Agricultural Science Commons^™

General Introduction To Areawide Pest Management, Robert M. Faust

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

Welcome to the realm of areawide pest management (AWPM). This book represents one of the first comprehensive 'treatises' on the AWPM concept and approach, and should be of interest and use to many types of readers, from research scientists in government, university and industry to pest control advisors and extension personnel, growers, pest control and integrated pest management (IPM) practitioners, students, teachers, natural resource managers and others interested in environmentally sound pest control. There is a range of topics included in the subject area. The book is grouped into three parts. Chapters 2-8 discuss the foundation of areawide pest management; …

Establishing Inter-Agency, Multidisciplinary Areawide Pest Management Programmes, Robert M. Nowierski, Hendrik J. Meyer

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

Pest management today usually comprises multiple complex tactics that transcend disciplines, geographical regions, climatic zones, production/management systems, production scales and economic strata. Solutions to priority problems involve research, education and extension professionals. But, equally important to project success are the users of the knowledge generated and the end-users of the 'products'. Setting a direction for the future goals, IPM has been an important activity for the 'community' of constituents who share concerns for future pest management.

Under the leadership of the USDA and land grant universities, a road map for IPM has been developed with extensive participation of diverse stakeholders. …

Social And Economic Aspects Of Areawide Pest Management, Sean P. Keenan, Paul A. Burgener

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

This chapter explores demonstration elements from the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service's demonstration programme for cereal aphid AWPM. We explore elements of the demonstration programme as agricultural innovations. We discuss potential adoption of these elements by wheat producers on the Great Plains and implications of the programme outcomes for other wheat-growing regions of the world. We begin with a history of research on the adoption of agricultural innovations, which provides the context for evaluating the cereal aphid programme from the perspective of farmer adoption. Chapter 19, this volume, by Kristopher Giles et al. provides a summary and …

The Role Of Databases In Areawide Pest Management, Vasile Catana, Norman Elliott, Kris Giles, Mustafa Mirik, David Porter, Gary L. Hein, Frank Peairs, Jerry Michels

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

The simplest definition of the term 'database' is given in Webster's dictionary as 'a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer' (Random House, 1996). This term appeared in the late 1960s because of the evolution of computer software and the need to distinguish the specialized computer systems for the storage and manipulation of data, called database management systems (DBMS) (Neufeld and Cornog, 1986). Today, the acronym 'DBMS' is universally understood within Information Technology (IT), just like the acronym 'Bt' for 'Bacillus thuringiensis' is in the field of biological pest control. …

Corn Rootworm Areawide Pest Management In The Midwestern Usa, Laurence D. Chandler, James R. Coppedge, C. Richard Edwards, Jon J. Tollefson, Gerald R. Wilde, Robert M. Faust

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

For many maize (Zea mays) producers across the Midwestern USA, as well as in parts of the northern and southern plains, the corn rootworm complex (Diabrotica spp.; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has represented one of the greatest challenges to efficient, quality maize-grain production over the past 50-60 years. Three species of corn rootworm are particularly troublesome: the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, the northern corn rootworm, D. barberi and the Mexican corn rootworm, D. virgifera zeae; all have consistently been important economic pests of maize (Metcalf, 1986b). Prior to the introduction of transgenic maize varieties designed …

Turkey Sperm Reside In The Tubular Glands In The Urodeum Following Artificial Insemination, M. R. Bakst, V. Akuffo

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

A turkey hen in egg production requires 48 h after the last insemination to maximize the number of sperm in the uterovaginal junction sperm-storage tubules. Where the sperm that continue to fill the oviductal spermstorage sites during this 48-h period reside remains unknown. Histological sections of the juncture of the vagina with the urodeum, the central compartment of the cloaca, revealed deep tubular glands containing periodic acid- Schiff-positive secretory material. When examined 36 h after the last artificial insemination, sperm were observed in the lumen of the tubular glands associated with the urodeum. We suggest that sperm reside in the …

Central And Peripheral Administration Of Kisspeptin Activates Gonadotropin But Not Somatotropin Secretion In Prepubertal Gilts, Clay A. Lents, Neely L. Heidorn, C. Richard Barb, J. Joe Ford

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

It is well established that kisspeptin signaling is necessary for the onset of puberty in laboratory animals. However, the role that kisspeptin may have in regulating puberty in large domestic animals is unknown.We tested the hypothesis that either central or peripheral infusion of kisspeptin would stimulate gonadotropin and GH secretion in prepubertal gilts. In experiment 1, prepubertal gilts were fitted with i.c.v. cannula and indwelling jugular catheters. Animals were randomly assigned to receive 0, 10, or 100 μg kisspeptin in saline. In experiment 2, prepubertal gilts, fitted with indwelling jugular catheters, randomly received 0, 1, 2.5, or 5 mg kisspeptin …

Parentage-Based Dna Traceback In Beef And Dairy Cattle, Mike Heaton

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

Why is animal ID needed?

Ways to physically label individual cattle

Disputes arise even when animal identification systems are in place

The dispute

The resolution

DNA is the label never removed from beef

A chromosome has genes and other DNA

Genes are encoded by sequences of DNA

What are SNPs?

Properties of SNPs

Ways to use DNA for traceback

Sometimes parentage testing is the last resort for DNA-based traceback

Using SNP markers for parentage

Accurate sire determination requires many DNA markers

Comparing the calf to the sire: elimination

Comparing the calf to a possible sire

The ideal parentage SNP markers …

Genetic Profiling To Determine Potential Origins Of Boll Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Captured In A Texas Eradication Zone: Endemicity, Immigration, Or Sabotage?, Kyung Seok Kim, Thomas W. Sappington, Charles T. Allen

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

Thirty-seven boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were captured in pheromone traps near Lubbock, TX, in the Southern High Plains/Caprock eradication zone during August-October 2006. No boll weevils had been captured in this zone or neighboring zones to the north earlier in the year, and only very low numbers had been captured in neighboring zones to the south and east. Therefore, the captures near Lubbock were unexpected. Five of the weevils captured the last week of August were preserved and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci for comparison with a database of genotypes for 22 boll weevil populations sampled …

Improvement Of Perennial Forage Species As Feedstock For Bioenergy, William Anderson, Michael Casler, Brian S. Baldwin

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

Both native and non-native forage species other than switchgrass are less commonly considered as potential lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy in the United States. These species hold potential as bioenergy feedstocks because of the experience and infrastructure that is already in place for management and harvest, and in certain areas of the country they have greater yield potential than switchgrass or other feedstocks. The forage grasses consist of temperate cool-season (most commonly C3) grasses as well as tropical or sub-tropical warm-season (C4) grasses. Some legume species may also play a significant role in supplying useful bioenergy feedstocks. Most have been researched …

The Artiodactyl Apobec3 Innate Immune Repertoire Shows Evidence For A Multi-Functional Domain Organization That Existed In The Ancestor Of Placental Mammals, Rebecca Larue, Stefán Jónsson, Kevin Silverstein, Mathieu Lajoie, Denis Bertrand, Nadia El-Mabrouk, Isidro Hötzel, Valgerdur Andrésdóttir, Timothy Smith, Reuben Harris

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

Background: APOBEC3 (A3) proteins deaminate DNA cytosines and block the replication of retroviruses and retrotransposons. Each A3 gene encodes a protein with one or two conserved zinccoordinating
motifs (Z1, Z2 or Z3). The presence of one A3 gene in mice (Z2–Z3) and seven in humans, A3A-H (Z1a, Z2a-Z1b, Z2b, Z2c-Z2d, Z2e-Z2f, Z2g-Z1c, Z3), suggests extraordinary evolutionary flexibility. To gain insights into the mechanism and timing of A3 gene expansion and into the functional modularity of these genes, we analyzed the genomic sequences, expressed cDNAs and activities of the full A3 repertoire of three artiodactyl lineages: sheep, cattle and pigs.
Results: …

Chapter 17. Nitrogen Management Modeling Techniques: Assessing Cropping Systems/Landscape Combinations, J. A. Delgado, M. J. Shaffer

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

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in production agriculture is often low, which results in losses of excess N to groundwater as NO₃-N, to gaseous emissions of NH₃ and N₂O, and to N losses in surface runoff and erosion. Best management practices (BMPs) are needed to improve efficiency levels while maintaining proper nutrition for crops. Field studies designed to investigate potential BMPs are both time consuming and costly, and cannot cover all scenarios. Application of simulation models with N cycling components in conjunction with associated field investigations offers methodology that can help identify BMPs that show promise …

Genotype By Environment Interaction Due To Heat Stress, J. Bohmanova, University Of Georgia Misztal, S. Tsuruta, H. D. Norman, T. J. Lawlor

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

Heat stress was evaluated as a factor in differences between regional evaluations for milk yield in the United States. The national data set (NA) consisted of 56 million first-parity, test-day milk yields on 6 million Holsteins. The Northeastern subset (NE) included 12.5 million records on 1.3 million first-calved heifers from 8 states, and the Southeastern subset (SE) included 3.5 million records on 0.4 million heifers from 11 states. Climatic data were available from 202 public weather stations. Each herd was assigned to the nearest weather station. Average daily temperature-humidity index (meanTHI) 3 d before test date was used as an …

Susceptibility Of Eggs And Adult Fecundity Of The Lesser Grain Borer, Rhyzopertha Dominica, Exposed To Methoprene, Y. Chanbang, F. H. Arthur, G. E. Wilde, J. E. Throne, Bh. Subramanyam

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

A series of tests were conducted to determine the susceptibility of eggs and neonates of the lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae = Bostrychidae), exposed to the insect growth regulator, methoprene, on filter paper and on rough rice. In the first test, the hatch rate of eggs exposed on filter paper treated with methoprene at the label rate of 0.003 mg [AI] /cm² when used as a surface treatment in structures was 52.0 ± 7.3% compared to 93.0 ± 3.3% on untreated controls. In the second test, eggs were exposed to a dose-response series of 0.00003 to …

Building A Community Modelling And Information Sharing Culture, A. Voinov, R. R. Hood, J. D. Daues, H. Assaf, R. Stewart

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

Much of human creativity is geared towards moving energy and materials rather than information, even though information has become another crucial component of human welfare and livelihood. Information, unlike energy and materials, is not subject to conservation laws. By copying information from sources and distributing it to new destinations we do not lose information at the sources. This is what is known as non-rival goods in ecological economics (Daly and Farley, 2003). As with gravity, by using information we do not decrease the ability of others to use it. Nevertheless, exchange of information is restricted by patent law, as well …

Comparison Of Field Measured Soil Absorption Field Loading Rates And Loading Rates Estimated From Soil Morphologic Properties, Kelli S. Hart, Brad D. Lee, Philip J. Schoeneberger, Donald P. Franzmeier, Phillip R. Owens, Douglas R. Smith

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

Concerns from local health departments regarding premature septic system failure (less than 1 year from installation) has led to an investigation of septic system soil absorption field design parameters in northeast Indiana. The objective of this study was to compare the loading rate based on field measured saturated hydraulic conductivity (LR_m) across a toposequence to the estimated allowable loading rate (LR_e) based on soil morphological properties. Saturated hydraulic conductivity measurements were determined by a compact constant-head permeameter at five landscape positions, at four depths (surface horizon, upper argillic horizon, transition zone between the argillic horizon and …

Modeling Trench Sidewall And Bottom Flow In On-Site Wastewater Systems, S. D. Finch, D. E. Radcliffe, L. T. West

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

Little is known about how much wastewater infiltrates the soil via the trench sidewall versus the trench bottom in on-site wastewater systems. Our objectives were to develop a method of simulating trench bottom and sidewall flow using a two-dimensional numerical computer model that would include the trench within the model space and determine how much sidewall flow would occur under steady-state conditions. We used HYDRUS-2D to simulate water flow in a two-dimensional cross section of a conventional gravel-filled trench and the surrounding drainfield.

Numerical Modeling Of Bank Instability By Seepage Erosion Undercutting Of Layered Streambanks, M. L. Chu-Agor, G. V. Wilson, G. A. Fox

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

Undercutting, primarily considered due to fluvial mechanisms, has been reported to have a major impact on slope failure. Predicting bank collapse specifically due to seepage erosion undercutting by particle mobilization on layered streambanks has not been fully studied or modeled, even though its role in streambank erosion may be important. The limitation originates from the limited field measurements or laboratory experiments as well as the unavailability of discrete element models that can effectively simulate seepage particle mobilization, undercutting, and the corresponding mass wasting. The objective of this research was to demonstrate a procedure for incorporating seepage undercutting into bank stability …

Genomic Analysis Of Fusarium Verticillioides, D. W. Brown, R. A.E. Butchko, R. H. Proctor

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

Fusarium verticillioides (teleomorph Gibberella moniliformis) can be either an endophyte of maize, causing no visible disease, or a pathogen-causing disease of ears, stalks, roots and seedlings. At any stage, this fungus can synthesize fumonisins, a family of mycotoxins structurally similar to the sphingolipid sphinganine. Ingestion of fumonisin-contaminated maize has been associated with a number of animal diseases, including cancer in rodents, and exposure has been correlated with human oesophageal cancer in some regions of the world, and some evidence suggests that fumonisins are a risk factor for neural tube defects. A primary goal of the authors’ laboratory is to …

Soil Properties And Macro Cations Status Impacted By Long-Term Applied Poultry Litter, Zhongqi He, Irenus A. Tazisong, Zachary N. Senwo, Donglin Zhang

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

Most ethnic populations worldwide consume poultry products. Whereas poultry litter (PL) is a traditionally inexpensive and effective fertilizer to improve soil quality and agricultural productivity, overapplication to soils has raised concerns because excess nutrients in runoff could accelerate the eutrophication of fresh bodies of water. A long-term field experiment of land application of PL to soils used for pasture growth has been maintained for nearly two decades in the Sand Mountain region of north Alabama, USA. In this work, several soil parameters impacted by the long-term applied litter were characterized. The findings clearly support previous general observations that long-term applied …

Responsive In-Season Nitrogen Management For Cereals, J.F. Shanahan, N. R. Kitchen, W. R. Raun, James S. Schepers

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

Current nitrogen (N) management strategies for worldwide cereal production systems are characterized by low N use efficiency (NUE), environmental contamination, and considerable ongoing debate regarding what can be done to improve N fertilizer management. Development of innovative strategies that improve NUE and minimize off-field losses is crucial to sustaining cereal-based farming. In this paper, we review the major managerial causes for low NUE, including (1) poor synchrony between fertilizer N and crop demand, (2) uniform field applications to spatially variable landscapes that commonly vary in crop N need, and (3) failure to account for temporally variable influences on crop N …

Asas Centennial Paper: Net Energy Systems For Beef Cattle – Cattles, Application, And Future Models, Calvin Ferrell, J. W. Oltjen

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

Development of nutritional energetics can be traced to the 1400s. Lavoisier established relationships among O₂ use, CO₂ production and heat production in the late 1700s, and the laws of thermodynamics and law of Hess were discovered during the 1840s. Those discoveries established the fundamental bases for nutritional energetics and enabled the fundamental entity ME = retained energy + heat energy to be established. Objectives became: 1) to establish relationships between gas exchange and heat energy, 2) to devise bases for evaluation of foods that could be related to energy expenditures, and 3) to establish causes of energy expenditures. …

A Putative Quantitative Trait Locus On Chromosome 20 Associated With Bovine Pathogenic Disease Incidence, E. Casas, G. Snowder

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

The objective of this study was to detect QTL associated with the incidence of multiple pathogenic diseases in offspring from half-sib bovine families. Four F₁ sires were used to produce offspring: Brahman × Hereford (BH; n = 547), Piedmontese × Angus (PA; n = 209), Brahman × Angus (n = 176), and Belgian Blue × MARC III (n = 246). Treatment records for bovine respiratory disease, infectious keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye), and infectious pododermatitis (footrot) were available for all of the offspring from birth to slaughter. The incidences of these 3 microbial pathogenic diseases were combined into a single binary trait …

Chapter 18. Daycent Simulated Effects Of Land Use And Climate On County Level N Loss Vectors In The Usa, S. J. Del Grosso, W. J. Parton, D. S. Ojima, C. A. Keough, T. H. Riley, A. R. Mosier

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

We describe the nitrogen (N) gas (NH₃, NO_x, N₂O, N₂) emission and NO₃ leaching submodels used in the DAYCENT ecosystem model and demonstrate the ability of DAYCENT to simulate observed N₂O emission and NO₃ leaching rates for various sites representing different climate regimes, soil types, and land uses. DAYCENT simulated seven major crops, grazing lands, and potential native vegetation at the county level for the United States. At the national scale, NO₃ leaching was the major loss vector, accounting for 86%, 66%, and 56% of total N …

Chapter 15. Proven Practices And Innovative Technologies For On-Farm Crop Nitrogen Management, N. R. Kitchen, K. W. T. Goulding, J.F. Shanahan

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

Nitrogen (N) from soil, fertilizer, and manure sources is generally inefficiently used (30-60%) in most crop production systems. As a consequence, unused inorganic N can move off crop fields and contaminate surface and groundwater resources. Local and national governments have responded with guidelines, standards, regulations, and in some cases fines when off-field losses of N have not been reduced. Along with these environmental pressures, soaring energy costs have resulted in commensurate increased costs for N fertilizers. These factors are real for crop producers and are compelling them to scrutinize their crop N management more closely than in previous decades. Numerous …

Chapter 4. Relationship Of Environmental Nitrogen Metabolism To Human Health, J. R. Follett, R. F. Follett

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

The need for humans to produce and consume food and other agricultural products is increasing. This need is directly related to increasing world populations, demands for goods and services, and expectations. Nitrogen (N) is contained in all of the amino acids and proteins in the foods consumed by humans. The use of N to produce food and other products is generally increasing as human needs increase. Proteins are an essential component of the human diet because, unlike plants, humans are unable to utilize more simple forms of N and rely on food sources for protein which can then be digested …

Effect Of Sample Processing Procedures On Measurement Of Starch In Corn Silage And Corn Grain, M. B. Hall, D. R. Mertens

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

Methods for processing feedstuffs before analysis can affect analytical results. Effects of drying temperature (corn silage), preservation method (corn grain), and grinding method (corn silage and grain) on starch analysis values were evaluated. Corn silage samples dried at 55 or 105°C and grain samples dried at 55°C were ground to pass the 1-mm screen of an abrasion mill or cutting mill and analyzed for free glucose and starch corrected for free glucose. Starch analyses were performed in triplicate to assess the effect of treatment on precision of starch determination. Drying at 105°C decreased free glucose and tended to decrease starch …

Using The Solvent Retention Capacity Test When Breeding Wheat For Diverse Production Environments, Carl Walker, Kimberly A. Garland-Campbell, Brady Carter, Kimberlee Kidwell

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

The solvent retention capacity (SRC) test is used to predict commercial baking performance of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by measuring the capacity of fl our to retain each of four solvents— water, Na₂CO₃, sucrose, and lactic acid— to assess overall absorption capacity, starch damage, pentosan and gliadin content, and glutenin quality, respectively. Our objectives were to determine sources of variation in the test, repeatability, and optimum scale and resource allocation needed to maximize efficiency. Duplicate SRC tests were conducted for each solvent using two flour sample sizes (5 and 0.2 g) from two field …

Initial Response Of Evapotranspiration From Tallgrass Prairie Vegetation To Co2 At Subambient To Elevated Concentrations, H. W. Polley, H. B. Johnson, P. A. Fay, J. Sanabria

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

A series of weighing lysimeters in which tallgrass prairie species had been planted were exposed to a subambient to elevated gradient in CO₂ in a field chamber. Lysimeters with intact monoliths of three soil types were represented along the CO₂ gradient. We used regression analysis to determine how CO₂ effects on evapotranspiration per unit of soil surface area (ET_soil) and per unit of leaf area (ET_la) depended on variation in leaf area index (LAI) and diurnal changes in environmental variables during the initial 6 weeks of CO₂ treatment.

Hydraulic Core Extraction: Cutting Device For Soil–Root Studies, T. S. Kornecki, S. A. Prior, G. B. Runion, H. H. Rogers, D. C. Erbach

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

A critical objective of belowground research is to collect and process representative soil samples. Mechanical devices have been developed to quickly take soil cores in the field; however, techniques to rapidly process large-diameter soil cores are lacking. Our objective was to design and construct a soil extraction–cutting system that could effectively reduce processing time. Soil cores were extracted from large diameter steel core tubes using a custom hydraulic cylinder device that vertically pushes the soil core to a desired depth increment before cutting in a horizontal direction with another hydraulically driven device. As many as eight large cores per hour …