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- 6. UA vice dean honored for research that takes agriculture high tech
- LA MONICA EVERETT-HAYNES
Tucson Citizen
Colin Kaltenbach's tone shifts from calmness to subtle frustration while speaking about misconceptions surrounding agriculture.
"Agriculture is the largest industry in the nation," said Kaltenbach, vice dean of UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
And while many people may associate raising crops with the simple life, it is becoming more about science, technology and highly complex research.
Kaltenbach has just received national recognition after spending 25 years in leadership roles, spreading knowledge about agriculture while trying to advance the industry.
This month, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service inducted Kaltenbach into its newly created Hall of Fame. Eleven people have been inducted by the agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Kaltenbach has been a key player in determining where agricultural research should go, said Eugene Sander, the college's dean.
He is director of the 118-year-old Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station, which consists of 11 centers throughout the state, all run out of UA.
The station researches a large variety of topics, including use of natural pesticides, reducing germs on crops and growing food in arid regions.
Kaltenbach is especially concerned about the way people have lost touch with the reality of food production.
"We have a shortsighted view of food," Kaltenbach said. "People in large cities don't relate to agriculture. So long as food is plentiful and cheap, people don't think about it."
But that could be dangerous, he warns.
"Someday, we could be dependent on imports, and that's horrible in my mind," he said.
Sander credited Kaltenbach with increasing the station's annual grants from about $10 million to $50 million in a 10-year-period. Grants may come from federal or private sources.
Michael V. Martin, New Mexico State University president, also wrote a letter of praise.
"What's most remarkable about Colin is that he has been consistently successful, but has avoided self-promotion and self-aggrandizement," Martin write. "He works in a low-key, collaborative style that draws others to great service."
Kaltenbach prefers to take attention off himself, instead focusing on his college and industry.
"We have been charged with creating new knowledge and have a chance to deliver that knowledge to citizens of the state," Kaltenbach said.
Many people think his division deals only with farming, but its faculty also researches the environment, family and community issues, nutrition and health, economics, agro-terrorism, wastewater treatment systems and DNA chips.
More must happen in order to sustain domestic agriculture, and the industry desperately needs support, he said.
"We must put our resources in agriculture," Kaltenbach said. "Not only is it economically rational, but it will prevent us from having a serious problem in the long run."
UA agricultural researchers have:
-Found that the pink bollworm pest cannot survive in biotech cotton, also known as Bt cotton. The bollworm was formerly a big threat to the cotton crop.
-Participated in the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project and mapped the genetic code for rice - important in increasing yield and feeding hungry people.
-Completed a three-year study, finding that sub-surface irrigation could keep disease-causing germs off crops.
-Continued research on whether "stealth worms" - nematodes - may be used to kill pests in soil and trees.
-Studied how high and low temperatures affect tomato seedlings that may be transported over hundreds or thousands of miles.
-Developed a device to monitor emissions from farm equipment while researching adverse effects on workers' health.
Source: University of Arizona and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Agriculture employment
Agricultural workers, who work mostly on farms and ranches, include people who grow crops, work at greenhouses and inspect plants.
They also deliver livestock and other animals or install irrigation systems.
Here's more information:
About 795,000 of the nation's jobs were occupied by agricultural workers in 2002, 670,000 of which were farmworkers.
Consolidation of farms and advancements to farm equipment technology will slow growth in employment.
Agriculture will see a high turnover rate until 2012, and nursery and greenhouse workers will be in high demand.
Depending on their focus, farmworkers average hourly salaries between $7.20 an hour and $14. Others in agriculture average $7 to $25 an hour, depending on the field.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Updated: November 4, 2005
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