Digital Commons Network^™

Quantification Of Bt-Endotoxin Exposure Pathways In Carabid Food Webs Across Multiple Transgenic Events, Julie A. Peterson, John J. Obrycki, James D. Harwood

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Despite the reported specificity of Bacillus thuringiensis proteins against target pests, a number of studies have indicated that the uptake of Bt-endotoxins from bioengineered crops could have negative effects on natural enemies. It is therefore essential to quantify exposure pathways in non-target arthropod food webs across multiple transgenic events. Adult ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were collected from transgenic corn fields expressing lepidopteran-specific Cry1Ab, coleopteran-specific Cry3Bb1, and both Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 (stacked event), as well as a non-transgenic isoline. Carabid gut-contents were screened for Cry1Ab Bt-endotoxin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Significant numbers of carabids tested positive for Cry1Ab from the lepidopteran-specific …

Nebline, July 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Lancaster Rural Water District: Providing Water to Acreages and Villages for 35 Years
Watch for Blister Beetles in Alfalfa
Use of Copper Compounds to Control Algae in Farm Ponds
Two-Spotted Spider Mites
Water Conservation at Home Begins in the Bathroom, Laundry Room
Harvesting Rainwater Helps Conserve Water and Save Money
What to Do with Zucchini!
Fruits Are Good Source of Nutrients
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Environmental and Energy Saving Tips When Washing Dishes
Learn the Signs/Act Early Autism Awareness
Summer Safety Tips
There is Still Time to Control Bagworms …

Usan Sorgo Para Hacer Pan: El Centa Capacita A Panifi Cadores Para Usar Esa Materia Prima, Roxana Ortiz

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

En marzo del año pasado, la industria panifi cadora experimento los precios altos que sufrió la harina de trigo. En la búsqueda de nuevas alternativas, algunos productores se interesaron en el uso de harina de sorgo para elaborar pan dulce y bebidas étnicas.

Por esa razón, el Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA), a través del laboratorio de alimentos, impulsa esta tecnología.

Promueven Ventajas Nutritivas Del Sorgo: La Harina De Este Cereal Es Utilizada Para Elaborar Diversos Productivos Alimenticios, Roxana Ortiz

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Horchata, tiste, atoles saborizados, poleadas, pudín, harina de afrecho, pan francés y dulce son productos elaborados a base de sorgo o maicillo y son mezclados con otros ingredientes, técnica impulsada por especialistas del laboratorio de alimentos del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA).

El proceso consiste en usar la harina sola de sorgo (100%) y mezclarla con otros cereales, rostizando el grano para la elaboración de bebidas o molido en seco para el desarrollo de otros productos.

A Nonsense Mutation In A Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Is Responsible For The Sorghum Brown Midrib6 Phenotype1[W][Oa], Scott E. Sattler, Aaron J. Saathoff, Eric J. Haas, Nathan A. Palmer, Deanna L. Funnell-Harris, Gautam Sarath, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

brown midrib6 (bmr6) affects phenylpropanoid metabolism, resulting in reduced lignin concentrations and altered lignin composition in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Recently, bmr6 plants were shown to have limited cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity (CAD; EC 1.1.1.195), the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of hydroxycinnamoyl aldehydes (monolignals) to monolignols. A candidate gene approach was taken to identify Bmr6. Two CAD genes (Sb02g024190 and Sb04g005950) were identified in the sorghum genome based on similarity to known CAD genes and through DNA sequencing a nonsense mutation was discovered in Sb04g005950 that results in a truncated protein lacking the NADPH-binding and C-terminal …

Nebline, June 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Proper Timing Crucial for Bagworm Control
Enjoy Eating Locally Grown Foods!
Drink Your “D” with Dairy
Resurgence in Farmers’ Markets is Good News
Follow Guidelines when Selling Crops Directly to Consumers
Ten Lawn Irrigation Tips
Determining and Sharing Irrigation Costs
When to Harvest Bromegrass Hay
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Air Conditioner Maintenance
June — National Safety Month
Ten Tips for Fertilizing Your Lawn
Bagworms on a Variety of Plants
Bed Bug Bites
Bed Bug Interceptors
4-H Life Challenge Contests
Lancaster County 4-H Horse VIPS Pre-Districts Format Clinic/Show/Fundraiser
4-H Clover …

Grazing Lands And Soil Carbon Storage, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

On March 31, 2009, a draft discussion of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was released to the public. The bill contains four sections addressing:

1. clean energy;
2. energy efficiency;
3. reducing global warming pollution; and
4. transitioning to a clean energy economy.

Section 3 contains a description of the proposed cap-and-trade program designed to reduce industrial emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). Agricultural sources, although largely diffuse and not regulated directly by the bill, account for …

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Allow Reduced Application Rates Of Chemical Fertilizers, A. O. Adesemoye, H. A. Torbert, J. W. Kloepper

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The search for microorganisms that improve soil fertility and enhance plant nutrition has continued to attract attention due to the increasing cost of fertilizers and some of their negative environmental impacts. The objectives of this greenhouse study with tomato were to determine (1) if reduced rates of inorganic fertilizer coupled with microbial inoculants will produce plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake levels equivalent to those with full rates of the fertilizer and (2) the minimum level to which fertilizer could be reduced when inoculants were used. The microbial inoculants used in the study were a mixture of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria …

Nebline, May 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Bed Bugs Come Back with a Vengeance: Controlling Them Quickly is Key to Slowing Their Spread
Bird Watching: A Little Backyard Therapy
May is Time to Control Leafy Spurge
Recognize/Control Phragmites
Getting the Most Out of CRP
Gluten-Free Sorghum Recipes
Eat a Variety of Vegetables
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Removing Pollen Stains
May is Clean Air Month: Important Asthma Triggers
Encourage Communication Within the Family
Hand Picking Bagworms an Effective Control
ReTree Nebraska: Important to Diversify When Replanting
Managing Aquatic Plant Life
Using Animal Manure in the Garden
Control …

Sorghum Grain Mold: Sustainable Pest Management Strategies, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Global losses due to grain mold are estimated to be $130 million annually. Sorghum grain mold is caused by a complex of fungal species, the most important being Fusarium thapsinum and Curvularia lunata. An additional 25 fungal genera are secondary invaders. Grain mold reduces the quantity of food available, as the fungus consumes a portion of the grain, and reduces the quality and economic value of what remains by producing pigments and toxins that make the grain less palatable and nutritious. Fusarium spp. and the secondarily invading Aspergillus spp. may produce toxins such as aflatoxins (a highly carcinogenic and …

Switchgrass For Forage And Bioenergy: I. Effects Of Nitrogen Rate And Harvest System, Maru Kering, J. T. Biermacher, Billy Cook, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been targeted for cellulosic ethanol production. Our objective was to evaluate effects of location, harvest system, and N fertilizer rates on switchgrass biomass yield and N, P, and K removal. Randomized complete block experiments with four replications were established on one-year old stands of ‘Alamo’ switchgrass at two Oklahoma locations in 2008. Harvest system and N rate interactions affected total annual yield. Biomass yields ranged from 9020 to 10530 kg/ha across harvest systems when no N was applied. With application of 179 kg N/ha, biomass yields averaged 10715, 13912, and 16516 kg/ha when harvested at …

A Dedicated Thioesterase Of The Hotdog-Fold Family Is Required For The Biosynthesis Of The Naphthoquinone Ring Of Vitamin K1, Joshua R. Widhalm, Chloë Van Oostende, Fabienne Furt, Gilles J. C. Basset

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty and Staff Publications

Phylloquinone (vitamin K₁) is a bipartite molecule that consists of a naphthoquinone ring attached to a phytyl side chain. The coupling of these 2 moieties depends on the hydrolysis of the CoA thioester of 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHNA), which forms the naphthalenoid backbone. It is not known whether such a hydrolysis is enzymatic or chemical. In this study, comparative genomic analyses identified orthologous genes of unknown function that in most species of cyanobacteria cluster with predicted phylloquinone biosynthetic genes. The encoded approximately 16-kDa proteins display homology with some Hotdog domain-containing CoA thioesterases that are involved in the catabolism of 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA …

Chlorella Viruses Prevent Multiple Infections By Depolarizing The Host Membrane, Timo Greiner, Florian Frohns, Ming Kang, James L. Van Etten, Anja Käsmann, Anna Moroni, Brigitte Hertel, Gerhard Thiel

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Previous experiments established that when the unicellular green alga Chlorella NC64A is inoculated with two viruses, usually only one virus replicates in a single cell. That is, the viruses mutually exclude one another. In the current study, we explore the possibility that virus- induced host membrane depolarization, at least partially caused by a virus-encoded K+ channel (Kcv), is involved in this mutual exclusion. Two chlorella viruses, PBCV-1 and NY-2A, were chosen for the study because (i) they can be distinguished by real-time PCR and (ii) they exhibit differential sensitivity to Cs+, a well-known K+ channel blocker. PBCV-1-induced host membrane depolarization, …

Center For Grassland Studies Newsletter, Winter-Spring 2009, Volume 15, No. 1

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents:
Estimating Livestock Forage Demand: Defining the Animal Unit (AU) by T.L. Meyer, Don Adams, Terry Klopfenstein, Jerry Volesky, L. Aaron Stalker, Rick Funston, UNL
Landscape Groundcovers by Roch Gaussoin and Kim Todd, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL
Sandhills Ecotourism Project by Wyatt Fraas, Center for Rural Affairs
Program for 2009 Nebraska Grazing Conference
2009 Nike Golf Camp in Lincoln This July

Sorghum--Fuel Of The Future? Agronomist Studies Sorghum And Grass For Future Energy Source, Nancy Peterson, John Propheter, Scott Staggenborg

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Weighing in on crop production in West Africa might seem a bit of a stretch for a K-State agronomist; however, that’s not the case for Scott Staggenborg. He recently returned from his second visit to West Africa, where he reviewed sorghum research and crop production.

During the research trip to Tombouctou (also spelled Timbuktu), a West African city near the Niger River, he joined Malian researchers in exploring opportunities to improve sorghum production and management. The research effort is supported by the International Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (INTSORMIL).

Growing conditions in the West African region are remarkably similar to …

Changes In Producer Attitudes Towards Windbreaks In Eastern Nebraska, 1983 To 2009, Kim Tomczak

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Windbreaks are rows of trees or shrubs arranged on the landscape to reduce wind speed. In agricultural landscapes we find them as farmstead windbreaks, livestock windbreaks and field windbreaks. While farmstead and livestock windbreaks are well accepted by the agricultural community, field windbreaks are often viewed differently. A 1982 study of the attitudes of farmers in Eastern Nebraska indicated that many of the producers were around the age of 50 and that they used different types of windbreaks. This study repeated that survey in the same. When compared to data from 1982, farmers today are not educated about the …

Impacts Of Plant Size, Density, Herbivory, And Desease On Native Platte Thistle (Cirsium Canescens), Deidra Jacobsen

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract. Based on prior field observations, we hypothesized that individual and interacting effects of plant size, density, insect herbivory, and especially fungal disease, influenced seedling and juvenile plant growth in native Platte thistle populations (Cirsium canescens Nutt.). We worked at Arapaho Prairie in the Nebraska Sandhills (May - August 2007), monitoring plant growth, insect damage, and fungal infection within different density thistle patches. In the main experiment, we sprayed half of test plants in different density patches with fungicide (Fungonil© Bonide, containing chlorothalonil) and half with a water control. Fungal infection rates were very low, so we found no difference …

Evaluating Hazelnut Cultivars For Yield, Quality And Disease Resistance, Sam Tobin

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT This long term study focuses on testing various hazelnut cultivars for yield, nut quality and disease resistance. There are various cultivars that are being tested for these desired traits but only the Grand Traverse and Skinner will be applicable for the results of this localized study. The desired traits of commercial nut production are best matched by these two cultivars. Results from previous harvests will be used to draw trends to recommend commercially functional cultivars in Eastern Nebraska.

Nebline, April 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Urban Youth Learn About Agriculture at Local Ag Awareness Festivals
Renting Livestock Facilities
Is Sainfoin Right For You?
Wind Energy Seminars Archived on the Web
Backyard Organic Gardens Need Work but Have Increased Benefits
Pre-emergent Herbicide Application Time
Act Early to Control Musk Thistles
Study Shows Transplanted Trees Grow Better Without Grass Nearby
Eat Your Breakfast— Your Body will Thank You!
Easter Egg Tips
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Housekeeping Organization
Wring Out the Old; Bring in the New: Debunking Some Common Cleaning Practices
Boost Your Child’s Brain Power
Children …

2008 Ksu Insortmil/Usaid Poultry Experiment In West Africa, S. Issa, J. D. Hancock

INTSORMIL Presentations

INTSORMIL (funded by USAID) promotes the use and marketability of sorghum and millet in developing nations around the world.

A key objective is to provide technology transfer that will improve production, storage, marketing, and utilization of sorghum and millet.

An additional objective is to build human capital via student training and collaboration with colleagues in targeted regions of the world.

Justification: We were approached by potential collaborators from the National Institute for Agronomic Research in Niger (INRAN).

Sorghum is the second most produced cereal (after millet) in Niger.

Locally produced sorghum is generally less expensive than imported corn, yet imported …

Promueven Sorgo O Maicillo Para Consumo Humano: El Grano De Sorgo Tiene Componentes Nutricionales Para Mejorar La Dieta Alimenticia, Así Lo Confirmó Una Técnica Del Laboratorio De Tecnología De Alimentos Del Centa, Roxana Ortiz, Eduardo Funes

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Horchata, tiste, atoles saborizados, poleadas, pudin, harina de afrecho, pan francés y dulce son productos elaborados a base de sorgo o maicillo y son mezclados con otros ingredientes, técnica impulsada por especialistas del Laboratorio de Alimentos del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA).

La Técnica consiste en usar la harina sola de sorgo (100%) y mezclada con otros cereales, rostizando el grano para la elaboración de bebidas o molido en seco para el desarrollo de otros productos.

First Report Of Columbia Root-Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Chitwoodi) In Potato In Turkey, A. Ozarslandan, Z. Devran, N. Mutlu, I. H. Elekcioglu

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Columbia root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne chitwoodi Golden et al., was identified from potatoes, Solanum tuberosum L., collected from Nigde Province, Turkey in September 2006. Seed potatoes are the most likely source for this introduction. The nematode is currently found to be infecting potatoes grown in the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, the United States, Mexico, South Africa, and Argentina. M. chitwoodi acquired a quarantine status in Europe (1) because of its potential to become established worldwide and its high damage probability. Some countries prohibit import of both seed and table stock potatoes originating in states known to harbor M. chitwoodi. Lesions …

Effect Of Nitrogen Application Timing On Corn Production Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation, David D. Tarkalson, Simon J. Van Donk, James L. Petersen

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The use of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in row-crop agriculture is increasing because of potential increases in water and nutrient use efficiency. Research-based information is needed to manage N applications through SDI systems in field corn (Zea-mays L.) production. This study was conducted to assess the effect of different in-season SDI system N application timings on corn production and residual soil N0₃-N at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, Neb, on a Cozad silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Fluventic Haplustoll). We evaluated the effect of three N application timing methods …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 41, No. 1/2 March/June 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DUCK USE OF IMPOUNDED AND NATURAL WETLANDS IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. J. E. Austin and D. A. Buhl

THIRD REPORT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2004-2005 D. Svingen and R. E. Martin

EFFECT OF DROUGHT AND AGRICULTURE ON RING-NECKED PHEASANT ABUNDANCE, NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. C. J. Randel 55

COMMON RAVEN NESTS IN NORTH DAKOTA AFTER 1OO-YEAR HIATUS. M. P. Nenneman, T. A. Grant, and R. E. Martin

Suggestions for Contributors

Editorial Policy

Nebline, March 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Embryology: More Than Just a Science Project!
How to Account for Differences in Moisture Content in Commodities
Controlling Winter Annual Brome with Herbicides
Canada Geese Populations are Increasing
Managing Pocket Gophers
Do a “Don’t Do” List!
5 More Main Dishes—Each Using Only 5 Ingredients
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Removing Soot from Carpet
Tips to Help Parents Talk to Their Kids About Sex and Technology
Local Bagworm Control Initiative
2009 Great Plants Selections
Early Detection is Key to Minimizing Insecticide Use in Home Gardens
Bird House Care Is Important …

Evaluating Pseudomonas Aeruginosa As Plant Growth–Promoting Rhizobacteria In West Africa, Anthony O. Adesemoye, Esther O. Ugoji

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Some parameters of growth were examined in three test crops as indices of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Crops include Abelmoschus esculentus L. (okra), Lycopersicon esculentum L. (tomato), and Amaranthus sp. (African spinach). This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of PGPR in West Africa and determine whether the inoculation method has an impact on PGPR’s effectiveness. Bacterium was isolated from topsoil in the Botanical Garden, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Inoculation with bacteria was done by soaking seeds in 10⁶ cfu/ml of bacterial suspension, and coating was done using 10% starch (w/v) as seed adhesive …

Rathayibacter Iranicus Isolated From Symptomless Wheat Seeds In Turkey, E. Postnikova, Irina V. Agarkova, S. Altundag, F. Eskandari, A. Sechler, A. Karahan, A. K. Vidaver, W. Schneider, M. Ozakman, N. W. Schaad

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Rathayibacter iranicus (Ri), originally reported in Iran in 1961 (Sharif, 1961), has not been reported outside Iran and only one strain is known to exist. Like R. tritici (Rt), Ri causes a gumming disease of wheat in association with the nematode Anguina tritici (Paruthi et al., 1989). During 2003, a survey of wheat seed for Rathayibacter species (RS) in Turkey using samples from 799 farmers in six provinces in Central Anatolia was conducted. The samples showed neither the brown to black galls typical of A. tritici infection nor the yellowish galls typical of Ri and Rt. To determine the presence …

Intsormil Program Doubles Sorghum And Millet Yields In Mali, West Africa, Kimberly Christiansen

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

After the close of the meeting where the farmers learned about the potential of being a collaborator in the Production-Marketing Project in 2009, INTSORMIL PI John Sanders shows women sorghum farmers from Diankounte Camara village in western Mali photos of the lush sorghum plots taken in 2008 project sites in eastern Mali. After learning about the potential of the project all farmers expressed their enthusiasm to be collaborators in 2009. Their major concern was that only 75 farmers in the Diankounte Camara village could be involved due to funding limitations. As collaborators, the Diankounte Camara women expect to be able …

Genetic Control Of Sorghum Grain Color, René Clará Valencia, William L. Rooney

INTSORMIL Presentations

Today there is a real interest in the utilization of sorghum grain as a substitute for wheat in baked goods and as a substitute for yellow maize in animal feed. Sorghum grain color and quality are important characteristics in the baking and livestock feed industries. For that reason it is necessary to develop varieties that are suitable for the food and feed industries.

The purpose of this bulletin is to briefly describe the main genetic characteristics that objectively affect sorghum grain appearance and quality.

The pericarp and glume color affect the color of the finished products made with sorghum grain. …

Control Genético Del Color Del Grano De Sorgo, René Clará Valencia, William L. Rooney

INTSORMIL Presentations

Actualmente existe un gran interés en la utilización del grano de sorgo como fuente de energía en la elaboración de alimentos para el consumo humano y/o animal, sustituyendo al trigo en la panificación y al maíz amarillo en la elaboración de alimentos concentrados; para tal efecto es necesario conocer el control genético del color del grano para mejorar su calidad.

El objetivo de esta información es describir brevemente las características genéticas principales, actualmente conocidas y que afectan objetivamente la apariencia del grano de sorgo.

El color del pericarpio y la gluma de la flor afectan la coloración de los productos …