October 2024 Arkansas Ag Research Report
Doug Osborne, professor in the College of Forestry, Ag & Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and researcher for the experiment station, joined Food, Farms & Forests to discuss his waterfowl research. (Photo Credit: Doug Osborne)
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Evidence that a deadly parasite can survive low pH upends 50 years of poultry science and secures FDA funding.
- UADA and Bumpers College faculty and staff were honored at the annual Agriculture Awards.
- Food scientist obtains NIFA grant to investigate eco-friendly, novel methods of plant-based protein extraction.
- Meet our newest departments heads: Lanier Nalley in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness and Paul DeLaune in Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences.
- Explaining the increase in turkey and eggs prices you might be seeing this holiday season.
Danielle Graham, an assistant professor of in the Poultry Science Department, has been awarded a five-year, $3.2 million grant from the FDA to continue research on how the deadly histomonosis disease is transmitted in turkey flocks.
Graham shares the grant with Zhicheng Dou, associate professor at Clemson University, after they showed evidence the parasite that causes histomonosis can survive the low pH of the turkey’s digestive system.
This breakthrough in poultry science alters the course of research on the route of transmission for the parasite Histomonas meleagridis and opens the door to potentially finding an effective treatment to a disease that can decimate turkey flocks.
Danielle Graham, an assistant professor of in the Poultry Science Department, joined the Division of Agriculture in 2022.
Arkansas is ranked third in the nation for turkey production, with $614 million in cash farm receipts in 2022.
Turkeys, a $600-million-plus industry in Arkansas, are threatened by a disease called histomonosis because there is no current treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Top Notch
Land-Grant Faculty, Staff Earn Honors at Annual Ag Awards
Congratulations to all of our outstanding faculty and staff who were recognized on October 25 during the annual Agriculture Awards, held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences.
“The faculty and staff we recognize this year are a testament to the level of achievement we aim for as an institution,” said Jean-Francois Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. “They reflect our values and our mission to innovate and improve people’s lives.”
Kristen Gibson, professor of food science and director of the Arkansas Center for Food Safety, was awarded the John W. White Outstanding Research Award.
Mahfuzur Rahman is tapping into the power of soundwaves and fermentation to improve the quality of plant-based proteins. Rahman, an assistant professor in the food science department, was awarded a nearly $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for his research on an eco-friendly, novel method of plant-based protein extraction.
Rahman said the market for plant-based proteins was estimated to be worth $29 billion in 2023. The two-year project began in August and seeks improvements in functionality, taste and nutrition of the extracted proteins. Scott Lafontaine, assistant professor of flavor chemistry, is a collaborator.
Mahfuzur Rahman is an assistant professor in the food science department of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Soil and Water Conservation Society Emerging Leaders Program welcomes four from Arkansas
Two professors and one staff member from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and one professor from the Cooperative Extension Service were accepted into the 2025 cohort of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Emerging Leaders Program.
All of them are members of the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department and were accepted into the program for their “outstanding commitment to the science and art of conservation.” The new members are Gerson Drescher, assistant professor of soil fertility; Bronc Finch, assistant professor and state extension specialist in soil fertility; Diego Della Lunga, a postdoc fellow; and Shannon Speir, assistant professor of water quality. Drescher and Speir are also part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Shannon Speir, left, Gerson Drescher, Diego Della Lunga and Bronc Finch.
Listen — Food, Farms & Forests Podcast
Tracking Mallards Migration: Research and Conservation for Arkansas’ Duck Season
Doug Osborne, professor in the College of Forestry, Agriculture & Natural Resources at UA-Monticello, discusses the seasonal journey for waterfowl, tracking their behavior, the challenges they face, and the importance of habitats.
Feast or Fowl – Why You Might Pay More for Turkey and Eggs This Holiday Season
Jada Thompson, associate professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness breaks down the economic factors affecting turkey and egg prices for the upcoming holiday season.
Exploring Land Use and Nutrient Availability in Brazil’s Dry Tropics
Natalie Clay, an associate professor in the entomology and plant pathology department, talks about her research on decomposition in Brazil’s dry tropical forests supported by the Fulbright Scholar Program.
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Research Spotlights
Ag econ study shows Mexican consumers’ opinions on GM corn import ban
Agricultural economists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a survey with Mexican consumers to get an idea of what premiums they would be willing to pay for non-genetically modified corn in light of a 2020 presidential decree calling for the nation to phase out genetically modified maize, or corn. Mexico is the second-largest importer of U.S. corn after China.
Brandon McFadden, a professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness, noted more than half of those surveyed didn’t know about the decree and many dropped support once they saw how much prices would go up. He also pointed out a fully implemented ban could impact lower-income Mexican consumers more since they spend a higher proportion of their money on food.
The study’s findings could have implication on the U.S. corn industry.
Mexican consumer’s perceptions of a decree by their government to ban genetically modified corn was the subject of a new study. More than 90 percent of corn grown in the United States is genetically modified to reduce pesticide and herbicide use. The decree would drastically impact bilateral trade should it be fully implemented.
Red milkweed beetle genome offers insight into plant-insect interactions
Rich Adams, an assistant professor of agricultural statistics in the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, and a group of colleagues in Tennessee and Wisconsin sequenced and assembled the entire genome of the host-specialist milkweed beetle. It was a first in a field that has studied the insect-plant relationship for nearly 150 years.
The researchers learned more about the arsenal of genes related to the beetle’s ability to feed exclusively on a toxic plant with support from the National Science Foundation. Their study, “Functional and evolutionary insights into chemosensation and specialized herbivory from the genome of the red milkweed beetle,” was published in the Journal of Heredity by the American Genetic Association this summer.
Rich Adams, assistant professor of bioinformatics within the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department.
New Faces – New Department Heads
Lanier Nalley puts land-grant mission integration high on priority list
Lanier Nalley, the new head of the Ag Economics and Agribusiness Department, plans to continue to build on his predecessor’s foundation and work toward a fuller integration of land-grant research, extension and teaching.
Nalley, who served as interim department head since the beginning of 2024, began his new position on Oct. 7. Nalley desires to strengthen the links between research and extension work in the department and further promote the work being done by the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence.
Arkansas alum DeLaune returns as head of crop, soil and environmental sciences
For Oklahoma native and University of Arkansas alumnus Paul DeLaune, returning to Arkansas to be head of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, is almost like coming home.
During his student days at Fayetteville, DeLaune’s research was similar to what he’s done recently related to the “Climate Smart” efforts funded by the USDA. He starts the new job on Nov. 25, after completing service as interim director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.
Watch
Margaret Worthington — The Art of Plant Breeding
Plant breeding is Margaret Worthington’s dream job. As director of the Arkansas Fruit Breeding Program, Margaret combines the art and science of plant breeding to create new varieties that consumers love, and farmers grow in the real world. At the end of the day, Margaret wants to not only create new varieties but also develop tools and breeding methods that can help the produce industry.
Mahfuzur Rahman – Unlocking the Potential of Protein
Food scientist and grain processing engineer Mahfuzur Rahman is pioneering new and sustainable methods of extracting plant-based protein. Using technologies like ultrasound and cold plasma, Mahfuzur hopes to add value for producers and consumers alike by improving plant-based protein products. He also wants to find ways to cut back on long, hard-to-pronounce chemicals on food labels.
Hot off the Press
2024 Discovery Journal
The 2024 issue of Discovery, the undergraduate research journal of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, was published in October. This year’s edition features research and independent creative projects from eight students at the University of Arkansas, including Baylie Day, who was featured on the cover. For Day, entomology classes and a fascination with the University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum led her to create a digital database cataloging more than 1,700 of its specimens as part of her project.
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