,v i.'ii^r j —— 101. 33 NO. 24 Risks And Benefits Of Ag Bio-Technology Discussed At Conference BY EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - Enough pent-up emotions have been generated by scientists, gov ernment regulators, journalists, and environmentalists to produce a lively discussion at the Agricultur al Biotechnology Conference here this week. Some said we received Johnes: Manheim Family’s Battle With A Deadly Disease BY PAT PURCELL MANHEIM There is a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothes. You could get rid of the wolf, if you knew where he was hiding, but you don’t know until it is too late. This is what Johnes is to dairy farmers who have it in their herd. They don’t know it is there until a cow shows the symptoms of weight loss, loss of milk produc tion, and severe diarrhea. By this lime it is too late to save the cow and the others which may already William Nlchoi Dairy Science Club Names Honorees STATE COLLEGE (Centre) The Penn State Daily Science Club is scheduled to honor three indus try leaders at its annual banquet tonight at State College. William Nichol, Executive Secretary of the Pennsylvania Holstein Associa tion, is the 1988 Expo Dedicatee. David Naugle is the Young Dairy man Award winner. And Boyd Wolff, State Agriculture Secret ly, has been chosen the Distin guished Alumnus. According to the club’s spring non letter, Nichol, a 1952 ag eco nomics graduate, has served PH A for 25 years, and has developed a •op sales and export program. He wa, instrumental in establishing a Five Sections more promise than product in the last ten years. Others said don’t tell me anymore about the miracle of biotechnology, tell me about what it’s going to do to me and my neighbors. Some said we must move ahead with the new know ledge we have or our competitors will beat us. Others said there’s too much we don’t yet know about the permanent side effects that may be infected, but not showing clini cal symptoms yet. Consequently, it is not apparent which animals are shedding the disease and spreading it through the herd. This disease is not discriminat ing. It strikes beautiful, strong, healthy,'promising young heifers and also cows who may be in their second and third lactation. It does ***lrt|eriminate between the regis tered CSC grade animal. And the frightening part about this disease is that when the farmer realizes it is Boyd Wolff Nittany Lion Fall Classic. Naugle, graduated in 1983, will receive the award that’s given to a recent graduate who has contri (turn to Page A 33) Youth Show Off At Little Livestock Expo BY JODI RICHARDS Centre Co. Correspondent UNIVERSITY PARK The 71st Little I was held on Saturday, April 16, at Penn State’s ag arena. What is the Little I? The Little I, formerly known as the Little Inter national Livestock Exposition, is an opportunity for students to “show off” their ability to fit and train livestock. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 23, 1988 come from gene manipulations in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Some said the public is more informed and more confused than ever. Others said the owners of proprietory information are too secretive. Too much government regulation already. Not enough safeguards. Ordinary biology can make advances fast enough. in his herd, it is too late to save the animals. The disease is usually contracted before a calf is three months old and it may incubate for several years until the stress of freshening the first, second, or third time brings about the clinical symptoms. When it reaches the clinical stages, which it can in a few weeks after calving, the ani mal loses weight rapidly, drops off in milk production, ami v. ill mi (Ter from severa diarrhea There is no cure (or Johncs. There are no treatments .vailable. And the test for Johnes, which pre viously has had a wailing list of up to one year, takes three months to get the results. Any unsuspecting dairy farmer can purchase a young heifer from popular sires and hign-indexed dams at a dispersal sale, breed promotional sale, or from an indi vidual farmer, only to find out later that animal was carrying Johnes. From the time of purchases until clinical signs become apparent, that animal can proceed to infect other herdmates. The silent enemy .then gains a foothold in the herd (Turn to Page A3B) BY NANCY MILLS Penn State Extension MERCERSBURG (Franklin) If sixth-grade science students at James Buchanan Middle School paid a little less attention than usu al to their conventional studies one recent Wednesday, it was a forgiv able offence. After all, who could study as 32 chicks, bom and unborn and in-between, chiseled The fisrt Penn State Little I was held in 1917. At that time, the Block and Bridle Club was not responsible for the expo, it was organized by students interested in showing and handling livestock. Since 1924, the Penn State chapter of the National Block and Bridle Club has organized and financed the show. The students who participate are Incubators Add Eggcitement To Franklin Classrooms their way to life in incubators at the back of the room? The James Buchanan kids are among those sixth and seventh graders at nine Franklin County schools who will have witnessed the miracle of birth right in their classrooms this spring, as part of a study of embryology, sponsored by the Franklin County 4-H. The Franklin County Extension Ser- assigned the animal they work with six weeks prior to the show. On this day, the participants draw for the animals and then train and fit them into show quality. The competitors work with Angus, Polled Hereford, and Simmental heifers; American quarter horses; Dorset and Suffolk ewes; and Yorkshire gilts, crossbred gilts. 50g Ptr Copy Biotechnology is a hope of the future. Many different ideas were prop osed. but almost everyone agreed biotechnology is awesome. POINT/COUNTERPOINT At this third of four regional conferences, an intense point/ counterpoint discussion by Jack Melinda Musser, St. Thomas, admires the chick she and her classmates hatched inihe 4-H Eipbryoiogy project com* pleted recently at James Buchanan Middle School. (Turn lo Page A 33) $lO.OO Per Year Doyle, Director Agricultural Resources Project, Environmental Policy Institute, and Fred Smith, President, Competitive Enterprise Institute, discussed issues of man agement and assessment of agri cultural biotechnology. Doyle favored the use of what (Turn to Pag* A2B) vice provided eggs and incubators, according to County Agent, Bob Kessier, who brought the idea to Franklin County after seeing its success in New York. During the threc-to-four-week long project, the students were made temporary 4-H members, using 4-H project books to complete the embryology projects. The eggs, which were each numbered on top and marked with an “x” on the bottom, were turned three times a day by students, who took turns at the job, according to Eric Shields, a student in one of Mrs. Swailes’ science classes. Furthermore, the temperature and, just as importantly, the humidity of die incubators had to be moni tored, said students. After the three-week study, Mrs. Swailes’ students had become young authorities on the early (Turn to Page ASI)
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