Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Protecting Sorghum Grain From Pests In Africa, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Insect pests destroy more than 35% of stored grain worldwide and probably even more in Africa. Considering the current global food shortage this is a tremendous loss. To mitigate losses caused by insects in stored sorghum grain, INTSORMIL scientist Bonnie Pendleton of West Texas A&M University is collaborating with African entomologists to develop management strategies. Storage conditions are critical in preventing losses due to pests. A survey in Mali by IER scientist Niamoye Yaro Diarisso found that farmers in the Koulikoro and Ségou regions thresh sorghum and millet and store it in the form of grain. However, in the Sikasso …

Intsormil And Iiam Collaborate To Promote Sorghum Production In Mozambique, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Sorghum is a major cereal grain in Mozambique with a cultivated area of 2.7 million hectares. It is considered as a food security crop in most of the provinces in the country, especially in regions where rainfall is a limiting factor for maize and rice production. However, due to a lack of seed and poor distribution of improved sorghums farmers continue to use their local varieties which have low productivity potential (0.2 - 0.6 ton/ha). To increase productivity and provide food security there is an urgent need for (1) the development of varieties with higher yield potential, (2) improved crop …

Intsormil Scientists Develop Insect Resistant Sorghum And Pearl Millet For Africa And The Usa, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The aphids Melanaphis sacchari (sugarcane aphid) in Africa and Schizaphis graminum (greenbug, see above) in the United States; panicle bugs; sorghum midge, Stenodiplosis sorghicola; stalk borers and termites infest and reduce yields of sorghum. The millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella, reduces grain yield and quality of pearl millet.

INTSORMIL entomologist Bonnie Pendleton, West Texas A&M University, collaborates with African scientists to develop management strategies for sorghum and millet insects. Emphasis is on developing plants resistant to pests. Hundreds of sorghum and pearl millet genotypes have been evaluated by INTSORMIL scientists for grain yield and quality and resistance to …

‘Sureño,’ Dual Purpose Grain And Forage Sorghum For Central America, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Sureño sorghum- the white grain makes great tortillas and the forage and grain are a preferred livestock feed. Whereas most sorghum cultivars are gown for either silage or grain, Sureño sorghum is used for both. Because of its dual purpose qualities as a good grain for livestock and human consumption and as a forage for cattle, Sureño is popular with cattle producers and the bakery industry and is spreading throughout Central America.

The sweet ensilage of Sureño sorghum is preferred by the Central American cattle producers because of its high nutritious value, high energy value and high production of 71 …

High Wheat Prices: The Case For Sorghum Flour In The El Salvador Baking Industry, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The INTSORMIL supported CENTA Food Technology program has been developing sorghum based bakery recipes and testing them at small and medium sized bakeries in El Salvador for several years. Now, with imported wheat prices at US$ 57 per 100 lb., El Salvador bakers are showing increased interest in using sorghum, at US$ 32 per 100 lb., as a partial replacement for wheat flour in their bakery products. CENTA food technologists have recently been promoting sorghum flour via TV and newspapers and, as a result, bakers and food processors have requested training (large photo below) in the milling of sorghum and …

Arkansas Small-Grain Cultivar Performance Tests 2007-2008, J. T. Kelly, M. J. Emerson, R. K. Bacon

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Small-grain cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and/or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for smallgrain producers

Intsormil Scientist On Voa Reports A New Approach To Combat Witchweed, A Killer Of Sorghum Crops In Africa, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

In a May 19, 2008 interview on the Voice of America INTSORMIL scientist Mitch Tuinstra, a Purdue University sorghum breeder, reported on sorghum seed that he and his colleagues have produced that can protect sorghum crops from a weed called Striga. Although their target weed has a pleasant looking purple flower it’s action is far from pleasant. Striga causes six or seven billion dollars in crop damage every year to African grain sorghum.

Striga, called ‘witchweed’ in Africa, is parasitic on sorghum, stealing water and nutrients from sorghum roots. Witchweed has an unusual quality, it requires chemical signals …

Intsormil And Care Join Hands To Promote Sorghum Production And Utilization In El Salvador, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

An agreement between CARE International and INTSORMIL was signed in San Salvador on May 27, 2008. The 24 month agreement signed by Ms Ligia Elizabeth Alvarenga, CARE El Salvador and René Clara Valencia, INTSORMIL Regional Coordinator for Central America, promotes collaboration in the Pilot Phase of PRONORTE, an initiative oriented toward the development of improved dairy production technologies in the Northern Region of El Salvador. Under this memorandum CARE and INTSORMIL agree to:

1st- Join efforts to benefi t small and medium sized dairy producers in the Department of Morazan, El Salvador.

2nd- CARE and INTSORMIL will provide inputs to …

Sorghum Technology And Marketing Strategies Increase Farm Income In West Africa, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The INTSORMIL Production-Marketing Project with support from the USAID Africa’s regional program collaborated with national programs, local NGOs and farmers’ organizations to introduce new technology and marketing strategies for sorghum farmers in Mali, Niger and Senegal. The project involved 300 ha of sorghum and worked with approximately 400 sorghum producers in the three countries. The three component program consisted of (1) a technology component aimed at increasing output through the use of improved technologies (the combination an improved variety, inorganic fertilizers, water harvesting techniques and other agronomic improvements), (2) a marketing component aimed at getting a price premium for grain …

Sorghum Yields Doubled In Farmers’ Fields In Three West African Countries, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

To increase sorghum and millet production, improved technologies must be introduced to farmers and new markets developed to avoid price collapses from increasing output levels. To promote this productivity increase INTSORMIL conducted on-farm demonstrations of existing technology in collaboration with the national extension agencies and agricultural research programs in Senegal (ISRA), Mali (IER) and Niger (INRAN). Improved seed, inorganic fertilizer and improved agronomic practices, often including tied ridges for water harvesting, were introduced on one ha farmer plots in the three countries. Farmers following agronomic recommendations consistently doubled yields with the best farmers obtaining 2 to 2.5 tons of sorghum/ha …

Intsormil/Centa Sorghum Breeder Wins Pccmca Award, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

INTSORMIL/CENTA El Salvador scientist Salvador Zeledon (left with Rene Clara and Vilma Calderon) won fi rst place for his paper presented at the 53rd annual meeting of the PCCMCA (El Programa Cooperativo Centroamericano para el Mejoramiento de Cultivos y Animales) held in San José, Costa Rica April 14-18, 2008. The theme of the meeting was “Global Changes, Tendencies, Effects and Perspectives for Agriculture in Mesoamérica and the Caribbean Towards 2020.” The meeting was attended by scientists from Asia, Africa, South and North America with most participants coming from the Caribbean Basin, i.e., Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa …

Intsormil/Centa Food Technologist Awarded Prize At Pccmca, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

INTSORMIL/CENTA El Salvador scientist, Vilma Calderon (right), won third place for her paper presented at the 53rd annual meeting of the PCCMCA (El Programa Cooperativo Centroamericano para el Mejoramiento de Cultivos y Animales) held in San José, Costa Rica April 14-18, 2008. Vilma’s paper entitled “Nutritional Quality of Whole Sorghum in Different Food Applications” demonstrated how people from different cultures utilize sorghum as a human food and how sorghum is a nutritional alternative for inclusion in the diet of people in developing countries. With INTSORMIL support Vilma has been conducting research on the utilization of sorghum for human consumption at …

Promoting Market Driven Sorghum Production In Zambia, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

In the southern Africa region there is significant interest in using sorghum in the manufacture of value added food products. However, for sorghum to be commercially successful, quality grain at an affordable price must be available. Zambian food processing companies cannot consistently acquire sufficient quantities of high quality sorghum for processing. Market channels need to be improved so that sorghum varieties with the required quality to meet commercial consumer requirements are produced and supplied consistently. A strong need exists for strengthening the system of production, post–harvest handling and storage, marketing, and processing for human food and livestock feed. To meet …

Intsormil Promotes Sorghum Production In Nicaragua, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The INTSORMIL Central America Regional Program supports the efforts of national research programs to develop dynamic research programs that contribute to productivity, economic growth, natural resource conservation and improved diets. INTSORMIL supports a ‘network’ approach and promotes sorghum production in the region through the PCCMCA (Central Cooperative Program for Improving Crops and Animals) and other national and international organizations. PCCMCA serves as a forum for the international testing program for sorghum in Central America (CA). Rene Clara, INTSORMIL CA Regional Coordinator based at CENTA in El Salvador, coordinates the regional grain sorghum yield trials conducted on belhalf of the PCCMCA. …

Intsormil Promotes Sorghum Production In Nicaragua, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

The INTSORMIL Central America Regional Program supports the efforts of national research programs to develop dynamic research programs that contribute to productivity, economic growth, natural resource conservation and improved diets. INTSORMIL supports a ‘network’ approach and promotes sorghum production in the region through the PCCMCA (Central Cooperative Program for Improving Crops and Animals) and other national and international organizations. PCCMCA serves as a forum for the international testing program for sorghum in Central America (CA). Rene Clara, INTSORMIL CA Regional Coordinator based at CENTA in El Salvador, coordinates the regional grain sorghum yield trials conducted on belhalf of the PCCMCA. …

B.R. Wells Rice Research Studies 2007, R. J. Norman, J. F. Meullenet, K. A.K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Capacitan A Personas Intersadas Y Panaderos Sobre La Utilización De Harina De Sorgo: Más De 25 Personas Interesadas Entre Ellos Panaderos Son Capacitados Sobre El Uso De Harina De Sorgo, Roxana Ortiz, Eduardo Funes

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

El Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) a través del Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA), capacitan a un grupo de personas interesadas y panaderos sobre la utilización de harina de sorgo para la producción de pan y otros productos.

La ingeniera Margarita Alvarado, Coordinadora del Laboratorio de Tecnología de Alimentos del CENTA, expresó que se ha investigado el cultivo de sorgo a través del Programa de Granos Básicos, y también las bondades que el grano tiene para el uso de harina.

In Vitro And In Vivo Techniques For Screening New Natural Product-Based Fungicides For Control Of Strawberry Anthracnose, Maritza Abril

Dissertations

Seven plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae, C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis obscurans, and P. viticola) valuable in screening fungicide efficacy were tested. Optimal and reproducible conditions for germination of these selected fungi were established by incorporating Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 (RPMI) as a medium of known composition and washing conidia to remove innate germination inhibitors. This step reduced average fungal germination times between 3.5 h and 21.2 h. The natural product-based fungicide, sampangine, seven sampangine analogs (4-bromo-sampangine, 4-methoxysampangine, benzo[4,5]sampangine, liriodenine Mel AMC-XIII-103, onychine, cryptolepine, and liriodenine CDH-II-37), plus seven conventional fungicides (benomyl, captan, cyprodinil, fenbuconazole, …

Adding Value To Swine Manure Through Accurate Prediction Of Organic Nitrogen Availability, Charles S. Wortman, Charles Shapiro, Aaron Nygren

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Animal manure contains organic and inorganic nitrogen. The inorganic N, which is mostly ammonium-N but nitrate-N can be significant in composted manure, is typically considered to be 100% plant available if there are not significant losses, especially due to volatilization of ammonia-N. The availability of organic N, which is mostly from undigested and partially digested plant material needs to be mineralized to become plant available, is less predictable. Field research was conducted in eastern Nebraska to improve the basis for estimating organic N availability from injected or incorporated swine manure and from surface applied composted and stockpiled FM. The factors …

El Sorgo O Llamado Comúnmente “Maicillo” Es Cultivado En Todo El Territorio Nacional Y Utilizado Para El Consumo Humano Y Animal (El Sorgo Es Alternativa De Harina Para Pan), Roxana Ortiz

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

A fi n de buscar nuevas alternativas para la industria panifi cadora, el Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA) del Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) ve la posibilidad de industrializar el sorgo para convertirlo en harina y darle un valor agregado al cultivo.

Vilma Calderón de Zacatares, técnica del laboratorio de Tecnología de Alimentos del CENTA, manifestó que la institución realiza investigaciones donde afi rma que la harina de trigo puede ser sustituida por la de sorgo.

“Actualmente, el costo de la harina de trigo varía de $30 a $36 por quintal, precio muy alto en comparación …

Apuesta Por Sorgo Para Hacer Pan: Mezclar Harina De Trigo Con Sorgo Podría Reducir Hasta 50% Los Costos De Producción De Pan Francés Y Dulce, Pero El Proyecto Necesita Más Equipo, Lourdes Quintanilla

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Los salpores y el pan francés esperan su turno frente al horno en la panadería de Iván Calderón. El empresario, que fabrica y distribuye pan en Antiguo Cuscatlán, ya probó una mezcla inusual para la masa: harina de sorgo (maicillo) combinada con harina de trigo.

Calderón probó el nuevo ingrediente hace año y medio, cuando el Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (CENTA) llegó a dejarle una arroba de harina de sorgo. Usó un 10% de sorgo para el pan francés y otro 20% para el pan dulce. “No hay que ponerle más, porque si no el pan no …

Arkansas Turfgrass Report 2007, Michael Richardson, Douglas Karcher, Aaron Patton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

High-Throughput Genotyping With The Goldengate Assay In The Complex Genome Of Soybean, David L. Hyten, Qijian Song, Ik-Young Choi, Mun-Sup Yoon, James E. Specht, Lakshimi Matukumalli, Randall L. Nelson, Randy C. Shoemaker, Nevin D. Young, Perry B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are now available for a number of crop species. However, the high-throughput methods for multiplexing SNP assays are untested in complex genomes, such as soybean, that have a high proportion of paralogous genes. The Illumina GoldenGate assay is capable of multiplexing from 96 to 1,536 SNPs in a single reaction over a 3-day period. We tested the GoldenGate assay in soybean to determine the success rate of converting verified SNPs into working assays. A custom 384-SNP GoldenGate assay was designed using SNPs that had been discovered through the resequencing of five diverse …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 2007, 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.

Sorghum Lager And Stout Beer: A Boost To The African Economy, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

For millennia, sorghum has been the basis of traditional African beers such as the clear beers of West Africa (dolo and pito) and the opaque beers of southern Africa. These beers are part of the African tradition and remain very popular but today Africans also enjoy lager and stout beers. These beers, of European origin, use barley as their major ingredient. This presents a major problem as barley is a temperate cereal and the African climate is unsuitable for cultivation. Thus, barley grain or barley malt must be imported which requires the use of valuable foreign exchange and increases the …

K-State Agronomists Help West African Farmers Increase Sorghum And Pearl Millet Production, Katie Starzec

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

Grain sorghum is an important crop not only to farmers in Kansas, but to farmers in many countries in Africa.

Some of the production challenges are the same, but many challenges are different or more severe in West African countries, said Vara Prasad, assistant professor of agronomy at K-State. West African farmers battle against drought, soil infertility and parasitic weeds.

INTSORMIL Regional Project Sites in Africa

The purpose of INTSORMIL is to find ways to improve production practices in those countries. West African farmers face serious problems of a localized and volatile market, the agronomists said.

Small Pasture Management Guide, James Barnhill, Scott Mckendrick

All Archived Publications

As more people select rural settings for their homes, traditional farms are being divided into small acreage home lots. Many small acreage owners would like to have lush green pastures where they can raise horses, cattle, or sheep. The purpose of this booklet is to provide the educational guidance these owners need to successfully establish and maintain a healthy grazing system.

Wheat Invest. A Compelling Business Case For Investment In The Western Australian Wheat Industry, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia (WA) is an ideal location for wheat production. It has competitive advantages including:

• A proven track record in wheat production accounting for approximately 50 per cent of Australia's production. Based on a five year average from 2003/04 to 2007/08*, WA produces around 7.7 million tonnes of wheat per year.

• Over the past five years, the top 25 per cent of farmers averaged 10 per cent return on capital excluding changes in land value.

• Export focussed due to WA's small population. 90 per cent of WA's wheat is exported

• Abundant land at competitive prices and …

Mullewa Research Annexe Spring Field Day Future Farming Systems For North-Eastern Districts 21 August 2008, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Grain and other field crops research reports

Papers:

• Mullewa Research Annexe activities 2008

• Wheat for today and the future

• Consequences of strongly acidic and alkaline soils

• Break crop influence on low rainfall heavy soil

• Chemical fallow options for the north-east agricultural region

• Herbicide tolerance of new wheat varieties

• Lowrainfall oilseed crops for food and biofuel

• Utilising stock to reduce business risk in Binnu! A case study

Ethylene Production As An Indicator Of Stress Conditions In Hydroponically-Grown Strawberries, Justin Donald Hogan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the worldwide phaseout of methyl bromide, the use of hydroponic systems has increased as an economic alternative for the growth of many horticulturally-important crops, including strawberries. In this study, the effect of hydroponics on strawberry plant physiology was examined by first measuring ethylene levels, a plant hormone known to increase due to stressful conditions, and plant growth and yield. Using a gas chromatograph, ethylene was measured from plants which showed that light and temperature have minimal effects, but placement of plants could have an effect on plant growth and yield. Next, the mechanism of ethylene production was examined by …