The Morrill Act of 1862 established a Land Grant University in each state where The Leading Object would be instruction in agriculture and related fields

NMSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics

THE LEADING OB JECT

Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2001

New Mexico hosts NACAA conference Aug. 5-9 New Mexico will host nearly 1,700 agents and family members during the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) conference Aug. 5-9 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. “This is a unique opportunity to showcase New Mexico agriculture at the national level,” said Billy Dictson, associate dean and Extension director. “Conference participants will attend workshops and seminars in Albuquerque, and then they’ll fan out around New Mexico to meet with folks at every level. That’s major exposure for us because agricultural educators from every state in the nation will be learning firsthand about our culture, history and the reality of farming and ranching in a semiarid environment.” New Mexico is hosting the event for the first time in nearly 40 years and the second time in

NACAA history, said Dictson, who attended the 1962 conference in Las Cruces as an 18-year-old volunteer. It is held in the West once every eight years. During the conference, agents will attend workshops and seminars on crop and livestock production, farm and ranch financial management, urban and rural environmental protection, agronomy, pest management, agricultural economics, animal science, forestry, natural resources, horticulture and aquaculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program will sponsor four luncheon seminars about farming’s role in sustaining communities, direct marketing of ranch products, composting and waste management, and creative techniques for grazing in the West.

In addition, the USDA National Small Farm Program will sponsor a discussion about small farm issues at the conference, said Edmund Gomez, chair of the NACAA conference education committee. A conference highlight will be 27 field tours to farms, ranches, markets and tourist spots in central and northern New Mexico. Each tour will showcase different aspects of New Mexico agriculture, including the chile industry, range grazing and agriculture at Indian pueblos. Desert landscaping tours and trips to the Los Alamos and Sandia national defense and energy research laboratories will also be offered. Other conference attractions include a trade show with more than 75 commercial exhibits about services and products ranging from tractors and farm tools to feed, seed and chemicals. ✜

The Dean’s Perspective The past few months have seen the passing of some great individuals who served and were from New Mexico. The most recent loss was Billy Melton, who as a professor in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics made NMSU the center of the alfalfa breeding world. He literally changed the face of New Mexico by having a hand in breeding most of the varieties used in the state. The Melrose native at one time had worked with more than 70 percent of the nation’s alfalfa breeders. He was preceded in death by Buck Allen, Extension’s sole agent in Harding County for the past 20 years. He left us as a very young man.

Also passing was one of our most accomplished alumni, Steve Banegas. This Hatch native took his education and built a tremendous business that profited by making agricultural chemical control environmentally friendly. He first distinguished himself by winning the Silver Star in Vietnam. Les Davis, who died in May, showed gallantry in battle as well, winning three Purple Hearts during World War II. The Cimarron rancher was a leader of ranchers, a leader in New Mexico and a great friend of the college. Les was from the East and a Dartmouth graduate, but he was a New Mexico native in his heart. He won more accolades than I can remember, including the college’s

Leyendecker Agriculturist of Distinction award. Tom Linebery, who died in late March, was similarly a friend of agriculture as a rancher, scholarship donor and college supporter. He was tremendously generous to young people seeking an education in southeastern New Mexico. Many of his charges are graduates of our college and participants in our 4-H programs. Such people can never be replaced, only remembered.

Cunningham moves to CSREES Gary Cunningham, NMSU vice president for research, will serve as associate administrator for the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) in Washington, D.C. CSREES coordinates and funds research, academic and Extension education programs for land-grant universities like NMSU. Colien Hefferan, CSREES administrator, announced Cunningham’s selection in late June. Cunningham is expected to join the agency in late summer following approval from the U.S. Office of Personnel. “I bring the point of view of what it’s like to work on the receiving end of CSREES programs and funding,” Cunningham said. “I hope to have the opportunity to help build new programs.” Cunningham was associate dean and Experiment Station director for seven years before becoming vice president for research in July 1997. He came to NMSU in 1968 as an assistant professor of biology. He was named department head in 1984 and moved to the College of Agriculture and Home Economics in 1990. Cunningham has been a member of the Hispanic Colleges and Universities Research Association and the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP). He also was liaison to the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and chair of the Western directors of Experiment Stations.

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Students, professor recognized Dean Hawkins, associate professor in Animal and Range Sciences, was named Outstanding Young Scientist and two of his graduate students won top honors at the Western section meeting of the American Society of Animal Science in Bozeman, Mont. Hawkins joined the NMSU faculty in 1992. Since then, he has established a functional molecular biology laboratory and received six grants to support projects ranging from molecular biology research and teaching to nutrition modulation of beef cow reproduction. Hawkins recruits students and advises preveterinary students majoring in animal and range sciences. He has served as the faculty adviser for Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, Block and Bridle Club and Mortar Board. In 1997, Hawkins received the Distinguished Teaching Award from

the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. He has presented 26 papers nationally and internationally. David Denniston, a doctoral student in animal science, won first place in the paper competition. He presented research about a compound implicated in maintaining bovine pregnancies. Denniston graduated from NMSU in May. He coached the collegiate and local 4-H horse judging teams while at NMSU. He has been hired as an assistant professor in equine sciences and animal sciences at Colorado State University. Leo Canales, an animal science graduate student, placed third in for his presentation on progesterone receptors on a structure on the ovaries that is essential in sustaining bovine pregnancies. Canales coaches NMSU’s collegiate livestock judging team. He will graduate in December. ✜

Tucumcari field day Aug. 2 An Aug. 2 evening field day for NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari will highlight research on annual forage crops that could save water while feeding the dairy industry. Participants can learn about forage research, irrigated pastures, alfalfa insects, turfgrass selection and the value of local research centers, beginning at 5 p.m. Guest speakers for the event include NMSU President Jay Gogue, Dean Jerry Schickedanz, and Leo Thrasher, science center advisory committee member. The event begins with a barbecue dinner, followed by opening speeches and a research tour with five stops. Leonard Lauriault, the center’s forage agronomist, will talk about research on annual grasses and legumes. Lauriault is testing a number of crops, including forage sorghums and sudangrass.

The Leading Object, Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2001

The tours will also provide the latest information about irrigated pasture and rotational grazing research that has been a mainstay of research at the center since the 1970s. The center’s newest research is on turfgrass varieties. Bernd Leinauer, Extension turfgrass specialist, will show research plots planted in June and talk about selecting grass species for eastern New Mexico. Mike English, Extension entomologist, will discuss alfalfa insects. Thrasher will discuss how regional research centers like Tucumcari help the state’s agricultural industry. Field day activities conclude at 8:30 p.m. with refreshments. The center will also host an ornamental landscape and turfgrass workshop Aug. 2 prior to the field day and an Aug. 3 breakfast for NMSU alumni. For more information about the events, contact Rex Kirksey at (505) 461-1620. ✜

HRTM students honored NMSU hospitality students Joel Gutierrez and Katie Paulsen won national awards of excellence during the National Restaurant Association’s June show in Chicago. Gutierrez, a senior, and Paulsen, a sophomore, were honored during a banquet at the Conrad Hilton and Towers. The two hotel, restaurant and tourism management majors were among 400 students selected to receive the award from among 18,000 hospitality majors across

the nation. During the event, they met more than 100 industry leaders, including chefs Paul Prudhomme and Graham Kerr, and Coca-Cola chairman Douglas Daft. Department head Michael Cerletti, assistant professor Keith Mandabach and students Anthony Jenks, Patrick Lewis, Lindsey Lynch and Christina Vikta also attended the event. They staffed a trade show booth, distributing materials about NMSU and thousands of copies of New Mexico magazine. ✜

Retirements Lindsey Whether he’s showing a prospective student around campus or rooting at Aggie football and basketball games, Don Lindsey’s infectious enthusiasm comes through. Lindsey, associate dean and Academic Programs director, will retire Aug. 1 after more than 32 years with NMSU in teaching, research, international work and administration. He will continue to work part-time until his position is filled. “I couldn’t ask for a better career than working with our students and faculty,” he said. The feeling is mutual. Since 1997, Lindsey has presided over a 12-percent increase in enrollment–a gain of more than 150 students for the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. “Even last year, when university enrollment went down, ours still went up,” he said. “It’s a team effort that involves everyone who helps with recruiting, advising, mentoring and retaining students.” He credits college faculty, student ambassadors, scholarship donors, a helpful Academic Programs staff and recruiters outside the college, including Mike Davis, head of Black Programs. Lindsey, the 1990 recipient of the college’s Distinguished

Teaching Award, prizes faculty who strive to improve their teaching. As a professor in Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, he was a sought-after adviser because of his classroom skills and his generosity in befriending students. His research dealt with virtually every disease organism that inhabits New Mexico’s soils. Lindsey spent four years in Egypt as chief of party and research grants coordinator for a national agricultural research project for the Consortium for International Development. He advised scientists and helped manage 234 grants totaling $33.2 million. “The lasting benefit is always the investment in people, through the training that scientists are able to get,” he said. At NMSU, he sees similar patterns with students in the college. “They come in kind of shy and go out with a lot more confidence,” he said. Lindsey hopes for graduates who are knowledgeable but hungry to learn more. “Graduation is a first step in continuing the educational process,” he said. “We want them to have an appreciation for learning and to be able to enjoy their careers and to be confident in a larger world.”

Support Council meets July 19-20 College supporters from across the state wil attend the annual Extension Support Council meeting July 19-20 at the Hilton Las Cruces. NMSU President Jay Gogue will give a welcome. Jerry Schickedanz, dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, will present a college update. Larry Hobson, council president, will give a year-in-review report. Associate Dean Miley Gonzalez will provide an update on the Experiment Station and Associate Dean Billy Dictson will report on the year’s Extension activities. Topics to be discussed include distance education, Extension learning centers, water quality and legislative initiatives. The council will also elect new officers. For more information, call Dictson at 646-3015.

Need to meet with the dean? No appointments necessary on Fridays, 3–5 p.m.* *Occasionally the dean is called away, but time is blocked for drop-ins.

(Retirements continued on page 4)

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Retirements (continued) Armstrong

After 21 years of leading NMSU’s horse programs, Joe Armstrong will ride off into an active retirement of horse breeding and ranching Aug. 1. Armstrong, an Animal and Range Sciences professor and Extension horse specialist, leaves a legacy of successful students and a high-quality breeding herd for use in teaching and equestrian sports. He helped build the 4-H Horse School, supported NMSU’s winning equestrian sports teams and taught the art of packing through trips. Along the way, he’s traveled around the world for horse-related reasons. Armstrong, who learned through hands-on experience with horses growing up in Mississippi, didn’t know horses and teaching would play a major role in his life. In 1979, he learned about an opening at NMSU through a phone call from Bobby Rankin, a graduate school classmate at Oklahoma State and former head of Animal and Range Sciences. “This was the first teaching job I ever had,” Armstrong said. NMSU’s horse program, which started with donated Arabians in the early 1970s, was also new. Armstrong helped establish a production-oriented program with quarter horses that gives students plenty of experience. A horse production option has been in place for a dozen years. “You see the whole spectrum at least once if you follow the sequence for horse production,” Armstrong said. “You breed the mares, help with birthing the foals, break them to ride and prepare them to show, sell or compete at horse shows.” Though he plans to stay in touch with former students and colleagues, Armstrong’s retirement plans will keep him busy. He intends to split his time between his horse breeding operation in La Mesa and ranching interests on the Willow Creek

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Ranch in Wyoming, made famous by Butch Cassidy and his Hole-inthe-Wall Gang.

Donart

On Aug. 1, Gary Donart will retire after a 30-year career as an NMSU researcher and range science professor. The following day, he’ll speak at a field day at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari. “They asked me to,” he said, chuckling a bit over the timing. “But I’ve told them next year they’ll have to make other plans.” Donart’s research has taken him across New Mexico. He was campus coordinator of range science research in range fertilization and plant physiology at Fort Stanton until its sale in the mid-1980s. He has worked on plant response studies at the College Ranch, renamed the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center. That’s also where he supervised the research project of Rick Miller, the first NMSU student to earn a doctorate in range science. Most recently, Donart has been heavily involved in developing new livestock and range management research at the Corona Range and Livestock Research Center, and in doing Conservation Reserve Program and irrigated pasture management research at the Tucumcari science center. One factor hasn’t changed. “I came in with a drought, and I’m going out with a drought,” Donart said. Donart’s NMSU service includes chairing both the Faculty Senate and the Advisory Council on Academic Policy. He served on both university appeals boards as well as a host of college and departmental committees. He is a past president of the International Society for Range Management and recipient of Gamma Sigma Delta’s distinguished graduate teaching award. After his speaking date in

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Tucumcari, Donart intends to go farther afield. He’s planned a sixweek trip with his wife, Glenda, who retired from the public schools in May. They will visit family and friends and take in the fall foliage. But in the spring, Donart will return to NMSU to teach his favorite class: Range Science 460, advanced rangeland management. “A major enjoyment for me is watching students integrate knowledge and information into their range management plans,” he said. “I always get a lift when I see the kids put it together.”

Waelti

John Waelti, head of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business since 1990, will retire from NMSU Aug. 1, before heading to his next assignment in Oman. Waelti has accepted a two-year position as department head of Agricultural Economics and Rural Studies at Sultan Qaboos University. He plans to work with college and university faculty to develop an agricultural economics degree. Waelti learned about the position from Dawood Al-Ajmi of Oman, who earned his master’s degree in animal science from NMSU. Since making the decision, Waelti has been wrapping up his NMSU work, figuring out where to store nonessential possessions and reading up on Oman, which he has never visited. One of his major satisfactions at NMSU has been seeing younger faculty develop into mature professors. He has presided over a “modest increase” in enrollment and curriculum reviews to ensure graduates are well-grounded in business and economics. In 1992, Waelti and James Peach, a colleague in Economics, took top honors in a national essay competition for an article titled “Out of Recession and into a Prosperous 21st Century: What It Takes.” That was the same year

Waelti taught basic economic policy to Polish faculty at a summer camp that formerly served as a retreat for the Communist Party elite. Waelti traces his international interests back to his childhood on a dairy farm in Monroe, Wis. “When I was a kid, I liked maps and geography, and I liked to imagine living in other places,” he said. “In the con-

text of international work, you can become part of the scene.” Waelti worked as a visiting professor in Nairobi, Kenya, for two years, where a book on economics he cowrote was the first text published by the University of Nairobi Press. Some of Waelti’s other assignments have taken him to Panama, Mexico and Washington, D.C.,

where he was a scientific adviser to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “I’ve been to 12 countries–13 if you count the Pentagon,” Waelti joked. “I have one more foreign adventure yet.” ✜

In Memoriam Allen Buck Allen, 46, Extension program director and agriculture agent in Harding County, died June 9. Allen began working for Extension in 1981. As Harding County’s sole agent, he coordinated all Extension programs from agriculture to 4-H. Allen served on the Harding County Fair Board, the national 4-H Council and the Soil Conservation District Board. Before that he worked as a vocational agriculture teacher in Roy, N.M., and for the Farmers Home Administration in Pratt, Kan. He returned to New Mexico to help run the family farm. Allen received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural and extension education from NMSU in 1976 and 1989, respectively. He is survived by two sons, William, 14, and Slade, 12.

Banegas Estevan “Steve” Banegas, 60, NMSU alumnus and biotechnology pioneer, died May 24 in Virginia. Banegas combined his interest in biotechnology and experience in business to become a successful entrepreneur. He began his career as a field sales representative for Ciba-Geigy, the world’s largest agricultural chemical firm. He then became the founding president of

Agri-Diagnostics/Quantix, which developed biotechnology-based tests to detect agricultural and environmental contaminants. Pursuing his interest in biological pesticides in 1993, Banegas founded Dominion BioSciences in Blacksburg, Va., to create and market environmentally friendly pesticides. Born in Hatch, N.M., Banegas received his bachelor’s degree in general agriculture from NMSU, and a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Banegas served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps and was awarded the Cross of Gallantry with a Silver Star. He served on consultant boards for Virginia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio University and the University of Minnesota. Steve is survived by his wife, Amanda; his mother, Josephine Crew, of Las Cruces; his stepmother, Tillie Banegas, of Hatch; four brothers and four sisters.

Melton Billy Melton, internationally known alfalfa breeder and retired NMSU agronomy professor emeritus, died June 26 in Las Cruces. He was 69. Melton graduated from NMSU in 1954, receiving the Class of 1919 Award for highest grade

point average with the most credits earned. After earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in agronomy from the University of Illinois, he returned to NMSU. He helped create the graduate program in agronomy. He was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by NMSU during its centennial celebration in 1988. In May, he was inducted as an honorary member of the Sam Steel Society for graduates of NMSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Melton was known worldwide as an authority on alfalfa breeding. He developed six new varieties during his 39 years at NMSU, including ‘Wilson’, the only alfalfa developed for improved performance under low moisture conditions. After retiring in 1989, he devoted much of his time to building and flying model airplanes and was a three-time national champion in Navy Carrier Model Airplanes. The Billy Melton UControl Model Airplane Flying Field on Valley Drive in Las Cruces is named after Melton. He is survived by his wife, Lois, two daughters and five grandchildren. Donations in memory of Melton may be made to the NMSU Foundation for the Billy Melton Scholarship.

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Grants Agricultural Communications Gleason, B.J. and P. Holian, “Carlos Muñoz Video,” $9,500, Jan 2001, National 4-H Council. Gleason, B.J., “Cyfernet Technology,” $14,600, Mar 2001, United States Department of Agriculture— Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service through the University of Minnesota Extension Service Agricultural Economics Gorman, W.D., and P. King, “Facility Exchange Program (FEP),” $5,972, Sep 2000, USDA—Foreign Agricultural Service. Gorman, W.D., “Changing Structure of the World Food and Fiber Systems,” $34,516, May 2001, International Agribusiness Management. Libbin, J.D., S.E. Hughs, M.M. Wall, R.P. Flynn and B.J. Gleason, “Ensuring Long-Term Viability of the U.S. Chile Pepper Industry,” $94,867, Sep 2000, USDA—CSREES—Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. Ward, F., “New Mexico State Parks Visitor Survey,” $75,000, Apr 2001, State of New Mexico— Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Agricultural Experiment Station Daugherty, L.A. and R. Phillips, “Best Management Practices for New Mexico Chile Pepper Production,” $20,000, Apr 2001, New Mexico Chile Commission. ASC at Artesia Flynn, R.P., “Site-Specific Soil Variability in New Mexico Cotton Fields,” $5,000, Jan 2001, Cotton Incorporated. Flynn, R.P., “Site-Specific Soil Variability in The Leading Object is dedicated to encouraging communication among all areas of NMSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Department of Agricultural Communications NMSU, MSC 3AI Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 (505) 646-2701 Rm. 173, Gerald Thomas Hall

New Mexico Cotton Fields,” $11,640, Jan 2001, Cotton Incorporated. Flynn, R.P. and A. Ghassemi, “New Mexico Organic Waste Utilization,” $93,335, Apr 2001, USDA—CSREES. Pierce, J.B., “Impact of Crop Production Practices on Pest Populations in New Mexico,” $16,500, Mar 2001, Cotton Incorporated. ASC at Los Lunas English, L.M., “Los Lunas Plant Materials Center - FY2001,” $65,414, Oct 2000, USDA—Natural Resource Conservation Service. Agricultural and Extension Education Dormody, T.J., “Agricultural Education Leadership,” $116,666, Nov 2000, State of New Mexico, Department of Education. Agronomy and Horticulture Cantrell, R.G., “Research Towards an Integrated Genetic and Physical Map of Cotton,” $100,000, Jan 2001, Cotton Incorporated. Cramer, C.S., “Onion Breeding,” $1,625, Nov 2000, Sakata Seed America Inc. Fisher, J., “Enhancing Crop Production for Mechanical Harvest of Chile Peppers,” $250,000, Mar 2001, USDA—Agricultural Research Service. Gopalan, C.S., “Metabolic Engineering of Secondary Metabolism,” $146,814, Jun 2000, Department of Health and Human Services—National Institutes of Health through the College of Arts and Sciences. Harrington, J.T., “Carbon Inventories and Dynamics in Semiarid Systems: Integrating Advanced Measurement and Modeling,” $14,000, Jan 2001, New Mexico Universities Collaborative Research (NUCOR).

Printed on recycled paper NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. NMSU and USDA cooperating.

Jerry G. Schickedanz, Dean and Chief Administrative Officer

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The Leading Object, Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2001

Monger, H.C. and J.E. Herrick, “CO2 Emissions from Soil Carbonate Dissolution as a Contributor to Greenhouse Gases,” $142,500, Dec 2000, USDA—National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. O’Connell, M.A., “Medicinal Plants of the Southwest,” $445,995, Sep 2000, NIH—Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement. O’Connell, M.A., “Comparative Analyses of Environmental Effects on Gene Expression Using Microarray Technologies,” $25,900, Jan 2001, NUCOR. O’Connell, M.A., “Metabolic Engineering of Secondary Metabolism,” $177,129, Jun 2000, NIH through the College of Arts and Sciences. O’Connell, M.A., “2001 Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (REAP),” $2,500, Mar 2001, U.S. Army Research Office through the Academy of Applied Science. St. Hilaire, R., “Improving Intergenerational Mentoring Through Real-World Landscape Projects,” $16,250, Jun 2000, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation. Ulery, A.L., “Response of Pepper Plants to Nitrogen Fertilization and Soil Salinity,” Apr 2001, New Mexico Chile Commission. Wall, M.M. and P.W. Bosland, “Development of Red Chile and Paprika Cultivars,” $8,900, Apr 2001, New Mexico Chile Commission. Animal and Range Science Abbott, L., C. Allison, T.T. Baker, “Mexico Small Grant,” $800, Jan 2001, New Mexico State University— Center for International Programs.