TB191: Conservation and Management of Native Bees in Cranberry

Threats to agriculturally important pollinators have serious implications for human beings. A loss of bees translates to less successful crop pollination, thus reduced yield and poorer quality fruits. Native bees have the potential to serve as commercial pollinators. A diverse pollinator complex comprised of both honey bees and native bees should result in stable pollination levels and should be resistant to threats such as disease, fluctuating honey and crop prices, and honey bee transportation costs. Adding the goal of native bee conservation to land management increases the ecological integrity of an ecosystem by conserving a unique biological interaction that is the basis for most native wild plant reproduction. This report describes pollination in the cranberry agroecosystem and outlines steps to take to manage native bees in cranberry.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1017/thumbnail.jp

TB192: The Use of Glyphosate Herbicides in Managed Forest Ecosystems and Their Effects on Non-target Organisms with Particular Reference to Ants as Bioindicators

This publication reviews and synthesizes the results of many research studies designed to elucidate the ecological effects of the herbicide glyphosate used in forested landscapes. We have not intended our review to be an exhaustive review of all published studies (both laboratory and field investigations) concerned with faunal and floral glyphosate interactions and the environmental fate of glyphosate. We particularly focused on studies that had relevance to north temperate forest ecosystems and selected published investigations to incorporate into our review that cover a wide range of faunal and floral taxa that might be exposed to herbicides during applications.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1016/thumbnail.jp

TB195: Element Concentrations in Maine Forest Vegetation and Soils

Bioaccumulation of trace metals in plant tissues can present a health risk to wildlife, and potentially to humans. The Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine was concerned about health risks of cadmium (Cd) because of a health advisory for moose liver and kidney consumption due to high Cd levels. In addition to Cd, this study evaluated concentrations of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in four common terrestrial moose-browse species, associated forest soils, and two species of aquatic vegetation on Passamaquoddy tribal land in eastern Maine. Elements were organized into three groups (A, B, and C) based on the patterns of concentration differences in vegetation among ecosystem types. Elements in group A included the nutrients Ca, K, Mg, and P and showed a pattern of significantly higher concentrations in hardwood and aquatic vegetation compared to softwoods. Group B elements included the four metals, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn, and exhibited a pattern of higher concentrations in hardwoods compared to softwoods and aquatic vegetation. Group C elements did not fit the patterns of group A or group B and included the remaining four elements Al, Fe, Ni, and Pb. Total O horizon soil concentration means for all elements, except Ni and Pb, were significantly higher in hardwood compared to softwood forest types. This study provides uncommon and important baseline vegetation and soil trace metal concentrations from a remote region in Maine of interest to environmental professionals.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1013/thumbnail.jp

Bees of Maine, with a State Species Checklist

We present a new county checklist developed from bee research in Maine since the 1800s. The list contains 278 bee species in 37 genera and 6 families, of which all but 8 are native, with ≥50 taxa each in Andrena and Lasioglossum. Data for 16 counties from publications, museum collections, and recent surveys varied in number of species from 8 (Androscoggin) to 197 (Hancock). Research since 1930 on Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry) led to many records. Twenty-one species are considered unusual, including 3 first recorded in 2016: Epeoloides pilosulus, Melitta melittoides, and Holcopasites calliopsidis. Maine records provide evidence of declines in Bombus affinis, decline in B. terricola followed by partial recovery, and increase in B. impatiens. Crops that should be studied regarding associated bees are Malus pumila (Apple), Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry), Vaccinium macrocarpon (American Cranberry), and Curcurbitaceae (cucurbits). Montane, sandy, and island habitats were identified as priorities for future sampling. We discuss records of bee species from New England relevant to understanding the Maine fauna, bee diversity, changes in abundance, cleptoparasitism, pesticide impacts, habitat requirements, and climate change

A Strategy for Finding Near Earth Objects with the SDSS Telescope

We present a detailed observational strategy for finding Near Earth Objects (NEOs) with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope. We investigate strategies in normal, unbinned mode as well as binning the CCDs 2x2 or 3x3, which affects the sky coverage rate and the limiting apparent magnitude. We present results from 1 month, 3 year and 10 year simulations of such surveys. For each cadence and binning mode, we evaluate the possibility of achieving the Spaceguard goal of detecting 90% of 1 km NEOs (absolute magnitude H <= 18 for an albedo of 0.1). We find that an unbinned survey is most effective at detecting H <= 20 NEOs in our sample. However, a 3x3 binned survey reaches the Spaceguard Goal after only seven years of operation. As the proposed large survey telescopes (PanStarss; LSST) are at least 5-10 years from operation, an SDSS NEO survey could make a significant contribution to the detection and photometric characterization of the NEO population.Comment: Accepted by AJ -- 12 pages, 11 figure

Galactic Globular and Open Clusters in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. I. Crowded Field Photometry and Cluster Fiducial Sequences in ugriz

We present photometry for globular and open cluster stars observed with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In order to exploit over 100 million stellar objects with r < 22.5 mag observed by SDSS, we need to understand the characteristics of stars in the SDSS ugriz filters. While star clusters provide important calibration samples for stellar colors, the regions close to globular clusters, where the fraction of field stars is smallest, are too crowded for the standard SDSS photometric pipeline to process. To complement the SDSS imaging survey, we reduce the SDSS imaging data for crowded cluster fields using the DAOPHOT/ALLFRAME suite of programs and present photometry for 17 globular clusters and 3 open clusters in a SDSS value-added catalog. Our photometry and cluster fiducial sequences are on the native SDSS 2.5-meter ugriz photometric system, and the fiducial sequences can be directly applied to the SDSS photometry without relying upon any transformations. Model photometry for red giant branch and main-sequence stars obtained by Girardi et al. cannot be matched simultaneously to fiducial sequences; their colors differ by ~0.02-0.05 mag. Good agreement (< ~0.02 mag in colors) is found with Clem et al. empirical fiducial sequences in u'g'r'i'z' when using the transformation equations in Tucker et al.Comment: 30 pages, 25 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJS. Version with high resolution figures available at http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~deokkeun/AnJohnson.pd

2002 Wild Blueberry Project Reports

The 2002 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. Factors Affecting Microbial and Pesticide Residue Levels on Wild Blueberries 2. Effect of Blueberry Products on Oxidation in Meat Based Food 3. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Freshly Harvested and Processed Wild Blueberries 4. Detection of Infested Wild Blueberries using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy 5. Investigation Of The Mechanism By Which Blueberry Fractions Maintain Arterial Integrity 6. Antioxidant Assessment in the Elderly 7. Water Use of Wild Blueberries and the Impact of Plant Water Stress on Yield 8. Control Tactics for Wild blueberry Pest Insects 9. IPM Strategies 10. Pest Biology 11. Wild Blueberry Pollination Research 12. Survey and Determination of Effective Control of Stem Blight and Leaf Spot Diseases in Wild Blueberry Fields 13. Effect of Foliar-applied Iron Chelate Concentration on Leaf Iron Concentration, Wild Blueberry Growth and Yield 14. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Wild Blueberries 15. Effect of Foliar N spray on Leaf N Concentration, Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 16. Effect of Foliar Spray (4-13-15) on Leaf Nutrient Concentration, Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 17. Effect of Foliar Copper Application on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 18. Effect of Foliar Copper and/or Iron Application on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 19. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 20. Assessment of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries and Weed Control 21. Evaluation of Fall Applications of Sulfonylurea Herbicides for Bunchberry Control in Wild Blueberries 22. Evaluation and Demonstration of Techniques for Filling in Bare Spots in Wild Blueberry Fields 23. Blueberry Extension Education Program Base 24. 2002 Pesticide Groundwater Survey 25. Cultural Weed Management using sulfur to lower the p

1996 Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/1996 Wild Blueberry Tax Reports

The 1996 edition of the Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/Wild Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports: 1. Factors affecting the quality of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) wild blueberries 2. Factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of IQF wild blueberries 3. Preventing the bleeding of blueberry fruit in bakery products 4. Amylase test development 5. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed wild blueberries 6. Sustainable pollination of wild blueberry 7. Potential for biological control of insect pests of wild blueberry 8. Effect of desiccation on wild blueberry winter survival and cold temperature tolerance 9. Population variation in low-temperature tolerance of wild blueberry 10. Influence of flower delaying sprays on seasonal variation of low temperature tolerance in wild blueberry 11. Effect of various levels of disbudding on yield of wild blueberry 12. Effect of boron and the polyamine putrescine on wild blueberry fruit set and yield 13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 14. Phosphorus uptake 15. Correcting boron deficiency 16. Hexazinone groundwater survey 17. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of wild blueberries 18. Evaluation of Pronone® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry 19. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 20. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry Wild Blueberry Tax Reports: 21. Control of wild blueberry diseases 22. Control of wild blueberry pest insects 23. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects 24. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio 25. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity 26. Blueberry Extension Education Program Bas

1995 CSREES Reports

The 1995 edition of the CSREES Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Factors Affecting the Quality of IQF Blueberries 2. Preventing the Bleeding of Blueberry Fruit in Bakery Products 3. Removing Water from Blueberries Before Freezing 4. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Freshly Harvested and Processed Lowbush Blueberries 5. Industrial Ingredients from Cull Blueberries 6. Application of Heat as a Method of Controlling Secondary Pest Insects on Lowbush Blueberries 7. The Phenology and Biology of Bumble Bees, Bombus, spp., that Pollinate Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium spp., in Maine 8. Pollination Ecology of Lowbush Blueberry in Maine 9. Effects of Irrigation on Lowbush Blueberry Yield 10. Effect of Brief Warming Treatments on Late Winter Low-Temperature Tolerance of Native Lowbush Blueberry 11. Correlation of Late-winter/Early-spring Cold Hardiness with Date of Flowering 12. Evaluation of Cold Tolerance of Opening Flowers of Lowbush Blueberry 13. Influence of Flower Delaying Sprays on Seasonal Variation of Low Temperature Tolerance in Lowbush Blueberry 14. Effect of Various Levels of Disbudding on Yield of Lowbush Blueberry 15. Effect of Boron and the Polyamine Putrescine on Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Set and Yield 16. Effect of Boron and the Polyamine Putrescine on Extending the Receptivity of Lowbush Blueberry Blossoms 17. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 18. Correcting Boron Deficiency - missing 19. Phosphorus Uptake 20. Evaluation of Hexazinone Formulation on Soil Movement and Weed Control 21. Effect of Time of Fall Pruning on Growth and Productivity of Blueberries 22. Hexazinone Ground Water Survey 23. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 24. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control 25. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl Commercial Applications for Bunchberry Control 26. Effectiveness of Resin-Exchange Columns to Determine Efficacy in Removing Hexazinone from Well Water 27. Effect of Clopyralid for Vetch Control 28. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl/Velpar® Tank Mix for Bunchberry Control 29. Blueberry Extension Education Progra

Colors of 2625 Quasars at 0<z<5 Measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric System

We present an empirical investigation of the colors of quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometric system. The sample studied includes 2625 quasars with SDSS photometry. The quasars are distributed in a 2.5 degree wide stripe centered on the Celestial Equator covering $\sim529$ square degrees. Positions and SDSS magnitudes are given for the 898 quasars known prior to SDSS spectroscopic commissioning. New SDSS quasars represent an increase of over 200% in the number of known quasars in this area of the sky. The ensemble average of the observed colors of quasars in the SDSS passbands are well represented by a power-law continuum with $\alpha_{\nu} = -0.5$ ($f_{\nu} \propto \nu^{\alpha}$). However, the contributions of the $3000 {\rm \AA}$ bump and other strong emission lines have a significant effect upon the colors. The color-redshift relation exhibits considerable structure, which may be of use in determining photometric redshifts for quasars. The range of colors can be accounted for by a range in the optical spectral index with a distribution $\alpha_{\nu}=-0.5\pm0.65$ (95% confidence), but there is a red tail in the distribution. This tail may be a sign of internal reddening. Finally, we show that there is a continuum of properties between quasars and Seyfert galaxies and we test the validity of the traditional division between the two classes of AGN.Comment: 66 pages, 15 figures (3 color), accepted by A