USAID/Mali Awards $5 M Associate Cooperative Agreement to INTSORMIL for Food Insecurity Mitigation in Mali, West Africa

Dr. John Yohe, Program Director of the “Sorghum, Millet and other Grains Collaborative Research Support Program” (INTSORMIL) announces receipt from the USAID Mission in Mali, West Africa, of a $5 million grant to expand the activities of the current project “Transfer of Sorghum, Millet Production, Processing and Marketing Technologies in Mali.” Subsistence and resource poor farmers in West Africa are dependent on sorghum and millet as they serve as basic human foods and livestock feed. There continues to be a shortage of sorghum and millet grain in Mali, especially in the north. Mali’s ‘Hungry Season’ has been described as “that period in August and September when this year’s millet is ripening, last year’s has run out and hunger grips most families. At that time there is not enough grain for three meals a day. If one day there is breakfast, there may only be dinner the next.” The Mali/USAID funded Project is designed to significantly expand the existing project, especially into the northern areas of Mali (Tombouctou etc.) where food insecurity is a severe problem for the small scale farmers who depend on sorghum and millet for their daily diet. The expanded project will rapidly move sorghum and millet production technologies onto farmers’ fields, link farmers’ organizations to food and feed processors and commercialize processing technologies so as to enhance markets. The additional funds will allow INTSORMIL to significantly increase its impact in Mali by (1) expanding to new sites with more concentration in the poorer northern Tombouctou region, (2) upscale the research, (3) upscale the technology transfer component and (4) develop institutional capacity by adding a training component (academic and short term) to the current Cooperative Agreement

INTSORMIL 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

The 2005 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the SorghumiMillet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University) and scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Afflca. Agricultural research provides benefits not only to producers of agricultural products but also to processors and consumers of agricultural products. Agricultural research has proven itself continuously in providing improved products of greater quantity and quality, as well as improved health to consumers and broad-based economic growth which goes beyond producers and consumers

INTSORMIL 2007 Annual Report

The 2007 INTSORMIL Six Year Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the Sorghum/Millet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2007. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at seven U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University), scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Introduction and Program Overview Project Reports Sustainable Plant Protection Systems Agroecology and Biotechnology of Stalk Rot Pathogens of Sorghum and Millet — John F Leslie (KSU 210) Low Input Ecologically Defined Management Strategies for Insect Pests on Sorghum — Henry N Pitre (MSU 205) Striga Biotechnology Development and Technology Transfer — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 213) Sustainable Management of Insect Pests — Bonnie B Pendleton (WTU 200) Sustainable Production Systems Economic and Sustainability Evaluation of New Technologies in Sorghum and Millet Production in INTSORMIL Priority Countries — John H Sanders (PRF 205) Cropping Systems to Optimize Yield, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Pearl Millet and Grain Sorghum — Stephen C Mason (UNL 213) Soil and Water Management for Improving Sorghum Production in Eastern Africa — Charles Wortmann and Martha Mamo (UNL 219) Germplasm Enhancement and Conservation Breeding Pearl Millet for Improved Stability, Performance, and Pest Resistance — Jeffrey P Wilson (ARS 206) Breeding Grain Mold Resistance in High Digestibility Sorghum Varieties — Dirk Hays (TAM 230) Development and Enhancement of Sorghum Germplasm with Sustained Tolerance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 207) Enhancing the Utilization of Grain Sorghum and Pearl Millet through the Improvement of Grain Quality via Genetic and Nutritional Research — Mitch Tuinstra, Joe Hancock, William Rooney and Clint Magill (KSU 220A, KSU 220B, TAM 220C, TAM 220D) Germplasm Enhancement for Resistance to Insects and Improved Efficiency for Sustainable Agriculture Systems — Gary C Peterson (TAM 223) Crop Utilization and Marketing An Evaluation of New Market Development and Marketing Strategies on Sorghum and Millet Farmers\u27 Income in Tanzania and Zambia — Donald Larson and J Mark Erbaugh (OSU 200) Chemical and Physical Aspects of Food and Nutritional Quality of Sorghum and Millet — Bruce R Hamaker (PRF 212) Food and Nutritional Quality of Sorghum and Millet — Lloyd L Rooney (TAM 226) Entrepreneurship and Product Development in East Africa: A Strategy to Promote Increased Use of Sorghum and Millet — David S Jackson (UNL 220) Host Country Program Enhancement Central America — Stephen C Mason Hom of Africa — Gebisa Ejeta Southern Africa — Gary C Peterson West Africa — Bruce R Hamaker Educational Activities Educational Activities Appendices INTSORMIL Sponsored and Co-Sponsored Workshops 1979-2007 Acronym

INTSORMIL 2003 ANNUAL REPORT

From 1980 to 1999, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the number of food-insecure people in developing countries fell from 920 million to about 800 million, yet in 2003, the International Food Policy Research Institute declared that without significant changes in policies, public investments, and institutions, we simply will not achieve the 1996 World Food Summit goal-reaffirmed at the 2000 Millennium Summit and again last year at the World Food Summit: five years later of reducing the number of our fellow human beings who are food insecure by at least half by no later than 2015. FAO indicates that the number has been decreasing by barely 2.5 million per year over the last eight years. At that rate, we will reach these goals one hundred years late, in 2115. Increased production of cereals, which are crucial sources of food energy and other nutrients, is necessary to reduce world hunger. According to Entering the 21st Century-World Development Report 1999/2000, about 900 million people in almost 100 countries are affected by drought and desertification, and by 2025, that number will double. The population of the world has doubled since 1940, but fresh water use has increased fourfold. Water scarcity is becoming more widespread, with concomitant effects on regional peace and global food security. Nearly all of the 3 billion increase in global population which is expected by 2025 will be in developing countries where water is already scarce. To meet the increasing demand for food in those countries, there is an increasing demand for more efficient production and new ways of utilizing drought-tolerant crops which have a competitive advantage to produce food under conditions of unpredictable and scarce rainfall. As water becomes more precious in the United States, cereals which can produce energy for feed and fuel in drought-prone areas of the country are demonstrating increasingly competitive advantages

INTSORMIL 2004 ANNUAL REPORT

The 2004 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the SorghumlMillet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University) and scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Agricultural research provides benefits not only to producers of agricultural products but also to processors and consumers of agricultural products. Agricultural research has proven itself continuously as providing improvements which yield products of greater quantity and quality, as well as improved health to consumers and broad-based economic growth which goes beyond producers and consumers

INTSORMIL 2009 Annual Report

The 2009 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP during the period of September 30, 2008 through September 29, 2009. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University), scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in sixteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Project Reports Sustainable Plant Protection Systems Grain Molds, Mycotoxins and Stalk Rots of Sorghum and Millet — John Leslie (KSU 101) Ecologically-Based Management of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Insect Pests in Africa and the United States — Bonnie Pendleton (WTU 101) Sustainable Production Systems Integrated Soil, Water, Nutrient and Crop Management Strategies for Improving Productivity in Sorghum and Millet Based Cropping Systems — PY Yara Prasad & Scott Staggenborg (KSU 104) : Crop, Soil and Water Management to Optimize Grain Yield and Quality for Value-Added Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa — Charles Wortmann (UNL 101) Germplasm Enhancement and Conservation Breeding Pearl Millet with Improved Performance, Stability and Resistance to Pests — Jeffrey Wilson (ARS 101) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Resistance to Striga and Drought in Africa — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 101) Developing Sorghum with Improved Grain Quality, Agronomic Performance, and Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses — Mitch Tuinstra (PRF 104) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Grain, Forage Quality and Yield for Central America — William Rooney (TAM 101) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses and Enhanced End-Use Characteristics for Southern Africa — Gary Peterson (TAM 102) Crop Utilization and Marketing Enhancing the Utilization and Marketability of Sorghum and Pearl Millet through Improvement in Grain Quality, Processing, Procedures, and Technology Transfer to the Poultry Industry — Joe Hancock (KSU 102) Market Development in Support of Sorghum and Miller Farmers in Tanzania and Zambia — Donald Larson and 1 Mark Erbaugh (OSU 101) Product and Market Development for Sorghum and Pearl Millet in West Africa — Bruce Hamaker (PRF 102) Development of the Input and Product Markets in West Africa for Sorghum and Millet — John Sanders (PRF 103) Product and Market Development for Sorghum and Pearl Millet in Southern African and Central America — Lloyd Rooney (TAM 103) Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Product Development and Food Entrepreneur/Industry Technical Support: A Strategy to Promote Increased Use of Sorghum and Millet in East Africa — David Jackson (UNL 1 02) Host Country Program Enhancement Central America — William Rooney Hom of Africa — Gebisa Ejeta Southern Africa — Gary Peterson West Africa — Bruce Hamaker and Bonnie Pendleton Educational Activities INTSORMIL Sponsored and Co-Sponsored Workshops 2006-2009 Acronym

K2 Discovers a Busy Bee: An Unusual Transiting Neptune Found in the Beehive Cluster

Open clusters have been the focus of several exoplanet surveys but only a few planets have so far been discovered. The \emph{Kepler} spacecraft revealed an abundance of small planets around small, cool stars, therefore, such cluster members are prime targets for exoplanet transit searches. Kepler's new mission, K2, is targeting several open clusters and star-forming regions around the ecliptic to search for transiting planets around their low-mass constituents. Here, we report the discovery of the first transiting planet in the intermediate-age (800 Myr) Beehive cluster (Praesepe). K2-95 is a faint ($\mathrm{Kp = 15.5\,mag}$) $\mathrm{M3.0\pm0.5}$ dwarf from K2's Campaign 5 with an effective temperature of $\mathrm{3471 \pm 124\,K}$, approximately solar metallicity and a radius of $\mathrm{0.402 \pm 0.050 \,R_\odot}$. We detected a transiting planet with a radius of $\mathrm{3.47^{+0.78}_{-0.53} \, R_\oplus}$ and an orbital period of 10.134 days. We combined photometry, medium/high-resolution spectroscopy, adaptive optics/speckle imaging and archival survey images to rule out any false positive detection scenarios, validate the planet, and further characterize the system. The planet's radius is very unusual as M-dwarf field stars rarely have Neptune-sized transiting planets. The comparatively large radius of K2-95b is consistent with the other recently discovered cluster planets K2-25b (Hyades) and K2-33b (Upper Scorpius), indicating systematic differences in their evolutionary states or formation. These discoveries from K2 provide a snapshot of planet formation and evolution in cluster environments and thus make excellent laboratories to test differences between field-star and cluster planet populations.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figues. Accepted for publication in A

USU Teaching Documentation: Dossiers from the Mentoring Program

The nation\u27s land grant institutions were founded on the principle of access for the general public to the knowledge gained through research and creative activity fostered in higher education. Central to our access mission is our dedication to teaching and learning that is informed by research and discovery, both of which must result, at least in part, from our engagement with our external constituents. That teaching and learning informs our research and vice versa; our research informs and aids in our teaching mission. This work, compiled by Professors Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante and Cathy Ferrand Bullock, is focused on how the best, highly informed teaching is accomplished when done in an intentional manner. That intentional process helps the best university educators thoughtfully build their teaching story in an organized manner. Educators think about how they can successfully reach and engage their appropriate student audiences (or mentees), what they hope to accomplish, and how they intend to accomplish their goals. Further, as learning outcomes are identified and established, first-rate methods for course design, content inclusion, and continuous improvement can be outlined. Those of us who follow these intentional principles may then detail our growth and success along the way as teachers in the development of documents that tell our stories. Undoubtedly, the ability to clearly document and articulate that story will help academic personnel add to their tenure and promotion preparation in a very meaningful way. But as or even more important is the opportunity to describe these journeys with all the efforts, large and small, of improving their product in terms of learning outcomes and student growth and success. The nuggets of wisdom compiled by Professors Spicer-Escalante and Bullock, in USU Teaching Documentation: Dossiers from the Mentoring Program, will help teachers across the board from the new lecturer or assistant professor to the experienced professor dive into their teaching programs and find ways to continuously experiment and refine their approaches to our critically important student audiences. Good luck, teach on, and successfully document some of the most important work you all do! Frank Galey Executive Vice President and Provost Utah State University 2019https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ua_faculty/1000/thumbnail.jp

COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF POSSIBLE FUTURES FOR TWO FLOCKS OF WHOOPING CRANES

We conducted computer simulations using the program VORTEX (version 7) to project population sizes, growth rates, genetic diversity, and probabilities of extinction over the next 100 years for 2 flocks of whooping cranes (Grus americana), the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population and the experimental Florida population. Standard runs based on best estimates of demographic. genetic, and environmental parameter values were used as a baseline to which several alternative scenarios were compared. Results generally supported the conclusion of the earlier Population Viability Assessment (Mirande et al. 1991) that the AransaslWood Buffalo population will continue to grow steadily with less than a 1 % probability of extinction. It was noted, however, that a combination of negative factors such as shrinking habitat and increased probabilities of catastrophes accompanied by increased mortality rates could put this population at risk. Results for the Florida population were less optimistic. The standard run produced a population growth rate (r) of only 0.0026 for the next 100 years, and this shifted down to -0.0001 over a 200-year time frame. Adult mortality in this flock would have to be about 20% lower than the predicted value (10%) in order to raise growth rates to above r = 0.02. Amount and duration of supplementation of the Florida flock had minimal impacts on the long-tenn growth rate of the flock. It is the enduring rates of mortality, breeding, and disease risk that will have major effects on this population. For example, if disease risks tum out to be greater than the best-estimate scenario, this population could face a relatively high risk of extinction (17%). The formula for success in Florida is lower adult mortality, lower age of first breeding, lower disease risk, and higher productivity than the best-guess estimates. Fortunately, there are some potential management interventions (e.g., predator control, vaccines and health monitoring, selective introductions to balance the sex ratio of the flock) that may be able to push the odds in favor of success