From MAILER-DAEMON Wed Feb 27 12:41:41 2002 Date: 27 Feb 2002 12:41:41 -0500 From: Mail System Internal Data Subject: DON'T DELETE THIS MESSAGE -- FOLDER INTERNAL DATA Message-ID: <1014831701@metalab.unc.edu> X-IMAP: 0934832375 0000000263 Status: RO This text is part of the internal format of your mail folder, and is not a real message. It is created automatically by the mail system software. If deleted, important folder data will be lost, and it will be re-created with the data reset to initial values. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Aug 16 14:47:49 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.8.6/8.8.6/rchk1.19) with ESMTP id OAA20634 for ; Mon, 16 Aug 1999 14:47:48 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA27262; Mon, 16 Aug 1999 14:36:40 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 14:36:40 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199908161836.OAA27262@sun.ars-grin.gov> X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f To: london@metalab.unc.edu From: Majordomo@ars-grin.gov Subject: Welcome to ars-news Reply-To: Majordomo@ars-grin.gov Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 1 -- Welcome to the ars-news mailing list! If you ever want to remove yourself from this mailing list, you can send mail to "Majordomo@ars-grin.gov" with the following command in the body of your email message: unsubscribe ars-news london@metalab.unc.edu Here's the general information for the list you've subscribed to, in case you don't already have it: The mailing list "ars-news" supplies journalists with story leads and news and feature releases from the USDA Agricultural Research Service. If you have previously received ARS news releases, please tell us who you are. That way, we can avoid sending you duplicate copies of releases-- by removing your name from older fax or mail distribution lists. E-mail addressed to the ars-news list address cannot be posted to it. But we welcome your questions or comments about a specific story or about other ARS research activities. You may send e-mail to the writer of the story or to the ARS News Service, isjd@ars-grin.gov. The ARS Information Staff is on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is. The staff is based at 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville, MD 20705-5128. The Current Information Branch telephone number is (301) 504-1617, fax (301) 504-1641. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Aug 17 12:09:17 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.8.6/8.8.6/rchk1.19) with ESMTP id MAA18763 for ; Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:09:15 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA00200 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 17 Aug 1999 10:30:53 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002201bee8bd$24093a00$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Athletes Need Enough Zinc Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 10:31:04 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 2 STORY LEAD: Athletes Need Enough Zinc ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov August 17, 1999 ----------- Peak athletic performance depends on adequate zinc as well as iron and copper, according to a new study from the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. While most athletes don't have to worry, those who avoid beef and load up on carbohydrates may fall short in zinc. Beef is the major source of this essential trace element in the U.S. diet. Wrestlers, gymnasts and ballerinas who eat sparingly to maintain a low body weight may also be at risk of not getting enough zinc. With these athletes in mind, ARS physiologist Henry C. Lukaski studied the effects of a low- zinc diet on 12 athletic men in their twenties. Based at the Grand Forks, N. D., Human Nutrition Research Center, Lukaski wanted to fill in the limited data on low-zinc intake. He focused on a zinc-containing enzyme--carbonic anhydrase--in red blood cells. The enzyme helps red blood cells pick up carbon dioxide and drop it off in the lungs to be exhaled. This exchange helps maintain the chemical environment muscle cells need to contract and produce energy. If the exchange is sluggish, the athlete pays the price in performance. For nine weeks each, the men ate a diet containing 18 milligrams of zinc per day--slightly more than the recommended amount--and another containing only 3 mg/day--one fifth of the recommendation. After the low-zinc diet, the men had significant drops in peak oxygen uptake and peak carbon dioxide output as they cycled all-out on an ergometer. Their respiratory exchange ratios also dropped, indicating energy production during peak exercise was not up to snuff. The low-zinc diet also depressed these measurements while the men cycled at 75 percent of peak capacity. The activity of the carbonic anhydrase enzyme also was lower after the low-zinc diet. The recommended 12-15 mg/day is adequate for peak performance. Supplementing with several times that level can cause health risks, researchers caution. ---------- Scientific contact: Henry C. Lukaski, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D., phone (701) 795-8355, fax (701) 795-8395, hlukaski@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Aug 23 11:37:28 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA03019 for ; Mon, 23 Aug 1999 11:37:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11519 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 23 Aug 1999 09:18:39 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001601beed61$db1bdec0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Improving Cotton's Medical Uses Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 09:20:07 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 3 STORY LEAD: New Gauze, Coatings Improve Medical Uses of Cotton ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov August 23, 1999 ----------- Bedsores and other chronic wounds may heal faster, thanks to new gauze bandages being developed by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and Virginia Commonwealth University. The team reported on their work yesterday in New Orleans at the 218th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, held Aug. 22 to 26. ARS scientists led by chemist J. Vincent Edwards developed a method to chemically modify cotton gauze so it helps reduce the amount of a natural enzyme, elastase, in the wound area. Edwards works at the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans. Elastase can slow and even prevent healing of some wounds. Normally, the body produces enough natural inhibitors to offset the enzyme. But in chronic skin ulcers common to long- term hospital patients, elastase can build to more than 20 times normal levels. The new bandages appear to deactivate elastase, returning it to normal concentrations at the wound site. At the ACS meeting, other scientists from the ARS research center in New Orleans gave updates on improved cotton products for medical uses including: * Hospital gowns, bedpads and other fabrics coated with polyethylene glycols should soon be commercially available. The coating imparts antimicrobial benefits and improves absorbency. Private companies plan to introduce products within the next few years, based on patented, licensed technology developed by ARS chemist Tyrone L. Vigo. A detailed story on this research is on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/1999/990608.htm * Superabsorbent gauze created with a new process developed by ARS chemist D.V. Parikh retains textile properties like stretchability and can be used with burn patients. Parikh is also applying the process to cotton fibers to create the core of incontinence pads that will be thinner, lighter and more absorbent than pads now available. ARS is the lead scientific agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contacts: J. Vincent Edwards, Tyrone L. Vigo and D.V. Parikh; ARS Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, La.; phone (504) 286-4521; fax (504) 286-4271; vedwards@nola.srrc.usda.gov, parikh@nola.srrc.usda.gov, tvigo@nola.srrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Aug 24 10:11:09 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA25715 for ; Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:11:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA10011 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 24 Aug 1999 08:42:05 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001101beee25$ea181500$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Scientific Help for Tennessee Valley Soils Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 08:35:12 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 4 NEWS RELEASE: USDA Researchers Help Farmers Preserve Tennessee Valley Soils ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov August 24, 1999 ----------- Auburn, Ala., Aug. 24--U.S. Department of Agriculture and Auburn University scientists are teaming up on a joint project to help cotton growers correct soil problems in the Tennessee Valley, which includes Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. "Although the land is very fertile, the soils in this area are heavily eroded and heavily compacted, and plant roots don't extend very deep into the soil," said Agricultural Research Service Administrator Floyd P. Horn. "About 60 percent of the soil in the Valley is highly erodible. Years of conventional tillage, coupled with little crop rotation, have severely depleted the soil organic matter, in some areas to less than 1 percent." Conservation agronomist Ben Moore with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Troy, Ala., has worked with Valley farmers to help them comply with conservation management alternatives required by the Food Security Act of 1985. Growers who followed these conservation practices in earlier years had reduced yields. "That's mainly because crops previously grown under conservation tillage were not as competitive as those grown under conventional tillage," Moore said. Agronomist D. Wayne Reeves and agricultural engineer Randy L. Raper, with ARS' National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, in Auburn, Ala., were asked to help growers develop soil management systems that would protect the soil from erosion, which also allows them to maintain or improve cotton yields, reduce input costs and improve soil quality. In field studies, Reeves found deep tilling to 17 inches and planting a rye cover crop in fall increases yields and reduces soil compaction. Three-year average yields for this system were about 1,040 pounds of lint per acre. "Our best conservation tillage treatment gave yields that were 14 percent higher than conventional tillage and 18 percent higher than no tillage without using a cover crop, the system Tennessee Valley farmers adopted when they first went to conservation tillage," Reeves said. "At current prices for cotton, fall deep tillage in combination with a rye cover crop paid for itself more than three times over." An in-depth article appears in the August issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/tenn0899.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: D. Wayne Reeves and Randy L. Raper, ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, Ala., phone (334) 844-4666 [Reeves], (334) 844-4654 [Raper], wreeves@acesag.auburn.edu, rlraper@eng.auburn.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Aug 25 13:57:11 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA26239 for ; Wed, 25 Aug 1999 13:57:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA18777 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 25 Aug 1999 11:51:22 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00a201beef09$85ee8ca0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Organic v. Plastic Mulch on Pesticide Loss Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 11:52:50 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 5 STORY LEAD: Vegetative Mulch Cuts Pesticide Losses in Runoff ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sarah Tarshis, (301) 504-1611, isst@ars-grin.gov August 25, 1999 ----------- Growing vegetables with an organic mulch, hairy vetch--a legume-- instead of plastic mulch cut pesticide losses by as much as 90 percent in experiments in Maryland. The vetch also greatly reduced water runoff and sediment losses. Today, Agricultural Research Service scientists presented the findings--the first showing the tactic's effect on pesticide loss--at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific wing. The Chesapeake Bay and its aquatic organisms have long been threatened by polluted runoff from farms, lawns, golf courses, streets, septic tanks and other sources. And on the Bay's Delmarva peninsula, runoff from vegetable fields may contribute to endangering shellfish such as shrimp, clams and oysters. The new findings point to ways to reduce this threat. Polyethylene mulch is used to conserve soil moisture and control weeds on about 4,600 acres of tomato and floral crops in Northhampton and Accomack counties, Virginia, that make up Virginia's eastern shore. Runoff increases, however, because plastic covers 50 to 75 percent of the fields. Pesticides that aren't absorbed into the soil can be removed easily from the plastic surface by rain. In a three-year collaborative study, ARS chemist Cathleen Hapeman and her co-workers grew tomato plants in both plastic-covered and hairy vetch mulch plots at the agency's Beltsville, Md., Agricultural Research Center. They measured the runoff and its sediment and pesticide concentrations. Compared to the plastic-covered plots, the vetch-mulch plots lost about two to 10 times less water, 10 times less soil and, on average, 10 times less pesticide. Scientists tested some runoff from the plots on clams and other bottom-feeding organisms that serve as indicators of water quality. Preliminary results of the tests, conducted at the University of Maryland's Chesapeake Biological Lab in Solomons, Md., showed that runoff from polyethylene plots can harm the aquatic organisms. The organisms were less affected by runoff from plots mulched with hairy vetch. ---------- Scientific contact: Cathleen Hapeman, ARS Environmental Chemistry Lab, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6511, fax (301) 504-5048, chapeman@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Aug 26 08:23:09 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA11459 for ; Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:23:08 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA29950 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 26 Aug 1999 06:50:42 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000e01beefa8$af679d20$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Defenses for Soybean Diseases Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 06:27:17 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 6 STORY LEAD: ARS Releases New Soybean Disease Defenses ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov August 26, 1999 ----------- A new soybean variety and a germplasm line that fight off some major crop diseases have been released by Agricultural Research Service scientists. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. Research geneticist Jeffrey M. Tyler of ARS' Crop Genetics and Production Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., developed the new variety, called Bolivar, in cooperation with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State, Miss. In field studies, Bolivar had high seed yield and good plant height in early season plantings, an environment that normally suppresses plant growth. It is adapted to the clay soils of the lower Mississippi River valley and east Mississippi. Bolivar is also tolerant to Phytophthora rot and resistant to stem canker and soybean cyst nematode race 3. It has moderate resistance to races 2 and 5. ARS research geneticist Thomas C. Kilen, also with the Stoneville unit, developed and released the new high-yielding soybean germplasm line D95-5246. It is resistant to Phytophthora rot and soybean cyst nematodes races 3 and 14. The fungus Phytophthora sojae causes Phytophthora rot, a major soybean disease. Millions of soybean bushels are lost each year to this disease. Soybean cyst nematodes are worm-like pests that eat soybean roots, causing more losses than all other soybean pathogens combined. The nematodes destroyed nearly 16.4 million bushels of soybeans last year. Last year, combined losses from both were estimated at 20 million bushels in 16 southern states. These two new releases should give farmers another defense against major soybean crop- killers. To date, Stoneville scientists have developed 29 high-yielding soybean varieties and 24 new germplasm lines with improved pest resistance. Small amounts of seed are available from the scientists for research purposes only. An in-depth article on soybean research appears in the August issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/soy0899.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Jeffrey M. Tyler and Thomas C. Kilen, ARS Crop Genetics and Production Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., 38776, (phone) 601-686-5241, (fax) 601-686-5218, jtyler@ag.gov, tkilen@ag.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Aug 27 09:35:34 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA06757 for ; Fri, 27 Aug 1999 09:35:33 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA05430 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 27 Aug 1999 07:56:43 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002201bef082$1ce161e0$121b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Green Pea Released Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 07:48:32 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 7 STORY LEAD: Green Pixie--Not Just Another New Green Pea ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov August 27, 1999 ----------- Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service have released their 12th new southern pea variety, Green Pixie. Green Pixie is the first green-cotyledon variety to yield small, delicate, cream-type green peas. Cotyledons, also known as the leaves of the embryo, account for most of the embryonic tissue inside the seed. Because of the green-cotyledon gene, Green Pixie peas can be harvested dry and still retain their fresh green color. Richard Fery and ARS colleagues in Charleston, S.C., developed Green Pixie for the frozen food industry. But the new variety can be grown and picked fresh by home gardeners in addition to being harvested as near-dry peas for food-processing uses. Seed of Green Pixie have been released to 10 commercial seed growers and food processing companies so they can multiply supplies. The new variety should be available to growers by fall 2000. The scientists developed Green Pixie over a nine-year period by crossbreeding the popular, small, white-colored White Acre peas with the light-olive colored, but larger Bettergreen peas. The scientists say Green Pixie can be used either to replace White Acre or to substitute for Bettergreen when grown to produce a blended pack of Bettergreen and White Acre peas. When harvested as dry peas and stored, Green Pixie makes an attractive dry pack. Dry peas can be restored to their fresh-harvest seed size and green color by soaking them in water for one hour and then blanching them in boiling water for three minutes. Dry pods of Green Pixie produce 16 peas in about 76 days. The dry peas resemble White Acre--100 weigh about 1/2 ounce--but they're much smaller than Bettergreen's. Breeder's seed will be maintained by ARS' U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston. Genetic material for developing new cultivars is available through the National Plant Germplasm System, maintained by ARS, USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Richard L. Fery, ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, S.C., phone (843) 556-0840, fax (843) 763-7013, rfery@awod.com. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Sun Aug 29 19:56:13 1999 -0400 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id TAA21633 for ; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:56:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id TAA26220 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:15:13 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from hevanet.com (root@hevanet.com [198.5.254.1]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id TAA26204 for ; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:15:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [204.119.60.32] (gl-ppp12.hevanet.com [204.119.60.32]) by hevanet.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id QAA20830; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:14:15 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199908292314.QAA20830@hevanet.com> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express for Macintosh - 4.01 (297) Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 15:43:40 -0700 Subject: FW: New Green Pea Released From: "Lon J. Rombough" To: SANET , AGRISYNERGY , Organic Gardening Discussion List Mime-version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 8 This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. ---------- From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Green Pea Released Date: Fri, Aug 27, 1999, 4:48 AM STORY LEAD: Green Pixie--Not Just Another New Green Pea ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov August 27, 1999 ----------- Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service have released their 12th new southern pea variety, Green Pixie. Green Pixie is the first green-cotyledon variety to yield small, delicate, cream-type green peas. Cotyledons, also known as the leaves of the embryo, account for most of the embryonic tissue inside the seed. Because of the green-cotyledon gene, Green Pixie peas can be harvested dry and still retain their fresh green color. Richard Fery and ARS colleagues in Charleston, S.C., developed Green Pixie for the frozen food industry. But the new variety can be grown and picked fresh by home gardeners in addition to being harvested as near-dry peas for food-processing uses. Seed of Green Pixie have been released to 10 commercial seed growers and food processing companies so they can multiply supplies. The new variety should be available to growers by fall 2000. The scientists developed Green Pixie over a nine-year period by crossbreeding the popular, small, white-colored White Acre peas with the light-olive colored, but larger Bettergreen peas. The scientists say Green Pixie can be used either to replace White Acre or to substitute for Bettergreen when grown to produce a blended pack of Bettergreen and White Acre peas. When harvested as dry peas and stored, Green Pixie makes an attractive dry pack. Dry peas can be restored to their fresh-harvest seed size and green color by soaking them in water for one hour and then blanching them in boiling water for three minutes. Dry pods of Green Pixie produce 16 peas in about 76 days. The dry peas resemble White Acre--100 weigh about 1/2 ounce--but they're much smaller than Bettergreen's. Breeder's seed will be maintained by ARS' U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston. Genetic material for developing new cultivars is available through the National Plant Germplasm System, maintained by ARS, USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Richard L. Fery, ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, S.C., phone (843) 556-0840, fax (843) 763-7013, rfery@awod.com. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Sun Aug 29 19:56:13 1999 -0400 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id TAA21633 for ; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:56:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id TAA26220 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:15:13 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from hevanet.com (root@hevanet.com [198.5.254.1]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id TAA26204 for ; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:15:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [204.119.60.32] (gl-ppp12.hevanet.com [204.119.60.32]) by hevanet.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id QAA20830; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:14:15 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199908292314.QAA20830@hevanet.com> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express for Macintosh - 4.01 (297) Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 15:43:40 -0700 Subject: FW: New Green Pea Released From: "Lon J. Rombough" To: SANET , AGRISYNERGY , Organic Gardening Discussion List Mime-version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 9 This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. ---------- From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Green Pea Released Date: Fri, Aug 27, 1999, 4:48 AM STORY LEAD: Green Pixie--Not Just Another New Green Pea ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov August 27, 1999 ----------- Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service have released their 12th new southern pea variety, Green Pixie. Green Pixie is the first green-cotyledon variety to yield small, delicate, cream-type green peas. Cotyledons, also known as the leaves of the embryo, account for most of the embryonic tissue inside the seed. Because of the green-cotyledon gene, Green Pixie peas can be harvested dry and still retain their fresh green color. Richard Fery and ARS colleagues in Charleston, S.C., developed Green Pixie for the frozen food industry. But the new variety can be grown and picked fresh by home gardeners in addition to being harvested as near-dry peas for food-processing uses. Seed of Green Pixie have been released to 10 commercial seed growers and food processing companies so they can multiply supplies. The new variety should be available to growers by fall 2000. The scientists developed Green Pixie over a nine-year period by crossbreeding the popular, small, white-colored White Acre peas with the light-olive colored, but larger Bettergreen peas. The scientists say Green Pixie can be used either to replace White Acre or to substitute for Bettergreen when grown to produce a blended pack of Bettergreen and White Acre peas. When harvested as dry peas and stored, Green Pixie makes an attractive dry pack. Dry peas can be restored to their fresh-harvest seed size and green color by soaking them in water for one hour and then blanching them in boiling water for three minutes. Dry pods of Green Pixie produce 16 peas in about 76 days. The dry peas resemble White Acre--100 weigh about 1/2 ounce--but they're much smaller than Bettergreen's. Breeder's seed will be maintained by ARS' U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston. Genetic material for developing new cultivars is available through the National Plant Germplasm System, maintained by ARS, USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Richard L. Fery, ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, S.C., phone (843) 556-0840, fax (843) 763-7013, rfery@awod.com. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Aug 30 10:14:34 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA29300 for ; Mon, 30 Aug 1999 10:14:34 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA06060 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 30 Aug 1999 08:35:51 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004301bef2dc$095bf160$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Nematodes Online Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 08:31:33 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 10 STORY LEAD: Online Information to Help Identify and Track $100 Billion Worm Pests ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov August 30, 1999 ----------- An online database of microscopic worms that cause $100 billion in damage worldwide is now available on the World Wide Web. The USDA Nematode Collection, one of the world's largest and most valuable archives of these microscopic worms, contains information on thousands of species of nematodes that infect nearly every agronomic and horticultural plant important to agriculture. In the United States alone, plant parasitic nematodes cause annual economic losses estimated at nearly $10 billion from decreased food, fiber and ornamental production. Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service say their new searchable database will make it easier for scientists anywhere to identify and track these destructive pests. The search page can be found at: http://www.nem.barc.usda.gov/database/search.cfm The web site makes the USDA Nematode Collection more accessible to U.S. and foreign scientists and others ranging from quarantine officials to students doing science projects. Established by retired ARS nematologist A. Morgan Golden in 1960, the collection is a valuable asset for furthering scientific knowledge of the tiny worms. It is maintained at the ARS Nematology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. The collection holds more than 34,000 permanent slides and vials and 19,500 species entries. Samples were gathered from 180 countries by some 3,000 collectors. The records in the database represent 555 nematode genera and 1,670 species on 800 plant hosts. In addition, 180 insect hosts are represented by specimens in the collection. Most nematodes feed on bacteria, fungi and other soil organisms. Others are parasitic, obtaining their food from animals (like the dog heartworm), humans (like the pinworm) or plants. The plant parasites cause yield losses by feeding or by transmitting disease-causing viruses, fungi and bacteria. The website offers other resources including hot links to nematology societies and university collection sites. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contacts: Zafar A. Handoo and Donna Ellington, ARS Nematology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5660, fax (301) 504-6666, nematax@asrr.arsusda.gov and delling@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504- 1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Aug 31 12:10:07 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA24890 for ; Tue, 31 Aug 1999 12:10:02 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA09293 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 31 Aug 1999 10:14:50 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bef3ba$f3ba6be0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Scientists Adapt DNA Test to Sugarbeet Fungal Pathogens Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 10:13:07 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 11 STORY LEAD: Scientists Adapt DNA Test to Sugarbeet Fungal Pathogens ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov August 31, 1999 ----------- Sugarbeet growers may soon get a new tool for identifying fungi poised to damage their crop. With the same basic technology used in diagnosing human disease, Agricultural Research Service scientists developed a way to quickly identify any of six major fungi types that attack U.S. sugarbeets. Each disease can cause multimillion-dollar losses. Developed at ARS' Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, N.D., the diagnostic process can be completed within 8 hours. Researchers designed DNA probes that detect unique DNA segments for each fungal type. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the scientists reproduce millions of copies of unique segments occurring in a plant tissue sample harboring fungi. From the amplified DNA, they can quickly distinguish pathogens by a "DNA fingerprint" generated when DNA is cut into pieces with an enzyme. With PCR, scientists don't have to isolate fungi from diseased roots or leaves and spend days culturing them before they're identified. Rapid identification of offending microbes by their DNA would tip off growers to the need for applying the most appropriate control measures before diseases seriously curtail yields. Further research aims at narrowing the fungi's identification by species as well as genus. The scientists have already developed probes to distinguish Aphanomyces cochlioides, which causes black root disease of sugarbeet, from A. euteiches, which causes root rot in peas and other legumes. Other sugarbeet fungi include Pythium ultimum, Cercospora beticola, Phoma betae, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani. Another goal is to use the technology to analyze fungi in field soils as well as plant samples. By knowing soil infestation levels, farmers could better decide when and where to rotate crops. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: John J. Weiland, Sugarbeet and Potato Research, ARS Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, N.D., phone (701) 239-1373; fax (701) 239-1349, weilandj@fargo.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 1 11:16:42 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA01901 for ; Wed, 1 Sep 1999 11:16:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA25838 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 1 Sep 1999 09:57:33 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bef481$addaaaa0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Preventing Spread of Mexican Rice Borer Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 09:55:40 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 12 STORY LEAD: Louisiana and Texas Cooperate to Prevent Spread of Mexican Rice Borer ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, jdequatt@asrr.arsusda.gov September 1, 1999 ----------- Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center are working with scientists in Texas to prevent Mexican rice borers from spreading to Louisiana. Traps to detect rice borer moths have been placed in the Beaumont, Texas, area and selected Louisiana locations. The rice borer, Eoreuma loftini, is native to Mexico and was first detected in south Texas in 1980. It costs sugarcane growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas about $10 million to $20 million a year in lost yields. The pest also attacks rice, sorghum, wheat and forage grasses. The borer is now a concern in Louisiana because of a new sugarcane plantation in Beaumont, Texas. Sugarcane from the area will be sent by rail to Louisiana for grinding, but scientists hope to intercept the moths before the cane is shipped. Young rice borer larvae feed on and in leaf sheaths. They also bore into stalks, which sometimes break. As the insect bores through the cane, it becomes packed with feeding debris and excrement. This helps shield the larva from chemical and biological controls. The adult, about the size of a horsefly, escapes to mate. The traps will release a synthetic version of the female rice borer's natural sex attractant, or pheromone. This gaseous compound, developed by ARS scientists, will lure male moths into the traps. If scientists find moths in the traps, they will determine the extent of the invasion. Finding any moths could lead to an automatic suspension of Beaumont sugarcane shipments to Louisiana. Scientists hope cultural controls and natural predators will prevent further expansion of the insect. Michael Way of Texas A&M University and Texas Department of Agriculture officials have placed traps in Jefferson, Chambers and Liberty counties in Texas. William White with ARS' Sugarcane Research Unit in New Orleans and T.E. Regan of Louisiana State University will set traps in Louisiana and supervise the program. ARS is the USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: William White, Sugarcane Research Unit, ARS Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, La., phone (504) 853-3176 ext. 176, fax (504) 868-8369, wwhite@nola.srrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Sep 3 12:19:12 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA21302 for ; Fri, 3 Sep 1999 12:19:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA01451 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 3 Sep 1999 10:38:09 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002f01bef619$a43e1560$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Relief from New Barley Disease Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 10:35:59 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 13 STORY LEAD: Weather, Research Bring Relief from New Barley Disease ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov September 3, 1999 ----------- A sudden drop in winter temperature coupled with a dry spring brought temporary relief to most barley growers in the Pacific Northwest this year. The weather prevented a buildup of a fungal disease called barley stripe rust. But weather is fickle, so growers can also rely on new, research-based controls they didn't have in 1995, when this disease began plaguing the Northwest's barley crop. Barley stripe rust spreads by powdery, yellow spores that look like rust and form large, yellow stripes between leaf veins. It can quickly cover leaves and barley heads and suck the plant dry. It can wipe out a farmer's entire harvest, but this year the damage was minimal in most fields. In 1995, Northwestern farmers had almost no control options: no resistant barley variety and no adequate registered fungicide. Their options are increasing, thanks to Agricultural Research Service scientists like Roland F. Line and Darrell M. Wesenberg. ARS is the principal research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Line, a plant pathologist at ARS' Wheat Genetics, Quality, Physiology, and Disease Research Unit in Pullman, Wash., helped get emergency approval of the fungicide Folicur from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is helping make two more fungicides available. Wesenberg, an agronomist with ARS' Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit at Aberdeen, Idaho, developed Bancroft, the first rust-resistant barley adapted to the Pacific Northwest. It will be available for commercial production this year. He did this with help from Line and an international research team. Genetic engineering offers the possibility of more strongly resistant varieties in the future. Line and colleagues have identified 26 genes for resistance so far and have spent the past summer evaluating more barley plants. The genes should be easier to find because of a new technique they developed for finding gene markers linked to rust resistance. For more information on barley rust research, see the story on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/barley0899.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Roland F. Line, ARS Wheat Genetics, Quality, Physiology and Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Wash., phone (509) 335-3755, fax (509) 335-7674, rline@wsu.edu.; Darrell M. Wesenberg, ARS Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, ID, phone (208) 397-4162 (ext. 108), fax (208) 397-4165, dwesenb@uidaho.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Sep 7 11:16:40 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA13279 for ; Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:16:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA09728 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 7 Sep 1999 09:19:07 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003901bef933$3a35b840$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungi Thwart Two Major Insect Pests Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 09:16:32 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 14 STORY LEAD: Fungi Thwart Two Major Insect Pests ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov September 7, 1999 ----------- Natural fungi may help rein in important insect pests of vegetable and cereal crops like broccoli and wheat. Agricultural Research Service entomologist John D. Vandenberg has been focusing on whether two parasitic fungi--Beauveria bassiana and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus--could become biological controls for diamondback moths and Russian wheat aphids. The aphid is a major pest of U.S. winter wheat and barley. Since invading the United States about 1986, the green, 1/16-inch-long pests have cost growers more than $850 million in insecticide treatments, crop yield losses and other costs. The diamondback moth is a worldwide pest of cabbage, broccoli, canola and other crucifers. Each year, farmers worldwide spend more than $1 billion to control it--primarily with chemical insecticides. But in many areas the moth has become resistant to conventional insecticides as well as natural bacterial controls like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Vandenberg has conducted laboratory and field tests that show the moth succumbs to both fungi. But only Beauveria had consistent impact on the aphid in the field. Vandenberg works at the U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory operated in Ithaca, N.Y., by ARS, the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vanderberg and colleagues were the first to field test Mycotrol, a commercial formulation of B. bassiana, against the diamondback moth. Weekly or twice-weekly applications significantly reduced insect populations and damage to seedlings compared to chemical controls. Other scientists have shown that different strains of B. bassiana work against the Russian wheat aphid in the lab. But this is the first report of Mycotrol's effectiveness against this aphid in the field. Mycotrol was first developed to combat silverleaf whiteflies through a cooperative research and development agreement between ARS and Mycotech Corp. of Butte, Mont. For more details, see the story in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/fungi0999.htm ---------- Scientific contact: John D. Vandenberg, ARS U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y., phone (607) 255-2456, fax (607) 255-1132, jdv3@cornell.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Sep 2 10:41:01 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA25262 for ; Thu, 2 Sep 1999 10:41:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA19312 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 2 Sep 1999 09:26:58 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004b01bef546$8e5c92e0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Deer Collar Could Help Harness Lyme Ticks Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 09:24:53 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 15 STORY LEAD: Deer Collar Could Help Harness Lyme Ticks ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov September 2, 1999 ----------- An automatic device that puts a pesticide-impregnated collar around a white-tailed deer's neck may help reduce Lyme disease in the northeast and help control cattle fever ticks along the Texas-Mexico border. Pesticide collars are commonly used for controlling ticks and other parasites on domestic animals. But, until now, collaring wildlife has meant trapping or tranquilizing the deer. The new collaring unit, patented by Agricultural Research Service scientists, lures deer to a specially designed feeder filled with corn. To eat, the animal must place its neck near the collaring mechanism, which releases a self-adjusting, flexible collar, similar to flea collars worn by cats and dogs. ARS researchers based in Kerrville, Texas, have used the collars on captive deer behind fences at the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife's Kerr Wildlife Management Area in Hunt, Texas. They have not seen any ticks attached and successfully feeding on the neck and head of collared deer. Without collars, these deer typically have hundreds to thousands of ticks feeding on them. The collars were impregnated with amitraz, a pesticide approved for livestock that also kills ticks on the deer's hair and skin. The pesticide currently is not approved for use on deer, but--if labeled for this use--would be safe to use during the hunting season from October through December. That's when most adult blacklegged ticks--the culprits behind Lyme disease--feed on deer. Lyme disease is the most prevalent tickborne human disease in the United States. About 90 percent of the cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention occur in Northeastern states. ARS and Wildlife Management Technologies of Noank, Conn., have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to develop a commercial prototype collaring unit and evaluate its effectiveness in a variety of situations. The scientists have developed an electronic device to prevent double-collaring. And they are working to design the collars to biodegrade or fall off once the insecticide breaks down. ---------- Scientific contact: J. Mathews Pound, ARS U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, Texas, phone (830) 792-0342, fax (830) 792-0337, jmpound@ktc.com. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Sep 9 13:29:41 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA06210 for ; Thu, 9 Sep 1999 13:29:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA07760 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 9 Sep 1999 11:41:23 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000301befad9$672e7e20$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Arctic and Arid-Land Plants Have New Homes Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 11:38:39 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 16 STORY LEAD: Arctic and Arid-Land Plants Have New Homes ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov September 9, 1999 ----------- Two new sites for conserving and managing plants important to U.S. agriculture are open in Palmer, Alaska, and Parlier, Calif. The new sites join 26 others in the National Plant Germplasm System of the Agricultural Research Service. The National Arctic Germplasm Site will house native Arctic plants useful in environmental restoration, some with potential medicinal value, and some grains, legumes, and vegetables adapted to high latitudes. Examples are northern-adapted grasses like tussock grass and northern berries like bear berries and nagoon berries. Curator David Ianson will also conserve plants with importance to native cultures such as Boreal yarrow, which Northern Indians use for tea, poultices and sleep aids. The genebank is housed at the State of Alaska Plant Materials Center in Palmer. In Parlier, the Arid-Land Plant Germplasm Regeneration and Genetic Resource Unit under curator Maria Jenderek has two roles in the NPGS. The site serves as an alternate location for other genebanks to grow out crops that benefit from a long frost-free season. Also, the Parlier site will house plants that grow in dry regions. Among them are jojoba, used in shampoos; guayule, a desert shrub being developed for its hypoallergenic latex; and lesquerella and meadowfoam, potential new oil crops. ARS' National Plant Germplasm System is a storehouse of more than 434,000 specimens of seeds and other genetic materials of crops and their wild relatives. Researchers use these germplasm materials to identify useful traits, like disease resistance, for breeding into commercial varieties. For long-term germplasm storage, it's crucial to periodically grow the plants to regenerate the seed or other reproductive tissue. Naturally, the plants grow best and produce the most seed in their native areas. The Palmer location offers a growing site for northern grasses and crops that grow in high elevations or above 60 degrees north latitude. In Parlier, plants enjoy hot, dry summers and about 14 inches of rain per year. ARS is the lead scientific agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contacts: David M. Ianson, ARS National Arctic Germplasm Site, Palmer, Alaska, phone (907) 745-4469; fax (907) 746-1568, david_ianson@dnr.state.ak.us. Maria M. Jenderek, ARS Arid-Land Plant Germplasm Regeneration and Genetic Resource Unit, Parlier, Calif., phone (559) 646-0307, fax (559) 646-0431, jenderekm@aol.com. --------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 8 12:09:40 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA18728 for ; Wed, 8 Sep 1999 12:09:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA07033 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 8 Sep 1999 10:03:03 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501befa02$83de11c0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Insect "UFO's" Identified Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1999 10:00:31 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 17 STORY LEAD: Insect "UFO's" Identified at Marine Corps Air Station ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov September 8, 1999 ----------- An intensive three-year survey found 635 species of Lepidoptera--moths and butterflies--at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County, Calif., including one rare butterfly, 12 moths new to science, and two moths new to the U.S. Butterflies and moths perform a variety of positive "ecological services" including the pollination of flowering plants and serving as food or prey items for countless other invertebrates as well as larger animals. In contrast, the larvae of many lepidopterans are economically important pests of crops and ornamentals. Entomologist John W. Brown with the Agricultural Research Service conducted and orchestrated the survey of the 23,000-acre air station from October 1995 through September 1998 as part of an environmental assessment. The program was administered through the Biodiversity Center of the Californias at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Brown is a Lepidoptera expert with the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Washington, D.C. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. To capture the six-legged "unidentified flying objects," the scientists' sampling methods included black light trapping for 364 nights, daytime collecting for 148 days, and "baiting" with pheromones, natural compounds that attract insects. Inventories like Brown's document the country's rich biological heritage and contribute to understanding biodiversity and natural resources present in the United States. Among the 635 species found were 12 species of moths previously unknown to science. The survey also uncovered the Hermes copper (Lycaena hermes), a rare butterfly recognized as "sensitive" and declining by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Two moths--Dryadaula terpsichorella and Metapluera potosi--had never before been found in the United States. The air station's lepidopterans are even more diverse than the survey has documented, according to Brown. He estimates that nearly 700 to possibly more than 900 species call the station home. ---------- Scientific contact: John B. Brown, ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Washington, DC., phone: (202) 382-1778, fax (202) 786-9422, jbrown@sel.barc.usda.gov ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Sep 10 12:23:14 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA27533 for ; Fri, 10 Sep 1999 12:23:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA24214 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 10 Sep 1999 10:28:31 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501befb98$5ccb9840$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Edible Soybean Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 10:25:37 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 18 STORY LEAD: BARC-18 Gives Farmers Many Choices for Vegetable Soybeans ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov September 10, 1999 ----------- Soybean growers have seeds of a new edible soybean, BARC-18, they can tailor to their individual taste, needs and growing conditions. Agricultural Research Service geneticist Thomas Devine bred BARC-18 at the Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. The new soybean is source material for developing vegetable-type cultivars of superior vigor for a variety of local conditions. Vegetable and soybean growers can use BARC-18 to develop their own, unique lines of vegetable soybean. They would select plants with suitable plant-growth characteristics and preferred eating qualities after growing selections of the plants for three generations. Vegetable soybeans or "jade peas" can be eaten just like green peas, according to Devine. Just boil them for about 3 minutes, pop them out of their pods and season them to taste. Devine has sent 300 seeds of BARC-18 to more than 25 growers, along with detailed instructions on growing and selecting offspring, preparing the soil--and cooking the beans. BARC-18 has genes for exceptional plant height and vigor, large seed size, green seed coat and green embryo. It also has genes for resistance to lodging, or toppling over as a result of wind or rain. Devine developed BARC-18 by crossing the vegetable-type soybean, Verde, with several forage-type soybeans. BARC-18 produces a wide variety of different plant types--tall and short, lodging resistant and viny, large and normal-size seed, early and late maturing, green seeds and yellow or pale cream seeds. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas E. Devine, ARS Weed Science Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6375, fax (301) 504-6491, tdevine@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Sep 10 15:56:26 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id PAA01933 for ; Fri, 10 Sep 1999 15:56:25 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA09270 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 10 Sep 1999 14:12:16 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000601befbb7$9f1cbc00$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Blueberries May Help Fight Effects of Aging Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 14:09:26 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 19 NEWS RELEASE: Blueberries May Restore Some Memory, Coordination and Balance Lost with Age ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov September 10, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Sept. 10--A diet rich in blueberry extract reversed some loss of balance and coordination and improved short-term memory in aging rats, according to a USDA study to be published in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. "If this finding holds for humans, it should further encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants to help fight the effects of aging," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. Daily for eight weeks, researchers fed extracts of blueberry, strawberry or spinach to 19 month-old rats, age-equivalent to 65 or 70 year-old humans. All three extracts improved short-term memory. Only the blueberry extract improved balance and coordination. This is the first study that shows fruits and vegetables actually reversing dysfunctions in behavior and in nerve cells. Earlier, the same researchers, led by neuroscientist James A. Joseph of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, reported that high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables prevented some loss of function in aging rats. Blueberries, strawberries, and spinach test high in their ability to subdue oxygen free radicals. These oxygen radicals, which can damage cell membranes, DNA and other delicate internal machinery, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging. "Motor behavior is one of the first things to go as you age," said Joseph. "The improvements we saw in coordination and balance are really significant. In other studies, little else has reversed these deficits in motor function." A decline in motor skills starts at about 12 months for rats. By 19 months, the length of time rats can walk a narrow rod before losing balance normally drops from 13 to 5 seconds. After eating blueberry extract, the rats stayed on the rod for 11 seconds, on average. Joseph and psychologist Barbara Shukitt-Hale were joined in the study by Natalia Denisova, Donna Bielinski, Antonio Martin and John McEwen, all at the USDA center in Boston, and Paula Bickford at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver. ---------- Scientific contact: James A. Joseph and Barbara Shukitt-Hale, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, phone (617) 556-3178 [Joseph], (617) 556-3118, [Shukitt- Hale], joseph_ne@hnrc.tufts.edu, hale_ne@hnrc.tufts.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Sep 13 12:00:45 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA21315 for ; Mon, 13 Sep 1999 12:00:45 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA11260 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 13 Sep 1999 10:11:29 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001c01befdf1$6fbf3460$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Nut Shells on Tap for Industrial Clean Up Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 10:07:02 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 20 STORY LEAD: Nut Shells on Tap for Industrial Clean Up ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov September 13, 1999 ----------- Macadamia, pecan and almond shells are of little commercial value other than the nuts' natural packaging--or livestock bedding. But U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are converting the shells into powerful industrial clean-up tools in the form of granular activated carbons (GACs). GAC uses run the gamut, from fish tank filters and water purifiers, to waste-water treatment, soil remediation and gas chromatographic analysis. In the U.S., such applications consume over 300 million pounds of carbons annually--over half the 600 million pounds used worldwide. What makes them so useful is a highly porous surface that draws heavy metals like lead and organic compounds like toluene and benzene. Both are common ingredients in fuels, dyes and paints. Once they escape into the environment, however, they can become contaminants. Many GAC products are made from coconut shells and coal, though both are costly. Coal also is a nonrenewable resource. Chemists Wayne Marshall and Linda Wartelle are testing discarded nutshells as a more plentiful and inexpensive alternative. Both work at the Agricultural Research Service's Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, La. ARS is USDA's chief scientific agency. Colleague Chris Toles, formerly ARS, is now at Northeastern University in Boston. Under a microscope, nutshell carbons resemble tiny, pockmarked asteroids. But one gram can have 900 square meters of surface area, a plus in adsorbing metals or chemicals with low molecular weights, like benzene. In comparative studies with six commercial carbons, use of macadamia GACs produced a three to four-fold increase in the ability of a standard EPA air sampling procedure to detect benzene at concentrations of 100 parts per billion. A longer story appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine, and on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/carb0999.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Wayne Marshall, ARS Commodity Utilization Research Unit, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, phone (504) 286-4356, fax (504) 286-4367, marshall@commserver.srrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Sep 14 11:45:11 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA15242 for ; Tue, 14 Sep 1999 11:45:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA08566 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 14 Sep 1999 09:58:11 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000801befeb8$c002d040$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Nonfattening Food Additive Made From Sugar Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 09:55:04 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 21 STORY LEAD: Nonfattening Food Additive Made From Sugar ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov September 14, 1999 ----------- Sugarbeet and sugarcane industries may someday provide a less-expensive, domestic alternative to gum arabic. U.S. industries now use thousands of tons of the imported gum, a thickener and stabilizer that's added to citrus-based soft drinks and a variety of other products. Agricultural Research Service scientists are harnessing the power of a microbe to assemble sugar molecules into an alternative that has some--and perhaps all--of gum arabic's choice qualities. As an emulsifier, gum arabic helps water and food oils mix and stay mixed. Food processors use it to help icings stick to cake, prevent syrups from crystallizing, and maintain a foamy head on a glass of beer--all without changing flavor. Some gum arabic is used as a bulking agent or filler to provide a desired texture in cosmetics and in industrial products like ink and adhesives. So far, from sugar, scientists at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois, have made versions of a nonfattening carbohydrate polymer, alternan, that consistently mimics gum arabic's bulking feature. Now, they're trying to develop versions that mimic gum arabic's emulsifying action. ARS, the USDA's chief scientific agency, has patented several alternan-related inventions in the past two years. Using an enzyme produced by the bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, the scientists recently developed ways to produce 100-liter batches for testing as bulking agents in a variety of applications. U.S. companies now buy gum arabic at volatile prices--sometimes higher than $5 per pound. Sudan produces more of the gum than any other country. The cost of making alternan is expected to be similar to that of dextran, which currently wholesales for about $3 per pound. A coproduct would be high fructose syrup. An article about the research appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/sugar0999.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Gregory L. Cote and Timothy D. Leathers, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL; phone (309) 681-6591, fax number (309) 681-6693, cotegl@mail.ncaur.usda.gov and leathetd@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 15 15:16:09 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id PAA13054 for ; Wed, 15 Sep 1999 15:16:08 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id MAA11867 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 15 Sep 1999 12:45:28 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000401beff99$4481f7c0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Chromium Critical for Glucose Tolerance Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 12:41:30 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 22 STORY LEAD: Chromium Critical for Glucose Tolerance ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov September 15, 1999 ----------- Rats raised on a chromium-deficient diet showed the earliest stage of diabetes--high blood insulin levels. That was the outcome of an Agricultural Research Service study published in the August issue of Metabolism. The finding underscores that chromium is necessary for maintaining normal glucose tolerance, the researchers concluded. And it suggests that low-chromium intakes--very common in industrialized nations--may contribute to onset of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, or middle-age diabetes, over the long term. Fortified cereals and whole grain products are good sources of chromium. The study was done at ARS' Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., by John Striffler, now at the City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, Calif., and by ARS chemists Richard Anderson and Marilyn Polansky. ARS is USDA's chief scientific agency. The hormone insulin escorts blood glucose into body cells and enables the cells to use that glucose for fuel. Diabetes begins when the cells become less sensitive to insulin. To use a metaphor, the cell's biochemical door doesn't open when insulin comes knocking. Or, if it gets in that first door, a second door stays locked. Chromium is one of the keys to keeping both doors unlocked. As the cells become insensitive to insulin, the body produces more of it. So high blood insulin is an early indicator of potential diabetes. By the time blood glucose is elevated, a person already has the disease. During a glucose tolerance test, rats that got virtually no chromium in their food or water for three months had insulin levels twice as high as a group that got chromium- fortified water or a control group fed a standard chow that contains chromium. Anderson noted that, in animal studies, the effects of chromium deficiency are seldom obvious until the animal is stressed. The glucose tolerance test with its sugar load was the stressor in this study. ---------- Scientific contact: Richard A. Anderson, Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8091, fax (301) 504- 9062; anderson@307.bhnrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Sep 16 10:40:39 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA01126 for ; Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:40:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA22695 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 16 Sep 1999 09:01:56 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001a01bf003b$7ed4a9c0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Appetite Hormone Puts Pigs on Faster Growth Track Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 08:41:29 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 23 STORY LEAD: Appetite Hormone Puts Pigs on Faster Growth Track ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov September 16, 1999 ----------- Of every 10 pigs born alive, at least one dies within days and others may grow more slowly than their littermates. Those that thrive, however, generally gain more weight per pound of feed after weaning and have less carcass fat when they go to market. Mindful that getting more pigs off to a good start could improve production efficiency, ARS scientists are researching hormones to find ways to enhance pigs' appetites, manage stress and reduce sickness and deaths. Just shortening by one day the average time from birth to market could lower housing and feeding costs enough to boost annual net income for the nation's swine producers by tens of millions of dollars. In one experiment, researchers at Columbia, Mo., found that a single injection of the hormone orexin-B into 3-week-old pigs increased feed intake 18 percent, though only for a short time. More research is underway to find whether two or more well-timed injections can improve growth rates enough to be worthwhile. Someday farmers may inject pigs, not with orexin-B, but with less expensive synthetic versions of it. Or a gene therapy may be developed to make pigs produce more of their own orexin. Besides affecting appetite, hormones--in complex ways--exert major impacts on swine during stress in production environments. During birth, for example, stress may help pigs prepare for life beyond the womb. Research showed blood and tissue samples of pigs that came into the world by caesarean section had strikingly different hormone levels than pigs born naturally. Two weeks later more similarities and differences appeared, giving insights on lasting effects of birth experiences. ARS is USDA's chief scientific research agency. An article about the research appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/piglet0999.htm --------- Scientific contact: Robert L. Matteri, ARS Animal Physiology Research Unit, Columbia, Mo., phone (573) 882-1047, fax (573) 884-4798, MatteriR@missouri.edu ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Sep 17 09:48:37 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA21979 for ; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 09:48:31 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA29359 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 07:49:29 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004d01bf00fa$8a9c8240$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: 3 Named to ARS Hall of Fame Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 07:51:00 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 24 NEWS RELEASE: Three Scientists Introduced into ARS Hall of Fame ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, jdequattro@asrr.arsusda.gov September 17, 1999 ----------- BELTSVILLE, Md., Sept. 17--The development of industrial polymers, the pioneering of molecular markers, and research in avian tumor virus have earned three Agricultural Research Service scientists a place in the agency's Science Hall of Fame. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Charles Stuber, Dr. Richard Witter and the family of Dr. Allene Jeanes will be presented with plaques citing the scientists' achievements. An induction dinner ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 22 at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. "These three scientists have made tremendous contributions to agricultural research during their careers. We welcome them into the Hall of Fame," said ARS Administrator Floyd Horn. Since 1986, the ARS Hall of Fame program has recognized agency researchers for outstanding career achievements in agricultural science. Those inducted are nominated by their peers for making major contributions to agricultural research. The scientists must be retired or eligible to retire to receive the honor. Jeanes, who joined USDA in 1941 at what is now the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., devoted more than 35 years of service to USDA before retiring from ARS in 1976. During her lifetime, she received four other awards from ARS for her numerous research accomplishments. She was the first woman to be awarded USDA's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Service Award, in 1953. She began her research studying the basic structure of starch, which led to a focus on dextran, a polysaccharide made from sucrose and produced by microbes. Her work resulted in a blood plasma substitute that saved many lives. Jeanes and her team also created one of the most widely used water-soluble thickening agents, xanthan gum, which is still used by the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is also used by heavy-industry companies such as those in oil and gas manufacturing. Jeanes died on Dec. 15, 1995. Stuber, who joined ARS in 1962, served as supervisory research geneticist and research leader for the USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C. During his nearly 36 years with ARS, Stuber made numerous significant research advances in plant breeding. Stuber has received several awards, including being named the agency's Outstanding Scientist of the Year in 1989. Although Stuber officially retired in January 1998, he still serves as a collaborator on several research projects that were in progress at the time of his retirement. Stuber will be recognized for creating methods for using molecular markers to identify and map the major genes responsible for the expression of economically important traits in plants. Stuber's research led the plant breeding industry to revolutionize crop breeding procedures and influenced animal breeding technology. Witter, a veterinary medical officer at the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., has studied chicken and turkey diseases for nearly 40 years. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including USDA's Distinguished Service Award. His research and leadership, including 23 years as lab director, have made the East Lansing lab one of the most important scientific resources for the poultry industry worldwide. Witter has developed vaccines and other controls against two major chicken viruses, Marek's disease and avian leukosis. One of Witter's most significant accomplishments was the discovery the cause of Marek's disease, a herpesvirus that causes infectious T-cell lymphomas in chickens. This discovery led Witter and his team to develop the first U.S. vaccine against Marek's disease in 1970. This vaccine and subsequent improved vaccines developed by Witter's group and others continue to be used worldwide, saving the poultry industry more than $100 million per year. Permanent copies of the plaques presented to the scientists will be on display at ARS' National Visitor Center in Beltsville, Md. ---------- Contact: Further details on accomplishments of each Hall of Fame inductee can be obtained from the ARS Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1617, or requested via e-mail from Sean Adams at issa@ars- grin.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * To request black-and-white portrait photos of the inductees, media sources can contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Sep 20 12:05:34 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA17047 for ; Mon, 20 Sep 1999 12:05:33 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA12794 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 20 Sep 1999 09:57:50 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005201bf036f$9f3a1420$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Building a Better Berry Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 09:54:12 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 25 STORY LEAD: Building a Better Berry ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov September 20, 1999 ----------- Across the United States, experimental plots are sporting the cream of the wild strawberry crop as six scientists set about creating tomorrow's berry from the original parents of today's commercial plants. Their mission: broaden the strawberry's genetic base and build a bigger, better one in the process. Today's commercial strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa, comes from a chance hybridization between a North and a South American species some 250 years ago in a European botanical garden. Agricultural Research Service geneticists Stan C. Hokanson in Beltsville, Md., and Chad E. Finn in Corvallis, Ore., are among the six scientists evaluating 20 to 40 of the finalists from North and South America. James F. Hancock at Michigan State University, East Lansing, heads the project. Horticulturists had already done approximately 10 serious evaluations of wild strawberry species. Hancock's group selected the best and most representative to screen for 18 characteristics that growers and consumers prize most. This is the final cut. Early results are promising. Last April in Hokanson's Beltsville plots, most of the species collection was in flower while the cultivars were just waking up. And last fall, one species from Alabama and another from Mississippi were disease-free while all the cultivars were covered with leaf spot, scorch and powdery mildew. Some of the elite species currently under evaluation come from ARS' National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis. Others were recently collected in native habitats--from Chile to the Rockies to Ontario, Canada. Most processing strawberries hail from the Pacific Northwest. So Corvallis' Finn will watch for rich color, high acidity or high sugars to fulfill processors' wish list. He expects to find a strong, vigorous root system to cope with methyl bromide loss. Read more about the project in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/berry0999.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Stan C. Hokanson, Fruit Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6768, fax (301) 504-5062, hokanson@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Sep 21 12:48:41 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA07669 for ; Tue, 21 Sep 1999 12:48:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA06884 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:19:43 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004e01bf0434$30b8ef60$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Biocontrols May Help Stomp Fire Ants Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:13:50 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 26 STORY LEAD: Red Imported Fire Ants...Still Going ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov September 21, 1999 ----------- Biological control agents could be crucial in preventing the spread of red imported fire ants, which have recently become established in California and New Mexico. Until this recent spread, red imported fire ants occupied more than 300 million acres in 12 southern states and Puerto Rico, Agricultural Research Service scientists report. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. Researchers at ARS' Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla., released two biological control agents that appear promising. Brazilian phorid flies (Pseudacteon tricuspis), first released in 1997, are fire ants' mortal enemies. The flies hover over the mound, zoom in on the fire ants, pierce the ant's outer cuticle, and deposit an egg inside the ant. The egg quickly hatches into a fly, according to entomologist Sanford D. Porter. Thelohania solenopsae, a microorganism from South America that infects fire ant colonies, was released in 1998. The workers probably transfer the pathogen to the queen through food exchange. She slowly loses weight and lays fewer and fewer eggs, all infected with the pathogen. Colonies generally die within 9 to 18 months, according to entomologist David F. Williams. Two new biocontrol agents currently under study are a pathogen and phorid fly. Vairimorpha is a pathogen similar to Thelohania, but it kills colonies in two to six weeks. Pseudacteon curvatus is a smaller phorid fly species that attacks smaller-sized fire ants. An in-depth article on fire ant research appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/ant0999.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: David Williams and Sanford Porter, ARS Imported Fire Ants & Household Insects Unit, Gainesville, Fla., phone (352) 374-5903, fax (352) 374-5818, dwilliams@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu, sdp@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu. ---------- Note: Video News Releases are available from Tara Weaver-Missick, ARS Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 22 11:55:02 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA26255 for ; Wed, 22 Sep 1999 11:55:02 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA25298 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:02:28 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005301bf04fa$f2511b40$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Will Pasteurization Make Manure Safer? Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:03:54 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 27 NEWS RELEASE: Research to Pasteurize Manure Featured at Chesapeake Bay Day ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov September 22, 1999 ----------- BELTSVILLE, Md., Sept. 21--Agricultural Research Service administrator Floyd P. Horn announced today the start of an experiment to see if pasteurization is an effective means of killing E. coli, Cryptosporidium parvum and other pathogens possibly lurking in cow manure, to make sure it can be used safely to improve soils. "N-Viro, International, of Toledo, Ohio, has loaned the U.S. Department of Agriculture patented equipment used to pasteurize biosolids--the solids remaining after wastewater treatment," Horn said. "The equipment turns the sludge into 'N-Viro Soil,' a product that meets the strictest federal standards for safe biosolids." Horn said N-Viro moved the equipment--a vertical and horizontal silo with a manure hopper and mixing bins in between--to a composting facility at USDA's Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. He said the equipment mixes recycled materials like cement or lime kiln dust, coal ash from electric power plants, and gypsum with manure. A natural chemical reaction occurs when the lime or other high-calcium material hits the manure, creating heat, ammonia and high pH that kill pathogens. The equipment can be seen on a tour of the composting facility as part of the first Beltsville Chesapeake Bay Day activities on Sept. 28 at the research center, operated by ARS, USDA's chief scientific agency. Horn said Patricia D. Millner, research leader of the Soil Microbial Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, has begun experiments to compare pasteurization with composting. Millner said she will assess each system for its ability to kill pathogens and control odor. She will also test a hybrid system that combines quicker composting with the pasteurization technique. Millner said she wants to see if the pasteurization process will also convert phosphorus in manure to a form less likely to leach into streams and rivers. "We will also test the addition of materials such as alum residue from wastewater treatment plants for their ability to stabilize phosphorus in manure," she said. Horn said if the experiment works it could help areas such as the Chesapeake Bay both by preventing the escape of pathogens and phosphorus and by providing a safe outlet for two materials found in excess in Chesapeake Bay coastal areas: high-phosphorus chicken litter and harbor dredging spoils. "We will try pasteurizing chicken manure in a mixture of dredging spoils to convert the spoils into a substitute soil for reclamation of road cuts, strip mines and other degraded soil sites that need topsoil for plant growth," he said. A complete agenda and free online registration for the Beltsville Chesapeake Bay Day is on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/bayday.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Patricia D. Millner, Soil Microbial Systems Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8163, fax (301) 504-8370, pmillner@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 22 12:01:05 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA26351 for ; Wed, 22 Sep 1999 12:01:04 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA25614 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:12:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005f01bf04fc$5a35acc0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Correction in today's ARS News Service story Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:14:02 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 28 Sept. 22 is the correct dateline is for "Research to Pasteurize Manure Featured at Chesapeake Bay Day," today's story from the ARS News Service. My apology for any inconvenience. --Jim De Quattro coordinator, ARS News Service From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Sep 23 10:52:07 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA02477 for ; Thu, 23 Sep 1999 10:52:07 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA17800 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 23 Sep 1999 08:30:03 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006c01bf05b7$336b7e60$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Measuring Animal Waste on the Run Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 08:28:37 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 29 STORY LEAD: Measuring Waste on the Run ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov September 23, 1999 ----------- When you're trying to capture urine from a playful lamb on the run, baby diapers just won't work. Animal scientist Kenneth E. Turner tried the toddler size. But these often fell off as lambs frolicked in their grassy pasture "playpen." Turner, with the Agricultural Research Service, found a solution to this problem--but why was he even looking for one? The answer centers on the nitrogen and other nutrients present in livestock urine and feces. Scientists need reliable ways to measure this nitrogen. Then they can figure out how thoroughly the animals digest their diet, and how much of the diet's plant protein is actually used in making lean muscle. Excreted protein, in a nitrogen form, can contaminate groundwater--and cost farmers money. Scientists like Turner aim to control the nitrogen losses at the source--the animal's diet. Knowing how much nutrients are in the urine and manure will also help farmers decide whether and how much commercial fertilizer a pasture needs. Or, when to move the animals to another pasture to avoid concentrating wastes. Typically, measurements of waste compounds are made with livestock kept in indoor chambers 1 to 3 days. Using lambs free to roam mini-pastures is more challenging, but the results should be more realistic, according to Turner, at the ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver, W.Va. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific arm. Turner solved the sheep-diaper problem by attaching a urinary catheter bag to a canvas fecal collection bag, securely but comfortably strapped to the hindquarters of female lambs. They wear the bags only a few days, with frequent changes for comfort. Beef calves and goats are next to be fitted with collection bags. A story on the research appears in the September Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/diap0999.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Kenneth E. Turner, ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver, W.Va., phone (304) 256-2843, fax (304) 256-2921, kturner@afsrc.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Sep 24 09:39:40 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA21191 for ; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 09:39:38 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA17276 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 24 Sep 1999 08:23:26 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004b01bf067f$716dd5a0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Hawaiian Bananas Can Target New Markets Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 08:24:23 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 30 STORY LEAD: Hawaii's Banana Growers Can Now Target New Markets ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov September 24, 1999 ----------- Hawaii's banana growers may have a better chance to capture mainland and overseas markets, thanks to experiments led by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service. The tests demonstrated conditions for safely shipping island-grown bananas without need for treatments to ensure the fruit is free of Mediterranean fruit flies and oriental fruit flies. The research is a boon for growers and consumers alike. That's because the previous disinfestation treatment, which relied on a now-banned chemical--ethylene dibromide--added to costs, and could hasten spoilage of the fruit. Fruit leaving Hawaii for the U.S. mainland must be free of any hitchhiking Mediterranean or oriental fruit flies. Because the pests can attack more than 200 different fruits and vegetables, they are constant threats to mainland agriculture. In laboratory and outdoor experiments, the researchers used thousands of freshly harvested bananas from more than a dozen plantations on the five major Hawaiian islands. ARS entomologist John W. Armstrong and colleagues showed that the bananas won't harbor these fruit flies if the fruit is shipped full size, green skinned and without cuts or punctures. The scientists' efforts led USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 1998 to approve new, workable regulations for shipping the bananas without disinfestation treatments. Armstrong and co-workers did the research at ARS' U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service and the Hawaii Banana Industry Association. They used three kinds of the familiar Cavendish banana and the specialty "Hawaiian apple banana," which has a sweet, custardlike flavor. An article in the September issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine tells more. Read it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/banana0999.htm In 1998, Hawaii growers produced about 21 million pounds of bananas, worth about $7 million. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: John W. Armstrong, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, Hawaii, phone (808) 959-4336, fax (808) 959-4323, jwa@aloha.net. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Sep 27 08:37:05 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA10348 for ; Mon, 27 Sep 1999 08:37:04 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA04097 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 27 Sep 1999 06:58:26 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf08cf$10933ac0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Specialist Bee Gets an "A" for Pollinating Sunflowers Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 06:42:43 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 31 STORY LEAD: Pollinating Sunflowers: Big Job Is a Good Fit for the Right Bee ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov September 27, 1999 ----------- When the job is pollinating crops, it might pay to bring in the specialists--especially those whose superior work habits offset the fact they're outnumbered 10 to one. An entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service has found that the sunflower leafcutting bee often does a better job pollinating sunflowers than the more common domesticated honey bee. In outdoor enclosures, one of the two kinds of sunflowers used in Vincent J. Tepedino's experiments produced larger and heavier seeds when pollinated by sunflower leafcutting bees. According to Tepedino, the sunflower leafcutting bees spread out evenly among the sunflowers rather than visiting just the plants nearest their nesting boxes. Tepedino is based at the ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The sunflower leafcutting bees, dark-brown to black insects about 3/4-inch to 1-inch long, are native to southern Canada and most of the United States. They are known to scientists as Megachile pugnata. The domesticated honey bee--originally from Europe--is Apis mellifera. For the test, Tepedino used four 100-by-20-foot screened enclosures, owned by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., at Woodland, Calif. Each cage contained approximately 600 sunflower plants. For about 2-1/2 weeks, about 100 sunflower bees in each of two cages performed pollination chores. Meanwhile, a few thousand domestic honey bees--about 10 times more than the sunflower leafcutting bees--performed the same task in two other cages. The test was the first using sunflower leafcutting bees to pollinate hybrid sunflowers in field cages. Earlier work by other ARS researchers at Logan scrutinized the bees in open fields. For details, see the story in the current issue of the ARS magazine, Agricultural Research, and on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/sunf0999.htm ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Vincent J. Tepedino, ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, 5310 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322; phone (435) 797-2559, fax (435) 797-0461, andrena@cc.usu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Sep 28 10:17:10 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA06431 for ; Tue, 28 Sep 1999 10:17:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA10293 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 28 Sep 1999 07:59:37 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005101bf09a0$c7f4f4c0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Alfalfa in the Afternoon Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 07:54:24 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 32 STORY LEAD: Scientists Sleuth Forage Secrets ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov September 28, 1999 ----------- How do certain forage plants coax cattle, sheep and goats into coming back for more? Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service are sleuthing the secrets of how to tempt the palates of these ruminants. Knowing more about the culinary cues should mean healthier animals that make better weight gains and bigger profits. Research studies should also help plant breeders develop new forages that appeal to animals, according to ARS soil scientist Henry F. Mayland. He leads the forage-preferences investigations at the agency's Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory in Kimberly, Idaho. Earlier, Mayland and ARS colleagues Dwight S. Fisher at Watkinsville, Ga., and Joseph C. Burns at Raleigh, N.C., showed that cattle, sheep and goats prefer tall fescue hays harvested in the afternoon to tall fescues cut in the morning. Their study was likely the first to show up to a 50-percent difference in forage preferences based on time of cutting. Now, follow-up studies by ARS scientists and their university colleagues are showing the same trend with alfalfa hay. Animals apparently discriminate on the basis of total nonstructural carbohydrates, that is, easily digestible starches and sugars, in the forage. Other experiments to probe chemical and physical characteristics of forages indicate that cattle prefer tall fescues with high levels of a natural chemical known as 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. Investigations probing the influence of minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium on animals' forage choices are also underway. For details, see the story in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/buds0999.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Henry F. Mayland, ARS Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory, Kimberly, Idaho, phone (208) 423-6517, fax (208) 423-6555, mayland@kimberly.ars.pn.usbr.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Sep 29 08:52:30 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA28699 for ; Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:52:29 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA03430 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 29 Sep 1999 07:28:06 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001f01bf0a65$8a6961c0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Lure for Fruit Fly Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 07:14:09 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 33 STORY LEAD: New Lure May Help Foil Fruit Fly Pest ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov September 29, 1999 ----------- A new lure developed at the Agricultural Research Service may help stop the spread of the Malaysian fruit fly, a housefly-size pest of crops like peppers, tomato, eggplant, cucumber and gourds. The lure can be easily applied to wicks like those used in standard insect traps. Traps holding wicks treated with the new blend could be used in detection programs in states such as California. There, pest control workers monitor traps year-round to detect outbreaks of other insect species before they build up. A relative of the infamous Mediterranean fruit fly, the Malaysian fruit fly or Bactrocera latifrons is now established on all major islands in Hawaii. If undetected in contraband produce, it could hitchhike to the continental U.S. and pose a considerable threat to mainland agriculture. The insect is native to southern and southeastern regions of Asia. The new lure was developed by ARS researchers in Hilo, Hawaii, and Albany, Calif. The agency-- the chief research wing of the U.S. Department of Agriculture--is seeking patent protection for the lure. The lure is easy to make and doesn't require solvents or additives. It combines a colorless chemical called alpha-ionol and cade oil. The oil is a dark-brown liquid extracted from prickly juniper, Juniperus oxycedrus. Earlier, ARS scientists in Hawaii and Maryland patented alpha-ionol as a Malaysian fruit fly lure. Now, ARS experiments in Hawaii have shown that cade oil makes the lure more effective. The experiments used more than 1 million laboratory-reared Malaysian fruit flies, according to Grant T. McQuate at the ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo. An article in the September issue of ARS' monthly journal, Agricultural Research, tells more. See it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep99/lure0999.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Grant T. McQuate, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, Hawaii, phone (808) 959-4300, fax (808) 959-4323, mcquate@aloha.net. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Oct 1 09:35:34 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA18714 for ; Fri, 1 Oct 1999 09:35:33 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA11982 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 1 Oct 1999 07:49:00 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001e01bf0bfa$cad8d240$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Useful Products from ... a Weed? Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 07:45:32 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 34 STORY LEAD: New Uses for Milkweed ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 1, 1999 ----------- Milkweed is a nasty perennial weed, but its chances of growing into a new cultivated crop are getting better, thanks to Agricultural Research Service scientists who are finding several uses for milkweed's many parts. Wild milkweed grows along roadsides and in fields in the eastern U.S. as far south as Georgia. Industry has known the value of its fiber, but is now learning the value of its meal and oil. Milkweed fiber has become the mainstay of a small company, Natural Fibers Corp. of Ogallala, Neb., which began marketing milkweed floss as a filler for comforters in 1989. ARS textile engineers in New Orleans, La., aided the entrepreneurs in blending the floss with cotton to produce a non-woven product. The problem: what to do with the leftover seedmeal? It contains compounds called cardenolides that produce heart palpitations in people and animals. So the meal can't be used in animal feed. But ARS chemists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., have found that the seedmeal kills nematodes and fall armyworms. These pests destroy potatoes, tomatoes, soybeans, sorghum, peanuts, corn and alfalfa. In field studies with Washington State University researchers in Prosser, Wash., milkweed seedmeal killed 97 percent of nematodes on potatoes. Incorporating the seedmeal into the soil might be an alternative to methyl bromide, now severely restricted in the U.S. and other countries. More good news: Peoria chemist Rogers E. Harry-O'kuru found that milkweed oil--rich in Vitamin E--is free of cardenolides. This knowledge may help establish another market for milkweed's parts: skin moisturizers. Milkweed oil, modified with lipase enzyme, can hold 18 percent more moisture than unmodified oil, making it an ideal moisturizer ingredient. ARS' research success on milkweed is just one example of developing value-added products from nontraditional crops: rapeseed, crambe, jojoba, meadowfoam, kenaf, milkweed, lesquerella, cuphea, vernonia and euphorbia lagascae. ARS is USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Rogers E. Harry-O'kuru, New Crops Research Unit, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6341, fax (309) 681-6524, harryore@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Sep 30 08:59:36 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA25957 for ; Thu, 30 Sep 1999 08:59:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA20682 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 30 Sep 1999 07:39:47 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003b01bf0b30$56c2b580$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Corn Gene May Thwart Worms Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 07:38:12 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 35 STORY LEAD: These Genes Might Let You Grow Pesticide-Free Veggies ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov September 30, 1999 ----------- Commercial vegetable producers and home gardeners may one day have fewer problems with caterpillars eating up their corn, broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetables, thanks to new genes that command plant cells to produce a worm-killing protein. Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and Mississippi State University were the first to find and isolate the protein in insect-resistant corn. The scientists, ARS plant geneticist W. Paul Williams and MSU biochemist and molecular biologist Dawn Luthe, believe the protein helps keep tiny fall armyworm larvae from developing into fat caterpillars that eat corn and other crops. Seminis, the world's largest vegetable seed company, has signed an agreement to investigate the potential use of the gene for controlling a variety of caterpillars in commercially grown broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetables. Seminis is based in Saticoy, Calif. The technology could benefit commercial vegetable producers by lowering the cost of pesticide inputs, according to Williams. He works at the ARS Corn Host Plant Resistance Research Unit at Mississippi State, Miss. Williams and Luthe isolated the protein, a cysteine proteinase, from cultured tissue of resistant corn plants. Last November, MSU and ARS received a patent for the gene sequence that encodes the protein. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fall armyworm is a serious pest of corn, especially late-planted corn in the South. Drought stricken Texas was particularly hit with high populations of this pest last year. Estimates of losses to the pest in some years have exceeded $200 million. Williams and co-workers have already collaborated with DeKalb Genetics Corp. of DeKalb, Ill., in evaluating corn hybrids that possess both natural and bi oengineered sources of resistance to fall armyworms. In lab and field tests, the ARS researchers evaluated corn hybrids that DeKalb developed using germplasm created and released by ARS as a source of natural resistance. ---------- Scientific contact: W. Paul Williams, ARS Crop Science Research Laboratory, Mississippi State, Miss., phone (601) 325-2735, fax (601) 325-2735, pwilliams@dorman.msstate.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Oct 4 12:31:28 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA03154 for ; Mon, 4 Oct 1999 12:31:23 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA10263 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 4 Oct 1999 10:01:46 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00b601bf0e68$d68e4960$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Codling Moth Project Succeeds in Northwest Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 10:03:04 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 36 NEWS RELEASE: Areawide IPM Project a Success for Northwest Orchards ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov October 4, 1999 ----------- WAPATO, Wash., Oct. 4--Nearly one-third of Washington State's apple and pear orchards now rely on nonchemical pest management tools, thanks to a 5-year USDA-sponsored research program targeting codling moths and other pests, Agricultural Research Service administrator Floyd P. Horn announced today. "Young codling moths are the infamous 'worms in the apple,'" said Horn. "But growers and scientists together have shown that integrated pest management can rein them in and use about two-thirds less insecticide. Now, as was intended at the program's start, scientists are ready to turn the mechanics of the program over to growers." "Some apple and pear growers using the IPM approach have not sprayed for moths or for any other orchard pest in two years," he noted. The Codling Moth Areawide Suppression Program was set up by USDA's Agricultural Research Service in 1994. It relies on ARS- and university-developed technology for confusing the moths with sex attractants, or pheromones, so they cannot find a mate. This tactic is supplemented with intensive monitoring and limited pesticide spraying. "Without control, codling moths could destroy 80 percent of the northwest apple crop and half the pear crop," said Horn. More than half the nation's commercial apples come from Washington. Normally, growers sprayed up to six times per year for codling moth, and four to six more times for leafrollers, aphids and other secondary pests. This meant using about 2 million pounds of insecticides annually at a cost of $60 to $150 per acre. Overall, pesticide use has been reduced by at least 70 percent. "We started the 5-year program with 5 sites and 68 participants encompassing 3,000 acres," said Carrol Calkins, research leader at the ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory in Wapato, Wash. "Since then, 17 more sites were established for one year to get other growers started. Mating disruption is now used on at least 60,000 acres in Washington and another 8,000 acres of orchards in California, Colorado and Oregon." Calkins coordinates the cooperative project, which includes researchers at Washington State University in Pullman, Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of California in Berkeley. More growers are expected to join in, now that key pesticides like methyl parathion (Penncap-M) and azinphos-methyl (Guthion) are being eliminated or greatly restricted next year by the Food Quality Protection Act. "Initially," Calkins said, "the IPM mating disruption strategy cost more than using pesticides. But now, with widespread participation and new dispensers, IPM costs less. It works better, too." Studies by Calkins and ARS colleagues at Wapato showed that using commercial insecticides can still leave one or two percent of the apples damaged by insects. With IPM, that drops to less than one percent, in some cases as low as one apple in 10,000, he said. "This program proves that IPM can give growers a viable option to strictly chemical pest control--if they get together and make it happen over a large area," said Horn. Other ARS-funded IPM programs are underway to control corn rootworms, the rangeland weed leafy spurge and insects in grain storage bins. More information on the Codling Moth Areawide Suppression Program is available at a web site of the Wapato lab: http://pwa.ars.usda.gov/yarl/areawide/areawide.html ---------- Scientific contact: Carrol O. Calkins, ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951; phone (509) 454-6550, fax (509) 454-5646, calkins@yarl.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Oct 5 13:41:17 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA26669 for ; Tue, 5 Oct 1999 13:41:17 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA12460 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 5 Oct 1999 11:15:57 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004601bf0f3c$5c6f0fa0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Market Niches for Appalachian Farms Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 11:14:27 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 37 NEWS RELEASE: USDA Aims to Find Market Niches for Appalachian Small Farms ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov October 5, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Oct. 5--U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are helping small Appalachian farms find new markets and niche products, Agricultural Research Service Administrator Floyd Horn announced today. "The scientists are looking at products like grass-fed beef and chevon, which is goat meat," Horn said. "Cattle that graze grass have leaner meat than those shipped out to be fattened on corn in midwestern feedlots. It will command a premium price in the health food market. Farmers could save shipping costs and build a niche market on the East Coast for pasture-fed beef that doesn't compete with conventional beef." "The Great Savannah" of the Appalachian Region can raise grass-fed lean beef to compete with that from the Argentine Pampas, which currently supplies the East Coast, Horn noted. The Appalachian beef could be sold to restaurants or packaged fresh for supermarkets, he added. To explore these and many other options, USDA's Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center near Beaver, W.Va., is organizing "market niche" research partnerships with farmers, experiment stations and agencies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The research center is part of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. As one objective of these partnerships, goats will be evaluated to see how well they can clear abandoned fields of unwanted weeds and shrubs. "We also want to see if we can raise these goats for chevon, alongside cattle and sheep," said William M. Clapham, research leader at the ARS center. The goats, cattle and sheep might eventually graze in the shade of trees that could later be sold for lumber, Clapham said. The scientists are exploring a variety of options, with a focus on agroforestry. Agroforestry means growing trees as perennial crops on farms or growing crops in existing woods. For example, ARS soil scientist Charles M. Feldhake planted 1,200 black locust trees in a steep hillside pasture where sheep graze. The trees will provide shade for livestock and grass. In addition, their deep roots might extract excess nutrients from livestock urine and manure before the nutrients can reach groundwater. The locust can be sold for firewood or fenceposts, and its flowers provide nectar for honey. Feldhake and ARS horticulturist Carol M. Schumann are also testing honey locust trees. Other crops with potential include: * Ramps (wild leeks), an Appalachian delicacy, grown in woods; * Red oaks for their high-value veneer; * Chinese chestnut, pawpaw, hazelnut, blueberries and blackberries; and * Black walnut and pawpaw trees, grown in a hayfield on an organic farm Horn said that with a team effort, the Appalachian name will one day bestow the same cachet on its products as do the lush grassy regions of the Argentine Pampas and New Zealand. An in-depth article on the Appalachian center's research appears in the October issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/farms1099.htm ---------- Scientific contact: William M. Clapham, ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver, W.Va., phone (304) 256-2858, fax (304) 256-2921, wclapham@afsrc.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Oct 6 12:02:29 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA18269 for ; Wed, 6 Oct 1999 12:02:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02910 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:50:28 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002801bf1001$79f87140$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Researchers Help Restore Burned Nevada Lands Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:46:58 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 38 STORY LEAD: Researchers to Help Restore Burned Nevada Lands ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov October 6, 1999 ----------- Experts on rangelands at the Agricultural Research Service have joined a 33-agency emergency rehabilitation team to revegetate some of the more than 1.5 million Nevada acres that burned during the summer. On Sept. 3, USDA declared five counties in Nevada as agricultural disaster areas. The fires have wide-ranging effects: Forage for cattle and wildlife has gone up in smoke on private and public grazing lands. Wind erosion on burned desert soils has caused traffic fatalities. Denuded watersheds will be at greater risk for flooding when rains begin. ARS scientists in Reno, Nev., have more than 50 years of research experience in the delicate, high-risk process of revegetating semi-desert rangelands. They are helping the interagency team decide where to reseed and which plants to use. Over the long term, the scientists are working on ways to keep a fire-feeding weed called cheatgrass from getting a stranglehold on rangeland. The scientists are part of the ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit headquartered at the Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif. Summer lightning typically starts fires on Nevada rangeland, but an abundance of cheatgrass has helped fuel a greater number of more destructive fires than usual. Some cover hundreds of thousands of acres. Native shrubs like sagebrush and shadscale grow several feet apart, reducing a fire's ability to spread. But fire spreads rapidly when cheatgrass proliferates. After a fire, cheatgrass returns before most other plants. ARS researchers determined that the first time cheatgrass rangeland burns, there is a chance for rehabilitation if the site is seeded to perennial grasses that year. Otherwise, cheatgrass will reestablish and become increasingly difficult to control. Therefore, land management agencies will focus their revegetation efforts on those areas that have burned for the first time. Public land managers plan to seed 5 million pounds of seed using highly specialized equipment designed for use in rocky, semi-desert soils. The seed mix includes native shrubs and grasses as well as HyCrest, an ARS crested wheatgrass variety developed at the ARS Forage and Range Research Unit in Logan, Utah. ARS is the lead research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: James A. Young, ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit, Reno, Nev., phone (775) 784-6057, fax (775) 784-1712, jayoung@scs.unr.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Oct 7 19:06:06 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id TAA17822 for ; Thu, 7 Oct 1999 19:06:05 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id RAA24877 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 7 Oct 1999 17:17:25 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005801bf1109$186ae620$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: What Americans of Hispanic Origin Eat Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 17:15:34 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 39 STORY LEAD: What Americans of Hispanic Origin Eat ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov October 7, 1999 ----------- For the first time, national food and nutrient intakes of Mexican Americans and other people of Hispanic origin are available from USDA. The data are drawn from the 1994-96 What We Eat In America Survey (a.k.a. CSFII), managed by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. Public health professionals, researchers, educators and dietitians serving the Hispanic community can now spot dietary patterns that could impact the health of these groups. For instance, the data show that Mexican Americans eat more fiber than other Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks. The average fiber intake for all Mexican Americans was 17 grams daily, closer than the other groups to the 20-30 grams recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Adult Mexican American males age 20 and over consumed nearly 24 grams of fiber on average, while teenage males consumed nearly 20 grams. Legumes may contribute a large portion of that fiber in the Mexican American male diet. Adult males averaged 107 grams of legumes a day. That's double the intake of other Hispanics and almost four times greater than the non-Hispanic groups. Teenage Mexican American males consumed two to six times more legumes than the other groups, averaging 71 grams daily. Not surprisingly, Mexican Americans eat more tortillas and taco shells than other Hispanics--about twice as much. The latter group eats three times more rice than Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans also lean toward whole milk, which accounts for 63 percent of milk consumed compared to 59 percent for other Hispanics and 25 percent for whites. Nearly 70 percent of the milk consumed by blacks is whole milk over low-fat alternatives. In 1994-96, both Hispanic groups were low in the same nutrients as the general population, with intakes of vitamin E, calcium and zinc below Recommended Dietary Allowances. Blacks also fell below the 1989 RDA for magnesium. To view the data tables, visit the web site of USDA's Food Surveys Research Group at: http://www.barc.usda.gov/bhnrc/foodsurvey/home.htm. The raw data are available on CD-ROM from the National Technical Information Service at 1 800-553-6847 (Accession No. PB98-500457). ---------- Scientific contact: Katherine Tippett, Food Surveys Research Group, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-0170, fax (301) 504-0376, ktippett@rbhnrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Oct 8 11:32:53 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA00263 for ; Fri, 8 Oct 1999 11:32:52 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA17137 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 8 Oct 1999 09:24:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001701bf1190$33e0da40$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Is the Grass Really Greener? Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 09:22:32 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 40 STORY LEAD: Is the Grass Really Greener? Researchers Aim to Find Out ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 8, 1999 ----------- Exploring the economic and environmental merits of grazing dairy cattle on managed pasture, rather than confining them to indoor feed regimens, is the focus of a cooperative project involving U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, university colleagues, and the American Farmland Trust (AFT), a farmland conservation group. Now in its second year, the Cove Mountain Farm Project is named after the mountain that looms above a 300-acre dairy farm owned by AFT and located in south-central Pennsylvania. A small army of researchers besieges the farm each week to monitor a slew of instruments there, including stream gauges for recording nutrient losses from pasture where 150 Holstein and jersey cows graze. Popularized in New Zealand and Europe, grass-based systems call for grazing small herds of cattle on intensively managed pastures. In the U.S., large dairy operators traditionally confine their herds--of 1,000 animals or more--to feed regimens of hay, grain, or cut forage like alfalfa. Some estimates indicate that grazing-based systems on small- to medium-sized dairies can boost net incomes by $50 to 100 per cow annually. While full confinement operations produce higher milk yields, grazing-based farms profit by reducing operating and labor costs associated with growing, harvesting, and storing crops like corn as year-round feed. Another benefit is the reduced capital investment needed to house and manage large herds. Still unknown, though, is intensive grazing's impact on the health, productivity, competitiveness and distribution of these pasture plants, according to Bill Stout, a lead researcher and soil scientist with ARS' Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Lab at University Park, Pennsylvania. Stout's chief focus is determining the extent to which urine and feces from grazing animals contribute to nitrate leaching or phosphorous runoff. A more detailed article about the Cove Mountain Farm Project is in the October issue of Agricultural Research, the ARS' monthly magazine. The story also appears on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/dairy1099.htm --------- Scientific contact: William Stout, ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Laboratory, University Park, Pa., phone (814) 863-0947, fax (814) 863-0935, ws1@psu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Oct 12 12:43:41 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA28723 for ; Tue, 12 Oct 1999 12:43:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA08885 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 12 Oct 1999 10:30:47 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001301bf14be$12834dc0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Bait May Be Last Meal For Pest Termite Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 10:28:35 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 41 NEWS RELEASE: New Bait May Prove to Be Fatal Last Meal For Pest Termite ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 12, 1999 ----------- NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 12--An experimental bait that tempts the termite's taste buds with plant fiber and other ingredients is earning high marks--but not just from the insect. U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are pleased with early test results showing the bait is quickly attacked by the termite and can require less pesticide to kill the wood-eating pest. In laboratory trials, the bait required up to 95 percent less toxin than other bait products to kill off captive termite colonies, report Guadalupe Rojas and Juan Morales-Ramos, entomologists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service in New Orleans. The agency has applied for patent protection on the bait, primarily designed for the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus. In tests, the bait often stimulated feeding within two weeks of deployment. By six weeks, the termite population declined, and by three months little or no activity was evident. Native to southern China and nearby Pacific islands, the Formosan subterranean termite was discovered in the southern U.S. during the mid-1960s at several seaport cities, including New Orleans. Possibly transported there by ships returning from World War II's South Pacific theater, the termite today is established in nine southern states, California and Hawaii. In the U.S. alone, the exotic pest costs an estimated $1 billion dollars annually in damage, repairs and control expenses The scientists' research is part of a USDA-led national campaign called Operation Full Stop, begun last year to reign in the Formosan termite and minimize its damage. Conventional control methods call for applying chemical insecticides along a building's perimeter. However, such defenses often fail to stop the Formosan termite. That has forced pest control experts to take the offensive. A key attack strategy is to deploy toxic baits to eliminate the termite population. "The trick is making sure the termites quickly find and readily feed on the bait, along with the impregnated toxins," says Rojas, who is with the ARS' Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans. Moreover, she adds, the toxin must be slow-acting and not kill the termites too soon. That's because the pests need time to distribute the toxin to other colony members by exchanging food or secretions, such as through grooming, excretion or regurgitation. With that in mind, the two researchers developed an entirely new bait formula. To do this, they carefully studied the termite's foraging behavior, feeding preferences, and nutritional needs for growth and reproduction. Early on, they looked to nature for clues. In decaying wood, for example, they found natural substances that foraging termites readily consume and carry to their queen to help with her egg-laying. After identifying the substances, the researchers combined them into feeding stimulants. They then mixed the stimulants with ground plant fiber, water and other ingredients that maintain proper texture and moisture. They also designed a covering for the bait (called a "matrix") that maintains an environment the termites prefer. Standard baits employ wooden stakes and cardboard or paper as carriers for the toxins. But the new bait's "ingredients" stimulate the termites to feed--and come back for more. This results in more toxin getting spread quickly to more colony members, says Rojas, at the ARS' center's Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit. In lab trials there, the bait required less pesticide than standard products and triggered quicker termite feeding. By six weeks, such feeding had killed off much of the colony. The scientists used both experimental and commercially registered pesticides, including diflubenzuron and hexaflumuron. Both these chemicals disrupt the formation of chitin, a substance comprising the termite's outer "skin," gut wall and air tubes. Field studies conducted at New Orleans City Park confirmed the scientists' lab findings. In the study, they installed yellow pine stakes next to the ARS bait matrix. A few weeks later, they checked for termite feeding damage. The results showed that the termites were nine times more likely to attack and eat the baits than the pine stakes. This summer, licensed pest control operators in New Orleans began monitoring seven homes in which the ARS bait matrix had been installed. Similar trials are also underway in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. Rojas says the baits, which contained diflubenzuron, were installed in seven New Orleans homes last June. Biweekly inspections revealed termite feeding on the baits as soon as two weeks after their installation. Once that happened, termite activity declined in about six weeks, mirroring findings in the lab. The ARS research center where Rojas and Morales work will also install the bait in several of its buildings as well as around infested trees on the facility's property. Like many buildings and trees in the Greater New Orleans area, the ARS center also has been invaded by the Formosan termite. ---------- Scientific contacts: Guadalupe Rojas and Juan Morales-Ramos, Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, ARS Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, La., phone (504) 286- 4382, fax (504) 286-4419, grojas@nola.srrc.usda.gov, jmorales@nola.srrc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Oct 13 12:58:08 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA20939 for ; Wed, 13 Oct 1999 12:58:07 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA20840 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 13 Oct 1999 10:05:10 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf1583$a4d9cee0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Seeking Key to Increased Lycopene in Tomatoes Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 10:02:52 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 42 STORY LEAD: Researchers Seek Key to Increased Lycopene in Tomato ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov October 13, 1999 ----------- Tomatoes with much higher levels of lycopene may be available in the future if research pans out at the Agricultural Research Service. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes their bright red color, may help reduce the risk of some cancers, according to epidemiological research at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. While working with tomato tissue cultures, ARS chemist Betty Ishida uncovered clues about ripening and lycopene formation. As expected, the culture developed into a tomato fruit. Surprisingly, the fruit's green outer leaves, known as the calyx, also ripened into fruit-like tissue. In this particular tomato variety, called VFNT Cherry, Ishida found that low growing temperatures triggered ripening in non-fruit tissue. Because the fruit was very dark red, she tested the lycopene content and found it to be 10 times the amount in most commercial tomatoes. Ishida and colleagues are looking for the genes activated to increase lycopene production. Then they hope to activate the genes in commercial varieties. A story about this research appears in the October issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/clues1099.htm ARS is the lead scientific agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Betty Ishida, Process Chemistry and Engineering Research Unit, ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif., phone (510) 559-5726, fax (510) 559-8777, bkishida@pw.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Oct 14 11:18:44 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA10804 for ; Thu, 14 Oct 1999 11:18:43 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15388 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 14 Oct 1999 09:46:26 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000301bf164a$2d0ed140$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Sun May Rise As Methyl Bromide Sets Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 09:44:01 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 43 STORY LEAD: Sun May Rise As Methyl Bromide Sets ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov October 14, 1999 ----------- Some Florida vegetable growers are getting better yields in winter crops by relying on the sun instead of methyl bromide. Researchers are seeking alternatives to this fumigant, scheduled to be discontinued in 2005. Agricultural Research Service plant pathologist Daniel O. Chellemi in Fort Pierce, Fla., has enlisted several growers to test soil solarization. This means covering the soil under clear plastic for at least 6 weeks during summer to "cook" weed seeds, diseases and some nematodes. Before the winter crop is planted, the plastic is painted white to cool the soil enough for tender roots. Last fall, yields from solarized fields ranged from 96 percent to 123 percent of yields from methyl bromide-treated fields on three commercial farms. The pepper field yielding 123 percent had been deep-disked before solarization to break up stubble and bring nematodes to the surface so heat would destroy them. On another farm, two solarized pepper fields yielded better than methyl bromide--118 and 104 percent. Both had been "beefed up" with a biosolids compost. It was the second year of solarization for the field yielding 104 percent and third year for the field yielding 118 percent. This means solarization may gradually raise yields, according to Chellemi. For organic grower Kevin O'Dare of Vero Beach, Fla., solarization saved his business. Last year, his second year of solarization, production rose 30 percent, labor dropped 75 percent--and profits jumped 100 percent. Solarization has drawbacks: It works only for fall planting--half the crop in the deep South. It doesn't adequately control all pests. And growers must start preparing field beds at least 6 weeks before planting--posing logistic problems for large operations. Read more about solarization in the October issue of Agricultural Research magazine, online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/sun1099.htm ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Daniel O. Chellemi, ARS U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, 2199 South Rock Road, Ft. Pierce, FL, 34945, phone 561-467-3877, fax 561-460-3652, dano@sunet.net. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Oct 15 12:47:20 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA03356 for ; Fri, 15 Oct 1999 12:47:19 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA04292 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 15 Oct 1999 10:06:18 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001401bf1716$15d58f60$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Seed for New Roadside Grass Now on Sale Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 10:03:39 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 44 STORY LEAD: Seed for New Roadside Grass Now on Sale ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov October 15, 1999 ----------- An initial supply of seed for a new, low-maintenance perennial turfgrass will go on sale for the first time this month. RoadCrest crested wheatgrass is designed for planting along roadsides and highways, at summer cabins, in "roughs" on golf-courses, or at similar sites in the Western United States. RoadCrest is also well suited for revegetating sites disturbed by mining, construction or wildfire, for example. RoadCrest was developed over a 15-year period by geneticist Kay H. Asay and colleagues with the Agricultural Research Service along with scientists at Utah State University. Asay is based at the ARS Forage and Range Research Unit in Logan, Utah. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In tests in Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, RoadCrest proved tolerant of cold and drought. The experiments showed RoadCrest should thrive in regions of the Intermountain and Great Plains states that have mild summer temperatures and receive about 10 to 20 inches of precipitation a year. RoadCrest greens up earlier in spring than some of the other wheatgrasses Asay and co-researchers tested. Like other "cool-season" grasses that thrive in cool weather, RoadCrest becomes dormant and brown in mid-summer, but greens up again in late summer and fall. The plant's comparatively short stature means it may need mowing only once or twice during summer. Small quantities of RoadCrest seed are now being marketed by the trio of western companies that hold licenses to sell it. They are Wheatland Seed, Inc., Brigham City, Utah; Bruce Seed Farm, Inc., Townsend, Mont., and Round Butte Seed Growers, Inc., Culver, Ore. RoadCrest is a descendant of parent plants grown from seeds collected in Turkey and sent to ARS for testing. ---------- Scientific contact: Kay H. Asay, ARS Forage and Range Research Unit, Logan, Utah, phone (435) 797-3069, fax (435) 797-3075, khasay@cc.usu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Oct 18 14:16:52 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id OAA24618 for ; Mon, 18 Oct 1999 14:10:30 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA16060 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 18 Oct 1999 10:52:59 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <008c01bf1978$0e9b6c60$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Rare Breeding Line to Develop Waxy Wheat Released Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 10:50:00 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 45 STORY LEAD: Rare Breeding Line to Develop Waxy Wheat Released ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov October 18, 1999 ----------- Wheat breeders seeking to develop waxy wheat varieties now have greater access to a rare but necessary genetic component, with the release of Bai Huo germplasm. Bai Huo is an old, cultivated variety of Chinese wheat, known as a landrace. No commercial waxy wheat varieties exist, but breeders--and the food industry--are intrigued. Normal wheat contains two types of starch molecules: amylose and amylopectin. Waxy wheat kernels contain no amylose. That makes the remaining starch perform differently. Waxy wheat starch absorbs much more water, stays gooey after heating and cooling, and doesn't lose water when frozen and thawed, according to ARS cereal chemist Craig Morris in Pullman, Wash. No one is certain what food products might benefit from waxy wheat. But to explore the possibilities, Morris is working under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with a major food company. ARS co-released Bai Huo along with Northwest Plant Breeding Co. of Pullman, Wash. Morris leads the ARS Western Wheat Quality Laboratory in Pullman. Breeding waxy wheat is complicated because wheat has three sets of genetic material called A, B and D. In true waxy wheat, the gene that makes amylose fails to make a crucial enzyme. Several wheat lines have the faulty gene in the A and B sets. But only one naturally occurring form has ever been found where the D gene does not produce the enzyme. Japanese researchers isolated it--in Bai Huo--early in the decade. But variation exists among Bai Huo wheat kernels. Unlike today's varieties which were bred for genetic purity, landraces are typically genetically heterogenous. For their germplasm release, scientists with ARS and Northwest Plant Breeding Co. identified the D waxy wheat gene in several individual Bai Huo kernels. They reproduced the plants in the lab and confirmed that each parent plant carries the form of the D gene that does not produce amylose. The germplasm will give wheat breeders a consistent and readily available source of this trait. Small quantities of seed are available to researchers from Morris. ARS is the lead scientific agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Craig Morris, ARS Western Wheat Quality Laboratory, Pullman, Wash., phone (509) 335-4055, fax (509) 335-8573, morrisc@wsu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Sun Oct 17 17:34:08 1999 -0400 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA12036 for ; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 17:34:08 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id RAA01177 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 17:08:24 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from amani.ces.ncsu.edu (amani.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.51]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA01090 for ; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 17:08:19 -0400 (EDT) Received: from lanfear.nidlink.com (root@lanfear.nidlink.com [216.18.128.7]) by amani.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA16253 for ; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 17:06:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: from enaila.nidlink.com (root@enaila.nidlink.com [216.18.128.8]) by lanfear.nidlink.com (8.9.0/8.9.0) with ESMTP id OAA28856; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 14:06:36 -0700 (PDT) Received: from benbrook (pm9-34.nidlink.com [216.18.141.89]) by enaila.nidlink.com (8.9.0/8.9.0) with SMTP id OAA01759; Sun, 17 Oct 1999 14:06:33 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199910172106.OAA01759@enaila.nidlink.com> X-Sender: benbrook@mail.nidlink.com X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.0.1 Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 14:19:10 -0700 To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu, , From: Charles Benbrook Subject: Important New USDA Report on IPM Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 46 The Economic Research Service, USDA has just released the report "Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture." (ERS Handbook No. 717, Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo and Sharon Jans). It is available free via the ERS website, or while copies last, you can call 202-694-5050. This important, interesting report has a wealth of data based on the 1996 ARMS survey. (ARMS stands for Agricultural Resource Management Study, and supplements that year's NASS chemical use surveys). All tables/discussion is in reference to crop year 1996, so it will serve as a good baseline for various analysts and organizations wanting to project the impacts of GMOs. The report's most valuable new information are detailed tables by major crop and state of major pests triggering pesticide use. The table on corn, for example, confirms the point made by a recent post by Ann Clark (her "10 reasons" post). Appendix Table 1.1 lists major corn pests; rootworms account for just over 10% of total surveyed acres treated. European corn borer does not even rate a separate line; it falls into "Other moths and Caterpillars," a category which accounted for 3.2% acres treated. I would guess ECB accounts for perhaps as much as 2.5% of this 3.2%, which would support an estimate of perhaps about 1.75 million acres treated for ECB. Estimates from the corn industry and Monsanto are much, much higher. The report contains several tables on the decision criteria for pesticide applications; who did scouting; sources of information; pounds of major active ingredients applied. These tables do not add much new information, although this one report and its lengthy appendix contains many useful summary tables. It also sets forth the ARMS survey instrument for those working on IPM surveys. The report acknowledges the lack of progress within USDA in developing an acceptable method to estimate IPM adoption, and says no estimates of IPM adoption are offered (or possible) because of the lack of such an agreed upon method. Based on several discussions with USDA IPM leaders during my recent trip to D.C., it is pretty clear that the USDA now accepts that the time has come to let the June 1993 goal/pledge -- "75% IPM by year 2000" -- fade into the woodwork of history. As a practical matter as acknowledged in the ERS report, the USDA still lacks a method to even measure the 1993 IPM baseline, let alone track progress. The ERS report does state (correctly in my judgement) that progress has been made in some biologically based practices and crops -- use of pheromones in traps and for mating disruption, for example, but overall, there is just no evidence of major changes since 1993 in national IPM adoption. Indeed, given that the planting of herbicide tolerant crop varieties almost certainly constitutes a significant step backward along the IPM continuum, it is almost certain that any credible measure of IPM adoption based on total acres will show slippage from 1993 to 1999. As agricultural historians review the history of the Clinton Administration's ag-environmental record from 1992-2000, the failure to make any meaningful progress on IPM will emerge as a major opportunity lost. The reasons are many and mostly fall outside the USDA. Having followed this area of policy closely throughout this period, I think the USDA has made some real strides and would have accomplished more if Congress had appropriated at least some of the increased funding sought every year from FY 1994 through the current budget cycle. In short, the USDA's well-received and widely praised "National IPM Initiative" has never made it past annual requests for budget increases. In each budget cycle, Congress has been warm to IPM but never warm enough, given that there are always many competing needs. There was a clear lack of support from agribusiness constituencies, major farm groups and the pesticide industry on the Hill. This was seen/interpreted by some members and staff as implicit opposition, given that these constituencies are the intended beneficiaries of increased USDA funding for IPM research and education programs. Another factor is in part to blame. The IPM adoption goal/pledge was made in June 1993. Soon thereafter, biotech issues started to surface as the major factors capturing the attention of USDA decision-makers. By 1996, the USDA was far, far more engaged on biotech issues than IPM. Developing better IPM measurement methods, collecting the data needed to apply the methods, and increasing the funding for IPM R+E remained high on everyone's B-List, as one dedicated USDA staff person likes to say. In Washington, B-List issues generally go no-where, which about sums up progress on IPM at the national level since 1993. This is the second time I have seen the lure and political imperatives associated with biotechnology snuff out promising policy initiatives of importance to IPM/pesticide regulation. Following the 1987 release of the NAS "Delaney Report," there was a rare and short-lived consensus across the environmental-grower-pesticide industry communities for reform of pesticide law -- an almost passed 1988 bill would have resolved the underlying issues that finally were dealt with 10 years later by passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act. In the fall of 1987 and throughout 1988, it would have been possible to pass a reform bill, but EPA dropped the ball and missed several deadlines/promises to Congress for bringing forth reform legislation implementing the NAS report's recommendations. All the lights seemed green for a major reform bill in 1988, but a major internal EPA-OSTP-USDA turf fight over biotech regulation was well underway. The process establishing the federal government's biotech policies and regulatory scheme was capturing most of the attention and energies of the senior EPA staff that had to keep the Delaney reform process going. Stepping back from today's public debates and tensions surrounding biotechnology, I suspect that one of the largest social costs of the "biotech era" will be a long list of opportunities -- and options -- lost. Clearly, the just released ERS report on IPM makes a strong case for adding "IPM during the Clinton era" to the list of "opportunities lost." chuck Charles Benbrook CU FQPA site www.ecologic-ipm.com Benbrook Consulting Services Ag BioTech InfoNet www.biotech-info.net 5085 Upper Pack River Road IPM site www.pmac.net Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 208-263-5236 (Voice) 208-263-7342 (Fax) To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Oct 19 11:32:09 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA08328 for ; Tue, 19 Oct 1999 11:32:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA25712 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 19 Oct 1999 09:56:23 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501bf1a39$51bc0d80$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Tracking Down Newcastle Virus Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 09:53:26 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 47 STORY LEAD: Tracking Down Newcastle Virus ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov October 19, 1999 ----------- How can you distinguish a Newcastle virus that would give a chicken a "cold" from one that could lead to destruction of entire flocks and bans on U.S. poultry imports? To find out, scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service have devised a dual strategy: genetic codebreaking and clinical tests. Native Newcastle strains cause only mild symptoms. But the researchers and their USDA colleagues face a continuous challenge of distinguishing weak Newcastle strains from virulent, exotic, scary ones. At ARS' Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Ga., microbiologist Bruce Seal examines Newcastle gene sequences and veterinarian Daniel King evaluates how the viruses affect birds. About 12 million chickens and other poultry were destroyed to eradicate a 1971 Newcastle outbreak in California. The disease was transmitted from infected imported parrots. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service established quarantine stations to stop infected pet birds from entering the country. But that isn't enough, because viruses can fly over borders. The first known die-off of wild water birds from Newcastle disease in the U.S. occurred in 1992. Hundreds of migrating cormorants died at a North Dakota lake. Soon, 26,000 turkeys were destroyed to halt the outbreak. In Athens, Seal compared viral genes and confirmed that the cormorants were the source. When an anhinga--a native wild water bird--died from Newcastle disease in a Florida theme park in 1993, an APHIS microbiologist sent a virus sample to Athens for a more intensive look at its potential virulence. Seal discovered it was genetically almost identical to the killer North Dakota strain. But King's clinical studies showed it only moderately virulent. ARS and APHIS will continue keeping an eye on the anhinga strain and other Newcastle isolates to provide an early warning system to the poultry industry. A story about the research appears in October's Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/front1099.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Daniel J. King and Bruce S. Seal, ARS Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, Ga., phone (706) 546-3434, fax (706) 546-3161, dking@asrr.arsusda.gov, bseal@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Oct 20 12:38:12 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA01089 for ; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 12:38:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA15629 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 10:32:27 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005201bf1b07$82909e20$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Organic Growers Join With ARS to Retain Crop Diversity Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 10:29:24 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 48 STORY LEAD: Organic Growers Join With ARS to Retain Crop Diversity ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov October 20, 1999 ----------- More than 200 organic seed farmers are growing 800 breeding lines of traditional crop plants provided by the National Plant Germplasm System. The system is maintained by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific wing. The growers' effort, known as the Farmer Cooperative Genome Project, hopes to provide farmers and gardeners with a wider selection of crop varieties than they can obtain commercially. For example, the growers are now working with 100 garlic lines provided by ARS' Western Regional Plant Introduction Station in Pullman, Wash. Rich Hannan, horticulturist at the Pullman facility, serves as an informal liaison between ARS and the grower group. J.J. Haapala, an organic seed grower in Oregon, coordinates the project. ARS will also benefit, as growers follow strict protocols and document crop characteristics for use by the germplasm system. The farmers also return some of the seed to ARS for storage and future use by researchers. ARS maintains a network of 26 repositories nationwide that preserve and regenerate germplasm--seed and other reproductive tissues--of crops and their wild relatives. The system houses more than 400,000 accessions comprising more than 10,000 species. An accession is a genetically distinct group of plants such as a crop variety or wild subspecies. The Farmer Cooperative Genome Project, based in Junction City, Ore., started in 1998 with a USDA Fund for Rural America grant. More details on the project appear in the October issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/seed1099.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Rich Hannan, ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, Wash., phone (509) 335-1502, fax (509) 335-6654, hannan@wsunix.wsu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Oct 21 12:43:44 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA25058 for ; Thu, 21 Oct 1999 12:43:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA23548 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 21 Oct 1999 10:24:20 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000101bf1bcf$877a9080$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Diagnostic Tool For Tse Diseases Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 10:21:11 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 49 NEWS RELEASE: Lab Test For Prions May Yield Diagnostic Tool For TSE Diseases ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 21, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Oct. 21--An Agricultural Research Service scientist in Ames, Iowa, has developed a laboratory assay that might lead to the development of a diagnostic test for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The laboratory assay, developed by ARS chemist Mary Jo Schmerr, detects the presence of abnormal proteins called prions in the blood of animals and humans. Prions cause a group of TSE diseases. The most well-known example of these diseases is bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "mad cow disease," which occurred in Great Britain in 1986. There are no documented cases of BSE in the United States. But all sheep are susceptible to another type of TSE known as scrapie. Elk and mule deer get chronic wasting disease, and mink are susceptible to yet another form of transmissible encephalopathy. Human forms of TSE that affect the brain include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and kuru. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is rare in the United States, and kuru has never been seen outside New Guinea. "Further development of this assay may lead to a diagnostic test for this fatal disease agent in animals and humans. Such a diagnostic test would be an important tool for the control of these diseases," said ARS administrator Floyd Horn. The presence of BSE in cows has already dealt a severe economic blow to the British beef industry and would have a devastating impact on American agriculture if a case of BSE were identified in the United States. "Schmerr's accomplishment is an excellent example of how long-term investment in research can benefit American agriculture," Horn said. Schmerr, who works at ARS' National Animal Disease Center in Ames, and Andrew Alpert of PolyLC, Inc. in Columbia, Md., are co-inventors of the assay. ARS and Fort Dodge Animal Health of Fort Dodge, Iowa, have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a test kit for use in diagnosing TSEs in animals. ARS--the USDA's chief scientific agency--is in the process of applying for a patent. ---------- Scientific contact: Mary Jo Schmerr, ARS National Animal Disease Center, P.O. Box 70, Ames, Iowa 50010, phone (515) 663-7287, mschmerr@nadc.ars.usda.go. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Oct 22 12:13:13 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA14730 for ; Fri, 22 Oct 1999 12:13:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA14079 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 22 Oct 1999 10:15:44 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001c01bf1c97$7a074740$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS, CGIAR Sign Research Agreement Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 10:12:28 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 50 NEWS RELEASE: ARS, CGIAR Sign Research Agreement ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuskiw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 22, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Oct. 22--A formal agreement signed this week by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) broadens the two organizations' collaborative ties in helping secure the world's food, fiber and other agricultural needs through cooperative research and information. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CGIAR operates an international network of agricultural research centers. Under the five-year agreement, called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), ARS and CGIAR scientists will conduct cooperative research in areas that include sustainable farming practices, natural resource management, and crop breeding for traits like greater pest resistance and nutritional content. "This MOU provides scientists from two powerful research organizations with a valuable tool to work collaboratively on pressing agricultural problems," said ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn. Horn and Pedro Sanchez, CGIAR Center Directors Committee Chair, signed the MOU on Tuesday, Oct. 18, during a symposium in Washington, D.C., titled "A U.S.-International Partnership to Feed the World: the Role of Agricultural Research." Horn said some of the agreement's key components include cooperative research endeavors, the exchange of new findings, and exchange programs for scientists from ARS labs and the 16 international agricultural research centers affiliated with CGIAR. At Tuesday's conference, speakers from ARS, CGIAR and other organizations discussed five main topic areas regarding agriculture's sustainability into the 21st century: * Improving the protein content and other nutrients in staple crops like rice, through biotechnological and other means, * Promoting agro-forestry techniques on farms to ease the stress placed on natural ecosystems for timber, firewood, and other raw materials, * Adapting crops to marginal lands, or regions where they've not traditionally been cultivated, such as on high-salinity soils, * Preserving genetic resources, such as those from wild relatives of cultivated crops, through international exchange programs for germplasm and technical expertise, and * Tackling livestock production problems such as inadequate feed, waste disposal, or animal diseases, through coordinated research on breeding, genetics, nutrition or farm management. ARS already is involved in about 30 formal or informal research collaborations with CGIAR centers, Horn said. One is at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Columbia. There, ARS-sponsored researcher Pamela Anderson is helping develop integrated pest management approaches that can be used to fight white fly infestations without blanket spraying. The tiny, sap-sucking flies are a global agricultural menace, Horn noted, attacking some 600 plant species, including many fruit, vegetable and fiber crops like cotton. For more information about CGIAR and its programs, visit the organization's website at: http://www.cgiar.org More information on ARS is available at: http://www.ars.usda.gov ---------- Scientific contact: Richard Greene, ARS Office of International Research Programs, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-4521, fax (301) 504-4528, rvg@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Oct 25 13:58:44 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA27976 for ; Mon, 25 Oct 1999 13:58:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA24003 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 25 Oct 1999 10:30:44 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf1ef5$0ba8dce0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Potential Chocolate Shortage Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 10:27:02 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 51 NEWS RELEASE: Potential Chocolate Shortage May Be Foiled by Beneficial Fungi ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov October 25, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Oct. 25--U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are working with a team of international experts to save the chocolate crop from three pathogenic fungi, Agricultural Research Service Administrator Floyd Horn said today. Chocolate is produced from the beans of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. "Three major fungal diseases can make cacao beans inedible or unusable," said Horn. "But scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service have identified and are testing beneficial fungi that control the bad fungi." The international effort coordinated by ARS includes the American Cocoa Research Institute, McLean, Va.; M&M Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, N.J.; and several international research groups. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fungal diseases--black pod rot, frosty pod rot and witches' broom--have caused severe yield losses to the cacao bean crop, which totaled almost 3 million tons in 1999. "The diseases cause economic hardship for 5 to 6 million small farmers in South America, Africa and Asia," Horn said. "Plus, few people realize that transforming cacao beans into chocolate is among the largest industries in support of U.S. agriculture." For every dollar of U.S. cacao imports, about $1.50 in other agricultural commodities is used to make chocolate confections, according to the American Cocoa Research Institute. "The fungus problem threatens the long-term health of the world's chocolate industry. But the research provides hope for small cacao farmers--and environmentalists concerned about the loss of cacao agroforests," Horn said. Brazil annually exports about $100 million worth of cacao beans to the U.S. and traditionally has been the top South American cacao exporter. But witches' broom and other problems have made Brazil slip to eighth place in the past 5 years, according to John B. Lunde, director of international environmental programs for M&M Mars. To help solve the fungal problems, plant pathologist Robert D. Lumsden at ARS' Biocontrol of Plant Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., is working with M&M Mars microbiologist Prakash K. Hebbar as part of a cooperative research project in which 10 national and international research institutes participate. Several years ago, Lumsden and colleagues at the Beltsville lab developed methods to mass-produce beneficial fungi to combat plant disease. Their earlier research on the Trichoderma virens fungus led to its development as a commercial product, SoilGard,marketed to control several diseases of greenhouse, fruit and vegetable crops. "Chemical controls for the fungi that attack cacao beans don't work very well and are expensive," Lumsden noted. "But cultivars tolerant of the fungal diseases are largely unidentified or have not been propagated in sufficient quantities." In the first year of field trials in Peru, the scientists used simple garden sprayers to spray a mix of five different strains of locally isolated Trichoderma on flowers and pods of trees infected with frosty-pod disease, Peru's main cacao disease. "The mix of five biocontrol strains increased pod yields even more than strains used alone," Lumsden said. At the Mars' Almirante Cocoa Research Center in Brazil, researchers are trying two new species of Brazilian isolated Trichoderma in lab trials and small field tests. "One species, called T. stromaticum, reduced pod infection by the witches' broom fungus by 31 percent," said Lumsden. ARS scientists are investigating how this Trichoderma species works and seek more economical methods for mass-producing it. "This would make it easier and more cost-effective for small farmers to use," he said. Lumsden said the researchers' goal is to identify natural controls for use in integrated pest management systems. The IPM systems would also use fungus-resistant cacao lines and cultural practices that encourage sustainable cacao cultivation in the natural forest ecosystem. Each year, U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 250,000 tons of dry milk, 400,000 tons of sugar and 350,000 tons of peanuts. In 1997, the U.S. industry used more than $3 billion worth of these and other U.S. agricultural products. The U.S. exports over $600 million worth of chocolate products a year. A story about the research will appear in the November issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine. ---------- Scientific contact: Robert D. Lumsden, ARS Biocontrol of Plant Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5682, fax (301) 504-5968, rlumsden@asrr.arsusda.gov and phebbar@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Oct 26 11:59:09 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA17145 for ; Tue, 26 Oct 1999 11:59:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA11629 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 26 Oct 1999 10:12:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001201bf1fbb$ace816e0$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Developing New Vaccines to Prevent Fish Kills Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 10:09:10 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 52 STORY LEAD: Developing New Vaccines to Prevent Fish Kills ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov October 26, 1999 ----------- Agricultural Research Service scientists in Auburn, Ala., are closing in on a vaccine that protects fish from a streptococcus bacterium. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. Streptococcus iniae is an emerging bacterial pathogen in cultivated tilapia, hybrid striped bass, rainbow trout, yellowtail, eel and turbot. Worldwide, streptococcal infections are reported in 22 species, both cultured and wild. S. iniae is recognized as one of the most problematic bacterial pathogens in intensively cultured tilapia and hybrid striped bass in the United States. The combination of development of good health management practices and a vaccine to control this bacterium is a superior approach to using antibiotics or chemicals, according to researchers at ARS' Aquatic Animal Health Research Laboratory. Antibiotics are currently used to control the streptococcal disease, which causes $150 million a year in losses worldwide. The streptococcus bacterium possibly enters the nares (noses) of hybrid striped bass and tilapia from the water. The higher the density of cultured fish, the more easily streptococcus is transmitted and the higher the mortality rate. Signs of the disease in fish are abnormal behavior, like erratic swimming, whirling motion at the surface of the water, darkening of the skin, blindness, pop-eyes and small lesions on the fish's body, fins and anus. ARS scientists are also researching fish behavior and health problems related to fungal, algal, bacterial and chemical toxins that have been implicated in fish kills in U.S. coastal waters. An in-depth article appears in the October issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/fish1099.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Philip H. Klesius, ARS Aquatic Animal Health Research Laboratory, Auburn, Ala., phone (334) 887-3741, fax (334) 887-2983, klesiph@vetmed.auburn.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Oct 27 12:31:02 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA09906 for ; Wed, 27 Oct 1999 12:31:02 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA09490 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 27 Oct 1999 10:23:06 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002401bf2086$47c89f20$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Wee Wasps Vanquish Big Bad Beetles Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 10:19:20 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 53 STORY LEAD: Wee Wasps Vanquish Big Bad Beetles ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov October 27, 1999 ----------- Good things really do come in small packages. Just ask Agricultural Research Service entomologists in Manhattan, Kan., who found that tiny, normally harmless wasps about a quarter-inch long can control insect pests in stored grains. Biological control is an important part of integrated pest management for stored commodities such as wheat, corn, or grain sorghum, according to Paul W. Flinn and David W. Hagstrum of ARS' Grain Marketing and Production Research Center. Damage caused by larvae of the lesser grain borer, rice weevil and maize weevil costs the U.S. wheat industry millions of dollars annually. The tiny wasps, Theocolax elegans, don't feed on grain but on lesser grain borer larvae that typically attack commodities stored in bins and elevators. For their study, the researchers used six 1,000-bushel bins filled with wheat. They released the parasitic wasps into three of the bins. Next, they released lesser grain borers into all six bins. After 131 days of storage, the beetles were reduced by 91 percent in the treated bins compared to the bins without wasps. The Manhattan researchers then milled the wheat flour and sent it to the Federal Grain Inspection Service in Kansas City, Mo. FGIS analyzed it for insect fragments. Flour from the wheat exposed to wasps had 89 percent fewer insect fragments than flour from the control bins. That's because the harmless adult wasps stay outside the grain kernels, so they are easily removed when grain is cleaned in flour mills. ---------- Scientific contact: Paul W. Flinn, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, phone (785) 776-2707, fax (785) 537-5594, flinn@usgrmrl.ksu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Oct 28 11:32:14 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA00262 for ; Thu, 28 Oct 1999 11:32:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA21156 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 28 Oct 1999 09:56:58 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bf214b$c40fd920$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Lost Tribe of Leafhoppers Found Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 09:53:07 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 54 STORY LEAD: Lost Tribe of Leafhoppers Found, May Lead to Better Controls ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov October 28, 1999 ----------- A newly discovered "lost tribe" of insects may give scientists more clues to better predict crop losses caused by leafhoppers. Agricultural Research Service entomologist Stuart H. McKamey has described a new genus and species of the leafhopper tribe Megophthalmini from the Andes mountains of Tachira, Venezuela. It's the first record of this tribe to be found in the New World south of Mexico. Knowing an insect's identity is the first step in controlling it. Based at the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Washington, D.C., McKamey identifies and classifies new species and publishes identification aids. He also provides identification services for regulatory agencies. At U.S. ports of entry, this helps USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intercept invasive species--those not indigenous to the U.S. Of the 20,000 known species of leafhoppers, more than 150 species in more than 65 genera transmit crop diseases. Many leafhoppers attack U.S. crops such as corn, rice, citrus, peach, tomato, potato and sugarbeet. Some 23 species transmit a single disease: Pierce's disease of grape. The lost tribe of South American Megophthalmini leafhoppers--previously known in North America, Africa and Europe--has novel traits that point to relationships to other leafhopper subfamilies, according to McKamey. The new species he identified is not a crop pest, but some of its relatives are. Better understanding the familial relationships can lead to more accurate predictions of leafhoppers' pest potential. This task has been hampered by major gaps in knowledge of various leafhopper groups including the Megophthalmini. Farmers' efforts to control leafhoppers have been hampered by the insects' seasonal migration--often from non-crop plants that harbor crop diseases. The extent of this disease reservoir is not well known, because too little is known about the leafhoppers' plant preferences. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Stuart H. McKamey, ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Washington, D.C., phone (202) 382-1779, fax (202) 786-9422, smckamey@sel.barc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Oct 29 08:42:49 1999 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA17341 for ; Fri, 29 Oct 1999 08:42:49 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA24524 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 29 Oct 1999 06:33:35 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002301bf21f0$e664da20$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Report Details Phytonutrient Status Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 06:28:31 -0300 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 55 STORY LEAD: Publication Describes Scientific Needs for Developing Health-Enhancing Foods ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov October 29, 1999 ----------- A new report could help scientists in the health, nutrition and plant sciences sharpen their focus on developing health-enhancing foods. Plants make more than 100,000 compounds not essential to their growth. A number of these secondary compounds may play a role in reducing chronic or degenerative diseases in people. Lycopene in tomatoes, sulforphane in broccoli and genistein in soybeans are a few of the so-called phytonutrients that have captured headlines. According to a recent survey, more than half of Americans eat a food or food component for a specific health benefit. But before plant scientists "beef up" fruits and vegetables with phytonutrients, they need to know which compounds are most beneficial and whether they work alone or synergistically--as evidence suggests they often do. To give plant scientists definitive answers, nutrition and health scientists need better tools to measure phytonutrients' efficacy in reducing disease risk. The new 56-page report discusses these needs along with the state of phytonutrient science. "Forum and Workshop on Food, Phytonutrients, and Health" appears as a supplement to the September Nutrition Reviews. It is the proceedings of a 1998 workshop of plant and nutrition scientists, food technologists, and immunologists. The Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific arm, sponsored the workshop to stimulate collaboration among the disciplines. According to the proceedings editors, former ARS national program leaders Carla R. Fjeld and Roger H. Lawson, one immediate boost to nutrition would be to use current technology to retard softening of fruits so they can be harvested and marketed at a more mature stage, when phytonutrient levels peak. Scientists are already analyzing lines of broccoli and other produce for natural differences in phytonutrient levels. A wide difference means the vegetable can be bred for higher levels. And genetic engineering has produced a line of tomatoes with 10 times more lycopene. For $35 (includes shipping and handling), the proceedings can be ordered from Allen Press: phone (800) 627-0629, fax (785) 843-1274, nutrition@allenpress.com. ---------- Scientific contact: Kathleen C. Ellwood, ARS National Program Staff, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504- 4675, fax (301) 504-5467, kce@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 1 09:47:11 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA24769 for ; Mon, 1 Nov 1999 09:47:05 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA04773 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 1 Nov 1999 07:49:18 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002b01bf245f$591366c0$061b85c7@barc.usda.gov> Reply-To: "ARS News Service" From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Wheat Quality, Grain by Grain Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 07:23:03 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 56 STORY LEAD: New Device Measures Quality in Single Grain Kernels ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov November 1, 1999 ----------- The first commercially available instrument to quickly detect quality in single grain kernels has been developed, based on several years of teamwork between Agricultural Research Service scientists in Manhattan, Kan., and an Illinois instrument manufacturer. The Perten SKCS 4170, made and sold by Perten Instruments in Springfield, Ill., combines a single kernel hardness tester with near-infrared (NIR) technology. Perten employees will demonstrate the device Nov. 1-4 at a meeting of the American Association of Cereal Chemists in Seattle. ARS researchers are using the instrument in studies to improve food quality and safety. They originally designed the single kernel hardness tester to separate hard and soft wheat. But the instrument can be calibrated to measure many quality attributes--such as hardness, protein, starch, internal insect infestation, color or disease--in single kernels. To confirm these characteristics would ordinarily require time-consuming chemical analysis. Now, with this first-of-its-kind technology, grain quality can be checked at a rate of one kernel per second. For instance, if one kernel out of 100 has scab damage, this machine will detect it. Scab is a disease that has cost some wheat growers billions of dollars in losses. Grain inspectors have had to rely on subjective visual inspection to assess grain quality. The infrared portion of the new instrument performs a quick check on each kernel, measuring quality attributes comprised of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Finding still more uses for the device, ARS researchers in Manhattan are showing that the NIR portion of the instrument can be used to differentiate damaged and sound figs. And the instrument can determine the age of flies, species of stored grain insects, and whether flies or weevils have been parasitized. This information is important for improving insect control programs. ---------- Scientific contact: Floyd E. Dowell, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, phone (785) 776-2753, fax (785) 776-2792, fdowell@usgmrl.ksu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Aug 5 11:53:36 1999 -0500 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.8.6/8.8.6/rchk1.19) with ESMTP id LAA13228 for ; Thu, 5 Aug 1999 11:53:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id LAA27267 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Thu, 5 Aug 1999 11:06:17 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from hevanet.com (root@hevanet.com [198.5.254.1]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA27154 for ; Thu, 5 Aug 1999 11:06:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [198.5.254.194] (st-ppp20.hevanet.com [198.5.254.194]) by hevanet.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id IAA00889; Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:04:08 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <199908051504.IAA00889@hevanet.com> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express for Macintosh - 4.01 (295) Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 08:05:08 -0700 Subject: FW: Russian Honey Bees Readied for American Hives From: "Lon J. Rombough" To: SANET , AGRISYNERGY , Organic Gardening Discussion List , Maritime Pacific Northwest Gardens Mime-version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 57 Forwarded for the interest of list members. ---------- From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Russian Honey Bees Readied for American Hives Date: Thu, Aug 5, 1999, 7:06 AM STORY LEAD: Breeder Readies Russian Honey Bees for American Hives ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov August 5, 1999 ----------- Hardy Russian honey bees that resist attack by devastating varroa mites will begin showing up in American beehives within a year, thanks to scientists in Louisiana with the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief research wing. The Russian bees' genetic resistance will provide beekeepers with a tool--in addition to chemical pesticides--to control the mites. Varroa mites--eight-legged parasites--are among the worst enemies of honey bees worldwide. In the U.S., the mites have attacked bees in almost every state. Though only about one- sixteenth-inch in size, they can destroy a hive of tens of thousands of bees in as little as 6 months. The mites have also eliminated most of North America's wild honey bees. Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement signed this week by ARS and Bernard's Apiaries, Inc., Breaux Bridge, La., bee breeder Steven J. Bernard is authorized to raise hundreds of Russian honey bee queens this fall and winter. The bees will be available for sale to U.S. beekeepers early next year. The beekeepers will use the queens to produce more queens for populating hives with mite-resistant offspring. These offspring will be fathered by male bees, known as drones, from the American hives. Compared to domestic honey bees, the Russian bees are more than twice as resistant to attack by varroa mites, according to tests by geneticist Thomas E. Rinderer and colleagues at ARS' Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, La. The domestic honey bee and the Russian honey bee are the same species, Apis mellifera. But the Russian bees have had to develop resistance to survive in their homeland, the mite-infested Primorsky region of far eastern Russia. Rinderer studied the bees there, then imported them under a federal permit. He said it is likely that wild--as well as domesticated--honey bees in the U.S. will eventually have Russian honey bee parentage. Besides producing honey, honey bees pollinate dozens of crops, from apples to zucchini, worth $8 to $10 billion. An article in the August issue of the agency's monthly magazine, Agricultural Research, tells more. View it on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/bees0899.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas E. Rinderer, ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit, Baton Rouge, La., phone (225) 767-9280, fax (225) 766-9212, trinderer@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Nov 2 12:55:19 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA20404 for ; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 12:55:18 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA00189 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 10:26:42 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000d01bf2546$15150220$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Wheat Varieties Tailor-Made for Foreign Markets Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 10:22:30 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 58 STORY LEAD: Future Wheat Varieties May Be Tailor-Made for Foreign Markets ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov November 2, 1999 ----------- In the future, U.S. hard red winter wheat varieties may be tailor-made to meet the quality needs of foreign markets, thanks to a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The agreement allows the Agricultural Research Service, the American Institute of Baking, and Kansas State University to act as liaisons between U.S. wheat breeders and foreign buyers. In the past, traditional wheat breeding has emphasized higher yields. But that's no longer enough to attract more business. Today's wheat producers need new, targeted wheat varieties to expand their markets overseas, according to Don E. Koeltzow, director of ARS' Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kansas. Researchers at the Kansas-based research facility will analyze the milling and baking qualities of hard red winter wheat grown in California, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas. Then the researchers will match those quality traits with the needs of foreign buyers. Flour samples from U.S.-grown hard red winter wheat varieties will be provided to 12 foreign cooperators. The cooperators will provide feedback about how well these varieties meet the quality traits desired by buyers in their respective countries. More hard red winter wheat--the kind used to make white pan bread and hot dog and hamburger buns--is grown than any other kind of wheat in the United States. Fifty- percent of all U.S. wheat is currently exported. The CRADA joins federal and state research expertise with industry's ability to market a product. The expected outcome: a higher demand for U.S. wheat in foreign countries. ARS operates four wheat quality laboratories located in Manhattan, Kan.; Wooster, Ohio; Fargo, N.D.; and Pullman, Wash. The labs were established to help breeders improve the quality of wheat varieties grown in their respective regions. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Don E. Koeltzow, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, phone (785) 776-2701, fax (785) 776-2792, dek@usgmrl.ksu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Nov 3 12:44:29 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA12264 for ; Wed, 3 Nov 1999 12:44:24 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA19386 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 3 Nov 1999 10:31:16 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000301bf260f$df06e840$241b85c7@sbauer.asrrusda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Methyl Bromide Alternatives To Zap Strawberry Foes Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 10:26:50 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 59 STORY LEAD: To Zap Strawberry Foes, Scientists Seek Methyl Bromide Alternatives ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov November 3, 1999 ----------- Root-nibbling microbes, currently held in check by fumigating soil with methyl bromide, might threaten strawberry plants in the future. Most uses of the fumigant--thought to damage Earth's protective ozone layer--will be phased out by 2005. To help develop alternatives, Agricultural Research Service plant pathologist Frank N. Martin at Salinas, Calif., is scrutinizing these microbial enemies in greenhouse tests and at research plots in commercial strawberry fields along California's central coast. California leads the nation's strawberry production. Strawberry growers are a major user of the chemical. Martin has been evaluating the abundance and virulence of soil-dwelling microbes called Pythium and Rhizoctonia, which cause a strawberry disease known as black root rot. They also can infect lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower and many other plants. Martin's investigation is among the most extensive yet conducted of these microbes in this key strawberry-producing region. The research provides details that better equip scientists to devise new tactics for combating these pests. Though black root rot doesn't kill strawberry plants outright, it may significantly reduce yields. In the study, severity of plant symptoms varied greatly. Pythium ultimum--the most prevalent Pythium at field sites--and P. irregulare were among the Pythiums causing the most damage to greenhouse plants inoculated with the microbes. But several other Pythium species that were recovered caused few if any symptoms. All Rhizoctonia forms significantly reduced the growth of greenhouse strawberry plants. Martin presented his findings at this week's 6th Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reduction in San Diego, Calif. More than 100 other scientific reports from other ARS researchers throughout the U.S., as well as university and industry scientists, are also being given at the conference. About 330 participants are registered to attend. ARS, USDA's chief scientific agency, is a conference sponsor. ---------- Scientific Contact: Frank N. Martin, ARS Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit, Salinas, Calif., phone (831) 755-2873, fax (831) 755-2814, fmartin@asrr.arsusda.gov or at the Methyl Bromide conference through Nov. 4, DoubleTree Hotel, phone (619) 297-5466. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Nov 4 13:49:14 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA04358 for ; Thu, 4 Nov 1999 13:49:14 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA19715 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 4 Nov 1999 11:35:51 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bf26e2$c6e935a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Nutrition Studies Get Psyched Over the Internet Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 11:36:42 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 60 STORY LEAD: Nutrition Studies Get Psyched Over the Internet ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA November 4, 1999 Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov ----------- A person's nutritional status can affect behavior and learning. But only a handful of psychologists are involved in nutrition studies. So Agricultural Research Service psychologist James Penland found a way to clone himself via the Internet. >From his computer in Grand Forks, N.D., Penland has collaborated on nutrition studies in China, Guatemala, New Zealand, San Francisco, and Brownsville, Texas. Penland computerized a battery of tasks for testing the cognitive and motor functions of study volunteers. He sends the tests to study leaders, receives the raw data, scores and analyzes it in his lab, and returns the results--all electronically. In the mid-1990's, Penland collaborated with Harold Sandstead at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on a study of 1,400 school children in China. It was the first long- distance study of its kind. Computerized testing made such a large study feasible. And since the computer doesn't vary how it administers the tasks, the study is highly standardized. Results showed that poor, urban Chinese children improved in perception, memory and reasoning skills after getting extra zinc or zinc plus other essential vitamins and minerals. Unlike the limited scope of most other computerized tests, Penland's can assess the gamut of psychological functions. They include tests of fine and gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, sustained attention, spatial and verbal memory, visual perception, concept formation, abstract reasoning and others. The test can be tailored to fit any age, ethnic group or study protocol. Penland's laboratory is now putting the finishing touches on a Windows version of the test battery. It will be capable of incorporating video, sound and external devices such as an electroencephalogram (EEG) for measuring volunteers' electrophysiological responses. Read more about this research in the November issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/nutr1199.htm ARS is the chief research agency in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: James Penland, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND, phone 701-795-8471, fax 701-798-8395, jpenland@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Nov 5 12:16:53 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA23301 for ; Fri, 5 Nov 1999 12:16:49 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA08636 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 5 Nov 1999 10:07:17 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <007c01bf279f$90ed0900$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Walnut Pests Foiled by Fumigant, Studies Show Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 10:08:02 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 61 STORY LEAD: Walnut Pests Foiled by Fumigant, Studies Show ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov November 5, 1999 ----------- Freshly harvested, American-grown walnuts may be able to meet European Union import standards throughout the new century, despite the impending withdrawal of the methyl bromide fumigant today used to keep the nuts pest free. Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Fresno, Calif., have shown that fumigating the nuts--still in the shell--with an alternative chemical, sulfuryl fluoride, kills any live codling moths or navel orangeworms in their worm-like, larval stage. That's the only life stage that could hitchhike on harvested walnuts. The scientists are the first to show the potential of sulfuryl fluoride as a methyl bromide alternative for fumigating walnuts. They reported the findings this week in San Diego at the 6th Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reduction. EU nations--key importers of American walnuts--currently require methyl bromide fumigation. However, the chemical is scheduled for phase-out by 2005 because of evidence it contributes to depletion of Earth's protective ozone layer. Sulfuryl fluoride is not an ozone depleter. While approved as a structural fumigant, it would still have to be registered for food uses. In studies, ARS researchers J. Larry Zettler and Richard F. Gill found that exposing lab-reared moths and orangeworms to vacuum-chamber fumigation of slightly more than one ounce of sulfuryl fluoride per liter of air kills these insects. Preliminary fumigation experiments by ARS colleague James G. Leesch, using some 2,500 walnuts artificially infested with codling moth larvae, also indicate that the chemical about equals methyl bromide's effectiveness. The scientists are based at ARS' Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory at Fresno. The Walnut Marketing Board helped fund the research. ARS is a sponsor of the methyl bromide conference. ARS' Methyl Bromide Alternatives Newsletter gives details about other efforts at the agency and elsewhere to find alternatives to the compound, which has numerous agricultural uses. The newsletter is on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/mebrhp.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: J. Larry Zettler and James G. Leesch, ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Fresno, Calif., phone (559) 453-3000, fax (559) 453-3088, lzettler@qnis.net or jleesch@qnis.net. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 8 12:46:51 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA02602 for ; Mon, 8 Nov 1999 12:46:51 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA11172 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 8 Nov 1999 10:15:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002601bf29fc$334dd720$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: A Holistic Approach to Crop Rotations for the Central Plains Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 10:16:15 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 62 STORY LEAD: A Holistic Approach to Crop Rotations for the Central Plains ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov November 8, 1999 ----------- The 20 million acres of the Central Great Plains' amber waves of grain are changing dramatically. Some farmers are growing more--and different--crops because those crops make more efficient use of the limited water. Growers are finding that alternative rotations--based on findings of Agricultural Research Service scientists--can be 20 to 40 percent more profitable than the traditional wheat-fallow system. In that system, growers plant one crop every other year and leave the soil bare for a year to store water. Wheat-fallow systems use only 40 percent of the average 14 to 18 inches of annual rainfall, but continuous cropping soaks up nearly 80 percent, according to Randy L. Anderson at ARS' Central Great Plains Research Station in Akron, Colo. For nine years, he and colleagues have tested 20 dryland crop rotation and tillage systems in seeking the best alternatives to wheat-fallow. The researchers have found that growers could successfully crop continuously in years with normal or more precipitation by using a cycle of four crops and alternating high- and low-water use crops. For example, continuous cropping with wheat-corn-proso millet and either field peas, another wheat crop, or fallow doubles the land's productivity compared to wheat-fallow. This systems approach, based on ecological trends in and on the soil, still provides for crops' water needs. And the crop diversity encourages soil microbes that make the ecosystem more sustainable over the long haul. The researchers have improved water use so well, they're nearing their goal--a crop every year. They're still working on rotations that succeed in dry years. One option they're exploring is a forage crop or green fallow. Both use less water than the current crops--wheat, corn, millet and sunflowers. For more details, see the story in the November issue of Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/falls1199.htm ARS is the major research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Randy L. Anderson, ARS Central Great Plains Research Station, Akron, Colo., phone (970) 345-2259, fax (970) 345-2088, rlander@lamar.colostate.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Nov 9 12:44:33 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA22324 for ; Tue, 9 Nov 1999 12:44:32 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA14384 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 9 Nov 1999 10:06:22 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf2ac4$177ba900$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Scientists Find Abundant Moldy Treasures, Including Penicillia Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 10:07:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 63 STORY LEAD: Scientists Find Abundant Moldy Treasures, Including Penicillia ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov November 9, 1999 ----------- Recently discovered natural chemicals extracted from molds may have important practical applications as agricultural pesticides, animal health products or antifungal antibiotics. >From a collection of 600 molds that parasitize wood-decaying fungi, a team of Agricultural Research Service and University of Iowa scientists found dozens of chemicals that inhibit the growth of two grain-infecting molds, Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides. The team also has produced about 1,600 fungal extracts that companies are screening for useful chemicals. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Using an automated DNA sequencer, ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois, determined that 39 of the 600 mold cultures represented Penicillium species that were new to science. In one fell swoop they had run into the largest discovery of new Penicillium species by any person or group since the genus was first described in 1809. The new penicillia were added to the ARS Culture Collection's 102 previously known species, including those that scientists at NCAUR used to help launch the antibiotics industry a half century ago. An article about the research appears in the November issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/fungi1199.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Donald T. Wicklow and Stephen W. Peterson, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL 61604, phone (309) 681-6243 [Wicklow], (309) 681- 6384 [Peterson], fax (309) 681-6686, wicklodt@mail.ncaur.usda.gov, peterssw@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Nov 10 12:40:49 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA13860 for ; Wed, 10 Nov 1999 12:40:49 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA02483 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 10 Nov 1999 10:40:00 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <007f01bf2b91$e9448f60$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Model Saves Farmers Costs of Fertilizer, Soil Tests Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 10:39:58 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 64 STORY LEAD: New Model Saves Farmers Costs of Fertilizer, Soil Tests ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov November 10, 1999 ----------- A new computer model from the Agricultural Research Service could save farmers worldwide millions of dollars in increased crop yields, fewer soil tests and less use of nitrogen fertilizer. The Nitrogen Fertilizer Decision Aid is available on the World Wide Web. It eliminates uncertainties that lead many farmers to over apply nitrogen as so-called "insurance fertilizer." ARS soil scientist Alan E. Olness in Morris, Minn., developed the new model. It uses soil and weather information to predict how much nitrogen will be produced by soil microbes after spring planting. Often, that amount can be 50 to 100 pounds per acre. Results from a soil test just before planting tell the model how much nitrogen the soil has at that time. In addition, the model requires farmers to know the soil's clay and organic matter content and pH and to provide data from a field weather station. The model predicts nitrate-nitrogen content for up to 90 days after planting, well before the critical nitrogen uptake period for corn. If the rate of natural nitrogen production doesn't meet their crop needs, farmers will add nitrogen fertilizer to make up the difference. If production of nitrogen is predicted to be too rapid, farmers can slow it down by planting without tillage. The model can be downloaded from: http://www.infolink.morris.mn.us/~lwink/products/products.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Alan E. Olness, ARS North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, 803 Iowa Ave., Morris, MN 56267; phone (320) 589-3411, Ext. 100, fax (320) 589-3787, aolness@mail.mrsars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunny side Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Nov 12 12:27:59 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA13569 for ; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 12:27:54 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA06584 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 12 Nov 1999 09:55:22 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001601bf2d1e$0bb45660$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Ag Library Improves Access to Farming History Collection Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 09:56:05 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 65 Ag Library Improves Access to Farming History Collection ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Brian Norris, (301) 504- 6778, bnorris@nal.usda.gov November 12, 1999 ----------- BELTSVILLE, Md., Nov. 12--Researchers can now go to a web site to easily delve into a special collection of documents and other materials covering more than 200 years of U.S. farming history. The U.S. Department of Agriculture History Collection Web Site was produced by the National Agricultural Library here as a cooperative project with the University of Maryland. NAL is part of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. NAL's USDA History Collection includes original letters, reports and other papers of department officials and agricultural historians, along with other materials gathered by USDA over its nearly 140-year history. Also in the collection are manuscripts dating to the late 18th century. The new web site includes a searchable guide to the collection, a map to help web visitors navigate the site, highlights of the collection, and historical photo images and graphics. The site can be found at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/history/index.htm "The history of agriculture in America is in many ways the history of this nation," said NAL director Pamela Andre. "Farming was and is key to the success of the United States, and USDA has been an important part of this success. The new web site makes it easier for those researching this important aspect of American history." "The collection dates to USDA's creation in 1862 and before," Andre said. "When we added it to our special collections in 1997, our immediate goal was to preserve it while making it easier for researchers to use." NAL created cataloging records for the materials, took steps to preserve deteriorating materials, and reorganized the collection into a more user-friendly format. The project included rehousing and organizing the collection's 660 linear feet of records into acid free archival folders and cartons. More than 8,000 books and journals were cataloged and added to the NAL collection. The USDA History Collection includes materials brought together over several decades by USDA agencies. Along with the letters, memoranda, reports, and papers of USDA officials and agricultural historians, the collection contains newsletters, photographs, videotapes, press releases and clippings. "Collected histories contain information that can improve our future by teaching us lessons from the great minds of the past," Andre said. "Libraries preserve these histories and make them easily accessible so that the lessons can be studied and learned by generations to come." Use of materials from the USDA History Collection can be arranged by contacting NAL's Special Collections, telephone (301) 504-5876, or email speccoll@nal.usda.gov. NAL is the largest agricultural library in the world and is one of four national libraries of the United States with the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and the National Library of Education. ---------- Contact: Susan H. Fugate, Special Collections Section, ARS National Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705, phone (301) 504-5876, fax (301) 504-7593, sfugate@nal.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 15 12:30:00 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA24323 for ; Mon, 15 Nov 1999 12:29:45 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA12924 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 15 Nov 1999 10:01:46 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf2f7a$6e9a8840$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Potato Gene Engineering Research Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 10:02:27 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 66 STORY LEAD: Potato Gene Engineering Research Should Benefit Andes Farmers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov November 15, 1999 ----------- New potato genes built by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service might boost the health of subsistence farm families in villages throughout the Andes mountains. The Andean region of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador is the ancestral home of the potato, America's most popular vegetable. ARS scientists hope to improve the nutritional value of Andean potatoes by blocking natural but bitter compounds called glycoalkaloids. Some Andean communities use a processing technique to remove the glycoalkaloids, but it also removes proteins and vitamins as well. ARS scientists manipulated the potato's own genes to help block formation of a key glycoalkaloid. In experiments using potato plants with the rebuilt genes, they reduced glycoalkaloid levels up to about 40 percent in preliminary field tests and up to 60 percent in greenhouse tests. Efforts will continue to further reduce the levels. ARS plant physiologist William R. Belknap leads the project at the agency's Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif. American potato growers and breeders should also benefit from this biotechnology research. It may enable them to use insect- or disease-resistant traits from native tubers that would today be removed from breeding programs because of high glycoalkaloid levels. Some Andean spuds are primitive but are frost-tolerant. They may have other traits that could broaden the biological diversity and quality of potatoes in tuber-breeding programs for the Andean region and the U.S. ARS, the USDA's chief research agency, has a patent for the anti-glycoalkaloid techniques and has licensed the technology to Small Potatoes, Inc., of Madison, Wis. Company president Peter J. Joyce has agreed to provide the technology to developing countries in the Andean region. After learning about the research, the International Potato Center in La Molina, Peru, contacted Belknap to arrange to test the new genes there. The experiments are part of the potato center's on-going research with gene-engineered potatoes, begun more than a decade ago. The research complies with Peru's biosafety regulations and is closely monitored by the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture. International Potato Center molecular biologist Carmen M. Herrera Gutierrez recently completed a 5-week stint with the ARS scientific team in Albany. ---------- Scientific contact: William R. Belknap, Crop Improvement and Utilization Research Unit, ARS Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan St., Albany, CA 94710, phone (510) 559-6072, fax (510) 559-5777, wrb@pw.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Nov 16 13:03:28 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA17838 for ; Tue, 16 Nov 1999 13:03:27 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA27458 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 16 Nov 1999 10:34:39 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bf3048$3051a9a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Assessing Beef Tenderness Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 10:35:09 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 67 NEWS RELEASE: Scientists Take Guesswork Out of Assessing Beef Tenderness ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov November 16, 1999 ----------- CLAY CENTER, Neb., Nov. 16-Beef carcasses that will yield steaks with above- average tenderness can be identified with about 94 percent accuracy using a testing system developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists. "The new system will enable meat packers to accurately sort carcasses and market them at prices commensurate with their tenderness," said ARS Administrator Floyd Horn. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Until now a savvy supermarket shopper's best chance of getting a steak that would cook up tender and tasty was to pick one well marbled with tiny flecks of fat. But the scientists, at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, found that marbling accounts for only about 10 percent of variation in beef ribeye tenderness. In market research at several retail grocery stores in Kansas, MARC scientists and their collaborators learned just how much people crave a scrumptious steak. The researchers found that 51 percent of consumers were willing to pay an average of $1.84 more per pound for a steak that had been rated as tender. Under the MARC classification system, a ribeye steak is taken from a chilled carcass, trimmed and cooked. Then a sample is sheared and measured for tenderness with an electronic testing machine that supplies data to a computer. A computerized image analysis of the 1-inch thick ribeye provides an estimate of how many pounds of retail beef the carcass will yield after bones are removed and fat is trimmed. At least five meat processing companies are considering adopting the system. Small and mid-sized beef packers could easily adapt this technology to their normal operations, says ARS animal physiologist Mohammad Koohmaraie, who heads the MARC Meats Research Unit. Further automation would allow high volume operators to sort up to 400 carcasses per hour without interfering with standard carcass processing rates. While the MARC system may make pricing more rational as beef moves from packing plants to supermarkets, it could also improve marketing efficiency and production back down on the farm, Koohmaraie says. Live animals with tags or some other form of identification can be matched with data from the computerized image analysis. The information can be conveyed to feedlot managers, helping them better master efficient ways to produce quality beef that's not overly fat. And cattle breeders can use the information to improve the genetics of their herds. "We've found that about 30 percent of the variation in beef ribeye tenderness can be ascribed to heredity, which may involve expression of many genes," says Koohmaraie. Because each gene's contribution is minor compared to environmental factors, identifying gene combinations that produce tenderness would have been nearly impossible when researchers conducted only classical inheritance studies. But now MARC scientists are refining the cattle genome map to make the task doable. An article about the research appears in the November issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/beef1199.htm The market research on tenderness was partly funded by public and private grants obtained through the Research Institute on Livestock Pricing at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Blacksburg, Va. Details on the consumer preferences can be accessed from: http://www.aaec.vt.edu/rilp/publications.html ---------- Scientific contact: Mohammad Koohmaraie, ARS Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Neb., phone (402) 762-4222, fax (402) 762-4149, koohmaraie@email.marc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Nov 17 12:07:28 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA11712 for ; Wed, 17 Nov 1999 12:07:23 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29451 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 17 Nov 1999 09:59:53 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001a01bf310c$7ee88740$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Calcium in Green Beans Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 10:00:32 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 68 STORY LEAD: With Green Beans, Less Water Means More Calcium ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, jdequatt@asrr.arsusda.gov November 17, 1999 ----------- Some green beans outdo others as a source of bone-building calcium. The difference, according to researchers, can depend on how much water flows through the plants. When it comes to getting calcium from the diet, most people think first of milk. But green beans are good sources too. Scientists at the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas, compared calcium content in six bean varieties. The top performer, Hystyle, was also the stingiest water user. The Houston center is a joint venture of Baylor College of Medicine and the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. The Houston scientists focus on how foods can better nourish children--and new mothers and their babies. Calcium is especially important for children when their bones are growing. Dairy products are excellent calcium sources. Beans and other veggies can also provide a substantial portion of requirements. And these foods could play a bigger role for children who can't tolerate milk sugar. In the Houston study, the Hystyle green beans had about double the calcium content of a variety called Labrador. The reason? Hystyle is better at conserving water, according to plant physiologists Michael Grusak and Kirk Pomper. Water dilutes calcium moving through a bean plant, reducing the amount reaching pods. Tiny pores called stomates open and close to control the speed at which water enters and leaves a plant. This action is genetically and environmentally controlled. Overall transpiration in Hystyle was about half that of Labrador. The lower transpiration meant higher calcium concentrations in Hystyle's xylem stream. The xylem transports liquid and mineral nutrients from roots to shoots, somewhat as a person's arteries carry oxygen-rich blood. A story about the research appears in the November issue of Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/beans1199.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Michael A. Grusak, ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, phone (713) 798-7044, fax (713) 798- 7078, mgrusak@bcm.tmc.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Nov 19 10:20:58 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA04951 for ; Fri, 19 Nov 1999 10:20:55 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA29992 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 19 Nov 1999 08:25:00 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004501bf3291$a35274c0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Tropical Corn as a Sorghum Alternative Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 08:03:47 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 69 STORY LEAD: Cattle Have a Hankering for Tropical Corn ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov November 18, 1999 ----------- Tropical corn from Mexico and Central America could become an alternative cattle feed to sorghum in the southern United States. Dairy cows and steers alike seem to prefer it over sorghum, based on studies by the Agricultural Research Service. And it yields about 87 percent more dry matter than sorghum, making each acre more productive. In the studies, dairy cows ate so much more tropical corn silage that their milk production increased 10 to 20 percent over sorghum. Silage is a fermented, moist feed for wintertime. Tropical corn silage also appealed to steers. Tests of its nutritional value showed it to be slightly less digestible than forage-type sorghum. But the steers ate more of the tropical corn, evening out the digestibility difference, according to ARS plant physiologist Joseph C. Burns in Raleigh, N.C. Farmers usually plant sorghum when it gets too wet or too late in the season to plant temperate corn. Tropical corn is a good alternative because it grows well in heat and tolerates insects well. Tropical corn works best in the southern United States, where long days and a long growing season substitute for its native climate. Its season: Plant in June, harvest in October. Farmers would make and store tropical corn silage in October. In the corn stubble, they'd plant winter wheat or barley for ensiling late the following spring. Alternating tropical corn and the winter crop would protect the ground from erosion and give cows two quality feeds. ARS plans to work with a university economist to see if this approach would produce extra money for farmers. If so, it might become an even more attractive alternative to sorghum. Southeast farmers now plant about 60,000 acres of tropical corn. A story about tropical corn appears in the November Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/corn1199.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Joseph C. Burns, ARS Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C., phone (919) 515-7599, fax (919) 515-7959, jburns@cropserv1.cropsci.ncsu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Sat Nov 20 00:03:06 1999 -0500 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id AAA19900 for ; Sat, 20 Nov 1999 00:03:06 -0500 (EST) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id XAA12112 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Fri, 19 Nov 1999 23:23:27 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from mail.pcsia.com (mail.pcsia.com [206.162.14.3]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id XAA12013 for ; Fri, 19 Nov 1999 23:23:22 -0500 (EST) From: mmiller@pcsia.com Received: from buzz-off (unverified [206.162.14.70]) by mail.pcsia.com (Vircom SMTPRS 4.0.179) with SMTP id for ; Fri, 19 Nov 1999 22:21:10 -0600 Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.19991119220709.007cd4f0@pcsia.net> X-Sender: mmiller@pcsia.net (Unverified) X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 22:07:09 -0600 To: Subject: Radiation Resistant Bacteria From "Sterilized" Meat Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 70 Below is part of the post at http://ens.lycos.com/ens/nov99/1999L-11-19-09.html This is amazing and a tribute to the adapability of bacteria. 1,500,000 rads of gamma radiation can't kill this stuff. Sure hope it never shares plasmid dna for this trait with E coli and other types of bacteria found in the meat before the radiation treatment. Mike Miller RADIATION RESISTANT BACTERIA COULD ADVANCE MEDICINE, WASTE CLEANUPS ROCKVILLE, Maryland, November 19, 1999 (ENS) - The complete genetic code of the world’s most radiation resistant organism - the bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans - has been detailed by Department of Energy (DOE) funded researchers at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR). This strain of pink bacteria can survive 1.5 million rads of gamma irradiation - 3,000 times the amount that would kill a human. That dose of radiation shreds the bacteria’s genome into hundreds of pieces. The organism’s ability to repair this DNA damage in a day and go on living offers researchers clues to the mechanisms of cellular repair. Advances in this area could improve the understanding of cancer, which can be caused by unrepaired DNA damage. Genetically engineering the microbe could lead to improved ways to clean up pollution and to new industrial processes. "This is a significant accomplishment," Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said. "Besides the insights into the way cells work, this new research may help provide a new safe and inexpensive tool for some of the nation’s most difficult cleanup challenges." D. radiodurans was first isolated in 1956 from samples of canned meat thought to be sterilized by gamma radiation. "We anticipate a terrific boost for industrial and environmental microbiology," said TIGR president Claire Fraser. "D. radiodurans is readily manipulated in the lab, so new functions can be introduced into its genome. We foresee its use for novel industrial processes that most bacteria cannot survive." The research is published in the November 19 issue of the journal "Science," a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 22 10:22:51 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA05802 for ; Mon, 22 Nov 1999 10:22:46 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA07602 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 22 Nov 1999 08:28:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <027d01bf34ed$a212d560$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Guayule Latex Blocks Viruses Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 08:15:25 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 71 STORY LEAD: Shrub-Derived Latex Products Block Viruses, Bacteria ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov November 22, 1999 ----------- Surgical gloves, condoms or other products made from the natural rubber latex of a southwestern desert shrub called guayule are an effective barrier against disease-causing bacteria and viruses. That's according to preliminary tests with the high-quality, hypoallergenic latex made from guayule (pronounced why-YOU-lee). The research was done by Katrina Cornish of USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Albany, Calif., and C. David Lytle, recently retired from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The tests provide new evidence that medical, home and industrial products made from guayule latex may offer a safe, practical alternative for the estimated 20 million Americans allergic to latex products made from the most common source, the Brazilian rubber tree. Prototype patient-examination gloves and condoms made of guayule latex passed standard virus-permeability tests, according to the scientists. Those tests determined that a test virus, especially chosen for its small size, could not slip through the guayule latex. Known as phi X174, the virus is smaller than bacteria and is the same size, or smaller than, human pathogenic viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and herpes simplex. The prototype gloves and condoms used for the tests were made of latex from Arizona-grown guayule. They were the same thickness as commercially produced gloves and condoms made of natural latex from the Brazilian rubber tree. The findings will appear in the December 5 issue of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. In 1994, Cornish's team was the first to show that guayule latex is free of the allergens that can cause severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock or even death. ---------- Scientific contact: Katrina Cornish, Crop Improvement and Utilization Research Unit, ARS Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan St., Albany, CA 94710; phone (510) 559-5950, fax (510) 559-5777, kcf@pw.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 22 17:32:33 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA15563 for ; Mon, 22 Nov 1999 17:32:32 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA04077 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 22 Nov 1999 15:29:20 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001b01bf3528$590ab0a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Issue of Healthy Animals Now Online Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 15:29:58 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 72 STORY LEAD: New Issue of Healthy Animals Now Online ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov November 22, 1999 ----------- The second issue of "Healthy Animals" is now online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ha This online newsletter compiles Agricultural Research Service news and expert resources on the health and well-being of agricultural animals and fish. The current issue highlights ARS research on transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases, like scrapie of sheep and goats and chronic wasting disease of elk and deer. Web browsers may want to bookmark the site as a resource for locating animal health experts. An index lists ARS research locations covering about 70 animal health topics. These range from specific diseases, such as Lyme disease, to broad subjects like nutrition, parasites and vaccines. The site also provides complete contact information for the more than 25 ARS research groups that conduct studies aimed at protecting and improving farm animal health. Each quarter, one article in "Healthy Animals" focuses on a particular element of ARS animal research, such as ARS' approach to tackling TSEs. To receive quarterly announcements of each new issue's arrival online, contact Kathryn Barry Stelljes, ARS Information, at (510) 559-6069 or by e-mail at stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Nov 23 12:29:50 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA04347 for ; Tue, 23 Nov 1999 12:29:50 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01739 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 23 Nov 1999 09:54:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf35c2$cc0b8da0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Bromelain--Health Food for Bessie, Too Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 09:55:34 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 73 STORY LEAD: Bromelain--Health Food for Bessie, Too ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov November 23, 1999 ----------- Dairy producers could benefit from an enzyme supplement--for their cows. Bromelain helps keep the white cell count in cows' milk down in the range that fetches a premium price, according to a recent Agricultural Research Service study. Many commercial dairy cows lumber along with chronic infections of the mammary glands that push up the number of white blood cells in their milk, especially during the dog days of summer. U.S. dairy producers get an extra 20 cents per 100 pounds for milk having a cell count under a specified level. That level ranges from about 200,000 to 300,000 cells per milliliter, depending on which state tests the milk. Producers can't sell milk with cell counts above the legal limit. In the U.S., that's 750,000 cells/ml. Canada and Europe have lower limits--500,000 and 400,000, respectively. In the study, 75 grams of bromelain pellets daily in each cow's feed reduced cell counts by 100,000 on average during each of two trials. What's more, cell counts never surpassed the legal U.S. or Canadian limits when the cows got bromelain, as they sometimes did when left untreated. The findings mean that with bromelain, producers could have more days with cell counts in the premium price range--under 300,000. Bromelain is a mix of enzymes extracted from the stems of pineapple plants. It's sold in health food stores under claims that it combats heart disease, arthritis and many other maladies. In animals, it appears to reduce inflammation by interfering with the synthesis of prostaglandins and other inflammatory substances, according to ARS dairy scientist Max Paape in Beltsville, Md. Paape tested bromelain, supplied by Tokyo manufacturer Ajinomoto Co., Inc., on 10 cows having average cell counts a little over 300,000. Read more about the study in the November issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/bossy1199.htm ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Max J. Paape, ARS Immunology and Disease Resistance Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8302, fax (301) 504-9498, mpaape@lpsi.barc.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Nov 24 13:46:36 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA27055 for ; Wed, 24 Nov 1999 13:46:35 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11391 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 24 Nov 1999 09:57:57 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001301bf368c$5f521740$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: USDA Picks Vegetables for the Hungry Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 09:58:29 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 74 STORY LEAD: USDA Picks Vegetables for the Hungry ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov November 24, 1999 ----------- As the holiday season approaches, thoughts turn not only to gift shopping but to the needy. In that spirit, dozens of U.S. Department of Agriculture employees gathered last month to pick 550 pounds of green beans to feed the hungry. The beans came from research fields at the Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center (BARC), operated by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. It was part of the department's annual Food Recovery and Gleaning Initiative. This year's program, called "Building Partnerships to End Hunger," runs through Dec. 16. As part of USDA's food drive, employees picked vegetables from ARS' Beltsville research plots to provide food for programs such as Food for Others and the Washington Area Gleaning Network Service (WAGNS). ARS labs at other locations are also involved in gleaning efforts with local groups in their communities. In addition to providing vegetables for the food drive, USDA's gleaning program operates continuously throughout the year, offering fresh produce to various local programs. At Beltsville, over 60,000 pounds of potatoes, tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, cantaloupe, squash, cucumbers and apples were picked and donated this year. It is estimated that over 110,000 pounds of produce will be donated by year-end. Volunteer pickers at Beltsville include incoming first-year students from the University of Maryland's Scholars Group, middle-school science students and teachers, and members of Girl Scout troops. Food for Others, based in Fairfax, Va., feeds as many as 700 people each night at 15 sites in Northern Virginia and supplies food to about 50 other organizations in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Local grocery stores provide bags for the effort. Throughout the year, USDA also allows WAGNS to harvest surplus vegetables for distribution. WAGNS distributes the harvested bounty to the Capital Area Community Food Bank in Washington; Maryland Food Bank, Inc.; and soup kitchens, shelters and housing projects in the Baltimore-Washington region. The Capital Area Community Food Bank redistributes the food to about 950 feeding programs. Other gleaning activities at ARS labs nationwide include: The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Fargo, N.D., donated unused surplus food products to the Grand Forks Mission, which serves 5,000-5,500 meals monthly, mostly to the homeless community. The Avian Disease and Oncology Research Unit, East Lansing, Mich., donates about 10,000 eggs from healthy chickens to the Greater Lansing Food Bank each year. The Sugarbeet and Bean Research Lab in East Lansing harvested, cleaned and donated dry beans to the Greater Lansing Food Bank. The Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, W.Va., donated 2,000 bushels of fruit to the Jefferson County School Board, State Cooperative Extension Service, Shepherd College and the Veterans Administration Hospital. The New England Plant, Soil and Water Laboratory, Orono, ME., provided 300 pounds of potatoes to the Bangor, ME., soup kitchen, Manna. The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., donated about 700 pounds of potatoes to the Peoria Food Shelter Friendship House this year. The ARS Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center, Weslaco, Texas, donates tons of produce to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc., McAllen, Texas, each year. This year's total: 1,580 pounds of tomatoes, 1,196 pounds of chili peppers, 1,975 pounds of bell peppers, and 18,000 pounds (estimated) of fresh citrus fruit (grapefruit, oranges and tangerines). The center's web site has a link to information on the gleaning program. The main page is at: http://rsru2.tamu.edu For more information about national organizations, their affiliates and independent groups in food recovery and gleaning, contact John Van De Vaarst of ARS at (301) 504-5664. ---------- Contact: Sharon Durham, ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2212a, Beltsville, MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax (301) 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Nov 26 09:39:53 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA22701 for ; Fri, 26 Nov 1999 09:39:52 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA13247 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 26 Nov 1999 08:06:10 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001d01bf380f$233983e0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Honeysuckle Fragrances for Moth Control Date: Fri, 26 Nov 1999 07:54:50 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 75 STORY LEAD: Japanese Honeysuckle Fragrances Could Help Control Moth Pests ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov November 26, 1999 ----------- Natural compounds released by flowers of the Japanese honeysuckle could give scientists a new arsenal of tools to monitor or combat a variety of moth pests. Many species of Lepidopteran moths such as corn earworm and cabbage looper are crop pests during their larval, wormlike stage. Each year, these pests cost U.S. farmers nearly $2 billion in losses and chemical control costs. In many areas, these pests have become resistant to conventional insecticides and natural controls such as Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. Agricultural Research Service scientists at the South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Lane, Okla., have discovered and patented volatiles from the flowers of night-blooming Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica. These compounds are effective attractants for a variety of important adult moth pests. The ARS scientists also found that cis-jasmone, alone or with other floral volatiles from the honeysuckle flowers--particularly linalool and phenylacetaldehyde--attract both sexes of these insect pests. Currently, most moth monitoring systems use sex pheromones as baits for one gender- -usually male pests. To attract both sexes, the honeysuckle volatiles could be combined with the sex pheromones or other agents such as feeding stimulants or insect toxins. Recently, ARS signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Trécé, Inc., Salinas, Calif., to study and test the honeysuckle compounds as the basis for safer and more effective strategies for controlling and monitoring moth pests. Trécé scientists will analyze the compounds and develop formulations for commercially monitoring and controlling a broad range of moth pests. ARS and Trécé will work together to screen the formulas and evaluate final selections in field tests. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Sam D. Pair, ARS South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Lane, Okla., phone (580) 889-7395, fax (580) 889-5783, spair-usda@lane-ag.or. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Nov 29 10:33:20 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA00291 for ; Mon, 29 Nov 1999 10:33:20 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA02722 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 29 Nov 1999 07:23:02 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002401bf3a64$a0b01c60$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Keeping E. coli out of Drinking Water Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 07:16:51 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 76 STORY LEAD: Keeping E. coli, Parasites Out of Drinking Water ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov November 29, 1999 ----------- Last summer, about 1,000 county fair goers in upstate New York had symptoms that were either suspected or confirmed as being caused by infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria. The likely source was drinking well water contaminated by animal manure in rain runoff. Earlier incidents such as this had prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin a food safety and water quality project in 1996. The project was recently expanded to include several of USDA's Agricultural Research Service laboratories. As a result, microbiologist Daniel R. Shelton will track the movement of E. coli and the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum in "rainwater" flowing down the sides of artificial hills called soil lysimeters. Shelton is with the ARS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. The "rain" is actually water sprayed from a unique ARS-designed flexible boom that hugs the slope, ensuring that water droplets all fall an equal distance. The 15-foot-high soil lysimeters are about 40 feet wide by 70 feet long and lined with plastic. This year, Shelton studied soil water movement. Next, he'll add C. parvum eggs to applied manure. Instead of E. coli O157:H7, he'll trace benign E. coli strains. He will also test how well grass strips filter out pathogens. This study is a prelude to larger scale studies that will be done in Beltsville and on a Pennsylvania dairy farm. An article about the research appears in the November issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov99/track1199.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Daniel R. Shelton, ARS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6582, fax (301) 504-7976, dshelton@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Nov 30 12:47:35 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA23878 for ; Tue, 30 Nov 1999 12:47:35 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA13517 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 30 Nov 1999 10:22:09 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001201bf3b46$b94ddae0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Methyl Bromide Alternative Boosts Citrus Trade Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 10:22:31 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 77 STORY LEAD: Methyl Bromide Alternative Boosts Citrus Trade ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov November 30, 1999 ----------- Attractive navel oranges may remain standard fare in holiday gift packs after a new, chemical-free insect quarantine treatment becomes widely used as an alternative to fumigating citrus with methyl bromide. Agricultural Research Service scientists at Weslaco, Texas, developed the alternative. Citrus is exposed to forced hot air. The center of each fruit quickly reaches a temperature of 111 degrees Fahrenheit and remains at that temperature long enough to exterminate infesting fruit flies. The new alternative treatment was developed at the newly named Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center to be dedicated today. The center includes a new 24,000-square-foot building. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ARS Associate Administrator Edward B. Knipling and other officials are scheduled to attend today's building dedication and renaming in honor of former Rep. Kika de la Garza. Based upon this research, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service last year approved use of forced hot air treatments for grapefruit, tangerines and thin-skinned Valencia oranges. This year navel oranges were added to the list. Now, an APHIS-certified forced hot air chamber owned by a cooperative of growers in Mexico is being used to treat up to eight tons of navel oranges at a time. A U.S. produce grower and distributor, Rio Queen Citrus, located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, is importing heat-treated oranges and tangerines from Mexico into the U.S. for domestic sales. U.S. distributors exported about 1.18 million tons of citrus in fiscal year 1998, with the majority of fruit grown in areas where treatments are required to insure the fruit is free of fruit flies. Why may the use of forced hot air treatment become the quarantine treatment of choice? Though citrus treatments involving methyl bromide remain exempt from an international program for phasing out the fumigant, the citrus industry anticipates the fumigant's cost will increase as less is manufactured. Also, unlike methyl bromide, which may cause the fruit skin to develop a bronze color, the hot forced air treatment causes no impairment to fruit quality. It has even been shown to help protect the citrus from green mold spoilage during transport and marketing. ---------- Scientific contacts: Robert L. Mangan and Krista C. Shellie, ARS Kika De La Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center, Weslaco, Texas, phone (956) 565-2647, fax 565-6652, mangan@pop.tamu.edu and kshellie@pop.tamu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Dec 1 13:07:48 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA19041 for ; Wed, 1 Dec 1999 13:07:47 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA09214 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 1 Dec 1999 10:10:39 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf3c0e$4fcb5e80$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Research Accomplishments Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 10:11:01 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 78 STORY LEAD: ARS Research Accomplishments: The Past Is Prelude to the Future ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov December 1, 1999 ----------- Since 1953, when the Agricultural Research Service was established as USDA's chief scientific arm, ARS scientists have conducted thousands of research projects. Many of the projects have improved life for Americans and others around the world. This century's final issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine lists the top 15 ARS research accomplishments, as chosen by the magazine staff and the ARS National Program Staff. Some of the discoveries and technologies, such as frozen food techniques, have helped build multi-million and even multi-billion dollar industries. Others, like cryogenic seed preservation, may have huge significance for breeding crops for the world's food supply. Other entries on the top 15 list: * Discovery of phytochrome--the pigmented protein that regulates plant growth in response to light--has led to major progress in understanding how plants biosynthesize complex carbohydrates. * Sterile insect release technology means mass-releasing lab-sterilized male insects to mate--fruitlessly--with fertile females. This makes pest populations crash. It has transformed control strategies for some insect pests, such as screwworms and Mediterranean fruit flies, from sole reliance on chemicals. * Sperm-sexing technology allows sex of farm animals to be predetermined by separating female-producing X-chromosome sperm from male-producing Y-chromosome sperm. * Research leading to eradication of several animal diseases including vesicular exanthema, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis, Avian influenza, sheep scabies, exotic Newcastle disease and hog cholera. * Discovery of DEET, a chemical that repels deer ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers and fleas. DEET is the active ingredient in more than 35 commercial repellents. ARS research has also led to better soil management, improved use of fertilizers, enhanced strains of seed, advanced controls of crop diseases and weeds and superior methods of harvesting and storing farm products and transporting them to market. Agency research has also increased understanding of nutritional needs of the elderly, infants and other special groups. The magazine's top 15 list can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/accomp1299.htm ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Dec 2 13:17:44 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA15467 for ; Thu, 2 Dec 1999 13:17:43 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA16047 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 2 Dec 1999 09:55:11 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf3cd5$4ea378e0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Genetically Improving U.S. Cattle Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 09:55:39 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 79 STORY LEAD: Genetically Improving U.S. Cattle--The Future Builds on the Past ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov December 2, 1999 ----------- The future of the milk industry may be greatly influenced by animal geneticist Curtis P. Van Tassell's research. The Agricultural Research Service scientist's project aims to produce healthier cows, greater profits for farmers and higher-quality milk for consumers. Van Tassell's work brings together two key ARS labs in Beltsville, Md.--the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL) and the Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory (GEML). He will integrate newly identified molecular markers with existing data sources to determine how to raise the accuracy of evaluated traits in dairy cattle, thus increasing their rate of genetic improvement. Researchers at the AIPL keep tabs on traits such as milk, fat, protein and other traits that affect cows' health, vigor and profitability. They estimate the genetic merit of more than 16 million dairy cows from data obtained since 1960 through industry-wide dairy production testing and record-keeping systems, and through breed registry societies. Scientists at the GEML study genes related to growth, disease resistance and productivity of the mammary gland. They also use gene-mapping techniques to gain more knowledge of the structure of dairy cows' genome, and develop technology to select animals based on true genetic merit. So far, they've studied 105 of the more than 1,000 genetic markers for cattle that researchers have discovered. As a result of research at both labs, individual genes influencing important traits like mastitis resistance, milk, fat and protein concentrations will be easier to identify and use in breeding decisions. Using the genetic markers in evaluating cattle can accelerate the rate of genetic improvement for milk production and other economically important traits, such as health and longevity. A story about the research appears in the December issue of Agricultural Research magazine and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/cows1299.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Curtis P. Van Tassell, ARS Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-9271, fax (301) 504-8092, curtvt@aipl.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Dec 3 11:59:48 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA08845 for ; Fri, 3 Dec 1999 11:59:44 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA19400 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:54:59 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bf3d9e$71860980$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Managing Rosette in Blackberries Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:55:29 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 80 STORY LEAD: Managing Rosette in Blackberries Helps Small Farmers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 3, 1999 ----------- New strategies for controlling rosette disease in blackberries could open a new fruit market for small farmers. Rosette, or double blossom, is one of the most severe fungal diseases of blackberries grown in the southeastern United States. Many crops fall prey to this disease, which reduces yields and fruit quality. Plant pathologist Barbara J. Smith has found a way to control the disease using a modified fungicide spray schedule. Smith is with the Agricultural Research Service's Small Fruit Research Station in Poplarville, Miss. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency To control rosette, growers have been using information from the 1930s. This information is outdated, since new cultivars have been developed and the disease itself has changed since then. Smith has found the most effective way to control rosette is to apply four fungicide applications at a 10-14 day interval beginning about six weeks before berries ripen and continuing until three days before harvest. She also recommends a fifth application immediately after harvest. Many farmers have been disappointed with fungicidal control of rosette, because they thought spraying would control the disease in that year's crop. But that's not the case; fungicides applied this year help control next year's rosette problem. The most effective fungicide tested for controlling rosette, caused by the fungus Cercosporella rubi, is benomyl. Few fungicides are registered and available for controlling blackberry diseases. Smith plans to evaluate some new fungicides and is also looking more closely at the pathogen and how it infects the fruit. Rosette disease is one of the major reasons southeastern farmers don't grow this specialty crop, which could yield $3,000 to $4,000 an acre. Overcoming this disease offers a high-value crop that costs less to establish than strawberries and blueberries. ---------- Scientific contact: Barbara J. Smith, ARS Small Fruit Research Station, Poplarville, Miss., phone (601) 795-8751, fax (601) 795-4965, bjsmith@ag.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Dec 6 14:19:30 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id OAA09254 for ; Mon, 6 Dec 1999 14:19:30 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11741 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 6 Dec 1999 09:53:47 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf3ff9$c5f900a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Crop for a New Millennium Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 09:54:18 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 81 STORY LEAD: Midwest Farmers Get a New Crop for a New Millennium ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov December 6, 1999 ----------- Farmers in the next millennium may plant new crops on land where corn and soybeans once grew, thanks to cooperative research efforts of Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University researchers. Getting new crops into greater use tomorrow hinges on developing products and markets for their oil and fiber today, according to Thomas P. Abbott, leader of new crops research at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill. ARS chemist Bliss S. Phillips and other Peoria researchers are processing cuphea's seed into oil and developing coproducts to help create markets for the oil, which is rich in medium-chain triglycerides such as lauric and capric acid. Industrial oils made from these acids are valuable to the United States because they can replace others made from imported palm kernel and coconut oil. Lauric acid is used in foods--mostly vegetable shortenings--as a defoaming agent and a booster for soaps and detergents. Until now, domesticating cuphea has been hindered by problems with seed shattering, stickiness and dormancy. These problems have been overcome by Oregon State University plant breeder Steven J. Knapp. He has genetically redesigned cuphea in work that was funded, in part, by ARS. Phillips is helping midwestern farmers plant the new generation of cuphea plants with traditional farm equipment. This should help smooth the way for farmers to plant cuphea in rotation with corn and soybeans every three years. The benefit: cuphea can help disrupt the life cycle of corn rootworms-- pests that account for more pesticide use on U.S. row crops than any other insect. Corn rootworms can cost up to $1 billion a year in control and yield losses. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A story about the development of other new crops for future planting by Midwest farmers can be found in the December issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/crop1299.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas P. Abbott, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61604, phone (309) 681-6533, fax (309) 681-6524, abbottt@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Dec 7 12:04:15 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA00177 for ; Tue, 7 Dec 1999 12:04:10 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA05015 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 7 Dec 1999 09:39:49 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf40c0$faa55160$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Mite-Resistant Honey Bees Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 09:40:14 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 82 STORY LEAD: Scientists Comb Hives for Mite-Resistant Honey Bees ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov December 7, 1999 ----------- Beekeepers can produce and maintain colonies of domesticated honey bees that are resistant to varroa mites, one of the insects' worst enemies, according to nearly five years of tests by Agricultural Research Service scientists in Tucson, Ariz. Varroa mites are eight-legged, blood-sucking parasites that have decimated hives of the domesticated honey bee, Apis mellifera, in nearly every state. Eric H. Erickson of the ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson led the Arizona study, in which about 190,000 bees were analyzed. The scientists populated three research apiaries with survivor bees from Arizona hives not treated with mite-killing chemicals called miticides. To see if the colonies would become naturally infested, the scientists kept the hives free of the miticides. Then, the researchers determined whether the bees had been attacked by mites. Colonies of susceptible bees were removed and replaced with progeny from the mite-tolerant colonies. The test hives averaged only 7 mites per 100 bees at the end of about four years of this selective breeding. In some years, some hives were mite free. The ARS experiment, reported in the December 1999 issue of the American Bee Journal, provides more evidence that beekeepers and breeders can keep hives relatively free of mites through selective breeding to populate apiaries with mite-tolerant stock. The scientists recommend that beekeepers regularly inspect their colonies for mite resistance and then select queens--for breeding--from the colonies with the lowest mite populations. Some beekeepers and breeders are already doing this. And scientists in Germany and Russia, for instance, have also found Apis mellifera hives that are naturally resistant to the mites. Erickson did the work with Anita H. Atmowidjojo of the University of Arizona and commercial beekeeper Lenard H. Hines of Sierra Vista, Ariz. According to Erickson, it is relatively easy to find varroa-tolerant colonies in commercial hives and to produce and maintain varroa-tolerant honey bees. Currently, miticides are the principal control. The new findings offer beekeepers another new option for strengthening their hives' mite resistance. What's more, ARS announced in August that mite-tolerant queens, descended from honey bees the agency imported from Russia, would be commercially available next year. ARS scientists in Baton Rouge, La., led by Thomas E. Rinderer, imported and tested the mite-tolerant Russian honey bees. The Agricultural Research Service is USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contacts: Eric H. Erickson, ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 200 East Allen Rd., Tucson, AZ 85719, phone (520) 670-6481, ext. 104, fax (520) 670-6493, eric@tucson.ars.ag.gov, and Thomas E. Rinderer, ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70820, phone (225) 767-9280, fax (225) 766-9212, trinderer@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Dec 8 12:51:44 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA21496 for ; Wed, 8 Dec 1999 12:51:44 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA18873 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 8 Dec 1999 10:12:02 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001801bf418e$a59aa480$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Possible Longer-Term Weather Forecasts Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 10:12:30 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 83 STORY LEAD: Preparing Farmers for Possible Longer-Term Weather Forecasts in Future ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov December 8 1999 ----------- Forecasts based on the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon might help farmers manage cold-weather crops like winter wheat. After analyzing 103 years of climate data, Agricultural Research Service scientists found evidence of higher winter wheat yields during El Niño's cool, wet winters and lower yields during La Niña's warm, dry winters. The current La Niña that began in the spring of 1998 suggests an increased probability of warm and dry conditions over the winter wheat belt in the coming months. The existence of this and other persistent and possibly predictable climate mechanisms lead some to believe that interseasonal climate prediction may be possible under certain circumstances. So, ARS atmospheric scientist Steven A. Mauget and soil physicist Dan R. Upchurch are studying if, where and how such predictions might be used by farmers. Mauget and Upchurch are in the ARS Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Unit at Lubbock, Tex. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These mechanisms are usually rooted in sea-surface temperature variability, so Mauget and Upchurch have turned to the ocean. They plan to search ocean temperature and air pressure records over the past century for clues to 12- and 20-year rainfall cycles observed over the Midwest. They want to see if they can isolate the source and test to see if the cycles are predictable. Finally, they'll test how farmers might best use the forecasts, using computer simulations to track a farming career with and without seasonal forecasts. An article about the research appears in a special December Millennium edition of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/odds1299.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Steven A. Mauget, ARS Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Unit, Lubbock, TX, phone (806) 749-5560, fax (806) 723-5272, smauget@lbk.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Dec 9 12:05:45 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA19341 for ; Thu, 9 Dec 1999 12:05:43 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15814 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:43:06 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001901bf4253$c3c13080$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Optimizing Profit and Desired Beef Traits Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:43:31 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 84 STORY LEAD: Researchers Help Cattle Breeders Optimize Profit and Desired Beef Traits ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov December 9, 1999 ----------- Tender steaks start with cattle breeders who carefully document numerous characteristics of their animals. They use this information to breed those animals with the "best" combination of desired traits. However, "best" has been a subjective and inconsistent measure, according to Agricultural Research Service geneticist Michael MacNeil. That slowed producers' ability to breed improved animals. Now, thanks to ARS research, breeders may refine their decision-making by focusing on profitability. MacNeil works at ARS' Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Mont. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To assess their animals, breeders keep track of growth traits, such as weights at birth, weaning, and yearling ages and at maturity. They also measure carcass traits such as marbling and fat content that are indicators of value to consumers. In addition, they record traits like the age when a female reaches puberty, and her pregnancy rate. Breed associations take the information, combine it with each animal's genetic tree and run it through a computer program to develop an expected progeny difference, or EPD. That lets breeders compare individual animals for individual traits. They would know, for example, that cow A was more likely to produce offspring with the desired marbling than cow B. But the process is not complete. Producers were left with the difficult task of combining the EPDs in an efficient manner. So MacNeil is improving the performance testing process by using the EPDs to predict genetic potential for profit. With his system, breeders will be able to know how to trade off changes in fat thickness and marbling, for example, most profitably. Breeders would also be able to rank animals more effectively. If there were 100 bulls for sale, breeders could rank them numerically to find the best bull for their purposes. The complicated calculations are not yet available in a simple computer program for individuals to use. Producers will most likely get the information through Cooperative Extension Service specialists or breed associations as the lab passes on the technology. This research is reported in the December issue of Agricultural Research magazine. View it online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/tech1299.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Michael D. MacNeil, ARS Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, Mont., phone (406) 232-8213, fax (406) 232-8209, mike@larrl.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Dec 10 11:15:13 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA24046 for ; Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:15:11 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15026 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:35:11 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf431b$d3b389c0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Thwarting Soda Apple Weed Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:35:37 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 85 STORY LEAD: Digging, Burning Thwart Soda Apple Weed ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 10, 1999 ----------- Other than herbicides, the best way to prevent the spread of the noxious weed tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum) is to remove the plant and burn it, Agricultural Research Service scientists report. Clipping or mowing the weed before it produces fruit is also effective. The tropical soda apple now covers about 1.5 million acres in the Southeastern United States, having been spread primarily by cattle, but also by deer and other wildlife. These animals love to eat the fruit. It passes through their digestive tract, and the seeds are then spread in the manure. The weed can be found growing in pastures, urban areas, vegetable crops and natural areas in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. It has also been found in Puerto Rico. For 32 sites in 13 counties in Mississippi, botanist Charles T. Bryson, with ARS' Southern Weed Science Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., provided information to landowners on how to dig up the tropical soda apple plants, bag them and burn them to ensure all plant parts are truly dead. The weed persisted at only six sites. But don't try to bake them in an oven or a microwave, because the plant and its fruit produce glycoalkaloids, a substance toxic to humans. The best cultural practice for homeowners is removing single plants by hand or clipping or mowing multiple plants. Mowing the weeds a couple of times early in the season helps prevent fruit and seed production. Homeowners can obtain 80-90 percent control by mowing every 45-60 days. Once the plant is full of fruit, however, Bryson cautions homeowners that seeds could spread by mowing. Homeowners should contact a county extension agent first to identify the weed and then eradicate it as soon as possible. Bryson is undertaking new research looking at biological control agents as a means to control this weed. ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Charles T. Bryson, ARS Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., phone (601) 686-5259, fax (601) 686-5422, cbryson@ag.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Dec 13 15:22:55 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id PAA13214 for ; Mon, 13 Dec 1999 15:22:55 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA15727 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 13 Dec 1999 11:19:30 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf4585$f76dd340$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Caterpillar Pests: Chew on This Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 11:20:03 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 86 STORY LEAD: Scientists to Caterpillar Pests: Chew on This ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 13, 1999 ----------- Chemical cues in the spit of tobacco budworm and corn earworm caterpillars cause plants to send out defensive signals when the caterpillars chew on them, Agricultural Research Service scientists have discovered. Small wasps, natural enemies of the caterpillars, then follow the defensive signals to find and sting the caterpillars. The larvae of these insect pests are a major problem in cotton crops, but also in corn, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, tobacco and peanuts. In laboratory studies at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology's Chemistry Research Unit in Gainesville, Fla., chemists James H. Tumlinson and Naoki Mori discovered the chemicals in the spit of the budworm (Heliothis virescens) and earworm (Heliocoverpa zea). This research builds on previous findings that beet armyworm caterpillars elicit a chemical "S.O.S." response in plants. Surprisingly, they found that budworms and earworms produce the same compounds that are present in the spit of beet armyworms. Oddly, plants are able to distinguish which insect is nibbling on their leaves and give off the proper distress signal to attract that insect's natural enemy. The scientists hope that by studying plant-insect interactions, they can develop plant varieties with more powerful chemical defenses against insect pests. Mori will present these findings at the Entomological Society of America's Annual Meeting to be held this week, December 12-16, in Atlanta, Ga. ---------- Scientific contacts: Naoki Mori or James H. Tumlinson, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Fla., phone (352) 374-5731, fax (352) 374-5781, jtumlinson@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Dec 14 08:24:45 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA23255 for ; Tue, 14 Dec 1999 08:24:44 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA03663 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 14 Dec 1999 07:00:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf462a$f9316d40$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Rebuilt Barley Gene May Stop Scab Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 07:01:22 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 87 STORY LEAD: Redesigned Barley Has Potential to Thwart Scab Disease ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov December 14, 1999 ----------- Agricultural Research Service scientists are "seeing spots" while redesigning barley using natural proteins with the potential to thwart a costly disease-causing fungus. Scab, caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, inflicts losses of more than a billion dollars to barley, wheat, oats, rye, and corn annually. Seeing spots in plants is a good sign that scientists can target the expression of genes in a specific area rather than in the whole plant. F. graminearum begins damaging barley in the leafy area surrounding the barley seed. ARS molecular biologist Ronald Skadsen in Madison, Wis., has cloned hordothionin, an antifungal protein gene found inside the barley kernel. Skadsen has demonstrated hordothionin's detrimental effect on the scab fungus. A postdoctoral scientist working with Skadsen developed a gene promoter, dubbed D5, to help target expression of hordothionin. This is a necessary step before inserting the antifungal gene, according to Skadsen. They attached a green fluorescent protein, called gfp, from a jellyfish to the D5 promoter. With a gene gun, they blasted the pair into the leafy area that surrounds the seed. Within a day, they saw hundreds of green spots, confirming that gfp was being expressed in the target area. Next, hordothionin will be added in place of the jellyfish gene. Next summer, transformed barley containing hordothionin will be checked for its ability to resist Fusarium. Skadsen discussed these research findings at the 1999 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum in Sioux Falls, S.Dak., Dec. 6-8. For more information about the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, go to its web site: http://www.scabusa.org ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Ronald W. Skadsen, ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, 501 Walnut St., Madison, WI 53705, telephone (608) 262-3672, fax (608) 264-5528, rskadsen@facstaff.wisc.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Dec 15 12:31:51 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA03105 for ; Wed, 15 Dec 1999 12:31:50 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA18774 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 15 Dec 1999 09:54:20 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf470c$4dae2020$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Boosting Uses for Fats, Oils Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 09:54:31 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 88 STORY LEAD: New Process Boosts Uses for Fats, Oils ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 15, 1999 ----------- A new enzyme-recycling method that could expand non-food uses for domestic animal fats and vegetable oils has been developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Enzymes are complex proteins that are nature's way of "making things happen" when it comes to carrying out specific chemical reactions in plants and animals. Researchers with ARS' Hides, Lipids and Wool Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pa., have applied for a patent (PATENT Application #O9-239,778) on their discovery. They have demonstrated the method using the enzyme lipoxygenase, which adds oxygen to fatty acids. Adding oxygen to fatty acids improves their properties, thus expanding their commercial uses. Currently, manufacturers rely on imported castor oil for making certain commercial materials. Castor oil is imported into the United States from South America, China and India. Using the ARS technology, it is now possible to produce castor-oil-type fatty acids from domestic fats and oils, instead of relying on imports. The main advantages of using enzymes in this way: They're more stable and can be used over and over again, which is more economical. Current processes rely on non-reusable enzymes that make the process more expensive. This technology allows manufacturers to improve the properties of domestic fats and oils for use in applications such as lubricants, greases, emulsifiers and plasticizers. The scientists have expanded this research to include other enzymes such as lipases, which are being used to convert oils, fats and restaurant greases into biodiesel fuels and lubricants. Biodiesel products are a renewable alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuels. ARS researchers are currently looking for industrial partners to further develop this technology commercially. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ---------- Scientific contacts: An-Fei C. Hsu and Thomas A. Foglia, ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Hides, Lipids and Wool Research Unit, Wyndmoor, Pa., phone (215) 233-6400, fax (215) 233-6795, ahsu@arserrc.gov, tfoglia@arserrc.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Dec 16 11:08:51 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA23822 for ; Thu, 16 Dec 1999 11:08:51 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA17727 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 16 Dec 1999 09:41:08 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501bf47d3$a464bc40$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Biofungicide Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 09:40:46 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 89 STORY LEAD: New Biofungicide Treats Apples and Oranges Alike ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov December 16, 1999 ----------- Apples and oranges are all the same to biofungicides. First introduced in the United States four years ago as a result of Agricultural Research Service patents, these nontoxic biological coatings are replacing synthetic chemicals for controlling rot- causing fungi on apples, pears and citrus after harvest. Now, ARS has signed an agreement with Micro-Flo Company of Memphis, Tenn., to finish development of the next generation of biofungicides for fruit packing houses. Micro-Flo expects to have a product on the market within two years. Unlike the earlier biofungicides, the new coating has a kickback effect. It stops fungi that already had a toehold on the fruit, according to ARS' Charles Wilson, who also developed one of the earlier products. Micro-Flo researcher Ahmed El Ghaouth is working with Wilson, who is at ARS' Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, W.Va. The new coating combines two bioactive substances with the yeast Candida saitoana. Innocuous to people, the yeast is a formidable competitor against the fungi that attack fresh fruits. The bioactive substances are chitosan--a naturally occurring fiber found in some weight-loss products--and a synthetic sugar used as a glucose substitute. Chitosan acts as a natural fungicide and turns on defensive enzymes in the fruit itself. It also forms a film on the fruit that holds in carbon dioxide, thus increasing shelf life. The synthetic sugar, on the other hand, tricks the fungi into perceiving it as food, but they can't use it. In several years of tests in commercial packing houses in California and Florida, the new biofungicide proved as effective against rot-causing fungi as the two leading synthetic fungicides. Under the new agreement, Micro-Flo and ARS scientists will optimize its formulation and fine tune its application. ARS is the chief scientific arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Charles L. Wilson, ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, 45 Wiltshire Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430, phone (304) 725-3451, ext. 330; fax (304) 728-2340, CWilson@afrs.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Dec 17 11:03:06 1999 -0500 EE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 90 >From ars-news-owner@sun.ars-grin.gov Fri Dec 17 11:03:06 1999 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA13921 for ; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 11:03:05 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15264 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 09:08:08 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000d01bf4897$e53ceca0$cdaf4dc6@jimquatt> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Bt Resistance is Top Research Proposal Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 08:59:39 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 2334 NEWS RELEASE: Genetic Map for Bt Resistance Is Top ARS Postdoc Award ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 17, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Dec. 17--Agricultural Research Service entomologist Douglas V. Sumerford has won an agency award for his research proposal to develop a genetic map to help identify insects that are becoming resistant to the natural insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Sumerford and his colleagues at the Southern Insect Management Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., have been monitoring insect populations in Bt-formulated crops that have been genetically modified to include pest resistance, making them an alternative to synthetic insecticides. Today, Bt crops are a major source of insect control. Over time, however, some insects can develop resistance to Bt and other insecticides, meaning more chemicals must be applied to achieve control. Sumerford won the T. W. Edminster Award for the top-ranked proposal out of 50 proposals selected by the Agricultural Research Service for its 2000 Postdoctoral Research Associate Program. The program provides postdocs an opportunity to work closely with an experienced researcher in their field. At the same time, postdocs get a chance to perform valuable research to help solve an agricultural problems. "The postdoctoral program helps us to allocate funds to critical research areas," said ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn. "It's tough picking a few, since all of the proposals are excellent and focus on solving key problems." ARS has allocated $4 million to fund 50 projects selected from a list of 350 submissions. Each ARS scientist whose proposal was accepted will receive $80,000 to hire a postdoc for two years of high- priority research. Aside from Sumerford's, other top proposals were from: Amy O. Charkowski with ARS' Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., to identify Salmonella enterica genes expressed by bacteria on plant tissue. Curtis P. Van Tassell at ARS' Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., to develop tools for mapping certain genes in dairy cattle. Camille M. Steber with the ARS Wheat Genetics, Quality Physiology and Disease Research Unit in Pullman, Wash., to develop a gene-tagging system to simplify cloning of wheat mutants. John P. Helgeson at ARS' Plant Disease Resistance Research Unit in Madison, Wis., to map and clone a gene for resistance to potato late blight. Theodore H. Elsasser with ARS' Growth Biology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., to determine the genetic basis for disease susceptibility in food animals. ---------- Contact: Edward B. Knipling, Associate Administrator, ARS, Washington, D.C., phone (202) 720-3656, fax (202) 720-5427. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ar From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Dec 17 11:03:06 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA13921 for ; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 11:03:05 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15264 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 17 Dec 1999 09:08:08 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000d01bf4897$e53ceca0$cdaf4dc6@jimquatt> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Bt Resistance is Top Research Proposal Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 08:59:39 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2919.6600 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 91 NEWS RELEASE: Genetic Map for Bt Resistance Is Top ARS Postdoc Award ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov December 17, 1999 ----------- WASHINGTON, Dec. 17--Agricultural Research Service entomologist Douglas V. Sumerford has won an agency award for his research proposal to develop a genetic map to help identify insects that are becoming resistant to the natural insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Sumerford and his colleagues at the Southern Insect Management Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., have been monitoring insect populations in Bt-formulated crops that have been genetically modified to include pest resistance, making them an alternative to synthetic insecticides. Today, Bt crops are a major source of insect control. Over time, however, some insects can develop resistance to Bt and other insecticides, meaning more chemicals must be applied to achieve control. Sumerford won the T. W. Edminster Award for the top-ranked proposal out of 50 proposals selected by the Agricultural Research Service for its 2000 Postdoctoral Research Associate Program. The program provides postdocs an opportunity to work closely with an experienced researcher in their field. At the same time, postdocs get a chance to perform valuable research to help solve an agricultural problems. "The postdoctoral program helps us to allocate funds to critical research areas," said ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn. "It's tough picking a few, since all of the proposals are excellent and focus on solving key problems." ARS has allocated $4 million to fund 50 projects selected from a list of 350 submissions. Each ARS scientist whose proposal was accepted will receive $80,000 to hire a postdoc for two years of high- priority research. Aside from Sumerford's, other top proposals were from: Amy O. Charkowski with ARS' Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., to identify Salmonella enterica genes expressed by bacteria on plant tissue. Curtis P. Van Tassell at ARS' Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., to develop tools for mapping certain genes in dairy cattle. Camille M. Steber with the ARS Wheat Genetics, Quality Physiology and Disease Research Unit in Pullman, Wash., to develop a gene-tagging system to simplify cloning of wheat mutants. John P. Helgeson at ARS' Plant Disease Resistance Research Unit in Madison, Wis., to map and clone a gene for resistance to potato late blight. Theodore H. Elsasser with ARS' Growth Biology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., to determine the genetic basis for disease susceptibility in food animals. ---------- Contact: Edward B. Knipling, Associate Administrator, ARS, Washington, D.C., phone (202) 720-3656, fax (202) 720-5427. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Dec 20 09:35:55 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA16663 for ; Mon, 20 Dec 1999 09:35:55 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA03979 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 20 Dec 1999 07:57:33 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002601bf4ae9$f5276ba0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS & Industry Join to Thwart Food Pathogens Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 07:39:37 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 92 STORY LEAD: Collaboration to Help Thwart Food-borne Pathogens ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA December 20, 1999 Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov ----------- High-quality, fresh-cut melon and tomatoes that are free of microbial pathogens are the goal of Agricultural Research Service scientists and industry cooperators who have teamed up in a joint research project. Scientists at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center's Plant Science and Technology Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pa., have entered into a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with EPL Technologies, Inc., in Philadelphia, Pa. Retailers have long desired a way to produce fresh-cut tomatoes and melons safely, but haven't pursued this market due to product quality problems and food safety concerns caused by inadequate cold temperatures during distribution. Melons and tomatoes have been associated with food-borne illnesses from Salmonella contamination in the past. Salmonella heads the list as one of the most common causes of food-borne illnesses, with about 40,000 salmonellosis cases reported yearly, according to the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. ARS researchers have already developed improved methods for extending the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables. Under the agreement with EPL Technologies, they plan to develop novel methods for reducing or removing pathogenic bacteria from fresh-cut fruits. These methods should be friendly alternatives to common washing agents, such as chlorine, which are used to rid fresh-cut foods of microbial pathogens. Previous ARS studies and others have shown limitations with conventional washing and sanitizing agents in reducing microbes on fruit surfaces. This technology is needed in the fresh-cut market, which grows at a rate of 20 percent annually. Most of this growth, however, is in the fresh-cut vegetable market. This research should allow fresh-cut manufacturers to expand their markets and make healthy fresh-cut products available to a larger group. Successful introduction of these products will have a major impact on growers and shippers. ---------- Scientific contact: Gerald M. Sapers, USDA-ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Plant Science and Technology Research Unit, Wyndmoor, Pa., (phone) 215-233-6417, (fax) 215-233-6406, gsapers@arserrc.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Dec 21 12:32:17 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA07195 for ; Tue, 21 Dec 1999 12:32:17 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA02312 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 21 Dec 1999 10:18:44 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001001bf4bc6$b9bc5ac0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Johne's Disease Tool Now Patented Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 10:19:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 93 STORY LEAD: Johne's Disease Tool Now Patented ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov December 21, 1999 ----------- A diagnostic tool for identifying dairy cattle in the early stages of a costly disease has been patented by Agricultural Research Service scientists in Ames, Iowa. An article in the December millennium issue of Agricultural Research magazine highlights this and other ARS advances in animal research. The new test detects Johne's disease, which costs U.S. dairy producers more than $200 million annually. The newly patented gene probe is based on a genetic sequence discovered by ARS researchers. The probe can pinpoint Mycobacterium paratuberculosis--the organism that causes Johne's disease in dairy cattle--in blood, tissue and fecal samples. Using this genetic sequence and another previously discovered genetic sequence for M. paratuberculosis in a DNA-based test allows diagnosticians to accurately identify animals infected with the organism even in the early stages of infection. Current tests can detect the presence of an antibody, but it takes years before an infected animal's immune system produces antibodies to M. paratuberculosis. Early diagnosis is critical to eliminating the disease because the primary control method is removing infected animals from the herd. Infected animals often don't show signs of disease, but they can still pass the organism to healthy animals. Johne's is spread within and among dairy herds in three ways: by an infected cow passing the organism to an unborn fetus, by calves coming into contact with bacteria-laden manure, and by calves nursing an infected cow. The patent was issued to ARS microbiologist Judith H. Stabel at ARS' National Animal Disease Center in Ames and to Jay L.E. Ellingson, formerly with ARS. Other accomplishments cited in the article include: Advances in gene marker selection by scientists at ARS' Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. These advances will help researchers select genes that impart disease resistance as well as quality characteristics, such as size, reproductive capability or leanness. A way to predict which Holstein bulls will sire daughters more susceptible to mastitis, a bacterial infection that costs U.S. dairy producers more than $2 billion annually An automated chicken inspection system developed by a Beltsville, Md., researcher. The computerized system scans up to 140 birds a minute, alerting a human inspector with a red light to indicate that a particular bird warrants closer inspection. The payoff for this research: safer poultry products, with less Salmonella and Campylobacter. An oral vaccine for shipping fever developed by ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa. Commercialization of this vaccine is still about 3 years away, but it will help U.S. cattle producers cut losses that add up to more than $1 billion annually. ARS is USDA's chief research arm. A more detailed story on this research appears in Agricultural Research magazine, and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/agric1299.htm ---------- Scientific contact on Johne's disease: Judith H. Stabel, ARS Zoonotic Diseases Research, National Animal Disease Center, P.O. Box 70, Ames, IA, 50010, phone (515) 663-7304, fax (515) 663-7458, jstabel@nadc.ars.usda.gov. To contact other scientists whose work appears here, contact Linda McGraw, ARS Information Staff, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Dec 22 11:12:49 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA22121 for ; Wed, 22 Dec 1999 11:12:48 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA28676 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 22 Dec 1999 09:35:52 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf4c89$e7166ba0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Diatomaceous Earth As Alternative to Chemical Insecticides Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 09:36:15 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 94 STORY LEAD Natural Product Helps Insects "Bite the Dust" ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov December 22, 1999 ----------- Remnants from one of the oldest things on earth--diatomaceous earth (DE)--can help solve one of today's most pressing problems: finding safe alternatives to insecticides to control insects in homes and food processing facilities, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists. DE is dust made from the fossilized skeletons of microscopic aquatic plants. ARS researchers are testing new commercial DE products in laboratory studies. DE is non-toxic to humans, but it kills red flour beetles and confused flour beetles, two of the food processing industry's worst insect pests. DE disrupts the insects' exoskeleton or skin, causing the insects to die from rapid water loss. According to ARS entomologist Frank H. Arthur, DE could be an alternative to methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting fumigant scheduled to be phased out by 2005. Fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity can affect the performance of DE products used to control insects. Adult insects were exposed to DE at various temperatures (70, 80, and 90 degrees F) and relative humidities (40, 57, and 75 percent). Exposure to DE at 80 degrees F. and 57 percent relative humidity for two days killed all red flour beetles, but three days were required to kill 100 percent of the confused flour beetles. DE kills insects quicker at higher temperatures and at lower humidities. Arthur is based at ARS' Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kan. His research also focuses on alternatives to insecticides used in raw grain storage. While DE is a good alternative to chemical insecticides, Arthur stresses the importance of combining a product like this with good sanitation. ARS is the chief research agency for the USDA. ---------- Scientific contact: Frank H. Arthur, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kan., phone (785) 776-2783, fax (785) 776-2792, arthur@usgmrl.ksu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Dec 29 12:53:33 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA02415 for ; Wed, 29 Dec 1999 12:53:32 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA28461 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 29 Dec 1999 10:23:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001801bf5210$ebfc5440$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Tracking the Russian Wheat Aphid Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 10:22:48 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 95 STORY LEAD: Tracking the Spread of the Russian Wheat Aphid Goes High-Tech ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov December 29, 1999 ----------- Tracking the population dynamics of the Russian wheat aphid--one of the most highly mobile pests in the central Great Plains--is going high-tech. Agricultural Research Service scientists at Stillwater, Okla., extensively studied and modeled the pest in wheat and non- cultivated wheat areas to determine the effects of agroecosystem and landscape on its population dynamics. Now, they can evaluate and develop better field-monitoring methods for the aphid for use in ecological studies and integrated pest management systems. Since invading the United States in 1986, the green, 1/16-inch-long aphids have cost more than $850 million in insecticide and crop losses. While conventional breeding has produced aphid-resistant wheat varieties, they aren't yet widely grown and are not adapted to all areas where the aphids are pests. Now that the scientists know how the Russian wheat aphid develops new populations and have successfully developed simulation models predicting its within-site population dynamics, they're ready to extend modeling to landscape and regional scales. The state-of-the-art approach to understanding this pest's dynamics includes organizing and analyzing remotely sensed geographical data from LandSat, constructing descriptions of its habitat both in space and time, and meshing models of its population dynamics with areawide habitat data. To this end, they have obtained, classified, and collated LandSat, meteorological, and other pertinent data for seven states in the central Great Plains. The LandSat data provides timely, high-quality, visible and infrared images of all landmass and near-coastal areas. These images are used extensively to study global change, geology and forestry, as well as agriculture. The scientists' goal is to construct and validate a regional outbreak risk assessment system for the aphid. They'll use this model to analyze the feasibility of managing the pest areawide and predict risk of population outbreaks at broad geographical scales. ARS is the chief research agency of USDA. ---------- Scientific contact: Norman C. Elliott, ARS Plant Science and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, Stillwater, Okla., phone (405) 624-4141, fax (405) 624-4142, nelliott@pswcrl.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * For photos, media sources should contact ARS Photo Unit at (301) 504-1606 or arsphoto@asrr.arsusda.gov. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Dec 28 07:33:46 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id HAA18228 for ; Tue, 28 Dec 1999 07:33:45 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA09893 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 28 Dec 1999 06:13:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf5124$d5ee4ce0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Gene Marker for Flood-Tolerant Soybeans Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 06:13:08 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 96 STORY LEAD: Gene Marker for Flood-Tolerant Soybeans ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov December 28, 1999 ----------- A marker that points to genes responsible for flood tolerance in soybeans has been identified by an Agricultural Research Service scientist. ARS plant physiologist Tara T. VanToai, at the Soil Drainage Research Unit in Columbus, Ohio, reported that plants with the genetic marker had a 50 percent yield advantage after spending their flowering stage in waterlogged soil for two weeks. The two-year study involved 208 soybean lines. For confirmation, more plants will be field-tested in Arkansas and Ohio. Biotechnology advances have led breeders to use the markers, made of genetic material called DNA, for selecting promising plants. The markers are linked to genes for desired traits. Breeders look for the DNA marker in tissues taken from seedlings, without growing the plants any further. This avoids having to wait an entire growing season to screen a mature plant. VanToai is conducting other field and greenhouse tests to find soybean germplasm lines that contain additional genes for further yield increases in flooded fields. VanToai and colleagues from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, University of Utah at Salt Lake City, and Ohio State University at Columbus are doing the work jointly, as part of a national soybean genome mapping project partly funded by the United Soybean Board. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Tara T. VanToai, ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, Ohio, phone (614) 292-9806, fax (614) 292-9448, vantoai.1@osu.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Dec 27 11:29:13 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA08328 for ; Mon, 27 Dec 1999 11:29:12 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA05072 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 27 Dec 1999 09:45:42 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000a01bf5079$40d614e0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: CO2 Time Tunnel Points to Future Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 09:45:27 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 97 STORY LEAD: Time Tunnel Points to Future in High CO2 World ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov December 27, 1999 ----------- Higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere may be partly responsible for a worldwide increase in the displacement of grasslands by mesquite and other brushy weeds. The rise in CO2 levels matches this increase in brush--and the progress of the Industrial Age. That observation led U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists to build a "time tunnel" three years ago. It's actually two plastic-walled tunnels, with rangeland plants growing inside them. One tunnel goes from today's CO2 level of 350 parts per million to 2050's predicted 550 ppm. The second tunnel goes from the Ice Age level of 200 ppm to today's level. A tunnel study last year showed that higher CO2 levels caused plants to grow faster and use water more efficiently. This suggests that higher CO2 levels might be speeding brush invasions by allowing plants like mesquite to thrive on less water. Ecologists H. Wayne Polley and Hyrum B. Johnson, with USDA's Agricultural Research Service at the Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory at Temple, Tex., did the study with colleagues at ARS and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Temple. ARS is the chief scientific arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The time tunnel research is described in a special feature on the future of ARS natural resources research in the current millennium edition of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/farm1299.htm ---------- Scientific contact: H. Wayne Polley, ARS Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory, Temple, Tex., phone (254) 770-6629, fax (254) 770-6561, polley@brc.tamus.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Dec 30 08:03:21 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA03531 for ; Thu, 30 Dec 1999 08:03:16 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA27911 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 30 Dec 1999 06:19:37 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bf52b7$f46c6320$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Ag Research--Past, Present, Future Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1999 06:08:38 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 98 STORY LEAD: Top Scientists Point to Research Past, Present and Future ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, jdequattro@asrr.arsusda.gov December 30, 1999 ----------- In the special millennium issue of the Agricultural Research Service's monthly magazine, five of the agency's most renowned scientists speak about the history, promise and continuing challenges of agricultural science. All five are in the USDA research agency's Science Hall of Fame. Wilson A. Reeves had been with USDA seven years when ARS was created in 1953. "Most of us thought, 'we can do great things here,'" he says in the December issue of Agricultural Research. During his USDA career from 1946 to 1975, Reeves developed chemicals and techniques for giving cotton fabrics improved characteristics such as wrinkle and fire resistance. What if he were just now beginning his career? "If I was a young scientist," he says, "I would want to get into biotech. That's a specialization that can really help agriculture." According to R. James Cook, "What we're doing today in genetic engineering is quite crude compared to what we'll be able to do when we understand more about all plant genes, their function, and how they are expressed." Cook retired in 1998 after 33 years working to introduce biological control strategies against plant disease and design sustainable approaches for growing wheat with less tillage. "High-yield agriculture has long been associated with environmental devastation," Cook says. "But through genetics and management, we've moved closer to obtaining these yields with benign environmental consequences." "One exciting outgrowth of agricultural biotechnology," says Lyman B. Crittenden, "is the development of plants and animals that produce nontraditional products such as pharmaceuticals and plastics. This may result in novel products that are cheaper and more environmentally acceptable than could be produced by other manufacturing methods." At ARS from 1961 to 1989, Crittenden led development of the first transgenic chickens, gene engineered to prevent infection by certain virus strains. But, he cautions, "It is a temptation to adopt new methods just because they are high-tech, even though they may not have been shown to be better and more economical than traditional methods." What's crucial to the successful transfer of new research technology to farmers? "Local ownership of research programs and local participation in management," says Walter H. Wischmeier. At USDA from 1940 to 1976, he created the Universal Soil Loss Equation for predicting soil erosion. The USLE, used around the world, is a major basis for today's computer models that estimate how farming affects water quality. Another technology transfer success was the sterile insect release technique to suppress insect pests. Edward F. Knipling, with USDA from 1931 to 1973, pioneered the technique. It led to eradication of the screwworm from the U.S., Mexico and parts of Central America. Today it's used worldwide to eradicate outbreaks of other pests such as Mediterranean fruit flies. But many challenges remain. For example, says Knipling, "While virtually all of the major insect pests affecting agriculture are being controlled on a year-by-year basis, the threat that they pose for agriculture under the current farm-to-farm management procedure is as great as ever at the beginning of each crop-growing season." Instead, Knipling says, the objective should be "to manage the total populations of major insect pests on an areawide basis. The investment will be very low, compared with the economic and environmental benefits." The December issue of Agricultural Research magazine is on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99 ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Dec 23 09:31:05 1999 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA10426 for ; Thu, 23 Dec 1999 09:31:05 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA18071 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 23 Dec 1999 08:02:14 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001101bf4d46$1d49f9a0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: 21st Century Crop Research Challenges Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 07:43:08 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 99 STORY LEAD: Meeting Crop Research Challenges in the Next Century ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov December 23, 1999 ----------- Across the country, Agricultural Research Service scientists continue to explore new ways to make sure 21st century crops will meet humankind's voracious food, fiber and fuel needs. At ARS scientist Don Ort's Photosynthesis Research Lab, in Urbana, Ill., the effort begins with tweaking the biochemical machinery by which plants make their food. But not all plants carry out photosynthesis to their full potential. Soybeans, for example, rely on the enzyme rubisco to capture carbon dioxide, a basic carbohydrate building block. Along with CO2, soybean's rubisco also captures oxygen. This happens about 20 percent of the time--but not if Urbana researchers can intervene. With biotechnology, they're genetically replacing soybean's natural rubisco with an enzyme filched from green algae. If successful, the "switch" could enable soybean plants to capture CO2 more quickly, improving photosynthetic efficiency. Ort's lab isn't the only one exploring new ways to fortify 21st century crops. New Orleans-based researcher Peter Cotty, for example, is perfecting a biopesticide to battle Aspergillus fungi. Certain Aspergillus species can contaminate cotton and other seed with aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen. Cotton growers and processors can suffer losses when seed contamination levels exceed federal limits for human and animal safety. In some spray tests, the biopesticide reduced aflatoxin contamination by 90 percent, and awaits commercial registration. At the ARS Vegetable Lab, led by Autar Mattoo in Beltsville, Md., researchers are improving the nutritional offerings of vegetable crops. With biotechnology and conventional breeding, they've produced new tomato lines rich in beta carotene, and lycopene, an antioxidant. At Fort Collins, Colo., ARS' National Seed Storage Lab is home to a collection of 327,236 specimens of seed and other plant materials. Practiced in the art of plant cryopreservation, researchers there can extend a seed's life span for hundreds of years, helping secure genetic diversity for tomorrow's crops. A longer article about 21st century plant research appears in Agricultural Research magazine, and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/dec99/root1299.htm ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Contact: To reach scientists in this story, contact Jan Suszkiw, ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-1630, fax (301) 504-1641, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Jan 3 12:08:48 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA11040 for ; Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:08:47 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA10062 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 3 Jan 2000 10:06:20 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001e01bf55fc$393ecdc0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Potential New Antibiotics Found Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 10:07:09 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 100 STORY LEAD: Natural Microbial Compounds May Control Strep and Staph Infections ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov January 3, 2000 ----------- Scientists searching for natural compounds to control fungi in plants may have stumbled onto new antibiotics that control Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria. Agricultural Research Service scientists at Lane, Okla., and College Station, Texas, say they have discovered a new family of antibiotic compounds--not related to penicillin--with potent antimicrobial activity. They made their find while looking for microbial compounds to control diseases like root rot of muskmelon and watermelon plants. The discovery and use of antibiotics like penicillin against infectious disease have added about 20 years to the average human life expectancy in developed countries. However, today, up to 80 percent of all strains of Staphylococcus are resistant to penicillin and its derivative forms. Similar resistance to penicillin and other antibiotics has been observed in other bacterial pathogens, like Streptococcus. The scientists have isolated six compounds that they say exhibit some degree of antibiotic activity against a broad spectrum of gram-negative and/or gram-positive bacteria of concern to both agricultural and health professionals. The compounds varied in their selectivity and ability to retard growth or kill important bacterial pathogens. The chemical makeup of the cell wall--one of the several techniques used to classify bacteria--determines whether a bacteria is gram-positive or gram-negative. Agrobacterium, Erwinia and Pseudomonas are gram-negative bacteria. Bacillus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus are gram-positive bacteria. Three of the compounds exhibited excellent activity against the genera Staphylococcus and Streptococcus that cause diseases in humans. The scientists say one of the six compounds exhibited strong antibiotic activity against all seven bacterial species tested. Just 10 micrograms per milliliter totally repressed growth of or killed species of gram-positive bacteria within the genera Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Bacillus. As pathogens develop resistance, new and different antibiotics must be found to replace those currently available. The scientists say that some of their compounds may be as good as or better than commercial antibiotics at resisting bacterial infections and could be of considerable interest to the pharmaceutical industry. ARS is the chief research arm of USDA. ---------- Scientific contact: Benny Bruton, ARS South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Lane, Okla., phone (580) 889-7395, fax (580) 889-5783, bbruton-usda@lane-ag.org. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Jan 4 12:14:41 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA03031 for ; Tue, 4 Jan 2000 12:14:40 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA08685 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:53:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf56c3$90202360$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Degreening Canola Seeds Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:54:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 101 STORY LEAD: Research Sheds Light on Degreening Canola Seeds ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov January 4, 2000 ----------- In the world of plants, green is usually good--except in canola seeds. Freezing temperatures stop the normal breakdown of chlorophyll in canola seeds, causing them to stay green. An early frost can cost North American canola growers as much as $150 million. Agricultural Research Service scientists in Urbana, Ill., are looking for ways to alter canola plants for better tolerance to freezing temperatures. Many plants break down chlorophyll even after a freeze, according to C. John Whitmarsh, an ARS plant physiologist in Urbana, Ill. That's what happens in the fall when chlorophyll disappears and other leaf pigments become visible, creating spectacular fall foliage. In canola plants, freezing temperatures interrupt chlorophyll degradation. That's why Adriana Ortiz-Lopez, a post-doctoral research scientist who works with Whitmarsh, is studying the effect of freezing temperatures on Arabidopsis--a close relative of canola. Her work with chlorophyll fluorescence has illuminated one stage in the breakdown of chlorophyll that is blocked in plants that have been exposed to freezing temperatures. The next step is to identify which proteins and genes are involved in the blockage. Once the genes responsible for freeze tolerance are identified, the scientists can clone the genes with the aim of producing genetically modified canola that is insensitive to mildly freezing temperatures. Canola is an oilseed crop grown mainly in parts of western Canada, with some acreage in Ontario and the Pacific Northwest, north central, and southeastern United States. Its yellow flowers produce pea-shaped pods that contain tiny seeds harvested for their oil. Canola oil contains omega 3 fatty acids, acclaimed for improving human immune and vascular systems. An article describing this work appears in the January issue of Agricultural Research, ARS' monthly magazine, and can be found on the web at: http://alembic.nal.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/canola0100.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: C. John Whitmarsh, ARS Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, Ill., phone (217) 333-2947, fax (217) 244-4419, johnwhit@life.uiuc.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Jan 5 12:02:22 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA25599 for ; Wed, 5 Jan 2000 12:02:20 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA10647 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:48:49 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002601bf578c$06a3cfa0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Compacting Cotton Rows Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 09:49:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 102 STORY LEAD: Compacting Cotton Rows Could Be More Economical ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov January 5, 2000 ----------- Research is underway at Agricultural Research Service locations to make ultra narrow row (UNR) cotton production more economical for farmers. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more than a century, farmers have planted cotton in wide rows with up to 40 inches between them. The rows had to be wide enough for a mule-driven plow to maneuver, so the animal wouldn't trample the crop. With UNR, cotton is planted in rows that range from about 7-1/2 to 10 inches wide. A farmer can plant more rows and potentially yield more cotton per acre, says William T. Molin, a plant physiologist with ARS' Southern Weed Science Unit in Stoneville, Miss. Also, since rows are planted closer together, cotton crowds the weeds out, reducing the need for mid-season herbicide applications. Molin and other ARS researchers are participating in a 10-year project looking at varying aspects of long-term UNR cotton production--from managing weeds to processing. There's not enough solid information on UNR cotton available to farmers. In 1998, Molin began field studies on 40-acres to compare UNR with conventional cotton. He grew 12 popular varieties using both wide and narrow rows. Results showed UNR cotton was comparable in yield to conventional wide-row cotton. An in-depth article on ultra narrow row cotton research appears in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://alembic.nal.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/cotton0100.htm ---------- Scientific contact: William T. Molin, ARS Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., (phone) 601-686-5245, (fax) 601-686-5422, wmolin@ag.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jan 6 11:38:18 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA17616 for ; Thu, 6 Jan 2000 11:38:18 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11257 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:55:41 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004101bf5856$25f7ece0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Dates Go "Under Cover" in California Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:56:00 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 103 STORY LEAD: Dates Go "Under Cover" in California ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov January 6, 2000 ----------- Date-palm trees languishing on poor soils may be making a comeback in California, thanks to sustainable agriculture practices developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. In recent years, California date growers have noticed a decline in fruit quality. To help solve the problem, ARS plant physiologist Aref Abdul-Baki, with the agency's Vegetable Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., teamed up with Coachella Valley date growers to improve the soil. Results from an extensive soil profile study of date orchards, covering about 1400 acres, revealed that trees were suffering from poor nutrition and compacted soil, both of which prevent roots from pushing down deep for needed water and nutrients. Growers are working to correct this problem by adopting Abdul-Baki's no-tillage system that calls for growing cover crops to improve soil quality. Growers planted two legume cover crops, Lana vetch and Clay Iron cow peas. These crops harbor beneficial bacteria that take nitrogen from the air and fix it in the soil where plant roots feed. This farming system reduced cultivation and production costs, loosened compacted soils, added organic matter, recycled nutrients and reduced soil temperature that, if too high, stresses roots. It will take about five years to see the full benefits of this sustainable no-tillage system. As a result of Abdul-Baki's work in California, about 5000 acres in the Coachella Valley are incorporating cover crops into vegetable and fruit production. More information on this research appears in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://alembic.nal.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/dates0100.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Aref Abdul-Baki, ARS Vegetable Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504- 5057, fax (301) 504-5555, amattoo@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Jan 7 12:12:37 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA08937 for ; Fri, 7 Jan 2000 12:12:37 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA18451 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:41:50 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf591d$5fe79780$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Processing Alfalfa and Soybeans Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 09:42:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 104 STORY LEAD: Processing Alfalfa and Soybeans--On the Spot ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov January 7, 2000 ----------- New products and increased markets for alfalfa and soybeans are on the horizon for Midwest farmers in the next century, thanks to the innovative research of Agricultural Research Service and University of Wisconsin scientists in Madison. The petroleum industry has long fractionated crude oil into a variety of products, each surpassing the original commodity in value. Now the same idea is being shown to work for crops in a fieldside processing unit devised by ARS agricultural engineer Richard G. Koegel at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center. Until now, the process--called wet fractionation--was conducted in a central processing facility. The drawback: Herbage, which contains about 80 percent water, had to be transported from the field to the processing facility, and waste liquid needed to be either dehydrated or transported back to the field as liquid fertilizer. Last summer, Koegel assembled a group of machines in the first fieldside demonstration of soybean herbage wet fractionation. For the most part, commercially available machines were used, but Koegel modified a hammermill--originally used for pulverizing grain by forcing it through screens--to rupture the herbage without reducing fiber size. The work was conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with industry. Demonstrating the feasibility of the concept was the first step toward further development of a mobile field processor. Working like a combine, it cut the crop and wet-fractionated it while juice was being processed in the field. The energy cost for producing 6.4 tons of herbage and 3.5 tons of juice per hour was about $0.76 per wet ton. Products from the fiber portion include cattle feed, chemical feedstocks, mats for filtering pollutants from water, enzymes derived by growing fungi o n the fiber, and building materials. Products from the juice fraction include food- and feed-grade protein concentrates, carotenoids, antioxidants and industrially valuable enzymes. ---------- Scientific contact: Richard G. Koegel, ARS U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wis., phone (608) 264-5149, fax (608) 264-5147, office@dfrc.wisc.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Aug 20 12:57:00 1999 -0400 Received: from shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (shasta.ces.ncsu.edu [152.1.45.61]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA22040 for ; Fri, 20 Aug 1999 12:57:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id LAA22855 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Fri, 20 Aug 1999 11:58:49 -0400 (EDT) Received: from hevanet.com (root@hevanet.com [198.5.254.1]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA22815 for ; Fri, 20 Aug 1999 11:58:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [198.5.254.185] (st-ppp11.hevanet.com [198.5.254.185]) by hevanet.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id IAA07624; Fri, 20 Aug 1999 08:58:01 -0700 (PDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Message-Id: <199908201558.IAA07624@hevanet.com> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express for Macintosh - 4.01 (297) Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 09:00:53 -0700 Subject: FW: Is There a Copper-Aging Connection? From: "Lon J. Rombough" To: SANET , AGRISYNERGY Mime-version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Length: 3751 Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 105 This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. ---------- From: "ARS Servicio Noticiero" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Is There a Copper-Aging Connection? Date: Fri, Aug 20, 1999, 4:06 AM STORY LEAD: Is There a Copper-Aging Connection? ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov August 20, 1999 ----------- Preliminary evidence from animal studies suggests that too little dietary copper may contribute to aging. That's what Agricultural Research Service researchers suspect from their studies bolstered by indirect evidence. ARS physiologist Jack Saari and colleague Gwen Dahlen at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota are looking into whether copper deficiency spurs sugar molecules to attach to protein molecules. The process, known as protein glycation, is thought to cause much of the tissue damage in people with diabetes. And this glycation increases in all of us as we age. When blood sugar is high, as often occurs in copper-deficient rats, it's more likely that sugar molecules will attach to proteins--called early glycation. If sugar levels stay high, the sugars' free ends can attach to other proteins or other sites on the same protein; that's called advanced glycation. These cross links bend proteins out of shape, rendering them useless. Saari and Dahlen found that both the early and advanced stages of protein glycation increased significantly in the rats fed a copper-deficient diet. One sensitive indicator of advanced glycation was at least sixfold higher in the copper-deficient rats. It was nearly undetectable in the control rats. Human diets contain more copper than the copper-deficient diets given the rats. But the average copper content of U.S. diets falls below the suggested range of 1.5 to 3.0 milligrams daily. Saari speculates that years of eating a diet low in the mineral may contribute to the age-related decline in tissue function by increasing glycation. So far, he has looked only at glycation of blood hemoglobin and serum proteins. But it can also happen to structural proteins that form the tissues. Learn more about this theory in the August issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/copp0899.htm ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Jack T. Saari, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D., phone (701) 795-8353, fax (701) 795-8395, jsaari@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Jan 11 11:31:44 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA19081 for ; Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:31:42 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA10341 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:56:56 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf5c44$24eb5fc0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Water Quality Project Changing the Landscape of Agriculture. Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 09:57:12 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 106 STORY LEAD: Helping Farmers Meet Today's Environmental Challenges ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov January 11, 2000 ----------- A U.S. Department of Agriculture water quality project is changing the landscape of American agriculture. The program, begun in 1990 to reduce the amount of pesticides reaching groundwater, expanded three years ago to address broader environmental concerns, including harmful algal blooms. These blooms have created a widening "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, where lack of oxygen kills shellfish. Pfiesteria and Red Tide algal blooms also have been implicated in fish-kills along the east coast. Reducing nitrogen loadings into the Mississippi River by 20 to 30 percent could increase oxygen levels in the Gulf by 15 to 50 percent, according to the National Science and Technology Council's recent Integrated Assessment Report. The USDA water quality program continues to show farmers how to reduce nitrogen loadings from commercial fertilizer and animal manure. Suggested approaches include: * Split applications of nitrogen fertilizer. * Testing plants for nitrogen deficiency with a portable meter. * Applying nitrogen at a variable rate. * Adding a disk to nitrogen fertilizer applicators to mound soil, keeping nitrate out of groundwater. * Using wood chips and alfalfa to catch excess nitrate from drainage pipes. * Reusing drainage and surface runoff water to irrigate, after filtering through an artificial wetland. * Running irrigation water through drainage pipes in the summer to stop leaching of nitrates and pesticides. The program originally involved large Midwestern sites called Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA). The 1996 merger with USDA's Agricultural Systems for Environmental Quality brought in concerns about phosphorus, air quality, soil management, and off-site impacts. The merger also brought in Ohio's Lake Erie Basin, the Mississippi Delta region, and the eastern coastal plain. A story about the research appears in the January Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/input0100.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Dale A. Bucks, ARS National Program Leader for Water Quality and Management, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-7034, fax (301) 504-6231, dab@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Jan 11 12:41:08 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA10913 for ; Fri, 7 Jan 2000 13:26:44 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA27956 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 7 Jan 2000 11:34:10 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf592d$0a3af6a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Issue of Healthy Animals Now Online Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 11:33:31 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 107 STORY LEAD: New Issue of Healthy Animals Now Online ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov January 7, 2000 ----------- Agricultural Research Service today posted a new issue of "Healthy Animals" at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ha This quarterly online newsletter compiles ARS news and expert resources on the health and well-being of agricultural animals and fish. The current issue highlights ARS research on the measurement and control of environmental stress on farm animals. Web browsers may want to bookmark the site as a resource for locating animal health experts. An index lists ARS research locations covering about 70 animal health topics. These range from specific diseases, such as Lyme disease, to broad subjects like nutrition, parasites and vaccines. The site also provides complete contact information for the more than 25 ARS research groups that conduct studies aimed at protecting and improving farm animal health. Each quarter, one article in "Healthy Animals" focuses on a particular element of ARS animal research. To receive quarterly announcements of each new issue's arrival online, contact Kathryn Barry Stelljes, ARS Information, at (510) 559-6069 or by e-mail at stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Jan 11 12:52:55 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA20464 for ; Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:43:04 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA12562 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:53:45 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002501bf5b7a$894c9b20$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Did You Get Enough K Today? Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:54:03 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 108 STORY LEAD: Did You Get Enough K Today? ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov January 10, 2000 ----------- If you're between the ages of 18 and 44, chances are you didn't get enough vitamin K today-- or any other day, according to a survey by the Agricultural Research Service and a private company. Vitamin K, long known for its role in blood clotting, is gaining recognition for its importance to the integrity of bones: It activates at least three proteins involved in bone health. Sarah Booth at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston collaborated with Proctor & Gamble Company researchers to estimate vitamin K intake from a nationwide sample of 4,741 men, women and children. People over age 65 consumed more phylloquinone--the most common form of vitamin K--than 20- to 40-year-olds. Only half the females age 13 and older--and less than half the males--got the Recommended Dietary Allowance, based on food intake diaries the survey volunteers kept for 14 days. The RDA is 65 micrograms per day for adult females and 80 mcg/day for adult males. Phylloquinone is found in some oils, especially soybean oil, and in dark-green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. One serving of spinach or two servings of broccoli provide four to five times the RDA. In another study, with Yale University School of Medicine, Booth found that people absorb vitamin K just as well from broccoli as they do from oil. That's contrary to the accepted notion that this fat-soluble vitamin is better absorbed from oil or oil-based supplements than from vegetables, with their high water content. The study also showed that elders can benefit just as much as younger people from increasing vitamin K intake. The 60- to 80-year-old volunteers increased their blood levels from a high-K diet as readily as the 20- to 40-year-olds. Read more about vitamin K research in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/green0100.htm ARS is USDA's chief scientific arm. ---------- Scientific contact: Sarah L. Booth, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass., phone (617) 556-3231, fax (617) 556-3149; sbooth@hnrc.tufts.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Jan 12 12:35:55 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA20396 for ; Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:35:54 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15847 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:52:51 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001201bf5d0c$bd1f5080$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Biodegradable Decoy Reduces Insecticide Use Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:53:04 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 109 STORY LEAD: Biodegradable Decoy Reduces Insecticide Use ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov January 12, 2000 ----------- A biodegradable decoy that "fatally attracts" apple maggot flies or other insect pests has been patented by Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators. Hung in trees at the edge of orchards, the spherical decoy--coated with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, latex enamel paint and an insecticide--may provide an alternative to repeated chemical insecticide sprays. If not controlled, 1/4-inch-long, black-and-white-striped adult apple maggot flies can inflict millions of dollars in damage to orchards. They lay eggs just below the apples' skins. Maggots hatch and feed, creating tunnels through the apples, which begin to decay and then drop to the ground. ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research at Peoria, Ill., researched the decoy with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Michigan State University at East Lansing; and the Biotechnology Research and Development Corp. at Peoria. The decoy is designed to suit insects' preferences for color, shape, size and surface texture. Apple maggot flies fall for an apple-size sphere painted black which, like a red apple, doesn't reflect ultraviolet light. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Preliminary field tests showed the decoy maintained 70 percent of its insect-killing power after three weeks in Massachusetts orchards. And in other tests, a similar decoy protected apples as well as three applications of the commonly used insecticide azinphosmethyl. Commercial manufacture and sales of the decoys containing registered pesticides for use in the United States would require approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Fruit Spheres Inc., Macomb, Ill., has agreed to produce decoys for large-scale tests on the apple maggot fly and related insects such as the blueberry maggot fly, the cherry fruit fly and the walnut husk fly. An article about the research appears in the January issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/decoy0100.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Michael R. McGuire, ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6595, fax (309) 681-6693, mcguirmr@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jan 13 13:05:41 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA11662 for ; Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:05:33 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01894 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:47:29 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf5dd5$263fdd00$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: USDA Clears Air with Biodiesel Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 09:47:39 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 110 NEWS RELEASE: USDA Clears Air with Biodiesel ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov January 13, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2000--Buses and other diesel-burning vehicles-- including this winter's snowplows--might run cleaner if they mix soy-based biodiesel with their regular diesel fuel. That's the message sent out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at a biodiesel fuel seminar today at a USDA research center in Beltsville, Maryland. Several of the farm's 65 tractors, trucks, a tour bus, and other vehicles that operate on "B20," a 20-percent biodiesel/80-percent diesel fuel mix, were on display. "The program is part of a federal effort to reduce reliance on petroleum and create new markets for U.S. crops," said Floyd P. Horn, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. "The added benefit is that crop-based diesel burns cleaner, less sooty." Horn said that last summer, ARS began a one-year demonstration project to test the feasibility of permanently switching as many federal government vehicles as possible nationwide to alternative diesel fuels, using biodiesel from soybeans, other seed oils, or animal fat. "One of our goals is to increase the federal government's purchases of bio-based fuel and other products by 10 percent per year over the next 5 years," Horn said. "Through today's demonstration we want to encourage the private sector and local governments to do the same." Horn cited as an example of the spread of the concept to the private sector a recent Maryland Soybean Board grant funded by soybean farmers. The grant went to the Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce to test biodiesel on commuter buses in Odenton, Md., a suburb in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where Beltsville is located. Walter Townshend, president of the Corridor Chamber of Commerce, spoke at the seminar this morning. He said that when he learned about the ARS biodiesel demonstration, he was interested, because "air quality is an issue in this region." When Townshend learned that biodiesel would require no vehicle modifications, he was sold on the idea of testing it on a fleet of buses managed by an affiliate of the Chamber of Commerce to help employees get to work. His test will begin early this year. Alan Weber, whose firm, MARC-IV, based in Kansas City, Mo., represents the National Biodiesel Board of Jefferson City, Mo., described an additional incentive for federal and state agencies and public utilities in large metropolitan areas. He said recent changes in the Energy Policy Act of 1982 offer credits for biodiesel fuel usage in existing vehicles, reducing the number of alternative fuel vehicles that must be purchased. Weber said future changes could also affect large municipal vehicle fleets, such as buses and public works vehicles. Thomas A. Foglia, a chemist with the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Penn., also spoke at this morning's seminar. He gave an overview of ARS research on biodiesel and biodegradable fuel additives and lubricants made from vegetable oils, animal fats, greases, and spent restaurant oils. People responsible for operating private, municipal and federal vehicle fleets in the Washington metropolitan area were invited to participate in the seminar. ---------- Scientific contact: Ronald F. Korcak, Beltsville Area Associate Director, ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5193, fax (301) 504- 5863, korcakr@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jan 13 17:29:22 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA17494 for ; Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:29:22 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA29381 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:22:21 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf5e03$e1b7dfa0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Correction in Today's Story Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:22:07 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 111 Correction in Today's Story ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA January 13, 2000 ----------- Correction In this morning's ARS News Service item on biodiesel fuel, we incorrectly reported the year in which the Energy Policy Act was enacted. The correct year is 1992. --Sean Adams, ARS News Service issa@ars-grin.gov Phone (301) 504-1622 Fax (301) 504-1648 The latest news: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm ARS Information Staff, Room 1-2208, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville MD 20705-5129 From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Jan 14 10:57:28 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA29404 for ; Fri, 14 Jan 2000 10:57:27 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA05603 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:19:12 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <007801bf5e9a$5be0d8e0$121b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Mouth-Watering Mangos for Mass Marketing Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:19:17 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 112 STORY LEAD: Eye-Appealing, Mouth-Watering Mangos for Mass Marketing ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov January 14, 2000 ----------- The perfect mango melts in your mouth. But many aren't perfect. This tropical fruit is susceptible to injury during cold storage. When the thermometer dips below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C), mango skin becomes pitted and discolored, and the flesh darkens and becomes susceptible to decay. Luckily, Agricultural Research Service and Mexican scientists have discovered that methyl jasmonate prevents chilling injury. This sweet-smelling compound derived from the essential oils of plants--especially jasmine and honeysuckle--is safe and relatively inexpensive. For $50, one could treat truckloads of fruit. The researchers gave mangos a whiff of methyl jasmonate for 24 hours at 68 degrees F before storing the fruit for two weeks at 41 degrees F. The treatment prevented chilling injury and dramatically improved overall fruit quality, compared to untreated fruit. It didn't alter normal ripening and softening processes or increase water loss. And it works on fruits at various stages of maturity, according to Chien Y. Wang and J. George Buta with ARS' Horticultural Crops Quality Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. They tested the mangos with Gustavo A. Gonzalez-Aguilar, a visiting plant physiologist from Hermosillo, Mexico. More than 95 percent of mangos sold here are imported from Mexico and Central and South America. In 1998, the U.S. population consumed 412 million pounds--an increase of 77 percent from 1993. The researchers also found how to preserve fresh-cut mangos for two weeks when stored at 50 degrees F. They treated the slices with a combination of hexylresorcinol, isoascorbic acid and potassium sorbate--all food-safe compounds derived from natural products. Then they stored the slices in plastic containers to prevent drying. Mangos could be an attractive addition to the growing market for fresh-cut produce, but browning and drying have prevented such marketing. The new treatment could change that. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Chien Y. Wang, ARS Horticultural Crops Quality Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6128, fax (301) 504-5107, cwang@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Jan 18 17:11:52 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA05095 for ; Tue, 18 Jan 2000 17:11:51 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA19906 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 18 Jan 2000 15:11:14 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bf61f0$374e8000$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Beltsville Screen Insert Curbs Bee Mites Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 15:11:33 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 113 STORY LEAD: Beltsville Screen Insert Curbs Bee Mites ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov January 18, 2000 ----------- Beekeepers no longer have to rely solely on chemicals to battle the pesky varroa mite, thanks to a new control developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist. Entomologist Jeff Pettis and colleagues at the agency's Bee Research Lab in Beltsville, Md., developed the Beltsville Screen Insert to help thwart the mite. Honey bees produce $270 million of honey, beeswax and other hive products and pollinate nearly $10 billion worth of crops annually. Varroa mites attach to bees and feed on them, reducing their population and inhibiting their productivity. The screen will be a boost to both hobby and commercial beekeepers who produce honey and rent their colonies for pollination services. The screen separates the mites from the bees by creating a 1.5-inch gap between the bottom board and hive bottom. When bees groom each other, they sometimes knock the mites off. Smoke and chemical treatments applied by beekeepers also help remove the mites. The insert's wire mesh allows the mites to fall through the screen and onto the hive bottom, so the mites can't reattach to bees as they enter and leave the colony. After taking monthly samples of the fallen varroa, it was found that the screen reduces varroa populations by 15 percent. Varroa mite infestations have become such a serious problem that maintaining bee colonies without chemical treatment is virtually impossible. Currently, the only pesticide approved for general use for varroa mite control is Apistan, a strip that contains the chemical tau-fluvalinate. But varroa mites have begun to show resistance to the chemical, so scientists are looking for alternatives such as the screen. The screen reduces the reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides while still helping control the mites. Researchers are continually developing and improving the screen, but it is already being sold in the Brushy Mountain beekeeping supply catalog. ---------- Scientific contact: Jeff Pettis, ARS Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-7299, fax (301) 504-8736, jpettis@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Jan 19 18:36:42 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id SAA26445 for ; Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:36:41 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id QAA20769 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:11:45 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002e01bf62c1$f7658920$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Villain Insect Enlisted for Good Deeds Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:12:53 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 114 STORY LEAD: Villain Insect Enlisted for Good Deeds ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov January 19, 2000 ----------- Blossoms of sugar apple and atemoya have long attracted pollinating sap beetles. The problem is, neither these insects nor others seem to have worked hard enough at their pollination duties. To produce these unusual and tasty fruits for consumers, commercial orchardists resort to hand-pollination. A solution: Give the beetles a whiff of chemical attractants and yeasty-smelling bread dough. ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., first discovered and synthesized the attractants, called pheromones, that worked well in experiments to monitor and control sap beetles in crops where they are pests. Then, to coax sap beetles to better perform their "good guy" pollination role, University of Florida and ARS scientists loaded pheromones and bread dough into bait stations in flowering sugar apple and atemoya trees. Stymied by screens keeping them out of the stations, the beetles moved on to pollinate blossoms. Atemoya and sugar apple, tropical relatives of the Midwestern native paw paw, are noted for their delicate mango- and vanilla-like flavor and custard-like pulp. The fruits are often eaten from the "shell," cut into pieces for fruit cups or salads or blended and frozen with citrus juices. In the two-year study, pheromone bait stations increased by many times the number of flowers that began to develop and set fruit--a sign of improved pollination. However, stresses kept many of the extra fruits from developing fully. Now, improved growing practices that lessen failed fruit development are helping increase production. The sap beetles--Carpophilus or nitidulid species--that pollinate the trees also sometimes inflict serious damage on many of the world's other "minor" fruit crops. For example, in some years, nitidulids have caused $2.5 million in damage to the California fig crop alone. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Robert J. Bartelt, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309)681-6237, bartelrj@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Jan 19 18:36:42 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id SAA26445 for ; Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:36:41 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id QAA20769 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:11:45 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002e01bf62c1$f7658920$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Villain Insect Enlisted for Good Deeds Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:12:53 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 115 STORY LEAD: Villain Insect Enlisted for Good Deeds ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov January 19, 2000 ----------- Blossoms of sugar apple and atemoya have long attracted pollinating sap beetles. The problem is, neither these insects nor others seem to have worked hard enough at their pollination duties. To produce these unusual and tasty fruits for consumers, commercial orchardists resort to hand-pollination. A solution: Give the beetles a whiff of chemical attractants and yeasty-smelling bread dough. ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., first discovered and synthesized the attractants, called pheromones, that worked well in experiments to monitor and control sap beetles in crops where they are pests. Then, to coax sap beetles to better perform their "good guy" pollination role, University of Florida and ARS scientists loaded pheromones and bread dough into bait stations in flowering sugar apple and atemoya trees. Stymied by screens keeping them out of the stations, the beetles moved on to pollinate blossoms. Atemoya and sugar apple, tropical relatives of the Midwestern native paw paw, are noted for their delicate mango- and vanilla-like flavor and custard-like pulp. The fruits are often eaten from the "shell," cut into pieces for fruit cups or salads or blended and frozen with citrus juices. In the two-year study, pheromone bait stations increased by many times the number of flowers that began to develop and set fruit--a sign of improved pollination. However, stresses kept many of the extra fruits from developing fully. Now, improved growing practices that lessen failed fruit development are helping increase production. The sap beetles--Carpophilus or nitidulid species--that pollinate the trees also sometimes inflict serious damage on many of the world's other "minor" fruit crops. For example, in some years, nitidulids have caused $2.5 million in damage to the California fig crop alone. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Robert J. Bartelt, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309)681-6237, bartelrj@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jan 20 17:59:28 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA21597 for ; Thu, 20 Jan 2000 17:59:28 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA23995 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:57:18 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <010201bf6389$1e055ac0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Soy, Whey Proteins May Help Prevent Breast Cancer Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:58:31 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 116 NEWS RELEASE: USDA-Funded Research Finds That Soy, Whey Proteins May Help Prevent Breast Cancer ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov January 20, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Jan. 20--Researchers at the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center have found that whey and soy protein may help prevent breast cancer. This research, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is featured in this month's "Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention," an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "This significant new research, although preliminary, suggests that adding whey or soy protein to the diet may help protect women and children from developing breast cancer," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. "These findings underscore the importance of research as the critical link between nutrition and health." In laboratory studies, researchers compared the protective effects of soy protein and whey protein against chemically induced tumors in the milk producing glands of rats. They found that approximately 50 percent fewer rats had mammary tumors when fed a diet containing a processed whey protein as compared with rats eating a standard diet. Whey protein is a class of minor proteins found in milk. Soy protein prevented approximately 25 percent of mammary cancer. According to ACNC Director Thomas Badger, who heads the USDA-funded project, 180,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed each year in women living in the United States. Rats were fed one of three diets, each with a different protein: a control diet containing the major milk protein casein, a diet made with soy protein isolate, or a diet with processed whey protein. All rats in the control group developed at least one tumor; 77 percent of the soy-fed rats had at least one tumor; and about 54 percent of the whey- fed rats had at least one tumor. Among the rats that ate the whey diet, those that developed mammary cancer had fewer and smaller tumors than control rats. "These data indicate that feeding rats diets made with whey protein can prevent mammary tumor formation in the major animal model of human breast cancer and illustrate the importance of dietary factors in disease prevention," said Badger, who has filed for a patent on the whey compound. ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas M. Badger, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Ark., phone (501) 320-2785, fax (501) 320-2818, BadgerThomasM@exchange.uams.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Jan 21 09:43:40 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA01650 for ; Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:43:40 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA23895 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:14:46 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bf6411$ab38a0e0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Renamed Lab Helps California Rice Growers Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 08:02:58 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 117 STORY LEAD: Renamed Laboratory Helps California Rice Growers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov January 21, 2000 ----------- California rice growers can reduce threats to their crop yield from excess salinity thanks to guidelines developed by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and the University of California Cooperative Extension Service. Researchers at ARS' George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, Calif. contributed to studies showing that rice yields were more sensitive than previously thought to salinity levels. The laboratory has operated in Riverside for more than 60 years, the last 5 years in a new facility on the University of California campus. The Salinity Laboratory is being renamed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the late Congressman Brown in a ceremony today at the lab. ARS is the USDA's chief research agency. In California, rice is grown in fields with water flooded throughout a series of adjacent basins. California ranks third in U.S. rice production behind Arkansas and Louisiana. In 1999, more than one-half million acres were harvested. State regulations require that water be held in these basins for a certain period of time to allow pesticides used by rice farmers to degrade before the water is released into local waterways. In drought years, if the water is held too long, evaporation can concentrate salts to a level detrimental to plant growth. International guidelines developed in the 1960s use an electrical conductivity value of almost 2,000 milligrams of salt per liter of water as the threshold for salinity concerns. But for rice growers under California climate and cropping conditions, researchers showed that yield losses started to occur when levels got to about 1,300 milligrams of salt per liter of water. At certain growth stages, damage resulted from even lower salinity levels. Using guidelines developed with the researchers, regulatory agencies approved procedures for allowing emergency releases of the water if salinity levels increased to dangerous levels during the 1998 to 2000 growing seasons. Thanks to sufficient rainfall, very few emergency releases were needed during the past two years. The guidelines remain in effect for the upcoming growing season. ---------- Scientific contact: Michael Shannon, ARS George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, Calif., phone (909) 369-4814, fax (909) 369-4960, e-mail MSHANNON@ussl.ars.usda.gov. A news release on the renaming ceremony is available from Linda McElreath of ARS Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1658, fax (301) 504-1641, e-mail lmcelrea@asrr.arsusda.gov. --------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Jan 24 13:07:43 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA01432 for ; Mon, 24 Jan 2000 13:07:38 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA15360 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 24 Jan 2000 10:21:21 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bf667e$b3bec680$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Mapping Flood-Prone Soybean Fields Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 10:21:35 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 118 STORY LEAD: Mapping Flood-Prone Soybean Fields ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov January 24, 2000 ----------- Two days of wet "feet" can be enough to cost soybean farmers a quarter of their crop, depending on variety, soil type and growth stage. To help develop more flood tolerant varieties, Agricultural Research Service plant physiologist Tara T. VanToai is using a robotic camera system to "mass screen" soybean seedlings for flood tolerance. The system uses cameras to record seedlings' reactions to nutrient solutions through which air containing 30 percent carbon dioxide is bubbled. VanToai has found that too much CO2 in flooded soils causes yield losses, so the seedling's reaction to high CO2 is a key indicator of flood tolerance. To determine the relative roles of variety type and other farm conditions on the flooding losses, VanToai and colleagues carried a Global Positioning System receiver in a backpack across flooded soybean fields in Ohio. They mapped six fields on private farms. VanToai is with the ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit in Columbus, Ohio. She did the mapping with colleagues at The Ohio State University at Columbus and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as farmers. Scientists are using the mapping data to develop a statistical model to identify the factors that most affect soybean yields in flooded fields. NRCS would use the model for tailor-made advice to farmers on ways to minimize flood losses, such as which soil types are particularly vulnerable to flooding. It would be especially important for farmers to plant only the most flood-tolerant varieties on those soils. ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Tara T. VanToai, ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, Ohio, phone (614)292-9806, fax: (614)292-9448, tvantoai@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jan 27 13:03:43 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA07661 for ; Thu, 27 Jan 2000 13:03:42 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA01760 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 27 Jan 2000 10:59:32 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001601bf68df$886e7800$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Salmonella Uses Chemical to Communicate Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 10:59:45 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 119 STORY LEAD: Salmonella Uses Chemical to Communicate ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov January 27, 2000 ----------- Chemical communication between animals, particularly insects, has been well documented through scientific study. Now, add microorganisms to the list of creatures that communicate this way. An Agricultural Research Service scientist has found that Salmonella bacteria release a chemical that directly affects the growth of these organisms. Veterinarian Jean Guard-Petter, who is in ARS' Southeast Poultry Research Unit at Athens, Ga., found that the food pathogen Salmonella enteritidis uses the chemical acylhomoserine lactone, or AHL, as a communication tool. Each Salmonella bacteria puts out a low level of AHL, but when the population grows, so does the amount of AHL. At high levels, AHL prompts Salmonella to grow beyond its original genetic programming and signals cells to produce molecules that increase virulence. The abundance of these organisms in a confined space, such as the spleen of the chicken, forces them to move to another area, sometimes a hen's eggs. Even though Salmonella contaminates a small fraction of the 45 billion eggs produced each year in the United States, this still translates into a significant amount of illness. Occurrences of S. enteritidis food poisoning have increased fourfold in the U.S. and 40-fold in Europe in the past 15 years. Petter was the first to see that AHL is a factor in S. enteritidis' rapid growth and spread. She made her discovery by using a special plasmid reporter system that inserts genes in S. enteritidis bacteria. These genes cause the bacteria to emit light if they are producing AHL. As the light grows brighter, it indicates growth to a high cell density. Dr. Petter's discovery may provide another tool for improving food safety. Read more about inter-bacterial communication research in the January issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan00/bact0100.htm ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Jean Guard-Petter, ARS Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, 934 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605; phone (706) 546-3446, fax (706) 546-3161, jgpetter@uga.cc.uga.edu. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Jan 28 12:41:26 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA27168 for ; Fri, 28 Jan 2000 12:41:25 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA00164 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:03:36 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf69a0$e24f60c0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Coordinating Nutrition Survey in Delta Region Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:03:49 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 120 NEWS RELEASE: ARS Coordinating Nutrition Survey in Delta Region ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov January 28, 2000 ----------- LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 28, 2000-The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is coordinating a major telephone survey to determine the nutrition and health needs of Mississippi Delta residents in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's primary research agency. The three-month telephone survey began this month. Residents in 36 counties in the three states will be randomly selected to participate in this important endeavor. This survey, the first of several, is phase one of the "Foods Of Our Delta Study 2000" or "FOODS 2000" to help improve the nutritional status of Delta residents. ARS is partnering with Alcorn State University, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Southern University and A&M College, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and the University of Southern Mississippi as part of the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (Delta NIRI). "Poverty, infant mortality, diabetes and cancer are higher in the Delta than anywhere else in the nation," ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn said. "The information gathered from this survey will help determine what Delta residents are eating and how we can use that information to help improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities in that region." The telephone surveys will be conducted by Westat, Inc., in Rockville, Md. Respondents may be asked questions like "What did you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?" "We urge everyone who is called upon to participate. This survey is so important. Responses are a critical part of the entire initiative," says Margaret L. Bogle, Executive Director of the Delta NIRI. "We plan to take this information and develop intervention programs, like feeding programs and nutrition classes, to help improve the nutrition and health of men, women and children in the Delta." The second phase of the initiative will be to monitor changes in the nutrition and health of selected residents in the Delta region. ---------- Scientific contact: Margaret L. Bogle, ARS, Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative, Little Rock, Ark.; phone (888) 955-8890. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Jan 31 16:49:03 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id QAA22187 for ; Mon, 31 Jan 2000 16:49:01 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA01777 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 31 Jan 2000 14:04:46 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001001bf6c1e$43424b20$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Scientists Seek Microbial Bait Against Termite Pest Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 14:06:16 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 121 STORY LEAD: Scientists Seek Microbial Bait Against Termite Pest ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov January 31, 2000 ----------- Baits laced with spores of naturally occurring fungi or bacteria may help dampen the Formosan termite's appetite for destruction. Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service are exploring the possibility in lab studies begun in October at the agency's Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, La. There, damage from Formosan termite infestations costs the city's residents and suburban neighbors $300 million annually. The New Orleans studies are the first to examine potential pathogens of the termite collected in its native southern China, and returned to the U.S. under quarantine. At the ARS center's Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, scientists are trying to identify the pathogenic microbes, and determine which produce spores that could be used in commercial bait products. Those now used employ wood or paper-based materials to encourage foraging termites to contact slow-acting chemical toxins hidden inside, and spread them to nestmates. But scientists want to find out if replacing the toxins with a microbial ingredient will offer a natural alternative. Another possibility is to dust fungal spores onto termite nest areas. The microbes behind such possibilities include known insect pathogens from the U.S. and potential pathogens obtained in China and Australia by ARS entomologist Janine Powell, based in Mississippi, another termite-plagued state. From her specimens, the New Orleans team is seeking microbes that will specifically attack the Formosan termite, spread throughout its colonies, and withstand the insects' physical and chemical defenses. One candidate pathogen is an Australian strain of Metarhizium fungus. In lab trials, up to 100 percent of Formosan termites died two days after exposure to millions of the fungus' spores. Early next summer, scientists will test it in a new ARS termite bait "matrix" along with commercial products. The baits are central to an area-wide termite control project planned for Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Baits laced with imported microbes may require EPA approval. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific wing. ---------- Scientific contacts: Janine Powell, Maureen Wright, ARS Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, New Orleans, La. Wright: phone (504) 286-4294, fax (504) 286-4419, mwright@nola.srrc.usda.gov. Powell (Stoneville, Miss.): phone (662) 686-5282, fax (662) 686-5281, powellj@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Feb 1 12:47:41 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA08976 for ; Tue, 1 Feb 2000 12:47:40 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA22045 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 1 Feb 2000 11:06:35 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001e01bf6cce$581e3260$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungus Could KO Kudzu Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2000 11:06:47 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 122 STORY LEAD: Fungus Could KO Kudzu ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov February 1, 2000 ----------- A fungus from the sicklepod plant, which is found in the southeastern United States, effectively controls kudzu, a non-native invasive weed that has crept over more than 7 million acres in this country, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists in Stoneville, Miss. In greenhouse and field studies, the scientists found that the fungus Myrothecium verrucaria killed 100 percent of kudzu weeds. Plant pathologists C. Douglas Boyette and Hamed K. Abbas treated kudzu at different growth stages and under varying physical and environmental conditions. In all cases, the fungus effectively controlled the weed. This research was done in collaboration with ARS' Southern Weed Science Research Unit and Louisiana Tech University. Kudzu, native to eastern Asia, was introduced into the eastern and southern United States in the 1800s. It was originally promoted for erosion control and as an inexpensive forage for livestock. It is now present from Florida to New York, westward to central Oklahoma and Texas, with heavy infestations in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Kudzu resembles a giant bean stalk. It spreads about 120,000 acres a year, resulting in losses due to reduced land productivity. Control costs increase by nearly $6 million each year. Homeowners have a hard time controlling this weed, which will grow up the sides of buildings, along fences and on telephone poles. Typical--but not highly efficient--control methods include treating with herbicides and mowing. Many consumers are reluctant to spray herbicides, and mowing doesn't kill the weed's underground root system. ARS' fungicide should provide an alternative to herbicides. One spray treatment kills leaves and stems and appears to invade the plant's roots. The researchers are doing extensive toxicological studies on the fungus, and plan to pursue a patent on it. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. --------- Scientific contact: C. Douglas Boyette, ARS Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., phone (601) 686-5217, fax (601) 686-5422, dboyette@ag.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Feb 2 14:42:41 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id OAA05980 for ; Wed, 2 Feb 2000 14:42:40 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id MAA12105 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 2 Feb 2000 12:05:52 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001c01bf6d9f$bee6fd20$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Science Web Site for Kids Now Available in Spanish Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 12:05:25 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 123 NEWS RELEASE: Science Web Site for Kids Now Available in Spanish ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 2, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Feb. 2--With today's launch of its newest World Wide Web site, "Ciencia Para Niños," the Agricultural Research Service expands its information outreach to include Spanish-speaking Hispanic youth. The site is a Spanish translation of Sci4Kids, the agency's year-old web site for children ages 8-13 and up. Ciencia Para Niños is on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/espanol/kids Sci4Kids in both English and Spanish is a series of interactive stories based on research conducted at ARS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. It provides a fun way for kids to learn how agricultural science connects to everyday life and how scientific research helps solve everyday problems. This morning at Lincoln Multicultural Middle School here, about 15 English- and Spanish-speaking students got a show-and-tell tour of the web sites from I. Miley Gonzalez, USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics. Gonzalez showed the students some of the sites' more unusual stories, including "Bugs for Breakfast" ("Insectos Para Tu Desayuno") and "Scientists See Snowflakes Like Never Before with New Microscope" ("Científicos Ven Copos De Nieve Como Nunca Con Un Nuevo Microscopio"). Last winter, ARS first made its daily news items available in Spanish. Over 100 Hispanic print and broadcast media now subscribe. "Making the Sci4Kids web site available in Spanish is an important next step in an ongoing initiative to make information available to the Hispanic community," said Gonzalez. "Today's children are tomorrow's farmers, scientists, policymakers and consumers. So it's important that all children have access to information about agricultural research that is significant and timely, as well as enjoyable." Gonzalez encourages educators to use Ciencia Para Niños as a tool in interdisciplinary programs to help students gain a greater awareness of and appreciation for the role of agricultural research. Because the site is also available in English as "Science for Kids," both could be used in bilingual education programs or language classes. To date, Ciencia Para Niños features about 18 creative stories--plus ag science project ideas and a special section on careers for new scientists. At the site's colorful home page, kids can click on a cow to read about animals, a tractor for soil, a pumpkin for nutrition.or choose high tech, satellites, or aquaculture. "Dr. Watts"--another feature of the site--answers e-mail questions about the stories--in either English or Spanish. The English version of Science for Kids may be viewed at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids --------- Contacts: Spanish-speaking media and public can contact Sandy Miller Hays, (301) 504-1638, shays@asrr.arsusda.gov, or Marcos Ocadiz, (301) 504-1629, mocadiz@ars-grin.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Feb 3 11:52:19 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA25374 for ; Thu, 3 Feb 2000 11:52:19 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA23693 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:01:43 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00d001bf6e57$9d494ca0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Posts Latest Edition of Nutrition Briefs Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:01:55 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 124 STORY LEAD: ARS Posts Latest Edition of Nutrition Briefs ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov February 3, 2000 ----------- The Agricultural Research Service has posted a new issue of the Food & Nutrition Research Briefs to its website at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb012000.htm The Research Briefs is a quarterly newsletter containing the latest ARS findings in human nutrition, food freshness and safety, and new foods and varieties. In this issue: * The same hormone that may help explain why African-American girls grow faster and taller than Caucasian girls could also be stacking the deck in favor of weight gain in adulthood. * A fun, fast-paced video game called "Squire's Quest!" might entice kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. * Chances are you'll get more antioxidant protection from eating fresh fruits and vegetables than from taking natural product supplements claiming to be potent antioxidants. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Contact: Judy McBride, ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-1628, fax (301) 504-1641, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isjd@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Feb 3 11:52:50 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA25396 for ; Thu, 3 Feb 2000 11:52:50 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA23439 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:00:18 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00ca01bf6e57$6a4ffba0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Insight Into Best Dam Design Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:00:15 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 125 STORY LEAD: SITES Gives Designers Insight Into Best Dam Design ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov February 3, 2000 ----------- The 50-acre Agricultural Research Service Hydraulic Engineering Research Laboratory in Stillwater, Okla., has been long recognized worldwide for modeling, designing and engineering hydraulic structures for agriculture. Now the lab is set to play one of its greatest roles--assisting in the rehabilitation and revitalization of thousands of U.S. earthen dams. America's countryside is dotted with small dams. Unlike those along rivers, these dams protect the nation's watersheds. Many serve as municipal water supplies. They also prevent floods; provide water for irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife habitats and groundwater recharge; and improve water quality. Annually, these watersheds provide Americans with more than $800 million in benefits. According to ARS hydraulic engineer Darrel M. Temple, many of the 10,000 flood- control structures, constructed with the assistance of USDA, were designed to have a 50-year service life. About two-thirds were designed before 1962 to protect communities and rural lands. Today, many of the dams are in urgent need of revitalization and rehabilitation. Many no longer work as efficiently as they should. Over the next 10 years, more than 1,000 will need significant repairs and modification. To rehabilitate these dams, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will need to rely on ARS's current research, expertise and the database amassed by scientists at the Stillwater laboratory over 60 years. The two agencies are cooperatively developing both technologies for rehabilitating and revitalizing the dams and software to apply the technologies to engineering problems--called SITES (not an acronym). SITES combines the principles of geology, hydrology, soil science and physics to predict the performance of spillways. The software predicts how an earthen spillway will perform and evaluates its potential for failure. Future versions will incorporate current research to predict the damage that results from embankment overtopping. For more information about SITES, see the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine or view it online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/flood0200.htm ARS is USDA's chief research arm. ---------- Scientific contact: Darrel M. Temple, ARS Hydraulic Engineering Research Laboratory, Stillwater, Okla., phone (405) 624-4135, ext. 226, fax (405) 624-4136, dtemple@pswcrl.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Feb 4 11:56:19 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA16844 for ; Fri, 4 Feb 2000 11:56:18 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02457 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 4 Feb 2000 09:51:08 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001c01bf6f1f$4d35bd20$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Just What Attracts Mosquitoes? Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 09:51:21 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 126 STORY LEAD: Just What Attracts Mosquitoes? ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov February 4, 2000 ----------- Agricultural Research Service scientists have found more than 340 different chemical scents produced by human skin--some of which are attractive to mosquitoes. With an eye toward developing trap lures, ARS researchers are testing individual scents and combinations for attractiveness to different mosquito species. Research chemist Ulrich R. Bernier developed a technique using tiny glass beads that adsorb some scents, thus helping to identify mosquito-attractive organic compounds from humans. Bernier is with the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit of the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla. Bernier has been combining different blends and screening them at different levels to see which draw mosquitoes. In laboratory tests, he can get about 90 percent of the mosquitoes to come to one particularly alluring mixture. He says this is impressive, considering a human arm and hand attract about 70 percent of the same mosquitoes. Finding the right chemical scent is important, because what may be attractive for one species may not be for another. There are four to six dozen mosquito species out of 2,700 worldwide that transmit diseases--making it difficult to pinpoint attractants unique to each. Ultimately, a better understanding of mosquito attraction should help in developing more effective, environmentally safe repellents for protection from insects that prey on both humans and livestock. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information on this research appears in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/mosq0200.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Ulrich R. Bernier, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Mosquito & Fly Research Unit, Gainesville, Fla.; phone (352) 374-5931, fax (352) 374- 5922, ubernier@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu, ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Feb 7 17:43:27 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA08247 for ; Mon, 7 Feb 2000 17:43:26 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA11933 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 7 Feb 2000 15:13:49 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf71a7$df9934a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Finding Beetles' Favorite Scents Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 15:14:00 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 127 STORY LEAD: Electrodes Help Find Beetles' Favorite Scents ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov February 7, 2000 ----------- Several chemical scents that attract Colorado potato beetles have been discovered by Agricultural Research Service scientists. They attached tiny electrodes to the tips of beetles' antennae so they could monitor the pests' sensitivity to the scent of potatoes. Colorado potato beetles are the potato crop's most destructive pest, costing growers millions of dollars in chemical control and crop losses. For at least 73 years, scientists have been searching for the scent that attracts this yellow and black multi-colored bug to solanaceous plants. Entomologist Joseph C. Dickens with ARS' Vegetable Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., made the find while exposing the insects to different potato leaf aromas and allowing them to choose the scents they preferred. When Dickens offered the beetles a choice between one of the scents and potato foliage, the beetles were terribly confused and could not tell the difference between the two attractive scents. He monitored the insects' responses to both "real" and synthetic scents. In preliminary field tests, the beetles were captured with a synthetic lure containing a mixture of these compounds. According to Dickens, no one had ever caught a Colorado potato beetle with a synthetic lure before. They have identified at least five different synthetic blends that are attractive to the insects in laboratory tests--and that may be attractive in the field as well. From this research, naturally-occurring chemical signals could be used to monitor and control pest populations. Dickens is also investigating how chemical scents, which are emitted when the beetles chew on plants, might help attract potato beetle predators. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information on this research appears in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/nose0200.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Joseph C. Dickens, ARS Vegetable Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8957, fax (301) 504-5555, jdickens@asrr.arsusda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Feb 8 11:37:02 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA23849 for ; Tue, 8 Feb 2000 11:36:59 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA20476 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 8 Feb 2000 09:53:38 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf7244$4dd96a60$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Scientists Awarded for Technology Transfer Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 09:53:47 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 128 NEWS RELEASE: USDA Research Agency Awards Scientists for Technology Transfer ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov February 8, 2000 ----------- BELTSVILLE, Md., Feb. 8--Two teams that developed tools to improve farm animal health, including a vaccine for catfish and diagnostic methods for three livestock diseases, will receive 1999's highest award for technology transfer from the Agricultural Research Service. ARS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency, will honor scientists who developed these and other important technologies in a ceremony Feb. 9 at the agency's Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. There, ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn will present the two top research teams with plaques and cash awards for outstanding technology transfer efforts. ARS microbiologist Phillip H. Klesius and ARS molecular biologist Craig A. Shoemaker developed a vaccine against the bacterial disease enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC). ARS microbiologist Katherine I. O'Rourke and ARS veterinary medical officer Donald P. Knowles created novel diagnostic tools for sheep scrapie, bovine anaplasmosis and equine piroplasmosis. The awards event, begun in 1986, "allows us to acknowledge exceptional efforts in moving research from the laboratory to the users," said Horn. Klesius and Shoemaker work at the ARS Aquatic Animal Health Research Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Their vaccine--the first modified live fish vaccine to be approved-- reduced catfish mortality by 80 percent in tests and should save farmers as much as $60 million a year in losses. Intervet, Inc., Millsboro, Del., has licensed the vaccine, which is commercially available. "This vaccine will reduce antibiotic use and provide a more cost-effective way for the industry to raise healthy fish for consumers," Horn said. Knowles and O'Rourke work at ARS' Animal Disease Research Unit in Pullman, Wash. O'Rourke led the team that invented the first non-invasive, preclinical diagnostic procedure for scrapie in live animals, as well as sophisticated molecular tests to diagnose scrapie. Scrapie is a fatal neurological disease in sheep and goats. Knowles developed the most accurate tests available for anaplasmosis in cattle and piroplasmosis--also known as equine babesiosis--in horses. The methods are undergoing further scientific validation. ARS has applied for patents on all the tests, and they are available for licensing. "These tests give regulators and producers an accurate way to diagnose these important diseases," said Horn. "In addition to paving the way for treatment, these tests will bring science to bear on regulations that govern the international movement of animals and animal products." At the Feb. 9 ceremony, ARS will also present individual or team awards for other significant contributions in technology transfer. The recipients are: * ARS microbiologist John W. Doran, Soil and Water Conservation Research Unit, Lincoln, Neb. Doran created a field kit to help farmers and conservation specialists monitor soil health and productivity. He also helped USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service produce a soil assessment training manual. * ARS zoologist H. Ray Gamble, Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md. Gamble developed and implemented pre- and post-harvest certification systems to verify the safety of pork products for both domestic and export markets. * ARS agricultural engineer Bailey W. Mitchell, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, Ga. He invented an electrostatic space charge system with a private company to reduce airborne dust and disease-causing microorganisms by at least 80 percent. * ARS agricultural engineer Thomas C. Pearson and ARS chemist Thomas F. Schatzki, Cereal Product Utilization Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif. Pearson and Schatzki developed new identification and sorting technologies to help producers ensure that tree nuts reaching consumers do not harbor aflatoxin. * NP-PET, a team of seven scientists and numerous industrial and private partners led by ARS agricultural engineer Terry A. Howell, Water Management Research Unit, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas. This Northern Plains Potential Evapotranspiration Project promotes water conservation by providing real-time, remote environmental data including information about water use from six major irrigated crops grown in the region. The network was used by over 325 growers, consultants and others in 1998. * The Areawide Integrated Pest Management Project for Corn Rootworm, a team of 23 ARS and university scientists working in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. The team pioneered USDA's areawide IPM project against corn pests and relies on an aromatic beetle lure and trap as well as other technology. Their work could save farmers up to $1 billion during a year of heavy infestation. ---------- Contact: Richard M. Parry, Jr., ARS Office of Technology Transfer, Washington, D.C. phone (202) 720-3973, fax (202) 720-7549, rparry@ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Feb 9 13:03:37 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id NAA24366 for ; Wed, 9 Feb 2000 13:03:37 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26487 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 9 Feb 2000 09:47:18 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002601bf730c$952820a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Scientific Research Award Winners Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 09:47:26 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 129 NEWS RELEASE: Expert on Viewing Earth's Hydrologic Health from Space Tops ARS Award Winners ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov February 9, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Feb. 9--Albert Rango, a U.S. Department of Agriculture hydrologist and internationally recognized expert on hydrologic remote sensing, has been named Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of 1999 by USDA's Agricultural Research Service. It is the top scientific honor given by the research agency. Rango is being honored today for creating the field of hydrologic remote sensing, applying it to monitor rangeland conditions, and linking it to computer models to predict water availability for electricity, drinking, irrigation, and recreation. Under a cooperative research and development agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey, he helped develop a newer model that for the first time accounts for radiation and cloud cover as well as temperature, precipitation and snow cover in its predictions of the effects of climate change on snowmelt. Rango and other ARS scientists will be recognized in an awards ceremony scheduled for today at the ARS Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. Each winner will receive a plaque, a cash award and additional research funding. Rango works at the ARS Hydrology Laboratory at Beltsville. "Albert Rango has engaged in groundbreaking research with NASA and ARS for 27 years in hydrologic remote sensing, snow hydrology, climate change and rangeland health," ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn said. "He has been the primary leader in hydrologic remote sensing research in the world, with particular expertise in remote sensing of snow, snowmelt- runoff computer models, climate change assessment, and rangeland condition monitoring." "Rango was the first scientist to use satellite images to analyze and map a flood, to measure snow cover depletion and relate it to subsequent snowmelt runoff, and to evaluate climate change effects," Horn said. "He was also the first scientist to use satellite microwave data to estimate snow water equivalent and depth information over large areas with applications to predictions of water yield and winterkill of wheat." Rango has bachelor's and master's degrees in meteorology from Pennsylvania State University and a doctoral degree in watershed management from Colorado State University. He worked for NASA from 1972 until 1983, when he joined ARS. In addition to his research activities, Rango has instituted a cooperative research program with Howard University, Washington, D.C., to improve its remote sensing capability. He has a long history of involving students in his field programs and has supervised numerous postdoctoral students and visiting scientists, including Fulbright fellows, who have made major contributions to his research program and later to their own programs. The field of hydrologic remote sensing was created from Rango's research at NASA using the then newly launched Landsat and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites. In recognition of his eminence in the field, he has been elected by his peers to serve as president of the American Water Resources Association (1986), president and general chairman of the Western Snow Conference (1990-1992), and president of the International Commission on Remote Sensing, International Association of Hydrological Sciences (1997- 2001). He also holds the highest honors in the American Water Resources Association (fellow) and the Western Snow Conference (life member). Rango has written or co-written more than 260 scientific publications. ARS today will also honor Jerry L. Hatfield, Leon V. Kochian, and W. Joe Lewis as Outstanding Senior Research Scientists of 1999. Hatfield directs the agency's National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, Kochian leads research at the ARS-U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory in Ithaca, N.Y., and Lewis is at ARS' Insect Biology and Population Management Laboratory in Tifton, Ga. Hatfield is being recognized for his outstanding scientific and educational contributions to understanding the role of farming practices on water pollution. He leads a major U.S. Department of Agriculture water quality program and continues to develop research and education programs on environmental quality and agriculture across the United States. He has made significant contributions in the area of remote sensing to assess crop growth. Kochian is being honored for his pioneering research on understanding plant species that tolerate marginal soils and using plants to restore or bio-remediate contaminated soils. His research has been used to create wheat and corn varieties that grow better on acid soils. Lewis is being cited for advancing use of parasitoid wasps to attack caterpillar pests of corn, cotton and other crops. He has made fundamental discoveries about the chemical cues wasps use to locate their prey. ARS is also honoring scientists who are just building their careers. Early career awards recognize the achievements of ARS researchers who have been with the agency seven years or less. This year, the top award in this category will go to poultry physiologist Ann M. Donoghue as the Herbert L. Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Scientist of 1999. Donoghue works at ARS' Germplasm and Gamete Physiology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. She is being honored for improving the understanding of sperm function and competition in turkeys. Her findings could help turkey farmers select sires and save millions of dollars annually. The agency also named four Area Senior Research Scientists of 1999. They are: * Phillip H. Klesius of the ARS Aquatic Animal Health Researc