Farm Facts for Fairfield County
Farm Facts for Fairfield County
for November 16, 2001; also seen on Fridays in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette
What are the global economic and trade implications of the political and cultural shocks in the world today? Or, maybe more importantly, what are the economic realities that have been brought about in the agriculture sector within recent weeks? These and other current economic issues in agriculture will be the focus of the Ag Economic Outlook and Policy Update meeting on Tuesday, November 27. This meeting will be held from 10 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. in the Fairfield County Ag Center. Featured on the program will be OSU ag economist Barry Goodwin, Extension ag finance economist Warren Lee, Matt Roberts, also an OSU economist, and Jim Pollock, Fairfield County FSA director.
Reservations are requested by calling 740.653.5419 or e-mail: fair@ag.osu.edu. A $10
registration fee will be collected at the door to cover the cost of lunch and handout materials.
Anti-Crop Bioterrorism; Ohio State Expert Says Be Aware, Not Alarmed
Anti-crop bioterrorism is a threat to the United States but not a "gigantic" one, said Larry Madden, an Ohio State University plant-disease specialist. Still, Madden and other U.S. scientists are concerned enough about the risk to be developing ways to respond to attacks and have been doing so for several years.
Madden, a plant pathologist at the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, is an international expert on plant epidemiology: the growth and spread of plant pathogens. He spoke at a national symposium on anti-crop bioterrorism in 1999 and serves on a National Research Council committee investigating biological threats to livestock and crops.
"There is some threat of biological terrorism to U.S. agriculture. It's not a zero threat," he said. "But it's not the kind of threat that if it happens it will be unsolvable or can't be dealt with. It can be dealt with. We're aware of it, and we're prepared to help the industry if anything happens.
"There's concern about anti-crop bioterrorism," he said, "but it's not a gigantic concern compared to other things to be concerned about in life." One reason that an introduced plant pathogen might not wipe out a crop is, simply, the weather, Madden said. Unlike human and animal pathogens, plant pathogens are very much influenced by it. If the temperature, humidity, wind and other conditions aren't right, a plant pathogen won't survive, let alone spread.
So even if a plant pathogen could be "weaponized" cultured in the lab or the field, collected, transported, and somehow introduced -- the weather conditions would play a big role in whether it actually causes a problem.
Furthermore, because U.S. agriculture is widely dispersed, with many different crops in many different places, it would be difficult to cause an industry-wide epidemic, Madden said. A crop or a region could be quarantined; other crops from other regions would still be OK.
"I don't think growers should change anything in their procedures," Madden said. "But they should know that scientists are monitoring the situation. The government is aware of it, too; there's no ignoring agriculture. For now, we're evaluating how vulnerable we are and how to respond."
At the same time, crop disease outbreaks -- natural ones -- will continue. They come and go from
year to year and region to region because of varying weather conditions. Madden said don't be
alarmed. "I think it would be a mistake if all of a sudden our first answer to a question is
terrorism," he said -- "in agriculture or anything else in the country."
Lamb 509, December 12-14, 2001
Lamb 509 is a 3-day short course designed to address several factors associated with producing consistent, high quality, wholesome lamb at the farm, packing-plant and retail levels. This is a hands-on program that will enhance your understanding of quality attributes that affect consumer acceptability and ultimately consumer demand of lamb products.
The program is being held December 12-14, 2001 at the Animal Sciences Building on the Ohio State University Columbus Campus. A maximum of 32 spaces will be available on a first-come first-served basis.
Registration fee for Lamb 509 is $100/participant. This fee covers all meals, materials and
parking arrangements. This program is the result of a partnership with the Ohio Sheep and Wool
Program, the Ohio Improvement Association, The Ohio State University Extension and The Ohio
State University Department of Animal Sciences. Contact Roger High (614-292-0589) or Henry
Zerby (614-688-4584) to register.
For a listing of upcoming programs, meetings and events, visit the AG CALENDAR
Farms Facts is a weekly newspaper column, written by the agriculture staff at the Ohio State
University Extension office in Fairfield County.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith,
Director, Ohio State University Extension.
TDD # 1 (800) 589-8292 (Ohio only) or (614) 292-1868