Research
Sale Raises $83,000 for Research
 |
| Bill Helsel, an agricultural technician for the Middleburg AREC, shows potential buyers one of the horses prior to the sale. |
The Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) grossed more than $83,000 at the annual sale of Virginia Tech’s yearlings. Horse enthusiasts had an opportunity not only to bid on some of Virginia’s finest horses but also to support the college’s equine breeding and research programs.
“We had an amazing turnout at the sale,” said Kathleen Crandell, superintendent of the AREC. “More than 150 people came to this year’s auction, and we sold 19 Thoroughbred yearlings, including a donation we received just in the last week.”
The average sale price for a horse was a record-breaking $4,387. This high average can be attributed to the sale of two extraordinary Thoroughbreds, each purchased for an outstanding $20,000. Crandell said horses bred at the center have earned more than $2 million on the racetrack and have produced 40 race winners; others have done well in the show ring.
Since its inception in 1992, the annual yearling auction has been about more than selling Thoroughbreds. “Faculty members along with graduate students were on hand to discuss the equine research and operations at the facility,” Crandell said.
She added that members of the Colts and Fillies 4-H Club in Fauquier County helped with the auction. Following the tradition of local youth involvement at the annual sale, the 4-H’ers provided and sold food for attendees. Crandell said the research program at the Middleburg AREC would not be possible without the interest and support of the horse industry, especially in Northern Virginia. Generous donations from horse enthusiasts have provided all of the
broodmares and stallions at the center. The center has more than 50 Thoroughbred broodmares that produce dozens of foals each year, she said.
Researchers at the AREC hope to better understand the relationships between nutrition and the healthy development of a growing horse, improved reproduction in the mare, and optimal performance in the athletic horse. The center’s pasture-based nutrition research relates the care and welfare of the horse from conception through its older years to its interaction as a grazing animal with the land.
Situated at the heart of Virginia’s horse country, the Middleburg AREC is one of a dozen of Virginia Tech’s agricultural research and Extension centers. Philanthropists Paul and Rachel Mellon donated a 420-acre farm in 1949 to establish the Virginia Tech research hub dedicated to improving pasture and animal productivity while enhancing the land. During the 1980s, an impressive gift of horses shifted the center’s research focus away from cattle. Today, the Middleburg AREC has grown into one of the world’s leading equine research units, the hallmark of which is its unique investigation on the effects of pasture on the diet and growth of horses.
Common Pest Found in Rare Color
 |
| Acrosternum hilare |
A graduate researcher and her advisor, D. Ames Herbert, an entomology specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension, were studying the management of insect pests of Virginia crops when they discovered a rare color morph of an otherwise typical bug. Sitting atop a leaf in a soybean field in Chesapeake, Va., the eye-catching insect, a common stinkbug known as Acrosternum hilare, was a brilliant Hokie orange. This not only caught the attention of researchers at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) but also prompted a scientific inquiry into the rare find.
“We sent pictures of the insect to a specialist in North Dakota, who confirmed that it was the common crop pest,” Herbert said.
Although entomologists across the country have observed Acrosternum hilare, which is usually green, in a wide range of colors, researchers had never seen an orange variety in Virginia. Since their first encounter with the insect, Herbert and his graduate assistant, Kathy Kamminga, have spotted several of the atypical color variations. “We found three or four of the orange varieties in test fields during the summer,” Herbert said.
Herbert and other researchers at the Tidewater AREC are investigating biological controls for crop pests. Since they began their study, they have identified six stinkbug species that pose a threat to Virginia crops such as corn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and small grains. The shield-shaped, 3/4-inch Acrosternum hilare poses a threat to these crops because it feeds on the leaves, flowers, fruits, and stems of many plant species.
“It’s ubiquitous,” Herbert added. “It covers all of Eastern Virginia and beyond.”
By identifying insects that attack Virginia crops, Herbert and other researchers hope they can develop biological techniques for reducing the prevalence of these pests in such a way that not only boosts agricultural productivity but also decreases reliance on chemical pesticides.
AREC Investigates Livestock and Burley Tobacco
 |
| The Southwest Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Glade Spring, Va. |
The Southwest Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Glade Spring, Va., has strong research and outreach programs that explore the relationship between forages and livestock and investigate burley tobacco production in Virginia The center strives toward its mission to provide the knowledge needed for sound agriculture management and environmental conservation practices for Southwest Virginia and the commonwealth, while researching and supplying the information needed by producers to maintain sustainability and profitability in their industry. Lee Wright, superintendent for the Southwest Virginia AREC, explains that the center continues to advance this vision while trying to develop practical, needed solutions for its clientele.
In the area of forage systems and beef cattle, the AREC has introduced a heifer development program to study animal nutrition and reproductive performance, Wright said. Fescue, the predominant forage species for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, contains a toxin-producing fungus called an endophyte, which impairs cattle growth, reproductive performance, and health. In recent years, researchers have developed novel endophyte fescue varieties that do not produce these toxins.
“We are evaluating the growth, health, and reproductive performance of young heifers on these two types of fescue,” Wright says.
An additional goal of this project is to produce heifers that meet the requirements of the Virginia Premium Assured Heifer Program and offer producers the best replacement females that meet specific health, reproductive, physical, and genetic requirements.
The center has also completed a five-year study on hair sheep. “The first phase of our hair sheep project was a comparison of hair and wool sheep breeds,” says Wright. “We looked at specific characteristics between the two types of sheep, focusing on parasite resistance and maternal traits of the breeds in the field. We then evaluated carcass quality and yield and did taste panel work for palatability, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.”
In addition to questions of livestock use and management, researchers at the Southwest Virginia AREC also inquire about the management strategies related to burley tobacco. “We still do typical trials of burley tobacco varieties and have additional trials on topics such as insect management and blue-mold resistance and prevention,” Wright says. Virginia’s tobacco industry loses an estimated $4 million each year because of blue mold. One key burley tobacco project at the AREC involves tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), a carcinogen found in all types of tobacco.
“We are looking at how the levels of TSNAs are influenced in the cured leaf by the nitrogen rate variables applied in the field,” Wright says. “We are working on growing traditional tobacco varieties, using general cultural practices, and looking for a way to lower the amount of TSNAs.”
The Southwest Virginia AREC operated on leased land from 1929 until 1947. In 1952, the General Assembly approved the purchase a 208-acre tract of land, which today houses three burley tobacco barns, a beef barn, and a sheep barn.
In recent years, the center’s animal research focus has shifted from steers to heifers and has included educational programs about animal production and value-added marketing for both beef and sheep, Wright says. The center is also exploring the areas of small fruit and vegetable research, and in the near future, officials hope to incorporate Christmas tree and hardwood research plots.