Methods are described for rearing large quantities of Ditylenchus dipsaci on alfalfa tissues. Nematodes and alfalfa seed were disinfected and nematodes were reared in quantities sufficient to provide a continuous supply of inoculum for our alfalfa-breeding program. Nematodes reproduced best in darkness at 20-25 C. Cultures reached maximum numbers in 3-6 wk.

We report the complete genome sequence of a viral pathogen detected in alfalfa samples from Sudan and provisionally named alfalfa enamovirus 2 (AEV-2). Based on high nucleotide and amino acid identities, AEV-2 represents a strain of a newly discovered alfalfa enamovirus 1 that has only been described in Argentina.

Induced molting by feed withdrawal has been a common practice in the commercial layer industry and usually involves the removal of feed for a period of up to 14 d. However, this is a practice that is believed to adversely influence the welfare of the hens and there is a need to examine behavioral responses to alternative molt regimens. The behavioral patterns of hens on 90% alfalfa:10% layer ra...

To gain perspective on alfalfa-annual crop rotations in the upper Midwest, USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service cropland data layers and Soil Survey Geographic Database layers were combined for six states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin) and seven years (2006-2012). Soil texture and geographic location both significantly affected the length of the ...

BACKGROUND Feral populations of cultivated crops can pose challenges to novel trait confinement within agricultural landscapes. Simulation models can be helpful in investigating the underlying dynamics of feral populations and determining suitable management options. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We developed a stage-structured matrix population model for roadside feral alfalfa populations o...

Alfalfa sprouts and other seed sprouts have been implicated in numerous outbreaks of salmonellosis. The source of these epidemics appears to have been low-level contamination of seeds by Salmonella bacteria that developed into clinically significant populations during the seed germination process. To test the possibility that Salmonella enterica strains carry host range determinants that allow ...

The presence of the enzyme lipoxidase in alfalfa has been reported (3, 5, 6). However, the properties of this postulated alfalfa lipoxidase are quite different from the well known properties of soybean lipoxidase. Strain (5) showed that the alfalfa enzyme acts on oleic and ricinoleic acids, however it is known that soybean lipoxidase acts only on linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids. -Mitc...

A variety of measures including Relative Feed Value (RFV), Relative Feed Quality (RFQ) and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) have been used to set the value of alfalfa hay for sale. However, components or characteristics of alfalfa in addition to these measures may prove useful in determining the real market and feeding value of alfalfa compared to other feeds.

Two experiments were conducted using 2 ruminally and duodenally fistulated steers to determine the digestibility of undegradable intake protein (UIP) of smooth bromegrass (Bromis inermis), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus coniculatus L.), and heat-treated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) using the mobile nylon bag technique. Undegradable intake protein was determined using neutral detergent insoluble CP at a ...

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most widely cultivated perennial forage legumes worldwide. Fall dormancy is an adaptive character related to the biomass production and winter survival in alfalfa. The physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms causing fall dormancy and the related genes have not been well studied. In this study, we sequenced two standard varieties of alfalfa ...