Revolution will be prosthetized

Journal ArticleIt's October at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., and Jonathan Kuniholm is playing "air guitar hero," a variation on Guitar Hero, the Nintendo Wii game that lets you try to keep up with real musicians using a vaguely guitarlike controller. But the engineer is playing without a guitar. More to the point, he's playing without his right hand, having lost it in Iraq in 2005. Instead he works the controller by contracting the muscles in his forearm, creating electrical impulses that electrodes then feed into the game. After about an hour he beats the high score set by Robert Armiger, a two‑armed Johns Hopkins University engineer who modified Guitar Hero to train amputees to use their new prostheses

Sudden Death Syndrome and Soybean Planting Date

The effect of soybean planting date on the severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and yield were evaluated in two studies at the Kansas River Valley Experiment Field in 2015. One study was established to promote SDS and the other to minimize SDS. In both studies the severity of SDS was greatest with the earlier planting dates, except for the more tolerant variety. The yield was greatest with the earlier planting date, except for the most susceptible variety. The severity of SDS was not as great as had been observed in previous years

An Integrated Approach to Control Sclerotinia Stem Rot (White Mold) in Soybean

While brown stem rot, Phytophthora root rot, sudden death syndrome and the soybean cyst nematode generally are regarded as the most significant diseases of soybean in the North Central States, Sclerotinia stem rot, also called white mold, has been a problem in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan for many years. Beginning in 1992, and again in 1994, Sclerotinia stem rot developed throughout the northern range of the North Central Region. Nationally, the disease is considered to be minor because it has not involved a high percentage of the national soybean acreage. Possibly this situation has changed and Sclerotinia stem rot will be an annual threat to soybean production in more of the Region. Chamberlain (1951) was the first to make a detailed report on Sclerotinia stem rot in the mid-west after he observed localized, but severe outbreaks of the disease in lllinois in 1946. Chamberlain (1951) summarized his findings by the following quote; \u27There appears to be no ready explanation as to why Sclerotinia stem rot, certainly one of the least prevalent of soybean diseases, can cause such severe but localized damage . After almost 50 years, more is known about factors that impact on the incidence and severity of this disease, but an element of mystery still remains as to why sudden outbreaks occur

Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids Yield More in Drought-Stressed Environments with No Penalty in Non-stressed Environments

Citation: Adee, E., Roozeboom, K., Balboa, G. R., Schlegel, A., & Ciampitti, I. A. (2016). Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrids Yield More in Drought-Stressed Environments with No Penalty in Non-stressed Environments. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.01534The potential benefit of drought-tolerant (DT) corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids may depend on drought intensity, duration, crop growth stage (timing), and the array of drought tolerance mechanisms present in selected hybrids. We hypothesized that corn hybrids containing DT traits would produce more consistent yields compared to non-DT hybrids in the presence of drought stress. The objective of this study was to define types of production environments where DT hybrids have a yield advantage compared to non-DT hybrids. Drought tolerant and non-DT hybrid pairs of similar maturity were planted in six site-years with different soil types, seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), representing a range of macro-environments. Irrigation regimes and seeding rates were used to create several micro-environments within each macro-environment. Hybrid response to the range of macro and micro-environmental stresses were characterized in terms of water use efficiency, grain yield, and environmental index. Yield advantage of DT hybrids was positively correlated with environment ET and VPD. Drought tolerant hybrids yielded 5 to 7% more than non-DT hybrids in high and medium ET environments (>430 mm ET), corresponding to seasonal VPD greater than 1200 Pa. Environmental index analysis confirmed that DT hybrids were superior in stressful environments. Yield advantage for DT hybrids appeared as yield dropped below 10.8 Mg ha(-1) and averaged as much as 0.6-1 Mg ha(-1) at the low yield range. Hybrids with DT technology can offer a degree of buffering against drought stress by minimizing yield reduction, but also maintaining a comparable yield potential in high yielding environments. Further studies should focus on the physiological mechanisms presented in the commercially available corn drought tolerant hybrids

Weed Management and Soybean Yields as Influenced by Row Width and Post-Emergent Herbicide Application Timing

Irrigated soybeans were grown in 2018 and 2019 at the Kansas River Valley Experi­ment Field near Rossville, KS. Soybeans were planted in 30-inch or 15-inch rows and a standard pre-emergent herbicide was applied. Planting dates were May 11 and June 4 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The post-emergent herbicide was applied at approxi­mately 21 or 35 days following soybean planting (DAP). Weed control and crop injury were visually evaluated approximately every seven days following herbicide application. Yields, moisture, and test weights were calculated from the center two rows in 30-inch plots and four rows in 15-inch plots after combine harvest. Predominant weeds present were Palmer amaranth, giant foxtail, ivyleaf morningglory, and honeyvine milkweed. Soybean yields from plots without post-emergent herbicide applied were reduced 6–17% vs. those that were treated. In the 27-day longer growing season of 2018, yield of soybeans planted in 15-inch rows trended slightly, though not significantly, higher than those planted in 30-inch rows

Sudden Death Syndrome and Soybean Planting Date

The effect of planting date on severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and yield was evaluated for the second year in two studies at the Kansas River Valley experiment fields in 2016. One study was established to promote SDS and the other to minimize SDS. In both studies the severity of SDS was greatest with the earlier planting dates. The yield was greatest with the earlier planting date, except for the most susceptible variety. The severity of SDS was not as great as had been observed in previous years. There is a very positive benefit to planting in early May when measures are taken to reduce the severity of SDS, such as variety selection

Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome Influenced by Macronutrient Fertility on Irrigated Soybeans in a Corn/Soybean Rotation

The effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilization on a corn/ soybean cropping sequence were evaluated from 1983 to 2016, with corn planted in odd years. There was a negative relationship between the P rate applied during the corn years and the severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) in 2014 and 2016 soybean

Sudden Death Syndrome and Soybean Planting Date

The effect of planting date on severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and yield was evaluated for the second year in two studies at the Kansas River Valley experiment fields in 2016. One study was established to promote SDS and the other to minimize SDS. In both studies the severity of SDS was greatest with the earlier planting dates. The yield was greatest with the earlier planting date, except for the most susceptible variety. The severity of SDS was not as great as had been observed in previous years. There is a very positive benefit to planting in early May when measures are taken to reduce the severity of SDS, such as variety selection

Influence of Soybean Planting Date on Sudden Death Syndrome and Soybean Yield

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is a disease caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium virguliforme. This fungus prefers wet conditions and thus is usually most severe in irri­gated fields. Sudden death syndrome tends to be most severe on well-managed soybeans with a high yield potential. It also tends to be more prevalent on fields that are infested with soybean cyst nematode (SCN) or planted early when soils are wet and cool. Historical yield losses from this disease are generally in the range of 1–25%. Soybean planting dates have been moving increasingly earlier in much of the soybean growing region, including Kansas. Yield loss of up to 0.5 bushel per day is not uncommon when soybeans are planted after May 10 in many soybean growing regions. However, in the Kansas River Valley, many of the soybeans have been planted after mid-May because of the perennial problem with SDS on soybeans. Later planting has been prescribed as a management practice to help avoid the cooler/wetter soils that can create greater probability of infection by the fungus. These data show that the severity of SDS is greater with the earlier planting date, but the yield is greater as well. The earlier planting date has a higher yield potential that can be reduced by SDS, but with SDS tolerant varieties there is still a significant yield benefit