10 11 Abstract 12 13 Increased efficiency of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use may be achieved with management practices that account for spatial 14 variability in soil properties and temporal variability in climate. In this study, we develop a N management decision model for an 15 irrigated wheat system that incorporates hypothetical diagnostics of soil N and growing season climate. The model is the...

A quantitative PCR procedure targeting the β-tubulin gene determined the number of Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford & Oliveira 1940 in metagenomic DNA samples isolated from soil. Of note, this outcome was in the presence of other soil-dwelling plant parasitic nematodes including its sister genus Helicotylenchus Steiner, 1945. The methodology provides a framework for molecular diagnostics of nem...

A comprehensive management program for urban hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (Carriere) under pressure of Tsugae adelges (Annand) is presented. Hemlock management includes assessment of hemlock condition noting HWA infestation and its impact to tree health, soil and tissue analyses, therapeutic intervention(s), and application of soil amendments to manage environmental stresses. The key to optimizing...

Historically, the diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) (e.g., Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, and Ascaris lumbricoides) has relied on often-insensitive microscopy techniques. Over the past several years, there has been an effort to use molecular diagnostics, particularly quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), to detect...

Soil erosion is one of the vital factors contributing to the loss of fertility and environmental degradation. Generally accepted diagnostics of eroded soils is based on comparison of the sloping soils profile depth with the watershed soils. In this case, there is a separate problem of slope soils with a naturally shortened profile and eroded soils. Formation of the soil’s natura...

A quantitative PCR procedure targeting the Heterodera glycines ortholog of the Caenorhabditis elegans uncoordinated-78 gene was developed. The procedure estimated the quantity of H. glycines from metagenomic DNA samples isolated directly from field soil under agronomic production. The estimation of H. glycines quantity was determined in soil samples having other soil dwelling plant parasitic ne...

Water balance considerations at the soil surface lead to an equation that relates the autocorrelation of soil moisture in climate models to 1) seasonality in the statistics of the atmospheric forcing, 2) the variation of evaporation with soil moisture, 3) the variation of runoff with soil moisture, and 4) correlation between the atmospheric forcing and antecedent soil moisture, as perhaps induc...

The clinical utility of a molecular test rises proportional to a favorable regulatory risk/benefit assessment, and clinical utility is the driver of payer coverage decisions. Although a great deal has been written about clinical utility, debates still center on its 'definition.' We argue that the definition (an impact on clinical outcomes) is self-evident, and improved communications should foc...