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 Niņo-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 Niņo's cool, wet winters and lower yields during La Niņa's warm, dry winters. The current La Niņa 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 Niņos," 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 Niņos 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 Niņos 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 Niņos 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 Research Laboratory in Auburn, Ala. Klesius is being honored for outstanding research to improve the health of farm-raised fish, including development of a catfish vaccine. Klesius is the senior winner in the agency's Midsouth Area, which includes Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. * Karl J. Kramer of the ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kan. Kramer's award is for pioneering research in insect molecular science and its application to development of insect pest control methods. Kramer is the top senior scientist for the agency's Northern Plains Area, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. * Melvin J. Oliver of the ARS Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Unit in Lubbock, Texas. Oliver is being honored for pioneering research accomplishments leading to a more complete understanding of crop tolerance to stresses such as drought. Oliver is the top senior scientist for the agency's Southern Plains Area, which includes Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. * M.K. (Kay) Walker-Simmons of the ARS Wheat Quality, Physiology and Disease Research Unit, Pullman, Wash. Walker-Simmons' award is for making great strides in understanding how hormones affect the ability of wheat seed to survive adverse environmental conditions such as drought, cold and preharvest rains. Walker-Simmons is the top senior scientist for the agency's Pacific West Area, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Seven Area Early Career Scientists are being honored by ARS. They are: * Gillian Eggleston, Mid South Area, Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, La., for curbing degradation of cane and beet sugar during processing. * Alan Joseph Franzleubbers, South Atlantic Area, at the J. Phil Campbell, Sr., Natural Resource Conservation Center in Watkinsville, Ga., for improving methods for measuring soil quality. * Raymond P. Glahn, North Atlantic Area, at the U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y., for developing a lab model of the human digestive system to study the bioavailability of food nutrients. * Jeffrey E. Herrick, Southern Plains Area, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, N.M., for leading development of a rangeland "health" monitoring program and transferring technology to ranchers and other users. * J. Mitchell McGrath, Midwest Area, Sugarbeet and Bean Research Unit, East Lansing, Mich., for building a world-class science program to bring sugarbeet breeding and genetics into the 21st century. * Leonard W. Panella, Northern Plains Area, Sugarbeet Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colo., for advancing sugarbeet germplasm and knowledge of the genetics of disease resistance. * Thomas C. Pearson, Pacific West Area, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif., for developing a high-tech pistachio sorter capable of removing aflatoxin- contaminated nuts at production speed. ---------- Individual news releases on each awardee are available on request to: Don Comis, ARS Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1625, fax (301) 504-1641, dcomis@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 Feb 9 18:28:14 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 SAA02705 for ; Wed, 9 Feb 2000 18:28:13 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id QAA15167 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 9 Feb 2000 16:26:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000d01bf7344$592f36a0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Carbonating Cow Manure Stunts E. coli Growth Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 16:26:37 -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: 130 NEWS RELEASE: Carbonating Cow Manure Stunts E. coli Growth ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov February 9, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, February 9, 2000--A harmless ingredient found in soft drinks and some toothpastes suppresses the growth of Escherichia coli in cow manure, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cornell University scientists reported today. "Some cattle harbor E. coli O157:H7 and other disease-causing bacteria, and these pathogens can persist in manure for long periods of time," said Agricultural Research Service microbiologist James B. Russell. "But in lab studies, adding sodium carbonate kills many of these harmful microbes." ARS is the chief research agency of USDA. Russell works at the ARS U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory in Ithaca, N.Y., and is affiliated with the Nutrient Conservation and Metabolism Laboratory at Beltsville, Md. Russell collaborated with postdoctoral fellows Francisco Diez-Gonzalez and Graeme Jarvis, and with undergraduate student David Adamovich in Cornell's Department of Microbiology on the research. Russell's team had been looking for a practical and inexpensive method for treating dairy cattle manure to decrease E. coli O157:H7 and other potential pathogens. "Bacteria can be killed by chlorination, but chlorinating manure is not practical," Russell said. "Laboratory tests indicated that E. coli was resistant to alkaline pH and ammonia, but it was very sensitive to carbonate if the pH was alkaline." Carbonate can be derived from urine. "When urease--an enzyme in feces-- breaks down urinary urea, some carbon dioxide is trapped as carbonate. Urinary carbonate alone can kill E. coli, but cows don't make enough urine to kill all the E. coli," Russell said. The ARS-Cornell team made its discovery by mixing manure and urine. When the ratio was 1-to-1, virtually all of the E. coli were killed. However, dairy cows typically excrete 2.2 times as much feces as urine, and E. coli persisted at that ratio. "If cow manure samples are spiked with sodium carbonate in the laboratory, E. coli do not persist," Russell said. Some sodium hydroxide is also added to make sure that the pH is at least 8.5, but "the estimated cost of this treatment would be only $10 per dairy cow per year," he said. Russell indicated that "after only 5 days, the E. coli count was less than 10 cells per gram." Because the manure samples originally had from 100,000 to 100,000,000 counts per gram, "carbonate appears to be an extremely effective antibacterial agent," Russell added. Cattle manure is often stored outdoors in large tanks or ponds prior to spreading on fields, but "a threefold dilution with water did not diminish the effectiveness of carbonate treatment," Russell said. While this process looks very promising in the laboratory, "pilot and farm-scale testing will be needed before the technology can be recommended to the livestock industry," he added. Laboratory experiments also indicated that carbonate killed other bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. This research is reported in volume 34, issue 7 of Environmental Science and Technology. ---------- Scientific contact: James B. Russell, U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y., phone (607) 255-4508, fax (607) 255-3904, jbr8@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 Feb 10 09:27:49 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 JAA06993 for ; Thu, 10 Feb 2000 09:27:47 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA21429 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 10 Feb 2000 08:12:18 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003401bf73c8$b56c72a0$331b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Survival Chances Brighten for Sunshine Bass Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 08:13:54 -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: 131 STORY LEAD: Survival Chances Brighten for Sunshine Bass ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov February 10, 2000 ----------- Aquaculturists now can produce sunshine bass, the ever-popular hybrid fish, more efficiently by preventing them from being gobbled up by one of their own foods--zooplankton. That's good news for sunshine bass producers--a small but rapidly developing industry. The trick: stock ponds with the fish when two other morsels, microscopic rotifers and minute crustaceans, become plentiful but before zooplankton grow large enough to devour the tiny, newly hatched fish. As newly hatched fry, sunshine bass are 2 to 5 millimeters long and vulnerable. Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed charts and graphs that identify the precisely timed "window of opportunity" when pond stocking allows fish to eat and grow fast enough to avoid becoming prey for larger zooplankton. Research showed pond temperature strongly affected the rotifer supply buildup. And rainfall drove the growth of the crustacean copepod nauplii. Other influences included day length, dissolved oxygen levels and the air temperature outlook. Before sunshine bass--a cross between male striped bass and female white bass--began making a splash, east coast fishermen in the early 1980's annually peddled up to 14.7 million pounds of striped bass to fish markets. Overfishing and pollution essentially destroyed the industry. Since 1984, the annual production of sunshine bass has increased from 10,000 pounds to 15 million pounds. Research on sunshine bass may improve the culture of additional tasty species of fish like yellow perch and walleye. If technology affords consumers year-round choices from among several cultured species, steady buying habits may develop. Then farmers may not have resources lying idle much of the year. The scientists are researching ways to manage fish so they'll spawn all year round, and they're developing know-how for providing a year-round supply of live food. An article about the research appears in the February issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/bass0200.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Gerald M. Ludwig, ARS Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center, Stuttgart, Ark., phone (870) 673- 4483, fax (870) 673-7710, snarc_gen@futura.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 Feb 11 11:39:42 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 LAA04501 for ; Fri, 11 Feb 2000 11:39:41 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29267 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 11 Feb 2000 09:35:01 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002f01bf749d$329b76c0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "Nancy Vanatta" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Symposium Addresses Invasive Species Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 09:35:08 -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: 132 STORY LEAD: ARS Symposium Addresses Invasive Species ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov February 11, 2000 ----------- Thwarting alien invasive species--a growing challenge for researchers--will be the subject of a Feb. 15 symposium sponsored by Agricultural Research Service laboratories at Beltsville, Md. The symposium will address current and future research efforts to combat these invaders and lessen the damage caused by those already here, according to ARS entomologist Michael E. Schauff. He's based at the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory at Beltsville. Each year, American farmers and homeowners spend millions of dollars combating fungi, weeds, insects, nematodes and other alien organisms that have been introduced into the United States from foreign countries. With the increase in international commerce and trade, the number of alien species entering and becoming established in this country is growing every year. Last year's invaders include Paracoccus marginatus, the papaya mealybug from Mexico that damages papaya and cassava, and Oidium lycopersici, tomato powdery mildew from Europe that can devastate commercially grown greenhouse and cultivated tomatoes. The Beltsville scientists will discuss their ongoing research aimed at solving the problem of invasive species and lessening their impact on America's food and fiber supply. Guest speakers will focus on global and national perspectives. Afternoon sessions include demonstrations of laboratory activities highlighting research addressing specific invasive species problems and issues. Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 11:45 a.m. Research demonstrations run from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Michael E. Schauff, ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5182, fax 504-6482, mschauff@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 Mon Feb 14 13:06:27 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 NAA05080 for ; Mon, 14 Feb 2000 13:06:26 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA07341 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 14 Feb 2000 09:45:02 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001f01bf76fa$11173b60$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Soy Soothes the Circuits in Body Cells Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 09:43:19 -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: 133 STORY LEAD: Soy Soothes the Circuits in Body Cells ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov February 14, 2000 ----------- Human body cells are constantly barraged with chemical signals that pester them to respond. Miraculously, they do a pretty good job of filtering out the "noise" and staying focused on their purpose. But some cells lose the ability to regulate these signals, and they react before they should. Researchers now believe this loss contributes to chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. Foods play an important role in filtering out this chemical noise. Test tube studies more than a decade ago show that a phytonutrient in soy foods--genistein--dampens communication from the cell's surface to its interior. Now, an Agricultural Research Service study gives the first evidence of this dampening effect in an animal. For four weeks, chemist Norberta Schoene, based at the ARS Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., fed young rats diets containing soy protein with high or low levels of genistein. Then she measured how the animals' blood platelets responded. Platelets are quite sensitive to outside signals and so are a good model for studying cell signaling. In three different tests, the platelets from the animals receiving the high-genistein diet showed less response to such signals. Schoene's hypothesis: Isoflavones may reduce over-responsive signaling that produces chronic disease. For example, if an order to divide gets "heard" by too many cells, it could lead to unrestrained growth as in cancer or an overactive immune system. Japanese diets on average contain about 10 times more soy than North American diets, and the Japanese have a lower incidence of cancer and heart disease. The genistein-rich diets in this study had the equivalent of twice the average Japanese genistein intake. The genistein-poor diet contained the equivalent of the U.S. intake of soy. Tofu, tempeh and miso are some soy foods rich in genistein and other isoflavones. An article about this research is in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/soy0200.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Norberta W. Schoene, ARS Nutrient Requirements and Functions Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8388, fax (301) 504-9062, schoene@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 Tue Feb 15 11:31:50 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 LAA03035 for ; Tue, 15 Feb 2000 11:31:50 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01228 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 15 Feb 2000 09:49:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003901bf77c3$e0b43de0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Video Game May Improve Kids' Eating Habits Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 09:49:31 -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: 134 STORY LEAD: Video Game May Improve Kids' Eating Habits ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov February 15, 2000 ----------- A fun, fast-paced video game called "Squire's Quest!" might entice kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, according to the scientists who are creating and testing it. Researchers at the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas, are trying out the action-packed computer game with 1,600 children in Houston elementary schools. The Nutrition Center is operated jointly by ARS, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Hospital. ARS is the chief research agency of USDA. Kids in the United States only eat about two to three-and-one-half servings of fruits and vegetables a day, instead of the five servings essential for optimal physical and mental growth and development, according to Tom Baranowski. A professor of behavioral nutrition at the research center and Baylor's Department of Pediatrics, Baranowski leads the team that is developing and testing the video game as part of an innovative new nutrition-education program. Each child playing the video games starts as a squire and enters into training to become a knight. Knights help to protect an imaginary kingdom, called "Five-A-Lot," from invaders bent on destroying its fruits and vegetables. As squires earn points towards various levels of knighthood, they learn about fruits, 100-percent fruit juices, and veggies. The video game is part of a series of ten, 25-minute-long classroom sessions in which kids make tasty virtual recipes using fruits and veggies. Then they set personal goals for making those recipes at home, and for eating at least one more serving of a fruit or vegetable at a specific meal or snack. Baranowski developed the video game and kid-friendly, behavior-change curriculum in collaboration with Baylor assistant professors Janice Baranowski and Karen Cullen, along with health educator Lauren Honess Morreale and freelance writer Brenda Congdon. The scientists expect to finish analyzing the results of their education experiment by the end of summer 2000. ---------- Scientific contact: Tom Baranowski, ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, Texas, phone (713) 798-6762, fax (713) 798-7098, tbaranow@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 Wed Feb 16 12:15:44 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 MAA05706 for ; Wed, 16 Feb 2000 12:15:43 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA29225 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 16 Feb 2000 10:08:28 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001f01bf788f$b23c0e80$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Helping Block Spread of TB in Animals Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 10:08:30 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 135 STORY LEAD: Research Helps Block Spread of TB in Animals ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 16, 2000 ----------- Armed with new knowledge about transmission of tuberculosis between animals, Agricultural Research Service scientists are helping with the effort to eradicate tuberculosis in animals in the United States. The presence of TB in wild white-tailed deer in Michigan poses a serious threat to the eradication program. To help fight that problem, ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, have developed the first animal model to study TB transmission in white-tailed deer. ARS microbiologist Diana Whipple and ARS veterinarian Mitchell V. Palmer have used the method to experimentally infect captive white-tailed deer with Mycobacterium bovis, the organism that causes tuberculosis in cattle. This method helps the researchers study the transmission of TB from experimentally infected deer to noninfected deer in research pens at ARS' National Animal Disease Center in Ames. One significant finding has already emerged from their studies. The researchers have identified a possible route of transmission of M. bovis from experimentally infected deer to other noninfected animals. They found that deer saliva as well as nasal and tonsil secretions contain M. bovis. Therefore, a cow or another deer might become infected with M. bovis by eating feed contaminated with these secretions, according to Whipple. Fingerprints of genetic material called DNA show that both the wild and captive deer in Michigan are infected with the identical strain of M. bovis recovered from coyotes, raccoons, a bear, and cattle. An article about this work appears in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The article can be found on the world wide web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/zoo0200.htm ARS is the USDA's chief research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Diana Whipple, ARS National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa, phone (515) 663-7325, fax (515) 663-7458, dwhipple@nadc.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 Feb 17 11:50:24 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 LAA02547 for ; Thu, 17 Feb 2000 11:50:22 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA23157 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:50:56 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf7956$698c1640$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Sugar Beet Pest Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:51:02 -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: 136 STORY LEAD: Moldy Mayhem in Store for Sugar Beet Pest ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 17, 2000 ----------- A beneficial fungus that ravages sugar beet root maggots could give farmers a new, natural defense against the pest. Though it is under half-an-inch long, the maggot's assaults on sugar beet crops cost growers millions of dollars annually. Up to 38 percent of America's sucrose for condiments, baked goods, and other products comes from the 1.5-million-acre sugar beet crop. Nearly half is treated with granular insecticides like chlorpyrifos to kill root maggots, offspring of the fly species Tetanops myopaeformis. As they feed, maggots badly scar sugar beet roots, causing yield losses of 10 to 100 percent. Now, a new species of fungus--Syngliocladium tetanopsis--may help curb the pest's sweet tooth. Chris Wozniak discovered the fungus in 1994 and in September received a U.S. patent (#5,955,071). His laboratory and field studies at the Agricultural Research Service indicate Syngliocladium's spores can be sprayed or "seeded" into soils as a biological pesticide. Dormant until a maggot makes contact, the missile-shaped spores bore into their host's body to germinate, destroying organs and tissues. In petri dish experiments, this killed 95 to 100 percent of exposed, newly hatched maggots in three to five days. Eighty-five to 96 percent of older, final-stage maggots died after several weeks. Yet scientists didn't observe a similar fate in non-host insects, including beneficial lady bugs and lace wings or pests like Colorado potato beetles. Wozniak's chief colleague is Ann Smigocki, at ARS' Molecular Plant Pathology Lab in Beltsville, Md. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's principal research arm. Wozniak, now at EPA's Biopesticide and Pollution Prevention Division, continues collaborating with Smigocki. They're seeking a commercial partner to help develop the fungus into a biopesticide product that growers can use as an alternative to conventional insecticides. Coated onto beet seed, for example, it could be applied to soils where maggot-killing chemicals can harm non-target insects, or endanger groundwater. Use of the fungus, which doesn't infect plants, could also spare seedlings from phytotoxic harm caused by some insecticides. ---------- Scientific contacts: Ann Smigocki, ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Lab, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5848, fax (301) 504-5320, smigocki@asrr.arsusda.gov; or Chris Wozniak, EPA Biopesticide and Pollution Prevention Division, phone (703) 605-0513, fax (703) 308-7026, wozniak.chris@epamail.epa.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 17 19:25:32 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 TAA12927 for ; Thu, 17 Feb 2000 19:25:32 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id RAA02613 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 17 Feb 2000 17:38:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000401bf7997$ca98d720$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungus' Protein Causes Weed Cells to Self Destruct Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 17:24:55 -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: 137 STORY LEAD: Fungus' Protein Causes Weed Cells to Self Destruct ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 18, 2000 ----------- Weeds are notoriously stubborn, but researchers may be on the verge of turning the pesky plants into their own worst enemy. Their approach involves spraying the weeds with a natural protein derived from the soil fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Upon entering natural leaf openings called stomata, the fungus' protein causes a specific self-defense mechanism to shift into maximum overdrive. The defense, called a hypersensitive response, normally helps weeds cordon off infection by instructing nearby cells to self-destruct. But in lab, greenhouse, and small- scale field trials, spraying the protein causes a mass cellular suicide instead. In dandelions, for example, this kills the weed's affected leaves three to 24 hours later. The finding, by Agricultural Research Service scientists, may open the door to a natural herbicide that farmers, organic growers or homeowners could spray to check broadleaf weeds like dandelion, yellow star thistle, pigweed or northern jointvetch. Plant pathologist Bryan Bailey and colleagues are exploring the possibility at several ARS labs-- Biocontrol of Plant Diseases, Weed Science, and Soybean and Alfalfa Research. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. Bailey's team originally discovered the protein, called Nep1, while trying to understand how some fusarium fungi cause disease in crops like corn. Studies begun in 1998 ruled out the protein's role in causing crop disease, but also revealed its potential as a biological herbicide. The team reports their findings in the January-February issue of Weed Science. Interestingly, Nep1 only affects broadleaf weeds of the dicot family with cell receptors that can detect the protein. This suggests it could be sprayed onto monocot crops like corn, wheat, or even turfgrass without causing harm. Another possibility is spraying Nep1 to clear away certain cover crops, like hairy vetch, prior to planting. A longer article about the team's discovery appears in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine, and on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/weeds0200.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Bryan Bailey, ARS Biocontrol of Plant Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6653/5682, fax (301) 504-5968, bbailey@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 Feb 18 09:33:46 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 JAA22794 for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2000 09:33:44 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA04117 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 18 Feb 2000 08:09:04 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf7a11$589118c0$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungus' Protein Causes Weed Cells to Self Destruct Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 17:41:11 -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: 138 STORY LEAD: Fungus' Protein Causes Weed Cells to Self Destruct ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 18, 2000 ----------- Weeds are notoriously stubborn, but researchers may be on the verge of turning the pesky plants into their own worst enemy. Their approach involves spraying the weeds with a natural protein derived from the soil fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Upon entering natural leaf openings called stomata, the fungus' protein causes a specific self-defense mechanism to shift into maximum overdrive. The defense, called a hypersensitive response, normally helps weeds cordon off infection by instructing nearby cells to self-destruct. But in lab, greenhouse, and small- scale field trials, spraying the protein causes a mass cellular suicide instead. In dandelions, for example, this kills the weed's affected leaves three to 24 hours later. The finding, by Agricultural Research Service scientists, may open the door to a natural herbicide that farmers, organic growers or homeowners could spray to check broadleaf weeds like dandelion, yellow star thistle, pigweed or northern jointvetch. Plant pathologist Bryan Bailey and colleagues are exploring the possibility at several ARS labs-- Biocontrol of Plant Diseases, Weed Science, and Soybean and Alfalfa Research. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. Bailey's team originally discovered the protein, called Nep1, while trying to understand how some fusarium fungi cause disease in crops like corn. Studies begun in 1998 ruled out the protein's role in causing crop disease, but also revealed its potential as a biological herbicide. The team reports their findings in the January-February issue of Weed Science. Interestingly, Nep1 only affects broadleaf weeds of the dicot family with cell receptors that can detect the protein. This suggests it could be sprayed onto monocot crops like corn, wheat, or even turfgrass without causing harm. Another possibility is spraying Nep1 to clear away certain cover crops, like hairy vetch, prior to planting. A longer article about the team's discovery appears in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine, and on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb00/weeds0200.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Bryan Bailey, ARS Biocontrol of Plant Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6653/5682, fax (301) 504-5968, bbailey@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 Feb 18 17:43:59 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 RAA07138 for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2000 17:43:58 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id QAA29225 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 18 Feb 2000 16:07:01 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002901bf7a54$1e338e40$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Seeking Comments on Dietary Guidelines Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 16:07:00 -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: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 139 MEDIA ADVISORY: FINAL REPORT OF DIETARY GUIDELINES COMMITTEE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ---------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Feb. 18, 2000 Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628 jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov ------------------------------ WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2000--The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announce in today's Federal Register that the final Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is available for public comment. The guidelines are updated every five years to incorporate the evolving scientific knowledge about how dietary intake affects human health. The report, containing the proposed content of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as discussion on proposed changes and other recommendations, is available on the Internet in PDF format at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/dgac. It is also available for review at the Reference Section of the National Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville, Md. For directions, call (301) 504-5755. Those interested in commenting on the report may submit written comments on or before March 15, 2000, to the names and addresses below. The committee will also accept oral comments at a public meeting March 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To give oral comments, presenters must preregister by 5 p.m., March 7, giving the name and affiliation (if applicable) of the presenter, source of funding and contact phone number. Call Kathryn McMurry at (202) 205-4872 or fax her at (202) 205-0463 with the information. No registration is necessary to attend the meeting as an observer. The meeting will be held in the Jefferson Auditorium of USDA's South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. The building is adjacent to the Smithsonian Metro station at the Independence Ave. exit. For more information and to submit written comments, contact both: Shanthy Bowman, Ph.D. . USDA-ARS Bldg. 005, Rm. 125, BARC-W 1300 Baltimore Blvd. Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 Tel: (301) 504-0619 Kathryn McMurry, M.S. DHHS-ODPHP Room 738-G 200 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20201 Tel: (202) 205-4872 ---------- 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 22 15:37:37 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 PAA14169 for ; Tue, 22 Feb 2000 15:37:30 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id NAA03311 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 22 Feb 2000 13:33:12 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004001bf7d63$4a785e60$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Researchers Seek New Uses for "Black Liquor" Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 13:33:16 -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: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 140 STORY LEAD: Researchers Seek New Uses for "Black Liquor" ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 22, 2000 ----------- Scientists with ARS and Vision Paper, Inc., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, have rolled up their sleeves and dirtied their hands to find new uses for "black liquor," a crude byproduct of pulping kenaf fiber. Twenty-five years ago, ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Center in Peoria, Illinois, developed a process to turn kenaf into newsprint. Originally from Africa, kenaf is a renewable fiber crop closely related to cotton. It reaches heights of 14 feet in less than seven months. Kenaf stalks provide two to three times more fiber per acre annually than the Southern Pine, a paper industry staple in the U.S. South. U.S. farmers can grow kenaf in place of corn, soybeans, cotton, or rice. Black liquor is usually burned for fuel or chemical recovery, but often small paper mills can't afford expensive incinerators, according to new crops research leader Thomas P. Abbott. Led by Abbott, the Peoria-based research team, including one employee of Vision Paper, found that chitosan, made from ground-up crab shells, helps turn the dissolved kenaf lignin into a solid cake. The solid cake will be tested as an animal feed pellet binder. The remaining soluble black liquor can be converted to a dry fertilizer that has 22.2 percent nitrogen and is low in sodium. In the overall process, black liquor is turned into salable products instead of greenhouse gases. Abbott is scheduled to speak about this work at the meeting Kenaf Fiber for the 21st Century, the 3rd annual conference of the American Kenaf Society in Corpus Christi, Texas, Feb. 24-26. ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas P. Abbott, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill.,phone(309) 681-6533, abbotttp@ncaur.mail.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 Feb 22 17:13:58 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 RAA16911 for ; Tue, 22 Feb 2000 17:13:58 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA20932 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 22 Feb 2000 15:29:31 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf7d73$8a041e60$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Latest Edition of Quarterly Report Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 15:29:36 -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: 141 STORY LEAD ARS Posts Latest Edition of Quarterly Report of Research Progress ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov February 22, 2000 ----------- The Agricultural Research Service has posted a new issue of the Quarterly Report of Research Progress for October 1 to December 31, 1999 on its website at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/qtr/index.html The Quarterly contains the latest ARS research findings in Soil, Water and Air Quality; Food Safety and Quality; Animal Production and Protection; Human Nutrition; Crop Productivity; Industrial Products; Crop Diseases and Pests; IPM/Biocontrol; Plant Genetic Resources; New Products; Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, Licenses and Patents. Some highlights from this issue: * A new trap with the trade name Dragonfly effectively attracts and kills mosquitoes and biting flies. The trap mimics the human or animal blood system, which helps lure them to it. * A diagnostic test identifies animals in the early stages of Johne's disease--a costly dairy cattle problem. * Dairy producers could benefit from a mix of enzymes extracted from the stems of pineapple plants that helps keep the white cell count in cows' milk down in the range that fetches a premium price. * Discovery of a primitive form of cell-to-cell communication that enhances, by as much as 100 times, the way Salmonella enteritidis cells communicate with each other. It may give scientists a way to foil this food-poisoning microbe. * According to analyses of 46 commercial preparations, 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 research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Contact: Hank Becker, ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, Md.; phone (301) 504-1624, fax (301) 504- 1641, hbecker@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 Feb 23 11:37:52 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 LAA04495 for ; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 11:37:52 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29004 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 23 Feb 2000 09:50:20 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf7e0d$530b7e40$241b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Reducing Salmonella in Poultry Houses Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 09:50:27 -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: 142 STORY LEAD: New Air Cleaning Device Cuts Salmonella in Poultry Houses ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov February 23, 2000 ----------- A new electrostatic air cleaning system reduced airborne Salmonella by 94 percent in a commercial hatchery in Georgia recently, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists who developed the system. Once it's incorporated into commercial poultry operations, the system promises to improve food safety by reducing Salmonella in hatching cabinets--a primary source of Salmonella contamination for broiler chickens. Strong air currents can spread Salmonella from a single infected chick to all of the chicks in a hatching cabinet. The new system, developed by ARS scientist Bailey W. Mitchell at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Ga., captures dust that harbors hitchhiking organisms such as Salmonella. Dust is electrostatically charged and captured on special plates that are automatically washed clean at prescribed intervals. The system has been tested in hatching cabinets of two large poultry integrators as well as in experimental caged layer rooms. Results of the most recent commercial experiments showed an average reduction of 77 percent in dust levels and 94 percent less enterobacteriaceae (commonly encountered bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli that frequently cause disease) than a cabinet treated with hydrogen peroxide disinfectant. The system has also been shown to reduce airborne Salmonella enteritidis in a caged layer room by 95 percent and to have a strong killing effect on Salmonella at close range. Researchers applied for a patent in July 1998, and two companies have licensed the technology. A commercial version of the system, called "Clean Chick," has been developed by BioIon, a newly formed company in Watkinsville, Ga., and it is being distributed by Surepip, Inc., of Dallas, Ga. Major poultry companies around the world, including the United States, Mexico, South America, Japan, Korea, Israel and Holland, also have expressed interest in the system as a food safety intervention approach. ---------- Scientific contact: Bailey Mitchell, ARS Southeast Poultry Laboratory, phone (706) 546-3443, bmitchell@seprl.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 25 11:15:43 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 LAA20956 for ; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:15:42 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA09485 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 09:37:44 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf7f9d$e5089080$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Boosting Catfish Production Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 09:37:45 -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: 143 STORY LEAD: Daily Feeding Schedule Boosts On-Farm Catfish Production ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov February 25, 2000 ----------- Catfish growers who feed their fish each day--rather than every other day--can boost production, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service scientists. The researchers increased pond production of catfish 30 percent by feeding 30 percent more feed--and by offering it on a daily basis. The new daily feeding schedule increased the weight of fingerlings, as a group, by 70 percent. Fingerling growth, by itself, accounted for the overall 30 percent increases in ponds where young and old fish were raised together and fed everyday. Weight gains of larger fish were neither helped nor hindered by feeding frequency. Until now, some catfish farmers have supplied feed to mixed-sizes of catfish just every other day when water temperature rose above 90 degrees F. The reason: daily feedings in hot weather can result in ponds having low levels of oxygen, which are unhealthy for fish. But with the advent of highly efficient mechanical aeration, water oxygen is no longer a problem. In the 30-week-long study, researchers at Pine Bluff, Ark., stocked nine ponds at a per- acre rate of 2,000 large fish and 6,000 fingerlings and supplied as much feed as the fish would eat either daily or every other day. While fingerlings gained much more by being fed every day, larger fish gained the same amount in either situation. The larger fish apparently made up for not having daily meals by snacking on the smaller fingerlings. Some 14 percent fewer fingerlings survived in ponds supplied with feed every other day. Warm-water food fish such as catfish, striped bass and carp, together with baitfish, comprise at least a $675 million on-farm industry in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Production of food fish in other southeastern states and California is growing rapidly even as imports of fish products are rising. The domestic aquaculture industry provides a market for corn, soybeans and other ingredients that go into the manufacture of fish feeds. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Donald W. Freeman, ARS Aquaculture Systems Research, Pine Bluff, Ark., phone (870) 543-8128, fax (870) 543-8116, dfreeman@spa.aars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Feb 25 12:43:21 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA22860 for ; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 12:43:20 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA27180 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:09:35 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00a201bf7faa$ba8046c0$211b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "\"New This Week\" List" Subject: comments, suggestions? Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:09:41 -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: 144 EVERYTHING is up for comment, here--including the product title and the info in the "To:" line. There are obviously other ways to organize the material. Also, the summaries in the sample are one sentence only. Is that enough? A plain cut-and-paste approach would be faster, but I felt some rewrite helps make it snappier. See the first sentence of the footer. We'd have to create another "subscribe" dialogue. And we have to decide whether this is also going to be in Spanish. If you have list-sender rights (Sean, Nancy) you can post your comments directly to ars-newsdigest@ars-grin.gov if you want. Otherwise send comments to me and I'll circulate them via the list unless you don't want me to. Jim From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Feb 25 12:43:26 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 MAA22865 for ; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 12:43:26 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA27028 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:08:33 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <009b01bf7faa$94fc6500$211b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "\"New This Week\" List" Subject: New This Week (draft) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:00:37 -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: 145 NEW THIS WEEK ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA February 25, 2000 ----------- RESEARCH ROUNDUP (2/22) ARS has posted the new issue of its "Quarterly Report of Research Progress" on the web. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000222b.htm FERTILIZER FROM KENAF? (2/22) Scientists with ARS and a New Mexico firm have found new uses for "black liquor," a crude byproduct of pulping kenaf fiber. (2/22) http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000222.htm TRAPPING SALMONELLA (2/23) A new electrostatic air cleaning system reduced airborne Salmonella by 94 percent in a commercial hatchery in Georgia. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000223.htm TIMELINE OF RESEARCH (2/24) Researchers, history buffs and others can now view a chronological timeline of USDA research on the web. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000224.htm IN THE CATFISH POND (2/25) Feeding the fish daily--instead of every other day, the common practice--can boost production. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000225.htm ---------- * NEW THIS WEEK is the weekly digest of web links to news stories from the ARS News Service. To subscribe to the digest or to the full daily service, visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm. * Get the latest ARS news on the 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 Feb 28 12:12:35 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 MAA13507 for ; Mon, 28 Feb 2000 12:12:34 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01093 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 28 Feb 2000 09:59:57 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004401bf81fc$7e567440$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Research May Spur New Markets for Onion Seed Producers Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 09:59:19 -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: 146 STORY LEAD: Research May Spur New Markets for Onion Seed Producers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov February 28, 2000 ----------- More export opportunities may open up to U.S. onion seed producers because Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed a new source of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). The CMS inbred line is used as the female parent to produce commercial hybrids. The majority of hybrid onion seed is produced using a single source of CMS called S cytoplasm, which traces back to a single plant identified in Davis, Calif., in 1925. But reliance on a single source of hybrid onion seed could lead to a disastrous scenario in onions similar to the epidemic of southern corn leaf blight on corn, according to ARS plant geneticist Michael J. Havey in Madison, Wis. The ARS onion breeding program was begun in 1936 by ARS plant breeder Henry Jones in Beltsville, Md. Since 1940, commercial onion breeders have relied on the ARS source of CMS to produce onion hybrids. To date, ARS breeders have released more than 40 hybrids and 70 inbred lines of onions to public and private breeders, with ARS accounting for 30 percent of the onion research in the public sector. ARS is USDA's chief scientific research agency. The new source of CMS may help diversify male-sterile cytoplasms used to produce hybrid onion seed. Such diversity may help reduce the genetic vulnerability of onion and provide more stable production of bulb and seed onions, at stable costs for consumers. Havey backcrossed Allium galanthum to bulb onion (A. cepa L.) populations. Onion flowers are both male and female, so one of the parents needs to be male-sterile. Pale yellow A. galanthum flowers don't produce the male parts, called anthers, which makes identification of male-sterile (female) plants much easier than the older systems of identifying male-sterile onion plants. Havey presented the new CMS source at the 1999 National Onion Research Conference in December 1999, and published an article in the Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science (124:626-629). ---------- Scientific contact: Michael J. Havey, ARS Vegetable Crops Research Laboratory, Madison, Wis., phone (608) 262-1830, mjhavey@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. * 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 29 17:37:10 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 RAA18967 for ; Tue, 29 Feb 2000 17:37:09 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA00403 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 29 Feb 2000 15:38:50 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000a01bf82f5$002e5ca0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: USDA, Brazil Team up to Fight Dengue Virus Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 15:38:55 -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: 147 NEWS RELEASE: USDA, Brazil Team up to Fight Dengue Virus ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sean Adams, (301) 504-1623, issa@ars-grin.gov February 29, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Feb. 29--The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Brazilian government officials today signed an agreement to conduct a joint research project to biologically control the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits Dengue virus. "Our USDA scientists are among the foremost experts in the world in controlling the mosquito that transmits this disease," said Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics I. Miley Gonzalez, who signed the agreement today. "We are hopeful that we can suppress this disease and improve the health of people in more than 100 countries where this disease is now endemic." Dengue, transmitted primarily by the yellow fever mosquito A. aegypti, causes a severe, flu-like illness.The disease has spread around the world in recent years, reaching epidemic proportions in Brazil and other parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization. WHO estimates there may be 50 million cases of dengue worldwide each year. The mosquito has been largely eliminated from the United States, now confined to the southernmost areas of Florida and Texas. Under the agreement, the scientists will use a biological control agent called Edhazardia aedis, a microsporidium developed by USDA scientists at the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, in Gainesville, Fla. CMAVE is part of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. In the mid 1990s, small-scale field trials using E. aedis in the United States were successful at controlling A. aegypti mosquitoes in Florida, according to Donald Barnard, who heads the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit at CMAVE. Researchers are planning larger-scale trials in Brazil later this year and then large-scale releases of the organism to control the mosquito. The Brazilian Minister of Health, José Serra, and the Brazilian Ambassador, Rubens Barbosa, joined Gonzalez for today's signing. ---------- Scientific contact: Donald Barnard, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Fla., phone (352) 374-5930, fax (352) 374-5852, dbarnard@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 Wed Mar 1 11:42:03 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 LAA04390 for ; Wed, 1 Mar 2000 11:42:03 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26984 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 1 Mar 2000 09:38:42 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001001bf838b$daafa460$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fly Next Weapon Against Water-Hyacinth Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2000 09:38:47 -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: 148 NEWS RELEASE: Fly From Amazon Jungle Could Be Next Weapon Against Water Weed ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, jdequatt@asrr.arsusda.gov March 1, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, Mar. 1--A tiny, newly discovered Amazonian fly that attacks water-hyacinth weeds has for the first time been reared in large numbers. "This is our researchers' latest step to building a new team of natural enemies to stop water-hyacinth, a nasty aquatic weed," said Floyd P. Horn, administrator of USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Dense water-hyacinth mats infest hundreds of ponds, lakes and streams in California, Hawaii and throughout the south from Texas to the Carolinas. The plant is native to South America. The mats rob water from drinking and irrigation supplies, block boat travel and clog water-pumping stations. They also damage water quality, blocking light and oxygen and slowing the water flow. And they choke out other plants--and the fish and other animals that rely on these plants or on access to open water. The 1.5-millimeter fly, discovered last year by ARS researchers, is a new species of Thrypticus. Immature flies feed inside the weed's petioles, the tiny stalks that attach leaves to stems. In addition, the flies' tunneling may enable microbes to enter and further weaken or kill the plants. "These flies--and other new species the scientists discovered in the upper Amazon basin--could become the first new insects imported to attack water-hyacinth in about 25 years," Horn said. "Biological control with insects and other natural enemies, such as fungi, is essential to a long-term solution. Today's primary weapons--herbicides and mechanical removal--can be costly and are often ineffective." ARS entomologist Hugo Cordo and colleagues found the new species last April near Iquitos, Peru. Cordo leads ARS' South American Biological Control Laboratory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ARS is USDA's chief scientific wing. In early to mid December, Cordo's research team released several hundred adult Thrypticus water-hyacinth petiole mining flies on water-hyacinth plants in a 6-foot- square cage outside the Buenos Aires lab. The flies mated, and large numbers of their adult offspring began appearing in January. "With luck,"Cordo said, "Thrypticus might be ready to import in two or three years" for testing in an ARS quarantine laboratory in Florida. In the 1970's, three South American insects were found and tested in Argentina and imported and released in the U.S. by ARS entomologists Neal Spencer and Ted Center, who was with Cordo on the 1999 expedition. "Today these insects help check water-hyacinth in the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries," Horn said. "But having a more diverse crew of natural enemies should increase our success against this invasive weed species." In the Amazon, insects and microbes put water-hyacinth under stress. This controls the mat's expansion. But the weed has escaped to many countries where these natural enemies aren't present. Visitors attracted by the plant's lush leaves and blue-to-lavender flowers have often taken it home as an ornamental. That's apparently how it reached the U.S. in the late 19th century. The Iquitos region "may be the world's richest source of natural enemies of water-hyacinth," Cordo said in the March issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine. Cordo's expedition colleagues were Center, who leads the ARS Aquatic Plant Control Research Unit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Martin Hill of South Africa's Plant Protection Research Institute, and Harry Evans and Djami Djeddour of CABI Bioscience in England. They searched 180 kilometers of the upper Amazon River and the Ucayali and Maraņon Rivers that converge to form it. They collected hundreds of natural enemies and plant samples at 30 sites over 7 days. Cordo's research team has discovered 11 new insect species on water-hyacinth and its relatives in Peru and northern Argentina since 1996. They include six Thrypticus species, three Taosa plant hoppers and two Megamelus plant hoppers. Researchers are studying the insects' biology and behavior and screening them to identify the best candidates for biological control. They are also making sure water-hyacinth is the only plant attacked. "Along with crops, this means testing ornamentals and plants in natural settings," Cordo said. ---------- Scientific contacts: Hugo Cordo, ARS South American Biological Control Laboratory, Hurlingham, Argentina, phone/fax 54-11-4662-0999, hacordo@mail.retina.ar; Ted D. Center, ARS Aquatic Plant Control Research Unit, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., phone (954) 475-0541, ext. 103, fax (954) 476-9169, TCenter@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: 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 Mar 3 11:41:16 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 LAA22294 for ; Fri, 3 Mar 2000 11:41:14 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA18624 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 3 Mar 2000 09:44:16 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000a01bf851e$f5efa6a0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Countless Microbes in Hog Manure Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 09:44:15 -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: 149 STORY LEAD: Countless Microbes in Hog Manure Await Identification ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov March 3, 2000 ----------- Getting "down and dirty" may be the best way to figure out which microbes are causing the offensive odors that plague hog manure pits. Agricultural Research Service scientists are taking that approach to sort out the microbes that produce offensive smells from those that produce methane, an odorless "greenhouse-effect" gas. In mid-1999, ARS scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research began dipping into hog manure pits. When examining these samples, they found a rich assortment of microbes. The researchers are seeking to know them by their DNA--a unique genetic profile--as well as by classical biochemical features. So far they've deciphered more than 100 DNA sequences from 180 pure cultures in a group of microbes called eubacteria. What the scientists most want to know is which eubacteria are the real stinkers--and what causes their numbers to rise or fall. That would be a fundamental step toward helping the livestock industry live in harmony with rural and urban neighbors. And reducing odors might go hand-in-hand with improving pork production efficiency because odors are produced mainly from feed that's not fully digested. The scientists ferreted out about 100 microbial DNA sequences directly from materials such as slurries of manure. These sequences included those from at least seven groups of methane-producing microbes of a type called archaebacteria. Only about half the groups have relatives in genera known to science. Archaebacteria live where there is little or no oxygen. As the NCAUR scientists identify microbes that produce certain odors most abundantly, they will compare their data with findings from ARS colleagues at Ames, Iowa, who are analyzing odors from air samples near livestock operations. Although the NCAUR scientists are focusing on the pit storage environment, what they learn may be applied to research on manure that is composted or processed through lagoons. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. An article about the research appears in the March issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/hog0300.htm ---------- Scientific contacts: Michael A. Cotta and Terence R. Whitehead, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6567, fax (309) 681-6686, cottama@ncaur.usda.gov and whitehtr@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 Mon Mar 6 12:00:00 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 LAA21266 for ; Mon, 6 Mar 2000 11:59:57 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA07934 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 6 Mar 2000 10:01:29 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf877c$dcf37360$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cutting Body Fat Before Dietary Fat Is Better Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 10:01:33 -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: 150 NEWS RELEASE: Overweight? Cutting Body Fat Before Dietary Fat Is Better ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov March 6, 2000 ----------- BOSTON, Mass., March 6, 2000--Are you overweight--with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30--and your blood lipids are higher than your doctor would like? Then you will probably benefit more from cutting those extra pounds, by eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity, than from cutting dietary fat. That's the gist of findings in this month's Agricultural Research magazine, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Two different heart-healthy diets were less effective at improving the cholesterol profile of overweight men than of normal-weight men, said Jose Ordovas at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Ordovas collaborated on the study, which was done in Spain by researchers at the University of Cordoba Medical School. ARS administrator Floyd Horn noted that there's already good evidence that dietary changes don't have much of an effect on the blood lipids of obese people, those who have a BMI over 30. "Dr. Ordovas and his Spanish colleagues wanted to see if this carried over to people who are overweight but not obese," Horn said. "Apparently it does." Total cholesterol in the overweight men dropped less than half that of the lean men--7 versus 16 percent-- after switching from a diet high in total fat and saturated fat to one recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Likewise, artery-damaging LDL cholesterol dropped 9 percent in the overweight group versus 21 percent in the lean group. The NCEP diet is low in fat--28 percent of total calories--with only 10 percent saturated fat. A second heart-healthy diet also had less impact on total and LDL cholesterol in the overweight men. Although this diet was high in fat--38 percent of total calories--more than half of it was monounsaturated fat (22 percent), the predominant fat in olive or canola oils. The researchers concluded: "It's more important for overweight people to lose weight than change the fat composition of their diets." People are generally considered overweight if their BMI is between 25 and 30. That's equivalent to a 6-foot person weighing between 185 and 220 pounds; a 5-foot, 8-inch person between 165 and 195 pounds; or a 5-foot, 4-inch person between 146 and 170 pounds. However, individuals who are very muscular can have such a high BMI without being "overweight." To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 700, then divide the total by your height in inches and divide that result by your height in inches once more. Or you can search for one of several BMI calculators on the Web. Indiana University supports one at: http://www.iupui.edu/~psych/info/notes/bmi.html While being overweight dampened the effect of dietary fat changes on cholesterol in the study volunteers, it had the opposite effect on their blood triglycerides. That's a measure of how much fat is in circulation. After consuming the diet high in monounsaturated fat for four weeks, the overweight group had a much bigger drop in triglycerides than the lean men's group: 26 percent versus 4 percent. "High triglycerides are associated with reduced glucose tolerance," which is the earliest stage of diabetes, explains Ordovas. "And evidence is mounting that high trigylcerides independently increase risk of heart disease." "Based on these findings, it appears that portly people should substitute olive or canola oil for saturated fat in their diet," said Ordovas. The Agricultural Research magazine article on this topic is on the Internet at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/diet0300.htm The Agricultural Research Service is the chief scientific arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Jose M. Ordovas, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass., phone (617) 556-3102, fax (617) 556-3103, ordovas_li@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 Tue Mar 7 11:48:16 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 LAA04768 for ; Tue, 7 Mar 2000 11:48:16 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA08376 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 7 Mar 2000 09:39:47 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf8842$ff55dee0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Fruit Coatings Help Abate Post-Harvest Fruit Decay Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 09:39:51 -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: 151 STORY LEAD: New Fruit Coatings Help Abate Post-Harvest Fruit Decay ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, ist2@ars-grin.gov March 7, 2000 ----------- The shine that helps fruits glisten at the local produce stand may soon be only the most visible manifestation of a more natural way to preserve fruit-34 million tons harvested in the U.S. in 1998-while on its way to market. Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators have developed fruit coatings made from reformulated shellac and sucrose ester, a compound derived from combining sugar with a fatty acid. These biocontrol coatings help maintain quality by promoting the growth of beneficial bacterial and yeast populations naturally on the fruit. The research is part of a continuing effort to decrease fruit producers' reliance on chemicals to delay post-harvest decay. The chemicals traditionally used to preserve harvested fruit-imazalil, which costs $1,000 per liter, and thiabendazol for Florida grapefruit-have been found to kill beneficial bacterial and yeast populations. These populations help maintain fruit quality by competing more efficiently than pathogens for nutrients, such as sugars and proteins, at a critical early stage in the pathogen's development. In essence, these beneficial bacteria and yeasts starve the pathogens that would otherwise feast on the fruit nutrients and cause decay. Raymond McGuire at ARS' Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami, Fla., and cooperators from Mantrose Haeuser Co Inc. of Westport, Conn., have also tested both reformulated shellac and sucrose ester coatings for their ability to reduce the development of off-flavors caused by the buildup of ethanol. Preliminary test results on grapefruit indicate that both the reformulated shellac and, to a larger extent, sucrose ester coatings prevented off-flavors by allowing for a better exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide than commercial chemicals permit. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Raymond G. McGuire, ARS Subtropical Horticulture Research Station, Miami, Fla.; phone (305) 254-3641, fax (305) 238-9330, miarm@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 Wed Mar 8 11:57:41 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 LAA03917 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2000 11:57:41 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA15051 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 8 Mar 2000 09:38:48 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <008701bf890c$064bb160$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Wasp May Control Western Tarnished Plant Bug Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 09:38:52 -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: 152 STORY LEAD: Wasp That Attacks Western Plant Bug May Control Its Mid-Atlantic Cousin ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov March 8, 2000 ----------- A new species of parasitic wasp discovered in Idaho attacking the western tarnished plant bug may help control a related pest species in the mid-Atlantic states. Much of the seed needed to grow many important domestic crops is produced in the northwestern United States. Each year, the western tarnished plant bug (WTPB), Lygus hesperus, and its cousins suck the sap from flowers, young fruits and seeds. To prevent serious reductions in quantity and quality of the seed crops, growers spend tens of millions to control this major pest. An ARS researcher at the Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory, Newark, Del., cooperating with a University of Idaho-Parma Moscow scientist, discovered a previously unknown species of parasitic wasp attacking the WTPB in alfalfa seed fields in southwestern Idaho. Over three WTPB generations in 1997 and 1998, the wasp killed 44 to 81 percent of the pests. Further research in Idaho is warranted to determine if this degree of parasitism is sufficient to reduce the need for insecticides. After a retired ARS taxonomist verified the ARS entomologist's determination that the Idaho parasite was a new wasp species, a cooperating University of Wyoming-Laramie scientist described it as Peristenus howardi Shaw. P. howardi was later discovered in eastern Washington state and may also be in Oregon. In ARS laboratory tests, the new wasp readily parasitized the tarnished plant bug (TPB), Lygus lineolaris--a close relative of the WTPB. The TPB is an important pest of many crops in the eastern half of the United States but has no significant natural enemies south of New York. A European parasite, Peristenus digoneutis Loan, established by the ARS Newark lab, is a promising biological control agent in New England, New York, northern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. P. howardi was recently released under permit in Delaware, with the goal of permanently establishing it to reduce TPB damage to fruits and vegetables in the mid-Atlantic states. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: William H. Day, ARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory, Newark, Del.; phone (302) 731-7330, ext. 24, fax (302) &37-6780, ktatman@udel.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 Mar 9 11:56:57 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 LAA02341 for ; Thu, 9 Mar 2000 11:56:54 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA23609 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 9 Mar 2000 09:48:36 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002101bf89d6$8edfc6e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Peptide Discovery in Soybean Pest Could Lead to Controls Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 09:48:39 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 153 STORY LEAD: Peptide Discovery in Soybean Pest Could Lead to Controls ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov March 9, 2000 ----------- Compounds called peptides that may regulate insect feeding and movement have now been discovered in extracts of soybean cyst nematodes. The discovery, a scientific first, opens a new path for investigating nature-based controls for these microscopic wormlike pests. Agricultural Research Service scientists reported the discovery in Volume 897 of Annals, published by the New York Academy of Sciences. They hope further studies will provide clues on how to turn the peptides against the pest, perhaps by disrupting its reproduction. Soybean growers now ineffectively battle the soybean cyst nematode, their greatest foe, with resistant varieties and crop rotation. However, resistant varieties are not effective against all of the races of the nematode and usually do not yield as well as susceptible varieties when nematodes are absent. Soybean cyst nematodes are the most destructive pests of U.S. soybeans, annually costing growers $1.5 billion. The peptides discovered by the ARS scientists may have essential roles in controlling feeding and movement by regulating nervous transmission and muscle activity. The peptides in the soybean cyst nematode differ from those in non-parasitic species of nematodes, according to Edward P. Masler at the ARS Nematology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. Masler and colleagues detected at least three different peptides in extracts from the nematodes grown on soybean plants, by using a modified version of a standard test called an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The peptide levels vary during the worms' development, but the researchers are focusing on those most active in female nematodes. The females lay the eggs that will yield new generations of hungry, root-eating offspring. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Edward P. Masler, ARS Nematology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., (301) 504-8732, fax (301) 504-5589, emasler@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 Mar 10 12:17:14 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 MAA01009 for ; Fri, 10 Mar 2000 12:17:12 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11469 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 10 Mar 2000 09:32:53 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bf8a9d$87034420$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Environmentally Friendly Insecticides Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 09:32:56 -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: 154 STORY LEAD: Environmentally Friendly Insecticides Are Sugar-Coated - For Real ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov March 10, 2000 ----------- Environmentally friendly insecticides--an oxymoron? Not these sugar esters tested by Agricultural Research Service and university entomologists around the country. They're lethal to mites and soft-bodied insects--whiteflies, aphids, thrips and pear psylla--almost instantly after contact. Then Mother Nature takes over, degrading the esters into harmless sugars and fatty acids. And they do little harm to insect predators and are completely nontoxic to animals and people. In fact, some are approved as food-grade safe. AVA Chemical Ventures of Portsmouth, N.H., and ARS recently applied for a patent on the sugar esters. AVA hopes to have the first of these compounds on the market by the end of this year, pending registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The sugar esters can kill up to 100 percent of the soft-bodied insects and mites they contact. And insects are not expected to develop resistance any time soon because of the way the esters work, according to ARS entomologist Gary Puterka at the agency's Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, W.Va. Puterka coordinated the studies nationwide and is co-inventor on the new patent. Throughout four years of tests, the sugar esters have been more--or as-- effective as conventional insecticides against mites and aphids in apple orchards; psylla in pear orchards; whiteflies, thrips and mites on vegetables; and whiteflies on cotton. Pear psylla have become resistant even to newer insecticides, according to Puterka, and mites are becoming resistant. The drawbacks: The esters must come into contact with the insect to be effective, and they don't kill insect eggs. Like insecticidal soaps, sugar esters kill insects by either suffocating them or by dissolving the waxy coating that protects them from drying environments. The concept of using sugar esters as an environmentally friendly insect control started about 10 years ago when ARS scientists in Beltsville, Md., found that the leaf hairs of wild tobacco plants exuded a sugar ester to defend itself against insects and other arthropods. ---------- Scientific contact: Gary J. Puterka, ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, W.Va., phone (304) 725-3451 X361, fax (304) 728-2340, gputerka@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 Mon Mar 13 13:01:35 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 NAA09791 for ; Mon, 13 Mar 2000 13:01:35 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA04945 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 13 Mar 2000 10:10:40 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000601bf8cfe$4dbee080$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "Nancy Vanatta" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Leafy Spurge Control Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 10:10:43 -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: 155 STORY LEAD: New Beneficial Insects on the Way for Leafy Spurge Control ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov March 13, 2000 ----------- A French midge and an Italian beetle may soon join the ranks of the biological control agents used in the United States to manage the noxious weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators in Montana and Europe collaborated to identify, test and import the two insects. Leafy spurge covers at least 5 million acres in 35 states and Canadian provinces. The midge, Spurgia capitigena, lays eggs near the tip of leafy spurge stems. The developing larvae cause the plant to form a swelling, or gall, and turn up its leaves. The gall, which provides food for the midge larvae, reduces the weed's ability to produce seeds. ARS has received permits to release the midge and expects to receive a shipment of insects from France in May. Researchers at the ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Center in Sidney, Mont., hope to release the insects early this summer. A stem-boring beetle, Thamnurgus euphorbiae, is next in line on the spurge control team. ARS researchers at the European Biological Control Laboratory, Montpellier, France, and cooperators showed that the beetle tunnels into spurge stems to lay eggs. The larvae that hatch feed into the stems, weakening the plant and reducing seed production. The beetle has gained support from the Technical Advisory Group for Biological Control Agents of Weeds, an independent committee that counsels the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on whether to approve release of a pest-control agent. If APHIS grants a permit, the beetle could be released in 2001. Both insects have been tested for efficacy against spurge and to ensure they will not harm other vegetation. These insects would join 12 other beneficial insects imported for leafy spurge control. Unlike existing agents, the new midge and beetle are expected to thrive in sandy, shady or moist soils. That should give land managers new options for spurge management along streams and rivers. An article about ARS' program for importing beneficial insects to control leafy spurge and other invasive weeds appears in the March issue of the agency's monthly magazine, Agricultural Research. View it online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/weed0300.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contacts: Neal Spencer, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Sidney, Mont., phone (406) 482-2020, fax (406) 482-5038, nspencer@sidney.ars.usda.gov; Paul C. Quimby, European Biological Control Laboratory, Montpellier, France, phone (334) 9962- 3000, fax (334) 9962-3049, quimby@cirad.fr. ---------- 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 Mar 14 11:56:20 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 LAA06502 for ; Tue, 14 Mar 2000 11:56:19 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA17514 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 14 Mar 2000 09:41:26 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <007101bf8dc3$62a23540$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Tiny Bug Could Bring Big Relief to Grain Producers Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 09:41:29 -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: 156 STORY LEAD: Tiny Bug Could Bring Big Relief to Grain Producers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov March 14, 2000 ----------- A tiny bug with a greedy appetite for other insects could help prevent damage to stored grain products. Commonly called the larger pirate bug, Lyctocoris campestris is only about an eighth of an inch long and dark brown. It looks like a small stink bug or box elder bug. But its potential to control bad bugs in stored grain with fewer insecticides is as great as its appetite, according to Agricultural Research Service entomologist James Throne in Manhattan, Kan. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Insects cause millions of dollars in damage to stored grain and other stored products annually in the United States. ARS researchers at the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center--in collaboration with Megha Parajulee at Texas A & M University and Tom Phillips at Oklahoma State University, formerly with ARS--developed and validated a computer model for simulating the growth of the larger pirate bug in grain bins. The model predicts how predator populations increase under different environmental conditions. Young pirate bugs--naturally present in grain bins--are ready to feed on pests right after hatching. They live about 100 days when feeding on prey and can survive up to 20 days without food or water. That's important for a predator if it has to wait between prey hatchings, according to Throne. Pirate bugs eat larvae of Indianmeal moths, Mediterranean flour moths, almond moths, red flour beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles and warehouse beetles. Pirate bugs are the good guys compared to the pests they devour. They don't get inside grain kernels, nor do they eat the grain--only other insects. Their presence in warehouses and storage facilities poses no threat to the quality of grain, and they are easily removed during processing. New methods for controlling insect pests in stored grain products are being studied because insect pests are developing resistance to currently used insecticides and regulatory restrictions are limiting the use of others. ---------- Scientific contact: James Throne, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, 1515 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502, phone (785) 776-2796, fax (785) 776-2792, throne@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 Mar 15 12:06:25 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 MAA04250 for ; Wed, 15 Mar 2000 12:06:25 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01858 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 15 Mar 2000 09:38:50 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf8e8c$2f1f2880$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Starter Diets Hold Key to Weaned Pigs' Health Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 09:38:48 -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: 157 STORY LEAD: Starter Diets Hold Key to Weaned Pigs' Health ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov March 15, 2000 ----------- When piglets can no longer get their mothers' milk, most swine producers feed them an expensive protein that helps relieve their stress and prevent illness. Agricultural Research Service scientists, by researching how this protein called spray-dried plasma works, could be on the path of finding improved feed additives that are more effective or less expensive. In the early 1990's, spray-dried plasma from livestock began to revolutionize swine nutritional programs. Diets of most early-weaned pigs now include this product. Never have scientists been able to find any instance of disease agents being transmitted through them. Accordingly, they have been excluded from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration final ruling that was implemented in 1997 to ban use of waste byproducts from animal processing in animal feed. The ARS scientists and their colleagues at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Endogen, Inc. of Woburn, Mass., are studying the immune system of pigs that have been fed spray-dried plasma. Their overall goal: to find cost-effective ways for swine producers to produce healthier pigs that eat heartily and quickly produce plenty of pork from each pound of feed. Today, the ARS scientific team is scheduled to receive the National Pork Producers 2000 Award for Innovative Basic Research at the Midwest Animal Sciences meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. In their research, the scientists weaned two-week-old pigs and fed some of them diets consisting of 7 percent spray-dried plasma for a week. Then they injected all the pigs with lipopolysaccharide from killed bacteria to simulate infection by a live disease organism and measured their response in terms of hormones and other chemicals they produced. Responses of pigs that had been fed the spray-dried plasma indicated that they were better able to resist infections during the week after weaning. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. --------- Scientific contact: Jeffery A. Carroll, ARS Animal Physiology Research Unit, Columbia, Mo., phone (573) 882-6261, fax (573) 884-4798, carrollja@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 Thu Mar 16 18:18:16 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 SAA18292 for ; Thu, 16 Mar 2000 18:18:16 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id PAA20832 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 16 Mar 2000 15:14:02 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000e01bf8f84$2daf9540$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Corn May Combat Iron Deficiency Anemia Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 15:14:04 -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: 158 STORY LEAD: New Corn May Combat Iron Deficiency Anemia ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov March 16, 2000 ----------- Tomorrow's tortillas, if made with a unique corn from ARS research, may help reduce iron-deficiency anemia. That could be a boon in developing countries where corn-based foods are a part of nearly every meal, and in developed nations where iron deficiency is also common. Developed by Agricultural Research Service geneticist Victor A. Raboy at Aberdeen, Idaho, the novel corn has about 66 percent less phytic acid, or phytate, than most common varieties. Phytic acid is thought to reduce the body's ability to use certain nutrients, like iron. Now, University of Colorado researchers are leading an investigation of the effects of the corn on zinc absorption in a new study with Guatemalan villagers. Earlier, scientists from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama and from the University of California's Berkeley and Davis campuses showed, with 14 adult male volunteers, that iron absorption was about 50 percent greater if the men ate tortillas made from flour of the low-phytic-acid corn than if they ate tortillas prepared with normal corn flour. Patented in 1997 and licensed to three companies, the unusual corn may also boost the health of the environment because it reduces pollution that could otherwise occur when phosphorus in the manure of corn-fed animals makes its way into waterways. Raboy's low-phytic-acid corn is correspondingly high in inorganic phosphorus--the form that one-stomached animals like pigs, chickens, or farm-raised fish can readily absorb and use. Details are in ARS' Agricultural Research magazine on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/tort0300.htm ARS is USDA's chief research arm. ---------- Scientific contact: Victor A. Raboy, through March 31 in Israel via e-mail vraboy@uidaho.edu; thereafter: ARS Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, Aberdeen, ID 83210, phone (208) 397-4162, ext. 151, fax (208) 397-4165. ---------- 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 Mar 17 13:24:30 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 NAA03299 for ; Fri, 17 Mar 2000 13:24:29 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA19528 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 17 Mar 2000 10:22:17 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001701bf9024$a7e6b3c0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Irish Potato Blight is Target of Biotech Researchers Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 10:22:34 -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: 159 STORY LEAD: Forensic Sleuths Use Biotechnology to Study Irish Potato Blight ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov March 17, 2000 ----------- Forensic plant pathologists investigating the fungus that caused the Irish potato blight are using tools of biotechnology as an aid in their sleuthing. In 1845, a fungus--Phytophthora infestans--devastated Ireland's potato crop. The blight caused the population of Ireland to drop from 8,200,000 to 4,400,000 from disease, starvation and emigration. Hundreds of thousands of Irish people emigrated to the United States. Now, Agricultural Research Service scientist Carol L. Groves at the New England Plant, Soil and Water Laboratory, Orono, Me., and Jean B. Ristaino at North Carolina State University- Raleigh are examining the past to find clues to the future of this fungus. They have studied genetic material, called DNA, from more than 66 herbarium samples of potato and tomato lesions to find clues about the source of fungal inoculum for past late blight epidemics. The researchers have examined samples from Europe and North America, including samples from the USDA-ARS National Fungus Collection, Beltsville, Md. Looking for the fungus' fingerprints, the scientists developed primers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to specifically amplify P. infestans DNA from the samples. PCR is capable of reproducing millions of copies of the unique segments of fungal DNA that occur in a plant tissue sample. With this amplified DNA, the researchers can quickly distinguish the pathogens according to the specificity of the PCR amplification. By using PCR, scientists don't have to isolate fungi from diseased roots or leaves and spend days culturing them for identification. Rapid DNA identification of offending microbes would tip growers off to the need for control measures before fungal diseases seriously curtailed yields. So far, the scientists have found 20 specimens that tested positive for the fungus, including one from Ireland collected in 1846, and others from Britain collected in 1845, 1846 and 1847. Molecular studies of herbarium specimens of the past could open a new window to understanding and preventing future epidemics. ARS is the principal research agency the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Carol L. Groves, ARS New England Plant, Soil and Water Laboratory, Orono, Me., phone (207) 581-3267, fax (207) 866-0464, cgroves@maine.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 Mar 20 19:09:44 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 TAA01394 for ; Mon, 20 Mar 2000 19:09:43 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id RAA24317 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 20 Mar 2000 17:00:40 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01bf92b7$d0bed120$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cattle Infected with E. coli Mostly in Summer Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 17:01:01 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 160 STORY LEAD: Research Shows Cattle are Infected with E. coli Mostly in Summer ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov March 20, 2000 ----------- In late summer, up to 28 percent of cattle entering processing plants may carry with them strains of the E. coli bacterium that cause food poisoning in humans, according to an Agricultural Research Service study. Improved laboratory methods allowed the scientists to ferret out the microbe and detect this prevalence level, which is higher than previously reported. But the research also showed that intervening measures at processing plants can reduce the incidence of E. coli 0157:H7 on beef carcasses to less than 2 percent even in the peak contamination season of July and August. The study will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 28. The study, conducted by scientists at the ARS Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, Neb., included examination of E. coli shed in the feces of live cattle as well as microbes on beef carcasses in commercial processing plants. During the summer E. coli peak, 28 percent of the live cattle entering the processing plants were actively shedding E. coli 0157:H7 in their feces and 43 percent of 341 carcasses were initially contaminated with the bacterium. Eleven percent of hide surfaces were also contaminated with the bacterium. After processing was complete, only six of 330 carcasses, or 1.8 percent, showed some level of contamination. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. ---------- Scientific contact: Danny B. Laster, ARS Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Neb., phone (402) 762-4109, fax (701) 762-4111, laster@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: 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 Mar 21 07:25:13 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 HAA27102 for ; Tue, 21 Mar 2000 07:25:13 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA26755 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 21 Mar 2000 06:01:35 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf9324$e8ce4080$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Insect Decoys to Be Manufactured at USDA Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 06:02:05 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 161 NEWS RELEASE: USDA and Small Business to Test-Manufacture Insect Decoy ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov March 21, 2000 ----------- PEORIA, Ill., March 21--Biodegradable decoys that "fatally attract" insect pests may soon become the first product to be made in U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities and offered for sale. The decoys, hung in trees at the edge of orchards, may provide an alternative to repeated chemical insecticide sprays for insects such as apple maggot flies. Inventors of the decoys were scientists of USDA's Agricultural Research Service and the Biotechnology Research and Development Corp. (BRDC), Peoria, Ill., and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A milestone in the invention's development occurred yesterday, March 20, as officials of USDA, BRDC and the entrepreneurial company FruitSpheres Inc., of Macomb, Ill., gathered here to sign an agreement. The limited option agreement will allow FruitSpheres to obtain an exclusive license to produce the patented spherical decoys. Different versions of the decoys can be made to attract specific insects related to the apple maggot fly including pests of blueberries, cherries, pears and walnuts. Made from sugar, high fructose corn syrup and corn flour and then coated with latex enamel paint and an insecticide, the decoys will be test-manufactured this year in a recently renovated pilot plant of the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR), Peoria, Illinois. A provision in 1998 federal legislation (P.L. 105-185) allows some companies to use government facilities to test commercialization potential of new technologies aimed at increasing agricultural commodity utilization. "By partnering in the scale-up of this product, we hope to show that we can help bridge the gap to commercial production," ARS Administrator Floyd Horn said. "And we're pleased that our first joint efforts with industry in the renovated NCAUR pilot plant may advance environmentally friendly technologies." ARS is the USDA's chief scientific research agency. Helping ARS and BRDC scientists research the decoy's insect-killing power in field tests were colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Michigan State University, East Lansing; and Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. Decoys have protected apples from the apple maggot fly as effectively as using three spray applications of the commonly used insecticide azinphosmethyl. Controlling the pest with the decoy instead of widely dispersed sprays helps keep apples untouched by insecticide. The decoys are 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. Green spheres attract the blueberry maggot fly. Commercial manufacture and sales of the decoys containing registered pesticides for use in the United States require approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To this end, a committee in a federal agricultural program called IR-4, which includes federal and state scientists, is submitting research data that will help the EPA determine whether the decoys containing the insecticide imidacloprid can be used for certain minor crops. FruitSpheres, Inc. expects to have production equipment running at the NCAUR pilot plant this summer in order to provide samples of the product to researchers and commercial growers. Under the option agreement that can be converted to a license, the company will be set to produce larger quantities for sale in the year 2001. 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. * 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 Mar 22 11:33:53 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 LAA03203 for ; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 11:33:53 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26514 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 09:54:25 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001201bf940e$8572a7c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Medfly's Mealtime Leftovers May Nourish Cattle Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 09:54:25 -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: 162 STORY LEAD: Medfly's Mealtime Leftovers May Nourish Cattle ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov March 22, 2000 ----------- Hungry cattle may help solve the problem of what to do with tons of a nutritious mix that's left over from rearing millions of sexually sterile Mediterranean fruit flies. Agricultural Research Service and University of Hawaii scientists have shown that insectary leftovers make a safe, nourishing and highly digestible feed for livestock. That might help solve the costly environmental problem of how to get rid of this byproduct, generated when insectaries rear the sterile medflies needed to prevent wild, fertile medflies from gaining a foothold in warm-weather states like California and Florida. Called "spent diet," the caramel-to-brown leftovers look something like moist sawdust or dried oatmeal, and contain water, wheat germ, sugar, yeast and milled wheat bran or milled corn cobs. Harvey T. Chan, now retired from ARS, and Eric B. Jang of ARS in Hawaii, collaborated in the research with a team led by James R. Carpenter of the University of Hawaii. A medfly factory run by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, is currently shipping spent diet to North Shore Cattle Co. on Oahu. Carpenter's group is monitoring the effect of the new rations on livestock weight gains. The APHIS insectary currently provides about 300 million sterile medflies every week for medfly control in southern California, and generates about 12,000 pounds of the leftover food every day, according to facility director Stuart H. Stein. The idea of recycling medfly diet isn't new, but the Hawaii studies are apparently the first to provide the data needed for a commercial trial with cattle in that state. For details, see an article from the March issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/feed0300.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Eric B. Jang, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, Hawaii, phone (808) 959-4300, fax (808) 959-4323, ejang@pbarc.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 Mar 23 10:39:03 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 KAA26920 for ; Thu, 23 Mar 2000 10:39:01 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01224 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 23 Mar 2000 09:00:46 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf94d0$2ffecf40$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Deconstructing Cotton Fiber Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 09:00:28 -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: 163 STORY LEAD: Deconstructing Cotton Fiber's Biochemical Building Blocks ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov March 23, 2000 ----------- Researchers are closing in on the biochemical building blocks behind cotton lint's success as a durable, widely-used natural plant fiber. Their findings could help further improve strength, uniformity and other fiber properties desired by textile and clothing makers. Defects in processed cotton fabrics resulting from lint fiber imperfections cost U.S. textile makers millions of dollars annually. One approach taken by Glycozyme, Inc.,of Irvine, Calif., and Agricultural Research Service scientists is to model lint fiber's biochemical and physiological development in cotton bolls. By sampling bolls from California, Mississippi and South Carolina cotton fields, they're compiling data to show how environmental factors like day length, drought, or temperature changes affect fiber properties--and imperfections like fiber thickness variations that can later plague lint processing. With such information, cotton growers could better predict their crop's chief fiber properties before harvest and later market it accordingly. Glycozyme's Allen Murray is doing the work cooperatively with ARS' Judith Bradow and Gretchen Sassenrath-Cole. They're also investigating the role of biochemical building blocks, called oligomers, discovered in cotton by Murray in 1997. Like cellulose, oligomers are moderately long chains of carbohydrate molecules. But they're shorter and connect to protein. The researchers are building a case that, during development, oligomers become an essential construction material that coincides with the biosynthesis of cotton fiber cells' secondary wall. The data so far suggests the carbohydrate/protein duo serves the purpose of "scaffolding" and "cement" where cellulose--the "bricks"--forms, creating lint fiber's secondary wall. Too little cellulose there, such as in immature fibers, and not enough dye may get absorbed. Or, the fibers become snarled to form tiny knots, called neps, during spinning. Murray will present a paper on the work at the American Chemical Society meeting March 26-30 in San Francisco, Calif. On the farm, measuring a cotton fiber's oligomer content and distribution can help reveal stress caused by drought or other environmental factors. In field studies, this measure of stress is 7 to 10 days sooner than conventional methods. ---------- Scientific contacts: Judith Bradow, ARS Cotton Fiber Quality Research Unit, New Orleans, La., phone (504) 286-4479, fax (504) 286-4419, jbradow@nola.srrc.usda.gov; Gretchen Sassenrath- Cole, Application and Production Technology Research, Stoneville, Miss., phone (662) 686-3289, fax (662) 686-5372, gsassen@ag.gov; Allen Murray, Glycozyme, Inc., Irvine, Calif., phone (949) 261-9664, fax (949) 261-9078, GLYCOZYME@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 Thu Mar 23 18:09:28 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 SAA13625 for ; Thu, 23 Mar 2000 18:09:28 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id QAA22752 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 23 Mar 2000 16:40:05 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <008101bf9510$6d0dcea0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Pioneering Entomologist Edward F. Knipling Dies Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 16:40:30 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 164 NEWS RELEASE: Pioneering Agricultural Research Service Entomologist Edward F. Knipling Dies ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov March 23, 2000 ----------- WASHINGTON, March 23--Celebrated entomologist Edward F. Knipling, who pioneered research to develop pesticide-free ways to protect livestock and crops from the devastating effects of insects, died March 17 at his home in Arlington, Va., from cancer at the age of 91. Knipling retired from USDA's Agricultural Research Service in 1973 after 42 years with the Department, but had continued to work with ARS as a research collaborator. ARS is the chief research agency of USDA. Working with ARS colleague Raymond C. Bushland, Knipling pioneered the sterile male insect technique to suppress insect pests. This technique involves irradiating male insects, then turning them loose to mate with wild fertile female insects. These matings do not produce fertilized eggs, so numbers of insect offspring plummet dramatically. Knipling and Bushland first developed the technique to combat screwworm flies, whose flesh-eating maggots parasitize livestock, wildlife and humans. The technique resulted in the eradication of the wild screwworm population in the United States, Mexico and parts of Central America, saving the North American livestock industry millions of dollars annually and winning praise from environmentalists. Today, Knipling's technique is used worldwide to eradicate outbreaks of other pests such as Mediterranean fruit flies. In Africa, the technique is used to control the tsetse fly, which spreads sleeping sickness. Knipling also is considered the "founding father" of the concept of areawide integrated pest management. Realizing that for most pests total eradication is not feasible, in the early 1980s Knipling developed the concept of using specific insect parasites, predators, and other tactics over a broad area to keep pest populations below the point where they impose a financial burden on farmers and ranchers. Kept at low levels, the pests would be more responsive to biological, rather than chemical control. Today, Knipling's areawide concept has grown to include not only parasites and predators as weapons against crop pests, but also other environmentally friendly tactics, such as mating disruption and insect attractants. "Dr. Edward F. Knipling was truly a giant in the world of science," said Floyd P. Horn, ARS Administrator. "His innovation and foresight have not only tremendously benefited agriculture and the environment for many years through reduced reliance on chemical controls, but also have saved people around the world from great misery by eliminating or controlling pests that spread disease." For his numerous contributions to science and agriculture, Knipling won praise, awards and tributes from many sources worldwide. In November 1999, Progressive Farmer magazine named him among 21 scientific pioneers who most shaped American agriculture in the past 100 years. In 1995, Knipling was awarded the prestigious Japan Prize from the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan and was honored at a state dinner hosted by the Emperor of Japan. His other awards include the National Medal of Science in 1996, the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service in 1971 and the USDA Distinguished Service Award in 1960. In 1967, President Johnson awarded him the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest recognition for contributions to science. In 1966, Knipling was selected by Princeton University for the Rockefeller Public Service Award for distinguished public service in the field of science. In 1986, he was inducted into the ARS Science Hall of Fame for his research on the sterile insect technique and other technologies to suppress and manage insect pests. Knipling began his career with USDA as a field aide in Mexico studying bollworms. Later, while on assignments in Iowa, Georgia and Texas, he conducted research on various pests of livestock. From 1953 to 1971, he was the director of USDA's entomology division. During World War 11, he worked on developing insecticides and repellents for the military. In 1971, he was appointed science advisor for ARS. Edward F. Knipling was born in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he worked on his father's farm. He graduated from Texas A&M University at College Station and received his master's degree and Ph.D. in entomology from Iowa State University at Ames. ---------- Contact: Office of the Administrator, ARS, USDA, Washington, D.C., telephone (202) 720-3656. ---------- 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 Mar 24 11:23:18 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 LAA27046 for ; Fri, 24 Mar 2000 11:23:17 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA07954 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 24 Mar 2000 10:02:42 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005301bf95a2$01680ca0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Simple, Inexpensive Way to Improve Surface Water Quality Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 10:02:42 -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: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 165 STORY LEAD: Ditches--A Simple, Inexpensive Way to Improve Surface Water Quality ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov March 24, 2000 ----------- A first-of-its-kind study of the transport and fate of two pesticides in vegetated agricultural drainage ditches suggests ditches are valuable tools for reducing the amount of chemicals entering bodies of water. Drainage ditches are a common feature in the agricultural landscape. They carry runoff water from fields following storm events or controlled water releases in the case of rice fields. Agricultural Research Service scientists Matt Moore, Sammie Smith and Charlie Cooper at the National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Miss., evaluated the role of edge-of-field best management practices in preventing potential agricultural contaminants from entering water bodies. They simulated storm runoff events by injecting a liquid agri-chemical formulation into a drainage ditch in the Mississippi Delta. The drainage ditch is located in the Beasley agricultural drainage area in Mississippi, one of three watershed/lake combinations being studied as part of the Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area (MD MSEA). The MSEA project is a national effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect America's farmlands. It's designed to test and develop farming methods that will work with nature, instead of damaging water quality. The scientists calculated the percentage of runoff that the ditch may be exposed to during a small storm (0.25 inches), looking to pinpoint its role in keeping irrigation water and pesticides from entering water bodies. They found that the ditch trapped 60 to 90 percent of the atrazine and a commonly used insecticide, Karate, carried in runoff water. The ARS researchers say ditches may give farmers a simple, low-tech and inexpensive solution to improving surface water quality. Ditches can play an important trapping and processing role. Through their vegetation and soil, ditches work like wetlands to sequester these storm runoff materials, thereby decreasing potential harm to downstream lakes, rivers and streams. Farmers and conservationists who want to reduce the amounts of chemicals, nutrients and sediment leaving agricultural fields may find that using and maintaining these ditches is vital as an alternative management practice. ARS is the chief research agency of the USDA. ---------- Scientific contacts: Matt Moore, Sammie Smith, and Charlie Cooper, ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Miss., phone (601) 232-2955/2935; fax (601) 232-2915; moore@sedlab.olemiss.edu, smith@selab.oldmiss.edu, cooper@sedlab.olemiss.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 Mar 27 13:05:53 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 NAA25427 for ; Mon, 27 Mar 2000 13:05:24 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA04642 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 27 Mar 2000 10:47:33 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <008b01bf9803$dc1746a0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: High-Tech Bean -- "Back-to-Basics" Breeding Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 10:48:04 -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: 166 STORY LEAD: High-Tech Soybean From "Back-to-Basics" Breeding ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov March 27, 2000 ----------- Growers now have the option of planting a non-transgenically modified soybean called Soyola that yields oil that doesn't need to be hydrogenated to improve its usefulness for cooking and extend its shelf life. That's good news because hydrogenation produces the bulk of dietary trans fats now recognized as unhealthy for the heart. Soyola's secret: It's the first non-GMO soybean for the southern U.S. with reduced linolenic acid. This polyunsaturated fatty acid degrades easily and causes "off" or rancid flavors in soybean oil, especially after extended heating. So most soybean oil is now hydrogenated to stabilize it for cooking and extend its usefulness, as well as to harden it for baking and margarine. Just released by the Agricultural Research Service, Soyola would be ideal for frying and salad oil markets. Its oil has half the linolenic acid found in commercial varieties, according to developer Joseph W. Burton at the ARS Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C. The plants yielded as well as or better than the commercial cultivars Brim and Dillon during two years of tests at 10 locations. Soyola is suited for North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, southern Missouri, northern Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. Seed will be available from N.C. Foundation Seeds, 8220 Riley Hill Road, Zebulon, NC 27597. Soyola is the first release under the Better Bean Initiative (BBI) launched in 1998 by the United Soybean Board to provide alternatives to GMOs. It will help keep market options open and enhance competitiveness of U.S. soybeans in world trade, according to Richard F. Wilson, research leader at the Raleigh lab and a BBI coordinator. The initiative includes 22 scientists working in 11 public soybean-breeding programs. Future plans include developing non-GMO soybeans with reduced levels of both linolenic acid and palmitic acid, a saturated fat, and increased levels of heart-healthy oleic acid, the fatty acid abundant in olive and canola oils. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Joseph W. Burton, ARS Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C., phone (919) 515-2734, fax (919) 856-4598, jburton@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: 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 Mar 28 12:02:00 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 MAA17047 for ; Tue, 28 Mar 2000 12:01:59 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA27251 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 28 Mar 2000 09:51:54 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005901bf98c5$2a837220$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Adding Microbes to Transplant Mix Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 09:51:57 -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: 167 STORY LEAD: Adding Microbes to Transplant Mix Helps Increase Crop Yields ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesus Garcia, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov March 28, 2000 ----------- Tomato and pepper farmers can now add microbes along with their transplant mix to the arsenal of production practices used to reduce yield losses caused by soilborne pathogens--including root-knot nematodes. The microbe-amended transplant mix is being developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists at the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Fla., led by Nancy K. Burelle, in cooperation with Gustafson LLC of Plano, Texas. The transplant mix, called BioYield 213, is amended with two naturally occurring soil microorganisms--Paenobacillus macerans and Bacillus amyloliquefacien. The mix provides the microorganisms with the environment they need to grow on the root surface of seedlings. Once this occurs, the microbes then stimulate vigorous growth and improve the health of the transplanted seedling by triggering the plant's resistance mechanisms. This research is part of an ongoing ARS effort to provide farmers with alternatives to the use of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting soil fumigant being phased out by 2005. Benefits continue to be observed in seedlings out in the field. Greenhouse producers can expect to grow seedlings in a shorter time period and farmers can anticipate 5 to 20 percent yield increases in tomatoes, bell peppers and even strawberries. The mix will be made commercially available to transplant producers in the fall after grower trials are concluded. This research is helping scientists gauge the effectiveness of other alternatives to methyl bromide. For example, when this technology is combined with alternative soil treatments such as Telone II and PLANTPRO 45, levels of crop productivity approach those achieved with methyl bromide. But results also indicate that combining the new formulations with the commonly used practice of solarization--a process that creates an inhospitable environment for detrimental microbes by covering the soil with plastic to heat it, for 6 to 8 weeks in the summer--does not enhance control of root-knot nematodes. As the phasing out of methyl bromide proceeds, this technology will provide growers with an effective, economical and sustainable alternative component that they can use with existing methods. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contact: Nancy K. Burelle, ARS U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Fort Pierce, Fla., phone (561) 462-5861, fax (561) 462-5986, nburelle@saa.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 Mar 29 12:00:19 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 MAA14167 for ; Wed, 29 Mar 2000 12:00:14 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29862 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 29 Mar 2000 09:41:55 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf998c$eea49d60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Jellyfish Gene Helps Scientists Sleuth E. coli Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 09:41:55 -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: 168 STORY LEAD: Jellyfish Gene Helps Scientists Sleuth E. coli ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov March 29, 2000 ----------- To discover the secrets of how a food poisoning bacterium spreads, Agricultural Research Service scientists are using a jellyfish gene in their laboratory experiments. In nature, the gene cues the jellyfish to make a bright green fluorescent protein. In the laboratory, ARS microbiologist Marian R. Wachtel has inserted the gene into strains of the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7. The fluorescence acts as a readily detectable marker. Viewed with ultraviolet light, the E. coli fluoresces a bright green. The fluorescence makes it easier for Wachtel to spy on E. coli bacteria that she has used to artificially infect leaves of fresh lettuce for her experiments. Outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 linked to contaminated lettuce are infrequent. But ARS scientists like Wachtel want to help ensure that the popular vegetable remains safe to eat. Wachtel says eating fresh lettuce, properly washed, should pose no significant health hazard. Wachtel's fluorescence based assay enables researchers to quickly detect the presence and quantity of the fluorescing E. coli within lettuce leaves. That's how the assay can help scientists test the effectiveness of new tactics designed to keep E. coli out of this veggie, and other foods, as well. Though the idea of moving the fluorescence gene from Aequorea victoria jellyfish into other organisms isn't new, Wachtel is among the first to make a detailed study of plant tissue with fluorescent E. coli O157:H7 added. Wachtel is with the ARS Food Safety and Health Research Unit at Albany, Calif. ARS is the U. S. Department of Agriculture's chief research branch. For details, see an article in the agency's Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/gene0300.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Marian R. Wachtel, ARS Food Safety and Health Research Unit, Albany, Calif., phone (510) 559-5957, fax (510) 559-5948, wachtel@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 Mar 30 12:00:16 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 MAA03982 for ; Thu, 30 Mar 2000 12:00:16 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26279 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 30 Mar 2000 09:43:48 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006601bf9a56$5b69f980$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Flax Production Process Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 09:43:46 -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: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 169 STORY LEAD: New Flax Production Process Eyed ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov March 30, 2000 ----------- A new process that could revolutionize linen fabric production in the United States will be evaluated under a research agreement between the Agricultural Research Service and the Center for American Flax Fiber (CAFF). ARS and CAFF will evaluate a procedure called enzymatic retting, developed by ARS scientists and collaborators. It uses a chemical to break down calcium bonds in the flax plant. This, in turn, allows an enzyme to more easily loosen the flax fiber so it can be extracted from the plant and processed into linen for industrial uses. Under the agreement, researchers will also establish quality standards for flax fiber strength, length, fineness, non-fiber content, and color. Linen, a fabric made from the flax plant, is probably the oldest man-made fabric, dating back 10,000 years. North America is the largest producer of flaxseed and related products that result in millions of tons of residual fiber, but only a small portion of it is used for industrial purposes. The ability to produce flax fiber for industrial use would allow the U.S. to enter the flax fiber industry. To this end, ARS scientist Danny Akin and agency colleagues began looking for more efficient ways to extract fiber from flax. In the past, harvesting of flax in the U.S. was accomplished by an inefficient method called dew-retting, which requires the flax plant to remain in the field where indigenous microorganisms--with appropriate temperatures and natural moisture--loosen the fiber. This process, however, confines flax production to limited geographic regions and produces inconsistent fiber properties because of natural variations. Scientists hope enzymatic retting will help establish a U.S. flax fiber industry. The U.S. now imports about $150 million of flax fiber, flax-containing yarn, and flax fabric annually. This has an estimated value of $500 million in finished products. The ability to efficiently extract fiber from flax plants would put these dollars into the U.S. fiber industry. ---------- Scientific contact: Danny E. Akin, Richard B. Russell Research Center, Athens, GA, phone (706) 546-3482, fax (706) 546-3607, deakin@qaru.ars.usda.gov. ---------- This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Fri Mar 31 12:18:23 2000 -0500 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA04676 for ; Fri, 31 Mar 2000 12:18:22 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA00157 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 31 Mar 2000 10:01:21 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf9b21$f9a61360$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Keeping Dust on the Farm Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 10:01:16 -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: 170 STORY LEAD: Keeping Dust on the Farm ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov March 31, 2000 ----------- It's hard to believe that airborne particles less than the thickness of a human hair--from blowing soil or smoke--could be a health risk. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that dust composed of very fine, invisible particles, known as PM 10 and PM 2.5, can exacerbate pre-existing respiratory ailments, sometimes leading to premature deaths among the elderly. EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards sets limits on permissible concentrations. Although little is known about the health effects of farm dust compared to those of smoke stack emissions, for example, the standards make no distinction. So the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with EPA to find ways to minimize agriculture's contribution to the atmospheric dust load. Both agencies also want to avoid repetition of dust-related highway accidents that have claimed a number of lives in recent years. Of greatest concern are the PM 2.5 particles that may make up part of a dust cloud and an even larger percentage of smoke. PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size. PM 10 particles are less than 10 microns. Ten microns equals about 1/7th the diameter of a human hair. To minimize the contribution to the dust load of the atmosphere and save farm topsoil, a team of U.S. Department of Agriculture and university scientists have developed a computer model to estimate the amount of soil blowing from farmland in the Pacific Northwest's Columbia Plateau region and its downwind impact. This region's light volcanic soils make this region one of the world's most vulnerable to losing topsoil in the wind. Team leader Keith E. Saxton, an agricultural engineer with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, also serves on a National Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. The model simulates dust storms, showing the wind picking up farm soil, carrying it in clouds miles above the ground, and then depositing it over urban areas. Researchers are using it to evaluate farming practices that protect the soil from blowing away, such as crop rotations that keep soil covered as long as possible. An article about the research appears in the March issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar00/dust0300.htm Also, the Discovery Channel will cite this research in a television episode this fall. ---------- Scientific contact: Keith E. Saxton, ARS Land Management and Water Conservation Research Unit, Pullman, Wash., phone (509) 335-2724, fax (509) 335-7786, ksaxton@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 Mon Apr 3 11:55:55 2000 -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 LAA25963 for ; Mon, 3 Apr 2000 11:55:54 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA28332 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 3 Apr 2000 09:52:03 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003d01bf9d73$c9f15720$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: An "Ugly Duckling" of Corn Repels Borers Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 09:52:01 -0400 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: 171 STORY LEAD: An "Ugly Duckling" of Corn Repels Borers ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov April 3, 2000 ----------- A misshapen corn strain could hold compounds that save corn from its worst enemy--the European corn borer. B-96 corn is scrawny. Its stalks are weak, its roots are undeveloped and its small ears have round kernels that resemble popcorn. But B-96--a strain from Argentina--contains a chemical that other corn lines covet. It deters female European corn borers from laying eggs. Agricultural Research Service scientists in the Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit at Ames, Iowa, focus on discovering new alternatives to chemical insecticides or Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) bacteria--to protect corn from borers. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn borers cost $350 million in losses to the nation's corn crop annually. With no preventative treatments, losses can exceed $1 billion. Besides chemical controls, the only other practical alternative is Bt. By increasing a corn plant's natural resistance to egg-laying, scientists would help preserve the effectiveness of future generations of Bt corn. The built-in resistance would discourage egg-laying, while the Bt trait would control larvae hatching from any eggs that might be laid. This B-96 inbred is one of thousands of corn lines preserved at the Plant Introduction Station at Ames. In lab tests, scientists discovered that it possesses a chemical protectant that interferes with borer moth egg-laying. Field testing has shown that corn borers lay relatively fewer eggs on B-96 corn, compared with susceptible lines. Unlike susceptible corn, B-96 has a chemical defense. Scientists call this defense chemical HMBOA. The researchers have isolated and synthesized this compound and developed a laboratory bioassay to test its effectiveness. Another chemical in this family, DIMBOA, protects young corn plants from feeding borer larvae. Unlike most corn plants, B-96 plants continue producing high levels of DIMBOA and HMBOA as they mature. The scientists are studying the underlying genetic basis for the biosynthesis of these compounds, hoping to breed this trait into commercial corn--a process that could take 10 years. Currently, scientists are looking at lines related to B-96. So far, they've found another one, called Illinois A (ILLA), that may offer even better resistance to egg-laying. But characterizing the chemical basis for ILLA resistance will require several more years of research. For more details, see the April issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/duck0400.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Bradley F. Binder, ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research, Ames, Iowa, phone (515) 294-6948, fax (515) 294-2265, bfbinder@iastate.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 Apr 3 13:19:11 2000 -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 NAA27929 for ; Mon, 3 Apr 2000 13:19:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA11890 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 3 Apr 2000 11:45:39 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bf9d83$a80f12e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Issue of Healthy Animals Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 11:45:36 -0400 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: 172 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 April 3, 2000 ----------- ARS today posted a new issue of "Healthy Animals" at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/ha This quarterly 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 aquaculture research. 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 Apr 4 12:00:59 2000 -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 MAA19378 for ; Tue, 4 Apr 2000 12:00:59 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA11558 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 4 Apr 2000 10:07:52 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bf9e3f$28d46680$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Dietary Cholesterol Makes LDL Cholesterol More Radical Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 10:07:45 -0400 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: 173 STORY LEAD: Dietary Cholesterol Makes LDL Cholesterol More Radical ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov April 4, 2000 ----------- A little extra cholesterol in our diets may render the "bad" LDL cholesterol in our bloodstream more susceptible to oxidation. That's what happened to the LDL from a group of older men and women in a study reported in the March issue of Atherosclerosis. And that's not good: Evidence suggests that oxidized LDL cholesterol is more apt to provoke the plaques that build up in arteries and increase risk of heart attack and stroke. The researchers concluded that the current recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol is both valid and prudent, noting that their findings support those of an earlier study by others. This study was led by Ursula S. Schwab and Alice H. Lichtenstein at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Schwab, who is now back in Finland, Lichtenstein and colleagues designed 30-percent-fat diets that differed only in the type of fat. One was rich in polyunsaturated fat from corn oil; the other was rich in saturated fat from beef tallow. Otherwise, the foods were identical. And by adding extra cholesterol to each diet--ranging from around 220 to 330 milligrams, depending on the volunteer's total calorie intake--they approximately doubled the cholesterol content. That's considerably more than the 300-milligrams recommended by the Dietary Guidelines. Thirteen men and women between the ages of 46 and 78 ate each of four diets, the corn oil with and without the extra cholesterol and beef tallow with and without extra cholesterol. The type of fat didn't significantly affect the susceptibility of the volunteers' LDL to oxidation in a test-tube assay. But the extra cholesterol increased oxidation susceptibility by 28 percent during the corn oil diet and 15 percent during the beef tallow diet. The volunteers began the study with moderately elevated LDL cholesterol--each having levels greater than 130 milligrams per deciliter. Adding the extra dietary cholesterol prompted a further rise in their total as well as their LDL cholesterol, regardless of the type of fat in the diet. ---------- Scientific contact: Alice H. Lichtenstein, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass., phone (617) 556-3127, fax (617) 556-3103, lichtenstein@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 Thu Feb 24 12:51:29 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 MAA08021 for ; Thu, 24 Feb 2000 12:51:28 -0500 (EST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA22349 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 24 Feb 2000 10:15:57 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bf7eda$110258c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Launches Historical Timeline on the Web Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 10:16:02 -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: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 174 STORY LEAD: ARS Launches Historical Timeline on the Web ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov February 24, 2000 ----------- Researchers, history buffs and others interested in how U. S. Department of Agriculture research fits into their lives can now view a chronological timeline on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/timeline The introduction of the navel orange in the 1870s, domestication of the wild blueberry in the 1910s, inventions allowing mass-production of penicillin in the 1940s and the first biodegradable plastics developed from cornstarch in the 1990s are just some of the accomplishments listed in the timeline. Initially, the web timeline closely follows the printed version that appears in the December 1999 issue of Agricultural Research, the monthly magazine published by USDA's Agricultural Research Service. The printed timeline contains more than 80 key accomplishments by USDA researchers since the department was formed in 1862. Also included for historical perspective are many important administrative and legislative dates, as well as non-USDA scientific milestones crucial to agricultural research. Over the next few months, hundreds more items will be added. Links will take readers to expanded stories on key successes--like discovery of the viroid, the smallest known agent of plant disease, by ARS' Theodore O. Diener in 1971. The site also highlights dozens of photographs relating to the timeline. ---------- Contact: Kathryn Barry Stelljes, ARS Information Staff, Albany, Calif., phone (510) 559-6069, fax (510) 559-5882, stelljes@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 Apr 5 11:50:37 2000 -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 LAA13056 for ; Wed, 5 Apr 2000 11:50:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02847 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:50:20 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001b01bf9f05$e0aab540$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Trefoils Ready for Forage Breeders Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:50:17 -0400 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: 175 STORY LEAD: New Trefoils Ready for Forage Breeders ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov April 5, 2000 ----------- Livestock and wildlife should someday benefit from improved forages, thanks to two new lines of narrowleaf and big trefoil plants released by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Unlike alfalfa, trefoil doesn't cause bloating in animals. Between the two types of trefoil, many harsh growing conditions such as dry, saline or flooded soils can be tolerated. Because trefoils are legumes, they fix nitrogen into the soil for later use by grasses and forbs. This can reduce the need for fertilizer. ARS agronomist Jeffrey Steiner and geneticist Paul Beuselinck developed the new trefoils to help breeders improve forage quality on pastureland. Birdsfoot trefoil, a related species, has become popular during the past few decades, but big trefoil and narrowleaf trefoil have not been readily available. Both of the new releases--ARS-1207 narrowleaf trefoil and ARS-1221 big trefoil--combine the characteristics of dozens of different genetic populations collected from around the world. That way, breeders can use them to evaluate all available characteristics for each species without individually testing dozens of different plants. Researchers and breeders can obtain small amounts of seed from Steiner. An article describing this work appears in the April issue of Agricultural Research, ARS' monthly magazine, and can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/tref0400.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ---------- Scientific contacts: Jeffrey Steiner, ARS Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, Corvallis, Ore., phone (541) 750-8734, fax (541) 750-8750, steinerj@ucs.orst.edu; Paul Beuselinck, ARS Plant Genetics Research Unit, Columbia, Mo., phone (573) 882-6406, fax (573) 882-1467, BeuselinckP@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 Wed Apr 5 17:11:38 2000 -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 RAA29910 for ; Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:11:37 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA09264 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 5 Apr 2000 14:58:22 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf9f30$e9dec2c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Posts Latest Edition of Nutrition Briefs Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 14:58:21 -0400 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: 176 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 April 5, 2000 ----------- The Agricultural Research Service has posted the April 2000 issue of the Food & Nutrition Research Briefs to its web site at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb400.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. Included in this issue: * Overweight people who also have high cholesterol levels would be better advised to lose the excess weight rather than turn to a heart-healthy diet. * Whey proteins--a class of minor proteins found in milk--look promising for reducing breast cancer risk, based on early findings with rats. * Only one-third of teens in this small survey met the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for fat and fiber intake. But their diets were highest in seven vitamins and five minerals. 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: 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 Apr 6 11:27:57 2000 -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 LAA21122 for ; Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:27:57 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02978 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 6 Apr 2000 09:36:33 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bf9fcd$1e2c6040$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Progress With Map of Chicken Genes Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 09:36:30 -0400 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: 177 STORY LEAD: Progress With Map of Chicken Genes ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov April 6, 2000 ----------- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is poised to decode the genetic rule books for making chicken, cattle, pigs and other livestock, as well as corn, soybeans and other important crops. The most recent accomplishment is the latest "draft" of the chicken genome map, which can be viewed on the WWW at: http://poultry.mph.msu.edu/resources/conmap/conmap.htm Agricultural Research Service geneticist Hans H. Cheng, with USDA's Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., helped develop this map as part of the International Chicken Genome Mapping Project, begun in 1992. The map uses about 2,000 genetic markers to locate chicken genes. A more detailed genome map will be coming soon. The chicken genome mapping project, like those for many other livestock and crops, is at the stage where the Drosophila fruit fly project was just a few years ago. The fruit fly genome map guided the recent decoding of all the chemical units of DNA in the genome--the only animal genome to be fully decoded so far, other than a roundworm. In the race to map animal genomes, the human genome will be completed this summer, followed by model animals used for human health research, such as mice, rats, zebrafish and pufferfish. The information from these other genomes will benefit the chicken and livestock efforts, because evolution has left many species--from yeast to mammals--sharing many of the same large chunks of DNA and genes. The ultimate goal of the chicken genome map is to provide the tools to develop chickens bred for both disease resistance and high productivity. Besides cost savings, farmers would have less need to use antibiotics. The first disease to be targeted is Marek's, a costly viral disease of chickens. If successful, these would be the first chickens bred with modern molecular techniques. An article about the research appears in the April issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/mapp0400.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Hans H. Cheng, ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, Mich., phone (517) 337-6828, fax (517) 337-6776, hcheng@pilot.msu.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 Apr 7 11:35:31 2000 -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 LAA17725 for ; Fri, 7 Apr 2000 11:35:30 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA28795 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 7 Apr 2000 09:47:56 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001901bfa097$a1beb8c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cancer-Fighting Compound in Milk Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 09:45:04 -0400 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: 178 STORY LEAD: Grazing Cows Produce More Cancer-Fighting Compound in Milk ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov April 7, 2000 ----------- A change in the way U.S. dairy cows are fed may give consumers one more healthful reason for drinking milk. Cows grazing pastures, or fed diets containing vegetable oil, produced five times more of a cancer-fighting compound--conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)--than cows fed conventional diets, according to Agricultural Research Service studies in Madison, Wis. CLA is a fatty acid found in beef and dairy fats. The human body doesn't produce CLA on its own, but CLA is available through foods such as whole milk, butter, beef and lamb. ARS dairy scientist Larry Satter at the ARS U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center showed how to increase CLA levels in milk from cows fed typical confinement rations. He added whole soybean and linseed oils to a typical corn-alfalfa diet, boosting the CLA content in the cows' milk to equal the levels obtained from grazing. ARS and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) patented this method to increase CLA in cows' milk. These studies may increase interest in grazing for dairy cows. Currently, only 10 to 12 percent of U.S. dairy cows are grazed, according to Satter. A University of Wisconsin researcher is credited with discovering CLA's cancer-fighting properties in a study of rats fed fried hamburger. Today, human studies of CLA are underway at several research institutions. Laboratory animals given CLA in their diets have shown a reduction in several types of cancers and a slower progression of atherosclerosis, a contributor to heart disease. If human trials show the same benefits as studies with laboratory animals, the benefit of consuming milk products could impact the economy of dairy producers everywhere. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. The research is featured in the April issue of Agricultural Research magazine, and on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/graze0400.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Larry Satter, ARS U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wis., phone (608) 264-5353, fax (608) 264-5147, lsatter@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 Mon Apr 10 12:27:59 2000 -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 MAA23357 for ; Mon, 10 Apr 2000 12:27:59 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA06367 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:24:29 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002301bfa2f8$79bbc080$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Starch-Based Adhesive Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:24:20 -0400 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: 179 STORY LEAD: Starch-Based Adhesive Holds Promise for Healthier Indoors ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov April 10, 2000 ----------- Indoor air quality may improve once new wood products are made with environmentally friendly, starch-based adhesives--rather than with adhesives made solely from petrochemicals. Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed a process to make a strong, moisture-resistant adhesive from a combo of cornstarch, polyvinyl alcohol, latex and citric acid. The process requires no volatile formaldehyde or phenols found in conventional wood adhesives. That could be a major selling point for wood products companies: indoor air quality that poses less health risk for the workers. A fire retardant could be added to composite wood products made with the starch adhesive. Materials with this treatment might be appropriate for kitchen counter tops where many home fires begin and produce toxic fumes. For outdoor settings, considerable improvement in moisture resistance might be needed to make the new adhesive stand up to weather. But in test conditions harsher and more humid than most indoor settings, plywoods made from birch veneer and starch adhesive measured up to commercial ones. In 98 percent of samples the adhesive proved stronger than the wood. The researchers at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., came upon the idea of making wood adhesives from starch while researching totally biodegradable starch-based films. Their goal was, and still is, to find ways to make alternatives to plastic agricultural mulch films now used to curb weed growth amid high- value agricultural crops. Plywood paneling and furniture made from particle board sold each year in the U.S. contain more than a billion pounds of adhesives. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. An article about the research appears in the April issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/wood0400.htm ---------- Scientific contact: Syed H. Imam, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6335, fax (309) 681-6689, imamsh@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 Apr 11 11:15:13 2000 -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 LAA05590 for ; Tue, 11 Apr 2000 11:15:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02322 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 11 Apr 2000 09:54:53 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000f01bfa3bd$80f8d200$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Native Plants Scrutinized for Western Ranges Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 09:54:49 -0400 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: 180 STORY LEAD: Native Plants Scrutinized for Western Ranges ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov April 11, 2000 ----------- >From wide-open grasslands of Montana to sagebrush-covered deserts of Nevada, a hardy native plant called Rimrock Indian ricegrass can help revegetate sites damaged by wildfire, overgrazing, or other problems. In the four years since USDA scientists first began recommending Rimrock to restore native ecosystems and help hold soil in place, seedgrowers in seven western states--Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming--have produced Rimrock seed for sale. Ricegrass gets its name from its stalks. When in bloom, they somewhat resemble those of a rice plant. The plump seeds that form on Rimrock stalks make an excellent food for game birds like valley quail or for songbirds such as green-tailed towhee. What's more, Rimrock retains mature seed longer than many other Indian ricegrasses--even in high winds and heavy rains, according to plant geneticist Thomas A. Jones of the ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, Utah. Discovering that trait in Rimrock, according to Jones, was ARS' most important contribution to the collaborative research on this plant. Because Rimrock seed has a better chance of staying on the plant until harvest--instead of dropping to the ground--mechanical harvesting of the seed is easier and less expensive. That lowers the cost of producing seed and helps open the door to wider use of Indian ricegrass for rangeland repair. Rimrock was released jointly by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service at Bridger, Mont., the agricultural experiment stations of Montana and Wyoming, and ARS. ARS studies of Rimrock and two other rugged native plants--the pink-to-purple flowered Timp Utah sweetvetch and the golden-plumed Sand Hollow squirreltail, are described in the agency's Agricultural Research magazine. View it at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/range0400.htm ARS is the chief research branch of USDA. ---------- Scientific contact: Thomas A. Jones, ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, Utah; phone (435) 797-3082, fax (435) 797-3075, tomjones@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 Wed Apr 12 10:19:21 2000 -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 KAA27126 for ; Wed, 12 Apr 2000 10:19:19 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA24849 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 12 Apr 2000 08:41:55 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005b01bfa47c$bcd77500$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Spinosad Zaps Crop Pests Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 08:43:39 -0400 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: 181 STORY LEAD: Spinosad Zaps Crop Pests ----------- ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov April 12, 2000 ----------- An environmentally friendly insecticide called spinosad may become the weapon of choice for fighting insects such as the Mediterranean fruit fly, one of the world's worst agricultural pests. Medflies can attack more than 200 different kinds of fruits and vegetables and could adapt easily to life in warm-weather states like California, Texas and Florida. Agricultural Research Service entomologist Roger I. Vargas and colleagues in Hawaii are exploring spinosad's potential. They are with the agency's U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center at Hilo. When applied at recommended rates, spinosad poses less risk than most insecticides to mammals, birds, fish and beneficial insects. Furthermore, spinosad is already approved for use on more than 100 crops. In coffee fields in Hawaii, the ARS scientists compared spinosad to malathion insecticide and to phloxine B, a dye that is also a promising alternative to malathion. Though malathion was the most effective, spinosad and phloxine B gave impressive levels of control. In addition, an important natural enemy of medfly--a small wasp known as Fopius arisanus--was significantly less susceptible to spinosad and phloxine B than to malathion. The reddish-brown and black wasp is harmless to humans. Spinosad or phloxine B may need to be applied more frequently than malathion, but the total amount of active ingredient released into the environment using spinosad or phloxine B would be far less, the research indicated. An article in the current 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/apr00/crop0400.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's main research wing. ---------- Scientific contact: Roger I. Vargas, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Stainback Hwy., Hilo, HI, 96720; phone (808) 959-4329, fax (808) 959-4323, rvargas@pbarc.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 Thu Apr 13 11:48:05 2000 -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 LAA21315 for ; Thu, 13 Apr 2000 11:48:04 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA00428 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:43:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfa54e$38b54860$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Hairy Vetch Thwarts Colorado Potato Beetle Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:43:16 -0400 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: 182 STORY LEAD: Hairy Vetch Thwarts Colorado Potato Beetle ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov April 13, 2000 ___________________________________________ Colorado potato beetles are deceptively beautiful insects, with five shiny black stripes on a yellow background decorating each wing. But this beetle is notorious for its destructive power. Each year, the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae ravage potato, eggplant and tomato plants. This pest is also notorious for something else: its ability to develop resistance to insecticides. Because of this, biocontrol becomes a viable option. Biocontrol--the use of one natural organism to control another without chemicals--has an important place in farming systems, including organic farming. Agricultural Research Service entomologist Kevin Thorpe and collaborators at the University of Maryland have found that an organic mulch made from a cover crop called hairy vetch can reduce Colorado potato beetle damage. They utilized the method developed by ARS plant physiologists Aref Abdul-Baki and John Teasdale, in which hairy vetch is planted in the fall and mowed in the spring before transplanting. The vetch impeded the movement of the beetles, thereby lessening their damage. The vetch, a legume, also added nitrogen to the soil. In the study, fewer beetles infested tomatoes transplanted into hairy vetch mulch, compared to tomatoes transplanted into black plastic mulch. Yields of staked, fresh-market tomatoes grown in the vetch mulch were comparable to tomatoes treated with insecticides. The Colorado potato beetle costs U.S. potato, tomato and eggplant growers about $150 million annually in losses and insecticide-related costs. Many growers are using imadacloprid, a new systemic insecticide that provides excellent control. However, unless appropriate measures are taken, resistance will develop. Non-insecticidal methods of control could be useful components of a sustainable, integrated pest management strategy if they can reduce pesticide inputs and slow the rate of resistance. Thorpe's next step is investigating the use of organic mulches in larger fields of staked fresh-market tomatoes grown on a commercial scale. This study was undertaken as part of the Sustainable Agriculture program at the Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center. ---------- Scientific contact: Kevin Thorpe, ARS Insect Biocontrol Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5139, fax (301) 504-5689, thorpe@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 Apr 14 16:13:40 2000 -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 QAA23479 for ; Fri, 14 Apr 2000 16:13:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA05834 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:20:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003801bfa63e$150697c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Glickman Announces New Research to Combat Pierce's Disease Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:19:40 -0400 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: 183 NEWS RELEASE: Glickman Announces New Research to Combat Pierce's Disease ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov April 14, 2000 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, April 14, 2000--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced a new $500,000 research partnership to protect vulnerable vineyards from the microbe that causes Pierce's disease. USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Brazilian scientists will work together to sequence the genome of the microbe that causes Pierce's disease. "By working together to identify the microbe's genetic makeup, we may be able to design new and powerful strategies to thwart it," said Glickman, who met last month in Temecula with California's growers concerned about the impact of Pierce's disease in their vineyards. In Northern California, Pierce's disease has chronically attacked vineyards, costing growers $33 million from 1995 to 1997 alone. In California's Temecula Valley, south of Los Angeles, the disease has caused an estimated $6 million in damage to vineyards since 1997. Pierce's disease is caused by a bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. It can be carried by a half-inch-long insect known as the glassy-winged sharpshooter, which arrived in Southern California in the mid-1990s. The pest can harbor Xylella in its gut, then move it into plants when it punctures grapevine stems to feed on nutritious sap. Once inside a grapevine, X. fastidiosa bacteria multiply, blocking the flow of water and nutrients. Severely infected vines die. Pierce's disease affects wine, table, and raisin grapes. Neither the insect carrier nor the disease harms humans. The ARS and Brazilian scientists in this joint research effort intend to discover the sequence of all of the genes in the Xylella strain that is infecting Temecula Valley grapevines. Edwin L. Civerolo, with ARS in Davis, Calif., will lead the project jointly with Andrew J.G. Simpson of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at São Paulo. Simpson is DNA Coordinator of the Organization for Nucleotide Sequencing and Analysis at São Paulo, where scientists sequenced the genome of a related Xylella strain that causes disease in citrus, making them the first in the world to sequence the genome of a plant pathogen. The American Vineyard Foundation and the California Department of Food and Agriculture will each contribute $62,500 to the research, matching USDA funding of $125,000. The São Paulo State Research Foundation in Brazil will contribute $250,000 to the effort, which is expected to take less than a year to complete. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Judy St. John, ARS National Program Staff, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-6252, fax (301) 504-4663, jsj@ars.usda.gov. ___________________________________________ This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Apr 17 14:07:30 2000 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id OAA13650 for ; Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:07:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id MAA17434 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 17 Apr 2000 12:12:50 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003801bfa887$c2ec9880$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: State-of-the-Art U.S. Horticultural Research Lab Opens Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 12:12:37 -0400 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: 184 NEWS RELEASE: State-of-the-Art U.S. Horticultural Research Lab Opens ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov April 17, 2000 ___________________________________________ FT. PIERCE, Fla., April 17, 2000--The Agricultural Research Service today reaffirmed its commitment to providing cutting-edge research to the agricultural community it serves by dedicating a new $33 million U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory here. "ARS is proud of the more than 100 years of dedicated service this laboratory has provided," said Floyd P. Horn, administrator of ARS. "Through its research, this laboratory has been instrumental in developing a variety of citrus production practices that have helped the industry succeed in a highly competitive global marketplace." The new 170,000 square-foot facility, situated on 350 acres, is adjacent to the University of Florida's Indian River Research and Education Center and is more than double the size of the laboratory previously located in Orlando, Fla. Its increased proximity to field sites and agricultural areas allows ARS scientists to be in greater contact with the growers who directly benefit from their research. ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since its founding in 1892 in Eustis, Fla., the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory has developed a variety of programs aimed at alleviating citrus crop production problems, promoting pest and disease control, and solving postharvest problems of subtropical fruit, vegetables and other horticultural crops. Of particular note has been the laboratory's research in developing new citrus varieties, disease- resistant rootstock, and biological pest controls. For example, in 1930, the laboratory released the tangelo to Florida nurseries. This crop's current value approaches $10 million. In 1934, the laboratory released the citrus rootstock called Carizzo. Currently, more than 60 percent of all citrus trees in the United States are grafted onto this rootstock. In 1972, the lab introduced a family of microhymenopteran parasites to control scale insects. In the early 1970s that research was expanded to identify a family of parasites that would control the citrus blackfly. As a result, neither scale nor blackfly is now considered a threat to the Florida citrus industry. That accomplishment was followed, in 1974, by the release of the Swingle citrumelo citrus rootstock. Resistantto citrus nematodes and citrus blight, this rootstock now comprises 51 percent of Florida's nursery stock. In 1982, the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory helped increase citrus exports by developing a cold treatment for grapefruit that enabled it to be exported to Japan and other countries with quarantines to protect against the importation of pests and disease. The citrus root weevil's potential to inflict significant crop losses was diminished when, in 1990, the lab identified three nematode species as effective forms of biological control. Today, growers throughout Florida use these commercially grown nematodes to combat the weevil. And in 1992, the lab patented a test to differentiate severe strains of citrus tristeza, a tree-killing virus. "This new state-of-the-art laboratory enjoys a legacy of celebrated scientific accomplishment," said Horn. "The facility will enable our researchers to build upon that legacy and to continue providing the citrus, vegetable and ornamental industries with the timely scientific support they need." ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Dr. Richard Mayer, ARS U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Ft. Pierce, Fla., phone (561) 462-5810, rmayer@ushrl.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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.ht m. * 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 Apr 18 12:50:43 2000 -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 MAA06868 for ; Tue, 18 Apr 2000 12:50:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id LAA16319 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 18 Apr 2000 11:20:41 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002b01bfa949$ab839fa0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Plant Sterols Lower Cholesterol Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 11:20:12 -0400 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: 185 NEWS RELEASE: New USDA Study Shows Plant Sterols Lower Cholesterol ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim De Quattro, (301) 504-1626, JimDeQuattro@ars.usda.gov April 18, 2000 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, Apr. 18--People who already eat a low-fat diet to reduce cholesterol might lower it more by consuming a soybean extract with high levels of substances called plant sterols, according to preliminary new research, Agricultural Research Service Administrator Floyd P. Horn said today. Volunteers in the research study ate the soybean sterols as an ingredient in low- and reduced-fat salad dressings. "The research is preliminary but offers new evidence that soybean and other plant extracts containing sterols can increase the cholesterol-lowering benefits of a healthy low-fat diet," said Horn. "People who want to reduce their cholesterol through diet may see better results by including low-fat foods having added sterols as part of their low-fat diet." The study's lead researcher, chemist Joseph T. Judd of USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md., presented the findings today at the Experimental Biology 2000 meeting in San Diego. Horn said cholesterol reductions nearly doubled in the study's 53 men and women volunteers, when their low-fat diet included two daily servings (4 tablespoons total) of salad dressing containing soybean sterols. The volunteers consumed the sterols--2.2 grams or about 1/2 teaspoon--daily for three weeks of the six-week study period in 1999. Judd led the study at ARS' Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. The study was partly funded by Lipton through a cooperative research agreement with ARS. A manuscript is being prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed scientific publication. Plant sterols are ingredients in a number of fat-based foods on the market including salad dressings and margarines. Potential dietary benefits of plant sterols, including cholesterol reduction, have been studied for decades. Judd said the Beltsville study was unique in examining plant sterols as an ingredient in low-fat foods and as part of a tightly controlled low-fat diet. Most studies have looked at sterol effects in higher fat foods. The soybean extracts used in the Beltsville study are compounds known as sterol esters. Their molecular structure is similar to cholesterol. Judd said sterol esters most likely lowered the volunteers' cholesterol by limiting its intestinal absorption. The volunteers began the study with their levels of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol in the mildly elevated range. For six weeks, they ate all their meals at the Beltsville center. For three of those weeks, their daily diet included 2.2 grams of soybean sterols as an ingredient in salad dressing. On the low fat diet alone--without plant sterols--the volunteers' total and "bad" cholesterol levels dropped 7.3 and 8.4 percent, respectively. With the sterols, the reductions were nearly double: 14.1 and 18.2 percent. "I was surprised at the magnitude of the effect," said Judd, with the Beltsville center's Diet and Human Performance Laboratory. "And, the volunteers' levels of 'good' (HDL) cholesterol stayed the same." Overall fat intake in the study diet amounted to 32 percent of total calories. A 36-percent fat diet is about the average for American adults. Curiously, five of the 53 volunteers lowered their cholesterol only during the part of the study that included sterol esters. "Many people with high cholesterol," Judd noted, "do not respond to a low-fat diet alone and rely on cholesterol-lowering drugs. The question is, could dietary plant sterols also help these kinds of people?" Judd conducted the study with physiologist David Baer of the Diet and Human Performance Laboratory; chemist Beverly Clevidence, who leads the center's Phytonutrients Laboratory; and nutrition scientists Shirley Chen and Gert Meijer of Lipton. "We want to learn how plant sterols could affect cholesterol in people eating their own diets," Judd said. "So, we plan to extend our investigation of plant sterols to study about 100 free-living volunteers who will eat their usual diets instead of a controlled diet." The sterols used in the study already occur--in low concentrations--in many raw and refined vegetable-based foods including vegetable oils. A typical American diet provides approximately 0.25 g of plant sterol per day. "It would be impractical to try to consume 2.2 grams a day of sterols from refined oils or other foods," Judd said. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Joseph T. Judd and David Baer, Diet and Human Performance Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-9014, fax 504-9098, judd@bhnrc.arsusda.gov and baer@bhnrc.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 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 Apr 19 09:37:44 2000 -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 JAA27482 for ; Wed, 19 Apr 2000 09:37:43 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA01185 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 19 Apr 2000 08:06:42 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfa9f7$985fe1a0$ca1785c7@dequmputer> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Biodegradable Hydraulic Fluid Nears Market Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 08:05:26 -0400 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: 186 STORY LEAD: Biodegradable Hydraulic Fluid Nears Market ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov April 19, 2000 ___________________________________________ A new vegetable-based biodegradable hydraulic fluid for use in heavy equipment is moving toward commercialization. Agricultural Research Service scientists in Peoria, Ill., are producing industrial-sized quantities of starting material--the basis for making biodegradable lubricants--from sunflower oil fatty acids. The industrial scale-up production is being done in a recently renovated pilot plant at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR). ARS chemists Terry A. Isbell and Steven C. Cermak made hydraulic fluid that contains estolides, which are fatty acids from high-oleic oilseeds like sunflower and safflower. The ARS researchers received a U.S. patent on the technology in February. Technically, hydraulic fluids don't lubricate mechanical systems; instead, they transfer pressure in machinery to activate motion, such as a moving crane or a blade. But sunflower oil can replace petroleum-based hydraulic fluids, which do not degrade well. Construction equipment manufacturers, like Caterpillar Tractor Co., headquartered in Peoria, began seeking biodegradable alternatives in response to tighter environmental regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Other scientists at the Peoria research facility are engaged in trials with Caterpillar to test biobased hydraulic fluids and biodiesel fuels in heavy equipment. Sunflower oil estolides produce a clear fluid that pours well at below-freezing temperatures, making this hydraulic fluid desirable for engine operation during cold weather, according to Isbell. The work was done under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Lambent Technologies of Chicago. Lambent is seeking licensing rights to market the product commercially. ARS is the chief research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Terry A. Isbell, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61604; phone (309) 681-6235; fax (309) 681-6524, isbellta@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 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 Apr 20 11:19:19 2000 -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 LAA09577 for ; Thu, 20 Apr 2000 11:19:18 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA01678 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 20 Apr 2000 09:44:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001701bfaace$89de5ee0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: ARS Research Elevates Grain Storage Practices Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 09:44:23 -0400 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: 187 STORY LEAD: ARS Research Elevates Grain Storage Practices ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov April 20, 2000 ___________________________________________ Spreading good news and good practices for integrated pest management among grain elevator operators is key to saving the wheat industry millions of dollars from losses caused by stored grain insects. Agricultural Research Service researchers in Manhattan, Kan. and state researchers have gathered scientific data that grain elevator managers can use to thwart damage caused in stored wheat by the lesser grain borer, rice weevil, red flour beetle, and rusty grain beetle. These insects cost the U.S. wheat industry about $500 million annually. Since the summer of 1998, Federal and state researchers have been monitoring insect levels and current pest management practices at 13 elevators in Kansas and 15 in Oklahoma. This is a collaborative study between major grain handling companies, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, and ARS. The work focuses on day-to-day elevator management practices--how these practices affect the cost and effectiveness of insect control and how that impacts the economics of moving and storing grain. This is the largest study of its kind, according to ARS entomologist David W. Hagstrum at the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan. Hagstrum and his team have identified three main ways to improve integrated pest management: (1) cooling the grain earlier in the storage season, particularly right after it enters the bin; (2) cleaning empty bins more thoroughly; and (3) fumigating wheat only when insect infestations reach unacceptable levels. Research data collected during this study substantiate that these recommendations are cost-effective. The Kansas-Oklahoma areawide project is one of several ARS programs developed in response to USDA's 1998 Integrated Pest Management Initiative. As a result of the project, researchers will have developed an integrated pest management program for wheat stored at elevators by 2002. ARS is the chief research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For a longer report, see the April issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/grain0400.htm _________________________________ Scientific contact: David W. Hagstrum, ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, Kan., phone (785) 776-2718, fax (785) 776-2792, hagstrum@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 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 Apr 21 11:33:12 2000 -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 LAA04258 for ; Fri, 21 Apr 2000 11:33:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA01485 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 21 Apr 2000 10:00:41 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfab99$f602fc40$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Ozone: New Wrinkle in Crop Yield Projection Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 10:00:32 -0400 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: 188 STORY LEAD: Ozone: New Wrinkle in Crop Yield Projection ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov April 21, 2000 ___________________________________________ By 2050, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is expected to be twice preindustrial levels. And research shows that extra CO2 in the atmosphere stimulates growth and increases yield in a variety of food and fiber crops. But does it really? Agricultural Research Service scientists in Raleigh, NC, are finding that the air pollutant ozone is adding another wrinkle to models that predict food supply based on projected CO2 levels. Studies conducted by Joseph Miller, Allen Heagle, Edwin Fiscus and Fitzgerald Booker suggest that the models may often overestimate the impact of CO2 enrichment because they don't also factor in ozone. Extra CO2 by itself will stimulate some growth because plants have more "food" for photosynthesis. Ozone, on the other hand, damages plant tissue and decreases crop yield. But extra CO2 partially closes the leaf pores, or stomates, through which plants exchange gases. This reduces the ozone that gets in and the water vapor that gets out. So if plants are under ozone or water stress, CO2 enrichment elicits a greater response. The more ozone stress, the more damage prevention by CO2 and the greater the apparent stimulation of plant growth. When the Raleigh scientists grew plants under low ozone, increasing CO2 concentration didn't always stimulate growth appreciably. So far, they have seen this interaction in field tests of soybeans, winter wheat, rice, and cotton and in greenhouse tests of snap bean and white clover, a forage crop. Each crop or variety responded to a greater or lesser degree, depending on its sensitivity to each gas, but the trend was the same. This suggests that crop yields in high CO2 environments may not be as high as models have suggested. The Raleigh findings run counter to similar experiments in other parts of the country. That may be due to unrecognized differences in water or ozone stress among different studies. Traditionally, such studies have looked at the effects of each gas separately. The Raleigh group combined different levels of the two gasses. Read more in the April issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/ozone0400.htm ARS is the USDA's chief scientific agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Joseph E. Miller or Allen S. Heagle, ARS Air Quality-Plant Growth and Development Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C.; phone (919) 515-3312, fax (919) 515-3593, airqual@mindspring.com, asheagle@unity.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 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 Apr 24 10:28:39 2000 -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 KAA18467 for ; Mon, 24 Apr 2000 10:28:38 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26660 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 24 Apr 2000 09:05:59 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <018b01bfadee$24221ba0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Last Meal for Colorado Potato Beetle? Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 09:08:05 -0400 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: 189 STORY LEAD: Last Meal for Colorado Potato Beetle? ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov April 24, 2000 ___________________________________________ A last meal could be in store for Colorado potato beetles in the form of a new artificial diet cooked up by Agricultural Research Service entomologists in Beltsville, Md. But "chef" Dale Gelman and ARS colleagues there aren't trying to poison the pesky beetles with their new diet. Rather, the scientists are working to step up the pace of entomological research aimed at testing new weaponry that farmers eventually can use against the beetles. The pest's larvae devour the leaves of eggplant, tomato and potato plants, causing $150 million annually in crop losses and chemical control expenses. The chemical pesticide Admire is a standard defense, but experts fear the beetle may soon develop resistance to it. That's why Gelman's team at ARS' Insect Biocontrol Laboratory in Beltsville is trying to streamline research aimed at finding alternatives, particularly biological ones like the parasitic wasp Edovum puttleri. Female wasps hatch their larvae inside the beetle's eggs, destroying them. Until now, rearing lab colonies of the beetles meant feeding them on a living host--namely potato plants. But growing them is costly and time-consuming. So, scientists developed a simple artificial diet made of oats, lettuce, some potato leaf powder and other ingredients. Dried into powder, lettuce is cheaper, easier to obtain than potato material and--most important--whets the beetle's appetite. So far, Gelman's team has reared nine generations of beetles on the diet. Once perfected to the beetle's taste, the team will transfer the diet technology to a commercial producer for researchers to use in lab studies. An article on the work appears in this month's issue of Agricultural Research magazine, and on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr00/lab0400.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific arm. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Dale Gelman, ARS Insect Biocontrol Lab, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8909, fax (301) 504-8190. dgelman@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 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 Apr 25 11:59:28 2000 -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 LAA06027 for ; Tue, 25 Apr 2000 11:59:22 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA28762 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:52:05 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002401bfaebd$6bd2eae0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Car Parts from Chicken Feathers? Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:51:20 -0400 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: 190 STORY LEAD: Car Parts from Chicken Feathers? ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov April 25, 2000 ___________________________________________ When a poultry processing plant in Southwest Missouri closed, who would have thought that the former plant's waste would become the new plant's main business? Soon trucks will be delivering loads of raw feathers from other poultry processing plants to be converted into feather fibers. Featherfiber Corporation, the new owner, is refurbishing the plant. Before converting this plant, Featherfiber Corporation President David R. Emery contracted with a Michigan firm to make test runs of 8- by 10-inch sample materials, using Featherfiber, which eventually will be used to manufacture items such as filters, diapers, clothing, paper, absorbent pads and wipes, insulation and upholstery padding. Emery is equipping the Missouri plant to produce 200 pounds of Featherfiber an hour. The company plans to eventually add plants around the U.S., each producing many tons per hour. Two other firms--Tysons Foods, Spingdale, Ark., and Maxim Industries, Altadena, Calif.--also share rights to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-patented technique to turn feathers into a fiber that can be mixed with natural and synthetic fibers to form new products and to enhance the performance of existing fiber products. Walter F. Schmidt, a chemist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, is the lead scientist in the group that developed the technique. Schmidt is at the ARS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. The technique involves sanitizing the fibers, then removing them from feather quills. The protein fibers are as strong as nylon and finer and stronger than wood pulp. This gives feather products superior filtration, absorbency and durability. Unlike wood pulp, the feather pulp doesn't require bleaching because commercial chickens are bred for white color. Both the feather fibers and the quills can also replace some of the plastic or fiberglass in products such as auto dashboards, door panels, ceiling lining, and other internal molded parts. For every pound of Featherfiber produced, there's a pound of quills left over. Featherfiber Corporation will process the quills into protein for shampoos, hair conditioners, hair coloring, dietary supplements and other items. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Walter F. Schmidt, ARS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5030, fax (301) 504-5048, wschmidt@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 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 Apr 26 07:09:39 2000 -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 HAA25839 for ; Wed, 26 Apr 2000 07:09:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA15244 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 26 Apr 2000 06:01:48 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bfaf66$bc36dba0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Bt Corn Has Lower Toxin Levels Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 06:03:40 -0400 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: 191 STORY LEAD: Bt Corn: Less Insect Damage, Lower Mycotoxin Levels, Healthier Corn ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kim Kaplan, (301) 504-1637, kkaplan@asrr.arsusda.gov April 26, 2000 ___________________________________________ Bt corn that has been genetically modified to prevent damage by European corn borers may also be less likely to harbor mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi on corn ears, according to an Agricultural Research Service entomologist. Mycotoxins like fumonisin, a potential cancer-causing agent often found at elevated levels in insect damaged kernels, are both a health issue and an export issue. European and Asian markets can refuse to import U.S. corn because of what they rate as unacceptable levels of mycotoxins. Scientists have suspected higher mycotoxin levels may follow increased insect damage, but ARS entomologist Patrick F. Dowd found fumonisin levels 30- to 40-fold lower in Bt corn than in non-Bt varieties in Illinois cornfields. Bt stands for the biopesticide Bacillus thuringiensis. Environmental conditions and the specific Bt corn hybrid play roles in the actual amount of reduction seen, but corn varieties that expressed the Bt protein throughout the plant rather than in specific areas were the least likely to have significant fumonisin levels, according to Dowd, who is with ARS' National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief in-house research agency. While Bt corn is modified mainly to resist European corn borers, Bt corn also showed lower levels of mycotoxins when corn earworms were present in fields, although not as significant a reduction as when European corn borers were the primary insect pest. This may encourage the creation of corn varieties with more resistance to a variety of insects in order to provide more protection from mycotoxins. Small plot studies by Iowa State University plant pathologist Gary Munkvold appear to confirm Dowd's findings. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Patrick Dowd, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681- 6242, fax (309) 681-6686, dowdpf@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 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 Apr 27 12:00:54 2000 -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 MAA00477 for ; Thu, 27 Apr 2000 12:00:54 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29957 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 27 Apr 2000 09:46:58 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001b01bfb04f$08f45b00$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungus Has Future in Plastics Manufacturing Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 09:46:48 -0400 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: 192 NEWS RELEASE: Fungus Has Future in Plastics Manufacturing ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov April 27, 2000 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, April 27, 2000--A new bioengineered fungus could usher in truly biodegradable plastic milk jugs and soda bottles that don't hang around landfills for ages. This fungus could become a "workhorse" in converting grain and other renewable agricultural resources into environmentally friendly solvents and plastics. "The research on utilization of agricultural products such as cornstarch and fibrous crop residues bodes well for both farmers and consumers," said Floyd P. Horn, administrator of USDA's Agricultural Research Service. ARS has applied for patent protection on an invention that can team microbes with the machinery to produce more lactic acid at less cost. Lactic acid is the building block of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic. The plastic is similar to polyethylene terephthalate or PET used in packaging. In research at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., microbiologist Christopher D. Skory first isolated an enzyme called lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh) produced by the fungus Rhizopus oryzae. The amount of enzyme produced determines how efficiently the fungus can produce lactic acid. After researching the isolated enzyme, Skory cloned the gene responsible for Ldh synthesis and bioengineered the fungus to have multiple copies of the gene. "We've developed a system that's helped us improve upon something the fungus already did quite well," says Skory. "So far, some of our strains are producing about 30 percent more lactic acid in considerably less time than the original strains." The new strains are being tested for their potential through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with industry. Engineering into the new strains a more efficient route for fermenting sugars meant less energy would be wasted on making unwanted byproducts. "It's like widening one fork of a stream to increase the flow in that specific direction," says Skory. Because the new microbial strains don't need a lot of added nutrients in their diets of sugars derived from the plant material, the lactic acid they produce during fermentations is easier to purify for making clear plastic. Even before the new improved strains came about, the emerging PLA industry was using R. oryzae, because it produces lactic acid with uniform quality that's superior to a mix of lactic acids from bacterial fermentations, Skory says. Lactic acid and its derivatives have many uses other than for plastics. For example, lactic acid is commonly used in foods ranging from soda to sausages because it preserves, enhances flavor or imparts desired acidity. Derivatives of lactic acid such as the solvent ethyl lactate can also be used in manufacturing electronic products, cosmetics textiles, paints, adhesives, de-inkers and degreasers. Environmentally friendly, chlorine-free ethyl lactate some day could supplant most of the present 3.8 million-ton market for petroleum-derived solvents. Presently, some 5 to 7 percent of petroleum used in the U.S. goes into the manufacture of plastics, according to industry estimates. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency _______________________________ Scientific contact: Christopher D. Skory, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL 61604; phone (309) 681-6275; fax number (309) 681-6567; korycd@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 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 Apr 28 11:11:11 2000 -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 LAA22286 for ; Fri, 28 Apr 2000 11:11:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA28321 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:39:09 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002401bfb117$1ac5d480$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Leaf-Weevil Successful Against Melaleuca Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 09:38:57 -0400 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: 193 STORY LEAD: Leaf-Weevil Proves Successful Against Melaleuca ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov April 28, 2000 ___________________________________________ After being released two years ago by Agricultural Research Service scientists, the leaf-weevil Oxyops vitiosa is proving highly effective at defoliating existing stands of melaleuca saplings and will likely prevent further spread of this invasive tree. Melaleuca quinquenervia, or broad-leaved paperbark tree, naturally inhabits areas along the east coast of Australia from the northern tip of Queensland and parts of Papua New Guinea down to Sydney in New South Wales. In these areas, the tree is held in check as part of a balanced environment. This fast-growing tree was imported into Florida in the late 19th century. Later, it was planted as a way to drain the Everglades and now infests nearly 500,000 acres of wetlands. The tree is widely considered to be transforming the Everglades from a wet prairie to a closed-canopy swamp forest. Estimates of annual losses range as high as $168 million. Researchers with ARS' Aquatic Plant Research Unit in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., led by entomologist Ted Center, have sought alternatives to the traditional forms of melaleuca control: felling of mature trees, removal of saplings by hand, burning, and herbicides. Infestation is likely to recur after use of these techniques unless follow-up eradication measures are employed. Biological control is being used to complement these methods. After extensive testing of the 6- to 9-millimeter-long native Australian leaf-weevil and its larvae--for more than a decade by ARS scientists in Australia and Florida--more than 1,550 adult weevils and 6,700 larvae were released at 13 sites in six counties between the spring of 1997 and June 1998. ARS researchers have recently found that those populations are now well established, increasing and beginning to disperse to other infested areas. Every year each melaleuca tree naturally loses 25 to 33 percent of its leaves. But the leaf-weevil is so proficient at consuming any new leaves that over time some trees could become completely defoliated. Some are already exhibiting tip die-back. Ultimately, the weevil will alleviate one of the biggest problems associated with controlling melaleuca--its ability to disperse millions of seeds when it dies. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Ted D. Center, ARS U.S. Aquatic Plant Research Unit, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; phone (954) 475-0541, fax (954) 476-9169, tcenter@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 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 May 1 11:05:14 2000 -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 LAA05190 for ; Mon, 1 May 2000 11:05:14 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26857 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 1 May 2000 09:31:38 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfb371$8c0557e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Wasps May Curb New Alien Scale Pest Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 09:31:24 -0400 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: 194 STORY LEAD: Three Wasps from Mexico May Curb New Alien Scale Pest ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov May 1, 2000 ___________________________________________ An insect collected from a hibiscus plant in Bradenton, Fla., in July 1998 heads the list of new invasive alien insect pests. Agricultural Research Service entomologist Douglass R. Miller at the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., is the USDA expert on mealybugs. He confirmed that the mystery insect is the papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus. Miller says the Bradenton sample was the first time the papaya mealybug was found in the continental United States. It's considered to be a serious pest of papaya in several of the Caribbean Islands. It's also been reported to cause damage to papaya and cassava in Mexico. Mealybugs damage the papaya plant by sucking its juices and excreting a clear, gooey substance called honeydew. They become so abundant that their bodies and wax color the fruit white, making the papaya unsalable. Miller's research provided USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) details on the pest's hosts and distribution, as well as the means to identify and distinguish it from other scale species. Last June, APHIS sent Miller to Mexico, where he traveled across the country to search for possible controls. There, Miller and Mexican colleagues collected 40 samples of parasites that included three wasps with potential as biocontrol agents. Miller asked his ARS colleague, parasitic wasp expert Michael E. Schauff, to identify and classify the wasps and other possible parasites in the samples. Schauff and a British colleague identified the three wasps as belonging to the same family. They say some may be new to science, but all three cause the mealybug to mummify. Miller also sent live samples of the wasp parasites and other potential biological control agents to ARS entomologist Lawrence R. Ertle in the ARS Beneficial Insects Research Unit, Newark, Del., where the parasites could be reared. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. For more details, see the May issue of Agricultural Research. View it online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/wasp0500.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Douglass R. Miller, ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville Md.; (301) 504-5895, fax (301) 504-6482, dmiller@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 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 May 2 08:44:34 2000 -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 IAA26720 for ; Tue, 2 May 2000 08:44:34 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id HAA00783 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Tue, 2 May 2000 07:57:55 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from mayumi.iphil.net (mayumi.iphil.net [203.176.0.2]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id HAA00766 for ; Tue, 2 May 2000 07:57:49 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by mayumi.iphil.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with UUCP id TAA00703 for sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu; Tue, 2 May 2000 19:57:45 +0800 Received: (from uu1@localhost) by phil.gn.apc.org (8.6.12/8.6.9) with UUCP id UAA07313; Tue, 2 May 2000 20:18:11 +0800 From: Roberto Verzola Message-Id: <200005021218.UAA07313@phil.gn.apc.org> Date: 02 May 00 12:42:18 Subject: New report - "Hi-tech crops are bad for the brain" To: rverzola@phil.gn.apc.org Sender: owner-sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 195 This was posted by the Natural Law Party in the UK: It has taken nearly two generations of applied science to discover this. For nearly 40 years we have been ignorant of these effects despite the 'knowledge' of modern science. Meanwhile the much more radical changes to global agriculture being precipitated by genetic modification are proceding at much faster pace than the original 'Green Revolution' of the 1960s and 70s. How many generations of scientists will it take before the real effect of GM technology in agriculuture is known? Meanwhile many scientists and governments around the world are willing to say they know all they need to know about the GM crops that they are approving. NATURAL LAW PARTY WESSEX nlpwessex@bigfoot.com www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex ======================================================================== http://www.biotech-info.net/hi_tech_crops.html "Hi-tech crops are bad for the brain" Geoffrey Lean Environment Correspondent Independent April 23, 2000 "Miracle" crops, hailed as the answer to global famine, are contributing to widespread brain impairment in the developing world, a new report concludes. It says that the high-yielding rice and wheat varieties that brought about the much-heralded "Green Revolution" are among a range of environmental factors undermining human intelligence. The study, which looks at environmental threats to human intelligence, is part of the Ģ15m Global Environmental Change Programme, financed by Britain's Economic and Social Research Council. It is published tomorrow. It concludes that a deadly combination of soil erosion, pollution and inadequate diet is affecting the intelligence of millions of people, with effects ranging from severe intellectual disabilities to "sub-clinical decline" in whole populations. The Green Revolution crops, introduced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, produce several times as much grain as the traditional varieties they replaced, and they spread rapidly. They enabled India to double its wheat crop in seven years, dramatically increasing food supplies and averting widely predicted famine. But the report says that the new crops, unlike their predecessors, fail to take up minerals such as iron and zinc from the soil. So even as people consumed more calories, their intake of these key "micronutrients" fell. "High-yielding Green Revolution crops were introduced in poorer countries to overcome famine," the report says. "But these are now blamed for causing intellectual deficits, because they do not take up essential micronutrients." The report is written by Dr Christopher Williams, a research fellow with the Global Environmental Change Programme. Using already published UN data he has calculated that 1.5 billion people ­ one quarter of the earth's population ­ are affected by "Green Revolution iron deficiency". He claims the condition impairs the learning ability of more than half of India's schoolchildren. He concludes that, eventually, the evolution of the brain could go into reverse as humans develop more extensive digestive systems to cope with the lack of nutrients ­ sacrificing intelligence in the process. The professor's sources include the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations which has compiled evidence that the amount of the metal in people's diets fell throughout most of the Third World in the 1970s and 1980s, making iron deficiency the only form of malnutrition to increase over the two decades. The greatest drops in the intake of iron took place in South and South East Asia, the very areas where the Green Revolution was most successful. Other UN figures show that half the world's pregnant women are anaemic, because they have too little iron, putting both them and their babies at risk. The condition is thought to be responsible for 200,000 deaths a year. And the World Bank reckons that deficiencies of iron, iodine, and vitamin A together wipe out some 5 per cent of the GDP of developing countries, a crippling blow to poor economies. 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 May 2 11:02:00 2000 -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 LAA29821 for ; Tue, 2 May 2000 11:02:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id KAA00063 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Tue, 2 May 2000 10:43:14 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from mayumi.iphil.net (mayumi.iphil.net [203.176.0.2]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id KAA29907 for ; Tue, 2 May 2000 10:43:07 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by mayumi.iphil.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with UUCP id WAA07840; Tue, 2 May 2000 22:43:00 +0800 Received: (from uu1@localhost) by phil.gn.apc.org (8.6.12/8.6.9) with UUCP id WAA07883; Tue, 2 May 2000 22:53:12 +0800 From: Roberto Verzola Message-Id: <200005021453.WAA07883@phil.gn.apc.org> Date: 02 May 00 16:09:27 Subject: Re: organics have more nutrients To: WIEGAND@lufa-sp.vdlufa.de Sender: owner-sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 196 Hi Klaus. I suspect that you do some testing yourself. Can you please explain why you don't believe these figures? I'll see if I can get the contact address of the ORGAA, so you can compare notes with them. By the way, for those who may be confused: The Calcium in Beans data means that supermarket produce had 40 mg/kg while organic produce had 480 mg/kg, according to the article. Regards, Roberto Verzola >>Below is a study published in Permaculture International Journal >>(March-May 2000, No. 74, ISSN 1037-8480), p.27: >> >>Table: mg per kg of supermarket/organic produce >> >>-------- Beans Tomatoes Capsicum Silver Beet >>Calcium 40/480 6.7/67 4.7/84 65/1600 >>Potassium 260/1900 200/300 150/1600 450/2600 >>Magnesium 26/240 10/89 11/700 69/1700 >>Sodium <1/<10 2.4/26 <1/20 180/1800 >>Iron 0.6/<5 <0.5/<5 0.5/<5 1.4/9.4 >>Zinc .38/3.4 0.19/1.2 0.13/2.5 0.57/130 > > >NOT IN A LIFETIME !!!!! > >that would mean an increase of up to > > TWENTY-TWO-THOUSAND > >PERCENT !!! > > >NEVER !! EVER !!! > > >klaus 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 May 2 11:33:25 2000 -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 LAA00595 for ; Tue, 2 May 2000 11:33:25 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA28420 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 2 May 2000 10:00:34 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfb436$6175b180$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Computer Model Illustrates Water Movement Through Soil Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 09:00:24 -0400 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: 197 STORY LEAD: Easy-to-Use Computer Model Helps Illustrate Water Movement Through Soil ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov May 2, 2000 ___________________________________________ A user-friendly, sophisticated computer model developed by the Agricultural Research Service has helped engineers, scientists and students worldwide understand how water and chemicals move in soil and groundwater. HYDRUS allows agricultural engineers to design irrigation systems that provide optimal water to crops while minimizing the transport of fertilizers and pesticides to groundwater. Landfill designers have used the program to ensure their facilities do not release contaminants. Dozens of scientists and students contributed to HYDRUS, which was developed at ARS' George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, Calif. ARS soil scientist Rien van Genuchten and University of California civil engineer Jirka Simunek are lead authors of the computer program. The model continues to evolve, thanks to a cooperative research and development agreement with the Colorado School of Mines' International Ground Water Modeling Center (IGWMC) in Golden. IGWMC distributes the model, provides hands-on help to users, runs short-courses on the model, and gives feedback to ARS so that the researchers can improve HYDRUS. So far, IGWMC has sold more than 500 copies of the model worldwide, and has conducted courses on the model in the U.S., Europe and Australia. HYDRUS provides an easy-to-use, Windows-based format. It displays results visually by means of graphs or contour lines, instead of as columns of numbers. Animation can illustrate how a fertilizer or other chemical would move through the soil and possibly into groundwater. An article describing this work appears in the May issue of Agricultural Research, ARS' monthly magazine, and can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/flow0500.htm Demonstration versions of the model are online at: http://www.ussl.ars.usda.gov/MODELS/HYDRUS2D.HTM and http://www.mines.edu/research/igwmc/zipfiles ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Rien van Genuchten, Soil Physics and Pesticide Research Unit, ARS George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory, Riverside Calif., phone (909) 369-4847, fax (909) 342-4964, rvang@ussl.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 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 May 5 11:19:43 2000 -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 LAA17813 for ; Fri, 5 May 2000 11:19:43 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA14315 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 5 May 2000 09:36:22 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bfb696$dc2dc540$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Reducing Methane Emissions from Rice Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 09:36:03 -0400 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: 198 STORY LEAD: Reducing Methane Emissions from Rice ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov May 5, 2000 ___________________________________________ Rice production may increase global warming by boosting emission of an important greenhouse gas: methane. But periodically draining the soil in rice crops decreases methane emissions drastically, Agricultural Research Service scientists have discovered. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Rice is a plant that grows best in wet soil with its roots flooded. But flooded rice crops emit substantial amounts of methane to the atmosphere, especially when fresh organic matter, like plant residues, is added back to the soil, according to soil scientist L. Hartwell Allen. He's with ARS' Crop Genetic and Environmental Research Unit in Gainesville, Fla. Draining the soil for two or three short periods during the growing season to aerate the crop's roots may be an easy, environmentally-friendly, on-farm practice that would help decrease methane emissions. Current world rice production is 384 million tons. Rice is the primary food for about 50 percent of the world's population. Methane is a greenhouse-effect gas that has a 20-fold greater global warming potential than does carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Other studies show that up to 20 percent of global methane emissions worldwide come from flooded rice fields. An article about this research appears in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/rice0500.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: L. Hartwell Allen, ARS Crop Genetics and Environmental Research Unit, Gainesville, Fla.; phone (352)392-6180, fax (352) 392-6139, lhallen@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 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 May 4 12:14:13 2000 -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 MAA24167 for ; Thu, 4 May 2000 12:14:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA14281 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 4 May 2000 09:58:55 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfb5d0$d90e95e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Environmentally Friendly Pesticide Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 09:58:38 -0400 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: 199 STORY LEAD: An Environmentally Friendly Pesticide Curtails Cotton Pests ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov May 4, 2000 ___________________________________________ Two of cotton's worst enemies are conceding to an environmentally friendly insecticide called spinosad. Approved for use on more than 100 crops--including apples, almonds, citrus, eggplant, tomatoes, cotton, and coffee--spinosad is poised to replace malathion, until now the most widely used insecticide against the Mediterranean fruit fly. Agricultural Research Service scientists in College Station, Texas, have years of expertise developing new tactics to test this new insecticide on commercially-grown cotton. Cotton bollworms and budworms have developed resistance to most commonly used commercial insecticides. As a result, these insects now infest over 75 percent of the U.S. cotton crop. Aerial applications of spinosad were applied with a small droplet size (200 micron) and a 5-gallon spray rate. Commercial cotton treated at this level had fewer damaging bollworm and budworm larvae compared to cotton treated with other pesticides. Larvae found on cotton treated with standard insecticides were more mature, suggesting that spinosad prevented small larvae from becoming larger and more damaging. Typically, spray rates for standard insecticides average about 2 to 3 gallons per acre. The Texas study was conducted through a trust fund cooperative agreement between ARS and the makers of spinosad, Dow AgroSciences LLC, of Indianapolis, Ind. Just as important, these studies established that spinosad is nontoxic to beneficial insects like lady beetles and pirate bugs. More beneficial insects were found on cotton treated with spinosad, but fewer of them survived on cotton treated with standard insecticides. ARS is the chief research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Ivan W. Kirk, Areawide Pest Management Research Unit, College Station, Texas, phone (972) 260-9584, fax (972) 260-9386, I-kirk@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 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 May 3 10:36:38 2000 -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 KAA24020 for ; Wed, 3 May 2000 10:36:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA00257 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 3 May 2000 09:19:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006b01bfb502$83ebe460$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cranberry Bogs and Bees Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 09:21:36 -0400 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: 200 STORY LEAD: Cranberry Chores Don't Bog Down These Bees ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov May 3, 2000 ___________________________________________ Two species of native bees may prove ideal for helping America's domesticated honey bees with the daunting task of pollinating cranberry plants. An average acre of cranberry bog has about 20 million flowers. Each of these small, white blooms must be visited at least once by a pollinating insect in order for the flowers to form ripe, crimson berries. ARS scientists in Logan, Utah, and their colleagues from Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville, Mass., are scrutinizing the pollinating skills of a small, steely-blue bee known as Osmia atriventris. This insect belongs to a family of native bees that nest in holes in stems, branches, fenceposts, tree trunks and other aboveground cavities. And the scientists are experimenting with another promising native, a honey bee-sized leaf cutter called Megachile addenda. The leaf-cutting bee makes its shallow home in the sandy bottom of cranberry bogs. James H. Cane of the ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory at Logan, is leading the work as part of a cooperative research and development agreement between ARS and Ocean Spray, the country's largest cranberry-grower cooperative. Native bees are gentle and hardworking. They may help offset the loss of domesticated honey bees from attack by varroa or tracheal mites, small hive beetles, or microbes that cause devastating diseases such as foulbrood or chalkbrood. An article in the May issue of the ARS monthly journal, Agricultural Research, tells more about the Logan research team's studies of native bees as alternative pollinators. View it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/buzz0500.htm ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: James H. Cane, ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, 5310 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322; phone (435) 797-3879, fax (435 )797-0461, jcane@biology.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 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 May 3 10:36:38 2000 -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 KAA24020 for ; Wed, 3 May 2000 10:36:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA00257 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 3 May 2000 09:19:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006b01bfb502$83ebe460$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cranberry Bogs and Bees Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 09:21:36 -0400 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: 201 STORY LEAD: Cranberry Chores Don't Bog Down These Bees ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov May 3, 2000 ___________________________________________ Two species of native bees may prove ideal for helping America's domesticated honey bees with the daunting task of pollinating cranberry plants. An average acre of cranberry bog has about 20 million flowers. Each of these small, white blooms must be visited at least once by a pollinating insect in order for the flowers to form ripe, crimson berries. ARS scientists in Logan, Utah, and their colleagues from Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville, Mass., are scrutinizing the pollinating skills of a small, steely-blue bee known as Osmia atriventris. This insect belongs to a family of native bees that nest in holes in stems, branches, fenceposts, tree trunks and other aboveground cavities. And the scientists are experimenting with another promising native, a honey bee-sized leaf cutter called Megachile addenda. The leaf-cutting bee makes its shallow home in the sandy bottom of cranberry bogs. James H. Cane of the ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory at Logan, is leading the work as part of a cooperative research and development agreement between ARS and Ocean Spray, the country's largest cranberry-grower cooperative. Native bees are gentle and hardworking. They may help offset the loss of domesticated honey bees from attack by varroa or tracheal mites, small hive beetles, or microbes that cause devastating diseases such as foulbrood or chalkbrood. An article in the May issue of the ARS monthly journal, Agricultural Research, tells more about the Logan research team's studies of native bees as alternative pollinators. View it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/buzz0500.htm ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: James H. Cane, ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, 5310 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322; phone (435) 797-3879, fax (435 )797-0461, jcane@biology.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 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 May 8 08:41:37 2000 -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 IAA08719 for ; Mon, 8 May 2000 08:41:37 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA18891 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 8 May 2000 07:06:47 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004501bfb8dd$d8720ee0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New method boosts leptin studies in chickens Date: Mon, 8 May 2000 06:42:41 -0400 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: 202 STORY LEAD: New Technique to Measure Leptin Activity ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.arsusda.gov May 8, 2000 ___________________________________________ Chicken meat is already lean, but Agricultural Research Service scientists have made a key genetic discovery that could help produce chickens with even less fat. Chris Ashwell of the agency's Growth Biology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., recently discovered a protein, called leptin, in chickens. Leptin has long been associated with obesity but until now had been found only in mammals such as pigs, cows, mice and humans. Now Ashwell and colleagues Mark Richards and John McMurtry have developed a technique to study the hormonal activity of leptin in chickens. Maximizing meat quality and improving production efficiency are major goals for scientists studying chickens. That's because breeding broiler chickens for growth has resulted in increased fat deposition--and reduced reproductive efficiency--in the birds. Leptin, which regulates appetite and energy expenditure, can lead to extreme obesity, diabetes, and infertility in mammals if the leptin-producing gene is defective. Leptin is found in fat tissue of mammals and chickens, but in chickens it's also found in the liver. Ashwell and his team hope to use their technique to regulate the leptin levels in chickens and reduce the birds' appetites. This would make it easier to manage broiler production and still provide consumers with quality meat. According to Ashwell, commercial industries may eventually use the technique to select birds for feeding behavior that does not affect the growth of young birds. The technique, perfected by Richards and Ashwell, used a method called capillary electrophoresis to distinguish and measure genetic material unique to leptin. The process takes only eight minutes. The team won an award from Beckman Coulter, Inc., for achievements in capillary electrophoresis with this technique. A story about the research appears in the May issue of ARS' Agricultural Research magazine. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Christopher M. Ashwell, Mark P. Richards, and John P. McMurtry, ARS Growth Biology Laboratory, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Bldg. 200, Room 201, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350; phone (301) 504-5061, fax (301) 504-8623, cashwell@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 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 May 12 09:36:33 2000 -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 JAA14738 for ; Fri, 12 May 2000 09:36:31 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA00136 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 12 May 2000 08:12:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001201bfbc0b$b92476a0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: "Fort Knox" of Microbial Weed Whackers Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 08:11:02 -0400 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: 203 STORY LEAD: The "Fort Knox" of Microbial Weed Whackers ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov May 12, 2000 ___________________________________________ As yellow starthistle and other exotic weeds begin their spring assault on crop fields, rangeland, parks and even backyard gardens, researchers are testing the microbial mettle of fungi, bacteria and other organisms to check the pesky plants' advance. The approach, called classical biological control, is only one front in America's multi-billion dollar war on exotic weeds like yellow starthistle. In California alone, this invasive species has expanded its range from 1.2 million acres in 1958 to the present 7.9 million acres. Like other such weeds, the thistle thrived after escaping from its homeland's natural enemies. But scientists at the Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit in Frederick, Md., are planning a long-overdue reunion. The facility, which includes three microbial containment greenhouse facilities, is operated by the Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific arm. Since the 1970s, Frederick researchers have sought to slow the advance of exotic weeds with biological, rather than chemical means. Cost, environmental concerns, and the extent of infestations themselves are three reasons for this approach. Biocontrol agents that pass muster and safety protocols, like the rust fungus Puccinia carduorum Jacky, also apply constant pressure on invasive weeds that tillage, chemicals and other controls often can't, notes Bill Bruckart, an ARS plant pathologist. Unleashed onto a Virginia exotic musk thistle infestation in 1987, the rust fungus has since pursued the weed with dogged persistence, often reducing its host's populations up to 90 percent, as far west as Wyoming and California. Charged with determining a foreign weed pathogen's identity, host range, and biocontrol potential, the ARS lab is first stop in a national campaign that also involves USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Weed Science Society, and state ag departments. You can read more about it in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/knox0500.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: William Bruckart, ARS Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit, Frederick, Md., phone (301) 619 7340, fax (301) 619-2880, bruckart@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 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 May 11 09:00:07 2000 -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 JAA22710 for ; Thu, 11 May 2000 09:00:06 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA20047 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 11 May 2000 07:28:38 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001c01bfbb3c$68bfdee0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Blood Sugar Bows to New Bread Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 07:14:28 -0400 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: 204 STORY LEAD: Blood Sugar Bows to New Bread ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov May 11, 2000 ___________________________________________ An experimental bread made of ultra-fine-ground whole wheat flour could help Americans up their fiber intake--now considerably below the recommended 25 grams daily--and reduce risk of diabetes in the process. The flour, developed by ConAgra, gives the bread a taste and texture very similar to white bread. But it has six times more fiber. Nutrition researchers Kay Behall and Judith Hallfrisch at the Beltsville, Md., Human Nutrition Research Center of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service evaluated the bread to see if the particle size would result in a slower increase in blood sugar compared to the sugar syrup given in a glucose tolerance test. A glucose tolerance test indicates a person's potential for diabetes. The experimental bread improved blood glucose and insulin levels in the 26 volunteers about the same as regular whole wheat bread. Levels stayed lower than when the volunteers ate white bread or consumed a glucose drink. Particle size of the whole-grain flours apparently doesn't make a difference for glucose tolerance, the researchers concluded. That's good news because nearly 16 million Americans have diabetes--mostly type 2 diabetes, the kind that usually begins in midlife. Another 13.4 million have elevated fasting blood glucose, putting them at risk for developing diabetes. Behall and Hallfrisch also compared how much carbohydrate was fermented in the colon instead of being digested in the small intestine. Fermented carbohydrates may reduce risk of colon cancer, some research suggests, but they can also produce gas. Neither particle size nor fiber content affected the amount of fermented carbohydrate. And there was no difference in gastrointestinal distress among the three breads. According to ConAgra's Glen Weaver in Omaha, Neb., the ultra-fine-ground whole wheat flour has been used in some commercial breads, waffles and other products for about 4 years. But the market is limited because the flour is made from white wheat, rather than the more plentiful red wheat. Weaver is working to gear up U.S. production of white wheat so ConAgra can market the flour more broadly. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Kay M. Behall or Judith G. Hallfrisch, Diet and Human Performance Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-9014, fax (301) 504- 9098, behall@bhnrc.arsusda.gov, hallfrisch@bhnrc.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 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 May 10 09:48:01 2000 -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 JAA28581 for ; Wed, 10 May 2000 09:48:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA16040 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 10 May 2000 08:01:12 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006101bfba77$c8a38f20$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: 13 Win Federal Tech-Transfer Awards Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 08:02:25 -0400 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: 205 NEWS RELEASE: Federal Tech Transfer Awards Go to 13 Ag Scientists ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov May 10, 2000 ___________________________________________ CHARLESTON, S.C., May 10--Thirteen scientists from six Agricultural Research Service laboratories in Maryland, Mississippi, West Virginia, Washington and Idaho today will receive Year 2000 Awards for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory Consortium meeting here this week. The consortium, a network of more than 700 federal research laboratories that helps move technologies into the marketplace, is honoring 26 federal research teams and individuals at its annual meeting. "The efforts of six ARS scientists or teams of scientists are leading to new technologies in areas ranging from food and environmental safety to improved cotton processing," said ARS administrator Floyd P. Horn. "One technology promises a whole new approach for certifying the safety of meat; another moves diagnostic tests for important animal diseases into the marketplace; and a third improves the quality of ginned cotton while increasing farmers' income." ARS parasitologist H. Ray Gamble in Beltsville, Md., is being honored for promoting a new system for certifying pigs at the farm as free of Trichinella and other parasites. Gamble worked with the National Pork Producers Council and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service to test the feasibility of an "on-farm" audit system. After his study on farms in three states showed the system's soundness, the National Pork Board voted to proceed with a national program to certify U.S. pork as free of the parasite. ARS microbiologist Katherine I. O'Rourke and ARS veterinary medical officer Donald P. Knowles in Pullman, Wash., are cited for developing tools to diagnose three important livestock diseases. O'Rourke led the team that invented the first noninvasive, preclinical diagnostic procedures for scrapie, a fatal neurological disease in live sheep. The disease is caused by prion proteins, the agents behind "mad cow disease" and related human diseases. Prior to this test, animals had to be slaughtered to detect scrapie. ARS engineers W. Stanley Anthony and Richard K. Byler in Stoneville, Miss., developed and patented several equipment and software technologies that culminated in a computerized cotton gin process control system now being marketed commercially under the trade name IntelliGin. With this technology, ginners can prescription-process cotton based on its needs. Prescription ginning improves the quality of ginned cotton and increases its value and profitability. It increases the value of cotton an extra $20 per bale, reduces energy costs, and may also receive incentives from textile mills. Last fall, more than 500,000 bales were processed in 17 commercial systems with IntelliGin. ARS entomologists Carrol O. Calkins, Alan L. Knight, Thomas R. Unruh, Bradley S. Higbee and technician Glenn E. Richardson in Wapato, Wash., together with 11 other scientists from Washington State University, Oregon State University, the University of California at Berkeley and private industry are being lauded for successfully launching an environmentally friendly program to suppress the codling moth in apple and pear orchards in several states. The team worked closely with growers in Washington, Oregon and California to ensure that the programs are designed and implemented in a way that doesn't require government support. The number of acres in the Areawide Program for Suppression of the Codling Moth has increased from about 3,000 acres since its beginning in 1995 to more than 21,000 in 1999. ARS soil scientist Michael Glenn and ARS entomologist Gary J. Puterka in Kearneysville, W.V., conceived the idea of using inert films--made from the naturally occurring mineral kaolin--to ward off insects and disease organisms. They convinced one of the largest manufacturers of these films to venture into agriculture, a whole new arena for the company's products. The research and development has resulted in seven patent applications filed jointly by ARS and Engelhard Corporation of Iselin, N.J. The company has registered three kaolin formulations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is seeking similar registration in five foreign countries. ARS geneticist Victor Raboy in Aberdeen, Idaho, developed and patented new genotypes of cereals and legumes with reduced levels of phytic acid, a chemical that binds phosphorus so that it cannot be absorbed by chickens, pigs, horses and other non-ruminant animals and passes out in their waste. Phosphorus is a major contributor to water quality problems, and farmers are seeking ways to control its movement into groundwater and streams. When low-phytic-acid corn is fed to these animals, it dramatically reduces phosphorus levels in animal waste. Raboy's technology has been licensed to three seed companies, and more licenses are anticipated. ___________________________________________ Contact: Judy McBride, ARS Information Staff, 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 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 May 15 18:48:20 2000 -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 SAA11160 for ; Mon, 15 May 2000 18:48:19 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id RAA29217 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 15 May 2000 17:10:30 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <005001bfbeb1$ce518100$cdaf4dc6@barc.usda.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Type of Plant Regulator Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 14:09:04 -0700 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: 206 STORY LEAD: New Type of Plant Regulator Discovered ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov May 15, 2000 ___________________________________________ A newly identified class of compounds helps pea plants defend themselves against pea weevils, one of their most important insect enemies. And it's the weevils themselves that produce the chemicals. A team of scientists led by Agricultural Research Service plant physiologist Robert P. Doss in Corvallis, Ore., and ARS chemist James E. Oliver in Beltsville, Md., report the discovery in tomorrow's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The compounds, named "bruchins" by the team, come into contact with the plant when the weevil lays eggs on the pea pods. Within a few hours, the plant starts producing a tumor or gall at the egg-laying site. By the time the eggs hatch, a large gall or tumor becomes a barrier to the larvae, so they can't burrow directly into the pod and feed on the peas inside. This is the first time scientists have found chemicals that induce an otherwise healthy plant to form a tumor to resist insect infestation. The team also found that pea plants must possess a certain gene in order to take advantage of the bruchins. In the 1990's, other researchers found that pea plants with a certain genetic sequence, named Np, formed calluses in response to weevil infestations. But this is the first time that scientists have identified specific chemicals involved in the process. Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis, KOSAN Biosciences in Hayward, Calif., and the ARS Regional Plant Introduction Station in Pullman, Wash., collaborated on the discovery. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Robert P. Doss, ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, Ore., phone (541) 750-8773, fax (541) 750-8764, dossr@bcc.orst.edu; or James E. Oliver, ARS Insect Chemical Ecology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8639, fax (301) 504-6580, joliver@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 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 May 16 13:47:52 2000 -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 NAA02066 for ; Tue, 16 May 2000 13:47:52 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id MAA05698 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 16 May 2000 12:32:19 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <00f901bfbf54$ae254760$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Diet Could Trim Pests Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 12:34:57 -0400 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: 207 STORY LEAD: New Diet Could Help Trim Crop Pest Populations ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov May 16, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have now applied for a patent on a new insect diet that will make plant bugs and other crop pests unwitting accomplices to their own destruction. The key to mass-rearing these ravenous insects in sufficient numbers is developing a replacement for the plants they feed on. Without these special diets, the rearing of these insects becomes cost prohibitive. The new diet, which consists of cooked chicken eggs, lima bean meal, wheat germ, soy flour, yeast, sugar, vitamins and preservatives, was developed by scientists at ARS' Biological Control and Mass Rearing Research Unit in Mississippi State, Miss. This diet enables researchers to propagate destructive plant bugs as hosts for the production of parasitoids that may eventually help reduce insect pest numbers in the wild. One of these pests, the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, accounted for about $71 million worth of cotton crop losses in 1998. One parasitoid, a tiny wasp called Amaphes iole, deposits its own egg into Lygus bug eggs, where it develops into an adult while consuming the Lygus eggs' contents. Once the adult wasp emerges, it is ready to mate. Any female offspring is capable of parasitizing up to 60 Lygus eggs in its 2-4 days of life as an adult. Two other wasps, Peristenus spp. and Leiophron uniformis, deposit their eggs inside Lygus nymphs, where they commence to feed. When the parasitoids reach their prepupal stage, they chew their way out of their devastated hosts. The new diet-fed insects are also used for research on sterile release programs which had never before included Lygus bugs because they could not be reared in sufficient numbers. Sterilized plant bugs reared on the diet may mate and produce sterile eggs in the wild. Most important, the new diet has been found to be an inexpensive and effective way to mass rear insect pests and their natural enemies for biologically based pest management. This technology enhances the agricultural community's ability to mass-produce natural enemies of pests and decreases its dependence on chemicals. ARS is the chief research arm of the USDA. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Allen C. Cohen, ARS Biological Control and Mass Rearing Research Unit, Mississippi State, Miss.; phone (662) 320-7560, fax (662) 320-7571, acohen@bcmrru.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 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 May 17 09:54:28 2000 -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 JAA27776 for ; Wed, 17 May 2000 09:54:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA17363 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 17 May 2000 08:17:43 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006d01bfbffa$476cb8e0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Enemies of Wheat Aphids Are Spreading Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 08:20:21 -0400 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: 208 STORY LEAD: Natural Enemies of Russian Wheat Aphid Established in 6 States ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov May 17, 2000 ___________________________________________ Ten years after scientists released millions of exotic wasp parasites in small grain fields in eastern Colorado to control the Russian wheat aphid, they've found that four wasp species have become established in six states. Since invading the United States in 1986, the green, 1/16-inch-long aphids have caused more than $1 billion in insecticide costs and related losses. Conventional breeding has produced aphid-resistant wheat varieties. But these varieties aren't yet available to producers. In 1988, to screen natural controls for the Russian wheat aphid, Agricultural Research Service scientists worked with a consortium of federal and state scientists to release 11 species of wasps. These imported, exotic enemies of the pest were released in the wheat and barley growing areas of the western United States. The 11.8 million parasitic wasps released represented more than 80 geographic strains collected from 25 different Eurasian countries where the aphid originated. >From 1991 through 1993, ARS scientist John D. Burd at the Plant Sciences and Water Conservation Research Laboratory in Stillwater, Okla., working with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Colorado State Agricultural Experiment Station and the Colorado Department of Agriculture conducted an intensive biological control release program. Its purpose: to establish natural enemies of the aphid in small grains in eastern Colorado. Burd's group released seven wasp species into Russian wheat aphid infested wheat fields. Now, seven years later, Burd reports that four of the seven wasp species have become established throughout a six state area--Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Three species were found parasitizing greenbugs, an aphid relative, on sorghum. Two species successfully parasitized the Russian wheat aphid on wild grasses that aphids used as host plants over summer. It's important to establish natural enemies as part of integrated pest management systems because they do not cost anything, are highly compatible with plant resistance, and can contribute considerably to the overall reduction in the reliance on insecticides to control aphid cereal pests. ARS is the chief research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: John D. Burd, ARS Plant Sciences and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, Stillwater, Okla., phone (405) 624-4141, ext. 223, fax (405) 624-4142, jburd@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 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 May 18 09:13:28 2000 -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 JAA25546 for ; Thu, 18 May 2000 09:13:28 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA20167 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 18 May 2000 07:46:34 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000e01bfc0bf$17c2eb80$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Reducing Heart Problems in Chickens Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 07:49:12 -0400 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: 209 STORY LEAD: Reducing Heart Problems in Chickens ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov May 18, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agriculture Research Service scientists have made recent strides to prevent a fatal heart condition, called ascites, that can cost U.S. poultry producers $100 million a year in losses. When a chicken gets ascites, the right ventricle of its heart enlarges and can't pump blood efficiently to the chicken's lungs. Blood pressure then builds in the liver and a yellow serum-like fluid leaks from the liver into the body cavity, eventually leading to death. It takes six weeks for birds to grow large enough to go market, and they are genetically selected for this fast growth rate. Their hearts and lungs have to work harder to keep up with the increase in metabolic requirements, and some birds just can't keep up-- leading to ascites. Birds raised at high altitudes often get ascites. So poultry physiologist Janice M. Balog at the ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit in Fayetteville, Ark., uses a hypobaric chamber to simulate higher altitudes. Then she identifies and selectively breeds ascites-resistant and ascites- susceptible birds. In the fourth year of her study, Balog and University of Arkansas poultry geneticist Nicholas Anthony have selected over four generations for broilers that are resistant or highly susceptible to this disease. The resistant population exhibits no more than 20 percent ascites at simulated high altitudes, while the susceptible line has greater than 80 percent ascites. To control ascites, producers now restrict feed, which slows down birds' growth and reduces mortality. But these birds take longer to reach market weight and can have less white meat, the most valuable part of the chicken. Poultry producers can also reduce the incidence of ascites by maintaining optimal temperatures or by increasing ventilation in their poultry houses, which improves air quality. An article about this research appears in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/heart0500.htm ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Janice M. Balog, ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, Ark.; phone 501-575-6299, fax 501-575-4202, jbalog@comp.uark.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 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 May 19 07:28:56 2000 -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 HAA20555 for ; Fri, 19 May 2000 07:28:56 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id GAA16410 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 19 May 2000 06:02:09 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfc179$addcde40$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Suppressing Tall Whitetop on the Range Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 06:04:39 -0400 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: 210 STORY LEAD: Suppressing Tall Whitetop: It's Hard Work, but Possible ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov May 19, 2000 ___________________________________________ Rangeland overtaken by the weed known as tall whitetop, or perennial pepperweed, can be restored to grassland, as Agricultural Research Service scientists in Reno, Nev., have shown for the first time. The weed has become a nemesis of ranchers and land managers across the West and in New England. The plant can grow eight feet tall in wet areas along streams, rivers, ditches, irrigation canals and salty marshes. Researchers in the ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit have explored a variety of pesticides--as well as grazing and seeding strategies--to subdue the weed and have found an approach that works. First, spray the area with 2,4-D. Unlike many other pesticides the scientists tested, 2,4-D doesn't leave a residue in the soil that would prohibit using the land for growing crops like alfalfa. Second, plant either tall wheatgrass or robust needlegrass, a competitive species under evaluation by ARS researchers in Logan, Utah. Both of these perennial grasses can outcompete tall whitetop if managed properly. The needlegrass may be desirable because it is also a native plant. And unlike a related plant known as "sleepygrass," robust needlegrass does not contain toxins harmful to animals. A second year of limited 2,4-D application is necessary to help get grasses established. Land managers may have to graze the area to minimize stubble accumulation during the winter. That's because large amounts of stubble give voles and rabbits lots of places to hide from the hawks that normally prey on them. Large rodent populations will eat the grass seed, allowing tall whitetop to reinfest. The key, according to scientists, is management. Spraying pesticides alone won't stop tall whitetop, even if it's done annually. Goat grazing also won't work by itself, nor will planting grass seed without following up. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: James A. Young, ARS Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research Unit, Reno, Nev., phone (775) 784-6057, fax (775) 784-1712, jayoung@scs.unr.edu; or Tom Jones, ARS Forage and Range Research Unit, Logan, Utah, phone (435) 797-3082, fax (435) 797-3075, tomjones@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 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 May 22 16:06:23 2000 -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 QAA24077 for ; Mon, 22 May 2000 16:06:23 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id OAA08008 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 22 May 2000 14:13:38 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001001bfc419$66c55c60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Lab Test Simultaneously Detects Foodborne Pathogens Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 14:13:16 -0400 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: 211 STORY LEAD: Lab Test Simultaneously Detects Foodborne Pathogens ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov May 22, 2000 ___________________________________________ A laboratory test that simultaneously detects Salmonella and a deadly form of E. coli 0157:H7 has been developed by Agricultural Research Service microbiologists in Ames, Iowa. The new test uses a technique called fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the two foodborne pathogens. PCR makes many copies of genetic material called DNA, the basic genetic building blocks of bacteria and other living organisms. Then two fluorescent probes, which are present in the PCR tube, specifically detect Salmonella and 0157:H7 by detecting the DNA specific to these bacteria. So far, the test has been evaluated to detect between one and 10 bacterial cells in meats and feces that are cultured for 6 to 16 hours prior to performing PCR, which requires only 4 hours. This makes the new test several hours faster than standard culturing techniques now used to detect bacterial contamination in meat or livestock feces. Detecting the deadly E. coli 0157:H7 is critical to stopping the spread of this disease-causing bacterium, which causes bloody diarrhea and can be fatal. Salmonella and E. coli are found in animal feces and spread to humans through undercooked contaminated foods. Each year, about 40,000 reported cases of salmonellosis and 73,000 estimated cases of diarrheal illness due to 0157:H7 occur in the U.S. ARS microbiologists Vijay K. Sharma and Steve A. Carlson at ARS' National Animal Disease Center in Ames validated the test by using artificially contaminated beef, chicken and cattle feces. The test would be just as accurate on pork. The meat processing industry, which slaughters more than $50 billion worth of livestock annually, could use this technology to meet current federal regulations that mandate zero tolerance for visible fecal contamination and for E. coli 0157:H7. Sharma presented the findings today at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) meeting in Los Angeles. ARS is the chief research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Vijay K. Sharma, National Animal Disease Center, P.O. Box 70, Ames, IA 50010, phone (515) 663-7279, fax (515) 663-7458, vsharma@nadc.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 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 May 23 10:48:41 2000 -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 KAA08417 for ; Tue, 23 May 2000 10:48:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA06979 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 23 May 2000 09:31:12 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501bfc4bb$1c161180$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: The African(ized) Queen Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 09:30:49 -0400 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: 212 STORY LEAD: The African(ized) Queen: New Twist Found To Hive Drama ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov May 23, 2000 ___________________________________________ Africanized honey bees have an unexpected advantage in the battle to keep beekeepers from replacing highly defensive Africanized queens with gentle, easily managed European ones. Within only one week after their queen dies or is removed by beekeepers, Africanized worker bees--which are female--are capable of activating their ovaries to produce viable female eggs for re-queening the hive. That's according to preliminary findings by Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman of the ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, Ariz., and Stanley S. Schneider of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. European worker bees' ovaries can't start producing eggs until the queen has been missing for at least three weeks. And, egg-laying worker bees that are queenless typically produce male offspring. In contrast, the Africanized workers' faster, one-week response to queenlessness, and ability to produce a queen from their own female eggs, could explain why many beekeepers' efforts to re-queen an Africanized hive with a docile European queen haven't succeeded. Queens introduced into colonies that have egg-laying workers will be attacked and killed. Scientists already knew that some kinds of African honey bees, such as the Cape bee of South Africa, can lay viable female eggs within one week of becoming queenless, and nurture them to become their queen. But the ARS and University researchers are apparently the first to observe this phenomenon in Africanized worker bees in the northern hemisphere. Migrating from Brazil, Africanized bees are today found in Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico and Nevada. The scientists are developing new tactics to foil the Africanized workers' ability to make their own Africanized queen. DeGrandi-Hoffman reported the findings at the Second International Conference on Africanized Honey Bees and Bee Mites, held recently in Tucson. ARS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research wing, was co-sponsor. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, Ariz., phone (520) 670-6380, ext. 105, fax (520) 670-5550, gdhoff@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 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 May 24 11:29:33 2000 -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 LAA02461 for ; Wed, 24 May 2000 11:29:31 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA22791 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 24 May 2000 09:51:00 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfc587$0a094620$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Hip, Hip Hurray for Vitamin K Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 09:50:36 -0400 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: 213 STORY LEAD: Hip, Hip Hurray for Vitamin K ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov May 24, 2000 ___________________________________________ More evidence that vitamin K helps maintain strong bones comes from a new look at data from 888 elderly men and women participating in the Framingham Heart Study between 1988 to 1995. The study is reported in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The risk of hip fractures among these elderly decreased as intakes of vitamin K increased, according to study leader Sarah Booth. She heads vitamin K research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston, funded by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. Booth collaborated with researchers from the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged Research and Training Institute, Harvard Medical School and others. Men and women who reported the lowest daily vitamin K intakes--averaging 56 micrograms--in 1988 had experienced significantly more hip fractures by the 1995 examination than those reporting the highest intakes--averaging 254 micrograms. Dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach and broccoli, are rich in vitamin K--known chemically as phylloquinone. One serving of spinach or two servings of broccoli provide four to five times the Recommended Dietary Allowance, now set at 65 to 80 micrograms. Vitamin K activates at least three proteins involved in bone health, according to Booth, but exactly how it all works is still a mystery. That may partly explain why the study found no relationship between bone mineral density and vitamin K intakes. Booth and colleagues estimated vitamin K intakes from food frequency questionnaires the volunteers fill out at each examination. But the estimated intakes are misleading. They overestimate intakes by 50 percent or more, explains Booth, because people report eating more vegetables than they actually do. So the estimates aren't a good ruler for setting recommendations. The new findings support others reported in 1999. Analysis of data from more than 72,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study showed that low vitamin K intakes increased risk of hip fracture. Booth provided vitamin K levels for the foods reported in the nurses study. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Sarah L. Booth, Vitamin K Laboratory, 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 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 May 25 10:42:40 2000 -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 KAA28499 for ; Thu, 25 May 2000 10:42:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA29888 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 25 May 2000 09:30:39 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfc64d$5c4a0700$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Corn on Tap for Southeast Dairy Farmers Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 09:30:10 -0400 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: 214 STORY LEAD: New Corn on Tap for Southeast Dairy Farmers ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov May 25, 2000 ___________________________________________ Though its name sounds like a new Air force fighter jet, GT-HID9 is actually a source of yellow dent corn germplasm that should mean good news for southeastern dairy farmers. That good news could arrive in the form of new commercial hybrids developed from GT-HID9 primarily for two key traits: adaptability to the Southeast's sandy Coastal Plain soils and warm southern climate, and fodder from whole plants that dairy cows can readily digest as either silage or forage. Currently, few such hybrids are available to dairy farmers in southeastern states like South Carolina, Florida or Georgia, where 95 percent of corn is grown in the Coastal Plain. Now, with the April release of GT-HID9 seed to plant breeders, new silage hybrids could become commercially available to farmers within six years. GT-HID9 itself is the product of 10 years of work by Agricultural Research Service scientists Neil Widstrom, Roger Gates and Glenn Burton, now retired, using a technique Burton first pioneered for breeding forage grasses, called restricted recurrent phenotypic selection. Widstrom and Gates are with ARS' Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit, located at the University of Georgia's Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton. There, from an old corn hybrid called Coker 77B, they propagated and screened thousands of inbred plants for desired forage and dairy silage properties. With the help of an in vitro procedure, and cow rumen, they finally zeroed in on GT-HID9, a plant population whose dry matter digestibility ranking exceeds Coker 77B's by more than one percent. In the cow's rumen, where microbes busily digest fiber, this seemingly minor increase actually means substantially more nutrients from silage becoming available for producing milk. A larger-scale trial is now underway to document this benefit in GT-HID9 silage-fed steers. Seed samples can be requested from Widstrom using contact information given below. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Neil L. Widstrom, ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit, Tifton, Ga., phone (912) 387-2341, fax (912) 387-2321, nwidstro@tifton.cpes.peachnet.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 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 May 26 11:15:20 2000 -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 LAA23930 for ; Fri, 26 May 2000 11:15:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA09444 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 26 May 2000 09:39:53 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfc717$cffb6e80$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Mushrooms May Improve Soil Quality Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 09:39:27 -0400 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: 215 STORY LEAD: Mushrooms May Improve Soil Quality ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov May 26, 2000 ___________________________________________ Fungi known as basidiomycetes--the same group that produces edible mushrooms-- may play a key role in maintaining and improving soil quality, Agricultural Research Service scientists found. In many basidiomycetes, the underground parts of the fungi--known as filaments and hyphae--produce sugary substances that bind soil particles. This binding together, or aggregation, reduces soil compaction and allows roots, oxygen and water to move through the soil. Mushrooms are typically associated with cool, damp, forested areas where they help to decompose fallen trees. But ARS microbiologist TheCan Caesar found that basidiomycetes are widespread and important components of many types of soils. However, in open environments, the underground filaments may be plentiful without producing above-ground mushrooms, so their role was not well understood. Basidiomycetes are the second largest group of fungi known to science. The fungi survive with or without living plants and thrive on straw, or crop residue, left over after harvest. Caesar found greater numbers of the fungi--and better soil--in land that had been cropped without tilling. So in addition to reducing erosion, no-till practices could help improve soil quality by fostering basidiomycete populations. The presence and number of these fungi may also serve as a good indicator of soil quality. Caesar works at the ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, Mont. ARS breaks ground on May 27 for a new 21,470-square-foot laboratory to expand on the existing four buildings that cover 24,000 square feet at the site. A new 5,863-square-foot insect quarantine lab will also be built to aid in biological control research. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: TheCan Caesar, ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, Sidney, Mont., phone (406) 433-9411, fax (406) 433-5038, caesart@sidney.ars.usda.gov. To obtain a press release about the groundbreaking event, please contact Kathryn Barry Stelljes. ___________________________________________ 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 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 May 26 22:29:52 2000 -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 WAA07493 for ; Fri, 26 May 2000 22:29:52 -0400 (EDT) Received: by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) id WAA28311 for sanet-mg-outgoing; Fri, 26 May 2000 22:11:55 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: shasta.ces.ncsu.edu: majord set sender to owner-sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu using -f Received: from mayumi.iphil.net (mayumi.iphil.net [203.176.0.2]) by shasta.ces.ncsu.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id WAA28153 for ; Fri, 26 May 2000 22:11:48 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by mayumi.iphil.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with UUCP id KAA19802; Sat, 27 May 2000 10:11:27 +0800 Received: (from uu1@localhost) by phil.gn.apc.org (8.6.12/8.6.9) with UUCP id KAA02795; Sat, 27 May 2000 10:36:58 +0800 From: Roberto Verzola Message-Id: <200005270236.KAA02795@phil.gn.apc.org> Date: 27 May 00 05:45:04 Subject: Re: USDA Organic Standards To: eweigel@juno.com Sender: owner-sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 216 > The deadline (June 10 or 12?) for comments on the latest proposed >National Organic Standards is fast approaching. I've faced the fact >that I will not find the time to even briefly scan the hundreds of pages >in the proposal. >From an outsider observing at a distance: Perhaps, the USDA standards should only refer to "USDA-organic" or "USDA-certified organic" rather than simply "organic". Then the USDA can impose all the requirements it cares to impose on farmers who want to "USDA-certified organic" label. Then people like Sal, who may not want the label anyway, won't be affected. Actually, a much better approach is to require those who use chemicals to label their products as to what chemicals were used. Obviously a pipedream under the present context of govt bias for chemical-based megafarms. Regards, Roberto Verzola Philippines To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@cals.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@cals.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 May 30 11:31:59 2000 -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 LAA11881 for ; Tue, 30 May 2000 11:31:58 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA24106 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 30 May 2000 09:51:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfca3e$1401ab20$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Perkinsus Species Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 09:50:55 -0400 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: 217 STORY LEAD: New Species Related to Oyster Parasite Found in Chesapeake Bay Clams ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov May 30, 2000 ___________________________________________ A new Perkinsus species has been found living with the Dermo parasite that has decimated oysters over the past several decades in the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists were surprised not only to find the new species, but to find it on softshell clams--and to find it co-existing on the same clams with Dermo, Perkinsus marinus. Such a double infection is rare for Dermo. Dermo had always been found only on the Bay's eastern oysters. It and the parasite MSX affect about 80 percent of the Bay's oysters. Dermo kills oysters by eating away at their digestive lining. Shaban I. Kotob and Mohamed Faisal, with Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the College of William and Mary, in Gloucester Point, Va., made the discovery and molecular identification along with S.M. McLaughlin, with the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oxford, Md., and Peter van Berkum, a microbiologist with the Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md. ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kotob, a research assistant professor at VIMS, asked van Berkum for assistance in identifying the new Perkinsus species, which has not yet been named. ARS scientist van Berkum is an expert in classifying soil bacteria that help legume crops such as soybeans make their own nitrogen fertilizer. In 1964, Bay watermen harvested 3.2 million bushels of oysters in Maryland and Virginia waters and 650,000 bushels of softshell clams in Maryland waters. In 1996, the combined oyster harvest totaled only about 220,000 bushels, and Maryland's clam harvest was down to 26,931 bushels. But the clam decline was thought to be the result of overharvesting and predation, as well as high salinity, high water temperatures, pollution, and other parasites. A few reports suggest that water pollutants may affect the spread of Dermo and other parasites, but further research is required. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Shaban I. Kotob, VIMS, the College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Va., phone (804) 684-7413, kotob@vims.edu; or Peter van Berkum, ARS Soybean and Alfalfa Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-7280, or 504-6612, fax (301) 504-5728, pberkum@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 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 May 31 11:07:56 2000 -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 LAA05731 for ; Wed, 31 May 2000 11:07:56 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02320 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 31 May 2000 09:43:48 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bfcb06$2f937b20$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: B2 Gene Mutation Helps Men Live Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 09:43:21 -0400 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: 218 STORY LEAD: B2 Gene Mutation Helps Men Live _________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov May 31, 2000 ___________________________________________ Two-fifths of the U.S. population may be carrying a gene mutation that reduces risk of heart disease in men--perhaps by as much as 30 percent--according to a study of nearly 3,000 men and women in Framingham, Mass. The study, published in the May issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, was funded by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific agency. This mutation is common in all populations studied, according to study leader Jose Ordovas at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston. This is the first report that the mutation protects against heart disease. Next, Ordovas' laboratory will study how this mutation influences the way individuals respond to changes in dietary fat and cholesterol. Known as B2, the mutation keeps blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol high. And it keeps the size of the HDL particles larger, which also reduces risk. That's because it slows down the transfer of cholesterol from HDL to LDL--the lipoprotein that promotes artery blockage. The mutation occurs in the gene that codes for cholesterol ester transfer protein, or CETP. About 40 percent of the study volunteers had at least one B2 mutant among the gene pair. The men with even one B2 had higher HDL and larger HDL particles than those with no mutation. HDL averaged 7 percent higher in the men with a single mutant and 10 percent higher in the men carrying two B2s. The finding supports clinical evidence that for every 1 percent increase in HDL, cardiovascular disease and death drop 2 to 3 percent. Risk of cardiovascular disease among the nearly 3,000 volunteers was 30 percent lower among the men with at least one B2 mutant. Women carrying the mutant also had higher HDL levels and larger HDL particles. But their risk of cardiovascular disease was not significantly different from women with the more common B1 genes. That may be due to women's natural hormonal protection before menopause. Ordovas and colleagues collaborated with researchers from Boston University, North Carolina State University and The Framingham Heart Study. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Jose M. Ordovas, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111; phone (617) 556-3102, fax (617) 556-3103, ordovas_li@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 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 Jun 1 11:35:24 2000 -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 LAA09044 for ; Thu, 1 Jun 2000 11:35:24 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA27390 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 1 Jun 2000 10:01:20 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfcbd1$ccd3cfe0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Genetic Key to Aluminum Tolerance in Plants Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 10:00:52 -0400 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: 219 STORY LEAD: Scientists Find Evidence of a Common Genetic Key to Aluminum Tolerance in Plants ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov June 1, 2000 ___________________________________________ Millions of acres of nonproductive land may someday be transformed into amber waves of grain based on new genetic research by Agricultural Research Service scientists. That's because the scientists have found a gene in barley that makes plants more able to withstand aluminum. A major component of soil clay, aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust. At neutral or alkaline pH, it's not a problem for plants. However, in acid soils, the main form of aluminum is highly toxic to plants. Aluminum toxicity can limit crop production on acid soils that cover well over half the world's 8 billion acres of potentially arable land, including about 86 million acres in the United States. When soils become acid, the toxic aluminum damages plant root systems, greatly reducing yields on these soils. One approach to reducing aluminum toxicity is to develop crop varieties with increased genetic resistance to aluminum. ARS plant molecular biologist David F. Garvin--working with plant physiologist Leon V. Kochian at the U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory in Ithaca, N.Y.--identified genetic markers for a single gene in barley that enhances aluminum tolerance. These markers can be used in breeding programs to rapidly shuttle aluminum tolerance genes from aluminum-tolerant barley varieties to aluminum-sensitive ones. Furthermore, the results of their study suggest that aluminum tolerance in barley and its close relative, wheat, is due to the action of different forms of the same gene. Since wheat possesses superior aluminum tolerance to barley, it may be possible to genetically engineer increased aluminum tolerance in barley by introducing a wheat aluminum tolerance gene. This research could provide insights into how some important grain species--including wheat, corn and sorghum--can tolerate high levels of aluminum in acid soils. Their findings are published in the May-June 2000 issue of Crop Science. ARS is U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: David F. Garvin, ARS U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y., phone (607) 255-7308, fax (607) 255-1132, dfg3@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 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 Jun 2 11:05:41 2000 -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 LAA03750 for ; Fri, 2 Jun 2000 11:05:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA08418 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 2 Jun 2000 09:55:02 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <004301bfcc9a$15277300$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Clue to Asian Longhorned Beetle Whereabouts Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 09:54:33 -0400 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: 220 STORY LEAD: Chewing Sounds May Clue Scientists to Asian Longhorned Beetle Whereabouts ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov June 2, 2000 ___________________________________________ The loud munching sounds Asian longhorned beetles make when feeding may clue in scientists when these pests infest trees. This is one of several new tactics Agricultural Research Service scientists are exploiting to control or destroy these wood-boring pests. In the United States, the pest was first found infesting trees in New York in 1996 and in Chicago in 1998. Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) have been intercepted at ports in 17 states. Two highly prized and well-known U.S. urban parks--Central Park in New York City and Chicago's Lincoln Park--are at risk. If the ALB, Anoplophora glabripennis, spreads unchecked into U.S. urban and forest landscapes, it could cause billions of dollars in damage to ornamental and forest trees and to the maple syrup, lumber and tourism industries. So far, the only solution has been cutting down and removing infested trees. In the U.S. eradication program, once infested trees are cut down, they are chipped into tiny pieces that are sometimes incinerated. ARS entomologist Michael T. Smith, who works at the ARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory in Newark, Del., is fast becoming one of the world's experts on these pests. To date, Smith has uncovered new information never before recorded on ALB behavior. This has spawned new studies that will hopefully result in the development of methods that might be incorporated into programs to manage or eradicate these pests. Smith and colleagues are working with a specialist on a feeding-noise recognition system. It would generate an acoustic "fingerprint" as the beetle larvae feed within the two different tree tissues that they commonly inhabit--inner bark and inner wood. They're also developing an archive of the insect-munching sounds created by other chewers, like carpenter ants, within ALB-infested trees. They hope to have a functional prototype system by early this fall. For more details, see the June issue of Agricultural Research. It can be viewed online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/asian0600.htm ARS is the chief research agency of USDA. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Michael T. Smith, ARS Beneficial Insects Research Laboratory, Newark, Del., phone (302) 731-7331, ext. 41, fax (302) 737-6780, mtsmith@udel.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 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 Jun 5 13:11:49 2000 -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 NAA26099 for ; Mon, 5 Jun 2000 13:11:49 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA06755 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 5 Jun 2000 10:23:12 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfcef9$830e6340$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Research Sheds New Light on Deadly Bacteria Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 10:22:41 -0400 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: 221 STORY LEAD: Research Sheds New Light on Deadly Bacteria ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov June 5, 2000 ___________________________________________ A new way to detect microbes that contaminate fresh meat could help the industry meet new food safety regulations designed to control deadly bacteria, such as E. coli 0157:H7. Agricultural Research Service and Iowa State University researchers received a patent on the technology in the summer of 1999. A prototype designed by the researchers was used in a recent test at a large Midwestern beef packing plant. The instrument uses specific wavelengths or colors of light to illuminate the carcass. Collected light returned from the carcass is electronically analyzed to determine if fecal matter is present. If fecal matter is detected, the carcass can undergo further sanitation. Visual inspection and carcass cleaning are the standard tools for reducing the potential for E. coli and other bacterial contaminants in meat slaughterhouses across the country. But the human eye is not sensitive enough to identify all of the fecal contamination that can be on carcasses, according to ARS microbiologist Mark A. Rasmussen at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a zero tolerance standard for fecal contamination on livestock and poultry carcasses. The fecal detection system can help livestock and poultry slaughterhouses meet these federal standards. Rasmussen, ARS microbiologist Thomas A. Casey, and Iowa State University chemist Jacob W. Petrich invented the prototype, which instantly detects minute amounts of fecal matter on carcasses. The work to commercialize the technology is being conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with ISU and eMerge Vision Systems, Inc., now eMerge Interactive, Inc. of Sebastian, Fla. Optical and electronic engineers at eMerge are working with the ARS and ISU scientists to develop both large-cut and whole carcass detection systems. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Mark A. Rasmussen, ARS National Animal Disease Center, P.O. Box 70, Ames, IA, 50010, phone (515) 663-7350, fax (515) 663-7458, rasmuss@nadc.ars.usda.gov, or Thomas A. Casey, phone (515) 663-7726, tcasey@nadc.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 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 Jun 5 16:02:02 2000 -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 QAA29769 for ; Mon, 5 Jun 2000 16:02:00 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id NAA27619 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 5 Jun 2000 13:42:38 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bfcf15$5f6b65c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: USDA Honors ARS Employees in Annual Awards Ceremony Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 13:42:08 -0400 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: 222 NEWS RELEASE: USDA Honors ARS Employees in Annual Awards Ceremony ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@asrr.ars.gov June 5, 2000 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, June 5, 2000--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today honored 61 Agricultural Research Service employees in the 54th annual U.S. Department of Agriculture Honor Awards ceremony. "Nothing at USDA has impressed me more than the dedication of our workforce," Glickman said. "The Honor Awards are a tribute to our employees for their diligence, commitment, and sacrifice in carrying out their responsibilities and serving the American people." Glickman presented plaques to the ARS employees and other awardees at a 1 p.m. ceremony in the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center here. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific research agency. "It is with great pride and gratitude that we honor these award recipients," ARS Administrator Floyd Horn said. "The scientific research they have conducted has led to increased yield and nutrient quality of food crops, enhancement of the environment and human health by reducing the amount of pesticides used on crops, and effective epidemiology of animal diseases and strategies to protect our agricultural resources." The ARS awards are as follows: * The ARS Tilletia Controversa Kuhn Pest Risk Assessment Task Force was honored for developing the Tilletia Controversa Kuhn Pest Risk Assessment Model that has helped expand U.S. wheat export trade in China, Brazil, Mexico and India. Wilda H. Martinez, ARS North Atlantic Area Director, based in Wyndmoor, Pa., led the eight-member collaborative group. The group included two other ARS workers and employees of other USDA agencies, as well as the World Agricultural Outlook Board, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, and private industry. * Michael J. Kasperbauer, a plant physiologist with the ARS Coastal Plains Soil, Water and Plant Research Center, Florence, S.C., was honored for having a major impact on improved yield and nutrient quality of food crops through pioneering research contributions in plant physiology. * Henry L. Shands, Office of the ARS Administrator, Washington, D.C., was cited for excellence in development and enhancement of the global genetic resources base for sustainable agriculture and food security. * The seven-member "Hong Kong H5N1 Avian Influenza Research Group," led by David Swayne of the ARS Southeast Poultry Research Lab at Athens, Ga., was honored for research leading to advanced understanding of the pathobiology and epidemiology of Hong Kong H5N1 avian influenza and development of strategies to protect U.S. poultry from this disease. * Richard Brenner, research leader at the ARS Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research Unit at Gainesville, Fla., was honored for development and leadership of a multi-disciplinary research program to enhance the environment and human health through reduction of pesticide use, risk assessment and precision targeting of pest control measures. * Carrol O. Calkins, research leader at the ARS Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, Wash., was honored for organizing and coordinating the Areawide Codling Moth Suppression Program that reduced pesticides on pome fruit by 82 percent in the western United States. * Ronald F. Follett, research leader at the ARS Soil, Plant and Nutrient Research Unit at Fort Collins, Colo., was honored for promoting sensible management of soil and water resources for environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture. * Neal R. Spencer of the ARS Pest Management and Agricultural Systems Research Unit at Sidney, Mont., was honored for providing outstanding leadership in the development and implementation of research and management programs that promote the sensible use of natural resources. * A 24-member Sustainable Agriculture Research Program team was honored for developing new technologies and greater understanding of the fundamental principles supporting sustainable agricultural systems. James Anderson of the ARS Beltsville Area, Beltsville, Md., was the team leader. * Bonnie J. Ebel, secretary to the director of the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) at Gainesville, Fla., was honored for outstanding service and impact on the organizational efficiency and productivity of CMAVE. * A 20-member team at the ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif., was honored for demonstrating exemplary dedication, effort and commitment to prepare students for careers in science. James Seiber of the Albany center was the team leader. * Lori Delgado, a member of the Secretary's Hispanic Advisory Council Adopt-A- School Program Workgroup, was honored for outstanding efforts in developing an effective Adopt-A-School program by which the Department of Agriculture may reach out to the schools in the community. * Gary L. Peterson, Wilda Martinez, and David J. Chitwood, members of the Wheat Export Resolution Team, were honored for exceptional performance, creativity, and perseverance in successfully opening and expanding markets for export of United States wheat to Brazil, India, China, Mexico, and Canada. * Dan Ellerman and Withers G. Horner, members of the USDA Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee, were honored for exceptional and expeditious efforts that have made the Department of Agriculture a safer place to work. * Richard Parry and Valencia Winstead of ARS, members of the Continuity of Operations Plan, were honored for superb professional performance in the development of the first Department of Agriculture Headquarters Continuity of Operations Plan. * The ARS members of the Y2K Millennium Rollover Team were honored for outstanding achievement in meeting the challenges of the Y2K millennium rollover while ensuring continued operation and delivery of program services. ___________________________________________ Contact: Sharon Durham, ARS Information Staff, phone (301) 504-1611, fax (301) 504-1641, sdurham@asrr.ars.gov, for fax or electronic copies of news releases about these specific awards to ARS scientists. ___________________________________________ 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 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 Jun 6 11:54:18 2000 -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 LAA15940 for ; Tue, 6 Jun 2000 11:54:17 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA19946 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 6 Jun 2000 09:51:22 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfcfbe$3a267d00$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Sunflowers to Resist Parasitic Plant Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 09:50:51 -0400 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: 223 STORY LEAD: Sunflowers to Resist Parasitic Plant ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov June 6, 2000 ___________________________________________ An exotic weed, broomrape, so far hasn't threatened U.S. sunflowers. But if quarantine efforts ever fail to keep out the weed, scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service are tapping into genetically diverse sunflower relatives for backup protection. Broomrape, Orobanche cumana, ranges from pink, orange-red, purple to tan depending on its environment. It's a parasitic plant that has no chlorophyll of its own, meaning it can't capture the sun's energy and make its own food. Instead, it steals nourishment from sunflower roots, stunting or killing its host. Presently, it infests sunflower crops in China and countries bordering the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As new broomrape races evolve, international researchers, in customary treadmill fashion, develop new sunflower lines with resistance genes. But ARS scientists at Fargo, N.D., and their colleagues in el Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible CSIC, in Cordoba, Spain, have developed technology called interspecific hybridization for sunflowers to avoid such "treadmills." Interspecific hybrids are crosses between cultivated sunflowers and their distant relatives that were until now difficult--if even possible--to cross. Some, nearly ready for release to the seed industry, are not just resistant but immune to the broomrape race F, the newest race. Broomrape became a progressively worse problem in Spain in the early 1990's. Yields of sunflowers that were susceptible to races E and F often fell by 40 to 50 percent. Urgently, ARS and Spanish scientists conventionally derived seven new resistant sunflower germplasms by crossing between USDA lines and race E-resistant lines from Russia, Romania and Turkey. New conventional hybrids from these lines are being grown in Spain where they suffer yield losses of only 10 to 15 percent. And researchers are finding that some individual plants from the seven parental lines are resistant to race F. ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Chao C. Jan and Jerry F. Miller, ARS Oilseeds Research, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, ND, phone (701) 239-1319 (Jan), (701) 239-1321 (Miller); fax (701) 239-1349, janc@fargo.ars.usda.gov, millerj@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 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 Jun 7 10:39:09 2000 -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 KAA14386 for ; Wed, 7 Jun 2000 10:39:09 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA22505 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 7 Jun 2000 09:27:23 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002501bfd084$0a4c5b60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Australian Moth May Subdue Invasive Fern Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 09:26:50 -0400 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: 224 STORY LEAD: Australian Moth May Subdue Invasive Fern ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov June 7, 2000 ___________________________________________ A tiny moth from Australia may become the first insect used in the United States to fight Old World climbing fern-an invasive weed that threatens Florida's Everglades and other native ecosystems. Known as Lygodium microphyllum, the fern forms walls of light-green vegetation when it makes its way up tree trunks and into the canopy. It also forms tough, spongy mats that smother low-growing plants. The moth, Cataclysta camptozonale, measures only a half-inch from wingtip to wingtip. It is bright-white with a few black and brown spots and stripes on its wings. Scientists at the ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory at Indooroopilly, Australia--near Brisbane--collected the fern-fighting moth and tested it with 15 different kinds of ferns. Experiments led by laboratory director John A. Goolsby indicated that the moth's slender, wormlike larvae will feed on--in addition to climbing fern--a related weed called L. japonicum and a native North American fern called L. palmatum. Goolsby expects follow-up tests at Indooroopilly to show that the subtropical moth could not survive the cold temperatures of the eastern United States, where L. palmatum ferns grow. Goolsby and colleagues with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization have sent more than 250 C. camptozonale moths to Gainesville, Fla. There, the insects will undergo testing by Gary R. Buckingham of the ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, and by University of Florida co-researchers. If those studies and additional experiments in Australia show that the moth won't harm native or crop plants, the researchers may seek federal and state permission to turn the helpful insect loose at climbing-fern-infested sites in Florida. Aerial surveys by the South Florida Water Management District indicate that the fern spread from an estimated 39,000 acres in 1997 to more than 100,000 acres in 1999. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: John A. Goolsby, ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia, phone 617 3214 2821, john.goolsby@brs.ento.csiro.au. ___________________________________________ 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 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 Jun 8 12:05:43 2000 -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 MAA08619 for ; Thu, 8 Jun 2000 12:05:43 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26466 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:52:44 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfd150$bee794a0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Bioherbicide Whacks Tomato Weeds Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:52:11 -0400 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: 225 STORY LEAD: New Bioherbicide Whacks Tomato Weeds ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov June 8, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have found a new bioherbicide that shows promise as an alternative to methyl bromide for controlling weeds in tomatoes. The bioherbicide, Myrothecium verrucaria, comes from the sicklepod plant found primarily in the southeastern United States. ARS scientists recently reported that the fungus controls kudzu, a problematic weed in the South. Common purslane, horse purslane, ground spurge and spotted spurge are serious weed pests in commercially grown tomatoes. Tomato crops have the highest consumption of methyl bromide of all crop uses. Tomato crops account for 23 percent of pre-plant methyl bromide use. About 3,773 tons are applied annually to the crop to control nematodes (tiny worms), insects and weeds. Researchers C. Douglas Boyette and Hamed K. Abbas at the ARS Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., treated plots with natural infestations of these weeds with Myrothecium before planting Beefsteak tomato seedlings. Myrothecium eliminated these weeds in several field tests. Myrothecium was applied in place of methyl bromide. After 14 days, no weeds were found and the tomatoes prospered. This research was part of an agency fast-track study to look for alternatives to methyl bromide, a widely used fumigant and ozone-depletor. Methyl bromide is scheduled to be banned in the United States in 2005, and worldwide by 2015. Worldwide, 72,000 tons of methyl bromide are used in preplant and postplant applications and fumigations. The researchers are also examining several other possible natural alternatives to methyl bromide for controlling weeds, including Fusarium solani and Colletotrichum truncatum. Boyette was scheduled to present these findings today at the Third International Weed Science Conference, Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, June 6-11. 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 (662) 686-5222, fax (662) 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 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 Jun 9 10:51:12 2000 -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 KAA28861 for ; Fri, 9 Jun 2000 10:51:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA19382 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 9 Jun 2000 09:31:08 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001d01bfd216$e4b2cda0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: High-Selenium Broccoli Vs. Colon Cancer Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 09:30:35 -0400 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: 226 STORY LEAD: High-Selenium Broccoli Vs. Colon Cancer ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov June 9, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists dramatically reduced early stages of colon cancer in rats by feeding the animals broccoli grown in a high-selenium medium. ARS nutritionists John Finley and Cindy Davis drew on reports that the form of selenium in broccoli is more potent against cancer than other food forms or selenium salts. The broccoli form is known as selenium methyl selenocysteine, or SeMSC. The body simply snips the end off this amino acid to produce the anticancer agent called methyl selenol. The form of selenium prevalent in grains and some meats requires several chemical conversions to produce methyl selenol. Selenium salts--the forms used in some supplements--convert more readily. But it's only one step for the form in broccoli to get there. To test its efficacy, the researchers grew broccoli having several thousand times the selenium normally found in the vegetable. They grew the broccoli at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota. Then, in a series of rat studies, they confirmed that differences in selenium metabolism translated to differences in risk of colon cancer. First, they pitted high-selenium broccoli against the selenium salt selenate. And they made sure to control for any beneficial effects of broccoli itself, for the vegetable scores high in antioxidants and contains other substances shown to be active against cancer. After beefing up the rats' selenium levels for several weeks, they injected the animals with a potent carcinogen. High-selenium broccoli always resulted in fewer precancerous lesions than selenate. And the number of precancerous lesions decreased as the dose increased. Then they confirmed the findings using a different salt--selenite--and a higher dose of selenium. They also challenged the animals with a much more potent carcinogen. Although many more precancerous lesions occurred, the rats fed high-selenium broccoli had half as many as the animals getting selenite. More details about these studies appear in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/colon0600.htm ARS is USDA's chief scientific agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: John W. Finley and Cindy D. Davis, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.; phone 701-795-8353, fax 701-798-8395, jfinley@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov / jdavis@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 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 Jun 9 10:51:12 2000 -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 KAA28861 for ; Fri, 9 Jun 2000 10:51:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA19382 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 9 Jun 2000 09:31:08 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001d01bfd216$e4b2cda0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: High-Selenium Broccoli Vs. Colon Cancer Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 09:30:35 -0400 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: 227 STORY LEAD: High-Selenium Broccoli Vs. Colon Cancer ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Judy McBride, (301) 504-1628, jmcbride@asrr.arsusda.gov June 9, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists dramatically reduced early stages of colon cancer in rats by feeding the animals broccoli grown in a high-selenium medium. ARS nutritionists John Finley and Cindy Davis drew on reports that the form of selenium in broccoli is more potent against cancer than other food forms or selenium salts. The broccoli form is known as selenium methyl selenocysteine, or SeMSC. The body simply snips the end off this amino acid to produce the anticancer agent called methyl selenol. The form of selenium prevalent in grains and some meats requires several chemical conversions to produce methyl selenol. Selenium salts--the forms used in some supplements--convert more readily. But it's only one step for the form in broccoli to get there. To test its efficacy, the researchers grew broccoli having several thousand times the selenium normally found in the vegetable. They grew the broccoli at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota. Then, in a series of rat studies, they confirmed that differences in selenium metabolism translated to differences in risk of colon cancer. First, they pitted high-selenium broccoli against the selenium salt selenate. And they made sure to control for any beneficial effects of broccoli itself, for the vegetable scores high in antioxidants and contains other substances shown to be active against cancer. After beefing up the rats' selenium levels for several weeks, they injected the animals with a potent carcinogen. High-selenium broccoli always resulted in fewer precancerous lesions than selenate. And the number of precancerous lesions decreased as the dose increased. Then they confirmed the findings using a different salt--selenite--and a higher dose of selenium. They also challenged the animals with a much more potent carcinogen. Although many more precancerous lesions occurred, the rats fed high-selenium broccoli had half as many as the animals getting selenite. More details about these studies appear in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/colon0600.htm ARS is USDA's chief scientific agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: John W. Finley and Cindy D. Davis, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.; phone 701-795-8353, fax 701-798-8395, jfinley@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov / jdavis@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 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 Jun 12 11:28:36 2000 -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 LAA28258 for ; Mon, 12 Jun 2000 11:28:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA00612 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 12 Jun 2000 09:47:28 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfd474$ac471e20$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Rice Helps Cut Oil in Deep-Fried Doughnuts Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 09:46:55 -0400 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: 228 STORY LEAD: Rice Helps Cut Oil in Deep-Fried Doughnuts ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov June 12, 2000 ___________________________________________ Fried in shortening, chocolate glazed, and filled with cream or jelly, doughnuts are a guilty pleasure. But Agricultural Research Service scientists are hoping to ease consumer guilt by reducing the oil content of doughnuts, a breakfast favorite that generates $4-5 billion in annual sales. In preliminary trials led by ARS chemist Fred Shih, doughnuts made from dough containing small amounts of modified rice starch, rice flour and other ingredients absorbed as much as 70 percent less oil during frying than traditional, all-wheat doughnuts. When mixed in with wheat flour, the researchers observed, the rice-based ingredients help reduce oil uptake by making the dough more tender, consistent and moist. Though less oily, the doughnuts' taste, texture and other sensory properties are comparable to traditional cake doughnuts, according to Shih. He and colleague Kim Daigle are at the Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research Unit, part of the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans. In studies at SRRC, scientists deep-fried plain, 100-gram cake doughnuts made from all-wheat dough and doughs made with various ratios of wheat and rice ingredients. After crumbling up the fresh doughnuts, scientists placed them in a device that extracts the oil and weighs it. Compared to all-wheat doughnuts, which had 24 to 26 grams of oil, some of the wheat-rice flour doughnuts had about 8 grams. Shih's team has submitted a paper on the research for publication. They're also exploring the patent potential of the approach, which involves a procedure to physically modify rice flour. In New Orleans, Shih's research focus is developing value-added products from domestic rice. Reduced-oil doughnuts are just one of many potential spin-offs that may benefit rice growers and consumers alike. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's principal research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Frederick Shih, ARS Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA, phone (504) 286-4354, fax (504) 286-4419, fshih@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 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 Jun 13 11:06:51 2000 -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 LAA21298 for ; Tue, 13 Jun 2000 11:06:49 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA04868 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 13 Jun 2000 09:33:25 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfd53b$df15d540$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Plum, Apricot Cross Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 09:32:50 -0400 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: 229 STORY LEAD: New Plum, Apricot Cross Ideal for Southern Growers ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov June 13, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed and released a new specialty fruit as luscious as its name. Spring Satin, a cross between a plum and apricot, is now available to nurseries. ARS horticulturist William R. Okie developed the reddish-black-colored fruit. Southeastern fruit growers have trouble growing plums and apricots in that region's climate. This new cultivar is the first plumcot that is well adapted to the medium-high chill areas of the south. Plumcots developed in California haven't done well in the south. Spring Satin produces beautiful white flowers that bloom in mid March. The large, high- quality fruit ripen in early May, a time of year when high-quality fruit is in limited supply. When fully ripe, these fruits have a very good flavor. The short fuzz plumcot is about two inches in diameter. This vibrant beauty has yellow flesh when immature, changing to a yellowish-red when mature. This unique cross is tolerant to major plum diseases, like bacterial spot disease, bacterial canker disease, and plum leaf scald. These diseases make commercial production difficult due to the limited life span of the orchard. Spring Satin trees will be available commercially this winter. Limited amounts of budwood are available from Okie, who is with the ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Ga. Germplasm from this release is deposited in the NSRP5/IR-2 Fruit Tree collection at Washington State University, Prosser, Wa. Consumers will have to wait to try Spring Satin; the trees take about three years to start producing fruit for large-scale distribution. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: William R. Okie, ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, Byron, Ga.; phone (912) 956-6405, fax (912) 956-2929, dokie@byronresearch.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 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 Jun 15 12:01:49 2000 -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 MAA21278 for ; Thu, 15 Jun 2000 12:01:48 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA18506 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 15 Jun 2000 10:05:34 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901bfd6d2$b0d21f20$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Controlling Mexican Corn Rootworms Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 10:04:54 -0400 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: 230 STORY LEAD: Products Control Mexican Corn Rootworms in Texas ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, lmcgraw@asrr.arsusda.gov June 15, 2000 ___________________________________________ Some Texas farmers can say "adios" to Mexican corn rootworms damaging field corn, provided they use a commercial product named Slam, which succeeded in field tests conducted by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Almost every acre of Texas-grown corn is treated with soil insecticides at planting to control rootworm larvae. But these soil treatments are costly, environmentally risky, and ineffective for breaking the Mexican corn rootworm cycle, according to ARS agricultural engineer Clint Hoffmann in College Station, Texas. Working closely with farmers, extension personnel, and industry, ARS scientists developed an adult rootworm control program using aerial applications of Slam, made by MicroFlo, Inc., in Lakeland, Fla. The payoff: the number of acres infested with economically damaging populations of rootworms in the test area was cut from 2,000 acres to only 80 acres in just 2 years. By targeting the adults, the researchers reduced total use of soil insecticides from 6 to 3 pounds per acre in the test area. This savings represents a win-win situation for the economy and the environment. Slam uses only 1 ounce of toxicant per acre versus 3 pounds per acre for conventional insecticides used for adult control. Once the beetles were reduced below economic threshold levels, the use of soil insecticides was cut in half. While Slam was used in this field test, two more products are nearing the market. One is CideTrak, made by Trécé Inc. in Salinas, California, which is used along with a monitoring trap also made by Trécé. The third product is named Invite, made by FFP Agriscience, Inc., in Eustis, Fla. All three products combine a feeding stimulant with a low dose of insecticide. ARS is the chief scientific research agency for the USDA. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Clint Hoffmann, ARS Areawide Pest Management Research, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, College Station, Texas; phone (409) 260-9521, fax (409) 260-9386, choffmann@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 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 Jun 14 11:31:49 2000 -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 LAA17806 for ; Wed, 14 Jun 2000 11:31:47 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11046 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:57:11 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001101bfd608$5ab8b4c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Exotic Beans Provide New Opportunities Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 09:56:35 -0400 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: 231 STORY LEAD: Exotic Beans Provide New Opportunities ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov June 14, 2000 ___________________________________________ Bean growers and consumers may benefit from a collaboration between the Agricultural Research Service in Prosser, Wash., and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, or CIAT, in Cali, Colombia. Instead of kidney or navy beans, growers may tap new export markets by growing Mexican "Bayo," Brazilian "Jalinho" or other bean market classes popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. CIAT develops breeding materials for farmers in those countries. ARS geneticist Phillip Miklas has evaluated much of CIAT's germplasm to find breeding lines suitable for U.S. growers. Researchers at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins and the University of Idaho in Kimberly also collaborate on the project. The team has found germplasm in at least nine market classes that show promise for this country's cooler climates and longer day lengths. Some are practically ready to plant now. With others, breeders would have to develop domestic varieties that could better withstand U.S. environmental conditions. Most of the beans would be exported, but the domestic market could benefit, too. Consumers may already enjoy farofa, a dish with beans and cassava flour found at a few Brazilian restaurants. A soup, frijoles garras, is on the menu at some national beef restaurant chains. And nearly all Mexican restaurants serve refried beans. The foreign germplasm might also help breeders improve market classes grown here, such as by incorporating heat resistance from a Latin American bean into domestic kidney bean varieties. Breeders can obtain small amounts of seed from Miklas. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Philip Miklas, ARS Vegetable and Forage Crop Research Unit, Prosser, Wash., phone (509) 786-9258, fax (509) 786-9277, pmiklas@tricity.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 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 Jun 16 10:53:01 2000 -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 KAA10974 for ; Fri, 16 Jun 2000 10:52:59 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA21518 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 16 Jun 2000 09:39:45 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfd798$3f337140$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Putting the Heat on Pectin Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 09:39:07 -0400 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: 232 STORY LEAD: Putting the Heat on Pectin ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov June 16, 2000 ___________________________________________ Microwaves are good for heating other things besides yesterday's leftovers. Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed a method for extracting pectin from citrus fruits using microwave technology. Pectin is a natural ingredient that is mostly present in the pulp, peel and albedo--the white material between the outer peel and fruit sections--of citrus fruits. Pectin is also found in apples and sugar beets. It is used as a gelling agent in jelly foods and as a texturizer in premixed yogurt to give it a smooth texture and pleasant mouth feel. Industry uses conventional heating to extract pectin from fruit peels. It can take more than an hour to process a batch of fruit peels. Overheating can reduce pectin quality by breaking it down. Researchers with the Plant Science and Technology Research Unit, part of the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., developed technology that uses microwaves to heat fruit peels and acidified water in pressure-resistant containers. Using this method, pectin can be extracted in 10 minutes. Also, less energy is used and the pectin is a higher quality than when extracted using conventional heating. Pectin is an imported high-value product that costs about $6 to $8 a pound. Cutting the extraction time could reduce this cost significantly and open the door for domestic pectin production for the first time in decades. This technology can be used on a variety of agricultural commodities. The researchers are currently testing the method for extracting pectin from sugar beets to improve its quality for incorporation into nonfood products. ARS has filed for a patent on this technology. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Marshall L. Fishman, ARS Plant Science and Technology Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pa.; phone (215) 233-6450, fax (215) 233-6406, mfishman@arserrc.gov. ___________________________________________ This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax (301) 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Mon Jun 19 11:58:15 2000 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA08864 for ; Mon, 19 Jun 2000 11:58:14 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA05714 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 19 Jun 2000 10:08:21 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfd9f7$bd819980$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Green Technology" Helps Clean Up Toxic Soils Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 10:07:44 -0400 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: 233 STORY LEAD "Green Technology" Helps Clean Up Toxic Soils ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Hank Becker, (301) 504-1624, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov June 19, 2000 ___________________________________________ When it comes to cleaning up soils contaminated with heavy and toxic metals, Mother Nature has Agricultural Research Service plant physiologist Leon V. Kochian to thank. Thirteen years of research at the U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory at Ithaca, N.Y., makes Kochian an authority on how certain plants take up essential mineral nutrients and toxic heavy metals--like zinc, cadmium and nickel--from soils. He has also characterized strategies some plants use to withstand toxic soils. Kochian's pioneering research shows how plant species grow on marginal and toxic-metal-laden soils. He's an international expert on plant responses to environmental stress, plant mineral nutrition, and how they clean up soils contaminated with heavy metals and radioisotopes. Contaminated soil and water pose major environmental, agricultural and human health problems that may be partially solved by a new technology called phytoremediation. It uses green plants to remove pollutants or render them harmless. Current engineering-based technologies--such as transporting contaminated topsoil to landfills--are costly and dramatically disturb the landscape. Kochian's "green technology" is a cost-effective, plant-based approach. It uses certain plant species--known as metal hyperaccumulators--to "vacuum up" heavy metals through their roots and store them in above-ground plant tissue. Once concentrated in the easily harvested plant stems and leaves, these elements can be stored for later use. Kochian is clarifying how the complex trait of metal hyperaccumulation involves several different transport and tolerance mechanisms within the plant. He's working with plants like Thlaspi caerulescens, which thrives on soils contaminated with high levels of zinc and cadmium, and Amaranthus retroflexus, which removes up to 40 times more radiocesium from soil than other plant species tested. For more details of this research, see the June issue of Agricultural Research. It can be viewed online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/soil0600.htm ARS is USDA's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Leon V. Kochian, ARS Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y.; phone (607) 255-2454, fax (607) 255-2459, lvk1@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 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 Tue Jun 20 11:21:56 2000 -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 LAA08291 for ; Tue, 20 Jun 2000 11:21:55 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA27437 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 20 Jun 2000 09:48:26 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfdabe$1fcc7e40$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Asiatic Citrus Canker Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 09:47:49 -0400 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: 234 STORY LEAD: Early-Warning System to Detect Spread of Asiatic Citrus Canker ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov June 20, 2000 ___________________________________________ The thunderstorms that often rage during sultry summertime afternoons in subtropical Florida have exacerbated the spread of Asiatic citrus canker (ACC). This bacterial disease now threatens the state's multibillion dollar citrus industry. Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service's U.S. Horticulture Research Laboratory in Ft. Pierce, Fla., led by plant pathologist Tim Gottwald, have developed a new strategy for detecting ACC infestations. The disease--primarily spread by wind- driven rain--is thought to have arrived in south Florida in 1992 or 1993. It has spread to more than 1,200 square miles of citrus-producing areas around the state. ACC causes brown blemishes on citrus leaves, twigs and fruit, resulting in fruit drop, loss of yields and quality. This leads to a loss of local, national and international markets due to quarantine restrictions. The new early-warning system for ACC will be used in a statewide survey to detect the disease. Gottwald's study determined that a 1,900-foot zone is required to limit further spread of the disease. The study also recommended that a "sentinel tree grid" be established to detect and prevent the further spread of ACC into major grapefruit production areas. Florida produces 75 percent of U.S. citrus. Worldwide, the United States is second to Brazil in citrus fruit production. The 15-mile wide by 20-mile long sentinel tree grid comprises 144 existing dooryard trees of susceptible cultivars arranged in a 12-by-12 pattern covering each square mile of the area directly north of the Miami Dade and Broward county infestation. Trees within the grid are 450 feet apart. By making a visual survey of the grid every 30 days, scientists will be able to see if any new ACC outbreaks have occurred after eradication of the initial outbreak. These findings have led to an increase in the ACC eradication budget to $175 million, with an additional $40 million for payments to growers hit by the disease. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Tim R. Gottwald, ARS U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Ft. Pierce, Fla.; phone (407) 897-7347, fax (407) 897-7309, tgottwald@ushrl.ars.usda.gov. ___________________________________________ This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax (301) 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Wed Jun 21 12:11:38 2000 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA09497 for ; Wed, 21 Jun 2000 12:11:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA04027 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 21 Jun 2000 09:37:42 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001901bfdb85$c8e2bfe0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Detecting Plum Pox Virus Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 09:37:02 -0400 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: 235 STORY LEAD: New Survey Method Adapted to Detect Plum Pox Virus ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars-grin.gov June 21, 2000 ___________________________________________ A new sampling method to more accurately detect plum pox virus (PPV) has been adapted by Agricultural Research Service scientists. This method will be used in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $1.4 million national PPV surveillance program. ARS is the USDA's chief research agency. PPV was first detected in 1999 on peaches grown in an Adams County, Pa., orchard. This viral disease infects stone fruit species including peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines, as well as almonds. PPV infestation produces blemished, misshapen fruit and causes fruit to drop prematurely. It can even prevent a tree from bearing any fruit at all. The value of U.S. stone fruit production was $1.3 billion last year. ARS plant pathologist Timothy R. Gottwald, with the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Ft. Pierce, Fla., and Gareth Hughes with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, have adapted the hierarchical sampling (HS) strategy they developed for citrus tristeza virus to more accurately sample large areas for PPV. Previous sampling methods used for citrus and other crops are based on the number of infested soil samples, disease lesions on a leaf, proportion of diseased fruit or the number of insects found on each plant. The problem with using these strategies for PPV is that the amount of the disease in any given tree cannot be quantified. A PPV-infected tree may be showing many symptoms or very few and still be entirely infected. HS also relies on the theory that it's possible to predict disease in one location by sampling at another. By sampling only 6.25 percent of the trees in a given orchard in groups of four trees--the location of the trees in the orchard is critical--and crunching the numbers, scientists are able to accur ately predict the incidence of infection in the whole orchard. After performing thousands of simulations, Gottwald and Hughes have shown HS to be much more accurate at detecting plum pox virus infestation than other sampling methods. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Tim R. Gottwald, ARS U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Ft. Pierce, Fla.; phone (407) 897-7347, fax (407) 897-7309, tgottwald@ushrl.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 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 Thu Jun 22 09:37:13 2000 -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 JAA29730 for ; Thu, 22 Jun 2000 09:37:13 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA12626 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 22 Jun 2000 08:27:25 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001101bfdc45$bc9ca5a0$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Growing a Mine Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 08:31:01 -0400 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: 236 STORY LEAD: "There's Metals in Them Thar Plants!" ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov June 22, 2000 ___________________________________________ Miners might have been better off farming plants rather than digging pits for high-grade ores. U.S. Department of Agriculture agronomist Rufus L. Chaney and colleagues in USDA's Agricultural Research Service, at the University of Maryland, and in England have patented a way to use plants to "phyto-mine" nickel, cobalt and other metals. Phyto-mining, or biomining, is the use of plants to extract valuable heavy-metal minerals from soils. One of the plants being used is alpine pennycress, a wild perennial herb found on zinc- and nickel- rich soils in many countries. It--or a high-yielding commercial crop like canola that had pennycress genes incorporated into it--would be harvested and burned. Then the phyto-miners would process these ashes and recover the valuable metals for sale. Ashes of pennycress grown on a high-zinc soil in Pennsylvania yielded 30 to 40 percent zinc, the equivalent of high-grade ore. Electricity generated by the burning could partially offset costs. Ironically, early prospectors in Europe used weeds such as alpine pennycress as indicator plants to find metal ore. These plants thrive on soils with high heavy-metal content, taking up metals through their roots and storing them in their leaves to protect themselves from chewing insects and plant diseases. USDA has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Viridian Resources, LLC, a technology company based in Houston, Texas. It involves Chaney and colleagues associated with the patent as well as a scientist at Oregon State University. An article about the research appears in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine. View it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/soil0600.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Rufus L. Chaney, ARS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8324, fax (301) 504-5048, rchaney@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 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 Jun 23 11:45:55 2000 -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 LAA29081 for ; Fri, 23 Jun 2000 11:45:55 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA25538 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 23 Jun 2000 09:48:12 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501bfdd19$95404000$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Canola--A Superb Selenium Slurper Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 09:47:32 -0400 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: 237 STORY LEAD: Canola--A Superb Selenium Slurper ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov June 23, 2000 ___________________________________________ Canola, perhaps best known as the source of a healthful vegetable oil, may soon play a new role in boosting the health of our environment. Studies by Agricultural Research Service scientists have shown that this yellow-flowered member of the mustard family can suck selenium from soil and water that are contaminated with an overload of this mineral. Then, hay made from the selenium-enriched canola might be fed to livestock raised in selenium-deficient regions of the United States, according to results of preliminary ARS tests with sheep and cattle. Further tests may determine whether this approach may reduce the need for selenium supplements or injections now used to ensure that these animals get enough of this essential nutrient. Selenium deficiency is a major problem for livestock or wildlife in at least 37 states and costs beef, dairy, sheep and horse producers an estimated $545 million in losses every year. Gary S. Baņuelos with ARS at Fresno, Calif., and ARS co-researcher Henry F. Mayland at Kimberly, Idaho, collaborated in the canola experiment. Their study was likely the first to use--as an animal feed or supplement--canola that had been grown specifically for the task of pulling naturally occurring selenium from the soil. The scientists first measured the amount of selenium in the canola to make sure it didn't exceed safe levels, then monitored the quantity of the mineral in the animals' blood, milk and other samples. All of the animals remained healthy throughout the investigation. An article in the June issue of the agency's Agricultural Research magazine tells more. View it on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/kenaf0600.htm ARS is the USDA's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Gary S. Baņuelos, ARS Water Management Research Unit, Fresno, Calif., phone (559) 453-3115, fax (559) 453-3122, banuelos@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 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 Mon Jun 26 12:32:54 2000 -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 MAA27477 for ; Mon, 26 Jun 2000 12:32:53 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA02829 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 26 Jun 2000 10:17:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000c01bfdf79$2e9951e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Males-only Medflies Best for Foiling Invasions Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 10:16:54 -0400 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: 238 STORY LEAD: Males-only Medflies Best for Foiling Invasions ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, mwood@asrr.arsusda.gov June 26, 2000 ___________________________________________ To squelch invasions of the notorious Mediterranean fruit fly, warm-weather states like Florida and California turn loose millions of laboratory-reared, infertile medflies. When these sterile medflies find and mate with wild females, no fertile offspring result, so the wild population soon crashes. Laboratories in Guatemala and Hawaii that produce sterile medflies for use in these anti-medfly campaigns on the mainland United States may soon shift to producing special, males-only strains known as Temperature-Sensitive Lethal medflies. That's due in part to investigations by Agricultural Research Service scientist Donald O. McInnis and colleagues with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. McInnis is based at the U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Honolulu. Medfly is one of the worst insect pests of agriculture worldwide because it can attack more than 250 different kinds of crops. According to McInnis, tests that he helped conduct during the past 6 years in Guatemalan coffee fields indicate that what's known as the Toliman strain of Temperature-Sensitive Lethal (TSL) medflies may be three to five times more effective in quelling invasions than are today's conventional, mixed-sex strains of laboratory-reared sterile medflies. TSL medflies get their name from a genetic quirk that makes eggs containing female embryos sensitive to heat. That trait simplifies production of males-only batches. The advantage? Only sterile males are needed for outdoor campaigns. At medfly-rearing facilities, workers bathe medfly eggs in 97 degrees Fahrenheit water for 12 to 24 hours. That kills eggs with female embryos but doesn't harm those with medfly males inside. Later, irradiating the male medflies renders them sexually sterile. Researchers in Austria developed the Toliman TSLs. The ARS and APHIS studies were the largest-ever outdoor tests of the TSL insects. For details, see the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/flies0600.htm ARS is USDA's chief research wing. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Donald O. McInnis, ARS U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Honolulu, Hawaii; phone (808) 988-8232, fax (808) 988-7290, dmcinnis@pbarc.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 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 Tue Jun 27 13:08:40 2000 -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 NAA22722 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2000 13:08:39 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA11615 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 27 Jun 2000 10:44:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001501bfe046$1dde3e60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cropping Systems Influence Biological Weed Control Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 10:43:53 -0400 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: 239 STORY LEAD: Cropping Systems Influence Biological Weed Control ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov June 27, 2000 ___________________________________________ Boosting organic matter in soil creates a healthy environment for soil-dwelling bacteria that suppress weeds. That's according to Agricultural Research Service scientists who for the first time have determined which cropping systems provide the best home for these beneficial bacteria. ARS scientists report that to create ideal soil conditions, farmers should rotate their crops, reduce tillage and keep herbicide applications to a minimum. The beneficial microbes, called deleterious rhizobacteria (DRB), live on--or within millimeters of--weed roots, and they feed on substances that ooze from those roots. As the name DRB implies, these bacteria are bad for weeds. Although they suppress weed growth, DRB normally don't interfere with crop plant growth. Robert J. Kremer, a microbiologist with the ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit in Columbia, Missouri, says many DRB keep weed seeds from germinating and produce toxins and excessive concentrations of plant growth hormones that put the life processes of weed seedlings in "overdrive." Consequently, root cells may rupture and leak, replenishing the DRB diet. Once weakened by DRB, weeds are less able to compete with other plants, and they become more vulnerable to other control measures. Kremer and graduate student Jianmei Li researched cultures of DRB associated with the most dominant species of weeds in six different cropping systems. In general, the highest numbers of weed-suppressing DRB came from fields where crops were rotated, chemicals and tillage were minimal, and organic materials like composts were added. DRB fared best in a corn-soybean-wheat-cover crop rotation. An organic strawberry system with compost was a close second. The researchers believe the research information can be used to modify current cropping practices or design novel ones to promote development of DRB and take advantage of their natural weed-suppressive effects. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Robert J. Kremer, ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO., phone (573) 882-6408, fax (573) 884-5070, KremerR@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 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 Wed Jun 28 11:51:02 2000 -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 LAA12662 for ; Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:51:02 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA07363 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 28 Jun 2000 10:08:16 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfe10a$36500680$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Animal Genetic Resource Program Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 10:07:35 -0400 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: 240 STORY LEAD: ARS Launches Animal Genetic Resource Program ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, stelljes@asrr.arsusda.gov June 28, 2000 ___________________________________________ Chicken semen is the first animal germplasm at ARS' National Animal Germplasm Program located at the ARS National Seed Storage Laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo. The laboratory, opened in 1958, provides long-term storage of seeds and other reproductive plant material, known as germplasm. Today the location routinely houses nearly 360,000 samples from about 5,000 crop species and their wild relatives. Germplasm--including semen, embryos and other tissues--from cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats and fish will also be stored at the site. As with the plants, this collection will serve as an insurance policy against loss of working collections stored at other locations. Scientists and breeders use animal germplasm to locate genes that confer disease resistance, develop breeds that better withstand environmental conditions, or improve characteristics important to consumers. Researchers with the new program are also developing a comprehensive database that will allow users to compare the primary characteristics between the animal breeds and to evaluate these breeds for genetic merit across varying environments and production systems. A warning component will alert researchers to the potential loss of a specific breed or genetic resource. A decision-making framework will help researchers and producers determine the best way to preserve that resource. ARS' Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., provided the chicken semen. Scientists there developed 34 breeding lines of chickens with varying degrees of genetic resistance to viral-induced lymphoid tumors. The chickens were used to help researchers understand genetic resistance to tumors and to test the efficacy of Marek's disease vaccines. The East Lansing laboratory began storing cryopreserved chicken semen in 1984 and will continue to maintain at least half of the samples from each line. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Harvey Blackburn, ARS National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colo., phone (970) 495-3200, fax (970) 221-1427, hblackbu@lamar.colostate.edu; Larry Bacon, ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, Mich., phone (517) 337-6828, fax (517) 337-6776, baconld@msu.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 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 Thu Jun 29 11:31:25 2000 -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 LAA06909 for ; Thu, 29 Jun 2000 11:31:24 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA18733 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 29 Jun 2000 09:56:20 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701bfe1d1$b5e28900$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Growing Good-Guy Blood Cells in Culture Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 09:55:38 -0400 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: 241 STORY LEAD: Growing Good-Guy Blood Cells in Culture ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov June 29, 2000 ___________________________________________ A laboratory method for growing white blood cells called macrophages may bolster studies aimed at combating pathogens that exploit the immune systems of animals and humans. Multiplying macrophages in culture avoids the standard practice of flushing them from fluids pumped into an animal's lungs or peritoneal cavity, according to Neil Talbot, at the Agricultural Research Service's Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory at Beltsville, Md. The work was done with Joan Lunney, Max Paape and Mulumebet Worku of ARS' Immunology and Disease Resistance Laboratory, also at Beltsville. In humans and livestock such as pigs, the amoeba-like macrophages help eliminate dead cells, used proteins and other refuse. They also attack bacteria, viruses, fungi or other pathogenic organisms at infection sites. And by "wearing" a dead pathogen's proteins, macrophages also mobilize the immune system's T-cells and antibody-producing B-cells. But in pigs, one such pathogen--the virus that causes porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)--actually infects macrophages to replicate itself. Only partially controlled by existing vaccines and other measures, the PRRS virus causes late-term abortion, stillbirths and other costly problems in pigs. Talbot hopes veterinary researchers will find macrophage tissue-culturing useful in deciphering the virus's biological machinery. That might reveal weaknesses for finding new drug targets. It may also benefit medical researchers seeking alternatives to using human macrophages derived from cancers. Such cells differ in various ways from normal macrophages. In published research, Talbot's team overcame the problem of growing pig macrophages by first culturing precursor cells called monocytes from 10 drops of blood on a special layer of "feeder cells." After several weeks, a bumper crop of hundreds of millions of mature macrophages is ready for storage or immediate research use. Importantly, macrophage culturing doesn't harm animal donors and yields cells similar to those found in the animals' bodies. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's principal research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Neil Talbot, ARS Gene Evaluation and Mapping Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8216, fax (301) 504-8414, ntalbot@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 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 Jun 30 11:21:42 2000 -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 LAA00970 for ; Fri, 30 Jun 2000 11:21:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA02775 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 30 Jun 2000 09:52:57 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfe29a$66acb9e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Cottonseed Oil Helps Malathion Fight Boll Weevils Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 09:52:15 -0400 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: 242 STORY LEAD: Cottonseed Oil Helps Malathion Fight Boll Weevils ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tweaver@asrr.arsusda.gov June 30, 2000 ___________________________________________ Adding refined cottonseed oil to malathion sprays makes them more effective at controlling boll weevils in cotton fields, Agricultural Research Service scientists have found. The boll weevil has been a "hole in the pocket" for southern cotton farmers, causing billions of dollars in damage, crop losses and control costs since entering the United States in the late 19th century. For this reason, the U.S. Department of Agriculture started the Boll Weevil Eradication Program in 1978 to help farmers battle this pest. The first year of the program begins in a particular area in August and continues into October. During this time, growers spray 8 to 12 applications of malathion to reduce the number of weevils entering diapause--the dormant period in the pest's life cycle. To reduce malathion application costs for boll weevil eradication, researchers with the ARS Application and Production Technology Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., evaluated different oil mixtures for their ability to enhance the effectiveness of malathion. They found that, during July, boll weevil mortality from an 8-ounce mixture of malathion and cottonseed oil was the same as from a 10-ounce application of undiluted malathion for the first 2 days after application. In August, however, there were no differences in mortality until 5 days after application. Their research also showed that malathion accumulates on the surface of mature cotton plants after repeated application during rain-free periods in August. The researchers say this implies that the interval between applications during this part of the growing season could be increased, thus reducing the number of applications and the cost of eradication. The 8-ounce mixture of malathion/cottonseed oil is 20 cents per acre per application cheaper than a 10-ounce application of malathion--a substantial reduction. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Joseph E. Mulrooney, ARS Application and Production Technology Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss.; phone (662) 686-5342, fax (662) 686-5372, jmulrooney@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 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 Mon Jul 3 10:58:33 2000 -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 KAA18384 for ; Mon, 3 Jul 2000 10:58:33 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA04067 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 3 Jul 2000 09:45:45 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000501bfe4f4$e42beba0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: A New Sweetener from Ethanol Waste Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 09:45:03 -0400 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: 243 STORY LEAD: A New Sweetener from Ethanol Waste ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@asrr.arsusda.gov July 3, 2000 ___________________________________________ Corn fiber that's left over from ethanol production could be turned into a high-value, low-calorie sweetener for niche markets, based on a process being developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists. The sweetener is a white crystalline powder called xylitol. Makers of some specialty brand sugarless chewing gums now pay about $3 per pound for xylitol, which gives their product a minty-cool taste. By comparison, industry now sells the ethanol leftovers as cattle feed for only a few pennies per pound. The scientists found that certain strains of the yeast Pichia guilliermondii can excel at making xylitol, but that process can be hindered by glucose, another of the leftover sugars from fermented corn fiber. The problem: When P. guilliermondii comes in contact with both glucose and xylose in fermenting corn fiber, it "prefers" the glucose and--like a child who would rather gorge on ice cream than spinach--it spends its energy on gobbling the glucose, which leaves the yeast relatively ineffective for carrying out the xylose-to-xylitol transformation. The solution devised by ARS scientists: Send in the "B" team. The scientists add an initial batch of P. guilliermondiito the fermenting fibers to devour the glucose. Then they mix in more P. guilliermondiito tackle the task of transforming the xylose into xylitol. Xylitol has one-third fewer calories than sugar and about the same sweetening power. It's currently made in Finland in a chemical process by treating acid-treated fibers of birch wood. It's now a $28 million market in foods for special dietary uses, mouthwashes, toothpastes and chewing gums. Biological conversion of xylose should help make xylitol more economic to produce, according to the researchers, because it requires less energy than chemical conversion. This could drive production costs down and the market volume up. An article about the research appears in the July issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul00/xylit0700.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contacts: Timothy D. Leathers and Badal C. Saha, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6377 (Leathers), (309) 681-6276 (Saha); fax (309) 681-6686, leathetd@mail.ncaur.usda.gov and sahabc@mail.ncaur.usda.gov. ___________________________________________ This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax (301) 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Thu Jul 6 11:41:26 2000 -0400 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id LAA23468 for ; Thu, 6 Jul 2000 11:41:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA05160 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 6 Jul 2000 10:09:31 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000e01bfe753$b3a80ca0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Building a Genetic Road Map to Bovine Bounty Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 10:08:46 -0400 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: 244 STORY LEAD: Building a Genetic Road Map to Bovine Bounty ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@asrr.arsusda.gov July 6, 2000 ___________________________________________ Like road crews installing signposts along a highway, Agricultural Research Service scientists are marking off regions of cow DNA harboring a plethora of traits--from mastitis resistance, to milk proteins for enriched dairy products. Melissa Ashwell's team at ARS' Gene Evaluation and Mapping Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., is among other groups now seeking to map the genome of dairy and beef cattle. One spinoff of the Beltsville work could be genetic tests that employ DNA markers to predict the degree to which newborn calves will express traits inherited from a prized bull sire. The markers are short stretches of chemicals called nucleotides comprising cow DNA, found tightly coiled inside 29 chromosomes. At Beltsville, Ashwell's team is using a technique called quantitative trait loci or QTL detection to identify DNA regions harboring desirable genes--such as for certain milk proteins that improve cheese. Since the mid-1990s, Ashwell's team has examined nearly 200 different markers. Genetic tests employing these markers are still a few years off, according to Ashwell. But developed commercially, the technique could save dairy breeders considerable time and money spent rearing calves sired by a prized bull. Currently, it takes five years before a calf's traits can be fully evaluated. With marker assisted selection, such evaluations could begin with a few embryonic cell samples, or using blood drawn from a newborn calf. On chromosome 27, scientists already have developed markers for genes associated with "dairy form." This describes a cow's physical appearance, and may also be an indicator of animals prone to ketosis, a metabolic disorder typically affecting cows with newborn calves. A longer story about the team's work appears in the July issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul00/bovine0700.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Melissa Ashwell, ARS Gene Evaluation and Mapping Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8543, fax (301) 504-8414, mashwell@ggpl.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 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 Mon Aug 21 11:57:34 2000 -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 LAA02271 for ; Mon, 21 Aug 2000 11:57:31 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA05507 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 21 Aug 2000 10:00:40 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000701c00b78$0f22e4e0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Species of Plant Fungi Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 09:59:39 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 245 STORY LEAD: Scientists Discover New Species of Plant Fungi ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA August 21, 2000 Ben Hardin, (309) 681-6597, bhardin@ars.usda.gov ___________________________________________ Researchers found 100 new species of the pathogenic plant fungus Fusarium when they recently compared DNA from more than 3,000 strains collected worldwide. The newly discovered species have left the scientists with questions. Could these fungi survive in fields of U.S. grain? Should plant breeding programs and quarantine programs take genetic information about these fungi into account? Some Fusarium species cause stalk rot and ear rot in corn. In wheat and barley, they cause head blight or scab. Infected grain is unsuitable for food or livestock feed, if it contains certain levels of fungal toxins. In greenhouse tests, eight of the new species, mostly of exotic origin, produced scab disease in wheat. The Agricultural Research Service scientists who researched the Fusarium species at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., collaborated with colleagues from North Dakota State University in Fargo and the ARS Cereal Rust Laboratory in St. Paul, Minn. The species are part of an 80,000-strain collection of agriculturally and industrially important microorganisms maintained in the ARS Culture Collection in Peoria. The scientists say three of the scab-causing fungi may be native to Africa, two to South and Central America, one to New Zealand and one to Asia. The eighth scab-causing fungi is widespread and may be native to North America. An article about the research appears in the August issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug00/dna0800.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Kerry L. O'Donnell, ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Ill., phone (309) 681-6383, fax (309) 681-6672, kodonnell@sunca.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 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 Tue Aug 22 11:04:51 2000 -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 LAA25819 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2000 11:04:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA09327 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 22 Aug 2000 09:49:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901c00c3f$ab393560$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Grower-Assisted Research is a Success Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 09:48:35 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 246 STORY LEAD: Grower-Assisted Research is a Success ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tmissick@ars.usda.gov August 22, 2000 ___________________________________________ Good farming practices are proving to be successful in reducing soil sedimentation at Deep Hollow Lake located in the Mississippi Delta region, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists working to improve water quality there. Deep Hollow, along with Thighman and Beasley lakes, is part of a living laboratory experiment--the Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluations Area (MSEA) project. The Delta MSEA comprises about 7,320 acres of farm land surrounding the three lakes. The project was set up to evaluate how changing farm practices can help improve the water quality of these lakes. In this, the sixth year of the project, scientists are finding that algal populations have shifted from those that impair water quality to those that are not harmful. This shift is occurring around Deep Hollow Lake because of conservation practices, such as planting winter cover crops, reducing tillage, and planting vegetative filter strips. These practices minimize soil movement and restrict herbicide runoff into the lake. ARS researchers say the improvement in water quality indicates that conservation practices reduced sediment movement into Deep Hollow. By contrast, farmers haven't implemented these conservation practices around Thighman and Beasley lakes, so sediment hasn't been reduced in these lakes. During the next phase of the MSEA project, the scientists will look at how farmers' management practices affect total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) of pollutants. The new TMDLs, proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, are stricter water quality rules for sediment runoff and non-point source pollution that are part of the Clean Water Act of 1972. ARS researchers will investigate cost-effective measures to help farmers put into play new conservation practices to meet these proposed guidelines. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Robert M. Zablotowicz, ARS Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss.; phone (662) 686-5260, fax (662) 686-5422, bzabloto@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 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 Wed Aug 23 11:44:03 2000 -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 LAA26134 for ; Wed, 23 Aug 2000 11:44:03 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA09441 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 23 Aug 2000 09:54:24 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001401c00d09$838b8700$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: No-Till and Nitrogen Optimize Grain Yields Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 09:53:19 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 247 STORY LEAD: No-Till and Nitrogen Optimize Grain Yields and Environmental Protection ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, kbstelljes@ars.usda.gov August 23, 2000 ___________________________________________ With proper nitrogen fertilization and a no-till production system, Great Plains dryland farmers can grow crops continuously, reduce erosion and improve the soil's ability to store carbon, ARS soil scientist Ardell Halvorson reported today at the American Chemical Society's national meeting in Washington, D.C. Typically, farmers in the Great Plains grow rain-fed grain crops like wheat, corn or barley one year and leave the land fallow the next. Or they may have a three-year cycle that includes two crops before fallow. With conventional tillage--which means mechanically tilling the leftover plant material, or crop residue, back into the soil--a fallow period is needed to allow enough water to accumulate in the soil to support the next crop. But this practice leaves the soil susceptible to wind erosion. Tillage also speeds decomposition of plant material, a process that releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Researchers have long promoted "no-till," or planting directly into the previous year's residue without tilling the soil, as a method to reduce erosion and make more efficient use of water. More recently, they've also found that no-till enhances the soil's ability to store carbon, which helps mitigate global change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that reaches the atmosphere. Halvorson's work shows that nitrogen may mean the difference between economic success and failure using no-till in the Great Plains. He works at the ARS Soil-Plant-Nutrient Research Unit in Ft. Collins, Colo. No-till benefits the crop by increasing water held in the soil, allowing farmers to grow crops every year without the fallow period. But nitrogen availability limits grain yields. In several no-till studies lasting from nine to 12 years, Halvorson found that adding sufficient nitrogen fertilizer increased grain yields and improved water use enough to make continuous cropping feasible. The added nitrogen also increased the amount of plant material left as crop residue. Over time, the nitrogen/no-till combination led to increased soil organic carbon and improved soil quality. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Ardell Halvorson, ARS Soil-Plant-Nutrient Research Unit, Ft. Collins, Colo., phone (970) 490-8230, fax (970) 490-8213, adhalvor@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 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 Thu Aug 24 11:07:06 2000 -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 LAA24750 for ; Thu, 24 Aug 2000 11:07:01 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA26232 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 24 Aug 2000 09:39:38 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901c00dd0$9d5dc220$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: An Underground Ally for Sugar Beets? Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 09:38:40 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 248 STORY LEAD: An Underground Ally for Sugar Beets? ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@ars.usda.gov August 24, 2000 ___________________________________________ A new kind of soil bacteria found living around sugar beet roots may offer a natural defense against fungi that menace the crop. Grown on 1.5 million acres, sugar beets supply roughly 50 percent of the nation's sucrose. Agricultural Research Service microbiologist David Kuykendall is investigating the bacteria's potential as a fungicide alternative in studies at the ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory (MPPL) in Beltsville, Md. In early findings from a series of petri dish experiments, colonies of two Pseudomonas bacteria exuded substances that curbed the growth of Cercospora beticola, a fungal rival that lives on the plant's leaves. Cercospora causes a rapid, progressive disease called leaf spot that can defoliate susceptible sugarbeet cultivars. Fueled by humid conditions, severe outbreaks can reduce sucrose yields by more than 30 percent. Growers sometimes spray chemical fungicides when spots cover 3 percent of the leaves' surface. With fungicide use, however, comes legitimate concern over the chemicals' effectiveness due to the emergence of new, fungicide- tolerant Cercospora strains, notes Kuykendall. As an alternative, he envisions spraying the soil bacteria directly onto the crop's leaves when conditions are ripe for Cercospora outbreaks. The Pseudomonas bacteria, two strains labeled ND6-2 and ND9L, were obtained by ARS researchers Garry Smith and John Eide in North Dakota from the rhizosphere, or soils around sugarbeet roots. Now, Kuykendall is conducting plant host studies to learn whether either strain poses any danger to other crops. By analyzing their DNA sequences, for example, Kuykendall has identified a high degree of genetic similarity to another Pseudomonas bacterium, P. corrugata, a tomato plant pathogen. Results confirming the bacterial strains' virulence would probably rule out their use as a foliar spray. In that event, Kuykendall plans an alternative strategy: isolate specific genes that give rise to their anti- fungal secretions, and insert the bacterial genes into sugar beet. He described the new findings in a recent issue of Sugar Journal. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief research agency. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: David Kuykendall, ARS Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-7072, fax (301) 504-5449, dkuykend@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 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 Aug 25 11:32:28 2000 -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 LAA25325 for ; Fri, 25 Aug 2000 11:32:22 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA07550 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 25 Aug 2000 10:01:14 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901c00e9c$cbdfc220$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Noxious Weeds Website Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 10:00:15 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 249 STORY LEAD: National Scope of Noxious Weeds Now on World Wide Web ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, kbstelljes@ars.usda.gov August 25, 2000 ___________________________________________ For the first time, land managers can compare noxious weed lists from the lower 48 United States and six Canadian provinces by logging on to a new section of the University of Montana's "Invaders" website. Researchers with USDA's Agricultural Research Service developed the new noxious weed section at the website. To view the noxious weed information, go to: http://invader.dbs.umt.edu/Noxious_Weeds Researchers at the ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, Mont., compiled the new section containing official federal, state and provincial noxious weed lists. The new section also includes a national ranking of weeds based on the number of states where they are designated noxious. This tool will help decision makers prioritize control and research efforts at the local and national levels. In addition, they can use the system to predict potential future problems by examining lists from neighboring states or regions. Since it takes 10 to 20 years to discover and introduce new biological control agents, significant money and effort could be saved by managing invasive weeds while infestations are still small. "Invaders" also provides historical weed distribution data for five states in the Northwest: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The database has been used to support environmental impact statements, risk assessments and weed management programs. The ARS researchers' next step is to look at weed distributions and how alien weeds have spread over time. For example, spotted knapweed first entered the Pacific Northwest around 1893. The weed began to spread more rapidly in the 1950s, but distribution exploded from 60 counties in 1985 to at least 175 counties today. The researchers hope to identify reasons for such expansions, as well as trends that can help identify which alien plants pose the most risk for future expansion. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. __________________________________________ Scientific contact: Kerri Skinner, ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, Sidney, Mont., phone (406) 433-9484, fax (406) 433-5038, kskinner@sidney.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 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 Mon Aug 28 09:57:31 2000 -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 JAA26867 for ; Mon, 28 Aug 2000 09:57:29 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA01499 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 28 Aug 2000 08:18:46 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <002401c010ea$e6b6b860$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Composting the Dinnerware Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 08:24:20 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 250 STORY LEAD: Let the "Clean Revolution" Begin! ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, comis@ars.usda.gov August 28, 2000 ___________________________________________ In the spirit of Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been involved in a project that helps keep the environment clean by composting plates and bowls discarded at a Washington, D.C., cafeteria. The plates and bowls are made of a new biodegradable composite material, called EarthShell Packaging, that is mostly limestone and starch. EarthShell Corp. of Baltimore, Md., has supplied the products for the project since Earth Day 1999, decreasing by 24 percent the amount of solid waste sent to landfills. Patricia Millner, a microbiologist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md., composted the plates, bowls, unbleached paper napkins, fiber trays and food from the U.S. Department of Interior's main cafeteria. As part of the project, diners threw the disposables into cans lined with EarthShell trash bags. The kitchen added food scraps, and Millner then mixed the cafeteria waste with leaves and grass clippings from the ARS research center in Beltsville. Once or twice a week, Interior shipped the bagged garbage to Beltsville, where Millner and colleagues tested different ways of composting it. They got the quickest results with a closed container using a mixing auger. Only small traces of the biodegradable plates, bowls and bags could be seen after four weeks. By six months, all traces were gone. Nonbiodegradable items, like plastic forks thrown into the bags by mistake, were the main identifiable remnants in the final compost. More intense composting management could speed up the decomposition of the biodegradable items. Millner used the compost to grow cucumbers and found they did as well as those grown in commercial potting mixes. Limestone in the dinnerware would give farmers a free soil conditioner when they apply the compost to their fields. The compost could also be used to improve soil to grow plants for wildlife habitat. The EarthShell Corp. will continue to supply products to Interior's cafeteria until the products are commercially available. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Patricia Millner, ARS Soil Microbial Systems Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone, (301) 504-8163, fax, (301) 504-8370, MillnerP@ba.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 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 (301) 504-1648. From london@metalab.unc.edu Tue Aug 29 09:54:43 2000 -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 JAA08860 for ; Tue, 29 Aug 2000 09:54:42 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id IAA09707 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 29 Aug 2000 08:27:56 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <001401c011b5$5a3d6660$2f1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Hormone May Signal Disease in Livestock Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 08:33:31 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 251 STORY LEAD: Hormone May Be Early Livestock Disease Marker ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@ars.usda.gov August 29, 2000 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have found that a recently discovered hormone could act as an indicator of disease stress in livestock. This hormone marker could make it easier to keep some contamination out of meat processing--and save producers money. Increases in the hormone adrenomedullin (AM) appear to be associated with some forms of infection in cattle, goats, pigs and sheep, according to ARS research animal specialist Theodore H. Elsasser. He has been collaborating with a National Institutes of Health team of scientists led by Frank Cuttitta. NIH is interested in the bioactivity and function of AM in human health and disease. AM is a naturally occurring amino acid peptide hormone produced in many tissues, including adrenal medulla, lung, kidney and heart, and it is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. For example, in ARS experiments, calves that harbored internal parasites had more AM in their pancreatic tissue and blood than healthy calves. So livestock producers may be able to use a test based on higher AM levels as a screening biomarker for disease stress, indicating animals that may not be acceptable for meat processing. Both low-level, long duration parasite infections and intense, short-term bouts can provoke higher AM levels. Elsasser thinks that it may be possible to use AM levels to indicate the presence of other stresses like metabolic diseases in addition to infection, although more investigation on this application is necessary. Currently, meat processors identify questionable carcasses based on visual inspection and then subject them to microbial testing. In the future, a rapid screening test for abnormal AM levels could make it possible for the livestock producer to identify questionable animals before sending livestock to market. Monitoring of AM levels may also give livestock producers the opportunity to help sick animals recover from illness and make them safe for processing, which would be a plus for the producer and the consumer. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Theodore H. Elsasser, ARS Growth Biology Laboratory, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-8222, fax (301) 504-8623, elsasser@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 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 Aug 30 11:24:53 2000 -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 LAA22235 for ; Wed, 30 Aug 2000 11:24:51 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA11275 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:44:07 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000d01c01288$3be6af40$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fine-tuning Pesticide Applications on Cotton Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:43:08 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 252 STORY LEAD: Fine-tuning Pesticide Applications on Cotton ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jesús García, (301) 504-1627, jgarcia@ars.usda.gov August 30, 2000 ___________________________________________ Cotton producers spend $75 million annually to control the tarnished plant bug. This year, Agricultural Research Service scientists will test the effectiveness of combining remotely-sensed, multispectral images with pest-scouting data to develop variable insecticide prescriptions that may do a better job of controlling this pest. ARS entomologist Jeffrey Willers at the Crop Science Research Laboratory at Mississippi State, Miss., along with colleagues at the Stennis Space Center, Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University, will be building on research conducted in 1999. This research indicated that scouting and multispectral imagery data can be combined to create a geo-referenced pest density map. Such a map could then be uploaded into a pesticide ground sprayer that would dispense pesticide only where needed. Cotton producers have traditionally had to depend on labor-intensive and time- consuming methods to determine levels of infestation--like searching for pests in randomly selected small sections of large fields. This often results in inaccurate pest counts and the spraying of entire fields, without regard to variations in pest density. The new system uses multispectral imagery to draw a correlation between plant vigor and pest density. It relies on a digital camera sensitive to different wavelengths of light mounted in an aircraft flying over a cotton field at various altitudes. The camera records images that can then be processed to display variations in plant vigor. Next, scouts use transect-line search patterns and drop cloths to search for plant bugs in each of the areas corresponding to the different stages of growth captured by a digital image. ARS researchers have found that plant bugs are more common in areas with more vigorous plants. This system is not only better at locating a variety of pests, but also provides growers with a more cost-effective method of controlling them by improving the placement and timing of pesticide applications. Rather than spray an entire field at one rate, this system allows growers to vary the coverage. Unsprayed areas can act as safe havens for a variety of beneficial insects that can then repopulate the field after spraying. This all translates into less chemical usage. ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Jeffrey L. Willers, ARS Crop Science Research Laboratory, Mississippi State, Miss.; phone (662) 320-7383, fax (662) 320-7528, jwillers@ra.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 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 Thu Aug 31 11:50:13 2000 -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 LAA20023 for ; Thu, 31 Aug 2000 11:50:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA16344 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 31 Aug 2000 10:01:48 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901c01353$deb82fc0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Pomological Watercolors Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 10:00:05 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 253 STORY LEAD: Pomological Watercolors Depict Beauty and Detail ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov August 31, 2000 ___________________________________________ A treasure trove of more than 6,000 splendid watercolors of apples, blackberries, cherries, grapes, persimmons and other fruits is safeguarded in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection. This array of original prints and related materials is one of the treasures of the National Agricultural Library, which is managed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service at Beltsville, Md. The collection makes up one of the world's most unique holdings of late 19th- and early 20th-century American botanical illustrations. Described as a "priceless but little known legacy for all Americans," many of these beautiful drawings resulted from USDA scientists' need to depict new varieties that they had developed, or had gathered during overseas plant-collecting expeditions. Many of the prints were featured in early USDA publications, including bulletins and circulars for farmers, as well as annual reports. Today, the drawings are a boon to horticulturists, historians, artists and publishers, according to Susan H. Fugate, head of special collections at the National Agricultural Library. Fugate said these specialists-- and others--rely on the illustrations as an invaluable source of information about the history of fruit culture in the United States. Today, horticultural research continues to be a key part of the USDA research mission carried out by scientists in the Agricultural Research Service. For more information on ARS research programs that impact horticulture, visit the web page for ARS Crop Production, Product Value and Safety national programs at: http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov/programs/cppvs.htm Examples of the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection can be viewed at the National Agricultural Library's website, located on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/water.html In addition, 10 of the watercolors are printed in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine. ___________________________________________ Contact: Susan H. Fugate, Head, Special Collections, ARS National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, Md., 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 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 Sep 1 11:32:29 2000 -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 LAA18069 for ; Fri, 1 Sep 2000 11:32:27 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA23817 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 1 Sep 2000 09:58:22 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000b01c0141c$8d726c60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Combating Late Blight Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 09:57:22 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 254 STORY LEAD: U.S. Potatoes Could Get Disease Resistance from Their Mexican Cousins ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McGraw, (309) 681-6530, mcgraw@ars.usda.gov September 1, 2000 ___________________________________________ The great American spud has a wild Mexican cousin with genes to help U.S. farmers cut their use of fungicides to combat late blight, the disease that caused the Irish potato famine. Agricultural Research Service researchers in Madison, Wis., have developed new ways to incorporate late blight resistance into U.S. potatoes from Solanum pinnatisectum, a wild species found in central Mexico. Late blight, caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, costs potato growers about $3 billion annually worldwide, according to the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru. In the United States, using fungicides to control late blight has driven potato production costs up to nearly $200 an acre in some potato-producing states. Using a technique known as embryo rescue, the researchers mated S. pinnatisectum with a derivative of a commercial U.S. potato. Embryo rescue involves removing the normally developing embryo from the failing, developing seed and placing it on a culture media that will sustain its growth. A hybrid from the rescue can be used by breeders as a maternal parent in a mating with cultivated potatoes. Until now, these wild Mexican species have been difficult to cross with most other cultivated or wild species. But it's worth doing because the wild species have genetic resistance to viruses, insects, fungi and nematodes. Another plus: This Mexican species resists early blight, which produces problems similar to late blight. Early blight is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani. In 1994, the annual cost for controlling early blight alone was estimated to be $21 to $44 million in the United States and Canada. Resistance to both blights is important to reduce reliance on fungicides. In trials, the hybrid also resisted the Colorado potato beetle. S. pinnatisectum is maintained at the ARS-U.S. Potato Genebank in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. A report on this research appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine, which can be found online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep00/mexi0900.htm The potato genetics work is part of a nationwide effort in horticultural research at ARS, the USDA's chief scientific agency. For more information visit the web page for ARS national programs in ARS Crop Production, Product Value, and Safety: http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov/programs/cppvs.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Robert E. Hanneman, Jr., ARS Vegetable Crops Research, Madison, Wis., (608) 262-1399, fax (608) 262-4743, rehannem@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 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 Tue Sep 5 11:16:28 2000 -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 LAA20712 for ; Tue, 5 Sep 2000 11:16:27 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA04291 for ars-news-outgoing; Tue, 5 Sep 2000 09:32:27 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003f01c0173d$98b4bf00$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Tomatoes With Staying Power Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 09:30:57 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 255 STORY LEAD: Tomatoes With Staying Power ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tara Weaver-Missick, (301) 504-1619, tmissick@ars.usda.gov September 5, 2000 ___________________________________________ Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service and Purdue University have found a way to slow down tomato ripening and improve tomatoes' nutritional quality. If the season is right, a brilliant-red tomato may be sitting on the table of ARS plant physiologist Autar K. Mattoo. Although it looks like it's just been just picked off the vine, it's probably one of his genetically enhanced tomatoes that's been sitting there for weeks. Mattoo and his collaborators developed a novel way of slowing down tomato ripening by introducing a yeast gene that controls this function in the fruit. Living cells, including those of plants, contain genes that control many functions. Some genes are "turned on" only at a certain developmental stage or in response to an environmental cue. At other times, these genes are "turned off." Scientists can use genetic engineering technology to modify these genes to turn them on or off at any particular time. The new transgenic tomatoes have a lycopene content 2.5 times higher than non-transgenic tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may aid in preventing early blindness in children, preventing cancer and enhancing cardiovascular health. Traditional breeding allows transfer of hundreds of genes in a relatively random manner--good or bad traits are sometimes haphazardly passed along to the new plant. With genetically enhanced plants, scientists know exactly what's going into the plant and how to monitor it. Before the new tomato can be made available as a food, it will undergo years of rigorous testing for health and environmental safety. More information on this 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/sep00/tomato0900.htm The scientists developed the transgenic tomatoes as part of a nationwide effort in horticultural research at ARS, the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit the web page for ARS national programs in Crop Production, Product Value and Safety: http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov/programs/cppvs.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Autar K. Mattoo, ARS Vegetable Laboratory, Beltsville, Md.; phone (301) 504-7380, 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 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 Wed Sep 6 12:11:23 2000 -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 MAA20503 for ; Wed, 6 Sep 2000 12:11:21 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA15024 for ars-news-outgoing; Wed, 6 Sep 2000 10:10:37 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <003001c0180c$17952b60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Planting Wheat May Help Apple Growers Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 10:09:36 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 256 STORY LEAD: Planting Wheat May Help Apple Growers Manage Disease ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Kathryn Barry Stelljes, (510) 559-6069, kbstelljes@ars.usda.gov September 6, 2000 ___________________________________________ Growing wheat before planting a new apple orchard on former orchard land may help growers prevent a crippling condition known as replant disease. Another benefit: It could serve as an alternative to methyl bromide and other soil fumigants typically used to sterilize old orchards before planting new ones. When nothing is done between taking out an old orchard and putting in a new one, the young trees are often stunted and have small, decayed root systems. Plant pathologist Mark Mazzola at ARS' Tree Fruit Research Laboratory in Wenatchee, Wash., discovered that in the Pacific Northwest, replant disease seems to be caused by buildup of four types of soilborne fungi. While soil where apple trees grow supports these fungi, wheat plants seem to modify the soil to favor other microorganisms. Mazzola found a bacterium in some wheat soils, Pseudomonas putida, that can protect young apple roots from the destructive fungi. ARS has patented use of a strain of this bacterium to prevent replant disease. The next step is to determine how long wheat would have to be grown as a rotation crop to change the soil microbial community enough to stave off replant disease. Mazzola will also look at whether growing the wheat as a cover crop in existing orchards can reduce fungal populations sufficiently to allow new trees to grow well. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The apple replant disease research is part of a nationwide program of horticultural research within ARS. For more information on ARS research programs that impact on horticulture, visit the web page for ARS national programs in Crop Production, Product Value and Safety: http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov/programs/cppvs.htm An article about the replant research appears in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine and online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sept00/rotate0900.htm ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Mark Mazzola, ARS Tree Fruit Research Laboratory, Wenatchee, Wash., phone (509) 664-2280, fax (509) 664-2287, mazzola@tfrl.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 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 Sep 8 11:51:38 2000 -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 LAA19424 for ; Fri, 8 Sep 2000 11:51:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id KAA08462 for ars-news-outgoing; Fri, 8 Sep 2000 10:04:20 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <000901c0199d$8a942b60$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Probing Rice Bran's Cancer-fighting Potential Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 10:03:18 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 257 STORY LEAD: Probing Rice Bran's Cancer-fighting Potential ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (510) 559-6070, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov September 8, 2000 ___________________________________________ The health-promoting benefits of rice bran--the nutritious, light-brown layer that covers the familiar white kernel--might be enhanced as a result of a new study led by Agricultural Research Service scientists. Agency researchers at Albany, Calif., will investigate various food-processing techniques to find out whether specific technologies convert key compounds of bran into forms that are easier for the body to absorb and use. The investigation will look at two different kinds of rice bran fiber and at antioxidant compounds already known to prevent formation of harmful molecules known as free radicals. Rice bran adds a rich, hearty, natural flavor to breads, breakfast cereals, crackers, cookies and other foods, according to Wallace H. Yokoyama of the ARS Western Regional Research Center at Albany. He leads the new research, which is being conducted under a new cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with The Rice Foundation, Houston, Texas. Paul A. Davis of the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., will also collaborate. In preliminary experiments with wheat, Yokoyama and Davis showed that different techniques for processing wheat bran into cereals made a significant difference in reducing the incidence of a colon cancer indicator in laboratory rats. Their new work with rice will also track colon cancer incidence in rats. Plans call for using three or four variations in processing the bran with a standard piece of food-processing equipment known as an extruder. Yokoyama outlined the new research today at the Western Regional Research Center's Symposium and Exposition. The event, marking the 60th anniversary of the center, included tours of newly renovated laboratories and a look at the center's pilot-scale manufacturing facility--also scheduled for major renovation. ARS is USDA's chief research arm. __________________________________________ Scientific contact: Wallace H. Yokoyama, ARS Western Regional Research Center, Albany, Calif.; phone (510) 559-5695, fax (510) 559-5777, wally@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 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 Thu Sep 7 11:22:12 2000 -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 LAA23963 for ; Thu, 7 Sep 2000 11:22:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id JAA25418 for ars-news-outgoing; Thu, 7 Sep 2000 09:50:43 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006101c018d2$7a2ad4c0$1d1b85c7@cs.wsc.ag.gov> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Farm Animal Behavior Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 09:49:43 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 258 STORY LEAD: Farm Animal Behavior Becoming More Critical to the Bottom Line ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, comis@ars.usda.gov September 7, 2000 ___________________________________________ Take away a steer's right to a good sundown grazing and you'll have a fight on your hands. That's what Agricultural Research Service animal behaviorist Julie Morrow-Tesch found during periodic 24-hour surveillances of cattle pens in one of the numerous feedlots that hold a total of 6 million head of cattle in the Texas Panhandle. Morrow-Tesch, who studies animal behavior and physiology with ARS in Lubbock, Texas, found that feeding cattle just before sunset--instead of the usual morning meals--cut the number of aggressive incidents by almost half. These evening melees cost feedlots $70 a head, on average, in injuries and could cost more in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fines because pushing and shoving can raise dust levels above allowable limits. The free-for-all's are a substitute for cattle's instinctive twilight grazing. The study of applied animal behavior is fairly new to agriculturalists. It has given rise to ARS' national program on animal well-being, begun in 1994. ARS is the chief scientific agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Morrow-Tesch will describe her research at the 24th annual Beltsville Symposium, "Healthy Animals," September 10-12 in Beltsville, Md. View the full program on the Internet at: http://www.barc.usda.gov/fmod/symposium She will discuss other examples of her research, including how: * social ranking affects responses to stresses such as heat or transport; * some standard agricultural practices can cause stress; * proteins may indicate psychological and physical stress; * misting animals with water to cool them down may increase E-coli; * alternative management systems may reduce chronic stress; and * objective measures of stress can be used to assess practices. Other symposium presenters will discuss relationships between animal well-being and food safety, including how World Trade Organization rules may affect U.S. livestock-raising practices. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Julie Morrow-Tesch, ARS Livestock Issues Research Unit Staff, Lubbock, Texas, phone (806) 742-2826, fax (806) 742-2335, jmorrow@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 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 Mon Sep 25 10:09:21 2000 -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 KAA21631 for ; Mon, 25 Sep 2000 10:09:18 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.8.8+Sun/8.8.8) id HAA18241 for ars-news-outgoing; Mon, 25 Sep 2000 07:49:51 -0400 (EDT) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news using -f Message-ID: <006101c026e7$a042b100$2f1b85c7@Jim> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Fungi v. Termites Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 07:29:18 -0400 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 259 STORY LEAD: New Fungal Threat on Tap for Formosan Termites ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Linda McElreath, (301) 504-1658, lmcelreath@ars.usda.gov September 25, 2000 ___________________________________________ For now, the mold growing in petri dishes at Maureen Wright's New Orleans lab is little more than a cottony patch. But termites that have died from contacting this mold have Wright considering its potential as a new bio-pesticide. Wright, a U.S. Department of Agriculture microbiologist, is charged with testing bacteria, molds and other microbes that will kill Formosan subterranean termites but spare beneficial insects. Her work is part of "Operation FullStop," a national campaign led by USDA's Agricultural Research Service against the Formosan termite, an exotic species that arrived in North America from the South Pacific sometime after World War II. In New Orleans, where Wright works at ARS' Southern Regional Research Center, Formosan termites cost the city up to $300 million annually. On Mississippi's Formosan termite-plagued Gulf Coast, ARS and other Operation FullStop scientists are testing several new pest controls, including a new bait formula containing Metarhizium anisopliae, a fungus that's approved for use in killing certain native subterranean termites. In ARS lab trials, M. anisopliae killed up to 90 percent of Formosan termites. But Wright's cottony mold, growing at SRRC's Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, is even deadlier. Compared to M. anisopliae and three other fungal species tested, the mold killed 100 percent of termites in less than one week, versus 50 to 100 percent for the others in one or more weeks. The scientists' early observations indicate the termites aren't repelled by the mold (whose scientific name is being withheld for confidentiality reasons). This lack of repellency could broaden the mold's potential use in bait products similar to those that kill termites with slow-acting chemical poisons. Wright and ARS chemist Bill Connick began the tests earlier this year. They'll develop a cost-effective method for producing the mold as well as various formulations with which to apply it. Wright plans to test other strains of the mold as well. ___________________________________________ Scientific contact: Maureen Wright, ARS Southern Regional Research Center, Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit, New Orleans, La., phone (504) 286-4294, fax (504) 286-4419, mwright@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 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 (301) 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Thu Feb 21 11:40:07 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1LGe7627362 for ; Thu, 21 Feb 2002 11:40:07 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1LEYkc28336; Thu, 21 Feb 2002 09:34:46 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1LEYjJ28327 for ; Thu, 21 Feb 2002 09:34:45 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <000901c1bae4$b3c92be0$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Process Could Change Corn Wet Milling Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 09:33:05 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 260 STORY LEAD: New Starch Removal Process Could Change Corn Wet Milling ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim Core, (301) 504-1619, jcore@ars.usda.gov February 21, 2002 ___________________________________________ An innovative technique to process corn could replace a method used by refiners for more than 100 years. In the new method, enzymes break down starch and protein while using less sulfur dioxide during what's called the steeping stage of wet milling. The new process could potentially lower costs and decrease the time needed to produce starch, oil and other important coproducts. David B. Johnston, a research food technologist at the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pa., says the enzymatic method gets starch yields equal to or better than the conventional process in laboratory and small, pilot-scale trials. He and co-inventor Vijay Singh, a visiting assistant professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have applied for a patent on the method. During conventional steeping, corn is soaked for 24 to 36 hours in water and sulfur dioxide to begin breaking down the starch and protein. Afterwards, the corn is coarsely ground to break the germ loose from other kernel components. After removing the germ, which is then used to make corn oil, the remaining slurry is ground to separate the fiber from the starch and protein. Later, the starch is separated out and converted into syrup or into other coproducts, such as ethanol, through fermentation. Johnston and Singh have found a way to use protease enzymes instead of sulfur dioxide to break down the proteins more quickly. A small amount of sulfur dioxide can still be used to prevent microbial growth during the enzyme treatment step. But overall sulfur dioxide costs would be reduced. The new method includes a six-hour pretreatment of corn kernels before milling. After soaking the corn kernel in water for about three hours, the ground slurry is treated with enzymes. Then normal wet-milling steps are resumed. According to Johnston, the method has generated interest from the Corn Refiners Association, whose representatives have visited ERRC's Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit to observe the scientists' results. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Wed Feb 20 12:58:41 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1KHwfJ23123 for ; Wed, 20 Feb 2002 12:58:41 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1KF8wK20303; Wed, 20 Feb 2002 10:08:58 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1KF8vJ20299 for ; Wed, 20 Feb 2002 10:08:57 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <000701c1ba20$50035500$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: "CATTS" Perfect for Zapping Apple Pests Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 09:41:35 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 261 STORY LEAD: "CATTS" Perfect for Zapping Apple Pests ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov February 20, 2002 ___________________________________________ Crunchy apples from orchards of the Pacific Northwest are eagerly sought by food buyers in the United States and abroad. But some foreign buyers require growers and packers to take special steps to ensure that the fruit exported from the United States is free of certain pests. Agricultural officials in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and Mexico, for example, are concerned that codling moths or oriental fruit moths could escape from shipments and invade orchards. Agricultural Research Service entomologist Lisa G. Neven is providing practical, affordable techniques that conventional and organic growers and packers can use to disinfest their premium fruits. Neven is based at the ARS Fruit and Vegetable Insect Research Unit in Wapato, Wash. She is doing these experiments with PacOrganic and King Blossom, two organic producer-packers in Washington state. Neven's method, developed in ongoing experiments during the past nine years, is called "CATTS"-- short for Controlled Atmosphere Temperature Treatment System. CATTS relies on placing bins of fruit in chambers and then changing the temperature and composition of the atmosphere surrounding the fruit for a short period of time. Her tests with apples showed that raising the temperature of the atmosphere about 18 degrees F per hour until the fruits' internal temperature is 111 to 117 F, in a mix of 1 percent oxygen and 15 percent carbon dioxide, zaps any living codling moths or oriental fruit moths. According to Neven, the regimen helps maintain apples' quality longer. She did these tests on more than 138,000 pounds of Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Golden and Red Delicious apples. Her work is based in part on discoveries made by scientists in Israel. Conventional growers who today fumigate their fruit for export with methyl bromide are following Neven's studies because of the escalating cost of the chemical. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Mon Feb 25 11:45:39 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1PGjck19170 for ; Mon, 25 Feb 2002 11:45:38 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1PEkrp24524; Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:46:53 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1PEkqc24518 for ; Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:46:52 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <009201c1be0b$0fb62ec0$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Consortium Kicks Off Tech Exchange in American Tropics Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:45:14 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 262 STORY LEAD: Consortium Kicks Off Tech Exchange in American Tropics ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Rosalie Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov February 25, 2002 ___________________________________________ The first Henry A. Wallace Conference Series, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), will convene today in Turrialba, Costa Rica, and continue through February 27. One hundred international scientists and policymakers from the public and private sectors will attend to discuss technical innovations for advancing agriculture in North, Central and South America. CATIE plays an important role in education, training, extension and research activities in Latin America, according to Charles A. Onstad of USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Onstad is scheduled to give welcoming remarks at the conference. Based in College Station, Texas, he is director of ARS' Southern Plains Area. Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, who favors biotechnology solutions to the world's food shortages, is slated to give the keynote address. Other speakers include ARS national program leaders and directors from an international network of agricultural centers operated by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Key issues will center around value-added production and management practices for coffee farms. Coffee is an important crop to Latin American farmers and to U.S. consumers, the largest purchasers of coffee in the world. Coffee prices have been declining, however. So farming strategies to counteract the drop in prices will be explored--particularly diversification with compatible, profitable crops. For example, coffee can be grown on the same farm as high-value timber and tropical fruits. CATIE cooperates with researchers at the ARS Subtropical Horticulture Research Unit in Miami, Fla., the American Cocoa Research Institute, and M&M Mars, Inc., to initiate technical strategies for developing the cacao plant's resistance to fungal diseases. Naturally, growers want varieties with disease-resistance, high-yield traits. Tropical agriculture's cacao product is key to the U.S. chocolate industry. CATIE maintains a large germplasm collection of coffee, cacao, tropical fruit and horticultural crop plants. In addition to collaborations with CATIE, ARS cooperates with research centers in Brazil, Trinidad and Ecuador. A more detailed story of ARS cooperation with CATIE is in the February issue of Agricultural Research magazine, on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb02/agric0202.htm ARS is USDA's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Tue Feb 26 11:21:23 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1QGLNn01065 for ; Tue, 26 Feb 2002 11:21:23 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1QEsti16682; Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:54:55 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1QEssc16675 for ; Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:54:54 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <002101c1bed5$59a0b3a0$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Helpful Moths May Clobber Climbing Fern Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 09:53:17 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 263 STORY LEAD: Helpful Moths May Clobber Climbing Fern ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov February 26, 2002 ___________________________________________ Climbing fern, an aggressive vine that is spreading in central and south Florida, might be stopped by a team of two tiny moths. Scientists know climbing fern as Lygodium microphyllum.It climbs stems or trunks of other plants, forming blankets of light-green vegetation. On the ground, climbing fern creates tough, spongy mats that can easily smother grasses, low-growing shrubs and small trees. Today, it infests more than 100,000 acres in Florida. Agricultural Research Service scientists are scrutinizing the fern-eating moths and other natural enemies of this weed. Both moths are about a half inch from wingtip to wingtip. One species, Cataclysta camptozonale, is bright white, with some spots and stripes on its wings. The other moth, Neomusotima conspurcatalis, has dark-brown wings that are edged with white and sprinkled with small, white, boomerang-shaped markings. Climbing fern is native to Australia, but it is not a pest there, perhaps because natural enemies keep it in check. Scientists at the ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory in Indooroopilly are ideally situated to find and test promising natural organisms--such as the moths--to control the weed. The Indooroopilly scientists extensively tested the moths to make sure the insects preferred to eat old world climbing fern and not other plants. They next shipped a supply of both moths to Florida for further testing by colleagues at the ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory at Gainesville. After completing more tests, the Florida team may seek federal and state permission to turn the moths loose at climbing fern-infested sites in Florida. With further research, a third moth, a hungry mite, a small beetle, and perhaps other hardworking organisms as well may qualify to join the moths in attacking the weed. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Wed Feb 27 12:29:56 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1RHTuQ29336 for ; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 12:29:56 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1REcK815876; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 09:38:20 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1REcJc15872 for ; Wed, 27 Feb 2002 09:38:19 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <001f01c1bf9c$3348d8a0$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Test Detects Immune-Modifying Poultry Protein Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 09:36:29 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Test Detects Immune-Modifying Poultry Protein ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jim Core, (301) 504-1619, jcore@ars.usda.gov February 27, 2002 ___________________________________________ A previously little-understood protein could be used to monitor poultry health, according to studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. When chickens and turkeys become infected with different bacterial and viral diseases, the resulting inflamation causes physiological changes, including decreases or increases in concentrations of some serum proteins called acute phase proteins (APPs). These amplify immune response by recruiting other cells to the inflamation site to provide early infection resistance. APP concentrations remain detectable in the blood until recovery, offering potential for diagnostic or prognostic tools for poultry producers. Ovotransferrin, an iron-binding protein, is abundant in poultry blood and eggs. Scientists at the Poultry Production and Products Safety Research Unit in Fayetteville, Ark., found that blood concentrations of ovotransferrin (OTF) increase in chickens with infections. They determined that OTF is a major APP in chickens. Its antimicrobial activities are probably related to its ability to block the availability of iron, an essential element for bacterial growth. OTF was identified and characterized by Hang Xie, a former graduate student working in the ARS laboratory. The researchers developed a test, called an enzyme-linked immunoassay, to detect and measure the levels of OTF in the blood. They believe these OTF levels can be used as an indicator of health problems in poultry, according to Narayan Rath, a research physiologist at the Fayetteville lab. A better understanding of the roles of disease-modifying APPs in serum could lead to new approaches for improving natural disease resistance in poultry--such as developing genetic markers that breeders can use to select poultry able to more effectively fight off disease. Companies have shown interest in working with the laboratory to license the enzyme-linked test. Other potential collaborations involve developing a diagnostic marker based on OTF to determine the health of birds during meat inspections, either before or after slaughter. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Thu Feb 28 12:04:12 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g1SH4BQ32690 for ; Thu, 28 Feb 2002 12:04:11 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g1SEmYZ07007; Thu, 28 Feb 2002 09:48:34 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g1SEmXc07003 for ; Thu, 28 Feb 2002 09:48:33 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <000b01c1c066$cc0a2a60$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 09:46:58 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades-Old Pest Control Strategy ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, comis@ars.usda.gov February 28, 2002 ___________________________________________ For the first time, corn rootworms--the most damaging pest of corn in the United States--recently changed their behavior and foiled crop rotation strategies long counted on to break their destructive cycle. Now Agricultural Research Service scientists hope a soon-to-be- completed 5-year cooperative research agreement with Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., will help them regain the upper hand against the pest. In the study, the scientists are using a 2- in-1 cornfield strategy--a mix of transgenic and nontransgenic corn plants--against the rootworms. The transgenic plants have been genetically engineered to produce Bacillus thuriengensis(Bt) insecticide. For many years, farmers could confidently reduce rootworm numbers by switching their cornfields to soybeans every other year, planting corn elsewhere on their farms. The rootworms would starve to death after hatching in a soybean field the next spring. But, in recent years, farmers noticed that adult western corn rootworm beetles were flying out of the cornfields to lay eggs in soybean fields that would become cornfields the next spring when their hungry worm offspring hatched in the soil. To make matters worse, more eggs of their northern brethren started taking two years to hatch, timing their offspring perfectly for a 2-year, corn-soybean-corn rotation. And western rootworms have developed resistance to insecticides applied in fields planted to corn every year. To counter the pests' ability to adapt to various control tactics, ARS scientists are studying the resistant-insect management strategy of interplanting regular corn plants among transgenic corn plants. The idea is to delay possible development of resistance by giving any adults that fed on the transgenic corn plants--and survived--the opportunity to mate with other, non-Bt-challenged beetles, which fed on regular corn. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Fri Mar 1 10:59:56 2002 Received: from sun.ars-grin.gov (sun.ars-grin.gov [192.100.146.9]) by trance.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g21FxuQ07962 for ; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 10:59:56 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) id g21EPig12223; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 09:25:44 -0500 (EST) X-Authentication-Warning: sun.ars-grin.gov: majordom set sender to owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov using -f Received: from NancyVanatta ([199.133.27.35]) by sun.ars-grin.gov (8.10.2+Sun/8.10.2) with SMTP id g21EPhc12219 for ; Fri, 1 Mar 2002 09:25:43 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <001701c1c12c$c701f2c0$231b85c7@NancyVanatta> From: "ARS News Service" To: "ARS News List" Subject: New Test May Help Increase Sheep Production Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 09:24:10 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4807.1700 Sender: owner-ars-news@sun.ars-grin.gov Precedence: bulk Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: New Test May Help Increase Sheep Production ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov March 1, 2002 ___________________________________________ Traditionally, rams in the United States have been selected for breeding purposes on the basis of how quickly they grow and the size they ultimately attain. Soon, however, farmers may have a way to identify another important breeding characteristic before they make their selection. Agricultural Research Service scientists with the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, and their collaborators have developed a test to help identify sexually active male sheep. Between 15 and 25 percent of all male sheep in the United States may ignore ewes' mating overtures, a statistic that has major ramifications for the U.S. sheep industry. Breeding rams are usually priced between $200 and $400, and their care and maintenance can run up to $100 per year. Buying just one sexually inactive breeding ram can therefore cost a farmer up to $500; the figure goes up even further when considering lost potential. Some livestock industries use artificial insemination as a way of sidestepping the problem of variable male libidos, but this approach incurs additional labor costs. Most of those who raise range and farm flocks of sheep prefer to let their animals breed naturally. The new test--based on research by ARS animal scientist John Stellflug, colleagues at Dubois and collaborators--is based on the premise that libido is closely linked to the ability to secrete testosterone. It measures testosterone response in sires using an injection of naloxone, which blocks certain hormones to stimulate testosterone release. When a male mammal is given an injection, his testosterone response predicts whether he is sexually active or inactive. This test could impact the sheep industry by helping identify which male sheep are sexually active, thus increasing the reproductive potential of entire flocks. By replacing nonproductive males, the industry could save itself both time and money. ARS has obtained a patent on this technology and is seeking a company that may be interested in licensing it and developing a commercial product. Because some researchers have speculated that the technology may be effective for testing other species, its potential impact could be high. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: NewsService@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue May 14 10:06:41 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4EE6eg16883 for ; Tue, 14 May 2002 10:06:41 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 09:48:37 -0400 Subject: Spinning System Produces Core-Wrapped Yarn in a Single Step To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Spinning System Produces Core-Wrapped Yarn in a Single Step ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov May 14, 2002 ___________________________________________ Tandem spinning, a U.S.-patented technology, produces soft, yet strong, bicomponent yarn more than 10 times faster than conventional ring spinning systems allow. The tandem system, a combination of two different spinning technologies, was developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) in New Orleans, La. To improve the strength or performance of fabrics, many textile manufacturers combine two fiber classes, such as cotton and polyester, into one strand of yarn. Fabrics made from such yarn are called intimate blends. Although stronger than 100 percent cotton, these intimate-blend fabrics sometimes exhibit undesirable properties. For example, they frequently pill, or make lint balls on their surface as they wear, and they do not provide the comfort of a 100-percent-cotton surface. A few years ago, scientists at the SRRC developed new spinning technologies to form bicomponent, or "core-wrap," yarn in which the core material is usually a strong, synthetic fiber and the wrap/sheath is 100 percent cotton. The core contributes excellent mechanical and functional properties to the yarn, such as wrinkle resistance, and the cotton wrap provides the desired comfort characteristics. Fabric made from core-wrap yarn has added strength because of the yarn's synthetic core, yet it maintains the soft texture of cotton. To increase the productivity of core-wrap spinning, SRRC scientists, led by cotton technologist Paul Sawhney, successfully developed a tandem spinning system. The resulting yarn is exceptionally soft and well-covered and is produced at a speed at least 10 times greater than that allowed by the conventional method. In a test at SRRC, a prototype of the tandem spinning system produced a bicomponent yarn with a polyester core and a cotton sheath. The yarn was converted to twill fabric that had an almost 100-percent-cotton surface. After it was heat-set, the fabric showed unusual properties of softness, satisfactory shrink resistance and acceptable wrinkle resistance upon laundering. ARS, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has a patent on the system, which is available for licensing (Patent 5,802,826). ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed May 15 09:53:36 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4FDra010723 for ; Wed, 15 May 2002 09:53:36 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 09:40:31 -0400 Subject: Spray Weeds With Vinegar? To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Spray Weeds With Vinegar? ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, comis@ars.usda.gov May 15, 2002 ___________________________________________ Some home gardeners already use vinegar as a herbicide, and some garden stores sell vinegar pesticides. But no one has tested it scientifically until now. Agricultural Research Service scientists offer the first scientific evidence that it may be a potent weedkiller that is inexpensive and environmentally safe--perfect for organic farmers. ARS researchers Jay Radhakrishnan, John R. Teasdale and Ben Coffman in Beltsville, Md., tested vinegar on major weeds--common lamb's-quarters, giant foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and Canada thistle--in greenhouse and field studies. They hand-sprayed the weeds with various solutions of vinegar, uniformly coating the leaves. The researchers found that 5- and 10-percent concentrations killed the weeds during their first two weeks of life. Older plants required higher concentrations of vinegar to kill them. At the higher concentrations, vinegar had an 85- to 100-percent kill rate at all growth stages. A bottle of household vinegar is about a 5-percent concentration. Canada thistle, one of the most tenacious weeds in the world, proved the most susceptible; the 5-percent concentration had a 100-percent kill rate of the perennial's top growth. The 20-percent concentration can do this in about 2 hours. Spot spraying of cornfields with 20 percent vinegar killed 80 to 100 percent of weeds without harming the corn, but the scientists stress the need for more research. If the vinegar were sprayed over an entire field, it would cost about $65 per acre. If applied to local weed infestations only, such as may occur in the crop row after cultivation, it may only cost about $20 to $30. The researchers use only vinegar made from fruits or grains, to conform to organic farming standards. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu May 16 09:51:25 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4GDpPf04722 for ; Thu, 16 May 2002 09:51:25 -0400 Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 09:38:41 -0400 Subject: Homocysteine Still Incriminated in Heart Disease To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Homocysteine Still Incriminated in Heart Disease ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Rosalie Marion Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov May 16, 2002 ___________________________________________ Mounting evidence indicates that the amino acid homocysteine, when found circulating at high levels in the bloodstream, increases risk of heart attack and stroke. Because some studies contradict those findings, researchers funded by the Agricultural Research Service looked for a link among data collected from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The survey is a six-year collection of data on health and diet taken from a sample of the American population. To get the homocysteine data that underlies the study, researchers with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., proposed testing blood samples taken from the last three years--or Phase 2--of the NHANES III. Jacob Selhub, chief of the center's Vitamin Metabolism Laboratory, tested 8,585 samples taken from males and females aged 12 and above. Men and women aged 40 and older who had blood homocysteine levels of more than 12 micromoles per liter were more than twice as likely to have experienced a heart attack or stroke. According to Tuft's nutritional epidemiologist Martha Morris, who analyzed the data, the new finding shows blood homocysteine concentrations were not related to heart attack or stroke in women prior to menopause, although the relationship was strong in men of the same age group. Conversely, the relationship faded among older men and surfaced among postmenopausal women. The implication is that earlier studies found no across-the-board association between mixed groups' elevated homocysteine levels and heart disease precisely because the association is age- and gender-dependent. According to Morris, the findings support the idea that women may be protected from heart attack and stroke by their high estrogen status. Read more about effects of elevated homocysteine levels in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may02/vasc0502.htm ARS is the chief scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri May 17 09:41:53 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4HDfrf25787 for ; Fri, 17 May 2002 09:41:53 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 09:22:35 -0400 Subject: Arboretum Hosts International Bonsai Symposium To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: In Its 75th Anniversary Year, Arboretum Hosts International Bonsai Symposium ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Alfredo Flores, (301) 504-1627, aflores@ars.usda.gov May 17, 2002 ___________________________________________ Experts from around the world converged on Washington, D.C., today to attend a three-day International Scholarly Symposium on Bonsai and Viewing Stones at the U.S. National Arboretum, now celebrating its 75th anniversary. Bonsai is the art of growing dwarfed, ornamentally shaped trees or shrubs in small, shallow pots or trays. It evolved from the Chinese tradition known as penjing. The symposium is a collaborative effort to gather and exchange in-depth information about the development of the art and science of bonsai, suiseki (viewing stones) and related natural art forms. Arboretum Director Thomas S. Elias, the National Bonsai Foundation, and the Potomac Bonsai Association conceived the idea of hosting the event and attracted world-renowned experts from Japan, China and the United States. Bonsai styling and gardening is not static, but is continuously evolving, according to Elias, who serves as the historian for Bonsai Magazine, the official journal of Bonsai Clubs International. This symposium will show how the art form has evolved in its 2,000- to 3,000-year history. The symposium will feature presentations by Hideo Marushima, Japan's leading authority on both bonsai and suiseki; Arishige Matsuura, chairman of the Nippon Suiseki Association and one of the world's leading authorities on suiseki; William Valvanis, founder of the International Bonsai Arboretum in Rochester, N.Y., and publisher and editor of International Bonsai Magazine; and other leading experts. The opening day of the symposium features the dedication of the Kato Stroll Garden, which forms the entryway to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum located on the arboretum's grounds. The Kato family of Japan includes five generations of master bonsai growers. Saburo Kato, president of the Nippon Bonsai Association, will accept the honor on behalf of his family. The museum, the world's first of its kind, showcases more than 150 bonsai, including some given to the museum by the Japanese Imperial Family, along with bonsai presented to Presidents Clinton, Reagan and Nixon. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the arboretum's bonsai museum, which is currently undergoing a $1.3 million facelift. The arboretum is operated by the Agricultural Research Service, the chief scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri May 17 15:25:04 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4HJP3f08619 for ; Fri, 17 May 2002 15:25:03 -0400 Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 15:05:13 -0400 Subject: Grape Compound Shows Promise as Cancer-Preventing Agent To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Another Grape Compound Shows Promise as Cancer-Preventing Agent ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov May 17, 2002 ___________________________________________ A second compound in grapes has been found to have properties that give it promise as a cancer-preventing agent, according to an Agricultural Research Service study. That finding by ARS research chemist Agnes Rimando, at the agency's Natural Products Utilization Research Unit at Oxford, Miss., is part of a study posted on the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry's web site. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the study, Rimando reports that a compound called pterostilbene (terro-STILL-bien) possesses similar cancer chemopreventive qualities to those found in resveratrol, another compound in grapes. Pterostilbene also showed strong inhibitory activity against breast cancer cell lines. But the evidence remains preliminary and the compound has yet to be evaluated in humans, according to Rimando. In previous research, resveratrol has been credited with helping grape plants fight off fungi and has been linked to low incidences of coronary heart disease among wine-drinking populations. Unlike resveratrol, however, pterostilbene is already known to posses anti-diabetic properties. It was first isolated from red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus). Together with resveratrol, it has also been identified in Vitis vinifera (wine grape) leaves, in Chardonnay and Gamay berries infected with fungus, and in healthy Pinot Noir and Gamay berries. The study, prompted by pterostilbene's close structural similarity to resveratrol, was conducted with the use of a mouse mammary gland culture model that was exposed to a chemical carcinogen. The carcinogen caused precancerous cells on which the compound was tested. The mouse mammary gland test was performed by Rimando's collaborators at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rimando conducted the study with five other scientists, including plant physiologist Stephen O. Duke, the Natural Products Utilization Research Unit's research leader, and John M. Pezzuto and Rajendra Mehta at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study was funded by USDA, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the National Cancer Institute. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon May 20 09:56:21 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4KDuKf28714 for ; Mon, 20 May 2002 09:56:20 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 09:41:38 -0400 Subject: Protecting Cotton Seedlings From Fungal Attack To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Protecting Cotton Seedlings From Fungal Attack ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Alfredo Flores, (301) 504-1627, aflores@ars.usda.gov May 20, 2002 ___________________________________________ When planting the Sure-Grow 747 cotton variety last year, Agricultural Research Service plant pathologist Charles R. Howell was confident that his seedlings would grow just fine under ideal planting conditions. Much to his surprise, his cotton seedlings did not emerge. The culprit? A damping-off disease caused by Rhyzopus oryzae, a close relative of common bread mold. It's a disease few growers know about, even though it can strike during a typical growing season. In most cases, the disease causes plants to perish before they rise above ground. The few plants that emerge do not live long because their roots rot. Howell, based at the ARS Cotton Pathology Research Unit at College Station, Texas, doubts that many farmers realize when this particular problem is happening. They just chalk it up to ordinary cotton seedling disease. To make matters worse, typical seed treatment fungicides aren't effective against R. oryzae. For example, there is another more common pre-emergence damping-off disease, caused by the mold Pythium ultimum, that also can be fatal to cotton seedlings germinating under very damp soil conditions. But the seed treatment fungicide normally used to control P. ultimum has no effect on R. oryzae. To solve this problem, Howell has devised a biological control treatment using the fungus Trichoderma virens. It is grown in liquid cultures, then the solids are dried and ground up. When applied in granular form, this agent controls both P. ultimumand R. oryzae on cotton seed by preventing germination of these molds. Howell has been working on this project since 2000 and now is talking to crop protection product companies to see if they are interested in commercializing his new product. According to National Cotton Council data, nearly 2.5 percent of the estimated loss in U.S. cotton bales in 2001 was due to seedling diseases, at a cost of approximately $170 million. It is unknown how much of this may be attributed to R. oryzae. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's primary scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon May 20 11:19:06 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4KFJ5f32088 for ; Mon, 20 May 2002 11:19:05 -0400 Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 10:55:14 -0400 Subject: Latest ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Latest ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov May 20, 2002 ___________________________________________ The Agricultural Research Service has posted the May 2002 issue of the Food & Nutrition Research Briefs on its web site at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb The Research Briefs presents updates about ARS research in human nutrition, food freshness and safety, and new foods. Visitors to the web site can subscribe to receive future issues of the Briefs by e-mail. Among the items in the May 2002 issue: * Breads that taste great, yet are made with less fat than usual, may result from ARS and university experiments with waxy durum wheats. * Producers of popular peppers can learn more about their crop from ARS studies. * A new investigation may determine whether women can take iron supplements during pregnancy without interfering with their bodies' uptake and use of another essential mineral, zinc. * Attractive red beans with better yields and improved disease resistance are being developed from breeding lines produced by ARS researchers and their university colleagues. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Contact: Marcia Wood, USDA-ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, MD 20705; phone (301) 504-1662, fax (301) 504-1641, e-mail marciawood@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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue May 21 09:59:36 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4LDxZv16878 for ; Tue, 21 May 2002 09:59:35 -0400 Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 09:45:35 -0400 Subject: Moisture in Cotton: Getting It Just Right To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Moisture in Cotton: Getting It Just Right ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov May 21, 2002 ___________________________________________ Maintaining proper moisture in cotton bales is critical for successful textile processing. Too little moisture makes cotton susceptible to damage, while too much makes it stick to machinery components. That is why Agricultural Research Service scientists are working with a Tennessee-based company to find easier ways to regulate moisture throughout processing. The work at the ARS Cotton Quality Research Unit in Clemson, S.C., is part of a three-year cooperative research and development agreement with Cotton Conditioners, Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn. The goal is to see how various approaches tried in the lab hold up in a real-world setting. Researchers also want to develop, evaluate and commercialize an effective automated system to control moisture in cotton during processing in textile mills. In the laboratory tests, ARS scientists led by textile technologist David D. McAlister sought to determine precise amounts of moisture needed to best maintain fiber properties, improve processing and increase yarn quality. The amount of moisture added will vary from process to process, based upon factors such as the cotton's variety, surface wax and cleanability. The scientists used various methods to condition samples taken from bales of cotton. Some samples were left in ambient room conditions, while others were sprayed with water, both with and without a wetting agent to improve absorption. The team then measured fiber properties and yarn tensile strength of each sample to see which moisture level most improved the cotton fiber's ability to be processed. Cotton is the world's most widely used textile fiber, with U.S. growers providing 20 percent of the world's output. Read more about this research in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine, on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may02/cotton0502.htm ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed May 22 09:47:42 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4MDlfm07244 for ; Wed, 22 May 2002 09:47:41 -0400 Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 09:35:51 -0400 Subject: Salt-Tolerant Forages for Irrigated Areas To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Salt-Tolerant Forages for Irrigated Areas ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov May 22, 2002 ___________________________________________ Alfalfa may help solve a problem that's been plaguing farmers and land managers for years in California, according to scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and their collaborators. The state's San Joaquin Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural areas, sometimes referred to as "the nation's salad bowl." Unfortunately, the irrigation systems that bring water to the valley's fruits and vegetables also transport salts that thwart plant growth. Salt makes it harder for plants to absorb the water they need. In view of the restrictions on discharge of drainage waters and in an effort to use water more efficiently, members of the federal/state interagency San Joaquin Valley Drainage Implementation Program recommended that farmers plant salt-tolerant vegetation and use saline drainage water to irrigate it. A few years ago, ARS scientists at the George E. Brown, Jr., Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, Calif., tested eucalyptus to see if it would be effective at extracting excess saline drainage water. They found that although eucalyptus trees can survive on a diet of salty water, they suffer from salt stress. The trees don't die, but they don't grow either, so they don't use up very much of the saline water. Since then, the scientists have turned their attention from eucalyptus to salt-tolerant forages--plants that could possibly reduce drainage water volumes while producing a feed source for sheep and dairy cattle. Along with collaborators at the University of California-Davis and California State University-Fresno, the salinity lab scientists conducted a controlled study to evaluate promising forage crops. The researchers used an elaborate sand-tank system at the salinity lab and tested a variety of forage species. They ranked these species by factors such as production potential and forage quality. Overall, alfalfa cultivars performed best under the controlled conditions of the experiment. Although the results are promising, the researchers will conduct field tests and ruminant nutritional studies before they make any recommendations. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu May 23 09:49:40 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4NDnem32154 for ; Thu, 23 May 2002 09:49:40 -0400 Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 09:38:29 -0400 Subject: New Way to View, Identify Minute Pests To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: New Way to View, Identify Minute Pests ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov May 23, 2002 ___________________________________________ Getting a better microscopic view of a mite is now possible using a new specimen holder designed by Agricultural Research Service botanist Eric Erbe. According to Erbe, who works with the Soybean Genomics Improvement Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., the specially built holder is an important accessory for scientists interested in obtaining more complete descriptions of mites, insects and other pests. Accurate identifications of the pests are an important step toward reducing or preventing the economic losses mites cause, estimated to be billions of dollars annually. The new holder improves the accuracy of viewing mites and other species of insects and nematodes through low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM), the method that produces those scary, detailed close-ups that look like they belong in a science fiction movie. Standard specimen holders for LTSEM viewing can cost several hundred dollars apiece, an expense that sometimes curbs experiments requiring multiple holders. Holders are also limited by the microscope stage's tilt capabilities, making it difficult for researchers to see all sides of a specimen once it is placed into the microscope. Erbe's innovative holder, made of scrap metal, allows a 90-degree tilt for observation of the edges of flat specimens. It can also be used to obtain side, front and back views of specimens normally mounted with just the top side exposed. Rotating samples in the new holder yields a series of micrographs that provides a 360-degree view of an object or specimen. Erbe has developed a unique display of insects and mites by turning these micrographs into what he calls box photos. A single photographed layout of the top and sides of a mite, insect or nematode can be copied, cut and folded to form a cube that displays the creature in three dimensions. Read more about this technology in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may02/mite0502.htm Create a sample "box mite" from ARS' Sci4Kids web site at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/weirdscience/story7/buildamite.htm ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri May 24 09:34:31 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4ODYVj23159 for ; Fri, 24 May 2002 09:34:31 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 09:20:38 -0400 Subject: New Sorghums Thrive Under Typical U.S. Day Length To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: New Sorghums Thrive Under Typical U.S. Day Length ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@ars.usda.gov May 24, 2002 ___________________________________________ New sorghums that flourish under day length conditions typical in the Unites States could result from a large-scale genetic screening program now being coordinated by Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators. The ARS Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit in Griffin, Ga., under the direction of sorghum coordinator Gary Pederson, provided almost 25,000 sorghum accessions to researchers who then evaluated them for a trait known as photoperiod sensitivity. Photoperiod--the cycle of light and darkness a plant receives--is tied to day length, which increases during the long days of the U.S. growing season. Certain sorghums don't grow well during these long days in the United States. Only sorghum that is insensitive to day length will reach full maturity and produce harvestable seed in this country. The sorghum accessions tested were obtained from the ARS national "active collection" of sorghum germplasm. In Texas, scientists grew the plants and evaluated them for their photoperiod sensitivity. This was an ARS collaboration with the Sorghum Crop Germplasm Committee, National Grain Sorghum Producers, and university and industry scientists. In this cooperative study, scientists determined that 4,193 accessions should be selected because they are less sensitive to day length. That quality was then entered into the Germplasm Resources Information Network (www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/) for use by researchers worldwide. In spring 2001, seed from these accessions was sent to cooperating private companies so that additional seed could be produced from these plants. This seed was then sent back to the Griffin lab for processing, cleaning, and counting for distribution during spring 2002 to sorghum breeders and other interested users. The seeds will be grown out at locations in Texas and Kansas this summer for evaluation. Distribution of seed allows plant breeders to incorporate new genetic diversity into crops and provides growers with cultivars that have desirable genetic traits for various growing conditions. The national sorghum collection is evaluated and regenerated at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and a base collection is maintained in long-term storage at Ft. Collins, Colo. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue May 28 09:40:38 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4SDecI08634 for ; Tue, 28 May 2002 09:40:38 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 09:29:26 -0400 Subject: Unruly Arundo donax Targeted by Weed Experts To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Unruly Arundo donax Targeted by Weed Experts ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov May 28, 2002 ___________________________________________ >From California to Maryland, a streamside invader called giant reed or giant cane is crowding out native trees like alders, cottonwoods and willows. Known to scientists as Arundo donax, this member of the grass family sports feathery white plumes called panicles and can grow 3 to 7 inches a day, reaching 30 feet in height. But little is known about the biology and ecology of this aggressive weed, according to Agricultural Research Service ecologist David F. Spencer at Davis, Calif. He is with the ARS Exotic and Invasive Weed Research Unit. Spencer and ARS technician Greg G. Ksander, also at Davis, are developing equations that predict this troublesome plant's growth at various times of its life under various environmental conditions. During some of these stages and climatic conditions, the weed may be particularly vulnerable to control tactics, such as spraying it with herbicides or unleashing beneficial insects to attack it, Spencer noted. Fish and wildlife specialists, water-district managers and other streamkeepers throughout the United States can apply the data derived from the equations. That will help them pinpoint the timing that makes the best use of herbicides, biological control insects or other tools to battle Arundo. In one experiment, Spencer and Ksander are determining how specific temperatures affect the plant's ability to sprout. They found that cuttings of aboveground stems and thick underground stems called rhizomes, kept indoors in temperature-controlled growth chambers, sprouted at 57 degrees F or 68 F. At 45 degrees F, no shoots grew from rhizome sections. At that temperature, only a single shoot sprouted from a stem cutting, but soon died. Results from tests with rhizomes that the researchers planted outdoors at Davis showed that shoots first appeared in late March, when the average weekly temperature was 53 degrees F. New shoots continued to emerge until November. The scientists will work this new temperature data into equations that relate sprouting to temperature and to number of days elapsed. ARS is the U. S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed May 29 08:54:12 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4TCsCI29003 for ; Wed, 29 May 2002 08:54:12 -0400 Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 08:06:42 -0400 Subject: National Arboretum Still Beautiful at 75 To: "ARS News subscriber" <> From: "ARS News Service" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: U.S. National Arboretum--Still Beautiful at 75 ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Alfredo Flores, (301) 504-1627, aflores@ars.usda.gov May 29, 2002 ___________________________________________ The U.S. National Arboretum, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has some impressive numbers to show for three-quarters of a century in the nation's capital. Each year, more than half a million visitors from all parts of the world come to view the 9,000 different kinds of plants growing inside the arboretum's 446 acres in Washington, D.C., showing that the arboretum is a valuable facility for both research and public education. More than 250,000 visit "virtually," through the World Wide Web at http://www.usna.usda.gov, to ask questions about the arboretum and gardening. Scientists in the arboretum's Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit use classical breeding, genetic engineering, molecular biology, entomology and virology to solve horticultural problems encountered by industry professionals as well as by recreational gardeners. Topping the list of industry needs is finding hardy plants that are resistant to diseases and pests. Researchers recently used a technique called polymerase chain reaction to confirm the presence of plum pox virus, detect different strains and assess their potential damage to host plants. This virus is of great concern to the stone fruit industry that includes plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines. Developing elm trees resistant to Dutch elm disease and preserving the historic Yoshino cherry trees that ring Washington's Tidal Basin are two of the arboretum's best-known recent accomplishments. But over the course of its history, the arboretum and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which administers the arboretum, have introduced more than 665 new plant releases and have secured 13 patents and two Environmental Protection Agency biopesticide registrations. A more in-depth article about the arboretum appears in the May issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may02/arbor0502.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's primary scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu May 30 09:45:49 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4UDjmN25818 for ; Thu, 30 May 2002 09:45:48 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:31:35 -0400 Subject: New Trap To Control Silverleaf Whiteflies To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: New Trap To Control Silverleaf Whiteflies ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA David Elstein, (301) 504-1654, delstein@ars.usda.gov May 30, 2002 ___________________________________________ A new inexpensive, environmentally friendly trap developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists in Phoenix, Ariz., captures pesky silverleaf whiteflies that cause millions of dollars a year in damage to field and greenhouse crops. The trap was developed by plant physiologist Chang-Chi Chu and Thomas Henneberry, director of the ARS Western Cotton Research Laboratory in Phoenix. The new trap is an improvement on their CC Trap developed in 1996 to monitor whiteflies in the field. The new trap is known as a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Equipped CC (LED-CC) Trap. The original trap only captured enough whiteflies to be used for monitoring whitefly population levels. But the new version captures so many whiteflies--in the greenhouse and outdoors--that it has potential to be used in control programs, not just for monitoring population levels. The new trap contains a green LED light that has been used as a pilot light in many types of electronic equipment and appliances. The whiteflies are attracted to this light and then get caught in the trap, which looks like an overturned plastic cup with a yellow ring on the bottom. The LED-CC trap works especially well at night in attracting whiteflies. Also, LED-CC traps are inexpensive and durable. Chu points out that one of the major benefits of the LED-CC Trap is that it is "whitefly parasite friendly"--unlike many other traps on the market. That means the new trap will control whiteflies without harming beneficial insects that attack whiteflies. The new trap also captures and kills whiteflies without the use of pesticides. The original CC trap, used for field monitoring, pinpointed infestations so that farmers could then initiate control actions based on the severity of the infestation. The original CC Trap was a definite improvement on the popular yellow sticky card trap that caught other insects, as well as dust. Scientists and farmers are just starting to receive information about the LED-CC Trap, but there is already high initial interest because of the trap's potential for controlling whiteflies. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri May 31 09:30:39 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4VDUdN18996 for ; Fri, 31 May 2002 09:30:39 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 09:17:03 -0400 Subject: Scientists Take on Termites at the Capitol To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Scientists Take on Termites at the Capitol ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov May 31, 2002 ___________________________________________ Earlier this spring, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in New Orleans, La., were called upon to investigate an infestation of termites at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Termites, which typically swarm between January and June depending on type, made an appearance this February in the historic building. William Pessagno of the U.S. Capitol superintendent's office had been working with a private contractor to control the problem. However, when two treatments with a commercial termiticide failed to stop swarming activity, he contacted ARS researchers at the Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans for additional help. Termite samples sent from Washington were identified by SRRC entomologists as Reticulitermes virginicus, a native subterranean species. This identification came as something of a relief to caretakers of the Capitol. Although destructive, native termites are easier to control than Coptotermes formosanus--or Formosan subterranean termite--an exotic species the SRRC scientists are now studying. C. formosanus has established itself in Hawaii, Louisiana and other southern states. At the Capitol, all infested baseboards have been removed from the affected room, and insecticide has been applied around its perimeter. No subsequent termite activity has been detected, but SRRC researchers will continue to follow up on control measures. In New Orleans, which hosts the largest concentration of Formosan subterranean termites in the continental United States, SRRC scientists and their collaborators have expanded a termite control testing area from 15 to 30 blocks in the French Quarter. This large-area test is part of Operation Full Stop, a national campaign to reduce the number of Formosan termites in the United States. Formosan termites are more aggressive than native species, live in much larger colonies and are more voracious feeders. They can penetrate plaster, plastic and asphalt to get to a new food source. Results from the 15-block testing area have been promising. Scientists hope to continue suppressing and eliminating Formosan populations in the larger testing area. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue May 14 10:06:41 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g4EE6eg16883 for ; Tue, 14 May 2002 10:06:41 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 09:48:37 -0400 Subject: Spinning System Produces Core-Wrapped Yarn in a Single Step To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Spinning System Produces Core-Wrapped Yarn in a Single Step ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov May 14, 2002 ___________________________________________ Tandem spinning, a U.S.-patented technology, produces soft, yet strong, bicomponent yarn more than 10 times faster than conventional ring spinning systems allow. The tandem system, a combination of two different spinning technologies, was developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) in New Orleans, La. To improve the strength or performance of fabrics, many textile manufacturers combine two fiber classes, such as cotton and polyester, into one strand of yarn. Fabrics made from such yarn are called intimate blends. Although stronger than 100 percent cotton, these intimate-blend fabrics sometimes exhibit undesirable properties. For example, they frequently pill, or make lint balls on their surface as they wear, and they do not provide the comfort of a 100-percent-cotton surface. A few years ago, scientists at the SRRC developed new spinning technologies to form bicomponent, or "core-wrap," yarn in which the core material is usually a strong, synthetic fiber and the wrap/sheath is 100 percent cotton. The core contributes excellent mechanical and functional properties to the yarn, such as wrinkle resistance, and the cotton wrap provides the desired comfort characteristics. Fabric made from core-wrap yarn has added strength because of the yarn's synthetic core, yet it maintains the soft texture of cotton. To increase the productivity of core-wrap spinning, SRRC scientists, led by cotton technologist Paul Sawhney, successfully developed a tandem spinning system. The resulting yarn is exceptionally soft and well-covered and is produced at a speed at least 10 times greater than that allowed by the conventional method. In a test at SRRC, a prototype of the tandem spinning system produced a bicomponent yarn with a polyester core and a cotton sheath. The yarn was converted to twill fabric that had an almost 100-percent-cotton surface. After it was heat-set, the fabric showed unusual properties of softness, satisfactory shrink resistance and acceptable wrinkle resistance upon laundering. ARS, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has a patent on the system, which is available for licensing (Patent 5,802,826). ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is | phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon Jun 3 14:09:52 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g53I9qt14522 for ; Mon, 3 Jun 2002 14:09:52 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 13:56:38 -0400 Subject: Peter R. Young Named National Agricultural Library Director To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Peter R. Young Named National Agricultural Library Director ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Len Carey, (301)504-5564, lcarey@nal.usda.gov June 3, 2002 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, June 3--Under Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Jen has named Peter R. Young as director of the National Agricultural Library. Young has been chief of the cataloging distribution service at the Library of Congress (LC) since 1997, where he directed distribution of LC bibliographic and authority products, services and technical publications for the United States. Since November 2001 he has served also as acting chief of the Asian Division at the Library of Congress, where he managed staff, services and programs related to LC's 2-million-item Asian vernacular language collections. "We are extremely pleased to have Peter at the helm of the National Agricultural Library," said Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics Joseph Jen. "His wealth of experience in the international library and information arenas will be an asset in serving the needs of USDA's global agricultural research and education communities." As director of the National Agricultural Library (NAL), Young will provide leadership and direction for the library's broad programs and technical information services. NAL is one of four national libraries and the principal source in the United States for information about food, agriculture and natural resources. The NAL's expert staff, large and accessible collections and leadership role in information services and technology applications make it the world's foremost agricultural library. Young has held professional positions in college, university, research and public libraries and also has government and industry experience. From 1990 to 1997, he served as executive director of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, an independent federal agency established in 1970 to advise the president and the Congress regarding library and information services and policies. He has been an academic library administrator at Rice University, Franklin and Marshall College, and American University and served as assistant director of the Grand Rapids (Mich.) public library. He served in the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division in 1969 and was awarded three bronze star medals for meritorious achievement directing a Special Services Library in Cu Chi, Vietnam. Young earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, and a master's degree in library science from Columbia University's School of Library Service. NAL is part of the Agricultural Research Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. The NAL web site, http://www.nal.usda.gov/, is its electronic gateway to a wealth of agricultural information resources. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed Jun 5 09:46:48 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g55Dkmt26509 for ; Wed, 5 Jun 2002 09:46:48 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 09:33:27 -0400 Subject: Scientists "Sketch" Genetic Profile of Honeybee Attacker To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD, Scientists "Sketch" Genetic Profile of Honeybee Attacker ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@ars.usda.gov June 5, 2002 ___________________________________________ Mapping a key genetic component of the varroa mite is in the works to expedite studies aimed at monitoring the tiny, bloodsucking parasite and minimizing its harm to honey bees. Agricultural Research Service scientists are mapping genes in mitochondria. In the cells of varroa mites and other organisms, including honey bees and human beings, mitochondria function as tiny power plants that fuel the cells' metabolic machinery. Of specific interest to ARS entomologist Jay Evans is variation in the genes encoded within the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the varroa's mitochondria. Compared to the mite's entire genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contains fewer genes--and these genes are easier to identify. Using standard molecular procedures, including polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, Evans and coworkers at the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., have decoded the sequence for most of the parasite's mtDNA. Once finished, they'll look for genetic markers associated with particular traits of interest, such as virulence (destructiveness in honey bee hives) and pesticide resistance. Also of interest is using the markers to help resolve taxonomic uncertainties surrounding the mite's identity and origins as a honey bee pest. And the marker technology should help identify any new, accidental introductions of the varroa mite. Since arriving in Florida in the 1980s, the mite has spread across the nation to become a top pest of both feral and managed honey bees, whose crop-pollinating activity is considered a $14-billion asset to agriculture. About a millimeter long, the reddish-brown varroa mite can kill or weaken adult and larval bees by sucking their blood and can also expose bees to diseases, according to Evans. Severe attacks that go unchecked can easily destroy an entire hive, he adds. A longer story about Evans' research appears in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/mite0602.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu Jun 6 10:01:12 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g56E1Ct25046 for ; Thu, 6 Jun 2002 10:01:12 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 09:47:01 -0400 Subject: FANTESK-tic Fried Shrimp To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: FANTESK-tic Fried Shrimp ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@ars.usda.gov June 6, 2002 ___________________________________________ Fantesk(TM), a new, multi-use starch-based product patented by the Agricultural Research Service and licensed to Azure Waves Seafood, Inc. (AWSI) of Cincinnati, Ohio, recently debuted in frozen breaded shrimp at 62 Kroger grocery stores in Ohio and Kentucky, with other locations to follow. Fantesk is the invention of chemists George F. Fanta and the late Kenneth Eskins. Fanta works at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill. Together, Fanta and Eskins devised a steam jet cooking process to combine cornstarch, vegetable oil and water--which normally don't mix-- into a creamlike substance that has many useful properties. Since patenting Fantesk in 1995 on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS has issued three licenses on the technology, including an exclusive license on its use as a flavor-releasing agent in frozen seafood to AWSI. Under a cooperative research and development agreement, Fanta and Harith Razaa, chief executive officer of AWSI, collaborated on ways of using Fantesk to produce a line of frozen shrimp that retain their flavor upon cooking. Razaa also sought to develop a fried shrimp product that had less breading than other frozen seafood brands he had sampled. By encapsulating flavor compounds in tiny droplets of oil, Fantesk offered a new way to enhance the breading's herbs and spices. AWSI has a contract with Kroger to test-market the frozen breaded shrimp at stores in Ohio and Kentucky under the label Blue Harbor Inn Premium Seafood. Azure also plans to expand its test- marketing to locations in Indiana and Illinois. Eskins and Fanta initially developed Fantesk as part of the ARS center's mission of developing new, value-added products from surplus cornstarch, vegetable oil and other agricultural commodities. Collaborating ARS scientists have also shown that Fantesk can be used as a fat replacer in ice cream, cheese, sauces, ground meats and other foods. ARS is the USDA's chief scientific research agency. You can read more about Fantesk at: http://www.ncaur.usda.gov/bmp/fantesk/main.html#anchor373873 The AWSI web page address is: http://www.blueharborinn.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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri Jun 7 09:46:37 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g57Dkbt19811 for ; Fri, 7 Jun 2002 09:46:37 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 09:32:29 -0400 Subject: Study May Help Stop Mormon Cricket Scourge To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Dinosaur Monument Study May Help Stop Mormon Cricket Scourge ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov June 7, 2002 ___________________________________________ Data from a study commencing this July at Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado may help scientists predict which areas are most at risk for invasion by bands of Mormon crickets, according to an ecologist with the Agricultural Research Service. Mormon crickets, which are actually a species of katydid, can cause widespread damage to agricultural areas when their numbers swell. Under outbreak conditions, bands of up to 100,000 flightless crickets roam across the land, devouring crops, grasses and ornamentals they encounter. They can travel as far as a mile and a half per day. During the study, researchers will use a combination of radio telemetry and harmonic radar to keep track of migratory cricket bands in and around the Colorado park. They hope to discover the environmental cues that determine which direction the bands will move in, how fast they'll go, and how far they'll travel. The new study is a collaborative research project between ecologist Greg Sword of ARS' Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, Mont., and Darryl Gwynne and Pat Lorch of the University of Toronto at Mississauga in Ontario, Canada. The researchers chose to base their study at Dinosaur National Monument because it is a protected habitat. Control efforts by ranchers and other federal agencies are prohibited, so the scientists will be able to study the insects' natural behavior and movements. If the scientists can gather enough data, they may be able to develop models for predicting band movements during future outbreaks, according to Sword. These models would help increase the efficiency of pesticide applications and reduce pesticide exposure of nontarget species. Last year, Mormon crickets caused more than $25 million in damage in Utah alone. Experts believe this year's losses could be even worse because of the huge numbers of nymphs--or young crickets--counted after this year's hatch. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon Jun 10 09:51:42 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5ADpgt03577 for ; Mon, 10 Jun 2002 09:51:42 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 09:36:54 -0400 Subject: Bugs Behind the Scenes at Natural History Museum To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Bugs Behind the Scenes at Natural History Museum ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov June 10, 2002 ___________________________________________ Few visitors to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., realize Agricultural Research Service work is under way there. Yet ARS scientists help tend each day to the National Collection of Insects and Mites. Even people with a scant knowledge of insects would be impressed with what's behind the scenes at the museum, which is located on the Mall and is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The bug collection is one of the world's largest and serves as the primary repository for specimens of insects, mites and spiders. It is rich not only in U.S. acquisitions, but also in materials from around the globe. Specimens range from a tiny parasitic wasp no bigger than a bacterium to foot-long walking sticks from the wilds of Borneo. With more than 35 million specimens, the collections' sheer size dictates that some be kept at the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL) in Beltsville, Md., and at the Smithsonian's Museum Support Center in Suitland, Md. According to Michael E. Schauff, SEL research leader, having a laboratory in the heart of Washington--especially in the National Museum of Natural History--is ideal because it offers researchers access to world-class resources. SEL scientists perform biosystematic research primarily on insects of agricultural importance and furnish identifications for USDA agencies, state agricultural organizations, universities and the general public. Smithsonian curators generally work on groups of bugs that do not have such a high agricultural profile. The museum hosts entomologists and technicians from other government agencies as well as researchers from all over the world. On one recent day, visiting scientists from India, Kazakhstan, Russia, Brazil and Israel used the collections for their work. Read more about this research in the June issue of Agricultural Research Magazine online at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/bugs0602.htm ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon Jun 10 10:01:12 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5AE1Ct03981 for ; Mon, 10 Jun 2002 10:01:12 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 09:43:10 -0400 Subject: E-mail Lists Tell What's New for Kids at Science Web Sites To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: E-mail Lists Tell What's New for Kids at Science Web Sites ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov June 10, 2002 ___________________________________________ The Agricultural Research Service has now made it easy to know when something new is posted on the agency's popular web sites geared for kids. Kids and teachers can now sign up for e-mail alerts that arrive whenever a new story is posted at Science for Kids or its Spanish-language equivalent, Ciencia Para Niņos. The web sites are geared mainly for kids age 8 to 13 and are designed to nurture an interest in science by explaining, often in playful ways, how science affects everyday life and why it can make an interesting career. The English and Spanish sites can help educators, as well as kids, on three levels: science, language and computer usage. For kids, it's just plain fun. On the home page of each site, a landscape of familiar and odd images invite kids to explore stories about ARS scientific research on nutrition, plants, insects, animals and other topics. Each site offers more than 50 different fun-filled and informative stories and features. In the center of the home page stands Dr. Watts, the guide who stands ready to answer questions kids have about agricultural research. Science for Kids is on the Internet at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids Ciencia Para Niņos is at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/espanol/kids The sign-up pages for the e-mail lists are at: English-- http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/scientists/subscribe.htm Spanish-- http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/espanol/kids/scientists/subscribe.htm ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue Jun 11 12:15:23 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5BGFNt08341 for ; Tue, 11 Jun 2002 12:15:23 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 12:01:47 -0400 Subject: Arboretum Awards Medal to Lady Bird Johnson To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: NEWS RELEASE: Arboretum Awards Medal to Lady Bird Johnson ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Alfredo Flores, (301) 504-1627, aflores@ars.usda.gov June 11, 2002 ___________________________________________ WASHINGTON, June 11--Former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and her Committee for a More Beautiful Capital have won the U.S. National Arboretum's first Gold Medal Award for their efforts to enhance the beauty of the nation's capital with trees, flowers and other ornamental plantings. The U.S. National Arboretum is in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Johnson and her committee will receive the award in October as part of the arboretum's year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary. The arboretum is operated by the Agricultural Research Service, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Lady Bird Johnson has initiated many environmental improvements and beautification efforts nationally, not only when she was First Lady, but throughout much of her life," said Arboretum Director Thomas Elias. "Her efforts to beautify the environment with plants epitomize the arboretum's mission, which is to conduct research, provide education, and conserve and display trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants to enhance the environment." Mrs. Johnson and the surviving members of the committee will be presented with the award at a formal dinner at the arboretum on Oct. 3. The award will consist of an original medal, provided by the Friends of the National Arboretum and designed by Cissel Gott Collins of the Washington-based Gott Group design firm, and an official certificate of appreciation from the arboretum. Mrs. Johnson created the committee in 1965, while her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, was president. After leaving the capital, Mrs. Johnson focused her energies on the beautification of her native Texas, working with the Texas Highway Department to preserve the natural beauty of wildflowers along interstates and freeways. In 1982, she founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to continue the mission of changing attitudes toward native plants. In attendance at today's announcement was Marlene Richardson, producer of a Public Broadcasting System documentary on Mrs. Johnson's work. Filmed over the past three years, it is called "Lady Bird, Naturally" and will air on PBS stations this month. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed Jun 12 09:43:10 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5CDh9t28924 for ; Wed, 12 Jun 2002 09:43:09 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 09:31:36 -0400 Subject: Friendly Bacteria Help Fight Potato Rot Fungi To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Friendly Bacteria Help Fight Potato Rot Fungi ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@ars.usda.gov June 12, 2002 ___________________________________________ Soil-dwelling bacteria are scientists' latest weapon against an unsightly post-harvest disease called dry rot that costs U.S. potato growers as much as $250 million annually in tuber losses. Agricultural Research Service scientists Patricia Slininger, David Schisler and colleagues are testing the bacteria as a biological alternative to thiabendazole (TBZ), a chemical fungicide that's losing its effectiveness against Fusarium sambucinum, the main culprit behind dry rot. Through ARS, its in-house research agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture holds two patents on the bacteria as biological dry rot control agents. A third patent covers their use to inhibit sprouting, another costly potato storage problem. The two scientists began exploring the bacteria's biocontrol potential in 1994, when a third ARS researcher--Ann Desjardens--reported TBZ resistance in 90 percent of dry rot strains she isolated from potato fields. At ARS' National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., Slininger and Schisler researched different physical and nutritional conditions for mass-producing the bacteria in liquid culture and keeping them viable during cold storage. Lab tests and trial runs in potato storage houses indicate that spraying tubers with the bacteria can diminish dry rot disease by 59 percent or more. The six Pseudomonas and Enterobacter strains being tested are harmless to humans, but form a living bandage around potato wound sites that stymies dry rot infections. The bacteria secrete natural antibiotics that suppress the dry rot fungus. One such antibiotic, indoleacetic acid, may also help retard sprouting on stored potatoes. Cultures of some of the biocontrol bacteria seem to retard stored potato sprouting nearly as well as 1-methylethyl-3-chlorophenylcarbamate (CIPC). Although used on more than half the U.S. potato crop, CIPC faces tighter regulation due to concerns over its persistence in the environment and on the spuds. Now that the patents are available for licensing, the Peoria scientists are seeking a commercial partner to adapt the technology for market use. A longer story about their work appears in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine on the Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/fungus0602.htm ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu Jun 13 09:40:15 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5DDeFt28461 for ; Thu, 13 Jun 2002 09:40:15 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 09:28:06 -0400 Subject: Dietary Habits Associated With Esophageal Cancer To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Dietary Habits Associated With Esophageal Cancer ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Rosalie Marion Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov June 13, 2002 ___________________________________________ Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service recently studied dietary habits that might ward off esophageal cancer, a form so deadly only about 12 percent of those diagnosed survive five years. Other studies have found a strong association between esophageal cancer and acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which affects 7 million Americans annually. The ARS-funded analysis was overseen by Katherine Tucker, director of the Dietary Assessment Research Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., and included researchers from the National Cancer Institute. The scientists looked at consumption habits of about 700 people who were asked to recall how frequently they ate 54 specific food items. Their responses ultimately formed the basis of six dietary patterns identified. The dietary patterns were labeled "healthy," "high meat," "high salty snacks," "high dessert," "high milk," and "high white bread." The "healthy" dietary pattern tended to have the lowest risk of esophageal cancer. That diet was high in fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Foods eaten in that group were good sources of carotenoids, vitamin C, dietary fiber and B vitamins. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid suggests two to three servings of protein each day from a varied group that includes poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts, as well as meats. But those in the "high-meat" pattern consumed about three servings per day of red or processed meats alone. Those whose diet fell in the "high-meat" pattern--who also had lower fruit and vegetable intakes--had a 3.6 times higher risk of esophageal cancer than did those in the "healthy" dietary pattern. They also had an almost three times higher risk for stomach cancer. While grouping data by patterns is a subjective science, the researchers found that similar patterns emerged during other investigations involving various populations. Still, larger confirmational studies are needed. The research was published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. ARS is the chief scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu Jun 13 13:47:35 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5DHlZt09314 for ; Thu, 13 Jun 2002 13:47:35 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 13:33:47 -0400 Subject: Historical Maryland Wye Oak Photos Featured on NAL Web Site To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Historical Maryland Wye Oak Photos Featured on NAL Web Site ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Len Carey, 301 504-5564, lcarey@nal.usda.gov June 13, 2002 ___________________________________________ In the week after Maryland's famous Wye Oak was felled in a June 6 thunderstorm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library (NAL) has made available a web site (http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/images1/wye.html) featuring historic photos of the majestic tree. The photos of the Wye Oak are in the Forest Service Historical Photograph Collection, part of nearly 60,000 mounted black-and-white photographs in the NAL's special collections. Photographs from the 1920s and 1930s show the Wye Oak as a tree that is an important part of Maryland's history. Housed at the National Agricultural Library since 1985, the Forest Service Historical Photograph Collection is one of the library's most frequently used resources. The photographs document an array of subjects dating back to the 1890s, including homesteading, Smokey Bear (the real cub), the Civilian Conservation Corps, early logging techniques and equipment, smokejumpers, forest fires, cowboys, miners, famous conservationists including John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt, and famous trees including the Wye Oak. For access to the Wye Oak photographs and other resources in the NAL's special collections, contact staff at (301) 504-6503 or e-mail speccoll@nal.usda.gov. The National Agricultural Library is the world's largest and most accessible agricultural library. The library's web site (http://www.nal.usda.gov) is its electronic gateway to a wealth of agricultural resources. The NAL is part of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri Jun 14 06:31:23 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5EAVMt18753 for ; Fri, 14 Jun 2002 06:31:22 -0400 Message-Id: X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.5.1 Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 06:08:01 -0400 From: ARS News Service To: ARS News subscriber Subject: Sunbutter--a Peanut Butter Alternative Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=_F6AACF6A.4B2A450C" List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: This is a MIME message. If you are reading this text, you may want to consider changing to a mail reader or gateway that understands how to properly handle MIME multipart messages. --=_F6AACF6A.4B2A450C Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable STORY LEAD: Sunbutter--a Peanut Butter Alternative ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA June 14, 2002 Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov ___________________________________________ Children allergic to peanuts may soon have something to cheer about--a new = sandwich spread in their school cafeterias that goes great with jelly but = isn't peanut butter.=20 =20 The new product, Sunbutter, contains sunflower seeds as its main ingredient= . It was developed through an agreement between the Agricultural Research = Service (ARS) and Red River Commodities, Inc., a major sunflower seed = producer based in Fargo, N.D. Red River Commodities will officially unveil the new product tomorrow at = the Institute of Food Technologists 2002 Annual Meeting in Anaheim, = Calif.=20 The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that 3 = million Americans are allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts, with symptoms = ranging from a mild case of hives to severe anaphylactic shock. Because = children make up a growing number of those allergic, some schools have = opted not to allow peanut butter in their cafeterias. Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, zinc and = iron. Although they are a popular peanut alternative, no company has ever = successfully marketed a spreadable sunflower seed butter. Last year, Red = River Commodities decided to try, with the help of the ARS Southern = Regional Research Center in New Orleans, La.=20 According to Isabel Lima, an SRRC research chemist, Sunbutter is different = from the unpalatable sunflower spreads of the past--it's really, really = good.=20 The secret's in the seeds. Lima and SRRC food technologist Harmeet Guraya = discovered a way to process them naturally so that they taste "nutbuttery" = when they are blended with other ingredients. Since the mixing machine Red = River uses was purchased specifically to make Sunbutter and the sunflowers = used are grown in the Northern Plains, peanut contamination is extremely = unlikely. However, the company plans to test regularly for peanut residue = in their ingredients and finished products as an additional precaution. =20 A sensory panel was convened in May to perfect the Sunbutter formulation. = The finished product looks similar to peanut butter and has a mild yet = distinctive sunflower seed flavor.=20 ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of = Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to = subscribers on weekdays.=20 * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/su= bscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 --=_F6AACF6A.4B2A450C Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML
STORY LEAD:
Sunbutter--a Peanut Butter=20 Alternative
___________________________________________
 
ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service,=20 USDA
June 14, 2002
Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov
______= _____________________________________
 
Children allergic to peanuts may soon have something = to cheer=20 about--a new sandwich spread in their school cafeterias that goes great = with=20 jelly but isn't peanut butter.
   
The new = product,=20 Sunbutter, contains sunflower seeds as its main ingredient. It was = developed=20 through an agreement between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and = Red=20 River Commodities, Inc., a major sunflower seed producer based in = Fargo,=20 N.D.
 
Red River Commodities will officially unveil the new = product=20 tomorrow at the Institute of Food Technologists 2002 Annual Meeting in = Anaheim,=20 Calif.
 
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology= =20 estimates that 3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts and/or tree = nuts,=20 with symptoms ranging from a mild case of hives to severe anaphylactic = shock.=20 Because children make up a growing number of those allergic, some schools = have=20 opted not to allow peanut butter in their cafeterias.
 
Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, = vitamin=20 E, zinc and iron. Although they are a popular peanut alternative, no = company has=20 ever successfully marketed a spreadable sunflower seed butter. Last year, = Red=20 River Commodities decided to try, with the help of the ARS Southern = Regional=20 Research Center in New Orleans, La.
 
According to Isabel Lima, an SRRC research chemist, = Sunbutter=20 is different from the unpalatable sunflower spreads of the past--it's = really,=20 really good.
 
The secret's in the seeds. Lima and SRRC food = technologist=20 Harmeet Guraya discovered a way to process them naturally so that they = taste=20 "nutbuttery" when they are blended with other ingredients. Since the = mixing=20 machine Red River uses was purchased specifically to make Sunbutter and = the=20 sunflowers used are grown in the Northern Plains, peanut contamination = is=20 extremely unlikely. However, the company plans to test regularly for = peanut=20 residue in their ingredients and finished products as an additional=20 precaution.
         
A= =20 sensory panel was convened in May to perfect the Sunbutter formulation. = The=20 finished product looks similar to peanut butter and has a mild yet = distinctive=20 sunflower seed flavor.
 
ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the = U.S.=20 Department of=20 Agriculture.
___________________________________________
 
* This is one of the news reports that ARS Information= =20 distributes to subscribers on weekdays.
* Start, stop or change an = e-mail=20 subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr= /subscribe.htm
*=20 The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr= /thelatest.htm
*=20 NewsService@ars.usda.gov | = www.ars.usda.gov/is
* Phone = (301)=20 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648
--=_F6AACF6A.4B2A450C-- From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri Jun 14 09:51:08 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5EDp8t26317 for ; Fri, 14 Jun 2002 09:51:08 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 09:39:29 -0400 Subject: Sunbutter--a Peanut Butter Alternative To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Sunbutter--a Peanut Butter Alternative ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Amy Spillman, (301) 504-1624, aspillman@ars.usda.gov June 14, 2002 ___________________________________________ Children allergic to peanuts may soon have something to cheer about--a new sandwich spread in their school cafeterias that goes great with jelly but isn't peanut butter. The new product, Sunbutter, contains sunflower seeds as its main ingredient. It was developed through an agreement between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Red River Commodities, Inc., a major sunflower seed producer based in Fargo, N.D. Red River Commodities will officially unveil the new product tomorrow at the Institute of Food Technologists 2002 Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that 3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts, with symptoms ranging from a mild case of hives to severe anaphylactic shock. Because children make up a growing number of those allergic, some schools have opted not to allow peanut butter in their cafeterias. Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, zinc and iron. Although they are a popular peanut alternative, no company has ever successfully marketed a spreadable sunflower seed butter. Last year, Red River Commodities decided to try, with the help of the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, La. According to Isabel Lima, an SRRC research chemist, Sunbutter is different from the unpalatable sunflower spreads of the past--it's really, really good. The secret's in the seeds. Lima and SRRC food technologist Harmeet Guraya discovered a way to process them naturally so that they taste "nutbuttery" when they are blended with other ingredients. Since the mixing machine Red River uses was purchased specifically to make Sunbutter and the sunflowers used are grown in the Northern Plains, peanut contamination is extremely unlikely. However, the company plans to test regularly for peanut residue in their ingredients and finished products as an additional precaution. A sensory panel was convened in May to perfect the Sunbutter formulation. The finished product looks similar to peanut butter and has a mild yet distinctive sunflower seed flavor. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon Jun 17 10:31:26 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5HEVQt13090 for ; Mon, 17 Jun 2002 10:31:26 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 09:43:16 -0400 Subject: Sunflowers May Be "Rubber Factories" To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Sunflowers May Be "Rubber Factories" ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Marcia Wood, (301) 504-1662, MarciaWood@ars.usda.gov June 17, 2002 ___________________________________________ Lanky sunflowers may become latex and rubber factories of the future. This might happen if tests by Agricultural Research Service scientists and their university colleagues continue to provide encouraging results. The researchers joined forces to improve the quality and quantity of latex from sunflower plants. Inside plants, latex consists of rubber particles surrounded by water and other compounds. Latex can be made into such products as household or surgical gloves or rubber goods like automobile tires. This innovative use of sunflowers would reduce America's dependence on imported latex, natural rubber and manufactured rubber products, according to ARS plant physiologist Katrina Cornish at Albany, Calif. She is with the ARS Western Regional Research Center. Too, the futuristic sunflowers could lessen the need for synthetic rubber made from petroleum. In 2000, the United States imported about 1.2 million tons of natural rubber, worth more than $1 billion, and more than $8 billion of manufactured goods containing about 350 thousand tons of rubber. Although the quantity and quality of latex from sunflowers is not yet good enough for commercial use, Cornish and co-investigators expect to improve it further through genetic engineering. The scientists are experimenting with several different types or lines of sunflowers. Cornish will insert laboratory-built genes for latex production into sunflower tissue. Next, she will test the tissue to determine whether the new genes are working inside the sunflower cells. Later, greenhouse and field tests will identify the gene-engineered plants that produce the highest amounts of the best-quality latex. In experiments after harvest, Cornish and co-researchers will determine how to preserve sunflower latex while it's in storage, awaiting processing. Cornish, a world authority on how plants produce rubber, is doing the sunflower project with colleagues from Colorado State University and Oregon State University. Details are in the June 2002 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, posted on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/rubber0602.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue Jun 18 09:46:36 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5IDkat03707 for ; Tue, 18 Jun 2002 09:46:36 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 09:33:59 -0400 Subject: High-Carbohydrate Diets Net Lower Calorie Levels To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: High-Carbohydrate Diets Net Lower Calorie Levels ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Rosalie Marion Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov June 18, 2002 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have found that people whose diets are highest in carbohydrates actually eat fewer calories per day and are less likely to be obese than people who eat diets with higher levels of fat and protein. The study is based on a data analysis of carbohydrate intakes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals for the years 1994-1996. The data is collected and managed by ARS, USDA's chief scientific research agency. The analysis showed that persons whose diets were highest in carbohydrates not only consumed 200 to 300 fewer calories per day, but also had diets higher in nutrients. The study's results are contrary to some "fad diets" that emphasize decreasing carbohydrate intakes while increasing protein and fat. In the study, scientists divided a nationwide pool of 10,014 people into four carbohydrate-intake dietary patterns, from lowest to highest. People eating the high-carbohydrate diet got 55 percent or more of their calories from carbohydrates; in the lowest carbohydrate diet, people consumed 30 percent or less of their calories from carbohydrates. People eating the high- carbohydrate diet were also more likely to meet the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans' recommendations for both total fat (no more than 30 percent) and saturated fat (no more than 10 percent). The high-carbohydrate group had to eat more food to get 1,000 calories than those in the low-carbohydrate group because of the choices they made, according to nutritionist and lead author Shanthy A. Bowman of ARS' Community Nutrition Research Group, Beltsville, Md. Those in the high-carbohydrate diet had the highest fruit and fiber intake, and they made low-fat choices from milk, meat, poultry and fish products. They also had the lowest average body-mass index (BMI), which indicates the percentage of fat in the body. As a major health-risk factor, obesity has increased considerably during the past 20 years. The study appears in the June 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed Jun 19 09:45:28 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5JDjSb31902 for ; Wed, 19 Jun 2002 09:45:28 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 09:30:48 -0400 Subject: Wasps to the Rescue To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Wasps to the Rescue ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@ars.usda.gov June 19, 2002 ___________________________________________ Wasps usually elicit squeals and a mad dash for bug spray. But now a team of Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators has found a new job for wasps--as chemical detectors. ARS scientists Joe Lewis in Tifton, Ga., and Jim Tumlinson in Gainesville, Fla., and University of Georgia researcher Glen Rains have found parasitic wasps can be used to detect chemicals, such as those associated with foodborne toxins. Lewis' team is using a model system to demonstrate the detection of chemicals associated with aflatoxins, which are naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by certain types of mold, such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Some strains of these Aspergillus species produce aflatoxins, and others don't. Parasitic wasps can differentiate between toxin- and non-toxin-producing molds and could prove useful in testing harvested peanuts and corn for the toxin-producing ones. Current methods to test for aflatoxins are limited, time-consuming and expensive. Wasps can be trained to detect any chemical by using their natural instincts to find food by scent. Mimicking nature, scientists feed sugar water to wasps while exposing them to the chemical scent to be tracked. During this process, wasps learn to link this chemical scent to food. This mechanism is called "typical associative learning." To test for chemicals, wasps are placed in a container with a small hole, and air is passed over the wasps. If the wasps detect the target chemical, they go into the hole hoping to find a food source associated with the chemical scent. When they move into the hole, they trip a buzzer that indicates aflatoxins are present. Although certain airborne vapors are associated with aflatoxin, the specific chemicals are unknown. The research team's next step is to determine the particular chemical in aflatoxin that attracts the wasps. This will allow the development of a portable machine that acts as a flexible biosensor. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency also provided funding for this research. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Thu Jun 20 07:00:26 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5KB0QO32477 for ; Thu, 20 Jun 2002 07:00:26 -0400 Message-Id: X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.5.1 Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 06:49:02 -0400 From: ARS News Service To: ARS News subscriber Subject: Detecting Soil Moisture: Models v. Reality Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Disposition: inline List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by industrial.metalab.unc.edu id g5KB0QO32477 Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Iowa Fields Are Focus of Moisture Detection Experiment ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Luis Pons, (301) 504-1628, lpons@ars.usda.gov June 20, 2002 ___________________________________________ Corn and soybean fields in central Iowa are being viewed from land, sky and space from June 17 through July 12 as part of a soil moisture-detection experiment that compares computer-generated meteorological models to real conditions. According to Agricultural Research Service hydrologist Tom Jackson, Soil Moisture Experiments in 2002 (SMEX02) marks the first time satellites are providing soil moisture data. It is also testing sensors aboard Aqua, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite launched in May that collects information on Earth's water cycle. SMEX02 involves ARS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's main scientific research agency, as well as NASA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and numerous universities. The National Soil Tilth Laboratory (NSTL) in Ames, Iowa, and the Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., are the ARS entities taking part in SMEX02. More than 50 researchers, including ones from Japan and Canada, are participating, according to NSTL director Jerry Hatfield. The goal is to verify moisture values given by weather models by comparing them to actual readings gathered from Earth's surface; airplanes at various altitudes; and NASA, NOAA and European Space Agency satellites. Soil moisture greatly influences summer precipitation over the central United States and is key in predicting seasonal weather patterns. Improving computer models' abilities to predict its movement will improve weather forecasting. Sensors aboard five aircraft will get readings at altitudes ranging from 25,000 feet down to 100 feet. On land, researchers in 78 fields will measure changes in soil water in the upper four inches of terrain. Many instruments have been placed around Kelley, Iowa, including Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), which is similar to Doppler radar and can measure moisture movement across whole fields. According to Hatfield, this experiment may provide new understanding of how cropping-system management in the Midwest can influence weather on a large scale. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Fri Jun 21 09:58:50 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5LDwoO02118 for ; Fri, 21 Jun 2002 09:58:50 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 09:46:34 -0400 Subject: Breakfast Is Key to Achieving Maximum Nutrition To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Breakfast Is Key to Achieving Maximum Nutrition ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Alfredo Flores, (301) 504-1627, aflores@ars.usda.gov June 21, 2002 ___________________________________________ Teen breakfast-skippers beware: You could lose out on an important nutritional contribution to your total daily food intake. Adolescents who eat breakfast are two to five times more likely than breakfast-skippers to consume at least two-thirds of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of calcium, magnesium, riboflavin, folacin, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B6 and D, according to Theresa Nicklas, a professor of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas The college is home to the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC), where the study was done. CNRC is operated by the Agricultural Research Service, the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nicklas found that the intake of other vitamins and minerals--including zinc and calcium--as well as of protein and carbohydrates, was much higher among those who ate breakfast. Also, fat consumption was lower. This study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and involved more than 700 ninth-graders. The students participated in a nutrition intervention program called "Gimme 5" in New Orleans, La. Analysis of the baseline 24-hour dietary recalls showed 19 percent of adolescents skipped breakfast. Studies have shown that adolescents who consume breakfast make better food choices throughout the day, and those who skip breakfast fail to compensate for the missed vitamins and nutrients when they eat at other times. Breakfast consumption has declined in all age groups during the past 25 years, especially among female adolescents aged 15-18 years. For adolescents, skipping breakfast has been associated with a higher body mass index. According to Nicklas, a greater effort is needed to encourage the consumption of breakfast to improve the nutritional well-being of adolescents. Many studies of breakfast consumption and dietary patterns are outdated, have not included the 15-year-old age group, or have included the 15-year-olds only as part of a broad age range, she added. Fifteen is the age when many adolescents are entering high school and becoming more independent, which is part of the reason Nicklas chose this age group. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Mon Jun 24 10:06:11 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5OE6BO30595 for ; Mon, 24 Jun 2002 10:06:11 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 09:51:16 -0400 Subject: Making Tomatoes More Nutritious To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Making Tomatoes More Nutritious ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA David Elstein, (301) 504-1654, delstein@ars.usda.gov June 24, 2002 ___________________________________________ Agricultural Research Service scientists have developed tomatoes that have higher lycopene levels, enhanced fruit juice quality, and longer vine life. Their study, conducted with researchers at Purdue University, is published in the current issue of Nature Biotechnology. The scientists, based at the ARS Vegetable Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., genetically engineered tomatoes that contain increased levels of compounds called polyamines. The scientists found that polyamines--molecules that carry amino acid proteins--play an important role in fruit development and that increasing polyamines increases lycopene. Diets high in lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, are associated with a lower risk of certain cancers. Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant that may also have other health-promoting effects. According to plant physiologist Autar Mattoo, other researchers studying human nutrition have recommended that people get 10 milligrams of lycopene each day--the amount in 10-15 tomatoes. By comparison, just one or two of the new tomatoes would provide the same amount of lycopene. The tomatoes that Mattoo and cooperators studied were especially well-suited for products such as tomato paste. The ARS-led research is the first to show direct evidence of a physiological role for polyamines in plants. The new tomatoes are available for industry to commercialize, according to Mattoo. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue Jun 25 09:58:14 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g5PDwEO31185 for ; Tue, 25 Jun 2002 09:58:14 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 09:44:29 -0400 Subject: Chicken Feather Follicles Don't Harbor Bacteria To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Chicken Feather Follicles Don't Harbor Bacteria ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sdurham@ars.usda.gov June 25, 2002 ___________________________________________ For years, researchers have looked for ways to cleanse chicken feather follicles of bacteria and other potentially harmful microbes during or after processing. This research was based on the belief that feather follicles--empty and open after feathers are plucked--harbor skin surface contaminants. Now, Agricultural Research Service researchers have shown that feather follicles don't seem to harbor bacteria after all. ARS scientists R. Jeffrey Buhr, Mark E. Berrang and John A. Cason of the Poultry Processing and Meat Quality Unit in Athens, Ga., bred featherless chickens, which do not have feather follicles, to compare against their feathered siblings. The researchers found that the amount of E. coli and Campylobacter found on the skin surface of the birds was basically the same, with or without feathers. The first step in this research was breeding featherless, or scaleless, chickens that would be of comparable size to feathered chickens of the same age. By the use of artificial insemination, the offspring of featherless roosters and commercial broiler breeder hens were bred to produce both feathered and featherless chicks. The birds were given Campylobacter orally a week before processing, during which the birds were handled in alternating batches of four feathered and four featherless chickens. The breast skin, under sterile conditions, was then carefully removed from the carcass and tested for Campylobacter, E. coli and other bacteria. >From all carcasses, the recovery of E. coli did not differ between feathered and scaleless fowl, showing that the presence or absence of feathers and empty follicles did not impact the level of bacteria recovered from the breast skin. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ___________________________________________ * This is one of the news reports that ARS Information distributes to subscribers on weekdays. * Start, stop or change an e-mail subscription at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/subscribe.htm * The latest news is always at www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm * NewsService@ars.usda.gov | www.ars.usda.gov/is * Phone (301) 504-1638 | fax (301) 504-1648 From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Tue Jun 4 09:44:35 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g54DiZt25543 for ; Tue, 4 Jun 2002 09:44:35 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 09:33:07 -0400 Subject: Watermelon Shows Its Lycopene Stripes To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD: Watermelon Shows Its Lycopene Stripes ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Rosalie Marion Bliss, (301) 504-4318, rbliss@ars.usda.gov June 4, 2002 ___________________________________________ Watermelon growers aren't exactly singing the new tune: "Our lycopene is better than your lycopene." But there is a new twist on the amount of healthful lycopene found in raw watermelon versus raw tomato that's heating up discussions. Besides sharing a pinkish-red color, watermelon and tomato are known sources of the phytochemical lycopene--one of a host of beneficial compounds found in plant foods. Phytochemicals have not yet been classified as traditional nutrients, such as the vitamins and minerals considered essential for life. Still, they've been found to reduce the risks of age-related diseases and many people call them phytonutrients. Agricultural Research Service scientists working to determine lycopene levels in varieties of watermelon have found many have as much as--or more than--that found in raw tomato. But lycopene content in food is different from bioavailability in humans. Bioavailability is how well the body digests, uses and stores a given chemical. ARS nutritionists Beverly A. Clevidence and Alison J. Edwards of the Phytonutrients Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., conducted a 19-week study with 23 volunteers to assess the bioavailability of lycopene from watermelon. Tomato traditionally has been used in lycopene research because of its established lycopene levels. Now here's the rub: Past testing showed lycopene bioavailability to be low from ingesting raw tomato, yet higher from ingesting heat-processed products, such as tomato juices and sauces. Heating and homogenizing are known to increase tomato's lycopene bioavailability. Researchers wondered whether raw watermelon would echo raw tomato's low bioavailability. Would watermelon also need to be heat-treated to increase its available lycopene? It didn't. That's good news for people who don't like tomatoes but do like watermelon. They can eat their watermelon and absorb their lycopene, too. Read more about watermelon's lycopene punch in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/lyco0602.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. From bounce-arsnews-4230@ls.ars.usda.gov Wed Jun 5 09:46:48 2002 Received: from ls.ars.usda.gov (ls.ars.usda.gov [151.121.5.23]) by industrial.metalab.unc.edu (8.11.6/8.11.0) with SMTP id g55Dkmt26509 for ; Wed, 5 Jun 2002 09:46:48 -0400 X-Mailer: Lyris ListManager Web Interface Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 09:33:27 -0400 Subject: Scientists "Sketch" Genetic Profile of Honeybee Attacker To: ARS News subscriber From: ARS News Service List-Unsubscribe: Reply-To: ARS News Service Message-Id: Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: STORY LEAD, Scientists "Sketch" Genetic Profile of Honeybee Attacker ___________________________________________ ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Jan Suszkiw, (301) 504-1630, jsuszkiw@ars.usda.gov June 5, 2002 ___________________________________________ Mapping a key genetic component of the varroa mite is in the works to expedite studies aimed at monitoring the tiny, bloodsucking parasite and minimizing its harm to honey bees. Agricultural Research Service scientists are mapping genes in mitochondria. In the cells of varroa mites and other organisms, including honey bees and human beings, mitochondria function as tiny power plants that fuel the cells' metabolic machinery. Of specific interest to ARS entomologist Jay Evans is variation in the genes encoded within the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the varroa's mitochondria. Compared to the mite's entire genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contains fewer genes--and these genes are easier to identify. Using standard molecular procedures, including polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, Evans and coworkers at the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., have decoded the sequence for most of the parasite's mtDNA. Once finished, they'll look for genetic markers associated with particular traits of interest, such as virulence (destructiveness in honey bee hives) and pesticide resistance. Also of interest is using the markers to help resolve taxonomic uncertainties surrounding the mite's identity and origins as a honey bee pest. And the marker technology should help identify any new, accidental introductions of the varroa mite. Since arriving in Florida in the 1980s, the mite has spread across the nation to become a top pest of both feral and managed honey bees, whose crop-pollinating activity is considered a $14-billion asset to agriculture. About a millimeter long, the reddish-brown varroa mite can kill or weaken adult and larval bees by sucking their blood and can also expose bees to diseases, according to Evans. Severe attacks that go unchecked can easily destroy an entire hive, he adds. A longer story about Evans' research appears in the June issue of Agricultural Research magazine, available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun02/mite0602.htm ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 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 www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: Info@ars.usda.gov. * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD 20705-5128, (301) 504- 1617, fax 504-1648.