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<title>Miniatures RSS : Gourt</title>
<link>http://business.gourt.com/Agriculture-and-Forestry/Livestock/Goats/Breeds/Miniatures.html</link>
<description></description>
<dc:language>en-us</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Copyright 2007, Gourt.com</dc:rights>
<dc:date>2008-10-12T03:53+30:00
</dc:date>
<dc:publisher>rtruog@gourt.com</dc:publisher>
<dc:creator>rtruog@gourt.com</dc:creator>
<dc:subject>Miniatures RSS : Gourt</dc:subject>
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  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/pnpr4108.pdf                                                                    " />
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<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080903.htm">
<title>Techniques for Managing Cover Crops</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080903.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	  
		 
		   
			 
				Read the
				  magazine
				  story to find out more.  
		   
		   
			 
				 Rolling machines
				  designed by ARS researchers may be the fastest way for farmers to prepare
				  fields with cover crops for planting. Click the image for more information
				  about it. 
		   
		   
			 
				
				   
				 
				  Researchers roll out the
					 rye to reign in weeds  &nbsp; 
				  Conservation tillage has
					 immediate benefits &nbsp; 
				  Lower CO2 loss in fall
					 tillage 
				 
		   
		 
		Managing Cover Crops with Rolling and Crimping Techniques
		By Laura
		McGinnis September 3, 2008 
		Rolling hay, rye and other cover crops could be the fastest way for
		  some farmers to prepare their fields for planting. That's thanks to rolling
		  machines--developed by Agricultural Research
		  Service (ARS) scientists--that can quickly flatten mature, high-biomass
		  cover crops such as rye.  
		Each roller consists of a long cylinder adorned with a series of
		  thick, blunt, steel crimping bars, each about one-quarter-inch thick. As a
		  standard tractor pulls the roller over the field, pressure from the bars
		  flattens and damages the cover crop without cutting or uprooting it. Within
		  three weeks, the rolled cover crop dries out, forming a mat of dead biomass
		  into which farmers can plant cash crops.  
		Since 2001, ARS has been conducting research to find the best crimping
		  roller design for conditions in the southeastern United States, and the
		  benefits from this research are gaining recognition. 
		ARS scientists
		  Ted
		  Kornecki and
		  Randy
		  Raper and their colleagues at the agency's
		  National
		  Soil Dynamics Laboratory (NSDL) in Auburn, Ala., compared three different
		  roller designs. The first roller has a traditional design with long, straight,
		  horizontal bars. The second has diagonal bars that curve around the roller. The
		  third has a smooth drum attached to a crimping bar that mashes the rye as the
		  machine moves forward.  
		NSDL scientists, who developed the curved-bar and crimping roller
		  designs, found that all three models killed enough rye--90 percent or more--to
		  enable farmers to begin planting cash crops in the field within three weeks.
		  The crimping-bar roller yielded the best results.  
		The scientists also found that the curved-bar and the crimping rollers
		  provided smoother rides than the traditional straight-bar roller. Future
		  studies will help scientists maximize the efficiency and comfort of these
		  machines.  
		The one-pass process saves money, reduces soil erosion and runoff,
		  helps control weeds, conserves water in the soil and decreases or eliminates
		  the need for herbicides.  
		Read more
		  about the research in the September 2008 issue of Agricultural Research
		  magazine. 
		ARS is a scientific research agency of the
		  U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080902.htm">
<title>ARS Researchers Search for Casuarina Biological Control Agents</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080902.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	 
	   
         
           Read the magazine
             story to find out more. 
         
         
           
                   Invasive Australian Pine, Casuarina
                     equisetifolia. Photo courtesy of Forest &amp; Kim Starr, U.S. Geological
                       Survey, Bugwood.org.
         
         
           
                   
               
                 Foreign herbivores may be
                   key to curbing invasive weeds
                   &nbsp;
                 Alternate methods of
                   whitefly control 
                   &nbsp;
                 Groundbreaking for new
                   biological control lab
               
         
       
	   ARS Researchers Search for Casuarina Biological Control Agents 
	   By
		Alfredo Flores 
		September 2 , 2008 
		Australia's Outback and remote coastlines are home to insects that could be key biocontrols for a highly invasive weed threatening coastal areas of the United States, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators.
		ARS entomologist Greg Wheeler and his ARS and university colleagues are touring the Outback and Australia's coastal areas in search of biological control agents for the highly invasive Casuarina species commonly called Australian pine. 
		This weed is infiltrating U.S. coastal areas, especially in south Florida, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Known for its rapid growth and dense coverage, Australian pine inhibits the growth of native plants.
		The Australian pine problem includes three Casuarina species--C. equisetifolia (referred to in Australia as &ldquo;coastal she-oak&rdquo;), C. glauca (&ldquo;swamp she-oak,&rdquo; and arguably as big or a bigger problem than C. equisetifolia) and C. cunninghamiana (&ldquo;river she-oak&rdquo;).
		In the past few years, the Australian members of the team--Matthew Purcell and Bradley Brown, researchers at the ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory in Indooroopilly, Queensland, and Gary Taylor from the University of Adelaide, Australia--conducted five separate trips throughout Australia.  Purcell, Brown, Taylor and John Gaskin, research leader of the ARS Pest Management Research Unit in Sidney, Mont., collectively comprise a Casuarina research team. 
		Wheeler served as the lead scientist for the project, coordinating the funding, surveys and plant-DNA testing. From a bounty of some 300 wasps, weevils, stem-borers, sap-suckers, seed-eaters and more, the scientists have narrowed the field of potential control agents to about 12 candidates.
		Not only do these top candidates attack C. equisetifolia, but many also attack C. glauca and C. cunninghamiana. Among the top finds were the seed-feeding wasp Bootanelleus orientalis, which is host-specific to Australian pine, and the defoliator moth Zauclophora pelodes. 
		These insects are still undergoing testing by Purcell and colleagues in Australia to determine their suitability for use as biological control agents in the United States. Insects that decrease Casuarina reproduction and spread are being given the most attention.
		Read more about the research in the September 2008 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
		ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
	   
	 
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080829.htm">
<title>Diptera Database Developed</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080829.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	  
		 
		   
			 
				 Mexican fruit flies are just
				  one of the species in the order Diptera, one of the four largest groups of
				  living organisms on Earth. Click the image for more information about
				  it.  
		   
		   
			 
				
				   
				 
				  Fruit fly diversity is in
					 the details  &nbsp; 
				  Fruit fly study provides
					 insight into bee immune system &nbsp; 
				  Virulent hessian flies
					 renew attack on U.S. wheat  
				  
		   
		 
		Database Documents Names for More Than 150,000
		  Diptera Species   By Ann Perry August 29,
		2008 
		Distinguishing between insect pests and partners starts with an
		  ironclad identification. So Agricultural
		  Research Service (ARS) entomologist
		  Chris
		  Thompson headed up efforts to accurately identify and name almost 157,000
		  flies, gnats, maggots, midges, mosquitoes and related species in the order
		  Diptera.  
		Diptera is one of the four largest groups of living organisms on
		  Earth, and its members are critical components in virtually all non-marine
		  ecosystems. Carl Linnaeus, who devised the scientific classification system
		  still in use today, compiled the first index of Diptera species names in 1758.
		  But even though an average of 800 new Diptera names are proposed every year,
		  the nomenclature has not been comprehensively updated since 1805.  
		Thompson works at the
		  ARS
		  Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Washington, D.C. For this research, he
		  partnered with Neal Evenhuis, an entomologist at the
		  Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii;
		  Thomas Pape, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark;
		  and Adrian Pont, an entomologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
		  in Oxford, England.  
		The group assembled the tenth edition of the Biosystematic Database of
		  World Diptera (BDWD). This massive index contains nomenclature data for 156,599
		  living and extinct Diptera species in 154 families and 11,671
		  genera&#151;around 10 percent of the known biodiversity in the world today.
		   
		The BDWD, which is available at www.diptera.org, has two components. The
		  Nomenclator allows users to check names, confirm species status, and obtain
		  information about type, family classification and sources for all names in the
		  collection. The Species database is being designed to answer queries about
		  different species, including their distribution, biological associates and
		  economic importance.  
		The BDWD provides a framework for organizing and integrating current
		  and future data that is accessible by researchers around the globe. Scientists
		  can obtain a wealth of information that will help them fine-tune Diptera&#146;s
		  evolutionary tree and track the migration, increase and decline of
		  economically-important Diptera species worldwide.  
		The team presented their research at the 20th International Congress
		  of Zoology in Paris, France, in August.  
		ARS is a scientific research agency of the
		  U.S. Department of Agriculture.  
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080828.htm">
<title>Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold, Insect Infestation</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080828.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	  
		 
		   
			 
			   
			     Monitoring carbon dioxide&#151;along with the
				  standard humidity and temperature&#151;may help detect insect and mold problems
			     more effectively. Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.   
		   
		   
			 
				
				   
				 
				  Newly renovated ARS grain
					 research center dedicated &nbsp; 
				  ARS-adapted grain sorter
					 sees fungal poisons under "new light"  &nbsp; 
				  Optical sensors help
					 farmers find high-quality wheat  
				  
		   
		 
		Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold,
		  Insect Infestation   By
		Sharon Durham August 28, 2008 
		Grain storage bins are routinely monitored for temperature to
		  control insect and mold problems. Now an Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
		  scientist and his colleagues at Kansas State
		  University (KSU) have preliminary research findings showing that monitoring
		  carbon dioxide--along with humidity and temperature--also may help detect
		  problems more effectively. 
		Grain moisture content and temperature are the primary factors
		  affecting grain deterioration in storage. If these factors are not properly
		  monitored and controlled, grain quality can deteriorate quickly due to mold
		  growth and insect infestation. 
		ARS engineer
		  Paul
		  Armstrong at the agency's
		  Grain
		  and Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, Kan., and Haidee
		  Gonzales and Ronaldo Maghirang at KSU monitored a simulated grain storage bin
		  during aeration to determine if high-moisture grain, or adverse storage
		  conditions, in the bin top could be detected using sensors to measure relative
		  humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide levels. 
		Relative humidity and temperature can be used to estimate grain
		  moisture, while carbon dioxide levels indicate the amount of respiration due,
		  primarily, to molds. Current technology allows relative humidity and
		  temperature sensors to be placed at multiple points within the grain mass.
		  Carbon dioxide sensing is more feasible at an aeration duct. 
		In the study, sensors were placed at different depths in the bin.
		  High-moisture grain-- comprising about 11 percent of the volume--was placed at
		  the top of the bin and produced high amounts of carbon dioxide, which in most
		  cases was easily detectable during aeration. 
		Lowering grain temperature with aeration diminished the amount of
		  carbon dioxide produced, making it more difficult to detect unless the carbon
		  dioxide sensor was located very close to the wet grain. 
		Relative humidity and temperature sensing gave good estimates of grain
		  moisture for all conditions, but under some grain conditions, high carbon
		  dioxide levels persisted for grain considered to be at safe moisture and
		  temperature conditions. Combining relative humidity, temperature and carbon
		  dioxide measurements gave reasonably accurate measurements of grain moisture
		  content as well as overall storage conditions. 
		ARS is the U.S. Department of
		  Agriculture's scientific research agency.  
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080827.htm">
<title>ARS Scientists Test MRI Device to Measure Body Fat in Piglets</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080827.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	  
		 
		   
			 
				 A new device can more
				  accurately and precisely measure total body fat, lean tissue mass, free water
				  mass and total body water in piglets and may have future applications for human
				  pediatric use. Click the image for more information about
				  it. 
		   
		   
			 
				
				   
				 
				  Scientists study excess
					 fat in chickens &nbsp; 
				  Pig gene database supports
					 human nutrition, immunity studies  &nbsp; 
				  DXA measures meat, fat
					 composition in pork 
				 
		   
		 
		ARS Scientists Test MRI Device to Measure Body Fat in Piglets
		By Sharon
		Durham August 27, 2008 
		A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based device--more advanced
		  than the technology used today for body composition tests--can accurately and
		  precisely measure total body fat in piglets using the principles of
		  quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR), according to
		  Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
		  scientists who evaluated the new technology. 
		The new device, called EchoMRI, was tested by ARS researchers to
		  measure not only total body fat, but lean tissue mass, free water mass and
		  total body water in piglets. The research was done under a grant from the
		  National Institutes of Health, which wants to
		  know if the new technology could have future applications for human pediatric
		  use.  
		Standard MRI systems are commonly used to scan and visualize tissue in
		  humans. However, when used for body composition analysis, imaging systems are
		  subject to substantial error rates caused by the interpretation of visual
		  images using software that relies on population averages. 
		EchoMRI uses a new type of QMR methodology to obtain body composition
		  results. Its measurement principle depends on the density of hydrogen nuclei
		  and the physical state of the tissue.  
		ARS animal scientist
		  Alva
		  Mitchell at the
		  Animal
		  Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., tested the
		  device, developed by Echo Medical
		  Systems, to determine EchoMRI's precision and accuracy in piglets as
		  compared to dual x-ray (DXA) technology and chemical analysis.  
		Twenty-five piglets, each weighing between 3.5 pounds and 8 pounds,
		  were screened live, anesthetized, and post-mortem, using a prototype EchoMRI
		  device for infants. The piglets were also scanned using DXA and then subjected
		  to chemical analysis.  
		After DXA scans, EchoMRI screenings, and chemical analyses were
		  completed, EchoMRI was found to be a precise and accurate method suitable for
		  measuring piglet whole body composition, total body fat, lean tissue mass, free
		  water mass, and total body water. While these studies were conducted on
		  piglets, EchoMRI may be transferable to market-weight pigs.  
		EchoMRI allows for measurements to be conducted in only a few minutes
		  without anesthesia or sedation, is radiation-free, and does not require the
		  subject to remain completely motionless. This facilitates convenient,
		  low-stress repeated tracking of small changes in body composition and can be
		  advantageous to researchers to optimize feed utilization. It could also help
		  researchers identify high-value hogs for breeding.  
		ARS is a scientific research agency of the
		  U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080826.htm">
<title>&#x22;Fingerprinting&#x22; Helps Make Great Grapes</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080826.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       
	  
		 
		   
			 
				 Genetic
				  fingerprints, now being developed for the 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated
				  grapes in ARS's northern California genebank, will help grape breeders pinpoint
				  unusual characteristics. Click the image for more information about
				  it.  
		   
		   
			 
				
				   
				 
				  Autumn King seedless
					 grapes: Big and luscious!  &nbsp; 
				  Thomcord grape: Flavorful,
					 attractive&#151;and seedless!  &nbsp; 
				  Sweet Scarlet grape: New
					 variety readied for growers 
				  
		   
		 
		&#147;Fingerprinting&#148; Helps Make Great
		  Grapes  By Marcia
		Wood August 26, 2008 
		At about this time next year, nearly all of the 2,800 wild, rare and
		  domesticated grapes in a unique northern California genebank will have had
		  their "genetic profile" or &#147;fingerprint&#148; taken. These fingerprints
		  may help grape breeders pinpoint plants in the collection that have unusual
		  traits--ones that might appeal to shoppers in tomorrow's supermarkets. Other
		  grapes might be ideal for scientists who are doing basic research. 
		That&#146;s according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant
		  geneticist
		  Mallikarjuna
		  Aradhya. He's heading the grape fingerprinting venture. 
		The grape collection that Aradhya is fingerprinting encompasses
		  vineyards and screened enclosures, called &#147;screenhouses." It is part of
		  what&#146;s officially known as the ARS
		  National
		  Clonal Germplasm Repository for Tree Fruit and Nut Crops and Grapes, in
		  Davis, Calif. 
		To glean a distinctive genetic fingerprint of each member of the
		  collection, Aradhya uses pieces of genetic material--or DNA--known as
		  microsatellite markers. Eight markers are all that are needed for a genetic
		  fingerprint of more familiar grapes, like close relatives of those already used
		  for making wine or raisins or for eating out-of-hand. 
		But the lesser-known ones--wild grapes and some prized types from
		  China, for instance--require twice as many markers for reliable identification.
		  That&#146;s due, in part, to the fact that the taxonomy, or relatedness of one
		  kind of grape to another, is quite jumbled, Aradhya noted. 
		He has already fingerprinted 1,100 better-known grapes and 300 wild
		  specimens. 
		ARS is a scientific research agency of the
		  U.S. Department of
		  Agriculture. 
    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080825.htm">
<title>Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria Studied</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080825.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       




Researchers are now identifying nitrogen-fixing
bacteria that release all of the hydrogen the microbes produce, which could
lead to a new hydrogen source for fuel cells. Photo courtesy of Department
of Energy.






Switchgrass: Bridging
bioenergy and conservation
&nbsp;
Biofuel crops double as
greenhouse-gas reducers
&nbsp;
Making gas from crop
residue




Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria Provide Clean Energy 

By Rosalie Marion
Bliss
August 25, 2008 A new &quot;green&quot; technology
developed cooperatively by scientists with the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and
North Carolina State University (NC State)
could lead to production of hydrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Renewable sources of energy&#151;such as hydrogen&#151;that don't produce
pollutants or greenhouse gases are needed to solve global energy shortages.
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are nonrenewable energy sources
implicated in global warming. 
The invention holds promise as a source of hydrogen for use in fuel cell
technology. Fuel cell devices combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce
electricity and water, and are considered efficient, quiet and pollution-free.
Fuel cells are now being tested in a range of products, including automobiles
that release no emissions other than water vapor.
ARS inventors Paul Bishop and
Telisa
Loveless and NC State inventors Jonathan Olson and Jos&eacute;
Bruno-B&aacute;rcena developed the patent-pending technology.
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria play a key role in agriculture. They live in soil
and on certain plant roots, and convert nitrogen from the air into a chemical
form that plants can use to grow. The researchers developed a way to identify
strains of these bacteria that produce hydrogen gas. 
Bishop first demonstrated novel aspects of bacterial nitrogen-fixing more
than two decades ago. Building on that work, the team developed a method that
uses a selecting agent to identify these special hydrogen-producing strains.
The selecting agent allows researchers to identify these bacterial strains
without the need for genomic sequencing or genetic modification.
Using the selecting agent, the inventors identified a gene that inactivates
the bacteria's hydrogen uptake system so that all of the hydrogen produced is
released. Because the bacterial cells cannot recycle the hydrogen, the hydrogen
they produce can be captured and used as a fuel whose byproduct is water and
heat.
Licensing information can be obtained by contacting the
ARS
Office of Technology Transfer or the Office of Technology Transfer at NC State. 

ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080822.htm">
<title>Chickpea Fungus Investigated</title>
<link>http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080822.htm</link>
<description><![CDATA[
    
       




Chickpeas. Photo courtesy of
USDA/GIPSA. 






Likeable legume snacks
from ARS research
&nbsp;
Meeting showcases
anti-Sclerotinia research
&nbsp;
New chickpea variety
available for legume lovers 




Scientists Tie Chickpea Disease to Fungal Culprit

By Jan Suszkiw
August 22, 2008 The fungus Sclerotinia
trifoliorum plagues legume crops worldwide. But chickpeas seem to have
escaped its wrath, with the exception of Australia's crop. Now, that's no
longer the case, report Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) and collaborative university scientists.
During the 2005-06 chickpea growing season in central California, the team
observed stem and crown rots reminiscent of Sclerotinia infection. But
subtle irregularities in the symptoms led the researchers to believe their
prime suspect&#151;S. sclerotiorum, which infects more 400 plant
species&#151;had an accomplice, namely S. trifoliorum.
ARS research plant pathologist
Weidong
Chen led the team, which included Fred Muehlbauer (now retired) with the
ARS
Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research Unit in Pullman, Wash., and
University of California-Davis
and Washington State University researchers.

They examined 10 Sclerotinia isolates from their collection from
chickpea stems and subjected each to three identification criteria: growth
rate, ascospore morphology and DNA markers indicative of S. trifoliorum.
The team's analysis showed that S. trifoliorum isolates were
slower-growing, displayed &quot;ascospore dimorphism,&quot; which is the
formation of two versions of the same spore type, and harbored a set of group I
intron markers while S. sclerotiorum did not. 
Chen suspects S. trifoliorum's occurrence on central California
chickpeas stems from prior plantings of alfalfa&#151;another legume
host&#151;and not an accidental introduction from Australia, the only continent
where the fungus has previously been reported on chickpea. Identification of
this new chickpea pathogen should aid in improving disease-management practices
and developing resistant chickpea cultivars for farmers. 
The research is part of the ARS
National Sclerotinia Initiative. More information on this initiative is
available at: 
http://www.whitemoldresearch.com

The research study was published recently in the journal Plant Disease, and is
available online at: 
http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/interp/10.1094/PDIS-92-6-0917

ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

    
    ]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/pnpr4108.pdf                                                                    ">
<title>Peanut Prices</title>
<link>http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/pnpr4108.pdf                                                                    </link>
<description><![CDATA[Peanut prices received by farmers for all farmer stock peanuts averaged 20.1 cents per pound for the week ending October 4....]]></description>
</item>

</rdf:RDF>