Following the recent report of strongyloidiasis caused by Strongyloides fuelleborni within a semi-captive colony of baboons in a UK safari park, we investigated the genetic relationships of this isolate with other Strongyloides isolates across the world. Whole-genome sequencing data were generated with later phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and nuclear ribosomal 18S sequences against 300 published Strongyloides reference genotypes. The putative African origin of the UK S. fuelleborni was confirmed and full-length mt genome sequences were assembled to facilitate a more detailed phylogenetic analysis of 14 mt coding regions against all available Strongyloides species. Our analyses demonstrated that the UK isolate represented a novel African lineage not previously described. Additional complete mt genomes were assembled for several individual UK safari park worms to reveal a slightly altered mt genome gene arrangement, allowing clear separation from Asian S. fuelleborni. Furthermore, these UK worms possessed expanded intergenic regions of unknown function that increase their mt genome size to approximately 24 kilobases (kb) as compared with some 16 kb for Asian S. fuelleborni; this may have arisen from unique populational founder and genetic drift effects set within the peculiar mixed species baboon and drill ancestry of this semi-captive primate colony. A maximum likelihood phylogeny constructed from 14 mt coding regions also supported an evolutionary distinction between Asian and African S. fuelleborni.

North Carolina growers have long struggled to control Italian ryegrass, and recent research has confirmed that some Italian ryegrass biotypes have become resistant to nicosulfuron, glyphosate, clethodim, and paraquat. Integrating alternative management strategies is crucial to effectively control such biotypes. The objectives of this study were to evaluate Italian ryegrass control with cover crops and fall-applied residual herbicides and investigate cover crop injury from residual herbicides. This study was conducted during the fall/winter of 2021–22 in Salisbury, NC, and fall/winter of 2021–22 and 2022–23 in Clayton, NC. The study was designed as a 3 × 5 split-plot in which the main plot consisted of three cover crop treatments (no-cover, cereal rye at 80 kg ha−1, and crimson clover at 18 kg ha−1), and the subplots consisted of five residual herbicide treatments (S-metolachlor, flumioxazin, metribuzin, pyroxasulfone, and nontreated). In the 2021–22 season at Clayton, metribuzin injured cereal rye and crimson clover 65% and 55%, respectively. However, metribuzin injured both cover crops ≤6% in 2022–23. Flumioxazin resulted in unacceptable crimson clover injury of 50% and 38% in 2021–22 and 2022–23 in Clayton and 40% in Salisbury, respectively. Without preemergence herbicides, cereal rye controlled Italian ryegrass by 85% and 61% at 24 wk after planting in 2021–22 and 2022–23 in Clayton and 82% in Salisbury, respectively. In 2021–22, Italian ryegrass seed production was lowest in cereal rye plots at both locations, except when it was treated with metribuzin. For example, in Salisbury, cereal rye plus metribuzin resulted in 39,324 seeds m–2, compared to ≤4,386 seeds m–2 from all other cereal rye treatments. In 2022–23, Italian ryegrass seed production in cereal rye was lower when either metribuzin or pyroxasulfone were used preemergence (2,670 and 1,299 seeds m–2, respectively) compared with cereal rye that did not receive an herbicide treatment (5,600 seeds m–2). cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)

This study assessed the potential of using dichlobenil to manage hair fescue in lowbush blueberry crops when targeted or broadcast-applied (7,000 g ai ha−1) as justification for developing a precision-targeted applicator. A randomized complete block design was used to assess both application methods, and results were compared with industry-standard propanamide (2,240 g ai ha−1). Targeted and broadcast-applied dichlobenil in fall 2020 significantly reduced average total tuft density in the nonbearing year (2021) by 75% and 67%, respectively, and in the bearing year (2022) by 61% and 59%, respectively. Broadcast pronamide applications in fall 2020 significantly reduced total tuft density by 84% in the nonbearing year (2021) and 81% in the bearing year (2022). These reductions in total tuft density resulted in average lowbush blueberry yields of 416, 557, 573, and 617 g m−2 for the control, pronamide applications, and targeted and broadcast-applied dichlobenil, respectively. Increases in yield were not significant, though the large variation within the sample is the probable cause. The similarities between targeted and broadcast-applied treatments demonstrate the potential of using targeted dichlobenil. Given the high product cost of dichlobenil at Can$1,873 ha−1, hair fescue’s non-uniform distribution in lowbush blueberry fields and the lowbush blueberry industry’s overreliance on pronamide, targeted application of dichlobenil has significant potential. This work justifies the development of a mechanized precision-targeted applicator for use in lowbush blueberry cropping systems.

Data from a national survey of 348 U.S. sports field managers were used to examine the effects of participation in Cooperative Extension events on the adoption of turfgrass weed management practices. Of the respondents, 94% had attended at least one event in the previous 3 yr. Of this 94%, 97% reported adopting at least one practice as a result of knowledge gained at an Extension turfgrass event. Half of the respondents had adopted four or more practices; a third adopted five or more practices. Nonchemical, cultural practices were the most-adopted practices (65% of respondents). Multiple regression analysis was used to examine factors explaining practice adoption and Extension event attendance. Compared to attending one event, attending three events increased total adoption by an average of one practice. Attending four or more events increased total adoption by two practices. Attending four or more events (compared to one event) increased the odds of adopting six individual practices by 3- to 6-fold, depending on the practice. This suggests that practice adoption could be enhanced by encouraging repeat attendance among past Extension event attendees. Manager experience was a statistically significant predictor of the number of Extension events attended but a poor direct predictor of practice adoption. Experience does not appear to increase adoption directly, but indirectly, via its impact on Extension event attendance. In addition to questions about weed management generally, the survey asked questions specifically about annual bluegrass management. Respondents were asked to rank seven sources of information for their helpfulness in managing annual bluegrass. There was no single dominant information source, but Extension was ranked more than any other source as the most helpful (by 22% of the respondents) and was ranked among the top three by 53%, closely behind field representative/local distributor sources at 54%.

This paper conducts a benefit–cost analysis of expanding agricultural research and development (R&D) in the Global South. We extend a recent modeling exercise that used IFPRI’s IMPACT model to estimate the investments required to reduce the global prevalence of hunger below 5%. After 35 years, the increased funding is estimated to increase agricultural output by 10%, reduce the prevalence of hunger by 35%, reduce food prices by 16%, and increase per capita incomes by 4% relative to a counterfactual where funding continues to rise on historical trends. Using an 8% discount rate, the net present value of the costs of agricultural R&D are estimated at $61 billion for the next 35 years, while the net present benefits in terms of net economic surplus (the sum of consumer and producer surplus) are estimated at $2.1 trillion. The central estimate of the benefit–cost ratio (BCR) is 33, consistent with previous research documenting high average returns to agricultural research and development. The central BCR reported in this study places the intervention at the 91st percentile of all previous Copenhagen Consensus BCRs in agriculture, and 87th percentile for all BCRs regardless of sector. Agricultural R&D is likely one of the best uses of resources for the remainder of the Sustainable Development Goals and decades beyond.

Indaziflam and oxadiazon are efficacious preemergence herbicides used in warm-season turfgrass because of their persistence and residual activity. It is beneficial to quantify effective concentrations for preemergence control of summer annual weeds and determine whether these concentrations are maintained throughout weed emergence periods. Therefore, greenhouse bioassays were conducted with barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, doveweed, large crabgrass, and purple nutsedge. Treatments included indaziflam at 0, 4, 8, 12, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, and 37 g ai ha−1 or oxadiazon at 0, 420, 841, 1,260, 1,681, 2,102, 2,354, 2,942, 3,363, and 3,783 g ha−1. Although preemergence herbicides are not used to control perennial weeds, purple nutsedge was included to investigate the effect of selected herbicides on its growth. Herbicide EC50, EC80, and EC90 for seedling emergence inhibition and shoot and root mass reduction were quantified from log-logistic dose–response curves. Herbicide concentration that remains from a preemergence application during the regional species-specific periodicity of emergence was predicted using first-order kinetics equations. Indaziflam and oxadiazon controlled seedling emergence 14 d after treatment (DAT) in the evaluated annual weeds and shoot and root mass in all species 84 DAT. Indaziflam applied in mid-March at 33 g ha−1 may provide up to 90% seedling emergence inhibition in large crabgrass and signalgrass; up to 80% in barnyardgrass; and up to 50% in doveweed. Oxadiazon applied in mid-March at 3,363 g ha−1 may provide up to 80% seedling emergence inhibition in all species. Indaziflam and oxadiazon may control up to 80% shoot mass and up to 50% root mass, respectively, in purple nutsedge and 80% to 90% shoot or root mass in other species. Such information is useful in evaluating adequacy of herbicide management practices for season-long weed control, and it aids turfgrass managers in applying preemergence herbicides at optimal timing based on target weed species.

Recent works on wall-bounded flows have corroborated the coexistence of wall-attached eddies, whose statistical features are predicted through Townsend's attached-eddy hypothesis (AEH), and very-large-scale motions (VLSMs). Furthermore, it has been shown that the presence of wall-attached eddies within the logarithmic layer is linked to the appearance of an inverse-power-law region in the streamwise velocity energy spectra, upon significant separation between outer and viscous scales. In this work, a near-neutral atmospheric surface layer is probed with wind light detection and ranging to investigate the contributions to the streamwise velocity energy associated with wall-attached eddies and VLSMs for a very-high-Reynolds-number boundary layer. Energy and linear coherence spectra (LCS) of the streamwise velocity are interrogated to identify the spectral boundaries associated with eddies of different typologies. Inspired by the AEH, an analytical model for the LCS associated with wall-attached eddies is formulated. The experimental results show that the identification of the wall-attached-eddy energy contribution through the analysis of the energy spectra leads to an underestimate of the associated spectral range, maximum height attained and turbulence intensity. This feature is due to the overlap of the energy associated with VLSMs obscuring the inverse-power-law region. The LCS analysis estimates wall-attached eddies with a streamwise/wall-normal ratio of about 14.3 attaining a height of about 30 % of the outer scale of turbulence.

The apicomplexan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis causes seasonal foodborne outbreaks of the gastrointestinal illness cyclosporiasis. Prior to the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, annually reported cases were increasing in the USA, leading the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a genotyping tool to complement cyclosporiasis outbreak investigations. Thousands of US isolates and 1 from China (strain CHN_HEN01) were genotyped by Illumina amplicon sequencing, revealing 2 lineages (A and B). The allelic composition of isolates was examined at each locus. Two nuclear loci (CDS3 and 360i2) distinguished lineages A and B. CDS3 had 2 major alleles: 1 almost exclusive to lineage A and the other to lineage B. Six 360i2 alleles were observed – 2 exclusive to lineage A (alleles A1 and A2), 2 to lineage B (B1 and B2) and 1 (B4) was exclusive to CHN_HEN01 which shared allele B3 with lineage B. Examination of heterozygous genotypes revealed that mixtures of A- and B-type 360i2 alleles occurred rarely, suggesting a lack of gene flow between lineages. Phylogenetic analysis of loci from whole-genome shotgun sequences, mitochondrial and apicoplast genomes, revealed that CHN_HEN01 represents a distinct lineage (C). Retrospective examination of epidemiologic data revealed associations between lineage and the geographical distribution of US infections plus strong temporal associations. Given the multiple lines of evidence for speciation within human-infecting Cyclospora, we provide an updated taxonomic description of C. cayetanensis, and describe 2 novel species as aetiological agents of human cyclosporiasis: Cyclospora ashfordi sp. nov. and Cyclospora henanensis sp. nov. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae).

Policies that promote conversion of antibiotics from intravenous to oral route administration are considered “low hanging fruit” for hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs. We developed a simple metric based on digestive days of therapy divided by total days of therapy for targeted agents and a method for hospital comparisons. External comparisons may help identify opportunities for improving prospective implementation.

Carinata (Brassica carinata A. Braun) is a potential crop for biofuel production, but the risk of injury resulting from carryover of soil herbicides used in rotational crops is of concern. The present study evaluated the carryover risk of imazapic and flumioxazin for carinata. Label rates of imazapic (70 g ai ha−1) and flumioxazin (107 g ai ha−1) were applied 24, 18, 12, 6, and 3 mo before carinata planting (MBP). The same herbicides were applied preemergence right after carinata planting at 1X, 0.5X, 0.25X, 0.125X, 0.063X, and 0X the label rate. When either herbicide was applied earlier than 3 MBP, there was no difference in plant density compared with the nontreated control. Carinata damage was <25% when flumioxazin or imazapic was applied at least 6 MBP in Clayton, NC (sandy loam soil), while in Jackson Springs, NC (coarser-textured soil and higher precipitation), at least 12 MPB were needed to lower plant damage to <25%. Preemergence application of 0.063X each herbicide decreased plant density by 40%, with damage reaching >25%. Quantification of herbicide residues in both soils showed that imazapic moved deeper in the soil profile than flumioxazin. This was more evident in Jackson Springs, where 0.68, 3.52, and 7.77 ng of imazapic g−1 soil were detected (15- to 20-cm depth) when the herbicide was applied at 12, 6 and 3 MBP, respectively, while no flumioxazin residues were detected at the same soil depths and times. When residues were 7.78 and 6.90 ng herbicide g−1 soil in the top 10 cm of soil for imazapic and flumioxazin, respectively, carinata exhibited at least 25% damage. Rotational intervals to avoid imazapic and flumioxazin damage to carinata should be between 6 and 12 MBP depending on soil type and environmental conditions, with longer intervals for the former than the latter.