Funding, Structure, and Management of Public Agricultural Research in the United States

1994 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 744-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallace E. Huffman ◽  
Richard E. Just
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Agricultural Research

scholarly journals First Report of Soybean Rust Caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi on Pachyrhizus erosus in the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 1034-1034
Author(s):  
M. A. Delaney ◽  
E. J. Sikora ◽  
D. P. Delaney ◽  
M. E. Palm ◽  
J. Roscoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Soybean Rust ◽  
Infected Leaf ◽  
Phakopsora Pachyrhizi ◽  
First Report ◽  
Pachyrhizus Erosus

Soybean rust, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, was detected on jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) for the first time in the United States in November 2009. The pathogen was observed on leaves of a single, potted jicama plant grown outdoors in a residential area and on leaves of all plants in a 12-m2 demonstration plot located at the Auburn University Teaching Garden in Auburn, AL. Symptoms on the upper leaf surfaces were isolated chlorotic areas near the leaf edges in the lower part of the canopy. The abaxial surface was first observed to exhibit brown lesions and subsequently produced volcano-shaped uredinia. These symptoms are consistent with a rust previously described on jicama in Mexico (1). Representative symptomatic plant tissue was sent to the USDA National Identification Services (Mycology) Laboratory in Beltsville, MD for diagnostic confirmation at both the Urbana, IL lab and the USDA National Plant Germplasm and Biotechnology Laboratory for DNA testing. From an infected leaf, samples of approximately 5 mm2 were excised from a microscopically observed rust lesion and an apparently noninfected area. Total DNA was purified with the FastDNA Spin Kit (MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH) followed by the E.Z.N.A. MicroElute DNA Clean-Up Kit (Omega Bio-tek, Inc, Doraville, GA) per manufacturer's instructions. Detection of P. pachyrhizi and P. meibomiae DNA was achieved by quantitative PCR using the method of Frederick et al. (2) and a DNA standard of previously prepared P. pachyrhizi spores. The observed rust pustule was found to contain P. pachyrhizi DNA in excess of 28,000 genomes, while no P. pachyrhizi DNA was observed from the asymptomatic sample. Both samples were negative for P. meibomiae. The fungal structures present were confirmed to be Phakopsora spp. DNA was extracted from sori aseptically removed from leaves with a Qiagen (Valencia, CA) DNeasy Plant Mini Kit and amplified with primers Ppa1 and NL4. The resulting partial ITS2 and 28S ribosomal RNA sequences were 100% identical to GenBank entry DQ354537 P. pachyrhizi internal transcribed spacer 2 and 28S ribosomal RNA gene, partial sequence. Sequences from jicama from Alabama were deposited in GenBank. Voucher specimens were deposited in the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Fungus Collection (BPI). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the disease on jicama in the United States. References: (1) A. Cárcamo Rodriguez et al. Plant Dis. 90:1260, 2006. (2) R. D. Frederick et al. Phytopathology 92:217, 2002.

Some Fundamental Characteristics of Quality Research

Weed Science ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E. Davis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
High Quality Research ◽  
Large Measure ◽  
Quality Research ◽  
Soviet Academy ◽  
The Soviet Union

“We're Number 1” has become an oft-repeated claim in sports, but agricultural research in the United States must admit to being only a poor Number 2 (9). The Soviet Union exceeds the United States 3.4 to 2.2 in percent of gross national product invested in agricultural research, 60000 to 12000 in numbers of agricultural scientists, and 150000 to 13000 in support personnel (9). Furthermore, agricultural scientists hold eminent positions in the Soviet Union and are regularly admitted to the Soviet Academy of Science, whereas few United States agriculturists are elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences. This disparity is hard to understand in view of the importance of agriculture in the United States. For example, it is anticipated that in 1982 the United States will pay $60 billion for imported oil and that two-thirds of this will be paid for by agricultural exports (6). According to Schultz (8) in his address on socio-economic aspects of agriculture, “the future food supply is dependent in large measure on achievements in agricultural research”. It would appear that accepting second place to the Soviet Union in agricultural research is even more unacceptable than second place in space. This audience does not need to be convinced of the importance of agricultural research. We might, however, profit by enumerating some of the characteristics of a high quality research program. The comments I am going to make are not intended to be all inclusive and are primarily based on my observations of agricultural research in land-grant universities. Most of the comments are, however, equally applicable to other fields of research and to other agencies.

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