Agriculture secretary announces funding for research, extension projects Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced Friday that the United States Department of Agriculture is making available $ 28. 4 million for research and extension projects in fiscal year 2008 to address critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops. Schafer calls it "a substantial investment in scientific research and technology for production of specialty crops that will advance their large contribution to America's agriculture both domestically and in world markets. "The U. S. specialty crop industry is comprised of producers and handlers of fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops, including floriculture. It is a major contributor to the U. S. agricultural economy, accounting for 10 million harvested cropland acres in 2004. The total value of U. S. specialty crops is more than $ 50 billion in sales, which puts the combined value of these crops in league with the five major program crops. Funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative was a major initiative in USDA's farm bill proposal and is authorized through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The 2008 farm bill provides an additional $ 50 million each year for fiscal years 2009 through 2012 for a total of $ 230 million during the five years of the farm bill. Those interested in applying for funding can access the request for applications online at www. csrees. usda. gov / funding / rfas / specialty _ crop. html The Specialty Crop Research Initiative has five focus areas: 1 ) plant breeding, genetics and genomics research to improve crop characteristics; 2 ) efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases; 3 ) innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; 4 ) efforts to improve production efficiency, productivity and profitability; and 5 ) methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops. Halbrook to head UA Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Department Steve A. Halbrook, vice president of Farm Foundation in Oak Brook, Ill., has been appointed professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness in the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the UA. Farm Foundation is a publicly supported organization that serves as a catalyst for sound public policy by providing objective information and fostering a deeper understanding of issues shaping the future for agriculture, the food system and rural regions. At Farm Foundation, Halbrook worked with all facets of the industry. The Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness conducts statewide Division of Agriculture research and extension programs and academic programs for bachelor's and master's degrees in Bumpers College at the UA. Mark Cochran, former head of the department and now the Division of Agriculture's associate vice president for research, said Halbrook will assume his duties July 28. "We are extremely pleased to have attracted such an excellent leader to this position," Cochran said. "Dr. Halbrook is recognized nationally as a scholar in the economics and law of agriculture. He brings enormous experience in agricultural policy. He has been at the forefront of finding innovative solutions to the critical issues facing agriculture, the food system and rural communities. "Halbrook is immediate past president of the American Agricultural Law Association and has served on the governing board of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Prior to joining Farm Foundation in 1992, he was a sole practitioner working primarily in regulatory matters related to the dairy industry. He has worked as an economist for two federal agencies and served as executive vice president of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. The son of the late Waymon Halbrook, who was a faculty member in the agricultural economics department at the UA from 1966 to 1992, Halbrook has a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the UA. He has a Ph. D. from Iowa State University in economics and a juris doctorate from Drake University School of Law. He is admitted to the practice of law in the District of Columbia. Research station to mark 50 years of agriculture research with tours of test plots The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture's Rohwer Research Station near Dumas will mark 50 years of agricultural research with tours of test plots and the dedication of a new administration building Thursday. Director Larry Earnest said the station began in 1957 on 134 acres of donated land and another 500 acres purchased by the state. Now, it has about 800 acres of research plots in rice, cotton, corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat. The new 4, 800-square-foot building has a large meeting room, which will double as a workroom, offices, a laboratory, conference room, kitchen and reception area. The project was designed by SCM Architects of Little Rock and built by Davis Construction of Monticello. Field day registration begins at 8 a.m. and tours begin at 8: 30 and 10 a.m. Division of Agriculture displays will available for viewing all morning, and visitors can choose from four tours: • Cotton - tarnished plant bugs, futuristic weed control, cotton varieties and PGR (Plant Growth Regulator ) products • Rice - new herbicides, polymer-coated urea and rice varieties • Soybean - soybean diseases, stink bugs, Liberty Link varieties and pigweed control • Corn - single herbicide applications, effects of early season weed control on leaf orientation and planting date / seeding rate / row spacing An indoor presentation at 11: 30 a.m. will highlight the station's 50 years of research and dedicate the new building. Lunch will be served following the program.
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