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Forage News [2008-09], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Forage Spokesman Nomination
• KFGC Awards Nomination
• 29th Kentucky Alfalfa Conference - February 19
• How Good Is Your Hay?
• Brassicas and Cereals: High Quality Options for Fall Grazing
• Fall Fertilizer Applications to Hay Fields and Pastures
• USDA Forecasts 2% Less Alfalfa
• Switchgrass for Energy Will Take Time
• Upcoming Events

The Prairie Naturalist. Volume 40, No. 3/4 September/December 2008, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

WINTERKILL AND BIOMASS OF THE PAINTED TURTLE IN A SOUTH DAKOTA WETLAND. S. G. Platt, Z. Fast Horse, W. Cross, S. Mannel, and T. R. Rainwater

NON-BLACKBIRD AVIAN OCCURRENCE AND ABUNDANCE IN NORTH DAKOTA SUNFLOWER FIELDS. O. A. Schaaf, G. M. Linz, C. Ooetkott, M. W. Lutman, and W. J. Bleier

USING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND REMOTE SENSING TO MAP KNOWN AND POTENTIAL PRAIRIE-CHICKEN DISTRIBUTION IN KANSAS. M. E. Houts, R. O. Rodgers, R. D. Applegate, and W. H. Busby

A CASE STUDY OF A SUCCESSFUL LAKE REHABILITATION PROJECT IN SOUTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA. P. J. Spirk, B. A. Newcomb, and K. O. …

Non-Blackbird Avian Occurrence And Abundance In North Dakota Sunflower Fields, Dionn A. Schaaf, George M. Linz, Curt Doetkott, Mark W. Lutman, William J. Bleier

The Prairie Naturalist

Sunflower fields are well-documented as foraging habitat for fallmigrating blackbirds (Family Icteridae). There is, however, a paucity of information on the use of sunflower fields by non-blackbirds. We assessed non-blackbird use of 12 ripening sunflower fields in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North Dakota. From mid-August to mid-October 2000, we counted 4,129 individual birds, consisting of 22 families and 61 species, in the sample fields and within 5 m of the field edges. We saw the largest number of birds from 18 September to 27 September. The Family Emberizidae (sparrows) accounted for 26% of the species and 20% of …

Winterkill And Biomass Of The Painted Turtle In A South Dakota Wetland, Steven G. Platt, Zannita Fast Horse, Warren Cross, Sylvio Mannel, Thomas R. Rainwater

The Prairie Naturalist

Winterkill occurs when drought conditions expose hibernating turtles to desiccation and lethaly cold temperatures. Winterkill is thought to represent a major source of mortality in northern populations of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), but few field observations are available. We herein reported on catastrophic winterkill among western painted turtle (C. pieta bellii) at Limestone Butte Lake (LBL) in western South Dakota during the winter of 2003-2004. Additionally, we used the carcasses of winterkilled turtles (n = 86) to estimate the standing crop biomass of the painted turtle at LBL (0.6 kg/ha). This was the only estimate …

Semi-Melanistic White-Tailed Deer In Northern Wisconsin, Christopher N. Jacques, Keith R. Mccaffery, Jonathan Jenks, John T. Baccus

The Prairie Naturalist

Melanistic color morphs of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are differentiated from other recognized color morphs by having uniform black hairs on the dorsal surface with subdued black hairs on the ventral surface, dark face and ears, a distinctive mid-dorsal stripe extending from the head to the apex of the tail, and a tail with black dorsally and white ventrally (Baccus and Posey 1999). Melanism results from the overproduction of the skin pigment melanin and is considered rare in white-tailed deer populations (Severinghaus and Cheatum 1956, Sauer 1984, Smith et al. 1984). Semi-melanistic deer have the same dark pelage …

Guide To Floor Malting Of Sorghum And Millets, John R.N. Taylor

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Malt (dried, sprouted cereal grain) is the major ingredient in most beers and in certain hot and cold beverages. It is also a useful ingredient in some cereal food products such as bread and infant porridges. In terms of nutrients, malt contains mainly complex carbohydrates (starch and dietary fiber), but also protein of reasonable quality and availability, B vitamins and minerals. Malt is a source of hydrolytic enzymes, especially amylases. In brewing, the malt amylases produce the sugars which the yeast ferments to alcohol and carbon dioxide The amylases also increase the sweetness and improve the texture of food products …

Alternation Of Tobacco Alkaloid Content Through Modification Of Specific Cytochrome P450 Genes, Ralph E. Dewey, Steven W. Bowen, Balazs Siminszky, Lily Gavilano

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) inNicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in …

Impacts Of Root Invigoration And Its Individual Components On The Performance Of Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), Kelby Fite

All Dissertations

The Root Invigoration process involves soil decompaction with an air tool, amendment with organic matter and prescription fertilizer, and mulching. In the current study, we measured soil chemical and physical properties, tree characteristics, and root system responses to this process and its individual components. Treatments included Root Invigoration (AFM), mulch only (M), fertilization only (F), Airspade® tillage only (A), and an untreated control (C). The experiment was conducted from 2005-2007 at four urban sites: Anderson, SC; Boston, MA; Myrtle Beach, SC and Pittsburgh, PA. Soil strength was initially reduced by Airspade®, mulch and AFM; however only AFM-treated soils sustained this …

Characterization Of The Pathway Leading To The Synthesis Of Salicylic Acid In Plants Resisting Pathogen Infection., Alexander Eddo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salicylic acid is a plant hormone that accumulates with plant-pathogen interaction. This accumulation corresponds to the plant being resistant to infection and without it the plant is susceptible. In this study, primers of genes involved in the normal synthesis of SA were used in RT-PCR to compare gene expression levels in susceptible and resistant plants challenged with tobacco mosaic virus. Because SA synthesis shares chorismate as a common substrate with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids, HPLC was used to determine whether the increase in SA could be attributed to a decrease in amino acid levels. The results suggest that …

‘Sureño,’ Dual Purpose Grain And Forage Sorghum For Central America, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Sureño sorghum- the white grain makes great tortillas and the forage and grain are a preferred livestock feed. Whereas most sorghum cultivars are gown for either silage or grain, Sureño sorghum is used for both. Because of its dual purpose qualities as a good grain for livestock and human consumption and as a forage for cattle, Sureño is popular with cattle producers and the bakery industry and is spreading throughout Central America.

The sweet ensilage of Sureño sorghum is preferred by the Central American cattle producers because of its high nutritious value, high energy value and high production of 71 …

Five Simple Methods For The Determination Of Sorghum Grain End-Use Quality (With Adaptations For Those Without Laboratory Facilities), John R.N. Taylor, Janet Taylor

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Contents:

1. Detection of Tannin in Sorghum Grain by the Bleach Test

2. Classification of Sorghum Grain according to Colour

3. Estimation of Sorghum Grain Endosperm Texture

4. Determination of Germinative Energy of Sorghum Grain

5. Determination of Total Defects in Sorghum Grain

Genetic Diversity In Native And Invasive Rubus (Rosaceae), Ashley A. Wint

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Invasive species are an increasing threat to biological diversity as well as a leading cause of recent species’ extinctions. Invasives spread quickly and efficiently, and the U.S spends millions of dollars annually in the control and eradication of these species. More information is necessary in order to predict which species may become invasive. Rubus (Rosaceae) was chosen for study because this genus includes various ploidy levels, reproductive modes, and species that are invasive as well as native.

Three Rubus species were chosen to represent apomictic and tetraploid invasives (Rubus armeniacus), a sexual and diploid native species (R. occidentalis), and a …

Phytopathogen Type Iii Effector Weaponry And Their Plant Targets, Anna Block, Guangyong Li, Zheng Qing Fu, James R. Alfano

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Phytopathogenic bacteria suppress plant innate immunity and promote pathogenesis by injecting proteins called type III effectors into plant cells using a type III protein secretion system. These type III effectors use at least three major strategies to alter host responses. One strategy is to alter host protein turnover, either by direct cleavage or by modulating ubiquitination and targeting to the 26S proteasome. Another strategy involves alteration of RNA metabolism by transcriptional activation or ADP-ribosylation of RNA-binding proteins. A third major strategy is to inhibit the kinases involved in plant defence signalling, either by removing phosphates or by direct inhibition. The …

Conversion Of Traditional Observation-Based Botany Labs To Investigative Inquiry Learning, Hajara Mahmood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.” - Chinese Proverb. Involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit students to seek resolutions to questions and issues while constructing new knowledge.

Low enrollment in Plant Biology and Diversity and upper level plant science courses has been noticed at Western Kentucky University. In addition, graduating students performed below the national average on the senior assessment examination in the area of botany content knowledge offered by WKU’s Biology Department. This may be due to the fact that observation-based botany has been taught in …

Nebline, August 2008

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H’ers Develop Leadership Skills at Lancaster County Fair
Plant Alfalfa in August
How to Minimize Losses When Storing Hay Outside
Buffer pH Indicates Amount of Lime to Add to Acid Soil
Two-Spotted Spider Mites
Seeding New Cool Season Turfgrass
Slow-Release Fertilizers
Why Do Petunias Do That?
Converting Outdoor Flowers to House Plants for Winter
Fruit and Veggie “Bites”
$tretch Your Food Dollar by Eating More Fruits and Vegetables!
Healthy Eating: Pasta Frittata with Tomatoes
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ Notes—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
FCE Sizzling Summer Sampler a Success
Boost Your Child’s Brain Power
Household Hints: …

Pasteurellosis Transmission Risks Between Domestic And Wild Sheep, Michael W. Miller, Donald P. Knowles, Marie S. Bulgin, Billy R. Clay, Walter E. Cook, Subramaniam Srikumaran, A. David Scarfe, Dale Layfield

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

Disease has contributed significantly to the decline of bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) populations throughout much of western North America, decreasing many native herds to less than 10% of their historical size and imperiling some populations and subspecies (Valdez and Krausman 1999). According to historical accounts (e.g., Grinnell 1928; Honess and Frost 1942; Shillinger 1937; Warren 1910), epidemics in some locations coincided with the advent of domestic livestock grazing in bighorn ranges, suggesting that novel pathogens may have been introduced into some bighorn populations beginning in the 1800s.
Native North American wild sheep species—bighorn sheep and thinhorn (Dall’s and …

Nectar Secondary Compounds Affect Self-Pollen Transfer: Implications For Female And Male Reproduction, Rebecca E. Irwin, Lynn S. Adler

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pollen movement within and among plants affects inbreeding, plant fitness, and the spatial scale of genetic differentiation. Although a number of studies have assessed how plant and floral traits influence pollen movement via changes in pollinator behavior, few have explored how nectar chemical composition affects pollen transfer. As many as 55% of plants produce secondary compounds in their nectar, which is surprising given that nectar is typically thought to attract pollinators. We tested the hypothesis that nectar with secondary compounds may benefit plants by encouraging pollinators to leave plants after visiting only a few flowers, thus reducing self-pollen transfer. We …

Advanced Master Gardeners Flower Resources, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Center For Grassland Studies Newsletter, Summer 2008, Volume 14, No. 3

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents:
Are the Sandhills Fragile? by James Stubbendieck and Susan J. Tunnell, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL

Forage Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) Genotypes for the Northern Great Plains by Lekgari Lekgari and P. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL

Progress Being Made in Implementing the Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan

Soil and Water Conservation Conference: Farming with Grass

August 1 is Pre-registration Deadline for Nebraska Grazing Conference

We’ve Moved!

Forage News [2008-07], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• KFGC Field Day In Christian County
• KFGC Forage Spokesman Nominations
• KFGC Awards Nomination
• The UK Beef Bash 2008: A Different Kind of Field Day
• Certified Noxious Weed Seed Free Hay and Straw Program
• Nitrogen for Stockpiling Fescue
• Forage Seeding Rate Calculator
• Alfalfa Yield and Dollar Return From Wisconsin Green-Gold Program
• Relative Toxicity to Horses of Three Species of Blister Beetles
• Changes in U.S. Dairy Industry Since 1935
• Line Up For varieties Early for Fall Planting
• Roundup Ready Alfalfa on Track for 2009 Return
• Upcoming Events

The Potential For Crop-To-Wild Gene Flow In Sorghum In Ethiopia And Niger: A Geographic Survey, Tesfaye Tesso, Issoufou Kapran, Cecile Grenier, Allison Snow, Patricia Sweeney, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, David B. Marx, Gurling Bothma, Gebisa Ejeta

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

Information about the potential for crop–wild hybridization is needed to understand how crop genes, including transgenes, affect the population genetics and ecology of sexually compatible relatives. Transgenic sorghum is under development for use by traditional farmers in Africa, the center of origin for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], but systematic surveys of the current extent of contact with wild and weedy relatives are lacking. We studied wild and weedy sorghums that are interfertile with the crop and constitute a crop–wild–weed complex. The survey was conducted in 2005 in areas of traditional sorghum cultivation in three regions of Ethiopia and …

Nebline, July 2008

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Homemade Skillet Meals: Easy, Healthy & Low-Cost
Create Your Own Skillet Meal
Colorful Annual Vines
Watch out for Poison Ivy
Summer Pruning of Apple Trees
Keep the Vegetables Coming with a Fall Garden
Cost of Pumping Water for Domestic and Acreage Needs
Managing Financial Risk During Boom Periods
Plan the Timing of Grass Hay Harvest
Midges: Non-biting Gnats
Midge Control Program at Capitol Beach
Bats In and Around Structures
Bats and Disease
Supermarket Savings: 16 Tips that Can Total Big Bucks
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ Notes—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Swimsuit Care
Strengthening Family …

Compost Production And Use In Horticulture, Bob Paulin, Peter O'Malley

Bulletins 4000 -

Maintaining and improving soil organic carbon levels is becoming an increasingly important aspect of modern farming. Compost provides potentially one of the most effective ways of applying organic matter to soils and improving organic carbon levels.

Improving soil organic carbon is directly related to soil quality and performance. Increased quality reflects improved biological function (soil health), fertility and physical attributes that include better drainage, reduced compaction and erosion, and improved moisture-holding capability, at least for lighter soils.

Compost is not the only option available. Others include the use of cover or break crops, reducing the use of cultivations, selecting safe …

Soil Nitrogen And Phosphorus Availability For Field-Applied Slurry From Swine Fed Traditional And Low-Phytate Corn, J. S. Paschold, B. J. Wienhold, Richard B. Ferguson, Dennis L. Mccallister

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Swine (Sus scrofa) slurry contains nutrients essential for crop production but usually contains more P relative to N than is required by most crops, creating the potential for negative environmental impacts. Diet modifications such as low-phytate corn (Zea mays L.) have resulted in improved bioavailability of P and reduced manure P content. A field study was conducted to compare in situ availability of N and P at two sites. One site received three annual additions of manure from swine fed low-phytate corn or traditional corn diets or inorganic fertilizer, surface applied to rainfed no-till sorghum [Sorghum …

Sheep Updates 2008 - Part 2, Meredith L. Sheil, Di Evans, Brown Besier, Tim Scanlon, Andre Martinho De Almeida, Johan Greeff, Tanya Kilminster, John Milton, Chris Oldham, B. L. Mcintyre, Alison Wheatley, John Lucey, Fiona Jones, Nick Costa, Ed Riggall, J. R. L. Hall, Robin Jacob, Dave Pethick, Dave Hopkins, Graham Gardner

Sheep Updates

This session covers eleven papers from different authors: The Sheep Room 1. Analgesia for Surgical Husbandry Procedures in Sheep and Other Livestock, Dr Meredith L. Sheil, Animal Ethics Pty Ltd, Associate Sydney University Faculty of Veterinary Science The Wool Enterprise 2. Unmulsed sheep - implications for chemical use, Di Evans & Brown Besier, Department of Agriculture and Food WA 3. Are Damara and Dorper sheep better adapted than Merinos to nutritional stress? - Growth rates, Tim Scanlon1, Andre Martinho de Almeida2, Johan Greeff1, Tanya Kilminster1, John Milton3, Chris Oldham1, Department of Agriculture and Food WA1, Instituto de Investigacao Cientifica Tropical, …

Citrus Tristeza Virus: Survival At The Edge Of The Movement Continuum, Svetlana Y. Folimonova, Alexey S. Folimonov, Satyanarayana Tatineni, William O. Dawson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Science, Ltd Systemic invasion of plants by viruses is thought to involve two processes: cell-to-cell movement between adjacent cells and long-distance movement that allows the virus to rapidly move through sieve elements and unload at the growing parts of the plant. There is a continuum of proportions of these processes that determines the degrees of systemic infection of different plants by different viruses. We examined the systemic distribution of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in citrus species with a range of susceptibilities. By using a “pure” culture of CTV from a cDNA clone and green fluorescent protein-labeled virus we show that …

Sphingolipid Long-Chain Base Hydroxylation Is Important For Growth And Regulation Of Sphingolipid Content And Composition In Arabidopsis, Ming Chen, Jennifer E. Markham, Charles R. Dietrich, Jan G. Jaworski, Edgar B. Cahoon

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Sphingolipids are structural components of endomembranes and function through their metabolites as bioactive regulators of cellular processes such as programmed cell death. A characteristic feature of plant sphingolipids is their high content of trihydroxy long-chain bases (LCBs) that are produced by the LCB C-4 hydroxylase. To determine the functional significance of trihydroxy LCBs in plants, T-DNA double mutants and RNA interference suppression lines were generated for the two Arabidopsis thaliana LCB C-4 hydroxylase genes Sphingoid Base Hydroxylase1 (SBH1) and SBH2. These plants displayed reductions in growth that were dependent on the content of trihydroxy LCBs in sphingolipids. …

The Effect Of Ginseng On Biofilm Formation By Wild Type And Mutant Strains Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Premi Shekar

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Premi Shekar on June 25, 2008.

Method For Efficient Post Transcriptional Gene Slencing Using Intrinsic Direct Repeat Sequences And Utilization Thereof Infunctional Genomics, Amitava Mitra, Chonglie Ma

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

It is well documented that transgenes with inverted repeats can efficiently trigger post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), presumably via a double stranded RNA induced by complementary sequences in their transcripts. We show here that transgenes with intrinsic direct repeats can also induce PTGS at a very high frequency (80-100%). A transgene with three or four repeats induced PTGS in almost 100% of the primary transformants, regardless of whether a strong (en hanced 35S promoter) or a relatively weak (chlorophyll a?b binding protein promoter) promoter was used. The PTGS induced by three or four repeats is consistently inherited in Subsequent generations, and …

Intsormil Promotes Sorghum Production In Nicaragua, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The INTSORMIL Central America Regional Program supports the efforts of national research programs to develop dynamic research programs that contribute to productivity, economic growth, natural resource conservation and improved diets. INTSORMIL supports a ‘network’ approach and promotes sorghum production in the region through the PCCMCA (Central Cooperative Program for Improving Crops and Animals) and other national and international organizations. PCCMCA serves as a forum for the international testing program for sorghum in Central America (CA). Rene Clara, INTSORMIL CA Regional Coordinator based at CENTA in El Salvador, coordinates the regional grain sorghum yield trials conducted on belhalf of the PCCMCA. …