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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)