Spotlight Archive

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

As it has done every two years for close to a decade, McCormick International has donated the latest model of tractor to the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Steeles Tavern, Va. Kevin Wittig, owner of Tractor Care, Inc., in Harrisonburg, Va., worked with the manufacturer to supply the tractor at no cost to the AREC. According to Wittig, the company provides the tractor to demonstrate its support of agricultural research and in recognition of the heritage of the McCormick Farm, a five-acre memorial plot at the AREC that pays tribute to Cyrus McCormick and the ingenuity of the McCormick family. Located in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, the 900-acre center performs research on livestock production, forages, and forage systems.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Faculty, staff, students, and friends of the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science met Friday, April 18, to dedicate a new departmental library in honor of former colleague Kriton Hatzios. Hatzios joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 1979 after earning his doctorate at Michigan State University. In 1997, he became head of the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, and in 1999 he was named head of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a position he held until his death in 2003. Hatzios was a nationally and internationally recognized leader in herbicide metabolism. His extensive personal library in plant physiology and weed science was donated to the department by his wife Maria. Pictured from left to right are Craig Nessler, associate dean; Maria Hatzios, foreign language instructor; and Elizabeth Grabau, department head.

Monday, April 21, 2008

A couple reflects peacefully at the Hahn Horticulture Garden on Wednesday, April 16. Tours throughout the Day of Remembrance gave the Virginia Tech community a chance to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the Hahn Horticulture Garden in the spring. A morning commemoration on the Drillfield featuring remarks from University President Charles Steger and Gov. Tim Kaine and an evening candlelight vigil punctuated the memorial events held on campus throughout the day. The Hokie Spirit Community Picnic on Sunday, April 20, brought local food vendors, businesses, and community members to the Drillfield to close the week with free food and Hokie Spirit. Photo by Jim Stroup.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

A native Chesapeake Bay oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is ready to harvest at the Circle C Oyster Ranchers in Ridge, Md. Kurt Stephenson, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech, and Bonnie Brown, associate professor of biology at Virginia Commonwealth University, are studying the feasibility and cost effectiveness of native oyster aquaculture as a means to assimilate excess nutrients from the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters like the one pictured above grow from a microscopic seed to a length of 3 to 4 inches in about 18 months, half the time it takes in the wild. Stephenson and Brown are estimating the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus removed by these oysters at field sites in Virginia and Maryland, and their research was mentioned in a Washington Post article last month. Photo courtesy of Kurt Stephenson

Monday, March 31, 2008

Colony Collapse Disorder threatens honeybee populations in Virginia and around the world. Rick Fell, entomology professor and Extension bee specialist, is looking at the possible causes for the disappearing colonies, such as the newly discovered Israel Acute Paralysis Virus and the unintended effects of miticides on bee reproduction, and educating Extension agents and beekeepers about the problem. Although a variety of factors such as starvation, poor health, and parasites can cause bee losses, especially in the winter, the number of losses has risen substantially in the last year, much of it from Colony Collapse Disorder. When the unexplained phenomenon hits, the adult bees in the colony abandon their honey and pollen food reserves and vanish, their bodies nowhere in sight. Photo courtesy of Rick Fell.