2011 Wild Blueberry Project Reports

The 2011 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Mechanisms through which wild blueberries affect functional characteristics of the arterial wall related to endothelial dysfunction in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats 2. Do wild blueberries affect high blood lipids, high blood glucose and obesity as related to the Metabolic Syndrome? 3. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2011 4. IPM strategies, 2011 5. Biology and ecology of pest insects, 2011 6. Biology and ecology of beneficial insects, 2011 7. Pesticide residues on lowbush blueberry, 2011 8. Maine wild blueberry –mummy berry research and extension 9. Valdensinia leaf spot – Education, control and research – 2011 10. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 11. Evaluation of several growth regulators for stimulating lowbush blueberry rhizome production 12. Evaluation of the effects of Gypsum (CaSO4) on wild blueberry fruit Ca concentration 13. Fall application of tribenuron methyl for bunchberry control in wild blueberries, 2009-2011 – effects of fall versus spring pruning on cover and yield in the crop year (final report) 14. Wild Blueberry Extension Education Program in 2011 INPUT SYSTEMS STUDY: 15. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 2 of a four-year study – experimental design 16. The effects of different agronomic practices on the composition and quality of wild blueberries 17. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 2 of a four-year study, blueberry quality from the first harvest year 18. Food safety- Prevalence study of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. on lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) 19. Abundance of insect pest species and natural enemies in lowbush blueberry fields maintained under different management practices 20. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 2 of a four-year study, disease management results 21. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 2 of a four-year study, weed management results 22. Systems approach to improving sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 1 of a four-year study, preliminary soil health and chemistry results 23. Management effects on the phosphorus chemistry of wild blueberry barrens soil 24. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, preliminary economic comparison 2010-2011 25. Transition to organic production Year 2: Evaluation of gypsum and bone char 26. The effect of field management, forest edge composition, and field location on insect-mediated ecosystem services (scavenging/predation) (ancillary study) 27. Pre-emergent combinations of herbicides for weed control in wild blueberry fields (ancillary study) 28. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production – Ancillary land-leveling study, year 1 (ancillary study) 29. Effects of compost and mulch on soil health and soil nutrient dynamics in wild blueberry (ancillary study

2012 Wild Blueberry Project Reports

The 2012 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Do wild blueberries alleviate risk factors related to the Metabolic Syndrome? 2. Development of effective intervention measures to maintain and improve food safety for wild blueberries 3. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2012 4. Development and implementation of a wild blueberry thrips IPM program, 2012 5. IPM 6. Biology of blueberry and pest insects, 2012 7. Biology of beneficial insects and blueberry pollination, 2012 8. Pesticide residues on lowbush blueberry, 2012 9. Maine wild blueberry –mummy berry research and extension 10. Efficacy of Apogee growth regulator for stimulating rhizome growth into bare spots in wild blueberry fields 11. Velpar by Matrix pre and post-emergence applications - demonstration plots 12. Wild blueberry Extension Education Program in 2012 INPUT SYSTEMS STUDY: 13. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year Three of a four-year study – experimental design 14. Food safety- Prevalence study of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. on lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) 15. Abundance of insect pest species and natural enemies in lowbush blueberry fields maintained under different management practices 16. Input Systems Study: Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year 3 of a four-year study, disease management results 17. Plant productivity, Year Three of a four-year study 18. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production, Year Three of a four-year study, weed management results 19. Effects of organic and conventional management systems on the phosphorus solubility of lowbush blueberry barren soils 20. Systems approach to improving sustainability of wild blueberry production – soil health and chemistry measures 21. Evaluation of fungicides for control of mummy berry disease (ancillary study) 22. Systems approach to improving the sustainability of wild blueberry production – Ancillary land-leveling study, Year Two of a four-year study (ancillary study) 23. Pre-emergent combinations of herbicides for weed control in wild blueberry fields – 2012 results from the 2011 trial (ancillary study) 24. Pre-emergent combinations of herbicides for weed control in wild blueberry fields – 2012 trial (ancillary study) 25. Evaluation of herbicides for control of fineleaf sheep fescue for grass control in wild blueberries (ancillary study) 26. Pre-emergence application timing and rate of Alion and Sandea in combination with Velpar or Sinbar on weed control and injury to wild blueberry (ancillary study) 27. Compost and mulch effects on soil health and nutrient dynamics in wild blueberry (ancillary study

Energy Sorghum : An alternative energy crop A Handbook

Increasing world market prices for fossil fuels, driven by limited reserves, growing demand and instability in producing regions, now render renewable fuels economical. Such fuels are also a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating climate change. The transport sector which is almost totally dependent on fossil fuels, particularly for powering personal vehicles and trucks, is the most concerned sector. Biofuels, defined as solid, liquid or gas fuels derived from biomass, are today the only direct substitute for fossil fuels on a significant scale particularly in transport sector. Biofuels are considered environmentally friendly because the CO2 emissions they produce during combustion is balanced by the CO2 absorbed by the plants growth. To be a viable substitute for fossil fuels, an alternative fuel should not only have superior environmental benefits over the fossil fuels it substitutes, be economically competitive with it, and be available in sufficient quantities to make meaningful impact on energy demand, but it should also provide a net energy gain over the energy invested to produce it and have minimal effect on food security... {This handbook was elaborated in the framework of the SWEETFUEL project (grant agreement number 227422), supported by the European Commission