This paper discusses issues and requirements associated with the development of a spatial decision support system for the USDA Forest Service. A system was developed which integrates optimization based management planning models using map based representations of the spatial area being analyzed. This system was designed to address the decidedly hierarchical planning environment of the USDA Fore...

Two studies using commercially fed cattle were conducted to determine the relationship of the USDA bone ossification-based maturity system to one based on the number of permanent incisors present at slaughter. These studies showed that 91.5 to 100% of cattle with zero permanent incisors (< 23.8 mo of age), 89.1 to 97.5% of cattle with two permanent incisors (23.8 to 30.4 mo of age), 75 to 82.2%...

In order to monitor the spatial and temporal variations of solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching the Earth surface, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) UV-B monitoring system has been developed to make ground-based measurements of UV-B radiation, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and temperature as well as to provide essential information to the research community, decision mak...

Coeli Hoover, USDA Forest Service (Lead Author) Richard Birdsey, USDA Forest Service (Co‐Lead Author) Bruce Goines, USDA Forest Service Peter Lahm, USDA Forest Service Gregg Marland, Appalachian State University David Nowak, USDA Forest Service Stephen Prisley, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Elizabeth Reinhardt, USDA Forest Service Ken Skog, USDA Forest Service David Skole,...

Strains in Bradyrhizobium japonicum serocluster 123 are the major indigenous competitors for nodulation in a large portion of the soybean production area of the United States. Serocluster 123 is defined by the serotype strains USDA 123, USDA 127, and USDA 129. The objective of the work reported here was to evaluate the ability of two soybean genotypes, PI 377578 and PI 417566, to restrict the n...

Nodulation, acetylene reduction activity, dry matter accumulation, and total nitrogen accumulation by nodulated plants growing in a nitrogen-free culture system were used to compare the symbiotic effectiveness of the fast-growing Rhizobium fredii USDA 191 with that of the slow-growing Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 in symbiosis with five soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars. Measuremen...

Beef carcasses (n = 5,542) were evaluated by three USDA on-line graders and compared with the computed expert USDA quality (QG) and yield grades (YG) during 8-h shifts at a major beef-processing facility for a 2-wk period to evaluate the accuracy of applying USDA QG and YG within the traditional five-grade and the proposed seven-grade (segregating YG 2 and 3 into YG 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B) YG syste...

Recent outbreaks of infection with highly pathogenic H5N1 strains of avian influenza virus in poultry in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East have raised concern over the potential emergence of a pandemic strain that can easily infect humans and cause serious morbidity and mortality. To prevent and control a national outbreak, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts measures based...

Bacterial strains and growth conditions. Fast-growing soybean Rhizobium strains USDA 191, USDA 192, USDA 193, USDA 194, USDA 201, USDA 205, USDA 206, USDA 208, USDA 214, USDA 217, and USDA 257 were isolated from soil or nodules collected in the PRC (20). Slow-growing soybean rhizobium strains PRC 005, PRC 74, PRC 113-2, PRC121-6, PRC 2031, and PRC B15, were oHtained from T. S. Hu, Institute of ...