Results and Impacts for
1890 Land-Grant Institutions Programs
1890 Institution Teaching and Research
Capacity Building Grants Program
The following represents results and impacts for the
1890 Institution Teaching and Research Capacity Building
Grants Program from activities that occurred between June
2003 and June 2005.
Alabama A&M University
The CSREES funding has enabled Alabama A&M University
to incorporate advanced technology into the department's
degree programs in Environmental Science, Soil Science, Forestry,
and Plant Science. It established a minor (18 course credits)
in Remote Sensing, GIS, and GPS technology for each degree
program in the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The laboratory can accommodate 20 students for individual
instruction or a maximum of 40 students (2 per computer)
for introductory courses. The GIS laboratory is shared with
faculty in the Department of Community Planning and Urban
Studies to enhance courses and degree programs in Urban Planning.
Delaware State University
A CSREES teaching grant at Delaware State University (DSU)
provides service-based field experience in resource management
at Trap Pond State Park (TPSP) in Delaware. The project has
linked DSU with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control (DNREC) headquarters in Dover, DE. In three short
years, the research program at TPSP has become a major field
program in the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
providing an ongoing research area in which student projects
and masters' theses can be developed and carried out. The
equipment and field training provided by this project enabled
DSU undergraduate and graduate students to participate in
real-time research projects of present-day interest to resource
managers in the state. This project played a central role
in the rewriting of the undergraduate curriculum in Environmental
Science and the masters' curriculum in Natural Resources.
All students in the Environmental Science and Natural Resource
education programs (30 majors as of 2003-2004) have been
exposed to the equipment and newly modified curricula and
courses. The project is providing valuable man-hours for
park research and data sets that would otherwise not be obtained.
Data from the project have been made available to the state
for use in park management both at TPSP and at other parks
in Delaware, and the data are being made available to the
public on an outreach Web site.
Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University (FVSU) received two CSREES
grants to establish an undergraduate degree program in Plant
Science with a major in Biotechnology in 2001. Since its
inception, FVSU has awarded scholarships ($2000/year) to
32 deserving students. Four new courses in Biotechnology/Genetic
Engineering have been introduced. Twenty-eight students participated
in the Research Experience for Undergraduate Program in Biotechnology
during the academic year, working in the developed infrastructure
facilities to perform cutting-edge research in Molecular
biology/ biotechnology at Fort Valley State University. In
addition to receiving hands-on experience in the laboratory,
these students also participated in enrichment activities
such as GRE workshops and interacted with distinguished speakers.
The invited speakers represent regional diversities, federal
labs and industry. FVSU has successfully established a partnership
with major research institutions to provide summer research
experiences for undergraduate students. Twenty-five (25)
students travel to different destinations throughout the
nation each summer. These students conduct independent research
work and have made more than 45 scientific award-winning
presentations at national meetings. Four students graduating
with biotech training joined the graduate/professional schools
for higher education in Biotechnology. In addition, these
programs allowed FVSU to provide resources for more than
15 high school students to participate in the Summer Research
Apprenticeship Program (SRAP). The funding helped the foundation
to bring additional funding from other federal agencies such
as NSF and EPA totaling over $3 million to strengthen technology,
teaching, and research programs in Biotechnology under the
Plant Science Department in the College of Agriculture, Economics,
and Allied Programs.
North Carolina A&T State University
With funding from CSREES, North Carolina A&T established
a centralized research facility integrating the use of state-of-the-art
survey methodologies with computer and communication technologies.
This Applied Survey Research Laboratory has the capacity
to conduct and analyze mail, telephone, Web-based, self-administered,
and face-to-face surveys, focus groups, and other survey
research methodologies. In addition, North Carolina A&T's
agricultural programs have infused instructional technologies
throughout the curricula, and distance learning has become
an alternative, yet very important, mode of instruction.
Hands-on learning is greatly facilitated by access to "smart
classrooms" (interactive whiteboards, multimedia cabinets,
and software that facilitate teaching and research) and state-of-the-art
laboratories. Finally, the program has allowed North Carolina
A&T to establish a graduate program (M.S.) in International
Trade.
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University and A&M College received a CSREES
grant to enhance teaching and recruitment in Food and Fiber
Sciences through computer technology. This project has had
far-reaching impact in improving teaching and equipping students
with the necessary skills they need for employment. The project
provided funds to establish a modernized computer aided design
laboratory in the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Computer hardware and software was purchased to integrate
Computer-Aided-Design and Manufacturing for textiles (CAM/CAM),
Computer-Aided Diet Analysis and menu planning, and use of
the Internet in the curriculum. Textile students gained hands-on
experience using high tech textile equipment. The University
has recognized this project as one of the most innovative
on campus. This project has also helped bring the University
to national prominence. A second CSREES grant to conduct
textiles research was won by Southern University as a direct
result of this project. The capacity-building research project
merges computer-aided-design and textile testing. Another
very significant impact was a $1.8 million software donation
from Lectra Systems, Inc. This donation places the Apparel
Merchandising program at Southern University among a few
select institutions worldwide that are using industry standard
software. In addition, Dr. Grace Namwamba (PI) received the
NASULGC Excellence in College Teaching for the Southern Region
in 2003.
Tennessee State University
The CSREES funding has provided Tennessee State University
with the ability to respond to stakeholder concerns in the
southeast U.S. nursery industry. By establishing a program
on integrated disease management for powdery mildew, improved
flowering dogwood selections have been developed that will
reduce homeowner dependence on chemical pesticides while
improving the profitability of the regional nursery industry.
The capacity-building grant program has facilitated the establishment
of state-of-the-art equipment and collaborative linkages
for research in nursery crop disease management.
University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff
CSREES funding has enhanced research and teaching needs
in three areas at UAPB: agriculture, fisheries, and human
sciences. Support of programs for student recruitment and
retention, curriculum development, faculty and student development,
and academic enrichment have greatly strengthened and increased
enrollment. Capacity-building funds were instrumental in
curriculum design, resource and equipment acquisition, and
faculty development for 1) implementing the M.S. degree program
in aquaculture/fisheries that enrolls 23 students, 2) creating
the nutrition intervention and research program for the study
of nutritional needs and food security of families in the
Mississippi Delta, and 3) developing the only regulatory
science degree program in the nation. The regulatory science
program enrolls 27 students in three options: Agriculture,
Industrial Health, and Safety and Environmental Biology.
University of Maryland - Eastern Shore
Capacity-building funds have allowed the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore (UMES) to establish an impressive, collaborative,
multi-state research nutrient management program focused
on reducing phosphorus loading levels to the Chesapeake Bay
and Maryland Coastal Bays. This work provides protection
for the economic viability of watermen and the tourism industry
on the Delmarva Peninsula. Another CSREES grant is being
used by the Department of Human Ecology at the University
of Maryland Eastern Shore to establish an interactive video
teleconferencing classroom of courses. The department is
partnering with Chesapeake Community and the Eastern Shore
Community College in Virginia to offer courses leading to
a bachelor's degree for students residing in remote areas
on the Eastern Shore who are pursuing a career in child development.
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Evans-Allen 1890 Research Formula
The following represents results and impacts for the
Evans-Allen 1890 Research Formula from activities that
occurred between June 2003 and June 2005.
Alabama A&M University
Alabama A&M University is conducting research to study
the various forms of phosphorus over time in poultry manure,
or litter, amended soil, using cutting-edge technology to
enhance management of animal waste applied to land. Discoveries
will aid in the development of remediation strategies to
reduce phosphorus mobility in soils. Fractionation studies
are identifying differences in phosphorus levels at various
soil depths using different treatment methods and advanced
instrumentation testing.
Alcorn State University
The profitability of American agriculture is extremely important
to the nation's vitality, yet rising input costs and low
market prices for agricultural commodities increasingly jeopardize
the industry's profitability. Since American producers have
little ability to affect market prices, it is critical that
they have and understand how to use new technologies that
can optimize their input costs with respect to profits. Alcorn
State University recently completed a project to monitor
the growth of sweet potatoes to optimize production using
remote sensing methods. This research shows that remote sensing,
GPS/GIS, and ground truthing should help identify the most
suitable areas in the field for high sweet potato yield and
areas that are problematic. Results from the study will be
helpful to small limited-resource producers, will assist
extension in the application of the research findings, and
will provide researchers with necessary tools for additional
study.
Delaware State University
The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium is a resource center for
researchers at Delaware State University. Researchers have
included in the herbarium native and cultivated plants from
across the globe. Those research specimens have been pressed,
dried, and mounted on archival paper, then housed in a state-of-the-art,
climate-controlled environment. The holdings are available
to researchers, students, and the general public.
Florida A&M University
Development of environmentally sound sustainable practices
is paramount to the successful growing of hot peppers, an
alternative niche enterprise identified for small farmers.
Florida A&M University researchers evaluated the effects
of bio-solid waste material on plant growth and fruit yield
of Scott Bonnett and Caribbean Red hot pepper varieties and
on quality characteristics of the soil on which the crop
is grown. Results showed that poultry manure, mushroom compost,
and earthworm castings produced fruit yield that were numerically,
but not statistically, different compared to fruit yield
from inorganic fertilizer treatment, but significantly higher
compared to fruit yield from control treatment. Fruit yield
from cow manure was significantly lower than all other treatments
except the control.
Fort Valley State University
Sweet potato potential for human nutrition and future energy
needs can be realized through the application of biotechnology,
but a reliable in vitro regeneration would be required for
the application of recombinant DNA technology. Fort Valley
State University completed a research project to develop
an efficient tissue regeneration system via organogenesis
and embryogenesis for sweet potato and to transfer genes
of desirable traits into sweet potato using recombinant DNA
technology. Establishment of reliable and efficient plant
regeneration protocol and gene delivery protocol for sweet
potato will ensure introduction of the designed “value
added” genes into this crop through genetic engineering.
Kentucky State University
Kentucky State University researchers developed a program
to grow freshwater shrimp in farm ponds to further reduce
the state's dependence on tobacco. Economic analyses indicate
net incomes of between $2,500 and $4,500 per acre for freshwater
shrimp. So far, 18 farmers have adopted the practice, bringing
the total additional income derived from shrimp to about
$185,250 annually.
Langston University
Langston University continues its research on goat production.
A recent study showed that the number of Boer crossbred meat
goats has been increasing rapidly, although how their growth
and harvest traits compare with those of Spanish goats and
influences of maternal genotype has not been thoroughly evaluated.
This information would be useful to achieve optimal meat
goat production systems and yield of goat products desired
by consumers. Langston University 's scientists studied post-weaning
growth and harvest traits of Boer x Spanish, Spanish, and
Boer x Angora wethers consuming a concentrate-based diet.
Research shows that live weight gain was greater for Boer
crossbreds than for Spanish wether goats, with little or
no difference between Boer x Spanish and Boer x Angora goats.
Because of more rapid growth of Boer crossbreds than Spanish
goats, weights of the carcass and primal cuts were greater
or tended to be greater for Boer crossbreds.
Lincoln University
Lincoln University is investigating an indoor water recirculating
aquaculture system for the production of bluegill sunfish.
There is a high demand for 5- to 6-inch bluegill for pond
stocking. Producing suitable sized bluegill for pond stocking,
however, requires an inordinate amount of time and increased
labor costs because variable growth requires continual sorting
and grading to obtain fish of a desirable size. The research
is aimed at raising bluegill fingerlings over winter in controlled
temperature systems that will produce 5- to 6-inch fingerlings
by spring to meet current market demands.
North Carolina A&T State University
Greensboro waters drain into the Jordan Lake, an essential
drinking water supply in the Chapel Hill-Raleigh-Durham area.
The lake is a “nutrient sensitive water,” since
it has a nutrient over-enrichment problem. North Carolina
A&T State University is in its second year of a study
to determine sources of nutrients coming into the Jordan
Lake so best management practices can be implemented to remove
nutrients draining into the lake. Soil and Water Assessment
Tool (SWAT) model inputs were collected for the farm. A nearly
complete set of SWAT peer-reviewed literature has been listed
on the project's Web site, providing SWAT users a centralized
source for information.
Prairie View A&M University
Goats are an important livestock species in many parts of
the world and their prevalence in the U.S. is rapidly increasing.
Nonetheless, knowledge of goat nutrient requirements lags
behind that of cattle and sheep. To help with this, a database
of treatment means observations from goat feeding/nutrition
studies was constructed and used to develop and describe
nutrient requirements of goats by scientists at Prairie View
A&M University. Research will yield more knowledge about
accurate estimates of nutrient requirements of goats, including
composition of tissue being accreted or mobilized, changes
in maintenance energy requirements with advancing maturity
and differences among nutritional planes, energy costs of
activity, and conditions influencing the supply of ruminally
under grade protein. A clearer understanding of these factors
is being revealed and will improve feeding programs as well
increase accuracy of predicting performance by goats.
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University purchased a mobile technology
learning center with CSREES funds. The customized Winnebago,
which travels across the state, is equipped with a 12-station
Internet-ready computer lab, a child development classroom,
dual generators, a satellite, and an instructor workstation.
By design, the mobile technology center delivers the services
that 1890 Extension provides such as 4-H and youth development,
family life and nutrition, adult leadership and community
development, small farm assistance, and computer literacy
classes to citizens. The mobile center also provides 1890
Extension with the opportunity to take programs to the people
and enhances efforts to address the digital divide.
Southern University
Southern University is furthering research into the effects
on animal performance of grazing cattle and goats together
and separately. The goal of this project is to assist small
and limited-resource producers in increasing their production
and economic base by efficiently using the available natural
and farm resources. Results of this project are determining
the most efficient method of resource use by two or more
species.
Tennessee State University
Production efficiency of the doe herd is a major determinant
of annual income in a commercial meat goat enterprise; however,
doe performance has received little attention when assessing
new meat goat breeds in the United States. Most pastures
in the Southeast have endophyte-infected tall fescue, posing
a risk of endophyte-induced reductions in animal performance.
Tennessee State University has undertaken a project to evaluate
doe-kid performance for economically important reproductive
and growth traits as influenced by breed and forage type.
The study recognizes that understanding genetic diversity
among breeds for economically important traits and endophyte
effects on goat performance can aid in enhancing meat goat
herd productivity. Further results of this study should provide
producers with information useful for genetic management
and breed selection within seedstock and commercial meat
goat operations.
Tuskegee University
Land loss phenomena and efforts to recoup it continue to
be a challenge for African American farmers and other minority
communities in Alabama and the rural South. Rural communities
and the underserved families in the Black Belt region have
problems accessing government programs. Access of programs
and policies affecting the underserved in the Black Belt
region of Alabama are being assessed by Tuskegee University.
The approach involves multidisciplinary teams within the
social sciences, as well as among the social sciences, Cooperative
Extension, and continuing education. Target areas are being
assessed in terms of economic growth, equity, and quality
of life as they apply to sustainable rural development. As
a result of the study, specific policies, strategic directions,
and programs will be proposed to enhance the potential for
sustainable rural development, and a database including a “State
of Black Belt ” report will be generated on each of
the target areas.
University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff
Insect damage to alternative crops produced by small and
limited-resource farmers has a significant effect on production.
University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff scientists have conducted
studies to evaluate Bt sweet corn insect suppression and
initiate Bt gene field corn trials, work on bionomic and
integrated pest management (IPM) methods for cowpeas in Arkansas,
and evaluate insects on new lines of hot peppers. They have
also evaluated insect infestation on promising pigeon pea
lines, designed an IPM system for control, conducted verification
trials on hot peppers and pigeonpeas, and constructed an
economic model of production costs. This research has developed
a sufficient data base needed to develop insect management
and control strategy for multicrop production by limited-resource
farmers.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has established
a private/public partnership with Bell Nursery to help the
university and its constituents enhance economic development
opportunities for surrounding rural communities. The 2.5-acre
hydroponic greenhouse was funded at $3.2 million through
CSREES, state, county, university and private industry funds
to engage in floral production that links the University
of Maryland Eastern Shore with a commercial business. The
hydroponic greenhouse project sponsored by the University's
Rural Development Center and Small Farm Institute is demonstrating
that, through formal alliances, economic development strategies
can bring needed resources to the Delmarva Peninsula of Maryland.
Virginia State University
In the United States, the need for healthful food is a driving
force in the search for nutritious alternative crops. Among
the alternative vegetable crops, soybean has the distinction
of being low in saturated fat and active in reducing blood
cholesterol level. Direct consumption of vegetable soybean
is very popular in the Orient; however, the cultivars used
in Asia are not adapted to U.S. production systems. Virginia
State University recently completed a study to determine
the physiological and/or chemical basis of vegetable soybean
that could serve as reliable indicators in predicting the
proper stage of harvest; to develop vegetable soybean with
large seed size, high seed yield, and with desirable agronomic
traits and nutritional values; and to identify vegetable
soybean cultivar ideotypes that fit into mechanical harvesting.
West Virginia State University
Societies worldwide produce large quantities of waste organic
matter. This material arises from human population growth,
industrial byproducts, and agricultural sources, such as
animal farms. The overall goal of the environmental microbiology
program at West Virginia State University is to understand
the fundamental microbial processes that produce anaerobic
digestion and to apply this knowledge to improve the control
and performance of anaerobic digesters. The scientists found
that the organic waste bioconversion process can also transform
agricultural industrial organic wastes into a valuable agricultural
commodity (fertilizer) and renewable energy (methane).
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1890 Extension Formula
The following represents results and impacts for the
1890 Extension Formula from activities that occurred between
June 2003 through June 2005.
Delaware State University
The Delaware State University 's Cooperative Extension staff
annually participates in Coast Day at the University of Delaware
Marine Sciences Lab in Lewes , DE. Information is provided
to several thousand people who attend. Media presentations
and demonstrations provide information on feeding, diseases,
and management for aquacultural species, including oysters,
crayfish, and smallmouth bass.
Kentucky State University
Kentucky State University aquaculture researchers and extension
specialists assist catfish farmers in western Kentucky who
have more than 400 acres stocked with catfish. A local Aquaculure
Cooperative operates a processing plant with an average of
30,000 to 40,000 pounds of catfish processed each week. These
farmers are expected to supply more than a million pounds
of catfish in one year.
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina A&T State University provides educational
resources to improve farm business management skills so that
limited-resource, small and part-time farmers can increase
their incomes from direct marketing. The program is designed
so that program participants learn through practices, discussions,
role play, planning, and implementation. It monitors and
reports results and uses evaluation for constant program
improvement.
South Carolina State University
The Extension Beef Cattle Improvement Project (BCIP) at South
Carolina State University has provided assistance to 111 small
beef cattle producers in production, improving bloodline, marketing,
decision making, and risk and enterprise management. One hundred
eighteen heifers and 18 bulls have been placed on limited-resource
farms to date. Ninety-two farmers are enrolled in this initiative.
Fifty-eight families have been assisted through the animal
Pass-on-Project, with 62 heifers and 3 bulls being passed on
to these families. The BCIP participants can effectively compete
on the beef cattle market. The top 10% of these participants
receive premium prices for their products. The most important
accomplishment is that participants have increased their knowledge
of quality production (breed selection to improve their bloodline)
and, as a result, have increased their farm income by 40 percent
to 50 percent.
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1890 Facilities Grant Program
The following represents results and impacts for the
1890 Facilities Grant Program from activities that occurred
between June 2003 and June 2005.
Delaware State University
The Claude E. Phillips Herbarium is a 3,672 square foot
building completed in 1999. The Herbarium is the largest
at a historically black college or university. With approximately
106,000 specimens, it ranks 87th out of 525 herbaria in the
United States and is an active center for education and research.
It includes native and cultivated plants that are pressed,
dried, and mounted on archival paper as well as some pickled
plant specimens. The facility encloses special holding cases
in a climate-controlled environment. Scientists, gardeners,
educators, students, physicians, and lawyers regularly consult
these holdings for identification and education.
North Carolina A&T University
The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T
State University faced many new challenges as it moved into
the new millennium. The extension program, as well as the
academic and research programs, needed to address such challenges
as sustainable agriculture and its effect on the environment,
biotechnology and its applications to the food chain, burgeoning
information technologies, economic revitalization of rural
communities, and increased accessibility to international
markets. Facilities needs had to be addressed to plan for
meeting these challenges. Coltrane Hall, headquarters for
the Cooperative Extension program, was constructed in 1951.
With funds from CSREES, the university developed and executed
plans for construction and renovation of Coltrane Hall. The
first floor was renovated, and a second floor added on top
of the original first floor, using an open space design.
Footage for the second floor equaled that of the first floor
- 11,521 square feet. The second level features a building
face of smoked glass.
Prairie View A&M University
Before receiving the facilities funds, agricultural research
at Prairie View A&M University was conducted in facilities
built in the early 1940s and 1950s that were designed primarily
for teaching. The E.B. Evans Animal Industries building,
a 28,000 square foot facility built in the early 1950s, served
as the primary Agriculture Teaching and Research facility.
This facility did not have the size nor proper design for
research, and an inadequate electrical system, poor ventilation,
and outdated plumbing could not accommodate state-of-the-art
research equipment. Therefore, faculty/research scientists
were hampered in their efforts to carry out effective research
projects. The funds received were used to construct a new
state-of-the-art research laboratory, along with several
auxiliary buildings. The Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Building,
completed in 1988, serves as the primary research laboratory
for research in the food and agricultural sciences, as well
as headquarters for the Cooperative Agricultural Research
Center. Auxiliary buildings built with these funds include
a poultry complex, a swine complex, a feed mill, greenhouse/headhouse
complex, and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and furnishings.
Southern University
Southern University has completed two facilities. The Ashford
O. Williams Hall is a two-story, 55,160 square foot building
consisting of more than 45 offices and cubicles to house
the research and extension faculty, staff, and administrators;
telecommunication equipment with graphics, television, and
distance learning components; and more than 20 research labs.
The Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena has more than 58,943
square feet consisting of a regulation horse ring and swine,
sheep, and beef cattle stables. These facilities greatly
enhance the capability to conduct research and extend extension
programs.
Tennessee State University
Facilities funds at Tennessee State University have been
used to renovate an old dairy barn into a contemporary agricultural
research and extension complex of 46,220 square feet. The
complex provides a multi-purpose meeting room, Docu Tech
printing area, storage rooms, first and second floor conference
rooms, and offices. This modern facility has enhanced the
planning, implementing, and evaluating of educational programs,
increased technology for extension program delivery, and
increased programming and program visibility among decision
makers, stakeholders, and clientele groups. The university's
educational programs in agriculture and natural resources,
community resource development, 4-H and youth development,
and family and consumer sciences have been made more visible,
allowing the university to serve a larger clientele base.
University of Maryland - Eastern Shore
The swine facility at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
was constructed with CSREES facilities funds. Research conducted
there involves growth, reproduction, and meat quality. The
facility includes a 60-sow, total confinement farrow-to-finish
unit that includes a metabolism room with crates adaptable
for swine, sheep, and goats and other rooms that can accommodate
the individual housing and feeding of swine, sheep, or goats
as necessary for many experiments. All sows are bred using
artificial insemination. Pregnant sows are group-housed in
a large pen serviced by a computerized sow feeding apparatus.
The facility includes a surgery suite used for hormonal studies
to improve reproduction efficiency. The facility has had a
positive impact on the Maryland eastern shore farming community.
Research results have been generated and disseminated through
field days, conferences, workshops, extension bulletins, and
scientific journals. The construction of this facility and
its equipment provided the necessary infrastructure to engage
not only in cutting- edge research, but it provided the resources
to enhance undergraduate and graduate courses in biotechnology
and molecular biology. The facility also was an attraction
for the support from the swine industry and allowed the university
to partner with that industry and other agricultural constituents
in research, teaching, and outreach activities.
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