Bronson Alcott's Fruitlands : with Transcendental wild oats by Louisa M. Alcott /

"Catalogue of the Original Fruitlands Library," p. [177]-185.

Editorial wild oats,

My first literary venture. -- Journalism in Tennessee. -- Nicodemus Dodge -- printer. -- Mr. Bloke's item. -- How I edited an agricultural paper. -- The Killing of Julius Caesar localized.

Wild oats and dead leaves.

Prose sketches and Bürger's ballad, Lenore, with a translation.

Oats or wild oats? Common-sense for young men,

Mode of access: Internet.

Instead of "wild oats", a little book for the youth of eighteen and over,

Mode of access: Internet.

Factors affecting survival of winter oats /

Literature cited: p. 27-28.

Harvesting Oats

Saline Valley Farms was an experiment in cooperative farming and living begun in 1932 by Harold S. Gray.

Harvest of political wild oats.

Mode of access: Internet.

Supplementary feeding of horses with processed sorghum grains and oats

Two feeding experiments and in vitro hind gut fermentation tests were carried out to study the effect of processing sorghum grain on digestion of starch and on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract environment of the horse. In experiment 1, 12 yearling Australian stock horses were blocked on the basis of sex then randomly divided into four equal groups, each containing one castrated male and two females of approximately the same age and weight. Horses were offered at 0800 and 1500 h, 3 kg medium quality liverseed grass (Urochloa panicoides) hay and 2 kg of either oats (O), dry rolled sorghum (DRS), steam-flaked sorghum (SFS) or expanded sorghum (ES). Lanthanum was used as external solid marker for the measurements of apparent total tract digestibility. Fresh water was available ad libitum. Horses were allowed 18 days to adapt to the diets followed by a 3-day faecal collection period. Digestibility of dry matter (DM), and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were higher (P

Maize streak virus: An old and complex 'emerging' pathogen

Maize streak virus (MSV; Genus Mastrevirus, Family Geminiviridae) occurs throughout Africa, where it causes what is probably the most serious viral crop disease on the continent. It is obligately transmitted by as many as six leafhopper species in the Genus Cicadulina, but mainly by C. mbila Naudé and C. storeyi. In addition to maize, it can infect over 80 other species in the Family Poaceae. Whereas 11 strains of MSV are currently known, only the MSV-A strain is known to cause economically significant streak disease in maize. Severe maize streak disease (MSD) manifests as pronounced, continuous parallel chlorotic streaks on leaves, with severe stunting of the affected plant and, usuallly, a failure to produce complete cobs or seed. Natural resistance to MSV in maize, and/or maize infections caused by non-maize-adapted MSV strains, can result in narrow, interrupted streaks and no obvious yield losses. MSV epidemiology is primarily governed by environmental influences on its vector species, resulting in erratic epidemics every 3-10 years. Even in epidemic years, disease incidences can vary from a few infected plants per field, with little associated yield loss, to 100% infection rates and complete yield loss. Taxonomy: The only virus species known to cause MSD is MSV, the type member of the Genus Mastrevirus in the Family Geminiviridae. In addition to the MSV-A strain, which causes the most severe form of streak disease in maize, 10 other MSV strains (MSV-B to MSV-K) are known to infect barley, wheat, oats, rye, sugarcane, millet and many wild, mostly annual, grass species. Seven other mastrevirus species, many with host and geographical ranges partially overlapping those of MSV, appear to infect primarily perennial grasses. Physical properties: MSV and all related grass mastreviruses have single-component, circular, single-stranded DNA genomes of approximately 2700 bases, encapsidated in 22 × 38-nm geminate particles comprising two incomplete T = 1 icosahedra, with 22 pentameric capsomers composed of a single 32-kDa capsid protein. Particles are generally stable in buffers of pH 4-8. Disease symptoms: In infected maize plants, streak disease initially manifests as minute, pale, circular spots on the lowest exposed portion of the youngest leaves. The only leaves that develop symptoms are those formed after infection, with older leaves remaining healthy. As the disease progresses, newer leaves emerge containing streaks up to several millimetres in length along the leaf veins, with primary veins being less affected than secondary or tertiary veins. The streaks are often fused laterally, appearing as narrow, broken, chlorotic stripes, which may extend over the entire length of severely affected leaves. Lesion colour generally varies from white to yellow, with some virus strains causing red pigmentation on maize leaves and abnormal shoot and flower bunching in grasses. Reduced photosynthesis and increased respiration usually lead to a reduction in leaf length and plant height; thus, maize plants infected at an early stage become severely stunted, producing undersized, misshapen cobs or giving no yield at all. Yield loss in susceptible maize is directly related to the time of infection: Infected seedlings produce no yield or are killed, whereas plants infected at later times are proportionately less affected. Disease control: Disease avoidance can be practised by only planting maize during the early season when viral inoculum loads are lowest. Leafhopper vectors can also be controlled with insecticides such as carbofuran. However, the development and use of streak-resistant cultivars is probably the most effective and economically viable means of preventing streak epidemics. Naturally occurring tolerance to MSV (meaning that, although plants become systemically infected, they do not suffer serious yield losses) has been found, which has primarily been attributed to a single gene, msv-1. However, other MSV resistance genes also exist and improved resistance has been achieved by concentrating these within individual maiz genotypes. Whereas true MSV immunity (meaning that plants cannot be symptomatically infected by the virus) has been achieved in lines that include multiple small-effect resistance genes together with msv-1, it has proven difficult to transfer this immunity into commercial maize genotypes. An alternative resistance strategy using genetic engineering is currently being investigated in South Africa. Useful websites: 〈http://www.mcb.uct.ac.za/MSV/mastrevirus.htm〉; 〈http://www. danforthcenter.org/iltab/geminiviridae/geminiaccess/mastrevirus/Mastrevirus. htm〉. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A comprehensive neuropsychiatric study of elderly twins: The Older Australian Twins Study

The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) was recently initiated to investigate genetic and environmental factors and their associations and interactions in healthy brain ageing and ageing-related neurocognitive disorders. The study extends the classic MZ-DZ design to include one or two equivalently aged siblings for each twin pair and utilizes the rich resources of the Australian Twin Registry. The study has a number of distinguishing features including comprehensive psychiatric, neuropsychological, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroimaging assessments, a longitudinal design and links with a brain donor program. The study measures many behavioral and environmental factors, but in particular lifetime physical and mental activity, physical and psychological trauma, loss of parent early in life, later losses and life events, early-life socioeconomic environment, alcohol and drug use, occupational exposure, and nutrition. It also includes comprehensive cardiovascular assessment, blood biochemistry, genetics and proteomics. The socio-demographic and health data on the first 172 pairs of twins participating in this study are presented. Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment is 12.8% and of dementia 1.5% in the sample. The target sample size is 1000, with at least 400 pairs of twins aged 65-90 years. The cohort will be assessed every two years, with in-depth assessments being repeated. OATS offers an excellent opportunity for collaboration with other similar studies as well as researchers who share the same interests.

Rejection by pigs of mouldy grain containing deoxynivalenol

Weaner pigs on a farm near Beaudesert in south eastern Queensland refused to eat feed comprised largely of wheat and barley. Older pigs consumed small amounts and some prepubertal gilts subsequently displayed enlarged and reddened vulvas. Wheat, barley and triticale were grown on the farm during 1983, which was unusually and persistently wet. The wheat and triticale were harvested and stored for about 3 weeks with moisture contents above 14% before being fed. Samples of the wheat and triticale contained pale pink grains, which can indicate infection by the fungus Fusariurn grarninearurn Schw. On analysis 2 mycotoxins known to be produced by F. graminearurn were detected, deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) which causes feed refusal and vomiting, and zearalenone which causes oestrogenic effects. Concentrations of deoxynivalenol in the wheat, triticale and barley were 34, 10, and <0.1 mg/kg respectively. Concentrations of zearalenone were 6.2, 2.8 and 0.1 mg/kg respectively. Subsequently, F. grarninearurn was isolated from grains and crop residues. Although the wet weather contributed to F. grarninearurn infection of the crops before harvest, most of the toxins probably developed during storage.

Zearalenone intoxication of pigs

Mycotoxicosis due to ingestion of zearalenone was detected on 2 pig farms on the Atherton Tableland in northern Queensland. In one herd of 200 pigs, this resulted from feeding maize which had been stored with a high moisture content. In the other herd of 1400 pigs, it resulted from feeding sorghum grain which was rain affected before harvest. Concentrations of zearalenone in the feeds ranged up to 8 mg/kg. Most prepubertal gilts in the herds displayed enlarged teats and signs of oestrus such as having red, swollen vulvas. In several cases both rectal and vaginal prolapses occurred. On one of the farms, 25 pigs died as a direct result of prolapses. Autopsy of a 3-monthold gilt revealed apparently enlarged ovaries and uterine horns. Sows and boars seemed to be unaffected. Four gilts failed to conceive following mating during the period of zearalenone ingestion, but apart from this and the deaths from prolapses, production of the herds appeared ti be unaffected.

Population ecology of Heteronyx piceus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a peanut/maize cropping system

Large larval populations of the scarabaeid beetle Heteronyx piceus Blanchard that occur under peanuts, but not maize, in the South Burnett region of Australia are the result of a high rate and prolonged period of egg production by females feeding on peanut foliage. Heteronyx piceus is a relatively sedentary species and movement of females between adjacent fields is low. Populations of H. piceus varied markedly with landscape position. High larval populations are more likely (1 in 4 chance) to be encountered on the ‘scrub’ soils in the upper parts of the landscape than in the ‘forest’ soils in the lower half (1 in 20 chance), indicating that soil type/landscape position is a key risk factor in assessing the need for management intervention. The studies indicate that, because of the species' sedentary nature, the most meaningful population entity for management of H. piceus is the individual field, rather than the whole-farm or the region. The implications of this population ecology for management of the pest are discussed in relation to control strategies.

Assessing the relationship between shire winter crop yield and seasonal variability of the MODIS NDVI and EVI images

Australian researchers have been developing robust yield estimation models, based mainly on the crop growth response to water availability during the crop season. However, knowledge of spatial distribution of yields within and across the production regions can be improved by the use of remote sensing techniques. Images of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indices, available since 1999, have the potential to contribute to crop yield estimation. The objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between winter crop yields and the spectral information available in MODIS vegetation index images at the shire level. The study was carried out in the Jondaryan and Pittsworth shires, Queensland , Australia . Five years (2000 to 2004) of 250m resolution, 16-day composite of MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) images were used during the winter crop season (April to November). Seasonal variability of the profiles of the vegetation index images for each crop season using different regions of interest (cropping mask) were displayed and analysed. Correlation analysis between wheat and barley yield data and MODIS image values were also conducted. The results showed high seasonal variability in the NDVI and EVI profiles, and the EVI values were consistently lower than those of the NDVI. The highest image values were observed in 2003 (in contrast to 2004), and were associated with rainfall amount and distribution. The seasonal variability of the profiles was similar in both shires, with minimum values in June and maximum values at the end of August. NDVI and EVI images showed sensitivity to seasonal variability of the vegetation and exhibited good association (e.g. r = 0.84, r = 0.77) with winter crop yields.