Major Agricultural Industry Research Articles

Afghanistan\'s tick-borne crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever epidemiology

Over the past decades, Afghanistan has encountered several serious healthcare difficulties. One of these occurrences, a lethal endemic of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), hit Afghanistan in 1998. A broad assessment of the literature reveals a number of characteristics that put the people of Afghanistan at a very high risk of developing CCHF. First off, the nation's poor healthcare system is now ill-equipped to handle difficulties of this kind. Medical institutions and healthcare personnel lack the necessary tools to correctly diagnose, treat, and prevent CCHF. Second, a significant percentage of people is ignorant about the vector's propagation and methods of control. Afghanistan has a major agricultural industry, and as a result, many individuals are active in caring for animals and handling cattle, which can result in the spread of the CCHF virus. Finally, during the past 20 years of the republican government of Afghanistan after the initial tenure of the Taliban's government as a result of the Afghan war, a sizable number of Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan, a nation where CCHF is endemic. This increased Afghanistan's vulnerability. This literature review identifies probable causes of high-risk CCHF and offers suggestions that Afghan policy-makers may desire to take into account in order to ameliorate the existing situation.

Where Does Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Pollen Come from? A Study of Pollen Collected from Colonies at Ornamental Plant Nurseries.

Simple SummaryPollen is the main source of protein, fats, and many micronutrients for honey bees, and it also has the potential to be a major route of exposure to pesticides. The objective of this study was to quantify to what extent honey bee colonies use ornamental nursery plants as sources of pollen over the season. We put honey bee colonies at two large commercial ornamental plant nurseries and used a pollen-trapping device to collect pollen from foraging honey bees as they returned to the hive. Pollen was collected each week from June until September in 2015 and 2018. Samples from the pollen collected were identified to genus by a pollen specialist. By counting and measuring the pollen grains, we could quantify how much of the pollen came from what plant source. We found that most of the pollen in July and August was collected from plant genera not grown at the nursery, including clover (Trifolium), maize (Zea), buckwheat (Fagopyrum), and jewelweed, and related species (Impatiens). Genera grown at the nurseries and found in the honey bee-collected pollen in June and early July included roses (Rosa), sumac (Rhus), and hollies (Ilex), but each of these genera also include native or naturalized species that are abundant in the surrounding area, so the pollen probably came from both the nursery and the surroundings.Ornamental nursery plants are both a major agricultural industry in the U.S. and a major feature of the urban and suburban landscape. Interest in their relationship with pollinators is two-fold: the extent to which they provide a nutritional benefit to pollinators, and the extent to which they have the potential to harm pollinators by exposing them to pesticide residues in nectar and pollen. We identified plant genera as sources of trapped pollen collected by honey bee colonies located at commercial ornamental plant nurseries in Connecticut in 2015 and 2018 and quantified the percentage of pollen volume collected from each genus for each weekly sample over two seasons. Plant genera grown at these nurseries, particularly Rosa, Rhus, and Ilex, contributed substantially to pollen volume during weeks 23–27 of the year. Among the genera not grown in nurseries, Toxicodendron was also important during weeks 23 and 24, and Trifolium was important in both frequency and quantity throughout the season. Zea was a major component of pollen volume from weeks 28–36 in both sites, even though cropland was not over 11% of land cover at either site.

The Rubber Industry of Indonesia: Strategy for Competitiveness and Sustainability

The paper presents a systematic review of the latest developments in the natural rubber industry and describes the major predictors for the sustainability of Indonesia’s competitive advantage in this sector. In-depth interviews with experts were conducted to gather data from the private and public industries, International Trade Statistic, and Statistics Indonesia. The data were analyzed using the Diamond Model, which is widely used as the framework of a country’s competitive advantage. The data is processed to find the RCA value and mapping the factors affecting the competitive advantages of ITRC countries. In the face of falling rubber prices, the Indonesia rubber industry's recent management strategy is to increase competitiveness sustainably by increasing productivity in the upstream industry and efficiency in the downstream industry. To boost competitiveness even further, a more concentrated endeavor to stimulate innovation and technology adoption by farmers and businesses is required. The study offers a comprehensive examination of Indonesia as a country with major agricultural export industries. It methodically investigates the strategies that must be implemented to sustain the rubber industry in Indonesia. Keywords: competitiveness, industry, natural rubber, revealed competitive advantage, sustainability DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-3-06 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

How Are Egyptian Agricultural Students Preparing for a Career?

Egypt has made substantial progress in access to education. However a high unemployment rate among university graduates and employers being unable to find a skilled workforce are of great concern. A pragmatic approach for education that enables student to participate in career preparation activities in and outside the classrooms and prepare them for a job following their graduation is of paramount importance. Soliciting opinions from undergraduate students and professors in five agricultural universities and employers from major agricultural industries in Egypt this study aimed to identify student participation in career preparation activities, ascertain major sources for career advice and information about their prospective careers and preparation for those careers. The findings revealed that students had limited opportunities to practice in their career skill-building through their coursework activities. For a majority of the students, professors and university graduates were the primary sources for career advice. Students seldom visited career services offices and did not quite utilize their services, but frequently browsed websites of potential employers. Career advising services appeared to be below the students’ expectations across the universities. Strategies and policies are needed to strengthen career advisory services at universities to improve graduates’ chances of obtaining meaningful employment in their fields of study.

An economic valuation of federal and private grazing land ecosystem services supported by beef cattle ranching in the United States.

Beef cattle ranching and farming is a major agricultural industry in the United States that manages an estimated 147 million ha of private land and uses approximately 92% of forage authorized for grazing on federal rangelands. Rangelands, as working landscapes, sustain beef cattle ranching while providing habitat for wildlife, recreation, and open space amenities, as well as spiritual and cultural values that define a way of life. Historically, discussions regarding the economics of beef cattle ranching have focused primarily on the value of beef production but have more recently expanded to consider related ecosystem services. A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature published between 1998 and 2018 found 154 articles that considered ecosystem services from rangelands/grasslands. Of these, only two articles (1%) provided an in-depth economic valuation (monetary measure) of ecosystem services in the United States. To fill this knowledge gap, we primarily used publicly available data to conduct an economic valuation of major ecosystem services associated with beef cattle production in the United States at both the national and state levels. We find that over 186 million ha were actively grazed by beef cattle ranches and farms in the United States in 2017. We estimate the economic value of this land use to be $17.5 billion for wildlife recreation, $3.8 billion for forage production, and $3.2 billion for other ecosystem services related to the conservation of biodiversity—a combined total of $24.5 billion. Ecosystem services from federal rangelands in 16 western states accounted for 35% of the total value. Ecosystem services per beef cow and per kilogram of retail beef were estimated to be $1,043.35 and $2.74, respectively. More studies like these are needed to inform decision-makers at the industry, land management, and federal levels to ensure that the conservation, improvement, and restoration of these ecosystem services are considered in future management and research efforts.

Danish farmer cooperatives

The Danish farmer-owned cooperatives started back in the 1880s. The overall aim was to ensure farmers’ market power and market access in the marketing chain. Since then, cooperatives have emerged in most major agricultural and food industries. In certain industries, the market shares of cooperatives are large and dominant. In other sectors, market shares are smaller, and in some sectors, cooperative ownership has completely ceased.
 A number of prerequisites have been crucial for the significant development of the Danish farmer cooperative industry: A bottom-up approach has been important, so that farmers themselves have driven the development and have had strong incentives to strengthen the cooperative model. A certain level of social capital, a human cohesion, a certain level of education as well as a certain degree of trust and access to infrastructure have also been important factors.
 Today, the development and importance of cooperatives is recognized as a key driver behind the strong international competitiveness of the agricultural and food sectors in Denmark.
 The purpose of the article is thus to describe and analyze the development, the significance and the underlying drivers of the farmer-owned cooperatives. Based on literature studies, case studies and interviews, experiences are summarized and possible lessons are presented. Opportunities and barriers to transferring Danish cooperative experiences to other countries are analyzed and evaluated, and a number of recommendations are presented.
 Opportunities and barriers to transferring Danish cooperative experiences to other countries are analyzed and evaluated. The results in terms of market access etc. meet the needs of farmers in many less developed countries. However, a number of barriers are identified, and the cooperative model must be adapted to the specific circumstances in individual countries.

Biochar inoculated with Pseudomonas putida improves grape (Vitis vinifera L.) fruit quality and alters bacterial diversity

Soil degradation is the major factor restricting agricultural and fruit industry development in Xinjiang. In the current study, biochar inoculated Pseudomonas putida Rs-198 were applied to soil to improve grape (Vitis vinifera L.) quality, soil quality and microbial community. Field experiments showed that the fruit weight, length and width in the inoculated biochar treatment increased by 7.6%, 3.8% and 3.8% when compared to that of control, respectively (P < 0.05). The soluble protein and hardness of grape treated with the inoculated biochar were increased by 28.6% and 10.8%, while the total acid was reduced by 15.8%. Physicochemical and biological properties such as electrical conductivity, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, organic matter, urease activity, sucrase activity of soil which the inoculated biochar was added increased by 87.3%, 24.28%, 73.2%, 78.17%, 71.6%, 17.50%, and 82.11%, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that inoculated biochar application causes increased (P < 0.05) Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Planctomycetes, while Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Rokubacteria, Nitrospirae were reduced (P < 0.05). Redundancy analysis suggested that the inoculated biochar amendment significantly affected soil microbial community structure, critical environmental factors consisted of alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, urease activity, sucrase activity. In conclusion, the inoculated biochar has the ability to improve the quality of grape fruit, increase the nutrient content of the soil, and affect the bacterial community as a potential soil amendment agent.

Temporal analysis of the bovine lymph node transcriptome during cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) infestation

Livestock production is a fundamental source of revenue and nutrition, wherein cattle-farming constitutes one of the major agricultural industries. Vectors and vector-borne diseases constitute one of the major factors that decrease the livelihood of all farming communities, more so in resource-poor communities and developing countries. Understanding the immunological responses during tick infestation in cattle is instrumental in the development of novel and improved tick control strategies, such as vaccines. In this study, gene expression patterns were compared within the lymph nodes of three cattle breeds at different life stages of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus. For Bonsmara (5/8Bos taurus indicus × 3/8B. t. taurus) cattle specifically, some 183 genes were found to be differentially expressed within the lymph nodes during larval and adult tick feeding, relative to uninfested cattle. Overall, the data provides evidence for a transcriptional regulatory network that is activated during immature tick infestation, but is down-regulated towards basal transcriptional levels when adult ticks are feeding. Specific processes in the lymph nodes of Bonsmara cattle were found to be differentially regulated on a transcriptional level. These include: (1) Leukocyte recruitment to the lymph node via chemokines and chemotaxis, (2) Trans-endothelial and intranodal movement on the reticular network, (3) Active regulation of cellular transcription and translation in the lymph node (including leukocyte associated cellular regulatory networks) and (4) Chemokine receptors regulating the movement of cells out of the lymph node. This work provides a first transcriptome analysis of bovine lymph node responses in tick-infested cattle. Findings show a dynamic immune response to tick infestation for the Bonsmara cattle breed, and that suppression of the maturation of the cattle hosts' immunity is especially evident during the larval feeding stages.

50 Genomic selection in the dairy industry: excitement, challenges, and future directions

Abstract Dairy cattle, and Holsteins in particular, were the first major agricultural industry to fully embrace genomic selection (GS). Few of us had predicted that, by May 2019, the number of genotyped animals would exceed 3 million. Farmers are changing the frequency of individual alleles and making use of genomic information to select better bulls; identify elite embryo donors; determine if a cow should be bred with conventional, sexed or beef semen; become an embryo recipient or be culled. Our industry has traditionally been an open system, where top genetics are sourced from the general population and phenotypes are provided on a voluntary basis. Contractual agreements have allowed this system to continue and have been extended to access of data, differential pricing, international collaboration and more. Phenotypes no longer come from well designed, highly organized progeny testing programs but rather from paid contributors who provide data that are quality certified and representative of the population. Over time, we’ve improved our genome map, SNP chips, reference populations, statistical models, computing ability, data pipeline, and most importantly our knowledge of genetics. Combining different types of data from multiple sources continues to be a challenge. Interdisciplinary approach and collaboration with other scientists are now the norm. GS has caused a paradigm shift within the dairy industry. But, after 10 years, we are in a better position to more quickly integrate new scientific knowledge. Making our industry and the production of dairy products more efficient and sustainable.

Modern Extraction and Purification Techniques for Obtaining High Purity Food-Grade Bioactive Compounds and Value-Added Co-Products from Citrus Wastes.

Citrus contains a range of highly beneficial bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamins that show antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and help in building the body’s immune system. On consumption or processing, approximately 50% of the fruit remains as inedible waste, which includes peels, seeds, pulp, and segment residues. This waste still consists of substantial quantities of bioactive compounds that cause environmental pollution and are harmful to the ecosystem because of their high biological oxygen demand. In recent years, citrus cultivation and the production of processed foods have become a major agricultural industry. In addition to being a substantial source of economy, it is an ideal and sustainable and renewable resource for obtaining bioactive compounds and co-products for food and pharmaceutical industries. In the present article, the various methods of extraction, conventional and modern, as well as separation and isolation of individual bioactive compounds from the extraction mixture and their determination have been reviewed. This article presents both aspects of extraction methods, i.e., on a small laboratory scale and on an industrial mass scale. These methods and techniques have been extensively and critically reviewed with anticipated future perspectives towards the maximum utilization of the citrus waste.

Financialization of Rice in Vietnam: Lessons from the Coffee Market

While rice trading gave birth to derivative finance in 17th century Japan, the rice market is globally unfinancialized and seems to stand as an anomaly within commodity trade. The Vietnamese industry is not an exception within the world rice market; it is presently deprived of derivative trading. Coffee, another major Vietnamese agricultural industry developed within a financialized framework, with the existence of Over-The-Counter (OTC) contracts traded locally, governmental attempts to set up local futures contracts and international futures markets in London and New York. In this context, I review the lessons that the Vietnamese rice industry can draw from its coffee industry counterpart regarding the prospect of financialization. I find that while the failures of the financialization process in coffee are likely to be repeated in rice, its successes will be more difficult to replicate.

The Economic Analysis of Corn Grain Optimization and Price Variation for Cattle on Feed in Texas

Cattle placed on feed is a practice to maximize the amount of meat produced before being sent to slaughter, which has become a major agricultural industry. The optimization of input quantities, especially corn, is crucial to maximize production efficiency and ultimately profit. The objective of this research is to determine the optimal corn grain production rate for cattle on feed in Texas and estimated profit maximization under various price ratios for corn grain and live cattle. Utilizing data from various United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sources, various different input production levels and prices were collected. Statistical Analysis System (SAS), procedures were used to estimate the different production functions. Sensitivity analysis were performed for the optimal production of corn grain rate, and consequent profit under various combinations of corn and live cattle prices for the four different functions. Additionally, a continuous form curve for optimal corn grain production rates under various price ratios was developed. Results indicated that the cubic model was the most accurate based upon the R2 value. However, the continuous form model created for the sensitivity analysis concluded that the quadratic was the most accurate model under the different price ratios. The results of the study can be a useful tool for the decision-making process for producers and policymakers.

Study on Fired Clay Bricks by Replacing Clay with Palm Oil Waste: Effects on Physical and Mechanical Properties

Palm oil is one of the major agricultural industries in Malaysia. Due to the poor management system, the discarded palm oil waste has always been linked to the environment issues. During processing of palm oil, a considerable amount of solid waste by-products in the form of fibres, shells, empty fruit bunches and fly ashes are produce rapidly. Therefore, this study was conducted to incorporate 1%, 5% and 10% of palm oil waste into fired clay brick. Samples of brick were fired at 1050°C temperature with heating rates of 1°C/min. Manufactured bricks were tested with physical and mechanical properties including firing shrinkage, dry density, water absorption and compressive strength. The results demonstrated that the replacement of 1% up to 5% of palm oil waste had improved several properties, although, a decrease of performance in certain aspects has also been observed. As a result, palm oil waste can be utilized in an environmentally safe way into fired clay brick thus providing adequate properties of fired clay brick.

스마트 농업을 위한 ICT 융합형 농업 자동화 기계 설계

농업용 기계는 농촌의 노동인구 감소와 고령화에 따른 노동력 부족에 대응하고 높은 노동 부담과 생산비용을 줄이기 위해 매우 중요한 요소로 작용하고 있다. 최근 이러한 농업용 기계에 첨단 전자기술이 폭넓게 응용되면서 정보통신, 차세대 전지, 반도체, 무선통신, 콘텐츠, 디스플레이 등 첨단 산업과의 융합이 갈수록 증대되고 있는 산업분야로 발전하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 그동안 기계식에 의존해 온 농업용 파종기에 정보통신 기술을 적용하여 신속하고 정교하며, 작업 상태의 모니터링이 가능한 ICT 융합형 파종기를 설계하였다. Agricultural machines can be viewed as a very important factor to reduce the workforce and reduce production costs as well as keep up with now days trend caused Labor shortages and the workforce reduction by aging in rural. The latest agricultural machinery has developed into a major agricultural industry to apply and integrate the telecommunication, next-generation batteries, semiconductors, wireless communications, content and high-tech display industry technology with a wide range of applications. In this study, to apply the information and communication technologies on agricultural planters relied on a mechanical method, we designed a quick and sophisticated ICT convergence planters that enable to monitor.

Beauty with benefits: butterfly conservation in Washington State, USA, wine grape vineyards

The butterfly fauna of south central Washington State, USA is characterized by shrub-steppe specialists adapted to hot, dry summers and cold winters. However, the shrub-steppe ecosystem has diminished at an alarming rate due to extensive agricultural development fostered by access to an abundant water supply from the Cascade Mountains. This has resulted in loss and fragmentation of habitat for ~50 species of butterflies which are now in decline. Viticulture is a major agricultural industry in south central Washington and has transitioned in recent years to a sustainable, low pesticide-input enterprise. Current viticultural pest management research is focused on restoration of shrub-steppe habitat and native plants to enhance and sustain beneficial arthropod populations (predators and parasitoids) for pest control. Butterfly populations were surveyed during 2012–13 in a pair of vineyards (habitat-enhanced, conventional) in each of four viticultural regions [Columbia gorge (CG), Walla Walla valley (WWV), Yakima valley (YV), Wahluke slope (WS)] in south-central Washington. The habitat-enhanced sites supported a significantly greater number of flowering plant species (mostly native) than conventional vineyard sites. Twenty nine butterfly species were recorded from the habitat-enhanced vineyards with only nine of these recorded from the conventional vineyards. Overall, there were double the number of species in habitat-enhanced vineyards [mean (±SE) 5.62 ± 0.85] compared to conventional vineyards (2.75 ± 0.75) although this was not statistically significant. A significantly greater number of species occurred in the CG and WWV habitat-enhanced vineyards (10.5 ± 0.5) compared to the conventional vineyards (3.5 ± 0.0) in these regions. Smaller numbers of butterfly species occurred in YV and WS vineyards with no significant differences between habitat-enhanced and conventional sites. Butterfly abundance was significantly greater in habitat-enhanced vineyards (20.37 ± 5.34 individuals/visit) compared to conventional vineyards (5.5 ± 0.9) with greatest differences in the CG and WWV vineyards. The pest management strategy of restoring native plants and habitats in a low pesticide-input crop like wine grapes in central Washington may have substantial benefits for butterfly abundance, diversity and conservation. Many of the flowering native perennials important in attracting and sustaining endemic biological control agents, are also larval hosts and/or nectar sources for threatened shrub-steppe butterflies.

Production of sugar by hydrolysis of empty fruit bunches using palm oil mill effluent (POME) based cellulases: Optimization study

The utilization of lignocellulosic materials such as empty fruit bunches (EFB) from palm oil plant for bioethanol production attract increasing attention as an abundantly available and cheap renewable residue, especially in Malaysia where palm oil production is the major agricultural industry. The most challenging part in conversion of lignocellulosic materials to bioethanol is the hydrolysis process in order to obtain a reducing sugar. In this study, cellulase enzyme used for the hydrolysis was produced from palm oil mill effluent (POME), whose cost of production was considerably low as compared to commercial cellulases. The hydrolysis of EFB for sugar production as an initial step was statistically optimized based on agitation speed, EFB and cellulase concentrations using response surface methodology (RSM) through Box-Behnken design in 2 L bioreactor. The reducing sugar obtained is 16.85 g/L, which appeared at substrate concentration of 5.91%, enzyme concentration of 4.88% and agitation of 233 rpm.

Generation of Energy from Sugarcane Bagasse by Thermal Treatment

The worldwide harvest of sugarcane for sucrose production represents a major agricultural industry, with approximately Mt 1500 produced annually. The cane yields about 13.5% of its weight as sugar, together with an equal amount (dry weight) of fibrous bagasse as waste. The bagasse, which is predominantly cellulose, is burned at the mills to generate steam for sugar processing. The global drive towards renewable energy has seen bagasse recognised as a large resource of readily-available fuel which could be better utilised to generate electricity. This review examines current methods of burning the bagasse for steam generation, and also the possibilities for steam gasification to produce a biogas suitable for combustion in gas turbines.

Effect of Microwave and Ultrasonic Pretreatments on Biogas Production from Anaerobic Digestion of Palm Oil Mill Effleunt

Problem Statement: Oil palm production is a major agricultural industry in Malaysia. In 2006, palm oil mills in Malaysia produced more than 58 million tonnes of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). Existing treatment in a series of open lagoons at high ambient temperatures, results in the uncontrolled production of methane and carbon dioxide, which are both green house gases (GHGs). With the increased worldwide concern on environmentally friendly production processes particularly the emission of methane, it is important to develop an alternative concept for POME treatment. This study elucidates the effects of pre-treatment of palm oil mill effluent by microwave irradiation and ultrasonic on anaerobic digestion. Approach: Effects of pre-treatment on sludge characterisation parameters were monitored. The Soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (SCOD)/total COD ratio and biodegradability of soluble organic matter increased significantly after both the pre-treatments which indicated an increase in disintegration of the floc structure of the sludge. Three identical bioreactors with working volume of 5 litres were used as anaerobic digesters at 32-35°C. The reactors were separately fed with pre-treated sludge (microwave, ultrasonic and combination of microwave and ultrasonic) and control sludge at different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT) to check for the production of methane. Results: The maximum SCOD/TCOD ratio reached almost 29% after 30 min of ultrasonic treatment, while it was 45% after 7 min of microwave irradiation. The BOD5/SCOD ratio also increased after the pre-treatments suggesting the biodegradability of the soluble organic material increased during the treatment. It was observed that TVFA released was increased after both the treatments, with microwave treatment showing a higher yield of TVFA. Greatest enhancement in methane production was shown by the 3 min microwave plus 10 min ultrasonic treatment. Conclusion: The microwave in combination with ultrasonic would be a rapid and economical method for sludge pre-treatment for enhancement of biogas production.

A Critical Shortage in U.S. Agricultural Research Funding: A Time for Action

Many APS members knew Noel Keen as a remarkably productive and innovative scientist, which of course he was. But in recent years, based on his accumulated experience with funding opportunities and limitations within the United States, and with his many international connections, Noel became frustrated with the level of funding for agricultural research in our nation compared with that provided for other research areas such as medicine and defense. The word he liked to use to describe this support level was “anemic.” Noel decided to try to do something about it, and this effort became a passion for him. He served on a National Research Council committee studying the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Research Initiative (NRI), which he believed should be the “NIH for agricultural research.” Increasing competitive agricultural funding in the United States became a campaign issue for Noel when he decided to run for the office of APS president in 1999. In the May 1999 issue of Phytopathology News, Noel’s campaign address included the following comments: “I do see APS as a vehicle for improving the common good of plant pathologists and other agricultural scientists in the U.S., namely to facilitate increased competitive public funding for agricultural research—agricultural scientists in general and scientific societies in particular need to accelerate efforts to identify for Congress the value of increasing the NRI budget.... My major ‘campaign plank’ is therefore to increase efforts to inform legislators of the value of the NRI and enlist the support of major agricultural industry leaders, commodity groups, and other interested parties in arguing for budget increases.... The APS vice presidency and presidency are excellent vehicles from which to launch such an effort.... In a pro-science era when the NSF budget sits at $4 billion and the NIH budget exceeds $14 billion, it is a national disgrace that the NRI budget hovers at the $120 million annual level. Let’s change that.” Noel initiated his funding efforts while serving as APS Vice President and President-Elect, and continued his work in his presidency, visiting in Washington D.C. with individuals who play key roles in funding initiatives within the USDA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and with members of Congress. He began to develop this Plenary Session early during his presidency and worked on it until shortly before his death, continuing to believe in its value and potential for triggering change. Last spring, when he realized he would not be able to speak to you today himself, he sent me notes of the thoughts and ideas he wanted to share with you, so many of my comments this morning come directly from Noel. He envisioned the session concluding with lively discussion and the emergence of a plan for action. SOME FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Tatura Sodicity Conference: knowledge gaps in sodicity research for major agricultural industries

This paper summarises the outcomes of the International Sodicity Conference, ‘Sodicity Issues in Agricultural Industries — Current Research and Future Directions’, held at Tatura, Victoria, 28 February–1 March 2000. In this paper we present (i) sodicity issues generic across agricultural industries, (ii) results of the interactive workshop, and (iii) knowledge gaps identified specifically for individual agricultural industries by experienced researchers. A priority ranking was given to the key issues raised within industry groups at the interactive workshop. Knowledge gaps for major agricultural industries were specifically listed to enable researchers and funding bodies alike to set future directions in sodicity research.