Agricultural Science Commons^™

Proceedings Of The West African Hybrid Sorghum And Pearl Millet Seed Workshop, John D. Axtell, Moussa Oumarou, Issoufou Kapran, Anand Kumar, Ouendeba Botorou, Gebisa Ejeta, Lee House, Thomas Crawford, Bruce Hamaker,, Inoussa Akintayo

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Sorghum and pearl millet are the most important cereal crops in West Africa where they provide 70% of total cereal production that provide the major complements in the diets of people in the region. Research progress in the improvement of sorghum and millet is, therefore, of vital importance to the well being of people in West Africa. The Hybrid Sorghum and Pearl Millet Seed Workshop in West Africa is the culmination of the research and development effort by the Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques du Niger (INRAN) , the International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL), and the …

Proceedings Of The 27th Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (April 6-8, 2000, Fort Walton Beach Florida), John S. Russin, Stephen R. Koenning, Raymond W. Schneider, Peggy S. King

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Contents

Southern United States Soybean Disease Loss Estimate for 1999. Compiled by SR Koenning

Treasury report. Peggy S King

Invited presentation

Bean Pod Mottle: A Soybean Disease on the Rise in the New Millennium. SA Ghabrial

Contributed papers

Response of Selected Mid-South Soybean Varieties to the Reniform Nematode. GW Lawrence, KS McLean, and SM Baird

Field Response of Soybean Cultivars to the Reniform Nematode Rotylenchulus reniformis. PS King, DB Weaver, and R Rodriguez-Kabana

Approaches to Race Determination in Soybean Cyst Nematode. AJ Palmateer, ME Schmidt, SR Stetina, and JS Russin

Nematological Survey of Selected Soybean and Cotton Fields in …

Pyruvate,Orthophosphate Dikinase In Leaves And Chloroplasts Of C3 Plants Undergoes Light-/Dark- Induced Reversible Phosphorylation, Chris J. Chastain, Jason P. Fries, Julie A. Vogel, Christa L. Randklev, Adam P. Vossen, Sharon K. Dittmer, Erin E. Watkins, Lucas J. Fiedler, Sarah A. Wacker, Katherine Meinhover, Gautam Sarath, Raymond Chollet

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

Pyruvate,orthophosphate (Pi) dikinase (PPDK) is best recognized as a chloroplastic C₄ cycle enzyme. As one of the key regulatory foci for controlling flux through this photosynthetic pathway, it is strictly and reversibly regulated by light. This light/dark modulation is mediated by reversible phosphorylation of a conserved threonine residue in the active-site domain by the PPDK regulatory protein (RP), a bifunctional protein kinase/phosphatase. PPDK is also present in C₃ plants, although it has no known photosynthetic function. Nevertheless, in this report we show that C₃ PPDK in leaves of several angiosperms and in isolated intact spinach (Spinacia …

Herbicide Evaluation In Arkansas Rice 2000, Ron Talbert, Ford Baldwin, Ken Smith, David Gealy, Eric Scherder, Mike Lovelace, Nathan Buehring, Marilyn Mcclelland

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

With the widespread development of resistance to propanil by barnyardgrass, the major weed in rice, research has been intensified in recent years to develop alternative weed control technology to the repeated use of propanil. The use of herbicides is economically important for production of rice. Field experiments are conducted annually in Arkansas to evaluate the activity of developmental and commercial herbicides for selective control of barnyardgrass and other weeds in rice. These experiments serve both industry and Arkansas agriculture by providing information on the selectivity of herbicides still in the developmental stage and by comparing the activity of these new …

Biotechnical Streambank Protection: The Use Of Plants To Stabilize Streambanks, Gary W. Wells

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

Biotechnical streambank protection utilizes living plant materials to reinforce soil and stabilize slopes. Plants can be used as the primary structural component or in combination with inert materials like rock, concrete, and steel to help stabilize streambanks. Many terms have been used to describe the engineering use of plant materials for slope stabilization (Figure 1). The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) uses the term Soil Bioengineering to describe the use of living plant material for soil reinforcement, hydraulic drains, barriers to earth movement, and hydraulic pumps or wicks. The underlying concept for all terms is the use of plants to …

Planning Biotechnical Streambank Protection, Gary W. Wells

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

This note is designed to help planners determine the appropriateness of biotechnical alternatives for streambank stabilization. Biotechnical approaches utilize plants as the primary structural components to provide an alternative or complement to concrete, rock and other materials. Even though various biotechnical techniques have been developed to utilize the ability of plants to stabilize slopes, there are situations where these techniques are not an appropriate choice.

Windbreaks: An Agroforestry Practice, Bruce Wright, Kimberly Stuhr

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

Purpose of Note:

• Introduce the concept of windbreaks and their benefits

• Describe different applications of windbreaks

• Discuss basic design and planning considerations

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2001, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts also be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies contained within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Intsormil 2002 Annual Report, John M. Yohe, Thomas Crawford Jr., Kimberly Jones, Dorothy Stoner

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The global community confronts an enonnous task of stimulating economic growth in rural areas where 75% of the very poor (90% in Africa) currently live and ensuring the nutritional security of a world popUlation that is growing in size and evolving in consumption patterns without intensifying environmental degradation, social security, or adverse consequences for human health. This challenge is not only great but it is also urgent. Today, access to food, sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, is the primary problem for nearly 800 million chronically undernourished people. Unless we act now, the next few decades will almost certainly find us …

Evaluation Of Cauliflower Varieties, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia, Horticulture Australia

Horticulture research reports

This document has been prepared from a cauliflower variety evaluation trial conducted at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute, South West Highway, Manjimup WA 6258. The results reflect the growth characteristics, yield, quality and density of the cauliflower varieties as recorded at this site during the conditions of the growing period (May 2002 to September 2002).

This report is the thirty-fourth in a series produced from the evaluation of cauliflower and broccoli varieties, conducted at Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute. Cauliflower only has been evaluated in this and in subsequent trials.

The results are provided to allow seed suppliers, seedling nurseries, growers, …

Effect Of Habitat Depth On Host Location By Five Species Of Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Chalcididae) Of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) In Three Types Of Substrates, Christopher Geden

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

Four species of pteromalid parasitoids [Muscidifurax raptor Girault & Sanders, Spalangia cameroni Perkins, Spalangia endius Walker, Spalangia gemina Boucek, and the chalcidid Dirhinus himalayanus (Masi)] were evaluated for their ability to locate house fly pupae at various depths in poultry manure (41% moisture), fly rearing medium (43% moisture), and sandy soil (4% moisture) from a dairy farm. Searching activity in manure was largely confined to the surface (M. raptor, D. himalayanus, and S. gemina) or to depths of up to 2 cm below the surface (S. endius, S. cameroni). S. cameroni was the …

Strategies For Controlling House Fly Populations Resistant To Cyromazine, Diana C. Crespo, Roberto E. Lecuona, Jerome Hogsette

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

The objectives of this study were to compare, from both biological and economic viewpoints, the impact of various control strategies and evaluate their effect on cyromazine-resistant Musca domestica L., and beneficial house fly pupal parasitoids on caged-layer farms (240,000 hens) in Argentina. The strategies evaluated were: chemical, chemical + cultural, and chemical + cultural + biological (integrated management). The products used were: cyromazine 1% and 50%, DDVP, azamethiphos with and without z-9-tricosene, lime, and the parasitoids Spalangia endius Walker and Muscidifurax raptor Girault & Sanders. In the absence of control measures, fly density increased quickly and the average parasitism rate …

An Innovative Soil Test For Predicting Nitrogen Mineralization, F. M. Hons, R. L. Haney, A J. Franzluebbers

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

A routine soil testing procedure for soil N mineralization is needed that is rapid and precise. Not accounting for N mineralization can result in over application of N, especially in soils with a history of manure application. Our objectives were to compare results from a recently proposed rapid lab procedure with i) long-term N mineralization under standard laboratory conditions, ii) actual forage N uptake from soil receiving dairy cattle (Bas taurus) manure in a two-year field study and iii) yields of various crops throughout Texas and Oklahoma. The rapid procedure is based on the quantity of CO_{2 …}

Soil Carbon, Nitrogen Use, And Water Use Affected By Rotation In The Northern Corn Belt, Joseph L. Pikul Jr., Thomas E. Schumacher, Merle Vigil, Walter E. Riedell

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

Diversified crop rotation may improve production efficiency, reduce fertilizer nitrogen (N) requirements for com (Zea mays L.) and increase soil carbon (C) storage. Objectives were to determine effect of rotation and fertilizer N on soil C sequestration, water use, and N use. An experiment was started in 1990 on a Barnes clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludoll) near Brookings, South Dakota. Primary tillage on all rotations was with a chisel plow. Rotations were continuous com (CC), com-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS) and a 4-year rotation of corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) companion seeded with alfalfa …

Stomatal Acclimation Over A Subambient To Elevated Co2 Gradient In A C3/C4 Grassland, H. Maherali, C. D. Reid, H. W. Polley, H. B. Johnson, R. B. Jackson

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

An investigation to determine whether stomatal acclimation to [CO₂] occurred in C₃/C₄ grassland plants grown across a range of [CO₂] (200–550 μmol mol⁻¹) in the field was carried out.

Woody Invasion Of Grasslands: Evidence That Co2 Enrichment Indirectly Promotes Establishment Of Prosopis Glandulosa, H. Wayne Polley, Hyrum B. Johnson, Charles R. Tischler

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

Grasslands worldwide have been invaded by woody species during the last 200 years. Atmospheric CO₂ enrichment may indirectly have facilitated invasion by reducing soil water depletion by grasses.

Soil Health And Global Sustainability: Translating Science Into Practice, John W. Doran

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

Interest in the quality and health of soil has been stimulated by recent awareness that soil is vital to both production of food and fiber and global ecosystems function. Soil health, or quality, can be broadly defined as the capacity of a living soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health. Soil quality and health change over time due to natural events or human impacts. They are enhanced by management and land-use decisions that weigh the multiple functions of soil …

Soil Health As An Indicator Of Sustainable Management, John W. Doran, Stamatis Stamatiadis, John Haberern

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

Population growth, a widening gap between the rich and poor, environmental degradation, and a re-evaluation of energy use and alternatives will shape life in the 21st century. We will be challenged to increase food supplies for a global population one-and-a-half to two times its current size. But as agricultural systems grow to meet the demands of more people, increased pressure will be placed on our natural resources: competition for land, water and energy resources from both urban and industrial sectors becomes more acute and the available land base remains static or shrinks. Under current practices increased food production will greatly …

Impact Of Egg Storage On Embryo Development, M. R. Bakst, V. Akuffo

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

1. New information is introduced and other information reviewed regarding the impact of egg storage on the integrity of the avian embryo.

2. Morphologically, the blastoderm from an egg which has been stored more than 10 days is often asymmetrical and may have an attenuated appearance.

3. Fresh egg breakouts coupled with the perivitelline layer sperm-hole determination procedure provide detailed information on the male's contribution to overall fertility.

4. The biological basis for embryonic mortality in eggs stored for longer than 10 days remains the subject of speculation.

Recycled Paper Products As Substitutes For Gelling Agent In Screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Larval Diet, M. F. Chaudhury, L. Alfredo Alvarez, L. Lopez Velazquez

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

Absorbent recycled paper products were tested and compared with a sodium polyacrylate gelling agent, Aquatain, for solidifying larval diets of the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel). A recycled newsprint product, Terra-Mulch, when mixed with water and dietary ingredients produced a diet medium of homogeneous texture that supported larval growth and development comparable to the standard diet prepared with the gelling agent. Biological yields as calculated from number of pupae per tray from both the diets were similar. Three other types of recycled paper products were tested. Although less homogeneous in texture, these diets were as good as the diet with Terra-Mulch. …

Biomass And Nitrogen Traits Of Summer Pigeon Peas And Winter Wheat Grown For Three Rotations In Containers, Srinivas C. Rao, Charles T. Mackown, James E. Bidlack

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

Pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] cultivars, ‘Georgia-1’ and ‘ICPL-87’, were grown without inoculation and with Bradyrhizobium inoculation (multistrain, TAL 1127, or TAL 1132) to evaluate legume dry weight (DW) and nitrogen (N) content, soil mineral N, and subsequent wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity. Pigeon peas were grown during summer and ‘TAM 101’ wheat was grown during winter, along with summer fallow controls fertilized with 0, 45, and 90 kg N ha^-1, in 36-cm diam. 20-L pots from 1992 to 1995. Representative pigeon peas were harvested in the fall and remaining plants were incorporated into the …

Declared Plant Control Handbook Recommendations For The Control Of Declared Plants In Western Australia, John R. Peirce, Rachael A. Pratt

Biosecurity published reports

Sixth Edition.

Reviewed October 2005.

Plants may be "declared" by the Agriculture Protection Board under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976.If a plant is declared, all landholders are obliged to control that plant on their properties. Declarations specifies a category, or categories, for each plant according to the control strategies or objectives which the Agriculture Protection Board believes are appropriate in a particular place.

Among the factors considered in categorising declared plants are:

* the impact of the plant on individuals, agricultural production and the community in general,

* whether it is already established in the area, and …

Growing Rice Grain With Controlled Cadmium Concentrations, Urszula Kukier, Rufus L. Chaney

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

Two solution studies were conducted a) to investigate the uptake of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) by rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) and interaction between these elements, and b) to determine experimental conditions for growing rice grain with desired Cd concentration for an animal feeding study. In both studies, free metal activities of cadmium and cationic microelements were buffered by an excess of chelating agents. The first study was a factorial design with two Zn levels (1.0 and 3.89 μM) and four Cd levels (0.81, 1.44, 2.56 and 4.55 μM) in the solution. In the second study, rice was …

Kura Clover And Birdsfoot Trefoil Response To Soil Ph, L. R. Dehaan, M. P. Russelle, C. C. Sheaffer, N. J. Ehlke

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

Use of the rhizomatous perennial forage legume kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) has been limited by slow establishment. Mature kura clover responds to liming on some acid soils, but the soil pH required for vigorous growth of young plants is unknown. A factorial greenhouse experiment was conducted with two kura clover cultivars (Rhizo and Endura) and one cultivar of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., Norcen) planted in three soil types (Sartell loamy fine sand, Hubbard loamy sand, and Sanborg clay loam) amended with Ca(OH)₂ to obtain six soil pH levels. The experiment was performed twice, once …

Quantifying Laboratory And Field Variability To Assess Potential For Carbon Sequestration, R. A. Bowman, J. D. Reeder, B. J. Wienhold

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

Accurate measurements of soil organic carbon (SOC) levels are essential to assess changes in C sequestration rates. To this end we conducted studies to evaluate laboratory variability in SOC concentration measured at USDA-ARS laboratories in Akron, CO, Cheyenne,WY, and Lincoln, NE. At the Akron laboratory we also evaluated field spatial variability within common cropping treatments in order to assess the potential to quantify significant changes in SOC content associated with rotations of varying cropping intensities. Our data showed very low coefficients of variation for SOC values from each of the three laboratories, and the same average SOC values for soils …

Use Of Nonsettable Eggs To Evaluate Turkey Hen Fertility, M. R. Bakst, S. Mcgary, I. Estevez, T. Knapp

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

The use of nonsettable eggs (checked, cracked) to perform fresh egg breakouts to estimate true fertility and to assess the rate of sperm penetration of the perivitelline layer overlying the germinal disc was evaluated. Germinal discs and the perivitelline layer overlying the germinal disc were accessible for assessments. The stage of blastodermal development positively correlated (r = 0.65, P < 0.0001) with eggshell thickness. It was also determined that the perivitelline layer of nonsettable eggs could be isolated and stained to determine the presence or absence of sperm holes. True fertility of nonsettable eggs (checked and cracked only) and settable eggs was 90 and 95%, respectively. It was concluded that checked and cracked eggs could be used to estimate the true fertility of a flock.

Phenotypic Traits As Reliable Indicators Of Fertility In Male Broiler Breeders, S. Mcgary, I. Estevez, M. R. Bakst, D. L. Pollock

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

Genetic selection procedures applied to improve broiler performance may negatively impact the subsequent reproductive efficiency of breeders, particularly in males. Identification of traits that reliably indicate individual male fertility would facilitate selection for reproduction. We hypothesized that physical traits, such as comb area, relative testicular weight, and testicular weight asymmetry, may correlate with fertility in two male-selected primary broiler breeder strains (A and B). Thirty males per strain, individually housed with an average of 10 females, were evaluated at five age periods within the 30-to-50-wk breeding cycle. Flock fertility by candling eggs at Day 19 of incubation and sample fertility …

Mutual Interference Of Pheromone Traps Within Trap Lines On Captures Of Boll Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Thomas W. Sappington

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

Traps baited with the synthetic aggregation pheromone of the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) are often used to monitor population fluctuations, distribution, and behavior. However, many factors generate variability in daily captures, making interpretation of trapping data difficult. Previous studies have shown that wind speed in the microenvironment around a trap can greatly affect numbers captured on a given day. It is possible that variation in air movement may also generate variation in trap captures through its effects on the pheromone plume. The current study was conducted to determine whether five traps placed in a line at two commonly …

Nitrogen Fertilization Of Irrigated Corn In A High Residual Soil N Environment In The Arkansas River V Alley, Ardell D. Halvorson, Frank Schweissing, Curtis Reule

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

High levels of residual soil NO₃-N are present in the soils in the Arkansas River Valley where melons and other vegetable crops are produced. The amount of N fertilizer required to optimize the yield potential of crops, such as corn, following vegetables needs to evaluated to reduce NO₃-N leaching potential in the Valley where high NO₃-N levels have been reported in the ground water. This study evaluated the effects of N fertilizer rate (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 lb N/a) and N source (urea and Polyon®³) on corn yields following …

One Plus One Equals Three: The Synergistic Effects Of Crop Rotation On Soil Fertility And Plant Nutrition, Walter E. Riedell, Joseph L. Pikul Jr., Lynne Carpenter-Boggs

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

Corn grown under annual corn-soybean crop rotation has greater accumulation of certain mineral nutrients and higher yields than corn grown in monoculture. This study was conducted to determine if complex crop rotations (with legumes in the rotation as alfalfa hay as well as soybean row crops) and different levels of agriculture chemical input affect soil fertility and corn mineral nutrient composition. The effects of crop rotation [monoculture corn, corn-soybean 2-yr rotation, corn-soybean- wheat underseeded with alfalfa-alfalfa 4-yr rotation] and input level [high input (fertilizer application for 8.15 Mg ha^-1 yield goal, prophylactic herbicide and insecticide application, fall moldboard plow/spring …