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 OOPS!!!!!

Accidents do happen on the farm, ranch and the highway.  No OOPS on this one.  It does look

like this farmer liked Dizzie Gillespie, and cut his picture out in his crop.

 

 

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“EC Proposal Lowers EC Guard Against BSE”

 

The European Commission has published proposals to reduce the cost of guarding against BSE and its human form, new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. In a consultation document, the EC said any changes would be based on sound science but acknowledged it was – impossible - to remove all risk of the disease entering the food chain. Since 1986 the European Commission has culled 4-million cattle, but in recent years the number of BSE cases has been in decline.

The EC wants to downgrade its rules because of the disease's decline, and so it could concentrate on other conditions such as a salmonella and antimicrobial resistance that posed a greater threat to human health. The proposal includes relaxing a ban on the feeding of meat and bone meal to animals and ending the requirement for mass slaughter in herds with infected cows.

Ending the feed ban could be controversial because feed was the source of the original crisis: cattle contracted BSE after consuming infected proteins from sheep that had died of a related disease, scrapie.

“Economic Review of GIPSA Proposed Rules Requested”

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia has asked U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to conduct a sound economic analysis of the livestock marketing rules proposed by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. In a letter to Vilsack, Kingston said - it is unprecedented for a federal agency to propose such a wide-sweeping regulation and not conduct an economic analysis. Kingston believes the agency is circumventing the intent of Congress by going beyond recommendations in the 2008 Farm Bill.

In his letter, Kingston wrote, - anyone who witnessed the recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee hearing on the administration’s proposed rule got the message that there are broad, bipartisan concerns that the proposed rule goes far beyond the scope of the 2008 Farm Bill, lacks a sound economic analysis necessary to judge the need and utility of the proposed rule and may be the result of a flawed rulemaking process.

Colin Woodall, Vice President of Government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says - cattle producers need to urge their elected officials to follow the lead of Kingston and others. USDA has yet to offer any type of economic or legal clarification to the rule.

 

  USDA Seeks Applications from Producers to Conduct

Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies

For information: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapGrants.html

 

Silverado and Silverado HD

   http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado-family

 

“Senate Faces Decision on Form 1099”

Under existing law, a Form 1099 must be issued to unincorporated service providers that are paid more than 600-dollars during a tax year. Under new reporting rules set to start in 2012, a Form 1099 will be required for payments to incorporated vendors and will be expanded to cover payments made for goods as well as services which total 600-dollars or more in a calendar year to a single non-employee payee. Payments made to corporations would no longer be excluded from the reporting requirement.

More than two dozen organizations, including the National Cotton Council, have sent letters to Senator Mike Johanns and to Representative Dan Lungren saying - prompt action is needed by Congress to reverse this onerous tax-reporting requirement.

 When the Senate returns on September 14, there will be cloture votes on two amendments to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. One amendment by Senator Johanns would repeal the new Form 1099 rules and “pay for” repeal by reducing the number of people subject to the individual mandate to buy health insurance. An alternative amendment by Senator Bill Nelson would exempt firms with fewer than 25 employees from reporting requirements and raise the threshold for reporting for larger firms from 600 to 5-thousand dollars. Credit card purchases would be exempted.

“No Firm Association Between Colorectal Cancer and Beef”

 A new report issued by researchers at Exponent Incorporated Health Sciences, states that a review of available epidemiologic prospective studies of red meat consumption and incidence of colorectal cancer shows no independent positive association between the two. The Menlo Park, California- based company looked at 35 studies conducted over the past three decades, synthesizing the demographic, methodological and analytic information. They found - the possible role of this food group on carcinogenesis is equivocal.

According to the review, associations between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer are - generally weak in magnitude and not statistically significant. Factors such as the tumor location, gender, other elements of the diet and behavior - limit the ability to analytically isolate the independent effects of red meat consumption. They concluded: epidemiologic evidence is not sufficient to support an independent positive association between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer.

The study is being published in “Obesity Reviews,” and was partially funded by the Beef Checkoff and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

         DON'T MISS RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURE 

              SCROLL DOWN!!!!!!!

             

                 http://www.dairyherd.com/directories.asp?pgID=724&ed_id=269

 

“First Lady Talks About The Kitchen Garden”

First Lady Michelle Obama continues to showcase the White House “Kitchen Garden” and its impressive array of vegetables and other produce that the First Family believes are key components of a healthy diet, and an essential solution to the growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States.

During a recent interview conducted by reporter Jason Shoultz, for the America’s Heartland TV show, Mrs. Obama pointed out that - one in three children in this country is overweight or obese. So, she said, - this garden is a way to elevate the conversation and to engage children in the whole notion of eating well, growing your own food and making friends with vegetables.

The garden’s products include: tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, lettuce, bell peppers, corn and eggplant.  Although some is given to local soup kitchens, Mrs. Obama says much of the bounty ends up on the family dinner table. Mrs. Obama emphasizes - Our motto is that you have to finish your vegetables, even if you're full, you finish your vegetables!

America’s Heartland TV show will feature the White House “Kitchen Garden” and the First Lady during a program in early November.

“Team Nutrition Training Grants Announced”

19 States will share Team Nutrition Training Grants to help children develop good nutrition and physical activity habits for healthier lifestyles. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says nearly 5.5-million dollars in funding will support efforts to help elementary and secondary schools applying for the HealthierUS School Challenge, a key component of the First Lady's Let's Move initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation.

During the two year grant period, states will provide training and technical assistance to school food service staff in making school meals healthier, including ways to include more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk products on the menu. Additionally, grantees will be promoting the use of USDA foods and also teaching children skills needed to make healthful food choices through hands-on nutrition education experiences and providing parents with information on how to support healthy habits at home.

The 19 States receiving grants are: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

“Ethanol Producer Switching to Biomass”

Lincolnway Energy, LLC, based in Nevada, Iowa, has been selected to receive a 1.9-million dollar payment award from USDA’s Repowering Assistance Program. The company produces 55 to 60 million gallons per year of fuel-grade ethanol. The USDA payment will reimburse the firm for costs to modify a boiler to burn wood and other biomass.  According to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, the Repowering Assistance Program encourages the use of renewable biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels that provide process heat or power for biorefineries.

Biorefineries that were in existence when the 2008 Farm Bill was enacted, June 18, 2008, are eligible to apply.

“Corn Genetic Mapping Helping Researchers”

Using genetic mapping, scientists at USDA believe the genetic diversity of tropical maize could be used to improve maize varieties in temperate regions of the United States. But because tropical varieties flower very late when grown under long day lengths in temperate climates, undesirable traits such as poor yield can mask favorable traits such as disease resistance.

A team led by Jim Holland, a plant geneticist at the ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, North Carolina, has identified four regions, or quantitative trait loci, in the maize genome associated with photoperiod sensitivity. The QTLs represent 2 percent of the genetic map, showing that the scientists have sufficiently narrowed the genome.

The results of this work will help researchers select for genes in hardy tropical varieties that could make them better adapted to the long day lengths of temperate regions. They may also help U.S. breeders develop corn varieties that offer increased yields, disease resistance and other desired traits.

   

“Support For 1890 Universities Announced”

USDA has awarded grants to strengthen the research, teaching and extension capabilities at 18 historically black land-grant colleges and universities in an effort to recruit and train students for careers in agriculture. In FY 2010, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded more than 32-million dollars through the 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program and nearly 19-million through the 1890 Facilities Grants Program.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides support to historically black colleges and universities that were designated at as land-grant universities in the Second Morrill Act in 1890. Grants to these 1890 universities support research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of these schools.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says - our 1890 historically black land-grant colleges and universities play a critical role teaching students to meet the high quality, innovative research needs that are vital to the wellbeing of our nation's food, fuel and fiber. The Secretary noted - these awards mark a substantial investment in addressing the robust and varied research challenges facing American agriculture today.

Today's Top Stories
Undercover Snoops
Your employees might not be who they say they are.

Vomitoxin Guidelines Revised
FDA revises feed standard for the first time since 1993.

Crop Comments
"The late summer heat along with a dry August has taken a toll on the corn crop in most parts of our area," says a southwest Ontario farmer.

Late Night Laughs
Leno looks at the corrupt and the clueless...

 

 

NATIONAL SORGHUM PRODUCERS:

the voice of the sorghum industry

 NSP Sponsors DC Fly-In Next Week

 Over 20 sorghum producers and industry leaders will be in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13-15 visiting with members of congress, senators and key leaders in legislative and regulatory arenas. NSP’s D.C. Fly-In is an annual event that gives producers the opportunity to make their priorities known to their congressional representation and key decision makers in D.C.

 Sorghum delegates will make visits with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln’s office and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and Ranking Member Frank Lucas, EPA Chief Agriculture Counselor Larry Elworth, NRCS Chief Larry White, and key policy makers from Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Senate reconvenes Tuesday, Sept. 14.

South Texas Commodity Symposium to be Held in San Antonio

 The inaugural South Texas Commodity Symposium will be held Oct.15, 2010, and is hosted by Texas Grain Sorghum Producers, Texas Corn Producers, Texas Peanut Producers Board, Texas Rice Growers Legislative Group, Texas Wheat Producers Association, South Texas Cotton & Grain Association, Southwest Council of Agribusiness and Winter Garden Produce.

 The symposium will be held in conjunction with the second annual San Antonio International Farm and Ranch Show at Freeman Coliseum. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the symposium will begin at 9 a.m. The event is free to the public and will conclude with a catered lunch. Confirmed speakers for the symposium include Don Gohmert, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Juan Garcia, state executive director for the Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA), who will be giving important program updates. The program will also include an update from the Texas Department of Agriculture and a panel discussion on water regulation issues. Tom Sell of Combest, Sell and Associates will serve as the master of ceremonies for this event. For more information about the 2010 San Antonio International Farm and Ranch Show, please visit www.farmandranchexpo.com.

Ukraine Blocks Ships Containing Grain from Leaving Ports

 Ukrainian Customs Service has blocked 24 vessels in port without explanation. The vessels are carrying nearly 380,000 metric tons of grain, mostly wheat, and have been staying in ports for nearly a month and a half. The United Nations condemned grain export bans Tuesday as Ukraine was said to be holding up vessels carrying a months' worth of shipments. Russia's farm minister, Yelena Skrynnik, questioned the necessity of the curbs, stating the country had sufficient grain for food and livestock feed, while President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Russia’s grain stocks could not meet domestic needs. While it is still unknown what the impact of the drought will be in these areas, it could bode well for sorghum exports.

 Mini Pops Certified as Gluten-Free

 Mini Pops Inc. announced Tuesday that it had met all the necessary requirements to obtain the gluten-free certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. All Mini Pops flavors will display the GFCO emblem. The Mini Pops manufacturing facility has been gluten-free from the start, but independent certification delivers confidence and assurance of safety to the gluten free community. All Mini Pops packaging and promotional material will display the GF logo in addition to its USDA Organic and Kosher emblems. For more information about Mini Pops, visit www.MiniPopsInc.com.

This Week’s Crop Report

By week's end, sorghum coloring had advanced to 74 percent complete, 17 percent ahead of last year and 10 percent ahead of the 5-year average. As warmer daytime temperatures prevailed in Kansas, the largest sorghum-producing State, one-quarter of the crop began coloring during the week. Sorghum at or beyond the mature stage reached 30 percent by Sept. 5, on par with last year but 3 percent behind the 5-year average. Harvest began in Kansas during the week, ahead of both last year and the average. Nationally, 19 percent of the sorghum crop was harvested by week's end, 6 percent behind both last year and the 5-year average. Overall, 62 percent of the sorghum crop was reported in good to excellent condition, unchanged from ratings last week but 13 percent better than the same time last year.

 Update on Lincoln’s Disaster Aid Efforts


At press time, nothing final had been released on Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln’s efforts to secure agricultural disaster aid, although a lot of work has been done this week as the congressional recess comes to an end. NSP will continue to follow this issue and will bring updates as they become available.

National Farm-City Council Selects "Agriculture: A Growing Story"
As 2010 Annual Symposium Topic 
 

- "Agriculture: A Growing Story" will be the 2010 topic of the annual Farm-City Week Symposium held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 18. The public is invited to attend.

The purpose of this symposium will be to explore friendly methods that can help assist the urban media when preparing news or feature stories that could significantly and negatively impact farmers, ranchers and the many agribusiness industries.

"Today, the chances of incorrect information on agricultural issues being mistakenly passed to the general public are not only a possibility - it is a reality that has caused serious financial damage and hardship to farmers, ranchers and others within the industry," says Al Pell, noted national agricultural broadcaster andchairman of the National Farm-City Council.

"The goal of this Symposium is to consider tools with which local, state and national agricultural leaders and organizations can use to assure the information obtained by the media is from reliable and credible sources. With a successful merging of efforts with the urban media, we can more confidently be assured accuracy will be paramount in communicating this growing story of agriculture."

The Symposium begins at 10:30 a.m. EST and will continue until noon. Discussions from 11 a.m. until noon will be broadcast live over the nationally syndicated AgriTalk radio show, hosted by another nationally noted broadcaster, Mike Adams. It will be followed by a lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with a special speaker.

Symposium participants and the lunch speaker will be announced later.

The Lancaster Host Resort is located at 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pa., on Route 30, easy driving distance from other major regional cities.

For more information on the National Farm-City Council Symposium on "Agriculture: A Growing Story," contact Holly Fritz at 610.621.2253 or holly.fritz@hbfritz.com.

The event kicks off National Farm-City Week from Nov. 19-26, ending on Thanksgiving, and celebrates the important partnership between farm and urban residents in providing the nation with a bounty of food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other products .

The National Farm-City Week, recognized by a White House proclamation, is organized by the National Farm-City Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. The Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow their food.
            For those interested in organizing a local Farm-City event, go to the National Farm-City Web site at
www.farmcity.org or call 202.406.3706.
            The National Farm-City Council is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization under the Internal Revenue Service Code.

                         

LIVESTOCK NEWS

 

 

Quotes | Weather | Video

 

 

 

 

Megan Pierce Headshot
Megan Pierce
Assoc. Editor
Dairy Herd
Management
 

 

Choose To Choose

If you have not had the opportunity to check out the “Choose2Choose” campaign recently launched, I recommend you do.

Choose2Choose is a movement launched earlier this year by a group of concerned mothers to help increase awareness of the importance of having food choices and the impact limited choices can have on our lives.
More...



 

 

Smithfield Reports Record Profit, Expects Pork Strength

 To Continue In 2011

Smithfield Foods Inc. reported a record quarterly profit, saying it expects a strong pork market to continue into next year amid tight supplies and little industry expansion.

There’s been a “dramatic” change in the hog production business this year as prices rose, Smithfield chief executive officer C. Larry Pope said today during a conference call with analysts following the release of the company’s quarterly results.
More...

 

EPA Instructs Iowa Feedlots To Fix Water Runoff Problems

The Omaha World-Herald reports the EPA found E. coli and other pathogens in waterways downstream from feedlots all over Iowa and have ordered feedlots to follow the rules. More...

Cattle Watch: Authorities Catch Modern-Day Cattle Rustler

Oklahoma lawmen tell us they've nabbed a modern-day cattle rustler. After a months of searching for their thief, a lucky traffic stop provided their big break. A McClain County deputy pulled over a truck and trailer for a simple violation. That's when he realized it matched the description of suspects they were after. More...

Ohio Farmer Killed By Car While Chasing Stray Calf

An Ohio farmer has been struck and killed by a car on a dark road while trying to rescue a stray calf.
More...

New York City Burger Joint Lets Customers Add To The Menu

Ever chow down at a restaurant and think, "I could do better"? A new burger joint is giving you the chance to prove it.
More...

Hermine Remnants Cause Massive Flooding In Texas

The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine caused massive flooding in northern Texas on Wednesday, killing at least one person and submerging much of the city of Arlington under water.
More...

Video

 

Boxed Beef Report - Prices Decline For Third Straight Day

Join us as we take a look at Wednesday's beef report. Boxed beef prices have now declined for three straight days.
More...

 

Spot Prices

Name

Today

Previous

Chart

Live Cattle

97.25

96.35

Chart

Feeder Cattle

112.10

111.93

Chart

Corn

4.48

4.52

Chart

Est. Livestock Slaughter

131,000

3,000

Chart

Boxed Beef – Choice

161.47

161.75

Chart

Boxed Beef - Select

155.44

155.91

Chart

Boxed Beef –C/S Spread

6.03

5.84

Chart

Total Beef Loads

301

206

Chart

Daily Drop

10.97

10.84

Chart

Cutter Cow Cutout

132.20

132.99

Chart


Source: USDA Livestock and Grain Market News

 

Reports

Wyoming Calf Prices Soar To Yearly High

Wyoming calf prices increased $8 to $136 setting a new yearly high last month. August Wyoming calf prices are nearly $13 above this year's average price.
More...

Weather

 

Heavy Rain Soaks Corn Belt, Very Cool Air Expands Across West

In the West, very cool air continues to expand across the region. Scattered showers accompany the surge of cool air, especially across the northern Intermountain West. In California, crops such as cotton and rice are maturing at a slightly slower-than-normal pace.
More...

 

Find your local weather

 

 

 

DTN AG HEADLINE NEWS

 

 

EPA Issues

 The Washington Insider Section of DTN reported yesterday (link requires subscription) that, “Speaking at a recent event in Bloomington, Minn., House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said he believes Environmental Protection Agency regulators are ‘out of hand’ and that the ‘only way to temper their regulatory zeal would be to cut their budget in half.’ 

“Peterson told his audience EPA had received a substantial amount of money from the economic stimulus package and was using that money to regulate. Asked to list some of the agency’s regulations that are affecting the feed and agriculture industry, Peterson said, ‘There are too many to mention…. They include dust, spray drift, you name it.’ 

Many members of Congress have registered their concerns about EPA’s newfound enthusiasm for enforcing the nation’s environmental laws. Cutting the agency’s future budgets is the usual way for legislators to register their disapproval in cases such as this. Long-time Washington observers note that one of the reasons the Food and Drug Administration has struggled with its mission of inspecting much of the nation’s food supply is because of past cuts in the agency’s budgets due to congressional concerns with former FDA commissioners and the way FDA regulated during their tenures. Should EPA’s budget be similarly cut, similar results would be expected.”

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th, 2010

The days of Mark Twain will come alive again today through Sunday in Marietta, Ohio. The 35th annual Ohio River Sternwheel Festival will draw more than two dozen sternwheel river boats, along with some 85,000 spectators, who will enjoy music, food and fireworks. The highlight of the gathering will be races of the vintage boats, belching smoke and some providing their own music from steam-powered calliopes. While less romantic than in the past, modern river boats remain a vital part of the nation's commerce, carrying 2.5 billion tons of freight each year, with the largest category being petroleum products.

www.census.gov

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RESEARCH IN 

 

AGRICULTURE 

 

REPORTS

 

Photo: Maize specimens from the ARS germplasm collection. Link to photo information
ARS researchers are crossbreeding tropical corn with U.S. corn adapted to temperate regions to widen the genetic pool for improving corn. Click the image for more information about it.

 

Tapping into Corn's

Tropical Diversity

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are tapping into the genetic diversity of corn from the tropics to improve varieties grown in the United States and other temperate regions.

Corn, or maize, can be traced to tropical Latin America, where the plants flower as the days grow shorter. As maize was carried from tropical to temperate regions, it had to adapt to the longer day lengths found during temperate summers, according to Jim Holland, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant geneticist at the agency's Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

The genetic diversity of tropical maize could be used to improve maize varieties in temperate regions. But because tropical varieties flower very late when grown under long day lengths in temperate climates, undesirable traits such as poor yield can mask favorable traits such as disease resistance, according to Holland.

Holland and his team crossed two tropical, photosensitive maize lines—one from Mexico, the other from Thailand—with two temperate maize lines found in the United States to assess how day length would affect flowering time in the offspring. The lines were added to a collection developed by Holland and other ARS scientists who crossed a commonly studied corn variety with 25 diverse lines and repeatedly self-fertilized the offspring to create 5,000 inbred lines, each with a unique combination of traits. The collection has become a powerful and widely used tool in the search for genes to enhance desirable traits in maize.

Through genetic mapping, Holland's team identified four regions, or quantitative trait loci (QTLs), in the maize genome associated with photoperiod sensitivity. The QTLs—named ZmPR1-4 by the researchers—represent 2 percent of the genetic map, showing that the scientists sufficiently narrowed the genome to pinpoint four specific areas.

The results, published in Genetics, will help researchers select for genes in hardy tropical varieties that could make them better adapted to the long day lengths of temperate regions. They may also help U.S. breeders develop corn varieties that offer increased yields, disease resistance and other desired traits.

Read more about this and other research to improve corn in the September 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

This research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

For further reading

 

Photo: Male turkey. Link to photo information
ARS researchers and their university colleagues have created the first genome map of the domestic turkey. Click the image for more information about it.

 

USDA Scientists, Cooperators

Create the First Genomic Map

of the Domesticated Turkey

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers and their university colleagues have sequenced the majority of the genome of Meleagris gallopavo, the domesticated turkey, creating the first-ever turkey genome map. The nearly complete map could help growers to more efficiently produce bigger, meatier turkeys. The research is reported today in PLoS Biology, an online journal of the Public Library of Science.

Americans consume about 17.6 pounds of turkey per capita every year, and the U.S. produces nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey meat annually.

"Turkey is the fourth most popular meat in this country," said Edward B. Knipling, adminstrator of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). "The information gleaned from these genetic studies will help breeders develop improved commercial turkey breeds to meet consumers' demands in the United States and worldwide."

The research was a partnership led by Curtis Van Tassell and Julie A. Long with ARS; Otto Folkerts and Rami Dalloul of Virginia Tech University's Bioinformatics Institute (VBI); and Steven L. Salzberg of the University of Maryland's Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, at College Park.

Van Tassell works in the ARS Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory at Beltsville, Md., while Long works in the ARS Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, also at Beltsville. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring international food security.

The researchers used "next-generation" DNA sequencing technology that relied on high-throughput instruments at the ARS laboratory in Beltsville and at VBI in Blacksburg, Va. The new technology produces millions of DNA sequences simultaneously.

The instrumentation used at VBI characterized longer strands of turkey DNA, while the ARS researchers focused on characterizing many more short DNA fragments, permitting greater detail through deeper sequencing of those fragments, according to Van Tassell. The overall turkey genome was compiled by assembling the various DNA fragments. To achieve that, the scientists had to develop new computer programs to interweave the DNA strands of varying lengths.

The turkey genome assembly was further strengthened when physical, comparative and genetic maps built by researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota were used to match the DNA sequences to turkey chromosomes. By the end of the project, the original partnership expanded to include 68 scientists affiliated with 28 national and international institutions.

"The project underscores how rapidly the field of genome sequencing has changed," said Long. "We sequenced the turkey genome in less than a year, at a fraction of the cost of sequencing chicken and cow genomes. The turkey industry and consumers will benefit from this research."

The turkey genome sequence is publically available at: www.ensembl.org/Meleagris_gallopavo.

For further reading

 

Photo: Electron micrograph of E. coli bacteria. Link to photo information
Key gene and chemical interactions that allow Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 bacteria to colonize the gut of cattle have been identified by ARS scientists and their colleagues. Click the image for more information about it.

 

Blocking E. coli Bacteria

 Before They Move In

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and his colleagues have discovered key gene and chemical interactions that allow Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 bacteria to colonize the gut of cattle. The animals not only host, but can shed the deadly human pathogen.

Many E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been associated with contaminated meat products and cross contamination of produce crops. Because the bacteria do not cause cattle to show clinical symptoms of illness, and due to other unknown variables, they can be hard to detect within cattle and the environment.

The researchers, including USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Thomas S. Edrington, reported how the E. coli sense a key chemical that plays a critical role in allowing the bacteria to colonize inside the cattle's gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.

Edrington is with the ARS Food and Feed Safety Research Unit in College Station, Texas. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, campus. It involved researchers from several universities and was headed by Vanessa Sperandio, who is with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas.

To proliferate, E. coli express genes differently based on their environment, such as outside the cattle host, inside the cattle rumen, or even at the end of the cattle GI tract. Having a better understanding of when, why and how these bacteria colonize could lead to practical applications in the future, according to Edrington.

The researchers showed that "quorum sensing" chemicals called acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), which are produced by other bacteria, are present within the bovine rumen but absent in other areas of the cattle GI tract. AHLs are important because E. coli harbor a regulator, called SdiA, which senses these AHLs and then prompts the E. coli to attach and colonize.

Limiting production of the SdiA chemical, or blocking bacterial reception of the AHLs, may eventually lead to new strategies for keeping E. coli from attaching inside the animal.

For further reading

 

Photo: Partially shucked ear of corn.
ARS researchers have found that a biological control called Afla-Guard® that they developed to stop the fungi which causes aflatoxin on peanuts can also be used to protect corn. Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.

 

Afla-Guard®

Also Protects Corn Crops

Afla-Guard®, a biological control used to thwart the growth of fungi on peanuts, can be used on corn as well, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists who helped develop it. After extensive study and research trials in Texas, Afla-Guard® was registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use on corn, beginning with the 2009 crop.

Recently retired Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Joe Dorner at the National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Ga., helped develop Afla-Guard®, a biological control for the aflatoxin-producing fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in peanuts. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

A. flavus and A. parasiticus, naturally-occurring soil fungi, can invade food and feed crops, contaminating them with aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a human carcinogen produced by the fungi and is also toxic to pets, livestock, and wildlife.

Afla-Guard® is composed of hulled barley coated with spores of a nontoxic strain of A. flavus. The nontoxic Aspergillus fungi successfully compete against the toxic species for the limited space and nutrients each needs to grow and thrive. In peanuts, Afla-Guard® reduced aflatoxins by an average of 85 percent in farmers' stock peanuts and up to 97 percent in shelled, edible-grade peanuts.

In light of this success, Dorner and other ARS scientists conducted a two-year study of Afla-Guard® in corn. They again found that it was effective in reducing aflatoxin levels—showing an overall reduction of 85 percent, when compared to control fields.

Afla-Guard® was applied to the corn crop in different ways: to soil when corn was less than a meter tall, in plant whorls prior to tassel formation, and as multiple sprays during silking.

The research was published in the Journal of Food Protection.

For further reading

 

Photo: ARS geneticist Paul Williams tags corn plants with molecular markers associated with resistance to aflatoxin. Link to photo information
ARS geneticist Paul Williams is part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and university cooperators that is developing new corn lines that are genetically resistant to aflatoxin-producing fungi. Click the image for more information about it.

Corn Lines Resist

Fungal Toxins

Corn germplasm lines developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are scoring high marks in field trials for resistance to aflatoxin produced by Aspergilllus flavus and A. parasiticus fungi.

According to geneticist Paul Williams with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Mississippi State, Miss., the presence of aflatoxin in corn greatly reduces its value and marketability. That's because aflatoxin is carcinogenic to humans, pets and wildlife. Annual losses incurred by the corn industry to aflatoxin contamination of kernels are estimated at $192 million.

At the ARS Corn Host Plant Resistance Research Unit in Mississippi State, Williams works with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and university cooperators to develop, test and release new corn lines that are genetically resistant to aflatoxin-producing fungi.

In 2008 field trials, for example, two germplasm lines that the team developed—Mp715 and Mp717—showed the highest levels yet of resistance to aflatoxin contamination. A more recent line, Mp04:097, also performed well in 2009 trials.

Mp715 and Mp717 are also resistant to the accumulation of another fungal toxin—fumonisin, which is produced by Fusarium verticillioides. The toxin causes neurological abnormalities in horses after they consume infected corn.

According to Williams, the lines have been widely requested and used in plant breeding programs at state, federal and international research institutions, plus three major commercial seed companies and several smaller ones.

In related work, the researchers are mapping chromosome regions associated with aflatoxin resistance in crosses between resistant lines and susceptible ones with good agronomic qualities. The goal is to identify markers that can be used in marker-assisted breeding.

On yet another front, the team has developed corn lines that resist fall armyworms and southwestern corn borers, insect pests whose feeding damage can contribute to aflatoxin contamination.

Read more about research to improve corn in the September 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.

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Photo: Three researchers examine a more heat tolerant plastic made from corn. Link to photo information
Developing a more heat-tolerant biodegradable plastic is the goal of ARS research chemist William J. Orts (left) and his collaborators, Allison Flynn and Lennard Torres from Lapol, LLC, Santa Barbara, Calif. Click the image for more information about it.

Helping Corn-Based Plastics Take

 More Heat

Your favorite catsup or fruit juice might be "hot-filled" at the food-processing plant—that is, poured into its waiting container while the catsup or juice is still hot from pasteurization. Current containers made from corn-based plastics literally can't take the heat of hot-filling, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist William J. Orts.

But Orts and a team of collaborators from Lapol, LLC, of Santa Barbara, Calif., hope to change that by making corn-derived plastics more heat-tolerant. Orts and Lapol co-investigators Allison Flynn and Lennard Torres are doing the work at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., where Orts leads the Bioproduct Chemistry and Engineering Research Unit. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

By boosting the bioplastics' heat tolerance, the collaboration—under way since 2007—may broaden the range of applications for which corn-derived plastics could be used as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

Corn-based plastics are made by fermenting corn sugar to produce lactic acid. The lactic acid is used to form polylactic acid, or PLA, a bioplastic. The Albany team is developing a product known as a heat-deflection temperature modifier that would be blended with PLA to make it more heat-tolerant.

The modifier is more than 90 percent corn-based and is fully biodegradable. There currently are no commercially available heat-deflection temperature modifiers for PLA, according to Randall L. Smith, chief operating officer at Lapol. ARS and Lapol are seeking a patent for the invention.

Read more about this and other ARS corn research in the September 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

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Photo: Basil grown as an ornamental plant in the garden.
The new Ornamental Edibles exhibit in the U.S. National Arboretum demonstrates ways that home gardeners can incorporate decorative vegetables like this purple basil into their landscape gardens. Photo courtesy of Jeanette Warriner, ARS.

 

New

"Ornamental Edibles" Exhibit

 Added to Arboretum

A new exhibit that will tickle visitors' taste buds has been added this year at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

The new Ornamental Edibles exhibit in the arboretum's National Herb Garden will demonstrate ways that home gardeners can incorporate delicious vegetable plants into their landscape gardens. Visitors to the herb garden are encouraged to experience plants through sight, smell, touch and taste. It is the largest designed herb garden in the nation that includes annual, perennial and woody herbal plants.

The exhibit is being used to promote healthy eating and contribute to the USDA initiative encouraging Americans to eat locally produced food. The exhibit is managed by arboretum horticulturist Chrissy Moore and technician Jeanette Proudfoot. The arboretum is administered by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Many vegetables make lovely landscape plants. According to Scott Aker, who leads the arboretum's Gardens Unit, ornamental edible plants have attractive foliage, texture and color that give them curb appeal while they are producing food. Even small areas and container gardens can be used to grow attractive vegetables and fruits for home use.

The arboretum's exhibit will feature vegetables appropriate for the current season while also highlighting ARS research. For example, visitors to the arboretum this summer can see ARS-developed, nematode-resistant peppers arranged with tomatoes, eggplants, gourds and beans in an attractive—and tasty—landscape garden.

Visitors are encouraged to sample the plants in the exhibit. And should one want to know more about the garden, a quick call to the arboretum's "Cell Phone Tour" phone number displayed on a small sign will tell visitors more about it.

The spring crop of salad greens has been harvested and tomatoes are being harvested. During the fall, the exhibit will include cool season crops such as kale and other leafy greens. If feedback is good, Aker and Moore will consider continuing the exhibit for another year.

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