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Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Management: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Two new Weed Sentry research assistants were hired.
• Weed Sentry staff surveyed for exotic species on 89 miles of roads on NPS and BLM land and treated more than 21,000 exotic plants in incipient populations.
• A grid-based rare plant monitoring method was tested this quarter.
• A manuscript detailing vegetation succession on a water pipeline at Lake Mead NRA was submitted for review to the journal Crossosoma.
• New integrative projects undertaken this quarter included establishing a competition study between a native grass and the exotic Sahara mustard, salvaging plants for research purposes from private sites with permission from landowners, …

Switchgrass For Biomass Feedstock In The Usa, Matt Sanderson, Paul Adler, Akwasi Boateng, Michael Casler, Gautam Sarath

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

Switchgrass has received much study for biomass feedstock production and conversion through research funded by the US-DOE and USDA during the past two decades. We have an improved understanding of the adaptation of existing cultivars and new cultivars with yield and adaptation improvements are now appearing. We also have a good understanding of the agronomics of switchgrass production, mainly from its use as a forage crop. There remain several constraints to switchgrass use in bioenergy cropping systems, including reliable establishment methods to obtain productive stands in the first year, targeted fertilization and nutrient management techniques to efficiently use nitrogen fertilizer, …

Recombinant Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus) Hydroperoxide Lyase And Uses Thereof, David Hildebrand, Hirotada Fukushige

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

Recombinant watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) hydroperoxide lyase protein, DNA sequences encoding the protein, vectors containing the DNA sequences and hosts containing the vectors are provided, together with methods for recombinantly producing watermelon hydroperoxide lyase, DNA sequences, vectors and hosts.

Untemplated Oligoadenylation Promotes Degradation Of Risc-Cleaved Transcripts, Fadia Ibrahim, Jennifer Rohr, Won-Joong Jeong, Jennifer Hesson, Heriberto D. Cerutti

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty and Staff Publications

In the best-characterized mechanism of RNAmediated silencing, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), guide the endonucleolytic cleavage of complementary RNAs (1). In Drosophila melanogaster, these RISC-generated products are eventually degraded by exoribonucleases: Xrn1, a 5′-to-3′ exonuclease, and exosome, a 3′-to-5′ multisubunit exonuclease (2). Interestingly, in Arabidopsis thaliana and in mammals, an oligouridine or oligoadenine [oligo(U/A)] tail is added to the 5′ RNA fragments resulting from microRNA-directed cleavage (3). However, the biological role of this tail remains unclear.

The Plant Structure Ontology, A Unified Vocabulary Of Anatomy And Morphology Of A Flowering Plant, Katica Ilic, Elizabeth Kellogg, Pankaj Jaiswal, Felipe Zapata, Peter Stevens, Leszek Vincent, Shulamit Avraham, Leonore Reiser, Anuradha Pujar, Martin Sachs, Noah Whitman, Susan Mccouch, Mary Schaeffer, Doreen Ware, Lincoln Stein, Seung Rhee

Biology Department Faculty Works

Formal description of plant phenotypes and standardized annotation of gene expression and protein localization data require uniform terminology that accurately describes plant anatomy and morphology. This facilitates cross species comparative studies and quantitative comparison of phenotypes and expression patterns. A major drawback is variable terminology that is used to describe plant anatomy and morphology in publications and genomic databases for different species. The same terms are sometimes applied to different plant structures in different taxonomic groups. Conversely, similar structures are named by their species-specific terms. To address this problem, we created the Plant Structure Ontology (PSO), the first generic ontological …

West River Ag Center Crops And Soils Research Annual Progress Report, 2006, Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This is the 2006 progress report of the West River Crops and Soils Research Projects, South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. This document includes reports on: weather and climate, wheat and grain variety trials, management and tillage, and weed and pest control.

Central Crops And Soils Research Station Highmore, South Dakota: Annual Progress Report, 2006, Agricultural Experiment Station, Plant Science Department

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This is the 2006 progress report for the Central Crops and Soils Research Station at Highmore, South Dakota State College. This document represents the research conducted at the Station during the 2006 crop season including: temperature and precipitation data, evaluation of native and naturalized grasses for reduced-input turf in the Northern Plains, 2006 NTEP tall fescue ancillary trial for drought tolerance, field evaluations of woody plant materials, alfalfa production, optimal management of drought -tolerant legumes and warm season annual grasses, winter wheat breeding, evaluation of sunflower germplasm for resistance to the red sunflower seed weevil, weed control, fertilizer influence on …

Checklist And Atlas Of The Vascular Flora Of West Virginia, Donna I. Ford-Werntz, Paul J. Harmon, William Grafton

WV Flora Datasets

No abstract provided.

Intsormil’S Global Impact: A Revolution In West African Sorghum Production, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Sorghum and pearl millet are the staple grains for millions of people around the world, especially those residing in the semiarid margins of agricultural sustainability. For this reason, INTSORMIL has been working in the semiarid regions of Africa and Central America where it has been helping sorghum and millet farmers achieve the status of surplus grain production and the economic, social and health benefits thus provided. What impact has INTSORMIL had on the lives of these sorghum and millet farmers?

To determine the global impact of the USAID funded INTSORMIL program, Battelle, an independent agency, was chosen to conduct an …

Bovine Immune Response To Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Mark A. Hoffman, Christian Menge, Thomas A. Casey, William Laegreid, Brad T. Bosworth, Evelyn A. Dean-Nystrom

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

Although cattle develop humoral immune responses to Shiga-toxigenic (Stx⁺) Escherichia coli O157:H7, infections often result in long-term shedding of these human pathogenic bacteria. The objective of this study was to compare humoral and cellular immune responses to Stx⁺ and Stx^- E. coli O157:H7. Three groups of calves were inoculated intrarumenally, twice in a 3-week interval, with different strains of E. coli: a Stx2- producing E. coli O157:H7 strain (Stx2⁺O157), a Shiga toxin-negative E. coli O157:H7 strain (Stx^-O157), or a nonpathogenic E. coli strain (control). Fecal shedding of Stx2⁺O157 was …

Forage News [2006-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Grazing Conference
• FEED: Biggest Cost Item
• Heart of America Grazing Conference
• KFGC Presents Annual Awards
• KFGC Installs New Officers
• Fayette County Producer Becomes Forage Spokesperson
• Kentucky Hay – 2006
• Methods to Manage Soil Phosphorus Levels on Kentucky Poultry Farms
• Meat Goat Performance and Carcass Parameters When Finished on Orchardgrass, Red Clover, or Alfalfa Pastures
• The Case for Forage Legumes
• Upcoming Events

Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Annual Progress Report, 2006, Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This document highlights 24 crop and livestock research and demonstration reports from projects conducted at Southeast Research Farm in 2006. It is published by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service at South Dakota State University in cooperation with the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation. Reports in this document include information on: temperatures and precipitation data, corn production and performance, soybean research and planting, soil testing, alfalfa yield test, fertilizer testing, herbicide research, crop rotation, sorghum, small grains, livestock research, and pest and weed control.

Microarray Analysis Of Late-Season Velvetleaf (Abutilon Theophrasti) Effect On Corn, David P. Horvath, Robert Gulden, Sharon A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Microarray analysis was used to identify changes in gene expression in corn leaves collected from plants at the V11–14 growth stage that resulted from competition with velvetleaf. The plants were grown in field plots under adequate N (addition of 220 kg N ha¹) and irrigation to minimize N and water stress. Consequently, only differences resulting from competition for micronutrients, light, and perhaps allelopathic stress were anticipated. Genes involved in carbon and nitrogen utilization, photosynthesis, growth and development, oxidative stress, signal transduction, responses to auxin and ethylene, and zinc transport were repressed in corn growing in competition with velvetleaf. …

Clarification Of Basal Relationships In Rubus (Rosaceae) And The Origin Of Rubus Chamaemorus, Karen Michael

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Determination of phylogenetic relationships among ancestral species of Rubus has been elusive. Most Rubus species (including blackberries and raspberries), representing nine of the 12 subgenera, occur in a large, well supported clade named 'A' for reference). The remaining nine species are excluded from this group and represent three subgenera: subg. Anoplobatus (R. bartonianus, R. deliciosus, R. neomexicanus, R. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. trilobus), subg. Chamaemorus (R. chamaemorus), and subg. Dalibarda (R. lasiococcus, R.pedatus). In addition, Rubus dalibarda L. is often treated in its own monotypic genus as Dalibarda repens L. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from chloroplast regions and …

Asexual Propagation Of Four Cultivars Of Vaccinium Corymbosum And Weed Management In An Established Orchard Of Vaccinium Corymbosum 'Bluejay' (Highbush Blueberry) In South Central Kentucky, Kyle Daniel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In response to the changing economy of Kentucky tobacco, producers are seeking an economically viable alternative that can be produced on a similarly small acreage. Blueberries are an emerging crop that satisfy the needs of these producers and are popular with consumers for their flavor and health benefits. In addition to selling the berries, local producers are experiencing much success selling blueberry plants to homeowners and other producers. However, the protocol for propagating specific cultivars under local environmental conditions is unknown. Rooting percentages for producers has been extremely variable. A two year study conducted at Western Kentucky University investigated asexual …

Agronomic And Quality Effects In Winter Wheat Of A Gene Conditioning Resistance To Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus, L. A. Divis, R. A. Graybosch, C. J. Peterson, P. Stephen Baenziger, G. L. Hein, B. B. Beecher, T. J. Martin

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

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is one of the most important diseases limiting winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in the western Great Plains of North America. There is no known effective WSMV resistance within the primary gene pool of wheat. However, a resistance gene (Wsm1) has been transferred to wheat from a perennial relative, intermediate wheat-grass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & DR Dewey]. Nebraska-adapted winter wheat lines carrying Wsm1 were used to characterize the effects of this alien introgression on agronomic and quality traits. Sister-lines from six breeding populations were evaluated under virus-free conditions, …

United States Patent Application Publication: Counter Selection Strategy For Gram-Negative Bacteria, Stephen K. Farrand, Paul E. Staswick, Thomas E. Clemente

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty and Staff Publications

A Gram-negative bacterium useful for genetically engineering plants is provided. The Gram-negative bacterium contains, as part of genome, an inducible regulatory sequence operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase. Alternatively, the Gram-negative bacterium comprises a recombinant nucleic acid construct containing an inducible regulatory sequence operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase. Also provided are recombinant nucleic acid constructs comprising an inducible regulatory sequence operatively coupled to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase and a method for transforming plants using the Gram-negative bacterium of the present invention.

Nuclec Acds Encoding Pseudomonas Hop Proteins And Use Thereof, Alan Collmer, James R. Alfano, Xiaoyan Tang, C. Robin Buell, Gregory B. Martin

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The present invention relates to isolated nucleic acid mol ecules encoding a type III—secreted bacterial protein capable of modifying a cell death pathway in a plant cell. One aspect of the present invention involves an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence that encodes the HopPtol)2 protein of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae DC 3000. Expression vectors, host cells, and transgenic plants which include the DNA molecules of the present invention are also disclosed. The nucleic acid mol ecules of the present invention can be used to impart disease resistance to a plant and to make a plant hypersusceptible to …

The Circuitous Path To The Comparison Of Simulated Values From Crop Models With Field Observations, Albert Weiss, Wally Wilhelm

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

The Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge has been a fixture in dissemination of crop simulation models and the concepts and data upon which they are built since the inception of computers and computer modeling in the mid-20th century. To quantify the performance of a crop simulation model, model outputs are compared with observed values using statistical measures of bias, i.e. the difference between simulated and observed values. While applying these statistical measures is unambiguous for the experienced user, the same cannot always be said of determining the observed or simulated values. For example, differences in accessing crop development can be …

Whole-Genome Expression Profiling Defines The Hrpl Regulon Of Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Allows De Novo Reconstruction Of The Hrp Cis Element, And Identifies Novel Coregulated Genes, Adriana O. Ferreira, Christopher R. Myers, Jeffrey S. Gordon, Gregory B. Martin, Monica Vencato, Alan Collmer, Misty D. Wehling, James R. Alfano, Gabriel Moreno-Hagelsieb, Warren F. Lamboy, Geneviene Declerck, David J. Schneider, Samuel W. Cartinhour

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 is a model pathogen of tomato and Arabidopsis that uses a hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (Hrp) type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver virulence effector proteins into host cells. Expression of the Hrp system and many effector genes is activated by the HrpL alternative sigma factor. Here, an open reading frame-specific whole-genome microarray was constructed for DC3000 and used to comprehensively identify genes that are differentially expressed in wild-type and ΔhrpL strains. Among the genes whose differential regulation was statistically significant, 119 were upregulated and 76 were downregulated in the wild-type compared with the ΔhrpL …

University Research Program Sees Drop In Funding, Zach Pluhacek

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

A program headquartered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that uses science to assist economically stressed nations will receive $9 million throughout five years through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The agreement, announced Friday morning by the UNL Office of Research and Graduate Studies, will significantly decrease the annual funding the International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program, or INTSORMIL, has received in recent years.

Sorghum Flour In The El Salvador Baking Industry, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The El Salvador baking industry is dependent on imported wheat which results in a loss of valuable foreign exchange. In response, CENTA (Centro Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria y Forestal) scientists with support from INTSORMIL have produced sorghum varieties which have the physical and chemical qualities making them suitable for flour which can be used as a partial substitute for wheat flour in the baking industry, thus decreasing the cost of baked goods. CENTA food technician, Fidelia Herrera pioneered the use of sorghum flour in El Salvador and began helping village bakers utilize sorghum flour back in the 70’s.

To test …

Harina De Sorgo En La Industria Panificadora De El Salvador, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

La industria panificadora de El Salvador depende de las importaciones de trigo, lo cual ocasiona una pérdida considerable de divisas. En respuesta a esto, los investigadores del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA) con ayuda del INTSORMIL han venido produciendo variedades de sorgo con cualidades físicas y químicas adecuadas para sustituir parcialmente la harina de trigo, reduciendo de esta manera los costos de producción de las panaderías. La Señora Fidelia Herrera, técnologa del CENTA fue la primera en tomar el liderazgo sobre la necesidad del uso de la harina de sorgo en El Salvador, al ayudar durante los …

Grazing Management Effects On Sediment And Phosphorus In Surface Runoff, Matthew M. Haan, James R. Russell, Wendy J. Powers, John L. Kovar, Jamie L. Benning

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

Sediment and phosphorus (P) in runoff from pastures are potential non–point-source pollutants in surface waters that may be influenced by surface cover, sward height, treading damage, surface slope, soil moisture, and soil P. The objectives of the current study were to quantify sediment and total P loads in runoff produced during simulated rainfall from pastures and to evaluate their relationships with the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil and sward. Five forage management treatments— ungrazed (U), hay harvest/fall stockpile grazing (HS), continuous stocking to a sward height of 5 cm (5C), and rotational stocking to sward heights of 5 …

Convergence Of Agriculture And Energy: Implications For Research And Policy, Kenneth Cassman, Vernon Eidman, Eugene Simpson, Larry Berger, Robert Loomis, Marie Walsh, Todd A. Peterson, Edward Runge

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

Access to an adequate energy supply at reasonable cost is crucial for sustained economic growth. Unfortunately, oil prices and the need to import from politically unstable countries lowers the reliability of the U.S. energy supply and hinders economic development. Although biofuels have been identified as an important component of the national strategy to decrease U.S. dependence on imported oil, the ability to sustain a rapid expansion of biofuel production capacity raises new research and policy issues. This document seeks to identify the most critical of these issues to help inform the policy development process. The goal is to enhance the …

Sp307-K-Pruning Neglected Fruit Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Home Garden, Lawn, and Landscape

When trees have not been properly pruned and trained, fruit yields and quality may decline. As trees grow taller and more dense, lower limbs and interior limbs lose their ability to produce quality fruit, due to increased shading. Many of these weakened limbs will die. Over time, most fruit will be produced in the outer periphery of the tree, primarily in the top, as this is the only area exposed to adequate sunlight.

These trees often can be pruned back and restored to a point where quality fruit may be obtained once again. It may require several years to restore …

Forage News [2006-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Kentucky Grazing Conference in Lexington, November 21
• Cash Receipts Highlights – 2005
• Loss of a Legend
• Hay Is in the Barn…
• New Executive Secretary for AFGC
• Alfalfa’s Makeover
• Effect of Sericea Lespedeza Hay on Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection in Goats
• Upcoming Events

Hydrologic Properties Of Pervious Concrete, Joe D. Luck, Stephen R. Workman, Stephen F. Higgins, Mark S. Coyne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Pervious concrete is concrete made by eliminating most or all of the fine aggregate (sand) in the concrete mix, which allows interconnected void spaces to be formed in the hardened product. These interconnected void spaces allow the concrete to transmit water at relatively high rates. The main objective of this project was to conduct research on the potential application of pervious concrete in agricultural settings, specifically for use in animal feed lots, manure storage pads, animal manure and bedding compost facilities, or floor systems in animal buildings. Laboratory tests were conducted on replicated samples of pervious concrete formed from two …

Influence Of Resource Pulses And Perennial Neighbors On The Establishment Of An Invasive Annual Grass In The Mojave Desert, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, J. J. James, M. A. Caird, R. L. Sheley

Biology

Invasion by exotic annual grasses is one of the most significant threats to arid ecosystems in the western USA. Current theories of invasibility predict plant communities become more susceptible to invasion whenever there is an increase in the amount of unused resources. The objective of this field study was to examine how resource pulses and temporal variation in resource demand by the native shrub vegetation influences establishment of the invasive annual grass Schismus arabicus. Water and nitrogen were applied as pulses in early spring, mid-spring, or continuously throughout the growing season to plots containing either Atriplex confertifolia or Atriplex …

Comparison Of Heat Tolerance Of Feedlot Heifers Of Different Breeds, T. M. Brown-Brandl, J. A. Nienaber, Roger A. Eigenberg, Terry L. Mader, J. L. Morrow, J. W. Dailey

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

Heat stress in cattle causes decreases in feed intake and feed efficiency; in extreme cases, it can cause death. These losses amount to millions of dollars each year. A study was designed to determine severity of heat stress among four breeds of cattle. Throughout two summers, 256 feedlot heifers of four different breeds were observed. Respiration rates, panting scores, and surface temperatures were taken twice each day on 10 animals/breed for several weeks during the summers of 2002 and 2003. Twenty-four-hour behavior measurements were recorded for four heat-stress and four thermoneutral days. Results showed during the afternoon, Angus cattle (black) …