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Traversing Swanton Road, 7th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Diversification Of Organic Cropping Systems With Cover Crop Mixtures: Influence On Weed Communities, Soil Microbial Community Structure, Soil Moisture And Nitrogen, And Crop Yield, Samuel E. Wortman

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

Organic grain cropping systems typically depend on intensive mechanical cultivation for weed control and manure or compost applications to meet plant nutrient demands. However, cover crops may contribute to weed suppression and soil fertility, potentially increasing crop yield and sustainability of the system. The utility of individual cover crop species have been well documented, but the agronomic benefits of diverse cover crop mixtures have received less attention. Cover crop mixtures are an appealing option for farmers, as increasing species diversity has been shown to increase resource-use efficiency, stability, resiliency, and productivity of plant communities. Despite the growing interest in cover …

Digital Detectives Deciper Ingredients, Rosalie Marion Bliss, James M. Harnly, Pei Chen

Agricultural Research Magazine

Television shows featuring crime scene investigators have been keeping viewers intrigued for years. But the Agricultural Research Service’s intriguing “food composition investigators” are just as innovative at deciphering truth from fiction relating to ingredients of plant-based foods and dietary supplements. The researchers are at the ARS Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory, which is headed by research leader James Harnly. The laboratory is part of the Beltsville [Maryland] Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC).

They’re using new equipment and a metabolomics approach to discover compounds and to accurately identify ingredients in foods and supplements. They are also looking at chemical composition …

A New Approach Tomolecular Plant Breeding, Dennis O’Brien, Jean-Luc Jannink

Agricultural Research Magazine

An ARS scientist in Ithaca, New York, is using a new statistical approach to help speed the development of improved varieties of crops.

Plant breeders constantly strive to breed new varieties that yield more, resist emerging pests and pathogens, tolerate heat and drought, and grow in marginal soils and environments. Increasingly, molecular tools are used to speed those efforts. By identifying genes associated with desirable traits, scientists don’t have to wait for timeconsuming field observations.

“To grow wheat and evaluate it for traits in the field takes 5 to 9 years. Using genomic data, we can do it in about …

What's In Your Blood? The Ongoing Hunt For Metabolites, Marcia Wood, John W. Newman

Agricultural Research Magazine

At any given time, blood circulating through your body carries thousands of small molecules known as “metabolites.” Medical and nutrition researchers are eager to discover more about these compounds—amino acids, sugars, fats, and more—that are formed in and by our bodies.

Metabolites are of interest because the presence and concentrations of some of them can provide meaningful profiles, sometimes referred to as “metabolic signatures” or “fingerprints.”

In the future, for instance, yourmetabolic fingerprint—detected in a small sample of blood taken for your annual physical examination—might prove to be a reliable indicator of your health and a predictor of certain diseases. …

Use Of Cti Grinders For Sorghum Flour Production And Utilization: Final Report, Vilma Ruth Calderón De Zacatares, Lily Marisol López, Kris Emillee Duville, Carla Elizabeth Bermúdez

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

The use of sorghum for human consumption to add value to the crop and increase its profitability, especially for small and medium producers, has contributed to food security and nutrition in El Salvador. CENTA is promoting the cultivation of sorghum as an alternative to food production in rural and urban areas. Since 2010 when wheat prices lower again, sorghum was no more an alternative to replace wheat in certain types of food, but is being used in more stable markets, as people allergic to gluten, people with diabetes and to correct nutritional deficiencies such as iron deficiency anemia because of …

Sorghum Flour Production Manual For Compatible Technology International (Cti) Burr Grinders, Kris Emillee Duville

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

The importance of sorghum in human nutrition and food security

The grinders of Compatible Technology International (CTI) were brought to El Salvador in 2009, for a project of CENTA-INTSORMIL/USAID to promote the grinding of sorghum for human nutrition. In 2011, ten of these grinders had been installed in small bakers associations, individual bakers, or persons producing ethnic drinks based on roasted and ground cereals. These people had been trained in sorghum use for human nutrition at the food technology laboratory of CENTA. The grinders are being used in areas were the access to other foods is limited and were sorghum …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2012), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

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

[Page] 2 Powerful Potential: Growing Global Population Spurs Need for Agbioscience
[Page] 4 Spring College News
[Page] 6 Enhanced Education: Students Complement Coursework With Extra-Curricular Opportunities
[Page] 8 Gaining Global Perspective: SDSU Delegation Visits Argentina
[Page] 9 Creative Collaboration: Students, Landowners & Industry Professionals Pair Up for a Positive Experience
[Page] 10 Wondrous Wheat: New Research Agreement & Wheat Varieties Announced
[Page] 12 Here and There
[Page] 14 New Era Underway: SDSU Extension Re-Energizes Programs, Delivery [Page] 16 iGrow Continues to Grow
[Page] 18 Focused on the Future: Field Specialists Strive to Serve Changing Landowner Needs
[Page] 19 Connecting with …

The Seed 2.0: Evolving Intellectual Property Rights Of Agricultural Germplasm, Jennifer Wai-Shing Maguire

Buffalo Intellectual Property Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Agricultural Research Magazine April 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Tuning In to Technology

Benefits of Biotech,
Computational Tech,
and Nanotech

Nebline, April 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Helping New Americans Choose Healthy Foods

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

Community Gardening: Benefits Focused Strategies, Joseph Zaanan Tellschow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Throughout history humans have had varying degrees of interaction with nature and natural environments. This interaction has shaped our species in almost every way possible from our physical traits to our behaviors and places we have chosen to occupy. Currently, humans have developed such overwhelming mastery of the planet that it is easy for many humans to feel disconnected from nature. This separation could have detrimental effects on various aspects of human well-being including physical and mental health. To understand these effects, it is important to evaluate the benefits that humans receive from exposure to nature and interaction with natural …

Sustainable Agriculture Undergraduate Degree Programs: A Land-Grant University Mission, Krista L. Jacobsen, Kim L. Niewolny, Michelle S. Schroeder-Moreno, Mark Van Horn, Alison H. Harmon, Yolanda H. Chen Fanslow, Mark A. Williams, Damian Parr

Horticulture Faculty Publications

There has been considerable growth in the number undergraduate degree programs in sustainable agriculture (SA) in universities and colleges across the country in the past 25 years. As a subset of this national trend, land-grant universities (LGUs) are emerging as catalysts in innovative SA program development, in part due to the LGU tripartite mission of education, extension, and research. This mission compels LGUs to develop undergraduate degree offerings to engage student, faculty, and community stakeholders who are increasingly interested in SA. In this article, which is an outcome of a gathering of faculty, staff and students from SA programs at …

Strawberry Growth, Yield, Fruit Nutrition, And Control Of Verticillium Wilt With Pre-Plant Soil Fumigants, Ozone, And Biological Control, Justin J. Scurich

Master's Theses

Verticillium wilt is a widespread soilborne disease of strawberry historically controlled by soil fumigation with methyl bromide (MB). MB was banned by the United Nations in 1995 and will be completely phased out by 2015. Research has concentrated on alternative methods of disease control without finding a single alternative able to replace MB in widespread disease control and yield increase. For the current study, strawberries were greenhouse grown in container pots filled with soil from both infested and non-infested areas of a commercial strawberry field in Watsonville, CA. Treatments included pre-plant soil fumigation with commercially available formulations of methyl bromide, …

Evidence Of Reduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonization In Multiple Lines Of Bt Maize, Tanya E. Cheeke, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise of the Study: Insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize is widely cultivated, yet few studies have examined the interaction of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with different lines of Bt maize. As obligate symbionts, AMF may be sensitive to genetic changes within a plant host. Previous evaluations of the impact of Bt crops on AMF have been inconsistent, and because most studies were conducted under disparate experimental conditions, the results are difficult to compare. Methods: We evaluate AMF colonization in nine Bt maize lines, differing in number and type of engineered trait, and five corresponding near-isogenic parental (P) base hybrids …

The First Step—Monitoring What We Eat, Rosalie Marion Bliss, James M. Harnly

Agricultural Research Magazine

Nestled in the Maryland suburbs outside northeast Washington, D.C., is arguably the world’s largest and most diversified agricultural research complex—the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). Among its 7,000 acres of fields, farmland, and science buildings is the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC)—the oldest and most comprehensive of six human nutrition research centers within the Agricultural Research Service. Two new buildings— totaling more than 100,000 square feet of research space—were added to BHNRC in 2003.

“The first human nutrition research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture dates back to the late 1890s,” says Allison Yates, the …

Table Of Contents March 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 Monitoring Best Practices For Food Analysis The First Step- Monitoring What We Eat

8 Monitoring Food-Supply Nutrients The Second Step- Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database

16 Monitoring The US Population's Diet The Third Step- The National "What We Eat In America" Survey

22 The Stealth Sodium Revolution

23 ARS National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012 whole issue

Monitoring America's Nutritional Health

Forum: Monitoring America's Nutritional Bottom Line, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

U.S. healthcare costs in 2009 reached an estimated $2.5 trillion, yet America still ranks below several countries in life expectancy and many key indicators of healthy living. “These statistics underscore the vast potential of a healthful diet and lifestyle to prevent chronic diseases before they begin and to reduce healthcare costs,” says Molly Kretsch, Agricultural Research Service Deputy Administrator for Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality.

Monitoring the amount and type of food consumed by the U.S. population is important to researchers who track related health biomarkers and to policymakers who evaluate nutrition policies. One key reason for monitoring what we …

Ars National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine

The ARS human nutrition monitoring program helps watch over the healthfulness of the country’s food supply and diet. This includes determining the food consumption and dietary patterns of Americans as a whole and for a variety of subgroups based on characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and income.

Unique national resources that contribute to the success of the ARS human nutrition monitoring program include the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and the national “What We Eat in America” survey, which is the dietary intake survey component of the broader National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, commonly referred to as …

The Third Step—The National “What We Eat In America” Survey, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Alanna J. Moshfegh

Agricultural Research Magazine

In 2010, landmark health legislation— the Affordable Care Act—was passed, leading to a national strategy crossing both private and public sectors and led by the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council of the Surgeon General. The plan is called the “National Prevention Strategy.”

Science-based dietary-intake data from the Agricultural Research Service provides a key foundation for multiple public health policy publications, including the council’s strategy report, published in June 2011. The report cites the ARS national dietary-intake survey data to underscore the ability of everyday people to improve their health through healthy eating and other preventive measures.

Collecting …

The Second Step—Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Joanne Holden

Agricultural Research Magazine

For more than 115 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided data on the nutrient composition of foods in the American diet. Over time, a series of USDA institutions responsible for providing this data evolved, and today the data comes from the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

“Our mission is to ensure that science based nutrient profiles exist for the U.S. food supply,” says nutritionist and research leader Joanne Holden, who heads the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) at the nutrition center, which is located in Beltsville, Maryland. “We work with other BHNRC, …

The Stealth Sodium Revolution, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

Salt has become one of a handful of sensitive nutrients in the public spotlight, according to major food company executives who attended the 2011 National Nutrient Databank Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference is supported annually by the Agricultural Research Service’s Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) and Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) and other organizations. Both ARS groups are part of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

Salting is an ancient food-preservation practice still in use today to help preserve some foods. While salt-cured country hams and corned beef are still crowd pleasers, 80 percent of our dietary …

Nebline, March 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: National Agriculture Week is March 4–10: A Time to Celebrate and Reflect About Nebraska’s Leading Industry

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

Weed Awareness Special Pullout Section

Plant Wounding And Ophiostoma Mitovirus 3a (Omv3a) Influence Infection Of Creeping Bentgrass By Sclerotinia Homoeocarpa, Angela M. Orshinsky, Michael J. Boehm, Greg J. Boland

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Colonization and lesion development by virulent, asymptomatic and hypovirulent isolates of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa on nonwounded (NW) and wounded (W) leaves of creeping bentgrass were characterized. Hypovirulent and asymptomatic isolates contain the fungal virus, Ophiostoma mitovirus 3a, and virulent isolates are virus-free. On NW leaves, all isolates infected leaves with appressoria along cell walls and through stomata by 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi). Inter- and intracellular hyphae formed on heavily colonized, NW leaves at 96 hpi. Wound-inoculated grass had a colonization front characterized by inter- and intracellular hyphal colonization within nonsymptomatic tissues at 8 hpi by direct infection of the wound …

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

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana 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 …

Farmer Panel--Managed Grazing And Profits, Bill Payne

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Profits are the goal of any business model and mine is no exception. My plan assumes that available natural resources are efficiently utilized in a responsible manner.I have chosen to implement that plan by producing, managing and marketing our forage resources by utilizing Management Intensive Grazing (MIG.)

Role And Importance Of Alfalfa In Beef Diets, Jeff Lehmkuhler

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is often referred to as the “Queen” of forage. Is this because of its high fertility needs and more finicky soil fertility needs along with greater management for optimal growth and persistency? Or is it because of it being on top of nearly all other forages for yield and quality? Truth be told, it is likely a combination of all these factors. Alfalfa is a versatile forage as it can be harvested for hay or silage and also grazed with proper management. For these reasons, this forage can fit well in beef operations.

Alfalfa Hay For Horses, Robert Coleman

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

When horse owners consider hay for their horses, a number of criteria are generally considered. Of major importance is the hay must be free of mold and dust. It needs to contain nutrients needed by the horse and it must be palatable. If these criteria are met, the type of hay should not matter. However, that is not the case with many horse owners. When discussing the selection of hay, many owners first consider the type of hay. Can it be alfalfa or should it be a grass or how about a mix of grass and a legume. If a …

Kentucky Department Of Agriculture Hay Testing Program, Kim Field

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture offers a forage testing service which provides nutritional and energy value information. A Kentucky Department of Agriculture staff member will take sample(s) of hay and/or haylage at the farm and analyze them in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Forage Laboratory located in Frankfort. Tested forages can mean higher profit, whether feeding cattle, horses, goats, sheep or other livestock. By knowing the nutritional and energy value, you can minimize your cost and maximize your production.