Agricultural Science Commons^™

Australian Temperate Strawberry Breeding Program (Western Australia) Selection Of New And Advanced Short Day Breeding Lines And Cultivars In Western Australia - 2005/2006, Michaela Antoine, Dennis Phillips

Horticulture research reports

Sixty-eight 'short day' selections from the Australian Temperate breeding program were compared in a trial planting on a commercial property at Wanneroo from a mid May planting. Thirty-three of the selections were derived from crosses made in 2003 (new Stage 4 selections) and twenty-nine were from crosses made between 1998 and 2002 (Intermediate Stages 5 and 6). In addition, three advanced selections were compared in large plots of 1,000-1 ,500 plants together with three commercial control cultivars, Gaviota, Camino Real and Kiewa. These selections were 'fast tracked' for future commercialisation by being selected for bulking up in September 2004.

Seven …

Natural Abundance Of Foliar 15N As An Early Indicator Of Nitrogen Deficiency In Fertilized Cotton, S. Stamatiadis, C. Christofides, C. Tsadilas, V. Samaras, James S. Schepers

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

Information on the contribution of various soil nitrogen (N) sources to plant N uptake is often needed for the implementation of sustainable or site-specific management practices in agriculture. Considering the limitations of traditional methods in meeting these needs, this study investigated the potential of leaf δ¹⁵N as an early indicator of nutrient deficiency in cotton. The spatial and temporal natural abundance of ¹⁵N was measured in the soil and leaves of a fertilized cotton field located near the village of Moschochori (Larissa, Greece). The isotopic signal of the leaves was interpreted in the context of the relative …

Evaluation Of Cauliflower And Broccoli Varieties: Autumn Planting (January - May 2006), Kristen Stirling

Horticulture research reports

This document has been prepared from a cauliflower and broccoli variety evaluation trial conducted at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute, South Western Highway, Manjimup WA 6258. The results reflect the growth characteristics, yield, quality and density of the cauliflower and broccoli varieties as recorded at this site during the conditions of the growing period (January to May 2006).

This report is the second in a series of four produced from the evaluation of cauliflower and broccoli varieties conducted at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute. The results are provided to allow seed suppliers, seedling nurseries, producers, packers and marketers to identify …

Evaluation Of Cauliflower And Broccoli Varieties: Winter Planting (April - August 2006), Kristen Stirling

Horticulture research reports

This document has been prepared from a cauliflower and broccoli variety evaluation trial! conducted at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute, South Western Highway, Manjimup WA 6258. The results reflect the growth characteristics, yield, quality and density of the cauliflower and broccoli varieties as recorded at this site during the conditions of the growing period (April - August 2006).

This report is the third in a series of four produced from the evaluation of cauliflower and broccoli varieties conducted at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute. The results are provided to allow seed suppliers, seedling nurseries, producers, packers and marketers to identify …

Science-Based Organic Farming 2006: Toward Local And Secure Food Systems, Charles A. Francis, Katja Koehler-Cole, Twyla Hansen, Peter Skelton

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Organic farming includes growing food and fiber—animals, agronomic crops, horticultural fruits and vegetables, related products—as one dynamic and rapidly evolving component of our complex U.S. food system. Even as more farmers are moving toward organic certification and participation in an environmentally sound and economically lucrative market, questions arise about the long-term social impacts and sustainability of a set of practices that has gone from a movement to an industry. Consolidations in the organic trade have brought multinational corporations to the table, as they have observed a grassroots activity that has grown by 20% per year for the past two decades, …

Early-Successional Plants Regulate Grassland Productivity And Species Composition: A Removal Experiment, H. Wayne Polley, Brian J. Wilsey, Justin D. Derner, Hyrum B. Johnson, Joaquin Sanabria

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

Grime’s (1998) ‘‘mass-ratio’’ hypothesis holds that ecosystem processes depend in the short term on functional properties of dominant plants and in the longer term on how resident species influence the recruitment of dominants. The latter of these effects may be especially important among early-successional species in disturbed ecosystems, but experimental tests are few. We removed two groups of early-successional species, an annual forb Gutierrezia dracunculoides (DC.) S. F. Blake and annual species (mostly grasses) that complete growth early in the growing season [early-season (ES) species], from a heavily-grazed grassland in central Texas, USA dominated by a C₄ perennial grass. …

Effect Of Various Photoperiods On Testicular Weight, Weekly Sperm Output And Plasma Levels Of Lh And Testosterone Over The Reproductive Season In Male Turkeys, Jérôme Noirault, Jean-Pierre Brillard, Murray R. Bakst

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

The effects of duration and variation in photoperiod on testis weight, testicular sperm production, semen output, and hormone status over the reproductive season in male turkeys were investigated. In Experiment 1, four groups of males raised from 17 to 23 wk of age under a constant short photoperiod were subjected to a constant short (Group 1: 7L:17D; Group 2: 10.5L:13.5D), constant long (Group 3: 14L:10D) or progressively increasing photoperiod (Group 4: 7L:17D to 14L:10D) up to 60 wk of age. In Experiment 2, four groups of males first raised as in Experiment 1 up to 23 wk of age were …

Registration Of ‘Hallam’ Wheat, P. Stephen Baenziger, B. Beecher, Robert A. Graybosch, D. D. Baltensperger, Lenis Alton Nelson, Y. Jin, J. E. Watkins, J. H. Hatchett, Ming-Shun Chen, Guihua Bai

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

‘Hallam’ (Reg. no. CV-983, PI 638790) is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in 2005 by the developing institutions. Hallam was released primarily for its superior adaptation to rainfed wheat production systems in eastern Nebraska. The name Hallam was chosen to honor Hallam, NE, a town and its people rebuilding after a tornado.

Hallam was selected from the cross ‘Brule’ (Schmidt et al., 1983)/‘Bennett’ (Schmidt et al., 1981)//‘Niobrara’ (Baenziger et al., 1996) that was made in 1992. The F₁ generation was grown in …

Suppression Of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) In Florida Poultry Houses By Sustained Releases Of Muscidifurax Raptorellus And Spalangia Cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Christopher Geden, Jerome Hogsette

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

Weekly releases of Muscidifurax raptorellus Kogan and Legner and Spalangia cameroni Perkins were made for 12 wk after house cleanouts in Florida pullet houses in either spring/summer (May-August) or fall (September-December). Releases were made by weekly placement of 62,500 and 85,000 pupae parasitized by M. raptorellus and S. cameroni, respectively, which produced an average of 79,049 and 32,841 adult female parasitoids per week. House fly (Musca domestica L.) pupal mortality, as measured by sentinel pupae, was about twice as high in the release house (40.2%) as in the two control houses (21.5 and 21.8%) in the summer release. …

Prevention Of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) And House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) From Entering Simulated Aircraft With Commercial Air Curtain Units, David A. Carlson, Jerome Hogsette, Daniel Kline, Chris D. Geden, Robert Vandermeer

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

Commercially available air curtain units were used to create air barriers to prevent mosquitoes and house flies from entering a simulated aircraft doorway together with passengers. Two assemblies of simulated passenger bridge and aircraft were constructed, and airflow measurements were recorded to confirm airflow characteristics for several combinations of commercial units. Three mosquito species were selected for different host-seeking characteristics, and house flies were selected to represent a large, strong-flying insect. Batches of 20 or 200 insects of four species were released into the passenger bridge just before 25 persons passed through the assembly, then insects that entered the aircraft …

Book Review: Identification And Geographical Distribution Of The Mosquitoes Of North America, North Of Mexico, Daniel L. Kline

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

Although much of this edition is a verbatim rehash of the first edition (1980), some very important changes have been made to Darsie and Ward's book that make it a valuable resource. This book is the only book that incorporates many of the recent changes in nomenclature, new species listings, and updates of geographic distributions of North American mosquitoes. Twelve species have been added to the book since the first edition. Changes to the text were necessary because of new species (e.g. Aedes albopictus and Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus) invading different parts of North America (Sprenger and Wuithiranyagool 1986, Peyton …

Evaluation Of The Single Kernel Characterization System (Skcs) For Measurement Of Sorghum Grain Attributes, S. R. Bean, O. K. Chung, M. R. Tuinstra, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, J. Erpelding

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The single kernel characterization system (SKCS) has been widely used in the wheat industry, and SKCS parameters have been linked to end-use quality in wheat. The SKCS has promise as a tool for evaluating sorghum grain quality. However, the SKCS was designed to analyze wheat, which has a different kernel structure from sorghum. To gain a better understanding of the meaning of SKCS predictions for grain sorghum, individual sorghum grains were measured for length, width, thickness (diameter), and weight by laboratory methods and by the SKCS. SKCS predictions for kernel weight and thickness were highly correlated to laboratory measurements. However, …

Laboratory And Field Assessment Of Some Kairomone Blends For Host-Seeking Aedes Aegypti, Craig R. Williams, Ramona Bergbauer, Martin Geier, Daniel L. Kline, Ulrich R. Bernier, Richard Russell, Scott A. Ritchie

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

Using laboratory Y-tube olfactometers, the attractiveness of lactic acid and 2 kairomone blends from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and BioGents GmbH (BG) was assessed for attractiveness to Aedes aegypti. Four geographically disparate populations were assessed: North Queensland Australia (NQA), Florida USA, Minas Gerais Brazil (MGB), and Singapore. In descending order, populations were attracted to USE)A, BG blends, and lactic acid. MGB was poorly attracted to lactic acid alone. The blends were less attractive than human odor. Proprietary blends were modified, and their attractiveness was assessed to find the optimum attractive mixture for NQA. Adding acetone to …

Attraction Of Mosquitoes To Volatiles Associated With Blood, S. A. Allan, Ulrich R. Bernier, Donald Kline

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

Responses of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Culex nigripalpus to volatiles and compounds associated with bovine and avian blood that were presented in collagen membranes were evaluated in olfactometer and landing assays. The presence of attractants produced by blood was supported by more attraction of all species to blood than water controls in the olfactometer. Females of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus were more attracted to bovine blood than to avian blood, but there was no difference in Cx. nigripalpus responses. In landing assays, significantly more females of all species landed on casings with blood than on water …

Viability Of Native Forb Seeds Stored Under Two Different Environments, John M. Row, Richard L. Wynia

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

The ability to maintain viability in seeds of native forbs for long periods of time is important to the seed industry and prairie restoration efforts. Seeds stored in eastern Kansas in an uncontrolled environment, subjected to wide fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity, are known to experience reduced longevity. We examined seeds of 7 prairie forbs native to the Central Great Plains that were stored under two different storage environments in Manhattan, Kansas, to determine what effect the two storage conditions had on the longevity of seed viability. Three of the species stored in a controlled environment (low temperature, relative …

Comparison Of Three Alternative Ann Designs For Monthly Rainfall-Runoff Simulation, Jurgen D. Garbrecht

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

The performance of three artificial neural network (ANN) designs that account differently for the effects of seasonal rainfall and runoff variations were investigated for monthly rainfall-runoff simulation on an 815 km² watershed in central Oklahoma. The ANN design that accounted explicitly for seasonal variations of rainfall and runoff performed best by all performance measures. Explicit representation of seasonal variations was achieved by use of a separate ANN for each calendar month. For the three ANN designs tested, a regression of simulated versus measured runoff displayed a slope slightly under 1 and positive intercept, pointing to a tendency of the …

Temperature Effects On Bradyrhizobium Spp. Growth And Symbiotic Effectiveness With Pigeonpea And Cowpea, Lurline E. Marsh, Raymond Baptiste, Dyremple B. Marsh, David Trinklein, Robert J. Kremer

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

Temperature is a limiting factor on legume-Bradyrhizobium symbiosis of subtropical plants in the temperate region. Twelve strains of Bradyrhizobium spp. that nodulate pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp], and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp], were evaluated for tolerance to three temperature regimes (20 °C/10 °C, 30 °C/20 °C, and 38 °C/25 °C day/night temperature) by determining their growth following exposure to the regimes. The five most temperature-tolerant strains were further evaluated for symbiotic effectiveness with pigeonpea and cowpea under controlled temperatures. These strains were USDA 3278, USDA 3362, USDA 3364, USDA 3458, and USDA 3472. Plant heights of …

Evaluating The Influence Of Storage Time, Sample-Handling Method, And Filter Paper On The Measurement Of Water-Extractable Phosphorus In Animal Manures, Kristen Baum, Gary Pierzynski, Peter Kleinman, John Kovar, Rory Maguire, Philip Moore, Tiequan Zhang

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

Surface-applied manures create a potential phosphorus (P) runoff hazard, especially when unincorporated. In such cases, the concentration of water- extractable P in the manure has been correlated to soluble P concentrations in runoff. This study evaluated the influence of holding time, sample-handling procedure, and filtration method on measurement of the water-extractable P content of manures in a 3 ×3 ×2 factorial arrangement of treatments. A two-way interaction between holding time and sample-handling procedure occurred for most samples. Six samples had waterextractable P concentrations that were less than or equal to dried and dried/ground treatments. Only one sample had higher water-extractable …

Effect Of High-Pressure Hot-Water Washing Treatment On Fruit Quality, Insects, And Disease In Apples And Pears Part Iii. Use Of Silicone-Based Materials And Mechanical Methods To Eliminate Surface Pests, J. D. Hansen, M. L. Heidt, L. G. Neven, E. A. Mielke, J. Bai, P. M. Chen, R. A. Spotts

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

Surface arthropods on pome fruits can cause export problems and disrupt commercial markets. Eliminating insects and mites on the packing line would be the last opportunity to provide for pest-free produce. In this study, an experimental packing line was used to evaluate techniques using different surfactant baths, pressurized water sprays, and styles of rotating brushes to remove field-collected and laboratory-reared grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), the diapausing two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausman) (Homoptera: Aphididae). The organosilicone Silwet L-77 was no more effective than a silicone-based food grade …

Characterization Of A Higher Plant Herbicide-Resistant Phytoene Desaturase And Its Use As A Selectable Marker, R. S. Arias, Franck E. Dayan, Albrecht Michel, J’Lynn Howell, Brian E. Scheffler

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

Three natural somatic mutations at codon 304 of the phytoene desaturase gene (pds) of Hydrilla verticillata (L. f. Royle) have been reported to provide resistance to the herbicide fluridone. We substituted the arginine 304 present in the wild-type H. verticillata phytoene desaturase (PDS) with all 19 other natural amino acids and tested PDS against fluridone. In in vitro assays, the threonine ( Thr), cysteine (Cys), alanine (Ala) and glutamine (Gln) mutations imparted the highest resistance to fluridone. Thr, the three natural mutations [Cys, serine (Ser), histidine (His)] and the wild-type PDS protein were tested in vitro against seven …

Upper Profile Changes Over Time In An Appalachian Hayfield Soil Amended With Coal Combustion By-Products, X. Zhou, K. D. Ritchey, R. B. Clark, N. Persaud, D. P. Belesky

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

Large amounts of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and fluidized bed combustion (FBC) by-products from burning coal, consisting primarily of gypsum, are available for potential use as a soil amendment. However, information is limited on longer-term changes in chemical and physical properties induced over time and over small depth increments of the upper soil profile after applying these amendments. This study examined longer-term effects in an abandoned Appalachian pasture soil amended with various liming materials and coal combustion by-products (CCBPs). Soil chemical and physical properties were investigated over time and depths. The results indicated limited dissolution and movement of the calcium …

Microarray Based Comparison Of Two Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Lineages, Scot E. Dowd, Hiroshi Ishizaki

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

Background: Previous research has identified the potential for the existence of two separate lineages of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Clinical isolates tended to cluster primarily within one of these two lineages. To determine if there are virulence related genes differentially expressed between the two lineages we chose to utilize microarray technology to perform an initial screening.

Results: Using a 610 gene microarray, designed against the E. coli O157 EDL 933 transcriptome, targeting primarily virulence systems, we chose 3 representative Lineage I isolates (LI groups mostly clinical isolates) and 3 representative Lineage II isolates (LII groups mostly bovine isolates). Using standard dye …

Current Trends In Quarantine Entomology, Peter A. Follett, Lisa G. Neven

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

With world trade in agricultural commodities increasing, the introduction of exotic insects into new areas where they become pests will increase. The development and application of quarantine treatments or other mitigation approaches to prevent pest introduction in traded commodities raise many research and regulatory issues. The probit 9 standard for quarantine treatment efficacy has given way to risk-based alternatives. Varietal testing may have merit for some treatments or commodities but not for others. Development of generic treatments to control broad groups of insects or insects in all commodities can expedite new trade in agricultural products. Area-wide pest management programs lower …

Comparative Mapping Of Bovine Chromosome 27 With Human Chromosome 8 Near A Dairy Form Qtl In Cattle, E. E. Connor, M. S. Ashwell, R. Schnabel, J. L. Williams

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

In the absence of a complete and annotated bovine genome sequence, detailed human-bovine comparative maps are one of the most effective tools for identification of positional candidate genes contributing to quantitative trait loci (QTL) in cattle. In the present study, eight genes from human chromosome 8 were selected for mapping in cattle to improve breakpoint resolution and confirm gene order on the comparative map near the 40 cM region of the BTA27 linkage map where a QTL affecting dairy form had previously been identified. The resulting map identified ADRB3 as a positional candidate gene for the QTL contributing to the …

On-Farm Evaluation Of Tomato Cultivars For Disease Resistance, 2006, Dan Egel, Butch Zandstra, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Bacterial spot of tomatoes (Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria) causes lesions on leaves, stems and fruit. Under conditions of hot, humid, rainy weather, defoliation can result in a loss of yield. In addition, lesions on fruit result in a direct loss of marketability. This disease is managed primarily with applications of fixed copper bactericides, crop rotations, greenhouse sanitation and healthy seed/transplants. Even in properly managed commercial fields, however, bacterial spot can cause yield losses. Although there are no varieties with complete resistance to bacterial spot, we report here the results of an on-farm trial that indicates some varieties may have partial …

Pumpkin Cultivar Evaluation, Northern Indiana, 2006, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Research Reports

"Pumpkins grown for Halloween and other decorative purposes continue to be an important crop for many Midwestern vegetable farmers. Breeders are developing new varieties with improved appearance and disease resistance. A trial was conducted to evaluate varieties."

Supersweet Sweet Corn Cultivar Evaluation For Northern Indiana, 2006, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

The Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service reported sweet corn for fresh market sales was harvested from 5,200 acres in Indiana in 2005 and had a total value of $7.6 million. Sweet corn fields are located throughout the state. In Northern Indiana bicolor corn is most commonly grown. Varieties with improved eating quality are of interest to both producers and consumers. Producers are also interested in yield, ear size and appearance, and agronomic characteristics. This paper reports on twenty sh2 sweet corn cultivars known as ‘supersweet’ or ‘enhanced’ or ‘augmented supersweet’ that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Ag Center, Wanatah, IN.

Pumpkin Cultivar Evaluation, Northern Indiana, 2006, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

"Pumpkins grown for Halloween and other decorative purposes continue to be an important crop for many Midwestern vegetable farmers. Breeders are developing new varieties with improved appearance and disease resistance. A trial was conducted to evaluate varieties."

Sugar-Enhanced Sweet Corn Cultivar Evaluation For Northern Indiana, 2006, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

The Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service reported sweet corn for fresh market sales was harvested from 5,200 acres in Indiana in 2005 and had a total value of $7.6 million. Sweet corn fields are located throughout the state. In Northern Indiana bicolor corn is most commonly grown. Varieties with improved eating quality are of interest to both producers and consumers. Producers are also interested in yield, ear size and appearance, and agronomic characteristics. This paper reports on eighteen sweet corn cultivars with homozygous se or mixed se and sh2 (synergistic) genetics that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Ag Center, Wanatah, IN.

Sugar-Enhanced Sweet Corn Cultivar Evaluation For Northern Indiana, 2006, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Research Reports

The Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service reported sweet corn for fresh market sales was harvested from 5,200 acres in Indiana in 2005 and had a total value of $7.6 million. Sweet corn fields are located throughout the state. In Northern Indiana bicolor corn is most commonly grown. Varieties with improved eating quality are of interest to both producers and consumers. Producers are also interested in yield, ear size and appearance, and agronomic characteristics. This paper reports on eighteen sweet corn cultivars with homozygous se or mixed se and sh2 (synergistic) genetics that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Ag Center, Wanatah, IN.