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Agricultural News


OYE Celebrates OSU Day, Dr. Coon Promotes University to Future Students

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:39:45 CDT

OYE Celebrates OSU Day, Dr. Coon Promotes University to Future Students It's Oklahoma State University Day at the Oklahoma Youth Expo going on at State Fair Park. OSU Dean and Vice President of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dr. Tom Coon has been looking forward to this day for a long time. He said he first heard about the event when he interviewed for the position last spring.


"I really excited about getting out there today and seeing all these young people and their parents and making sure they know about OSU," Coon said.


Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays caught up with Dr. Coon at OYE Wednesday. Click or tap on the LISTENBAR below to listen to the full interview.


Enrollment at OSU and in DASNR continues to see steady growth. Coon said that provides a positive challenge in serving more students with the available resources. He commended his faculty for their creativity in development of course work and developing opportunities for students to gain hands-on-learning.


OSU has many bright spots within the agriculture college.   Coon said the Wheat Improvement Team has developed 44 % of the state's wheat varieties planted in Oklahoma. In the animal science department, Dr. Coon said there is some new faculty that is looking at animal wellbeing, minimizing environmental impact and looking at how to become more efficient with livestock nutrition. Similar to precision farming, Coon said this research aims to ensure the right nutrients are available at the right time, so there is no waste. The natural resource ecology management department is doing work on the endangered and threatened species in the state. Coon said they are doing some pioneering research on lesser prairie chickens. He said ranchers are working with OSU facility in trying to figure how to manage grazing, so the birds can succeed, while allowing ranchers to have a profitable ranching operation.


With limited funding available for research, Coon said researchers need to make sure they are in touch with the needs of ranchers, farmers, community leaders, and so forth in ensuring research is addressing the most critical needs. OSU is creating an innovation fund, essentially a pool of funds. Coon said this allows the needs to be identified by stakeholders, such as commodity groups, producer organizations, etc. Then faculty will have the opportunity to write proposals to do research and deliver extension programs that will address those needs. He said through the scientific review process they will determine which projects are addressing those needs most critically and will be funded. Coon said OSU needs to have stakeholders at the table and if agricultural groups are willing to contribute funds, then the funds will be leveraged.


This concept was recently launched at the national level with funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Coon agrees this concept has merit and he finds if other people are willing to invest in these projects, that is a good sign that the project is relevant, important and cutting-edge research.
   
   

Ron Hays talks with Dr. Tom Coon about what's going on with DASNR at Oklahoma State University
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