Stopping the Spread | The Case of the Missing Bees Organic Agriculture: Ideal for Pennsylvania? - Winter/Spring 2008
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Winter/Spring 2008
Stopping the Spread | The Case of the Missing Bees
Organic Agriculture: Ideal for Pennsylvania?
As this issue of Penn State Agriculture arrives in your mailbox, beekeepers in Pennsylvania and across the
Northeast are hunkered down for the winter, hoping that their honey bee colonies survive the snow and
cold without succumbing to the mysterious ailment known as Colony Collapse Disorder. As we reported
in our last issue, CCD has decimated hives across the country and put at risk the pollination services
necessary for the production of many important crops.
Although we are still a long way from pinpointing the exact cause or causes of CCD, I am happy
to report that since I last wrote to you on this page, we are closer to having some answers. As you will
read in “The Case of the Missing Bees,” a multidisciplinary effort led by Penn State, in collaboration with
government agencies and other universities, has identified a virus thought to be playing a role in CCD.
Much work remains to be done, but we are hopeful that this ongoing research will generate the knowledge
needed to manage this threat to our beekeeping industry, our crop producers, and our food supply.
Whether pathogens such as the above-mentioned virus attack insects, plants, animals, or people, our battle against
disease-causing organisms is never-ending, requiring approaches that span from the molecular to the population level.
In “Stopping the Spread,” you’ll learn how researchers in the college collaborate across disciplines to better understand
infectious diseases, with an eye toward protecting animal and human health.
If you pay attention to trends affecting our nation’s food system, you may have noticed the growth of organic
agriculture and the rising consumer demand for organically produced food. “Organic Ag: Perfect for Pennsylvania?”
explores the state of organic agriculture in the Keystone State and describes the research and extension programming in
the College of Agricultural Sciences that serves this segment of the industry.
Also in this issue, you’ll learn about exciting progress in the development of the university’s new Arboretum, a
family for whom business innovation and Penn State ties are a way of life, how research on roots can help feed the world,
and much more.
We welcome your comments about Penn State Agriculture. In fact, we are seeking your feedback in a formal way,
as we consider how we can improve the magazine to better meet your needs. Stapled into this issue is a reader survey to
gauge your opinions about this publication. Please take a few minutes to complete the postage-paid survey and return it
to us. If you prefer, you can take the survey online by visiting www.cas.psu.edu.
Of course, we always invite your letters. Write to Editor, Penn State Agriculture, The Pennsylvania State University,
119 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802, or send e-mail to psuagscinews@psu.edu or to me
at RSteele@psu.edu. You also can find the magazine on the Web at http://aginfo.psu.edu/psa.
Robert D. Steele
Dean
Winter/Spring 2008
News & Views
Demand for Renewable Energy Fuels Hot New Careers 2
On Rooftops, It’s Blue, White—and Green 3
Out of Africa, On to Vet School 4
Penn State, Chinese University Establish Joint Root Biology Lab 4
Old-Growth Tract in Arboretum to Receive Special Attention 6
Penn State Breaks Ground for Botanic Gardens at Arboretum 7
Penn State Uses Airplane to Plant Cover Crops 8
Penn State Launches Water-Testing Program 9
Features:
Stopping the Spread by Krista Weidner 10
Penn State infectious disease research takes off
4 10
The Case of the Missing Bees by Steve Williams 18
How Penn State scientists are helping to solve the mystery
Organic Ag: Ideal for Pennsylvania? by Jeff Mulhollem 26
Market demand means opportunity for organic producers
Alumni Profile
Family’s Penn State Ties Are No Small Potatoes 36
Curricular
Students Learn Think Globally, Act Locally Is More Than a Slogan 38
College Giving
Former Extension Educator Makes Prudent Investments 39
Colleagues
18 Cooperative Extension Names Leader for Energy Programs 40 26
Entomologist Wins Prestigious Wolf Prize in Agriculture 41
On the cover: A graphic illustration of bacteria. Scientists in the
college are studying infectious diseases caused by bacteria and
viruses, from the molecular to the population level (see page 10).
Penn State Agriculture is published twice a Editorial Advisory Board: Deanna M. Where trade names appear, no discrimina- work environment free of discrimination,
year for alumni, students, and friends of the Behring, director of international programs; tion is intended, and no endorsement by including harassment. The Pennsylvania
College of Agricultural Sciences. Robert D. Ann H. Dodd, assistant dean for strategic Penn State is implied. State University prohibits discrimination
Steele, dean. initiatives; J. Marcos Fernandez, associ- and harassment against any person because
This publication is available in alternative
ate dean for undergraduate education; of age, ancestry, color, disability or handi-
Editor: Chuck Gill media on request.
Daney G. Jackson, director of cooperative cap, national origin, race, religious creed,
Associate Editor: Jeff Mulhollem extension and associate vice president for Text may be reprinted without permission sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
Assistant Editor: Nora Serotkin outreach; Bruce A. McPheron, associate if Penn State Agriculture is credited. For a veteran status. Discrimination or harass-
dean for research and graduate education; change of address, please send old label with ment against faculty, staff, or students will
Staff Writers: Gary Abdullah, Jillian P. Stevenson, associate director of new address. not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State
Jeff Mulhollem communications and alumni relations; University. Direct all inquiries regarding
Mary F. Wirth, director of college relations; The Pennsylvania State University is com- the nondiscrimination policy to the Af-
Contributing Writer: Krista Weidner mitted to the policy that all persons shall
and Jonathan D. Ziegler, assistant director firmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania
Art Editor: Peter Kauffman of marketing. have equal access to programs, facilities, State University, 328 Boucke Building,
admission, and employment without regard University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel
Photographer: Steve Williams Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences to personal characteristics not related to 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.
research, extension, and resident education ability, performance, or qualifications as
programs are funded in part by Pennsylvania determined by University policy or by state © The Pennsylvania State University 2008
counties, the Commonwealth of Pennsylva- or federal authorities. It is the policy of the
Produced by Ag Communications and
nia, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. University to maintain an academic and
Marketing
COVER PHOTO: BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM U.Ed. AGR 08-86 51M2/08PROGRESS
News & Views
Demand for
News&Views Renewable
Energy Fuels Hot
New Careers
As energy companies, agribusi-
and other oil-producing regions,
concerns about greenhouse gases
and their effects on global climate
change, and high prices for gaso-
line and home-heating fuel have
generated momentum in the quest
for clean, renewable, and affordable
industrial organisms to transform
these crops into ethanol, hydro-
gen, and other transportation
fuels.
“Processing technologies will
create jobs for chemical engineers,
as well as for agricultural and bi-
nesses, government agencies, and energy. Some alternative sources, ological engineers,” he says. “En-
environmental groups scramble to such as wind power and corn-de- ergy-related positions also will be
promote and develop alternative rived ethanol, are here today. But available in environmental engi-
fuel sources, demand is growing others likely will take decades to neering and similar fields.”
for people who will fill positions in develop and perfect—requiring Richard adds that students in-
this burgeoning energy workforce. the next generation of trained terested in economics may find their
And the need for trained and ed- scientists. alternative-energy niche in agribusi-
ucated personnel will cross a wide “For instance, as we study ness, finance, or venture capital.
spectrum of fields, according to a new oilseeds for biodiesel or look Those interested in public service
Penn State biofuels expert. to generate ethanol from cellu- may pursue careers in government
“Alternative energy is generat- losic sources—such as trees and agencies that deal with environ-
ing tremendous growth opportuni- switchgrass—we’ll need exper- mental and energy-related issues.
ties in terms of careers,” says Tom tise in agronomy, silviculture, “As these new possibilities
Richard, director of Penn State’s and plant sciences to grow these evolve, Penn State and other ed-
Institutes of Energy and the En- biofuel feedstocks,” says Richard, ucational institutions are devel-
vironment. “Students pursuing an an associate professor of agricul- oping new curricula and offering
education in a variety of scientific tural and biological engineering. opportunities for undergraduate
and business-related specialties can “Rapid advances in the life sci- and graduate research that will
position themselves to be at the fore- ences are creating demand for prepare students to help shape the
front of these new technologies.” microbiologists and biochemists country’s energy future,” he says.
Tensions in the Middle East to develop the new enzymes and —Chuck Gill
PHOTO: JASON JONES
Tom Richard, director of Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment
2 Penn State Agriculture
News & Views
On Rooftops,
It’s Blue, White—
and Green
With the installation of three more
green roofs on Penn State build-
ings, the university is reinforcing
its position as an ecological leader
among institutions worldwide.
In 2006, green roofs were in-
stalled on the new Forest Resources
Building (4,700 square feet) and
on the top of a horticultural facility
known as “The Root Cellar” (4,500
square feet) not far from Eisen-
hower Parking Deck. Over the
next couple of years, green roofs
will be installed on three buildings
under construction—the Dick-
inson School of Law at Universi-
ty Park (10,360 square feet), the
Dickinson Law School in Carl-
isle (11,687 square feet), and the
new health center on the Universi-
ty Park campus (12,500 square feet
on two separate roofs).
“That will give us close to an
acre of green roof space here at
Penn State,” says Robert Berghage,
director of the Center for Green
Roof Research in the College of
Agricultural Sciences. “When they
are all done, we will have one of the
highest concentrations—and per-
haps the highest concentration—
The green roof atop a portion of the Forest Resources Building appears thick with low-growing
of green roofs on any campus in
shrubs and spreading perennial plants, in this photo taken from the popular observation deck.
North America.
“The notable thing is that we The growing medium is held by low-growing perennial plants such ings, and that contributes to an at-
are applying our own research,” mesh or containers. Living walls as sedums and grasses that spread tractive environment and a reduc-
Berghage adds. “Penn State is prac- have water trickling behind them. and don’t require much main- tion of the buildings’ ecological
ticing what we preach. If we believe Our class project will be to put up tenance. “They survive the win- footprints.”
in green roof technology and ben- a green wall in a greenhouse on ters—we may lose a few plants the Because they offer protection
efits enough to invest in them and campus.” way you do in any landscaping, from temperature extremes and
put them on our new buildings, Around the world, green roofs but they are spreading plants and ultraviolet radiation, green roofs
then obviously we have full faith in are receiving a lot of attention. In they fill in the gaps,” Berghage says. actually last at least twice as long
them.” addition to the stormwater man- “On some of our green roofs, stu- as conventional roofs, which typ-
Each spring semester, Bergh- agement and thermal benefits they dents plant and maintain them; on ically are expected to endure 17
age teaches a class called Ecologi- offer, according to Berghage, one others, it’s a classroom situation to 20 years, Berghage notes. “A
cal Roof and Living Wall Technol- of the hot topics for green roofs where they help to monitor run- bunch of things happen with a
ogy in which students get to work is that they provide habitat for off and temperatures and do veg- green roof,” he says. “You provide
on the green roofs and monitor ground-nesting birds. “And some etative survey work. attractive surroundings and habi-
the associated changes in water people are even investigating grow- “Penn State is definitely out in tat for birds and insects, and re-
runoff and temperature. “The liv- ing food on roofs,” he says. “That is front on green roofs, and the more duce stormwater runoff and air-
ing wall aspect is new,” Berghage interesting, but it probably doesn’t of these things that we build, the conditioning demand. No wonder
explains. “Basically, living walls have large-scale application for further out in front we get,” he they are starting to attract so much
are sort of green roofs, but verti- commercial production.” adds. “We’ve made a commitment attention.”
cal. They are mostly built indoors. Penn State’s green roofs have to green certification of our build- —Jeff Mulhollem
Winter/Spring 2008 3
News & Views
Penn State,
Out of Africa, On to Vet School Chinese
University
Establish Joint
Root Biology Lab
For Jonathan Lynch, it’s all about
the roots. For decades, the Penn
State professor of plant nutrition
has been studying how the roots
of plants such as common bean,
corn, and soybean can be de-
signed, selected, and developed to
improve yields in the low-fertility
soils of poor counties. His research
into root architecture, formation,
and characteristics is critical for
the world, Lynch believes, espe-
cially in parts of Africa, Asia, and
PHOTO PROVIDED
South America where people con-
Diane Harris tinually battle starvation.
“The United Nations esti-
mates that 840 million people are
Most students who aspire to become veterinarians Along with witnessing these animals up close,
undernourished, and the number
may picture themselves treating cats and dogs, or Harris also had the opportunity to work with
of malnourished people is actual-
perhaps large farm animals such as horses or cattle. them directly. “During my time in the program,
ly growing,” he says. “Agricultural
But for an adventurous few, the Vets in the Wild I transferred a sable, took part in a necropsy
production in developing nations
program offers an opportunity to experience what it’s on a snake to see why it died, and dehorned a
is limited primarily by drought and
like working with big game in South Africa. wildebeest with an infected horn,” she recalls. “I
low soil fertility. Fertilizer use in
Diane Harris, a senior Animal Bioscience major attended the game-capture school and learned how
these regions is low and is not likely
in the College of Agricultural Sciences, recently to transport and monitor animals once they were
to increase substantially in the fore-
discovered this animal adventure lurking in the study- darted [tranquilized].
seeable future. The development of
abroad options on an Animal Bioscience Web site. “We also heard lectures on how to manage a
wildlife park, how to deal with disease in the park,
crops with better yield on poor soil,
“The Vets in the Wild program is offered through
what diseases these animals can contract, and
therefore, has great promise for alle-
the University of Pretoria in South Africa,” says
how to track and manage animal populations,” she viating human suffering.
Harris, a native of Lancaster. “Through a series of
trips across the South African landscape, from Blyde says. “A lot of parks actually let nature care for a “If we understood roots bet-
River Canyon reserve to Kruger National Park, it lot of things. So while the role of the veterinarian in ter, we could give people seed for
gives veterinarians, pre-veterinarians, and vet-school the wild is important, it’s just as important to allow better plants, and they could grow
students a hands-on taste of what it’s like to work as for the influence of nature.” more food,” Lynch adds.
a veterinarian in the wild.” It turns out Harris is no stranger to exotic Underlining the importance
While traveling, Harris and 14 other students wildlife adventure. The summer before she enrolled of Lynch’s work, Penn State Pres-
engaged in many outdoor activities with the animals at Penn State, she accompanied her veterinarian ident Graham Spanier recently
during the day and night. father—a Penn State alumnus and part-owner stopped in Guangzhou, China, to
“You hear it a lot, but it’s true—the animals of Smoketown Veterinary Hospital in Lancaster sign an agreement creating a Joint
really are so much larger in real life,” Harris says. County—on a veterinary continuing-education trip Root Biology Laboratory with
“But they’re also very timid, except for the monkeys. to the Galapagos Islands. “That trip gave me the South China Agricultural Univer-
They were all over—a lot like squirrels in America— chance to see wildlife that can’t be seen anywhere sity. The pact formalizes a collabo-
and would try to grab your food if you weren’t else in the world,” she says. “I learned about ration between Lynch and Profes-
careful. We also encountered warthogs, lions, and the value of preservation and also learned that I sor Xiaolong Yan, who have been
even a rare mating pair of lions. love traveling and visiting new places.” partnering on root-biology re-
“The animals are actually more active at night, Harris plans to attend veterinary school after search for 25 years.
so we decided to go on a night drive,” she says. graduating in May 2008. She may not know yet At South China Agricultur-
“During the drive we saw a leopard—a sight so rare where she will ply her trade, but she’s already al University, Lynch explains, Yan
that it alone brings people to Africa—and a pride of discovered that there is a world of possibilities. and his peers have concentrated on
lions just lounging in the middle of the road.” —Kyle Bohunicky improving the roots of soybean,
which is a vital crop for that coun-
4 Penn State Agriculture
News & Views
try. “Ten million Chinese farmers ences, agrees root-biology research
this year will plant soybean geno- is vital to the world’s future. “We
types that Yan has developed,” he are involved, obviously, in a wide
says. “Yan’s work has had a tremen- range of important agricultural
dous importance in his country. research,” Steele says. “But per-
“Here, we have focused our haps none is as crucial as improv-
root biology work more on com- ing food supplies in developing
mon beans and corn, trying to de- nations where drought and poor
velop plants that will grow better soils are a reality. This project is
and improve the food supply in bringing the best scientists from
Africa and Latin America. But our both universities together to tack-
research and Yan’s are collaborative le this important challenge.”
and complementary.” Lynch expects the world hun-
Robert Steele, dean of Penn ger situation to get worse in com-
State’s College of Agricultural Sci- ing decades as the effects of global
climate change become widely felt.
A digital re-creation of a “The real challenge is what is com-
root structure (right) shows ing ahead,” he says. “Droughts are
thousands of hair-like fil- expected to get worse in much of
aments. Plant nutritionist the developing world. It will be-
Jonathan Lynch and his col- come increasingly critical for peo-
PHOTO: Jonathan Lynch
leagues are using fractal ple in those regions to have crops
geometry to determine the that can grow with little moisture
configuration of roots and in poor soils. To do that, the plants
better predict their ability must have the right root traits.”
to take up nutrients. —Jeff Mulhollem
Jonathan Lynch
Winter/Spring 2008 5
News & Views
Old-Growth Tract surrounding the borough. But the
woodlot remained, now present-
in Arboretum to ing what arboretum director Kim
Receive Special Steiner calls an educational and
Attention conservation opportunity.
“A graduate student working
Most of the trees growing on land for the arboretum searched his-
that is now The Arboretum at toric records and learned that the
Penn State were cut and turned woodlot was not cut because the
into charcoal to feed the Cen- Centre Furnace operator was not
tre Furnace iron-making opera- able to convince the original own-
tion between 1792 and 1858. But er, James Hartley, or subsequent
one tract of about 42 acres, adja- owners, to sell it,” says Stein-
cent to what is now State College’s er. “Now known as the Hartley
Sunset Park, escaped the loggers’ Wood, the tract is unique in this
blades and now is receiving special region, and another graduate stu-
attention. dent is developing a management
Forestry experts in the College plan tailor-made to preserve it.”
of Agricultural Sciences are devel- That student, Samuel Grin- Above: Amber Hoover, a volunteer from State College,
oping a plan to conserve the parcel stead of Bowling Green, Ky., has helps to remove invasive plants and shrubs from the Hart-
and its old-growth trees, remove taken a comprehensive inventory ley Wood. Below: Volunteers walk through The Arboretum
invasive plants and dirt-bike trails of the woodlot as part of a year- at Penn State from State College Borough’s adjacent Sunset
and ramps, and use the project as long study. This study ultimately Park to reach the old growth tract.
an educational model for students, will provide information and rec-
the local community, and arbore- ommendations to bring the exot- Corps was organized to help im- peans arrived,” says Grinstead, who
tum visitors. ic species under control and set plement the resulting manage- is pursuing a master’s degree in for-
After iron production ceased, the woodlot on a solid course to- ment plan. est resources. “Seventy-five percent
the cutover lands around State ward renewal. In March 2007, a “The stand is a remnant of the of the woodlot’s larger trees are
College were cleared for agricul- group of volunteers called the Ar- typical valley-floor oak and pine oaks, some of which are more than
ture, resulting in vast farm fields boretum Woodland Restoration forest that grew here before Euro- 300 years old.”
6 Penn State Agriculture
News & Views
The woodlot has an ecologi-
cal importance for the arboretum,
points out Steiner, professor of for- Penn State Breaks Ground for Botanic Gardens at
est biology. “As one of the few ma-
ture forests in this region, it con-
University’s Arboretum
tains native woodland herbs and Penn State officially broke ground in November look pavilion and conservatory terrace to allow
ferns that cannot grow without for Phase I of the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens—a visitors to view the surrounding arboretum as it is
the soil conditions and the shelter
long-anticipated step in making The Arboretum at developed, an event lawn, rose and fragrance gar-
of the tall oaks,” he explains. “For
thousands of years, the hardwood Penn State a reality. den, and horticultural demonstration gardens de-
trees, the rich, calcareous soil, and Made possible by a $10 million gift from Penn signed to benefit homeowners and industry. Sev-
a rock outcrop on the northwest- State class of 1948 alumnus and State College res- eral of these spaces will be available for private
ern edge of the lot have provid- ident Charles “Skip” Smith, the botanic gardens are gatherings such as receptions and weddings, and
ed homes for a variety of plants, named in honor of his late father, a State College for public events, including festivals, plant sales,
each in their niche in the native contractor and real estate developer and a 1920 and garden shows.
ecosystem. graduate of the university. Occupying nearly 400 acres between Park Av-
“We are extremely fortunate to
The gardens will be located on the Mitchell tract, enue and the Mount Nittany Expressway, The Ar-
have this woodlot on the arbore-
tum property,” Steiner adds. “It has a 56-acre parcel of land
escaped complete destruction— along Park Avenue, and
and perhaps even partial cutting— will serve as the front
since the arrival of the first settlers door to the larger arbore-
to this area, and that is very unusu- tum. Construction is now
al for this kind of forest.” officially under way, with
Grinstead has mapped trails
completion of the first
and features throughout the wood-
phase scheduled for
lot (including the 12.5 acres owned
by the borough of State College). spring 2009.
His inventory of the vegetation in- “The groundbreaking
cludes a very detailed record of the for The Arboretum at Penn
size, age, and condition of oversto- State represents the real-
ry trees. According to his calcula- ization of a dream that be-
tions, there are 1,009 trees of more gan in 1914 with the first
than 15 inches in diameter (at
formal proposal to build
breast height, 4.5 feet) on the uni- Charles “Skip” Smith
an arboretum on campus,”
versity-owned section of the Hart-
ley Wood. says Arboretum Director
Grinstead has “cored” 200 trees Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology in the Col- boretum at Penn State will be open to the public.
to determine their ages and exam- lege of Agricultural Sciences. “After nearly a century The master plan for the botanic gardens includes
ined the cross-section of a massive of intermittent efforts, the good fortune of witness- plantings of species from around the world and
white oak that died in 2000. The ing this important event has fallen to us as the result state-of-the-art educational and research facili-
slice revealed that the tree had ger- of Skip Smith’s extraordinary generosity.” ties. Future plans include a visitors’ center, con-
minated in approximately 1673.
The Arboretum is expected to be a major cul- servatory, and children’s education center.
Grinstead’s assessment of to-
tural and tourist destination in central Pennsylva- The Arboretum will be almost entirely funded
day’s conditions indicates that ex-
otic shrubs, such as multiflora rose, nia, attracting nearly 200,000 visitors annually. by philanthropic support. “We have much to do,
bush honeysuckle, privet, and gar- “The Penn State Arboretum, with its connec- and more funds to raise, before all of the gardens
lic mustard, have become preva- tion to the network of green spaces on campus, and the remainder of the arboretum are finished,”
lent and troublesome in the Hart- will engage us intellectually and physically,” says says Steiner. “But I cannot imagine a more gratify-
ley Wood and should be removed. Penn State President Graham Spanier. “It embod- ing task than building the Arboretum, or one that
“We need to educate people about ies our mission of teaching, research, and service, will have a bigger impact on the quality of the uni-
the ecologically destructive po-
and will further Penn State’s efforts in stewardship versity and the community.”
tential of invasive plants,” he says.
“Unfortunately, some of the traits and conservation in the region.” Visit http://www.arboretum.psu.edu to learn
that make exotics good ornamental Phase I of the H. O. Smith Botanic Gardens will more about The Arboretum at Penn State.
plants also make them good invad- contain several key attractions, including an over- —Laura Stocker
ers of native habitats.”
—Jeff Mulhollem
Winter/Spring 2008 7
News & Views
Penn State Uses banic Aerial Seeding, based in
Indiana, Pa.—flying a specially
Airplane to Plant designed 1966 Piper Pawnee air-
Cover Crops craft—handled the job for the
university. He has been doing aer-
Seeking to be a role model for farm- ial seeding for 27 years, with the
ers in the state and across the North- same airplane built in Lock Ha-
east, Penn State’s College of Agri- ven. He also does aerial fertiliza-
cultural Sciences undertook aerial tion (especially top dressing of
seeding of a cover crop last fall. wheat) and gypsy moth caterpillar
Cover crops, such as the win- spraying.
ter wheat Penn State planted, offer Vrbanic is aware that his work
great benefits because their roots is often viewed as entertainment
prevent soil particles from being by Pennsylvanians who usually
washed away by winter and spring don’t get to see aerial agricultural
runoff, they lock up carbon, and applications. “I am only making
they take up nutrients such as money when I am seeding, so ev-
nitrogen. ery move—every turn—the plane
The problem in Pennsylvania makes has a purpose,” he says with
and the Northeast is that crops a chuckle. “I realize some folks en-
such as soybeans and corn of- joy watching what they believe are
ten remain in the field until late low-level aerobatics, but it’s just
November, and farmers can’t get part of the job.”
a cover crop planted before cold From an ecological point of
weather sets in and the growing view, cover crops are a no-brain-
season ends. Aerial seeding is a so- er, according to Sjoerd Duiker, as-
lution to that problem, points out sociate professor of soil manage-
ment. The more farmers can keep
“Aerial seeding living plant roots in the soils, he
allows a cover crop believes, the better. Cover crops
fill a hole in the crop rotation.
to be planted before “We try to remedy having bare
an existing crop is soil from November to May,” he
harvested.” says. “Growing roots help to im-
prove soil structure and stimulate
Glen Cauffman, manager of Penn microbial activity. So the soil im-
State farm operations. proves and there is less erosion.”
“Aerial seeding allows a cover Cover crops are especial-
crop to be planted before an ex- ly needed, Duiker points out, on
isting crop is harvested,” he ex- dairy farm fields, where farm-
plains. “That way, when the corn ers periodically apply liquid ma-
or soybeans are cut and removed A plane piloted by Rudy Vrbanic drops seed last fall on col- nure over the winter months. “It
and the sunlight gets to the lege cropland near the University Park airport in an effort is much better to apply manure
ground, the cover crop already to establish a cover crop of winter wheat before corn and on living vegetation than on bare
has a start. Aerial seeding is a very soybeans are harvested. soil,” he says. “Cover crops actively
‘green’ thing to do, and if it were take up nutrients, prevent nitrates
widely practiced in Pennsylvania, planes involved in crop work. tal benefit by preventing erosion and other nutrients from leeching
it could have major environmen- “There are just a few farms in through the winter and spring, into groundwater, and reduce the
tal benefits.” central Pennsylvania using aer- thus reducing the amount of sedi- runoff of excess nutrients.”
Although aerial agricultur- ial seeding of cover crops,” says ment and nutrients, such as phos- Duiker would like to see more
al applications such as crop dust- Gwendolyn Crews, a soil con- phorous, that reach local streams. aerial seeding of cover crops in
ing are widely practiced in the servationist with USDA’s Natu- Aerial seeding is just a unique way Pennsylvania. “It’s not done on a
Midwest and South, according to ral Resources Conservation Ser- of accomplishing the benefit.” large scale here, and there are not
Cauffman, they are relatively rare vice based in Mill Hall. “We do Penn State aerial seeded win- many service providers around be-
in Pennsylvania. With the excep- have some programs that promote ter wheat on 100 acres of corn and cause there’s not a great demand,”
tion of spraying compounds to planting cover crops in general, soybeans about two miles north- he says. “Penn State is trying to set
kill gypsy moth caterpillars, Key- but not aerial seeding. Planting east of the University Park cam- an ecological example in this case.”
stone State residents rarely see air- cover crops offers an environmen- pus. Pilot Rudy Vrbanic of Vr- —Jeff Mulhollem
8 Penn State AgricultureNews & Views
Penn State
Launches Water-
Testing Program
for Pennsylvania
Residents
To help ensure an abundant sup-
ply of safe water for people, crops,
and livestock, Penn State has
launched a water-testing program,
which will be administered by the
College of Agricultural Sciences’
Agricultural Analytical Services
Laboratory.
“About 3.5 million rural Penn-
sylvanians rely on more than one
million private wells for their
drinking water, and about 20,000
new wells are drilled each year,”
says Bryan Swistock, water re-
PHOTO: ISTOCK PHOTO
sources senior extension associate.
“We hope by encouraging people
to get their water tested, we can
help them to improve their wa-
ter quality and to safeguard their
health.”
Swistock points out that pri- “About 3.5 million nose and correct problems that water quality in streams, rivers,
vate water supplies in Pennsylva- might be limiting productivity and the Chesapeake Bay.
nia are not regulated by the state rural Pennsylvanians and profitability.” To submit a water sample for
or federal government, and well Two testing programs for ir- testing, customers first must ob-
rely on more than one
owners are responsible for main- rigation water—for greenhouses tain a free water-test kit from Penn
taining the quality of their own million private wells and nurseries and for turf—will State’s Ag Analytical Services Lab
water. “However, about half of the be offered. The greenhouse and or from a participating county of-
state’s wells that have been tested for their drinking
nursery testing protocols will fo- fice of Penn State Cooperative Ex-
fail to meet at least one drinking- water, and about cus primarily on nutrient content, tension. The kit includes shipping
water standard,” he says. according to Rob Berghage, asso- materials, instructions on how to
The U.S. Environmental Pro- 20,000 new wells are ciate professor of horticulture. take a sample, and a submission
tection Agency has established pri- drilled each year.” “Water quality and fertility are form. Residents will choose from
mary and secondary drinking-wa- critical for greenhouse and nurs- a range of testing options available
ter standards. Primary standards ery operators,” he says. “Manag- for each water type (drinking, irri-
apply to contaminants—such as nose performance problems with ing nutrient content is especially gation, or livestock) and will send
coliform bacteria, nitrate, and their animals, water is one nutri- important for growers using re- the kit, with the appropriate fee,
lead—that cause health problems. ent that often is overlooked,” says circulating systems. Too much or to the lab. Test results and rele-
Secondary standards address iron, Virginia Ishler, nutrient-manage- too little nutrients can harm plant vant fact sheets or recommenda-
manganese, chloride, and oth- ment specialist in dairy and ani- health.” tions typically will be returned in
er pollutants that cause aesthet- mal science. Berghage explains that con- two to three weeks.
ic problems, such as stains, odors, “It’s not uncommon for aes- tamination issues also can be a For more information, Penn-
or off-tastes. Penn State’s program thetic problems, such as odors concern, particularly in “benefi- sylvania residents can contact their
will provide well owners with re- and tastes, to cause water intake cial reuse” systems where water county Penn State Cooperative Ex-
ports detailing how their water- in cattle to drop, which in turn is being recycled from sewage or tension office (find it on the Web
test results compare to these EPA can reduce milk production,” Ish- industrial plants. In addition, he at http://www.extension.psu.edu/
standards. ler says. “Less frequently, bacte- says, knowing what’s in irrigation extmap.html) or the Ag Analyti-
Similar testing will be done rial contamination can adverse- water can help growers manage cal Services Lab (814-863-0841,
for water used for livestock con- ly affect animal health. Offering nutrients and chemicals in runoff, aaslab@psu.edu), or visit the lab’s
sumption. “When dairy and live- this testing program will give us minimizing their environmental Web site at www.aasl.psu.edu.
stock producers are trying to diag- a chance to help producers diag- impact and helping to enhance —Chuck Gill
Winter/Spring 2008 9S t o p p i n g t h e
S p r e a d
by Krista Weidner
Superbugs. Bird flu. Whooping cough. West Nile virus. Every day,
it seems headlines and news broadcasts sound the alarm about the disease du jour.
New, antibiotic-resistant species of bacteria, weakening immunity from vaccines,
aggressive viruses, and even the ability of some pathogens to “jump” from animals
to humans make today’s world a frightening one. It’s enough to make you want to
put on a sterile suit and not set foot outside the house.
Biomedical researchers within the college and across the university, recogniz-
ing the critical need to address the problem of continually evolving infectious dis-
eases, are studying the nature of disease from all perspectives—from the molecular
level all the way up to how pathogens transmit within populations and across the
globe. What they are learning will ultimately lead to advances in preventing the
spread of disease.
Microbiologist Eric Harvill is working with two closely related bacteria, Bor-
detella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis, which cause whooping cough. Using
genetic-modification techniques, he is learning how these bacteria interact with
their host and how they spread from host to host. B. pertussis and B. parapertussis
are endemic in human populations—they are always around. And while the per-
tussis vaccine does a fairly good job of preventing the most severe form of whoop-
ing cough, it does not prevent transmission. “These bacteria circulate very effec-
tively; they’re among the most infectious agents known,” says Harvill. “So what
happens is that people get infected frequently, but they don’t get the full-blown
disease. In fact, they may not have any symptoms at all. Virtually every person in
any large population will be infected with these bacteria multiple times through-
out their lifetime—they just don’t get sick because they have immunity through
vaccination.”
Before vaccination programs, whooping cough was a childhood disease—not
because children were more susceptible, but because the spread of the pathogen
10 Penn State AgricultureILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK PHOTO
Winter/Spring 2008
11was such that nobody made it through he says, “that’s probably because of poor have a large set of genes that interact with
childhood without being infected. Because surveillance—it’s not monitored nearly as host immunity in different ways, and so
the full-blown disease was evident only the closely as pertussis.” essentially we knock out certain genes one
first time a person was infected, whooping A few years ago, biomedical scien- at a time to figure out their function and
cough was observed mainly in children. tists began to suggest that, because to- then to compare them with other genes.”
Now that children are vaccinated at a very day’s DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and Harvill’s lab is able to use all the tools of
young age, the disease is less of a problem pertussis) vaccine doesn’t protect against mouse molecular immunology, together
in children. Instead, whooping cough is parapertussis, this pathogen might be be- with genetic manipulation of Bordetella,
making a comeback in teens, whose vac- coming more prevalent. Wolfe’s research to examine the interactions between host
cine immunity has waned. Because of this has also shown that, while a host’s im- and pathogen.
trend, a new whooping cough vaccine for mune response to pertussis protects the Harvill is a faculty affiliate of Penn
adolescents was introduced last summer. host only from pertussis, the immune re- State’s Center for Infectious Disease Dy-
One of Harvill’s colleagues, post-doc- sponse to parapertussis protects against namics (CIDD), and much of his research
toral scholar Dan Wolfe, focuses on the both. Wolfe’s current research focuses on is in collaboration with other CIDD sci-
lesser known of the two Bordetella species: what is required for a host to have immu- entists. The approach of these researchers,
parapertussis. Like pertussis, this strain is nity to parapertussis, as well as why host he says, is to focus on transmission of bac-
present in humans and can cause whoop- immune systems react differently to these teria between hosts, rather than growth
ing cough, but its extent isn’t known. two pathogens. “We know these two spe- of bacteria within an individual host. “It
“While parapertussis isn’t thought to be cies are co-existing. What effect could that doesn’t matter if there are 10 or 10 bil-
much of a problem in the United States,” have on the future of both species, as far lion bacteria in an individual host,” he
as their relative prevalence?” explains. “More important for that patho-
Harvill notes that there are a lot of gen’s success is whether it gets from one
Microbiologist Eric Harvill uses
questions about the behavior of Bordetella. host to 10 other hosts, one other host, or
genetic-modification techniques to
study how the bacteria Bordetella
“To look for answers, we’re dissecting the no other host. Simply interpreting rapid
pertussis and Bordetella parapertus- tools, the genes, that these bacteria use to growth in an individual host as more suc-
sis interact with their hosts to cause interact with their host—in this case, in cessful is counter to the fact that uncon-
whooping cough. experimental mice,” he says. “Bordetellae strained growth of any pathogen leads to
12 Penn State AgricultureVirologist Biao He hopes to develop a
vaccine for avian influenza by utilizing
a harmless, “decoy” virus to impart
host immunity.
rapid death of the host: When the host
dies the pathogen dies with it and loses its
opportunity to spread. We focus on the
success of the pathogen as measured not
simply by how rapidly it can grow in an
individual host but how and why it moves
from one host to another and therefore its
success within a host population.”
While Harvill and Wolfe’s research
focuses on bacteria, a few doors down
another researcher, Biao He, is study-
ing viruses, with the goal of developing
new and better vaccines. “Vaccines are
the most effective way to date of prevent-
ing and combating infectious disease,”
he says. “Smallpox and polio are two ex- To that end, he works with a “decoy” genic,” he explains. “This virus is not
amples of diseases that have been literally virus: parainfluenza virus type 5 (PIV5), harmful to people or animals—it doesn’t
eliminated in this country because of vac- a nonpathogenic respiratory infectious cause disease. Because it’s safe, we can use
cination. It’s really the key to preventing agent. “The key word here is nonpatho- it in its live form and replicate it easily.”
all potentially devastating infectious dis-
eases, especially viruses.”
The traditional way to make a vaccine Center Provides Interdisciplinary Focus
is to start with a live virus, kill it, and then “In the study of infectious-disease dynamics, it is very important to have strong dialogue between people
inject it. The body’s immune system rec- who work at the molecular level all the way through to people who study populations, outbreaks, transpor-
ognizes the virus and responds to it, but tation statistics, commuter dynamics, and social dynamics,” says Ottar Bjornstad, professor of entomol-
because the virus is dead it doesn’t cause ogy and biology and adjunct professor in statistics. “The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics gives us
any harm. The next time a live version of an ideal framework within which to have that dialogue.”
the virus enters the body, the immune sys- About four years ago, Bjornstad and fellow biologist Peter Hudson recognized a need for collaboration
tem is ready. While this traditional vacci- among the more than 100 Penn State faculty members studying infectious diseases. These researchers,
nation method has been successful for dis- working in areas such as agriculture, life sciences, human health, material sciences, sociology, and archi-
ease prevention, new fears about pandem- tecture, each approach infectious-disease studies from their own unique perspectives.
ic flu viruses—avian flu, for example— To bring these researchers together, Bjornstad and Hudson wrote a proposal for a seed grant to start
have spawned a need for new approaches. a center for the study of infectious-disease dynamics. With funding from the colleges of Science and Ag-
“You need to have the virus to make ricultural Sciences, the Penn State Institutes of the Environment, and the Penn State Huck Institutes of the
the vaccine,” He explains. “But there are Life Sciences, the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics (CIDD) is up and running with about a doz-
some problems with that in the case of en core faculty. The center is founded on the principle of using an interdisciplinary approach to study the
pandemic flu. First, you might not have spread of infectious diseases.
the time nor means to make the vaccine. Today, CIDD is a virtual center, with faculty meeting in various labs and offices across campus. Plans
Second, without testing, you don’t even are in the design phase for a new building, part of which will house CIDD, to be completed in the summer
know whether the vaccine will be effec- of 2011. The goal is for the new CIDD space to serve as a flagship example of an interdisciplinary facility.
tive. And third, remember that we’re talk- “In designing the center—lab spaces, office spaces, computer facilities, animal facilities—we’re always
ing about a widespread epidemic—a pan- thinking about how to optimize interdisciplinary interactions,” says Bjornstad.
demic—of a very deadly virus. This vac- “It’s very exciting,” adds Bruce McPheron, associate dean for research in the College of Agricultural
cine is not for just 100 people, it’s for 100 Sciences. “Penn State has recognized its opportunities to build a research presence in understanding the
million or 200 million people. You’d need biology of infectious diseases in animals and humans. And the college has been right at the table, hiring
a large quantity of the virus to make the world-class researchers to make sure the agricultural interests are represented but also to contribute to
vaccine, so you’d have many people in the very basic biological knowledge and information management that are needed to understand infectious
contact with that virus. That could be a disease processes. We are taking full advantage of the interdisciplinary expertise in this university-wide
manufacturing nightmare. It wouldn’t be entity. We don’t stop at the borders of our college.”
safe or practical.” More information on the CIDD is available online at http://www.cidd.psu.edu/.
He’s research is aimed at making an —Krista Weidner
avian flu vaccine safely and cost-effectively.
Winter/Spring 2008 13Penn State’s Lure
Proves Infectious
for Top Disease
Researchers
Penn Stat e’s re putation as a center
for innovative and interdisciplinary infectious-disease
research seems to be spreading faster than a flu
epidemic. In the last year, internationally renowned
scientists have signed on to continue their careers
at, or become associated with, Penn State and the
sh al l
College of Agricultural Sciences. B ar ry M ar
The most prestigious of these affiliations came to V iv e k
Kapu
r
light last September, when it was announced that Barry Marshall,
co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the college’s existing strengths in veterinary diagnostics,
had accepted an appointment at Penn State as the Francis R. and environmental toxicology, and immunology and infectious disease.
Helen M. Pentz Professor of Science to further his groundbreaking Kapur is internationally recognized for his pioneering work
research in bacterial infections. This part-time position is in completely sequencing the genomes of several of the world’s
associated with the multidisciplinary Huck Institutes of the Life major human and animal pathogens, including Pasteurella,
Sciences, as well as academic units in three colleges, including Mycobacterium, Staphylococcus, Brucella, Lawsonia, and
the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in the Cryptosporidium. The results of these studies have provided key
College of Agricultural Sciences. insights into how microbes cause disease and have led to the
A senior research fellow at the University of Western development of powerful new diagnostic tests and novel vaccines
Australia’s School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical with major global implications in disease control.
Sciences, Marshall will typically spend part of the spring semester A holder of six U.S. patents, Kapur also leads an international
each year at Penn State giving lectures and overseeing his Penn consortium of scientists studying Johne’s disease, a chronic
State–based research. inflammatory intestinal disease of ruminants such as cattle, goats,
Marshall’s Nobel Prize–winning work led to the discovery of deer, and antelope. Johne’s disease affects about 22 percent of
a previously undescribed bacterium, Helicobacter Pylori, in the dairy herds in the United States and causes substantial economic
human stomach, which ultimately led to proof of his theory that losses to farmers worldwide. The bacteria that causes Johne’s
peptic ulcers were caused by this bacterium, and that patients disease also has been associated with Crohn’s disease in
with this bacterium also were at significant risk for developing humans and may represent a potential food-safety concern.
stomach cancer. These findings revolutionized treatment for ulcer “Our collaborative work on Johne’s disease has led to
patients worldwide. improvements in diagnostic tests, a better understanding of
His current research is aimed at developing vaccines related mechanisms of disease transmission and pathogenesis, and the
to Helicobacter, perhaps using some of the components of the identification of new vaccine candidates,” Kapur explains. “Our
bacterium itself as a vaccine. consortium also has enabled the development of online training
“What I see at Penn State that’s quite exciting is that in programs on Johne’s disease for veterinarians and producers.”
microbiology, they have cultivated a very diverse type of faculty— What drew Kapur to Penn State? “The greatest strengths of
lateral thinkers, creative people not just focused on book learning,” the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences are the
says Marshall. “So whenever I come here and talk to the faculty, extraordinarily high caliber and productivity of the faculty, the
I learn a lot. There are people doing epidemiological studies on incredible diversity of programmatic interests, and the direct
measles and epidemics, and studying tropical-disease linkage to the real world through Penn State’s Animal Diagnostic
genomics.” Laboratory and the cooperative-extension program,” says Kapur,
Faculty in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences are looking who earned his doctorate in veterinary science from Penn State in
forward to interacting and collaborating with Marshall, according 1991—in the same department that he now has returned to lead.
to department head Vivek Kapur. “His interest and track record As the university continues to invest in new infectious-
in translating the results of basic biomedical research to useful disease laboratory facilities and faculty, Kapur believes the future
products and procedures is an inspiration to all,” Kapur says, is bright—for teaching as well as research. “This is an extremely
“and I believe will be of particular benefit to our graduate and important area that impacts human, animal, and plant health,”
undergraduate students as they make career decisions.” Kapur points out. “Our new and successful undergraduate major
Kapur’s appointment as department head in July 2007 in Immunology and Infectious Disease is a testament to our strong
also was something of a coup for the College of Agricultural commitment not only to infectious-disease research, but also
Sciences. Previously a professor of microbiology and director of to our desire to leverage our excellence in this area to enhance
the Biomedical Genomics Center at the University of Minnesota, undergraduate training opportunities at Penn State.”
he has a distinguished scholarly record that complements —Chuck Gill
14 Penn State AgricultureStudying the population dynamics of tinue testing with the avian flu virus. lution of infectious disease.
pathogens and hosts helps biologist In an exciting new direction, He and “Think of an aircraft carrier under en-
Ottar Bjornstad understand how dis- his colleagues are doing basic research on emy fire,” says Read. “Resistance is try-
eases emerge and spread, with an
killing cancer cells using an oncolytic vi- ing to repel the incoming shells before
eye toward developing effective con-
trol strategies.
rus: a virus that can kill tumors. Their fo- they hit.” Tolerance, he adds, is the num-
cus is on breast cancer cells that have me- ber of shells the carrier can withstand be-
From others’ research, He and his col- tastasized, or spread throughout the body, fore keeling over. Read and his colleagues,
leagues know which protein in a virus— and cannot be removed through surgery. Lars Raberg at the University of Lund and
say the avian influenza virus—is required “Once the tumor has spread, how can Derek Sim in Penn State’s Eberly College
to generate immunity in humans. By tak- you find the metastasized tumor cells?” of Science, used the same approach to
ing the associated genes from a disease- he says. “We’re testing this in mice, and study tolerance in animals.
causing virus and inserting them into it turns out that our virus replicates re- The researchers exposed five different
the decoy PIV5 virus, the researchers are ally well in tumor cells. It not only has strains of mice to malaria and monitored
transforming the decoy virus into a vec- the ability to infect tumor cells, it actu- the rate at which the mice lost weight and
tor—a transport mechanism—for the ally prefers tumor cells to normal cells— red blood cells, a common feature of ma-
immunity-inducing proteins. “Essentially it’s drawn to them.” He hopes this basic larial infections. The team found that the
we’re using genetic modification to create research will lead to clinical trials in the number of days it took for the parasites to
a new hybrid virus,” he says. “It’s a way to near future. reach peak density—when parasite num-
deliver proteins from avian flu virus into While immunization is one strategy to bers are at a maximum—differed in the
the human using a different vehicle that’s fend off infectious disease, organisms have five mouse strains, indicating varying lev-
safe for the host. When this hybrid virus inherent tactics of their own. Evolution- els of resistance.
is injected into the body as a vaccine, the ary biologist Andrew Read has studied When the scientists analyzed density
immune system will say, ‘Oh, this viral how animals use resistance and tolerance of red blood cells and minimum weight
protein looks like the flu! Let’s get ready.’ in the battle against infection and has against the peak density of parasites, they
So by the time the real virus would come found that animals, like plants, can build found that as the parasites increased, some
along, the body is ready to fight it.” He tolerance to infections at a genetic level. mice got sicker more slowly than the oth-
has had success testing this method with These findings could provide a better un- ers. “This was the one big ‘a-ha’ moment,
various viruses in mice and plans to con- derstanding of the epidemiology and evo- suggesting to us that disease tolerance was
Winter/Spring 2008 15You can also read
