Central State University

Addressing the Needs of Stakeholders in Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Industry in Ohio and Us Through Evans Allen Program at Central State University Central State University Through Its Evans Allen Research Program Expects to Focus on the Following Thematic Research Areas in Agric Ulture, Food Sciences and Nutrition: Agricultural Technology (AT) Has Not Always Been Economically Viable for Small or Medium Farm Operations. Small-scale and Specialty Crop Growers May Not Benefit From the Wave of Technological Advancements as Large-scale Production Growers. Inadequate Effort Has Occurred to Uplift Small-scale Farming to Make Agricultural Technology a Profitable and Desirable Choice for Beginner Farmers. This Issue Needs to Be Addressed for the Betterment of the Small Scale, Beginning, Socially Disadvantaged, and Specialty Crop Growers. Small-scale Farmers Who Farm Less Than 5 Acres Are Critical for World Food Security as They Produce 35% of the World's Food. Therefore, the Development of Effective Agricultural Technology Solutions for Small-scale Farming Is Imperative for Sustainable Agriculture and World Food Security. Cross Disciplinary Approaches Are Needed to Address This Challenge. Applications of Mechatronics That Integrate Expertise in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Control, Machine Vision and Information Technology in a Seamless Manner Is Gaining Traction in Improving Food Production. Research in Mechanical Design of New or Modifying and Adapting Existing Agricultural Machinery for Precision Delivery of Novel Integrated Agricultural Nutrient and Pest Management Strategies, Coordinated Machine Control in Response to Sensory Feedback, Sensor Technology and High-level Programming Are Needed to Improve Efficiency of Farming Systems. Precision Agricultural Technology Is a Critical Solution to Expand the Ongoing Research on Non-chemical, High Ener Gy-based Pest Control Conducted by Researchers in Cesta Which Requires Additional Capabilities in Mechatronics Engineering to Develop Devices That Enhance Agricultural Efficiency, Reduce Costs and Improve Sustainability. Csu Also Intends to Develop Appropriate Services for Commercializing the Technologies to Lower Farming Costs and Enhance Economic Development Through Higher Paying Jobs in Related Advanced Technology Companies. Alternative Crops Are Needed to Provide Growers New Revenue Streams. Large-scale Adoption of Alternative Crops Can Reduce Overproduction of Major Crops, Thereby Increasing Commodity Prices. It Is Relevant to Explore and Develop Knowledge to Establish Valuable Niche Markets for Alternative and Specialty Crops. Interesting Alternative Crops for Ohio Include Hemp, High-amylose Corn, Perennial Crops, Medicinal Plants, and Biomass Crops. Hemp Can Be Utilized as a Food, Fiber, Feed, Bioenergy, and Medicine. Increasing Ohio Hemp Production Will Diversify the State's Agriculture Industry, Give Growers Alternative Revenue Streams, Reduce Dependence on Two Crop Systems (corn-soybeans), Provide Ecological Sustainable Benefits and That Enhance Human Health. Central State Is Conducting Agronomy and Plant Breeding Research in Alternate, Specialty and Medicinal Plants Under Conventional and Organic Production System. New Hemp Varieties Bred and Adapted to Ohio Will Provide Growers Across the Region Superior Genetics to Maximize Crop Yields and Reduce Chances of Crop Failure. These Traits Will Enhance the Success of Hemp Crops Within the Region and Maximize Farmer Returns. Csu Will Also Pursue Developing Techniques to Make Use of Hemp Fiber for Composite Materials and Medicinal Products. a Program for the Improvement of Specialty Corn That Works With Ohio Producers Toward Identifying New Market Opportunities by the Development and Commercialization of Hybrid Varieties With Useful Novel Starches as Determined by the Needs of the End-users Appears Necessary. in This Regard High-amylose Corn, Which Has Elevated Levels of Amylose Content in the Starch Has Potential Benefits. Recent Developments Indicate Its Potential Utilization in Bioplastics and by Food Companies for a Starch Type That Resists Digestion. Natural Products From Horticultural Production That Have Capacity to Provide Enhanced Economic Value to Agricultural Systems May Also Bring Economic Benefits to Ohio Producers. the Potential for Natural Products to Remediate Some of the Most Current Public Concerns Such as Human Health and Nutrition, Pests, and Pathogens, as Well as Other Societal Problems Merits Exploration. Central State Is Engaged in Developing Natural Products From Plants to Establish Valuable Niche Markets for Alternative and Specialty Crops. Soil Security Is a Critical Component of Plant Productivity and Environmental Quality in Agricultural Systems. Informed Management of Soil Resources Is Imperative to Effectively Manage Natural Resources.,. an Assessment of Soil Information and Health at Local, Regional, and Global Scales Will Provide a Holistic System-based Approach to Address the Issues at the Nexus of Plant, Animal, Natural Resources, and Environmental Systems. Central State Researchers Will Use Advanced Techniques and Instrumentation That Harnesses the Recent Developments in Agricultural Sciences Including, Proximal Sensing, Satellite Sensing, Drone-based Sensing, Soil Microbiology, Isotope Geochemistry, and Pesticide Chemistry to Solve Broad Societal Needs Such as Climate Change Mitigation, Carbon Markets, Renewable Energy Systems, Non- Point Source Pollution Abatement, Enhanced Crop Productivity, Diversified Cropping Systems and Pollinator Behavior and Health. Researchers Will Assess the Effectiveness of Several Agricultural Best Management Practices in Reducing Nutrient Loads in the Great and Little Miami Watersheds That Drain Into the Ohio River and Subsequently Into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. Central State Expects to Achieve This by Utilizing Advance Geospatial and Ai Technologies, Modeling and Other Innovative Lab and Field Techniques Coupled With on Farm Research. Water Issues in the Us Are Related to 1) Variability in Availability of the Resource for Agriculture, Domestic Industrial and Commercial Uses, Firefighting, and Recreation; 2) Floods and Droughts; 3) Water Quality in Agricultural and Urban Areas; 4) Economics of Water Resources and 5) Ways for Energy Generation. the Major Phenomenon of Climate Change Impacts All Aspects of Water, Which Requires Planning Structural and Non-structural Mitigation Measures. a Major Water Issue in Ohio Is Related to Water Quality. Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Agricultural Runoff and Leaching Continues to Be a Non-point Source Pollution Affecting Water Quality in Ohio Watersheds by Causing Harmful Algal Blooms. to Date, Minimal Research Has Been Done in Cropped Acres of Southwestern Ohio to Quantify the Impact of Nutrient Pollution on Water Quality. Central State Researchers Will Address Water Quality Issues in Southwestern Ohio by Targeted Implementationof Agricultural Best Management Practices. in Urban Landscapes, a Water Quality Issue Affecting Municipal Stakeholders Is Managing the Water and Wastewater Systems Under Their Respective Jurisdictions. the Wastewaters From These Systems, Though Treated and Released Still Carry Considerable Loads of Non-point Source Pollution. Major Work Elements Involve Developing Guidelines for Watershed Level Decision Making on Water Quality Restoration and Improvements by the Municipalities and Counties; Enhance Environmental Sustainability; Expansion of Modeling as a Decision-making Tool to Include Socioeconomic Factors; Enhancing the Smart Models to Include Other and Emerging "contaminants of Concern" and Augmenting Wastewater Smart Sensors With Biosensors to Detect Viruses Leading to County-wide Public Health Crisis. Central State Researchers Will Conduct Research on These Work Elements. Pollinator Health Is Crucial for Sustainable Agriculture Into the Future. Honeybees Are the Most Important Managed Pollinators Contr Ibuting $15 Billion for the U.s. Economy, But the Honeybee Colonies Are in a 40-50% Decline in the Country. Managed Bee Colonies Are in a 60% Annual Decline in Ohio. Promoting Mite Resistant Bees Is One of the Most Effective Ways to Mitigate the Bee Decline. It Is Imperative That to Develop New Methods for Increasing Genetic Diversity and to Improve Queen Bee Quality. the Limiting Factors Affecting Local Honeybee Resources Include Fewer Queens and the Nuclei Available to Fulfill the Demand of Beekeepers in the Region. Central State University Expects to Grow the Bee Genomic Program to Address the Needs of the Ohio Stakeholders Involved in Pollinator Management. Human Health Encompasses Many Factors: Behavioral, Economic, Environmental, Cultural, Educational, and Genetic. Diet and Nutrition a Re Important to Overall Health. Diseases Related to Obesity, Sedentary Lifestyles, Nutrient Deficiencies and Food Insecurity, Are Major Dietary Health Concerns in the U.s and in Ohio. Central State Expect to Develop Methods That Are Needed to Positively Impact Community Health, by Working With Individuals and Systems to Determine the Best Practices in Health Promotion. University Researchers Will Conduct Studies on Factors Related to Heart Health of African American Population to Find Pathways to Improve Wellness of the Affected Communities. Through Research, We Also Expect to Focus on Identifying Preventative Mechanisms for Reducing Angina and Determining the Effects of Gasotransmitters Such as Nitric Oxide (NO) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) in Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Models Including Tissue Culture, to Guide Possible Intervention Mechanisms Using Nutritional Approaches. Studies in These Disease Models Will Provide Valuable Information for Improving Human Health and Associated Science. Food Safety Augments Human Health. Fresh Produce Consumption Has Increased in the Us Because of Increasing Health Consciousness of C Onsumers, Improved Year-roundavailability, Creative Marketing, and Improved Varieties. Fresh Produce Consumption Increase However, Has Coincided With Several Foodborne Pathogenic Cases Outbreaks and Diseases Linked to Produce Which Are Major Threats to Food Industry. for the Past Few Years, Most Foodborne Contamination and Outbreaks Are Associated With Fresh Produce (fruit and Vegetables). Human Pathogenic Bacteria, Salmonella, Listeria, and Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus Aureus, and Shigella, and Norovirus, Hepatitis a Virus, and Protozoa Are the Leading Contaminants in Produce Industry. Currently, There Is Limited Literature in Understanding the Human Pathogen Sources, Survival Behavior in Produce and Environment, and Mode of Transmission and Contamination During Production. Effects of Climate Change and Changes in Global Trade and Consumption Patterns Are Expected to Influence the Quality of Fresh Produce and Impacts Food Safety. Climate Change Effects Including Extreme Weather Events and Natural Disasters, Such as Floods and Drought Have Increased the Frequency of Heavy Rains, Frequent and Longer Drought Periods, Acidification of Water, CO2 Enriched Atmosphere, and Extreme Precipitations With Altered Patterns and Potential Rising in Sea Levels. All These Effects of Climate Change Are Expected to Impact the Agricultural Production Methods and Potentially Support the Growth, Survival, Antibiotic Resistance, and Emergent of New Strains of Pathogenic Microorganisms Associate With Food and Water Sources. Also, the Insect Pests, Microbial Vectors, Population Is Expected to Grow Due to Altered Weather Patterns. Increment in Temperatures Is Expected to Increase the Rise of Sea Level That May Influence Human Pathogens Survival and Proliferation in Agricultural Production Systems. Central State University Intends to Develop of a Food Safety Research Program to Address the Food Security Issues in Ohio. Workforce Diversity in Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Industry Is a Critical Need at the State and National Level. Central State as One of the 19 Hbcu Land Grant Institutions in the Country Is Dedicated to Serving the Underrepresented Students in Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Disciplines. the University Will Engage Undergraduate Students in Experiential Learning Opportunities in the Above Discussed Thematic Research Areas as Undergraduate Research Assistants in the Lab and in the Field. the Students Will Be Provided Opportunities for Professional Development in Usda Disciplines to Foster a Diversified Workforce.