Dig Deep - Kansas State University Ag Research

Today's farmers and ranchers have to do a lot more than grow wheat or raise cows and calves--they also have to be machinery technicians, computer programmers, and business managers. It's that last one that for many is most difficult hill to climb. Gregg Ibendahl is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, and a farm management economist for K-State Research and Extension. He details some of his work with the Kansas Farm Management Association, and explains how Kansas producers can benefit through membership with that organization.

K-State Research and Extension specialists and agents are charged with delivering research-based information to their stakeholders, the citizens of Kansas. Through more than 100 years of history, they've encountered challenges and obstacles as small as a downed internet connection or a burned out bulb on a slide projector, to major weather events like floods, wildfires or tornadoes. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has forced agents and producers to adapt on the fly, employing different methods and strategies for both impromptu gatherings and annual events with decades of history. Justin Waggoner, a beef cattle specialist with the Southwest Area Research and Extension Center, shares some of his experiences from this year.

Think back to your high school chemistry class. Recall that atoms of chemical elements--hydrogen and oxygen, for example--can be combined into molecules of compounds, such as water. The atoms in these compounds are held together by an electrical charge. Suppose certain compounds could be harnessed for their capability to store massive amounts of electricity? And suppose, further, that such a system could be harnessed to benefit farming, power grids, water conservation and more? Vincent Amanor-Boadu, a professor of agribusiness, economics, and management with Kansas State University, is part of a team that's investigating this idea. He'll explain how this idea, if brought to life, could breathe new life into rural communities in Kansas, and elsewhere.

Soybeans feed both humans and animals. They have also been used in the manufacturing of plastics, ink, building products, candles, even tires. Conservatively, more than 2,000 different varieties of soybeans have been documented--but only a fraction of those varieties are grown on a regular basis. Bill Schapaugh is professor in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University, as well as a soybean researcher and breeder. He is also the soybean specialist for K-State Research and Extension. He discusses his goal of developing more heat-tolerant varieties of soybeans, and explains the multi-year process of identifying those successful and productive varieties.

Agricultural research requires several things to be successful. Start with a workable theory or proposition, the means to test it, and funding--those things are generally organized by the researcher. Then, there are other things like land, space, equipment, manpower, maintenance and more. Our guest today is responsible for arranging and supervising those and many other important items. Eric Adee is the agronomist-in-charge of Kansas State University's East Central Kansas and Kansas River Valley experiment fields. He'll lead us through some of the details involved in agricultural research, and what makes the university's approach to research so practical.

When it comes to, shall we say, land-based animal protein, American meal tables usually have one of three major choices: beef, pork, and fowl (under which we'll collect chicken, turkey, and a few ducks). But one land animal that rarely makes it to the table is sheep and goat meat. True, you can find lambchops every so often, and roasted goat meat appears in Mexican cuisine as cabrito--and that's about it. But Alison Crane's mission is to change that. She's an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, the faculty supervisor of the Kansas State University Sheep and Meat Goat Center, and the sheep and goat specialist for K-State Research and Extension. Crane is working to bring sheep and goat meat back to the American diet.

Pork Sausage and pancakes for breakfast; turkey and swiss on sourdough for lunch; beef and broccoli stir-fry for dinner. At most meals, on most American tables, you'll find some form of meat. This abundance of power-packed protein is the result of a livestock production, processing and delivery chain that, in terms of safety, speed and efficiency, is unmatched anywhere else on Earth. But this year the strength and flexibility of that chain, like many other things, has been tested by the lurching, chaotic  unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic. Glynn Tonsor, a livestock market economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, guides us through some of the memorable incidents of the last 7 or 8 months, and explains how consumer choice, domestic markets, and global trade can strengthen and stabilize that system to keep producers profitable, and keep meat on the table.

On the cusp of our first full academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 students and parents are facing many tough decisions about how, when, and especially, where the next 9 months of education will happen. These decisions will have ramifications not just for education, but also for cognitive and social development, and family relationships. Elaine Johannes, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Kansas State University. She is also the K-State Research and Extension specialist in youth development, adolescent health and community engagement. Johannes discusses some of the things she will be watching for, and previews an upcoming series of workshops in Manhattan, Kansas.

Hemp is one of our most versatile plants. The seeds can be added to food, hemp oil can be used just like olive oil, and hemp fiber can stand in for cotton and wood pulp. Industrial hemp production is legal in Kansas. Arguably the top hemp researcher in Kansas, Jason Griffin left landscape horticulture behind to help farmers maximize production, and stay on the right side of the law.