Using Banded Sunflower Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Egg Density to Estimate Damage and Economic Distance in Oilseed Sunflower

The banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is an important economic pest of sunflower in the Upper Great Plains of North America. Economic losses due to reductions in seed number, weight, and quality can be significant. Previously, the potential for economic losses were estimated by sampling for adult moths. However, sampling for moths can be difficult and inaccurate. An alternative is to sample for banded sunflower moth eggs, which can be accurately counted in the field by using a binocular 3.5 headband magnifier. The egg counts are used to calculate the economic injury level (EIL): EIL = C/(V×W×P×K), where C is the cost of treatment per unit area, V is the crop market value per unit of weight, W is the slope of the regression between banded sunflower moth egg densities and weight loss per plant, P is a term for plant population per unit area, and K is the control treatment efficacy. Estimates of populations of banded sunflower moth eggs are taken from the center of 400-m spans along all field sides. From these samples and the calculated EIL, a map of the extent of the economically damaging banded sunflower moth population throughout the field is made using economic distance; ED = e(((EIL/E) – 1.458)/–0.262). Economic distance estimates the distance an economic population extends into the field interior along a transect from the sampling site. By using egg samples to calculate the EIL and mapping the distribution of economic populations throughout a field, producers can then make more effective pest management decisions

Using Banded Sunflower Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Egg Density to Estimate Damage and Economic Distance in Oilseed Sunflower

The banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is an important economic pest of sunflower in the Upper Great Plains of North America. Economic losses due to reductions in seed number, weight, and quality can be significant. Previously, the potential for economic losses were estimated by sampling for adult moths. However, sampling for moths can be difficult and inaccurate. An alternative is to sample for banded sunflower moth eggs, which can be accurately counted in the field by using a binocular 3.5 headband magnifier. The egg counts are used to calculate the economic injury level (EIL): EIL = C/(V×W×P×K), where C is the cost of treatment per unit area, V is the crop market value per unit of weight, W is the slope of the regression between banded sunflower moth egg densities and weight loss per plant, P is a term for plant population per unit area, and K is the control treatment efficacy. Estimates of populations of banded sunflower moth eggs are taken from the center of 400-m spans along all field sides. From these samples and the calculated EIL, a map of the extent of the economically damaging banded sunflower moth population throughout the field is made using economic distance; ED = e(((EIL/E) – 1.458)/–0.262). Economic distance estimates the distance an economic population extends into the field interior along a transect from the sampling site. By using egg samples to calculate the EIL and mapping the distribution of economic populations throughout a field, producers can then make more effective pest management decisions

The relationship between the size of a contact lens and the percentage of the corneal cylinder used with a toric base curve contact lens to provide an optimum fit

The relationship between the size of a contact lens and the percentage of the corneal cylinder used with a toric base curve contact lens to provide an optimum fi

Screening Sunflower for Tolerance to Sunflower Midge Using the Synthetic Auxin 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

The sunflower midge, Contarinia schulzi Gagné, causes economic damage by inducing abnormal growth in infested heads (capitula) of sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether sunflower midge damage could be simulated and whether that simulated damage could be used to select midge-tolerant sunflower germplasm. An additional objective was to develop a quantitative alternative to the scoring systems used to visually estimate damage. Sunflower plants were treated by injecting buds with the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which resulted in a distortion of the head morphology that was similar in appearance to the damage caused by the sunflower midge. The extent of distortion depended not only on the dose of 2,4-D but also on the size and growth stage of the head when injected. Among sunflower hybrids tested, resistance to the sunflower midge was significantly, negatively correlated with 2,4-D damage. Therefore, injection of sunflower heads with 2,4-D appears to be an effective method of screening sunflower germplasm for tolerance to the sunflower midge. Two distortion indices, based on measurements of head shape, were compared with the visual damage system. Although the visual rating system is faster, distortion index 2 gave similar results and is preferred when it is necessary to avoid individual differences in scoring techniques

Screening Sunflower for Tolerance to Sunflower Midge Using the Synthetic Auxin 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

The sunflower midge, Contarinia schulzi Gagné, causes economic damage by inducing abnormal growth in infested heads (capitula) of sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether sunflower midge damage could be simulated and whether that simulated damage could be used to select midge-tolerant sunflower germplasm. An additional objective was to develop a quantitative alternative to the scoring systems used to visually estimate damage. Sunflower plants were treated by injecting buds with the synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which resulted in a distortion of the head morphology that was similar in appearance to the damage caused by the sunflower midge. The extent of distortion depended not only on the dose of 2,4-D but also on the size and growth stage of the head when injected. Among sunflower hybrids tested, resistance to the sunflower midge was significantly, negatively correlated with 2,4-D damage. Therefore, injection of sunflower heads with 2,4-D appears to be an effective method of screening sunflower germplasm for tolerance to the sunflower midge. Two distortion indices, based on measurements of head shape, were compared with the visual damage system. Although the visual rating system is faster, distortion index 2 gave similar results and is preferred when it is necessary to avoid individual differences in scoring techniques

Using Visual and Digital Imagery to Quantify Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Densities

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans L. (Diptera: Muscidae), is a persistent pest of cattle globally. A threshold of 200 flies per animal is considered the standard management goal; however, determining when that threshold has been exceeded is difficult using visual estimates that tend to overestimate the actual fly densities and are, at best, subjective. As a result, a more reliable and durable method of determining horn fly densities is needed. Here, we describe the methods commonly used to quantify horn fly densities including visual estimates and digital photography, and provide examples of quantification software and the prospect for computer automation methods

Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) - Biology, Management, and Future Research Directions

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), is one of the most important external parasites of cattle in North America and elsewhere. Horn fly adults have an intimate association with cattle, their primary host. With their often-high numbers and by feeding up to 38 times per day per fly, horn flies stress cattle. The resulting productivity loss is valued at more than 2.3 billion USD in the United States. Insecticides are commonly used to mitigate direct injury from feeding and indirect injury from disease transmission. This paper discusses horn fly biology, distribution, and management. Emphasis is on promising new approaches in novel insecticides, repellents, biological control, vaccines, animal genetics, and sterile insect technology that will lead to effective preventative tactics and the integration of smart technologies with horn fly management. We conclude with a discussion of research needs necessary to shift horn fly integrated pest management to an emphasis on preventative tactics and the precision use of reactive techniques

A novel role for XIAP in copper homeostasis through regulation of MURR1

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102131/1/emboj7600031.pd

Ecological and Genomic Attributes of Novel Bacterial Taxa That Thrive in Subsurface Soil Horizons.

While most bacterial and archaeal taxa living in surface soils remain undescribed, this problem is exacerbated in deeper soils, owing to the unique oligotrophic conditions found in the subsurface. Additionally, previous studies of soil microbiomes have focused almost exclusively on surface soils, even though the microbes living in deeper soils also play critical roles in a wide range of biogeochemical processes. We examined soils collected from 20 distinct profiles across the United States to characterize the bacterial and archaeal communities that live in subsurface soils and to determine whether there are consistent changes in soil microbial communities with depth across a wide range of soil and environmental conditions. We found that bacterial and archaeal diversity generally decreased with depth, as did the degree of similarity of microbial communities to those found in surface horizons. We observed five phyla that consistently increased in relative abundance with depth across our soil profiles: Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Euryarchaeota, and candidate phyla GAL15 and Dormibacteraeota (formerly AD3). Leveraging the unusually high abundance of Dormibacteraeota at depth, we assembled genomes representative of this candidate phylum and identified traits that are likely to be beneficial in low-nutrient environments, including the synthesis and storage of carbohydrates, the potential to use carbon monoxide (CO) as a supplemental energy source, and the ability to form spores. Together these attributes likely allow members of the candidate phylum Dormibacteraeota to flourish in deeper soils and provide insight into the survival and growth strategies employed by the microbes that thrive in oligotrophic soil environments.IMPORTANCE Soil profiles are rarely homogeneous. Resource availability and microbial abundances typically decrease with soil depth, but microbes found in deeper horizons are still important components of terrestrial ecosystems. By studying 20 soil profiles across the United States, we documented consistent changes in soil bacterial and archaeal communities with depth. Deeper soils harbored communities distinct from those of the more commonly studied surface horizons. Most notably, we found that the candidate phylum Dormibacteraeota (formerly AD3) was often dominant in subsurface soils, and we used genomes from uncultivated members of this group to identify why these taxa are able to thrive in such resource-limited environments. Simply digging deeper into soil can reveal a surprising number of novel microbes with unique adaptations to oligotrophic subsurface conditions