FY2009 Annual Report Project Descriptions

AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

UVM research scientists and outreach specialists ...

  • determine potential perennial grass biomass yields and costs of production on Vermont farms for heat energy usage
    Vermont Grass Pellet Project - A Case Study
    BOSWORTH 1

  • determine the potential productivity of various perennial grasses for biomass and determine optimum establishment and management strategies.
    Vermont Biofuels Initiative - Grass Biomass Energy
    BOSWORTH 1

  • determine the best approaches to achieve food security in coffee producing regions.
    Graduate Fellowships for Sustainable Livelihoods in Coffee Producing Regions
    MENDEZ 1

  • assess the potential of fungi for management of thrips in forests and greenhouse ornamental crops.
    Entomopathogenic Fungi for IPM of Pear Thrips and Western Flower Thrips in Forests and Greenhouses
    PARKER 1

  • develop novel biological control approaches to manage subterranean termites to improve agricultural productivity of subsistence farmers and which could lead to new ways to reduce termite infestations in the US.
    Termite Management on Agricultural Lands in Ethiopia: Phase II: Indigenous Insect-Killing Fungi 2
    PARKER 1

  • elucidate the effect of invasive earthworms on forest soil chemistry and soil structure in maple syrup production sugar maple stands
    Soil Organic Matter: Formation, Function and Management (new project)
    GORRES 1

    Dairy

  • manipulate milking frequency to discover new regulatory mechanisms and improve profitability of dairy farms
    Unilateral Frequent Milking: A Powerful Model for Identifying Biological Mechanisms Involved in Enhanced Milk Production Efficiency
     MCFADDEN 1a

  • determine relationships between management practices and presence of disease-causing organisms on dairy farms
    Pilot Study of Factors Affecting Maintenance of Mycobacterium, Salmonella, E.Coli and Listeria on Dairy Farms
    SMITH 1a

  • engage producers and local emergency management in disaster mitigation and continuity of business planning
    Preparing Dairy Producers to Survive a Bio-Disaster
    SMITH 1a

  • contribute to the knowledge base on glucose utilization in bovine mammary gland and ultimately to the improvement of dairy productivity and efficiency.
    Properties and Regulation of Glucose Transporters in Bovine Mammary Gland
    ZHAO 1a

  • uncover molecular and bacteriological reasons for the variability in severity of bovine mastitis due to Gram-positive bacteria
    Effects of genetic variation in host and pathogen on severity of bovine mastitis
    KERR 1a

  • determine how bovine mammary epithelial cell proliferation is regulated by the estrogen receptors
    Regulation of Bovine Mammary Gland Development and Function by Estrogen Receptors
    PAN 1a

  • improve our understanding of the impact of dietary components on rumen lipid metabolism, milk fat synthesis, and the long chain fatty status of dairy cows.
    The regulation and manipulation of lipid digestion and metabolism in the dairy cow
    LOCK 1a

  • develop better treatment protocols for mastitis and identify genetic differences between animals in their ability to resist mastitis
    Mastitis Resistance to Enhance Dairy Food Safety
    KERR 1a

  • advance our current techniques of producing life-saving medicine with great impact on human well being, but also help to create new way options for sustainable agriculture.
    Dairy Pharming: Production of Pharmaceutically Active Human Proteins in Bovine Milk
    ZHAO 1a

    Maple

  • spotlight the links between the natural environment and the final sensory characteristics of maple syrup to aid maple sugar makers in evalating and marketing maple syrup
    The Taste of Place in Vermont
     TRUBEK 1b

  • investigate the effects of producing maple syrup with sap concentrated by reverse osmosis to very high sugar concentrations on syrup quality and flavor to determine if it is an acceptable practice producers can use to increase the profitability of maple production
    Effect of High Sap Sugar Concentration by Reverse Osmosis on Maple Syrup Attributes
    PERKINS 1b

  • examine whether maple mainline run to each tree results in increases in sap yields that provide an economic gain
    Maximizing Vacuum Transfer and Sap Yields in Tubing Operations: Evaluation of a New Method to Increase Production
    PERKINS 1b

  • evaluate new maple sap collection methods to determine yield versus cost
    Achieving High Maple Sap Yields
    PERKINS 1b

  • develop strategies for increasing maple sap yields
    Strategies to Limit Reductions in Maple Sap Yield in Vacuum Installations
    PERKINS 1b

    Fruits and Vegetables

  • identify the opportunities and challenges of organic apple production and incorporate and evaluate apple cultivars and research-generated knowledge of apple ecosystem dynamics into organic production systems to determine sustainability and profitability
    Using New Alternatives to Enhance Adoption of Organic Apple Production through Integrated Research, Education, and Extension
     BERKETT 1d

  • enhance adoption of ecologically-based IPM and reducing pesticide risks in cold climate winegrape production in northern New England
    Achieving Adoption of Ecologically-Based IPM and Reducing Pesticide Risks in Cold Climate Winegrape Production in Northern New England
    BERKETT 1d

  • evaluate the viticultural and wine quality potential of emerging wine grape cultivars in Vermont
    Coordinated Wine Grape Variety Evaluations in the Eastern USA
    BERKETT 1d

  • implement the Vermont Apple and Grape Program at the University of Vermont
    Specialty Crops - Apple and Grape IPM
    BERKETT 1d

  • increase the knowledge of agricultural service providers and growers in diagnosing nematode damage on agronomic crops, the appropriate protocols for soil sampling and conducting on-farm nematode infestation assessments and the available management options
    Attributes of Soil Communities Associated with Suppression of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in New England and North Central Regions of the USA
    NEHER 1d

  • evaluate the field performance of apple rootstocks under Vermont conditions.
    Improving Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Tree-Fruit Production Through Changes in Rootstock Use
    BERKETT 1d

    Ornamental Horticulture

  • determine the hardiness of 33 species and cultivars of low groundcover herbaceous perennials
    Hardiness of Stepables
     PERRY 1e

  • determine the effect of compost media and fertility combinations on growth of herbaceous perennials
    Effects of Compost and Fertility on Herbaceous Perennial Inputs
    PERRY 1e

  • determine the effect of midwinter deacclimation regimes on subsequent hardiness of two herbaceous perennials exposed to subzero soil temperatures
    Midwinter De-acclimation of Herbaceous Perennials
    PERRY 1e

  • determine hardiness of popular new coralbells cultivars
    Heuchera (Coralbells) Hardiness
    PERRY 1e

  • survey grower and stakeholder priorities to increase implementation of IPM in greenhouse ornamental production.
    A Public-Private Partnership to Promote IPM Implementation in Northern New England Greenhouse Ornamentals
    SKINNER 1e

  • evaluate the ornamental attributes of American and hybrid Asian elms as part of a nationwide study for resistance to diseases and insects, geographic adaptation, meteorological tolerance, growth rate, and form.
    National Elm Tree Evaluation
    STARRETT 1e

  • create a dynamic website which showcases The Gardens at The University of Vermont and encourages greater use by faculty, staff, students and visitors to campus as an educational resource
    Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust Grant Proposal
    STARRETT 1e

  • determine the effects of various factors such as soils, fertility, and deacclimation on hardiness of herbaceous perennials
    Herbaceous Perennials Hardiness
    PERRY 1e