April 18, 2017
K-State faculty, student participate in U.S. congressional exhibit on agricultural research
On April 5, several K-State research projects were presented at the 2017 Agricultural Research Congressional Exhibit and Reception at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.
Presenting were Chuck Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy and chair of the American Society for Microbiology Committee on Environmental Microbiology; Brad White, professor of veterinary medicine and director of the Beef Cattle Institute; Ernie Minton, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Agriculture and associate director of research for K-State Research and Extension; and Johanie Rivera, doctoral graduate student in agronomy.
Rice presented his work on two ongoing projects. The first is "Great Plains Grazing," funded by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA. This project studies regional climate variability and its impact on beef grazing systems by monitoring weather conditions, fire episodes and soil microorganisms. The second is a four-year USDA Water for Agriculture Challenge Area CAP grant for innovative research and extension activities to address water challenges in the Ogallala Aquifer region.
White presented his current work related to a grant awarded through the USDA-NIFA Veterinary Services Grant Program. The title of his Veterinary Services Grant Program project is "Enhancing rural practitioner aptitude for endemic, transboundary, and emerging diseases of production animals." It is a collaborative project with the Beef Cattle Institute and the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases.
Rivera shared her research results on greenhouse gas emissions from annually burning and three-year patch burning on grasslands, related to the Great Plains Grazing Project funded by USDA-NIFA.
The event was hosted by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Coalition, Supporters of Agricultural Research Foundation, National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research, and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Exhibits profiled research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was attended by members of Congress and staff, including Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas.
Opening remarks were given by Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research, and Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies subcommittee.
The K-State delegation also met with congressional staff in the offices of Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas; Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas; and Rep. Marshall to discuss the importance of USDA-funded research for agricultural sciences.