REU Site: Explore It! Building the Next Generation of Sustainable Forest Bioproduct Researchers

The major goal of the project is to create the next generation of sustainable forest bioproduct researchers through providing them with an outstanding and relevant research experience

REU Site: Explore It! Building the Next Generation of Sustainable Forest Bioproduct Researchers

This three-year REU Site program builds on the substantial research strengths at the University of Maine. The focus on sustainable forest bioproducts is highly topical and of great global importance in the area of sustainable energy alternatives. Ten US undergraduate participants will conduct research advancing their knowledge of the field in general and one of the thematic elements in detail, specifically: 1) sustainability and life cycle analysis, 2) feedstock extraction/modification, 3) process control and sensing, 4) nanomaterial production and utilization, and 5) new product development. In addition the program includes an international component whereby, six Chilean students on a mutual exchange with six US students will participate in this program. Ongoing relationships exist between the University of Maine and Chilean faculty in Forest Resources and Engineering disciplines at the University of Chile in Santiago, the University of Bio-Bio in Concepcion, Chile and the University of Concepcion-UDT. The international component will allow students to learn the nuances of technical practices in the forest products industry in Chile, and discuss business, marketing, technology and environmental issues. At the end of the summer, REU student final presentations will be held at the University of Concepcion-UD in the format of a research conference. The entire conference will be streamed to the US so that the U of Maine based research teams can participate. Through participation in this REU Site program students will be better prepared to collaborate with international scholars and will develop a broader international perspective. The REU Site will specifically recruit minorities through extensive use of existing linkages with primarily minority serving institutions. All participants on this award will be non-UMaine students. The involvement of students in exciting research in the area of sustainable energy alternatives enhances the likelihood that they will consider post-graduate study and broaden the base of the Nation\u27s technical manpower. This award is co-funded by the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EHR/EPSCoR

Explore it! Building the Next Generation of Sustainable Energy Researchers

This award will establish an REU Site at the University of Maine. The program will engage 10 undergraduates each year for three years in a 10-week summer research experience. This REU site will leverage a focus area represented by the newly established University of Maine Forest Bio-products Research Institute (FBRI). Undergraduate students will conduct research advancing their knowledge of sustainable forest bio-products and will gain a detailed understanding of one of the thematic elements of the research effort as well as a broad understanding of all areas, specifically: 1) sustainable and life cycle analysis; 2) solids extraction/modification; 3) process control and sensing; 4) nanocellulose production and utilization; and 5) new project development. In addition to the hands-on research experience, undergraduate students will participate in a seminar series, field trips to gain practical knowledge of various aspects of sustainable forest bio-products, and a series of evening and weekend recreational activities. Participants will develop and utilize new knowledge to address sustainable energy issues impacting society. The REU site program will specifically target recruitment efforts towards women, minorities and students from undergraduate only institutions. Results of the research will be disseminated via campus presentations, and more broadly through journal articles and symposia

B847: Review of Potential Pasteurization Methods for Apple Cider

The main focus of this paper is to review the pasteurization methods that can be applied to the needs of the apple industry and to recommend further research. In addition to the review of methods, we conducted a sensory evaluation of cider to evaluate the acceptability of various pasteurized samples. This review of potential methods for product treatment will serve as an informative study with recommendations for future processing. Although not an exhaustive survey, conventional methods and the most promising new techniques are discussed.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1008/thumbnail.jp

TB176: Agrelation: A Computerized Decision-making Tool for Coloraod Potato Beetle Population Management and Environmental Quality Concerns

Many facets of Maine potato production have been simulated with computer models and expert systems. Given the ongoing improvement of computer technology and validation of past efforts, scientists can now combine several agricultural submodels into one holistic and user-friendly computer application. This bulletin reports on the development of one such application—Agrelation—aimed at modeling a portion of Maine potato production and management.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1032/thumbnail.jp

TB174: Maine Wild Blueberries Field Winnowing Systems

The objective of this study was to determine if there were differences in berry quality between the two winnowing systems currently used in the Maine wild blueberry industry. The following experiment was performed three times during the 1997 field season.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1034/thumbnail.jp

Light-Induced Currents at Domain Walls in Multiferroic BiFeO3.

Multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) films with spontaneously formed periodic stripe domains can generate above-gap open circuit voltages under visible light illumination; nevertheless the underlying mechanism behind this intriguing optoelectronic response has not been understood to date. Here, we make contact-free measurements of light-induced currents in epitaxial BFO films via detecting terahertz radiation emanated by these currents, enabling a direct probe of the intrinsic charge separation mechanisms along with quantitative measurements of the current amplitudes and their directions. In the periodic stripe samples, we find that the net photocurrent is dominated by the charge separation across the domain walls, whereas in the monodomain samples the photovoltaic response arises from a bulk shift current associated with the non-centrosymmetry of the crystal. The peak current amplitude driven by the charge separation at the domain walls is found to be 2 orders of magnitude higher than the bulk shift current response, indicating the prominent role of domain walls acting as nanoscale junctions to efficiently separate photogenerated charges in the stripe domain BFO films. These findings show that domain-wall-engineered BFO thin films offer exciting prospects for ferroelectric-based optoelectronics, as well as bias-free strong terahertz emitters

1997 Wild Blueberry Progress Reports

The 1997 edition of the Wild Blueberry Progress 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. Investigation of processing damage of IQF blueberries 2. Use of sorter rejects and wild blueberry puree to prevent warmed over flavor in processed beef patties 3. Factors affecting the quality of IQF wild blueberries 4. Determination of pesticide residue levels in fresh and processed wild blueberries 5. Pollination ecology of wild blueberries in Maine 6. Control tactics for wild blueberry pest insects 7. IPM Strategies 8. Pest Biology 9. Effect of antidessication treatments on wild blueberry cold temperature tolerance 10. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio 11. Effect of boron application methods on boron uptake in wild blueberries 12. Effect of foliar zinc application on growth and yield of wild blueberries 13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 14. Crop year fertilization of wild blueberry 15. Effect of Photomag® on growth and yield of wild blueberries 16. Evaluation of Pronone MG® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry 17. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 18. Effect of time of fall pruning on wild blueberry fruit set and yield 19. Effect of pre and postemergence herbicide applications on control of grasses 20. Hexazinone groundwater survey 21. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry 22. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity 23. Effect of crop year application of hexazinone on weed control, yield and hexazinone residue. 24. Long term effects of tribenuron methyl on wild blueberries and weed species composition 25. Effect of Velpar® DF/MAP on wild blueberry fruit set and yield. 26. Effect of reduced volume lmidan® 2.5 EC UL V applications on wild blueberry residue and efficacy 27. Wild blueberry extension education progra

1998 CSREES Wild Blueberry Project Results

The 1998 edition of the CSREES Wild Blueberry Project Results was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Separation of Maggot Infested Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line 2. Assessment of Preharvest Treatments on Wild blueberry Fruit Quality 3. Blueberries as a Natural Colorant for Breakfast Cereals 4. Factors Affecting Quality of IQF Wild Blueberries 5. Control Tactics for Wild blueberry Pest Insects 6. Biology and Ecology of Wild blueberry Pest Insects 7. Sustainable Pollination of Wild blueberry 8. Evaluation of Foliar Fungicides for Control of Mummy Berry 9. Phosphorus/Nitrogen Fertilizer Ratio 10. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Wild Blueberries 11. Effect of Zinc Application on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 12. Effect of Soil pH of Nutrient Uptake 13. Crop Year Fertilization of Wild blueberry 14. Effect of Fertilizer Timing on Wild blueberry Growth and Productivity 15. Alternative Methods of Grass Control 16. Cultural Weed Management Using pH 17. Investigation of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control 18. Evaluation of Hexazinone Applications in the Cropping Year 19. Effect of Surfactant and Ammonium Sulfate on Glyphosate Activity 20. Evaluation of Pronone MG® Spot Treatments for Control of St Jobnswort, Dogbane, Bracken Fem, Witch Grass/Fall Panicum and Bunchberry 21. Hexazinone Groundwater Surve

Wild Blueberries 1999 CSREES Progress Reports

The 1999 edition of the Wild Blueberries CSREES Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Effects of QF Processing on Microbiological Quality of Maine Wild Blueberries 2. Separation of Maggot-Infested Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line 3. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Fresh and Processed Wild Blueberries 4. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects 5. IPM Strategies 6. Biology and Ecology of Blueberry Pest Insects 7. Survey of Stem Blight and Leaf Spot Diseases in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 8. Phosphorus/Nitrogen Fertilizer Ratio 9. Effect of Fertilizer Timing on Lowbush Blueberry Growth and Productivity 10. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 11. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Lowbush Blueberries 12. Effect of Nutri-Phite P+K on growth and yield of lowbush blueberry 13. Effect of Crop-Set on growth and yield of lowbush blueberry 14. Crop year fertilization of lowbush blueberry 15. Alternative Methods of Grass Control 16. Cultural Weed Management Using pH 17. Investigation of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control 18. Comparison of Sulfosate and Glyphosate for Weed Control 19. Evaluation of VC1447 for Weed Control in Wild blueberries 20. Blueberry/ Cranberry Extension Education Program in 1999 21. Effect of Rate, Formulation and Application Method on Efficacy and Phytotoxicity of Granular Hexazinone in Wild Blueberry Fields 22. 1999 Fungicide Evaluation Field Trial 23. 1999 Hexazinone Groundwater Survey Pollination 24. Sustainable Pollination of Wild Blueberr