UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Climate-smart agriculture, animal health issues such as avian influenza, vector-borne diseases and the spread of the spotted lanternfly will be the focus of displays and presentations at the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building and Theater during Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 9-11.
College of Agricultural Sciences faculty members and Penn State Extension educators will address these and other topics in a series of exhibits:
• Climate-smart agriculture and forestry. Visitors will learn about the latest research and education on climate-smart agriculture and forestry, a solution-oriented approach to growing and sustaining food and resources. Researchers are developing efficient ways to increase both productivity and profitability by using cutting-edge technologies and innovative methods to grow more resilient crops and forests, to quantify the environmental benefits, and to open new market opportunities for producers and land managers.
• Protecting animal health. Penn State experts will share information on animal diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza — which has cost Pennsylvania producers tens of millions of dollars in losses in 2022 — and African swine fever. Scientists will explain the latest research on animal health and discuss best practices for creating a biosecurity plan, recognizing symptoms and managing disease spread. Visitors also can talk with Penn State faculty, extension educators and graduate students about the wide variety of career opportunities available in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture.
• Vector-borne diseases. Vector-borne diseases are those caused by pathogens transmitted by insects or related animals such as ticks. This display will cover the most common vector-borne diseases in Pennsylvania. These include tick-associated illnesses such as Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, and mosquito-associated diseases such as West Nile viral encephalitis. Experts will provide information on how to recognize vectors and how to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your livestock from vector bites and vector-borne diseases.
• Spotted lanternfly updates. Since being discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly has continued to spread, with 45 of the state’s counties now under a state-imposed quarantine. Visitors can speak with Penn State spotted lanternfly experts and find out where the invasive pest is now, how to identify the various life stages of the insect, and how they can help contain and manage lanternfly infestations. More information about the spotted lanternfly also is available on the Penn State Extension website.
Presentations related to these topics will be held in the College Exhibits Building Theater:
Aug. 9
10 a.m. - Update on African Swine Fever
10:30 a.m. - Workforce Development in Agriculture
11 a.m. - Prevention and Management of Salmonella Dublin on Dairies
11:30 a.m. - Avian Flu: What Happened?
1:30 p.m. - Fight the Bite: How to Treat Clothing and Use Repellents Effectively
2 p.m. - Birds Biting Bad Bugs: Predators of the Spotted Lanternfly in the U.S.
2:30 p.m. - Precision Technologies for Crop Production
Aug. 10
10 a.m. - Tools to Write Your Own Ag Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
10:30 a.m. - Climate Impact on Pollinators
11 a.m. - Workforce Development in Agriculture
11:30 a.m. - Fight the Bite: How to Treat Clothing and Use Repellents Effectively
Noon - Spotted Lanternfly: What are Your Management Options?
12:30 p.m. - Top Health Management Practices: Smart for Your Cows and Your Wallet
1 p.m. - Avian Flu: What Happened?
Aug. 11
10 a.m. - Forest Carbon and Markets: Opportunities and Penn State Extension Programs
10:30 a.m. - Agroclimate Change in Pa.: Implications for Climate-Smart Practices
11 a.m. - Avian Flu: What Happened?
Noon - Opening the Soil Black Box
1 p.m. - Informational Session on the Animal Science Apprentice Program
1:30 p.m. - Organic Ag: Breaking Down Misconceptions from Production to Certification
In addition, representatives from the College of Agricultural Sciences' Office of Undergraduate Education will be on hand at the College Exhibits Building to provide prospective students and their families with information about careers and the college's programs in animal, biomedical, environmental, plant and social sciences.
Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 10; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 11. Admission and parking are free.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days' website. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).