From Jim Marion

AAES and The Producer

How does the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) determine what subjects are studied, and how is the information distributed to producers?

Individual faculty members whose research programs are supported by the AAES are located in five schools or colleges on the AU campus, with the largest number being in the College of Agriculture. Faculty work with producers and producer groups to identify research needs, then design and conduct studies to meet those needs, and later summarize the results. These scientists have access to the E.V. Smith Research Center and to substations located across the state. Each station has staff and supervisors who do the on-site work.

Results may be published in various publications and discussed at producer or scientific meetings. An additional method of disseminating research information is via field days held at our research stations. A prime example of this cooperative effort of meeting producer needs and disseminating research results is the successful new series of field days that was completed this spring for beef cattle producers.

In cooperation with the Alabama Cattleman's Association and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, this past April, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a series of meetings called “The Alabama Better Beef Tour.” This first-of-its-kind series of meetings provided the latest in research findings from Auburn, plus observations and timely information from other sources. And, it is evidence of the type of networking we are seeking to expand in our effort to provide timely research to our producers.

Better Beef Tour meetings were held at six different research substations from Fairhope on the Gulf Coast to Belle Mina in the Tennessee Valley. Despite the inevitable problems with planning something of this scope for the first time, the series was a big success. Participation and interest among the producers attending the meetings was outstanding and the information they received was both high tech and practical for use in their everyday operations.

A big thank you goes out to our partners and especially to those AU scientists who took a big chunk out of their schedule for a month to participate in these meetings. The whole group is too large to mention here, but special thanks goes to John Everest, Don Ball, Darryl Rankins, and Dave Bransby, who participated in many or all the meetings.

This tour will be repeated next year and new or improved field days will be added for a number of other agricultural commodities. Your Experiment Station system exists to serve all of agriculture, and these field days will help us to serve you better.

J. E. Marion

Director, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station