Digital Commons Network^™

Farmer Research: Conventional Experiences And Guidelines For Alternative Agriculture And Multi-Functional Agro-Ecosystems, Charles S. Wortmann, A. P. Christensen, Keith L. Glewen, Terence A. Hejny, J. Mulliken, J. M. Peterson, D. L. Varner, S. Wortmann, Gary L. Zoubek

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Crop producers are challenged to operate profitably, use resources efficiently, meet high standards of quality and protect the environment, while sustaining rural economies and societies. Cropping systems are generally fine-tuned and improved through changes that have small effects which can often be verified only through research. The processes and successes of two farmer research projects were studied. Results of these studies, information from other sources and the authors’ reflections on their own experiences were integrated to develop guidelines for the implementation of farmer research projects for alternative agriculture and multi-functional agro-ecosystems with diverse stakeholders. Surveys were mailed to 118 farmers …

Species Diversity And Functional Composition Of Pastures That Vary In Landscape Position And Grazing Management, John A. Guretzky, Kenneth J. Moore, E. Charles Brummer, C. Lee Burras

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The productivity of grasslands depends in part on their diversity of species and functional composition. Our objective was to examine the effects of three landscape positions (summit, backslope, and toe-slope) and three stocking systems (continuous, rotational, and non-grazed) on species diversity and percentage of cover of grass, legume, and weed species functional types in southeastern Iowa pastures.Data were collected in 0.2-m² plots randomly distributed throughout each of four replicate pastures in spring and summer 2000 and 2001. Backslope landscape positions within pastures managed with either continuous or rotational stocking contained the greatest overall diversity of species. Across years, overall …

Fundamental Contribution Of Β-Oxidation To Polyketide Mycotoxin Production In Planta, Lori A. Maggio-Hall, Richard A. Wilson, Nancy P. Keller

Fungal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

Seed contamination with polyketide mycotoxins, including aflatoxin (AF) and sterigmatocystin (ST) produced by Aspergillus spp., is an agricultural, economic, and medical issue worldwide. Acetyl-CoA, the fundamental building block of all known fungal polyketides, is generated by a large number of biochemical pathways, including β-oxidation of fatty acids and glycolysis of sugars. We present several lines of evidence to support a major role for seed fatty acids in formation of AF and ST in A. flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. nidulans. Aspergillus strains exhibiting canonical signs of oleic acid–induced peroxisome proliferation, including increased catalase activity, β-oxidation gene expression, and …

Winter Feeding Sites Of Hay In Round Bales As Major Developmental Sites Of Stomoxys Calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) In Pastures In Spring And Summer, Alberto B. Broce, Jerome Hogsette, Steven Paisley

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

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), historically has been a pest of livestock in confined operations but seldom of animals on pastures or rangelands. In the past two decades, however, S. calcitrans has become a major pest of cattle and horses on pastures in the midwestern United States. Although there usually is an overabundance of diverse stable fly and house fly, Musca domestica L., larval habitats in confined livestock operations, no larval habitat for stable flies has been clearly identified in the pasture-range environment. Because the winter feeding of hay in round bales results in significant amounts of hay wastage …

Effect Of Control Plot Density, Control Plot Arrangement, And Assumption Of Random Or Fixed Effects On Nonreplicated Experiments For Germplasm Screening Using Spatial Models, Boi Sebolai, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, D. B. Marx, D. L. Boykin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Early generation selection experiments typically involve several hundred to thousands of lines. Various systematic and statistical techniques have been developed to increase effectiveness and efficiencies in such experiments, including the development and application of spatial statistical models. In this study, mixed model equations were used to provide least squares means (LSMEANs) and best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) and compare selection effectiveness and efficiencies to observed (Y) and true values in simulated experiments varying in size (10 X 10, 20 X 20 and 30 X 30 grids), control plots densities (0, 5, 10, 20, and 50%), control plot arrangements (high, medium, …

Review Of The Black Flies (Simuliidae) Of North America By: Peter H Adler, Douglas C Currie, And D Monty Wood, Jerome Hogsette

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

Based on its title, one could expect this volume to be mainly a taxonomic reference for the North American Black Flies, but it is actually much more. The book is organized into five parts, each containing two to three of the 10 total chapters. Part I presents a very comprehensive overview of the subject (Chapter 1), followed by a history of the research (Chapter 2) that contains good historical references, as well as citations that are quite recent. Historical references are always welcome in any review section because they may have been published in regional or local literature that are …

Predicting Plant Extinction Based On Species-Area Curves In Prairie Fragments With High Beta Richness, Brian J. Wilsey, Leanne M. Martin, H. Wayne Polley

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

Species-area relationships and island biogeography theory are commonly used to predict how species richness will decline with fragmentation. There are a variety of largely untested assumptions in these approaches, including the assumptions that populations are distributed uniformly before fragmentation, and that local extinctions are due to effects of small population sizes. If populations are not distributed uniformly, then populations can be abundant locally but rare globally. This would cause extinction rates to be smaller than predicted.We tested extinction theory by developing estimates of the number of plant species that should be present in small tallgrass prairie fragments and then testing …

Patterns Of Plant Species Diversity In Remnant And Restored Tallgrass Prairies, H. Wayne Polley, Justin D. Derner, Brian J. Wilsey

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

To restore diversity of native vegetation, we must understand factors responsible for diversity in targeted communities. These factors operate at different spatial scales and may affect the number and relative abundances of species differently. We measured diversity of plant species and functional groups of species in replicated plots within paired restored and remnant (relic) tallgrass prairies at three locations in central Texas, U.S.A.

A Modified Molybdenum Blue Method For Orthophosphate Determination Suitable For Investigating Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Organic Phosphates, Zhongqi He, C. Wayne Honeycutt

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

In characterizing organic phosphorus (P_o) by phosphatase hydrolysis, the quantity of hydrolyzable P_o is represented by the difference in orthophosphate [i.e., inorganic P (P_i)] determined after and prior to enzymatic incubation. Therefore, precise determination of P_i is of major importance for accurate application of the enzymatic hydrolysis approach. The strong acid conditions required for conventional molybdenum blue methods interferes with P_i determination due to rapid hydrolysis of labile P_o and precipitation of enzymes (proteins). The molybdenum blue method of Dick and Tabatabai in 1977 reduced errors pertaining to nonenzymatic hydrolysis of P …

Habitat Corridors Function As Both Drift Fences And Movement Conduits For Dispersing Flies, Joanna H. Fried, Douglas J. Levey, Jerome Hogsette

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

Corridors connect otherwise isolated habitat patches and can direct movement of animals among such patches. In eight experimental landscapes, we tested two hypotheses of how corridors might affect dispersal behavior. The Traditional Corridor hypothesis posits that animals preferentially leave patches via corridors, following them into adjacent patches. The Drift Fence hypothesis posits that animals dispersing through matrix habitat are diverted into patches with corridors because they follow corridors when encountered. House flies (Musca domestica L.), a species that prefers the habitat of our patches and corridors, were released in a central patch (100x100 m) and recaptured in peripheral patches …

Post-Release Evaluation Of Biological Control Of Bemisia Tabaci Biotype ‘‘B’’ In The Usa And The Development Of Predictive Tools To Guide Introductions For Other Countries, John A. Goolsby, Paul J. Debarro, Alan A. Kirk, Robert W. Sutherst, Luis Canas, Matthew A. Ciomperlik, Peter C. Ellsworth, Juli R. Gould, Diana M. Hartley, Kim A. Hoelmer, Steven E. Naranjo, Mike Rose, William J. Roltsch, Paul A. Ruiz, Charles H. Pickett, Don C. Vacek

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

Climatic matching and pre-release performance evaluation were useful predictors of parasitoid establishment in a retrospective analysis of a classical biological control program against Bemisia tabaci biotype ‘‘B’’ in the USA. Laboratory evaluation of 19 imported and two indigenous parasitoid species in quarantine on B. tabaci showed that the Old World Eretmocerus spp, had the highest attack rate. The climate matching program CLIMEX was used to analyze the establishment patterns of five Old World Eretmocerus spp. introduced to the Western USA. The top matches ±10% for the climate of the area of introduction and origin of the introduced parasitoids always included …

Lucerne - Is It For Me? - Workshop Development Guide For Facilitators, Richard O'Donnell

Agriculture reports

This workshop has been developed as part of the GRDC/NDSP-funded ?A Million Hectares for the Future? Project with support and input from key personnel from the Department of Agriculture, Western Australian (DAWA). Thank you also, to the farmers who participated in the pilot workshops, providing valuable feedback on structure and content.

Development Of A Process Of Addition Of Tricalcium Phosphate From Burnt Phosphate Rock In Feed For Animal Nutrition, Luis Fernando Nogales Grágeda

Theses and Dissertations

This study took place in Bolivia with the purpose of using thermally treated Capinota phosphate rock as a phosphorous supplement in balanced feed diets. The objective was to produce a natural phosphate substance that would be more easily accessible to the local population than commercial feed supplements. An additional objective of this study was to increase the availability of the low-fluoride phosphorous. The biological assays indicated that the diet with the added burned phosphoric rock produced similar yields to those using a commercial feed supplement (dicalcium phosphate). This indicates that the locally manufactured product, by partial acidification, can compete with …

Agrostology; An Introduction To The Systematics Of Grasses, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Acceptance Of Fourwing Saltbush By Sheep When Crested Wheatgrass Is The Alternative, Val J. Anderson, R. D. Horrocks, Christine W. Royer, Stephen B. Monsen

Faculty Publications

Many sagebrush-grass ranges have been seeded to crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fischer ex Link) Shultes]. These ranges are generally nutritionally inadequate for sheep (Ovis aries L.), except for short grazing periods in the spring and fall. To increase production and diversity, particularly crude protein for late-season grazing, fourwing saltbush [Atriplex canescens (Pursch.) Nutt.] was planted in an existing stand of crested wheatgrass. Quantification of sheep forage preferences on these improved ranges aids in determining the length of the grazing season and the extent to which shrubs provide the supplemental nutrition required. This seasonal grazing study was conducted on a characteristic …

Distance Between Pollen Donor And Recipient Influences Fruiting Success In Slickspot Peppergrass, Lepidium Papilliferum, Ian C. Robertson, Amy C. Ulappa

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plant populations are often spatially structured owing to limited dispersal of pollen and seed. Mating between neighboring individuals in such populations often leads to reduced reproductive performance relative to matings between distant individuals. This response, which may be a result of inbreeding depression or prezygotic mating barriers, was investigated for slickspot peppergrass, Lepidium papilliferum L. (Brassicaceae), a rare insect-pollinated mustard endemic to sagebrush–steppe habitat in southwestern Idaho. Through hand pollination experiments we found that individual plants receiving pollen from distant sources (75–100 m and 6.5–20 km away) had significantly higher percent fruit sets than those relying on pollen from neighboring …

Atrazine Runoff In The Blue River Basin: Geomorphology, Rainfall, And Agronomic Practices, Kundan Dhakal

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Atrazine concentrations in the Big Blue River Basin (BRB) in Nebraska and Kansas periodically exceed the U.S. EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 3 µg L^-1. The present study is focused on watershed variables influencing surface runoff of atrazine. The assessment includes the impact of corn and sorghum planting progress (indicating atrazine application), rainfall, antecedent soil water content, and soil restrictive layer on stream-measured weekly atrazine load in independent BRB subwatersheds for 1997 - 2004. Maximum atrazine loading occurred after most of the corn had been planted but during sorghum planting from mid-May to early June, immediately following …

Center For Grassland Studies Newsletter, Winter 2004, Volume 10, No. 1

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Matching Beef Cattle Genetics to Feed Resources by Jim Gosey, Department of Animal Science, UNL

Ecological Monitoring to Assist Producers with Grassland Production Forecasts by George Green, School of Natural Resources, UNL

Nebraska Ranch Practicum Enters Sixth Year by Jerry Volesky, Don Adams, Richard Clark, Dillon Feuz, Patrick Reece, Brent Plugge, Bud Stolzenburg and Troy Walz, UNL

Bull Riders for Biodiversity? – And Other Heresies for the Northern Great Plains by Tyler Sutton, for The Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains

2004 Nebraska Grazing Conference to be Aug. 10-11

The Nebraska Turfgrass Conference: 42 Years of Educating Nebraska Turfgrass Managers …

Compost As A Growth Substrate For Woody Ornamental Nursery Production, Jaime Crocker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Peat is an expensive, environmentally nonrenewable component of media used to grow woody ornamental trees. Leaf compost from the city of Bowling Green is an inexpensive renewable resource that was substituted for peat in soil-less container media. Seeds of three commercially important tree species, Koelreuteria paniculata (goldenraintree), Quercus alba (white oak), and Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia) were grown in 473 mL bottomless milk containers for 150 days, then repotted to 3785 mL pots for 90 days. Media ratios were 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 0:1 parts commercial media to leaf compost from the Western Kentucky University Agricultural Research Center in …

Forage News [2004-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Forages at KCA in Owensboro
• Kentucky Alfalfa Conference – 25^TH Anniversary
• Groups Form National Alfalfa Coalition
• Eleven Seasons of Pasture Productivity and Heifer Performance Under Rotational Grazing: Data From WICST.
• Hay Storage Update
• Upcoming Events

C-Terminal 23 Kda Polypeptide Of Soybean Gly M Bd 28 K Is A Potential Allergen, Ping Xiang, Eric J. Haas, Michael G. Zeece, John P. Markwell, Gautam Sarath

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

Gly m Bd 28 K is a major soybean (Glycine max Merr.) glycoprotein allergen. It was originally identified as a 28 kDa polypeptide in soybean seed flour. However, the full-length protein is encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) of 473 amino acids, and contains a 23 kDa C-terminal polypeptide of as yet unknown allergenic and structural characteristics. IgE-binding (allergenic potential) of the Gly m Bd 28 K protein including the 23 kDa C-terminal portion as well as shorter fragments derived from the full-length ORF were evaluated using sera from soy-sensitive adults. All of these sera contained IgE that …

Tandem Inverted Repeat System For Selection Of Effective Transgenic Rnai Strains In Chlamydomonas, Jennifer Rohr, Nandita Sarkar, Susan Belanger, Byeong-Ryool Jeong, Heriberto D. Cerutti

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi), the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggered post-transcriptional gene silencing, is becoming a powerful tool for reverse genetics studies. Stable RNAi, induced by the expression of inverted repeat (IR) transgenes, has been achieved in protozoa, algae, fungi, plants, and metazoans. However, the level of gene silencing is often quite variable, depending on the type of construct, transgene copy number, site of integration, and target gene. This is a hindrance in functional genomics studies, where it is desirable to suppress target genes reliably to analyze unknown phenotypes. Consequently, we explored strategies for direct selection of effective transgenic RNAi lines in …

Shiga Toxin Binding To Isolated Porcine Tissues And Peripheral Blood Leukocytes, Kellie R. K. Winter, William C. Stoffregen, Evelyn A. Dean-Nystrom

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

Shiga toxin (Stx) binding sites in porcine tissues and leukocytes were identified by the use of Stx overlay and anti-CD77/Gb3 immunoassays. Stx1 and Stx2 bound to similar tissue locations and leukocytes, although some differences were noted. Previously unreported Stx binding sites were identified in kidney tubules, intestinal lymphoid aggregates, sinusoidal liver cells, alveolar macrophages, and peripheral blood leukocytes.

Forage News [2004-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dr. Ray Smith Joins Kentucky Forage Team
• KFGC Presents 2004 Forage Awards
• Forage Spokesman Winner
• Grigson Becomes KFGC President
• KFGC Board Elects Six New Members
• 5th Kentucky Grazing Conference Big Success
• Forage Information
• What Is the Quality of Your Hay?
• How Good Is Stockpiled Tall Fescue?
• Effects of Tall Fescue Endophyte on Reproduction
• American Forage and Grassland Council Update
• Calf Weaning Weights of Cattle Grazing Toxic or MaxQ™ Tall Fescue Stands
• Hay Production
• Upcoming Events

Nebline, November/December 2004

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Local Efforts to Promote Good Health
What Parents Can Do
Tax Planning Update for 2004
Don’t Forget to Winterize Your Underground Sprinkler System
Management Pays Better Than Labor
Management = Planning for the Future
Helping Trees Through Winter
Sources of Man-Made Chemicals in Drinking Water
How to Hire an Arborist
Tips on Storing Firewood
Tips on Turkey Preparation
WINTER FRUIT GLAZE Recipe
How to Cook a Turkey the Day Before Serving It
GREEN ONION AND CORN BREAD STUFFING Recipe
Simple Tip to Avoid Scratches When Storing Nonstick Skillets
Cooking Tools Class Oct. 26
President’s Notes — Janet’s Jargon
Household Hints: …

Patterns Of Fitness And Fluctuating Asymmetry Across A Broad Hybrid Zone, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We estimated levels of developmental instability in leaves, as indicated by fluctuating asymmetry (i.e., random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry), across a broad hybrid zone between two taxa in the Piriqueta caroliniana complex. Previous studies have indicated that this hybrid zone was initiated in southern Florida and has expanded northward. We found that plants from the hybrid zone generally had higher levels of leaf developmental instability than plants from allopatric regions, but the increase in asymmetry was not substantial. Although it is usually assumed that developmental instability is associated with lower fitness, these Piriqueta hybrids from central Florida are similar …

2004 Forage Spokesperson Contestants, James Chestnut, Jimmy May, Steve Meredith, Bill Payne

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Reducing Stored Feed Requirements, Don Ball

Kentucky Grazing Conference

A basic, desirable goal for virtually any livestock producer is to minimize stored feed requirements. It is less expensive to have livestock harvest forage for themselves by grazing than to harvest it for them; therefore, the greater the extent to which pasture can be used to provide nutrition, the more profitable a livestock operation will generally be. Thus, it is worthwhile to consider all options that might be available for reducing stored feed needs.

Stocking Decisions: They Make Or Break You, Glen E. Aiken

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Decisions on species and variety of forage to plant and manage are economically critical because it establishes the potential to meet a particular production goal. However, the stocking rate used to graze these forages is more critical because it ultimately determines if a targeted level of production is reached. Most cattlemen aim for a stocking rate that provides maximum economic return, but it should be emphasized that an economically optimum stocking rate is one that potentially provides sustained economic return. It is obvious that dollar return is not maximized if excessive heavy grazing results in costly pasture renovation, ranging from …

Grazing: Getting From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be, Gary Bates

Kentucky Grazing Conference

When trying to design a forage and grazing program, producers often try to consider so many factors that it becomes mind-boggling. If basic plant physiology, how and when a forage plant grows is considered, improving a forage program will usually become easier, especially in developing a controlled grazing system. The purpose of a controlled grazing system should be to improve the utilization of the high quality forage produced on the farm. In order to improve this utilization, it is helpful to understand plant growth and quality, and the factors that affect them.