posted Feb 5, 2012 10:15 AM by BPC Webmaster
by Kim Kaplan
Agricutural Research Service
USDA
The new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is more sophisticated and accurate than any other previously developed.Click the image for link to zone map web site.WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail. The new map—jointly developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University's (OSU) PRISM Climate Group—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA.
For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format and is specifically designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a "find your zone by ZIP code" function. Static images of national, regional and state maps also have been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broadband Internet access.
"This is the most sophisticated Plant Hardiness Zone Map yet for the United States," said Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. "The increases in accuracy and detail that this map represents will be extremely useful for gardeners and researchers."
Plant hardiness zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. They do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time. Low temperature during the winter is a crucial factor in the survival of plants at specific locations.
The new version of the map includes 13 zones, with the addition for the first time of zones 12 (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit) and 13 (60-70 degrees Fahrenheit). Each zone is a 10-degree Fahrenheit band, further divided into 5-degree Fahrenheit zones "A" and "B."
To help develop the new map, USDA and OSU requested that horticultural and climatic experts review the zones in their geographic area, and trial versions of the new map were revised based on their expert input.
Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in this edition of the map have shifted in many areas. The new map is generally one 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. This is mostly a result of using temperature data from a longer and more recent time period; the new map uses data measured at weather stations during the 30-year period 1976-2005. In contrast, the 1990 map was based on temperature data from only a 13-year period of 1974-1986.
However, some of the changes in the zones are a result of new, more sophisticated methods for mapping zones between weather stations. These include algorithms that considered for the first time such factors as changes in elevation, nearness to large bodies of water, and position on the terrain, such as valley bottoms and ridge tops. Also, the new map used temperature data from many more stations than did the 1990 map. These advances greatly improved the accuracy and detail of the map, especially in mountainous regions of the western United States. In some cases, they resulted in changes to cooler, rather than warmer, zones.
While about 80 million American gardeners, as well as those who grow and breed plants, are the largest users of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, many others need this hardiness zone information. For example, the USDA Risk Management Agency uses the USDA plant hardiness zone designations to set some crop insurance standards. Scientists use the plant hardiness zones as a data layer in many research models such as modeling the spread of exotic weeds and insects.
Although a poster-sized version of this map will not be available for purchase from the government as in the past, anyone may download the map free of charge from the Internet onto their personal computer and print copies of the map as needed.
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posted Feb 5, 2012 10:14 AM by BPC Webmaster
Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published inMicrobiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.
Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium that is frequently associated with chronic (non-healing) wounds. Bacteria that infect wounds can clump together forming 'biofilms', which form a barrier to drugs and promotes chronic infection. Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University have shown that manuka honey can not only destroy fully-formed S. pyogenes biofilms in vitro but also prevent the bacteria initially binding to components of wound tissue.
Honey has long been acknowledged for its antimicrobial properties. Traditional remedies containing honey were used in the topical treatment of wounds by diverse ancient civilisations. Manuka honey is derived from nectar collected by honey bees foraging on the manuka tree found growing in New Zealand and parts of Australia. It is included in modern licensed wound-care products around the world. Manuka honey has been reported to inhibit more than 80 species of bacteria, yet the antimicrobial properties of honey have not yet been fully exploited by modern medicine as its mechanisms of action are not fully understood.
Wounds that are infected with S. pyogenes often fail to respond to treatment. This is largely due to the development of biofilms which may be difficult for antibiotics to penetrate - in addition to problems of antibiotic resistance. The results of the study showed that very small concentrations of honey prevented the start of biofilm development and that treating established biofilms grown in Petri dishes with honey for 2 hours killed up to 85% of bacteria within them.
The Cardiff team are working towards providing molecular explanations for the antibacterial action of honey. The latest study reveals that honey can disrupt the interaction between S. pyogenes and the human protein fibronectin, which is displayed on the surface of damaged cells. "Molecules on the surface of the bacteria latch onto human fibronectin, anchoring the bacteria to the cell. This allows infection to proceed and biofilms to develop," explained Dr Sarah Maddocks who led the study. "We found that honey reduced the expression of these bacterial surface proteins, inhibiting binding to human fibronectin, therefore making biofilm formation less likely. This is a feasible mechanism by which manuka honey minimizes the initiation of acute wound infections and also the establishment of chronic infections.
Ongoing work in Dr Maddocks' lab is investigating other wound-associated bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and meticillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Manuka honey has also been shown to be effective at killing these bacteria. "There is an urgent need to find innovative and effective ways of controlling wound infections that are unlikely to contribute to increased antimicrobial resistance. No instances of honey-resistant bacteria have been reported to date, or seem likely," said Dr Maddocks. "Applying antibacterial agents directly to the skin to clear bacteria from wounds is cheaper than systemic antibiotics and may well complement antibiotic therapy in the future. This is significant as chronic wounds account for up to 4% of health care expenses in the developed world."
Click here to see a digital sample of the American Bee Journal.
To subscribe to the American Bee Journal click here and
choose digital or the printed version. |
posted Feb 5, 2012 10:12 AM by BPC Webmaster
ST. LOUIS (Feb. 1, 2012) – Apiary expert Jerry Hayes has been named Monsanto’s Beeologics Commercial Lead, assuming responsibilities for leading the group’s commercial work. Beeologics researches and develops biological tools to provide targeted control of pests and diseases including those that are potentially contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
“We knew we wanted someone with a keen understanding of the bee industry to lead this business for us, and Jerry’s name kept rising to the top,” said Steve Padgette, R&D investment strategy lead. “His leadership will be instrumental in helping us deliver a product to help beekeepers address the causes of CCD.”
“Coming to Monsanto to help beekeepers is an honor,” Hayes said. “Monsanto is the leader in the development of new technologies to safely, efficiently and cost-effectively control agriculture pests, predators and diseases. Honey bees are the key foundational pollinator of production agriculture, backyard gardens and the environment. Being able to work with the beekeeping industry on honey bee health issues is a tremendous challenge but one which we can address together.”
Hayes has served two terms as president of the Apiary Inspectors of America group and is a founding member of the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) Working Group. He is currently a science advisor for Project Apis Mellifera and is the contributor of the American Bee Journal’s Q&A column “The Classroom” as well as a book of the same title. He has authored or co-authored dozens of published research papers. He previously served as Chief of the Apiary Inspection Section for Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He has a long history with Beeologics, having previously served on Beeologics’ technology advisory board working with colleagues in government and university researchers on Beeologics’ efforts to help the global apiculture industry. Monsanto acquired Beeologics last year.
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posted Jan 22, 2012 3:45 PM by BPC Webmaster
February 16, 2012; 6:00 - 8:00 pm hosted by the Alachua County Extension Office This is a new 12 part series program for 2012 and will be held on the third Thursday of each month. "Alternative Enterprises" will provide information on beekeeping, Shiitake mushrooms, hydroponics and other topics. This monthly program is designed as an introduction to basic production techniques on a wide variety of topics from pasture management and livestock production to growing vegetables and alternative enterprises. As you consider your options for your farm, learn what is involved and get the resources available to help you be successful. The "Living on a Few Acres" program is designed to provide information to individuals interested in beginning or improving a small scale agricultural operation. Whether you are producing food for your family or looking to receive income from your property, these series of classes has something to offer. $10.00 for individual and $15.00 for couples for entire series (12 classes). Notebook and materials provided. For class dates and more information, see program flyer. Enrollment deadline is January 16th. Call 352-955-2402 for more information. This program is offered by Aparna Gazula, Commercial Horticulture Agent.
For persons requiring special accommodations, please contact the respective Extension Agent at (352) 955-2402 (voice) or TDD/TYY (352) 955-2406 or at the Alachua County Extension Office, 2800 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville FL 32609. Please contact the Extension Office at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. For more information about the Alachua County Extension Service's programs, please contact the Alachua County Extension Office at 352/955-2402 (Voice), 352/955-2406 (TDD/TYY), 352/334-0122 (FAX) or e-mail at Alachua@ifas.ufl.edu. Unless otherwise noted, programs are held at the Alachua County Extension Office. |
posted Jan 22, 2012 3:41 PM by BPC Webmaster
Firestone, Colo., January 17, 2012 – The National Honey Board (NHB) announced that it has produced a new recipe brochure for 2012 entitled “Honey – Nature’s Secret Ingredient.”
The recipe brochure, which will be available at no cost to honey industry members throughout the United States, features eight delectable recipes, ranging from appetizer and entrées, to side dishes and desserts. More and more Americans are realizing the versatility of honey and using it for multiple purposes and functions, as it has become a pantry staple in the kitchen. This all-natural ingredient will give your recipes unbeatable flavor and unmatched functional benefits. Honey – Nature’s Secret Ingredient is a vibrant brochure that comes in a convenient, accordion-style layout.
“We are very pleased to offer this new brochure to the honey industry,” said Bruce Boynton, CEO of the National Honey Board. “The brochure is a continuation of our effort to provide materials to the industry to help promote honey. With colorful images of the eight finished recipes, the fanfold brochure is attractive and showcases the versatility of honey.”
The new brochures are available in packets of 25. To order, please call the National Honey Board office at 800-553-7162 and ask for Andrea Brening, NHB’s fulfillment coordinator.
The National Honey Board is a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight that conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey. |
posted Jan 22, 2012 3:38 PM by BPC Webmaster
SF State researchers' new find may help
understanding of 'colony collaspe disorder'
The phenomenon, first observed on the SF State campus, may help scientists learn more about colony collapse disorder (CCD). This mysterious ailment has drastically increased honey bee colony losses across the United States since its discovery in 2006.
So far, the fly parasite has only been found in honey bee hives in California and South Dakota, said SF State Professor of Biology John Hafernik. But the possibility that it is an emerging parasite "underlines the danger that could threaten honey bee colonies throughout North America, especially given the number of states that commercial hives cross and are deployed in," Hafernik and colleagues write in the January 3, 2012 issue of PLoS ONE.
Hafernik, who also serves as president of the California Academy of Sciences, didn't set out to study the parasitized bees. In 2008, he was just looking for some insects to feed the praying mantis that he had brought back to SF State's Hensill Hall after an entomology field trip. He scrounged the bees from underneath the light fixtures outside the biology building.
"But being an absent-minded professor," Hafernik joked, "I left them in a vial on my desk and forgot about them. Then the next time I looked at the vial, there were all these fly pupae surrounding the bees."
The fly, Apocephalus borealis, deposits its eggs into a bee's abdomen. Usually about seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae push their way into the world from between the bee's head and thorax. But it's the middle part of this macabre story that may be the most scientifically interesting to those studying the dramatic and mysterious disappearance of honey bees.
After being parasitized by the fly, the bees abandon their hives in what is literally a flight of the living dead to congregate near lights. "When we observed the bees for some time—the ones that were alive—we found that they walked around in circles, often with no sense of direction," said Andrew Core, an SF State graduate student from Hafernik's lab who is the lead author on the study.
Core won first place at the 2011 California State University Research Competition and the Geraldine K. Lindsay Award for excellence in the natural sciences at the annual meeting of the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his presentation of the bee research.
Bees usually just sit in one place, sometimes curling up before they die, said Core. But the parasitized bees were still alive, unable to stand up on their legs. "They kept stretching them out and then falling over," he said. "It really painted a picture of something like a zombie."
Bees that left the hives at night were more likely to bear the parasite than those who foraged during the day, the researchers found. Genetic tests of parasitized hives also showed that both bees and flies were often infected with deformed wing virus and a fungus called Nosema ceranae.
Some researchers have pointed to the virus and fungus as potential culprits in colony collapse disorder, and hive abandonment is the primary characteristic of the disorder. It may be time, Hafernik said, to consider how the fly parasite fits into the CCD picture.
He said the next step is to find out exactly how the parasite is affecting the bees' behavior. It is possible, he said, that the parasite is somehow interfering with the bees' "clock genes" that help them keep a normal day-night rhythm.
The researchers also don't know if the infected bees are leaving the hive of their own accord, or whether they give off some sort of chemical signal that provokes their hive mates into throwing them out. "A lot of touching and tasting goes on in a hive," Hafernik said, "and it's certainly possible that their co-workers are finding them and can tell that there's something wrong with them."
The scientists will deploy a range of tools -- from tiny radio tags to video monitoring -- to help them answer these questions and discover ways to protect the hives.
"We don't know the best way to stop parasitization, because one of the big things we're missing is where the flies are parasitizing the bees," Hafernik noted. "We assume it's while the bees are out foraging, because we don't see the flies hanging around the bee hives. But it's still a bit of a black hole in terms of where it's actually happening."
Genetic analysis of the parasites confirmed that they are the same flies that have been infecting bumblebees, raising the possibility that the fly is an emerging and potentially costly new threat to honey bees.
"Honey bees are among the best-studied insects in the world," Hafernik noted. "So at one level, we would expect that if this has been a long-term parasite of honey bees, we would have noticed." |
posted Dec 17, 2011 4:16 PM by BPC Webmaster
They were just voted in for January:- Ranny Waldrop, President
- John Hansford, Vice President
- Pat Waldrop, Treasurer
- Jennifer Cox, Secretary
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posted Dec 17, 2011 4:06 PM by BPC Webmaster
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updated Dec 17, 2011 4:35 PM
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The following is an article from the American Bee Journal Newsletter dated 30 Nov 2011
Researchers report how the signaling of honey bee nest-site scouts parallels that of neurons in primate brains
Swarms of honey bees split off from their mother colony and go house-hunting, looking for a secure cavity in a tree or elsewhere that will make a good home for the new colony. In this process, they communicate to each other what they have found by dancing: a scout bee returning from a good site moves over and over in a figure-eight pattern that indicates the direction and the distance to the site, and other scouts read these dances and inspect the site themselves.
Usually, the swarm's scouts find more than one site, in which case the swarm faces a decision that must be made quickly since the swarm is exposed and the season for honey collection is passing. The decision, however, must also be good decision, the future welfare of the colony depending on a good home site.
Visscher, Seeley and colleagues report Dec. 8 in Science Express that they have found another, overlooked, signal that plays a role in this process – a signal that is similar to those that occur between neurons in the brains of monkeys making decisions. Called the "stop signal," it is a very short buzz delivered by the sender scout while butting her head against the dancer. Its effect is to shorten and ultimately end the dance."It appears that the stop signals in bee swarms serve the same purpose as the inhibitory connections in the brains of monkeys deciding how to move their eyes in response to visual input," said Visscher, a professor of entomology. "In one case we have bees and in the other we have neurons that suppress the activity levels of units – dancing bees or nerve centers – that are representing different alternatives. Bee behavior can shed some light on general issues of decision making. Bees are a lot bigger than neurons for sure, and may be easier to study!"
To study the stop signal, Seeley, Visscher, and Thomas Schlegel at Bristol University, United Kingdom, set up swarms, one at a time, on an island off the Maine coast that was devoid of natural nesting cavities. They also set out two identical nest boxes. They labeled scout bees visiting the two boxes with paint marks of two colors. They then video-recorded the scouts producing waggle dances and tracked dances produced by the marked scouts with a microphone and videotape to ascertain when they received stop signals, and from which bees.
What the international team observed was that the stop signals were primarily delivered to dancers reporting a particular site by scouts that had been marked at the other site.
"The message the sender scout is conveying to the dancer appears to be that the dancer should curb her enthusiasm, because there is another nest site worthy of consideration," Visscher said. "Such an inhibitory signal is not necessarily hostile. It's simply saying, 'Wait a minute, here's something else to consider, so let's not be hasty in recruiting every bee to a site that may not be the best one for the swarm. All the bees have a common interest in choosing the best available site."
Visscher explained that the kind of cross inhibition seen in stop-signaling by house hunting bees mirrors cross inhibition found in nervous systems. In the research paper, theoretical models by team members Patrick Hogan and James Marshall at Sheffield University, United Kingdom, demonstrate that such cross inhibition helps to insure that a decision will not become deadlocked between equal-quality alternatives.
"This is critical, because the swarm must choose a single nest site, even if two sites of equal quality are available," Visscher said. "This cross inhibition curtails the production of waggle dances for, and thus the recruitment of bees to, a competing site."
Honey bee swarms are produced when, to establish a new colony, many thousand worker bees leave a hive that has become crowded, bringing along their mother queen. The swarming bees cluster near the parental hive for a few days while several hundred scout bees, the oldest in the swarm, locate and advertize prospective nest sites and choose the best ones.
To advertise a nest site, a dancing bee runs figure eight patterns and waggles back and forth while she moves across the middle portion. The angle of her body during this waggling run represents to the other bees the angle to fly. The duration of the waggling portion informs the other bees of how far away the nest site is. It can be thought of as a miniature reenactment of the flight to the goal; the longer the flight, the longer the waggle run, and the angle of flight relative to the sun direction equals the angle of the dance from relative to straight upwards from the swarm.
To be selected as a future home, a nest site must attract a certain number of scout bees. Further, there is competition between sites for the attention of a limited number of scouts. Once a site attracts a "quorum" number of scouts, the bees detect it, and begin to change their signals on the swarm. They then produce a piping signal by vibrating their wing muscles while pressing down on another bee. This signal leads the swarm bees, most of which simply hang quietly in the swarm during the decision-making process, to warm up in preparation for takeoff.
The piping signal is also associated with a change in the stop signal behavior. After piping begins, the stop signals are no longer delivered reciprocally; instead dancers begin to receive stop signals from scouts that had visited their own nest site, as well as the alternative nest site.
"Apparently at this point, the message of the stop signal changes, and can be thought of as, 'Stop dancing, it is time to get ready for the swarm to fly,'" Visscher explained. "It is important for the scouts to be with the swarm when it takes off, because they are responsible for guiding the flight to the nest site."
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posted Dec 17, 2011 4:04 PM by BPC Webmaster
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updated Dec 17, 2011 4:36 PM
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Courtesy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 
Chin Shih "Jeff" Chou, 48, from Taiwan, Qiao "Dott" Chu, 25, from China, and Wei-Tang Lo, 48, from Hacienda Heights, Calif., represented a number of honey importation companies in executing the scheme.
According to an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the defendants labeled shipping containers filled with Chinese honey as rice fructose instead of honey to avoid a $2.63 per kilo anti-dumping duty. Once the containers of honey passed through customs, they were forwarded to a warehouse, washed of all markings and relabeled as amber honey, which was then sold to domestic purchasers.
"HSI agents and CBP officers working together at our nation's ports of entry provide an important safeguard against those seeking to break the law for their own enrichment," said Susan McCormick, ICE HSI special agent in charge in Tampa. "This type of criminal behavior poses serious dumping risks to domestic U.S. honey producers who are in danger of being run out of the market because of this fraud."
The investigation revealed that Chou and his associates, through various shell companies, successfully imported 900 containers of rice fructose over the past two years. HSI agents, in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are in the process of seizing or detaining 123 containers of falsely manifested rice fructose located at 11 ports of entry throughout the United States. The loss of duty owed to the U.S. government on these containers alone is approximately $1,150,000.
Intelligence generated by the investigation so far is leading to thousands of barrels of misclassified honey that have already entered the United States. Many more seizures are expected in the continuing investigation. |
posted Dec 17, 2011 4:02 PM by BPC Webmaster
The following is an article from the American Bee Journal Newsletter dated 30 November 2011
Why are bee colonies worldwide suffering mysterious deaths? A unique study describes a single bee protein that can promote bee health and solve a major economic challenge.
Honey bees are the most effective pollinators of many agricultural crops and vitally important to food production.Honey bee health is a topic of considerable concern due to massive deaths of bee colonies in the USA and Europe. Recently, the European Union reacted by promising more resources for honey bee research, estimating European pollination to an economic value of EUR 22 billion.
"Detailed studies on the molecules that keep bees healthy are extremely important to the food industry as well as the global provision of food," said Dr. Heli Havukainen, who defended her PhD thesis at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) on November 25. Her study of honey bees is a collaboration between UMB and the University of Bergen (UiB), Norway.
More protein = better health and longer life
One of these molecules is a protein called vitellogenin. "Simply put, the more vitellogenin in bees, the longer they live. Vitellogenin also guides bees to do different social tasks, such caregiving or foraging. It also supports the immune function and is an antioxidant that promotes stress resistance. In my research, I set out to find out how this molecule is shaped and how it behaves on a nano-scale. This provides us with more knowledge about how vitellogenin is good for honey bees," Havukainen said.
Like a freight train
Under the supervision of Professor Gro Amdam (UMB and Arizona State University) and Associate Professor Øyvind Halskau (UiB), Havukainen discovered that vitellogenin can be described as a freight train consisting of a locomotive and a carriage. The protein carries fat as its cargo, which it picks up in the bees' belly-fat cells - the main station. The vitellogenin "train" travels in the bee's blood and delivers the fat cargo at different local stops or stations.
Prior to this study, scientists believed vitellogenin to be one entity, like a cargo ship, unable to separate from its cargo. Therefore, Havukainen's new discovery is a big step forward for research that aims to keep bees healthy and long lived.
"We figured out that vitellogenin can drop its fat cargo as a reaction to changing chemical conditions. How this "drop" occurs and which factor makes the locomotive move and leave its cargo are important questions in the protein world, and probably equally important to the bee," Havukainen said.
What's up with the train hitch?
The research group believes that the separation of vitellogenin in two parts is a key to understanding how the protein works. They are now in search of the factor that breaks the fragile connection, or the train hitch of the protein, and lets the locomotive go.
"My discovery is that vitellogenin is not one entity. It consists of two functional parts. Now, I want to stop the separation process, so the locomotive and fat cargo are always together. This will help us figure out why the locomotive sometimes ditches its cargo and travels around on its own, and what the consequences are for the bees. This way, we can learn how vitellogenin affects social behaviour, immunity and stress resistance, and ultimately global food production and provision, Havukainen said. |
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