liquor, a mixtureof lignin and sugar that’s a byproduct of paperproduction. Many paper mills burn black liquor tomake steam to power their operation, but Berglundsaid the paper companies in Sweden are so effi-cient that they don’t need all of the energy pro-duced by black liquor combustion.

Black liquor can also be turned into a gas, whichcan then be used to make methanol, dimethylether and hydrogen. Other paper production byproductsinclude carbon dioxide and tall oil, an oil from pine trees thatis also known as liquid rosin. (The name “tall oil” comes fromthe Swedish word “tallolja,” which means “pine oil.”)

This cornucopia of chemicals seems head-spinning, butthe ability to connect the dots between them is how Berglundcharacterizes his talent and how he views the framework forMichigan’s bioeconomy.

“Carbon dioxide is used in the process to make succinicacid,” he explained. “At DNP, we’re developing a process thatuses waste carbon dioxide to make bio-based succinic acid.Succinic acid can be combined with ethanol to make diethylsuccinate, dibutyl succinate and other high-value platformchemicals. The idea is to take one molecule, succinic acid inthis case, and have a family tree of chemicals and fuel addi-tives that can be made. My talent is in seeing how all thesethings fit together.”

Designing processing plants that can produce a full com-plement of bio-based chemicals, fuels and other productsresults in a diversified operation that isn’t subject to the upsand downs of a single market. If the ethanol market experi-ences a downturn, the other products will keep the plant eco-nomically viable.

“We have to have a diversification strategy for biorefineries,”Berglund said. “Fuels often have the lowest profit margins, sointegrating fuels and chemicals in the same production facilitymakes good business sense.

“Sweden is really pushing the envelope on converting to bio-based products,” he continued. “Three years ago, there were 10E85 [a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline] sta-tions in the country. Today there are more than 500. Swedenpassed a law that said there had to be at least one alternativefuel pump at every station. There’s also a lower tax on biofuels,so they’re about 25 percent cheaper than gasoline. I thinkMichigan can learn a lot from what Sweden is doing.”

::: Jamie DePolo

Top photo: MAES scientist Kris Berglund (left) and DianneHolman are the co-founders of Working Bugs, a companythat identifies microbes that could be used in fermentationprocesses to make products from renewable resources, aswell as intermediate chemicals that are then used to makeother bio-based products.

Graphic above: Berglund envisions biorefineries asprocessing plants that can produce a full complement ofbio-based chemicals, fuels and other products. This createsa diversified operation that isn’t subject to the ups anddowns of a single market. If the ethanol marketexperiences a downturn, the other products will keep theplant economically viable.

energy

biomass

hydrolysis

biodiesel fuel biodiesel blend

sugarSuccinic

acid

plant

(100M lb)

Ethanol

plant

(20M gal)

Biodiesel

carbon dioxide

glycerol

sugar

dry solids

separationbacterialfermentation

succinic acid

diethyl succinate

methanol

vegetable oil

THE BIOREFINERY

yeast fermentation ethanolseparation

22 | FUTURES

cientists often are the first-line ambassadorsbetween countries,” said Alvin Smucker, MAES soilbiophysics scientist. “Even if political, ethnic andreligious approaches to life are different and lead-ers have disagreements, scientists initiate global-ization by exchanging research goals and expand-ing knowledge. Our graduate students andresearch associates contribute by travelingbetween countries. This enables scientists to fostera global community.”

Smucker’s 35-plus-year career is an on-goingexample of the benefits of global research collabo-rations. As soon as he received his doctorate in soilphysics and plant physiology from MSU in 1971, hejoined a team of scientists from six universities tobuild the Graduate School of Agricultural Sciencesin Buenos Aires. Since then, he’s worked withresearchers in Australia, Poland, Hungary,Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Nigeria, Kenya, India,Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Egypt, Britain, Taiwan,Turkey, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, TheNetherlands, Canada, Mexico, France and Italy;received the Alexander von Humboldt ResearchAward from the German government; been nameda fellow by four scientific societies, including theAmerican Association for the Advancement ofScience; and was honored with a DistinguishedFaculty Award from MSU.

For Smucker, the reasons for international col-laborations are myriad.

“The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Stationand the Institute of International Agriculture havepromoted the importance of international researchexchanges,” he said. “Deans, directors, departmentchairs and colleagues have been very supportive ofcollaborative global research. The knowledge base

in any discipline is broader than just Michigan orjust the United States. Working with scientists fromother countries keeps science current. It unitesresearchers for a common cause and allows every-one to share their advances, as well as what didn’twork. MSU research is in demand in other coun-tries, but we also have much to learn. For example,Europe is nearly a decade ahead of the UnitedStates in the bookkeeping of carbon sequestrationin soil. We needed to learn better carbon account-ing and European scientists had that expertise. We

didn’t have to reinvent anything — we learned fromwhat had been accomplished by scientists in othercountries.”

Carbon sequestration — capturing and holdingcarbon in soil — is an important component inreducing the negative effects of greenhouse gases(carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) inthe atmosphere. At appropriate levels, green-house gases absorb heat and help maintain theworld’s climate. Without these gases the planet

Alvin Smucker works with scientists around the world toward a common goal:

improving biomass production and carbon sequestration by soils.

A Soil Ambassador

“S

Liquid Flow through Pores SurroundingSoil Aggregrates

Winter 2007 | 23

would be a frozen tundra. But if their concentra-tions become too high, research has shown thatthe gases may cause a dramatic increase in tem-perature. Plants take carbon dioxide out of the airand use it during photosynthesis. Over time,plants drop leaves, stalks and stems, whichdecompose and add carbon to the soil; the morecarbon in the soil, the less carbon dioxide andmethane released into the air. Keeping carbon inthe soil is also hugely beneficial for soil productiv-ity, sustainability and quality. The higher the car-bon content in soil, the better the soil.

Carbon and Soil StructureMuch of Smucker’s research focuses on soil

aggregates, the basic structural units of soil.Aggregates are clumps of soil particles held togeth-

er by moist minerals, positively charged mineralions, organic matter such as plant roots, andorganic compounds produced as microbes decom-pose plant parts. Hyphae, the threadlike filamentsof fungi and bacteria, contribute to soil aggregateformation and function. Aggregates range in sizefrom 0.002 millimeter (20 microns) to about 25 mil-limeters (1 inch). Soil aggregates are various sizes.Some fit closely together and some don’t. The sameis true for the soil particles within the aggregates —some fit closely together and some don’t. Thespaces between the aggregates are known asmacropores. The spaces between the particles inthe aggregates are called micropores. All thesepores vary in size (macropores are generally largerthan micropores) and are essential for storing air,water, microbes, nutrients and organic matter. Soilpores also control how solutions move throughsoils. Soils that have many stable aggregates areconsidered highly productive because they’re lesslikely to erode.

Smucker studies the tiny micropores inside soilaggregates using a synchrotron, a billion-dollarpiece of circular equipment that emits high energyx-rays. The x-rays display three-dimensionalimages of the interconnected pore pathways with-in an aggregate. Because the synchrotron equip-ment is so expensive, most individual universitiescan’t afford to build one. Smucker cooperates withscientists and engineers at the Argonne NationalLaboratory in Illinois to use the synchrotron there.

“The synchrotron enables us to view pores assmall as 3 microns in diameter,” Smuckerexplained. “This is the first time we’ve been able tolook at the interior porosity of soil aggregates.These images are giving us new information thatwill change some of the analysis that predicts flowthrough the soil matrix. We’re collaborating withresearchers around the United States and inGermany and Italy to develop new approaches tostudy how the connections among the pores mod-ify the flow rates of bacteria, ions and water as theycontrol carbon retention.”

In mapping the interior of these tiny micro-pores, Smucker and his colleagues discovered thatcarbon can be stored in pores that are too small forbacteria to enter. Finding ways to get carbon intothe micropores in soil aggregates would allowmuch more carbon to be sequestered in soil, stop-ping it from being released as carbon dioxide. This

One of MAES soilbiophysics researcherAlvin Smucker’s currentprojects is investigatingthe pores in and aroundsoil aggregates, thebasic structural units ofsoil. Using a synchrotron,he can view the interiorof pores as small as 3microns in diameter.

24 | FUTURES

is desirable from both an agricultural and an envi-ronmental standpoint.

Soils can hold quite a bit of carbon. Plowing soilfor agricultural or other use breaks up the soilaggregates and exposes the carbon in the soil tomore microorganisms. The microbes then breakdown the carbon and release carbon dioxide.Aggregates that are broken also have fewer pores tostore carbon. Research has shown that farmed soilsinitially had 40 to 50 percent more carbon in themthan they do today. Production techniques such asusing cover crops, which are planted and then cutdown, allowing more organic matter (carbon) towork its way into the soil, and no-till and otherconservation tillage practices that disturb the soilas little as possible mean more soil aggregates areleft intact and more carbon is stored.

“Our goal is to double the amount of carbonstored in soil,” Smucker said. “Agricultural produc-tion techniques are continually improving toincrease carbon sequestration in the soil. Once thebiogeochemical mechanisms of carbon storageare better understood, new management practicescan be used to store about 50 percent more carbonover and above that achieved by conservationtillage alone.”

Calcium carbonate is a very stable form of car-bon that remains securely in soil aggregates.Smucker and his collaborators in the United Statesand Europe have identified biophysical and bio-geochemical mechanisms in soil that enhance thedevelopment and retention of calcium carbonatein aggregate micropores. Over the next few years,Smucker plans to return to Europe to continuestudying new carbon storage mechanisms.

Smucker is creating a Web-based soil aggregatepore image analyzer similar to the one he and MSU

computer scientists developed to analyze plantroot system geometries. The Root Image Process-ing Lab (http://rootimage.css.msu.edu/) runsMR-RIPL, software that analyzes video images ofroots taken by minirhizotron cameras, miniaturedigital cameras inserted into the soil through clearplastic tubes. (Roots that have been washed by thehydropneumatic elutriation root washer, which waspatented by MSU, also can be digitized by desktopscanners. These images then are processed bycompanion software, WR-RIPL.) Scientists from sixcontinents use the online system. The results areused to analyze root growth and death rates and tocompare carbon contributions to the soil by rootsmanaged under various agricultural techniques.

The soil aggregate pore image analyzing soft-ware is being developed and refined in collabora-tion with scientists from Germany, Scotland, Italyand New York University.

“These analytical tools, available from MichiganState University, enhance both the sciences andMSU’s global reputation,” Smucker said. “Scientistsaround the world know they can depend upon sus-tained collaboration with MSU faculty members.

“My goal is to continue to expand collaborativescience,” Smucker continued. “I enjoy workingwith many excellent minds from as many disci-plines and countries as possible. Everyone brings adifferent perspective and a different knowledgebase to these projects, enriching the research.Because MSU’s expertise is recognized around theworld, other universities know the value of collab-orating with us. I’m very grateful for the opportuni-ties I’ve had to expand research and teaching atMichigan State and around the world.”

::: Jamie DePolo

By finding ways to getcarbon into soil poresthat are too small forbacteria to enter, Smuckerhopes to double theamount of carbon thatcan be stored in soil byusing conservation tillagetechniques. Carbonsequestration — capturingand holding carbon in soil— is an importantcomponent in reducingthe negative effects ofgreenhouse gases.

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Scientists Developing Hand-heldPathogen Testing Device

Testing for deadly food, air and waterpathogens may get a lot easier and cheap-er, thanks to the work of a team ofMichigan State University researchers.

Syed Hashsham, associate professor inthe Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering and theCenter for Microbial Ecology, is develop-ing a portable, hand-held device capableof detecting up to 50 microbial threatagents in air, water and food.

“This device will give us the ability tomeasure pathogens in a manner and at aprice that really matters for humanhealth,” Hashsham said. “If we can screenfor all pathogens together, we can mini-mize the threat significantly.”

Hashsham intends for the portable,hand-held device to be an all-in-onepathogen testing center where DNAamplification and pathogen identificationwill happen on the same DNA biochip. ADNA biochip has signature pieces of DNAattached to a silica surface, similar to thatof a computer chip, and is about the sizeof a thumbnail.

Today, testing air, water or food forpathogens that cause diseases such ascholera and dysentery must be done onepathogen at a time. Testing for eachpathogen singly is dangerous, expensiveand time-consuming. Simultaneous test-ing simplifies the process, making it saferand more cost-effective.

Earlier this year, Hashsham wasawarded $966,608 from the 21st CenturyJobs Fund to develop and commercializethe device.

Hashsham; James Tiedje, MAES crop

and soil sciences researcher and directorof the Center for Microbial Ecology; andErdogan Gulari, professor of chemicalengineering at the University of Michigan,formed a cross-disciplinary team todevelop this technology.

To begin the testing, processingextracts DNA from all microorganismspresent in the sample. The DNA is thenintroduced into the device, where itundergoes polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the selected harmful pathogens.PCR is a process that takes a smallamount of DNA and makes billions ofcopies so the pathogens can be easilydetected, Hashsham explained.

Most of the genetic material in anybacterium isn’t harmful. For instance, thebacterium Vibrio cholerae, responsible forthe waterborne illness cholera, has manygenes that maintain the organism but arenot dangerous to humans by themselves.It’s the gene producing the cholera toxinthat is harmful. The harmless genes serveas good markers for detection.Hashsham’s device will be designed tolook for such marker genes.

“This technology is rugged and highlyparallel; it can analyze lots of markergenes in a lot of samples, together withsignificantly lower false positives,”Hashsham said.

He said the hand-held testing devicecould be used anywhere that cost-effec-tive testing of food, water or air for anumber of pathogens is needed.

“Because of the lower cost, there alsowill be applications in countries wherefewer resources are available for drinkingwater safety,” Hashsham said.

Looking toward the future, Hashsham

has been in touch with several organiza-tions that might be interested in thedevice. AquaBioChip, LLC, a Lansing-based company formed by the same teamthrough a previous grant from theMichigan Economic Development Corp.,will test the device under field conditions.

He has a team of six graduate studentsand technicians working on this device.“They are the heart of the project as well asthe scientists being trained for the future,”Hashsham said. “That number of employ-ees is likely to increase when the devicegets to the commercialization stage.”

MSU Is Greener after JoiningChicago Climate Exchange

Michigan State University took anotherstep toward being a “greener” place: MSUjoined the Chicago Climate Exchange asanother step in reducing greenhouse gasemissions.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon,along with Fred Poston, vice president forfinance and operations, and MichaelWalsh, senior vice president of theChicago Climate Exchange, signed themembership agreement during a ceremo-ny at MSU’s T.B. Simon Power Plant. Theoccasion was marked by a tree planting.

“Michigan State has tremendouspower to educate and inform, to helpmotivate positive changes in behaviors,and to translate research by our studentsand faculty into practical solutions,”Simon said. “This promises to be a power-ful partnership in the best tradition of ourworld-grant mission that will result ininnovations to help solve a significantglobal problem and make a difference inMichigan.”

MSU will bring its broad expertise inenvironmental sciences, its history ofstewardship and tradition of studentinvolvement into play with the ChicagoClimate Exchange. The exchange, or CCX,is North America’s only, and the world’sfirst, greenhouse gas emission registry,reduction and trading system for green-house gases.

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Greenhouse gases are released into theatmosphere from the burning of fossilfuels and wood, and from the decay ofplant and animal material. Greenhousegases also reenter the life cycle as treesuse carbon dioxide to grow and as theoceans absorb it. Imbalances, such as toomuch carbon gas released into the air,contribute to global warming.

Ultimately, scientists theorize, green-house gas emissions and reabsorption ofthose gases must be equal. Because somepolluters produce more emissions thanare legally allowed, they can go to theexchange and, in effect, buy from otherparticipants who fell short of their capon emissions.

Members of the Chicago ClimateExchange seek to reduce direct emissionsby conserving energy, for example, and toprovide opportunities to offset emissionssuch as no-till farming, tree farming orother carbon credits. MSU will worktoward the prescribed 6 percent reduc-tion goal.

It’s a goal that will rely heavily onundergraduate involvement, Poston said.

“We have 10,000 graduates each year.We want to send them off equipped to beenvironmentally responsible,” Postonsaid. “MSU’s strength is that the integra-tion of students speeds the translation tobehavioral change.”

Across campus, MSU’s broad-basedresearch in agriculture, forestry, engineer-ing and environmental sciences, com-bined with a strong record of studentengagement, positions the university for aunique partnership.

Membership in the CCX also will posi-tion Michigan’s bioeconomy base, helpingto move farming toward solutions inrenewable fuels, in nontraditional farmingmethods and crops, and in environmen-tally sound practices, said David Skole,MAES forestry researcher.

“Our research base will enable us towork alongside the problem to help findsolutions,” Skole said. “Other memberswill look to us for guidance academically,and we’ll be able to offer technical andresearch-oriented resources.”

Carbon credits, Skole said, show prom-ise as part of the future of farming. Carbonemission credits could become a com-modity, much like crops and livestock.

MSU is the fifth university to join theCCX. The others are Tufts, the Universityof Iowa, the University of Minnesota andthe University of Oklahoma.

Beede Named OutstandingExtension Specialist

David Beede, holder of the C.E.Meadows endowed chair and professor ofdairy nutrition and environmental man-agement, was named the 2006Outstanding Extension Specialist by theMichigan Association of Extension Agents(MAEA) at the Michigan State UniversityExtension (MSUE) Fall Conference inOctober. Beede is also a MichiganAgricultural Experiment Station scientist.

Each year an MSUE specialist workingin a major commodity area is recognizedfor extraordinary and long-lasting leader-ship and service to MSUE and the peopleof Michigan through programming andapplied research.

Beede was recognized for his appliedresearch in phosphorus nutrition of dairycattle and nutrient management andleadership with the MSUE Dairy Team.During his 12 years at MSU, he has writ-ten and presented extensively on thenutritional and environmental benefits ofbalancing the phosphorus requirementsof dairy cattle and environmental sustain-ability, and he launched the MichiganDairy Review (MDR), a statewide publica-tion for the dairy industry.

“I arrived at Michigan State from theUniversity of Florida in the fall of 1994,which just happened to be the year theMichigan Animal Agriculture Initiativewas launched, including the MSUExtension dairy team,” Beede said. “I goton the train with everyone else whenthings were just picking up steam in dairy

Extension programs.”Beede worked with MSU faculty mem-

bers to begin publishing the MDR inFebruary 1996 with competitive fundingfrom the Animal Agriculture Initiative(AAI). The AAI is Michigan’s animal agri-culture research, teaching and Extensioninitiative at MSU. The MDR is a quarterlypublication with more than 6,500 freesubscribers interested in research, teach-ing and Extension highlights from MSUdairy experts.

“MDR is considered nationally andinternationally to be among the preemi-nent publications of its kind,” Beede said.“It allows us to speak directly to dairyfarmers, and that’s one of the mostimportant parts of providing exceptionalExtension services.”

To subscribe to the Michigan DairyReview, visit www.mdr.msu.edu.

MAES Researchers’ Paper in Journal of Natural Products AmongMost Cited

In 1999, several MAES scientists col-laborated on a paper in the Journal ofNatural Products examining the healthbenefits of certain compounds in tartcherries. Today, that paper is in the top 10of the journal’s most cited papers.

“Antioxidant and anti-inflammatoryactivities of anthocyanins and their agly-con, cyanidin, from tart cherries” byHaibo Wang, former horticulture doctoralstudent; Muralee Nair, MAES horticultureresearcher; Gale Strasburg, chairperson ofFood Science and Human Nutrition; Yu-Chen Chang, former horticultural doctor-al student; Al Booren, MAES food scienceand human nutrition and animal scienceresearcher; Ian Gray, vice president forresearch and graduate studies and former

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MAES director; and David DeWitt, associ-ate professor of biochemistry and molec-ular biology, has been cited 121 times,ranking it eighth all time in Journal ofNatural Products papers.

“The Journal of Natural Products is apremier publication put out by theAmerican Chemical Society,” Nair said.“Our publication was on the anti-inflam-matory and antioxidant activities ofanthocyanins, which make cherries,berries and other fruits and vegetablesred. We were the first to demonstrate thebeneficial health benefits of anthocyaninsbased on their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This ranking is agreat recognition of the impact of ourresearch on improving health and qualityof life using natural compounds.”

Composite Products May Open NewMarkets for Ag and Offer NewConstruction Materials

An endless number of jokes could bemade about a house made from manure-based products. But it’s no laughingmatter — MSU Extension (MSUE) andthe Michigan Agricultural ExperimentStation (MAES) are working together onan idea that may help farmers handlewaste, provide them with a new source ofincome and offer new, environmentallyfriendly products to the constructionindustry.

MSUE educator Charles Gould has avision for new lines of composite materi-als that use a combination of plastic andmanure fibers, instead of the wood thatmakes up current fiberboard and otherbuilding supplies, to develop products foruse in the construction of everythingfrom playground equipment to homes.

It starts with cows. Lots of cows, actu-ally. There are more than 40,000 dairy cat-tle in Allegan, Ottawa and Kent counties,where housing development has limitedthe land available for manure application.

Farmers looking for alternatives toland application can choose to compostmanure. Composting reduces its volume,makes it a more stable fertilizer sourceand eliminates odor. Another option is touse an anaerobic digester, which breaksmanure solids down into a sterile, organicfibrous material and captures methanegas 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 compositeslab successfully combined the fibrousmaterial from a digester with plastic tocreate composite materials. He immedi-ately saw the possibilities for westernMichigan and contacted the lab directorto request a visit and more information.

“They were gracious enough to showme what they were doing, and I thought,‘We can do this at MSU,’” Gould said. “Iwent to Laurent Matuana, MAES forestryresearcher, who happened to know theresearchers at Iowa State, and we devel-oped a project proposal together.”

The two submitted the proposal to theMichigan Biomass Energy Program. Theyreceived a small community educationgrant to hire Alex Cook, an undergraduatestudent, to develop two prototype prod-ucts: a digester fiber/plastic compositeproduct that could be used as deckingand a medium-density fiberboard. Thetwo products were tested and comparedto similar products made using woodfiber. The products made with fiber froma digester passed with flying colors, meet-ing or exceeding industry standards forproperties such as strength, stiffness andinternal bond.

The digester fiber/plastic deckingproduct performed better in tests againstsimilar decking products made withwood/plastic. When two composite typeswere compared, the digester fiber/plasticdecking product had properties that weresuperior to those of the wood product,including a darker color, which potential-ly could be more resistant to UV rays.

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

“The properties of the medium-densi-ty fiberboard met or exceeded standardrequirements,” Matuana said. “We haveshown that value-added products can besuccessfully manufactured from digesterfibers. Everything being equal, thedigester fibers are giving us much betterproperties than wood.”

There are numerous possibilities forconstruction materials containing thedigester fibers. Because the chemicals

used in the production of pressure-treat-ed wood have been shown to be harmfulto human health, the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency has outlawed use ofpressure-treated wood in playgroundequipment. Fiber/plastic “lumber” couldtake its place. Other uses might includeproducts for siding, furniture or lake-front seawalls.

Gould has already approached man-agers at two western Michigan homeimprovement retail chains to ascertaintheir feelings about carrying digesterfiber/plastic decking or medium-densityfiberboard made with the fibrous materialfrom a digester.

“They indicated a willingness to pur-chase the product even though it wasmade out of fiber once found in manurebecause they perceived the products to begreen,” he said. The most common ques-tion asked was about odor. Neither thefiber/plastic decking nor the medium-density fiberboard emits an odor.

So when will a contractor be showingup at the door to build a fiber/plasticbackyard deck? As in most cases, theanswers are tied to questions of timeand money.

“We do not foresee any problemspounding holes or drilling into it at thispoint, but that’s one thing that still needsto be tested,” Gould said, “and we need tofind more money to do that.”

Matuana concurred.“There’s still a lot to be done.

Properties related to nailability, screw-ability and humidity have not beeninvestigated,” he pointed out.

Gould and Matuana are planning tosubmit another funding proposal to theMichigan Biomass Energy Program andare looking to other funding sources,both through grants and the private

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sector. They also need to begin work onmarketing plans.

Though the field of new, environmen-tally friendly materials could have positiveeconomic impacts on the construction,nursery and possibly even the forestryindustries, Gould is still thinking aboutthe possibilities for his primary audience— farms and rural communities.

“There is a limited land base formanure application. Keeping Michigan’slivestock industry strong and viablemeans we have to find a home for themanure generated by these farms,” hesaid. “Why not make products frommanure that benefit society, add value tothe farming operation and, at the sametime, fit nicely into a sustainable manuremanagement system? At the end of theday, it’s really all about sustainability.”

Kells Named Crop and Soil SciencesChairperson

James Kells was named chairperson ofthe MSU Department of Crop and SoilSciences, effective Jan. 1.

Kells had been acting departmentchair since April 2005. He replaced DougBuhler, who chaired the department fromAugust 2000 to March 2005 before beingnamed associate director of the MichiganAgricultural Experiment Station and asso-ciate dean for research for the College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources.

Kells has been a Department of Cropand Soil Sciences faculty member since1982 and served as associate chair of thedepartment from 2003 to 2005. In additionto teaching, he holds appointments as a

Michigan Agricultural Experiment Stationresearcher and an MSU Extension special-ist. He has held key leadership roles withboth the Weed Science Society of Americaand the North Central Weed ScienceSociety, and he has served on numerousprofessional review committees.

He honors include the CampusPersonnel Award from Michigan FarmBureau, the Specialist of the Year awardfrom the Michigan Association ofExtension Agents and the MSUOutstanding Extension Specialist Award.

“Jim Kells’ service as acting chair of theDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences hasbeen marked by excellence,” said JeffreyD. Armstrong, dean of the MSU College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources. “Heenjoys great respect among both col-leagues and stakeholders for his superiorservice throughout his years on the fac-ulty. I am confident that, through hisleadership and vision, the departmentwill continue at the national forefront inengagement, discovery and learning thatare relevant to the needs of our con-stituents.”

Kells holds both a bachelor’s degree incrop and soil sciences and a doctorate inweed science from Michigan StateUniversity. He received a master’s degreein weed science from the University ofKentucky.

Norris Named First Guyer/SeeversChair

Patricia Norris, MAES natural resourceeconomist, has been named the firstholder of the Gordon and Norma Guyerand Gary L. Seevers Chair in NaturalResource Conservation at MSU, followinga national search.

The Guyer/Seevers chair was createdto address critical issues in the use andconservation of Michigan’s naturalresources, with an emphasis on stake-holder involvement and teaching stu-dents to take leadership roles in naturalresource fields. Its goal is to have a posi-tive and sustained effect on Michigan’snatural resources through those who aremanaging them today and those who willdo so in the future.

Norris, an MSU faculty member since1996, has an extensive background inissues affecting land and water resources

and has conducted research addressingissues in soil conservation, water quality,groundwater management, wetland poli-cy, land markets, land use conflicts andfarmland preservation. She co-chairs theMSU Extension Land Use Team, whichconducts educational and training pro-grams in land use policy and resourcemanagement.

The Gordon and Norma Guyer andGary L. Seevers Chair in Natural ResourceConservation will focus on finding com-prehensive solutions to natural resourcesissues in a three-tiered effort: cultivatingstudent leadership for natural resourcefields, conducting research focused onnatural resource use, and serving as aresource to industry, government andnon-profit organizations involved in mak-ing decisions affecting natural resources.

“I am tremendously pleased that PatNorris will be our first Guyer/Seeverschair,” said Scott Witter, chairperson ofthe Department of Community,Agriculture, Recreation and ResourceStudies (CARRS). (The Guyer/Seeverschair is housed in CARRS.) “Her work inmarket-based policy approaches to natu-ral resource issues and her strong out-reach background are a natural fit for thevision of this position.”

“Pat Norris’ skills and expertise willshape the Guyer/Seevers chair as anational model for stakeholder-drivenapproaches to natural resource conserva-tion,” said Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of theCollege of Agriculture and NaturalResources (CANR). “I am extremely grate-ful to Dr. Gordon Guyer and Dr. GarySeevers for their vision and leadership in

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establishing this endowed chair, whichwill allow us to engage in more coordinat-ed and comprehensive planning of theuses to which Michigan’s naturalresources are put.”

Before coming to MSU in 1996, Norriswas associate professor of agriculturaleconomics at Oklahoma State University.A native of Georgia, she received herundergraduate degree in agricultural eco-nomics from the University of Georgiaand her master’s and doctoral degrees inagricultural economics from VirginiaTech. She received the OutstandingExtension Program Award from the MSUDepartment of Agricultural Economics in2005 and the Outstanding ExtensionSpecialist Award from the MSU ExtensionSpecialists Association in 2004. She is pastpresident of the MSU ExtensionSpecialists Association and a member ofthe American Agricultural EconomicsAssociation, the Southern AgriculturalEconomics Association and numerousprofessional honor societies. She hasserved as a peer reviewer for nearly twodozen professional journals and was amember of the editorial council for theJournal of Agricultural and AppliedEconomics for five years.

Gordon Guyer and Gary Seevers areboth triple-degree alumni of the CANR:Guyer received bachelor’s, master’s anddoctoral degrees in entomology; Seeversreceived a bachelor’s degree in animal sci-ence and a master’s degree and doctoratein agricultural economics. Guyer, whoserved as the 18th president of MSU,served the university in many capacities,including vice president for governmentalaffairs, director of the W.K. KelloggBiological Station, associate dean of thecolleges of Natural Science andAgriculture and Natural Resources, direc-tor of MSU Extension, director of thePesticide Research Center, and professorand chairperson of the Department ofEntomology. He continues his service toMSU with many professional and volun-teer projects and programs. Seevers, ofWestport, Conn., is an accomplishedeconomist and financial market specialistwho served a distinguished career inWashington and on Wall Street beforeretiring as a limited partner withGoldman Sachs.

Rothwell Named NorthwestMichigan Horticultural ResearchStation Coordinator

Nikki Rothwell was named coordi-nator for the Northwest MichiganHorticultural Research Station and districtExtension horticulture educator, effectiveJan. 1, 2007.

Rothwell oversees day-to-day opera-tions at the Northwest MichiganHorticultural Research Station and associ-ated efforts. Rothwell works with fruitindustry representatives to determineresearch priorities, interact with regionaland MSU-based faculty members to coor-dinate research activities, and conductindustry workshops and field days forgrowers.

Rothwell also provides leadership andcoordination for MSU Extension horticul-tural educational programs and activitiesin northwestern lower Michigan and dis-seminates current research-based techni-cal and management information to thefruit industry.

“I am very excited to have someone ofNikki’s caliber serving in this importantrole,” said Patrick Cudney, MSU Extensionregional director for northern lowerMichigan. “She has a tremendous zealand passion for the fruit industry andbrings her extensive energy, research andExtension backgrounds to the position.”

Rothwell was previously the MSUExtension district fruit IPM (integratedpest management) educator. She wasresponsible for developing programs anddisseminating IPM information and con-ducting related research for the north-western lower Michigan fruit industry.

“The work carried out at the NorthwestMichigan Horticultural Research Stationis a critically important component of our

efforts to help maintain the viability ofMichigan’s fruit industry,” said DougBuhler, Michigan Agricultural ExperimentStation associate director. “Nikki’s workwill allow us to continue to build upon avery solid foundation of research andextension to the benefit of growers, sup-pliers, processors and consumers.”

Rothwell received her bachelor’sdegree in biology from Western MichiganUniversity, her master’s degree from MSUand her doctorate from the University ofMassachusetts-Amherst. She held adjunctfaculty teaching positions at theUniversity of Massachusetts andSpringfield Technical Community Collegebefore coming to Michigan.

Vargas Honored by Golf IndustryJoe Vargas Jr., MAES turfgrass scientist

for 38 years, received the 2007 GreenSection Award from the U.S. GolfAssociation (USGA) Feb. 23 at the USGAGreen Section Education Conference inAnaheim, Calif. The annual award recog-nizes contributions to golf from turfgrassresearch.

“It was a great surprise when I was toldI was going to receive this award,” Vargassaid. “I was shocked. I have gotten a lot ofawards, but this one is very special.”

“Few have contributed more to turf-grass management than Joe Vargas withinthe past four decades,” said a USGA rep-resentative. “Dr. Vargas has been chal-lenging normal turfgrass managementpractices from the start.”

“I always have spoken my mind,”Vargas said. “But everything I’ve everintroduced has been based on solidresearch.”

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In the 1970s, Vargas discovered that,contrary to popular opinion at the time,annual bluegrass does not routinely diefrom high temperatures in the summerbut from two diseases common to thegrass. Vargas identified the problem andsuggested new management techniques.Today, annual bluegrass is the principalturfgrass species on many golf courses.

Vargas also was the first to recognizethat a bacterium caused the decline of aspecific strain of creeping bentgrass. Thisresearch and other work that followedhelped turfgrass managers realize thatbacteria can affect turfgrasses. It alsohelped lead to the introduction of newcreeping bentgrass varieties.

Karl Danneberger, turfgrass researcherat Ohio State University, called Vargas oneof the five most widely known turfgrassscientists in the world.

“He is at the forefront of turfgrassdiagnosis,” Danneberger said. “I do notknow of anyone who is better in identify-ing a golf course superintendent’s prob-lem on site.”

Vargas has published more than 300articles on turfgrass diseases and relatedsubjects. His books are widely used in theindustry, especially Management ofTurfgrass Diseases, which is on almost allgolf course superintendents’ shelves. Hiscurrent research is aimed at developinghealthy grasses that require fewer pesti-cides, need less sunlight and are moredisease-resistant.

A native of Fall River, Mass., Vargasworked on the maintenance staff at theFall River Country Club as a teenager. Hereceived his bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of Rhode Island, his master’sdegree from Oklahoma State and his doc-torate from the University of Minnesota.He came to MSU in 1968.

Vargas has delivered more than 1,000presentations at various turfgrass confer-ences throughout the world, includingtalks in Australia, Argentina, China, NewZealand, Japan and South Africa, some ofthe hot spots in golf’s new frontier.

“My career has been a love affair sinceI was 14 years old,” Vargas said. “Whywould I ever retire? This is what I enjoydoing. And there is so much more to do.We have to find better ways of managinggrasses.”

New Faculty MembersThe MAES is pleased to welcome two

new faculty members with MAESappointments.

Zhengfei Guan, an expert in econo-metric analysis, was named assistant pro-fessor of agricultural economics inJanuary. His research interests includemeasuring the performance of agribusi-nesses, the economics of sustainable agri-culture and production modeling, as wellas agricultural and environmental issuesin China.

From 2004 to 2006, Guan held variousuniversity positions, including visitingscholar in the Department of Economicsat the State University of New York atBinghamton and postdoctoral researcherat Wageningen University in theNetherlands. While at WageningenUniversity, he worked on a Europeandairy industry model. From 1992 to 1999,Guan monitored and evaluated WorldBank projects and conducted financialplanning and analysis for the Departmentof Finance and Planning of the JiangsuAgribusiness Group.

Guan received his doctorate in busi-ness economics and his master’s degreein agricultural economics and manage-ment, from Wageningen University in2005 and 2001, respectively. His disserta-tion focused on arable farming, and histhesis focused on horticultural firms. Hereceived his bachelor’s degree in interna-tional economics and trade from NanjingUniversity in 1992.

Julia Busik, assistant professor ofphysiology, received an MAES appoint-ment Jan. 1. Damage to the blood vesselsin the eye as a complication of diabetes isa leading cause of blindness in adults.Busik’s research seeks to identify the riskfactors and design prevention strategiesfor this disorder. In particular, her workfocuses on the role of dyslipidemia in theonset and progression of diabeticretinopathy and explores the potential ofdietary fatty acids to prevent retinopathy.

Busik came to MSU as a visitingresearch associate in 1996 and wasnamed assistant professor for research in2001. She received a tenure-track positionin January 2007. Before her MSU appoint-ment, she was a graduate assistant at theLaboratory of Cellular Metabolism at the

National Institute for PhysiologicalSciences in Okazaki, Japan, and a juniorresearch associate at the Institute forPhysiology at the Siberian Branch of theAcademy of Medical Sciences inNovosibirsk, Russia.

A member of the Association forResearch in Vision and Ophthalmology,Busik serves as an ad hoc reviewer for theAmerican Journal of Physiology,Investigative Ophthalmology and VisualSciences, Diabetes/Metabolism Research& Reviews, and Diabetes. Since 2006, shehas been a member of the AmericanDiabetes Association Research GrantReview Committee. She received her doctorate in physiology from theGraduate University for Advanced Studiesin Yokohama, Japan, in 1995, and bothher master’s degree in physiologicalgenetics and her bachelor’s degree in thenatural sciences from Novosibirsk StateUniversity, in the USSR, in 1991 and 1988,respectively.

Ferris Honored by PurdueJohn N. “Jake” Ferris, professor emeri-

tus of agricultural economics and long-time MAES faculty member, received theCertificate of Distinction from the PurdueAgricultural Alumni Association at thegroup’s annual meeting on Feb. 3. Thecertificate is the group’s highest award.

A prolific author, outstanding teacherand researcher, and highly regarded MSUExtension specialist, Ferris’ researchfocuses on agricultural marketing, outlookand economic development (domesticand international). Though retired, hecontinues to maintain AGMOD, an econo-metric/simulation model of U.S. agricul-ture with a satellite model on Michigan hedeveloped. AGMOD generates year-to-year forecasts for a 10-year timeframe. In1997, McGraw-Hill published his textbook,Agricultural Prices and Commodity MarketAnalysis. After a favorable review in theMay 2004 issue of the American Journal ofAgricultural Economics, a new edition hasbeen published by the MSU Press. Ferrisalso is a five-time recipient of the PremierForecaster Award from the AmericanAgricultural Economics Association.

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Kris BerglundUniversity Distinguished Professorof Forestry, Chemical Engineeringand Materials Science126 Natural Resources Building517-353-4565berglund@msu.edu

Jeanne BurtonAssociate Professor of AnimalScience1205E Anthony Hall517-353-9702burtonj@msu.edu

Dan ClayDirector, Institute of InternationalAgriculture319 Agriculture Hall517-353-1309clay@msu.edu

Dave DouchesProfessor of Crop and SoilSciences486 Plant and Soil SciencesBuilding517-355-0271, ext. 1194douchesd@msu.edu

Cathy ErnstAssociate Professor of AnimalScience1205 Anthony Hall517-432-1941ernstc@msu.edu

Russ FreedProfessor of Crop and SoilSciences409 Agriculture Hall517-432-2214freed@msu.edu

Ian GrayVice President for Research andGraduate Studies232 Administration Building517-355-0306gray@msu.edu

Bob GreenExecutive DirectorMichigan Bean Commission1031 South U.S. 27St. Johns, MI 48879989-224-1361mbc@mutualdata.com

Ben KudwaExecutive DirectorMichigan Potato IndustryCommission13109 Schavey Road, Suite #7,DeWitt, MI 48820517-669-8377ben@mipotato.com

Steven PueppkeDirectorMichigan Agricultural ExperimentStationDirectorOffice of Biobased Technologies109 Agriculture Hall517-355-0123pueppke@msu.edu

Alvin SmuckerProfessor of Crop and SoilSciences530 Plant and Soil SciencesBuilding517-355-0271, ext. 1251smucker@msu.edu

Irv WiddersProfessor of Horticulture321 Agriculture Hall517-355-4693widders@msu.edu

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