Agricultural Science Commons^™

Sorghum Grain Mold: Sustainable Pest Management Strategies, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Global losses due to grain mold are estimated to be $130 million annually. Sorghum grain mold is caused by a complex of fungal species, the most important being Fusarium thapsinum and Curvularia lunata. An additional 25 fungal genera are secondary invaders. Grain mold reduces the quantity of food available, as the fungus consumes a portion of the grain, and reduces the quality and economic value of what remains by producing pigments and toxins that make the grain less palatable and nutritious. Fusarium spp. and the secondarily invading Aspergillus spp. may produce toxins such as aflatoxins (a highly carcinogenic and …

Sorghum--Fuel Of The Future? Agronomist Studies Sorghum And Grass For Future Energy Source, Nancy Peterson, John Propheter, Scott Staggenborg

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Weighing in on crop production in West Africa might seem a bit of a stretch for a K-State agronomist; however, that’s not the case for Scott Staggenborg. He recently returned from his second visit to West Africa, where he reviewed sorghum research and crop production.

During the research trip to Tombouctou (also spelled Timbuktu), a West African city near the Niger River, he joined Malian researchers in exploring opportunities to improve sorghum production and management. The research effort is supported by the International Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (INTSORMIL).

Growing conditions in the West African region are remarkably similar to …

Promueven Sorgo O Maicillo Para Consumo Humano: El Grano De Sorgo Tiene Componentes Nutricionales Para Mejorar La Dieta Alimenticia, Así Lo Confirmó Una Técnica Del Laboratorio De Tecnología De Alimentos Del Centa, Roxana Ortiz, Eduardo Funes

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Horchata, tiste, atoles saborizados, poleadas, pudin, harina de afrecho, pan francés y dulce son productos elaborados a base de sorgo o maicillo y son mezclados con otros ingredientes, técnica impulsada por especialistas del Laboratorio de Alimentos del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA).

La Técnica consiste en usar la harina sola de sorgo (100%) y mezclada con otros cereales, rostizando el grano para la elaboración de bebidas o molido en seco para el desarrollo de otros productos.

Proceedings Of The 36th Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 11-12, 2009, Pensacola Beach, Florida), Clayton A. Hollier, Jason Bond, Stephen R. Koenning

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Contents

Contributed papers (Jason Bond, moderator)

Effects of Diseases on Soybean Yields in the United States, 1996 to 2006. Allen Wrather and Steve Koenning

Evaluation of Soybean Cultivars for Resistance to Soybean Phomopsis Seed Decay in the Mississippi Delta. Shuxian Li, Debbie Boykin, Gabriel Sciumbato, Allen Wrather, Grover Shannon, and David Sleper

The impact of timing and fungicides on soybean disease management. Boyd Padgett, Myra Purvis, Allen Hogan, and Clayton Hollier

Foliar Fungicide Impact on Frogeye Leaf Spot, Yield and Net Returns in Mississippi Soybeans. Tom Allen, Ben Spinks, Billy Moore, Alan Blaine, and Dan Poston

SCE 08: Standards for …

Effect Of Nitrogen Application Timing On Corn Production Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation, David D. Tarkalson, Simon J. Van Donk, James L. Petersen

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

The use of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in row-crop agriculture is increasing because of potential increases in water and nutrient use efficiency. Research-based information is needed to manage N applications through SDI systems in field corn (Zea-mays L.) production. This study was conducted to assess the effect of different in-season SDI system N application timings on corn production and residual soil N0₃-N at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, Neb, on a Cozad silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Fluventic Haplustoll). We evaluated the effect of three N application timing methods …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Immature Culicines (Subfamily Culicinae) And Their Larval Habitats In Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya, Ephantus J. Muturi, Joseph M. Mwangangi, Benjamin G. Jacob, Josephat I. Shililu, Charles M. Mbogo, John I. Githure, Robert J. Novak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

An ecological study was conducted at three study sites in Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya to identify the diverse aquatic habitats in which culicine mosquitoes thrived and to explore the best strategies for mosquito control in the area. During the 11-month study period, ten habitat categories and 11 culicine species mainly dominated by Culex quinquefasciatus (72.0%) and Culex annulioris (17.9%) were identified from pupae and late instars larval samples. Two of the 11 culicine species, Ficalbia (Mimomyia) plumosa and Uranotaenia spp., have not been reported previously in the study area. Rurumi had more habitat types than either of the other study …

Evaluation Of Farmers' Field Days As A Dissemination Tool For Push-Pull Technology In Western Kenya, David M. Amudavi, Zeyaur R. Khan, Japhether M. Wanyama, Charles A.O. Midega, Jimmy Pittchar, Ahmed Hassanali, John A. Pickett

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Our earlier study on farmers' adoption of 'Push-pull' technology (PPT) for management of cereal stemborers and Striga weed showed that field days (FDs) could be effective in technology dissemination. Hence, in an effort to utilize effective and economical dissemination strategies, we undertook a detailed study in 2007 to assess their effectiveness in PPT dissemination by interviewing 1492 participants randomly selected during participation in FDs. A majority (80%) of the respondents learnt about the biology and damage caused by stemborers and Striga, how PPT works, how to implement PPT and utilize its products, among others. Consequently, over 70% of them favoured …

Intsormil Program Doubles Sorghum And Millet Yields In Mali, West Africa, Kimberly Christiansen

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

After the close of the meeting where the farmers learned about the potential of being a collaborator in the Production-Marketing Project in 2009, INTSORMIL PI John Sanders shows women sorghum farmers from Diankounte Camara village in western Mali photos of the lush sorghum plots taken in 2008 project sites in eastern Mali. After learning about the potential of the project all farmers expressed their enthusiasm to be collaborators in 2009. Their major concern was that only 75 farmers in the Diankounte Camara village could be involved due to funding limitations. As collaborators, the Diankounte Camara women expect to be able …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 2008, Fred M. Bourland, A. B. Beach, J. M. Hornbeck, A. J. Hood

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Test is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant.

Comparison Of Runoff, Soil Erosion, And Winter Wheat Yields From No-Till And Inversion Tillage Production Systems In Northeastern Oregon, J.D. Williams, H. T. Gollany, M.C. Siemens, S.B. Wuest, D. S. Long

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

Conservation tillage systems that reduce soil erosion and maintain or increase soil carbon offer long-term benefits for producers in the inland Pacific Northwestern United States but could result in reduced grain yields due to increased pressure from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Our objective was to compare runoff, soil erosion, and crop yields from a conventional tillage, wheat-fallow two-year rotation and a no-till four-year rotation. The experiment was undertaken within a small watershed to provide results that would be repre¬sentative of conservation effectiveness at the field scale. Two neighboring drainages, 5.8 and 10.7 ha (14 and 26 ac), in the …

Severity Of Root Rot In Mature Subterranean Clover And Associated Fungal Pathogens In The Wheatbelt Of Western Australia, Tim Scanlon, Tiernan A. O’Rourke, Martin J. Barbetti, Megan H. Ryan, Len J. Wade, Alan C. Mckay, Ian T. Riley, Hua Li, Krishnapillai Sivasithamparam

Journal articles

Pasture decline is considered to be a serious challenge to agricultural productivity of subterranean clover across southern Australia. Root disease is a significant contributing factor to pasture decline. However, root disease assessments are generally carried out in the early part of the growing season and in areas predominantly sown to permanent pastures. For this reason, in spring 2004, a survey was undertaken to determine the severity of root disease in mature subterranean clover plants in pastures located in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. DNA-based soil assays were used to estimate population density in the soil of a variety of soil-borne …

Intsormil 2009 Annual Report, John M. Yohe, Kimberly Christiansen, Joan Frederick

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The 2009 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP during the period of September 30, 2008 through September 29, 2009. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University), scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in sixteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …

Analysis Of The Accase Mutation Profile Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne Ssp. Multiflorum) Accessions Resistant To Accase Inhibitors, Thomas Stark

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) resistant to ACCase inhibiting herbicides has been reported in many wheat producing counties across Arkansas. Resistance is believed to be the result of point mutations creating amino acid substitutions in the CT domain of the plastidic ACCase gene. This study explores the occurrence of mutations in the ACCase gene of ryegrass populations. Plant material was collected and DNA was extracted from 10 Arkansas ryegrass populations. Six of the populations were known to be resistant to the ACCase inhibitor diclofop-methyl, while the remaining four populations were known to be susceptible to diclofop-methyl. Two highly conserved …

Food, Fibre And Flowers, Fuelling The Economy With Innovation And Science, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The Department of Agriculture and Food is a world leader in the rapidly growing field of agri-food and fibre research and development, providing significant benefits for Westen Australian producers, the food industry sector and consumers.

The development of value-added products through innovation and science, which deliver real opportunities for the State's agri-food export capacity, is also important.

Seven examples of the Department's science and innovation.

Plan To Support Horticulture Industry Development 2009-2012, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The Plan to Support Horticulture Industry Development ('the Plan') recognises that healthy and profitable Western Australian agricultural industries are integral to the economic wellbeing of regional and rural communities. The Plan promotes a progressive and productive horticultural industry through efficient use of natural resources, high standards of biosecurity, modern marketing, value-adding and research to enhance continuous improvement throughout the supply chain from producer to consumer.

Plan To Support Horticulture Industry Development 2009 - 2012 - For Discussion, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Horticulture published reports

The State Government's increased investment in agriculture and food recognises the integral contribution this sector makes to the economy of Western Australia.

It is a key industry which will support Western Australia's growth beyond periods of boom and through the economic rebuilding phase ahead. Ensuring the State remains highly competitive in both domestic and international markets is vital to the future of our economy

Public funds must be 'money well spent'. This means ensuring the right direction, efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture and Food's programs. The department must focus its efforts on economic development - this is …

Agroforestry: Working Trees For Sequestering Carbon On Agricultural Lands, Michele M. Schoeneberger

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Stratification, Warm Treatment, And Mechanical And Acid Scarification On The Emergence Of Yellow-Flowered Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa Subsp. Falcata) Seeds, Diane Narem

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Yellow-flowered alfalfa (YFA) has great potential to improve rangelands in the Northern Plains. Greater than 99% of YFA seeds from soil were viable but less than 4% germinated under standard laboratory conditions. The objective was to determine if low germination was due to physical or physiological seed dormancy. The experiment utilized a random complete block design with two trials, eight replications per trial. Each replication consisted of ten treatments plus a control, four stratification treatments consisting of a combination of two temperatures (-5°C, -20°C) and two durations (48 hr, 72 hr), one warm treatment (4 min, 60°C), four sandpaper scarification …

Selection Of Winter Wheat Mutant Lines Resistant To Drought Stress, Brian Kontz, Sean Franklin, Charles Brunel

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mutated winter wheat lines were screened for improved drought resistance compared to the wildtype by withholding water for 3 weeks after 9 weeks of normal growth, and noting their responses upon re-watering. Of the 146 mutants grown, 73% were either killed due to water stress or showed poor recovery, while 27% recovered better than the wildtype line. This experiment enabled the selection of candidates for further investigation to better understand the genetic basis of drought tolerance in winter wheat.

Macronutrient Removal By Muskmelons Grown On Calcareous Soils, John L. Jifon, Gene Lester, Mike Stewart

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

Advances in understanding plant physiology and nutrient requirements now allow growers to supply crops with sufficient nutrients to optimize growth and yield. However, for certain high value horticultural crops, fertilizer requirements for optimum yields often differ from the requirements for quality traits such as taste, flavor, texture and shelf‐life. Timing of fertilizer application, as well as soil and plant factors, are also critical in quality considerations. Currently, there are no nutrient management guidelines for optimizing produce quality even though certain nutrient elements such as potassium (K) are known to influence quality development. Information on nutrient uptake and removal …

Development Of A Simplistic Vegetative Filter Strip Model For Sediment And Nutrient Retention At The Field Scale, Michael J. White, Jeff G. Arnold

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

Vegetative filter strips (VFSs) are a commonly used conservation measure to remove pollutants from agricultural runoff. The effectiveness of VFSs has been widely studied at the plot scale, yet researchers generally agree that field scale implementations are far less effective. The purpose of this research was to develop a field scale VFS submodel for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). A model for the retention of sediments and nutrients in VFSs was developed from experimental observations derived from 22 publications. A runoff retention model was developed from Vegetative Filter Strip MODel (VFSMOD) simulations. This model was adapted to operate …

Development Of A Quantitative Pasture Phosphorus Management Tool Using The Swat Model, Michael J. White, Daniel E. Storm, Michael D. Smolen, Hailin Zhang

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

Assessment tools to evaluate phosphorus loss from agricultural lands allow conservation planners to evaluate the impact of management decisions on water quality. Available tools to predict phosphorus loss from agricultural fields are either: (1) qualitative indices with limited applicability to address offsite water quality standards, or (2) models which are prohibitively complex for application by most conservation planners. The purpose of this research was to develop a simple interface for a comprehensive hydrologic ⁄ water quality model to allow its usage by farmers and conservation planners. The Pasture Phosphorus Management (PPM) Calculator was developed to predict average annual phosphorus (P) …

Biodiversity Maintenance Mechanisms Differ Between Native And Novel Exotic-Dominated Communities, Brian J. Wilsey, Terri B. Teaschner, Pedram P. Daneshgar, Forest I. Isbell, H. Wayne Polley

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

In many systems, native communities are being replaced by novel exotic-dominated ones. We experimentally compared species diversity decline between nine-species grassland communities under field conditions to test whether diversity maintenance mechanisms differed between communities containing all exotic or all native species using a pool of 40 species. Aboveground biomass was greater in exotic than native plots, and this difference was larger in mixtures than in monocultures. Species diversity declined more in exotic than native communities and declines were explained by different mechanisms. In exotic communities, overyielding species had high biomass in monoculture and diversity declined linearly as this selection effect …

Primary Productivity And Water Balance Of Grassland Vegetation On Three Soils In A Continuous Co2 Gradient: Initial Results From The Lysimeter Co2 Gradient Experiment, Philip A. Fay, Alexia M. Kelley, Andrew C. Procter, Dafeng Hui, Virgina L. Jin, Robert B. Jackson, Hyrum B. Johnson, H. Wayne Polley

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

Field studies of atmospheric CO₂ effects on ecosystems usually include few levels of CO₂ and a single soil type, making it difficult to ascertain the shape of responses to increasing CO₂ or to generalize across soil types. The Lysimeter CO₂ Gradient (LYCOG) chambers were constructed to maintain a linear gradient of atmospheric CO₂ (~250 to 500 µ 1^-1) on grassland vegetation established on intact soil monoliths from three soil series. The chambers maintained a linear daytime CO₂ gradient from 263 µ 1^-1 at the subambient end of the gradient to 502 …

Leaf Isoprene Emission Rate As A Function Of Atmospheric Co2 Concentration, Michael J. Wilkinson, Russell K. Monson, Nicole Trahan, Stanfield Lee, Erin Brown, Robert B. Jackson, H. Wayne Polley, Philip A. Fay, Ray Fall

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

There is considerable interest in modeling isoprene emissions from terrestrial vegetation, because these emissions exert a principal control over the oxidative capacity of the troposphere.

Phylogenetic Classification Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Strains Of Human And Bovine Origin Using A Novel Set Of Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Michael L. Clawson, James Keen, Timothy Smith, Lisa Durso, Tara G. Mcdaneld, Robert Mandrell, Margaret Davis, James Bono

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

Background: Cattle are a reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157), and are known to harbor subtypes not typically found in clinically ill humans. Consequently, nucleotide polymorphisms previously discovered via strains originating from human outbreaks may be restricted in their ability to distinguish STEC O157 genetic subtypes present in cattle. The objectives of this study were firstly to identify nucleotide polymorphisms in a diverse sampling of human and bovine STEC O157 strains, secondly to classify strains of either bovine or human origin by polymorphism-derived genotypes, and finally to compare the genotype diversity with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), a …

Sorption Of Phosphorus From Swine, Dairy, And Poultry Manures, Carl H. Bolster, Karamat R. Sistani

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

In most phosphorus (P) sorption studies, P is added as an inorganic salt to a predefined background solution such as calcium chloride (CaCl₂) or potassium chloride (KCl); however, in many regions, the application of P to agricultural fields is in the form of animal manure. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to compare the sorption behavior of dissolved reactive P (DRP) in monopotassium phosphate (KH₂PO₄)–amended CaCl₂ and KCl solutions with sorption behavior of DRP in three different animal manure extracts. Phosphorus single-point isotherms (PSI) were conducted on eight soils with the following …

Enzymatic Quantification Of Phytate In Animal Manure, Zhongqi He, Heidi W. Waldrip, C. Wayne Honeycutt, M. Susan Erich, Zachary N. Senwo

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

Phytate (inositol hexaphosphate) has been identified as a major organic phosphorus (P) form in soil, animal manure, and other environmental samples. Although a number of methods are available for quantitative isolation and determination of phytate, they are time-consuming and not amenable to routine analysis. We developed a simple, rapid method for enzymatic determination of phytate in animal manure. Animal manure was extracted by H₂O, 1M hydrochloric acid (HCl), 0.1M sodium acetate (NaOAc, pH5.0) with or without 0.05M ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), and 0.25M or 0.5M sodium hydroxide (NaOH)–0.05M EDTA. Extracts were diluted (1/10–1/150) and adjusted to pH5.0 in sodium acetate …

Container And Installation Time Effects On Soil Moisture, Temperature, And Inorganic Nitrogen Retention For An In Situ Nitrogen Mineralization Method, Brian J. Wienhold, Gary E. Varvel, Wallace W. Wilhelm

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

Mineralization contributes significantly to agronomic nitrogen (N) budgets and is difficult to accurately predict. Models for predicting Nmineralization contributions are needed, and development of these models will require field-based data. In situ mineralization methods are intended to quantify N mineralization under ambient environmental conditions. This study was conducted to compare soil moisture and temperature in intact soil cores contained in cylinders to those in adjacent bulk soil, compare the effect of two resin-bag techniques on water content of soil within cylinders, and assess the effect of installation duration on inorganic N retention by resins. The study was conducted at a …