Seasonal and multiannual dynamics of rodent species number under the influence of climate factors and anthropic modifications

The research was carried out in agricultural experiment stations in the central area of the Republic of Moldova during a period of 35 years. It was determined that cyclic oscillations with an interval of 3-4 years are not typical of Microtus arvalis, as can be seen in other parts of the area. Intense anthropogenic influence determines the type of numerical dynamics. A certain periodicity is observed in the species Mus spicilegus, but during the last 30 years the dynamics has become acyclic. In the populations of the species Apodemus sylvaticus there was a more pronounced periodicity of the oscillation of the herd, once every two years.

Effects of Plant Covers and Mulching on the Biometric Parameters, Yield and Nutritional Value of Tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa Brot. Ex Hornem.)

The aim of this study, which involved a field experiment conducted in north-eastern Poland, is to evaluate the phytometric parameters, yield, and biological value of fruit of three tomatillo cultivars grown in soil mulched with black PE (polyethylene) film and covered with PE film and non-woven PP (polypropylene) fabric. A two-factor field experiment was conducted in 2015 and 2017–2018 in the Agricultural Experiment Station owned by the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. In the control treatment, tomatillo plants were grown without protective covers or mulch. Tomatillo fruits were harvested gradually, upon physiological maturity, which was determined based on changes in the color of the peel and calyx, and the aroma. The growth and development of tomatillos were evaluated based on plant measurements performed in the field. The chemical composition of tomatillo fruits was analyzed at the stage of full fruiting. During the three-year study, the weight, vertical diameter, and horizonal diameter of fruit were highest in cv. ‘Rio Grande Verde’ and lowest in cv. ‘Purple’. The combined use of mulch and plant covers accelerated fruit ripening. The total and marketable yields of tomatillo fruit were highest in cv. ‘Rio Grande Verde’ and lowest in cv. ‘Purple’. The fruit of cv. ‘Purple’ had the highest content of dry matter, total sugars, extract, β-carotene, and total polyphenols.

Identifying interspecific lines of coffee resistant to Hemileia vastatrix Berk. et Br. and evaluating their adaptability to the coffee growing region of Puerto Rico

Thirteen lines from the coffee germplasm collection of the Adjuntas Agricultural Experiment Substation, lines T-5175 and T-8667 from Costa Rica, and four advanced multilines from the Portugal Research Center for Coffee Rust (CIFC; ‘Centro de Investigación de la Roya del Café de Portugal’) were evaluated for resistance to Hemileia vastatrix and their performance under coffee production conditions in Puerto Rico. The evaluations were conducted in the laboratory and on selected coffee farms. Lines of “Catimor” and “Sarchimor” types were selected based on their reaction to the rust pathogen and excellent agronomic characteristics and named ‘Frontón’ and ‘Limaní’, respectively. Incidence of black beans was examined in red, medium and green beans and was significantly higher in line T-5175, in plantings <300 meters above sea level, and in medium ripe and green fruits. Catimor lines from the CIFC were superior to the check ‘Caturra’ in fruit production and yield of green coffee.

The Utilization of User Fees to Subsidize Greenhouse and Growth Chamber Facilities at Public and Land Grant Universities

Greenhouse and growth chamber operating and maintenance costs continue to escalate while budgets remain stagnant. As a result, many universities struggle to find the necessary funds for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of basic research infrastructure needs. A survey was conducted to develop an understanding of how user fee systems contribute to funding stability, and how they are designed and managed in support of greenhouse and growth chamber facilities at colleges of agriculture throughout the United States. Where user fees have been implemented, the majority of greenhouse and growth chamber facilities are managed centrally, and are administered by agricultural experiment station (AES) directors or facility managers. Regardless of the administrative authority, most systems use an advisory committee to set fee schedules and determine policies. The majority of user fees are allocated back to the specific facility, with the majority of funds in general used to help pay for indirect expenses. The findings also indicate that user fees make more efficient use of space by providing faculty with a financial incentive to minimize their project area and to conduct experiments quickly.

Four master teachers who fostered American turn-of-the-(20TH)-century mycology and plant pathology

The Morrill Act of 1862 afforded the US states the opportunity to found state colleges with agriculture as part of their mission—the so-called "land-grant colleges." The Hatch Act of 1887 gave the same opportunity for agricultural experiment stations as functions of the land-grant colleges, and the "third Morrill Act" (the Smith-Lever Act) of 1914 added an extension dimension to the experiment stations. Overall, the end of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th was a time for growing appreciation for, and growth of institutional education in the natural sciences, especially botany and its specialties, mycology, and phytopathology. This paper outlines a particular genealogy of mycologists and plant pathologists representative of this era. Professor Albert Nelson Prentiss, first of Michigan State then of Cornell, Professor William Russel Dudley of Cornell and Stanford, Professor Mason Blanchard Thomas of Wabash College, and Professor Herbert Hice Whetzel of Cornell Plant Pathology were major players in the scenario. The supporting cast, the students selected, trained, and guided by these men, was legion, a few of whom are briefly traced here.

Effects of Cultivar, Nitrogen Rate and Harvest Time on the Content of Carbohydrates and Protein in the Biomass of Perennial Ryegrass

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of cultivar, nitrogen (N) rate and harvest time on the content of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), crude protein (CP) and the WSC:CP ratio in the aboveground biomass of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). A small-area field experiment was conducted in the Agricultural Experiment Station in Tomaszkowo (53°42′40.8″ N 20°26′04.7″ E, north-eastern Poland). Data were presented for three years of full utilization (2013–2015). The experimental factors were as follows: (i) perennial ryegrass cultivar: Bajka and Baronka, (ii) N rate (kg ha−1): 0, 120, and 240, and (iii) harvest time: 8.00–10.00 a.m., 12.00–2.00 p.m., and 4.00–6.00 p.m. The tetraploid cultivar Baronka had higher WSC content and lower CP content on a dry matter (DM) basis than the diploid cultivar Bajka (by approx. 3% on average). An increase in N fertilizer rate to 240 kg ha−1 contributed to a decrease in WSC concentrations by 23% in cv. Bajka and by 19% in cv. Baronka, and to an increase in the CP content of aboveground biomass by 32% and 23%, respectively. Both cultivars accumulated significantly higher WSC amounts when biomass was harvested at noon and in the afternoon than in the morning. The CP content of biomass was also affected by harvest time, and it was higher in cv. Bajka when harvesting was carried out at 12.00–2.00 p.m. and 4.00–6.00 p.m., and in cv. Baronka when harvesting was carried out at 4.00–6.00 p.m. The WSC:CP ratio in the biomass of the analyzed cultivars was within the optimal range for ruminants, and it was higher in cv. Baronka (1:1.11). Nitrogen applied at 240 kg ha−1 had a negative influence on the WSC:CP ratio, decreasing its value by around 36% (relative to the rate of 120 kg N ha−1) and around 35% (relative to the unfertilized treatment). In both perennial ryegrass cultivars, biomass harvested in the morning was characterized by the lowest WSC:CP ratio.

Land-grant lessons for Anthropocene universities

Established amidst the bloodshed of the Civil War, land-grant universities, together with the associated agricultural experiment stations and cooperative extension services, have played a crucial role in democratizing scientific knowledge and addressing intertwined educational, environmental, economic, and democratic challenges within the USA. Indeed, they have arguably pioneered the idea of “usable science.” Today, the urgent challenges of the Anthropocene demand a more robust relationship between scientific research and on-the-ground action, strong networks sharing local lessons globally, and channels for injecting global, long-term perspectives into the noise of short-termism. The land-grant experience provides lessons for “Anthropocene universities” seeking to tackle these challenges, including the importance of (1) establishing or expanding university-based boundary organizations akin to cooperative extension, (2) incentivizing the integration of engagement into the university’s research, teaching, and service missions, (3) centering values of democracy, justice, equity, and inclusion in engagement, and (4) cooperating across institutions and sectors. Given the urgency of fully engaging academic institutions as players and connectors in the real-world challenges of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, there is little time to waste.

University of Florida Potato Variety Trials Spotlight: 'Red LaSoda'

‘Red LaSoda’ is a red-skinned fresh market potato standard for Florida. ‘Red LaSoda’ was first observed in 1949 as a deep red mutant of ‘LaSoda’, a progeny of ‘Triumph’ and ‘Katahdin’, in the Louisiana potato breeding program. ‘Red LaSoda’ was released by the USDA and the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station in 1953. Production and quality results provided here are summarized from various fresh-market trials conducted by the University of Florida’s Hastings Agricultural Extension Center from 1998 to 2019.This is a minor revision of HS323 with an added author, last updated 12/2016.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs323

University of Florida Potato Variety Trials Spotlight: ‘LaChipper’

‘LaChipper’ is a potato variety that is commonly grown for the fresh potato market in Florida. Under different growing conditions ‘LaChipper’ is suited for chip processing. It was selected from progeny of a cross between ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Cayuga’ and tested under the pedigree L91-78. It was released by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Baton Rouge, LA in October of 1962. ‘LaChipper’ demonstrates high yield and good tuber characteristics compared to the commercial standard ‘Atlantic’. Tuber production and quality results provided in this spotlight are from Florida Potato Variety Trials conducted at the UF/IFAS Hastings Agricultural Extension Center between 1998 and 2016.

University of Florida Potato Variety Trials Spotlight: ‘Atlantic’

‘Atlantic’ is a white-skinned potato, being the standard variety for chiping commonly cultivated in Florida (Figure 1). The cultivar was released as a white mutant of the USDA breeding program. It was selected from a cross of Wauseon and Lenape (UDSA seedling B5141-6). ‘Atlantic’ was released in July 1976 by the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Virginia Truck and Ornamentals Research Station, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station (Webb et al. 1978). Production and quality results provided in this spotlight are summarized from various trials conducted by the University of Florida over the past 22 years.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1278 This is a minor revision with an added author. Originally published 3/2016: Mwatuwa, Rodrick, Christian Christensen, and Lincoln Zotarelli. 2020. “University of Florida Potato Variety Trials Spotlight: Atlantic”. EDIS 2016 (3), 3. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-hs1278-2016.