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Fungal Foam Tested Against Avocado Threat, Jan Suszkiw

Agricultural Research Magazine

Avocados aren’t just nutritional powerhouses; they’re also the chief ingredient in such party favorites as guacamole dip.

More than 99 percent of the nation’s $322 million avocado crop is grown in south Florida and southern California (less than 1 percent is produced in Hawaii), which makes recent infestations of groves there by invasive, wood-boring ambrosia beetles so alarming. A host of counter strategies are in the works, including a biobased foam originally developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists for use against Formosan subterranean termites.

In Miami-Dade County, Florida, avocado growers are contending with Xyleborus glabratus, the redbay ambrosia beetle. …

New Strategies To Thwart Pecan Scab, Sharon Durham

Agricultural Research Magazine

Pecans are great for eating out of the shell or in a myriad of recipes. But abundant pickings of high-quality nuts are only possible if the tree escapes the devastating disease called “pecan scab.” Caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum, it is the most destructive disease of pecan in the southeastern United States. When scab is severe, most often when rainfall is above average, nut size is reduced, and total crop loss might occur.

Scientists at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia, are working to help pecan growers mitigate the effect of pecan scab. …

Agricultural Research Magazine August 2013

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 Prescription for Curing Citrus Greening: Apply Heat and Wait

7 Screening Fresh Oranges With UV: Study Pinpoints New Value of Detection Tactic

8 Breed Matters: Selecting Rams for Rangeland Production

10 Scientific Works of Art Reveal a Hidden World

13 ARS Validates Soil Moisture Data Collected Via Satellite

14 New Strategies To Thwart Pecan Scab

15 Fire Ant Venom Compounds May Be Useful as a Fungicide

16 Possible Links Between Soil Microbial Communities and Stroke Risk

18 Early Weaning: A Good Bet for Beef Producers in Drought-Stricken Areas

20 Fungal Foam Tested Against Avocado Threat

21 …

Cause And Impacts Of The Early Season Collapse Of Lilium Grayi (Gray’S Lily), On Roan Mountain, Tn/Nc, Russell J. Ingram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A population of the rare Southern Appalachian endemic species Lilium grayi, (Gray’s lily) Roan Mountain, TN/NC was monitored for 2 years to determine the cause and impact of an early season collapse. High concentrations of the Lilium spp. host-specific fungal phytopathogen, Pseudocercosporella inconspicua (G. Winter) U. Braun were associated with 19/20 symptomatic and 0/30 asymptomatic plants. Strength of the association between pathogen and disease and the replication of disease symptoms in 4/4 healthy hosts showed that P. inconspicua was the causal agent of the disease referred to as lily leaf spot. Disease had a severe impact on the population …

Identification And Confirmation Of Quantitative Trait Loci For Seed Protein And Oil Content Of Soybean, Jiao Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein and oil are the major chemical constituents of soybean seed that affect the quality of soyfood, feed, and oil products. Therefore, soybean cultivars with high protein and/or high oil are desirable for the soyfood and feed markets. Use of molecular-marker-assisted selection will facilitate the breeding process of such cultivar development. The objectives of this research were to identify new quantitative trait loci (QTL) and confirm previously reported QTL associated with seed protein and oil content by using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations consisting of 242 individuals from …

Nebline, August 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 8 Tips for Better-Tasting Fruits & Vegetables

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

2013 Lancaster County Super Fair Schedule & Map Special Pullout Section

High Yield Soybean Management: Planting Practices, Nutrient Supply, And Growth Modification, Evan Sonderegger

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

Growers are constantly seeking ways to improve yield in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. There has been much interest in the use of selected alternative practices to maximize soybean yield. These practices include planting soybean at higher than recommended seeding rates, planting soybean in narrow rows, breaking apical dominance to induce branching, application of strobilurin fungicides prophylactically to minimize disease and extend the seed filling period, the use of N fertilizer both in furrow and foliar applied, and the use of seed treatments to promote early stand establishment and health. Field studies were conducted at the University of Nebraska …

The Characterization Of Algae Grown On Nutrient Removal Systems And Evaluation Of Potential Uses For The Resulting Biomass, Kristin Hampel

Dissertations

Eutrophication resulting from excess nutrient loads is a major environmental issue that affects surface water quality and causes surplus primary production, thereby reducing dissolved oxygen concentrations. A method for managing nutrients in surface waters involves absorption of excess nutrients by deliberately cultivating benthic algal turf biomass, then harvesting it for a variety of uses, including biofuels, soil amendments, or feed supplements, thus coupling nutrient removal to additional economic drivers.

The goals of this work are to (1) evaluate the composition of algal biomass grown to remove surface water nutrients, (2) compare biomass grown at different geographic locations and in dissimilar …

Quick Start Guide To Soil Methods For Ecologists, Lora Perkins, Robert R. Blank, Scot D. Ferguson, Dale W. Johnson, William C. Lindemann, Ben M. Rau

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Increasingly biologists and ecologists are becoming aware of the vital importance of soil to processes observed above ground and are incorporating soil analyses into their research. Because of the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of soil, proper incorporation of soil analysis into ecological studies requires knowledge and planning. Unfortunately, many ecologists may not be current (or trained at all) in soil science.We provide this review, based on our cumulative >60 years of work in soil science,to help familiarize researchers with essential information to appropriately incorporate soil analyses into ecological studies. Specifically, we provide a brief introduction into soils and then discuss …

B.R. Wells Rice Research Studies 2012, R. J. Norman, K.A. K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Genome-Wide Association Mapping Identifies Qtls And Candidate Genes For Salt Tolerance In Soybean, Lei Huang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salinity is a common abiotic stress causing soybean yield loss worldwide. Use of tolerant cultivars is an effective and economic approach to coping with this stress. Toward this, research is needed to identify salt-tolerant germplasm and better understand the genetic and molecular basis of salt tolerance in soybean. The objectives of this study were to identify salt-tolerant genotypes, to search for SNPs and QTLs associated with salt tolerance, and to identify candidate salt tolerance genes. A total of 192 diverse soybean lines and cultivars were screened for salt tolerance in the greenhouse based on visual leaf scorch scores after 15 …

Study Of Thermotolerance Mechanism In Gossypium Hirsutum Through Identification Of Heat Stress Genes, Jin Zhang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Heat stress causes major losses to cotton seed and lint yield. Introduction of heat stress tolerance to Arkansas cotton varieties is highly desirable. However, very little is known about the molecular basis of heat stress tolerance in cotton. The present study attempted to identify heat stress tolerance genes in two heat-tolerant cotton cultivars, VH260 and MNH456, originating from Pakistan. Towards this, the expression profile of the cotton orthologs of sevenArabidopsisheat stress tolerance genes was studied in these two cultivars, and compared with the two heat-susceptible cotton cultivars, ST213 and ST4288, originating from Mississippi Delta region. In addition, physiological parameters …

The Phaseolus Vulgaris Zip Gene Family: Identification, Characterization, Mapping, And Gene Expression, Carolina Astudillo, Andrea C. Fernandez, Matthew W. Blair, Karen A. Cichy

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Zinc is an essential mineral for humans and plants and is involved in many physiological and biochemical processes. In humans, Zn deficiency has been associated with retarded growth and reduction of immune response. In plants, Zn is an essential component of more than 300 enzymes including RNA polymerase, alkaline phosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, Cu/Zn superoxidase dismutase, and carbonic anhydrase. The accumulation of Zn in plants involves many genes and characterization of the role of these genes will be useful in biofortification. Here we report the identification and phlyogenetic and sequence characterization of the 23 members of the ZIP (ZRT, IRT like …

A Legume Biofortification Quandary: Variability And Genetic Control Of Seed Coat Micronutrient Accumulation In Common Beans, Matthew W. Blair, Paulo Izquierdo, Carolina Astudillo, Michael A. Grusak

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), like many legumes, are rich in iron, zinc, and certain other microelements that are generally found to be in low concentrations in cereals, other seed crops, and root or tubers and therefore are good candidates for biofortification. But a quandary exists in common bean biofortification: namely that the distribution of iron has been found to be variable between the principal parts of seed; namely the cotyledonary tissue, embryo axis and seed coat. The seed coat represents ten or more percent of the seed weight and must be considered specifically as it accumulates much of …

Nebline, July 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Integrated Pest Management in Nebraska Schools: Solving Pest Problems Effectively with Fewer Pesticides

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Rate Of Shattercane × Sorghum Hybridization In Situ, Jared J. Schmidt, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, Mark L. Bernards, John L. Lindquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cultivated sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. bicolor] can interbreed with a feral weedy relative shattercane [S. bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii (Steud.) de Wet ex Davidse]. Traits introduced from cultivated sorghum could contribute to the invasiveness of a shattercane population. An experiment was conducted to determine the potential for pollenmediated gene flow from grain sorghum to shattercane. Shattercane with juicy midrib (dd) was planted in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] fields during 2 yr in concentric arcs at varying distances from a 0.39 ha sorghum pollen source with dry midrib (DD). The arcs …

Growing South Dakota (Summer 2013), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Fish, Field & Forest: Natural Resource Management Research Covers the Gamut
[Page] 5 Profiles In Leadership: David Willis; Combined Department Creates Interdisciplinary Opportunities
[Page] 6 Research On the Range: Cottonwood Field Station Has Provided Research Data for 106 Years
[Page] 8 Prairie Oasis: Natural Diversity Showcased at Oak Lake Field Station
[Page] 9 Special Section: Investigating in Agriculture & Biological Sciences at SDSU: An Update On the College of Ag’s Enhanced Facilities and Continuing Efforts Important to Helping Address Future Agricultural Challenges and Opportunities.[Page] 13 South Dakota 4-H Update: Skill-a-thons, New Exhibit Hall Planned
[Page] 14 After The …

Measuring The Impacts Of Agricultural Input Subsidies In Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence From Malawi's Farm Input Subsidy Program, Gerald E. Shively, Jacob Ricker-Gilbert

Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) Policy Briefs

Malawi, a small, land-locked country in south Eastern Africa has been at the forefront of the recent push to reestablish subsidies as a way of boosting agricultural production and improving food security, especially among the poor. Its programs have been widely observed, scrutinized, and emulated. This policy brief examines Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) and distills a set of key research findings drawn from research conducted recently at Purdue University.

Nebline, June 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Smart Family Finances

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Decomposition And Nutrient Release Of Different Cover Crops In Organic Farm Systems, Jianru Shi

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cover crops act as green manure adding organic matter to agricultural-soils. For legume green manures to be an effective nitrogen (N) source for organic farming systems, their N release must be in synchrony with crop N demand. The objectives of this study were 1) determine the decomposition rates of three common cover crops (white clover, (Trifolium repens,L ) red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and soybean (Glycine max L) in order to determine when most N was released and its synchrony with subsequent corn crop uptake; 2) we focused on the effect of cover crops on soil …

Functional Annotation, Transcriptional Characterization And Enzymatic Contributions Of Essential Amino Acid Biosynthesis-Related Genes, Teresa J. Clark

Masters Theses

In plants, essential amino acid biosynthesis predominantly or exclusively occurs in the plastid. The plastid in the heterokont alga Nannochloropsis oceanica is surrounded by four membranes, which add great complexity to intracellular trafficking and communication. N. oceanica genes in essential amino acid biosynthesis were functionally annotated. The biosynthesis pathways resemble the pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana, but the gene content seems to be simpler in N. oceanica.

In addition, two A. thaliana mutants with loss-of-function mutations in the aspartate kinase-homoserine dehydrogenase 2 (AK-HSDH2) gene were characterized. These ak-hsdh2 mutants demonstrate unexpected accumulation of aspartate-derived amino acids (ADAAs), particularly threonine, in …

Pushing The Envelope? Maize Production Intensification And The Role Of Cattle Manure In Recovery Of Degraded Soils In Smallholder Farming Areas Of Zimbabwe, Leonard Rusinamhodzi, Marc Corbeels, Shamie Zingore, Justice Nyamangara, Ken E. Giller

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Soil fertility decline is a major constraint to crop productivity on smallholder farms in Africa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term (up to nine years) impacts of nutrient management strategies and their local feasibility on crop productivity, soil fertility status and rainfall infiltration on two contrasting soil types and different prior management regimes in Murehwa, Zimbabwe. The nutrient management strategies employed in the study were: a control with no fertiliser, amendments of 100kg Nha-1, 100kg N+lime, three rates of manure application (5, 15 and 25tha-1) in combination with 100kg Nha-1, and three rates of P fertiliser …

A Literature Review Of The Health Effects Of A Plant Based Diet Versus An Animal Based Diet, James Cote

Senior Honors Theses

Health and nutrition can mean a myriad of things to many people in today’s culture. The majority of the time people are unaware of the proper nutrients their body needs and how to get them from food. This thesis will seek to expose the health benefits that are associated with consuming a raw plant-based die, offering a more profound and encompassing view on nutrition. Investigating further into today’s most common diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and autoimmune disorders, it will seek to discover and answer why we have so many health issues. This thesis will discuss the …

Metabolic Engineering Of Flavonoid Biosynthesis In Scutellaria Lateriflora Hairy Roots By Ectopic Expression Of The Atmyb12 Transcription Factor, Tianhong Yang

Student Theses and Dissertations

American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), a perennial herb native to America, is rich in specialized metabolites that have shown various biological activities. In particular, the flavonoids wogonin, baicalein and baicalin have proven anticancer properties in vitro. However, the regulatory mechanisms and biosynthetic steps leading to these specialized metabolites have not been elucidated. To address this issue, hairy root cultures of S. lateriflora expressing the flavonoid-specific transcription factor AtMYB12 from Arabidopsis thaliana were developed using Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC 15834 containing a binary vector harboring the AtMYB12 cDNA under the control of the SuperP:TEV expression system. In this study, three AtMYB12 transgenic hairy …

Providing More—And Better—Food By 2050, John W. Finley

Agricultural Research Magazine

The world in 2050 is predicted to have 9 billion people, who will differ in almost every way but one: They will all need to eat on a daily basis.

Their nutritional needs will be similar, too. Nutrition means eating, eating means food, and food means agriculture. Many people speak of the increased food needed for 9 billion, but in reality, the increased need is for nutrition. Thus, the world of 2050 will force a melding of two disciplines that have diverged in recent years—agriculture and nutrition.

We need to change our focus. We need sustainable nutrition as much as …

May/June 2013- Locations Featured In This Magazine Issue

Agricultural Research Magazine

The Agricultural Research Service has about 100 labs all over the country.

Locations Featured in This Magazine Issue

Albany, California 9 research units ■ 230 employees

Pullman, Washington 6 research units ■ 136 employees

Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, Idaho 1 research unit ■ 57 employees

U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, Idaho 1 research unit ■ 10 employees

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska 6 research units ■ 117 employees

Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota 2 research units ■ 51 employees

Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Houston, Texas …

Agricultural Research Magazine, May-June 2013

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 Olives! Scientists Take a New Look at an Ancient Crop

8 Getting Hooked on Farmed Salmon: A Good Source of Omega-3s

10 Nematode-Filled Capsules Tested Against Corn Rootworms

12 Viral Infection in Sheep Linked to Gene

14 Cited for More Than 60 Years of Flavor Research

17 Dogs, Pine Trees, and Carbs: Studies Lead to New Pet- Food Ingredient

18 Nourishing America’s Preemies: Scientists Confront the Challenges of IV Feeding

20 Mapping the Way to Even Healthier Rice

22 New Bioenergy Yeast Is an Overachiever

23 Locations Featured in This Magazine Issue

Mapping The Way To Even Healthier Rice, Shannon Pinson, Jan Suszkiw

Agricultural Research Magazine

With the aid of high-tech tools, Agricultural Research Service and collaborating scientists are closing in on the genes in rice that regulate the uptake and storage of important minerals—a pursuit that could bolster the nutritional value of this cereal grain crop as a staple food for roughly half the world’s population.

Ultimately, the team envisions biofortifying rice using traditional plant breeding methods to develop new varieties whose kernels (grain) boast exceptionally high concentrations of essential minerals, including zinc, iron, and calcium.

Rice is a mainstay of the human diet for good reason. It is a rich source of energy, free …

Getting Hooked On Farmed Salmon: A Good Source Of Omega-3s, Susan Raatz, Matthew Picklo, William Wolters, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

Nearly 85 percent of seafood enjoyed by U.S. consumers is imported, and almost half of that is farm raised through a process called “aquaculture,” according to the National Aquaculture Association, based in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 2011, the United States imported $16.6 billion of seafood and exported $5.4 billion, a difference of $11.2 billion.

As the world’s population grows and demand for seafood increases, many seafood species are overfished or fully exploited. That means the world’s oceans cannot turn out more fish than are currently being produced. As the ceiling is being reached on seafood availability from the wild, U.S. …

Initial Fine Mapping Of The Spinach Downy Mildew Resistance Locus Rpf1, Wei Yang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spinach is an important vegetable crop grown in many parts of the world (Correll et al. 2011). It has become increasingly popular due to its nutritional value as it is very high in antioxidants (Prior, 2003). Spinach production, however, is affected by many biotic stresses. Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae (Pfs) , is perhaps the most important biotic constraint for spinach production worldwide (Correll et al, 1994). As of 2012, 14 races of Pfs have been reported (Correll et al., 2011). The rapid increase of new races is likely a direct result of substantial changes in …