Crop Sciences Newsletter #104, September 17, 2004

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

...Congratulations to Terry Niblack, who was named President of the Society of Nematologists at their annual meetings in Estes Park, CO in August.

...Congratulations to the winners of ISPOB grants: Brian Diers, who received $211,590, Glen Hartman $60,000, and Randy Nelson, $70,411 for the project Soybean Germplasm and Breeding Research Initiative Phase V; and, Darin Eastburn, $16,000, Glen Hartman, $67,000, Dean Malvick, $60,000,Kevin Steffey, $40,000 for Plant Pathology/Entomology Managed Research Area; Aaron Hager, $27,092, Emerson Nafziger, $32,684, Dawn Nordby, $17,504, Bill Simmons, $46,418 and Pat Tranel, $34,541 for Weeds Managed Research Area 2005; Kris Lambert, $15,000, Terry Niblack, $113,550 and Greg Noel, $28,400 for Soybean Cyst Nematode Managed Research Area; and, Sue Ratcliffe, $21,260 for An Integrated Pest Management Facilitator for the North Central Region.

...The following faculty also received grant awards: Steve Clough, $112,843 from the National Science Foundation for the project “Functional Genomics of Root Hair Infection”; Brian Diers received $20,202 from Smith Bucklin & Associates for “Development of Cultivars with Increased Protein Content”. North Central Soybean Research Program awards were received by Susan Li, $9,000, for “The Application of New Technologies to the Control of Sudden Death Syndrome”; Glen Hartman and Dean Malvick each received $10,000 for “Limiting Losses to Phytophthora Sojae in the North Central Region”; Jack Widholm and Vera Lozovaya each received $9,000 for the project “Biotechnology Approaches to the Control of Sudden Death Syndrome”; and, Vera Lozovaya also received $106,000 for the project “Enhancing Soybean Root Resistance to Soilborne Pathogens”. Glen Hartman, received $24,000 from the United Soybean Board for “Application of Biotechnology to the Control of Sudden Death Syndrome”.

...Tamra Jackson, won the Best Student Poster competition at the Society of Nematologist annual meetings in Estes Park, CO in August. She also was awarded the Dow AgroSciences Student Travel Award and the Department of Crop Sciences Alumni Award to attend these meetings. Good Work!!

...Congratulations to Tamra Jackson and Elizabeth Bucher, who were members of the North Central Division team who won the de Bary Bowl competition at the recent APS meetings in Anaheim, CA. They each received a t-shirt and $50.

...Congratulations to Anthony Watson, who won a Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship from the Department of Energy--Global Change Education Program. It is a fully-funded fellowship for three years. Tony is working under the supervision of Steve Long. Only about 10 of these fellowships are awarded each year and this is the second one for Crop Sciences as Elizabeth Ainsworth also won one in 2000.

...The CSGO, with the assistance of Wayne Pedersen and his lab group and despite the rainy weather, donated 1,243 pounds of sweet corn to the East Central Illinois Food Bank in July. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this worthy effort!

...Congratulations to Megan Patzoldt on the completion of her Ph.D. degree. She worked under the direction of Brian Diers. She will be working as a Visiting Senior Research Specialist with Glen Hartman and Ted Hymowitz.

...Congratulations to M. Andrea Campana (J. K. Pataky), Kenneth L. Dalenberg (F. E. Below), Sultana Islam (T. R. Rocheford), Fernando Miguez (G. Bollero), Mark Muellner (M. J. Plewa) and Ryan Parkin (W. L. Pedersen), who completed their M.S. degrees.

FROM OUR OFFICE TO YOURS

...Salute to Agriculture Day 2004:
Saturday, September 25, 9:00 a.m. Tent Opens and Meals Available. 11:00 a.m. Kick-off between Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers.
Celebrate the contributions and diversity of Illinois agriculture at a University of Illinois football game this fall! On Saturday, September 25, prior to the Illini versus Purdue Boilermakers football game, the College of ACES, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and other state commodity organizations will be hosting a pre-game tent party which includes a meal catered by the Illinois Beef Association and the Fighting Illini Pork Club. Join your fellow faculty and staff members, ACES alumni, and agricultural enthusiasts at this state-wide agriculture event. Tent located on the northwest corner of First Street and Kirby Avenue. Meet Coach Bruce Weber, head coach of the men's basketball team, and Assistant Jay Price. Appearances by the Marching Illini and Fighting Illini cheerleaders. WGN's Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong will be emceeing the program. Silent and live auctions benefiting Illinois 4-H, Illinois FFA, and the Orion Samuelson Scholarship Fund.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Sept. 25, Salute to Agriculture Day, U of I versus Purdue football game

Oct. 1, ACES faculty meeting, 1:00 p.m., Heritage Room, LIAC

Oct. 7, ACES Career Fair, 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Illini Union--Rooms A, B, & C

Oct. 21-22, Extension Annual Conference, Springfield Crowne Plaza

Oct. 29, ACES Family Reunion (Homecoming), Holiday Inn, Urbana

Oct. 31-Nov. 4, ASA, CSSA, SSA Annual Meetings, Seattle, WA

Nov. 4, Gamma Sigma Delta Graduate Fellows Recognition, 3:30 p.m., Levis Faculty Center, Third Floor

Dec. 10, Jonathan Baldwin Turner Banquet

March 11-12, 2005, ExplorACES

Apr. 26, ACES and Paul A. Funk Recognition Awards Program, Illini Union

May 15, 2005, U of I Commencement

UPCOMING CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS

...The Fourth Biennial Illinois Water Conference will be held October 13-14, 2004 at the Holiday Inn in Urbana, IL. There is a Pre-Conference Workshop on October 12. For more information www.environ.uiuc.edu/iwrc/Water2004.

...Members of the Cell and Molecular Biology and Biophysics Training Grants will sponsor the seventeenth annual research symposium on Thursday, November 4, 2004 from 11:30 PM to 6:00 PM at the Beckman Institute. The keynote speaker is Dr. Steve Block, a professor of applied physics and biological sciences at Stanford and a pioneer in motor molecule research. The deadline for Talk/Poster Abstract submission is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22. * The deadline for registration only is FRIDAY OCTOBER 29. Registration, official abstract forms, and the schedule for the symposium may be found at http://www.life.uiuc.edu/cmbtg/symposium.

...The 2004 Corn Belt Seed Conference “Decision 2004- -Survive or Thrive” will be held November 11-12 at the Marriott East, Indianapolis, IN.

...The American Farm Bureau Federation 86th Convention will be held January 9-10, 2005 at the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC.

GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

...The Potash & Phosphate Institute’s J. Fielding Reed Fellowship Program is accepting applications for 2005 awards. Applications must be postmarked by January 15, 2005. The applicants must be in agronomy, horticulture, ecology, soil fertility, soil chemistry, crop physiology and areas of plant nutrition. More details and application forms are available in AW-101 Turner.

...Minority Research Award. The Biotechnology Center Placement Office will provide an award to support undergraduate laboratory research. Sponsor will receive $1,000 to cover laboratory costs for students conducting research under their direction, beginning Fall 2004. Student must have a career interest in biotechnology, chemistry, biochemistry or chemical engineering. Application criteria is available in AW-101 Turner. Deadline for applying is October 8.

GRAD STUDENT BULLETIN BOARD

...The elected officers of the Crop Sciences Graduate Organization (CSGO) for this academic year are: President: Nicolas Martin Vice President: Elizabeth Wrage Secretary: Carlos Pavon Graduate Student Policy and Grievance Committee representative: Catalina Ferro Treasurer: Federico Trucco Teaching Committee representative: B.J. Patzoldt Graduate Seminar Committee representative: Jeff Coulter Fundraising Chair: Cesar Solórzano

PERSONALS

...I would like to thank everyone for the cards and kind words of support following the recent death of my exwife, Dr. Amanda Grunden. We were married for 17 years and although we had been divorced for a little over a year, we were still good friends and I will miss her dearly. Thanks again. Eric

...Jeff & Chris Bunting welcomed their second daughter, Abigail Christine, on Aug. 20. Congratulations!

...Crop Sciences--Thank you so much for the beautiful azalea. It is great to wake up to the colorful blossoms each morning. Abigail is already growing fast and Olivia loves being a very helpful big sister. Thanks again. Chris, Jeff, Olivia & Abigail.

...Dear Crop Sciences Department, Thank you for the beautiful hibiscus tree you sent us to honor the memory of our loved one, Dr. A. L. Rayburn, Jr. It is very comforting to have your thoughts and support at this time. Yours, Lane, Virginia, Albert, Charlotte and Katharine Rayburn

PUBLICATIONS

Gao, X., T. A. Jackson, K. N. Lambert, S. Li, G. L. Hartman, and T. L. Niblack. Detection and quantification of Fusarium solani f. sp. glycines in soybean roots with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. 2004. Plant Disease. (Not sure which issue yet?)

Renne, I.J., B.G. Rios, J.S. Fehmi and B.F. Tracy. 2004. Low allelopathic potential of an invasive forage grass on native grassland plants: a cause for encouragement? Basic and Applied Ecology 5:261-269.

SEMINARS

Sept. 21, noon, Dr. Edward M. Rubin, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, Comparative genomics at the extremes, CLSL Auditorium.

Sept. 23, 7:30, CAS/MILLERCOMM2005, Susan Eisenhower, Chairman and Senior Fellow, The Eisenhower Institute, Washington, DC, Russian-U.S. relations in the coming decade, Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum.

Sept. 24, noon, Dr. Shelley D. Copley, University of Colorado at Boulder, A mechanism for the association of amino acids with their codons and the origin of the genetic code, B102 CLSL.

Oct. 6, noon, The Soil and Water Conservation Society Student Chapter will be hosting a seminar with Dr. Wendell Gilliam, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Soil Science at North Carolina State University entitled Agricultural Water Management: Benefits for Crop Yields and Water Quality, Heritage Room in the ACES library. Refreshments will be provided.