The objective of these studies was to compare preference for leafy spurge (Euphorbiu es& L.) by sheep and goats. Study 1 was a choice test that paired leafy spurge with either arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata (Pursh)Nutt.) or crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.)Gaertn.) for a 30 minute feeding period. Study 2 consisted of 3 grazing trials on spurgeinfested pastures. Differen...

Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A. nigri...

The first step in flower development is the generation of a floral meristem by the inflorescence meristem. We have analyzed how this process is affected by mutant alleles of the Arabidopsis gene LEAFY. We show that LEAFY interacts with another floral control gene, APETALA1, to promote the transition from inflorescence to floral meristem. We have cloned the LEAFY gene, and, consistent with the m...

Studies were conducted to compare six inoculation methods for preliminary screening of potential fungal biocontrol agents for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The six inoculation methods included 1) applying spore suspensions to surface-disinfested, detached leaves of leafy spurge in petri dishes; 2) applying spore suspensions to untreated, detached leaves of leafy spurge in petri dishes; 3) app...

Leafy spurge, Euphorbia esula L. is an adventive, perennial weed that infests approximately 1.2 million ha of land in North America. It often forms dense stands that displace native vegetation and useful forage plants on rangelands and in riparian habitats. Leafy spurge is a good candidate for detection via remote sensing because the distinctive yellow-green color of its bracts is spectrally un...

LEAFY orthologs are found throughout land plants. Degenerate primers were designed for amplifying exon 3 region fragments of the LEAFY gene. Sixteen taxa from different plants were sampled, all of which were successfully isolated, which indicated that this set of primers is universally applicable for all land plants. With the use of this method, there may be potential for applying LEAFY exon 3 ...

The distribution and abundance of flowering leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) can be determined with hyperspectral remote sensing, but the availability of hyperspectral sensors is limited. Hence, the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETMþ) and System Pour d’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 4 imagery were acquired to test the ability of these sensors to detect leafy spurge. The green:red ba...

Inundative releases of beneÞcial insects are frequently used to suppress pest insects but not commonly attempted as amethod of weed biological control because of the difÞculty in obtaining the required large numbers of insects. The successful establishment of a ßea beetle complex, mixed Aphthona lacertosa (Rosenhauer) and Aphthona nigriscutus Foundras (87 and 13%, respectively), for the control...

Green leafy vegetables (spinach and bathua) and pulses (green pea and bengal gram) are widely consumed and hold an important place in the diet of people of India. Vegetarians who consume a greater amount of vegetables will have a higher intake of oxalate, which may reduce calcium availability. The objectives of this present research were to investigate the effect of different domestic cooking a...

Inundative releases of beneficial insects are frequently used to suppress pest insects but not commonly attempted as a method of weed biological control because of the difficulty in obtaining the required large numbers of insects. The successful establishment of a flea beetle complex, mixed Aphthona lacertosa (Rosenhauer) and Aphthona nigriscutus Foundras (87 and 13%, respectively), for the con...