Animal Sciences Commons^™

The Chicken Challenge – What Contemporary Studies Of Fowl Mean For Science And Ethics, Carolynn L. Smith, Jane Johnson

Between the Species

Studies with captive fowl have revealed that they possess greater cognitive capacities than previously thought. We now know that fowl have sophisticated cognitive and communicative skills, which had hitherto been associated only with certain primates. Several theories have been advanced to explain the evolution of such complex behavior. Central to these theories is the enlargement of the brain in species with greater mental capacities. Fowl present us with a conundrum, however, because they show the behaviors anticipated by the theories but do not have the expected changes in the brain. Consequently fowl present two challenges of interest to us here. …

Who Will Create The Iphone Equivalent In Dairy Foods?, Phillip S. Tong

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

News Of The Department Of Animal And Range Sciences, Department Of Animal And Range Sciences

Animal Science Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

A New Way To Map Drought and Water Use Worldwide.........4

Multi-Pronged Fight Against Zebra Chip Disease in Potatoes .........8

Step-by-Step Strategies for Restoring Western Rangelands .........10

Battling Problem Pests in Paradise......... 12

A Dose of Selenium That Goes a Long Way .........14

Can a Prairie Teach Us About Agricultural Water Quality?......... 17

Nixing Nitrate Flow From the Farm......... 18

Infrared Heating: Hot Idea for Keeping Almonds Safe To Eat......... 20

Locations Featured in This Magazine Issue......... 23

Almond Hulls: Harvest Leftover May Offer A Health Connection, Gary R. Takeoka, Marcia Wood

Agricultural Research Magazine

Besides yielding about $1 billion worth of healthful, orchard-fresh nuts, California’s annual almond harvest also yields tons of leftover hulls. The hull is the tough, outermost layer that helps protect the shell—and the tasty nutmeat inside the shell—against attack by insects and disease.

Early studies by Agricultural Research Service chemist Gary R. Takeoka and colleagues have shown that hulls are a rich source of several interesting natural compounds that may have new applications for human health.

Using an array of sophisticated analytical techniques, including gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, Takeoka’s team provided new …

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012 whole issue

Fighting Nitrate in the Trenches

Forum: It Takes A Satellite To Feed The World, Feb 2012, Charles L. Walthall

Agricultural Research Magazine

It’s ironic that just when Earth monitoring satellites are needed more than ever to address the food and freshwater demands of a burgeoning global human population, we face an impending gap in coverage by the Landsat program. A series of Landsat satellites has been continuously in orbit since 1972, collecting an invaluable time sequence of global imagery that records decades of land-use and land-cover changes. The recent decision by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide Landsat imagery free of charge has led to an explosion in applications, enabling unprecedented study of global deforestation, changes in cropping systems and irrigation …

Can A Prairie Teach Us About Agricultural Water Quality?, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

One place to figure out how agricultural practices affect water quality is in a crop field that is being converted to native prairie vegetation. In Iowa, natural resource managers are conducting this type of landscape restoration at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City. So this is where Agricultural Research Service soil scientists Mark Tomer and Cynthia Cambardella partnered with colleagues from Grinnell College, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau (part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources) to describe changes in water quality during prairie establishment.

The ARS researchers work at …

Back Matter Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Magazine

5601 Sunnyside Ave.

Beltsville, MD 20705-5129

Infrared Heating: Hot Idea For Keeping Almonds Safe To Eat, Marcia Wood, Zhongli Pan, Maria T. Brandl

Agricultural Research Magazine

Crisp, crunchy almonds make a tasty and nutritious snack any time.

In Albany, California, investigators Zhongli Pan and Maria T. Brandl are collaborating in leading-edge studies that explore the use of a still-evolving technology, infrared heating, to help make sure almonds remain safe to eat.

The federal government, the U.S. almond industry, and food safety researchers are keeping an especially watchful eye on Salmonella enterica.

It’s generally thought that almonds are not naturally contaminated with high levels of this pathogen. Nevertheless, all almonds processed for sale in the United States today have to be pasteurized in order to zap …

Gene Helps With Multiple Leaf Diseases In Corn, Sharon Durham, Peter Balint-Kurti, Jim Holland, Matt Krakowsky

Agricultural Research Magazine

Corn is one of the most widely grown crops in the United States, which produces 40 percent of the world crop. But as with all crops, diseases threaten corn production.

Three diseases, southern corn leaf blight, northern leaf blight, and gray leaf spot, all cause lesions on corn leaves. In the U.S. Midwest Corn Belt, northern leaf blight and gray leaf spot are significant problems.

Agricultural Research Service scientists and university colleagues found a specific gene in corn that seems to confer resistance to all three of these leaf diseases. This discovery, published in 2011 in the Proceedings of the …

Nixing Nitrate Flow From The Farm, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

When early settlers arrived in the Midwest, they began constructing an underground network of tile drains to channel water away from the soggy prairies, which then became some of the most fertile crop fields in the country. But now when nitrate from soils and fertilizers leaches out of those flourishing fields, the subsoil engineering also facilitates the discharge of nitrates into nearby streams and rivers.

Because these local waterways are part of the vast Mississippi River Watershed, the nitrates are eventually transported into the Gulf of Mexico, where they can feed the development of oxygen-deficient “dead zones.” But nitrate management …

Multi-Pronged Fight Against Zebra Chip Disease In Potatoes, Jan Suszkiw

Agricultural Research Magazine

Thanks to the investigations of scientiststurned- detectives, potato growers in the western United States and abroad now know the identities of the pathogen and insect responsible for outbreaks of the costly tuber disease known as “zebra chip.”

So named for the dark stripes it forms inside afflicted tubers when cut and fried to make chips or cooked at high temperatures for other dishes, zebra chip has caused millions of dollars in production and processing losses since its first reported U.S. occurrence in potato fields near McAllen and Pearsall, Texas, in 2000. The disease, whose above-ground symptoms include necrosis and purplish, …

A Dose Of Selenium That Goes A Long Way, Sandra Avant, J. Bret Taylor

Agricultural Research Magazine

In western parts of the United States where some rugged ranges can only be reached by horseback, ranchers often find themselves saddling up weekly to deliver mineral supplements to livestock grazing in nutrient-deficient regions, especially areas scarce in selenium. The routine is not only time-consuming but also costly, and in some leased-land arrangements, such supplementation practices are prohibited.

Selenium, a trace mineral and component of important selenoprotein antioxidants, is essential for good health in livestock and humans. If the body cannot form these important antioxidant proteins, it predisposes the animal to sickness and eventually death at a young age.

Selenium …

Step-By-Step Strategies For Restoring Western Rangelands, Ann Perry, Roger Sheley

Agricultural Research Magazine

Invasive plants exploit every environmental angle in their favor. So restoring damaged rangelands in the western United States involves a lot more than just getting rid of bad plants and bringing in good plants.

Since 1990, Agricultural Research Service ecologist Roger Sheley has been refining a process for identifying factors that give the undesirable space invaders their territorial edge—and figuring out strategies for restoring a healthy mix of native vegetation for rangelands in need of remediation.

“Killing a weed is like treating a symptom,” says Sheley, who is co-located at Oregon State University’s Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Burns, …

Amebocyte Diameter And Density After Partial Exsanguinations In Limulus Polyhemus Hemolymph, Jillian R. Hufgard

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Research Publications

The presence of endotoxins, a potentially life threatening bacterial contamination in medical devices and supplements, is determined by a product know as Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL). The creation of LAL is known to raise the mortality rates of the crabs that are also seeing population declines due to environmental pressures and fishing industries. Because of the decline in the number of crabs, a method for the production of LAL, outside of the bleeding animals, is necessary. This research worked to quantify systematically the cell size, shape, and concentration of the amebocytes. After baseline data were collected, 40-50% of the hemolymph …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 88, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Licensing And Allocation Under A New Management Plan For The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper was prepared to set out the proposed direction for licensing, entitlement allocation and related matters under a new management plan for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the new Management Plan), which is expected to begin operation on 15 January 2013. It is one of two papers being released by the Department of Fisheries (the Department) for comment as part of consultation on the development of this legislation, and is designed to encourage public involvement in the changes to the management arrangements for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the fishery).

In addition, a related paper …

A Resource-Based Management Approach For Recreational Fishing In Western Australia 2012-2017. State-Wide Management Proposals For Finfish, Crustaceans, Molluscs And Other Invertebrates., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper outlines a new, simplified framework of bag and possession limits that is based on state-wide management arrangements for various categories of finfish and invertebrate resources. This new approach will help simplify advisory material and make the recreational fishing experience more enjoyable.

West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. Harvest Strategy And Decision Rules Framework Proposals Under A Quota Management System. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper outlines a set of updated proposals for use in the Harvest Strategy and Decision Rules framework (referred to as the HSDR) for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF)2 , which have been developed to facilitate implementation of the new quota based management system. Where relevant, this current document utilises the information and outcomes presented in the previous discussion document on HSDR3 (Donohue et al., 2010) developed for use with the then input (effort) control management system that operated until 2009/10.

Operational And Compliance Elements Of A New Management Plan For The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper was prepared to set out the proposed direction for compliance and other operational matters under a new management plan for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the new Management Plan) which is expected to commence operation on 15 January 2013. It is one of two papers being released by the Department of Fisheries (Department) for comment as part of consultation on the development of this legislation, and is designed to encourage public involvement in the changes to the management arrangements for the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (the fishery).

A New Way To Map Drought And Water Use Worldwide, Don Comis, William P. Kustas, Martha C. Anderson

Agricultural Research Magazine

Every month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Climate Prediction has a drought briefing by teleconference to identify the latest drought areas in North America.

ARS scientists Martha Anderson and Bill Kustas are hoping that in a year or so, data from their computer model/satellite package will give evapotranspiration (ET) maps a seat at that briefing. With funding from NOAAand the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), they have developed a modeling system that NOAA will use to generate ET estimates over the continental United States. NOAA will evaluate these ET products to see how well they …

Locations Featured In This Magazine Issue February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Locations Featured in This Magazine Issue

United States Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center,

Hilo, Hawaii
2 research units ■ 72 employees

Western Regional Research Center, Albany, California
8 research units ■ 243 employees

Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, Washington
1 research unit ■ 58 employees

Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit, Prosser, Washington
1 research unit ■ 39 employees

Range and Meadow Forage Management Research Unit, Burns, Oregon
1 research unit ■ 44 employees

Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, Idaho
1 research unit ■ 66 employees

U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, Idaho
1 research unit ■ 23 …

Vegfa Family Isoforms Regulate Spermatogonial Stem Cell Homeostasis In Vivo, Kyle C. Caires, Jeanene M. Clopton, Andrea S. Cupp, Derek J. Mclean

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of the present study was to investigate vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) isoform regulation of cell fate decisions of spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) in vivo. The expression pattern and cell-specific distribution of VEGF isoforms, receptors, and coreceptors during testis development postnatal d 1–180 suggest a nonvascular function for VEGF regulation of early germ cell homeostasis. Populations of undifferentiated spermatogonia present shortly after birth were positive for VEGF receptor activation as demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis. Thus, we hypothesized that proangiogenic isoforms of VEGF (VEGFA₁₆₄) stimulate SSC self-renewal, whereas antiangiogenic isoforms of VEGF (VEGFA₁₆₅b) …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2011, David L. Kreider

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Battling Problem Pests In Paradise, Stephanie Yao, Dennis O’Brien

Agricultural Research Magazine

Sandy beaches, blue water, warm weather, and—invasive insects? One of these things certainly doesn’t belong. When we think of island paradise, invasive insects don’t usually come to mind. But these pesky pests are a problem for countries all over the world.

In two separate projects, Agricultural Research Service scientists are working with their Azorean and French Polynesian counterparts to help control invasive insects there. Since these pests are also invasive in the United States, these collaborations may have mutual benefit. So far, the results have been promising.

An Infestation in the Azores

Off the coast of Portugal lies an archipelago …

Developmental Methylmercury Exposure Affects Avoidance Learning Outcomes In Adult Zebrafish, Xiaojuan Xu, Crystal J. Lamb, Melanie L. Smith, Lillian Schaefer, Michael J. Carvan Iii, Daniel N. Weber

Peer Reviewed Articles

The present study investigated the neurobehavioral effects of embryonic exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) in zebrafish using avoidance conditioning as the behavioral paradigm. In this study, adult zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 µM of MeHg were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that control zebrafish hatched from embryos unexposed to MeHg learned avoidance responses during training and showed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing. Zebrafish developmentally exposed to MeHg as embryos were hyperactive as they frequently swam back and forth, and showed no significant changes in avoidance responses from training to …

Hierarchy In Factors Affecting Fish Biodiversity In Floodplain Lakes Of The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Daniel J. Dembkowski, L. E. Miranda

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

River-floodplain ecosystems offer some of the most diverse and dynamic environments in the world. Accordingly, floodplain habitats harbor diverse fish assemblages. Fish biodiversity in floodplain lakes may be influenced by multiple variables operating on disparate scales, and these variables may exhibit a hierarchical organization depending on whether one variable governs another. In this study, we examined the interaction between primary variables descriptive of floodplain lake large-scale features, suites of secondary variables descriptive of water quality and primary productivity, and a set of tertiary variables descriptive of fish biodiversity across a range of floodplain lakes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of …

Beef Heifer Retention Decisions, Cody Reed, Dale Zobell

All Current Publications

This publication discusses a number of general factors that are essential to an effective decision regarding whether to retain heifers or not.

Two New Species Of Trigonotylus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Stenodemini) From Western Canada And Northwestern United States, G G.E. Scudder, Michael D. Schwartz

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.