Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture

The Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Matt Liebman, Iowa State University agronomy professor, became the new Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture on July 1, 2007. He succeeded Dr. Lorna Michael Butler who served as Chair from 2000 to 2007. Dr. Liebman will serve as Chair for a five-year term, which can be renewed for up to three additional years. Dr. Liebman is a graduate of Harvard University and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His scientific research focuses on cropping system diversification, conservation systems, and weed ecology and management.

2009 Pesek Colloquium Scheduled

The 2009 John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture has been scheduled for October 27 at 8 PM in the Great Hall at the Iowa State University Memorial Union. This year's lecturer will be Dr. Shahid Naeem, Professor and Chair of Columbia University's Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology. Information about his work can be found here. The title of his lecture will be The environmental significance of biodiversity in managed and unmanaged ecosystems:  From China, to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Great Plains, and Iowa. The event, including a reception following the lecture, is free and open to all.

Organic Weed Management Module Announced

The Crop Adviser Institute of Iowa State University has announced a new module developed by Matt Liebman. The unit, Organic Weed Management, is available for purchase here. The module has been approved by the American Society of Agronomy for CEU credits.

Robert Costanza was 2008 Pesek Colloquium Lecturer

Dr. Robert Costanza, the Gund Professor of Ecological Economics and the Director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont, spoke at the 2008 John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture. The title of Dr. Costanza's lecture was Ecological Economics: Creating a Sustainable and Desirable Future. The Colloquium was held Thursday, September 11 on the ISU campus. A copy of the text of his speech is here (PDF 78 KB). An audio file of the lecture is available here. The PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded in these three parts: Part 1 (PDF 5.8 MB), Part 2 (PDF 16 MB), Part 3 (PDF 7 MB). For additional information on Dr. Costanza's work see here.

Large Reductions in Agricultural Chemical Use Can Be Compatible with High Crop Yields and Profits

A large-scale cropping systems experiment conducted since 2002 by Matt Liebman and colleagues at the ISU Marsden Farm has tested whether crop yield, weed suppression, and profit characteristics of two low-external-input (LEI) farming systems can match or exceed those of a conventional farming system. LEI systems rely heavily on ecological processes for soil fertility and pest management, but can include some use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Yields and profits were similar or higher in the LEI systems compared with the conventional system, and lower herbicide inputs did not lead to increased weed problems. The results suggest that large reductions in agrichemical use can be compatible with high crop yields and profits. See here for the abstract of the article.

Balancing Food and Biofuel Production with Conservation

The controversy erupting over food and biofuel production generally overlooks the critical need to conserve and protect soil, water, and wildlife. The Des Moines Register recently published an op-ed piece by Matt Liebman about how food and feed crop production systems could be integrated with strips of switchgrass and other perennial plants that can be used to generate fuel and protect environmental quality. See here for a PDF (13KB) version of the article.

"Knowledge grows or dies...Our investment in science would vanish if we did not freshen it constantly and keep training an alert scientific personnel."
--H. A. Wallace