Goal II:  To Promote a Safe and Secure Food and Fiber System.

NOTE: Not included in the table are appropriations for repairs and maintenance of ARS facilities and for some of Homeland Security. 

Analysis of Results for FY 2002:  This is the focus of much of ARS' research related to food safety and the security of the U.S. agricultural production system.  Under Goal II, 88 Indicators are aligned under 10 Performance Goals.  Because of the unique and dynamic nature of research, several Indicators were added, deleted, or modified in this report that did not first appear in the Annual Performance Plan for FY 2002.  This was done to ensure that significant accomplishments that were not anticipated last year were reported.  While it is not possible to report research accomplishments numerically, the progress projected in 87 Indicators was completed or substantially completed during FY 2002.  One indicator was not accomplished because the Office of Scientific Quality Review gave it a relatively low priority, thus the work has not yet been addressed.  One hundred and thirty-seven significant accomplishments are reported below.

Means and Strategies:  To successfully accomplish the research activities under this goal, ARS will need the level of human, fiscal, physical, and information resources described in the budget estimates for fiscal years 2003 and 2004.

Verification and Validation:  ARS conducts a series of review processes designed to ensure the relevance and quality of its research work and to maintain the highest possible standards for its scientists.  A more detailed description of the evaluation plans can be found in the introduction to this plan.

OBJECTIVE 2.1:  Secure food and fiber system:  "Maintain a safe and secure food and fiber system that meets the Nation's needs now and in the future."

STRATEGY 2.1.1:  Plant and animal production systems:  Improve efficiency of agricultural production systems to ensure the security of the Nation's food, fiber, and energy supply.

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will evaluate new vaccine technologies for protection from disease and continue to develop complimentary strategies for disease protection.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Vaccines or immunomodulators have been developed by scientists at various laboratories against Foot and Mouth Disease in swine, Brucellosis in bison, Newcastle disease and coccidiosis in chickens, and mastitis in dairy cows.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These new vaccines or immunomodulators will help producers combat losses from diseases where it exists and increase preparedness for controlling foreign diseases should incursion occur (e.g. Foot and Mouth Disease, Newcastle disease).

During FY 2003, ARS will

provide recommendations for alternative crops in traditional wheat fallow areas to increase overall productivity.

conduct large vaccination studies to determine the efficacy of new vaccines and determine the strengths and weaknesses of new products.

During FY 2004, ARS will further refine the vaccine technique by modifying delivery, dosage, adjuvant, etc., to address any deficiencies noted from previous trials.  Engage industry partners in the further development and potential licensing of the products.

During FY 2005, ARS will utilize microbial genetic information in the creation of genetically engineered vaccines which utilize specific microbial sequences that specifically confer protective immunity.

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will develop biological and engineering strategies to manage animals during extreme weather events to improve survival, health, and well being, and transfer the information to producers.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Temperature thresholds were demonstrated based upon animal response and incorporated into decision support tools for livestock producers to manage thermal changes.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The research was published in a number of scientific journals.  An electron devise was developed to give a warning based on weather data automatically picked up by local broadcasts.  This device provides advanced warnings to producers to take steps to protect animals in severe weather events.

During FY 2003, ARS will

develop practical information for ventilating broiler houses at high air velocity without additional fans or electrical energy.

identify optimum temperatures for minimizing the detrimental effects of disease exposure for use by producers to better manage and house piglets.

provide recommendations on the substitution of renewable resources such as green and animal manures for nonrenewable resources that increase productivity above current levels.

During FY 2004, ARS will

identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 3 generational families of the seven most prominent beef breeds in the United States to allow the effective use of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) to characterize genetic variation.

expand the number of reproductive traits analyzed from complex pedigrees using the single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNP) to characterize genetic variation.

verify growth models for medium and very lean growth swine.

During FY 2005,ARS will

determine the optimal level of sugars, grain and protein to feed with alfalfa-corn silage diets to lactating dairy cows.

identify genetic markers to improve swine litter size.

evaluate the effects of various forage types on chemical composition and consumer acceptance of pasture-finished beef.

evaluate impact of tropically adapted breeds of beef cattle on stocker productivity, feedlot gains and feed efficiency, and carcass quality.

validate a livestock safety monitor (LSM) and update empirical relationships.

STRATEGY 2.1.2:  Plant, animal, and ecosystems protection:  Improve integrated management systems that contribute to the protection of plants, animals, and ecosystems against pests (insects, weeds, pathogens, etc.). 
 

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will

complete the demonstration of biologically based integrated pest management (IPM)strategies to control fire ants in South Carolina.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  A cooperative agreement was reached with Clemson University to oversee the expansion of the area-wide, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) fire ant control program in South Carolina.  Among other responsibilities, Clemson has taken on the production of extension materials to be used throughout the seven States participating in the areawide program.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  South Carolina is on the northern border of the red fire ant territory so that successful establishment of self-sustaining biological control by microsporidian pathogens and parasitic phorid flies will provide a buffer against any further expansion of the affected area.

demonstrate the application of its ELISA test to distinguish screwworms from other blood-sucking flies.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  A method to rapidly differentiate the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, not only from similar fly species but among strains within the species, was developed using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) on the DNA.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  An outbreak of screwworm in livestock occurred in the eradication zone at Chiapas State, Mexico.  Because the outbreak was about 20 miles from the APHIS sterile fly production facility at Tuxtla, Mexico, initial suspicion was that the epidemic started from an undetected escape of fertile flies.  But DNA from specimens confirmed that the wild flies were a strain from Costa Rica and different than those used in the sterile fly release program.  This information not only aided in suppression of the outbreak but averted a possible diplomatic setback to the program.

develop and test improved traps and methods for the accurate and rapid survey of mosquitoes and other flies that transmit animal and human diseases.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Gainesville, Florida, in collaboration with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, developed and began testing several new mosquito traps to be used in the surveillance of epidemic diseases, such as West Nile virus.  This work was funded in part by a special Congressional appropriation and by commercial partnerships.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The rapid spread of West Nile virus across the United States highlights the need for better tools to detect and combat vector-borne diseases.  ARS prototype traps being tested in Connecticut and elsewhere make use of specific attractants that eliminate much of the background data that slow the analysis of catches.  Innovations, such as solar panels and slow release CO₂, increase the trap's efficiency.

develop improved understanding of pathogenesis and control of diseases caused by species of the fungus Sclerotinia.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Sclerotinia blight and head rot causes serious losses of peanuts, sunflower, canola, soybean, dry beans, and other crops each year.  ARS scientists at Fargo, North Dakota, evaluated sunflower breeding lines for Sclerotinia resistance using artificial inoculation.  Sources of resistance were derived from the study.  ARS scientists at Stillwater, Oklahoma, screened different lines of peanuts for resistance to Sclerotinia blight and found that one line with desirable oil and agronomic qualities had acceptable resistance.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These studies improve the understanding of pathogenesis and control of this serious fungal disease.

describe the genetic variability, epidemiology, and ecology of diseases caused by Xylella species, including Pierce's disease of grapes and citrus, variegated chlorosis, almond leaf scorch, and others.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS' multi-disciplinary research program determined the basis for host specificity of Xylella strains, the nature and scope of Xylella diversity, and the epidemiology of Xylella-induced diseases.  ARS scientists at Beltsville and Frederick, Maryland, developed a same-day, onsite portable molecular assay for the Pierce's disease strain that allows grape stock to be diagnosed within 1-2 hours.  ARS researchers at Parlier, California, have determined the epidemiology and are developing control measures for the disease and its sharpshooter vector.  Researchers at Davis, California, tested substances that boost the grapevine's defenses against the bacterium.  The largest collection of citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) isolates is maintained at the ARS Fruit Laboratory in Beltsville, where diagnostic assays are being developed.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Xylella fastidiosa (Xf)species, including those causing Pierce's disease of grapes and CVC, are responsible for millions of dollars in management costs and crop losses each year.  Other Xf diseases in the United States include alfalfa dwarf and leaf scorch in almond, pecan, elm, maple, and plum leaf scald.  ARS research on the genetic variability of Xf strains and development of rapid diagnostics will protect California's grape and citrus industries.       

improve genetic resistance in soybean to the soybean cyst nematode.  Transfer improved germplasm to seed producers.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS scientists at Urbana, Illinois, are identifying lines in USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection to improve yield, modify seed composition, and enhance resistance to the soybean cyst nematode.  Studies of population dynamics and improvement of management schemes for soybean cyst nematode are also being conducted at Urbana.  ARS scientists at Beltsville, Maryland, have discovered two cell-wall hydrolase genes that are expressed during infection.  The promoter for these genes may be used to express genes that produce proteins that are toxic to the nematode. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Expression of these genes in the host plant during the early infection process may stop nematode damage before it occurs.  Improved germplasm will be transferred to seed producers.

develop improved detection and identification methods for viruses, bacteria, and fungi causing plant diseases. Emphasis will be on citrus canker, plum pox, bronze wilt of cotton, and soybean rust.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Improved detection and identification methods for viruses, bacteria, and fungi causing plant diseases have been developed at several ARS laboratories.  ARS scientists have identified "signature" DNA sequences in viral, bacterial, and fungal genomes of crop pathogens and developed oligonucleotide primers and fluorescent probes for real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnostic assays to distinguish strains and isolates of the organism(s). 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  PCR assays have been developed for emerging diseases, such as plum pox virus, citrus canker, soybean rust, bronze wilt of cotton, citrus tristeza virus, and other critical pathogens.  These techniques allow for rapid and accurate detection of these emerging diseases.   

develop improved methods for control and management of disease losses in plants using improved cultural, chemical, and biological control systems and increased host plant resistance.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS strategies for the control of plant diseases include planting resistant crop varieties, changing crop cultural practices or storage conditions to those less favorable for disease development, employing biological controls, and using integrated management.  The ARS program is conducted in cooperation with related research in other public and private institutions. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Effective management strategies have been developed for several emerging viral, bacterial, fungal, and nematode-caused diseases utilizing one or a combination of techniques listed above preserving millions of dollars of losses due to disease. 

develop basic knowledge about the ecology, epidemiology, and genetic variability of plant pathogens to identify potential points of control.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS research on the processes that take place during disease development has uncovered vulnerable steps in the life cycles of pathogens where control measures can be used successfully.  ARS research has shown how pathogens move from plant to plant in the field or within harvested commodities in storage. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Possible control strategies are being developed based on how pathogens survive in the absence of host materials and how they are affected by their environment.       

continue to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) components and systems as alternatives to pesticides that endanger human health and the environment.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Eliminating pink bollworm - a pest that eats cotton bolls and has caused billions of dollars of damage to the cotton industry - has been the focus of ARS scientists in Phoenix, Arizona, for a number of years.  Many of the research findings have now become management strategies used by the National Cotton Council Pink Bollworm Action Committee in its pink bollworm eradication program.  A combination of four of the most successful technologies is being used in the program.  First is a "host-free" period making it harder for the pest to survive from one year to the next, and second is to plant transgenic pest-resistant cotton.  A third strategy involves methods for using the female's pheromone that, when released in cotton fields, makes it difficult for males to find the females.  The final part of the program involves the release of sterile pink bollworm male moths in cotton fields to interfere with normal matings.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The pink bollworm eradication program has already started and is proposed for three phases in different locations in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.  The strategies for the program were adopted from effective control technologies developed and demonstrated by ARS.  The last phase of the eradication program will start in 2004 or 2005, and is estimated to prevent millions of dollars in losses to the cotton industry. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS scientists at Sidney, Montana, in a collaborative effort with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the University of Wyoming, developed a CD-ROM and a Web site to provide land managers with the best pest management resources to help them deal with grasshopper pests.  The Web site and CD-ROM are comprehensive sources for the most recent research in grasshopper management, identification, biology, ecology, and control tactics for Federal, State and local land managers, weed and pest districts, extension agents, and ranchers.  Decision-making software, which is part of the package, will help land managers decide if and when pesticide spraying will make economic and environmental sense.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The grasshopper management CD-ROM has been widely distributed for use by grasshopper managers, growers, and researchers in all affected parts of the United States.  About 2,000 CD-ROMs also have been requested by individuals from more than 70 countries - from Peru to Tunisia, and from Thailand to Ethiopia.  While the information and software are specific to U.S. conditions, many countries are interested in it as a model for developing their own program to facilitate management of grasshopper populations.

continue development and expansion of areawide pest management programs demonstrating alternatives to at-risk and other environmentally hazardous pesticides.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS initiated three new areawide pest management projects.  These projects target the: (1) Russian wheat aphid and greenbug on wheat in the U.S. Great Plains, using customized cultural practices, pest-resistant cultivars, biological control agents, and other biologically based pest control technologies.  This project is managed out of Stillwater, Oklahoma;  (2) Melaleuca (from Australia), which is the first project that targets an invasive tree.  This project is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and uses natural enemies (insects and microbial organisms), judicious use of herbicides, mechanical control (mowing), physical control (fire), and combinations of these tactics; and (3) Tarnished plant bug on cotton in the Delta area of Mississippi and Louisiana using host destruction, host-plant resistance, new insecticidal chemicals, and remote-sensing technology.  This is an extension of an ongoing, in-house program at Stoneville, Mississippi.

Two other projects, initiated in 2000 and 2001, respectively, have been expanded.  These include research of: (1) Fruit flies in the Hawaiian Islands using sanitation, male annihilation, baits, biological control, and sterile male fruit flies.  The target species include Mediterranean, melon, oriental, and Malaysian fruit flies.  The overall goal is to suppress these pests below economic thresholds; and (2) fire ants, which is managed out of Gainesville, Florida, and is operational in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Carolina on pastures, using natural enemies, microbial pesticides, attracticides, and Geographic Information System/Global Positioning System (GIS/GPS).

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  All of the areawide pest management (AWPM) projects - Russian wheat aphid/greenbug, melaleuca, tarnished plant bug, fruit flies, and fire ants - have been demonstrating the positive impacts and advantages to farmers and ranchers of integrated pest management (IPM), resulting in increased grower profits, reduced worker risks from chemical pesticides, an enhanced environment, and a proven strategy that incorporates biologically based pest control technologies.  These projects are resulting in adoption of environmentally sound IPM technologies by farmers and ranchers.  The ARS AWPM Program is focused on management of pests where existing technologies (including pheromones, biological control agents, and alternatives to chemical pesticides) are most effective when used over a multi-State or multi-regional area.  The success of the program thus far has resulted from full partnering and participation among Federal and State agencies, farmers and ranchers, and other private sector (the environmental community, consultants, industry, etc.) entities.  These projects have already resulted in a 75 to 100 percent reduction in chemical insecticide and herbicide applications at the project demonstration sites using the environmentally benign technologies provided by the projects.

continue to provide critical identifications of newly found pest species, provide needed taxonomic revisions of critical groups of insects, identify new natural control agents, and produce updated keys to agriculturally important insect groups.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Systematics directly impacts food security, animal and plant health, the recognition and management of invasive pest species, and global trade.  Last year, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, provided over 12,000 identifications of port specimens, including 5,134 of urgent priority, and discovered 14 species to be new immigrants into the continental United States, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.  Major systematics works include: 1) a large study of the parasitic wasps of caterpillars in Costa Rica; 2) a review of ornamental pestiferous woodwasps and seed-feeding wasps, such as those attacking pistachio; 3) demonstration that leaf-mining flies often are a complex of pest and non-pest species, information that was used by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in modifying its quarantine programs to prevent entry of the pest species; 4) a comprehensive revision of the armyworms (including production of an expert identification system), the Anastrepha serpentina species group of fruit flies, and description of a new fruit fly closely related to the pepper maggot; 5) fieldwork in Nepal and China leading to the systematics of flea beetles; and 6) clarification of relationships among the aphid-feeding (Cycloneda) lady beetles.  Data entry for the diaspidine armored scale insects has been completed and placed in ScaleNet at:  www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/scalenet.htm.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These varied systematics accomplishments, together with a Systematics Summit, held at Beltsville, Maryland, on November 1, 2002, facilitate the strategic tailoring of programs to address newly introduced pests.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Genomics tools were developed for identification of organisms and cells.  DNA probes provide a new tool for studies of insect parasitism in the field, particularly for detecting and identifying minute insects such as whitefly parasitoids.  ARS scientists in Fargo, North Dakota, have developed DNA probes specific for the insect parasitoids Encarsis and Eretmocerus.  Similarly, ARS scientists in Columbia, Missouri, can now identify insect cells, clones, and cell lines derived from specific tissues and species needed for cultivation of insect pathogenic viruses by using DNA markers.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These new methods will make possible the identification of parasitoids without having to hold the parasitized whitefly nymphs in the laboratory until the adult parasitoids emerge.  They will facilitate the identification of cell lines for virus production.

use classical and augmentative biological control approaches, along with the conservation of natural enemies, to suppress invasive insect pests and weeds with parasites, predators, and pathogens.  This includes using ARS overseas laboratories to collect, evaluate, and ship new exotic biological control agents to ARS quarantine laboratories and to develop methods to conserve, mass produce, and deliver those control agents that are beneficial.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  In the Mid-South Area, researchers demonstrated that the soy isoflavones and optimized quantities of antioxidants such as the preservatives BHT and BHA reduced dietary quality for reared insects.

IMPACT/OUTCOME: This information will be used to improve diets for the mass rearing of insects. Identification of gut enzymes will allow a better match with diet components. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Crop Protection and Management Research Unit in Tifton, Georgia, initiated on-farm studies to assess the benefits of various winter cover crop schemes.  The results demonstrate that winter covers, including legume blends, crimson clover, and legume/rye mixes, fostered increased beneficial numbers and reduced the need for pesticide interventions with reduction in yield.  Also, these studies show that significant natural enemy species are coming from edge vegetation, that the type of edge vegetation is important for particular species, and that natural enemies are not reaching the center of large fields during the growing season. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME: Knowledge that winter cover crops foster increased numbers of beneficial insects and reduce the need for pesticides will enable scientists to design cropping systems to increase the densities and dispersion of natural enemies throughout crops.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Beneficial Insects Research Unit at Weslaco, Texas, working with the ARS South American Biological Control Laboratory in Argentina, searched for parasites of relatives of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a newly invasive vector of the Pierce's disease microbe, in areas of South America pre-adapted to California's climate. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME: Three parasite species were found whose establishment could significantly reduce sharpshooter populations in California, thus reducing the impact of Pierce's disease.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Gypchek, the gypsy moth virus product currently being used by Federal and State action agencies, is not cost-effective and the dosage is too high to be economically practical.  Scientists at the Chemicals Affecting Insect Behavior Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, evaluated a cell culture produced virus that was comparable, and in some respects superior, to Gypchek in the field.

IMPACT/OUTCOME: The cell-cultured virus could lead to a cost-effective, biologically based strategy for managing gypsy moths in areas where classical biological control efforts are not effective.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Insect Biological Control Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, have discovered a strain of purple bacterium, Chromobacterium violaceum, which is toxic to major insect pests including the Southern corn rootworm, the diamondback moth, and the Colorado potato beetle.  Cell-free preparations were found to be lethal to these insects and to cause a weight reduction in gypsy moth larvae.

IMPACT/OUTCOME: This discovery potentially adds another bacterium, and exploitable toxins, to the pest management tool kit.  

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Plant Protection Research Unit in Ithaca, New York, tested an insect microbial insecticide, the fungus Beauveria bassiana, against Colorado potato beetle (CPB) larvae.  They found that oil formulations might be more efficacious against CPB larvae under wet conditions, but that emulsifiable oil formulations do not substantially increase the virulence of the fungus against CPB under normal field conditions.  Three applications of B. bassiana made at 3-4 day intervals significantly reduced CPB larval populations, but applications at weekly intervals were ineffective.  Levels of control achieved in the tests were moderate at best, and the results do not justify the additional expense of such an approach.  Also, the standard label rate is nearly optimal, yet costly, which underscores the fundamental economic competitiveness problem associated with this microbial control agent.  

IMPACT/OUTCOME: This research suggests that use of the fungus against CPB under some field conditions may not be cost-effective.  

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Researchers at the Crop Bioprotection Laboratory in Peoria, Illinois, showed that dried preparations of the insecticidal fungus Paecilomyces fumosoroseus infected and killed the Formosan termite and was transmitted among exposed nestmates without repellent effect.  Key formulation ingredients and physical conditions for spray drying encapsulated formulations of fungi such as these may yield preparations with improved characteristics, including enhanced solar stability for application to insects found in areas of high insulation.

IMPACT/OUTCOME: Fungi shows promise in a comprehensive pest management program for control of the Formosan termite, a pest that causes $1 billion a year in damages to residential and commercial buildings, trees, docks, and railway ties in the southeastern United States and Hawaii.

determine pest and natural enemy (parasite, predator, and microbial) biologies (behavior, host range, interactions with plant signaling), persistence, and impact to improve use and establishment of natural enemies for biological control.  This includes methods that employ remote sensing or modeling.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Whitefly nymph feeding was found to be undeterred by leaf shape.  In collaboration with North Dakota State University, ARS scientists in Fargo, North Dakota, demonstrated that the feeding styles of the smallest immature whiteflies could penetrate to the phloem bundle from any position on the leaf.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These findings reverse a long-held belief that the smallest nymphs were limited in their ability to reach the phloem food source and must use leaf morphology to locate a suitable site on which to probe.  This is information that will be useful to plant breeders.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The pink hibiscus mealybug, which attacks hundreds of species of ornamental and agricultural crops, has recently invaded California and Florida.  A parasitoid (Allotropa mecrida) of the mealybug was shown to be specific to this pest.  An Egyptian biotype of A. mecrida was tested by ARS scientists in Newark, Delaware, against six species of U.S. mealybugs, and found to be specific to the target mealybug.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  This information will be submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), enabling the completion of an environmental assessment required for the release of the parasitoid for biological control.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  At the Beneficial Insects Introduction Laboratory at Newark, Delaware, insect attractants (pheromones) were isolated and used successfully in a trap lure for detecting potentially invasive species closely related to the gypsy moth.  Also, a sex pheromone from a parasitoid wasp (Glyptapanteles flavicoxis) of the gypsy moth was isolated.  Similarly, this laboratory discovered trees that are highly attractive to adult Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) - potentially a $670 billion pest of maples and other shade and forest trees.  Other chemicals associated with ALB egg masses were found to repel ALB egg laying.  The beetle can now be detected (through cooperation with Pryor Knowledge Systems and the State University of New York at Syracuse) using an acoustic device with modified neural network software.  

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The gypsy moth pheromone can be used by APHIS for detection of potentially invasive species at ports.  Scientists also will be able to use the parasitoid wasp pheromone to determine establishment and effectiveness of the biocontrol agent.  Trees discovered to be highly attractive (i.e., sentinel trees) to ALB might be used by APHIS for monitoring, or perhaps in an attract-and-kill strategy, in support of the eradication program.  Chemicals that repel ALB egg laying may be useful in controlling the spread of beetles, and might be wedded in a repel-and-attract strategy with the sentinel trees.  The acoustic devices performed well under natural field conditions in New York City.  Two have now been purchased by APHIS.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Biological Control of Insects Research Unit in Columbia, Missouri, found cell lines with improved resistance to selected baculoviruses.  Insect cell cultures were exposed over numerous passages to selected baculoviruses, then tested for their sensitivity to the virus.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Scientists can use these cell lines to better understand the mechanism of insect resistance to viruses.

develop methods for manipulating the genomes of insect pests and associated organisms including genomic sequencing and for transferring genes into insect cells to be used in biologically-based control strategies.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Exotic and Invasive Diseases and Pests Research Unit in Parlier, California, have shown that grapevines treated with Messenger, a commercially available harpin-containing product, showed lower Pierce's disease incidence than those in untreated control grapevines.  Also, a biologically active factor in the causative bacterium [Xylella fastidiosa (Xf)] that induces chlorosis in Chenopodium species was partially purified and characterized.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The harpin-containing product finding suggests that resistance to infection by the causative bacterium Xf may be induced in grapevines.  The characterized protein is a potential candidate as a virulence/pathogenicity factor in Xf, which can be studied by genomic methods capitalizing on the sequencing of the Xf genome.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at the Biological Control of Insects Research Unit in Columbia, Missouri, transferred DNA to several cell lines and observed for expression of red fluorescence to provide a better understanding of baculovirus host range.  When testing for resistance of a modified baculovirus (AcMNPV) following exposure to ultraviolet light (UV-B), red fluorescence of the protein occurred.  Although there was not a significant increase in resistance to UV-B, several modified viruses were better than the parental wild type virus following exposure to UV-B.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These experiments provide a tool for elucidating resistance at the cellular level, and demonstrate that gene fusion to the polyhedrin gene is feasible and could provide a useful means for testing other genes for their UV protective effect or for reduction in the time required for activity.

develop and demonstrate improved cultural, chemical, and biological methods for control and management of soil-borne diseases.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at Salinas, California, completed evaluations of commercially available strawberry cultivars under strict organic production conditions and identified three cultivars as highest performing.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  This information was transferred to growers by working with a farm advisor and the California Cooperative Extension Service, enabling growers to make informed cultivar choices based on yield and quality.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Researchers at Ft. Pierce, Florida, conducted large scale demonstration trials on commercial vegetable farms that validated use of Telone 35, applied using a deep placement coulter system, with the herbicides pebulate, napropamide and/or trifluralin provided levels of weed and disease control similar to soil fumigation with methyl bromide/chloropicrin without injury to the plants.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These trials demonstrated that it is feasible to adopt chemical alternatives to methyl bromide without causing major vegetable production disruptions. 

develop and demonstrate improved methods for applying fumigants to minimize the hazard to workers and the general public.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Experiments at Riverside, California, demonstrated that commonly used agrochemicals, including fertilizers and nitrification inhibitors, could be used to rapidly degrade soil fumigants.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These experiments could lead to new approaches to minimize emissions and prevent leaching of fumigants in agricultural systems.

develop biologically-based integrated weed management systems.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ARS scientists at Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Division, Annapolis, Maryland, determined the distribution and host-specificity of Aceria anthocoptes, a microscopic mite that attacks Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense.  The mite was discovered in the United States during the previous year.  The survey indicated that the mite is widely distributed, being present in the mid-Atlantic and North Central regions, and is highly species-specific, having only Canada thistle as its host. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Canada thistle is one of the most widespread and damaging invasive weeds in North America.  Currently, there are no affordable control methods for this weed.  However, an effective biological control agent would save growers and natural area managers millions of dollars per year.  The study demonstrates that, while Aceria anthocoptes is highly host-specific, it is already relatively abundant in the United States.  Since, the mite may function as a vector of plant viruses, additional research is being conducted to clarify this point.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The Australian invasive tree, Melaleuca quinquenervia, is the most serious threat to the Florida Everglades and is spreading rapidly.  There are no affordable and environmentally friendly methods to control melaleuca.  Biological control using host-specific natural enemies from Australia offers the only possibility of controlling the tree by reducing its ability to produce massive amounts of seeds.  ARS scientists at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in collaboration with Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Engineers, and South Florida Water Management District personnel, released a sap-sucking psyllid bug, Boreioglycaspis melaleucae, that is complementing damage caused by the tip-feeding weevil, Oxyops vitiosa, released during FY 1997.  Over 150,000 psyllids were released and are spreading rapidly.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Young psyllids suck plant juices and inject saliva that kills the leaf tissue so that small plants die 2 months after infestation, and before they set seed.  The combination of the psyllid and weevil should contribute significantly to control of this invasive weed, which will improve significantly the ecology of the Everglades.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Intercrossing between rice and red rice, a dominant weed in the southern United States, may become problematic when herbicide-resistant rice systems come into use.  DNA/PCR microsatellite fingerprinting analyses were conducted to quantify rates of outcrossing between three imidasolinone-resistant rice cultivars and red rice at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, Stuttgart, Arizona, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas.  Outcrossing between these imidazolinone-resistant rice cultivars and red rice was found to occur at very low levels and lessened with decreasing synchronization of flowering under field conditions.  

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  A key management consideration in herbicide-resistant rice systems may be to plant rice cultivars that are least likely to flower during the same period as the infesting population of red rice.  This may result in reducing the rate of herbicide resistance to improve management of red rice, saving growers millions of dollars per year.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Reductions in tillage frequencies brought on by expansions in farm size has resulted in increased weed problems.  ARS scientists at New Orleans, Louisiana, in cooperation with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and various industry partners, conducted field studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of several new herbicides, including clomazone and sulfentrazone, for controlling problem weeds in the sugarcane crop. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The demonstration of effective weed control led to a full Federal label for use of clomazone in sugarcane for bermudagrass, itchgrass, and johnsongrass control and a Section 18, "Emergency Use" registration of sulfentrazone for morning glory and nutsedge control the 2001-2002 growing season.  Use of these herbicides will result in increased control of these problematic weeds, and will reduce the sugarcane industry's dependence on the herbicides atrazine and 2, 4-D, both of which have been identified as threats to the environment.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  No-till soybean production requires the use of effective herbicides combined with rapid soybean canopy closure for optimum weed management.  ARS scientists in Urbana, Illinois, designed a study to determine if combining fungicide seed treatments, reducing dosages of herbicide, and various soybean seeding rates affected weed management and soybean yield.  Results showed that increased seeding rates reduced time to canopy closure and increased yields, whereas use of a fungicide seed treatment improved stands and reduced canopy closure in about a third of the environments evaluated. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  In most environments, reduced herbicide dosages provided adequate weed control and maintained high yields.  These findings show the potential for combining fungicides and high soybean seeding rates to allow effective weed management, even with reduced herbicide inputs.

make control measures available for suppressing tall whitetop, an exotic invasive weed that threatens temperate desert rangelands in the Western United States.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Biological control of whitetop, a highly invasive exotic weed, is a high priority in several Western States, however, no economical or environmentally compatible strategies are available for whitetop control.  ARS scenists at Sidney, Montana, conducted pathogenicity testing on fungal cultures from field-collected diseased whitetop plants.  They found that the isolates are virulent against whitetop.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  If the fungal isolates prove highly virulent in the field, they may limit the rapid spread of whitetop and be compatible with introduction of classical biological control agents being sought in Europe.

acquire and test in quarantine a biological control agent for Yellow starthistle, a widespread weed that is infesting Western rangeland.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Several insects have already been established on Yellow starthistle, but their effect is variable.  ARS scientists in Montpellier, France, have found several new potential biological control agents for Yellow starthistle.  Scientists at Albany, California, have established a colony of the most recent natural enemy, Ceratapion basicone, for host-specificity testing.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Several years more research are needed to establish the specificity of C. basicone.  If it is sufficiently specific to Yellow starthistle, it will be released in the field and evaluated against target and non-target species.

develop improved methods for biological controls of invasive weeds on rangelands.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Saltcedar, an invasive shrub from Eurasia, infests many Western U.S. waterways and stream banks where it causes both economic and environmental losses.  Detailed studies were conducted by ARS scientists at the Western Regional Research Center, Albany, California, on saltcedar and native plant (cottonwoods and willows) seed germination and establishment.  Biological control agents have also been discovered, released, and being evaluated.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Saltcedar seed was found to be extremely viable, but short-lived, and able to establish with overbank flooding throughout the summer, whereas the native seeds are only produced early in the season and not able to compete with saltcedar later in the year.  This research is important as it will interface with on-going investigations of biological control and will provide revegetation strategies for land managers that are interested in removing and replacing saltcedar.

demonstrate new methods to reduce leafy spurge, an invasive weed, on rangeland in the Central Great Plains to enable the native species to reestablish.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Successful biological control of the invasive exotic weed leafy spurge may be enhanced by the combination and interaction of specific herbivorous insects and plant pathogens. Researchers from the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Laboratory in Sidney, Montana, investigated the bacterial community associated with highly successful leafy spurge biological control sites at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. These studies showed that the dominant members of the bacterial community being vectored by the leafy spurge flea beetles were gram positive, belonging largely to the Coryneform group.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The identification and evaluation of the biological control potential of bacteria species isolated at sites where flea beetles have the greatest impact on leafy spurge may lead to the development of microbial biological control agents that work with insects to significantly decrease the spread and establishment of leafy spurge on rangelands.

develop alternative weed management systems for irrigated peanuts with less dependence on herbicides.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Adoption of reduced peanut tillage in the southeast coastal plain has increased over the last several years in an effort to reduce production costs and increase timeliness of crop production operations.  A multi-year study was initiated to evaluate changes of composition in weed species and management costs in various reduced tillage systems that include peanut and cotton.  In the third year of this study, perennial weeds in the reduced tillage systems has ocurred, causing significantly higher management costs. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Reduced tillage and labor costs appeared to be a major advantage of reduced tillage systems, which are being increasingly adopted.  However, this research shows that growers need to be aware that reduced tillage systems may affect the weed species composition, shifting from annual weeds to more difficult to control perennial weeds previously held in check by tillage operations, so that weed management costs may increase in these systems.  Additional research to address this issue is planned.

During FY 2003, ARS will

continue to develop and test improved traps and methods for the accurate and rapid survey of mosquitoes and other flies that vector animal and human diseases.

characterize the molecular and physiological basis of vector susceptibility to vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue and other viruses affecting U.S. livestock.

develop the technology for producing male-only lines of genetically transformed screwworms to be used in the APHIS eradication campaign.

identify and test for the Department of Defense candidate mosquito repellents to replace DEET.  Identify novel compounds and methods that can be used in attracting or repelling arthropods of veterinary medical or structural significance.

develop improved methods for control and management of disease losses in plants using improved cultural, chemical, and biological control systems and increased host plant resistance.

develop basic knowledge about the ecology, epidemiology, and genetic variability of plant pathogens to identify potential points of control.

develop improved detection and identification methods for viruses, bacteria, and fungi-causing plant diseases.

describe the genetic variability, epidemiology, and ecology of diseases.

continue to develop and demonstrate insect control technologies as alternatives to pesticides that endanger human health and the environment.

continue development and expansion of areawide pest management programs demonstrating alternatives to at-risk and other environmentally hazardous pesticides.

continue to provide critical identifications of newly found pest species, provide urgently needed taxonomic revisions of critical groups of insects, identify new natural control agents, and produce updated keys to agriculturally important insect groups.

use classical and augmentative biological control approaches along with conserving natural enemies to suppress invasive insect and weed pests with parasites, predators, and pathogens.  This includes using ARS overseas laboratories to collect, evaluate, and ship new exotic biological control agents to ARS quarantine laboratories.  This also includes developing methods to conserve, mass produce, and deliver those that are beneficial; and determining pest and natural enemy biologies (behavior, host range, interactions with plant signaling), persistence, and impact.

develop methods for manipulating the genomes of insect pests and associated organisms (includes genomic sequencing and development of methods for transferring genes into insect cells) to be used in biologically-based control strategies.

develop and/or demonstrate biological or ecologically-based integrated weed management systems for cropping systems and rangelands.

develop and demonstrate improved cultural, chemical, and biological methods for control and management of soil-borne diseases.

develop and demonstrate improved methods for applying fumigants to minimize the hazard to workers and the public.

purify and biochemically characterize the supposedly bluetongue virus receptor in biting midges and determine whether selected species of biting midges are susceptible to infection with vesicular stomatitis virus.

continue work toward developing a genetic sexing strain of screwworms, using both classical, genetic, and transgenic approaches for use in the mass rearing facility in the Program for the Eradication of Screwworms.

identify a replacement repellent for DEET, a replacement fabric impregnate for permethrin, and continue to discover and develop spatial repellents and attractant inhibitors as new technologies for protecting animals and humans from attack by blood-feeding arthropods.

screen a biting midge salivary gland gene library, select potential bluetongue virus receptor genes, and characterize salivary proteins that have an effect on bluetongue virus infectivity.

During FY 2004, ARS will

develop and test improved traps and attractants for the accurate, specific and rapid survey of mosquitoes and other arthropods that cause animal and human diseases.

develop, evaluate, and transfer to  the Department of Defense topical repellents and control systems to protect deployed American military personnel from arthropod vectors of disease.

investigate the physiological basis of vector competence and develop novel methods for controlling arthropods dangerous to animals and humans

evaluate the introduction of mutated algae on wild type counterparts in catfish ponds as a strategy to control off-flavor in catfish.

develop and demonstrate improved cultural, chemical, and biological methods for control and management of soil borne diseases.

develop and demonstrate improved methods for applying fumigants to minimize the hazard to workers and the general public.

develop improved methods for control and management of disease losses in plants using improved cultural, chemical, and biological control systems and increased host plant resistance.

develop basic knowledge about the ecology, epidemiology, and genetic variability of plant pathogens to identify potential points of control.

develop improved detection and identification methods for viruses, bacteria, fungi, and fastidious microbes causing plant diseases.      

identify and characterize genes for disease and pest resistance in crop plants, closely related non-crop species, and alien species to enhance opportunities for developing host plant resistance and incorporate such genes into commercially acceptable varieties.

develop fundamental knowledge about insect biology and ecology that provides the foundation for effective control strategies.

develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) components and systems for environmentally sound insect pest control.

continue development and expansion of areawide IPM programs.

develop and/or demonstrate biologically- or ecologically-based integrated weed management systems for cropping, rangeland, and natural areas. 

develop and transfer to action agencies technology for exclusion, early detection and eradication, and management of invasive weeds, including those that may be used as biological agents threatening biosecurity. 

expand the areawide pest management program by adding five new projects selected by peer review. 

continue to provide critical identifications of newly found pest species, provide severely needed taxonomic revisions of critical groups of insects, identify new natural control agents, and produce updated keys to agriculturally important insect groups.

use classical and augmentative biological control approaches, together with conserving natural enemies to suppress invasive insect and weed pests with parasites, predators, and pathogens.  This includes using ARS overseas laboratories to collect, evaluate, and ship new exotic biological control agents to ARS quarantine laboratories; development of methods to conserve, mass produce, and deliver those that are beneficial; and determining pest and natural enemy biologies (behavior, host range, interactions with plant signaling), persistence, and impact.

During FY 2005, ARS will

develop and test improved traps and attractants for the accurate, specific and rapid survey of mosquitoes and other arthropods that cause animal and human diseases.

develop, evaluate, and transfer to the Department of Defense topical repellents and control systems to protect deployed American military personnel from arthropod vectors of disease.

investigate the physiological basis of vector competence and develop into novel methods for controlling arthropods dangerous to animals and humans.

develop improved methods for control and management of disease losses in plants using improved cultural, chemical, and biological control systems and increased host plant resistance.

develop basic knowledge about the ecology, epidemiology, and genetic variability of plant pathogens to identify potential points of control.

develop improved detection and identification methods for viruses, bacteria, fungi, and fastidious microbes causing plant diseases.            

identify and characterize genes for disease and pest resistance in crop plants, closely related non-crop species, and alien species to enhance opportunities for developing host plant resistance and incorporate such genes into commercially acceptable varieties.

develop fundamental knowledge about insect biology and ecology that provides the foundation for effective control strategies.

develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) components and systems for environmentally sound insect pest control.

continue development and expansion of areawide IPM programs.

develop and/or demonstrate biologically- or ecologically-based integrated weed management systems for cropping, rangeland, and natural areas. 

develop and transfer to action agencies technology for exclusion, early detection and eradication, and management of invasive weeds, including those that may be used as biological agents threatening biosecurity.

expand the areawide pest management program by adding five new projects selected by peer review. 

continue to provide critical identifications of newly found pest species, provide severely needed taxonomic revisions of critical groups of insects, identify new natural control agents, and produce updated keys to agriculturally important insect groups.

use classical and augmentative biological control approaches, together with conserving natural enemies to suppress invasive insect and weed pests with parasites, predators, and pathogens.  This includes using ARS overseas laboratories to collect, evaluate, and ship new exotic biological control agents to ARS quarantine laboratories; development of methods to conserve, mass produce, and deliver those that are beneficial; and determining pest and natural enemy biologies (behavior, host range, interactions with plant signaling), persistence, and impact.

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will

devise practical approaches to prevent piglet hypothermia and improve survival within production settings.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Demonstrated that maintaining the piglet in warm environments or pre-treatment with aspire-like compounds will prevent hypothermia and improve survival.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The research was published in scientific journals and presented at a national pork industry meeting.  The technology will reduce baby pig mortality.

complete evaluation of a swine growth model in a production setting using a respiration sensor to indicate stress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS scientists at the Biological Engineering Research Unit, Clay Center, Nebraska, updated the swine growth model to accommodate new leaner genetic lines of swine.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The research was published and technology was transferred and made available for producer use.  This information can be used to reduce stress in lean pigs.

During FY 2003, ARS will develop a fear and anxiety model for use in evaluating stresses of transported cattle, and the social and housing preferences of swine.

During FY 2004, ARS will evaluate immunological indicators of well-being on piglets of sows in groups and stall gestation housing.

During FY 2005, ARS will evaluate immunological indicators of well-being on piglets of sows in groups and stall gestation housing.

STRATEGY 2.1.3:  Germplasm resources and genomics:  Acquire, preserve, evaluate, describe, and enhance genetic resources and develop new knowledge and technologies to increase the productive capacity and usefulness of plants, animals, and other organisms. 
 

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will

develop wild alfalfa accessions from China as a possible cultivated crop and begin field evaluations for productivity and survivability.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists from Beltsville, Maryland, collected two rare, wild relatives of cultivated alfalfa.  One was found in an alpine zone and the other in an arid zone.  Both show high tolerance to stressful environments.  Symbiotic rhizobia was also collected from the root zones of the wild relatives, and one species of Rhizobium has been isolated.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Field evaluations indicate that the newly found plants have potential as a forage crop for extreme climates.  These plants could provide genetic material for breeding programs to improve existing varieties of cultivated alfalfa by increasing yield and persistence and resistance to insects and disease.

complete the identification in Turkey of natural enemies of Yellow starthistle, a major invasive weed, and ship promising species to the U.S. for quarantine evaluation.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists from Albany, California, found an insect, Ceratapion basicorne, that appears to have the potential for biological control of Yellow starthistle.  A colony of these insects has been established in the laboratory quarantine facility and initial tests completed to assess the insect's suitability as a biological control agent.  

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Yellow starthistle is poisonous to horses and injurious to other animals.  It is the most widespread weed in California, covering 20 million acres.  A safe, affordable, effective biological control method would play a key role in restoring these lands ecologically and reducing economic losses.

identify threatened germplasm in natural habitats and in genebanks as a vital first step for conserving these genetic resources.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  USDA/ARS scientists and Paraguayan counterparts collected wild and cultivated peanuts in Paraguay in May 2002.  Half of the germplasm was incorporated into Paraguay's national genebank, and the remainder into the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  New genetic material of wild perennial peanuts may assist breeders in developing and selecting improved lines and cultivars of forage peanuts, with potential for use in turf, erosion control, ornamentals, and feed for domestic animals and wildlife.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC) at Ohio State University in Columbus became fully operational during FY 2002.  To handle incoming samples, the seed storage facilities were improved and a seed multiplication program initiated with both field pollination cages and greenhouse plantings.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  More than 950 samples of herbaceous ornamental germplasm were incorporated into the OPGC, where they are readily available for distribution to researchers worldwide for crop improvement and basic biological studies. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers coordinated and assisted in the development, review, funding and execution of 26 plant explorations in 19 different foreign countries and 8 explorations in areas of the United States. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The plant explorations acquired germplasm that has been incorporated into the NPGS, where it is safeguarded and accessible to researchers worldwide. Non-monetary benefit sharing associated with several foreign plant explorations has enabled USDA to obtain access to genetic resources despite challenging conditions. 

improve methods for preserving beneficial microbes, insects, and wild relatives of crops in native habitats.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  In cooperation with scientific counterparts in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Guatemala, ARS scientists completed inventories of wild crop relatives in native areas.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The completed inventories furnished the initial field data required to set priorities for conservation of important crop wild relatives in those nations.  With the data, conservation planners can begin to compile more specific plans for priority on-site conservation efforts.

perfect methods for maintaining germplasm in long term under conditions (low temperature and/or controlled atmosphere) that ensure viability, health, genetic integrity, and uniformity, as well as providing a sufficient supply for research and breeding.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Research conducted by USDA/ARS researchers with support of a grant from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service evaluated factors affecting successful implementation of preservation protocols (storage conditions, optimal plant organ or tissues) for plant germplasm.  USDA/ARS scientists and cooperators spent 4-5 days in each participating laboratory in Scotland, Germany, Poland, and Kazakhstan where they demonstrated methods, and suggested improvements to existing procedures.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  For each laboratory, deficiencies in standard preservation methods and the means for correctly instituting the protocols were investigated.  A second set of experiments will be performed with the corrected protocols to ensure that the methods are effective.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Long-term preservation protocols are needed for clonally propagated germplasm to reduce costs of maintaining materials in field orchards and to protect germplasm from natural catastrophes.  ARS researchers evaluated dormant vegetative buds of more than 1,000 samples of apple, and more than 40 of its wild relatives for survival following desiccation, initial exposure to liquid nitrogen, and eight years of storage at about -120C at the USDA/ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation.  About 90 percent of the accessions and nearly 60 percent of the species tested were cryopreserved successfully, and most showed little change in viability over the eight years of storage.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Some of the underlying mechanisms of tolerance to cryoexposure were elucidated, which may help with establishing a genetically representative, cryopreserved apple germplasm collection.  That knowledge is applicable to developing preservation protocol for other fruit and nut germplasm.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Long-term preservation of Cuphea germplasm has not been possible because some species are killed by -18C storage conditions.  ARS researchers at Ft. Collins, Colorado, demonstrated that sensitivity to freezing damage in seeds of different Cuphea species was correlated with the fatty acid composition and melting temperature of the storage lipids, with seeds dying if they are hydrated before the intracellular storage lipids are melted.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  This research showed that a simple heat pulse that melted seed lipids before seed storage prevented any measurable damage to the seeds.  The findings are potentially applicable to many other seed species that produce saturated lipids and are difficult to store.

evaluate protocols for storing DNA or nuclei isolated from plant and insect cells.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  None at present. This high risk, exploratory research was accorded relatively low priority by OSQR review panels, so it has not yet been addressed.  

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  None at present.

develop methods for maintaining injurious microbial and insect germplasm in combination with the host plants they attack.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers and cooperators at the University of Hawaii developed a rapid detection assay for the strain of the bacterium, Ralstoniasolanacearum, which causes ginger wilt.  The virulence and host range of sixteen local ginger wilt strains were tested and the genetic diversity of fifty-five local strains was analyzed.  The specificity of a panel of eight selected monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was tested and the two most appropriate MAbs for ginger wilt strains in Hawaii were selected. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The preceding research yielded a rapid diagnostic ELISA test for ginger wilt, and furnished a foundation for developing an enrichment trapping/immunodiagnostic procedure and evaluation system for detecting R. solanacearum in soil extracts.

identify sources of new genetic variability and conduct genetic studies to detect novel genes for crop improvement.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS scientists in College Station, Texas, conducted a wide-scale sampling of genetic variability in natural stands of pecan by measuring leaflet area, trunk diameter, and leaf mineral content.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Variation in leaflet area, trunk diameter, and leaf mineral content was correlated to various degrees with ecogeographical distribution of the trees sampled.  Populations from west Texas and Mexico appeared to be the most genetically divergent.  These results may help improve the efficiency of breeding regionally adapted pecan rootstocks.

develop more efficient and effective means for multiplying germplasm stored in genebanks and for monitoring its viability, health, and genetic content.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  High variation in the number of progeny produced per plant in a population may lead to lower effective population size and susceptibility to random genetic drift, which must be minimized for optimal germplasm conservation.  ARS researchers in Pullman, Washington, developed a cost effective field grow-out method that maximizes the effective population size.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  This research provides a sound scientific basis for increasing the number of seeds for populations while minimizing genetic drift, thus enabling efficient and economic strategies for maintaining germplasm collections, especially those of outcrossing grasses.

where appropriate, designate core subsets for crop collections to improve accessibility of the genetic diversity within each crop and their wild relatives.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers in Tifton, Georgia, developed and designated a core subset for the USDA/ARS peanut collection.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The preceding new core subset had the immediate impact of significantly increasing the number of peanut accessions evaluated for valuable agronomic traits.  This led to the identification of host-plant resistance to several economically important peanut pathogens.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The designated core subsets for apple and its wild ancestor were assessed by ARS scientists and cooperators at Colorado State University for genetic variation in total phenolic content and other antioxidants.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Total phenolic content was very diverse in this core subset, suggesting that, for the most part, the initial designation of subset membership captured a broad spectrum of genetic diversity.

During FY 2003, ARS will

evaluate multi-year results concerning differences in tannin and hydrogen cyanide production among Lotus species for potential beneficial effects to grazing animals.

complete publications that document the genetic variation that exists among native grass accessions from preserved remnant prairies, and document that in situ preservation of the germplasm using preserved remnant prairies is an effective mechanism for preserving the prairie germplasm.

identify new sources of genetic variability and acquire new accessions to enhance the diversity of plant germplasm collections.

acquire and safeguard additional microbial and insect germplasm to enhance the use of beneficial microbes and insects.

identify and characterize genes for resistance to develop host plant resistance in crop plants.

improve methods of evaluating host resistance, e.g., identifying molecular markers for resistance.

identify new sources of resistance genes through the integration of the genes by conventional breeding and bioengineered methods.

During FY 2004, ARS will

identify and characterize genes for resistance in crop plants to develop host plant resistance.

improve methods of evaluating host resistance, e.g., identifying molecular markers for resistance.

identify new sources for resistance genes through the integration of the genes by conventional breeding and bioengineered methods.

identify and exchange new sources of plant, microbial, and insect genetic variability, especially those threatened in natural habitats, so as to conserve them and augment the diversity of genes available for research or genetic improvement.

improve methods for conserving plants, beneficial microbes, and insects in genebanks.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers at Tifton, Georgia, and cooperators at Sygenta Seeds, Inc. converted the RFLP genetic markers pl and al - which are associated with the content of maysin - to markers based on PCR (polymerase chair reaction).  They made available the relevant primer sequences needed for PCR amplification of the preceding markers.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Maysin content corresponds closely to resistance and susceptibility to key corn insect pests such as corn earworm.  PCR amplification is a much more rapid and inexpensive procedure than RFLP analyses or direct biochemical determination of maysin content, so the availability of this primer information could greatly accelerate breeding of insect-resistant corn lines.

incorporate the most modern and effective methods of high volume gene sequencing, genetic mapping, gene expression assays, and related techniques into genomic research programs.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Effector proteins are frequently used by bacteria to disrupt plant metabolism during infection.  ARS researchers and collaborators at Cornell University and the University of Nebraska developed an integrated laboratory-computational approach to identify effector proteins in the DNA sequence of bacterial pathogens in general, and in P. syringae in particular.  This method has been used to identify 23 previously unknown effector proteins in the P. syringae genome, and a patent application is now pending.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  This new information is being used by plant pathologists to understand the molecular basis of pathogenesis and disease resistance.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers at Ithaca, New York, developed bioinformatic tools for annotating, analyzing, and visualizing bioinformatic data.  They designed a program to rapidly analyze nucleotide and amino acid sequence data, including parallel analyses on a supercomputer.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These new computer programs analyze nucleotide and amino acid sequence more rapidly, and make more efficient use of available computer hardware and software while doing so.

During FY 2003, ARS will

develop differential display techniques to identify genes that regulate feed intake and energy metabolism of livestock.

correlate changes in body composition with genes associated with lean and fat deposition in swine and milk production of dairy cows.

determine target genes for enhancing mammary gland development in heifers, and to increase persistence of milk production.

demonstrate in transgenic cattle the effectiveness of a gene to prevent Staphylococcus aureus mastitis.

complete the placement of 1,000 markers within known genes on the USDA/ARS channel catfish linkage map using ARS reference populations.

develop at least 200 micro-satellite markers and at least 100 random sequence tag sites for mapping the rainbow trout genome.

identify in alfalfa and Medicago truncatula, DNA-base sequences related to nitrogen and carbon assimilation, plant disease response, and nutritional stress.

exploit genome sequence information to identify valuable genes in germplasm collections.

develop new DNA markers linked to disease resistance and weather stress tolerance to accelerate plant germplasm evaluation and breeding.

During FY 2004, ARS will

develop DNA microarrays for gastro-intestinal (GI) genes in chickens and evaluate the nutritional effects on gene expression.

document the functional genomics of ticks, screwworms, mosquitoes, culicoides and other arthropods detrimental to animal and human health.

characterize and develop specific genetic tools to identify specific genes that mediate improved quality and composition of important agricultural commodities.

sequence and map expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to facilitate germplasm characterization.

develop new genetic tools, particularly DNA markers, to enhance plant breeding.

maintain genetic and genomic data on well?conceived databases constructed with powerful, up?to?date information management software, and implemented on high?speed, high?capacity computer networks accessible via standard software from the Internet.

construct and maintain more precise physical, genetic, and transcript genomic maps to identify the genes underlying key agricultural traits and the genomic location of those genes, and to elucidate comparative gene function, structure, and organization.

exploit genome sequence and gene expression information to identify valuable genes and gene combinations in undeveloped genetic resources.

develop new DNA markers closely associated with resistance to disease, pests, environmental stresses, or with high-value quality traits.

During FY 2005, ARS will

identify new quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting reproduction and health traits from novel populations of dairy cattle.

document the functional genomics of ticks, screwworms, mosquitoes, culicoides and other arthropods detrimental to animal and human health.

identify sequences in forage plants that control the plant's ability to adapt to stressful conditions such as disease, aluminum toxicity, salinity, and drought to aid breeders to improve plants that will increase economic and environmental sustainability.

characterize and develop tools to identify specific genes that mediate improved quality and composition of important agricultural commodities.

sequence and map expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to facilitate germplasm characterization.

develop new genetic tools, particularly DNA markers, to enhance plant breeding.

maintain genetic and genomic data on well-conceived databases constructed with powerful, up-to-date information management software, and implemented on high-speed, high-capacity computer networks accessible via standard software from the Internet.

construct and maintain more precise physical, genetic, and transcript genomic maps to identify the genes underlying key agricultural traits and the genomic location of those genes, and to elucidate comparative gene function, structure, and organization.

exploit genome sequence and gene expression information to identify valuable genes and gene combinations in undeveloped genetic resources.

develop new DNA markers closely associated with resistance to disease, pests, or environmental stresses, or with high value quality traits.              

Indicators:

During FY 2002, ARS will

identify bermuda, fescue, and rye turf-grasses cultivars with improved tolerance to athletic field traffic and diseases, and evaluate management regimes for using these cultivars effectively.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, located at Beltsville, Maryland, coordinates research at cooperating universities in 40 States and 5 Canadian provinces that evaluate the persistence, input requirements, and other qualities of the major turfgrasses.  The program consolidates the results.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The data provided aids turf managers in selecting the varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fineleaf fescue, bent grass, and bermudagrass that are best adapted to their locations and turf needs.  This results in reduced costs and maximizes environmental benefits.

release four or five new cultivars of clover and trefoil better adapted to the Eastern United States.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at Columbia, Missouri; Fresno, California; and Corvallis, Oregon, worked together to release and register five improved genetic stocks, including two narrowleaf trefoils, a big trefoil, and two birdsfoot trefoils.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Trefoils are useful nitrogen?fixing forage plants that are high in protein, grow on acid soils, and do not cause bloating in livestock.  These new germplasm improvements will make using trefoils more affordable since the plants will be more productive, better adapted to a wider range of conditions, and more persistent.

release germplasm for an alfalfa line with improved pest resistance due to the selection of the genes for high density glandular hairs on the seedpod which protects the plant.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Scientists at Manhattan, Kansas, released a variety of alfalfa with high?density glandular hairs.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The dense hairs on the seedpod prevent certain insects from eating the tissue of the pod and reducing seed production.  Maintaining high levels of seed production with a genetic enhancement instead of using pesticides increases economic and environmental sustainability.

release a new dallisgrass cultivar resistant to ergot disease, and a klein grass cultivar for use in the Southeastern U.S.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  A new dallisgrass cultivar is being released by ARS and university scientists at College Station, Texas,  and the Texas and Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Stations.  This new cultivar has significantly improved persistence and yields over common dallisgrass that is grown on hundreds of thousands of acres across the Gulf Coast region.  The release of a new variety of klein grass for use in the Southern Great Plains has been delayed because weather and other problems limited seed production for field testing.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Improving the forage yields and persistence of important forage grasses reduces input costs for both seed and livestock production which increases profitability and also helps to maintain good ground cover that protects soil, water, and other natural resources.

release new forage and grain pearl millet hybrids with stable disease resistance and increased yields under non-irrigated conditions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS and University of Georgia scientists at Tifton, Georgia, have released a new pearl millet grain hybrid that has disease resistance and grain yields of 4,000?5,000 kg/ha.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Grain pearl millet meets the need for a locally produced feed grain crop in the Southeast that provides high grain yields without irrigation and does not have aflatoxin problems.   

develop new crops from "wild" plants and microbes, and new genotypes of conventional crops, to further diversify the Nation's agricultural production base and human diets, and to provide valuable new products (e.g., non-allergenic rubber from guayule latex).

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Developed a non-transgenic soybean containing oil that requires less processing (hydrogenation) for food use. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  Soybean oil is often hydrogenated in many food applications to improve flavor and functional properties of the oil, a process wherein some of the fatty acids are converted to 'trans-fat', which is a health concern.  Oil of this new soybean germplasm has a 3-fold increase in oleic acid concentration, which enables manufacture of high quality food products without oil hydrogenation.  This gives processors added flexibility for achieving better flavor, improved frying stability, and healthier food products.

identify new crops for medicinal uses.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Developed a natural compound from mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) that inhibits cell growth by affecting the formation of mitotic microtubular organizing centers.   

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The compound, podophyllotoxin, serves as a biochemical structural backbone for anti-cancer drugs. Cells treated with this natural product formed tubulin in cells, which prevents uncontrolled cell division.  This discovery shows promise as a new and inexpensive natural resource for the development of cancer fighting drugs. 

enhance the genetic base of gene pools through programs of recurrent genetic recombination and selection so they can be more easily used by breeders.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers in Stoneville, Mississippi, produced via recombination and selection, a soybean germplasm population with host-plant resistance to Phytophthora root rot and soybean cyst nematode.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The preceding line provides new genetic variability in host-plant resistance to these diseases and pests for incorporation into the southern-adapted soybean genepool.

incorporate into genepools new genetic variability continually from germplasm in nature, in genebanks, or in traditional farmers' fields so as to decrease genetic vulnerability to pests, pathogens, and other threats.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  ARS researchers in Stoneville, Mississippi, intercrossed cotton with some of its wild relatives and recovered hybrid plants via an embryo rescue technique. 

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  The preceding wild relatives of cotton are highly resistant to the reniform nematode, which causes significant yield losses in cotton grown in the Southeastern United States.  These interspecific hybrids represent a potential avenue for incorporating new sources of host-plant resistance to this important pest into cotton gene pools adapted to the Southeastern United States.

strengthen breeding and evaluation programs for minor crops, such as certain vegetables and fruits which comprise an important part of the U.S. diet, and for nursery and floral crops, which are of increasing economic importance.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:  Securing sufficient seed supplies of the lethal yellowing (LY) resistant coconut varieties is a high priority of the tropical landscape nursery industry.  ARS researchers in Miami, Florida, analyzed genetic variation in ornamental coconut germplasm, with special emphasis on the 'Fiji Dwarf' variety that is very ornamental.  Research showed that an open pollinated stand of this variety maintained at modest distance from other varieties will likely yield pure 'Fiji Dwarf' seed nuts, and that contaminants could be identified molecularly using these markers.

IMPACT/OUTCOME:  These results represent a major step forward in breeding LY-resistant ornamental coconuts for the tropical landscape plant industry.

During FY 2003,ARS will

release a new grama grass cultivar for use in the Central Great Plains.

release a new fairway-type crested wheatgrass for use in the Central and Northern Great Plains.

release a switchgrass, big blue stem, and indiangrass germplasm based on collections from remnant prairies for use in the Midwest and Great Plains for USDA Hardiness Zones 4, 5, and 6.

release a new cultivar of kleingrass for use on pastures and grasslands of Texas and possibly other areas of the Southern Great Plains for livestock production and wildlife habitat.

complete the first field studies of maize-tripsacum hybrids to evaluate the impact of Tripsacum dactyloides genomic material on disease and insect resistance, and tolerance to environmental extremes in the Southern Great Plains and Midwest region of the United States.

develop new methods and tools to identify end product traits desired by consumers, such as specialty oils and grain qualities.

strengthen breeding and evaluation programs and identify new sources of diversity for minor crops, such as certain vegetables and fruits, which comprise an important part of the U.S. diet, and for nursery and floral crops, that are of increasing economic, ecological, and social importance.

develop and release germplasm with enhanced resistance to pests, pathogens, and weather damage.

enhance the genetic base through programs of recurrent genetic recombination and selection for viral resistance.

During FY 2004, ARS will

improve understanding and effectiveness of forage selection for establishment, digestibility and pest resistance, and release germplasm and cultivars adapted to the Southeastern environment.

provide increased understanding of plant processes that help grasses adapt to environmental stress, identify the molecular markers controlling these processes, and release improved germplasm and cultivars for use semi-arid lands to improve livestock forage production and turf management.

provide increased understanding of plant processes that aid alfalfa to resist pests and adapt to environmental stress, identify the genes controlling these processes, and release improved germplasm and cultivars.

develop new germplasm resources for commercial use that have significantly enhanced protein and oil quality.

develop new germplasm resources that have significantly enhanced starch and end-use grain quality.

develop new germplasm resources that have enhanced resistance to plant disease and pests.

conduct genetic engineering studies for viral resistance.

develop new crops from "wild" plants and microbes and new genotypes of conventional crops, so as to further diversify the Nation's agricultural production base and its citizens' diet, and provide new high-value products.

enhance the genetic base of crop gene pools through programs of recurrent genetic recombination and selection so these gene pools can be more easily used by breeders.

develop new analytical methods and genetic tools to identify end-product traits desired by consumers, such as specialty oils and grain qualities.

continually incorporate into gene pools new genetic variability from germplasm in nature, in gene banks, or in farmers' fields so as to decrease genetic vulnerability to pests, pathogens, and other threats.

strengthen breeding and evaluation programs for minor crops, such as vegetables and fruits of dietary importance, and nursery and floral crops, which are of increasing economic importance.

During FY 2005, ARS will

release improved grasses and forage legumes with higher nutritional quality and stress tolerance.

develop new germplasm resources for commercial use that have significantly enhanced protein and oil quality.

develop new germplasm resources  that have significantly enhanced starch and end-use grain quality.

develop new germplasm resources that have enhanced resistance to plant disease and pests.

conduct genetic engineering studies for viral resistance.

develop new crops from "wild" plants and microbes and new genotypes of conventional crops, so as to further diversify the Nation's agricultural production base and its citizens' diet, and provide new high-value products.

enhance the genetic base of crop gene pools through programs of recurrent genetic recombination and selection so these gene pools can be more easily used by breeders.

develop new analytical methods and genetic tools to identify end-product traits desired by consumers, such as specialty oils and grain quality.

continually incorporate into gene pools new genetic variability from germplasm in nature, gene banks, or farmers' fields so as to decrease genetic vulnerability to pests, pathogens, and other threats.

strengthen breeding and evaluation programs for minor crops, such as vegetables and fruits of dietary importance, and for nursery and floral crops, which are of increasing economic importance.

Indicators: