xt7b8g8fjf6m https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7b8g8fjf6m/data/mets.xml Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station  Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 1996 journals  English College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station  The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 109th Annual Report 1996, June 30, 1997 text 2009ua018 The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 109th Annual Report 1996, June 30, 1997 1996 1996 2022 true xt7b8g8fjf6m section xt7b8g8fjf6m The Kentucky
Agricultural Experiment Station

109m

Annual Report

 

 

.1996

College of Agriculture
University of Kentucky ' Lexington, Kentucky 40546

 

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£14,”;

 

To His Excellency,
The Honorable Paul Patton
Governor of Kentucky

I herewith submit the one hundred and ninth annual report of the Kentucky Agricultural
Experiment Station for the period ending December 31, 1996. This is done in accordance with
an act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887, entitled, “An act to establish Agricultural
Experiment Stations, in connection with the Agricultural Colleges established in the several
states under the provisions of an act approved July 2, 1862, and under the acts supplemen-
tary thereto,” and also the act of Kentucky State Legislature, approved February 20, 1888,
accepting the provisions of the act of Congress.

Very respectfully,

flax/24w

C. Oran Little, Director
Lexington, Kentucky
June 30, 1997

 

  

 Contents

 

Purpose .................................................................................................................... 7
Agricultural Economics ........................................................................................... 9
Agronomy ............................................................................................................... 11
Animal Sciences .................................... I ............................. .. .................................. 1 4
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering .............................................................. 16
Entomology ............................................................................................................ 18
Forestry .................................................................................................................. 20
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture ............................................................. 22
Nutrition and Food Science ................................................................................... 25
Plant Pathology ...................................................................................................... 27
Regulatory Services ............................................................................................... 30
Robinson Substation ................................ 33
Rural Sociology ...................................................................................................... 36
Veterinary Science ............................................................................ . ..................... 3 8
Publications ............................................................................................................ 41
Statewide Research ............... t ................................................................................ 54
Financial Statement ............................................................................................... 55

Staff ....................................................................................................................... 56

 

 

  

 Purpose

A- s a Land Grant institution, the University of Kentucky is

sponsible for serving the people of the Commonwealth
of Kentucky. The College of Agriculture, with its research.
teaching, and extension activities, has developed a structure
and organization to provide the mandated Land Grant ser?
vices in agriculture and related areas.

The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station has been
providing research results to farmers for more than 100 years.
The continued growth of Kentucky agriculture attests to the
benefits of applying new knowledge and technology to the
agricultural production process. Much of the research lead-
ing to increased quantity and improved quality of Kentucky’s
agricultural output was performed by the Experiment Station.
Also, College researchers address problems of agribusiness,
consumers, international trade, food processing, nutrition,
community development, soil and water resources, and the
environment.

Although much Experiment Station research has immedi-
ate application to agricultural problems, scientists are also
involved in basic research, generating new information to
help solve present and potential problems. The ability of
Kentucky producers to be competitive in domestic and world
markets requires an expanded base of knowledge in emerging
areas of research applicable to agriculture.

This Annual Report summarizes Experiment Station re-
search highlights for 1996. Lists of the faculty, research
projects, and publications completed during the year are also
provided.

The research programs of the Kentucky Agricultural Ex-
periment Station have benefited Kentucky’s agriculture over
the past century, and the results of present and future re-
search will continue to serve Kentucky’s primary industry.

 

  

 

 Agricultural Economics

 

Research in Agricultural Economics involves diverse sub-
jects including improving profitability, through management
and marketing, environment and natural resources and as-
sisting in the revitalization of rural communities.

Risk Management Research

 

The 1995/96 Farm Bill changed the way government will
support farm prices and incomes for the next seven years,
and quite possibly forever. Thus, when market prices go down,
farmers cannot count on government payments to make up
the difference. This will increase risk. Many argue that the
changes will also increase price volatility. Recent crop fail-
ures also remind farmers that significant yield risk continues
to be part of cash crop farming.

Crop insurance products are evolving to handle both price
and yield risk. Work at the University of Kentucky in the
past five years has been focused on new products for the
crop insurance program. The Group Risk Plan (GRP) was
developed at the University of Kentucky. The GRP is the
only USDA program that attempts to adjust for technologi-
cal advance by using trend county yields as the index to make
payments to farmers. By insuring the combination of price
and yield shortfalls, new products will provide more effec-
tive risk management for cash crop farmers. Economists at
the University of Kentucky are involved in reviewing these
products.

Rural Economic Development Research—
Telecommunications

Our TVA Rural Economic Development Studies Center
is organized to support the development and dissemination
of useful research for use by decision makers engaged in ru-
ral economic development. We have defined three main ar-
eas for our work. The Center’s most visible project has been
The Fanner’s Guide to the Internet. The first edition of the
book was printed in March 1996, and by the end of Decem-
ber more than 10,000 copies were sold. The Farmer’s Guide
has been purchased by individuals and small businesses in
rural areas who seek a source of information on how to gain
access to the Internet, and by large corporations and univer-
sities to use in Internet training. In addition, the Center pro-
duces a research report with the National Rural Electric Co-
operative Association on telecommunications opportunities
for electric cooperatives. This study, “The New Telecommu-
nications Environment," has been used in a series of regional
workshops to help managers of rural electric cooperatives
and municipal power systems assess opportunities for aug-

menting their electricity operations with telephone, cable or
Internet subsidiaries.

Rural Economic Development Research—
Environment

 

Experts around the world are currently debating how en-
vironmental conditions and regulations affect economic
growth. Research recently completed at the University of
Kentucky shows that states within the US. which had better
environmental conditions also experienced more per capita
income growth, all else being equal. This suggests that rela-
tionships between growth and the environment can be comple-
mentary, and that it is not necessarily always competitive as
is commonly believed. This research has an impact on how
researchers conceptualize and model the relationship between
growth and the environment over time. The research also
suggests that communities which strive to improve their natu-
ral environments will experience faster income growth than
those which do not.

Tobacco Research

 

Agricultural Economics research into the cost-saving ben-
efits of lower plant populations for burley tobacco is saving
Kentucky tobacco farmers thousands of dollars in reduced
labor costs. The collaborative extension educational efforts
of agricultural economics. agronomy, agricultural engineer-
ing, and plant pathology specialists have resulted in some
major shifts toward wider-spaced tobacco plants. Economic/
agronomic research suggests that reducing per acre plant
population by 25% can lower costs of production by eight
cents per pound. Labor savings account for most of the cost
advantage with per acre labor reductions in the 20- to 40-hour
per acre range.

If half of Kentucky’s 220,000-acre 1997 burley crop is
grown at 6,500 plants per acre instead of 8.500 plants per
acre, the labor savings alone could account for the equiva-
lent of 1,320 full-time jobs. Or, from another perspective, an
eight cents per pound cost reduction is worth $22,000,000 in
extra net farm income if even half of the 1997 crop is pro-
duced at wider spacings.

Enhancing Farm Profitablllty

Analysis of more than 280 farms participating in the Ken-
tucky Farm Business Analysis program revealed that 1995
was a mixed year. financially. Returns varied around the state
and by enterprise.

 

 

 All Purchase area farms, Ohio Valley area livestock farms,
Pennyroyal area grain and livestock farms, and Central Ken-
tucky hog and crop farms improved upon returns in 1995,
whereas Ohio Valley area grain farms, Pennyroyal area dairy
farms, and Central Kentucky dairy and beef farms had lower
returns than in 1995. The Pennyroyal livestock and dairy
farms and the Central Kentucky dairy, hog, and beef farms
experienced negative net returns. The operator’s share of net
farm income (showing the financial rewards for the operator,
their equity capital, and their management input) was posi-
tive for all six groups in the state.

Livestock Marketing Research

A model of the livestock industry was developed that
could track the reaction of beef cow numbers to changes in
pastureland as well as dairy cow numbers, beef prices, and
other variables internal to the industry. A quarterly version
of this model helped to explain what response beef cattle
prices would have to the dairy cow buyout of the mid-19805.
There were some pretty dire forecasts at that time, but our
analysis suggested that the effect would be minimal. And so
it proved.

The model was used to anticipate the effects of biotech—
nological innovations that are under development. Joint work
with economists at the University of Georgia indicated that,
with current feeder steer/heifer price spreads, cow—calf pro-
ducers would find it profitable to adopt sexed technology to

   

determine the offspring gender under a wide range of cost
estimates and treatment effectiveness rates.

Price effects would not wipe out profitability of adopting
the technology at moderate adoption rates, up to 50%. and
given our estimates of application costs. Steer prices do not
decline as application rates rise, however. The analysis to
date indicates that major price effects and changes in the struc-
ture of the beef cattle industry might result from widespread
adoption of sexed-semen technology.

Research Projects

Analyzing the Future International Competitiveness of the U.S. Food
Industry —- M.R. Reed, MA. Marcham, and LL. Mather

An Analysis of Finance Efficiency and Socioeconomic Influences in
Urban and Rural Public Schools -—- SJ. Goetz and DI. Debem'n

An Evaluation of International Markets for Southern Commodities
— MA. Marchant and M.R. Reed

Changing Patterns of Food Demand and Consumption Behavior —-
B.W. Bobs:

Development of Multiobjective Decision Criteria Models for Agricul-
tural Investment Appraisal — A. Pagoulatos and D.L. Debem‘n

Economic Analysis of Biotechnological Innovations in the U.S. Beef
Cattle Industry — B.W. Babs!

Economic and Environmental Impacts of Water-Quality Protection
Policies on Kentucky Agriculture — H.H. Hall and J.R. Skees
Evaluation of Public Policy Alternatives Designed to Help U.S. Cash

Crop Farmers Manage Risk — J.R. Skee: and H.H. Hall
Regulatory, Efficiency and Management Issues Affecting Rural Fi-
nancial Markets — D. Freshwater
Rural Economic Development Alternatives in the New Competitive
Environment — SJ. Goetz and D. Freshwater

     
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
   
 
 
   

 Agronomy

 

 

 

The Department of Agronomy conducts research on soils,

crop ecology/management, crop genetics, and plant biology.
Our objectives include the improvement of plant quality and
productivity for food, feed, and fiber applications. We strive
to develop innovative plant production systems which are
profitable, sustainable, and environmentally sound. To ad—
dress these objectives, we require a diverse, interdisciplinary
faculty with expertise ranging from cutting—edge molecular
biology to applied production technology. The recent suc-
cesses— and the tremendous future potential— of both crop
biotechnology and precision agriculture systems make this a
fast-moving and exciting time for agronomic science. Fur-
thermore, the broad-based, popular concern for the quality
of Kentucky’s soil and water resources provides even greater
urgency for research on sustainable land-management prac-
tices. Examples of significant research accomplishments dur-
ing 1996 are described here.

We are conducting several studies to exploit and evaluate
the potential of the new precision agriculture/GPS tech-
nology. In one experiment, when com population was var-
ied according to depth of topsoil, returns per acre were
increased relative to constant corn populations. This ap-
pears to be the first US. report of successfully controlling
corn populations with a specific soil variable.

We have introduced the animal gene for metallothionein,
a compound which binds the heavy metal cadmium, into
transgenic plants. We can target the gene to specific tis-
sues in the plant. Expression of the gene was found to be
most effective in the cytoplasm and perhaps in the vascu-
lar tissue of the plant.

Our new wheat variety Foster will be available for pro-
duction this year. Foster is a high yielding, high test weight
variety with excellent disease resistance and superior mill-
ing and baking quality.

A major research and education initiative on agronomic
potential in eastern Kentucky is under way. Much of this
work is sponsored by the Robinson Trust. A large beef
cattle study on previously mined land will assess the im-
pact of grazing on the plant community and soil fertility. A
27-acre site on the Laurel Fork of the Robinson Forest is
being developed to demonstrate state-of-the-art reclama-
tion technology.

Weather-related losses during dry hay production and stor-
age cost Kentucky livestock producers millions of dollars
each year. We ensiled high-moisture forage in round bales
using stretch-wrap plastic to achieve anaerobic conditions.
In three years of studies, this increased nutritive value
and reduced dry matter loss by 80% compared with hay
stored outside.

- We continue to learn more about the mechanisms by which

contaminants move through soil to springs and ground-
water. We recently observed that sOil colloids (very small
particles of soil or organic matter) may be responsible for
accelerating and increasing the leaching of heavy metals
through the soil. In another study, we found that the sup-
posedly inert surfactants applied with herbicides may have
a strong influence on mobility and degradation of the her-
bicides.

Soybean varieties with altered oils have been developed
by private industry and are being grown in states to our
north. Our work has shown that varieties with low lino-
lenic acid level can be induced to produce even lower li-
nolenic concentrations under our warmer Kentucky con-
ditions. This suggests an opportunity for value-added soy-
bean production in the near future.

We have developed an efficient new regeneration system
for soybean called somatic embryo cycling. It results in
shorter cycling times for recovering plants and reduces
detrimental effects from tissue culture. We believe this
will be a major improvement for soybean transformation.
Some of the first studies in the nation on the ability of
forage grasses and alfalfa to withstand continuous, close
grazing are in progress. These researchers are also coop-
erating with Plant Pathology and the Eden Shale Farm to
study the effects of varietal resistance of alfalfa to
aphanomyces root rot on alfalfa establishment.

Two major advances in understanding plant-pathogen in-
teractions were accomplished. The structure and function
of a key phytoalexin enzyme has been analyzed in detail.
This will advance rational design and genetic engineering
of the genes coding for these enzymes. Further refinement
in identifying the regulatory DNA sequences controlling
expression of plant defense genes was also completed.
Both of these studies could lead to major advances in en-
gineering disease resistance for plants.

Growing three soybean varieties, one from each maturity
group 11, IV, and V, provides greater yield stability than
growing one superior variety or growing three varieties
of the same maturity. Techniques were developed for se-
lecting varieties that provide high yield and stability with-
out changing varieties every year.

We found that in late plantings, resistance to soybean
mosaic virus provided a 12% yield advantage compared
to SMV-susceptible soybean. For double-cropped soy-
beans grown after winter wheat in Kentucky, soybean pro-
ducers should benefit by selecting high yielding varieties
with SMV resistance.

We have generated a large number of transgenic tobacco
lines with different pathogen-derived resistance genes.

  
 
   
  
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
    
 
   
 
     
   
  
 
 
   
 
 
   
  
  
   
   
  
     
   
  
     

 Tobacco lines resistant to tobacco vein mottling, tobacco
etch, potato virus Y, alfalfa mosaic, and tomato spotted
wilt viruses have been produced. These gerrnplasms are
being greenhouse and field evaluated for virus resistance
and agronomic traits prior to deployment in future culti-
vars.

- In collaboration with the Kentucky Tobacco and Health
Research Institute, several Agronomy faculty are pursu-
ing possibilities for extended uses of tobacco. It has been
demonstrated that genetically engineered tobacco can pro-
duce a variety of valuable biocherrricals including anti-
bodies, vaccines, enzymes, and industrial feedstocks. Fur-
ther research in molecular biology, product engineering;
and economic analysis will be required to bring these op-
portunities to the farm.

' Our turfgrass project on fungal disease control via Inte—
grated Pest Management has been investigating the ef-
fects of dewfall on golf course greens and fairways. We
measured leaf surface moisture to determine the amount
of accumulation and re-accumulation after removal on
creeping bentgrass. This knowledge of how and when
moisture accumulates on turfgrasses will help managers
reduce the duration of leaf wetness. thus reducing disease
pressure without the use of fungicides.

Research Projects

A Silica/Fly Ash Based Technology for Controlling Pyrite Oxidation
— V.P. Evangelou

Agri Industry Development Program — C. W. Abs-her and M. Rasnake

Alkaloid Accumulation in Acremonium Coenophialum Infected Tall
Fescue — LP. Bush and H.R. Burton

Altered Fatty Acid Varieties: Does Our Climate Give Us an Angle? —
LJ. Grabau

Altering Ergot Alkaloid Biosynthesis by the Acremonium Endophyte
of Tall Fescue -- C.L. Schardl, M.R. Siege], and LP Bush

Ameliorative Designs to Improve the Efficiency of Constructed Wet-
lands Treating High Metal Load Acid Mine Drainage in the Rock
Creek Watershed — A.D. Karathanasis

Analysis of MRNA Polyadenylation and Metabolism in Plants —
A.G. Hunt

Backup of Clover (CLO) Accessions in the NSSL —N.L Taylor

Backup of Clover (CLO) Accessions in NSSL - Phase 2 — N.L. Taylor

Bacterial Dissimilation of Nitrate to Ammonium in Batch and
Chemostat Culture — M.S. Coyne

Behavior, Fate, and Bioactivity of Acetolactate (ALS)-Inhibiting Her-
bicides—M. Barrett and W.W. Witt

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Sesquiterpene Cyclase and
Squalene Synthetase from Tobacco — J. Chappell

Breeding Burley Tobacco for Improved Pest Resistance and Produc-
tivity — MT Nielsen, B.S. Kennedy, and RD. Legg

Breeding Improved Varieties of Wheat, Oats, and Barley for Ken-
tucky — D.A. Van Sanford

Cellular and Molecular Biology Initiative in Dark Tobacco — G.B.
Collins

Characterization and Classification of Kentucky Soils — A.D.
Karathanasis and R.l. Bamhisel

Characterization and Modification of Heavy Metal Accumulation in
Plants, with Emphasis on Tobacco — G.J. Wagner

Characterization of Phytoalexin and Sterol Biosynthetic Genes in
Tobacco — J. Chappell

Characterization of a Plant Polya Polymerase — AG. Hunt

Classifying Soils for Solute Transport as Affected by Soil Properties
and Landscape Position — E. Perfect

Cloning Epoxy Fatty Acid Genes — D. Hildebrand

12

Cloning and Heterologous Expression of Pesticide Metabolizing Cy-
tochrome P450 Genes — M. Barrett

Cloning Genes Encoding Enzymes for Epoxy Fatty Acid Accumula-
tion in Oilseeds —— D. Hildebrand

Corn Breeding and Genetics: White Endospenn Breeding, Food Qual-
ity Inheritance, and Hybrid Performance Tests — C.G. Poneleit

Correlation and Calibration of Crop Yields with Soil Test Levels of
Major Nutrients — W.0. Thom

Cropping and Planting Systems to Allow Economic Canola Produc-
tion — J.H. Herbek and L W. Murdock, Jr.

Damage Thresholds Risk Assessment and Environmentally Compat-
ible Management Tactics for White Grub Pests of Turfgrass -—
DA. Potter. KJ". Haynes and AJ. Powell. Jr.

Dark Tobacco Breeding Genetics and Management — P.D. Legg

Determining Optimum Rates for Several Crop Nutrients — W.0. Thom

Development of a Basic Soil Morphology Training Course for Onsite
Sewage Disposal Treatment System Personnel —A.D. Karathanasis

Development of Efficient Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering of
Soybean — G.B. Collins and R. Din/tins

Direct Vegetation of Fly Ash —- R.I. Barnht'sel

Distribution of Constituents within Tobacco Leaf—HR Burton and
LP. Bush

Does Kentucky Need an Early Maturing Soybean Variety Trial? --
L.J. Grabau .

Early Maturing Soybean Cropping System: Identifying Appropriate
Cultivars — LJ. Grabau

Effect of Row Width on Corn Yrelds — MJ. Bitzer and J.H. Herbek

Effects of Riparian Vegetation on Water Quality: Modeling and Ex-
perimental Studies —B.J. Barfield, R.L Blevins. V.P. Evangelou,
and 0.72 Carey

Effects of Suckering Practices on Growth Characteristics —J. Calvert

Environmental and Genotypic Control of Assimilate Allocation in
Grain Crops —‘ D.B. 15in

Environmental and Morphological Determinants of Field Curing Rates
of Legume Hay — M. Collins and ML. Taylor

EPA/EPSCOR: Assessing Transport of Colloid Bound Herbicides and
Heavy Metals to Groundwater —A.D. Karathanasis, R.E. Phillips

Establishing an Advanced Techniques Course in Biotechnology ~—
J. Chappell

Evaluation of Burley Tobacco Varieties — M.T. Nielsen, J. Calvert,
and B. Kennedy

Evaluation of Soybean Varieties and Breeding Lines for Use in Ken-
tucky — 72W. Pfeifl'er; J.M. Wood, and CR. Tutt

Field Application of Pyrite Microencapsulation Technologies for Con-
trolling Pyrite Oxidation and Acid Mine Drainage Production —
VB Evangelou and R.E. Phillips

Forage Crop Breeding to Improve Yield and Quality — N.L Taylor

Foreign Gene Introduction into Soybean — G.B. Collins and R. Dinklns

Fungal Pathogen Resistance in Dark Tobacco — MJI Nielsen

Genetic Control of a Putative Multiple Pesticide Metabolizing Cyto-
chrome P-450 — M. Barrett

Genetic Engineering of Dark Tobaccos: A Sub—project of Cellular and
Molecular Biology Initiative in Dark Tobacco — J. Chappell

Genetic Engineering of Soybeans for Increased Oil Content and Ep-
oxy Fatty Acid Accumulation — D. Hildebrand

Genetic Engineering of Soybeans for Increased Value — D. Hildebrand

Genetic Improvement of Soybean for Kentucky — T Pfetfier

Grain Quality Laboratory — C. G. Poneleit

HHMI Initiative Teacher Research — ID. Phillips

Identification Characterization Seed Increase of Clovers — N.L.
Taylor

Improved Fertilizer Use Efficiency and Environmental Soundness in
Burley Tobacco Production — J.L Sims

Improved Management of Legume Cover Crops for Sustainable Grain
Crop Production — W.W. Frye. R.L. Blevins, and J.H. Herbek

Improving Switchgrass Productivity as a Biofuel Crop — M. Rasnake

Increased Desaturation of Soybean Triacylglycerolo —D. Hildebrand

Influence of Soil Structural Heterogeneity on Transport of Fecal Patho-
gens and Solutes with the Vadose Zone — E. Perfect

Isolation of Sclareol/Labdenediol Synthase —— G.J. Wagner

Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Adsorption-Desorption in Binary
and Ternary Soil Colloid Systems —- VP. Evangelou

 

 

 Maintenance of Seed of Trifolium Species — N]. Taylor

Mechanisms for Vacuolar Storage/Sequestration of Cd, Zn. Mn, Ni —
GJ. Wagner

MOA #13814 with Natural Resources and Environmental Protection
Cabinet Division of Water — A.D. Karathanasis

Modifying Recombination Rates in Soybean and Assessing the Effect
on Breeding Progress — 71 W. Pfet‘ffer

Multiplicative (Linear-Bilinear) Models for Genotype X Environ-
ment Interaction in Crop Cultivar — P.L Cornelius

Multiplicative Models for Genotype X Environment Interaction —
P.L. Cornelius

Nicotine Synthase and Nicotine Demethylase —— LP. Bush

On-Farm No-Till Studies: Making It Work -—- LJ. Grabau and .l.H.
Grove

Pest Control Strategies for Grazing Livestock using Grass Endophyte
Associations — CJI Daugherty. F. W. Knapp and LP. Bush

Phenology, Population Dynamics. and Interference: A Basis for Un-
derstanding Weed Biology and Ecology —— W. W. Witt

Plant, Animal, and Environmental Factors Limiting Intake of Graz-
ing Beef Cattle — CJI Daugherty

Plant Genetic Resource Conservation and Utilization — N.L Taylor

Polishing Peers: Improving Plant and Soil Science Education through
Peer Review — LJ. Grabau, M.S. Smith. LK. Worley, and W.
Burke

Population Improvement and Line Development of White Endospenn
Maize — C.G. Poncleit

Potyvirus Replication and Pathogenicity — AG. Hunt

Predicting Changes in Com Swd Quality during Storage -——D.M. TéKmny

Predicting Nitrogen Needs of Wheat by Measuring Chlorophyll —
L. W. Murdock. Jr:

Refining Components of an Early-planted. Early-maturing Soybean
Cropping System — LJ. Grabau

Relationship between Photosynthesis, Assimilate Supply, and the Size
of the Reproductive Sink — 0.8. 5in

Restoration of Altered Lands — RJ. Barnhisel

Screening Soft Red Winter Wheat Varieties and Breeding Lines for
Resistance to Head Scab — DA. Van Sanford

Seed Biology and Technology Investigations —— D.M. TeKrony and
0.8. 5in

Soft Red Winter Wheat Breeding and Variety Development for Ken-
tucky — DA. Van Sanford

13

Soil and Crop Nitrogen Testing to Improve Nitrogen Management for
Burley Tobacco — R.C. Pearce. J.G. Grove. and DC. Ditsch
Soil Nitrate Testing to Improve N Use Efficiency and Reduce Residual
Nitrate under Corn and Wheat — J.H. Grove, D.A. Van Sanford.
and CG. Paneleit

Soil Survey Characterization and Environmental Impact Assessment
of Daniel Boone National Forest Ecosystems —A.D. Karathanasis

Somatic Cell Genetics of Crop Plants — G.B. Collins

Soybean Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Center — G.B. Collin:

Studies of a Novel Pathway for the Biosynthesis of Straight and
Branched. Odd and Even Length, Medium-chain Fatty Acids in
Plants — GJ. Wagner

Studies to Reduce Cadmium Accumulation in Tobacco and Research
toward Extending the Uses of Tobacco — GJ. Wagner

Targeting of the Cd-Chelator Metallothinein to the Plant Cell Wall
and Root Tissue Using Recombith DNA Methodology — GJ.
Wagner

Terpene Cyclases: Functional Domains and Structures —J. Chappell

319 Program Assessment of Constructed Wetlands for Animal Waste
Phase II — W.0. “torn, Y. Wang. and J. Dinger

319 Program Implementation and Demonstration of BMPs for the
Utilization of Poultry Litter in the Lower Green River Water Shed
— C.W. Absher; G. Henson, and W0. Thom

319 Program Site-specific Nutrient and Biosolids Management on
Agricultural Lands _— RJ. Barnhirel and SA. Shearer

Understanding and Manipulation of Lipid Biosynthesis in Plants —
DJ? Hildebrand

Understanding Recombination and Modifying its Frequency in Soy-
bean and Corn — 73W. Pfeifi’er and CG. Paneleir

Using Early-maturing Soybean Varieties to Help Manage Soybean

. Cyst Nematode — LJ. Grabau

Using Farm Family Case Studies to Teach Sustainable Agriculture ——
M. Rasnake

Utilization of Coal Combustion By-products in Agriculture and Recla-
mation — W.0. Thorn

Utilizing Seed Vigor as a Component of Seed Quality — D.M. TeKrony

Variable Rate Seeding: A Cooperative Study with Kentucky Corn Pro-
ducers — RJ. Barnhisel, S.A. Shearer. and MJ. Birzer

Yield Evaluation of Alfalfa Varieties —L [Auriaulr and J. C. Henning

Yield Potential and Long-term Effects of No Tillage on Wheat Pro-
duction — LW. Murdock. Jr, J.H. Herbek. and J.R. Martin

 

  

Animal Sciences

 

The Department of Animal Sciences conducts research
on poultry, swine. sheep, dairy cattle, beef cattle, horses, and
foods. The research enhances our teaching program by pro-
viding new, up-to-date information for instructors and edu-
cational experiences for students. We conduct research from
the molecular level to livestock production systems. The dis-
covery research is designed to elucidate chemical and physi—
ological functions that will eventually improve efficiency of
livestock performance and enhance the quality and safety of
our food supply.

The Cooperative Extension Service disseminates research
results that can be applied to livestock production, food han-
dling, and food processing. We are fortunate to have a sys-
tem that allows teaching, research, and extension personnel
to work together to provide new knowledge to keep us self-
sufflcient in our food supply. Many countries with dense
population, such as China, will never be self-sufficient in
food production since an extremely low percentage of their
land is tillable and much of that is close to highly urbanized
areas.

Food production will become more globalized. Techno.
logical advances will be needed to feed the population. Re-
search is the key to maintaining an adequate supply of safe,
high-quality food, and livestock production is a necessity.
The Department of Animal Sciences conducts research in
several disciplines to help achieve the goal of providing an
adequate supply of food. We strive to provide the technol-
ogy for livestock producers and food processors in the Com-
monwealth of Kentucky to produce and process that food in
a sustainable manner.

Food Science

 

Weakening of gels made from salt-extracted muscle pro-
teins was not diminished by protease inhibitors, suggesting
that proteases were not involved in binding of meat particles
during processing and cooking. Beef heart surimi prepared
in the presence of the antioxidant propyl gallate and then
blended with cryoprotectants had excellent long-term frozen
storage stability and functionality. Antioxidant treatments
retarded lipid oxidation during storage of both restructured
and intact steaks, and a beefy flavoring masked the grassy
off-flavor characteristics of grass-fed beef.

Studies were conducted to detemiine the effects of natu-
ral volatile compounds on bacteria in vitm and on the micro-
flora of strawberry and blackberry fruits during storage. Per-
cent reductions in populations of the eight test species varied
with compound and exposure and ranged from 0% to 100%
after 2, 4, and 6 h exposure. Microbial populations of straw-

l4

berry and b