Life Sciences Commons^™

Genomic Deletion Marking An Emerging Subclone Of Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Holarctica In France And The Iberian Peninsula, M. P. Dempsey, M. Dobson, C. Zhang, M. Zhang, C. Lion, C. B. Gutiérrez-Martín, P. C. Iwen, P. D. Fey, M. E. Olson, D. Niemeyer, S. Francesconi, R. Crawford, M. Stanley, J. Rhodes, D. M. Wagner, A. J. Vogler, D. Birdsell, P. Keim, A. Johansson, S. H. Hinrichs, A. K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica is widely disseminated in North America and the boreal and temperate regions of the Eurasian continent. Comparative genomic analyses identified a 1.59-kb genomic deletion specific to F. tularensis subsp. holarctica isolates from Spain and France. Phylogenetic analysis of strains carrying this deletion by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis showed that the strains comprise a highly related set of genotypes, implying that these strains were recently introduced or recently emerged by clonal expansion in France and the Iberian Peninsula.

Orchard Pollination In Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, Usa. Honey Bees Or Native Bees?, Vincent J. Tepedino, Terry L. Griswold, Diane Gail Alston, Trent R. Toler, Brosi A. Bradley

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

Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah, USA surrounds 22 managed fruit orchards started over a century ago by Mormon pioneers. Honey bees are imported for pollination, although the area in which the Park is embedded has over 700 species of native bees, many of which are potential orchard pollinators. We studied the visitation of native bees to apple, pear, apricot, and sweet cherry over 2 years. Thirty species of bees visited the flowers but, except for pear flowers, most were uncommon compared to honey bees. Evidence that honey bees prevented native bees from foraging on orchard crop flowers was …

A Look At The Engineering Challenges Of The Usda Small Watershed Program, G. J. Hanson, L. Caldwell, M. Lobrecht, D. Mccook, S. L. Hunt, D. Temple

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

The Small Watershed Program, administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service), originated in the 1940s and 1950s through the following statutes: the Flood Control Act of 1944, the pilot watershed program (1953-1954), and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954. The Small Watershed Program has been recognized by ASABE as one of the outstanding achievements of agricultural engineering in the 20th century in soil and water. With a $15 billion infrastructure investment, more than 11,000 flood-control dams were constructed, and thousands of acres of farms and ranches are protected by conservation practices. …

Suitability Of Swat For The Conservation Effects Assessment Project: Comparison On Usda Agricultural Research Service Watersheds, Michael W. Van Liew, Tamie L. Veith, David D. Bosch, Jeffrey G. Arnold

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

Recent interest in tracking environmental benefits of conservation practices on agricultural watersheds throughout the United States has led to the development of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The purpose of CEAP is to assess environmental benefits derived from implementing various USDA conservation programs for cultivated, range, and irrigated lands. Watershed scale, hydrologic simulation models such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) will be used to relate principal source areas of contaminants to transport paths and processes under a range in climatic, soils, topographic, and land use conditions on agricultural watersheds. To …

Effects Of Cropland Conservation Practices On Fish And Wildlife Habitat, Stephen J. Brady

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

A literature review of commonly applied cropland soil and water conservation practices and their impact on fish and wildlife habitat is presented. Agriculture has had the most extensive effect on wildlife habitat of any human-induced factor in the United States. Any practice that improves runoff water quality and/or reduces sediment delivery will have beneficial effects to aquatic ecosystems. Many soil and water conservation practices have additional benefits to wildlife when applied in a habitat-friendly manner, but may have little or no benefit when applied otherwise. Wildlife and agriculture can coexist if land is managed to conserve sufficient biological integrity in …

Effects Of Conservation Practices On Aquatic Habitats And Fauna, Scott Knight, Kathryn Boyer

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

A major goal of both state and federal agricultural and environmental agencies in the United States is sustainable management of watersheds where agriculture is a dominant land use. Because watershed processes and conditions directly and indirectly affect soil, water, air, plants, animals, and humans, USDA NRCS encourages a watershed approach to management of agricultural operations in the United States. This requires a suite of approaches or practices that address natural resource concerns in uplands and stream corridors. Land clearing, leveling, draining, tilling, fertilizing, and harvesting together create prolonged perturbations manifested in the ecological and physical conditions of streams and rivers. …

Construction And Testing Of A Simple And Economical Soil Greenhouse Gas Automatic Sampler, Daniel Ginting, Spemcer L. Arnold, Nicholas S. Arnold, Ronald S. Tubbs

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

Quantification of soil greenhouse gas emissions requires considerable sampling to account for spatial and/or temporal variation.With manual sampling, additional personnel are often not available to sample multiple sites within a narrow time interval. The objectives were to construct an automatic gas sampler and to compare the accuracy and precision of automatic versus manual sampling. The automatic sampler was tested with carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes that mimicked the range of CO₂ fluxes during a typical corn-growing season in eastern Nebraska. Gas samples were drawn from the chamber at 0, 5, and 10 min manually and with the automatic …

Long-Term Application Of Biosolids On Apricot Production, Gary S. Ban˜Uelos, Sajeemas Pasakdee, Sharon E. Benes, Craig R. Ledbetter

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

The use and disposal of biosolids, or wastewater treatment sludge, as a fertilizer and soil amendment is becoming increasingly widespread. We evaluated the multiyear use of biosolids in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production, grown on productive agricultural soils. Class A biosolids were initially applied annually at rates of 0, 1.9, 5.8, and 11.7 Mg · ha^-1 (dry basis) to a 2-year-old apricot orchard on the USDAARS research site on the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley, CA. These application rates provided estimated rates of 0 (control), 57, 170, and 340 kg total N · ha^-1 yr …

Estimates Of Gross Transformation Rates Of Dairy Manure N Using 15N Pool Dilution, T. S. Griffin

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

Most measurements of dairy manure nitrogen (N) availability depend on net
changes in soil inorganic N concentration over time, which overlooks the cycling of manure N in the soil. Gross transformations of manure N, including mineralization (m), immobilization (i), and nitrification (n), can be quantified using ¹⁵N pool dilution methods. This research measures gross m, n, and i resulting from application of four freeze-dried dairy manures that had distinctly different patterns of N availability. A sandy loam soil (coarse-loamy, mixed, frigid Typic Haplorthod) was amended with four different freeze-dried dairy manures and …

A Comparison Of Pollen Counts: Light Versus Scanning Electron Microscopy, Gretchen D. Jones, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

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

Palynologists use compound light microscopy (LM) for pollen identification and interpretation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological comparisons and taxonomy. As we are unaware of any published reports comparing LM and SEM pollen counts and identifications of the same sample, we decided to examine a surface soil sample using both microscopes. Standard palynological extraction techniques were used. Two, 300 grain counts were made using LM, and two, 300 counts with SEM. Pollen grains viewed with SEM were also divided into three categories, ‘‘identifiable,’’ ‘‘obscured,’’ and ‘‘virtually impossible to identify’’. Eighty-six (86) percent of the pollen grains counted with SEM …

Compost And Manure Effects On Fertilized Corn Silage Yield And Nitrogen Uptake Under Irrigation, Gary A. Lehrsch, D. C. Kincaid

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

Dairy manure increases the yields of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from eroded, furrow-irrigated soils and may increase corn (Zea mays L.) silage yield from steeper eroded areas under sprinkler irrigation. In a 2-year field study in southern Idaho on Portneuf silt loam (coarse silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid), the effects of a one-time, fall application of 29 or 72 Mg ha^-1 of dry manure or 22 or 47 Mg ha^-1 of dry compost on subsequent silage yield and nitrogen (N) uptake from previously eroded, sprinkler-irrigated hill …

Spectral Analysis Of Coastal Vegetation And Land Cover Using Aisa+ Hyperspectral Data, R. Jensen, P. Mausel, N. Dias, R. Gonser, C. Yang, J. Everitt, R. Fletcher

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

This paper describes a spectral analysis of several coastal land cover types in
South Padre Island, Texas using AISA₊ hyperspectral remote sensing data.
AISA₊ hyperspectral data (1.5 metre) were acquired throughout the area on 9
March 2005. Data over mangrove areas were converted to percent reflectance
using four 8 ×8 metre reflectance tarps (4%, 16%, 32% and 48%) and empirical
line calibration. These data were then compared to percent reflectance values of
other terrestrial features to determine the ability of AISA₊ data to distinguish
features in coastal environments. Results suggest that these data may be
appropriate to …

Morphological And Histochemical Characterization Of The Seminiferous Epithelial And Leydig Cells Of The Turkey, M. R. Bakst, V. Akuffo, P. Trefil, J. P. Brillard

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

Unlike mammals, there is little fundamental information about spermatogenesis in birds. This study was undertaken to clarify the morphology, histochemistry, and lectin affinity of the seminiferous epithelial cells and Leydig cells in pre-pubertal (8- to 15-week old) and adult (40- to 44-week old) domestic turkeys. In adult turkeys, three types of spermatogonia were defined based on their chromatin distribution and nuclear morphology: the dark type A(A_d); the pale type A(A_p); and the type B. The A_d is the least numerous and least conspicuous and consequently difficult to locate. Based on its spatial distribution and overall …

Effect Of Age And Mating Status On Adult European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Dispersal From Small-Grain Aggregation Plots, Brendon J. Reardon, Thomas W. Sappington

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

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is often controlled with genetically modified corn, Zea mays L., hybrids (Bacillus thuringiensis [Bt] corn) in the United States. If Bt-resistant insects are detected in the field, mitigation-remediation tactics must be implemented to sustain the efficacy of insecticidal, transgenic corn. Mass releasing laboratory reared, susceptible adults near aggregation sites to mate with locally emerging resistant adults is a possible remediation tactic, but it is imperative that the former remain in or near the release site long enough to mate. Understanding adult dispersal behavior relative to the timing of mating is …

2007 Census Of Agriculture

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

Introduction .......... VII

State Map .......... 1

Figures .......... 2-6

Tables

Chapter 1. State Data .......... 7-236

Chapter 2. County Data .......... 249-617

Appendices

Census of Agriculture Methodology .......... A-1

General Explanation and Census of Agriculture Report Form .......... B-1

Index .......... Index 1

Publication Program .......... Inside Back Cover

Occurrence Of The Waxy Alleles Wxa And Wxb In Waxy Sorghum Plant Introductions And Their Effect On Starch Thermal Properties, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, Robert A. Graybosch, D. L. Funnell

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

The existence of two waxy alleles, wx^a associated with no detectable granule bound starch synthase (GBSS) and wx^b associated with apparently inactive GBSS, was recently reported in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. In this paper, the occurrence of the wx^a and wx^b alleles in the USDA-ARS photoperiod-insensitive sorghum collection was determined, and the effects of the wx^a and wx^balleles on thermal properties of sorghum starch (gelatinization temperatures and energy requirements) measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Of the 51 purported waxy accessions examined, 14 tested positive for presence of amylose by iodine staining and …

Laboratory Comparison Of Aedes Aegypti Attraction To Human Odors And To Synthetic Human Odor Compounds And Blends, Ulrich R. Bernier, Daniel L. Kline, Sandra A. Allan, Donald R. Barnard

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

Chemical lures can enhance the ability of traps to collect mosquitoes, selectively target species for capture, and provide a realistic assessment of the species and host-equivalent numbers of mosquitoes present in the local area. One approach to the development of chemical lures is to manufacture blends that comprise odors released in human emanations. These blends need to be safe for use in the environment, desirable from an economic standpoint, and transportable to the field for use in traps. In this report, we compared the attraction of mosquitoes to various chemicals, blends, and odors from humans. Noncompetitive (single-treatment) bioassays established that …

Analysis Of Extracted And Volatile Components In Blackstrap Molasses Feed As Candidate House Fly Attractants, Brian Quinn, Ulrich R. Bernier, Christopher J. Geden, Jerome A. Hogsette, David A. Carlson

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

House flies are a ubiquitous insect that have the potential to spread many diseases to humans and livestock. Managing house fly populations is accomplished by having desirable baits, traps, and killing agents. Most house fly baits are designed for outdoor use or limited indoor use, and have a foul odor that is not conducive to food preparatory and dining areas. Blackstrap molasses has long been used as a house fly bait, but it is sticky and viscous, making it difficult to handle. This study sought to identify compounds present in blackstrap molasses that might be attractive to house flies, and …

Mosquito And Fly Control Research By The Usda-Ars Center For Medical, Agriculture And Veterinary Entomology (Cmave) In The Deployed War-Fighter Protection (Dwfp) Program, Kenneth J. Linthicum, Sandra A. Allan, Donald Barnard, James Becnel, Ulrich R. Bernier, Seth Britch, Gary Clark, Miriam Cooperband, Chris Geden, Jerome Hogsette, Daniel Kline, Roberto Pereira, Julia Pridgeon, Brian Quinn, Craig Welch, Liming Zhao

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

Despite existing measures to prevent and control arthropod-borne diseases in military units, these diseases continue to be serious threats to deployed troops. Due to a shrinking list of safe, cost-effective pesticides for control of disease vectors, new and improved toxicants and methods for delivery are needed by the armed forces. Since 2004, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has participated in the Department of Defense (DOD) - sponsored Deployed War-Fighter Protection (DWFP) program to identify and develop new tools for combating pest and vector species that impact deployed war-fighters. Ongoing research at the USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary …

Isolation Of Salmonella Enterica And Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157 From Feces Of Animals In Public Contact Areas Of United States Zoological Parks, James E. Keen, Lisa M. Durso, Thomas P. Meehan

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

The fecal prevalence of subclinical Salmonella enterica and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157 among animals in human-animal contact exhibits at institutions in the United States accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums was estimated to assess public health risk. The prevalence was less than 0.6% for both zoonotic pathogens among 997 animals sampled at 36 exhibits.

A Cellulose Fiber-Based Diet For Screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Larvae, M. F. Chaudhury, Steven R. Skoda

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

A highly absorbent cellulose fiber from recycled paper was tested and compared with a polyacrylate gelling agent, Aquatain, normally used for bulking and solidifying larval rearing medium of screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The absorbent fiber, when mixed with water and dietary ingredients, produced a diet medium of homogeneous texture that supported larval growth and development comparable with the standard gelled diet. Larval and pupal weights from two concentrations of cellulose fiber-based diet were significantly higher than those obtained using gelled diet. The number of pupae per tray, percentage of adult emergence, oviposition, percentage of egg hatch, and adult …

Lixus Cardui, A Biological Control Agent For Scotch Thistle (Onopordum Acanthium): Safe For Australia, But Not The Usa?, Joe Balciunas

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

Invasive exotic plants are often weeds in more than one country. After a biological control agent for a weed has been developed for use in one country, it is reasonable to consider using the same agent against the same weed in another country. ‘Transfer Projects’ can save considerable time and money, and they have been popular around the world. Lixus cardui Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a weevil from Europe, was first used by Australian researchers to control Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium L. (Asteraceae). There are few close relatives of Scotch thistle in Australia, but that is not the case in North …

Physiological Host Range Of Ceratapion Basicorne, A Prospective Biological Control Agent Of Centaurea Solstitialis (Asteraceae), Lincoln Smith

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

Ceratapion basicorne (Coleoptera: Apionidae) is a weevil native to Europe and western Asia that is being evaluated as a prospective classical biological control agent of Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle) in the United States. Host plant specificity of the insect was evaluated in no-choice oviposition experiments. Feeding on leaf tissue by adult females was highly correlated to oviposition rate, both of which occurred primarily on plants in the tribe Cardueae, and especially those in the monophyletic subtribe Centaureinae. The highest rates of larval development occurred on Ce. solstitialis and Centaurea cyanus (bachelor’s button, garden cornflower), and there was significant development on …

The Cercospora Nicotianae Gene Encoding Dual O-Methyltransferase And Fad-Dependent Monooxygenase Domains Mediates Cercosporin Toxin Biosynthesis, Katherine L. Dekkers, Bang-Jau You, Vivek S. Gowda, Hui-Ling Liao, Miin-Huey Lee, Huey-Jiunn Bau, Peter P. Ueng, Kuang-Ren Chung

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

Cercosporin, a photo-activated, non-host-selective phytotoxin produced by many species of the plant pathogenic fungus Cercospora, causes peroxidation of plant cell membranes by generating reactive oxygen species and is an important virulence determinant. Here we report a new gene, CTB3 that is involved in cercosporin biosynthesis in Cercospora nicotianae. CTB3 is adjacent to a previously identified CTB1 encoding a polyketide synthase which is also required for cercosporin production. CTB3 contains a putative O-methyltransferase domain in the N-terminus and a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent monooxygenase domain in the C-terminus. The N-terminal amino acid sequence also is similar to …

Columns Developing People Skills In The Human–Wildlife Conflict Community, Ben C. West

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Scent Deterrence To Reduce Southern Flying Squirrel Kleptoparasitism Of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavities, Jonathon M. Stober, L. Mike Conner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

When establishing new populations of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW; Picoides borealis), cavity kleptoparasites can pose a considerable obstacle to successful restoration. Southern flying squirrels (SFS; Glaucomys volans) are the principal kleptoparasite of RCW roost and nest cavities. Managers restoring RCW populations primarily use labor-intensive, direct removal to mitigate cavity competition by SFS. We fi eld tested the use of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) urine and rat snake (Elaphe spp.) musk as predator scents to examine if SFS could be deterred from using RCW cavities and to observe RCW roost behavior at cavities treated with red …

Comparison Of 2 Vegetation-Height Management Practices For Wildlife Control At Airports, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott C. Barras, Glen E. Bernhardt, Bradley F. Blackwell, Jonathon D. Cepek

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Vegetation-height management is a potential method to reduce bird numbers at airports. Based on studies in Europe, researchers recommended vegetation heights around 25 cm; however, preliminary studies in the United States produced conflicting results regarding the effect of tall (18 to >25 cm) vegetation on bird numbers at airports. From 1999 to 2002, we compared birds and other wildlife use of 4 short-vegetation plots (mean maximum height of 15.6 cm ± 5.1 SE and visual obstruction reading of 4.6 ± 3.0 cm) and 4 tall-vegetation plots (mean maximum height of 26.9 ± 8.4 cm and visual obstruction reading of 10.0 …

The Director's Desk Hogs Gone Wild, William H. Clay

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Demographic And Spatial Characteristics Of Feral Hogs In The Chihuahuan Desert, Texas, Roger N. Adkins, Louis A. Harveson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) have recently expanded their range to include portions of the arid regions of the Chihuahuan Desert, Texas. We examined feral hog density, survival rates, range size, and habitat use in the Davis Mountains, Texas, to understand hog ecology in a desert environment. We tested the hypothesis that densities of feral hogs across Texas would be positively related to precipitation. Feral hog densities in the Chihuahuan Desert were low (0.65 individuals/km²), supporting our prediction. Annual home range sizes (100% minimum convex polygon) were also high and averaged 48.3 ± 4.4 km² and …

Feral Hog Research In Western Louisiana: Expanding Populations And Unforeseen Consequences, Michael D. Kaller, James D. Hudson Iii, Eric C. Achberger, William E. Kelso

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Hunter harvest data suggest that feral hog (Sus scrofa) populations in western Louisiana are increasing, and population control in this region is complicated by the mixing of feral and domestic free-ranged hogs. Aggressive management may be warranted as feral and domestic hogs appear to be having unexpected effects on their ecosystem. We present the results of 3 recent investigations of genetic source-tracking to link waterborne bacteria with bacteria from feral hogs. We integrate our most recent findings with data regarding: (1) water quality in a watershed without hog management and (2) aquatic biota of the same watershed. Hog …