Soybean Insect Control Suggestions.

16 p

DEVELOPING FLEXIBLE ECONOMIC THRESHOLDS FOR PEST MANAGEMENT USING DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING

The rice stink bug is a major pest of rice in Texas, causing quality related damage. The previous threshold used for assisting in rice stink bug spray decisions lacked flexibility in economic and production decision variables and neglected the dynamics of the pest population. Using stochastic dynamic programming, flexible economic thresholds for the rice stink bug were generated. The new thresholds offer several advantages over the old, static thresholds, including increased net returns, incorporation of pest dynamics, user flexibility, ease of implementation, and a systematic process for updating.Economic thresholds, Dynamic programming, Pest management, Rice, Crop Production/Industries,

REDUCING BLACKBIRD DAMAGE TO NEWLY PLANTED RICE WITH A NONTOXIC CLAY-BASED SEED COATING

At 3 sites in Chambers County, Texas, the estimated sprout loss in 1-ac plots sown with clay-coated rice seed averaged 17.0% compared to 36.5% in adjacent 1-ac control plots. In one field, bird use of the control plot was 14 times that of the treated plot. Average feeding rates of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were 1.5 seeds/min and 8.4 seeds/min in the treated and control plots, respectively. Roadside counts of territorial male redwings and evening flightline counts of birds going to roost indicated a depredating population consisting mainly of nonbreeding, roosting birds early in April with increasing proportions of breeding birds as the rice-planting season progressed. The results of this study are consistent with previous laboratory findings and with predictions from foraging theory. Further development and field testing of the seed coating will be required before the technique becomes generally available as a method for reducing bird damage to sprouted rice

Texas Rice Production Guidelines

88 pp.This publication gives Texas rice farmers the latest research-based information about producing rice in Texas. Recommendations are based on research conducted by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA

Managing Soybean Insects.

16 p

Soybean Insect Control Suggestions.

16 p

ENV-639: IMPACT OF VEGETATION TYPE AND CLIMATE ON EVAPOTRANSPIRATION FROM EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOFS

Stormwater management solutions are needed to increase resiliency within urban areas by: (1) maintaining the natural hydrologic cycle, (2) controlling erosion and flooding, and (3) protecting water quality (MOE, 2003). Large impervious areas from urban development results in the loss of vegetated surfaces which leads to an increase in direct runoff (e.g. Paul and Meyer, 2008). Within urban areas, conventional roofs cover 40-50% of the impervious surfaces giving them significant potential to host urban stormwater management solutions (Dunnett and Kingsbury, 2004). Green roofs are able to restore the altered hydrologic cycle closer to its natural state by reducing the volume of runoff from a roof as well as attenuating flowrates. The hydrologic benefits of green roofs are partially attributed due to the vegetated surfaces enhancing evapotranspiration (ET) in urban areas. Predicting ET from green roofs is critical to inform green roof design and for optimization of hydrologic performance. This study focuses on evaluating the influence of green roof design parameters, such as vegetation type and growth media depth, on ET and by extension the hydrologic performance of an extensive green roof. While many studies have now demonstrated the effectiveness of green roofs in attenuating flowrate and reducing the volume of stormwater runoff (e.g., VanWoert et al., 2005a, Fassman-Beck et al., 2013, Berndtsson, 2010), little field research has been completed on directly quantifying ET rates and the hydrologic benefits green roofs in Canada including the influence of different vegetation types. The lack of available data on ET rates from green roofs limits optimal green roof design under the Canadian climate

Components of Antineutrino Emission in Nuclear Reactor

New ${\bar{\nu}_e},e$ scattering experiments aimed for sensitive searches of the ${\nu}_e$ magnetic moment and projects to explore small mixing angle oscillations at reactors call for a better understanding of the reactor antineutrino spectrum. Here we consider six components, which contribute to the total ${\bar{\nu}_e}$ spectrum generated in nuclear reactor. They are: beta decay of the fission fragments of $^{235}$U, $^{239}$Pu, $^{238}$U and $^{241}$Pu, decay of beta-emitters produced as a result of neutron capture in $^{238}$U and also due to neutron capture in accumulated fission fragments which perturbs the spectrum. For antineutrino energies less than 3.5 MeV we tabulate evolution of ${\bar{\nu}_e}$ spectra corresponding to each of the four fissile isotopes vs fuel irradiation time and their decay after the irradiation is stopped and also estimate relevant uncertainties. Small corrections to the ILL spectra are considered.Comment: LaTex 8 pages, 2 ps figure

Managing Soybean Insects

36 pp., 3 tables, 18 illustrations, 28 photosThis publication details integrated pest management principles for managing soybean insects. Topics include variety selection, inspecting fields for insects and damage, soybean insect pests, and insecticide application methods. A table lists products registered for controlling soybean insects