UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- What do you get when you mix lots of kids, dirt, gene-swapping and heavy machinery? You get AgroEcology Day, a free Penn State program for high school students and the public starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center's Agronomy Farm at Rock Springs, Pa.

Billed as "a program about soils, crops and the environment for high school students and the rest of us," the day-long event, sponsored by the department of crop and soil sciences in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, is a way for students to see the high-tech aspects of farming and agriculture, according to coordinator Kate Butler.

"There are so many exciting things going on in agriculture -- genetics, ecology, understanding organic systems," Butler says "but unless high school students take a vocational agriculture approach or participate in 4-H or FFA, they won't be exposed to them. So we wanted to reach out to a larger audience and show people some of the research being done and the important role ecological concepts and principles play in the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems."

AgroEcology Day also is a great opportunity for school-aged children to make a connection between the science in textbooks and what they see on their dinner tables, Butler says.

"As a parent, I've heard my kids ask, 'When are we ever going to use this chemistry, math and science?'," she says. "We're trying to show them real-life situations where chemistry and biology are important, where all of these sciences come together in agricultural research.

"There's a disconnect that has occurred as recent generations have grown away from farming as a way of life -- hardly anyone comes from a farm anymore, so they don't know or consider where the food we eat comes from, or where the fiber for our clothes comes from. We want to make the farm-to-table connection again, and to help people see why they have better cereal, many varieties of sweet corn or healthy animals."

The event also will enable the public to learn about the work being done at Penn State's Agricultural Research Center. "They can see signs along the road near our research facility for a particular corn hybrid, seed variety or pesticide treatment," says Butler. "What do these things mean? There are many environmental questions about agriculture, pesticides, herbicides and weed control, and this gives people a chance to ask them."

Sessions for high school students run from 10 a.m. through noon, and will consist of five rotating 20-minute interactive presentations at various locations on the site. Students are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and will have a chance to eat with the presenters. Presentations for the public begin at 1 p.m. and run until 4 p.m. Children of all ages are welcome with parental supervision.

High schools from across central Pennsylvania will take part, including students from State College, Bellefonte and South Huntingdon school districts. Presentations include:

• "Soil: It's a Jungle in There!" -- Soil scientist Mary Ann Bruns explains that one leafy green tree actually can represent billions of living creatures: bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoans, mites and springtails all are at work in our backyard soils as invisible but crucial components of healthy soil.
• "Agricultural Strategies to Reduce Global Warming" -- Agronomists Sjoerd Duiker and Elwood Hatley reveal that carbon dioxide, an important component in global warming, actually is more abundant in soil than in the atmosphere. With innovative soil management techniques, farmers can aid in relieving global warming while growing more food.
• "Garbage for Lunch -- Microbes Love It!" -- Soil scientist Les Lanyon explains that dying plant residues and dairy manure, while distasteful to us, are crucial for soil microorganisms to thrive. He demonstrates how scientists measure soil activity, the enzymes microorganisms produce and the materials they decompose.
• "Jumping Genes: Weeds on the Move" -- Weed ecologist David Mortensen and agronomist Dwight Lingenfelter look at how ecological concepts can help agriculturists design cropping systems that manage troublesome, persistent weed with minimal chemical intervention.
• "Transgenic Crops in Our Backyard" -- Transgenic crops -- plants with genes transplanted from other species -- offer many potential benefits, but must be managed carefully. Crop scientists Surinder Chopra and Greg Roth use Penn State transgenic corn hybrids to demonstrate where "new" genes come from, how they can be introduced into corn species and how they impact the environment.

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EDITORS: Contact Katherine Butler at 814-865-2119.

Contact:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax