State Department Of Agriculture Research Articles

Food insecurity is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes: a case-control study of new referrals to the University clinics, Shiraz, Southern Iran

BackgroundThe prevalence of food insecurity (FI) as “the limited or uncertain availability of enough food for an always active and healthy life” and diabetes as “the most common metabolic disease” are rising in Iran. The aim was to assess the FI, depression, and socioeconomic status as risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsThis case-control study was conducted on 135 patients with T2D as cases (99 females, 36 males, mean age 46.83 years) and 135 subjects without diabetes (89 females, 46 males, mean age 45.93 years) as controls. They had been referred to clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The prior major inclusion criterion for diabetes was fasting blood sugar (FBS) ≥126 mg/dl. General, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics and FI status were assessed using the general and 18-items United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) household food security questionnaires, respectively. Chi-square, t-test, and uni-and multi-variate logistic regression tests and SPSS16 statistical software were used.ResultsThe prevalence of FI was 66.7% in cases and 41.5% in controls. According to final analysis model, FI (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.9, P = 0.016), depression (OR = 2.0, P = 0.018), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR = 1.8, P = 0.025), number of children ≥4 (OR = 1.7, P = 0.046), and having children under 18 years. (OR = 2.1, P = 0.011) were significant independent risk factors for T2D.ConclusionThe prevalence of FI in patients with T2D was significantly higher compared to the controls. FI was an important risk factor for T2D, even after controlling for the potential confounders. Further studies are suggested.

Selection of Important Features for Optimizing Crop Yield Prediction

In agriculture, crop yield prediction is critical. Crop yield depends on various features including geographic, climate and biological. This research article discusses five Feature Selection (FS) algorithms namely Sequential Forward FS, Sequential Backward Elimination FS, Correlation based FS, Random Forest Variable Importance and the Variance Inflation Factor algorithm for feature selection. Data used for the analysis was drawn from secondary sources of the Tamil Nadu state Agriculture Department for a period of 30 years. 75% of data was used for training and 25% data was used for testing. The performance of the feature selection algorithms are evaluated by Multiple Linear Regression. RMSE, MAE, R and RRMSE metrics are calculated for the feature selection algorithms. The adjusted R2 was used to find the optimum feature subset. Also, the time complexity of the algorithms was considered for the computation. The selected features are applied to Multilinear regression, Artificial Neural Network and M5Prime. MLR gives 85% of accuracy by using the features which are selected by SFFS algorithm.

US Department of Agriculture and global biogenome initatives: policy challenges and opportunities

Biodiversity research is seeing unprecedented global collaboration with initiatives such as the Earth BioGenome Project, an effort to sequence all known eukaryotic life, and Genesys, a global database for sharing crop genetic resources. However, as in other disciplines, public funding and policy for scientific research in agriculture tend to follow national borders even when science and its collaborations do not. In addition, agriculture is similar to biomedicine in having significant private investment in research and development where competition could inhibit sharing. It would seem that significant challenges lie ahead for making progress on ambitious global initiatives at least where agricultural samples, collections, and data are concerned. In this talk we will review several activities at the United States Department of Agriculture that illustrate how policy and infrastructure can overcome difficulties. For example, recent policies for openness of publicly-funded research products and adoption of FAIR data principles even for private or proprietary data hold promise and have elevated the importance of data infrastructure. The US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) launched its Ag100Pest contribution to the Earth BioGenome Project, including the use of the i5K Workspace@NAL platform for its sequenced and annotated genomes. The GRIN Global platform supports not just USDA germplasm data management but a growing network of plant and animal researchers and collections around the world. The Ag Data Commons provides standardized metadata and machine-readable data dictionaries to the publicly accessible products of these and other USDA-funded efforts. It is teaming with the ARS high performance computing system SCINet to explore cost-effective public access to big data storage for agricultural data and models. Finally, many of these efforts extend and contribute back to widely used open source software systems. While challenges remain in coordinating and sustaining these efforts with international stakeholders, engagement with groups like AgBioData, the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Interest Group on Agricultural Data, and the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition coalition will continue to bear fruit (pun intended). We seek similar engagement with the broader biodiversity data community in order to ensure that policy and infrastructure investments result in maximum mutual benefit.

Comparative karyotype analysis among cytotypes of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae).

Cynodon dactylon is characterized by taxonomic and systematic complexity, and polyploidy is one of the factors responsible for its genetic and morphological diversity. The aim of the present study was to compare karyotypes of C. dactylon cytotypes based on fluorescent banding and nuclear DNA content. The nine C. dactylon accessions evaluated were obtained from the Active Germplasm Bank (BAG) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Roots were pretreated with cycloheximide, fixed in Carnoy'ssolution and subjected to enzymatic digestion. Slides were prepared by the dissociation and air-drying technique. The fluorescent banding pattern was obtained using chromomycin A3 (CMA)/4,6-dimidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and DNA content was estimated by flow cytometry. The chromosome number of the accessions ranged from 2n = 2x = 18 to 2n = 5x = 45. Chromosomal polymorphism was observed based on the distribution and number of heterochromatic bands, with CMA+ bands located in the pericentromeric position and DAPI+ bands mainly in the terminal position. PI477004-26 (2n = 3x = 27) and PI291966-27 (2n = 4x = 36) had the highest and lowest number of DAPI+ bands, respectively. The number of CMA+ bands was stable, as only PI477004-26, PI291966-27 and PI289750-10 (2n = 5x = 45) showed variation. There was no direct correlation between an increase in the ploidy level and an increase in the percentage of heterochromatic regions, mainly in relation to A-T-richblocks. The chromosomal banding variation found reinforces the notion of allopolyploidy occurrence in C. dactylon and demonstrates the genomic complexity of this species regard to repetitive DNA content.

Ethnic variation in osteoporosis risk factors: dietary calcium, vitamin D intake and body mass index (BMI)

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans, representing a major public health problem. Few studies have investigated osteoporosis risk factors such as calcium and vitamin D intake, quality of life and body mass index (BMI) among multi-ethnic adults in the Malaysian context. This study aimed to determine the ethnic variation in osteoporosis risk factors among students in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). A cross-sectional study via a self-administrated questionnaire was carried out among 198 respondents aged 19 to 25 years from UMT. The data in the present study included a three -day food record and anthropometric measurements. Nutritionist ProTM analysis software version 5.3 was used to calculate dietary calcium and vitamin D intake from the diet histories, based on the Nutrient Composition of Malaysian Food Database guidance for the dietary calcium intake and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for vitamin D intake. The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and ChiSquare tests. The findings indicate the median calcium intake was 348.3 mg/day while for vitamin D intake was only 1.37 µg/day. Indian participants had a significantly lower intake level of calcium (243.5 mg/day), followed by Chinese (362.3 mg/day) and Malays (440.4 mg/day). The median vitamin D intakes of Malay, Chinese, and Indian adults were 2.15 μg/day, 1.37 μg/day and 1.14 μg/day, respectively. Furthermore, the BMI among respondents at 20.88 (6.4) kg/m2 categorized as normal weight. It was found that there was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in BMI across ethnicity. Lastly, there was a significant association (p< 0.05) between ethnicity and calcium intake (p = 0.001).

Genetic tools weed out misconceptions of strain reliability in Cannabis sativa: implications for a budding industry

BackgroundUnlike other plants, Cannabis sativa is excluded from regulation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Distinctive Cannabis varieties are ostracized from registration and therefore nearly impossible to verify. As Cannabis has become legal for medical and recreational consumption in many states, consumers have been exposed to a wave of novel Cannabis products with many distinctive names. Despite more than 2000 named strains being available to consumers, questions about the consistency of commercially available strains have not been investigated through scientific methodologies. As Cannabis legalization and consumption increases, the need to provide consumers with consistent products becomes more pressing. In this research, we examined commercially available, drug-type Cannabis strains using genetic methods to determine if the commonly referenced distinctions are supported and if samples with the same strain name are consistent when obtained from different facilities.MethodsWe developed ten de-novo microsatellite markers using the “Purple Kush” genome to investigate potential genetic variation within 30 strains obtained from dispensaries in three states. Samples were examined to determine if there is any genetic distinction separating the commonly referenced Sativa, Indica and Hybrid types and if there is consistent genetic identity found within strain accessions obtained from different facilities.ResultsAlthough there was strong statistical support dividing the samples into two genetic groups, the groups did not correspond to commonly reported Sativa/Hybrid/Indica types. The analyses revealed genetic inconsistencies within strains, with most strains containing at least one genetic outlier. However, after the removal of obvious outliers, many strains showed considerable genetic stability.ConclusionsWe failed to find clear genetic support for commonly referenced Sativa, Indica and Hybrid types as described in online databases. Significant genetic differences within samples of the same strain were observed indicating that consumers could be provided inconsistent products. These differences have the potential to lead to phenotypic differences and unexpected effects, which could be surprising for the recreational user, but have more serious implications for patients relying on strains that alleviate specific medical symptoms.

Fostering farm transfers from farm owners to unrelated, new farmers: A qualitative assessment of farm link services

The transition of farms and ranches to the next generation has generated considerable attention and concern. Over the past 30 years, public and private institutions across the U.S. have introduced policies and programs to help farms without identified family successors achieve successful transfers by connecting them with new farmers through “farm link” services. However, the effectiveness of these services is unclear and assessment is needed. This primarily qualitative study used interviews with program leaders and their responses to a questionnaire to assess the 30 active and closed farm link programs of the 12 states of the U.S. Midwest and Central Plains, resulting in a collection of best practice recommendations. Broadly, these programs target differing audiences and offer various services not limited to the function of linking farm/ranch owners with potential non-family successors. Most programs are located in NGO’s (63%), with the others hosted by state departments of agriculture and land grant university extension systems. Program leaders agree that linking is needed to augment seekers’ and owners’ personal networks. They recommend that farm link services focus on medium-term outcomes, and provide a list of metrics. Program leaders also recommend other, complementary services to support and advance non-family transitions to new farmers, primarily: (1) state-level beginning farmer tax credits; (2) educating farm owners’ advisors, such as lenders and tax preparers, about their clients’ opportunities to transfer to an incoming farmer; (3) case management to facilitate transfers between unrelated parties; and (4) providing discussion spaces online and on social media to build farmer/rancher networks and relations between farm seekers and farm owners.

Classification of Hydrological Relevant Parameters by Soil Hydraulic Behaviour

Soil water simulations on hydrological meso- or macroscale require parameters that describe the physical characteristics of the soil. At these scales, information regarding soil properties is mostly only available on very coarse spatial resolutions with texture based soil characterisations, where it is difficult to select representative soil hydraulic parameters. We improved the parameter estimation by introducing a new soil classification system, which is based on soil hydraulic behaviour in order to realistically reproduce the soil water interaction within meso-scaled hydrological models. The time series of soil water flux were simulated based on one million different parameterisations, which were then utilised for similarity analyses while applying the k-means clustering. The resulting classes show a different pattern when compared to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) texture based classes. Representative time series of water flux representative of the new classes were compared to time series of the USDA texture classification. The new classes show remarkably lower uncertainties. The bandwidth of the time series within a class is orders of magnitudes higher for the USDA system when compared to the new system. The evaluation of similarity of the simulated water flux time series within one and the same class were also clearly better for the new system.

Stakeholders prioritization of climate-smart agriculture interventions: Evaluation of a framework

This paper presents a framework to prioritize locally suitable climate-smart agricultural (CSA) interventions and implementation suitability assessments with key stakeholders: state and district agriculture departments, extension offices, agriculture research institutions, NGOs and donor agencies, private sector and farmers. Prioritization of appropriate interventions for given contexts is needed to assist relevant stakeholders to make strategic decisions and improve adaptability and efficiency of agriculture production system in the face of climate change and variability. First step includes participatory identification and evaluation of location specific CSA interventions suitable for different crop and cropping system with potential to reduce climatic risks in agriculture. All CSA interventions were evaluated based on their contribution to increase farm productivity and income, building resilience to changing climate and reduction of agricultural emissions. Second step includes evaluation of overall implementation feasibility of selected CSA interventions based on their technical feasibility, cost of implementation, inclusivity and synergy with current government programs. In the third step, potential barriers of CSA technology adoption were assessed linking with availability of resources, farmers' knowledge and acceptability, access to agriculture extensions service, market and government support. In the fourth step, incentive mechanisms to promote CSA interventions such as government subsidy, market linkage, provision of loan and capacity building were evaluated with farmers and key stakeholders. Finally, this prioritization framework assessed the role of different organizations such as the government, private sector, non-government organizations, custom hiring centers and community based organizations in promoting CSA interventions at the local level. Results show that this framework provides ample space for local stakeholders to integrate their knowledge and experience on CSA interventions in prioritization and investment planning. Stakeholders prioritized mainly water and nutrient management technologies, agriculture insurance against climatic risks and ICT based weather and agro-advisory services. This framework provides a decision support tool for policy-making in adaptation and mitigation activities in agriculture sector at the local level. This framework can be used by governments, development organizations and the private sector for investment decision-making.

Adult bovine platelet lysate-derived serum “NeoSERA” is safe, less ethical and powerful alternative to fetal bovine serum for the culture of mesenchymal stem cells

Background & Aim Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a common component of culture media and usually used for cellular research, as well as recent cell-based medical products. However, due to the high risk of contaminations and the variation from batch to batch, FBS might influence the outcome of research or cellular manufacturing. FBS also contains moral concerns because it harvested from bovine fetuses taken from pregnant cows. In addition, FBS is most expensive part of cell culture. To overcome several problems regarding FBS, we developed a new serum, adult bovine platelet lysate-derived cell culture supplement (NeoSERA), and investigate its usefulness as an alternative to FBS. Methods, Results & Conclusion NeoSERA is produced in Japan, considered to be a negligible bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk country. We obtain adult donor bovine blood from animal less than 36 months old according to the regulation of EMA for BSE (EMA/410/01 rev.3). Using apheresis medical devices with closed disposable kits, sterile platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is collected from healthy donor bovine receiving a regular veterinary check. After stimulation and removal of coagulated fibrin by centrifugation, NeoSERA is collected in a completely closed system. To meet the scope of directives that apply to produce medicinal products from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA/CVMP/743/00) and the United States Department of Agriculture (9CFR§113.450), NeoSERA is finally g-irradiated at a dose of over 30 kGy. NeoSERA completely meets the standard for biological ingredients in Japan (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 375 2014) and also obtained the certificate of eligibility for the raw material of regenerative medicine from Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA, No. 0417002, 2017. 4.17). To test whether NeoSERA is useful for the expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a cell culture experiment was performed. 3 to 5 days after NeoSERA treatment, the proliferation of human bone marrow-, adipose tissue-, umbilical cord- and amnion-derived MSCs was significantly increased (p Our results confirm that safe, less ethical and economical bovine NeoSERA profoundly enhances the proliferation of MSCs for regenerative medicine and several cell lines for vaccine production.

Community Partnerships Help Undergraduate Students to Meet the ‘Grand Challenges’ of Today

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has defined several priority need areas or “Grand Challenges” that face our world-wide community. These challenges are complex and will require collaborative approaches to yield creative solutions. The Fishback Honors College at South Dakota State University is committed to preparing undergraduate honors students with the experiences and training to tackle these “Grand Challenges.” Six undergraduate student interns were recruited and trained to deliver non-formal educational programs that addressed the USDA priority need areas. The community outreach internships were conducted in partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs local to Eastern South Dakota as well as SDSU Extension. These outreach efforts engaged more than 1,000 youth ranging from preschool to high school aged students. The role of the interns was to create, execute, and assess a series of experiential learning activities for youth that translated “Grand Challenge” lessons learned through the college students’ coursework and research to this broader audience of youth, and to further the Honors College goal of deepening its engagement in the community.

Food Insecurity in Obese Adolescent Females in Tehran Schools: An Examination of Anthropometric and Socio-Economic Factors

Background: Obesity and its complications affect much of the population of the world today. In addition to physical complications, psychological complications also increase with increasing obesity. It has always been important to pay attention to the growing trend of childhood obesity, which is a factor in adulthood obesity and future chronic illnesses. Today, one of the factors that have been identified as effective in weight gain and obesity in urban communities is food insecurity, which is not merely a lack of food but also includes related factors such as upbringing, behaviour, psychosocial adaptation, and physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of food insecurity on anthropometric indicators and other relevant factors in obese girls aged 11 to 14 years. Method: In this study, 452 obese female students aged 11 to 14 years, who had BMI more than 2SD above the WHO 2007 reference point, were randomly selected from several schools in three areas of Tehran. After obtaining written consent, demographic information and food security information was collected using a General and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) questionnaire. Anthropometric indices and fat percentage were also measured, based on skinfold and by callipers. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There were significant differences between the level of father's education (p=0.004), mother's education (p<0.001), family economic status (p<0.001), and home ownership (p<0.001) in the two groups, food secure and insecure. There were also significant differences between height (p=0.02) and weight (p=0.03) in both groups. Also, according to an alternative 4-group food security categorization (secure, insecure without hunger, insecure with mild hunger, and severe hunger), significant differences were observed only in terms of father's job (p=0.004), father's education (p=0.001), mother's education (p<0.001), family economic status (p<0.001) and home ownership (p<0.001). Conclusion: There were significant associations between parents' occupation and education status, home ownership, household economic status, height and weight of children, and household food security status.

A harmonized HPTLC method for identification of various caffeine containing herbal drugs, extracts, and products, and quantitative estimation of their caffeine content

Caffeine is an alkaloid used for long times in food, beverages, medicines, dietary supplements, and in botanicals such as coffee, cacao, cola, guarana, or tea. Today, more and more products are made with caffeine rich extracts from natural sources, or by adding caffeine. In order to prevent confusion about the origin of a caffeine-containing product, a specific method is needed for the determination of the botanical or chemical origin of the caffeine. As caffeine is known to be a central nervous system stimulant that can affect blood pressure and heart rate, all countries in the European Union require drinks (except tea and coffee) with more than 150 mg/L caffeine content to be labeled “high caffeine content”, followed by their caffeine content expressed in mg/100 mL. The United States Department of Agriculture publishes food composition data including levels of caffeine in foods. Until now, there is no regulation for labeling the caffeine content of dietary supplements. This paper describes the development of a harmonized HPTLC method for the determination of the botanical origin of caffeine containing extract, and the detection of added caffeine in cases of adulteration. After identification, the verification of the caffeine content is necessary. In the absence of specific label information, the proposed method can be used to estimate the caffeine content of a product and where specific label information is present, it provides a limit test.

Abstract P295: Synergistic Effect of Food Insecurity and Intimate Partner Violence on Maternal Depressive Symptoms

Background: There are evidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and food insecurity (FI) as independent predictors of maternal depressive symptoms. However, there are a dearth of studies that have examined how both IPV and FI influence depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine whether IPV, food insecurity, or the combined effect of experiencing both IPV and FI predicted later onset of maternal depressive symptoms. Method: Data over a nine year time span from Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study were used for the current study (N=1421). IPV and FI were both measured at three and five years from the child’s birth. IPV was measured using seven items depicting physical and psychological abuse from spouse/partner. Household FI was measured using the 18-item Food Security Module developed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Four mutually exclusive dichotomous variables were created based on IPV and FI experiences. Mothers who experienced IPV at least at one time but did not experience FI were classified as “IPV only”. Mothers who experienced FI at least at one time but did not experience IPV were classified as “FI only”. Mothers who experienced both IPV and FI at least one time were classified as “both IPV and FI”. The final group “never IPV nor FI” did not experience IPV nor FI. Maternal depressive symptoms at year nine was determined using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form. Covariate adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to understand the relation between IPV and FI on onset of depressive symptoms. Results: Twenty-seven percent of the study sample experienced both IPV and FI, 63% IPV only, 4% FI only, and 6% never. At year nine 18% of the mothers reported depressive symptoms. Majority of the sample were non-Hispanic black (52%) or Hispanic (23%), married/cohabiting (57%), and with a high school or higher education (76%). After controlling for age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, financial strain and prior depressive symptoms, mothers who experienced both IPV and FI during 3-5 years after child’s birth had significantly higher odds of having depressive symptoms at 9 years after child’s birth (OR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 4.27) compared to mothers experiencing neither. The odds of having depressive symptoms among mothers experiencing either IPV only (OR=1.33, 95% CI: 0.67, 2.66) or FI only (OR=2.34, 95% CI: 0.94, 5.86) was not significantly different from mothers experiencing neither. Conclusions: Maternal cumulative experiences of IPV and FI three to five years after child’s birth increased the likelihood of later onset of depressive symptoms. Currently IPV, food insecurity and depression are typically addressed in isolation. Using a trauma-informed approach, combining IPV counselling with public/private food assistance programs might be effective in preventing maternal depressive symptoms later in life.

Simulation Modeling in Prior-Posterior Decision Theory- A Case Study of Farmers’ Decision Problem

This study aims at applying Prior-Posterior decision theory based models to analyze and solve the farmers’ decision problem who are faced with decision of determining among alternatives crops [Sorghum, Rice, Wheat & Corn] the best crop to invest on, that will give a highest yield and profit under the prevailing state of nature on each of a 100 acres land located in Obudu LGA in Cross River State for each of the Farm Settler. However, the study has the following objectives (i) laying bare the usefulness of the theory, (ii) measuring the magnitude of the difference between alternative actions (iii) presenting experimental results for considering decision making under uncertainties, and (iv) evaluating the optimal policy or strategy or action that maximizes the expected yield of cereal crop within the study area. The methodology involves experiments and data were compared to United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). The analysis and presentation of results were based on Simulation of Prior-Posterior decision models, Policy iterations, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation as interaction, validity, reliability tests respectively. Consequently, from the results of prior probabilities of the state of nature and the likelihood of the alternatives courses of action, and applying Prior-Posterior Decision Models to the uncertain system, the following decision were generated: (a)Posterior Probabilities of the States of Nature (b) Marginal Probability of the Course of Action, (c) Maximum Expected Monetary Value[EMV*] (d) Expected Profit in a Perfect Information[EPPI], (e) Expected Value of Perfect Information[EVPI], and (f) Expected Value of System Information[ EVSI]. The results gave a clear indication that Rice has the [EMV*] value of $17,178.21 at 40 th model iteration, making it the most suitable crop for each of the Farmer Settlers to invest on, for maximum yield. EMV* of rice was also observed to be optimized from the 1 st and 40 th model iteration at the value of $14,175.66 and $17,178.21 respectively. The results of the analyses attest to the fact that rice production in Obudu study area is currently the most yielding crop. The performance of Prior-Posterior decision models on the farmers’ decision was evaluated which gave Pearson Product Moment Coefficient(r) of = 1.0. This shows applicability of Prior-Posterior Decision Model Excel Algorithms in River Basin Multi-projects/objectives Planning and Management. Keywords : Prior-Posterior, Modeling, Farm- Settlers -Decision, investment, Optimization. DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-2-07 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

Scientometric Study of Poultry Industry Research Publications: A Global Perspective

This study analysis ‘Publication output of Poultry industry’ in the Scopus database during the period 2008 to 2017. The analysis revealed that the total 4248 documents indexed in the database during the selected period of study. The highest productive year is 2017 with 610 publications (14.36%) and the lowest is 2008 with 268 publications (6.31%). 77.87% of publications are scholarly articles. The most prolific author is S.C. Ricke. With 25(0.59%) papers followed by K. Dhama with 22 (0.52 %/) papers. The most productive country is the United States with 1071 publications. The famous Journal in this field is ‘Poultry science’ with 255 publications (6%) and the journals ‘World S Poultry Science Journal’ with 115 publications (2.71%) and ‘Avian Diseases’ with 113 publications (2.66%) occupies the second and third ranks respectively. From the institutional output, the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington DC dominates the other institutions with the output of 138 articles (3.25%). The poultry industry is a multidisciplinary subject and it includes articles with different areas and the main subject areas are found to be Agricultural and Biological Sciences having 2168 documents followed by Immunology and Microbiology with 988 documents. This study also analysis Annual Growth Rate, Relative growth rate, doubling time.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Tropical Forests: Management and Ecology in the Anthropocene

This Special Issue of Forests is based on papers presented at the 75th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry as well as other papers relevant to the topic of the Special Issue. The Institute is but one leg of a conservation relay among cultures and institutions that began in Puerto Rico a millennium ago. The Institute began operations in 1939 and celebrated its 75th anniversary on May, 2014. Over its 75 years of operation, the Institute has focused its research on tropical forests, with the scope of the research expanding over the years. An analysis of the lines of research of the Institute showed that over its history about 69 lines of research have been established and that of the original 17 lines of research between 1939 and 1949, all but one remained active in 2014. This history and continuity of the research program has allowed the Institute to observe ecological phenomena over decades, including the evolving forest structure and functioning on degraded land restoration experiments that began before the formal establishment of the Institute and are now over 80 years old.

Democracy in the Air: Radio as a Complement to Face-To-Face Discussion in the New Deal

This article focuses on the use of radio broadcasts as resources for those organizing and convening face-to-face discussion groups in rural communities across the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. Led by the United States Department of Agriculture, small group discussions took place with leadership coming from Cooperative Extension agents from land-grant universities. As public affairs shows were being carried on the major commercial radio channels, the USDA discussion project utilized radio broadcasts to introduce people to the methods of conducting group discussions. The article focuses on the national efforts of the USDA as well as localized attempts to utilize radio broadcasts in the service of democratic discussion, focusing on one of the most robust examples of a land-grant university—the University of Wisconsin-Madison—utilizing technology for democratic discussion in rural communities across the state. It notes shortcomings and challenges, as well as identifying the critical role that radio played in helping citizens and communities begin to think about complex public problems through the use of new technologies.

Effects of Moisture Deficit on the Yield of Cowpea Genotypes in the Guinea Savannah of Northern Ghana

Cowpea is multipurpose, leguminous, high protein crop in the tropics that provides food for humans and fodder for animals. The crop adds nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil through symbiotic relationship with rhizobia and direct decomposition of cowpea by-products. Despite its multiple benefits for humankind, the yield of cowpea is far below its potential and its production in the crop’s birthplace of Africa is especially affected by abiotic factors. Soil moisture deficit is one of the main abiotic factors that affect the yield of cowpea in the semi-arid tropics, including the Sahelian and Guinea Savannah regions in West Africa. Even though cowpea is a drought tolerant legume, different genotypes respond differently to drought, resulting in up to 100% or more yield increases in the case of resistant genotypes or 50% or more yield loss in case of susceptible types. Mitigating the effect of soil moisture deficit on cowpea production requires selection of genotypes that can withstand drought. With this in mind, the goal of this study was to identify drought tolerant cowpea germplasm for the Savannah region of Northern Ghana using cultivated genotypes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tested with and without irrigation at the Bontanga irrigation facility during the dry season in 2018. Fifty genotypes were used, which included 45 imported from USDA and five (5) local genotypes from the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (SARI). The experiment had 2 × 50 factorial treatments (irrigation × genotypes) and consisted of randomized complete block design with three (3) replications per treatment. Two (2) watering regimes were introduced namely, drought stressed (no irrigation) and non-stressed/control (irrigated). Morpho-physiological, phenological and yield data were taken on the cowpeas evaluated with drought tolerance assessed based on grain yield data and derived indices. All parameters measured showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) except for the number of branches per plant. Genotypes PI339600, PI527263, PI527302, PI582793, PI582867 and SARI-6-2-6 produced high grain yields under both drought stress and non-stress conditions. These genotypes could be exploited for future breeding programs for developing drought tolerant cowpea varieties for the savannah ecology and other areas with similar environmental conditions.

Analysis and Extent of Santa Fe River Flooding in North Florida Attributed to Rainfall and Wind Damage Associated with Hurricane Irma

The Santa Fe River (SFR) is within the north Florida area of the regional Floridan aquifer system. The extent of recent flood damage in the SFR and tributaries in Bradford County has been attributed to rainfall and wind damage to trees associated with Hurricane Irma, September 2017. Implications of the determined cause of a disaster can include the allocation of disaster relief funds. Bradford County, Florida obtained approximately $2.5 million from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for emergency flood abatement assistance and $255,875 from the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), combined with $13,750 in-kind match provided by the county, based on the attributed cause of that damage to rainfall and winds from Hurricane Irma. On January 2, 2018, Bradford County commissioners also approved grant applications to the SRWMD for $2.2 million for Alligator Creek Flood Mitigation and for $90,250 for Hampton Lake Canal to Santa Fe River Flood Mitigation, requiring in-kind matches from the county of $110,000 and $4750, respectively. Our study analyzed historical precipitation data for the SFR Basin and headwaters from 1895 through 2017 and recorded discharge and gage heights from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to evaluate that presumed cause of flood damage in that basin and to provide a better understanding of historical relationships between precipitation, gage data and flooding in that basin. Recorded USGS peak gage height and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) also were used to illustrate the lateral extent and relative depth of flooding associated with an extreme precipitation event in the lower SFR vicinity of O’Leno State Park. Finally, we evaluated the condition of the trees in the SFR Basin as an indicator of long-term anthropogenic groundwater alterations. Those data and analyses did not support the conclusion that Hurricane Irma was the only cause of the magnitude and extent of SFR flooding and tree damage in Bradford County and adjacent counties. Other contributors to stream flow in the SFR basin include heavy mineral mining wastewater discharges that have exceeded the maximum discharge volume of “40 million gallons a day” (MGD) under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to the Chemours Company TT LLC (Chemours, formerly DuPont) for Trail Ridge mining operations. The magnitude of those discharges suggests that those discharges and extensive Trail Ridge mining in Baker, Bradford, Clay, and Duval Counties contributed to the flooding and were a factor in the tree destruction in the SFR Basin.