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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

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Total Clips: 5

	Date	Outlet
AU faculty oppose review policy	10/11/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
Proper air inlet management is crucial	10/11/2006	Special to the Poultry Times
Ongoing warm temperatures aid mosquito larvae growth	10/11/2006	Press-Register
Why E. coli found in spinach?	10/10/2006	Press Register
Switching to new crop could help farmers weather cost squeeze	10/10/2006	Southwest Farm Press


AU faculty oppose review policy 10/11/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
Although an overwhelming majority of Auburn University faculty attending Tuesday's fall general faculty meeting rejected the concept of a post-tenure review, the administration will move forward anyway, testing the process this academic year. Because the vote failed 11-89, the faculty didn't even bother to vote on a post-tenure review policy that took more than a year to compose. "We decided to work with the administration on this so we had a say on the final policy," said University Senate Chairman Rich Penaskovic. Despite the effort by the administration and others, nearly 20 professors had their say, expressing their concerns and sheer displeasure with the idea of post-tenure review and the new policy. Penaskovic and others said they felt the AU Board of Trustees were determined to see a post-tenure review policy in place no matter how the faculty voted. Provost John Heilman said the policy and procedure may be modified based on some of the comments and concerns raised by faculty but that the university will move forward with the concept and test it this year. He said 40 professors will be randomly selected to go through the review process. "Post-tenure review is coming," he said. Rik Blumenthal, associate professor of biology and biochemistry, said he doesn't see a need for a review of tenured faculty at Auburn. Current practices are sufficient, he said. "I don't believe in fixing something that isn't broken," Blumenthal said. "There is not a problem here. There are no rogue faculty running amuck." If there are, Barry Burkhart, who has been a tenured professor at Auburn for 27 years, said the proposed post-tenure review policy isn't the way to fix it. This policy, as it's written, appeases the board of trustees but may end up doing more harm than good, he said. English Professor James Goldstein said that, because some fields are so specialized, he didn't think it was fair to have a nine-member university committee run the review when they themselves aren't in such fields. Professors airing their complaints Tuesday said the policy was so vaguely written that professors were unsure if it was a policy for dismissal or not. One part clearly says it isn't, they said, but another says those who fail to improve an unsatisfactory review after one year can land themselves in the faculty dismissal process. Professors such as Cindy Brunner in the College of Veterinary Medicine opposed the concept because tenured professors are already reviewed several times a year by students, peers and colleagues. No one among the professors who spoke up Tuesday liked the idea of an additional review process. Several were also opposed to the one-year limit to improve from a bad review. Brunner called it "absurd" to expect a professor to teach more, get better student evaluations and bring in more grant money in one year's time. "That's an impossibility," she said. "I can't support the plan or the concept it came from." Heilman said the purpose of post-tenure review, or what he called a "Faculty Development Program," was meant to improve the quality of the faculty. The administration is pushing for this at the same time it is calling for an improvement in the quality of new Auburn students. He also said many peer universities are conducting post-tenure review because there is a national movement for accountability in higher education. By testing this school year, Heilman said the results can be assessed by the new president.
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Proper air inlet management is crucial 10/11/2006 Special to the Poultry Times Jim Donald, Jess Campbell and Gene Simpson		Return to Top
Jim Donald, Jess Campbell and Gene Simpson are all with Auburn University's Cooperative Extension Service. AUBURN, Ala. -- Cold weather is here and many broiler managers and farm operators are asking questions about the management of air inlets for cold weather. Proper air inlet management is crucial for maintaining dry floors and good rearing conditions in the broiler house in winter. To do inlet management right, it is important to understand all the factors that determine whether ventilation will be effective or not. House tightness, operating static pressure, number of minimum ventilation fans to be used, proper number of air inlets that should be used and fan run time all play a role in determining what type of conditions we will have in our houses. Tight houses The first question that must be answered concerns house tightness. Is the high tight enough to use inlets effectively? This would mean that we would be able to pull at least a 0.10 to 0.12 static pressure with one 48-inch fan or two 36-inch fans with all inlets (and doors) closed. A really tight house may pull 0.15 to 0.25 inches under these test conditions. But if a 0.10 to 0.12 pressure is achieved with these fans in operation and all inlets closed, the house is sufficiently tight to use negative pressure ventilation. The decision then needs to be made as to how many minimum ventilation fans will be placed on a timer. If houses are relatively loose,, about a 0.10 to 0.12 static pressure, then it may be necessary to run two 48-inch fans for minimum ventilation. If houses are relatively tight, such as newer houses that will run 0.20 to 0.25 pressures, then perhaps one 48-inch fan or two 36-inch fans can be run for minimum ventilation. No one can make this decision for you. The individual manager will have to make a decision. In the looser houses that are approximately 0.10 to 0.12 static pressure, we are better off to run two 48-inch fans for minimum ventilation and cut the fan run time by 50 percent. In the tighter houses we have the luxury of running one 48-inch or two 36-inch fans and running for longer periods of time. So you see that the amount of fan power that will be run for minimum ventilation varies depending on house tightness. The loosest 42 x 500 house might use two 48-inch fans or their equivalent for minimum ventilation while the tightest 4s x 500 might use one 48-inch or two 36-inch fans. Some houses will use one 48-inch and one 36-inch fan as the minimum vent fans. Loose houses Some very old or very loose houses are just not tight enough to ventilate with air inlets. If houses are not tight enough, it is often better to just suck air through the cracks in the house, leaving the inlets closed. While sucking air into the house through the cracks is not the preferred method of ventilation, trying to use air inlets in a house that is not sufficiently tight can be a disaster. Opening air inlets at very low static pressures will drop large amounts of cold air on the floor, causing chilling, wet floors and poor performance. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot use your air inlets successfully using two 48-inch fans for minimum ventilation and achieve an operating static pressure of 0.10, then you are better off to leave the inlets closed and just bring air in through the cracks. Of course the preferred way to solve this problem is to tighten up the house. And for sure an old loose house will certainly benefit from mixing or stir fans to help mix the air. Number of inlets The goal of minimum ventilation inlet management is to have the cold outside air coming through the inlets at high velocity and directed toward the center of the house above the birds, so as to get good mixing of cold outside and warm inside air. For minimum ventilation inlets to flow air properly they must open a minimum of 2-3 inches for a sidewall inlet or 1-1 1/2 inches for a ceiling installed inlet. The static pressure controller automatically opens the inlets more or less so as to maintain proper static pressures -- so if there are too many inlets allowed to operate, the result will be that the controller will choke down the openings too much. As we have too often seen lately, houses running minimum ventilation with all inlets operating will have inlets opening only one-fourth to one-half inch, so that incoming cold air just sort of leaks into the house at the inlets and then falls to the floor. We don't get any air mixing because we haven't gotten any real air stream with any air velocity. This leads to wet litter, high humidity, ammonia, high fuel usage and poor quality. In other words, for any given number of fans running there is a correct number of inlets to be used at the correct opening. If a tunnel house has been properly designed it may have anywhere from 48 to 80 air inlets installed. This is the total air inlet capacity for maximum ventilation when not in the tunnel mode. Four, five or six tunnel fans can be run through these inlets. But what we need to look at in winter operation is how many inlets do we need if we are doing minimum ventilation running only one 48-inch fan, or one 48-inch and one 36-inch or two 48-inch fans. Houses may be equipped with the number of inlets needed for maximum ventilation, but in winter cold weather we want minimum ventilation so many inlets must be closed or latched shut. The goal is to utilize the appropriate number of inlets to match the number of minimum ventilation fans in use. As the growout continues more inlets will be unlatched or put into service. The exact number that should be used on a given farm will vary depending on the house. In most houses we should at least have operating inlets on each side no further apart than 24 to 30 feet, which usually would mean latching closed every other inlet so we allow only 15 evenly distributed inlets in the brood chamber to respond to the inlet machine. We would unlatch more inlets in the brood chamber only if we anticipated needing to run additional fans. Of course for half house brooding situations it is very desirable to close all or most of the inlets in the non-brood area. After turnout we typically need to unlatch more inlets in the growout end as more fans are used, and then finally as we get some age on the birds we unlatch them all. A good rule of thumb in a tunnel house is we need to have about 15 operating inlets for each 48-inch fan that we expect to be brought on during that phase of the growout or that prevailing weather. Inlet management As we've said, the goal of minimum ventilation inlet management is to get cold outside air shooting through the inlets at high enough velocity and directed toward the center of the house above the birds. This requires having the right static pressure and the right amount of inlet opening, usually at least 1 inch for a ceiling inlet and 2 inches for a sidewall air inlet. Too wide an inlet opening, however, can be almost as bad as too small an opening. If the inlet board opens too wide it tends to direct cold air down toward the birds, not across the ceiling. It is also important that inlets all open uniformly the same. If some are opening wide or narrower than others, the result will be poor uniformity in the house, with cold and hot spots that will hurt flock performance and uniformity. Since the static pressure controller interacts with the inlets, good inlet management requires monitoring inlet performance (how wide they are opening and what kind of airflow is being achieved) and adjusting the controller for best performance. This assumes a tight house and that the right number of inlets are operating for the number and size of fans running, and is a fine tuning adjustment that will vary from house to house. The goal is to find the right operating pressure that gives proper inlet opening and best airflow into the house. Obstructions One problem often seen in the field is obstructions to airflow, such as water or electrical equipment, being placed directly in the air stream of the inlet. For both ceiling and sidewall style inlets we are trying to achieve high air velocity so we can throw or shoot the air into the house. We want to get the air flowing as smoothly as possible and attach the jet to the ceiling so it can travel to the center of the house. If when our house is built we allow water lines or electrical lines to be strapped to the ceiling right in the path of the airflow, we are really hurting our ability to mix air properly. Builders need to be told about this and alternate locations for these utilities need to be worked out. Bottom line In houses with poor inlet management, as much as a 15 to 20 degree difference in floor and ceiling temperature has been observed. Good inlet management can keep this temperature difference to five degrees. The dollar benefits start with the fact that saved fuel costs keep money in your pocket. Houses with poor air mixing will use 20 percent to 25 percent more fuel. Plus the combination of temperature and air quality from day one is probably the most significant factor in broiler flock performance. Extreme temperatures can be devastating during the brooding period especially. Too cold conditions dramatically impact the ability of young birds to get adequate feed and water, and if early growth is slowed the performance losses cannot be made up during the life of the flock. The bottom line is that proper management of air inlets to provide birds the temperature and air quality they need is absolutely essential for getting top returns. Jim Donald is an Extension engineer, Jess Campbell is a poultry house technician and Gene Simpson is an Extension economist, all with Auburn University's Cooperative Extension Service in Auburn, Ala.
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Ongoing warm temperatures aid mosquito larvae growth 10/11/2006 Press-Register		Return to Top
P.J. Waters at AU Marine Extension and Research Center is mentioned. Gambusia fish available to eliminate insects; pond design can help prevent increases Despite its being fall, the temperatures have remained warm and the air humid. These conditions seem to coincide with mosquitoes, particularly around ponds, where pond owners may find the quality of fishing experiences reduced. Mosquitoes prefer still, shallow water where their aquatic larvae develop. So, how do you get rid of the mosquitoes that may be using your pond as a nursery without hurting your fish? Much of the problem can be solved in the design of the pond. Pond edges that are shallow can potentially provide ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes. To avoid this, ponds should be constructed with deep edges. The benefit of deep pond edges goes beyond mosquito control. Losses from wading birds such as herons will be reduced, as well as fewer weeds along the edges. The shallow and still water found around a pond are often accompanied by increased vegetation. These plants provide habitat for mosquitoes and serve to shelter them from wind. To avoid creating these "dead zones" around a pond, a manager can limit the amount of weeds that grow in and around the pond. In addition to designing a pond to limit the mosquito habitat, stocking programs can include biological controls that utilize insect larvae in their diet. Such species include "mosquito fish." These animals feed on insect larvae, and can be useful in reducing the number of larvae that develop into adults. Residents of Baldwin County have a readily available source of mosquito fish (Gambusia) at the Baldwin County High School Aquaculture Facility in Bay Minette. People who live within Baldwin County should call the school and arrange a time during school hours to stop by and pick up a few fish. You will not need many as these native fish readily reproduce in ponds and will begin eating mosquito larvae immediately. They survive our winters and will be ready next spring to begin controlling the pests as soon as they appear. When you go to the school to get the fish, do not forget to take along a bucket to take them home in. A battery-powered aerator that you may have for your bait bucket will also help make the ride back to your pond easier on them. There are several chemical treatments for mosquito control in and around ponds. It is important to note that many chemical applications can be harmful to fish. Some chemicals require a special applicator license. Prior to any chemical application, read and follow the label instructions, and if you have questions, seek the advice of a fisheries expert. For additional questions or information, contact P.J. Waters at Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center. (P.J. Waters is an extension aquaculture assistant with Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center. Sea Grant writers may be contacted at 438-5690. )
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Why E. coli found in spinach? 10/10/2006 Press Register		Return to Top
Jean Weese, an ACES food scientist and AU professor of nutrition and food science, is a source in this story. Organically grown vegetables could be exposed to pathogens from water used by animals Whoever would have imagined that a pathogen typically linked with undercooked ground beef would turn up in bags of raw spinach? No doubt, very few. Whatever the case, this unsettling discovery drives home the fact that E. coli 0157:H7 can show up in the most unlikely of places and under many different guises. What accounts for occasional outbreaks of the pathogens in raw vegetables? Lots of things, according to Dr. Jean Weese, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System food scientist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science. E. coli can be spread from water used to irrigate produce in the field, especially if this water is drawn from surface water in which livestock or wildlife have defecated or waded. Even products grown in soil where wild animals have defecated can harbor traces of E. coli and other pathogens. Organically grown produce -- considered the most pristine of products by many Americans -- may be susceptible to E. coli in cases where manure is being used as a fertilizer, Weese says. "When you raise things in manure, you're going to be exposed to bacteria," Weese says. "E. coli lives in the intestines of animals, and there is always the risk it's going to be passed along to produce." For a long time, many food scientists assumed that pathogens associated with animal waste were present only on the exterior of organically grown produces. More recently, though, studies have shown that these pathogens actually can turn up inside the produce -- a fact uncovered in Weese's own research. In a study conducted with lettuce plants, Weese learned that potentially deadly E. coli pathogens from tainted soil can be taken up into the stem of plants only a few days after planting. This finding accounts for why Weese personally has taken a hard line on the routine consumption of raw, organically grown produce, especially in cases where children are involved. "My recommendation is not to feed any child age 6 or younger raw, organically grown produce," she said. According to Weese, it is the reason why consumers must take responsibility for their own safety, especially when preparing raw foods in the home. The operative advice is to wash repeatedly, she says. Unfortunately, this won't help with organically grown produce, though it will be effective against other produce. Indeed, every time you wash produce, you're removing potentially harmful pathogens -- the reason why she advises washing produce, allowing it to drain and repeating the cycle once or twice. Soaking, on the other hand, is self-defeating because it gives the bacteria a chance to get into every nook and cranny, which makes them even harder to remove. Diligent washing is especially important within households where children, elderly and people with compromised immune system lives -- even people suffering from colds. All of them are more susceptible to the pathogen's effects. E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This syndrome is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly, and it can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. Most Americans first became acquainted with this deadly pathogen in 1993, when several people, mostly children, died from exposure to the pathogen after consuming undercooked ground beef at a chain restaurant in the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of other survived the ordeal after enduring days of excruciatingly severe nausea, cramping and bloody diarrhea. (Amelia McGrew is regional extension agent with the Baldwin County office, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. She may be reached at 574-8445 or at mcgreaj@auburn.edu.)
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Switching to new crop could help farmers weather cost squeeze 10/10/2006 Southwest Farm Press Forrest Laws		Return to Top
AU switchgrass research by David Bransby is mentioned in this story. It could be a tough "switch" for some farmers – going from trying to keep grass from growing in their crops to just trying to keep the grass growing. But it's a move some farmers might be willing to make judging from the attendance at a tour stop on switchgrass production at the 24th Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day. Switchgrass is a hardy, warm-season perennial that can grow from 6 feet to 7 feet in height and could become one of the feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels or an alternative for corn-based ethanol. University of Tennessee scientists are growing 32 acres of switchgrass at the Milan Research and Education Center to provide research for a feasibility study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Oak Ridge, Tenn., National Laboratory in Henry County in west Tennessee. Five Henry County farmers are growing switchgrass on 92 acres of land around Paris, Tenn., for the project. The switchgrass, which was planted in 2004, is cut, baled and hauled to an electric-generating plant in Gadsden, Ala. "Right now, the grant is the market," says Ken Goddard, the Henry County Extension agent who has been working with the five farmers. He and Tony Brannon, dean of the School of Agriculture at Murray State University and one of the farmers, spoke on switchgrass production at the Milan Field Day July 27. "But we're finding that there are some advantages to switchgrass such as low input costs and relatively low management requirements that can be a plus for farmers who are looking for alternative crops," added Goddard. As you might expect at the Milan No-Till Field Day, Goddard and Brannon and UT researchers recommend that farmers plant switchgrass no-till. "If you prepare the soil conventionally, you expose more weed seed, and you want to try to keep the weed competition in check as much as possible," said Goddard. "Only one herbicide, Cimarron (formerly known as Ally), is registered for use on switchgrass." For that same reason, they also recommend that no nitrogen be applied to the switchgrass in the first growing season. "Applying nitrogen in the first year just helps competing weeds become better established," says Brannon. Goddard said the Henry County farmers have planted switchgrass from late April until mid-June. (Some of the smaller fields had to be re-planted after shade trees blocked the sun from reaching the plants.) The farmers burned down the fields with glyphosate or paraquat and applied about 40 units of phosphorus and potassium when soils tested medium for the two nutrients. The recommended seeding rate is 7.5 pounds per acre. "We've found that you can plant the seed shallow," said Goddard. "Generally, the packing wheel from the no-till planter will incorporate the seed deep enough to get a good stand. It's a small-seeded plant, like timothy." Research at Milan has shown that about 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre appears to produce optimum yields of switchgrass, according to Don Tyler, professor of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science at UT's West Tennessee Research Station in Jackson. "Most of our recommendations on switchgrass has come from research in other states," said Tyler, who also spoke at the Switchgrass Production Tour. "We're trying to do more research in Tennessee now so that we can tell our farmers how to grow it in an economic way." Tyler and fellow researchers have applied up to 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate on the switchgrass plots at the Milan station. But yields were mostly lower for the higher N rates than for the 60-pound rate. "With nitrogen prices up to almost two times what they were last year that could be a plus for someone producing switchgrass," said Tyler. "The plots that received 120 and 180 pounds were a darker green color, but they also had more weed competition." Larry Steckel, weed scientist at the West Tennessee Research Station, has experimented with other herbicides on switchgrass. "Accent controls other grasses that compete with switchgrass, but it's not labeled," said Goddard. "Crossbow and dicamba have also shown promise but are not registered for this use." Although the plots on display at the Milan Station were in a low-lying area, switchgrass appears to yield better on better-drained upland soils, "just like other crops," said Tyler. "We have very productive soils here, more so than in some of the other states where research has been conducted." The Henry County farmers have found that a one-cut harvest appears to yield about as much switchgrass biomass as cutting it twice. The growers generally wait until first frost and then cut the switchgrass with a conventional mower. "They put it up in large round bales in 2005," said Goddard. "And those were trucked to Gadsden. The bales typically weigh between 1,300 and 1,800 pounds each. But they could also be put into square bales." He said the farmers have found it's best to leave the stubble at 5 to 6 inches in height to keep from puncturing tires on farm equipment. Growers generally harvest about one-third of the potential yield for the crop in the first year, about two-thirds the second year and 100 percent the third year. Switchgrass yields in other states have ranged between 5 and 10 tons of dry matter per acre. "One of the primary advantages we've observed is that the input costs are relatively low, considering that you apply only small amounts of P and K and no nitrogen the first year," said Goddard. "Once the stand is established, it should come back year after year – one farm in North Carolina planted it 25 years ago, and it's still going strong. There are no insects or diseases that attack switchgrass and no specialized equipment requirements other than a mower and a baler." The disadvantage? Having to transport the bulk material the 230-plus miles from Paris, Tenn., to Gadsden, Ala., where the local power company is grinding the switchgrass and substituting it for coal. University of Tennessee researchers believe farmers will have to find markets – such as ethanol-conversion facilities – much closer to home if the crop is to become economically viable. "You could also convert the switchgrass to a bio-oil for transport to a generating plant," said Burton English, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Tennessee and project director for the switchgrass grant. "You could have a bio oil converter come to an area in two trucks and then move to the next community." Although researchers at Auburn University have been working with switchgrass for more than 20 years, not much had been said about the crop until President Bush mentioned it as an alternative source for energy in last January's State of the Union message. "Before that, switchgrass seed was selling for about 8 cents per pound," said Brannon. "After that, it went to 16 cents per pound." The Henry County farmers' experience shows switchgrass could have a fit for part-timers. "One of the things that appealed to us as non-traditional farmers was that the pressures to get things done aren't that rigid," said Brannon, who operates his family's farm with his brother.
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