ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Jim DeQuattro, phone 301-344-2756, [email protected]
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Tipsheet from ARS for April 5, 1997
Cloned Gene May Benefit Cattle Feeders, Plastics Manufacturers
More lactic acid is good news for some, bad news for others.
Companies that manufacture lactic acid for food and industrial uses would
like to find a way to make greater amounts of the acid while cutting
production costs. But cattle feedlot managers would like to find a way to
reduce the lactic acid that's naturally produced in cattle's stomachs,
because it means big headaches for them--and big stomachaches for the
cattle.
Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service may be able to help
both groups with a single discovery, the isolation of the gene responsible
for production of the crucial enzyme.
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Scientific contact: Michael A. Cotta, (309) 681-6273, [email protected]
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Snooping on the Sound of Sediment
New state-of-the art acoustic technology is uncovering the secrets of
soil--undisturbed in the field or moving in streams.
Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service have teamed up with
the University of Mississippi's National Center for Physical Acoustics at
Oxford, Miss., to develop a new probe microphone that can provide clues
about physical characteristics--such as air spaces in the soil--without
disturbing the soil and wrecking its natural profile in the process.
The key, the scientists say, is how well the soil absorbs sound waves.
They've developed a procedure that lets them quickly and accurately measure
absorption of sound waves penetrating up to 4 inches deep in the upper soil
profile. The technology also could be used to monitor the moisture content
in fields so automated sprinkler systems would turn on only when the soil
needs watering.
The scientists say acoustic technology can also help determine sediment
concentrations in flowing water. That information could be useful in
devising strategies to protect streambeds from filling up with sediment,
which can cause flooding, erosion or collapse of the stream banks. Such
information is critical for developing stable channels in agricultural
watersheds.
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Scientific contact: Mathias J. Romkens, (601) 232-2927, [email protected].
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New "Pineapple" Orange Coming for Florida Growers
Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service say they expect to
release a new pineapple orange to nurseries in about three years. The new
orange will be the eighth variety to emerge from the citrus breeding
program carried out over the past 20 years at the agency's U.S.
Horticultural Research Laboratory at Orlando, Fla.
The scientists say the new pineapple orange ripens in time to fill the
market void that now occurs in January and February. It's suitable for the
fresh market or processing.
Of special interest to growers: The new variety is seedless and stays on
the tree until picked. Growers have been reluctant to plant pineapple
orange varieties in the past because the fruit has too many seeds and
tends to fall off the trees before it is mature.
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Scientific contact: Richard Mayer; 407-897-7300; [email protected].
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Natural Chemical Found in Avocados Kills Fruit Flies
A natural chemical already present in some types of avocados kills the
Caribbean fruit fly. That's the word from scientists with USDA's
Agricultural Research Service who were the first to discover that the
chemical--called estragole--is toxic to the pests.
The next step, the scientists say, is to find a way to manipulate the gene
behind estragole to give plants such as fresh citrus natural resistance to
the Caribbean fruit fly and possibly other insect pests.
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Scientific contact: Michael Hennessey; (305) 238-9321; [email protected].
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"Plum" of a Rootstock May Boost a Premium Almond
Almond growers who today can't grow Nonpareil--America's premium almond
variety--might be able to do so in a few years, thanks to a plum rootstock
called Deep Purple.
Unfortunately, the premium Nonpareil variety scions can't be grafted
successfully onto certain choice plum rootstocks. So, some growers now
have to settle for less popular almond varieties that can be grafted to
other rootstocks. Nonpareil almonds might, however, graft well to Deep
Purple rootstock. That's according to preliminary tests at USDA's
Agricultural Research Service. Deep Purple, a hardy plum introduced by the
University of Minnesota in 1965, hasn't been tried for this job until now.
This spring, several dozen Nonpareil scions will be grafted onto Deep
Purple rootstock, then readied for ARS test-planting in commercial
orchards next year.
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Scientific contact: Craig A. Ledbetter, USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops
Research Laboratory, Fresno, Calif., phone (209) 453-3064, e-mail
[email protected].
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WeedCast Predictions Save Farmers Money
Corn farmers in the Morris area of west central Minnesota see a glimpse of
the future whenever they click on their computer's mouse or leaf through
their local newspaper for weed forecasts.
For example: from late April until early July 1996, the Morris Sun weekly
paper carried charts showing height predictions for 11 common weeds. The
last forecast for weed seedling emergence made by using weather data from
the Morris area was posted on the Internet on July 1. It showed from 90- to
100-percent sprouting of pigweed and lambsquarters for farms in the area.
The information helped area farmers plan their weed control strategies.
"We're working to expand the forecasts nationwide," says Frank Forcella. He
is the ARS agronomist who developed the weed forecasting computer model,
called WeedCast, that generates the predictions.
WeedCast software is available for downloading from the World Wide Web at
http://www.infolink.morris.mn.us/~lwink/products/weedcast.htm.
The forecasts can be used with other farm management aids, such as the
WeedSim model developed by the University of Minnesota in conjunction with
ARS. That model advises farmers if and when to use herbicides and
mechanical weed control based on predicted weed dormancy, emergence, and
speed of growth.
When combined with information on yield losses from weeds and delayed
planting, WeedCast predictions help determine the best compromise date for
seedbed cultivation to substantially destroy weeds, instead of using
herbicide before planting.
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Scientific contact: Frank Forcella; (320) 589-3411; [email protected].
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