Life Sciences Commons^™

Potential For Hydrocyanic Acid Poisoning Of Livestock By Indiangrass, Kenneth P. Vogel, H. J. Gorz, Francis A. Haskins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Hydrocyanic acid or prussic acid poisoning of livestock by sorghums [Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench] and sudangrasses [Sorghum sudanese (Piper) Stapf] is caused by the digestive liberation of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) from the cyanogenic compound, dhurrin [(S)-p-hydroxymandelonitrile ,β-D-glucopyranoside] found in tissue of these plants. Recent research documented that dhurrin is also present in indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] seed- lings. The purpose of this study was to determine the hydrocyanic acid potential (HCN-p) of forage from established stands of indiangrass. Five cultivars representative of indiangrass germplasm of the Great Plains were sampled during the growing season for 2 years …

Identification Of Chromosomes That Condition Dhurrin Content In Sorghum Seedlings, H. J. Gorz, Francis A. Haskins, R. Morris, B. E. Johnson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Young plants of sorghum and sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) may be toxic to livestock because of the presence of the cyanogenic glucoside, dhurrin [p-hydroxy-(S}-mandelonitrile-β-Dglucoside), in the forage. In the present study a set of 11 chromosomal reciprocal translocations in 'Combine 7078' grain sorghum, involving each of the 10 chromosome pairs of sorghum in at least two of the translocations, was used to determine which chromosomes carried genes conditioning dhurrin content of sorghum seedlings. Each translocation stock was crossed and backcrossed once to a low-dhurrin line of sudangrass. Backcross progenies and parental plants were started in the …

Using Leaf Fluorescence For Evaluating Atrazine Tolerance Of Three Perennial Warm-Season Grasses, Caroline Bahler, Lowell E. Moser, Kenneth P. Vogel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N’-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine] blocks photosymthetic electron transport in susceptible plants. The energy from the interrupted electron transport is fluoresced from the leaves of atrazine-treated plants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate leaf fluorescence as a nondestructive bioassay of the relative atrazine tolerance of 3 perennnial, warm-season grasses. Leaf section of switchgrass [Panicum virgatum L.] (high tolerance), indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] (intermediate tolerance), and sideoats grama [Boutelouacurtipendula (Michx.) Torr.] (lower tolerance) were placed in distilled water for 20 minute and then in atrazine solutions. Fluorescence readings were taken prior to and after the atrazine treatment with …

Effect Of Herbicide Safeners On Sand And Little Bluestems, W. Roder, Steven S. Waller, James L. Stubbendieck, Lowell E. Moser, Alex Martin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Weed competition is a major factor limiting establishment of warm-season grasses. Use of preemergence herbicides in conjunction with herbicide safeners can offer a successful weed control strategy. Effects of herbicide safeners applied as seed treatments, and soil-incorporated herbicides on sand bluestem [Andropogon gerardii var paucipilus (Nash) Fern.] and little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash] were evaluated in germinator and greenhouse studies. The safeners cyometrinil ((Z)-[cyanomethoxy)imino] benzeneacetonitrile), dichlormid (2,2-dichloro-N,N-di-2-propenylacetamide), and R-29148 (2,2-dimethyl-6-methyldichloroacetyloxazolidine) reduced germination and shoot growth of both grasses. Sand bluestem was protected against EPTC (S-ethyl dipropyl carbamothioate) and vernolate (S-propyl dipropylcarbamothioate) by R-29148, …

Yield Accumulation, Leaf Area Index, And Light Interception Of Smooth Bromegrass, R. K. Engel, Lowell E. Moser, James L. Stubbendieck, S. R. Lowry

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inemis Leyss.) is a cool-season grass used extensively in the midwestern USA for spring and fall grazing. Smooth bromegrass has limited production in this region during the summer. This study was conducted to document the growth characteristics and yield accumulation of smooth bromegrass under various levels of N fertilizer. Live yield (dry matter yield of living herbage), leaf area index (LAI), light interception (LI), and crop growth rate (CGR) were determined on an established stand of 'Lincoln' smooth bromegrass grown on a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Typic Argiudolls) in eastern Nebraska. Zero, medium, …

Research And Development Strategies For A Sustainable Agriculture, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

"Food production and rural income are two prime concerns of Third World governments. Increased food production and greater food security are goals which countries strive to achieve through agricultural development. The technologies generated by research, commonly known as green revolution methods, have provided an impetus to food production in some favored zones where resources are available to take advantage of this production package. New varieties, productive and responsive to fertilizer, have bought time while countries work to control population growth and develop agriculture and industry" (Francis and Harwood, 1985).

The pioneering work of the International Agricultural Research Centers has been …

Evaluation Of Repellent Seed Treatments And Effects On Early Corn Performance, Ann E. Koehler, Ron J. Johnson, Orvin C. Burnside, Stephen R. Lowry

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A combination of field, field enclosure, and germination chamber studies was used to evaluate the effects of methiocarb [3,5-dimethyl-4-(methylthio)phenol methylcarbamate] and thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide) repellent seed treatments on early corn performance. The thiram treatments used (0.08, 0.4,0.8,0.5,1.25, and 2.5% active ingredient by corn seed weight) had negligible effects on germination/emergence time or on com plant heights. The thiram treatments never reduced stand counts in comparison to controls, but apparently increased stand counts in some trials, particularly under wet conditions. The methiocarb treatments evaluated (0.5, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0% active ingredient by corn seed weight) had only occasional effects on early …

Combining Ability Effects For Mineral Elements In Forage Sorghum Hybrids, H. J. Gorz, Francis A. Haskins, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, W. M. Ross

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The concentrations of minerals in forages are important in satisfying animal requirements, but little attention has been given to determining these concentrations in forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) breeding programs. In this 2-yr study, the objectives were to determine the contents, genetic variability, combining ability effects, and correlations for 12 mineral elements in 49 experimental hybrids of forage sorghum. Mineral elements studied were N, Mg, Si, P, S, CI, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn. General combining ability (GCA) effects exceeded specific combining ability (SCA) effects for all elements except P, CI, and Fe in females, and …

Inheritance Of Seedling Hydrocyanic Acid Potential And Seed Weight In Sorghum-Sudangrass Crosses, J. F. S. Lamb, Francis A. Haskins, H. J. Gorz, Kenneth P. Vogel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The hydrocyanic acid potential (HCN-p) of sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench] plants is recognized as a heritable trait, but previous studies on the mode of inheritance of HCN-p have produced inconsistent results. The objective of this study was to investigate the inheritance patterns of seedling HCN-p and also of seed weight in reciprocal crosses of sorghum and sudangrass (formerly S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf). Both traits were found to be inherited quantitatively. Generation means analysis indicated that additive genetic effects were most important for both seed weight (53% of variation) and seedling HCN-p (74% of variation). A maternal effect was …

Seasonal Variation In Leaf Hydrocyanic Acid Potential Of Low- And High-Dhurrin Sorghums, Francis A. Haskins, H. J. Gorz, B. E. Johnson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The KSS and N32 sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) lines are low and high, respectively, in the hydrocyanic acid potential (HCN-p) of mature leaves. This difference is conditioned primarily by a single pair of alleles. The main objective of this study was to determine, at various stages of plant growth and various times during the growing season, the HCN-p of upper leaves and tillers of field-grown plants of these two parental lines and of two low-HCN-p F F₃ lines derived from crosses between KS8 and N32. The four entries were grown in a randomized complete block design with …