127 results match your criteria: "Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center[Affiliation]"

We investigated the host status of harvest-ready green Persian lime, Tan. (Rutaceae), to Oriental fruit fly ( [Hendel]) and Mediterranean fruit fly ( [Wiedemann]) (Diptera: Tephritidae) using laboratory and field studies. In forced-infestation small cage exposures (using 25 × 25 × 25 cm screened cages with 50 gravid females) and large olfactometer cage tests (using 2.

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An Improved Sampling and Baiting Method for and Detection in .

Plants (Basel)

September 2024

Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.

Macadamia nuts are, economically, the second most important crop in the state of Hawai'i. A recent decline in yield and acreage has been attributed to insect damage and diseases such as Macadamia Quick Decline (MQD) caused by and . To develop an improved methodology for the diagnosis and treatment of MQD, investigations were undertaken to better understand the pathosystem of the disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, is a significant agricultural pest in North and Central America, but a detailed genome assembly had not been created until now.
  • Researchers successfully developed a chromosome-level genome using advanced sequencing technologies, resulting in a comprehensive assembly of 140 scaffolds that captures essential genetic information.
  • The study also identified sex chromosomes with a focus on evolutionary trends, showing that genes linked to the X chromosome evolve faster than those on autosomes, offering new insights into the evolution of sex chromosomes in these fruit flies.
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Article Synopsis
  • * RNA sequencing and virus indexing revealed the presence of six viruses, including Canna yellow mottle virus and two new ones, causing symptoms in infected plants.
  • * Mealybugs and aphids were identified as vectors for these viruses, with further studies needed to confirm the relationship between viral infections and the decline in flowering ginger health.
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Rust fungi (Pucciniales) are plant pathogens that can cause devastating yield losses to economically important crops and threaten native plants with extinction. Rusts are usually controlled with fungicides when rust-resistant plant varieties are unavailable. However, natural enemies may offer an alternative to chemicals by acting as biological controls.

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Sterile insect technique (SIT) is a useful strategy for preventing and mitigative establishment of invasive insect species. SIT of the pest tephritid Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824)WiedemannWiedemann, has been effective in preventing population establishment in vulnerable agricultural areas of the United States. However, irradiation-induced sterilization can have detrimental impacts resulting in reduced performance metrics.

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Radioisotope irradiators (using cesium-137 or cobalt-60) are used as sources of ionizing radiation to control quarantine or phytosanitary insect pests in internationally traded fresh commodities and to sterilize insects used in sterile insect release programs. There are institutional initiatives to replace isotopic irradiators (producing γ-rays) with lower-energy X-ray machines due to concerns about radiological terrorism and increasingly stringent regulations on the movement of radioisotopes. Questions remain about whether the biological effects of low-energy X-rays are comparable to those of γ-rays since differences in energy levels and dose rates of X-rays may have different efficacies.

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Genomic and Transcriptomic Insights into the Evolution of C4 Photosynthesis in Grasses.

Genome Biol Evol

August 2024

Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research Unit, Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • - C4 photosynthesis has evolved over 62 times independently across 19 angiosperm families, but this seems odd given the complex changes needed to switch from C3 to C4 photosynthesis.
  • - The study analyzed genomic and transcriptomic data to understand the shared molecular changes in C4 grasses, revealing that the expansion of certain gene families and specific amino acid adaptations were key factors in this evolution.
  • - Findings suggest that Chloridoideae grasses had a better genetic setup for C4 photosynthesis than Panicoideae grasses, explaining why C4 evolved earlier and more frequently in the former, while also highlighting shared regulatory features of C4 genes across different grass lineages.
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Article Synopsis
  • * A 2-year study tested 4 trap designs and 3 ethanol lures in Georgia and New York, focusing on major beetle species.
  • * Clear sticky cards were the most effective traps, especially when combined with specific low-release ethanol lures, enhancing capture rates of key pest species in both regions.
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otb: an automated HiC/HiFi pipeline assembles the Prosapia bicincta Genome.

G3 (Bethesda)

August 2024

Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 64 Nowelo St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.

The implementation of a new genomic assembly pipeline named only the best (otb) has effectively addressed various challenges associated with data management during the development and storage of genome assemblies. otb, which incorporates a comprehensive pipeline involving a setup layer, quality checks, templating, and the integration of Nextflow and Singularity. The primary objective of otb is to streamline the process of creating a HiFi/HiC genome, aiming to minimize the manual intervention required in the genome assembly process.

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Bioassay-Guided Isolation and Identification of Cytotoxic Compounds from Fruits.

ACS Omega

April 2024

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, United States.

The fruit extract of yielded a total of 19 compounds, including two novel spiro-biflavonoid enantiomers ( and ) and a chalcone derivative (). Their structures were determined through spectroscopic analysis. The enantiomers of the racemic mixture of compound were successfully resolved into (+)- and (-)- using chiral-phase HPLC.

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Antifungal efficiency and mechanisms of ethyl ferulate against postharvest pathogens.

Int J Food Microbiol

June 2024

College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address:

Postharvest loss caused by a range of pathogens necessitates exploring novel antifungal compounds that are safe and efficient in managing the pathogens. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of ethyl ferulate (EF) and explored its mechanisms of action against Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium digitatum, Geotrichum candidum and evaluated its potential to inhibit postharvest decay. The results demonstrated that EF exerts potent antifungal activity against a wide board of postharvest pathogens.

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Taro (Colocasia esculenta) flour is a viable carbohydrate alternative and a functional additive for food formulation; however, different taro varieties may possess distinct characteristics that may influence their suitability for food production. This study evaluated the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties of flours from five Hawaiian taro varieties: Bun-Long, Mana Ulu, Moi, Kaua'i Lehua, and Tahitian. Tahitian, Bun-long, and Moi had high total starch contents of 40.

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FAIR Header Reference genome: a TRUSTworthy standard.

Brief Bioinform

March 2024

Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1515 College Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502 USA.

The lack of interoperable data standards among reference genome data-sharing platforms inhibits cross-platform analysis while increasing the risk of data provenance loss. Here, we describe the FAIR bioHeaders Reference genome (FHR), a metadata standard guided by the principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse (FAIR) in addition to the principles of Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability and Technology. The objective of FHR is to provide an extensive set of data serialisation methods and minimum data field requirements while still maintaining extensibility, flexibility and expressivity in an increasingly decentralised genomic data ecosystem.

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Beverage mixtures based on pineapple juice (80-100%), with varying concentrations of turmeric (0-20%) and ginger (0-20%) juice were developed. The pineapple juice alone exhibited a total soluble solid (TSS) content of 15.90-16.

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The diel flight activity in Cathartus quadricollis (Guerin-Meneville) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), a predator of two important pests in Hawaii, coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) and tropical nut borer, Hypothenemus obscurus (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) was studied in a macadamia nut orchard using yellow sticky traps baited with pheromone and fungal volatile attractants. The study was conducted at different months throughout the year and at different times during the lunar cycle (new moon and full moon).

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Chemical and genetic basis of orange flavor.

Sci Adv

March 2024

Horticultural Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Fort Pierce, FL, 34945, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • Sweet orange varieties show low genetic diversity and are highly susceptible to Huanglongbing (HLB), necessitating the development of hybrids that are more tolerant to this disease.!* -
  • The research analyzed 179 juice samples and identified 26 critical compounds for orange flavor, with seven esters distinguishing oranges from mandarins.!* -
  • A specific gene responsible for ester production was identified and linked to an inherited allele from pummelo, leading to a reliable SNP-based DNA marker for predicting orange flavor traits and aiding future breeding efforts.!*
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Prediabetes is characterized by a cluster of glycemic parameters higher than normal but below the threshold of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In recent years, phytochemical-rich plant extracts have gained popularity as therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders. This study investigated the effects of papaya leaf (PL) juice supplementation on blood glucose levels in diet-induced obese and prediabetic adult mice.

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Review of surveillance systems for tephritid fruit fly threats in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

J Econ Entomol

February 2024

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, The Ian Armstrong Building, 105 Prince St, Orange 2800, Australia.

Article Synopsis
  • - Countries in the Pacific region show varied fruit fly surveillance practices despite having common guidelines, using three main parapheromones to trap adult male fruit flies, though some species require alternative attractants.
  • - Factors such as local climate, target species, and chemical regulations influence the choice of traps, lures, and toxicants, impacting trap effectiveness and deployment strategies.
  • - Most countries have standardized procedures for trap inspection and data handling, but advancements in automated trap technologies are changing these practices in response to evolving fruit fly risks from both existing and neighboring species.
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DATA RESOURCES AND ANALYSES FAIR Header Reference genome: A TRUSTworthy standard.

bioRxiv

December 2023

Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1515 College Ave, Manhattan, KS 66502 USA.

The lack of interoperable data standards among reference genome data-sharing platforms inhibits cross-platform analysis while increasing the risk of data provenance loss. Here, we describe the FAIR-bioHeaders Reference genome (FHR), a metadata standard guided by the principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse (FAIR) in addition to the principles of Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability, and Technology (TRUST). The objective of FHR is to provide an extensive set of data serialisation methods and minimum data field requirements while still maintaining extensibility, flexibility, and expressivity in an increasingly decentralised genomic data ecosystem.

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Pilot Testing of an Area-Wide Biological Control Strategy against the Coffee Berry Borer in Colombia Using African Parasitoids.

Insects

November 2023

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, District of Columbia (USDA), Washington, DC 20250, USA.

The coffee berry borer (CBB), (Ferrari, 1867) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), native to Africa, is a major global insect pest of coffee. It has invaded many coffee production areas around the world that do not have natural enemies. In this study, two African parasitoids, Waterston (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and Waterston (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), were mass-reared for field release against in Chinchiná, Colombia.

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Model species continue to underpin groundbreaking plant science research. At the same time, the phylogenetic resolution of the land plant tree of life continues to improve. The intersection of these 2 research paths creates a unique opportunity to further extend the usefulness of model species across larger taxonomic groups.

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Apple snails of the genus Perry, 1810 (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Ampullariidae) are native to the Neotropics and exhibit high species diversity, holding cultural and ecological significance as an important protein source in Peru. However, most genetic studies in have focused mostly on invasive species, especially in Southeast Asia, where they are considered important pests. In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitochondrial genomes of two species native to the Peruvian Amazon: Ampuero & Ramírez, 2023 and (Deville & Hupé, 1850).

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