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Oviducal Sperm Storage In Turkeys: Spatial Distribution Of Sperm Within The Uterovaginal Junction Sperm-Storage Tubules, M. R. Bakst, Bryan T. Vinyard

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

The spatial distribution of sperm within the sperm storage tubules (SST) found in
the uterovaginal junction (UVJ) of the turkey is not known. In this study, we inseminated sperm stained with a fluorescent dye (Hoechst 33342) to determine their distribution in SST in the ventral, dorsal, and lateral regions of the proximal, middle, and distal regions of the UVJ. There was no preferential filling in the ventral-dorsal axis of the UVJ. In contrast, preferential filling of the SST was observed in the middle section of the UVJ. Here the individual SST were clearly longer and more pleomorphic than the SST …

Physiology And Reproduction: Embryonic Development From First Cleavage Through Seventy-Two Hours Incubation In Two Strains Of Pekin Duck (Anas Platyrhynchos), V. Dupuy, B. Nersessian, M. R. Bakst

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

Embryonic mortality is a significant problem plaguing the commercial duck industry worldwide. Yet, an objective means to stage development of the duck embryo is lacking. Such a staging procedure, which is described in this study, is essential for the critical and reproducible assessment of embryo development. The morphological features associated with duck embryo development are very similar to those of the chicken, although the duck embryo develops more slowly. The staging scheme presented here provides objective morphological criteria describing the embryonic development of the duck.

Beet Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Host Plant Preferences For Oviposition, S. M. Greenberg, T. W. Sappington, T.-X. Liu

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

Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), oviposition preferences were determined on five host plants: cabbage (Brassica oleracea capitata L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in no-choice, two-choice, and five-choice tests. Tests were conducted in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field cages. Oviposition preferences were compared on the basis of two measurements, the proportion of eggs laid on the plants to total that were deposited, and the oviposition preference index defined as [(number of eggs laid on the plant) - (number of eggs laid on …

Detecting Single Wheat Kernels Containing Live Or Dead Insects Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Floyd E. Dowell, James E. Baker, James E. Throne

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

An automated NIR system was used over a two-month storage period to detect single wheat kernels that contained live or dead internal rice weevils at various stages of growth. Correct classification of sound kernels and kernels containing live pupae, large larvae, medium-sized larvae, and small larvae averaged 94, 92, 84, and 62%, respectively. Pupae + large larvae calibrations were developed using live or dead internal insects. Validation results showed correct classifications ranging from 86 to 96% over the two-month storage period. Thus, wheat kernels containing either live or dead insects can be used to develop calibrations for detecting both live …

Soil Electrical Conductivity Classification: A Basis For Site-Specific Management In Semiarid Cropping Systems, Cinthia K. Johnson, David A. Mortensen, Brian J. Wienhold, John F. Shanahan, John W. Doran

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

Site specific management (SSM) has the potential to improve both economic and ecological outcomes in agriculture. Effective SSM requires strong and temporally consistent relationships between identified management zones, underlying soil physical, chemical and biological parameters defining yield potential, and crop yield. In a farm-scale (250 ha) experiment in semiarid northeastern Colorado, each of eight 31-ha fields was individually mapped for soil apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) and classified into four management zones (ranges of EC_a). Soil analyses revealed a strong negative relationship between EC_a zones and soil parameters associated with innate fertility (P ≤ 0.06). …

Starter Fertilizer Effects On Soybean Grain Yield And Quality, S.L. Osborne, W.E Riedell, J.L. Pikul Jr

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

Fertilizing soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is not an entirely new concept; for a number of years, scientists have investigated the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on yield and quality of soybeans. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of starter fertilizer N rates and sources on soybean yield, protein, and oil content in the cool soils of the Northern Great Plains. A field experiment was established within a two-year corn (Zea mays L.) soybean rotation. Using a split-plot design with four replications. Whole plots were no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) and the split …

Tillage And Beef Cattle Manure Effects On Soil Nitrogen In A Dryland Rotation, R. C. Schwartz, R.L. Baumhardt, T.H. Dao

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

Minimum tillage practices used in dryland cropping systems that reduce soil water evaporation and erosion may also decrease efficiency of manure nutrient utilization. We initiated a study in 1997 to investigate the effects of surface-applied stockpiled and composted beef cattle (Bos taurus) manure on soil N and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields and N-uptake within a wheat-sorghum-fallow dryland crop rotation. Paired terraces with no-tillage (NT) and stubble-mulch tillage (ST) systems were main plots of a single rotation phase. Stockpiled manure, composted manure, or commercial fertilizer (urea + ammonium phosphate) were …

Development Of Hydrotaea Aenescens (Diptera: Muscidae) In Manure Of Unweaned Dairy Calves And Lactating Cows, Jerome Hogsette, Robert Farkas, Reginald Coler

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

In laboratory studies performed in the United States and Hungary, the dump fly Hydrotaea aenescens (Wiedemann) was reared successfully in manure of 1- to 8-wk-old dairy calves, and in manure from adult lactating dairy cows. Survival in manure collected from 1-wk-old calves was poor (7.2%), better in manure collected from 2- and 3-wk-old calves (53.5%), and best in manure collected from 4- to 8-wk-old calves (71.4%). Survival in cow manure was slightly lower (47.4%) than that in calf manure. Reasons for different rates of development in the United States and in Hungary, and by calf age are discussed as are …

Thermal Death Kinetics And Heatingrate Effects For Fifth-Instar Cydia Pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), S. Wang, J. N. Ikediala, J. Tang, J. D. Hansen

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

Thermal death kinetic parameters of fifth-instar codlingmoths (Cydia pomonella (L.)) and the effect of three heating rates (1°Cmin^-1, 10°Cmin^-1, and 18°Cmin^-1) on larval mortality were determined by a heatingblock system. The insects were heated to four temperatures (46°C, 48°C, 50°C, and 52°C) held for predetermined periods followed by 24 h storage at 4°C before mortality evaluation. Thermal death kinetics for fifth-instar codlingmoths followed a 0.5th order of kinetic reaction. Minimum time required to achieve 100% mortality of a given population decreased with temperature in a semi-logarithmic manner. No larval survival was observed in …

Quail V: Proceedings Of The Fifth National Quail Symposium (January 23-27, 2002 : Corpus Christi, Texas), Stephen J. Demaso, William P. Kuvelsky Jr., Fidel Hernández, Michael E. Berger

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

PLENARY SESSION

Arizona Quail: Species in Jeopardy? Ron Engel-Wilson and William P. Kuvlesky, Jr.

Emerging Trends in Midwest Bobwhite Culture, Thomas V. Dailey

Quail Management: Issues, Concerns, and Solutions for Public and Private Lands: A Southeastern Perspective, L. Wes Burger

Rangewide Trends in Landuse and Northern Bobwhite Abundance: An Exploratory Analysis, Markus J. Peterson, X. Ben Wu, and Paikho Rho

Keynote Address: Ideas, Landscapes, and Conservation's New Frontier, Shane P. Mahoney

Banquet Remarks: Sustaining the 'Quail Wave' in the Southern Great Plains, Dale Rollins

IMPACTS OF DEPREDATION ON QUAIL

Coyotes: Friend or Foe of Northern Bobwhite in Southern Texas, Scott …

Call Parameters And Facial Features In Bats: A Surprising Failure Of Form Following Function, Amanda Goudy-Trainor, Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We attempted to correlate echolocation call parameters to a comprehensive array of ear and nose measurements from 12 families of bats. Surprisingly, we failed to find any significant relationships. We did find consistent differences between nasal and oral emitters such as: (a) nasal emitters have higher frequencies with maximum energy for their size than oral emitters, (b) nasal emitting bats tend to have longer, narrower skulls, and (c) nasal emitters have a shorter distance from the nostril to the eye (muzzle length).

Teaching Discourses: Science Teachers' Responses To The Voices Of Adolescent Girls, Gayle A. Buck

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to provide an opportunity for science teachers to ‘listen’ to adolescent girls discuss their ideas and feelings about the contemporary structure of middle-level science education. The reflections of these teachers were then analyzed to capture how the teachers interpreted what adolescent girls had to say and the action that they will take in the classroom as a result of those interpretations. This qualitative study investigated 11 teachers and 51 Grade 7 and 8 girls from various states across the continental USA. The girls discussed such things as their favorite science topics, comfort level in …

Seasonal Migration Of Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana Luteiventris) Among Complementary Resources In A High Mountain Basin, David S. Pilliod, Charles R. Peterson, Peter I. Ritson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Information on how animals partition their activities and travel among complementary resources, such as breeding or overwintering habitats, is needed for species conservation. In a mountain basin at 2500 m elevation in central Idaho, we studied the habitat use and movement patterns of 736 marked and 87 radio-tagged Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) from 1995 to 1998. The goals of this study were to (i) identify and characterize R. luteiventris breeding, summer foraging, and overwintering habitats, (ii) describe the movement patterns of juvenile, male, and female R. luteiventris among these resources, and (iii …

Initial Survey Of The Butterflies And Skippers In The Vicinity Of The Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens, Clay County, North Carolina, Ronald R. Gatrelle

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Summary

General. Serpentine barrens are generally low in biotic diversity. However, these barrens are known to frequently harbor unusual species of plants and animals not usually found elsewhere. A survey was conducted from May 4 through October 2, 2001 in and around the Buck Creek Barrens located in Clay County, North Carolina, United States to document the butterfly and skipper taxa present at this location and their status. The site was visited 15 times during this period with at least two visits each month except September and October. A total of 76 different taxa were located with another 14 …

A Synopsis Of The Ferns And Fern Allies Of Nebraska, With Maps Of Their Distribution, Steven B. Rolfsmeier, Robert B. Kaul, David M. Sutherland

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

An annotated list and county-by-county distribution maps are presented for the 32 species of ferns and fern allies native to Nebraska, based upon field and herbarium studies and critical evaluation of the literature. Native to the state are Isoetes melanopoda, Selaginella rupestris, five species of Equisetum, and 25 species in 18 genera of ferns. Three native species are here verified for the first time, based upon recent collections: Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica, Ophioglossum engelmannii, and Pellaeaglabella ssp. glabella. Isoetes melanopoda was rediscovered in 2000, the first record since 1941. Rejected are published reports …

Surveys Of Calling Amphibians In North Dakota, Douglas H. Johnson, Ronald D. Batie

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Amphibians have received increased attention in recent years from the scientific community and general public alike. Many populations throughout the world have declined or have been extirpated, often without an apparent cause. Concern about the status of amphibians has translated into a growing interest in systematic and statistically sound monitoring programs. Several extensive efforts to monitor populations of calling amphibians are in place, and more are under development. Necessary for the design of appropriate surveys is an understanding of the behavior, especially vocalization, of the various species, and how it varies by geographic location and environmental conditions. In 1995 we …

What Are We Doing To Prevent Entry Of Potentially Catastrophic Foreign Animal Diseases Into The Usa, Gary C. Smith

Range Beef Cow Symposium

What are Foreign Animal Diseases? By definition, a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) is one which originates in another country and can, or does, enter the USA. An agency of our federal government, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is charged with responsibility for preventing entry of FADs into our country and is especially vigilant regarding those FADs which would have potentially catastrophic effects on farm-animal populations, the agricultural economy and/or the public (human) health. Activities of APHIS specifically related to FADs include (USDA/APHIS, 2001): (a) Guarding our borders against foreign agricultural …

Muscle Profiling, Chris R. Calkins

Range Beef Cow Symposium

In the mid-90's, Cattle Fax released some alarming data. They showed that over the previous 5-year period the value of the beef rib and loin had increased by just 3-4% while the value of the chuck and round had dropped by 24-25%. Given that these later two primals make up the more than 56% of the carcass, it was clear that dramatic action was needed to reverse the trend. Increasing the value of the chuck and round meant knowing more about the muscles which comprise these cuts. Therefore, the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida joined together and …

Dna Assisted Selection – A Realistic Perspective, Daniel Pomp

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Breathtaking advances are occurring in the knowledge and understanding of the structure, sequence and function of DNA. The entire genetic blueprint, or DNA code, has now been deciphered for humans, mice and a variety of other organisms. This modern-day “Genomic Revolution” may be one of the most important periods in the scientific history of humankind, promising diagnostics and therapeutics for numerous diseases and maladies.

In animal agriculture, and particularly in beef cattle improvement, the payoffs of the “Genomic Revolution” have seemingly been few and far between. DNA information on cattle is now routinely used for determining parentage and for quality …

Emerging Protocols To Synchronize Estrus In Replacement Beef Heifers And Postpartum Cows, D. J. Patterson, J. E. Stegner, G. A. Perry, F. N. Kojima, M. F. Smith

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The beef cattle industry has seen rapid gains in economically desirable traits largely due to the selection and expanded use of genetically superior sires made available through artificial insemination (AI). Recent surveys indicate, however that less than 5 percent of the beef cows in the United States are bred by AI, and only half of the cattle producers who practice AI use any form of estrus synchronization to facilitate their AI programs. The inability to predict time of estrus for individual cows or heifers in a group often makes it impractical to use AI because of the labor required for …

Effects Of Mineral Nutrition Of Immune Function And Factors That Affect Trace Mineral Requirements Of Beef Cattle, Terry E. Engle

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Trace minerals exist in cells and tissues of the animal body in a variety of chemical combinations, and in characteristic concentrations, which vary with the trace mineral and tissue (McDowell, 1989, 1992; Underwood and Suttle, 1999). The concentrations of trace minerals must usually be maintained within quite narrow limits if the functional and structural integrity of the tissue is to be maintained and the growth, health, and productivity of the animal are to remain unimpaired (McDowell, 1989, 1992; Underwood and Suttle, 1999). Ingestion of diets that are deficient, imbalanced, or excessively high in trace minerals may induce changes in the …

Considerations When Selecting A Calving Season, Connie R. Quinn

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Every ranch is backed by a unique set of resources. The resources are used to cost effectively produce a consumer acceptable product. Ranch resources can be simply categorized into forage base, genetics base and the commitment to good management practices. Range cattle management must be based on relating forage quality and quantity to the nutrient requirements of the animal for a given level of production. In order to be cost effective it is important that the forage base optimally express the genetic potential of the cowherd, with little or no supplemental feed.

Today’s rancher, according to Jim Gosey of the …

New Species Of Hemiphileurus Kolbe (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) From Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, And Brazil, Brett C. Ratcliffe

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

The following new species of Hemiphileurus are described: H. bispinosus Ratcliffe from Brazil, H. deslislesi Ratcliffe from Colombia, H. quadridentatus Ratcliffe from Guatemala, and H. warneri Ratcliffe from Mexico. The parameres of H. rugulosus Endrödi (Venezuela and Colombia) are illustrated to enable easier identification of this species, and H. kahni Dupuis and Dechambre is redescribed and recorded from Brazil for the first time. Diagnostic illustrations of the male parameres are provided for the above taxa. A checklist for all the species in the genus is given.

Se describen las siguientes nuevas especies de Hemiphileurus: H. bispinosus Ratcliffe de Brasil, …

Sola Scarab Workers Symposium 2001, Andrew Smith

University of Nebraska State Museum: Programs Information

Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
San Diego, California
Sunday, 9 December 2001

SPEAKERS:
Unusual scarab biology and biologists I have known. Henry Howden Scarabaeidae et al. in Honduras. Ronald D. Cave
The pleocomid rain beetles of western North America: tales of an enigmatic scarab group. Andrew Smith
The continuing scarabaeoid higher phylogeny debate: recent evidence from ribosomal DNA. David C. Hawks and John M. Heraty
Dascillidae and Scarabaeoidea: are they closely related? Vasily V. Grebennikov and Clarke H. Scholtz
Review of Central American Astaena (Sericini). Paul Lago
The Internet guide to New World scarabs: progress and prospects. Mary Liz …

Water Current, Volume 33, No. 6. December 2001

Water Current Newsletter

• “Daisy Well System” Promising Way for Small Communities to Fight Nitrates by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• Water and the NRCS…All Encompassing Topics by Steve Chick

• Variety and Current Issues Punctuate Spring Water and Natural Resources Seminar by Steve Ress

• Integrated Water Management Options in the Nebraska Ground Water Management & Protection Act by J. David Aiken

• Arkansas Researchers Study Water Quality on Nebraska Tribal Lands by Ralph Davis and Shelley McGinnis

• Platte River Policy Preferences by Raymond J. Supalla

• Water News Briefs

The Biosynthetic Gene Cluster For The Anticancer Drug Bleomycin From Streptomyces Verticillus Atcc15003 As A Model For Hybrid Peptide–Polyketide Natural Product Biosynthesis, B. Shen, Liangcheng Du, C. Sanchez, D. J. Edwards, M. Chen, J. M. Murrell

Liangcheng Du Publications

The hybrid peptide–polyketide backbone of bleomycin (BLM) is assembled by the BLM megasynthetase that consists of both nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) modules. BlmIX/BlmVIII/BlmVII constitute a natural hybrid NRPS/PKS/NRPS system, serving as a model for both hybrid NRPS/PKS and PKS/NRPS systems. Sequence analysis and functional comparison of domains and modules of BlmIX/BlmVIII/BlmVII with those of nonhybrid NRPS and PKS systems suggest that (1) the same catalytic sites appear to be conserved in both hybrid NRPS–PKS and nonhybrid NRPS or PKS systems, with the exception of the KS domains in the hybrid NRPS/PKS systems that are unique; (2) …

Ard News December 2001

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:

Comments from the Dean
ARB Budget Reduction
Understanding Indirect Costs
Economic Value of Land Grant University
Undergraduate Honors Research Program
New or Revised Projects
Proposals Submitted for Federal Grants
Grants and Contracts Received October and November 2001

Fall Field Report, August-November 2001, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This Fall Report offers something for everybody. Leading off are significant breeding reports of Ruddy Duck in the Rainwater Basin and Snowy Plover at Lake McConaughy. As observers bird more regularly in late July to early August we are finding that many species begin to move earlier than often realized. There were many reports of birds such as failed breeders, molt migrants, and early-fledged juveniles wandering about. Some of these prove tough identification challenges, too. Early birds were mostly water-related; Eared Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, and Osprey, but also Prairie Falcon in the east, and Rusty Blackbird too. Some …

Nebraska Bird Review- Whole Issue December 2001 Volume 69 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Fall Field Report, August-November 2001 Compiled
by W. Ross Silcock ..........................158

Species Accounts.......................... 160

Bird Records of Sporting Editor Sandy Griswold on Fowl
Hunting Trips in the Sand Hills from 1887 to 1928
by J. E. Ducey ..........................190

Index for Volume 69, 1-4 ..........................212

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 33, No.4 December 2001

The Prairie Naturalist

SPECIES, SEASON, AND DENSITY OF BURIED SEEDS SURVIVING FOX SQUIRREL DEPREDATION ▪ C. C. Smith, and J. M. Briggs

RELATI0NSHIP OF HYDROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND POPULATlONS OF BREEDING PIPING PLOVERS ▪ D. S. Licht,

DEMODICOSIS IN A WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) IN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ C. N. Jacques, J. A Jenks. M. B. Hildreth. R. J. Schauer, and D. D. Johnson

SURVEYS OF CALLING AMPHIBIANS IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ D. H. Johnson, and R. D. Batie

EFFECTS OF HUMAN PRESENCE ON VOCALIZATIONS OF GRASSLAND BIRDS IN KANSAS ▪ S. L Bye, R. J. Robel, and K. E. Kemp

Reviewers 2001

Author …