University officials confirmed yesterday that layoffs in agricultural programs and other budget cuts are imminent if state funding is not increased.

"There's no increase in funding for ... cooperative extension and agricultural research," university spokesman Bill Mahon said. "[If] inflation goes up, something's got to give. When this happened a few years ago, we had to cut back positions."

Penn State President Graham Spanier told state lawmakers at a budget hearing in Harrisburg Tuesday that if the university does not receive more funding, it might consider layoffs.

Penn State's Cooperative Extension program, which would face the most layoffs, runs offices in all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, assisting local citizens in agricultural, nutritional and community development initiatives, according to the program's Web site.

Mahon said in other states, the work of the Cooperative Extension program is done by state agencies.

Spanier highlighted the contributions Penn State agricultural programs make to the state, warning legislators that Pennsylvania will suffer if funding is curtailed. Some of the offices conduct research on illnesses such as West Nile disease.

"We are a resource that the commonwealth relies on," Spanier said Tuesday. "When there is an outbreak of any kind in the state, people will want to turn to Penn State for a research solution."

Penn State is seeking an appropriation increase for the agricultural program on level with the university's overall request of 6.8 percent. Spanier testified Tuesday that if the state does not release more funds to the university as a whole, university-wide cuts would have to be made.

Agricultural research was also denied an increase, a move Bruce McPheron, associate dean for research and graduate education, said will cost the program $2.3 million in inflationary expenses.

"That's real money we have to spend next year," he said.

McPheron said it is too early to tell who specifically in the department would be laid off if it does not receive a funding boost.

Agricultural researchers at Penn State recently attracted national attention when they initiated research into a mysterious honeybee die-off, one of the many programs that could face curtailment if state funds are not released.

"[It's] composite erosion, which over the long haul is a very insidious thing," McPheron said. "You wake up one morning and realize 'we can't do that, or that, or that.' "

The Pennsylvania College of Technology, an affiliate of Penn State that educates 6,569 students in applied technology trades, also received no increase in state appropriation. However, Mahon said the college has tuition to fall back on and may not necessarily undergo budget cuts.

Mahon said in the end, Penn State can't shoulder the burden of paying for cooperative extension and agricultural research alone.

"We think this is an important service in Pennsylvania," Mahon said. "We can't turn around and say we'll run the extension office in Adams County by charging freshmen more tuition, or adding 25 cents to a slice of pizza in the HUB ... state funding is very critical."