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2019 Research Symposium:

Program and Abstracts

Friday, May 3, 2019 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

University of Delaware

College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

2019 Research Symposium

Friday, May 3, 2019

Townsend Hall

Symposium Schedule

9:00 a.m. Poster Session I

11:00 a.m. Poster Session II

12:30 p.m. Poster Session III

2:30 p.m. Special Guest Speaker:

Dr. Cathy H. Wu

Director, Data Science Institute

3:00 p.m. Presentation of Awards

A unique strength is an area of selective excellence to which we devote resources such as positions, infrastructure and funding. To make an impact, they must be relevant to the world’s grand challenges 25 years into the future. Today, we’re

making strides in five areas of unique strength: Climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation; Human dimensions of food, agriculture and natural resources; Sustainable food systems, landscapes and ecosystems; Genetics and

genomics for plant, animal and ecosystem improvement; and One Health intersections among animal, plant, human and ecosystem health.

Poster Number

Presenting Author & Program Title Authors

1

Andrew Hill, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Four years of continuous net ecosystem exchange at the surface from forest and lawn within a suburban neighborhood in Baltimore Maryland

Hill, A*; Barba, J; Hom, J; Patterson, M; Vargas, R

2

Jocelyn Wardrup, Master's Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Soil organic carbon data and spatial distribution within tidal wetlands along the Altantic coast from Delmarva to Maine, USA

Wardrup, J*; Guevara, M; Vargas, R

3

Covel McDermot, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

The relative importance of above- and below-ground impacts on red maple physiology and morphology in urban forests: a manipulative field experiment

McDermot, C*; D'Amico, V; Trammell, T

4

Mohammad Afsar, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Colloidal Organic Carbon has a key but an unaccounted role in carbon dynamics in seasonally flooded wetlands

Afsar, M*; Zhang, Y; Vasilas, B; Jin, Y

5

Josep Barba, Postdoctoral Scientist, Plant and Soil Sciences

Spatiotemporal variability of greenhouse gases stem emissions in an upland forest

Barba, J*; Poyatos, R; Capooci, M; Vargas, R

6

Margaret Capooci, Doctoral Student, Water Science and Policy

Patterns and biophysical controls on soil CO2 efflux in a tidal salt marsh using automated measurements Capooci, M*; Vargas, R

Unique Strength: Climate change - impacts, mitigation and adaptation

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Poster Number


7

Lindsey Kelley, Master's Student, Applied Economics and Statistics

The effect of parcel erosion information on legacy pollution investment

Kelley, L E*; Palm-Forster, L; Fleming, P

8

Shiyun Yao, Doctoral Student, Animal and Food Sciences

How to better prevent cross-contamination during fresh produce washing and crisping?

Lipperman, B; Yao, S*; Chen, H

9

Adam Ginn, Master's Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Effect of red light on growth and sporangial development in Phytophthora phaseoli and Phytophthora capsici

Ginn, A*; Mhora, T; Gregory, N; Evans, T; Donofrio, N

10

Sergio Cabrera-Cruz, Doctoral Student, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Nocturnally migrating birds fly higher over urban areas

Cabrera-Cruz, S*; Smolinsky, J; McCarthy, K; Buler, J

11

Victoria Gundlah, Master's Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

The effects of bio inoculants on mitigating arsenic (As) toxicity in tolerant Nipponbare and susceptible IR66 rice varieties during plant development

Gundlah, V*; Bais, H

12

Daniel Bass, Master's Student, Applied Economics and Statistics

How implicit is your bias? An application of the implicit association test

Bass, D*; McFadden, B; Costanigro, M; Messer, K

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Unique Strength: Human dimensions of food, agriculture and natural resources

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Poster Number


13

Lauren Mosesso, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Using stable water isotopes to characterize pathways of subsurface phosphorus loss in a ditch-drained field

Mosesso, L*; Shober, A; Buda, A.; Collick, A; Kennedy, C.; Tingle, S.

14

Julia Parker, Undergraduate Student, Applied Economics and Statistics

Examining consumer preferences for nontraditional water: Group and peer effects

Parker, J*; Savchenko, O; Messer, K

15

Rubait Rahman, Master's Student, Applied Economics and Statistics

Encouraging pro-environmental behavior: Power of testimonials

Rahman, R*; Palm-Forster, L H; Savchenko, O M; Messer, K D

16

Kona Haramoto, Undergraduate Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Susceptibility of soybean bradyrhizobia to lytic phages

Haramoto, K*; Moore, R; Joglekar, P; Richards, V; Kristol, J; Polson, S; Wommack, E; Fuhrmann, J

17

Eric Moore, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Assessing soil N cycling in urban forests under varying levels of non-native plant invasion

Moore, E*; Trammell, T; D'Amico, V

Unique Strength: Sustainable food systems, landscapes and ecosystems

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Poster Number


18

Jessica Cooper Pancake, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Utilization of the HyPerSensor in Magnaporthe oryzae to identify genes related to Reactive Oxygen Species

Cooper Pancake, J*; Mikolajewski, D; Chaya, T; Huang, K; Caplan, J; Donofrio, N

19

Jose Daniel Chazi Capelo, Doctoral Student, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

An online microbial data management system for poring over the Equine Microbiome Chazi Capelo, J*; Biddle, A

20

Kelly Mulholland, Doctoral Student, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Metagenomic analysis of the Respiratory Microbiome of a healthy broiler flock from hatching to processing

Mulholland, K A*; Robinson, M G; Keeler, S J; Johnson, T J; Youmans, B P; Keeler, C L

21

Alexa Johnson, Doctoral Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Microbiome effects on metabolic efficiencies in easy and hard keepers Johnson, A C B*; Biddle, A

22

Michael Babak, Doctoral Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Pathological and molecular characterization of Wooden Breast Disease in commercial broiler chickens over the growth period

Babak, P M*; Brannick, M E; Schmidt, J C; Abasht, B

23

Danielle Mikolajewski, Undergraduate Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Disruption of the genome of Rice Blast to identify genes involved in production of Reactive Oxygen Species

Mikolajewski, D*; Pancake J; Donofrio, N

24

Kun Huang, Postdoctoral Scientist, Plant and Soil Sciences

Revealing cellular RNA dynamics with emerging microscopy tools

Huang, K*; Caplan, J; Meyers, B

25

Tim Chaya, Master's Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Capturing the spatiotemporal levels of Reactive Oxygen Species during pathogenic infection of barley and maize using the HyPer sensor

Chaya, T*; Cooper, J G; Caplan, J; Donofrio, N M

26

Vinay Nagarajan, Postdoctoral Scientist, Plant and Soil Sciences

Evidence for endoribonucleolytic cleavage of nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) targets in plants Nagarajan, V K*; Green, P J

Unique Strength: Genetics and genomics for plant, animal and ecosystem improvement

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Poster Number


27

Iyana Admasu, Master's Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Examination of the acute phase of poultry Coccidia infection Admasu, I*

28

Susannah Halligan, Undergraduate Student, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

The Delaware Waterfowl Tracker Halligan, S*; Buler, J; Smolinsky, J

29Jiayao Li, Master's Student, Animal and Food Sciences

The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of poultry probiotics

Li, J*; Carmody, C; Raye, A; Wu, C

30

Anthony Pompetti, Undergraduate Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Tracking recovery of small strongyle species following anthelmintic treatment Pompetti, A*

31

Juliann Callan, Undergraduate Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Effect of feeding dairy cows a rumen protected choline product on fecal choline excretion and plasma choline metabolites

Callan, J*; Castillo, G; Cronin, S; Barnard, A; Conklin, M; Gressley, T

32

Ashley Kennedy, Doctoral Student, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Predation of dragonfly larvae by passerines Kennedy, A*; Tallamy, D; White, H

33

Sivaranjani Palani, Master's Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Determination of the efficacy of fungal bioreactors to remove E. coli from aqueous dairy manure through assessment of growth support materials and flow regimes

Palani, S*; Chirnside, A; Omar, A; Kniel, K

34

Abby Evans, Master's Student, Water Science and Policy

Using iron and manganese-coated IRIS films to quantify soil redox potential in rice paddies under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) management

Evans, A*; Limmer, M; Seyfferth, A L

35

Kenneth Elliott, Doctoral Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Design and development of a novel foam-based vaccination system for chicks in the hatchery Elliott, K*; Li, H

36

Natalia Ochoa, Undergraduate Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Identification of Coccidia species in passerines at Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc.

Ochoa, N*; Howey-Newcomb, A; Miller, E; Sepulveda, M

Unique Strength: One health - intersections among animal, plant, human and ecosystem health

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Poster Number


37

Gisselle Garcia, Undergraduate Student, Animal and Food Sciences

An in-vitro analysis of the effects of Firocoxib on the Equine Gastric Microbiome

Garcia, G*; Babiarz, K; Stone, T; Mehr, L; Clarke, S; Owens, N; Biddle, A

38

Taozhu Sun, Doctoral Student, Plant and Soil Sciences

Mechanistic investigation of the interactions between bacteria and fresh produce in a model system

Sun, T*; Lazouskaya, V; Jin, Y

39

Samantha Gartley, Master's Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Manure pathogen survey of Salmonella and Shiga Toxin producing Escherichia coli in untreated poultry and cattle manure of the Mid-Atlantic region

Gartley, S*; De Ramos, T; Nyarko, E; Souza, T; Litt, P; Kelly, A; Jay-Russell, M; Chen, Y; Rivadeneira, P; Aminabadi, P; Bell, R; Ingram, D; Van Doren, J; Kniel, K

40

Justin Blair, Master's Student, Animal and Food Sciences

Predatory fungus capture efficiency for equine cyathostomin larvae in the presence and absence of free living soil nematodes

Blair, J*; Biddle, A

41

Matt Limmer, Postdoctoral Scientist, Plant and Soil Sciences

The effect of water management on rice grain micronutrients and contaminants Limmer, M*; Seyfferth, A

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Unique Strength: One health - intersections among animal, plant, human and ecosystem health

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 2019 Research Symposium

Presentation Time Session Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

1 Climate change - impacts, mitigation and adaptation

Poster number: CANR Unique Strength:

Presenting Author

Name: Andrew Hill

[email protected] Doctoral Student Plant and Soil Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Four years of continuous net ecosystem exchange at the surface from forest

and lawn within a suburban neighborhood in Baltimore Maryland Hill, A.*; Barba, J.; Hom, J.; Patterson, M.; Vargas, R.

Authors:

Abstract: Human settlement and agriculture has largely transformed the habitable terrestrial land surface. Over the last 100 years a shifting human population has seen a large proportion of people relocating from rural agricultural regions to urban areas associated with sprawling suburbs characterized by large amounts of greenspace. The urban/suburban ecosystem represents a highly anthropogenic environment in which natural drivers and controls have been modified, thus altering carbon cycle dynamics through increased greenhouse gas emissions and changes in ecosystem uptake and respiration of carbon dioxide. The current study presents data from 4 years of continuous net ecosystem exchange at the soil-atmosphere interface within urban forest and lawn. Carbon cycle dynamics are explored at several temporal scales with considerations for external environmental drivers. Considering all years in the study with complete data (2015-2017), findings show that the urban forest floor, when devoid of vegetation, is a constant carbon source generating 582 g C/m2 annually with combined efflux from heterotrophic soil microorganisms and autotrophic root respiration. Residential lawn intermixed with large shade trees showed stronger seasonal patterns with moderate uptake during spring green-up and highest efflux in summer which resulted in a greater annual net carbon source than urban forest floor, generating 760 g C/m2 annually. These results indicate that environmental conditions in the lawn, added root density, and the presence of grass shoots contribute significantly to the proportion of autotrophic respiration, thus creating a strong carbon source within this suburban setting.

Principal Investigator

Name: Rodrigo Vargas Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences


Presentation Time Session Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.



Presenting Author

Name: Jocelyn Wardrup

[email protected] Master’s Student Plant and Soil Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Soil organic carbon data and spatial distribution within tidal wetlands along

the Altantic coast from Delmarva to Maine, USA Wardrup, J.*; Guevara, M.; Vargas, R.

Authors:

Abstract: Soils contain the largest terrestrial reserve of global carbon. Tidal wetlands contain the highest density of soil organic carbon (SOC) per unit area. Characterization and quantification of SOC is a pertinent topic of study since small changes in terrestrial carbon can have three-fold effects in the atmosphere. The purpose of this analysis was to harmonize datasets for digital soil mapping (DSM) prediction of the spatial variability of SOC stocks from Delmarva to Maine in tidally mapped wetlands. Covariates were utilized in combination with point data in DSM to aid in the prediction of SOC stocks. Existing geology (U.S. Geological Survey), climate (Daymet), and terrain data covariates were utilized at the scale of 1 kilometer pixels to make predictions (random forest model) of SOC in tidal wetlands. This study illustrates that point data combined with covariates can effectively map SOC in tidal wetlands. Furthermore, a subset of the study area was modeled at 1 meter resolution, illustrating that these methods can be applied to fine scaling mapping in the future.







Presenting Author

Name: Covel Mcdermot


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The relative importance of above- and below-ground impacts on red maple

physiology and morphology in urban forests: a manipulative field experiment McDermot, C.*; D'Amico, V.; Trammell, T.

Authors:

Abstract: Urban forests are an ideal system to investigate the simultaneous effects of above- and below-ground conditions on plant morpho-physiology. The objective of this study was to isolate above- and below-ground impacts on red maple (Acer rubrum L.) physiology and morphology in forests embedded in a small (Newark, DE) and a large (Philadelphia, PA) city. We hypothesized that above-ground conditions will stimulate red maple physiology and below-ground conditions will induce morphological acclimation responses late in the growing season. We conducted a manipulative field experiment in Newark and Philadelphia with 4-year old native red maple saplings acting as a biomonitor for above- and below-ground conditions. Forty-five saplings were sampled at day-14 post-transplantation and thirty-eight saplings at day-80. We analyzed saplings for pigments and elements, and morphology trait responses. Our results show Above-ground biomonitor chlorophyll concentrations were higher in Philadelphia (p=0.047) forests than in the greenhouse control at day-14 post-transplantation. Chlorophyll concentration means were not significantly different in Below-ground biomonitors and Field biomonitors in Philadelphia and Newark forests compared to the greenhouse control at day-14 post-transplantation. Above-ground biomonitor carotenoid concentrations were significantly higher in Philadelphia and Newark forests (p=0.02) than at the greenhouse control at day-14 post-transplantation. Results suggest above-ground conditions in the cities may be a stronger driver of sapling physiology at early stage of transplantation. Foliar manganese (p<0.007) was significantly higher in Above-ground biomonitors in Newark forests corresponding to a lower foliar chlorophyll/ carotenoid ratio suggesting metal toxicity stress. Long-tern morphology results suggest Below-ground biomonitors are acclimating to below-ground conditions.


Name: Tara Trammell Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Mohammad Afsar


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Colloidal Organic Carbon has a key but an unaccounted role in carbon

dynamics in seasonally flooded wetlands Afsar, M.*; Zhang, Y.; Vasilas, B.; Jin, Y.

Authors:

Abstract: Mobile colloids, 1-1000 nm, and their associated carbon can directly influence mobilization and transport of soil organic carbon (OC) particularly in redox sensitive wetlands. However, their contribution in global C cycle is largely ignored. Further, understanding the key factors controlling the stability of mineral-Soil OC complexes in wetlands are still lacking. In this study, we present results from a depressional wetland located in Delmarva Bay at Blackbird State Forest, Delaware, USA. Three hydrological zones were established based on seasonal changes in water table; seasonally flooded, transitional, and upland. Piezometers were installed at 50 cm, 100 cm, and 200 cm depths in each zone to collect pore water samples. Colloidal OC (COC) were quantified in 3 different size fractions (2.3-100 nm, 100-450 nm, and 450-1000 nm) using Kα x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and isotope ratio mass spectroscopy (IRMS). We observed strong positive correlations between size fractionated colloids and COC concentration. Total OC concentration was the highest in the seasonal ponding zone and in the smallest size fractions (2.3-100 nm) along the soil profile. XPS analyses confirmed the presence of different C species in the order of C[0] (C-C, C=C, C-H) > C[+1] (C-O, C-N) > C[+2] (C=O, C(O)N) and the relative atom percentages were 35-75%, 11-53% and 10-28%, respectively. IRMS analyses revealed that δ13C values were higher in upland followed by transitional and seasonal ponding zone. On the other hand, smaller COC fractions were mostly enriched in heavier 15C isotopes than the larger size fractions. Overall, nano-sized (2.3-100 nm) had the highest C concentration, enriched in heavier C isotopes (13C) and carbonyl C[+2] (C=O, C(O)N) functional groups. Such size dependent heterogeneity in concentration and composition of COC and their release to/from soil minerals might have a profound influence on the stability and reactivity of C in redox-dynamic wetlands.


Name: Yan Jin Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Josep Barba

[email protected] Postdoctoral Scientist Plant and Soil Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Spatiotemporal variability of greenhouse gases stem emissions in an upland

forest Barba, J.*; Poyatos, R.; Capooci, M.; Vargas, R.

Authors:

Abstract: Tree stems in upland forests can exchange greenhouse gases (GHGs) with the atmosphere. The role of tree stems CO2 emissions has been studied for decades, but little is known regarding magnitudes, patters, drivers, origin of other GHG emissions and the biogeochemical pathways that might result in net production or uptake of these gases. One main limitation for our understanding of stem GHG emissions is the tradeoff between measuring spatial variability and temporal variability. Manual measurements are useful for characterizing spatial variability of stem emissions but provide limited information on the temporal variability. On the other hand, continuous high-frequency measurements provide unprecedented temporal information of stem GHG emissions (from diurnal to inter-annual scales) but are limited in spatial representativeness. In this study we combined both manual and automated measurements for assessing spatial and temporal variability of CO2, CH4 and N2O stem emissions in bitternut hickory trees (Carya cordiformis) in an upland forested area. We continuously measured GHGs emissions in three stems at two different stem heights for one growing season (250 days). Simultaneously, GHG emissions were measured once every two weeks in 15 stems of different diameters at three different stem heights. Other variables such as soil emissions, sap flux, ground water level, and GHG concentrations in the heartwood and in soil profile were measured to determine drivers and pathways of stem GHG emissions. Tree stems were a net source of CO2 and CH4 but a sink for N2O. Time series analysis showed diurnal cycles for the three gases for certain days, and a clear seasonal pattern for CO2 and N2O. Additionally, stem emissions showed an enormous spatial variability between and within tree stems. Our findings reveal that the combination of manual and automated measurements is required to better estimate fluxes magnitudes and understand the underlying mechanism of GHGs stem emissions.




Presentation Time Session Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.



Presenting Author

Name: Margaret Capooci

[email protected] Doctoral Student Water Science and Policy

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Patterns and biophysical controls on soil CO2 efflux in a tidal salt marsh

using automated measurements Capooci, M.*; Vargas, R.

Authors:

Abstract: Tidal salt marshes are capable of sequestering large amounts of carbon and may play a role in mitigating global CO2 emissions. To ascertain the source/sink capability of salt marshes, it is important to understand both the soil’s CO2 fluxes and sequestration capability. To better understand CO2 fluxes from soil, we installed two continuous, automatic chambers at St. Jones Reserve (SJR), a subsection of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR). One chamber was placed in a Spartina cynosuroides stand, while the other was placed in a Spartina alterniflora stand. Using long-term data collected by the DNERR, we investigated the patterns and the potential biophysical drivers of CO¬2 fluxes at each subsite. With over a year of data, we found that the traditional controls on soil respiration, soil moisture and temperature, are not the dominant factors contributing to CO¬2 fluxes at the subsites. This suggests that soil respiration in tidal salt marsh soils may be driven by a combination of other factors, such as water level and oxygen availability, in addition to soil moisture and temperature. CO2 fluxes were highly variable with averages of 0.68 ± 1.24 µmol m-2 s-1 and 1.91 ± 2.10 µmol m-2 s-1 for the S. cynosuroides and S. alterniflora subsites, respectively. Our long-term monitoring of soil CO2 fluxes has implications for science, policy, and management applications, by enabling us to ascertain how environmental conditions affect soil CO2 fluxes, which can play a role in future decision-making on the protection, management, and restoration of tidal salt marshes.





7 Human dimensions of food, agriculture and natural resources


Presenting Author

Name: Lindsey Kelley

[email protected] Master’s Student Applied Economics and Statistics

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The effect of parcel erosion information on legacy pollution investment

Kelley, L.E.*; Palm-Forster, L.; Fleming, P.

Authors:

Abstract: Many agricultural landowners have inherited elevated streambank sediment and nutrient loads due to prior land-use decisions. In this study, we conduct a field experiment to determine the willingness of landowners to invest in streambank restoration to reduce legacy pollutants. We randomly assign landowners different levels of information on the legacy streambank erosion from their parcels. In each round, landowners receive new parcel-level erosion information in comparison to typical erosion rates in their neighborhood. We hypothesize that land owners will be more willing to contribute to streambank restoration efforts if the annual erosion rate on their parcel is greater than the reported rate for a typical parcel in their group. We also hypothesize that the introduction of information on legacy pollution will not negatively affect landowner conservation behavior. Through an experiment with landowners, we evaluate the conservation investments of landowners with streambank erosion on their parcels. The three treatment groups are: (1) Participants are not given any information about erosion rates on their parcels, nor information about legacy sediment; (2) Participants are given some information about erosion rates on their parcels, but no information about legacy sediment; (3) Participants are given some information about erosion rates on their parcels, and given information about legacy sediment. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that landowners are more willing to invest in streambank restoration efforts if the annual erosion rate on their parcel is greater than the reported annual rate for a typical parcel in their neighborhood. Further, the results are also consistent with the hypothesis that the introduction of legacy sediment information will have no negative effect on landowner willingness to invest in streambank restoration. Policy makers can use this information to maximize contributions to public conservation efforts to improve water quality.


Name: Leah Palm-Forster Email: [email protected] Department: Applied Economics and Statistics





Presenting Author

Name: Shiyun Yao

[email protected] Doctoral Student Animal and Food Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: How to better prevent cross-contamination during fresh produce washing

and crisping? Lipperman, B.*; Yao, S.*; Chen, H.

Authors:

Abstract: Fresh produce has been implicated in many Salmonella outbreaks. Washing with chlorinated water is commonly used to decontaminate fresh produce and prevent cross-contamination via wash water. In this study, we explored the potential of using ultraviolet light (UV) as an alternative to chlorine washing for fresh produce. The purpose was to determine the effect of UV with/without peracetic acid (PAA) washing on inactivation of Salmonella on lettuce and in the wash water. Shredded iceberg lettuce was dip-inoculated with a four-strain Salmonella cocktail to final levels of 6 – 7.5 log CFU/g and dried. They were then washed in tap water containing 6% lettuce juice extract (turbidity > 60 NTU; COD > 2000 ppm) while being treated by 10 ppm free chlorine, PAA (40 and 80 ppm), UV (10, 20 and 30 mW/cm2), and a combination of UV and PAA for 1, 2, and 5 min. The Salmonella counts of the lettuce and water samples were determined. Among all the single treatments, the 30 mW/cm2 UV treatment achieved the highest Salmonella reduction (2.0 log) on lettuce. However, the single UV treatment was not able to completely eliminate Salmonella in the wash water. The combined treatment, 30 mW/cm2 UV and 80 ppm PAA, resulted in the highest Salmonella reduction (2.52 log ± 0.38) on lettuce and completely eliminated Salmonella in the wash water. Extending the washing time from 1 min to 5 min for the combined treatment increased the Salmonella reduction on lettuce from 2.48 log ± 0.52 to 3.24 log ± 0.24. The sample size of lettuce between 200 g, 500 g and 1,000 g did not significantly affect the inactivation of Salmonella on lettuce for the combined treatment.


Name: Haiqiang Chen Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Adam Ginn


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Effect of red light on growth and sporangial development in Phytophthora

phaseoli and Phytophthora capsici Ginn, A.*; Mhora, T.; Gregory, N.; Evans, T.; Donofrio, N.

Authors:

Abstract: The oomycete pathogens Phytophthora phaseoli and P. capsici have both been observed on lima bean crops in the Mid-Atlantic Region for over a decade. When left untreated, P. phaseoli and P. capsici epidemics can cause extensive yield loss. Commercially available chemical controls such as mefenoxam (Ridomil Gold) and oxathiapiprolin (Orondis) inhibit oomycetes but pose a high risk of developing fungicide intolerance. Previous studies have illustrated that red light (wavelength 635-700nm) inhibits pathogen growth and sporangial development. To test the effect of red light on P. phaseoli and P. capsici, seven isolates were selected based on their sensitivities to primary chemical treatments. Isolates were grown in incubators at 20°C for approximately three weeks. Control isolates were subject to 12-hour day/night cycles while experimental isolates underwent 12 hour red-light/dark cycles. There were three replicates per treatment. Colony diameter and sporangial counts were recorded every seven days for P. phaseoli and every five days for P. capsici isolates. After 21 days, five of six experimental P. phaseoli isolates showed no growth, with the sixth showing minimal growth. At 20 days, experimental P. capsici isolates showed 20.3% less growth than the control. Sporangial counts were inconclusive. A treatment of 6-hour red light/18-hour dark is currently being tested. Data from this study may lead to development of more efficient management for P. phaseoli and P. capsici on crops.


Name: Nicole Donofrio Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Sergio Cabrera-Cruz

[email protected] Doctoral Student Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Nocturnally migrating birds fly higher over urban areas

Cabrera-Cruz, S.*; Smolinsky, J.; McCarthy, K.; Buler, J.

Authors:

Abstract: Urban areas affect terrestrial ecological processes, but we know little about their effect on aerial ecological processes. Here, we identify urban from non-urban areas based on the intensity of artificial light at night (ALAN) in the landscape and evaluate the effect of urbanization on flight altitudes of nocturnally migrating birds. Birds are attracted to ALAN, hence we predicted that altitudes would be lower over urban than over non-urban areas. Surface temperature and boundary layer, however, are higher in urban areas, and wind is the main factor driving selection of flight altitudes by nocturnal migrants. Hence, we alternatively predicted a positive relationship of flight altitude with surface temperature and height of boundary layer, and a significant interaction between winds and urban areas. We used data from nine weather surveillance radars in the US to estimate altitudes at five quantiles of the vertical distribution of birds migrating at night during ten consecutive migration seasons. We fit generalized linear mixed models by season for each of the five quantiles and their differences between urban and non-urban areas. We found that flight altitudes are higher over urban areas in spring, and marginally higher at the mid layers of the vertical distribution in autumn. We also identified a small interaction effect between urban areas and crosswind speed, and between urban areas and surface air temperature, on flight altitudes. Our results suggest that the effects of urbanization on wildlife extend into the aerosphere, stressing the need of understanding the influence of anthropogenic factors on airspace habitat.


Name: Jeffrey Buler Email: [email protected] Department: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology





Presenting Author

Name: Victoria Gundlah


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The effects of bio inoculants on mitigating arsenic (As) toxicity in tolerant

Nipponbare and susceptible IR66 rice varieties during plant development Gundlah, V.*.; Bais, H.

Authors:

Abstract: Food security and crop protection are of vital importance as the world is challenged with supplying enough food for the growing population. Arsenite (As (III)) is a naturally occurring, inorganic, form of Arsenic (As), and is responsible for polluting groundwater in areas of South East Asia and Bangladesh. This contamination poses a serious health concern to people using As polluted water for drinking and irrigation. Rice (Oryza sativa) is among one of the largest agronomic crops in Asia and provides essential caloric intake to much of the world’s population. Rice plants exposed to As suffer from low grain yields and overall poor plant health. It is proposed that bacterial inoculants can be used to alleviate the uptake and storage of As within the rice plant and grains. Plant hormones also play an active role in plant growth and development. There has been minimal research done to identify the effects of As or bio-inoculants on plant hormone expression levels. Through a series of hydroponic and gene expression assays we work to determine the effects that varying As toxicity and bacterial inoculants have on rice plant development. At high As concentrations, the tolerant rice variety Nipponbare will produce grain, where the susceptible variety, IR66, produced no grain. Inoculating hydroponic plants with Pantoea sp. EA106 results in more grain yield for both rice varieties, however this increase was not significant from control. There was also an upregulation in auxin and brassinosteroids genes when EA106 and As were added together. Further experimentation is necessary to understand why this upregulation occurs.


Name: Harsh Bais Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Daniel Bass


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: How implicit is your bias? An application of the implicit association test

Bass, D.*; McFadden, B.; Costanigro, M.; Messer, K.

Authors:

Abstract: Recycled-water technology is a viable solution to water shortages resulting from climate change and rising human population. However, people are skeptical of water previously used in agriculture or industry, and thus prefer conventional water. Additionally, our obsession with plastic water bottles is creating vast amounts of pollution, emphasizing a needed increased reliance on tap water. Despite this simple path to improving water efficiency, consumers seem to prefer the opposite. The objective of this study is to examine implicit biases associated with recycled water and tap water. Implicit biases associated with recycled water and tap water are measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which has been rarely used in a resource context. An IAT can predict cognitive behavior by comparing word association speed between two groups, helping to suggest implicit bias. One IAT focuses on Conventional Water vs. Recycled Water, and the other focuses on Bottled Water vs. Tap Water. Results from piloting indicate an implicit negative bias toward recycled water and tap water. The implicit bias against recycled water was explicitly confirmed, as participants rated conventional water as more preferable than recycled water, indicating a stigma attached to recycled water. However, despite having an implicit bias against tap water, respondents explicitly rated tap water as more preferable than bottled water, indicating a cognitive contradiction between biases and preferences for tap and bottled water. We recently collected a nationwide sample of 2,500 observations and hope to gain better insight into the preferences and demographic characteristics associated with the implicit biases.


Name: Brandon McFadden Email: [email protected] Department: Applied Economics and Statistics



13 Sustainable food systems, landscapes and ecosystems


Presenting Author

Name: Lauren Mosesso


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Using stable water isotopes to characterize pathways of subsurface

phosphorus loss in a ditch-drained field Mosesso, L.*; Shober, A.; Buda, A.; Collick, A.; Kennedy, C.; Tingle, S.

Authors:

Abstract: Phosphorus (P) loss by shallow subsurface flow paths is a major concern in low-lying agricultural watersheds with artificial drainage and elevated legacy soil P. While lateral subsurface flow is hypothesized as the main pathway of P loss from ditch-drained agricultural fields, the flow components of subsurface drainage remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the relative contributions of macropore and matrix flow to subsurface P leaching into an agricultural drainage ditch on the Delmarva Peninsula. We collected water samples from piezometers, suction lysimeters, bulk soil and the ditch during baseflow and stormflow, as well as precipitation, for water isotope analysis on a cavity-ring down spectrometer and nutrient analysis on an ICP-MS. Preliminary results suggest that subsurface drainage into the ditch consists of two isotopically distinct hydrologic pools, “mobile” and “immobile” water, which can be used to partition different flow components of subsurface P leaching. In addition, we separated the ditch storm hydrographs into “event” water (mostly precipitation moving through macropores or “mobile” water) and “pre-event” water (water already in the system) by inputting water isotopes delta values and other geochemical tracers concentrations into a two-component mixed model. During the peak flow for several storms, the concentration of dissolved P peaked as did “event” water, contributing 64 to 91% of the water to the ditch. Results from this study are intended help modify regional P Indices by improving conceptual representations of subsurface P loss in artificially drained agroecosystems.


Name: Amy Shober Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Julia Parker

[email protected] Undergraduate Student Applied Economics and Statistics

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Examining consumer preferences for nontraditional water: Group and peer

effects Parker, J.*; Savchenko, O.; Messer, K.

Authors:

Abstract: Nearly 4 billion people worldwide, including 130 million living in the U.S., face severe water shortage at least one month out of the year. Growing population, increasing demand for food and energy, and changing climate will exacerbate water scarcity. With global water shortages looming, potable treated recycled wastewater could prove to be the answer to dwindling fresh water supplies. While wastewater can be treated to meet potable water standards, consumers may still stigmatize this water source due to its origins. When examining acceptance for recycled water consumption, it is important to remember that behavior doesn’t exist in a vacuum – all human actions are influenced by the social context in which they exist. Thus, this study aims to better understand how social pressures may influence acceptance of potable recycled water using a lab experiment with approximately 255 expected participants. We hypothesize that increasing social interaction during the study will encourage a greater individual and group acceptance of recycled water consumption. The experiment itself uses an incentive-compatible mechanism, the Becker-Degroot-Marschak Bidding Mechanism and its social extension, the Random Price Voting Mechanism, to measure adult consumers’ willingness to accept drinking treated recycled wastewater individually and in 5-person groups, respectively. The experiment design allows us to understand how group interactions, in which participants’ decisions impact themselves and other group members, impact their willingness to drink recycled treated wastewater. Anticipated study results will aid the design of policies aimed at addressing water scarcity issues by encouraging potable recycled water consumption.


Name: Kent Messer Email: [email protected] Department: Applied Economics and Statistics





Presenting Author

Name: Rubait Rahman


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Encouraging pro-environmental behavior: Power of testimonials

Rahman, R.*; Palm-Forster, L.H.; Savchenko, O.M.; Messer, K.D.

Authors:

Abstract: Every year, 67 million pounds of fertilizer is applied by homeowners annually in the US of which 40 to 60% of the fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus ends up in surface and groundwater. This leads to nutrient runoff from residential lawns which is a major contributor to nonpoint source pollution, a leading cause of water quality degradation in the U.S. Individual homeowners’ decisions can affect water quality through adoption of various lawn care best management practices (BMPs) that could potentially reduce such nonpoint source pollution. One such practice is cultivating native plants. We examine homeowners’ decisions to adopt lawn care best management practices (BMPs) in response to interventions that nudge greater adoption of environmentally-beneficial behavior. Specifically, we evaluate the effect of an audiovisual testimonial from an expert on homeowners’ decisions to adopt native plants. The experiment randomly recruited 309 homeowners from the mid-Atlantic region to participate in the study. A power analysis was conducted prior to conducting this study to determine the appropriate sample size required to detect the desired treatment effect. Preliminary results indicate that the testimonial did not have a statistically significant impact on homeowners’ willingness to pay for native plants. Given the appeal and the ease of implementation of testimonials in conservation outreach, this is an important addition to the literature that despite being well-powered, there was no large effects. Although testimonials have been shown to be effective in promoting consumer goods in many cases, they may not be as effective at encouraging adoption of environmentally beneficial practices.


Name: Leah Palm-Forster Email: [email protected] Department: Applied Economics and Statistics





Presenting Author

Name: Kona Haramoto

[email protected] Undergraduate Student Plant and Soil Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Susceptibility of soybean bradyrhizobia to lytic phages

Haramoto, K.*; Moore, R.; Joglekar, P.; Richards, V.; Kristol, J.; Polson, S.; Wommack, E.; Fuhrmann, J.

Authors:

Abstract: Bradyrhizobium is a genus of Alphaproteobacteria found in soybean root nodules where they fix nitrogen for the plant in a symbiotic relationship. Three species of soybean bradyrhizobia (SB) commonly nodulate soybeans in North America: B. japonicum, B. elkanii, and B. diazoefficiens. Lytic phages of SB have been observed and may alter competition for root nodulation by killing susceptible SB, thereby affecting soybean yields. The objective of this research was to isolate bradyrhizobia phages from soil samples across the state of Delaware and determine their host range against representative cultures (n=96) from University of Delaware Bradyrhizobium Culture Collection (n=354) (UDBCC).


Name: Jeffry Fuhrmann Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Eric Moore


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Assessing soil N cycling in urban forests under varying levels of non-native

plant invasion Moore, E.*; Trammell, T.; D'Amico, V.

Authors:

Abstract: Many invasive species compromising forest health are non-native shrubs that suppress regeneration of native plants and alter soil-N cycles. Furthermore, high levels of soil-N may facilitate invasion of non-native shrubs (particularly Rosa multiflora), subsequently affecting N mineralization along a gradient of invasion. Urban forests are particularly vulnerable, due to increased invasion pressure and alterations of N cycling; diversity, composition, and ecosystem function of these forests is often changed and degraded. We selected three urban forest sites previously established as part of a long-term study, and classified them as experiencing low, moderate, or high invasion pressure based on the total number of non-native stems hectare-1. Soil samples were collected during the 2017 summer season and analyzed for NO3--N and NH4+-N, both before and after a 30-day incubation period, to determine initial levels of soil-N and N-mineralization rates at these sites. We used linear regression to evaluate the relationship between invasion (as non-native stems hectare-1) and soil nitrogen pools and mineralization rates. Preliminary results show that as the number of non-native stems hectare-1 increase, early summer nitrate pools increase (R2=0.22; P<0.01), yet nitrification rate decreases (R2=0.23; P<0.01); in late summer, nitrification rate increases (R2=0.34; P<0.001). This suggests that Rosa multifora may increase production of nitrate when soil N losses may be greatest when plants initiate senescence, contributing to greater soil N losses from invaded urban forests. Ultimately, we hope to understand whether soil N cycling can be altered to discourage or prevent the growth of invasive shrubs in susceptible urban forests.


Name: Tara Trammell Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences



18 Genetics and genomics for plant, animal and ecosystem improvement


Presenting Author

Name: Jessica Cooper Pancake


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Utilization of the HyPerSensor in Magnaporthe oryzae to identify genes

related to Reactive Oxygen Species Cooper Pancake, J.*; Mikolajewski, D.; Chaya, T.; Huang, K.; Caplan, J.; Donofrio, N.

Authors:

Abstract: Rice Blast disease, caused by filamentous, ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, results in devastating losses to food production throughout the world. It infects an assortment of grain crops, including barley, wheat and rice. M. oryzae requires the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) molecules during early infection and has to neutralize the host derived ROS for successful invasion. Plants also utilize ROS for development, oxidative stress response (OSR) and for intracellular signaling. Previous work in our lab transformed a barley infecting strain of M. oryzae (4091) to stably express a genetically encoded hydrogen peroxide sensor called HyPer. The 4091 HyPer sensor (4091-HS) gives us the unique ability to visualize and quantify the presence of hydrogen peroxide with live- cell imaging. To better understand the role of ROS in the fungal-plant interaction we disrupted the genome of 4091-HS via random integration of a DNA construct carrying resistance to Hygromycin (Hyg), and double, outward-facing promoters. Our goal will be tackled through three main objectives: first, through generating a random insertion mutational library in the fungus; second, through forward genetic screens of that library to identify fungal gene associated with ROS perception, acquisition and signaling and third, through characterization of the mutant lines using live-cell imaging in vitro and in planta.







Presenting Author

Name: Jose Daniel Chazi Capelo

[email protected] Doctoral Student Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: An online microbial data management system for poring over the Equine

Microbiome Chazi Capelo, J.*; Biddle, A.

Authors:

Abstract: Gut microbiota research has increased in recent years to focus on interrelationships between nutrition, drug resistance, disease, and lifestyle factors within the host. The necessity of a reference framework to integrate a large amount of data and metadata that are produced in gut microbiome research is increasingly imperative. Equine microbiome studies worldwide would benefit from an easily available dataset of several hundred samples to use for hypothesis testing and generation. Like the Human Microbiome Project, which was devised to produce the resources and competence needed to characterize the human microbiome and investigate its role in health and disease, The Equine Microbiome Project (EMP) is designed to be a blueprint for uncovering the roles that gut microbes play in health, nutrition, immunity, and disease in diverse contexts for the horse. Our lab is interested in understanding what makes the equine gut acutely sensitive to changes in nutrition and stress, and factors contributing to health and disease. To understand these effects, over 200 horse owners have contributed fecal samples and metadata, reporting records of medical history and diet habits. Fecal samples were sequenced using 16s rRNA technique, and sequence data have been analyzed using a custom pipeline in QIIME. Concurrently, an entity-relationship model was designed to integrate and store the information of meta-analyses in a publicly accessible online database that is matched with sequencing results. The database, Website, and Web server were created using open source software. The EMP database offers publically available microbiome data, metadata, and an easily accessible platform that could serve as a reference for other equine researchers. Additionally, this framework can be applied to multidisciplinary projects and enabling research teams to manage the inventory of samples and budget control in an efficient way, reducing time and costs.


Name: Amy Biddle Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Kelly Mulholland

[email protected] Doctoral Student Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Metagenomic analysis of the Respiratory Microbiome of a healthy broiler

flock from hatching to processing Mulholland, K.A.*; Robinson, M.G.; Keeler, S.J.; Johnson, T.J.; Youmans, B.P.; Keeler, C.L.

Authors:

Abstract: The severity and spread of many human and animal diseases are associated with specific bacterial and viral agents within the respiratory microbiome. Recent studies attempting to characterize the respiratory microbiome of poultry have focused primarily on bacteria, however elucidating the complex microbial interactions that result in disease requires the characterization of the viruses, bacteria, bacteriophage, yeast and fungi present in the respiratory microbiome of a healthy broiler flock. The lack of comprehensive bioinformatics pipelines and viral genome databases have limited efforts to characterize the avian virome. Next generation sequencing approaches, accompanied by the further development of novel computational and bioinformatics tools were utilized to examine the evolution of the microbial ecology of the avian trachea during the growth of a commercial flock. The flock was sampled weekly, beginning at placement and concluding at 49 days, the day before processing. Metagenomic sequencing of DNA and RNA and 16S rRNA sequencing was utilized to examine the bacteria, virus, bacteriophage, yeast and fungal components at these times. We detected a total of 11 viral species, 24 bacterial genera, 33 bacteriophage species, and 61 yeast and fungal species. Abundance at various taxonomic levels, alpha diversity, species frequency and microbial shifts were examined for each of the microbial components. Additionally, correlations between bacteria and bacteriophage families were investigated and several highly positive correlations were identified. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the ecology of the avian respiratory microbiome and will facilitate future investigations of avian respiratory diseases.


Name: Calvin Keeler Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Alexa Johnson


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Microbiome effects on metabolic efficiencies in easy and hard keepers

Johnson, A.C.B.*; Biddle, A.S.

Authors:

Abstract: Horses with two classically differing metabolic tendencies are referred to as “easy keepers” (EK) or “hard keepers” (HK). These tendencies are often related to the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system where an EK easily maintains a BCS >6 and HK is a <4 and struggles to maintain a BCS of 5. A third classification is the “medium keepers” (MK) who can easily maintain a BCS=5. The goal of this study is to determine how the microbiome contributes to these metabolic tendencies by identifying differentially abundant bacteria in each group and inferring functional differences. Samples of fecal matter from 97 horses (74 EK, 36 MK, and 16 HK) underwent microbiome profiling via 16S rRNA gene sequencing; the keeper status was self-reported by equine owners. No significant differences were seen in bacterial α and β diversities between keepers. Differing genera found between EK and HK included Solibacillus, Acinetobacter, and Akkermansia. Reduced abundances of Bacilli (lactic acid producers), Gammaproteobacteria and Verrucomicrobiae (utilizers of amino acids (AA) and secondary metabolites) in HK suggests that these animals are less efficient at accessing nutrients in the hindgut. KEGG functions were inferred using PICRUSt, and significant differences were determined at p-adj < 0.05 using negative binomial distribution in DeSeq2. Significant KEGG IDs were then mapped to KEGG pathways using KEGG mapper. Across all groups, KOs associated with Starch and Sucrose Metabolism were most different, however metabolism of specific amino acids, secondary metabolites, and key transporter groups were distinct between keeper groups. HK contained the least bacterial and KO ID abundances, followed by EK and MK respectively. Based on these data, we hypothesize that MK are the most efficient at nutrient digestion and host absorption, and that reduced bacterial abundance and functionality in HK leads to insufficient nutrient levels to support a healthy microbiome and maintain horse condition.







Presenting Author

Name: Michael Babak


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Pathological and molecular characterization of Wooden Breast Disease in

commercial broiler chickens over the growth period Babak, P.M.*; Brannick, M.E.; Schmidt, J.C.; Abasht, B.

Authors:

Abstract: Wooden Breast (WB) is a muscle/meat quality disorder in modern broiler chickens that is clinically distinguished by abnormally firm consistency of the pectoral muscles. To characterize the pathological and transcriptome associated with onset and progress of WB in broiler chickens, a time-series study was conducted on the Pectoralis (P.) from a purebred broiler line raised from day-old up to 7 weeks. Over the growing period, P. major muscle samples were harvested weekly from randomly selected chickens and processed for microscopic and ultrastructural perturbations associated with WB. Concurrently, muscle biopsy samples from the cranial (harvested at week 2 and 3) and the caudal (harvested at week 4) aspect of the P. major muscle belly were processed for RNA-seq differential gene expression analysis between WB-affected and unaffected chickens. Histopathologic evaluations revealed localized phlebitis with perivenous lipid deposition at week 1, focal single-myofibril degeneration at week 2, preceding an inflammatory response into myofibers at Week 3. Lesions from week 4 to 7 revealed varying degrees of phlebitis, often accompanied by multifocal to diffuse myositis, fibrosis and myoregeneration. Similarly, gene expression analysis of muscle biopsy samples between affected and unaffected birds revealed several biological processes and disease functions associated with the development of WB. Top among them were immune and inflammatory response, remodeling of ECM, oxidative stress and dysregulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in affected birds. This study demonstrates that morphological and molecular perturbations involving the vasculature, ECM and metabolism are pertinent to the onset and progress of WBD in commercial meat-type chickens.


Name: Behnam Abasht Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Danielle Mikolajewski

[email protected] Undergraduate Student Plant and Soil Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Disruption of the genome of Rice Blast to identify genes involved in

production of Reactive Oxygen Species Mikolajewski, D.*; Pancake, J.; Donofrio, N.

Authors:

Abstract: Rice Blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, causes severe loss to crops worldwide, most recently in South Asia. It is a virulent pathogen, which can cause complete devastation when conditions are favorable. To better understand how to take advantage of basal immunity, a mechanism by which plants can protect themselves even against virulent pathogens, we are performing forward genetic screens with rice and M. oryzae. Previous work in our lab used a live sensor gene called Hyper-sensor (HS) to measure detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a well-characterized strain of M. oryzae 4091. ROS is a major contributor to a plant’s basal immune system. The HS gene gives 4091 the ability to fluoresce when in the presence of ROS, thus providing a quantifiable measurement of ROS. We are in the process of randomly disrupting the genome of 4091-HS by transformation with a DNA insert constructed with a gene for resistance to the drug Hygromycin (Hyg). This construct has two degenerate ends so that it will generate random insertions in the genome, disrupting as many genes as possible. This ability to bind anywhere could disrupt genes that play a role in ROS production in the fungus, or triggering and detection of ROS in the plant, potentially identifying genes directly linked to basal immunity. Through screening the randomly mutagenized library of 4091-HS, we will be able to identify changes in ROS using confocal microscopy. Currently we have over 1900 transformed candidates that have been characterized through a primary and secondary screen whose results will be discussed. Results will be presented on our screening strategy and some preliminary data from five of the characterized mutants.







Presenting Author

Name: Kun Huang


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Revealing cellular RNA dynamics with emerging microscopy tools

Huang, K.*; Caplan, J.; Meyers, B.

Authors:

Abstract: RNAs, including small RNAs, play a variety of important regulatory roles in both plants and animals, including developmental regulation, activation of pathogen defences, and epigenetic regulation. In the past, precise, subcellular and even cellular imaging of RNAs in plant tissue was challenging. Genetically encoded live-cell fluorescent tagging of RNAs is possible by fusion of a target RNA with a fluorescent RNA aptamer, Spinach, that exhibits strong and consistent fluorescence upon binding of a fluorophore like DFHBI. We also created aptamer sequences that emit fluorescence upon binding of an endogenous fluorophore bliverdin. Besides live-cell imaging sensors, we developed a suit of imaging tools that span from single-molecule to whole tissue level of RNA imaging including, sRNA-FISH, RNA-PAINT, whole mount-FISH, and smFISH in plants.


Name: Jeffrey Caplan Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Tim Chaya


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Capturing the spatiotemporal levels of Reactive Oxygen Species during

pathogenic infection of barley and maize using the HyPer sensor. Chaya, T.*; Cooper, J.G.; Caplan, J.; Donofrio, N.M.

Authors:

Abstract: The interplay between plant host and fungal pathogens during infection is a complex process that is in part defined by regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). It is well established that plants use ROS as a key component of innate immunity, growth and development. Analogously, fungi need ROS for development and production of necessary infection structures. In both organisms, ROS production must be carefully regulated to prevent deleterious effects. Our research is exploring the mechanisms of ROS creation and mitigation in two ascomycetes: the necrotrophic maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus and hemi-biotrophic rice pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. It is hypothesized that both pathogens will utilize and regulate ROS in a different manner during infection. To aid in the understanding of this process we have transformed both fungi to express a genetically encoded reporter for hydrogen peroxide called HyPer. We are implementing two different microscopy based approaches for this project. The first is an in situ analysis of conidia in a perfusion chamber, characterizing the response kinetics of each fungus when treated with oxidative (hydrogen peroxide) or reductive (dithiothreitol) solutions. The second approach is imaging in planta ROS levels through select infection stages. With a baseline of how each fungus responds to ROS, we plan to analyze HyPer mutant libraries under development for forward genetic screens, to identify genes related to ROS generation and attenuation. These genes can provide targets for the development of new fungicides or breeding of more resistant plants.


Name: Jeff Caplan Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Vinay Nagarajan


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Evidence for endoribonucleolytic cleavage of nonsense-mediated decay

(NMD) targets in plants Nagarajan, V.K.*; Green, P.J.

Authors:

Abstract: Nonsense-mediated Decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic mRNA surveillance mechanism that ensures the turnover of aberrant mRNA, such as those harboring a premature termination codon. Conserved UPF proteins recognize aberrant mRNAs and recruit a host of mRNA decay factors to the translating ribosomes that trigger mRNA turnover. NMD targets are initially turned-over by decapping and/or deadenylation (yeast, plants and metazoans) or endoribonucleolytic cleavage (by PIN-domain containing SMG6 in metazoans), and subsequently digested by XRN1 and exosome complex. To understand the contributions of Arabidopsis XRN4 (XRN1 homolog) to plant NMD, we compared XRN4 substrates (degradome analysis) and NMD-sensitive transcripts (transcriptome analysis of upf1 and upf3). Remarkably, both decapped and 3’ fragments of XRN4 substrates were overrepresented among NMD-sensitive transcripts. One such transcript, eRF1-1 has several characteristic features that trigger NMD and its mRNA levels were strongly elevated in upf1. A cleaved fragment of eRF1-1 3’UTR strongly overaccumulates in xrn4. Blocking translation which also inhibits NMD, resulted in decreased production of the 3’ fragment, indicating that eRF1-1 turnover requires the action of both UPF1 and XRN4. Our analysis indicates 77 NMD-sensitive transcripts are cleaved by an unknown endoribonuclease. Given that SMG6 orthologs are absent in plants, these results are unexpected. The Arabidopsis genome has several putative endoribonucleases with a PIN domain that could fulfill the role of SMG6. Indeed, one such endoribonuclease was recently found to be interacting with the Arabidopsis UPF1 protein. Experiments to examine the substrates of these putative endoribonucleases in plants is currently underway (NSF 2018 - MCB Award# 1817764)


Name: Pamela Green Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences



27 One health - intersections among animal, plant, human and ecosystem health


Presenting Author

Name: Iyana Admasu

[email protected] Master’s Student Animal and Food Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Examination of the acute phase of poultry Coccidia infection

Admasu, I.*

Authors:

Abstract: Coccidiosis is a prevalent diseases in the poultry industry and was first studied in 1891 when oocysts were found in the ceca of chickens. The parasite is a single celled organism in the subkingdom Protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa. The species of Eimeria that infect chickens are E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. brunetti, E. mitis and E. praecox. Although they all have the ability to cause infection in chickens, certain species target specific tissue and organ specificity. The effects of certain strains can differ but they all negatively impact the integrity of the mucosal barrier and underlying tissue in the intestine of the host. The most extreme cases of coccidiosis can lead to death. A novel tool that is used to further study coccidiosis, along with other chicken diseases, are the chicken-specific peptide arrays. This analyzation of peptides is through the study of kinomics, which looks at kinase enzymes. Kinomics allows the study of signaling within an organism. Ross 308 broilers were obtained to observe the effects of coccidian infection 96 hours, 120 hours and 144 hours post infection. By analyzing phosphorylation events, changes in signal transduction pathways can be observed.


Name: Ryan Arsenault Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Susannah Halligan

[email protected] Undergraduate Student Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The Delaware Waterfowl Tracker

Halligan, S.*, Buler, J.; Smolinsky, J.

Authors:

Abstract: The state of Delaware finds itself in the middle of the Atlantic Flyway, posing a problem for stakeholders in the poultry industry (Karesh et al., 2012; Newell et al., 2010). Avian influenza occurs in migratory waterfowl populations and serve as primary vectors of the disease. When migratory waterfowl pass through Delaware via the Atlantic Flyway, Delawarean poultry are at risk of exposure to the virus (Olsen et al., 2006). Supplying stakeholders with locations of waterfowl can help better their surveillance and biosecurity efforts. The Delaware Waterfowl Tracker is an interactive web application that provides maps of the distribution and density of overwintering migratory waterfowl in Delaware and the surrounding region. Radar data are used to map waterfowl distribution by sampling them as they take off for evening feeding flights. Dover (KDOX) Weather Surveillance Radar data was pre-screened for contaminations such as precipitation, clutter, or anomalous propagation within 100 km of the radar using the data archives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric National Climatic Data Center (NOAA-NCDC). Past data was used to train statistical models in R to predict waterfowl distributions based on environmental and geographic variables (e.g. temperature, cumulative days below freezing, proximality to refuge lands, hunting season) to produce maps of waterfowl distributions in near-real time that are posted in the web app. The app has been developed utilizing the same protocols used to develop the California Waterfowl Tracker, a similar web application developed to produce maps of waterfowl in California.


Name: Jeffrey Buler Email: [email protected] Department: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology





Presenting Author

Name: Jiayao Li


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of poultry probiotics

Li, J.*; Carmody, C.; Raye, A.; Wu, C.

Authors:

Abstract: Due to the restriction in overuse of antibiotics from FDA, alternative methods are needed to promote farm animal health. Probiotic, the living microorganism conferring health benefits to its host when administrated in adequate amounts, is natural and safe to add directly into animal feed to enhance farm animal health. We selected some isolates of strains with top antioxidant and antimicrobial performance from chicken’s ileum, cecum and feces samples, validated the previous results with modified methods, and tested the activity of the mixture of these top isolates for comparison. For the future work, we plan to apply the strains to the GI materials from chicken as the previous step to apply it to animal.


Name: Changqing Wu Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Anthony Pompetti

[email protected] Undergraduate Student Animal and Food Sciences

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Tracking recovery of small strongyle species following anthelmintic

treatment Pompetti, A.*

Authors:

Abstract: Small strongyles (cyathostomin) are ubiquitous gastrointestinal parasites of horses that can cause colic damage, diarrhea, and host mortality. There are about 50 species of nematodes in this group, and a single horse can host up to 20 different taxa. There are three classes of antiparasitic drugs called anthelmintics used to treat cyathostomin infections. Cyathostomin are observed with resistance to all but one class of anthelmintic, macrocyclic lactones (MLs). MLs seem to be more efficient in treatment than other classes of anthelmintics, but early indications suggest resistance is developing. It is not known whether cyathostomin taxa are equally sensitive to anthelmintics and the pattern of species recovery following deworming has not been described. In this study, various anthelmintic treatment including moxidectin, ivermectin, and pyrantel, were used to treat infected horses to observe its effect on the cyathostomin population. Fecal samples from 15 horses were collected biweekly and surveyed for small strongyle eggs. Egg counts at each sampling time were used to indicate the persistence and recovery of parasites. These samples were profiled using Illumina Miseq amplicon sequencing and custom primers. Observing the population response to anthelmintic allows insight to whether there is a shift in relative abundance or the population recovers to initial distributions. This research will help form hypotheses regarding the differential responses to dewormers by cyathostomin species and inform targeted approaches to combat cyathostomin resistance.







Presenting Author

Name: Juliann Callan


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Effect of feeding dairy cows a rumen protected choline product on fecal

choline excretion and plasma choline metabolites Callan, J.*; Castillo, G.; Cronin, S.; Barnard, A.; Conklin, M.; Gressley, T.

Authors:

Abstract: Choline is an essential nutrient that supports health, liver function and milk yield of dairy cattle. Choline supplements for ruminants must be provided in rumen protected forms that survive conditions in the rumen and are available for absorption in the intestines. We conducted two experiments to evaluate the bioavailability of a rumen protected choline product. In experiment 1, we lactating dairy cows (n=4) diets containing 0, 60, 120 or 180 g/d of a rumen protected choline product. Fecal samples were collected, and choline content of the feces was measured to determine choline disappearance in the digestive tract. We found that 59% of the choline from the rumen protected choline product disappeared and was presumably absorbed by the intestines, and the extent of disappearance was not impacted by supplementation level. In experiment 2, we fed dry dairy cows (n=3) diets containing 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 g/d of the rumen protected choline product. We collected blood samples and measured the plasma concentration of free choline and two choline metabolites, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. We hypothesized that plasma concentrations of choline and choline metabolites would increase with increased supplementation. However, we found that free choline decreased with the increasing supplementation level and the two choline metabolites were unaffected by treatment. Together, these experiments indicate that 59% of the choline in the rumen protected choline product was available to the animals, but plasma choline, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin do not appear to be appropriate markers to assess choline bioavailability.


Name: Tanya Gressley Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Ashley Kennedy

[email protected] Doctoral Student Entomology and Wildlife Ecology

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Predation of dragonfly larvae by passerines

Kennedy, A.*; Tallamy, D.; White, H.

Authors:

Abstract: Avian predation of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) is fairly well-documented, but most observations are restricted to non-passerine birds eating adult odonates. Photos taken by naturalists over the past several years suggest that passerine predation on odonate larvae, while uncommon, occurs across a wider range of species than previously documented.


Name: Douglas Tallamy Email: [email protected] Department: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology





Presenting Author

Name: Sivaranjani Palani

[email protected] Master’s Student Civil and Environmental Engineering

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Determination of the efficacy of fungal bioreactors to remove E. coli from

aqueous dairy manure through assessment of growth support materials and flow regimes Palani, S.*; Chirnside, A.; Omar, A.; Kniel, K.

Authors:

Abstract: Aqueous dairy manure is a widely used biological soil amendment and it has a high possibility of containing pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 posing a great threat to food safety by contaminating raw agricultural crops. Workers handling the manure also risk exposure and possible health threats caused by these pathogens. Runoff from these amended agricultural lands also results in pollution of natural water bodies. On farm composting of solid manure at high temperatures can reduce some pathogens, but pathogens can regrow once temperatures decrease. Development of cost effective and sustainable mycoremediation practices to remove pathogens from the manure could reduce the risk of exposure to these organisms. Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus, white rot /wood rot fungi, grown in bioreactors have been shown to reduce E. coli in dairy manure. The objective of this research is to determine the efficacy of the two white rot fungi grown in bioreactors to remove E. coli (strain TVS 355) from aqueous dairy manure by assessing 3 different support materials and two flow regimes. Wood chips (WC), spent mushroom compost (SMC) and reticulated polyurethane foam (RPF) will be evaluated as growth support materials in fungal bioreactors. The support materials represent a wide range of carbon to nitrogen ratios that may influence the degradation mechanisms of the fungi.


Name: Anastasia Chirnside Email: [email protected] Department: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology





Presenting Author

Name: Abby Evans

[email protected] Master’s Student Water Science and Policy

Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Using iron and manganese-coated IRIS films to quantify soil redox potential

in rice paddies under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) management. Evans, A.*; Limmer, M.; Seyfferth, A.L.

Authors:

Abstract: Rice is a crucial part of the world’s food supply as over half of the world’s population eats it daily. Many rice farmers depend on rice production for their livelihoods; however, they are facing a difficult task: how to minimize contaminant uptake while maintaining yield. Rice is generally grown in flooded conditions under which arsenic becomes more plant-available. Arsenic is naturally found in the soil and when taken up by the plant it can reduce yield and grain quality. Arsenic’s impact on rice can be alleviated by increasing the soil redox potential. Careful control of soil redox can decrease concentrations of plant-available arsenic in the soil, but farmers in developing countries need a way to easily monitor soil redox. Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) tubes have been studied in recent years as a method of measuring soil redox potential in wetland environments. Here, we are exploring the use of the IRIS film technology as indicators of soil redox as a low-tech means to indicate when farmers should drain their fields to minimize contaminant uptake. This study takes advantage of an ongoing rice microcosm study at the University of Delaware where 18 rice paddies under different management strategies have been instrumented with continuous redox probes at two depths and pore water chemistry is monitored weekly. IRIS films coated with Fe or Mn oxides were prepared and deployed in all 18 rice paddies using the methods of Rabenhorst at the University of Maryland. The quantifications of paint loss from films will be discussed.


Name: Angelia Seyfferth Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Kenneth Elliott


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Design and development of a novel foam-based vaccination system for

chicks in the hatchery Elliott, K.*; Li, H.

Authors:

Abstract: Coarse spray vaccination is one of the most common methods of mass vaccination for chicks in the hatchery, providing protection against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and newcastle’s disease (ND). Despite its ubiquity in the poultry industry, coarse spray has seen issues with post vaccination reactions and uniformity of vaccination. As the poultry industry grows to meet consumer demands it is vital to provide flocks with a strong, lasting protection from disease. Foam is a novel medium for poultry vaccination that will increase the contact time between chicks and vaccine allowing for increased ingestion and protection. A pilot study was conducted to investigate the viability of developing a nozzle to produce edible foams for vaccination. A sugar-protein based foam agent was developed for the specially designed nozzle. The properties of the sugar-protein foam that were assessed included expansion rate (ER), deterioration rate (DR), liquid drainage rate (LDR), and bubble size (BS). The foams that were produced had an average ER of 8.62 ± 2.42, an average DR of 98% ± .01% after 10 minutes, an average LDR of 46.6% ± 8.79% after 10 minutes, and an average BS of 1.98mm ± 1.47mm. This initial testing shows that producing sugar-protein edible foam is viable and that further investigation and development is warranted to improve foam quality and to test vaccine viability throughout the foaming process.


Name: Hong Li Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Natalia Ochoa


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Identification of Coccidia species in passerines at Tri-State Bird Rescue &

Research, Inc. Ochoa, N.*; Howey-Newcomb, A.; Miller, E.; Sepulveda, M.

Authors:

Abstract: Few published studies exist on parasites of wild passerines in rehabilitation facilities. This study surveyed helminths and coccidia from passerines at Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research in Newark, Delaware. In summer 2018, fecal flotations were conducted on samples collected from passerine cages, and eggs classified (nematode, cestode, coccidia). Coccidia were most common, often found in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), American robins (Turdus migratorius) and common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula). To determine the coccidia species, DNA was isolated from fecal samples, primers were designed to target Eimeria species, and DNA was sequenced and blasted against known coccidian species in passerines.


Name: Andrea Howey-Newcomb Email: [email protected] Department: Other





Presenting Author

Name: Gisselle Garcia


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: An in-vitro analysis of the effects of Firocoxib on the Equine Gastric

Microbiome Garcia, G.*; Babiarz, K.; Stone, T.; Mehr, L.; Clarke, S.; Owens, N.; Biddle, A.

Authors:

Abstract: The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in equine medicine has been increasing in recent years. Firocoxib, commercially known as Equioxx, is one of the newest NSAIDs on the market and it employs a different mechanism to reduce inflammation than older NSAIDs. Horse owners and veterinarians alike employ NSAIDs as a way to reduce pain and inflammation associated with colic, surgery, or arthritis. Equioxx comes in both tablet and paste formulations, with the paste being favored over the tablets because it is easier for owners to administer it at home. Once ingested the drug starts to be metabolized, not only by the horse, but by the bacteria present in the gastric microbiome as well. The purpose of this study was to identify if there were any changes to the gut microbiome as the drug was metabolized and if there were any secondary byproducts produced by the metabolism of the drug that could affect the gastric microbiome. Data was gathered via a 48hour time course in which gastric fluid was taken from a healthy horse and placed into vials that contained anaerobic media. These vials were then inoculated with three different dosage of the drug and compared to control vials that had gastric fluid but not firocoxib, and three uninnoculated vials that contained firocoxib but no gastric fluid. Samples were taken every six hours for the 48 hours and a final sample was taken twelve hours later, which is referred to as time point 60. Subsequent analysis of these samples requires the use of Qiagen DNA Extraction kit, 16S sequencing, high pressure liquid chromatography analysis, and metabolomic analysis which will reveal any changes that the drug may have caused to the bacterial populations in the gastric microbiome as well as any secondary byproducts produced by drug metabolism.This work will add to the understanding of how firocoxib interacts with the equine microbiome, which is critical to the overall health of the horse.







Presenting Author

Name: Taozhu Sun


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Mechanistic investigation of the interactions between bacteria and fresh

produce in a model system Sun, T.*; Lazouskaya, V.; Jin, Y.

Authors:

Abstract: Understanding the interactions between bacteria and fresh produce interface is critical for devising effective decontamination strategies to ensure safe consumption of fresh produce. In this study, colloid retention and removal were investigated with a model system constituting colloids as bacterial surrogates and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replicas of tomato, lettuce, and spinach. The interplay between colloid retention and the surface properties of PDMS samples were characterized and the results were compared with our previous study examining fresh produce. Colloid removal was measured by rinsing colloid-contaminated PDMS samples with various solutions, including DI water, 0.3 mM NaCl, surfactants of Tween 80 (5 ppm and 100 ppm) and SDS (500 ppm and 10000 ppm) at different withdrawal velocities (0.1 m/s and 0.001 m/s). The results indicated that residual solution retention and the action of the air-liquid-solid interface (e.g., the contact line) determined the colloid retention, distribution and removal. Quantitative trends of PDMS tomato < spinach < lettuce and of PDMS replicas < fresh produce were observed in the residual solution and colloid retention, which were associated with sample surface roughness, topography and hydrophobicity. Within this study, rinsing samples with the solutions that possess relatively low wettability and large surface tension at a slow withdrawal velocity were found to remove colloids from sample surfaces most efficiently.


Name: Yan Jin Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Samantha Gartley


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Manure pathogen survey of Salmonella and Shiga Toxin producing

Escherichia coli in untreated poultry and cattle manure of the Mid-Atlantic egion Gartley, S.*; De Ramos, T.; Nyarko, E.; Souza, T.; Litt, P.; Kelly, A.; Jay-Russell, M.; Chen, Y.; Rivadeneira, P.; Aminabadi, P.; Bell, R.; Ingram, D.; Van Doren, J.; Kniel, K.

Authors:

Abstract: Biological soil amendments of animal origin are a valuable nutrient source, but the potential presence of microbial pathogens is a food safety risk. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to quantify Salmonella in poultry litter and shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cattle manure in Mid-Atlantic US. Seven manure samples (30g each) were collected upon each visit to 20 poultry and 12 cattle farms, on two separate sampling dates to each farm over 18 months. Samples were mixed with TSB and pathogens detected by Most Probable Number (MPN) in 48-well blocks at 37C for 24 hr (poultry) or 42C for 20 hr (cattle). For Salmonella, enrichment proceeded in BPW, and then transfer to TT and RV tubes/MPN blocks. For STEC, cattle samples were transferred to mEHEC tubes/MPN blocks. Incubations were typically overnight. Samples were plated on XLT4 and CHROMagar STEC from selective enrichment tubes for confirmation. MPN was quantified with a detection limit of -1.05 log MPN/g (0.089 MPN/g). Colonies from positive samples were confirmed by PCR. Statistical analyses were determined using a Chi Square Test. Salmonella was detected in 43% (120/280) of samples, non-O157 STEC in 18% (21/119), with no E. coli O157 confirmed in any of the cattle samples. Among the positive samples, log MPN/g ranged from -1.05 to 5.45 (average 2.53) for Salmonella and range of -0.29 to 2.83 (average 1.24) for STEC non-O157. In Salmonella enrichment, RV and TT yielded similar detection for samples as positive for Salmonella; however, log MPN/g values were statistically greater (p< .0001) for Salmonella in samples detected by TT. Salmonella and STEC are present in non-composted manure in varying levels and could transfer to raw produce when applied to crops as biological soil amendments. Differences in Salmonella enrichment media should be further elucidated.


Name: Kali Kniel Email: [email protected] Department: Animal and Food Sciences





Presenting Author

Name: Justin Blair


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: Predatory fungus capture efficiency for equine cyathostomin larvae in the

presence and absence of free living soil nematodes Blair, J.*; Biddle, A.

Authors:

Abstract: Cyathostomins also known as small strongyles are a group of parasitic nematodes infecting equids. Due to a life cycle that makes treatment difficult and acquired anthelmintic drug resistance over time they have become the most widespread pathogenic parasite of the horse. Duddingtonia flagrans is a nematode-trapping fungus showing promising preliminary results as a biological control agent for treatment of parasitic nematodes in livestock. Its spores have been shown to survive digestive tracts, then grow in fecal pats reduce the spread of the larval nematode stages onto pasture. Species of nematode has shown a strong correlation with trapping time; previously described species Panagrellus redivivus and Trichostrongylus sp. were shown to be trapped and killed at only 4 and 15 hours of interaction respectively, but Trichostrongylus sp. had their trapping time nearly halved when Panagrellus redivivus were simultaneously introduced to the fungal culture. The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of free living soil nematodes on the trapping efficiency of Duddingtonia flagrans when targeting small strongyle L3 larvae. Cyathostomin larvae were consistently trapped at a lower rate than P. redivivus, and their trapping times appear to be independent of the presence of P. redivivus, confirming a species preference of the fungus and contradicting the idea that presence of preferred species effects trapping of less preferred species. Determining if the presence of free living nematodes in pasture will change trapping efficiency will have important consequences in its use as a biological control mechanism.







Presenting Author

Name: Matt Limmer


Email:

Position:

Department:

Presentation

Title: The effect of water management on rice grain micronutrients and

contaminants Limmer, M.*; Seyfferth, A.

Authors:

Abstract: Rice is a globally important food and is widely studied due to concerns about nutritional content and the presence of contaminants such as arsenic and cadmium. Rice is also a water intensive crop often grown under flooded conditions. To conserve irrigation water, alternate irrigation strategies have been proposed, such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and furrow-irrigated rice (i.e., row rice). These practices not only decrease irrigation water use, but also affect the concentration, speciation, and localization of contaminants and nutrients in the rice grain. We show the effects of irrigation on arsenic, cadmium, iron, zinc, and sulfur in the grain. We find that decreased irrigation tends to decrease grain arsenic concentrations while increasing grain cadmium and zinc concentrations. These changes will impact human health, which suggests that decisions involving a change of irrigation strategies should also consider the degree of contamination present in a rice field for elements of concern as well as the need to increase micronutrient concentrations in rice grain.


Name: Angelia Seyfferth Email: [email protected] Department: Plant and Soil Sciences

MÊ» Êy´ yµ ÎÔÊy ÔÎ `^ g·P Î yÊ Të´Ç»Î Ù´ · University of Delaware College of...

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