WANATAH, Ind. — The research reports at the annual Pinney-Purdue Field Day can be predictable. There always are updates on the latest pest-resistant crop varieties and the most effective herbicides.

Those reports have become a common refrain over the years, and they play an important role in making sure farmers in the area remain competitive in the marketplace. But every once in awhile, something comes along that is so different it can leave a wagon-load of generally skeptical farmers silent.

Such was the case with Rick Meilan’s project on poplar trees, which was presented to some 200 farmers on Aug. 22 at the annual Pinney-Purdue Field Day. Meilan, a Purdue University forester, planted 2,500 poplar trees in a test plot a little over a year ago and for the next five years will take careful measurements on growth, soil compatibility, water needs and pest resistance.

“By the time these trees are harvested in six years, they’ll be 90 feet tall,” said Meilan.

By that time, they will be ready for use as fuel in the energy industry, providing an alternative to corn that is now the basis for ethanol. Woody cellulose is the next generation of that fuel, said Meilan, and poplar trees are a good alternative. After two years, he said the trees can be harvested and used for ethanol; after six years, they can be used for cellulose in electric energy generation; and after 12 years, they can be cut for lumber.

There are 30 species of poplar found across the United States. They grow quickly and are fairly easy to maintain. Their versatility comes in the fact they can be harvested after just two years and used as a fuel for heat, and then replanted. “Bugs don’t like them and disease don’t like them,” said Meilan, who added it took him and his crew just six hours to plant the 2,500 trees now growing at Pinney-Purdue. He has a similar plot growing in a different soil at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center near Vincennes.

In 2005, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act requiring that 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel be used in gasoline by 2012. That target was met in just two years. In the current farm bill, incentives for cellulosic subsidies (from woody plants like poplar trees) are being debated.

“Already, it’s law in 30 states that electric-generating companies are going to have to produce a certain percent of their power from renewable resources. It’s not law in Indiana yet, but it was discussed last session,” said Meilan. “It’s going to happen and the electric companies know it.”

Using the analogy of the popular movie “Field of Dreams,” Meilan told farmers, “If you plant it, (electric companies) will come. They don’t own a lot of land to grow their own, so they’re going to have to buy woody biomass.”

In particular, he mentioned Hoosier Energy, which is planning for future needs to meet federal regulations, including a ready supply of cellulosic ethanol, such as that produced by poplar trees.

Among more traditional research on display at Pinney-Purdue Day was a presentation by plant researcher Kiersten Wise, who said the summer’s severe drought and hot weather had a major disease impact on corn. She said there is a much higher incidence of aflatoxin in Indiana than normal. “It’s rare in Indiana, but it’s highly carcinogenic to both humans and livestock,” she said. “Walk your cornfield and pull back the husks on some ears. If you see a dirty olive green mold at the top or bottom of the ear, you’ve got it.”

Technically, it’s known as aspergillus flavus, or aspergillus ear rot. “It really shows up in stressed corn, like we have this year,” she said. “You might want to harvest your fields early if you find it. Dry it to below 16 percent to keep it from spreading.”

Keith Johnson’s presentation was about the impact of hot, dry conditions on forage and cover crops. Those conditions led to an abundance of potato leafhoppers, which stunt the growth of forage plants. Johnson showed how stems are short and there are smaller leaves, cutting the yield of forage crops.

“You might want to consider resistant varieties that keep the leafhopper from laying eggs,” said Johnson. That variety has stems and branches covered with small, hair-like growth that keeps leafhoppers from laying eggs directly on the stem.

“This means you don’t have to spray as often, and that lowers your cost and the amount of time you spend in the field,” Johnson added.

Without that, he said it’s important for anyone with cover crops to sweep their fields weekly in order to detect the pest.

Lew Van Meter, a blueberry farmer from Wanatah, said he didn’t think there was anything specific being researched at Pinney-Purdue that would help him, but he wanted to get a look just the same.

“The drought didn’t hurt me too bad,” said Van Meter, owner of Blue Sky Berry Farm. In addition, he raises raspberries, strawberries and other berry varieties.

Lyndon Kelley, an extension specialist in irrigation, said this year’s drought was much like the 1988 drought that had a severe impact on Indiana agriculture.

“Our soil moisture was depleted in June,” he said. “Rain around the state was pretty much scattered. In July, some areas in northwest Indiana got upwards of four inches, but over the east, areas around LaGrange County got less than two-tenths of an inch.”

Kelley pointed out July is a crucial month for farmers because it’s when corn starts to pollinate. He said irrigation in Indiana is designed to supplement natural rainfall, not replace it – but in some areas, the only moisture being put on fields was what was coming from irrigation. “I think most people realize this is a once-in-20-years kind of thing,” said Kelley, adding that farmers are doing the numbers to see if it’s financially worth the investment in installing irrigation.

Dr. Karen Plaut, director of agricultural research at Purdue, said what is being done at Pinney-Purdue is part of 350 projects on 40 different crops, involving more than 11,000 acres at eight research farms in the state.

“This year did allow us to examine drought tolerances,” said Plaut. “But we don’t yet know the full impact of the drought on our research. We do know that some plots we put in aren’t recoverable, and those graduate students will have to redo their work next year. Even so, this is something we can learn from.”

She said her visit to Pinney-Purdue allowed her the opportunity to talk with farmers. “We need to have farmers as a part of the conversation. We want them to ask questions. We want to know what this kind of research means to them.”