Welcomes THE U NIVERSITY of TENNESSEE INSTITUTE of AGRICULTURE SERA-IEG-6, NEC-17, & NCRA-13 to Nashville, TN Home of Country Music John Wilkerson Interim Assistant Dean, Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station Professor of Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science Knoxville, Tennessee

College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources College of Veterinary Medicine Extension Agricultural Experiment Station THE U NIVERSITY of TENNESSEE INSTITUTE of AGRICULTURE

Seven Academic Departments –Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science –Plant Science –Entomology & Plant Pathology –Food Science –Animal Science –Agricultural Economics –Forestry, Wildlife, & Fisheries 105 Faculty

Seven Departments –Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science –Plant Science –Entomology & Plant Pathology –Food Science –Animal Science –Agricultural Economics –Forestry, Wildlife, & Fisheries Ten Research and Education Centers –Ames Plantation –West Tennessee –Milan –Highland Rim –Middle Tennessee –Dairy –Plateau –Forest Resources –East Tennessee –Greeneville SCIENTISTS

West Tennessee Research and Education Center East Tennessee Research and Education Center Forest Resources Research and Education Center Research and Education Center at Milan Dairy Research and Education Center Research and Education Center At Greeneville Highland Rim Research And Education Center Research and Education Center at Ames Plantation Plateau Research And Education Center Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center Research & Education Centers

CHANGE “Are we staying relevant with the current changes in agriculture?

Changes in Agriculture: Farm Sizes in US Growth in number of small and large farms Decrease in number of medium-sized farms USDA Agricultural Census 2002 (Summarized from Census Table 1)

Changes in Agriculture: Farms Sales in US USDA Agricultural Census 2002 (Summarized from Census Table 57) Growth in % of farms with lowest or highest sales Decrease in % of farms in middle categories. $5.0-$9.9 $10-$24.9 $25-$49.9 >$500 <$2.5 $50-$99.9 $2.5-$4.9 $100-$ % 0% 50% 100% 150% Farm sales ($1,000) Percent Change 1982 to 2002

Changes in US Agriculture: % Sales by Sales Category USDA Agricultural Census 2002 (Summarized from Table 57) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% >$1000 $500-$999$250-$499 $100-$249 $50-$99$25-$49 $ $5-$9.9 $2.5-$4.9 $1-$2.49 <$1 Farm Sales Categories (x $1,000) Percentage % of US Farms % of US Sales 70% of farms 3% of sales 7.5% of farms 77% of sales

Changes in TN Agriculture: % Sales by Sales Category USDA Agricultural Census 2002 (Summarized from Table 57) 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% >$1000 $500-$999$250-$499 $100-$249 $50-$99$25-$49 $ $5-$9.9 $2.5-$4.9 $1-$2.49 <$1 Farm Sales Categories (x $1,000) Percentage % of TN Farms % of TN Sales 77% of farms 7% of sales 4.5% of farms 73% of sales

SHAPING THE FUTURE GIVEN CHANGE Predicting the Future Anticipating the Future Planning for the Future

Shaping The Future Implies - DELIMMA ! THE FUTURE IS ALWAYS UNKNOWN Knowledge Of What The Future Holds

TIME Information Information Predictions Of The Future Are Extrapolations Of Historical Information

TIME Information Information More certain than guessing about the future Information 0 ∞

No Reason To Believe Soil, Plant, Byproduct, and Water Analyses Testing Will Not Continue To Play An Important Role In The Future From A Historical Perspective

Problem Solution “All the easy problems have been solved, only the difficult ones remain.” …Thomas Klindt Soil Science Plant Science Production Economics

Solutions We need a Discovery “Bench Science” We have a Missing Part  “Application” System Level Challenge Information  Decisions

SOLUTION NEEDED

Discovery “Bench Science” Solutions We have a We need a Missing Part  “Application” System Level Challenge Information  Decisions

Discovery “Bench Science” Solutions We have a We need a Translational Research “Application of the Discovery”

Translational Research NIH Definition: “Translational research includes two areas of translation. One is the process of applying discoveries generated during research in the laboratory, and in preclinical studies, to the development of trials and studies in humans. The second area of translation concerns research aimed at enhancing the adoption of best practices in the community.” 1. Application of Discovery 2. Adoption of Best Practices

Development, integration, and implementation of new measurement technologies and methods for both laboratory and in-field measurements –What is the future for real-time field sensors and what role will they play? –Can we develop an on-farm protocol that will allow producers to define their own yield response functions using conventional production equipment ? Translational Research Opportunities from an Engineering Prospective

“Old chemist never die, they just stop reacting.”.. by Richard Gouin

Welcome& Have a great meeting ! THE U NIVERSITY of TENNESSEE INSTITUTE of AGRICULTURE