The Desert Whale: the boom and bust of hemp in Arizona.

Background: This paper examines the factors that led to the collapse of hemp grown for cannabidiol (CBD) in Arizona, the United States of America (USA), and particularly in Yuma County, which is a well-established agricultural area in the state.

Methods: This research uses a combination of mapping analysis along with a survey of hemp farmers to assess the reasons why the hemp industry collapsed as well as to foster solutions to these problems.

Results: In 2019, 5430 acres were sown with hemp seed in Arizona with 3890 acres inspected by the state to determine if they could be harvested.

First Report of Crown and Root Rot Caused by Pythium aphanidermatum on Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) in Arizona.

During July and August 2020, symptoms of leaf yellowing and browning, sudden wilting, and death were observed on industrial hemp plants (Cannabis sativa L.) in several drip-irrigated fields in Yuma and Graham county, Arizona. About 85% of plants showed severe crown and root rot symptoms.

First Report of Beet Curly Top Virus Infecting Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) in Arizona.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) is an emerging crop in Arizona, with many uses, including fiber, cosmetic products, and health food. In 2020, severe curly top disease outbreaks were observed in several hemp fields in Yuma and Graham Counties, Arizona, where disease incidence and severity were considerably high, up to 100% crop loss occurring in some fields. A wide range of symptoms have been observed at different infection stages and plant growth stages at the time of infection.

Physical and Physiological Determinants of Rock Climbing.

Purpose: Rock climbing performance relies on many characteristics. Herein, the authors identified the physical and physiological determinants of peak performance in rock climbing across the range from lower grade to elite.

Methods: Forty four male and 33 female climbers with onsight maximal climbing grades 5a-8a and 5a-7b+, respectively, were tested for physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics (independent variables) that were correlated and modeled by multiple regression and principal component analysis to identify the determinants of rock climbing ability.

A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion.

Herbivores can profoundly influence plant species assembly, including plant invasion, and resulting community composition. Population increases of native herbivores, e.g.

Intervertebral Micro Access Surgery for Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Background: Minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) has undergone tremendous progress in the past 2 decades. The intervertebral micro access surgery (iMAS) technique represents a hybrid of both open and minimally invasive techniques.

Objective: To describe the surgical technique and operative nuances of the iMAS technique.