Pathogenicity of Steinernema riobravis against corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)

La pathogénie de #Steinernema riobravis, nouvelle espèce de nématode entomopathogène, a été testée au laboratoire contre les stades prépupes et pupes de la chenille des épis du maïs, #Helicoverpa (=#Heliothis) #zea (Boddie). l'exposition de prépupes sur papier filtre à 10,20,40,80 ou 100 juvéniles infestants provoque une mortalité de 40,55,85,90 et 100 %, respectivement. La LC50 de #S. riobravis pour le stade prépure de #H. zea est de treize nématodes par prépupe. Les nématodes se multiplient de la même manière dans les prépupes et les pupes avec une production moyenne de 321 000 et 300 000 nématodes par prépupe et pupe, respectivement. Entre 5 et 100 juvéniles par hôte, la reproduction du nématode est indépendante de la concentration initiale en juvéniles infestants. Le nombre total de nématodes produits par prépupe et pupe est de 311 000. Le plus grand nombre de nématodes produits par insecte est de 375 000 lorsque la concentration initiale en juvéniles infestants est de 40 par prépupe. Ces résultats indiquent, pour #Steinernema riobravis et son symbionte bactérien #Xenorhabdus, un degré élevé d'infestivité et de pathogénie envers la chenille des épis du maïs et suggèrent d'importantes potentialités en vue de la lutte contre les stades prépupe et pupe de cet insecte. (Résumé d'auteur

Adaptive statistical pattern classifiers for remotely sensed data

A technique for the adaptive estimation of nonstationary statistics necessary for Bayesian classification is developed. The basic approach to the adaptive estimation procedure consists of two steps: (1) an optimal stochastic approximation of the parameters of interest and (2) a projection of the parameters in time or position. A divergence criterion is developed to monitor algorithm performance. Comparative results of adaptive and nonadaptive classifier tests are presented for simulated four dimensional spectral scan data

The Farm Level Impacts of Operating the Current Farm Bill at Reduced Federal Budget Spending Levels

Agricultural and Food Policy,

Farm Level Impacts of a Revenue Based Policy in the 2007 Farm Bill

Revenue-based policy alternatives are thought to be a potential component of the 2007 Farm Bill. This research provides an economic analysis of switching to a revenue assurance farm program for representative farms. Specifically, this research provides a monte-carlo stochastic simulation model that compares the effect of a revenue based safety net policy relative to continuing the 2002 Farm Bill policies for different types of U.S. crop farmers. The results show that both revenue assurance proposals by the National Corn Growers Association leave the majority of farmers, especially feed grain producers, with higher total receipts and higher government payments.Agricultural and Food Policy,

The Impact of Increased Planting Flexibility on Planting Decisions Across Texas

Increased acreage planting flexibility granted through the last three farm bills has allowed agricultural producers to make production choices without government programs driving their decisions. Planted acre data for program crops in seven Texas regions is used to describe response to varying degrees of flexibility granted through decoupled payments.Crop Production/Industries,

Impacts of Budget Reconciliation on U.S. Crop Producers

The President has called for a $6.96 billion savings in expenditures to agriculture over a five year period. A budget reconciliation is required to achieve these targeted savings from farm bill authorized expenditures. This study uses optimal control theory and farm level simulation to quantify the impacts on U.S. crop producers of reducing federal spending for agricultural income supports. Results indicate that the least harmful method for the Agricultural Committees to achieve budget savings of$3 billion is to reduce loan rates. At higher levels of net budget savings, some risk adverse decision makers would prefer that the Committees reduce target prices.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Impacts of the Administration's 2007 Farm Bill Proposal on Representative Crops, Dairy and Beef Cattle Farms -- Revised

For the first time in two decades, the Secretary of Agriculture provided the House and Senate Agriculture Committees a farm bill proposal from the Administration. The Administration’s Proposal is a comprehensive revision of the 2002 farm bill with suggested changes to all titles. Four major proposed changes to Title 1 Commodity Programs are analyzed and reported in this Briefing Paper. The four key policy changes analyzed are: - an increase in direct payment rates, - a reduction in loan rates for most crops, - the replacement of the counter cyclical payment (CCP) program with a counter cyclical revenue (CCR) program, and - a change in eligibility for farm program payments by using $200,000 adjusted gross income (AGI) for a means test. The economic impact of the Administration’s Proposal on the viability of 99 representative crop, dairy, and beef cattle farms is compared to a base situation of continuing the current farm bill through 2012. This report is a companion to FAPRI-UMC Report #11-07 that contains sector level impacts.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries,