Thursday, October 14, 2010

Rooftops come alive













"Living roofs" are sprouting up around the country, along with businesses providing associated products and services.

Books:

* Green roof systems : a guide to the planning, design, and construction of landscapes over structure




* Green roof plants : a resource and planting guide

* Ken Smith, landscape architect : urban projects  [includes: The Museum of Modern Art, roof garden]

* Green roofs : ecological design and construction

* Groundswell : constructing the contemporary landscape  [includes: The Museum of Modern Art roof garden, New York]

* Sky gardens : rooftops, balconies, and terraces


* Roof gardens : history, design, and construction

* Eco-pioneers : practical visionaries solving today’s environmental problems  [includes: Urban rooftop agriculture] > online e-book

* World of environmental design  [includes: v.4 Roof gardens]

* Apartment farmer : the hassle-free way to grow vegetables indoors, on balconies, patios, roofs, and in small yards




Conference proceedings:

* Low impact development : new and continuing applications : 2nd National Low Impact Development Conference, March 12-14, 2007, Wilmington, NC  [includes: Using Green Roofs and Other BMPs to Reduce the Need for Stormwater Retention Capacity Requirements -- Selecting the Proper Components for a Green Roof Growing Media -- Evaluating a Spreadsheet Model to Predict Green Roof Stormwater Management -- Selecting a Green Roof Media to Minimize Pollutant Loadings in Roof Runoff]

* Low impact development for urban ecosystem and habitat protection : International Low Impact Development Conference, November 16-19, 2008, Seattle, WA  [includes: A Laboratory Comparison of Green-Roof Runoff Water Quality -- A Study of Green Roof Hydrologic Performance in the Cascadia Region -- Early-Life Roof Runoff Quality: Green vs. Traditional Roofs -- Flow Monitoring of Three Ecoroofs in Portland, Oregon -- The Stormwater Control Potential of Green Roofs in Seattle -- Green Envelopes: Contribution of Green Roofs, Green Facades and Green Streets to Reducing Stormwater Runoff, CO2 Emissions and Energy Demand in Cities -- A Deterministic Lumped Dynamic Green Roof Model -- Quantifying Evapotranspiration Rates for New Zealand Green Roofs -- Cost-Benefit Evaluation of Ecoroofs] 

* World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2009 : great rivers : May 17-21, 2009, Kansas City, MO  [includes: Monitoring the Hydrologic Effects of an Extensive Green Roof -- Rainwater Harvesting for Non-Potable Use in Gardens: A Comparison of Runoff Water Quality from Green vs. Traditional Roofs -- The Lawrence Technological University Greenroof Performance Evaluation Project -- McCormick Place West Hall Conference Center Stormwater Reclamation Tunnel and "Green Roof" Helps Advance Chicago’s Clean Water Agenda] 

* GeoCongress 2008 : geosustainability and geohazard mitigation : March 9-12, 2008, New Orleans, LA  [includes: Design of an Instrumented Model Green Roof Experiment] 

* World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2008 : AhupuaŹ»a : May 12-16, 2008, Honolulu, HI  [includes: Green Roofs : A BMP for Urban Stormwater Quality? -- A Water Quality Assessment of Two Green Roof Stormwater Treatment Systems] 

* World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2007 : restoring our natural habitat : May 15-19, 2007, Tampa, FL  [includes: Selecting a Green Roof Medium for Water Quality Benefits -- An Assessment of Green Roof Stormwater Treatment Systems for Stormwater Volume Reduction]

* Geosynthetics research and development in progress : Geo-Frontiers 2005 Congress, January 24-26, 2005, Austin, TX  [includes: State of the Green Roof Industry in the United States]

* Managing watersheds for human and natural impacts : engineering, ecological, and economic challenges : Watershed 2005, July 19-22, 2005, Williamsburg, VA  [includes: Green Roof Hydrologic and Water Quality Performance from Two Field Sites in North Carolina]

* World Water and Environmental Resources Congress 2003 : June 23-26, 2003, Philadelphia, PA  [includes: Stormwater Detention and Retention Abilities of Green Roofs -- A North Carolina Field Study to Evaluate Greenroof Runoff Quantity, Runoff Quality, and Plant Growth]

Government documents:



* Vegetated roof cover : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Videos:
* Design e² : the economies of being environmentally conscious  ["The third program, The green machine, follows Mayor Richard M. Daley as he strives to make Chicago "the greenest city in America" with numerous LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified buildings, a solar-powered public transportation system, and many green roofs, including one on Chicago’s City Hall."]

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Golf courses go greener

Turfgrass managers have taken up the mantle of sustainability.  Over the past decade, a number of golf courses around the country have even started to "go organic"!

Some of the alternatives to synthetic pesticides proposed by one golf course site include:

1. Beneficial insects
2. Beneficial nematodes
3. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)
4. Compost
5. Corn gluten
6. Fish emulsion
7. Garlic oil/juice
8. Horticultural oils (vegetable-based instead of petrochemical based)
9. Kelp/seaweed extracts
10. Lemon & vinegar formulations
11. Lime
12. Beneficial microbes and microbial derivatives
13. Milky spore
14. Neem
15. 100% "organic" fertilizers
16. Pheromone lures
17. Pyrethrin/pyrethrum
18. Rock dust minerals
19. Biopesticides
20. Products on the national list of approved substances established under the Organic Foods Product Act of 1990
21. Products approved as organic by duly accredited certifying organizations such as the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) and the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)

And some of the proposed prohibited substances include:

1. All synthetic chemical pesticides
2. Arsenic
3. Biosolids derived from sewage sludge or industrial waste (i.e. Milorganite)
4. Genetically modified products, ingredients, or seeds (endophytically enhanced seed and improved grass seed cultivars produced through conventional breeding programs are not GM and therefore are permitted.)
5. Piperonyl butoxide and other synthetic ingredients
6. Pyrethroids
7. Tobacco
8. Pesticides dispensed by automatic misting systems

For further reading:

* Sustainable golf courses: a guide to environmental stewardship

* Ecological golf course management

* "Pesticide Exposure from Residential and Recreational Turf" and "Lawn and Turf: Management and Environmental Issues of Turfgrass Pesticides" in Hayes’ handbook of pesticide toxicology

* Alternative turfgrasses for more environmentally sustainable golf course management: velvet bentgrass putting greens and fine fescue/colonial bentgrass fairways

* Turfgrass chemicals and pesticides: a practitioner’s guide

* Turf problem solver: case studies and solutions for environmental, cultural, and pest problems

* Proceedings of the IInd International Conference on Turfgrass Science and Management for Sports Fields: Beijing, China June 24-29, 2007

* Golf course irrigation: environmental design and management practices

* Water quality and quantity issues for turfgrasses in urban landscapes
 
* Managing wetlands on golf courses

* USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

9/29-10/3: Wisconsin Book Festival

This year's WI Book Festival theme is "Beliefs."  Events of particular interest to plant and insect researchers:

A Legacy of Conservation
Wednesday, September 29  |  3:30-6 PM
Venue: Wisconsin Union Theater/Memorial Union
Please join us for a special program to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and to explore Wisconsin's historic and continuing legacy of conservation leadership and innovation. Featured speakers will include Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan of the USDA, USDA NRCS Chief Dave White, and Neil Maher, Rutgers University historian and author of Nature's New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Roots of the American Environmental Movement.

The Beast Within, & Becoming Animal
Wednesday, September 29  |  5:30-6:30 PM
Venue: A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore
Are humans merely animals or are we something more? Our beliefs about where we stand in the chain of creation shape both our sense of identity and our actions. The Beast Within, by Joyce Salisbury, examines the moment in the West when our confident assertion of our superiority gave way to our awareness of the bestial lurking within our humanity. Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology by David Abram draws readers ever deeper into their animal senses, showing that from the awakened perspective of the human animal, awareness is not an exclusive possession of our species but a lucid quality of the biosphere itself-- a quality in which we, along with the oaks and the spiders, steadily participate. 

Season of Water and Ice, & Jerry Apps
Wednesday, September 29  |  5:30-6:30 PM
Venue: Quivey's Grove
Sometime after turning fifty, Donald Lystra wrote and published his first novel: Season of Water and Ice, a poignant coming-of-age tale set in 1950s rural northern Michigan. The accolades haven’t stopped, and his work has received Special Mention in the Pushcart Prize anthology. Lystra joins Jerry Apps in a special location, Quivey’s Grove, chosen because the barn appears in Apps’ Barns of Wisconsin. Apps will also present a selection of his books, including Cranberry Red and The Travels of Increase Joseph, which chronicle the joys and challenges of farm life with his trademark blend of gentle humor, drama and storytelling.

Moral Ground: Why It's Wrong to Wreck the World
Thursday, September 30  |  7:30-9 PM
Venue: Promenade Hall/Overture
This townhall-style meeting led by Moral Ground editors Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael P. Nelson gathers people for an evening of music, readings by contributing authors Curt Meine and Gary Nabhan, and a guided audience discussion about our obligations to justice and compassion.

The Poisoner's Handbook
Friday, October 1  |  5:30-6:30 PM
Venue: Wisconsin Studio/Overture
Long before "CSI" became common parlance, two intrepid scientists defined the art of crime scene investigation and elevated forensic chemistry into a formidable science, establishing a legacy for future generations. UW professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum, writing with the high style and skill for suspense that is characteristic of the very best mystery fiction, shares the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. In A Poisoner's Handbook Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime.

Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Over-heats
Friday, October 1  |  8-9 PM
Venue: Madison Public Library-Main Branch
Dwindling resources. Massive population shifts. Natural disasters. Epidemics. Drought. Rising sea levels. Plummeting agricultural yields. Crashing economies. These are some of the expected consequences of climate change in the decades ahead, and any of them could tip the world towards conflict. In Climate Wars, geopolitical analyst Gwynne Dyer gives us a terrifying glimpse of the not-so-distant future, when climate change will force the world's powers into a desperate struggle for advantage and even survival.

Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions
Saturday, October 2  |  10-11:30 AM
Venue: Promenade Hall/Overture
As a climate scientist and a Christian, committed to truth in both science and faith, Katharine Hayhoe balances passion with civility to present a compelling case for why addressing climate change is a part of what it means to be a Christian today. Co-written with her husband, pastor Andrew Farley, A Climate for Change untangles the complex science and tackles many long-held misconceptions about global warming.

Atoms and Eden, & God and Nature
Saturday, October 2  |  3-4:30 PM
Venue: Promenade Hall/Overture
The relationship between science and religion is a subject that has grown increasingly visible-- and controversial-- in the world today. In Atoms and Eden, Peabody Award-winning journalist Steve Paulson (of To the Best of Our Knowledge) presents twenty interviews with some of the most prominent scientists, religious figures, and intellectuals of the day. Ronald Numbers, historian of science and medicine at the UW-Madison, also addresses the complicated relationship between science and religion. Author of The Creationists, a history of the modern revival of creationism, and co-editor of the collection God and Nature, Numbers tangles with many questions relating to faith, fact, and fiction.

A Short History of Wisconsin, & Bill Lueders
Sunday, October 3  |  12-1:30 PM
Venue: Wisconsin Studio/Overture
With A Short History of Wisconsin, Erika Janik packs several centuries of Wisconsin's remarkable past into two hundred lively pages, recounting the landscapes, people, and traditions that have made this state the multi-faceted place it is today. Bill Lueders' newest release showcases twenty years of in-depth stories, from a retrospective on The Progressive's H-bomb case to a profile on Tommy Thompson, plus columns about events in Madison and the state.

Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting, & Across America by Bicycle
Sunday, October 3  |  12:30 - 2:00 PM
Venue: A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore
Every Natural Fact by Amy Lou Jenkins is a narrative of nature outings across the state of Wisconsin. A mother and son explore parallels in the world of people and nature. These explorations of natural history, flora and fauna, and parenting themes demonstrate that the mythic thread that winds through everything can still be found, even in a world of wounds. Ride along with Alice Honeywell and Bobbi Montgomery as they embrace retirement with gusto and live their dream. Pedaling Across America By Bicycle they test and deepen their friendship, defy aches and pains, experience the varied beauties of their country, and discover the challenges and satisfaction of a scaled-down lifestyle. Join this dynamic duo as they face scorching sun, driving rain, buffeting winds, equipment failures, killer hills, wild fires, and even a plague of grasshoppers.

[Adapted from WI Book Festival website]

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Bedbugs: infestations on the rise

















You may have heard that blood-sucking bedbugs are spreading throughout the country and world, years after they were thought to have been largely eradicated in the United States.

Bedbugs are insects in the Cimicidae family.
Unfortunately, the 'common bedbug' Cimex lectularius now shows resistance to multiple types of pesticides.  Luckily, however, they have not been found to act as human disease vectors.

Online:

* Bed Bugs in Wisconsin [2008 UW Extension publication]

Insect resistance management: biology, economics, and prediction

* Encyclopedia of insects

* How to control bed bugs [1976 USDA publication]

* Results of experiments with miscellaneous substances against bedbugs, cockroaches, clothes moths, and carpet beetles [1918 USDA publication]

* Bedbug [1916 USDA publication]

* Treatise on the Cimex lectularius; or, bed bug [1793]

Journals:
 



In the libraries:

* Global pesticide resistance in arthropods

* Dark banquet: blood and the curious lives of blood-feeding creatures

* Battling resistance to antibiotics and pesticides: an economic approach

* Colour atlas of medical entomology

* Evolution explosion: how humans cause rapid evolutionary change

* Medical insects and arachnids

* Biochemical sites of insecticide action and resistance

* Plague of the Philistines, and other medical-historical essays

* Insecticide resistance: from mechanisms to management

* Monograph of Cimicidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

* Morphology and functional anatomy of the male and female reproductive systems of Cimex lectularius Linn.


* Get rid of bedbugs for a clean house [1967 USDA publication]

* Bed bugs: how to control them [1953 USDA publication]

* Bedbug: its habits and life history and methods of control [1944 US Public Health Office publication]

[Image: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic. louento.pix - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lou_bugs_pix/324776034/ ]

Friday, July 30, 2010

Precision agriculture

Journals:
Highly-cited Articles:
  • Pinter, P.J., Hatfield, J.L., Schepers, J.S., Barnes, E.M., Moran, M.S., Daughtry, C.S.T., Upchurch, D.R. (2003). Remote sensing for crop management. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 69(6): 647-664.
Books, Proceedings, Theses, Documents:

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Trial journal subscriptions at UW-Madison

The following trial subscriptions aren't guaranteed to last...

But the more you use them, the more likely it is that they'll stick around!

Analytical Methods - a new monthly peer-reviewed journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry, communicating research on the advancement of analytical techniques for use by the wider scientific community.

Example article: Clarke, D.B. (2010). Glucosinolates, structures and analysis in foodAnal. Methods, 2(4): 310-325.

Integrative Biology - publishes research that contributes to a quantitative understanding of how component properties at one level in the dimensional scale (nano to macro) determine biosystem behavior at a higher level of complexity.  New journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Example article: KƤmpf, M.M. and Weber, W. (2010). Synthetic biology in the analysis and engineering of signaling processes, Integr. Biol., 2(1): 12-24.

Journal of Systematics and Evolution - this plant-focused journal covers descriptions of new taxa, monographic revision, phylogenetics, molecular evolution and genome evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, evolutionary ecology, population biology, conservation biology, biogeography, paleobiology, evolutionary theories, and related subjects.  Formerly titled Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica.

Example article: Ning, S.Z., Chen, Q.J., Yuan, Z.W., Zhang, L.Q., Yan, Z.H., Zheng, Y.L., and Liu, D.C. (2009). Characterization of WAP2 gene in Aegilops tauschii and comparison with homoeologous loci in wheat, Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 47(6): 543-551.


Metallomics - a new frontier in the investigation of trace elements in biology; expected to develop as an interdisciplinary science complementary to genomics and proteomics. This new journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry covers research fields related to metals and biometals in biological, environmental, and clinical systems.

Example article: Ogra, Y., Okubo, E., and Takahira, M. (2010). Distinct uptake of tellurate from selenate in a selenium accumulator, Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), Metallomics, 2(5): 328-333.


Nanoscale - a collaborative venture between the Royal Society of Chemistry and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) in Beijing, China.

Example article: Sun, D., Yang, J., and Wang, X. (2010). Bacterial cellulose/TiO2 hybrid nanofibers prepared by the surface hydrolysis method with molecular precisionNanoscale, 2(2): 287-292.

Statistical Analysis and Data Mining - addresses data analysis, including data mining algorithms, statistical approaches, and practical applications. Topics include problems involving massive and complex datasets, solutions utilizing innovative algorithms and/or novel statistical approaches, and the objective evaluation of analyses and solutions.

Example article: Doddareddy, M.R., van Westen, G.J.P., van der Horst, E., Peironcely, J.E., Corthals, F., Ijzerman, A.P., Emmerich, M., Jenkins, J.L., and Bender, A. (2009). Chemogenomics: Looking at biology through the lens of chemistry. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining, 2(3): 149-160.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Insects and Biofuels

Researchers are studying the interactions of insects, plants, fungi & microbes for clues to maximizing the production and efficiency of biofuels...

  • Special issue of Insect Science (June 2010): "Exploring and integrating cellulolytic systems of insects to advance biofuel technology"


More resources:

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

2009 Plant & insect science journal impact factors released




Thomson Reuters has just published the 2009 Journal Citation Reports (JCR), available by online subscription to UW-Madison library users. These metrics, including the "impact factor," can be used to compare journal performance. JCR compares 9,100+ peer-reviewed journals from 2,200 publishers in 78 countries.

New features:
  • 1,055+ journals with their first published impact factor
  • Updated 5-year impact factors and Eigenfactor metrics
  • "Rank in category" for each journal's subject area, along with a box plot of impact factor distribution for all journals in that category
  • Journal "self-citations" and analysis of their effect on impact factor
Top Agronomy journals by impact factor:
  1. Advances in Agronomy
  2. Theoretical and Applied Genetics
  3. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
  4. Plant and Soil
  5. European Journal of Agronomy
  6. Plant Pathology
  7. Field Crops Research
  8. Postharvest Biology and Technology
  9. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science
  10. Molecular Breeding
Top Entomology journals by impact factor:
  1. Annual Review of Entomology
  2. Advances in Insect Physiology
  3. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  4. Insect Conservation and Diversity
  5. Insect Molecular Biology
  6. Systematic Entomology
  7. Journal of Insect Physiology
  8. Pest Management Science
  9. Medical and Veterinary Entomology
  10. Journal of Medical Entomology
Top Horticulture journals by impact factor:
  1. Theoretical and Applied Genetics
  2. Postharvest Biology and Technology
  3. Molecular Breeding
  4. Tree Genetics and Genomes
  5. European Journal of Plant Pathology (print only 1994-96, 2004-05)
  6. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research
  7. Euphytica
  8. Scientia Horticulturae
  9. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (print only)
  10. Journal of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science
Top Plant Sciences journals by impact factor:
  1. Annual Review of Plant Biology
  2. Annual Review of Phytopathology
  3. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 
  4. Trends in Plant Science 
  5. Plant Cell
  6. Plant Journal
  7. Plant Physiology
  8. New Phytologist
  9. Plant, Cell & Environment
  10. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 
Top Soil Science journals by impact factor:
  1. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 
  2. Soil & Tillage Research 
  3. Journal of Soils and Sediments (no subscription)
  4. Plant and Soil 
  5. Geoderma
  6. Pedobiologia 
  7. Soil Science Society of America Journal
  8. European Journal of Soil Science 
  9. Applied Soil Ecology
  10. Soil Use and Management 
Top Multidisciplinary Agriculture journals by impact factor:
  1. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
  2. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  3. Agricultural Systems
  4. Annals of Applied Biology
  5. Journal of Agricultural Science
  6. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
  7. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
  8. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research (ends 2008)
  9. Agriculture and Human Values
  10. Precision Agriculture 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Updated: Crop Protection Compendium













UW-Madison Libraries subscribe to the Crop Protection Compendium database from CABI, which is now available on their new interface in beta.

This online multi-media resource can be searched by keyword, or browsed by animals (arachnids, molluscs, nematodes, birds, mammals), bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, plants, protozoa, unknown aetiology, and viruses.  It includes:

* 2,800+ detailed data sheets on crops, crop pests, diseases, weeds, invasive plants, natural enemies, pesticides and biopesticides

* Information on an additional 27,000 species, including distribution maps

* 8,000+ pictures to allow for easy identification and teaching

* 200,000 article records from the CAB Abstracts database (updated weekly), including 6,500 full-text journal and conference articles

* 9,000+ term interactive glossary

Monday, May 24, 2010

FFA beyond high school







Did you know that FFA (Future Farmers of America) doesn't have to end after high school? The National FFA Organization offers many programs and scholarships as well as activities at national convention and connections to future employers for internships and full-time positions. You might also be interested in volunteering or mentoring for your local chapter. Until June 30, alumni over the age of 18 who sign up for the "FFA Beyond High School" e-newsletter will be entered into a drawing for an iPad. The e-newsletter will provide information about scholarships, internships, Collegiate FFA and alumni opportunities.  Go to http://www.ffa.org/beyondhighschool to sign up for the e-newsletter.  [Source: National FFA Organization]

You may also be interested in:

* FFA new horizons (1952-2009)

* Handbook on agricultural education in public schools (2008)

* Focus, news, agricultural education (Wisconsin Assn. of FFA, 1988-1999)

* 100 years of agricultural education: FFA in Wisconsin (1994)

* Wisconsin FFA alumni handbook (1985)

* Future Farmers of America and career education (1978)

* The FFA and you; your guide to learning (1962)

* Official manual for Future Farmers of America (1951)

* Future Farmers of America in action (1945)

* Fun and work for future farmers, FFA: a collection of games, programs, and community activities with practical ideas and suggestions for social and recreational programs for rural boys’ organizations (1934)

* The Dunn County future farmer (1930)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Plant Management Network: journals and more





UW-Madison is a partner of the Plant Management Network, managed by the American Phytopathological Society, American Society of Agronomy, and Crop Science Society of America.  Students, staff and faculty have full access to the site, including:

Plant Health Progress - peer-reviewed journal focusing on plant protection; covers plant disease, entomology, and nematology of crops and ornamentals.

Crop Management - peer-reviewed journal covering crop management practices, crop nutrients, and production agriculture; focuses on maximizing crop yield and value.

Forage and Grazinglands - peer-reviewed journal covering animal nutrition and rangeland management.

Applied Turfgrass Science - peer-reviewed journal covering the many aspects of turfgrass management.

Plant Disease Management Reports - More than 5,000 searchable efficacy reports on various means of pest control, such as fungicides, nematicides, and biological controls. PDMR’s purpose is to help users determine the most effective chemicals and nonchemical pest management agents and to ensure maximum effectiveness/minimum use in terms of application. Reports cover various crops, ornamentals, turf and forage.

Arthropod Management Tests - Efficacy reports of insecticides and other means of insect control. Helps users determine the most effective chemicals and brands in managing insects and also to ensure maximum effectiveness/minimum use in terms of application rates. Reports cover crops, ornamentals, turf and forage.

Symposium/Meeting Proceedings - A collection of proceedings on topics related to agriculture and horticulture.

Focus on Soybean - An online portal for growers, crop consultants, and researchers seeking information on producing healthy, high-yielding soybean crops. Features webcasts from noted extension agents on soybean crop production, protection, and management.

Focus on Potato - An online portal for growers, crop consultants, and researchers seeking information on producing healthy, high-yielding potato crops. Features webcasts from noted extension agents on potato crop production, protection, and management.

Focus on Ag Practitioners - A one-stop portal of agricultural resources for certified crop advisers, independent consultants, and other ag practitioners.

PMN Image Collections - A collection of more than 4,000 plant disease and agricultural images for disease identification, class illustrations, and presentations.

Friday, April 30, 2010

New soybean pest: Trochanter mealybug

Infestations of the trochanter mealybug (Pseudococcus sorghiellus, in the Order Hemiptera, Suborder Homoptera, Superfamily Coccoidea and Family Pseudococcidae), an unarmored scale insect, were first identified in Midwestern soybean crops in 2008.  They can be found on the roots of soybeans that appear to be suffering from potassium deficiency (yellowing of the leaves).

See also...

* USDA NIFA grant - "Critical Issues: Emerging and New Plant and Animal Pests and Diseases"

* Wisconsin Pest Bulletin (v.54 n.1, 4/23/2010)

Related books & documents at UW-Madison:

* A systematic catalogue of the mealybugs of the world (Insecta, Homoptera, Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae and Putoidae) : with data on geographical distribution, host plants, biology, and economic importance

* Systematic analysis of the mealybugs in the Pseudococcus maritimus complex (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

* Handbook of soybean insect pests

* Pest management in soybean

* Soybean pest management in Wisconsin

* Pest management in Wisconsin field crops : a guide to managing weeds, insects, and diseases in corn, soybeans, forages, and small grains

* Some aspects of the biology and ecology of Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and a survey of arthropods on soybeans in south central Wisconsin

* Sulfhydryl-dependent inducible phytoalexins in juvenile soybeans predict insect resistance in fully developed plants

* Low-cost technology for controlling soybean insect pests in Indonesia

* Appraisal of insect-resistant soybeans, in Economic, environmental, and social benefits of resistance in field crops

* Two-spotted spider mite management in soybean and corn

* A nucleopolyhedrovirus for control of velvetbean caterpillar in Brazilian soybeans, in Biological control : a global perspective : case studies from around the world

* Biology and management of the soybean cyst nematode

* Soybean resistance to stem-mining agromyzid beanflies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) 

* American Soybean Association diagnostic guide

* Sampling methods in soybean entomology

Related research articles:

* Biswas, J., Ghosh, A.B.. (2000). Biology of the mealybug, Planococcus minor (Maskell) on various host plants. Environment and Ecology, 18(4): 929-932.

* Thippaiah, M.; Kumar, N.G. (1999). Dysmicoccus sp. (Pseudococcidae: Homoptera): a pest of soybean in Karnataka. Insect Environment, 5(2): 70.

* Jadhav, R.G.; Madane, N.P.; Kathamale, D.K. (1996). Record of soybean as a new host in India for citrus mealybug. Insect Environment, 2(3): 90.

* Kadiata, B.D.; Mulongoy, K.; Ntonifor, N.N. (1992). A severe mealybug infestation on some tree legumes. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports, 10: 70-72.

* Srivastava, O.S. (1972). Soybean, a new host record of mealy bug, Nipaecoccus vastator (Mask.) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in India. Indian Journal of Entomology, 34(3): 351-352.