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Dirigent Domain-Containing Protein Is Part Of The Machinery Required For Formation Of The Lignin-Based Casparian Strip In The Root, Prashant S. Hosmani, Takehiro Kamiya, John Danku, Sadaf Naseer, Niko Geldner, Mary Lou Guerinot, David Salt

Dartmouth Scholarship

The endodermis acts as a "second skin" in plant roots by providing the cellular control necessary for the selective entry of water and solutes into the vascular system. To enable such control, Casparian strips span the cell wall of adjacent endodermal cells to form a tight junction that blocks extracellular diffusion across the endodermis. This junction is composed of lignin that is polymerized by oxidative coupling of monolignols through the action of a NADPH oxidase and peroxidases. Casparian strip domain proteins (CASPs) correctly position this biosynthetic machinery by forming a protein scaffold in the plasma membrane at the site where …

Traversing Swanton Road, 13th 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 …

Fractionation And Isolation Of The Anti-Tumoral Activity Of An Indigenous Tongan Medicinal Extract, Steven D. Christenson, Dr. Gary M. Booth, Dr. Steven G. Wood

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vai Haka is the Tongan name given to a medicinal extract prepared and prescribed by indigenous healers on the island kingdom of Tonga. Used as a treatment for morning sickness (hyper-emesis), the mixture is prepared by boiling the barks of four different rainforest tree species. These species are Tarrena sambucina, Syzigium malaccense, Alphitonia zizyphoides, and Macaranga harveyana. Studies by Cox (et al) demonstrated biological activity in each of these species from a Guinea Pig Ileum assay.1 Further work by Cox documented that each species is used individually by Samoan healers to treat internal distress.2 Thus bioactivity is well documented through …

Dotpopulation Genetic Analysis Of Puma Concolor Using Microsatellites, Eric Swenson, Dr. Keith A. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The mountain lion, Puma concolor, is the last widespread species of top predator remaining in the United States (2). Despite this, P. concolor is the subject of annual hunts, except in Florida and South Dakota, where they are threatened, and California (4). The impact of hunting on these populations is not well understood, but sport hunting constitutes the highest source of mortality in Utah (5). Indications are that increased hunting activity over the past few years may be causing a decline in the P. concolor population in Utah (1). The impact of hunting practices on the genetic variation of mountain …

Scanning Electron Microscopy Of Early Infection Of Dyers Woad, Isatis Tinctoria By Germlings Of Puccinia Thlaspeos, Michael T. Binns, Dr. Gary R. Hooper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dyers Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is an introduced noxious weed of crop and rangeland in northern Utah. A native rust fungus (tentatively identified as Puccinia thlaspeos) is being investigated as a possible biological control agent of the weed. In order to effectively use the rust in a biocontrol program, it is necessary to understand its epidemiology and characteristics.

Effect Of Smut On Cheatgrass Population Composition, Alisa Paulsen, Dr. Daniel Fairbanks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Western United States, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is often considered to be an undesirable, invasive weed. When cheatgrass is introduced into an area, it can rapidly establish itself as the dominant species, inhibiting re-establishment of native plants1,2 while competing with important grain crops such as winter wheat.3 Not only does cheatgrass compete vigorously with other vegetation, but because it dies early in the summer, dry sites with high amounts of cheatgrass become susceptible to fires. In addition to threatening ranches, farms, and houses, frequent fires drastically increase mortality of shrubs such as Artemesia tridentata and other important shrub species …

Phylogenetic Utility Of The Astacin Gene In Crayfish, Crystal Komm, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phylogenetic analyses are used to examine evolutionary relationships among crayfish species at different taxonomic levels. Nuclear genes provide genetic information from independent loci which, when analyzed, can be compared to mitochondrial DNA sequences. Astacin is a nuclear gene encoding a digestive protein in crayfish. This was the focus of this study’s analyses. In this study we had the following five aims:

Mutagenesis Of The Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel: S4 Charge Interaction With U-Conotoxin, David Allan Edwards, R. Paul Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the membrane of excitable cells like those of nerve and muscle tissue, lie proteins called ion channels, which control the passage of ions in and out of the cell. The flow of ions stimulates the action of the cell, which ultimately leads to contraction of muscle tissue in the case of muscle cells, and sensation in the case of nerve cells. Seizures and pain sensation are extreme results of the action of these cells. To control pain, for example, we may use anesthetics that directly interact with ion channels and prevent the flow of ions across the cell membrane. …

Ion Channel Permeation: Kinetic Modeling Of Ion/Side-Chain Electrostatic Interactions In Native And Fluorinated Gramicidin Channels, Adam S. Frost, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gramicidin A is a 15-amino acid peptide produced by several strains of the bacteria Bacillus brevis. The primary sequence of gramicidin A is HCO-L-Val-Gly-L-Ala-D-Leu-L-Ala-D-Val-LVal- D-Val-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-NHCH2CH2OH. The side-chains alternate chirality, with the odd-numbered residues having the usual L-chirality and the evennumbered residues having D-chirality. The alternating chirality of the side-chains forces them to project away from the lumen of the helix, yielding a tight wind with a central hole formed by the space within the helix. The secondary structure of gramicidin is a single-stranded, left-handed, b6.5-helix that dimerizes head-to-head (N-terminus to N-terminus) in lipid bilayer membranes to form a monovalent, cation-selective …

Timing Of Favorable Conditions, Competition And Fertility Interact To Govern Recruitment Of Invasive Chinese Tallow Tree In Stressful Environments, Christopher A. Gabler, Evan Siemann

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The rate of new exotic recruitment following removal of adult invaders (reinvasion pressure) influences restoration outcomes and costs but is highly variable and poorly understood. We hypothesize that broad variation in average reinvasion pressure of Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree, a major invader) arises from differences among habitats in spatiotemporal availability of realized recruitment windows. These windows are periods of variable duration long enough to permit establishment given local environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis via a greenhouse mesocosm experiment that quantified how the duration of favorable moisture conditions prior to flood or drought stress (window duration), competition and nutrient …

Genetic Investigation Of The Pathology Of Ustilago Bullata, Erin Ladle, Dr. Jeff Maughan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bromus tectorum L., commonly known as cheatgrass, is an invasive annual grass species that dominates millions of hectares of land in the Great Basin area, in the western United States.1 The widespread invasion of cheatgrass has increased fire incidence in some areas of the Great Basin from every 30-100 years to every 5 years. Moreover, once cheatgrass becomes the dominant vegetative species, it monopolizes resources, significantly contributing to the endangerment of many native plant species.

Genotypic Analysis Of Bromus Tectorum Using Snps, Sudeep Ghimire, Dr. Craig Coleman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bromus tectorum, commonly called cheatgrass or downy brome is an exotic annual invasive weed which was introduced to the western United States over hundred years ago. B. tectorum has quickly expanded its range, displacing native flora and causing extensive loss of shrub and rangeland habitats along with supporting devastating wildfires, especially in the intermountain west region. Consequently, this invasive weed’s control is a growing concern. However, current control methods being used like control burning, herbicides, etc. are non-specific and mostly ineffective. Methods of biological control are currently under investigation, of which one of them is using the fungus, Pyrenophora semeniperda …

Pengembangan Buah Manggis Sebagai Komoditas Ekspor Indonesia, Warid Ali Qosim

Jurnal Kultivasi

Mangosteen fruit is one of typical fruit and pledge Indonesia. The export demand of mangosteen fruit is always increasing every year. The increasing of mangosteen fruit production is very important to support export demand global and domestic markets. The strategies of development mangosteen fruit are essential and should be focused on increasing planting area, production and productivity of mangosteen fruit, to build mangosteen orchard SOP bases; to form mangosteen agribusiness region; to improve the competitiveness of Indonesian mangosteen products with other countries; to improve and simplify the mangosteen exports to foreign countries; to improve the investment in the area of …

Pembentukan Ubi Mikro Kentang Kultivar Granola Dengan Penggunaan Jenis Dan Konsentrasi Zat Inhibitor, Rifky Yusuf, Erni Suminar

Jurnal Kultivasi

The aim of the experiment was to obtain the concentration of inhibitors such as coumarin and paclobutrazol on the growth of micro-cuttings and in vitro tuberization of potato micro tuber. It can be used as source of high quality seeds.Experiments was conducted in the Tissue Culture laboratory Faculty of Agriculture, University of Padjadjaran in Jatinangor, Sumedang, from March 2011 to July 2011. Randomized Complete Design (RCD) was used in this experiment. They areconsist of 12 treatments with three replications, with treatment as follows: coumarin (30 mg L-1, 45 mg L-1, 60 mg L-1, 75 mg L-1, 90 mg L-1, 105 …

Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Gandum (Triticum Aestivum L.) Yang Diberi Perlakuan Kalsium Klorida Dan Asam Salisilat Yang Diadaptasikan Di Dataran Medium Jatinangor, Fiky Yulianto Wicaksono, Tati Nurmala, Sumadi

Jurnal Kultivasi

The objective of the research was to determine maximum yield of wheat that wereplanted on medium land which were treated calcium chloride and salicylic acid with an optimum concentration. The experiment was conducted from March untilJuly 2011 at The Experimental Station of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Padjadjaran, Jatinangor with an altitude of about 750 metres above sea level. The experimental design used was Randomized Block Design with factorial treatment design which consisted of two factors and replicated three times. The first factor was concentrations of calcium chloride which consisted of three levels: 0 M, 10-2 M, and 2 x …

Respon Tanaman Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Bakteri Pelarut Fosfat Dan Bakteri Penambat Nitrogen Di Pembibitan Awal (Pre Nursery), Intan Ratna Dewi Anjarsari, Mochamad Arief Soleh, Erni Suminar

Jurnal Kultivasi

The objective of this experiment was to study response of oil palm seedlings in prenursery to Phosfat solubilizing bacteria and nitogen fixaxing bacteria. This experiment was conducted at experimental field, Jatinangor, KabupatenSumedang from April until October 2012. Experimental field located at altitude 753 m above sea level with rainfall C type according to the classification of Schmidt and Fergusson. Experimental design was the simple pattern of Randomized Design Group (RDG), consisting of twelve treatment and repeated three times. The treatment were Without inoculation; Azotobacter 20 mL/plant; BPF 20 mL/plant; 10 mL/plant BPF + 10 ml/plant Azotobacter; 10mL/plant BPF + 15 …

Mekanisme Self-Incomatibility Tipe Gametofitik Dan Sporofitik Dan Aplikasinya Dalam Pemuliaan Tanaman, Warid Ali Qosim

Jurnal Kultivasi

Self-Incomatibility (SI) is one of phenomena important on the fertile flower, but the inhibition occurs in the fertilization process, so SI caused outcrossing. The aim of this study is reveal the mechanism of self-incomatibility gametophytic and sporophytic and its application in plant breeding. The type of self-incompatibility is divided into heteromorphic and homomorphic. Type of SI heteromorphic cause a different flower structures, whereas SI homomorphic cause interaction with a single S-locus multialelic between pollen and pistil during the process of pollination and fertilization. SI heteromorphic is divided into gametophytic and sporophytic. SI gametophytic is controlled by the haploid S-alleles in …

Pertumbuhan Bibit Batang Bawah Karet (Hevea Brasiliensis (Willd.) Mull.-Arg.) Klon Pr 261 Yang Diberi Fungi Mikoriza Arbuskula (Fma) Dan Pupuk Fosfat, Cucu Suherman, Ari Wahyudi

Jurnal Kultivasi

This Research aims to determine the effect of interaction between the dosage AMF and dosage of P fertilizer on growth of rootstock seedling of rubber Clone PR 261. The experiments started in April until August 2009 at Cikumpay Plantation, PT. Perkebunan Nusantara VIII, Purwakarta, West Java, with altitude ± 70 m above sea level. Randomize Block Design (RBD) with factorial pattern used in this experiment, consisted of two treatment factors and repeated three times. The first factor was the dosage of AMF, consisted of four dosages level, without AMF, 10 g/seedling, 15 g/seedling and 20 g/seedling. The second factor was …

Multifactorial Analysis Of Mortality Of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera Glycines Ichinohe) Populations In Soybean And In Soybean Fields Annually Rotated To Corn In Nebraska, Oscar Perez-Hernandez

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

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is the most economically important pathogen of soybean in the U.S. The effect of annual corn rotation, soil properties, weather, and agronomic factors on SCN population densities was quantified in 45 fields in Nebraska over three years. SCN population densities (eggs/100 cm³ of soil) in each field were determined before (Pi) and after (Pf) annual corn rotation. Average SCN population density reduction was 50.62%. Multivariate analysis was used to describe the relationship of soil texture (% of sand, silt, and clay), Pi, and Pf. Two principal components explained 92% of the …

Prescription For Curing Citrus Greening, Dennis O’Brien, Yongping Duan

Agricultural Research Magazine

Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is the most serious threat to the Florida citrus industry in its history and is costing millions of dollars each year. Working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Yongping Duan and his Agricultural Research Service colleagues in Fort Pierce, Florida, have found a formula for curbing HLB, offering the industry a glimmer of hope.

Duan has published details of work showing that heating potted citrus seedlings in greenhouses kills off the HLB bacterium and can rid the seedlings of citrus greening symptoms. Monitoring efforts show that the benefit can last for …

Novel Ways To Combat Plant Pathogens, Deborah Fravel, Gail C. Wisler

Agricultural Research Magazine

Plant diseases must be managed to successfully and reliably produce crops to meet humanity’s growing food, fiber, feed, and fuel needs. Plant disease management relies on many different types of tools—from disease-resistant plant varieties and pesticides to cultural and biological strategies. Agricultural Research Service scientists are seeking new methods of managing plant diseases, more efficient means of using older methods, and combinations of these methods. Two of the oldest ways of reducing plant diseases are crop rotation and organic amendments to soil.

In Orono, Maine, for example, ARS scientists are evaluating a holistic approach to suppressing soilborne pathogens of potato, …

Fire Ant Venom Compounds May Be Useful As A Fungicide, Jan Suszkiw, Jian Chen, Xixuan Jin

Agricultural Research Magazine

Red imported fire ants are named for the firelike burn of their sting. Now, the same venom that packs such a painful wallop may actually do some good for a change.

Studies by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service’s Biological Control of Pests Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, have shown that certain alkaloid compounds in the venom—namely, piperideines and piperidines—can hinder growth of Pythium ultimum, a top crop pathogen worldwide.

Chemical controls, delayed plantings, and crop rotation are among methods now used against P. ultimum, which causes damping-off diseases that decay the seed or seedlings of vegetable, horticultural, …

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 …

Identifying Molecular Markers Associated With Salt And Boron Tolerance In Poplar Trees, Darshanpreet Gill, Nathan Follen, Davis W. Cheng, Kyan Salehi, Gary Banuelos, James P. Prince

STAR Program Research Presentations

Standard irrigation practices promote salt and boron accumulation in soils on the Westside of Central California. The build-up of these inorganic salts leads to the degradation of arable land and reduction of crop production. Different clones of poplar trees have been shown to grow in salt- and boron-contaminated soils, and in doing so, gradually remove significant amounts of these inorganic salts from the soil. In an effort to identify molecular markers linked with salt and boron tolerance in poplars, 31 PCR primer pairs have been designed based on candidate genes identified from the literature, and an additional 31 PCR primer …

Vegetation Response After Invasive Tamarix Spp. Removal In The Riparian Zone And Semi-Arid Rangeland Ecosystems, Hisham Nagi El Waer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Removal of Tamarix spp. (a.k.a. tamarisk, saltcedar, Athel) invasion is often involved in restoration of Western, riparian habitat; however monitoring of vegetation after removal is often neglected and thus opportunity for adaptive management lost. To address this need, I have conducted three and half years of monitoring vegetation response after invasive Tamarix removal in twenty-five sites on the East and Western Colorado, starting fall 2009. I am also comparing six different methodologies: Point intercept, line transect, nearest neighbor, meter-square quadrats, nested Whittaker plots, and densitometer with the objective of developing monitoring protocols that can be used by …

Leaf Mechanical Strength Predicts Physiological Traits Among Three Life History Types In California Chaparral, Taylor S. Stucky, Nicole M. Rodriguez Purcell, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

The Santa Monica Mountains of southern California are located in a Mediterranean-type climate region which experiences reoccurring wildfires due to summer drought and Santa Ana winds. Chaparral vegetation, which consists mostly of evergreen, sclerophyllous shrubs, dominates the landscape. Species of chaparral shrubs have evolved three different life history types in response to fire – those that sprout after fire but do not germinate seeds (obligate sprouters = OS), those that do not sprout after fire but reestablish by seed germination (non-sprouters = NS), and those that both sprout and germinate seeds after fire (facultative sprouters = FS). There are two …

Spatial Distributions Of Rhizoctonia Species In Soybean Fields Undergoing Annual Rotations With Rice, Terry Neil Spurlock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aerial blight is caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA. This pathogen also causes sheath blight of rice. In Arkansas, many soybean and rice fields undergo an annual rotation of these two crops which facilitates a continuous source of inoculum from one year to the next. Aerial blight is a two stage disease in that R. solani AG1-IA colonizes the plant during the early vegetative growth stages and then aerial blight develops after the soybean canopy closes in the later reproductive stages of development. As a result of the upper portion of the canopy often being asymptomatic, significant yield loss can occur …

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