27 research outputs found
Examining Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) Composting for Urban Ag Specialty Crop Production
No full textUrban farmers face many unique challenges associated with the urban environment in which they produce. One of the most expensive and limited resources is access to healthy soils. There is often low organic matter and industrial contaminants present in urban soils, resulting in the need for remediation, such as capping and importing topsoil and compost. Recently, black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens; BSF) have been recognized as an efficient organism used to break-down organic matter and produce a soil amendment comparable to traditional fertilizers. These fly larvae can feed on a wide range of organic waste (plant material, biosolids, food waste, etc.), can break down contaminants such as pharmaceuticals or pesticides, and impact the bioavailability of heavy metals. The resulting material is a digestate that can be applied as a soil amendment, much like the vermicomposting processes of worms. Fly pupae can be harvested and used as a nutrient dense feedstock for livestock or reared to adults to continue the cycle of composting. Knowledge gaps remain regarding the impact of feedstock on the nutritional quality of the digestate for crop production and the application and implementation of BSF composting on-farm. We found that larval weight is unaffected by diet streams, however, larval length is improved on food waste streams. Additionally, crop growth varies when grown with BSFL digestate
The Barley yellow dwarf virus-Rhopalosiphum padi pathosystem: An examination of host plant-virus-vector interactions
No full textBarley yellow dwarf disease is an important plant disease caused by a complex of plant viruses referred to as Barley/Cereal yellow dwarf virus (B/CYDV) which is comprised of eight viral species infecting cereal crops and over 150 other Poaceae species. B/CYDV is transmitted exclusively by aphids in a persistent, circulative manner. In the United States, the most widespread species is BYDV-PAV transmitted by Rhopalosiphum padi (L.).
The effects of BYDV-PAV infection on host plant preferences were examined for viruliferous (virus-carrying) and nonviruliferous R. padi. Viruliferous aphids that acquired virus from either infected barley or through membranes infused with artificial diet containing purified virus, were used to examine direct (membrane feeding) vs. indirect (infected host plant) effects of virus acquisition. Nonviruliferous aphids significantly preferred BYDV-infected plants while viruliferous aphids significantly preferred virus-free plants. The shift in preference from infected to noninfected plants following virus acquisition could accelerate the rate of virus spread and was shown to be the result of direct effects of virus acquisition within the insect vector.
The wheat producing region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington is characterized by fragmented native prairie and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) habitats embedded in an agricultural matrix. The Palouse Prairie and CRP lands were surveyed to determine in which habitats and grass species B/CYDV occur and what B/CYDV species are present. Ten species of Poaceae that have not been reported as hosts of B/CYDVs were evaluated via laboratory inoculations. Nine of these species are found throughout the Pacific Northwest in Camas and Palouse Prairie habitats or CRP lands and one of these species is being proposed as a candidate for biofuel production.
B/CYDV was found for the first time in Palouse Prairie and CRP habitats and BYDV-SGV and PAV were identified as the predominant viral species occurring in this region. Achnatherum occidentale, A. lettermanii, A. thurberianum, Danthonia intermedia, Poa fendleriana, Sporobolus airoides, S. cryptandrus, Ventenata dubia and Arundo donax were identified as new hosts of BYDV-PAV. Transmission of BYDV-PAV from some of these grass hosts to susceptible barley was demonstrated using R. padi. The ecological and epidemiological implications are discussed.Thesis (Ph.D., Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences)--University of Idaho, June 201
Factors affecting aphid-luteovirus interactions in agricultural and non-managed ecosystems
No full textAgroecological and environmental factors influence Barley yellow dwarf viruses in grasslands in the US Pacific Northwest.
No full textPlant pathogens can play a role in the competitive interactions between plant species and have been understudied in native prairies, which are declining globally, and in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in the United States. Barley/Cereal yellow dwarf virus (B/CYDV) are among the most economically important disease-causing agents of small grain cereal crops, such as wheat, and are known to infect over 150 Poaceae species, including many of the grass species present in prairies and CRP lands. Field surveys of Poaceae species were conducted in endangered Palouse Prairie and CRP habitats of southeastern Washington and adjacent northern Idaho, USA from 2010-2012 to examine for the presence of B/CYDV among plant hosts and aphid vectors. Viral species were identified via cloning and sequencing. Landscape, soil and climate data were retrieved from USDA-NASS and USDA-NRCS databases. Analyses were conducted to examine effects of diverse agroecological and environmental factors on virus prevalence. A total of 2,271 grass samples representing 30 species were collected; 28 of these were infected with BYDV in at least one location. BYDV infection was detected at every CRP and prairie remnant sampled, with an overall infection of 46%. BYDV-SGV and BYDV-PAV were the only two B/CYDV species encountered, with BYDV-SGV being more prevalent. Sampling time (season) and host plant identity were the main variables explaining variation in virus prevalence among sites. BYDV was more prevalent in perennial compared to annual grass species. Aphids were encountered only once suggesting non-colonizing aphids, potentially from neighboring cereal fields, are responsible for disease spread in these habitats. BYDV prevalence increased in sampled habitats as cereal crop cover increased within a 1-km radius of a habitat patch. Results demonstrate moderate to high and persistent prevalence of BYDV in an endangered grassland habitat. Species composition and susceptibility to pathogens should be considered when creating seed mixes for CRP sites, especially in relation to agricultural crops and diseases in a region. Future work exploring host abundance, competence and habitat utilization by vectors is required to fully elucidate BYDV ecology and epidemiology in grassland habitats
Using Citizen Science Programs to Identify Host Resistance in Pest-Invaded Forests
No full textThreats to native forests from non-native insects and pathogens (pests) are generally addressed with methods such as quarantine, eradication, biological control, and development of resistant stock through hybridization and breeding. In conjunction with such efforts, it may be useful to have citizen scientists locate rare surviving trees that may be naturally pest resistant or tolerant. The degree of resistance of individual trees identified in this way can be tested under controlled conditions, and the most resistant individuals can be integrated into plant breeding programs aimed at developing pest-resistant native stock. Involving citizen scientists in programs aimed at identifying rare trees that survive colonization by pests provides a low-cost means of maximizing search efforts across wide geographic regions and may provide an effective supplement to existing management approaches. © 2010 Society for Conservation Biology
Data from: Domesticated tomatoes are more vulnerable to negative plant-soil feedbacks than their wild relatives
No full textDomesticated plants can differ from their wild counterparts in the strength and outcome of species interactions, both above- and belowground. Plant-soil feedbacks influence plant success, and plant-associated soil microbial communities can influence plant interactions with herbivores and their natural enemies, yet, it is unclear if domestication has changed these relationships. To determine the effects of domestication on plant-soil interactions, we characterized soil microbial communities associated with various cultivars of domesticated tomato and some of its wild relatives. We measured the strength and direction of plant-soil feedbacks for domesticated and wild tomatoes, and the effects of soil on plant resistance to specialist herbivory by Manduca sexta, and the attraction of a parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata. Domesticated tomatoes and their wild relatives had negative plant-soil feedbacks, as conspecifics cultivated soil that negatively impacted performance of subsequent plants (longer germination time, lower biomass) than if they grew in non-tomato soils. Significant variation existed among domesticated and wild tomato varieties in the strength of these feedbacks, ranging from neutral to strongly negative. For aboveground plant biomass, tomato wild relatives were unaffected by growing in tomato-conditioned soil while domesticated tomatoes grew smaller in tomato soil, indicating effects of plant domestication. Overall, increased microbial biomass within the rhizosphere resulted in progressively less-negative plant-soil feedbacks. Plant cultivars had different levels of resistance to herbivory by M. sexta, but this did not depend on plant domestication or soil type. The parasitoid C. congregata was primarily attracted to herbivore damaged plants, independent of plant domestication status, and for these damaged plants, wasps preferred some cultivars over others, and wild plants grown in tomato soil over wild plants grown in non-tomato soil. Synthesis: These results indicate that crop tomatoes are more likely to show negative plant-soil feedbacks than wild progenitors, which could partially explain their sensitivity to monocultures in agricultural soils. Further, cultivar-specific variation in the ability to generate soil microbial biomass, independent of domestication status, appears to buffer the negative consequences of sharing the same soil. Last, soil legacies were relatively absent for herbivores, but not for parasitoid wasps, suggesting trophic level specificity in soil feedbacks on plant-insect interactions
Domesticated tomatoes are more vulnerable to negative plant–soil feedbacks than their wild relatives
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Strawberry Production in an Elevated Bench Growing System inside a High Tunnel in Southern Indiana
No full textObjective of this study is to evaluate the performance of eight strawberry cultivars grown in an elevated bench system. Yield and quality parameters were measured. This report also includes a discussion on production challenges and economic considerations of this production system
