Landowner Characteristics Associated with Receiving Information About Invasive Plants and Implications for Outreach Providers

Based on a survey of woodland owners in West Virginia, we examined the possibility of differences in the characteristics of those who had and had not received information about local invasive plants and implications for outreach providers. Findings suggest that landowners who farmed on their property, held recreation objectives, and lived in the local area were significantly more likely than their counterparts to have received information. A majority of landowners with these characteristics, however, had not heard or read such information. Implications for expanding awareness through both traditional and non-traditional information channels are presented

Amending Subsoil with Composted Poultry Litter-I: Effects on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties

During construction disturbance, topsoil is often removed and turfgrasses are established in poor soils. Our study determined the effects of amending subsoil with composted poultry litter on physical and chemical properties that affect turfgrass growth attributes. To simulate typical disturbance conditions, 20 cm of topsoil was removed from a Dormont silt loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs) and composted poultry litter was incorporated at 0.1, or 0.2, or 0.4 cm/cm-soil into the exposed subsoil to a depth of 12.7 cm before growing turf. Composted plots were compared to N-fertilized (50 × 10−4 kg m−2) and control plots. Linear increases in total water content, organic matter, pH, and basic cations were observed following compost incorporation. Composted poultry litter increased total water content by 38% and decreased soil bulk density by 42%. Compost applications increased organic matter by 5.8%–6.4%, along with an increase in pH from 6.0–7.4. The cation exchange capacity increased up to 186% in compost-incorporated plots. No differences were observed between fertilized and control plots for all soil properties except for P levels, which increased in fertilized plots. Overall, compost treatments improved soil physical and chemical properties compared to conventionally fertilized and control plots

Comparison of Mating Disruption and Insecticide Application for Control of Peachtree Borer and Lesser Peachtree Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) in Peach

The peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa, and lesser peachtree borer, S. pictipes, are economically important indirect pests of peach in West Virginia. The purpose of this 3-year study was to compare the efficacy of mating disruption and post-harvest trunk sprays of chlorpyrifos insecticide for control of this pest complex in a commercial peach orchard. Overall, Isomate PTB-Dual disruption dispensers applied at a rate of 371/ha significantly disrupted the male mate-finding behavior of S. exitiosa and S. pictipes. In addition, the infestation of peach trees by S. exitiosa larvae did not vary significantly between mating disruption and insecticide treated plots. Hot-spot maps of S. exitiosa infestation showed significant spatial clusters of infestation predominately near the perimeter of all orchard plots, or where trees were missing within and/or between rows. The generation of standard deviational ellipses revelated that the location of S. exitiosa infestations in orchard plots remained relatively constant between years, and were generally oriented in a north and easterly direction, which coincided with the prevailing wind direction. Although our data indicated that mating disruption can provide growers with an effective non-chemical alternative to chlorpyrifos trunk sprays, several variables may affect its long-term success in West Virginia peach orchards; most notably the presence of high population densities, problems with maintaining adequate pheromone coverage, and the need for area-wide implementation

Case reports - focal dermal hypoplasia (Goltz syndrome)

A 7-year-old girl born of non-consanguineous marriage was evaluated for facial dysmorphism. She had multiple skeletal anomalies like hypoplasia of the right mandible, narrow nasal bridge with broad tip and unilateral notching of the right ala nasi, concomitant squint and low set ears. She also had generalized hypopigmented, atrophic linear macules, multiple papillomas, fat herniations, umbilical hernia, hypoplastic nails, cicatricial alopecia, mild mental retardation, ′lobster-claw′ hand and osteopathia striata of long bones, pointing to a diagnosis of Goltz syndrome. The unusual features noted were absence of the left first rib and aortic regurgitation