Crop Sciences Newsletter #113, November 16, 2005

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

...Congratulations to those selected to the“Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Spring 2005". The faculty on the list included Fred Below, Germán Bollero, Don Bullock, Patricia Burton, Cleo D’Arcy, Matt Hudson, Fred Kolb, Kris Lambert, Steve Moose, Wayne Pedersen, Michael Plewa, Dean Riechers, Ben Tracy, and Don White. Teaching Assistants included were Jeff Church, Ben Lubchansky, Bianca Rios, Stacia Whitaker and Elizabeth Wrage. Jeff Church, Matt Hudson, Steve Moose and Elizabeth Wrage were also named to the“Summer 2005" list.

...Congratulations to Benjamin Lubchansky on the completion of his M.S. degree. He worked with Ben Tracy and is working at the Blue Moon Organic Farm. Austeclinio de Farias Neto completed his Ph.D. degree under Brian Diers’ direction and has returned to Brazil.

...Allison Luzader, Brandon Laue, Caitlin Allen, Heather Clodfelter, TJ Ruyle, Andrew Bowman, Kate Legge, and Krista Ubbenga attended the American Society of Aronomy annual meeting last week. Heather presented a research poster. Brandon submitted a visual presentation. Andrew placed third in the speech contest. Quiz Bowl team of Heather, Allison, TJ, and Krista got second place. Kate presented club a poster.

FUNDING RECEIVED

The Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board announced the following supplemental awards: Brian Diers, $70,956, Glenn Hartman, $20,000, and Randy Nelson, $23,419 for the project“Soybean Germplasm and Breeding Research Initiative Phase V”; Darin Eastburn, $5,333, Glenn Hartman, $22,110, and Kevin Steffey, $13,333, for “Plant Pathology/Entomology Managed Research Area”; Aaron Hager, $9,030, Emerson Nafziger, $10,895, Dawn Nordby, $5,835, Dean Riechers, $4,420, Bill Simmons, $41,639, and Pat Tranel, $11,514 for “Weeds Managed Research Area 2005".

Martin Bohn received $84,100 from Pioneer for his project “Machine Vision System for Corn Root Evaluation”.

The United Soybean Board awarded Brian Diers $498,229 for his project “Identification and Utilization of Resistance to Rust”; and, $20,884 for “Development of Cultivars with Increased Protein Content or Altered Fatty Acid Content”; and, Terry Niblack, $70,400, for “Application of Biotechnology to Control of SCN”.

Curtis Hill received $26,069 from USDA/ARS for“Identification and Utilization of Exotic Germplasm to Improve Soybean Productivity”.

Pat Tranel was awarded $24,000 from Instituto De Agrobiotecnologia Rosaria S.A. for his project, SRA with Instituto De Agrobiotecnologia Rosaria S. A.

...Dean Riechers received $216,482 from BASF for a “Technical Testing Agreement”.

...Jack Widhom’s CPBR project, “New Selectable Marker for Plant Transformation” received $50,000 from Cargill Speciality Canola Oils.

GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

...Applications are invited for postdoctoral fellows appointments at the Beckman Institute, UIUC. Appointments may be as early as June, 2006 and no later than December 31, 2006. To be eligible must have received Ph.D. no earlier than December 2002. Application forms are available online. Deadline for submission is December 5, 2005.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Nov. 24, 25, Thanksgiving Break, all offices closed

Dec. 9, Jonathan Baldwin Turner Banquet, Illini Union

Dec. 9, ACES Faculty Meeting, Monsanto Room, LIAC

Corn & Soybean Classic Conferences:

Jan. 10, Bloomington (Interstate Center)

Jan. 11, Malta (Kishwaukee College)

Jan. 13, Moline (The Mark/Quad Cities)

Jan. 17, Springfield (Crowne Plaza)

Jan. 18, Mt. Vernon (Holiday Inn)

Jan. 19, Collinsville (Holiday Inn)

Jan. 27, Departmental Winter Party

Mar. 10-11, 2006, ExplorACES

April 25, 2006 College of ACES and Paul A. Funk Recognition Awards program at the Illini Union.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS

...Thirty-Eighth Annual Southern Illinois Fertilizer & Pesticide Conference will be held November 22, 2005 at the Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, IL.

...The Thirteenth Annual Fertilizer Research and Education Program Conference will meet on November 30, 2005 at National Steinback Center, Salinas, CA.

...CALL FOR PAPERS: The Soil and Water Conservation Society is calling for proposals for the 2006 Annual Conference to be held July 22-26, 2006 in Keystone, CO. The deadline for proposal submission is December 5, 2005. More information available online.

...A conference for dairy producers and their advisors, ”Silage for Dairy Farms: Growing, Harvesting, Storing and Feeding” will be held January 23-25, 2006 at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center in Camp Hill, PA.

SEMINARS

Nov. 18, noon, Dr. Mark Kuhlenschmidt, Microbiology & Vet Med Pathobiology, “Cryptosporidium parvum microbial adhesion, 204 AESB.

Nov. 18, noon, Dr. James Williamson, Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, “Assembly landscape of the 30S ribosomal subunit”, B102 CLSL.

Dec. 2, noon, Dr. David Funk, Associate Director, Methods Development GIPSA, “Top 20 ways to turn off or tick off an audience”, 204 AESB.

Dec. 9, noon, Dr. Xinlei Wang, ABE, “Diesel engine emission control”, 204 AESB.