tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663071629445222152024-03-05T19:21:04.229-08:00Texas A&M Sorghum Breeding InternshipAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-46236278061851895852014-08-01T15:50:00.000-07:002014-08-01T15:50:28.757-07:00The Internship Ends
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, today is August 1 which means that my internship is
officially ending. The last two months flew by! It seems like last week that
the sorghum was only as high as my knees and we were doing anthracnose inoculations.
Now, some of the sorghum is nearly ten foot tall and it’s like tromping through
the jungle every time we walk into the field. This week we finished up helping
two of our grad students harvest and process their plants and next week begins the
harvesting of all the panicles that we crossed. I can only imagine what that’s
going to be like!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With this last official post of my internship, I wanted to
talk a bit about my thoughts on the whole thing, what my plans are now that it’s
ended, and definitely thank a few people. Firstly, without a doubt this has
been a positive experience. I’ve learned oodles of information about sorghum
and breeding, but also about graduate programs and research itself. I found out
about this program through one of my TAs, Ace, who was a grad student with Dr.
Rooney, and on a whim, I applied. I am so glad I did. Interning here cemented
my love of working outside and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy the science
of it all –what little I’m able to be a part of –enough so that I’m hoping to
possibly do research as a grad student once I graduate in May. Now on to the
thank yous. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Throughout my life I’ve worked many jobs and I’ve interacted
with all kinds of people, but I must say, the quality of people that work in sorghum
breeding here at A&M is tops. There’s not a bad apple in the whole bunch. It’s
rare to find a group like this where everyone is as hardworking and amiable as
they are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYYKkWYLpsQtdDozNCzuvLhHzwe8kdlfiiq6FnCOzQ_C5PjyahMsY5McUp82sTwk1NGh4B71Nmru4ThnnCdjNSPfS6QT6Uop1_1v6LaZ1nqZ2UTUjYR6b3MK_OVOUkX9Ke0QgxpljwD90/s1600/student+workers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYYKkWYLpsQtdDozNCzuvLhHzwe8kdlfiiq6FnCOzQ_C5PjyahMsY5McUp82sTwk1NGh4B71Nmru4ThnnCdjNSPfS6QT6Uop1_1v6LaZ1nqZ2UTUjYR6b3MK_OVOUkX9Ke0QgxpljwD90/s1600/student+workers.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student workers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being a student worker, I spent most of my time with the
other student workers: Josh, Jon, Zac, and Paul. Without a doubt, these guys
have been a major influence on my opinion of my internship. They made every day
enjoyable and kept me laughing the whole time. Being the only girl in an all-boys
club was odd at first, but these guys are sweet sweet sweet! Not many people
would be down for singing show tunes in the sorghum, but sing they did! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not many people could be so exhausted and sleep
deprived as they are sometimes and still be nothing but kind and friendly. These
guys are gems, each and every one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also had quite a bit of interaction with the grad students:
Bethany, Brian, Ace, Geraldo, Francisco, Luke, and Lloyd. Every one of them is extremely
bright, but at the same time, completely down to earth. Interacting with the
grad students was intimidating at first, but they’re all so friendly and they’ve
been great about answering any questions that I may have. They put up with me
when I had no idea what I was doing (which was all the time at the beginning)
and were more than willing to help me out when they could. Also, it’s been a
wonderful opportunity for me to see the day in and day out of what it means to
be a grad student. They’re all passionate about what they’re doing and if you
even hint that you’d like to know more about their project, they’re happy to
explain –it’s clear that they enjoy what they do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next on my list of shout outs are Leo, our post-doc, and
Steve, our technician and jack of all trades. Without these two, the lab would
fall to pieces. Between the two of them, anything can be fixed, built, or invented.
They’re an integral part of the lab.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vickie, the secretary and secretly the boss, somehow keeps
everything at the lab running smoothly. I have no idea how she does it, but she
manages to keep everything and everyone in line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next comes Delroy, our senior research associate and one of
my favorite people! He was actually the one who I interviewed with and for some
unknown reason, he decided to hire me, a horticulture major with no previous farming
history, who can’t even drive a standard transmission, and had no idea what sorghum
was… brave man. Delroy is really the backbone of the whole program. He’s been with
sorghum breeding for quite some time and is the person I report to –he’s in
charge of student workers. Delroy is probably the kindest person I’ve ever met
and has made my time with the sorghum program wonderful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And last, but certainly not least, the commander-in-chief,
Dr. Bill Rooney. He’s the director of sorghum breeding here at A&M and is the
supreme being of this program. I was extremely intimidated by him at first; Dr.
Rooney is absolutely brilliant and is very well-known in this field. However,
he’s also one of the sweetest, down-to-earth people I know. I’ve never had a
boss who cared so much about the people who worked for him and who would sit
down and chew the fat while play dominos with everyone during the lunch hour.
All of his students are very loyal to him and for good reason. Dr. Rooney is a
huge part of why my internship was so enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve met so many outstanding people during my time here. It’s
been a blessing and a privilege to work alongside these guys and I’ve
definitely made friendships that will long outlast my internship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylVsNiqm5qY6B1dHZ3sdS3Cy4fWfHXMUAvcpZraEioQPm_S2S5OLrimvmcQk4lBoY9ityXZB9VWxhJmp9D2w1VmuB1YJPu8ETV85Jp9B_6hNXDQ0CCzAmBhRVRJnQalwSj3fNeNDoFrgI/s1600/June+2014+Sorghumville+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylVsNiqm5qY6B1dHZ3sdS3Cy4fWfHXMUAvcpZraEioQPm_S2S5OLrimvmcQk4lBoY9ityXZB9VWxhJmp9D2w1VmuB1YJPu8ETV85Jp9B_6hNXDQ0CCzAmBhRVRJnQalwSj3fNeNDoFrgI/s1600/June+2014+Sorghumville+(2).jpg" height="187" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorghumville</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although the internship is finished, the work is not; we’re
right in the middle of harvesting so we have lots to do and not very much time
to do it. I’ll continue to work with this program throughout the rest of the
summer as well as for my senior year. Also, I’ve decided to keep the blog up
for the rest of the season –at least until we’ve harvested everything. It only makes
sense to continue until the end so that those who have kept up with what we’ve
been doing here in sorghum breeding can see the whole progression of things
from start to finish. Check back soon for an update on harvesting!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWCr4RQkYAJ76hZFdfXAjrw0k1Nsnm9kuwURFdITYq0nq89vSk8LiSOnuA2xLEroVmPeLVFi6KyHP39yn3sQN5lCyfrky4HVg95jJAk9Zxi7EWEaSWaYiMUl4dQErHt-zw4Q-VgrkaPYg/s1600/Me.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWCr4RQkYAJ76hZFdfXAjrw0k1Nsnm9kuwURFdITYq0nq89vSk8LiSOnuA2xLEroVmPeLVFi6KyHP39yn3sQN5lCyfrky4HVg95jJAk9Zxi7EWEaSWaYiMUl4dQErHt-zw4Q-VgrkaPYg/s1600/Me.PNG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gig 'em!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-6674485649929923632014-07-31T16:02:00.000-07:002014-07-31T16:02:01.395-07:00Analyzing Samples
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every day for two weeks now, we’ve been harvesting with two
of our graduate students. Each day we process anywhere from 300 to 1000 plants
(check out my post called The Harvest Begins for details) and ultimately, after
the tests are done and the data is recorded, the plants –or parts of the plants
–are put into paper bags, marked with the test and plot number, and then stored
in a dryer. They stay there for around five days and then the fun begins… The
fate of all the dried samples is to be crushed into a powder then analyzed. This
involves a two-step process: grinding and scanning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMOG-RYBYZBAPxG5jagqmGLpB6HA-Pw9uQDWmgZBmXR2RWbOg4t1hyphenhyphenRnxyFv3KZ9i-lGOuC8Nc49T1GMN_u3y0_AeVTaz2l3w_A1odsrUgCIvEBjmI7-Vi-03bIpFGPW7R97x8DwjKdU0/s1600/wiley+mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMOG-RYBYZBAPxG5jagqmGLpB6HA-Pw9uQDWmgZBmXR2RWbOg4t1hyphenhyphenRnxyFv3KZ9i-lGOuC8Nc49T1GMN_u3y0_AeVTaz2l3w_A1odsrUgCIvEBjmI7-Vi-03bIpFGPW7R97x8DwjKdU0/s1600/wiley+mill.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiley mill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To grind the samples down into the powder that will be
scanned, we use a Wiley mill. Basically, rough pieces of the dried plants are
put into a hopper on the top of the mill which leads to a chamber where
rotating blades collide with stationary blades. The sample is pulverized
between the blades and the ground up plant can then fall through a screen plate
at the bottom of chamber and is collected in a receptacle below. After the
sample is ground, it is stored in a plastic container to await scanning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grinding is one of the necessary evils of my job and
probably the task that I enjoy the least. It’s loud and it’s hot. Also it’s
just the nature of the beast that while the mill is grinding, the powder gets
kicked up into the air. To prevent breathing it all in, we do wear respirators.
However, because the room isn’t air-conditioned, you’re covered from head to
foot in sweat –which of course the powder adheres to. It can definitely get
unpleasant, especially since the powder-sweat combo is irritating to the skin.
Like I said, very unpleasant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next step in the process is scanning. We use a
near-infrared scanner to analyze the ground up samples. Basically, the NIR
scanner emits near-infrared light which hits the sample and is both transmitted
and reflected. The machine is able to detect how the light acts and can then
report the composition of the sample. This is done for each of the samples that
we take. For more detail on how this works exactly, you can check out this pdf
done by the genetics group here at A&M: </span><a href="http://maizeandgenetics.tamu.edu/SethCMurray/Teaching/Lectures/NIRS%20class%20V3.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://maizeandgenetics.tamu.edu/SethCMurray/Teaching/Lectures/NIRS%20class%20V3.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRvKoxqP3Gg-IhNDxZh_V4s-Embp3S_57bi13k7n19OwNDZRoTQmFIE68P7cgyZ11p1t4fA-ZnH14QG6aPd-tliXPQJ4Ed6vByUVtis9dXFLHZhmlH4x7Ka3dUYwgO2K3CACaLXk_1CVQ/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRvKoxqP3Gg-IhNDxZh_V4s-Embp3S_57bi13k7n19OwNDZRoTQmFIE68P7cgyZ11p1t4fA-ZnH14QG6aPd-tliXPQJ4Ed6vByUVtis9dXFLHZhmlH4x7Ka3dUYwgO2K3CACaLXk_1CVQ/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NIR room</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Scanning, unlike grinding, is for the most part an easy and
pleasant job albeit a repetitive one. The sample is loaded into a round disk
that is glass on the bottom. It’s then placed in the scanner for it to do its
magic. And that’s pretty much it, other than making sure to clean the disks
properly and not leave smudges on the glass surface.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, my internship is almost over, August 1 is the official
last day. Check back to see my final post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References</span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiley_mill"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiley_mill</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.thomassci.com/wileymill"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.thomassci.com/wileymill</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://maizeandgenetics.tamu.edu/SethCMurray/Teaching/Lectures/NIRS%20class%20V3.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://maizeandgenetics.tamu.edu/SethCMurray/Teaching/Lectures/NIRS%20class%20V3.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-infrared_spectroscopy#Theory"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-infrared_spectroscopy#Theory</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-23962659654156768192014-07-28T16:07:00.000-07:002014-07-28T16:07:47.813-07:00Counting Seed
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Texas weather is so finicky. We’d gone quite a while without
any rain –long enough that it became necessary to irrigate our fields –and then
in one night, we got rains of biblical proportions. Luckily, the rain came
before we really started harvesting, so it wasn’t crucial to get out into the
field. Instead, we spent the next day in the lab catching up on other tasks
that needed to get done. As we harvest, the plants will get processed and
analyzed in a variety of ways. The biomass that is collected will be grinded
down into a powder that is then scanned using a near-infrared scanner, which
gives the composition of the sample. The panicles are threshed to separate the
seed from the stem and are then packaged and stored from for the next planting
(I’ll go into greater detail about these processes in my next post). </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGOjK7ILUbhV1Ai0hRXlP0aFN-8IrStaHhkNm_DBAoISGck5BgWZUIiiY3xBMuIjFvK3uX3VQ6jAiyNYy91gFuLxbFCgNvgkvms1SgQ4qQalNQS5iZ72nsP2YpiX5ZFn9ZjZj6klFeh_H/s1600/seed+counter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGOjK7ILUbhV1Ai0hRXlP0aFN-8IrStaHhkNm_DBAoISGck5BgWZUIiiY3xBMuIjFvK3uX3VQ6jAiyNYy91gFuLxbFCgNvgkvms1SgQ4qQalNQS5iZ72nsP2YpiX5ZFn9ZjZj6klFeh_H/s1600/seed+counter.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seed counter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_ANeT0hAfAt70F5UycdqvbOSNLESGRfqjjTFkiZtYAqj2MpUGY2IuLPYC8a61BLZckkg3WnRaTEn7tTndSUGgc0hcjY-iWd8mFLHY1gvY521pPMopaG5DspT4-ai_MH2RWCBVyNUgHNf/s1600/machine+settings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_ANeT0hAfAt70F5UycdqvbOSNLESGRfqjjTFkiZtYAqj2MpUGY2IuLPYC8a61BLZckkg3WnRaTEn7tTndSUGgc0hcjY-iWd8mFLHY1gvY521pPMopaG5DspT4-ai_MH2RWCBVyNUgHNf/s1600/machine+settings.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjbPmm8wqHHh5_kG4Z0ZJP9CnZtYZtBpZZoYtmOM89F6N5lj3I7F_yqDZdHAI-wUjMTq12VK2Mu5FE-JLFN0OJhYZiK8GiUY-2jaHvGm0BkdGzLJUY2mfgzYtImYMUgtTgc3_VoqKR_OW/s1600/bowl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjbPmm8wqHHh5_kG4Z0ZJP9CnZtYZtBpZZoYtmOM89F6N5lj3I7F_yqDZdHAI-wUjMTq12VK2Mu5FE-JLFN0OJhYZiK8GiUY-2jaHvGm0BkdGzLJUY2mfgzYtImYMUgtTgc3_VoqKR_OW/s1600/bowl.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I myself was counting seed for a graduate student. It’s not
nearly as bad as it sounds! We have a machine that makes counting by hand a
thing of the past. The seed counter has a bowl with an inclined plane that
winds around the inside. The bowl vibrates which works the seed up around the
inclined plane and into a chute from which the seed is counted and then falls
into an envelope at the bottom. It’s a nifty contraption because it can be set
to only allow a certain amount of seed to drop into each envelope. It’s simple,
but the seed counter saves a lot of time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Check back soon to see what we’ll be getting up to in the
next few weeks. We’ve already begun harvesting, but soon the load will increase
exponentially as we work to harvest all the panicles that we placed bags on
earlier in the season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-76262238981955939222014-07-23T16:11:00.001-07:002014-07-23T16:11:22.126-07:00Taking Notes
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgUm0kbPvy1B0ducRbxsbJodgH1_HPvcHF2vacU8bNJusEZswTYZAZXA41-JbhsdEjyylh89vcbyhrebPgS-lpVHpyfYQ9dN6IzmTQFtYm9fE4K9piENuKgpUISyXoUlAhye30ASyTs2X/s1600/exertion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgUm0kbPvy1B0ducRbxsbJodgH1_HPvcHF2vacU8bNJusEZswTYZAZXA41-JbhsdEjyylh89vcbyhrebPgS-lpVHpyfYQ9dN6IzmTQFtYm9fE4K9piENuKgpUISyXoUlAhye30ASyTs2X/s1600/exertion.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exertion: flag leaf to panicle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Being a
breeding program, naturally part of the job is to take phenotypic notes on the
plants as they grow, everything from days till flowering to how much head smut
is found in a plot. As a student worker, I’ve helped take some of the notes,
mostly quantitative data, which will then be analyzed later. The majority of
the notes that I helped with were of the height and exertion of the plant.
Taking the height is as simple as it sounds: we use a height stick with inches
to measure several plants within the plot, then take an average. Exertion is
measured from the flag leaf to a notch right below the panicle. The exertion,
which is also measured in inches, is a bit harder to take, simply because the
plants in a plot can vary significantly. The more experienced you get at taking
notes, the faster it becomes at judging an average for the plot. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This was
done for most of the plots in our fields. It’s a very easy process, but with so
many plots, it took quite a while to get it all done. What seemed to work the
most efficiently was to pair up so that one person actually measured the plants
and then shouted out numbers while the other recorded the data. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtRc4ZgqFkKU1wYXPxLlTY3XBcCg2Xn16fjNwEbqHcNYqTAszcq-4jxMllDZ6hyphenhyphenPDoWOAyJii_W8aTrOJzbjHcoX7Nsjuz2qjWjs_mPxWr6d_i-hgs89lIm80tZb8uGN-QLEYHHhRz5PD/s1600/smut.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtRc4ZgqFkKU1wYXPxLlTY3XBcCg2Xn16fjNwEbqHcNYqTAszcq-4jxMllDZ6hyphenhyphenPDoWOAyJii_W8aTrOJzbjHcoX7Nsjuz2qjWjs_mPxWr6d_i-hgs89lIm80tZb8uGN-QLEYHHhRz5PD/s1600/smut.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head Smut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We also
took notes in our fields in Corpus Christi, which I was able to help with. We
did the usual height and exertion notes, but we also took notes on the
percentage of head smut in the plots. Head smut, like sorghum downy mildew, is
a fungus. It attacks the panicle and has a very distinctive look. The fungus
forms an enlarged, black, powdery-looking mass, so it’s definitely not hard to
tell if a plot is susceptible or resistant. Taking smut notes, like height and
exertion, becomes faster as you go along and within two days we were able to
take notes on both the fields that we needed to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Check in
soon for my next post. Until next time, thanks and gig ‘em!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-58880761247105101852014-07-18T18:55:00.002-07:002014-07-18T18:55:55.329-07:00The Harvest Begins!
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
week I had the opportunity to work with a graduate student collecting data for
his project. Phenotypic data for energy lines needs to be collected in large
amounts, which means the graduate students will need all the workforce they can
get. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with everything in agriculture
it seems, there are time restraints on pretty much everything that has to be
done for the rest of this season, and from now till the end of harvest, we will
be working our tails off to make sure it all gets done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT3y1ujTVf8nJpEqtyCJeQuFv6YoN7cWqpEFDtBbeu7XVNMgrqNh0CAIc-5D2jsypJfBTJl0811qU03dntVgQ_HVSZP4keveqBUQGlJQ2yQ4_B0BrdHPqm3A3nUa9IjJSgVYFdSRBCfoE/s1600/plants+on+the+floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT3y1ujTVf8nJpEqtyCJeQuFv6YoN7cWqpEFDtBbeu7XVNMgrqNh0CAIc-5D2jsypJfBTJl0811qU03dntVgQ_HVSZP4keveqBUQGlJQ2yQ4_B0BrdHPqm3A3nUa9IjJSgVYFdSRBCfoE/s1600/plants+on+the+floor.JPG" height="200" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripping the plants of their leaves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For the
past few days now, I’ve been working with a graduate who is doing research on
lodging resistance. Each day, we take plants from around 80 of his plots and collect
the data that he needs for his research. We’ve been starting at 6:00 am, just
as the sun is beginning to rise here in College Station. For each of the eighty
plots that were being harvested, 3 plants were selected and chopped down at the
base (our grad student chose which plants he wanted). The plants were then
tagged with the plot number, zip-tied together, loaded on the truck, and taken
back to the Borlaug Center for processing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrtJaN6Nx_5mpelKxmsYlYOfkk6nTosx__6PObejPgdjhWAvq2oHLMo54sQPxHt60KMoOdH2F9Ndl7-KSVBNsPMmMMEffWnve2ghmHhGRcYVLKRBrYsWn4HpHeBrKkHMGAwPM_7Aar4PX/s1600/plants+on+the+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrtJaN6Nx_5mpelKxmsYlYOfkk6nTosx__6PObejPgdjhWAvq2oHLMo54sQPxHt60KMoOdH2F9Ndl7-KSVBNsPMmMMEffWnve2ghmHhGRcYVLKRBrYsWn4HpHeBrKkHMGAwPM_7Aar4PX/s1600/plants+on+the+table.JPG" height="200" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking measurements</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
procedure for processing each plant was simple: the leaves were removed from
the stem so that the stalk was all that remained. The length of the stalk was
then measured and the maturity of the panicle assessed. Next, the third,
fourth, and fifth internodes were measured –the length and diameter –and the
rest of the plant, with the exception of those select pieces, was removed. The
internodes were then cut apart and weighed individually and put onto a mechanical
device that would test the force required to bend and break them. Finally, the
pieces were placed in a bag, weighed again, and put into a dryer to be grinded
down later on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1smtuLZeDW7CkFy9i0T3-gAbQcL_xhIx4gwIWLi2Y5nONI_c36gwKO7cUrjNhzz9vULKnSrEl9XHFgmxNNNsCoGZqK_y4SqLasFrembAjWEmNiXiFDXDif7G-ocdYvZRffGc88CceN8eK/s1600/internodes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1smtuLZeDW7CkFy9i0T3-gAbQcL_xhIx4gwIWLi2Y5nONI_c36gwKO7cUrjNhzz9vULKnSrEl9XHFgmxNNNsCoGZqK_y4SqLasFrembAjWEmNiXiFDXDif7G-ocdYvZRffGc88CceN8eK/s1600/internodes.JPG" height="200" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internodes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There
was quite a few of us, so we were able to set up an assembly line of sorts. By
the end, we were working like a well-oiled machine. My job everyday has been to
record the data as it was being collected, partly because I can write fast and
mainly because I can write legibly. After so many hours of having a steady flow
of numbers fired off for me to record, I may go to sleep counting internodes
instead of sheep!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Working
where I do, I come in contact with Masters and PhD students on a daily basis.
It’s an awesome opportunity for me because I’m able to have a behind-the-scenes
look at what it means to be a graduate student here at A&M, and the grad
students in the sorghum breeding program are some of the best around. They’re
all extremely intelligent and willing to answer any questions I have about
their projects or sorghum in general. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to work
alongside these guys and I learn a ton from them every day!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-75761056608891911962014-07-13T12:53:00.000-07:002014-07-13T12:53:08.449-07:00Hosting SICNA
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Recently,
I had the opportunity to help host the 2014 SICNA convention which was held at
the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension station in Corpus Christi and which
was organized this year by Dr. Bill Rooney, my boss and the director of the
sorghum program here at A&M. SICNA, the Sorghum Improvement Conference of
North America, is dedicated to sorghum development and research in cooperation
with universities, the USDA, and the private sector.¹ Close to 100 people attended
the conference and represented several different institutions including Texas
A&M and Texas AgriLife, Kansas State University, Monsanto, Pioneer,
NexSteppe, the USDA, and the Sorghum Checkoff.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqptxSTIso5-rKsV77P-HjWOcfP7zjG_i4L9apkWNDCqpUV8KTe57da9GU46uFx-CdSejknOVS5YBuqMbDhQn5zRhNPfEIqnbEu9JZdFrlMV5YcYl417fF3cu_yuWpszvnwi_EGTtJg5yE/s1600/SICNA+set+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqptxSTIso5-rKsV77P-HjWOcfP7zjG_i4L9apkWNDCqpUV8KTe57da9GU46uFx-CdSejknOVS5YBuqMbDhQn5zRhNPfEIqnbEu9JZdFrlMV5YcYl417fF3cu_yuWpszvnwi_EGTtJg5yE/s1600/SICNA+set+up.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A display at SICNA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For the
most part, my responsibilities included helping with registration, refreshments,
and the meals, but I did have the opportunity to meet some of the bigwigs and sit
in on some of the talks. Two of the hot topics in sorghum these days are sugarcane
aphids and sorghum downy mildew. I was able to hear talks on both subjects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In case
you may be wondering just what a sugarcane aphid is, it is a very tiny, soft
bodied insect that uses its piercing-sucking mouthpart to drink from the
vascular tissue of the plant. As you can imagine, this isn’t good news for the
plant it’s infesting. Sugarcane aphids are usually located on the lower leaves
of sorghum, but on a heavily infested plant, they can be as high up as the
panicle.² Not only do they suck the juices out of the plant, as they drink they
exude sticky honeydew from their abdomens. This honeydew is often times a
breeding ground for black, sooty mold. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCGg59rdC-VsxR5chJv0-uBwhSl8Y9wlYxVxO_fWs5ag9lXhRe9XT03aFhSC48qTO3NHT_-qMgmep-PUUlPL-JV1TNo2fUiKV_qwZvgjmuf-qe-Bo0NMob5g7VEp0UJgLw1ormHLehKRb/s1600/sugarcane-aphid-comp-texas-03112014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCGg59rdC-VsxR5chJv0-uBwhSl8Y9wlYxVxO_fWs5ag9lXhRe9XT03aFhSC48qTO3NHT_-qMgmep-PUUlPL-JV1TNo2fUiKV_qwZvgjmuf-qe-Bo0NMob5g7VEp0UJgLw1ormHLehKRb/s1600/sugarcane-aphid-comp-texas-03112014.jpg" height="145" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aphids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dr. Raul
Villanueva, an A&M assistant professor and extension specialist in Weslaco,
Texas, gave a talk about the phenology and control of aphids in the Valley.³ In
his talk, he discussed the tremendous damage that aphids caused on sorghum in
2013. They reported up to 50% losses in some areas. Because of this, the EPA
granted a Section 18 Emergency Exemption which allowed for the use of Transform
WG (an insecticide not marketed for sorghum) to be used on sorghum.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">⁴</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
Dr. Michael Brewer, an A&M assistant professor working in field crop
entomology, elaborated on the use of Transform WG -as well as economic
thresholds and IPM (integrated pest management) in sorghum. Both Dr. Villanueva
and Dr. Brewer reported that the use of Transform WG on sorghum decreased the
aphid populations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahwbjzMelwIOAGT-6reqQ5AKaGoJD08mhPwSb1AaVdoeDyKRXs7SCQsn_KZ5HJI0mMNQuHjIHNK2d1Zdt11DcTCira0rkDeg-IKeXwXJFbpvmNCqkwmpywx6g-xwT_qkoDC1OGZIBdy7a/s1600/sorghum+downy+mildew.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahwbjzMelwIOAGT-6reqQ5AKaGoJD08mhPwSb1AaVdoeDyKRXs7SCQsn_KZ5HJI0mMNQuHjIHNK2d1Zdt11DcTCira0rkDeg-IKeXwXJFbpvmNCqkwmpywx6g-xwT_qkoDC1OGZIBdy7a/s1600/sorghum+downy+mildew.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorghum Downy Mildew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sorghum
Downy Mildew was the next topic on the agenda. Dr. Gary Odvody, an A&M
associate professor of plant pathology, gave a talk about the history of this
disease in Texas and its current status. Sorghum Downy Mildew (SDM) is caused
by <u>Peronosclerospora</u> <u>sorghi</u>, a fungus. The symptoms can be
systemic or local. With a systemic infection, the whole plant is affected. In
such a case, the leaves would have white striping down their length and would
be narrow and shredded. In a severe case, the plant may not form a panicle or
may die. Plant also may only have local lesions that come in the form of dark
spots on the leaves. Local lesions aren’t detrimental to yield.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">⁶</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In his
talk, Dr. Odvody stated that SDM was first observed in 1958 around the College
Station and Beeville area. From then on, SDM has been an issue with sorghum,
due in part to its ability to overwinter in the soil for up to two years and
also because of the agricultural practice of monocultures. However, there are fungicide
treatments for SDM; the most commonly used is metalaxyl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A good
portion of the information that was discussed in the talks was above my head,
but I was very pleased to be able to listen in anyway. Having been able to hear
about what is currently going on with sorghum and meet the people who are
directly involved with it gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for
what we are doing in our own fields. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Each day
I learn a little more about sorghum and plant breeding, and each day I come
home loving my job even more! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">References<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>¹ <a href="http://sicna.net/"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://sicna.net/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>² <a href="http://nueces.agrilife.org/files/2014/05/Sugarcane-Aphid-Publication.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://nueces.agrilife.org/files/2014/05/Sugarcane-Aphid-Publication.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>³ <a href="http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/villanueva-raul/"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/villanueva-raul/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">⁴</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-emergency-exemptions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">⁵</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> http://entomology.tamu.edu/people/brewer-mike/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">⁶</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://amarillo.tamu.edu/files/2010/11/sorghum_downymildew.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://amarillo.tamu.edu/files/2010/11/sorghum_downymildew.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">⁷</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://www.dowagro.com/en-us/usag/product-solution-finder/insecticides/transformwg"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.dowagro.com/en-us/usag/product-solution-finder/insecticides/transformwg</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">⁸http://agfax.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarcane-aphid-comp-texas-03112014.jpg</span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-83601405942600334632014-07-01T18:22:00.001-07:002014-07-01T18:22:29.232-07:00Crossing Sorghum
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Summer is without a doubt here! Temperatures are on the
rise, even with the rains that we received last week. The fields are looking
great after those showers, though, and irrigating still hasn’t been an issue,
whoo hoo! Summer has also brought with it an increase in the bug populations.
The sorghum is teeming with all sorts of insects –everything from ladybugs and
gnats, to spiders, worms, and grasshoppers of every shape, size, and color.
Luckily, the mosquito population has stayed low *knock on wood* and I’m praying
it remains so. Now on to the meat of the post.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeZdXuHy0HoPSAp_eVfZFmWEvUDkaremwQC7PgY8VVl9V_kRrMIs85LJ50HM1CGJ0sQZ5floz1BONHydRls9wxE3RjcnnMC1q2yJeMkmRarKzoGg63K_HHR12YKOU2uFuhw7Xfc_DPlmY/s1600/paired+rows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeZdXuHy0HoPSAp_eVfZFmWEvUDkaremwQC7PgY8VVl9V_kRrMIs85LJ50HM1CGJ0sQZ5floz1BONHydRls9wxE3RjcnnMC1q2yJeMkmRarKzoGg63K_HHR12YKOU2uFuhw7Xfc_DPlmY/s1600/paired+rows.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paired rows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For weeks now the focus of everyday has been on bagging and crossing
in two of our fields (check out my last post for details on bagging). The
females have been bagged at tip flowering in preparation of crossing.
Approximately 3-5 days after bagging, the females will have flowered down and
are ready to receive pollen from the males. In some of the tests (the ones I’ve
mainly been working in) the rows are done in male and female pairs. The process
of crossing is simple: find a male with pollen and shake the panicle into a
pollinating bag –we’ve used black striped bags to signify crossing. Then,
remove an appropriately dated bag from a corresponding female, place the
crossing bag over it, and shake it to distribute the pollen over the panicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sh_N40i6twjcxYBdHfWXClzA0k6RRos6KKc_0stxpGr2MoluGFTAdW_rLPztBuSu3bmhdXW5Uy5bl-iScTKmmcejlXDVCXFqzZ0LUENLXwmaqcM68XW58_6X88tB5UbSWbPRJccBy3Oo/s1600/pollen+in+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sh_N40i6twjcxYBdHfWXClzA0k6RRos6KKc_0stxpGr2MoluGFTAdW_rLPztBuSu3bmhdXW5Uy5bl-iScTKmmcejlXDVCXFqzZ0LUENLXwmaqcM68XW58_6X88tB5UbSWbPRJccBy3Oo/s1600/pollen+in+bag.JPG" height="400" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollen (yellow powder)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lFZ1i6WZFaUv-aecZGl6LkjfKAwiIkHps0k05TsHOZrldxDCrCPMJ3XNkCBuY8qaYhZAKzzC0bMxeMq8RmrhQ86ukO_f9uSy4ntkGOg2ltXTg1WSxpenZt_Sl8wxxajRKslbzPTgcTBb/s1600/half+pollen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lFZ1i6WZFaUv-aecZGl6LkjfKAwiIkHps0k05TsHOZrldxDCrCPMJ3XNkCBuY8qaYhZAKzzC0bMxeMq8RmrhQ86ukO_f9uSy4ntkGOg2ltXTg1WSxpenZt_Sl8wxxajRKslbzPTgcTBb/s1600/half+pollen.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollen is available</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZAeYLYVOEdeAl9h99yPbUBm6X7m8hAf2ws5bZa2wTgOzKX99T_T3PqmUFhyphenhyphenLX2lwIpr53-UcGqsRg4CtpNokH-dsVuQsk5VMObZC5hXMVubshF4gW4Y3NQqoVRacrX9Ux1gKDf_X1R3t/s1600/no+pollen+left.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZAeYLYVOEdeAl9h99yPbUBm6X7m8hAf2ws5bZa2wTgOzKX99T_T3PqmUFhyphenhyphenLX2lwIpr53-UcGqsRg4CtpNokH-dsVuQsk5VMObZC5hXMVubshF4gW4Y3NQqoVRacrX9Ux1gKDf_X1R3t/s1600/no+pollen+left.JPG" height="200" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No pollen left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can tell if a male has pollen by flicking the head. If
it does, a yellowish cloud will be released. Also, just by looking at the
panicle, yellow anthers usually indicate that pollen is present and
orange/brown anthers mean that the pollen was already shed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each day, new females become available (the females that
were bagged 3-5 days previously). However, sometimes the males and females
aren’t ready at the time. In such an instance, they say that the nick is off.
In a perfect world, though, in the fields I’ve been working in, 25 females per
plot would get crossed and one female would be left as a sterility check. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The heaviest crossing has been done and things have wound
down considerably. It all has to be done by July 4, so we will be finished with
crossing very soon! Next post I’ll discuss my trip to Corpus Christi in which I
helped with the Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America. Till then,
thanks and gig ‘em!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmXl_hbjPhWQCiHcy8RPjLr6D-32pqLeqnU-e6yT-CeGli-JKm3KiGRyd21J2SfvWSOY-gd7iH3NOf5U6nC2XHNDAH024VK_I7XS0l2a0UIqeNAeNVm4mACvy9CDavNiJBx8ra8wmu9QL/s1600/pollinating+bags+in+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmXl_hbjPhWQCiHcy8RPjLr6D-32pqLeqnU-e6yT-CeGli-JKm3KiGRyd21J2SfvWSOY-gd7iH3NOf5U6nC2XHNDAH024VK_I7XS0l2a0UIqeNAeNVm4mACvy9CDavNiJBx8ra8wmu9QL/s1600/pollinating+bags+in+field.JPG" height="400" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crossing block</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-87365577547612931372014-06-19T15:29:00.001-07:002014-06-19T15:32:27.609-07:00Heads Up! -Sorghum Panicle Bagging<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">All is well in the land of sorghum. Temperatures
have increased along with the workload, but I’m still happy to go to work every
morning! College Station has gotten a small bit of rain lately, but if we don’t
get some showers soon, we may be looking at irrigating in the future. In the
field, most of the sorghum has finished up its vegetative growth and is now
focusing on reproduction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE0EbW1OnZU0DYxVwMV4AtXtNL0YBA6ACm7yIGhpdZWlz14fbJpT7NMWE4j0KAnE6QItl9uKLTE9RFgauhdO0k0bwRSM8d3zQd3QnyiNqbzDUsqOdJVjicEmDWvlMAvrKrXQ8mmOSYxjA/s1600/panicle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE0EbW1OnZU0DYxVwMV4AtXtNL0YBA6ACm7yIGhpdZWlz14fbJpT7NMWE4j0KAnE6QItl9uKLTE9RFgauhdO0k0bwRSM8d3zQd3QnyiNqbzDUsqOdJVjicEmDWvlMAvrKrXQ8mmOSYxjA/s1600/panicle.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorghum panicle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The heads (called the panicles) have emerged on most
of the plots and are beginning to flower. It’s at this point that we treat the
sorghum differently depending on the test being conducted. In general, we put
pollinating bags on the panicles so that the maturing head will be fertilized
only by what we want. This is important for sorghum because it is wind
pollinated and in a strong wind, pollen can be carried up to a fourth of a mile.
The pollination bags that we use are brown paper with a variety of different
colored stripes and are designed to withstand the elements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Up till now, bagging has been split into selfing and
female bagging. For selfing plots, we bag panicles as they emerge from the boot
but before they reach the flowering stage. Depending on the test, we bag
anywhere from four to twenty-five heads per plot and any color bag is
acceptable. With selfing blocks, after they’ve been bagged, that’s that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S2dLmAjE7E9Wm0QTn51PK89S-M4rMbhapysOr2367f6up7g3xXr356OHiqEnw1yt_Wb_5X0ybmdorTyzVjYT-mNy-pNYTZuRz_84X3YF9XiaHowZBENph7MM-pbwx1Xyx-E1hMdquQrb/s1600/female+bag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S2dLmAjE7E9Wm0QTn51PK89S-M4rMbhapysOr2367f6up7g3xXr356OHiqEnw1yt_Wb_5X0ybmdorTyzVjYT-mNy-pNYTZuRz_84X3YF9XiaHowZBENph7MM-pbwx1Xyx-E1hMdquQrb/s1600/female+bag.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female bag for June 12th</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Female rows are handled a bit differently. I should
point out too, that in some areas of the field, the rows alternate between male
and female (the reasoning for this will become clearer once I explain crossing
in the next post). In these female rows, we bag panicles that have reached tip
flowering, meaning only the very end has fully matured. The tip is removed and
a plain brown bag with the date written on it is placed over the head and
stapled with a single fold. These bags remain on the panicles until it’s time
to cross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">You may be thinking “Is this really important enough
to devote a whole post to?” And the answer is without a doubt, yes! Although
this is a simple task, it is vital and consumes most of our time. In a single
morning, we can go through several thousand bags. Every 2-3 days (everyday if
we can) the rows are walked, checking for new panicles that are ready. It’s
tedious sometimes, but the amount of bagging will taper off soon and we can
focus crossing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In my next post (which will be coming sooner than
later hopefully), I’ll explain crossing in finer detail. Till then, catch you on the flip side!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-80628004636127343212014-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:002014-06-09T15:05:17.597-07:00Anthracnose Inoculations<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sorghum is growing rapidly in the field, thanks to the
rains that we had a couple weeks ago. I’ve been amazed at how much progress a
single plant can make in as little as one day’s time, not to mention the
variation of the plots –varying height, leaf widths, even the heads and seed of
the plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not having any prior
experience with sorghum, and really no farming experience either, I learn so
many new things each day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z6VfCDbHjCeetyRCfziAfHe3JJcCCTK_Pb0odeBO0MWTxU2fIezqlu3kYSO_YJAQ1sYNHDU4qahtcGZ4-Ge5A9pdhb_dGc5bPgpSIUAKwrX9SAIShftjOb8xxly6objIqcZNR4aPYm7m/s1600/anthracnose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z6VfCDbHjCeetyRCfziAfHe3JJcCCTK_Pb0odeBO0MWTxU2fIezqlu3kYSO_YJAQ1sYNHDU4qahtcGZ4-Ge5A9pdhb_dGc5bPgpSIUAKwrX9SAIShftjOb8xxly6objIqcZNR4aPYm7m/s1600/anthracnose.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Anthracnose of Sorghum<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><u></u></span><o:p><u><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"></span></u></o:p> </div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One experiment that is being performed this year is testing
for anthracnose resistance. Anthracnose is a fungal disease that is
particularly prevalent in hot, humid areas.¹ It affects the foliage and stems
of the sorghum and can cause severe yield losses.² To test the plants for
resistance we inoculated one of the fields with this pathogen. The fungus is
spread by wind and water, so the past few weeks were ideal for inoculating. To
do this, anthracnose was propagated in lab and then mixed with seed which would
be scattered on healthy sorghum. We walked the field (the plants were close to
waist height by this point) dropping about a tablespoons worth of seed every
few plants, aiming for the whorls of the leaves. It wasn’t necessary to get the
fungus-coated seed in every plant because infection would spread through the
plots as the plants with seed became infected. Now, we just wait for the
anthracnose to do its dirty work.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kGt_XpbbbEQkXG1TcEPQu5UFYeGt9ie7mI39aLrD-S5KZpWAKvQ6Hm2nCoMjZ2gmteAhaKopJEUL4cbhh70vuyBlEkJETYi8CmZkXLVcu2XvBiYPwwDYkTmSduNIKhnZTbhkst5KozgP/s1600/whorl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kGt_XpbbbEQkXG1TcEPQu5UFYeGt9ie7mI39aLrD-S5KZpWAKvQ6Hm2nCoMjZ2gmteAhaKopJEUL4cbhh70vuyBlEkJETYi8CmZkXLVcu2XvBiYPwwDYkTmSduNIKhnZTbhkst5KozgP/s1600/whorl.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whorl of a plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was an adventure, to say the least, trying to traverse
the fields these past few weeks. With all the rain, mud is an obvious and
unavoidable evil. Mud equates to heavy rubber boots and parking far from the
field to prevent the vehicles from getting stuck. For me, it equated to mud-covered
everything, getting my boots trapped in the goopy, quicksand-like substance,
and a few war wounds in the form of blisters. But it also meant cooler
temperatures which is always a plus! In the next few weeks, work is going to
get crazy as we begin crossing, so check back soon for updates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toodles! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">¹http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/27455/anthracnose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">²http://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/food-crops/cereal-crops/grain-sorghum/<u>
</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: black;">*<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><a href="http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1436040"><span style="color: black;">http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1436040</span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566307162944522215.post-10925544643537757592014-06-02T18:27:00.000-07:002014-06-02T18:27:44.083-07:00The Wonderful World of Sorghum: An Overview of my Internship
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Howdy and welcome! My name is
Kathleen Hill and with this first entry, I’d like to give a little background
about myself and the purpose of this blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To begin with, I am a senior
horticulture major at Texas A&M University (Whoop!) with a study emphasis in
fruit and vegetable production and management. I actually came to A&M as a
biomedical sciences student with the intension of becoming a small animal
veterinarian, but plans changed and I ended up in horticulture, and I’ve loved
every minute of it! To those who may be wondering, horticulture, as defined by
Webster’s dictionary, is a branch of agriculture concerned with the cultivation
of garden plants—generally fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamentals.¹ Horticulture
is a broad field with many career possibilities ranging from managing a nursery
to landscaping to floristry to research. I myself am hoping to work for Texas
AgriLife Extension as a county extension agent after graduation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now on to the meat of the post: the
purpose of my blog. This blog will function as a chronicle of my activities as
an intern for Texas AgriLife Research’s Sorghum Breeding Program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSN2hGSHkZA1qNXq5PRFes85UZFUMcHbo45rEn-8BHUPKO3_D_OcoSFAwmhl_S4zqOHxAC9yZgf35JFYZlUjFW-lSOZnyQ22gIPg6o1_1DCt7KH0Pv5zGfQdq3Pe_pQ-6lTXHUHE9bMsO/s1600/blog+1+photo+-sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSN2hGSHkZA1qNXq5PRFes85UZFUMcHbo45rEn-8BHUPKO3_D_OcoSFAwmhl_S4zqOHxAC9yZgf35JFYZlUjFW-lSOZnyQ22gIPg6o1_1DCt7KH0Pv5zGfQdq3Pe_pQ-6lTXHUHE9bMsO/s1600/blog+1+photo+-sign.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Sorghum Breeding!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is sorghum, you might be
asking. It’s a grain, like wheat or corn, that is grown worldwide. Sorghum is
drought and heat tolerant making it an efficient crop. Here in the United
States it’s used mostly as livestock feed and to produce ethanol.² However, use
of sorghum in food products is on the rise because it is naturally gluten-free.
It can also be popped and eaten, like popcorn.³ The sorghum breeding program
focuses on crossing sorghum lines to create genetically superior hybrids. They
are bred for everything from pathogen resistance to higher quality grain to
lodging resistance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IAMJvtgHF_9Zymh4PARw_-hKOy5MxvD6L5PGXiFv8d6hEW_eWk_gKHwOpqQyLHy-V88rWfrxZlXiUcBMSBFS4KaJqYVn74Fa1H3lv8TD4sxEKfLLX6DEHU_mjETmSagEGKJT6L3cM5Nu/s1600/blog+1+photo+-sorghum+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IAMJvtgHF_9Zymh4PARw_-hKOy5MxvD6L5PGXiFv8d6hEW_eWk_gKHwOpqQyLHy-V88rWfrxZlXiUcBMSBFS4KaJqYVn74Fa1H3lv8TD4sxEKfLLX6DEHU_mjETmSagEGKJT6L3cM5Nu/s1600/blog+1+photo+-sorghum+field.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorghum field</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve actually been working for this
program since February as a student worker and up till now my main
responsibilities have been preparing seed to be planted, preparing the field, and
then actually planting the sorghum. The duration of my internship is from June 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
to August 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>, and during that time we will be working with the
sorghum doing a variety of tasks like thinning plots, irrigating the fields,
taking notes, pollinating, and eventually harvesting the grain. I intend to
post weekly about what we’ve been doing so feel free to check back for updates
about my internship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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References:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">¹ </span><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horticulture"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horticulture</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">² </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/31/231509864/heat-drought-draw-farmers-back-to-sorghum-the-camel-of-crops"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/31/231509864/heat-drought-draw-farmers-back-to-sorghum-the-camel-of-crops</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">³ </span><a href="http://sorghumgrowers.com/sorghum-101/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://sorghumgrowers.com/sorghum-101/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02872944029946284781noreply@blogger.com0