Celebrating 150 Years ofNebraska s Agriculture History
Nebraska Wheat Board 2016 Call for Proposals submitted as a NEW PROJECT in the Program Focus Area: Publicity and Education
Nebraska Wheat Board ATTN: Royce Schaneman, Executive Director 402-471-2358 [email protected]
Total Amount Requested: $10,000 Project Duration: July 2016-July 2017
Presented by: American Doorstop Project Melody Dobson and Jody L. Lamp, National Co-Coordinators
Organization & Contact Information: JodyL. Lamp American Doorstop Project P.O. Box 1681 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Ph: 406-698-9675 [email protected] www.AmericanDoorstopProject.com
January 25, 2016 American Doorstop Project * P.O. Box 1681, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 www .American DoorstopProejct.com Mr. Royce Schaneman Executive Director Nebraska Wheat Board 301 Centennial Mall, 4th Fl. P.O. Box 94912 Lincoln, NE 68509
Dear Mr. Schaneman and Nebraska Wheat Board Directors, Thank you for the opportunity to submit a proposal to the Nebraska Wheat Board program in the focus area of Publicity and Education for the purpose of building public awareness and increasing opportunities to educate Nebraska consumers about Nebraska's wheat producers through the medium of the American Doorstop Project. We know today's current industry challenges and appreciate the history of our Nebraska wheat producers and how, in many communities, they were directly responsible for its advancement and existence today. We would be honored to help share Nebraska's wheat producers story and validate their efforts in 2017.
Through the American Doorstop Project, it is our desire to educate others about the significant role agriculture has played and continues to play in our day to day lives by sharing the history of our local and state agriculture stories. As of December 16, 2015, the American Doorstop Project national coordinators were offered a signed agreement by The History Press to write a series of agriculture history books, beginning with our first book and the working title: NEBRASKA- 150 Years of Agriculture.
What better time for the Nebraska Wheat Board to consider featuring the state's wheat stories with the American Doorstop Project than now at the inaugural kick off of a series of agricultural history books when Nebraska is poised to celebrate its 150th Anniversary of statehood in 2017! It's time to put a spotlight on our state's wheat producers and agricultural history before our stories are lost, forgotten and no longer presented through education for our youth.
Thank you for time and consideration in entrusting us to help write, share, promote and archive Nebraska's wheat production story and agricultural history. We look forward to visiting with you soon as we move towards and through the journey of the American Doorstop Project.
With Highest Regards,
Jody L. Lamp & Melody Dobson National Co-Coordinators American Doorstop Project
American Doorstop Project * P.O. Box 1681, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 www.AmericanDoorstopProejct.com Project Abstract Working Title: American Doorstop Project presents- NEBRASKA: 150 Years ofAgriculture Method: A Collection of local and state stories, which will be featured as a "Legacy Series" in a book published by The History Press, starting with (working title) Nebraska: 150 Years of Agriculture. The book will include accompanying Website, Video Vignettes, Social Media Pages; National and Community Engagement Events, Signage; Promotion and Preservation of Historical Narratives; Creating Commemorative Communication.
• Book Project Length: 128-190 Pages of Context (or 30,000- 40,000 words)/ 30-40 Photos; Additional complementary pages (Prologue, Epilogue, Index, Acknowledgements). The next books in the series will be Montana and North Dakota, launching in 2018 and 2019, respectively. • Founders/Owners/Producers: Under the direction of National Co-Coordinators: Melody Dobson & Jody L. Lamp; Creators ofYourOnePowerfulVoice.com and National Executive Co-Coordinators of the Great American Wheat Harvest Documentary Film ( www.GreatAmericanWheatHarvest.com) • Project Completion Date: NEBRASKA book completed by Spring 2017; o Photos/images due by Aug. 2. 2016; o Content due by Sept. 2. 2016. • Project Management: Photo & Story Collection archived and maintained under the direction of Melody Dobson and Jody L. Lamp, to preserve and protect documents and present inventory of photos and stories;
Relevance/Purpose: The American Doorstop Project is the preservation of local, regional and national stories that shaped the development of America Agriculture through the Agrarian Discipline that will continue to impact us today and tomorrow. The American Doorstop Project NEBRASKA series book can put a spotlight on Nebraska's wheat producers, the state's old and remaining flour mills and help celebrate and commemorate the agriculture industry during Nebraska's 150th Statehood celebration in 2017.
The Impact: The development of the American Doorstop Project Legacy Book, NEBRASKA Agriculture History Book, Website and accompanying Social Media sites will connect presenters, public speakers, educators, docents and students with historical facts, narratives, events, stories and multi-media that give us insight to Nebraska and America's beautiful heritage. There will be an underlying thread and relationship to our Agrarian Foundation that has built America into what it is today-- A great nation that continues to supply the needs for our communities as well as the world. "The Doorstop" is a visual icon for pausing to learn of an interesting historic event that may have gone unnoticed or been forgotten yet very valuable to our "American Story" worthy of commemoration
American Doorstop Project * P.O. Box 1681 , Scottsbluff, NE 69361 www.AmericanDoorstopProejct.com Method Suitability: The History Press and its "sister" publishing company, Arcadia Publishing, are the largest and most comprehensive publishers of local and regional books in the United States with a library of more than 12,000 titles. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, the two imprints publish a combined 900 books each year. The History Press books are sold throughout the United States and Nebraska in a variety of independent retail stores, box and chain stores (Barnes & Noble, Costco, Sams, Wal-Mart, etc.), independent bookstores, state and local museums, bait shops, pharmacies, ballparks and Amazon.com.
Sales of the American Doorstop Project: NEBRASKA book will be handled by the team of The History Press sales representatives and the commissioning editor servicing the Nebraska territory. The representatives will work with buyers and store managers thorough Nebraska. The vast majority of The History Press books are shelved in the local/regional section of chain bookstores. In addition, The History Press also will handle publicity and event efforts in the most prominent media outlets to target the geographic area that the authors and American Doorstop Project sponsors/supporters feel will draw the biggest crowds and generate the most interest.
Economic Impacts: Retrieving and revitalization of historical facts and local narratives, allows for the economic opportunity through hospitality and tourism. The American Doorstop Project brings a spotlight to Nebraska Wheat producers in five Methods of Impact:
1. Website 2. Book- NEBRASKA: 150 Years of Agriculture 3. Museum Displays 4. Signage 5. Community Gatherings -There will be ample opportunities to connect groups, which provide a measureable economic impact as groups gather to commemorate their narratives, i.e., reunions, Chautauqua's, Centennial Celebrations (Nebraska turns 150 years old in 2017) and other historical events;.
Budget Overall American Doorstop Project Budget: $1,700,000 NEBRASKA- 150 Years of Agriculture Completion Date: March 1, 2017 Project Fiscal Development Budget and Goals - Budget Support Narrative:
0 A budget of $150,000 has been identified to be raised for each state (10 stories per state); • Successful research, accurate interpretation, cooperative engagement, production development and distribution necessary for each "Historical Commemorative Narrative." • The "Historical Commemorative Stories" identified will be with either an individual(s), event, group, organization or community to accurately share and re-tell the legacy of the historical contribution and significance provided in relationship to the agriculture industry.
American Doorstop Project * P.O. Box 1681 , Scottsbluff, NE 69361 www .American DoorstopProejct.com Project Start-Up Contributions: Project Underwriting Received to date: $25,000- Donated for Expenses for; • Historical Research, Project development and design, Coordination, logistics and travel, Hospitality, Community Engagement and Relation $15,000- In-Kind Received to date • Donated time for research, coordination and organization • Hospitality partners for housing, transportation & meals. Project Support: $9,000- YTD Sponsor Commitments (Nov. 2014- Jan. 2016) $6,000- Other Nebraska Sponsored Commitments YTD $1,200- In-Kind- Web/Media Support $5,000- In-Kind- National/Nebraska Project Office Space $5,000- In-Kind- Development of Fund Raiser Strategy/Time/Costs of Goods
Total Budget for Nebraska Wheat and Related Stories: Story pevel~pl!_lent ------2000 InterviewingLWriting $5~000.00 3000 ' ~opyrj_ghts/photo & image fees $300.00 Marketin & Promotion 4000 Web/Content Writing/Social Media $1,750.00 5000 I Signage/Posters/Print I $1,200:QO I . - Subtotal: I !.8,250.00 Travel/Meals Expenses Travel, lodging and expenses for National I I Co-Coordinators I • Mileage/Gas I $750.00 I • Meals I $500.00 • Housing $500.00 Subtotal: $1,750.00
GRAND TOTAL $10,000.00
From the National Co-Coordinators of the American Doorstop Project:
"As we stand at the forefront of our own frontiers, we invite you to help us take a preservation position of protecting history, honoring the legacies of our past and shedding a spotlight on our nation and its agricultural history... before generations removed from the family farm forget their ancestral roots."
- Melody Dobson & jody L. Lamp
American Doorstop Project * P.O. Box 1681, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 www .American DoorstopProejct.com ~ MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Office of the Chancellor BILLINGS Access & Excellence
January 5, 2016
Dear American Doorstop Project,
Thank you for the opportunity to extend my endorsement for the American Doorstop Project that celebrates the history of agriculture in America. Eastern Montana, which we serve, has a rich history and a bright future that revolves around the resources of the land and our people. Agriculture has played and will continue to play a major role in the economic, social, and cultural life of our region and state. It is important that we respect and honor our past so that we can build on it for our future.
The American Doorstop Project will honor the unique place that agriculture in our history and economy. The project will help to preserve and honor our past so that we can build a stronger economic, social, and cultural future. The materials and Website will benefit students, teachers, and researchers for years to come.
It is especially gratifying to have Melody Dobson, a graduate of Montana State University Billings co-leading this effort. Melody brings a wealth of experience working with non-profit organizations that preserve the heritage of citizens of Montana and the western United States.
We strongly support the American Doorstop Project and look forward to the resources it will provide to help others better understand the importance of agriculture in the United States.
Sincerely;
1500 University Drive I Billings, MT 59101-0245 I Office: 406-657-2300 I Fax: 406-657-2299 Media Contact: American Doorstop Project www.AmericanDoorstopProject.com [email protected] (406) 698-9675
PRESS RELEASE:
American Doorstop Project National Coordinators Sign A Multiple-Book Publishing Agreement to Promote American Agriculture with The History Press The American Doorstop Project presents a Series of Books Preserving Stories that Shaped American Agriculture beginning with Nebraska, Montana & North Dakota.
Billings, MT- Feb. 4, 2016- Jody L. Lamp of Lamp Public Relations & Marketing and Melody Dobson, independent strategic planning consultants and national project co-coordinators of the American Doorstop Project, announce that they have signed a multi-book publishing agreement with The History Press.
The first book, with the working title of"A History of Nebraska Agriculture: 150 Years of Working the Land," has a publishing date of March 2017 to coincide with the community
celebrations and festivities planned for the Nebraska 1501h Sesquicentennial. The series continues with agricultural history books of MONTANA and NORTH DAKOTA and publishing dates planned for 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Lamp and Dobson's American Doorstop Project books will bring a spotlight to local, regional and national Agriculture stories that shaped the development of America through the Agrarian Discipline and will connect readers with other states through the identification formula of the Space, Place, Invention, Commodity or Event, and the People that made America what it is today. -more- "To have our agricultural history legacy project published by The History Press in a series speaks volumes towards their readership's desire to learn and gain a deeper appreciation for their ancestral agricultural roots," says Dobson, who comes from a 4th generation farm and ranch in northeast Montana. "We welcome this opportunity to work with their editorial staff, as we write, build more partnerships and collaborations and advocate for our nation's number one industry."
The History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing, combine to be the largest and most comprehensive publishers of local and regional books in the United States with a library of more than 12,000 titles. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, they publish a combined 600 books each year. Founded in 2004, The History Press publishes local and regional history and culture from coast to coast.
"We here at The History Press & Arcadia Publishing strive to partner with authors and organizations that share our passion for preserving local culture and history for their communities, and the American Doorstop Project is an exemplary manifestation of that mission, says Artie Crisp, Acquisitions Editor at The History Press. "We are delighted to be working together on documenting, celebrating and preserving one of the most fundamental and important cultural strands of the American West- agriculture. America and the West wouldn't be what it is today without the last 150 years' worth of contributions from the American farmer. Join us in our journey through America's agricultural legacy."
Jody Lamp, a native Nebraskan whose agriculture story begins with her great-grandfather homesteading to Sheridan County, explains that the American "Doorstop" acts as a visual icon for taking pause to celebrate an interesting or historic agricultural fact or occurrence that may have gone unnoticed or been forgotten, yet very valuable to our American heritage worthy of commemoration.
"With some stories, we are bringing history back to life and showing these communities the significant level their founders had on our nation's economy," Lamp says. "We are honoring the people and preserving the agricultural stories that can give us insight to our world today."
Lamp and Dobson say that there will be an underlying thread and relationship to our Agrarian Foundation that has built America ... "A great nation that continues to supply the needs for our communities as well as the world," they say. "Call it 'Hometown Pride' with a 'National Spotlight, 'it's the chance to say, "America would not be the same without this agricultural significance."
-more- Through sponsorships and partnerships, the American Doorstop Project NEBRASKA, MONTANA and NORTH DAKOTA Agriculture History Books will be accompanied with video vignettes featured on the website at www.AmericanDoorstopProject.com. The Montana History Foundation is the fiscal sponsor for American Doorstop Project, allowing all philanthropists, individual donors, institutions, corporations and grantors, within and outside Montana, a tax-deductible benefit for their contributions towards the project.
In addition to video vignettes, funds received through the Montana History Foundation will help the team elaborate each story within the American Doorstop Project for agricultural advocacy and education with integrated social media, national and community engagement events, signage, and oral history narratives.
To learn more about the American Doorstop Project and to find out about how you can make a tax- deductible financial contribution to share your story, help honor the legacies of our past and shed light on our nation's agricultural history, visit the www.AmericanDoorstopProject.com website. For more information about sponsorship packages, media interviews, speaking appearances, call )ody L. Lamp, at (406) 698-9675 or by email [email protected]
### About American Doorstop Project: The American Doorstop Project is a joint-venture agriculture advocacy collaboration between independent national co-coordinators, Melody Dobson and Jody Lamp. The project preserves and promotes historical stories through the identification formula of the Space, Place, Invention, Commodity or Event, and the People that have shaped our country over the past hundreds of years. American Doorstop Project features a collection of stories that were instrumental in shaping America's agricultural roots and had they not happened, America, as we know it, would be different than it is today. The partners have teamed up with The History Press to launch a series of agricultural history books beginning with "A History ofNebraska Agriculture: 150 Years of Working the Land," to debut in Spring 2017.
Resource Links Website& Blog: http://www.americandoorstopproject.com/ Twitter: https: //twitter.com /ShareAgHistory?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanDoorstopProject Pinterest: https: //www.pinterest.com /shareaghistory/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijrlr3NPyKlVMnWDNb8vrA Instagram: https: //instagram.com /americandoorstopproject/
l'vt-F THE MONIANA HlSIORY FOUNDATION
About Montana History Foundation: Established in 1985, the Montana History Foundation is an independent, non-profit corporation preserving the rich legacy of Montana's past-- one story, one community, one project at a time. We grant funds, mobilize the generosity of donors and collaborate with individuals and organizations to explore and honor Montana history.
Resource Links Website: http://www.mthistory.org/index.html Face book: https: //www.facebook.com /mthistoryfoundation?ref=hl Western Nebraska Community College February 2, 2016
Scottsbluff Campus 1601 E. 271h Street Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Dear Fellow Rotarian, p 308.635.3606 p 800.348.4435 f 308.63 5.61 00 I am writing this letter in support of Jody lamp of lamp Public Relations and Marketing, who I have come to know first through her alumni status at Sidney Campus 371 College D1·ive Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) where I am employed, and Sidney, NE 69162 later through interactions in WNCC's Linkubator program. Over the past year, p 308.254.5450 I have been consistently impressed with and in admiration of Jody's interest p 800.222.9682 f 308.254.7444 and dedication to the field of agri-journalism. Jody is a creative, innovative Alliance Campus leader who has devoted her time and efforts to spotlighting significant 1750 Sweetwater Avenue historical agriculture stories in Nebraska. She has accomplished this through Alliance, NE 69301 a clear vision, an unparalleled ability to communicate verbally, and through p 308.763.2000 p 888.539.9622 her eloquent writing. Jody's current project, the American Doorstop Project, f 308.763.2012 will no doubt showcase important historical events that shaped the face of agriculture in our state and helped develop communities, businesses, wncc.edu economies, and ultimately individuals and families.
After Jody's recent presentation at the Scottsbluff/Gering Rotary Club on January 12, 2016 several Rotarians were interested in scheduling follow up appointments with her to further discuss the American Doorstop Project. I had numerous Rotarians mention to me their appreciation in having such a great program presented to our Club. Jody harnessed the interest in our members through her keen communication skills, engaging stories, and relevant project. I would highly recommend Jody lamp as a presenter at any Rotary Club across the world, and believe wholeheartedly that her program would be equally embraced as it was at ours. I value Jody as a colleague and look forward to many more interactions with her in the future! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at (308) 635-6702.
Sincerely,
Judith Amoo Dean of Economic and Community Development Contact Verification Script
Membership lists die off at a rate of 10% per year. If you aren't verifying the contact information of your membership regularly, you will lose the information that you worked so hard to get!
Hi. This is with the National Association of Businesses and I'm calling to verify your company information to send an invitation to an upcoming event.
Q1: Would you please confirm this is your current mailing address: 123 Opportunity Lane, Anytown, USA, 11111?" YES 2 NO 1-A REFUSE Close 1
Q1-A: Oh ok. What is your current mailing address? ALL 2
Q2: And I have Mr. John Doe as your President and CEO. Is that correct? YES 3-A NO 2-A Missing Salutation 2-8 REFUSE Close 1
Q2-A: Oh ok. Who would that be now? (Make sure you include Mr., Ms. etc.) ALL 3
Q3: Great- and does he/she go by FIRSTNAME or a nickname? Firstname 4 Nickname 3-A Unsure 1 Refused 4
Q3-A: Enter nickname here: ALL 4
Q4: Great. And What is his/ her email address? ALL 5 If refuse , leave blank.
Q5: And is there a direct number for his/her office? ALL Close 2 If refuse, leave blank.
Close 1: Ok . Well thanks for your time today. If you'd like more information, you can find us on the web at www dot N -A- B dot org. Have a great day.
Close 2: Wonderful. Thank you so much for providing all of this information! If you'd like more information about what we 're doing to help promote American Businesses, you can find us on the web at www dot N-A - B dot org. Have a great day.
1:0. Box 25 7 B (o'Campe~ignf!Qs fJ Campa1gn Headquarters Brooklyn, Iowa 52211 888-722-4704 1 www.campaign-headquarters.com #qual1tymatters Schaneman, Royce If" ! ~~
From' .60 it' , ,: ,.~·~ , ;:~, n Windeknecht
Good morning!
I just wanted to check in with you and see if you had time to review some of this information.
Let me know what your week looks like and maybe we can touch base in the half of the week.
Thanks!
-Aaron W.
On Tue, Jul28, 2015 at 4:27PM, Aaron Windeknecht
We're very excited at the prospect of working with you and Nebraska Wheat Board.
I've put together some numbers and examples on what types of projects we could help you work on.
We're ready to start working for you!
Contact Verification: Our rate: $36 an hour
Membership Acquisition: $2.85 per final disposition *Final disposition means whenever we actually get a hold of a person on the phone with any sort of finality. No answers, call backs, and wrong numbers are not things you get charged for. 5,000 estimated universe size:
Estimated Cost: $7,837.50
We would help you craft a script that would be perfectly suited to acquiring the folks that had given to the wheat-checkoff.
Let me know if you have any questions about this!
I am very confident that we could make your membership explode!
-Aaron W. ~ Aaron Windeknecht Communications Director 1 Campaign Headquarters 563-299-8863 1 [email protected] LetterSTORM- A new way to influence politicians
Aaron Windeknecht Communications Director I Campaign Headquarters 563-299-88631 [email protected] LetterSTORM- A new way to influence politicians
2 STATE OF NEBRASKA Pete Ricketts 8~-·----- Governor Department of Agriculture Greg Ibach Director PO Box 94947 Lincoln, NE 68509-4947 (402) 471-2341 Fax: (402) 471-6876 www. nda. nebraska. gov
January 14, 2016
Nebraska Wheat Board 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509
Dear Mr. Schaneman:
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture submits the following contract proposal to provide fee collection, budget and accounting, and auditing services for the fiscal year 2016-2017 .
Contract Service Contract Amount
Fee Collection $ 3,850.00 Budget and Accounting $ 8,250.00 Auditing $ 2,025.00 Total Administrative Contract $14,125.00
Attached is a detailed breakout for each contract service listed above. The contract proposal would operate on an actual cost reimbursement basis, not to exceed the contract amount.
The cost for fee collection and auditing is based on a pro rata share of corn, wheat, and grain sorghum, participating in this function.
If you have any questions, please contact Robert Storant or me.
Sincerely, DEPARTMENT OF AG
C6~ Greg Ibach ~ Director
An Equal Opportunity Employer WHEAT BOARD FY 2015-16 CONTRACT PROPOSAL
Fee Collection Personal Services: Salary 2,400 Benefits 700 3,100
Operating: Postage 250 Telephone 125 Data Processing 100 Printing 25 Office Rental 200 Office Supplies 25 Miscellaneous 25 750
Total $ 3,850
Budget and Accounting Personal Services: Salary 6,000 Benefits 1,700 7,700
Operating: Telephone 175 Data Processing/Word Processing 125 Office Rental 200 Miscellaneous 50 550
Total 8,250
Auditing Personal Services: Salary 800 Benefits 400 1,200
Operating:
Postage 25 Telephone 100 Data Processing 75 Office Rental 200 Miscellaneous 25 425
Travel: Board and Lodging 200 Auto Rental 200 400
Total 2,025
Grand Total 14,125 ,. Firespring·
Healthy Wheat Awareness
Wheat and wheat foods are getting a bad rap in our fad-diet driven culture. Gluten-free is the way to be for many ill-informed, health conscious consumers. The Wheat Board needs to take an active stance in promoting the health benefits of a diet rich in whole wheat and wheat foods.
We propose developing a Healthy Wheat microsite in partnership with a local dietician, such as Amber Pankonin. The microsite would contain healthy wheat food recipes, as well as information about the health benefits of wheat and an FAQ to address some common misconceptions about wheat and gluten. The dietician, in the role of expert, will be able to put factual information out into the marketplace to proactively combat the misinformation.
The recipes will include nutritional information as well as a dietary analysis from an independent laboratory, such as Midwest Labs. This will promote the science behind the statements being made about the health benefits of wheat foods.
To further the reach of this microsite, we propose creating an email template that can be sent to the email list gathered at the Taste of Home events in Lincoln and Omaha as well as any other consumer list the Nebraska Wheat Board has. These emails can be sent quarterly, promoting the benefits of wheat foods and highlight certain recipes from the microsite.
The microsite content can also be leveraged on social media to engage with the Wheat Board's followers. Facebook, lnstagram and Pinterest are avenues for sharing recipes and spreading the message about the role of wheat foods in a healthy diet.
We would also seek opportunities for the dietician to promote the microsite and spread positive awareness of the healthy wheat message through nutrition segments on morning television shows and radio programs. Through our relationship with B&R Stores (Super Saver and Russ' Markets), we would also be able to place the dietician in the stores to demonstrate, sample and engage with consumers right at the point of purchase.
This project would establish the foundation for the Wheat Board to have an ongoing dialogue with consumers. The microsite can expand with additional relevant content and a targeted email campaign can continue in future years with renewed funding.
Project Budget: $15,000-$20,000 ~ TO: Royce Schaneman, Executive Director AII O CI A T IOII ...... Hom111Mking.ors The Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB) FROM: The Home Baking Association (HBA) Charlene Patton, Executive Director-LL: 785.478.3283; E: [email protected] Sharon Davis, Program Development--LL: 785.539.7044; E: [email protected] RE: FY 2015-16 Funding Proposal DATE: January 18, 2016
Thank you for reviewing the following proposal to support domestic marketing, research, education an policy missions of the Nebraska Wheat Board and Nebraska wheat producers. Title: Wheat flour-to-table baking education resources for at-home, in-school and out-of-school educators Type: Publicity and education Renewal, with new FY2016 Program developments annually Amount requested: $2,000 Project duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30 , 2017 Project Coordinator: Charlene Patton and Sharon Davis Home Baking Association Contact information 2931 Gainsboro Road, Topeka, KS 66614 T: 785.478.3283 Fax: 785.478.3024 E-Mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
Project abstract: HBA staff, with its members, board and committees, research, develop/revise and promotes compelling baking ingredient resources for educators to conduct in Pre-K to 12th grade at home, school classrooms and the 10.2 MM youth in out-of-school programs. Collaboration with 34 HBA trade association and corporate milling and baking ingredient members plus audience partners (Wheat Foods Council, FCCLA, AAFCS, NEAFCS and the Whole Grains Council) maximizes the quality and quantity of messages, resources and reach with the educators of young consumers. HBA' non-profit collaboration provides educators a one-stop connection to primary providers of reliable hom and classroom baking resources. Project goal: Grow the practice of year-round baking in homes, schools and out-of-school programs Project outcomes: 2.2 million youth educators will receive 1. Home baking science, literacy, culinary, math, art, career and family teaching resources via HBA e· news, blogs, social media and HomeBaking.org to Nebraska food educators and youth programs 2. Wheat-to-table baking ingredient knowledge and applied baking activities will be provided via HomeBaking.org, face-to-face events for its members and partners. 3. NWB support of Wheat Foods Council nutrition and food educator resources will be extended, not duplicated, with HBA audiences.
Methods: HBA staff, with the oversight of the HBA members and board 1. Research, compile, prepare, vet and post the "how and why bake" for weekly social media posts; Wordpress blogs, (1/2 MM views), web-site resources for 50,000 monthly HomeBaking.org visitors and monthly e-news for 28,600 educators with wheat and baking connections for youth educators. 2. Provide NWB links, web-site, social media and face-to-face events within HBA resources an events; all are always available to NWB for re-posting, extending. 3. Research, propose, promote and provide baking workshops, media features, WFC resources, HBA and members' links and baking resources at state, regional and national events (see 2015 Annual Report) such as FCC LA National Leadership Conference; Ag and Culinary Career and Tech Educators; Parents as Teachers; National Extension Association of FCS-Fall2017, Omaha, NE; annuai4-H Congress; after-school programs (Portable Kitchen) with on-line resources. 4. HBA resources provided to partner Wheat Foods Council for related programs and events. 5. Provide an annual Baking Educator Award and annual home baking member meeting Please Note: 2016 Annual meeting date: October 2-4, 2016, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Relevance: • Educators at-home, in schools and in out-of-school community programs are encouragec provide STEM related educational opportunities. Baking is rich with STEM connections and offers a perfect opportunity to educate re: the value of wheat varieties, gluten's importance for in baking and both their nutritional value in daily diets. • Home baking activities provide the base knowledge consumers need about ingredients, science, functional literacy and math. They become knowledgeable wheat food consumers in general when they have baked. • More than 20 Pre-K-121h grade core education, Family & Consumer Sciences and Culinary Career & Technical education standards are served by HBA baking labs and activities. • The connection between personal culinary skills and reducing the risks for obesity in youth continues to mount, with physicians and health educators seeking to add food skill education for youth. • When "healthy foods" are recommended, fruits and vegetables will be top-of-mind or primary to consumer messaging.
Impact: HBA brought baked goods and grain foods-enriched and whole wheat-"to the table" with over 2.2 MM child nutrition, foods and health educators in 2015 reaching over 92 MM households. (Reach is calculated by educator reported student!HH numbers: Example: When HBA reaches 1,750 Nebraska FCS classroom foods educators, NWB and HBA know we reach a reported 450,000+ households) Our goal is to expand this reach a minimum of 10% in Program Year 2016.
Method suitability: The non-profit status of the Home Baking Association is welcomed by educators, allowing both corporate and trade associations to have a presence in classroom and out-of-school program education. HBA continually seeks partners who extend HBA visibility and applications with actual hands-on baking opportunities. This far exceeds goals of simply gaining "impressions" and allows us to achieve the goal of actual (not virtual) wheat flour use and purchases.
Budget: The HBA FY2016 Budget of $214,000 has been provided to all members including the NWB representative. Please refer to it and we welcome any additional questions. • This budget is supported by 35 corporate and trade association members plus the NWB • This membership list is included with this proposal • A full reporting of FY2015 is also provided with the attached annual report provided to NWB representative, Royce Schaneman, Executive Director
Respectfully submitted by Sharon Davis, Home Baking Association Program Development HOME BAKING ASSOCIATION FINAL BUDGET FY 16 Income: FY 16
1051 Corporate & Non-Profit Level A Member Dues $158,750.00 1052 Non-Profit Level B Member Dues $14,000.00 1054 Interest $10.00 1055 Annual Meeting Registrations $17,000.00 1056 Member Opportunity $5,000.00 1057 Baking Labs Sales $6,000.00 1058 Baking with Friends Book Sales $7,000.00 1059 Educational Materials Sales $7,000.00 1060 Fund raising Baking with Friends $1 ,000.00 Total Projected Income: $215,760.00
Expenses: 3100 Administration: 3102 Phone/Fax/Internet $1,400.00 3103 Office Supplies/Storage $3,600.00 3104 Postage/Freight $800.00 3105 Printing and Copying $800.00 3106 Filinq Fees (TN and KS) $100.00 3107 Project Labor- Outsourced $5,000.00 3108 Unanticipated Opportunities $1,000.00 Total Operating Expenses: 12,700.00
4200 Personnel Expenses: 4201 Professional Staff Contract Compensation $113,538.00 4202 Accountant $1 ,535.00 4204 Legal Expense and Audit $500.00 4205 Meeting_ Travel $5,000.00 Total Personnel Expenses: $120,573.00
5300 M em bers h"1p Expenses: 5302 Phone/Fax $50.00 5303 Printing and Copying $100.00 5304 Travel $1 ,200.00 5305 Postage/Freight $100.00 5306 Directory Binders $50.00 5307 Recruitment $1 ,000.00 5308 Annual Report $900.00 Total Membership Expenses: $3,400.00 6400 A nnua IM ee f mg: 6401 Brochure and Program $200.00 6402 Speakers and Local Arrangements $3,500.00 6403 Hotel and Food Expenses $13,625.00 Total Annual Meeting Expenses: $17,325.00
770 0 Program E xpenses: 7702 Web-site $33,575.00 7703 Educator Award $3,000.00 7704 Video Program $6,300.00 7705 Promotional Materials $5,250.00 7706 Processing/Fulfillment $1,715.00 7707 Membership/Subscriptions $640.00 7711 Educator Programs & Resources $10,100.00
Total Program Expenses: $60,580.00
7800 Cost of Materials: I I Baking with Friends (Book purchase)
I TOTAL EXPENSES: $214,s78.oo I
I Surplus (shortfall) $1,182.oo I ASSOC I ATION www.homebaking.org ABOUT SHOP VIDEOS EDUCATOR RESOURCES RECIPES BAKING TIPS GLOSSARY MEMBERS
Member Benefits at-a-Glance HBAMembers See your marketing dollar$ extended and matched. Ardent Mills Argo Corn Starch Chef's Planet Chelsea Milling Company Join the only farm-to-table network promoting home baking. Clabber Girl Corporation Gain contacts, market insight, reach, and partners in home baking. Country Crock Domino Foods, lnc./C&H Sugar • Network with 40+ home baking industry and trade professionals El Dorado Paper Bag Mfg. Co. • Participate at 2-day annual fall member meeting featuring Farmer Direct Foods, Inc. Fleischmann's Simply Homemade HBA's program plans and speakers offering effective category Fleischmann's Yeast strategies, partnerships and programs Grain Craft Hodgson Mill, Inc. • Your brand will have a positive impact for food skill education Hopkinsville Milling Company in homes, classrooms and community programs at a small shared Kansas Wheat Karo Syrup cost of 17¢ per educator or 1¢ per student. King Arthur Flour Company Land O'Lakes Inc. Lesaffre Yeast Corporation Teach current and new generations to bake. Nebraska Wheat Board HBA engages 2.2 million life skill educators with "how and why" resources North American Millers' Association to teach 92+ million consumers baking skills in-and out-of-school. North Dakota Mill • 28,890+ educators subscribe to HBA's monthly baking e-news North Dakota Wheat Commission Oklahoma Wheat Commission Include your latest baking and ingredient resources Renwood Mills • HomeBaking.org averages 50,000+ visits per month, 410,000+ Share Our Strength Shawnee Milling Company Blog and social media followers. Add your ingredient features. Sokol and Company • PLUS, people who bake at home are more savvy food consumers. Stone-Buhr Flour Company South Dakota Wheat Commission Texas Wheat HBA staff creates, with you, positive brand opportunities. The J.M. Smucker Company The Sugar Association Annually HBA delivers baking education messages and resources to The Uhlmann Company • 25+ local, state and national culinary and food educator Washington Grain Commission conferences, including opportunities for your brand or ingredient Supporter: Colorado Wheat • Teach a baker's dozen hands-on baking workshops and events EDUCATION PARTNERS • Award excellent classroom and community baking educators Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Extension Association of Go where ads can't and do what they don't. Family & Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) HBA offers DIY food skill-building resources supporting Pre-K to nth Wheat Foods Council grade educators' core competencies, STEM goals, and education standards whole Grains council for classrooms and out-of-school programs. • Offer Portable Kitchen resources to 10 MM+ out-of-school youth educators • Assist classroom teachers to incorporate baking to achieve multiple sciences, math, literacy, history, art, career and tech education standards
Learn more about Membership and view "Who We Are" power point at HomeBaking.org. Contact Charlene Patton, T: 785-478.3283, [email protected] OR Sharon Davis, 785.539.7044, [email protected] LA N CASTER COUNTY Supe:r Fai:r
Booth Logistics & New Opportunities/Improvements Summary
BOOTH SETUP Move-in times: 8 am to 8 pm on Tuesday August znd and Wednesday August 3rd All Exhibits must be set up no later than 9 am August 4th. We are now charging a security deposit, of20% of the booth rental. This will be returned to you within 30 days after the fair ends. This deposit will be kept if you are not set up by 9 am August 4th. Anyone setup up after this time will forfeit their security deposit.
• On Tuesday and Wednesday ONLY you will be able to unload outside the large overhead doors on the north end of the MPA. Please bring any carts, dollies you need as we have none to loan you. • Starting August 4th you may only enter as close as Parking Lot Kat Gate 1 and have to hand carry in any remaining booth materials down a gravel path. WE HEARD YOU!!!! BOOTH OPEN HOURS: NOTE CHANGE in weekday times 10:00 am to 10 pm on busiest days: First weekend: Thurs. Aug 4th, Fri. Aug 5th, Sat. Aug 6th, Sun. Aug 7th Last weekend: Thurs. Aug 11th Fri. August 12th and Sat. August 13th 5:00pm to 9 pm Mon. August 8th- Wed. August lOth
You are required to have your booth manned during show hours or you may lose your vendor privileges for future Super Fairs. Please join us to do your part to keep the entire MPA alive with activity during open hours!
NEW OPPORTUNITY: If you are interested in doing a presentation, fun giveaway, demonstration, any interactive activity not only in your booth but to take a turn on the new MPA Stage during the Super Fair hours (see new stage info below), please email me so we can block time for you on the MPA Stage schedule (first come, first served opportunity at no extra cost).
BOOTH MOVEOUT 9pm - 11:30 pm Sat. August l4th 8am- 2pm Sun. August 15th Bring hand carts that can go up a gravel path back to Parking Lot K, you may or may not be able to get your car close to load back up especially on Saturday. If you have larger items, we suggest you move out on Sunday.
WHAT COMES WITH YOUR BOOTH (no changes after July 28th) • One standard 110 volt electrical hook-up o unless you requested more on your contract and noted on attached booth map as a confirmation o additional requests due by July 28th • Pipe & draped lO'xlO' booth area on carpet o Note carpet is not 100% level as over packed dirt, plan for this if you have a sensitive display item
4100 North 84th Street, Li ncoln, Nebraska 68507 402.441.6545 superfair.org • We will provide hooks for you to hang grommeted banner(s) from your top pipe & drape pole • One 8'x2' table and 2 chairs o If you would like more tables or chairs please email me no later than July 28th • New this year we will also supply you with a 45" by 7" sign with your company name from your vendor application. o If you do not need this sign as you are covering the back wall of your booth, please let me know with a quick email by July 28th to save the Super Fair a few dollars. • We do offer for rent other items you might be find helpful for your booth including sound equipment, handheld microphone, wireless headset, lapel microphones and more. • Email me your needs or changes no later than July 28th and I'll be happy to get you a quote for any added cost and have it ready for you on arrival.
IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPER FAIR & VENUE Lots of good news this year for you as a vendor! 1. Theme Days. Different Theme Day activities have been added throughout the fairgrounds with a full schedule of giveaways and free events. 2. New MPA Stage. In the Multi-Purpose Arena (MPA) where your booth is lo cated we have added a new MPA stage to the back of the room with entertainment such as music, dancing etc., events like an Baking Contest/Ice Cream Social, and theme day demos. 3. Starting April1 st New digital marketing. Be sure to check out the much enhanced Super Fair schedul e at the new SuperFair.org web si te and download the first time ever & free Super Fair mobile app now on your smart phone to keep up with any schedule changes or enjoy the interactive map while on the grounds. (app link on top of SuperFair.org web site). We will also be active on social media more than ever to help drive the buzz and traffic to your booth-follow us on Facebook and at #SuperFair. 4. Advertising investment. The Super Fair continues to make a heavy investment in TV, radio and print advertising to maximize impact throughout the county and beyond. 5. PR & live interviews. We are dramatically increasing our press releases and schedule of live interviews and studio visits before and during the fair. 6. Carpet. Brand new carpet in the MPA in 2016 - new thicker. 7. New high-speed wireless with ample connections (choose your level of service from $4.95 per day for 2 devices up to higher speed service if you need to stream videos, etc.) So bring your laptops, tablets and show off your website, videos! Or bring a credit card swiper li ke from "Square" and take payments from your smart phone, tablet etc. 8. Renovation of MP A Cafe now called the "Horseshoe Cafe" should draw lots of onlookers.
Lois Hartzell, Vendor Coordinator ( 402) 499-0207 [email protected] LANCASTER COUNTY
Company Name:
Mailing Address:
City : State: Zip : Phone:•( Fax: {
E-Mail: Website:
Product/Service Categories•• Please describe your product{s)/service{s) in detail, including brand name, and a short description of what your booth space will look like {including photograph, if possible).
Authorized Contact:••• Title:
E-Mail: Contact Phone:
*This phone number will be listed as the official contact number if contract is received prior to two weeks from the start of the Show. ••show management reserves the right to limit the number of similar products/services . ... This person will receive ALL of our mailings and must be authorized to commit your company to an exhibit space.
1have read and fully understand all parts of this show information packet and agree to abide by the rules and regulations governing the show. Signed by Date
Size and Cost Information 1. Payments: 50% deposit required with registration application. For Office Use Only 2. Booth Preference: If your choice is not available, you will be assigned the closest to your preference in location and size. Some adjustments may be necessary to meet show requirements and to allow proper show layout. Date Rec'd ------ Deposit Amt Rec'd ------ 1" Choice ______2"d Choice ______3'd Choice CK/CC#: ------ Balance Amt Rec'd ------ Number of booths ______at ______=$ _____ 3. Booth Fees: Ck/ CC # =$ ______Security Deposit Space Assi~ned: ______=$ _____ Corner premium ($25 per corner) __ x $25 Assigned Per·,. _------Additional110v electrical _ _ x $25 or 220v __ x $150 =$ _____ Date: ------Wireless Internet access- available on site with credit card TOTAL =$ ______
SO% due with contract =$ ____ _ Balance due on or before July 1, 2016 =$ _____
4. Stage Presentation? Yes D NoD Time needed: ___ mins. Please keep in mind that this is to be a fun interactive presentation. Audience participation and giveaways are encouraged s. Booth Sign: I request a 42"w x 7" h booth sign: Yes ___ No ___ (No extra charge) Exhibitors who sign up after July 1, 2016 are not guaranteed a sign if requested: 6. Table plus 2 chairs per 10' booth Yes No ______(No extra charge) Full Payment required with· all VISA or MasterCard Payments
VISA/MC# ______
eve Code ______Exp. Date ______
Authorized Signature ______
Print Name ______
Billing Address ______
Non-profit & Home Based Business Corporate Booths Govt. Booth must be staffed during all Business Organization* show hours for return of deposit. 1 booth $550 $400 $425
2 $1,000 $750 $800 booths Sponsored by: lancaster Co. Ag. Society 3 $1,450 NA NA booths
4 $1,900 NA NA Schedul booths Move-In Hours Tuesday,August 2, 2016 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Deposit: 20% of booth rental value; will be returned if moved Wednesday,August 3, 2016 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in before 8:00 pm Wed. Aug. 3'd and booth is staffed during all open hours to 10:00 pm Sat. Aug. 13th *Hand-carried items only. No fork-lifts allowed. Booths must be set up by Opening, Wednesday Aug 3, 2016 Call Lancaster Event Center (402) 441-6545 for more information. Move-Out Hours
Saturday, August 13, 2016 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday,August13,2016 8 a.m. to 2:00p.m. Booth Price Includes Monday, August 10, 2015 8 a.m. to 5:00p.m. • * Must submit Non-Profit Certificate with application • 8' background drape, 3' side drapes, one llOv electric if requested. • Draped table(s) and two chai~s, if requested on the form which will be Show Hours mailed to you a month before the Lancaster County Super Fair. • Exhibitor badges. Please submit names to Fair management during Thurs. Aug. 4 - Sun. Aug 7 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. setup days. Mon. Aug 8 - Wed. Aug 10 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. • Free vendor parking passes in designated parking lot. Thurs. Aug 11- Sat Aug 13 10 a.m. to 10 p.m . • Booth name sign, 45"x7", if requested on contact. • Listing on the Super Fair Vendor Map at www.SuperFair.org
Mail Contract and Deposit to: Lancaster Event Center PO Box 29167 Lincoln NE 68507 MULTl PURPOSE ARENA MAP
KEY : I SOLD I South
To Pavilion 2 MPA STAGE 0 v
Iv\
Bingo
Railroad Display - -~ _,_.-
F12 E12 D2 C12 812 A12
F11 E11 D1 C11 811 A11
F10 E10 DO C10 810 A10 v
H9 G9 F9 E9 D9 C9 89 A9 ~ \ _g If) (l) \ HB GB FB EB DB CB 88 AB 0:: If) \ ·c \ H7 G7 F? E7 D7 C7 87 A? ~ / / ~ v v II H6 G6 F6 E6 D6 C6 86 A6 1--- Railroad Display H5 G5 F5 E5 D5 C5 85 AS
17 H4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 84 A4
16
15 H3 G3 F3 E3 D3 C3 83 A3 Horseshoe 14 H2 G2 F2 E2 D2 C2 82 A2 / Cafe
H1 G1 F1 E1 D1 C1 81 A1
1 To Lincoln e \\\ Info Booth & Souveniers Entrance Entrance
North Updated: Dec. 4, 2015 Terms & Condition must be with approval and coordination with an LEC Keep a Copy of This for Your Records Operations Manager and Show managem ent. The Fair management will retain the deposit of anyone attempting to move out before 10:00 p.m., Saturday, August 13. It is highly CUSTOM BOOTH CONSTRUCTION recommended th at all small items, merchandise, lighting Exhibitors must keep all products, displays, furniture, fixtures and other portable equipment be rem oved structures, etc. contained to their designated booth space. Any immediately after the show closes. EXHIBITS MUST BE exhibit taller than 8 ft. must be approved by show REMOVED BY 5 P.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 15. If any management. Signs must be professionally done. Custom accounts against the exhibitor have not been paid in full prior displays should be about 6" narrower than actual space to the end of the show, no items exhibited shall be rem oved specifica tions to insure proper fit. Any exhibitor display that from the building until full settlem ent is made. In case of has an unfinished side facing an other exhibitor's display must attachments or other legal proceedings, Show officials reserve have the exposed side either fini shed or draped. Written the right to take charge of the exhibitor's props and permission must be obtained in advance if there is to be any properties. A 20% surcharge on booth rental value or loss of m asonry or unique construction. Exhibitors will not apply same prepaid deposit for anyone setting up after 9:00 am, paint, lacquer, adhesive or any other coating to the Lancaster August41h. Event Center (L EC), or its floors, walls, etc. Nothing will be PARKING attached to the floor. All exposed edges of carpeting or flo or Ample, free parking is available in designated LOT K vendor covering must be taped down. Landscapers must put a parking area. Exhibitors must use designated Exhibitor protective barrier between landscaping materials and Parking areas once the Fair begins. Violation of the posted carpeted areas. "No Parking" signs or exhibitors parking outside of the CHARACTER OF EXHIBITS designated Exhibitor Parking areas shall subject vehicle to Each exhibit will comply w ith the laws of the State of towing and impoundment. Nebraska and w ith all ordinances and regulations of the City LEC SERVICES of Lincoln and LEC. Exhibitor agrees to display only products A schedule of rates w ill be sent to all exhibitors covering and services which are sold by him in the regular course of electricity, w ireless Internet access, carpentry, and decorating business. Show officials reserve the right to eject or prohibit and furniture rental. Exhibitors will be billed for these any exhibit, in w hole or in part, or any exhibitor or his or her services at reasonable and uniform rates. Any exhibitor who representa tives which it considers not in keeping with the wishes to hook up to the LEC's gas line w ill be charged no character of the Fair, w ith or without giving cause. If cause is less than $150 plus permit costs. It is the responsibility of the not given for ejecti on of an exhibit or exhibitor, liability shall exhibitor to place their order with Show m anagement no later not exceed the return to the exhibitor the amount of rental than 45 days in advance. unearned at the time of the ejection. If ejection is for violation CARE OF EXHIBIT SPACE of these rules and regulations or for a stated ca use, no return LEC personnel will clean the aisles, but the exhibitors must of rental shall be made. keep their carpets and exhibits in good order. Exhibitors are COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS allowed to bring in vacuum cleaners as long as they are Combustible products cannot be used without prior written compliant w ith UL regulations and cords are in good shape. approval. All fl ammable material must be fi re-proofed. Any Exhibitors must cooperate by maintaining their exhibits gas grills or fireplaces in use must meet the approval of throughout the show in perfect condition. Exhibitor w ill be m anagement and the LEC before and during the Fair. Display required to replace, repair, or otherwise assume the expense vehicles must have one battery cable disconnected with end for any defacement or injury of premises caused by their taped, gas caps locked and taped and no m ore than a 1/2 tank exhibit or representati ves. No LEC sponsor display m aterial, or 10 gallons of gas (whichever is Jess). All fueling must occur banner or equipment m ay be removed for any reason. If any outside the building. Vehicles cannot be m oved during the item is removed, there shall be a $250 fee for replacem ent of show, only during setup/tear down when not open to the said item. general publi c. SELLING PRODUCTS MOVE IN & MOVE OUT Retail selling of products over-the-counter on a carry-out No m ove-in, rearrangement or adjustment may be done after basis requires prior written approval at the time of requesting the opening of the fair. Exhibitors w ill unload and load only space. Orders may be taken for merchandise or service to be at designated areas. Vehicles must be unloaded and loaded delivered or rendered at a future date without prior approval. quickl y and then immediately moved from the unloading and Exhibitors are required to be aware of and compliant of local loading areas. Any vehicle left parked in these areas will be and state laws. For m ore inform ation on sales & use tax and towed at owner's expense. Heavy materials or equipment w ill income tax & withholding laws that apply to events, please not be dragged, skidded, or rolled over the fl oors, but carried see information guides for "Sales at Special Events" at or moved in on wheels. Outside drop-off is at no charge but w w w.revenue.ne.gov or contact Manuel Chacon at the Nebraska Department of Revenue at 402-471-5870 or MISCELLANEOUS [email protected]. • Speakers, radios, televisions or noise w hich is of sufficient FOOD & BEVERAGE CONCESSIONS volume to be annoying to exhibitors w ill not be permitted. No outside food or beverages can be brought to the LEC • No animals are allowed on the show floor. including coolers and deliveries of prepared food from LIABILITY outside food establishments. Alcoholic beverages can only be Neither the Lancaster County Agricultural Society, the consumed when sold by the LEC in designated areas. No Lancaster County Fair committee nor LEC w ill be responsible sales or sampling of food products from vendor booths will for any injury, loss or damage that may occur to the exhibitor be permitted without prior approval from LEC. As required or to the exhibitor's employees or property from any cause by the LEC, any exhibitors giving samples of their w hatsoever prior, during or subsequent to the period covered (homemade or purchased) food product must have a level IV by the Fair contract. Upon signing this contract, the exhibitor food handlers permit and/or catering permit on file at the LEC expressly releases the foregoing named except if and to the and a signed agreement and/or statement stating that it shall extent directly attributable to the fault, negligence, error, be 2 oz. sample ONLY with one sample per customer and omission or action of Lancaster County Agricultural Society, said statement on file at LEC. Food samples that are being the Lancaster County Fair committee, LEC or any of their handed out must be made in a Commercial Kitchen. All subcontractors, employees or representatives. The vendors who are handing out food samples must have a hand Multipurpose Arena (MPA) will be secured during all non washing station. Vendors are responsible for displaying their show hours. Food Handlers Permit. All arrangements shall be agreed upon The Exhibitor agrees to defend, indemnify and save harmless not less than 14 days PRIOR to Show. If an agreement is not LEC, its appointed officials and elective officers and employees, on file, the LEC reserves the right of refusal. No bottled water, from and against any and all liability, loss, cost, damage and soda or full cups of coffee may be given. Exhibitors are expense including costs and attorney's fees in defense thereof, restricted to samples only. because of actions, claims or lawsuits for damages because of LITERATURE & SOUVENIRS personal or bodily injury, including death at any time resulting Printing, advertising, souvenirs, etc., may be distributed by there from, sustained or alleged to have been sustained by any exhibitors from their own space only. An y objectionable person or persons and on account of damage to property advertising w ill not be permitted. Souvenirs will not be of including loss of use thereof, asserted or arising or alleged to noise-making variety. All such gifts are subject to prior have arisen directly or indirectly out of or in consequence of the approval. Exhibitors must confine all sales activities to their performance of this agreement, whether such injuries to person own exhibit space. or damage to property is due to the negligence of the Fair or as PRIZES, DISCOUNTS, & DRAWINGS their interest may appear, their subcontractors or agents, Drawings for giveaways, prizes, discounts, etc., must be successors or assignees, or the Exhibitor, its employees, or its registered and approved by Fair management. A list of all agents. recipients, w inners, etc., must be supplied to the Fair officials It is a provision of this contract that all exhibitors have public before the end of the Show. and property liability insurance to protect themselves, the UNOCCUPIED SPACE Lancaster County Fair and its representatives and LEC If exhibitor fails to occupy space contracted for or fails to against possible claims arising out of negligent acts of his or comply with all the terms of the agreement, the Show officials her employees and booth visitors during the operation of his have the right to rent such space to any other applicant or her equipment in this show. without releasing the exhibitor from paying the sum agreed AMENDMENTS upon in his Show contract. No refunds will be made. Show officials and committee shall have full power to Exhibitor shall not assign or SUBLET the whole or any part of interpret or amend these rules and to make additional rules in his space. the best interest of the Fair. The exhibitor agrees to accept and EVENTUALITIES abide by such rules. In the case the LEC shall be destroyed by fire, other elements or by any other cause, or in case other circumstances make it impossible for the Fair officials to permit the contracted space to be occupied by the exhibitor, the Fair contract shall terminate and the exhibitor shall waive any claim for damages or compensation. In case of strikes, acts of God, the authority of law or any cause beyond their control, the Fair officials, LEC and their employees shall not be held liable for the fulfillment of the rental contract of space. Exhibitors hereby waive any claim for damages or compensation. Nebraska Wheat Board
Policy and Education
New Proposal
$4,000
July 1, 2016- June 31, 2017
Kevin Campbell Sales Consultant Meltwater Group Ph: 647-313-9216 [email protected]
Meltwater News Canada Inc. 8 King Street E, Suite 1300 Toronto, ON, M5C 1B5 T: 647-258-1726 F: 415-829-5936 www. meltwater.com Project Abstract
Meltwater provides over 24,000 clients worldwide the ability to increase their press coverage and brand awareness. Our clients include The U.S. Wheat Associates, Alberta Wheat Commission, and many organizations in Nebraska including the tourism commission, ACLU, department of health & human services and Methodist health system.
Meltwater's media contacts database allows our clients to reach out to journalists both nationally and globally as we offer over 600,000 influencer contacts. Our "keyword search" is a unique feature that allows you to find media influencers writing articles about a specific topic over the last couple of months. The goal is to ensure the journalists are relevant contacts for the Nebraska Wheat Board to pitch to for that specific release so that we can guarantee your stories will get picked up in the media (traditional and social).
Project Outcomes
Increasing your media coverage will allow you to spread and increase public awareness and educate various markets on throughout numerous different channels including top publications worldwide. Through this tool you will be able to increase your brand presence, build relationships with people in the industry and portray your message nationally and internationally. Meltwater guarantees you will find top influencers that care about your topics of interest and will work with you to guarantee media coverage.
Outcomes include:
Finding top-tier influencers/journalists (traditional and social) who care about topics of interest to the wheat industry Providing you with numerous channels of communication to build and maintain relationships with these influencers Distributing an unlimited amount of information/releases to influencers (press releases/datasheets/ campaigns) Analytics on each release (distribution charts, open rates, relativity) Increase in public awareness through an increase in press on both traditional and social media Increase in educating producers, end-users and consumers through having your topics of interest covered in the media Increase in educating youth through blogs and social media posts
Method or Approach
Once Nebraska Wheat chooses to move forward with Meltwater, a username and password is provided. Meltwater's outreach tool can be used from any web browser on a Mac or PC and doesn't require any downloads. Access to over 600,000 influencers and full training will be provided immediately.
Once Nebraska Wheat has received training on the system, an account representative will be assigned. The account representative is there to help for the duration of your 12-month subscription in training, searching for influencers, building media lists and targeting releases.
The first step will be to search and target relevant influencers. Searching is available via beat, location, publication, or role. Additionally, Meltwater offers a proprietary software that allows you to search for any keywords of choice and find all the journalists discussing these issues in the last 6 months - regardless of beat, location, etc. For example, running a search on "gluten-free" showed 445 journalists discussing the topic in the last 6 months. Nebraska Wheat would then be able to reach out to these journalists in order to influence and advise on the matter, in the media .
.,. Modify Search lfMM1 &a Enter keywords or phrases to find journalists who write about these topics
*Search {Subject) gluten tree
gluten-free * X
Top Tier Sources 8
Publislred Since 6 Months Language EngiJS'h ....
Show 15 • entnes Find 2345Next
a Rank ~ Jourmtll!'it ;; l1tk! Outlets ::;: lotat100 : lastPubhshed ::;: Artlcfes QU!tk l ;t ..t, Mise! S.ab.an Contnbutmg Editor Trend Hunter ~ Toronto,ON 12/12/15 20:55 AI!! Relevant 111 ~1m Research Writer Trend Hunter r±l Toronto,ON 01114116 18:21 Alii Relevant ltl ~ Jl Relevance This tool will allow the Nebraska Wheat Board to spread information about wheat in a positive manner as they will be able to push out stories to a national and international audience. Published stories will portray the positive and educational outlook that the Nebraska Wheat Board is trying to achieve. If there is a goal to educate the public on topics of interest, the media is a trusted channel to push out your information. Meltwater allows you to find influencers looking for the information you'd like to project and gives you various channels to target. Through targeting social and traditional media influencers, Nebraska Wheat will be able to push information to various demographics internationally, nationally and locally. Impact Both The Nebraska Wheat Board and consumers will benefit from Meltwater. Advocating, educating, and distributing information is easily done through Meltwater no matter who you are targeting. Meltwater guarantees an increase in press coverage across various mediums and channels. The impact will be more brand awareness, more public education and more knowledge on your products and topics of interest. Method Suitability Through Meltwater the Nebraska Wheat Board will be able to have more control over what is being discussed, shared and produced in the media. Regulating stories and becoming prominent advocates in the wheat industry are overall goals that Meltwater will help you achieve. Meltwater allows you to target journalists using a simple keyword search which no other company can do. You can easily find journalists talking about topics such as "gluten-free" or ''youth and wheat" in order to get involved in conversations while they are trending. Meltwater allows you to build an unlimited amount of journalist/influencer lists and distribute an unlimited amount of information for the duration of your subscription. Furthermore, your influencer lists are maintained by Meltwater (contact information, social information, etc.). Finally, your media outreach efforts are measured through the reporting provided after each release. You can read about why Meltwater is the leader in the industry here: http://alanizmarketing.com/vocus-vs-meltwater-pr-database-features-couldnt-live without/?utm source=twitter&utm medium=social&utm content=3311587 VOCUS VS. MELTWATER: PR DATABASE FEATURES WE COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT . Budget The total cost for a 12-month subscription of Meltwater's journalist outreach tool is $4,000. Of this cost, $750 is a set-up fee to configure an account for The Nebraska Wheat Board users. The remaining $3,250 is subscription fee that goes towards system maintenance as well as the Account Representative who will work with you throughout the year. Agreement No. 16-0A-XXXX-XXX Nebraska Wheat Board Lincoln, Nebraska ------OBJECTIVE: The project is a survey of wheat growers to be administered by the NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office (NP RFO) to work at a local level with the Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB). APPROACH: The survey includes operators/managers from the Row Crop CAPS and December APS seeking information on the variety of wheat seed planted in the fall of 2016. This survey has been conducted in the past in conjunction with Row Crop CAPS and December APS. NASS will collect the data, summarize and publish a report. STATEMENT OF MUTUAL INTEREST: Both parties are actively engaged in supporting survey activities and preparing agricultural statistics for dissemination. The parties agree that meeting the objectives of this project will strengthen and enhance the ongoing statistical program within the scope of this agreement. HE COOPERATOR AGREES TO: • Work closely with NASS in support of the joint agriculture statistical program. • Work with NASS to finalize survey questionnaire. DELIVERABLE TO NASS The NWB will help update wheat varieties questionnaire and the document will be provided in early September and will be reviewed by the NP RFO. ASS AGREES TO: NASS will develop a project plan and commence survey development and preparation work to meet the needs of the NWB. Development and preparation work includes updating questionnaire, sample selection and data processing capability for the planned survey data collection. The NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office will serve as the local resource and point of contact. NP RFO staff will be responsible for data review and creating the final publciation that will be delivered to the client. Agreement No. 16-0A-XXXX-XXX Nebraska Wheat Board Lincoln, Nebraska ------[DELIVERABLE TO COOPERATOR Final publication. http:// www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics by State/Nebraska/Publications/Crop Variety Reports/whe at2015.pdf DELIVERABLE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA NWB staff will review the publication and notify NASS of any problems within 30 days of receipt. MUTUAL AGREEMENTS: Subject to NASS ap.P-roval (May 2016) and Wheat Board a~proval. 1. The estimated budget, Form REE-454, is hereby incorporated into the agreement. NASS estimates the total cost ofthe project to be between $11 ,000 to $15,000, which includes costs incurred for wages, benefits, supplies, sample selection, survey data collection, and postage. (A final price will be provided once NASS approves the project in May 2016) NASS will provide two invoices to the NWB one invoice in February 2017 for postage expenses made payable to NASDA in the amount of $xxx, and the second February 2017 in the amount of $xx,xxx to NASS, Northern Plains Regional Field Office for services performed. Payment by the Cooperator will be made within 30 days of receiving an invoice to cover expenses incurred for the services performed. 2. "It is understood and agreed that funding of this agreement is contingent upon the passage of an appropriation by Congress for Fiscal Year 2017 from which expenditures there under are authorized and can be legally used for the purpose of this agreement and shall not obligate the Agency upon failure of the Congress to so appropriate. This agreement may also be reduced or terminated if Congress only provides the Agency funds for a finite period under a continuing resolution." 3. Copies of such correspondence and documentation between the Cooperator and the Authorized Departmental Officers Designated Representatives (ADODR) shall be sent by the originating party to the Authorized Departmental Office (ADO) at: USDA, NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office Federal Building, Room 298 100 Centennial Mall North Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 F~~ '"[-.;r~ EC ,_,_ ~1 • • ~ tl --~ 1 u BY: _____ • Type of Project: Publicity and Education- Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) • New or Renewal: Renewal • Total Amount Requested: $2,000.00 • Project Duration: July 11- 15, 2016 • Project Coordinator 0 Name: Christin Kamm 0 Address: 301 Centennial Mall South PO Box 94947 Lincoln, NE 68509 0 Phone: (402) 471-6856 0 Fax: (402) 471-6876 0 Email: [email protected] • Organization 0 Name: Nebraska Department of Agriculture 0 Address: 301 Centennial Mall South PO Box 94947 Lincoln, NE 68509 0 Phone: (402) 471-6856 0 Fax: (402) 471-6876 0 Email: [email protected] Project Abstract The goal of the 2016 Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NA YI) is to help educate and advocate for the agriculture industry. Over 200 high school aged delegates attend the Institute to learn about the different sectors within the agriculture industry. The delegates will have a chance to connect with other delegates as well as different agricultural commodity boards and companies. Many of these boards and companies will educate and discuss the future of the industry. Project Outcomes The delegates attending NAYI 2016 will leave the conference with a better understanding of the different sectors of agriculture, the many job opportunities within each sector, an idea of where the future of agriculture is heading, and lifelong connections with speakers and other delegates. Method of Approach Our approach to informing and educating the youth about agriculture is through a week-long summer conference where over 200 youth join together to connect and learn more about agriculture. NA YI is located on UNL' s East campus and is organized by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Throughout the week delegates will listen to multiple speakers, participate in a hands on farm management game, tour different departments on UNL campus, and network with other delegates and speakers. NAYI is a great way to inform future wheat producers. The students attending NA YI 2016 are looking for an opportunity within the agricultural circuit, and they will get to hear from the Nebraska Wheat Board. This would be a huge promotional item for the wheat producers because the future consumers and producers of wheat can gain the education they need for the future success in the soybean sector. Impact NAYI 2016 will impact both the delegates and speakers. The conference will benefit the delegates because they are provided an endless amount of information that could lead to their future success. They also get the chance to network with 200 other delegates who have a similar interest. Many times this network leads to lifelong relationships. Speakers will benefit from the conference as they are investing in the futures success of the agriculture industry by educating the future generations of agriculture. Method Suitability Our method of educating delegates through NAYI 2016 is appropriate because the delegates get to network with multiple industry professionals as well as getting a glimpse of what college may look like for those planning on continuing their education. Budget We are asking $2,000.00 to purchase Valentino's pizza for the delegates the night of our street dance. Wheat, Board From: Youth Council - Landon Swedberg Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 12:47 PM To: Wheat, Board Subject: NA YI Proposal Attachments: Nebraska Wheat Board Proposal.pdf Landon Swedberg Agricultural Youth Coordinator Nebraska Department of Agriculture 301 Centennial Mall South PO Box 94947 Lincoln, NE 68509 P: (402) 471-6859 C: (308) 520-9984 [email protected] To learn more about NAYI: www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi/ 1 STATE OF NEBRASKA Pete Ricketts Governor Department of Agriculture Greg Ibach Director December 3, 2015 P.O. Box 94947 Lincoln, NE 68509-494 7 (402) 471-2341 Fax: (402) 471-6876 Mr. Royce Schaneman www. nda.nebraska.gov Nebraska Wheat Board PO Box 94912 INTEROFFICE 00 68509 Dear Mr. Schaneman: I would like to begin by thanking Nebraska Wheat Board for the generosity you have showed in your past sponsorship of the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI). At NAYI 2015, 200 delegates took home a better understanding of the agricultural industry, learned how to become better advocates for agriculture, and developed ideas on what future career paths are available to them in the agricultural industry. We appreciate the Nebraska Wheat Board's sponsorship of $2,000 last year, and we hope that you will consider continuing your sponsorship for the 2016 NA Yl. We hope you will consider sponsorship in the amount of $2,000 this year to ensure you the Meadowlark level sponsorship of NAYI 2016. Sponsors in this tier receive logo placement throughout NAYl materials. As a refresher for you, NAYI is a five-day summer conference for high school juniors and seniors from across Nebraska. Through the generosity of sponsors like you, the entire experience is free of charge for the youth that attend. The purpose of the Institute is to encourage youth to stay involved in the various facets of agriculture by informing them about the career opportunities available in the agriculture sector, and to develop leadership potential in the youth in attendance. Furthermore, NAYI serves as a means for young people with a common agricultural background to connect and network together to build lifelong relationships. It is our firm belief that the future of Nebraska's agricultural industry is being shaped at this very conference. As a past sponsor, I am sure you were able to see your support for NAYI as a means of investing in the future of agriculture. NAYI 2015 again saw a great turnout of delegates with attendance numbers towards the top of our all time highs. We feel this is an encouraging sign of what's to come in the 1 agricultural industry, and we anticipate a record number of delegates to attend our 45 h annual NAYI in 2016. As our number of delegates increases, so does the cost of funding NAYI. With this in mind, we hope that you will consider investing in the future of Nebraska agriculture by supporting the growing tradition of NAYI. By supporting this program, Nebraska Wheat Board also has an opportunity to reach out to future customers, as well as potential employees who are directly involved in agriculture. Enclosed with this letter you will find more detailed information about sponsorship levels and benefits. As you consider this request, please allow me to provide additional information or answer any questions you may have. You can reach me or NAYI Advisor Christin Kamm at (402) 471-2341 or viae mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also reach Landon Swedberg or Morgan Zumpfe, the young individuals responsible for coordinating the 2016 NAYI at (402) 471-6859 or via e-mail at [email protected]. I would also like to encourage you to visit www.nda.nebraska.gov/NAYisponsors to learn more about NAYI. An Equal Opportunity Employer s~. l 'l--/ tO/ lS Page Two December 3, 2015 If you choose to sponsor, you can make checks payable to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and return to: Nebraska Department of Agriculture Attention: Landon Swedberg or Morgan Zumpfe P.O. Box 94668 Lincoln, NE 68509-4947 Thank you for your continued interest in helping the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to develop future leaders in the agricultural industry. Sincerely, Enclosure SOWER $7,500 &Above COlT $5,000-$7,499 Logoplacement throughOutNAYI materials GOLDENR Boothat .NAYICareerFair ·· $3,000 - $4,999 I I I .-:i::i MEAD Logoplacement throughout NAYI material :z $1000 - $2,999 -1 UTILEBLUES $100-$999 TOLEARN MORE ABOUT? "Betweenmy junior and senior summer,I was gone three different times for a week each. By far, my favorite weekthat summer was in Lincoln at NAYI.This is where !'cultivated' my passionfor agriculture and determined that it was my future." II ToniRasmussen - Albion,Current NAYC Member n "Being involved in NAYI,I was able to meet many great LandonS wedberg, [email protected] Q people.I was one of only a handful of people who came Morgan Zumpfe, [email protected] Z to NAYIfrom a big city, so I was able to learn much morethan I thought I knew about the importanceof ~ agriculture and food in our community. It was a life changingexperience ." Christin Kamm, [email protected] g LoganKalkowski - Omaha,Current NAYC Member .... facebook.com/NebraskaAgYouthIns titute "NAYIis a great experiencefor all youth involvedin agriculture or wanting to learn more. It is an awesome pinterest.com/thenayc way to meet kids from all across the state and build your network. I've met a multitude of people through this conferenceand it has greatly benefited me." EmmetCaldwell - Edgar,2015 NAYIDelegate "NAYIgave me the opportunityto meet current and future leaders in the Agricultural industry. This institute YEARS helpsstudents find their passionswithin agriculture and makegreat memories!" JohnnyFerence - Ord,Past NAYCHead Counselor "AttendingNAYI for the first time last year,I was able to makeconnections between other agriculturists and UNL faculty. I enhancedmy knowledgeabout how agriculture affects the entire world we live in. My NAYI experienceas a whole helped me decide what I'd like to do in the future!" JacobSchlick- Fairfield,2015 NAYIDelegate 0 ~ ..J rc '-' ~-t.:: · : .....L:: ~ 1.· f\ wr I ~ ~~·- u BY: ______ Consumer Education: Wheat and Gluten in Nebraska Type: Publicity and Education, NEW project Total Amount Requested: $34,800.00 for a six-month campaign (which could be aired as two, three-month campaigns within a 12-month window) Or, $19,500 for one, three-month campaign Coordinator & Organization: Jim Timm, President/Executive Director Nebraska Broadcasters Association 11414 West Center Road, Suite 342 Omaha, NE 68144 402-933-5995 (phone) 402-933-0059 (fax) [email protected] (email) www.ne-ba.org RI JI NEBRASKA "~~~~~~ Abstract: Nebraska Wheat Board will air a series of recorded messages on statewide radio stations through the NBA's Public Education Program (PEP). Messages will be written and produced for consumer education; to help Nebraskans better understand the importance of wheat in nutrition, gluten acceptance, and agricultural education in general as desired by Nebraska Wheat Board. Outcomes: Depending on the contents of your messages, outcomes may include increased awareness and understanding of wheat in nutrition and clarity of facts versus myths on the effects of gluten consumption. Increased web traffic may result by directing listeners to "learn more about the healthy benefits of Nebraska wheat at www.nebraskawheat.com" in every message, regardless of its theme. Anecdotal feedback from consumers and wheat producers may also be received. Method: Participating NBA member radio stations reserve part of their unsold commercial inventory for PEP messages contracted through the NBA. The PEP is available only to government agencies and qualifying nonprofit organizations, which usually lack the funding to place traditional media buys. The PEP allows these organizations to air noncommercial messages to educate Nebraskans on their initiatives. NBA can assist with typical writing and production of messages at no additional charge and is responsible for distributing approved messages to member stations. PEP airtime is provided on a "multiplier" basis upon completion of the campaign, at a minimum of $2.50 returned for each $1.00 invested. NBA limits the number of PEP campaigns airing to assure the promised return for all partners. A summary of total messages aired by each participating station is provided at the end of each calendar quarter during which your PEP campaign is active. Relevance: We live in an era where consumers are increasingly concerned about how their diet affects their health. Multiple and often mixed messages on the benefits and detriments of certain food ingredients leave most people confused. Through a carefully worded, sustained radio campaign, Nebraska Wheat Board can broadcast factual consumer information that will rise above the comings and goings of related messages that compete for the consumer's trust and Nebraska values. Impact: Nebraska consumers will benefit from this project, by achieving a better understanding of the benefits of wheat consumption, along with the erosion of certain myths about gluten and wheat consumption. Nebraska wheat producers will benefit from this project, through greater acceptance of wheat as an ingredient in the meals Nebraskans consume, as well as the psychological lift of hearing a campaign that supports the hard work they engage in as producers. Nebraska Wheat Board will benefit from this project, by helping to fulfil one of its priorities of gluten acceptance and nutrition education. Method Suitability: Radio gets results. Radio's national audience is at an all-time high for the second consecutive year; some 244 million Americans age 12 and older use radio in a given week. PEP messages are heard by Nebraskans. //We've received so many comments from all across the state about the quality of our messages and the times during the day that they've been heard- a clear indication that working with the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and the Public Education Program was a wise decision for our organization's efforts." -- Nicole Carritt, Executive Director, Project Extra Mile, Omaha Budget: $34,800.00 for a six-month campaign (which could be aired as two, three-month campaigns within a consecutive 12-month window). Or, $19,500 for one, three-month campaign. An invoice with a quarterly report of total messages aired by station is mailed within about three weeks of the end of each calendar quarter. Payment is expected within 45 days of receipt of invoice; credit cards are not accepted. NEBRASKA CooPERATIVE CouNCIL 134 SOUTH 13TH STREET, SUITE 503, LINCOLN NE 68508-1901 PH: 402/475-6555 FAX: 402/475-4538 December 14,2015 nEcetveD nD:::: 1 4 20i5 . 1 BY: J Royce Schaneman, Executive Director Nebraska Wheat Board PO Box 94912 Lincoln, NE 68509 RE: Request For Funding Dear Royce, The Nebraska Cooperative Council is the trade association for Nebraska's farmer owned cooperatives. The Council represents approximately 96% of the farmer owned cooperatives in the state. Each year the Council hosts an Annual Meeting with the goal of providing our members with current industry data and information that will help them in their efforts to provide leadership for the producer members they represent. The Council is requesting support for our Annual Meeting which will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Kearney. Cooperatives in Nebraska continue to maintain a very vital role in adding value for farmers and ranchers in producing and marketing agricultural products. Nebraska's farmer-owned cooperatives are operating over 390 locations across the state providing much needed jobs and services in our most rural communities. Last year these cooperatives invested over $212 million in new facilities and equipment to meet the needs of their farmer-members. With over 54,000 voting members (many farmers are members of more than one cooperative) you can see that cooperatives are vital to the agriculture infrastructure of our state. I've attached a map of Nebraska which shows the footprint of cooperatives in our state. As you can see, any area of the state that has significant grain production also has a significant cooperative presence. During the Annual Meeting we provide a variety of programming to meet the needs of our members, some may be very technical in nature and some may focus on areas such as international issues or organizational leadership so that our local leadership teams can provide as much value to Nebraska's farmers and ranchers as possible. Through enhanced domestic and international marketing, cooperatives continue to move further up the value chain and return those benefits to the members. Over time we try to balance the presentations so local cooperative directors can gather the input to successfully lead their respective cooperatives. The attendance at our Annual Meeting would range from 150 to 200 local cooperative directors, managers, and others in cooperative leadership roles. Generally, 60% of our cooperatives would have representatives at the Annual Meeting. Nebraska Wheat Board Page 2 December 14, 2015 Our specific request for the Nebraska Wheat Board is to provide support for our 2016 Annual Meeting. The chart below provides a breakout of our various sponsorship levels: Bronze: $550 - $899, includes 1 complimentary Annual Meeting registration Silver: $900- $1,499, includes 3 complimentary Annual Meeting registrations Gold: $1,500- $2,499, includes 4 complimentary Annual Meeting registrations Platinum: $2,500 or greater, includes 5 complimentary Annual Meeting registrations If you choose to provide support, your support could either be used for supporting the break or for support of a speaker. Currently we have not contracted with any speakers so we cannot identify a specific speaker; however, we will follow the same format as has been followed in previous years. By providing sponsorship, the Wheat Board would receive recognition in the program that is distributed to all attendees as well as from the podium on the day of the event. If you have any questions about this proposal or need any more information, feel free to contact me. In the cooperative spirit, I remain ... Sincerely, ;f~c~ Robert C. Andersen President RCA/dam X:\AM\Cosponsor\2016\121415 NE Wheat Board Proposal.wpd EC~ BY-·------WDDC?ffiD mmrJJnm f1lrHl!llJJufli KRVN AM/FM KNEB AM/FM KTIC AM/FM lexington Scottsbluff West Point Marketing Proposal for ..... The Nebraska Wheat Board Funding Request for "Growing Wheat Well" radio series; July-August 2016 On behalf of the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association, we request funding for the 2016 "Growing Wheat Well" radio program to air on KRVN, Lexington and KNEB, Scottsbluff. If funded, this will be the 17th consecutive series of "Growing Wheat Well". Objective: The Growing Wheat Well programs are designed to provide wheat producers with agronomic and marketing information just prior to the new wheat seeding season . The programs will air for 5 weeks- July 19, 2016 through August 18, 2016. The requested funding from the Nebraska Wheat Board is $2,678.00, which partially funds 30 Growing Wheat Well programs on each station - KRVN and KNEB. 30 Growing Wheat Well programs on KRVN 30 Growing Wheat Well programs on KNEB Funding Request-Nebraska Wheat Board $2,678.00 Investment-Nebraska Crop Improvement $4,973.00 Total Program Cost $7,651.00 * *As possible, additional Wheat Industry sponsors can be added to expand program frequency. The Nebraska Wheat Board will be recognized as a major co-sponsor of this program, along with the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association . Your funding is provided to the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association. All invoices from KRVN and KNEB will be directed to the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association. PO BOX 880- LEXINGTON NE 68850-0880 - 308-324-2371 Marketing Proposal for ..... The Nebraska Wheat Board Funding Request for Marketing Nebraska Developed Wheat and Triticale Varieties; June- September 2016 On behalf of the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association, and Husker Genetics we request funding for 2016 for print media and distribution to promote the use of wheat varieties that were developed by the University of Nebraska. Objective: Provide a print media to growers, in Nebraska and surrounding states, with yield and quality information on Nebraska developed varieties. These brochures will contain information for a grower to determine if Nebraska developed varieties will work for their operation. Information will be distributed through direct mailings and handouts at field days that attract wheat growers. The requested funding from the Nebraska Wheat Board is $23,000.00, which will fund 5000 sixteen page booklets (sheet size is 81'2 x 11) for direct mail to wheat growers in NE (992 growers), KS (1095 growers), CO (970 growers), WY (199 growers), and SD (1416 growers). Remainder will be used as handouts at field days. Also, 4000 postcards for direct mail to wheat growers in NE (992 growers), KS (1095 growers), CO (970 growers), WY (199 growers), and SD (1416 growers) to promote NE10589 (Ruth) Winter Wheat Variety. 5000 Booklets Costs Design & Printing - $12,000.00 Postage- $5,000.00 4000 Postcards Design, Printing, & Postage - $6000.00 Funding Request-Nebraska Wheat Board $23,000.00 Nebraska Crop Improvement Association will provide name list for NE, CO, KS, and WY. Husker Genetics will provide data comparison of varieties for booklets and postcard information. The Nebraska Wheat Board will be recognized as a major sponsor of this program, along with the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association and Husker Genetics on all written materials. January 6, 2016 Royce Schaneman Executive Director Nebraska Wheat Board P.O. Box 94912 Lincoln, NE 68509 Dear Royce: I’m writing to renew the support of the Nebraska Wheat Board for your 2016-17 fiscal year for the awards program and the activities you have been involved with in the past. These projects fall into line with your publicity and education focus areas. Our renewal request to you is for the following in 2016-17: 2015-16 Support 2016-17 Request • Grain Production – Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award $ 650.00 $650.00 • 2016 State Fair FFA Champion Wheat Exhibit 32.50 32.50 • 2016 State Fair FFA Reserve Champion Wheat Exhibit 30.00 30.00 • Booth at the State FFA Convention 150.00 150.00 • Mission-based FFA Support 637.50 637.50 TOTAL RENEWAL FUNDS REQUESTED $ 1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 The following pages provide greater detail on each of these programs for your consideration. The support of the Nebraska Wheat Board is vital to our mission of helping students succeed through agricultural education. Thank you for believing in the young people of FFA. Sincerely, Sarah Mullen Program Manager [email protected] 402-472-5224 Nebraska Wheat Board Sponsorship Request Presented by the Nebraska FFA Foundation Overview The requested sponsorships from the Nebraska Wheat Board for the 2016-17 fiscal year are broken into four categories. Grain Production – Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award The Agricultural Proficiency Awards program challenges students to set goals and apply skills to achieve those goals. The program rewards FFA members at the local and state level for exceptional accomplishment in their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs. Each year, the top three applicants for each proficiency area are interviewed at the State FFA Convention and a winner is recognized on stage. The student owns an enterprise or business that applies the best management practices available to efficiently produce and market crops for grain production such as corn, barley (including the malting types), millet, buckwheat, oats, grain sorghum, milo, wheat, rice and rye. Grain Production does not include any of the aforementioned crops with an intended use for forage. State Fair FFA Division Wheat Trophy Sponsorship The goal of the State Fair FFA Wheat Exhibit program is to provide FFA members the opportunity to produce wheat using their Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAE) and the opportunity to showcase their wheat at the the Nebraska State Fair. The program provides public relations opportunities to recognize FFA member soybean projects, promote wheat and the vital role it plays in Nebraska and the nation’s agriculture. Two FFA members are recognized at State Fair with a Champion and Reserve Champion trophy, as part of this sponsorship. FFA Expo Booth at State FFA Convention The purpose of the FFA Expo at State FFA Convention is to provide students with information on agriculture related organizations, colleges, commodity groups, etc. This is an opportunity for the Nebraska Wheat Board to get in front of over 4,000 members, parents and guests at during this three-day convention. Nebraska FFA Foundation Mission-Based Support The mission of the Nebraska FFA Foundation is to enhance quality education/FFA programs in order to achieve excellence in leadership development, curriculum innovation and scholastic advancement of students. In order to achieve that, the Nebraska FFA Foundation focuses on four strategy areas to meet this mission: growing FFA in more communities, getting students plugged into the ag industry, supporting agriculture teachers and supporting statewide leadership capacity. Mission-based support funds used to meet the mission and strategies of the Nebraska FFA Foundation. Budget The proposed sponsorship is laid out as follows: $ 650.00 Grain Production – Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award $ 62.50 State Fair FFA Division Wheat Exhibit Trophies $ 150.00 Booth at State FFA Convention $ 627.50 Nebraska FFA Foundation Mission-Based Support $ 1,500.00 Total Sponsorship Amount Sponsor Benefits and Visibility Sponsorship of the provides many benefits, as well as visibility for the organization involved: • Affiliation with largest agriculture-based, youth membership organization in Nebraska. • Recognition as a sponsor in the State FFA Convention program book – 5,000 printed and provided to students, parents, teachers and guests at convention and after, in various mailings and promotions. • Recognition as a sponsor in the Nebraska FFA Annual Report – over 2,500 printed and provided to individuals, FFA program, parents, and corporate sponsors • Invitation to serve as a judge for evaluating the proficiency award finalists, to determine the state winner, and an invitation to present awards on stage at State FFA Convention, with your name and logo on stage screen during the awards presentation. • Invitation to attend the Sponsor Recognition Reception/Dinner at the State FFA Convention. • Listing of Nebraska FFA Foundation sponsors – provided to all 158 agriculture education programs in the state. For questions about this proposal, please contact Sarah Mullen, Nebraska FFA Foundation Program Manager, at [email protected] or 402-472-5224. THE S A 'E CHAMBER -a Nebraska Chamber of Comm erce & Industry Telephone (402) 474-4422 ITheV Fax (402) 474-5681 I P.O. Box 95128 I Lincoln, NE 68509 Initial and give D to Acct. Payable 12/11115 Dues Investment...... $ 3 50 •00 (Due Upon Receipt) Invest now and receive Full Member Services For rest of 2015, and all of 2016! Please return with dues investment to: Attn: James Berringer, 10M Senior V.P. Membership & Marketing Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry P.O. Box 95128 Lincoln, NE 68509 Name/Title: ------CompanyName: ______Mailing Address: ______.Employees ______City: ______State: ______ZIP: ______Telephone Number: ______Fax: ______ E-mail: Website: ------ Dues to the organization are not deductible as a charitable contribution but may be deductible as an ordi nary and necessary business expense. A portion of dues, however, is not deductible as a business expense because of the organization's lobbying activity. The non-deductible portion is 50%. TH EST/\TE CHAM B ER Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry - 2015 LEGISLATURE- I When the Nebraska Legislature is in session, the actions of lawmakers can profoundly impact the business community and its abil ity to grow - for better or worse. That is why the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry works hard to represent the interests of your business. Located just a half-block from the State Capitol, the Nebraska Chamber's staff stays in close contact with state lawmakers, as wel l as the governor and his adm ini stration. This ensures that businesses - regardless of size or sector have a powerful, respected voice in the legislative process. In the 2015 legislative session, the State Chamber worked diligently to ensure the passage of bills that will make Nebraska a better state in which to do business. Just as important, the Nebraska Chamber worked equally as hard to defeat or amend harmful legis lative proposals. Here is a look at what passed this year, what did not, and what it means to your bottom line. During this year's session, the State Chamber The State Chamber OPPOSED legislation SUPPORTED pro-business, growth-oriented that threatened the success of Nebraska legislation. businesses and the economy. -TAXATION- Business As amended, LB259 exempts the first $10,000 of value for depreciable tangible PASSED Tax Relief personal property assessed for taxation. While this is less than the $25,000 threshold LB259 proposed in the original vers ion ofthe bill, LB259 still provides about $20 million an nually in personal property tax relief for businesses and ag producers. State Chamber Supported. (Introduced by Sen. Mike Gloor) Income Tax Would raise Nebraska's individual income tax, as well as the state's corporate tax. HELD OVER Increase The Tax Foundation says Nebraska's maximum personal income tax rate (6.84%) is LB523 already the 15th highest among states levying an income tax, while Nebraska's top corporate tax rate (7 .81 %) is the 19th highest. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. Kate Sullivan) Sales Tax Hike Would have increased the state sales tax rate from 5.5% to 6.0%. State Chamber HELD OVER LB256 Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. Dave Bloomfield) Local Would establish a local income tax in Nebraska, adding a minimum of 19.4% and a HELD OVER Income Tax maximum of nearly 30% to an individual's state income tax liability. State Chamber LB280 Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. AI Davis) Tax on Loans Would impose a 5.5% tax on the interest paid on loans. State Chamber Opposed. HELD OVER LB73 (Introduced by Sen. Paul Schumacher) Taxon Would have imposed a 1.5% tax on all personal intangible property (equal to $1.50 KILLED Stock, Bonds per every $100 of its fa ir market value) such as stocks and bonds and other assets such LB574 as patents and trademarks. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. AI Davis) - WORI Small Authorizes "crowd funding" - the practice of funding a project or venture by rais PASSED Business ing many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via Capital the Internet. Under LB226, small businesses can raise up to $2 million a year from LB226 investors. Recent studies have found that access to startup capital is a weakness for Nebraska's businesses . State Chamber Supported. (Introduced by Sen. Colby Co ash) Agri-Tourism Promotes tourism and mral economic development by limiting a landowner's legal PASSED LB329 liability when allowing public access for agricultural, historical, cultural, and other agri-tomism activities for a fee. Visitors must be wamed of potential dangers by a posted sign or in a contract. State Chamber Supported. (introduced by Sen. Ken Schilz) New Market Makes technical changes to the New Markets Job Growth Investment Act to PASSED Credits Act encomage more private investment in businesses and real estate projects located in LB559 low-income rural and mban areas. Due to an interpretation by the Department of Revenue, the program had been more restrictive than intended. State Chamber Suppotied. (Introduced by Sen. Paul Schumacher) TIF Oversight Would make hatmful changes to Nebraska's tax increment financing (TIF) laws, HELD OVER LB596, LB238, which is an important tool for local governments to attract private dollars for rede- LB445 velopment projects. Under state law, TIF projects may be commercial, residential, industrial, or mixed use. All three bills would significantly expand state interference with TlF projects. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Senators Mike Groene and AI Davis) -LABOR LAW- Workers' Makes the first comprehensive revision to Nebraska's Workers' Compensation PASSED Compensation Act since 1995. The bill includes non-controversial, employer-friendly revisions, LB480 including the denial of Workers' Compensation benefits if an employee knowingly and willfully makes false statements when applying for a position . State Chamber Supported. (Introduced by Sen. Burke Han) Minimum Would raise Nebraska's minimum wage for tipped workers. Federal law already HELD OVER Wage Hike requires businesses to make up any difference between tipped wages and the mini- mum wage. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist) LB494 Mandatory Would mandate that employer provide paid sick leave and family leave. Among HELD OVER Paid Sick Leave the circumstances that would require paid leave would be an employee's mental LB493 illness, as well as absences necessary due to domestic assault or stalking. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist) Wage Disclosure Would prohibit employers fi·om using agreements barring the disclosure of wages. HELD OVER LB83 The bill would open the door to more litigation against businesses and create poten- tial inconsistencies between state law, federal law and rulings by the National Labor Relations Board. State Chamber Opposed. (Introduced by Sen. Tanya Cook) -- OTHER ISSUES -- Measure Issue Summary Status LB264 Health Care Ensures that the skills and experience acquired through military service are recognized for the 34 PASSED Credentials for health professions overseen by the state's Uniform Credentialing Act. This alleviates the need for Military Veterans HHS to make credentialing decisions on a case-by-case basis. State Chamber SUJ2)20rted. LB279 Business Entity Changes provisions and fees relating to Nebraska's business entity reinstatement. LB279 PASSED Reinstatement extends the five year limit in which domestic LLCs, business corporations, non-profit corporations, and limited cooperative associations may apply for reinstatement with the Secretary of State. State Chamber SUJ2J20rted. LB414 Fraternal Benefit Provides property tax relief to fraternal benefit societies. Prior to LB414, there was no PASSED Organizations consistency in the methods used by counties to tax fraternal benefit organizations. State Chamber SU J2Qorted . LB419 Sales Tax Exemption Exempts sales tax on memberships and admissions to Nebraska's nationally accredited zoos PASSED for Zoos and aquariums. Zoos are a major driver of tourism, which is Nebraska's third largest industry. State Chamber SUJ2J20rted. LB538 Evaluation of Requires additional evaluation of Nebraska's eight primary job-creation and business PASSED Business incentive investment tax incentive programs, while also extending sunset dates. State Chamber supported Programs after concerns with original bill were addressed. LB547 Enhancing Early Enhances standards for early childhood education by allowing public school districts to partner with PASSED Childhood Education private child care programs. State Chamber suppQrted. LB623 Drivers Licenses for Allows the issuance of temporary driver's licenses to individuals residing in the state under the PASSED DACA Individuals federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Nebraska had been the only state that denied driver's licenses to DACA-eligible residents. State Chamber supQorted due to economic. workforce and Qublic safety concerns. (From top left) 2015 Nebraska Chamber Chair Kim Russel introduces Speaker of the Legislature Galen Hadley to the Chamber's Board ofDirectors. Gering Senator John Stinner discusses legislation with Nebr~ska Chamber Vice President-General C~uns~lf!-?n Sedlacek and Chamber President Barry Kennedy. Gothenburg Senator Matt Willwms hears about the Nebraska Chambers prwrzttes and concerns. (From lower left) Senators Ken Schilz of Ogallala, Jim Smith of Papillion, and Mike Gloor of Grand Island spoke about the bills before their committees at the Nebraska Chamber Annual Meeting in Lincoln. Senators Heath Mello and Burke Harr of Omaha discussed their priorities as part of the Nebraska Chamber's annual "Legislative Leaders" panel held in February. THE A CHAMBER ~!a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry Dear State Chamber Member: The first session of the I 04th Nebraska Legislature adjourned sine die on May 29. More than 660 bills and consti tutional amendments were introduced this session. In total, your Nebraska Chamber had positions on and/or moni tored more than 250 measures due to their potential impact on employers and the state's business community. The Nebraska Chamber made it a pri ority to keep in touch with our members to let them know how proposed legislation could affect them. While much of the media coverage of the Legislature focused on divisive social issues, the 90-day session brought numerous and notable ach ievements for the business community, including State Chamber-supported bills such as: LB480: Revises the Workers ' Compensation law in an employer-friendly manner. LB259: Allows businesses to exempt a p01tion of their personal property tax liability. LB519: Aims to boost the availability of skilled workers for high-demand occupations and career fields. LB272: Allows private employers to voluntarily adopt a hiring preference program for military veterans. LB329: Enhances rural economic development by providing limited li ability for landowners in agri-tourism. LB 156: Expands the amount of credits under the Angel Investment Tax Credit Act. LB226: Authorizes crowd funding to ensure more venture capital for startups. LB559: Revises the New Markets Job Growth Investment Act to encourage investment in rural and urban areas. The Nebraska Chamber worked equally as hard to defeat or amend harmfu l legislative proposals. In 2015, there were a number of harmful bills in the Legislature. Fortunately, none passed. Among this year's more menacing bills were: LB256: Would increase the state sales tax rate. LB523: Would raise income tax rates for individuals and corporations. LB238: Would impose severe limits on the local use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF). LB493: Would mandate that employers provide paid sick leave. LB280: Would create a local income tax, adding as much as 30% to state income tax liability. Thanks to all of you who were involved and took time to contact your state senators during the session. And thank you for being a valuable part of the Nebraska Chamber. Together, we are making Nebraska a better place for busi ness. j~C - ~ . &'-~;~Xld~~~ Kimberly A. Russel Barry L. Kennedy, CAE, IOM Chair of the Board President P.O. Box 95128 lincoln. NE 68509-5128 Tel: (402) 474-5681 1 nechamber@ nechamber.com I WVIMI.nechamber.coml Left: Lincoln Senator Kate Bolz reviewed her workforce develop ment initiatives at a meeting of the Nebraska Chamber's Public Affairs Council. Right: Senators Laura Ebke of Crete and John McCollister of Omaha, both first year lawmakers in 2015, serve on the Legislature's Business and Labor The Membership & Mission Of The State Chamber For more than a century, the State Chamber has proudly served as the vo ice ofNebraska's business community. Today, it is the state's only broad-based business association, representing a grassroots membership of approximately 1,600 businesses. The State Chamber works hard to promote the interests of employers of all sizes, as well as self-employed individuals, other Nebraska associations and local chambers of commerce. What links our members is the shared goal to improve Nebraska's business climate. The State Chamber staff works effectively with members of the Legislature and other government officials, with three full-time lob byists leading our legislative efforts. Throughout every legislative session, the State Chamber keeps its members well informed on day-to-day action through the Legislative Report and electronic communications such as the News Update. State Chamber members know when lawmakers are considering legislation that could impact their interests. Action alerts notify members when they should contact senators regarding upcoming votes. After the session, State Chamber members receive complete summaries of the year's legislative activities, as well as a scorecard on key votes. The State Chamber also monitors legislative activities in Washington, D.C. The association stays in close contact with Nebraska's congressional delegation, as well as its national affiliates- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufac turers. Beyond legislative services, the State Chamber provides many programs, publications and other tools for our members, including educational workshops, member directories, labor law publications, and unemployment services. With a record of major legislative accomplishments and solid service, Nebraska's business community can count on the State Cham ber to stand strong for its interests. THE ST/\TE CHAMBER ._ Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry 1320 Lincoln Mall, Suite 201 P.O. Box 95128 Lincoln, N E 68509-5128 (402} 474-4422 nechamber@ nechamber.com www .nechamber.com For membership questions, contact James Berringer at (402) 474-4422 or [email protected] For questions regarding legislation, contact Jamie Karl at (402) 474-4422 or [email protected] :::: 0 "\:I :"0 (l) =_, · =r"- rnn>-nZ YourState Chamber: 0 I - · 0.. ::; · J:l:) Nebraska'sBusiness Advantage g_Ql~~ g Q E;-3 3 co a.3r.rJ - · (l) (1) MemberSUIIPOned ~Member A1111roved 0 .. "' - ~ X 'D i5 + Nebraska offers one of the nation's Here is whatso me of our members haves aid about V> i3 "' top business incentive programs. The the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry: .oo Nebraska Advantage Act - the state's ~ DDDDD current business incentive law- has ''The State Chamber continues to stand strong for ()"' 0 spurred more than 116 companies to business interests around the state --from the .=> ~~~~~ Panhandle to the Missouri Valley. ., Sf'<(')~.@' invest more than $4 billion in Nebraska, z -Tom Whalen, Blue Cross BlueShield, Omaha tn ~ g;-- ~ (") resulting in about I 0,000 new jobs over 0\ ,_o..d'~g- 00 ~o:l=-';:o- 0: V> the next few years. ''The Chamber is commitled 10 making Nebraska /he C> ;r g g.~ g.. 'D ourTIP Priarhies REAL ESTATE Communications + Pay-and-benefit surveys for employers. Werepresent the interestsof the business Local Chambersof Commerce Insurance Labor law and minimumwage posters, community, includingbroad-based issues such as: + employment policy forms, and other Economic Development + publications. + Businessand Job Creation Incentives ...and all othersectors ollhe Nebraska economv. + Tax Climate + State Chamber MembershipDirectory and + RegulatoryReform Web site listing. + Labor Requirements StateChamber's Recent legislatiVe Accemplishments: + Car rental discounts and free upgrades. Wealso provide servicesand programsto address + Worked to draft and support passage of Supported the abolishment of the sales small business, manufacturing,community • MembershiPlnvelvement development, agri-businessand other issues the new state business incentives tax on commercial construction labor. importantto our state economy. package (the Nebraska Advantage Act), hrough our annual Fall Legislative Forums, which includes: + Promoted the inclusion of $10 million in Tsurveys and other activities, we listen to what - Job creation incentives; additional job training funds. ImprovingourBusiness Climate our membersare saying. The feedback we receive - Small Business Advantage; is used to form the State Chamber's positions on A sound tax policy, job creation incentives, - Research & development credits; + Helped gather support for legislation legislation and regulations impacting businesses our right-to-workguara ntee, and fewer - Rural development credits; and that provides new road constmction across Nebraska. mandateso n employers will help ensure that - Sales tax exemptions for funds. As a member of the State Chamber, you have the Nebraskacontinues to be more competitive in the manufacturing machinery global marketplace. 1l1ati s why the State opportunity to work and communicatew ith and equipment. + Supported beneficial legislation address- Chamber each year tracks hundreds of bills that Nebraska's only statewide broad-based business ing Workers' Compensation hospital could impact the businesscomm unity. organization. Worked to pass into law the record $420 fees and sick leave benefits . • million state tax cut package in 2007. We hope you will join us and assist us in growing Weare committedt o strengthening Nebraska's Nebraska's economy, to ensure that all employers economy while advocatingpolicies that allow + Helped stop the advancement of have every opportunity to prosper and experience businessto thrive, expand, and create new jobs + Successfully lobbied to repeal the state legislation requiring non-union the Good Life in our state. for the CornhuskerS tate. estate tax. employees to pay union fees. State Chamber supports efforts in which workers' compensation expenses will be op A TRADITION OF SERVICE THE A CHAMBER 11!.\l posed by the State Chamber. Nebraska is in the best position to control its own health care insurance future. The State Now in its l 03'' year, the Nebraska Chamber Chamber supports a common-sense, step-by 3. Unemployment Compensation. To safe of Commerce & Industry is an organization step approach to health care reform that wil I guard the integrity of the Unemployment dedicated to serving the interests of Nebraska protect Nebraskan's access to the health care Insurance Trust Fund, the State Chamber businesses of all sizes and types. The State they need, from the providers they choose recommends continual legislative review Chamber is well known as the "Voice of and at a lower cost. and implementation of appropriate reforms Nebraska Business" and derives its strength regarding unemployment compensation from its diverse statewide membership and the tax rates, the tax rate structure, disqualifY AGRICULTURE AND hundreds of th ousands of individuals employed ing events and benefits. Employers pay the ENVIRONMENT by the member firms. Since 1912, the State entire cost of unemployment compensation Chamber has been committed to the private en benefits, either through taxes based on ex 1. Agribusiness Issues. Nebraska's agricul terprise system and the continued development perience ratings or by direct reimbursement tural Jaws and regulations should encourage of a vibrant business climate in Nebraska. The to the unemployment compensation fund . reasonable natural resource conservation State Chamber remains comm itted to working Unemployment benefi ts must be reserved while preserving private property rights. for a better Nebraska and to give Nebraskans a for individuals who are unemployed through Food safety, biotechnological developments, competi tive edge in the 2 I st century. no fault of their own and who are available agricultural processing and economic secu for and able to work. In addition, Nebraska rity are important issues for the growth of Jaw should maintain a neutral position in 2015 Nebraska's economy. When appropriate, the regard to labor disputes. State Chamber will provide testimony, com Major ments or policy recommendations on those HEALTH INSURANCE agribusiness issues that may atTect this vital State Legislative sector of our economy. 1. Mandated Benefits. Self-funded health Objectives plans offered by employers to employees 2. Storm Water Management Fees. The must comply with minimum coverage State Chamber will oppose any legislative "In recent years. Nebraska has made solid provided by federal law (ERISA) and are proposal that would authorize local gov strides to become more businessfriend!v. In not subject to state group health insurance ernmental units to impose and rely upon Kimberly A. Russel 2015. with a new governor and many new state mandates. This is not the case for individual storm water management fees- based on the 20 I 5 Chairman of the Board legislators. the Nebraska Chamber will work health insurance plans or group health amount of impervious surface on real prop hard to build on that foundation of pro-business insurance plans provided by employers to erty - in order to fund storm water manage These major legislative objectives do not progress. Nebraska s leaders must address our employees. The State Chamber will oppose ment programs. constitute the entire range of legislative interests of states high tax burden, as well as the workforce the Nebraska business communHy, but only those legislation requiring group health insurance challenges and skilled labor shortages plaguing that have been prioritized as majOJ: The State plans to cover specific diseases, illnesses, emp oyers. courage ll Nebras Chamber will clo>e!y follow all bill>de emed to have l I en a ka businesses drugs or therapies that exceed ERISA an impacl upon !he state's business climate. to stand with the State Chamber to grow our requirements. Addi tional mandated benefits economy and ensure a continued high quality of increase group health insurance premiums life for all Nebraskans . .. for those plans not subj ect to ERISA and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & lndush-y make these employer-provided plans less af P.O. Box 95128 1320 Lincoln Mall Kimberly A. Russel fordable and less available to employers and Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-5128 20 I 5 Nebraska Chamber Chair their employees. ( 402) 474-4422 President & CEO of Bryan Health www.nechamber.com Lincoln 2. Health Insurance Reform. To protect the [email protected] interests of Nebraska and its citizens, the job opportunities in Nebraska is a direct re EDUCATION TAXATION AND will support legislative and administrative proposals that provide for more streamlined, sult of targeted job and investment incentive GOVERNMENT SPENDING efficient, flexible and focused government laws. Our perfonnance-based incentives I. Educational Funding. To remain competi services, including futther implementation laws require continual review and updating tive in an increasingly global economy, a 1. Strategy for Overall State Economic of laws allowing voluntary mergers of gov in order to : retain employment and create skilled labor force is essential for Nebraska Growth. Nebraska tax policy should ernmental entities. new employment opportunities; provide businesses. Educational funding programs encomage investment in the retention and for more effective incentives to encourage should be utilized to improve account development of job-creating businesses 3. Income Taxation. Nebraska's corporate investments, research and development in ability, reward excellence and encourage business opportunities within the state. and income tax rates should be competitive competitive facilities; fund job training; and innovation. The State Chamber supports the While a competitive, effici ent and fair tax with entities operating under other types of allow existing enterprises in Nebraska to effi cient delivery of higher educational op system is essential to promote job creation business structures. The State Chamber will be competitive. As the economy evolves, portunities in Nebraska in order to provide and economic development, Nebraska's support legislation to harmonize corporate enhanced incentive programs are necessary educational excellence for all students, tax climate must also become attractive. income tax rates with the rates applied to to give Nebraska a competitive edge, includ including the state's economic and cultural Although attempts to reduce the local single individual taxpayers. In addition, the ing targeting incentives and access to capital development through research and outreach. property tax burden have been accomplished State Chamber will support legislative initia that encourage advanced technological busi mainly by shifting additional state sales tives to lower Nebraska's highest individual ness investments. 2. Customized Job Training. The State and income revenues to fund state aid for income tax rate in order to improve our Chamber supports legislative commitments local governments and schools, the State competitive position among surrounding 2. Talent Recruitment and Workforce to provide funding for quality start-up job Chamber believes that major "tax reform" Development. The State Chamber sup states. training and enhanced job training opportu must be accomplished to reduce the overall ports policy and program initiatives aimed nities for individuals employed in qualified tax burden on all Nebraska taxpayers. To 4. Sales Taxation. The State Chamber con at growing, educating and improving the economic development projects. implement this strategy, the State Chamber tinues to oppose furth er broadening of the Nebraska workforce. A reliable supply of encourages a statewide partnership between state's sales and use tax base to include more available talent, with appropriate career LABOR RELATIONS the public and private sectors to find new business-to-business services or to repeal skills, is a key to future economic growth and innovative ways to improve Nebraska's and efforts should be made to enhance the sa les tax exemptions that are needed by l. Right-to-Work. The Stale Chamber sup competitive position among other states by technological sk ills of current residents who businesses and agriculture to remain viable ports Nebraska's Right-to-Work constitu reducing the operating cost of government must compete in an ever-changing global and competitive. The State Chamber will tional guarantee and defends Nebraska's and lowering the total tax burden on Nebras business environment. The State Chamber support legislation to repeal the taxation of Right-to-Work law against any effort to kans, which is vital to Nebraska's economic supports the career academy concept. The those services that are both difficult to fairl y weaken or repeal it. growth in both rural and urban communities. administer and place an undo burden on State Chamber also supports rec iprocal state licensure and certification recognition . consumers. In addition, the State Chamber 2. Workers' Compensation. The State 2. Efficiency in Government. The State In addition, the State Chamber will sup will oppose proposals that would impose Chamber supports legislative initiatives that Chamber will support initiatives by the port efforts to actively recruit new wo rkers sales and use taxes on business inputs. contribute to cost containment of employer Governor and the Legislature to implement for the state as a means to address current funded workers' compensation expenses structured quality improvement processes workforce demands and to attract additional while ensuring that injured workers are that improve taxpayer satisfaction and the ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT business opportunities to Nebraska. promptly and properly treated. Employers timeliness of delivering public services; pay the entire cost of workers' compensation improve public employee capacity and 1. Economic Development Incentive Pro 3. Highway Development. The State Cham coverage and in order to assure the integrity output; eliminate unnecessary services, grams. A strong Nebraska economy con ber supports the preservation of the State's of the Workers ' Compensation system in programs and processes; and restrain or tributes to our quality of life by providing Highway Trust Fund and will oppose efforts Nebraska, the State Chamber recommends reduce state and local government spend economic security today and the opportunity to divert highway trust funds for other continued legislative review and the im ing. The State Chamber will support efforts of career opportunities for future genera purposes. Necessary infrastructure improve plementation of appropriate reforms to our that avoid: increasing state sales and income tions. Increased business and job growth ments should be a budget priority and not Workers' Compensation laws. Legislati ve tax rates; expanding the state sales tax base; help combat the social issues of unemploy accompanied by new or increased rates of proposals that would significantly increase and earmarking state sales and income taxes ment, poverty and crime. The State Cham taxation. for specific programs. The State Chamber ber believes the growth of investments and 2016 Funding Proposal Title of Project: Nebraska Grain and Feed Association Annual Summer Meeting Type of Project: Publicity and Education New or Renewal: This is a renewal of an ongoing project between the Nebraska Wheat Board and the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association Total Amount Requested: $1,000 Project Duration: One day; August 5, 2016 Project Coordinator: Richard D. Sanne Nebraska Grain and Feed Association 4600 Valley Road, Suite 416 Lincoln, NE 68510-4844 Phone: (402) 476-6174 Fax: (402) 476-3401 E-mail: [email protected] Organization Name: Nebraska Grain and Feed Association 4600 Valley Road, Suite 416 Lincoln, NE 68510-4844 Phone: (402) 476-6174 Fax: (402) 476-3401 E-mail: [email protected] Additional Participating Institutions: Several potential, but unknown at this time Page 1 of2 Project Abstract: The Nebraska Grain and Feed Association (NeGF A) is a 120-year-old organization, serving the grain and feed industry ofNebraska. The NeGFA represents more than 85% ofthe commercial grain storage capacity in the state, as well as a majority of licensed and bonded grain dealers. A primary goal of the association is to provide members and producers with valuable information at events such as our workshops, meetings, and conventions. The 41st NeGF A Annual Summer Meeting will be held on Friday, August 5, 2016. Project Outcomes: The Nebraska Wheat Board and wheat producers will benefit from the information presented in the dealers' program at this annual meeting. This will be an educational component of our meeting featuring current market trends and other valuable industry information. Method or Approach: To help with the cost of our meeting and to keep our attendee expense affordable, we depend on our associates and cooperators, like the Wheat Board, for support. The Wheat Board's contribution will be applied to offset expenses we will incur related to our distinguished presenters at this meeting. Contributing organizations will receive a complimentary registration and be prominently recognized on all NeGFA electronic and paper media leading up to and during the Summer Meeting. Contributors will also be recognized on placards at the Summer Meeting. Wheat Board leadership and staff will have the opportunity to discuss current industry issues and to network with our speakers and grain and feed associates. Relevance: This is a great opportunity to distribute the Wheat Board's message about the value of the wheat check-offto those who collect and remit the check-off on behalf of the Board. Impact: This is also an outstanding opportunity for NeGF A members to acknowledge our commodity organizations for their work on market development and for the Wheat Board to recognize NeGFA members who, as first purchasers, collect and remit the commodity check-off. Method Suitability: The cooperation between the Nebraska Wheat Board and the NeGFA over many years is a proven method for developing and expanding the wheat industry in Nebraska. We appreciate the Board's consideration of our request and the support the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association has received from your organization on past collaborative efforts. We look forward to a continued fruitful relationship in our shared efforts to support production agriculture in Nebraska. Budget: The total amount requested for this proposal is $1000, or an amount approved by the Nebraska Wheat Board. As stated previously, this amount will be applied to expenses directly related to speakers. The total budget for expenses related to speakers for this meeting has typically amounted to $2,500. We anticipate matching the Wheat Board's contribution with funds from other hosts, including other Nebraska commodity boards. Page 2 of2 2016 Wheat Quality Survey And Administrative Proposal Nebraska $12,972.00 Mark Hodges, Director, Plains Grains, Inc., 127 NRC, Stillwater, OK 74078, is the contact for this project and can be reached electronically at [email protected] or at 405-249-4817 or 405-744-9333. This proposal is a request for renewal. Plains Grains, Inc. Mission Plains Grains, Inc. (PGI) is a non-profit organization that works to enhance Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat marketing activities and to insure US Wheat Associates (USW) has all the information necessary to successfully market HRW on a world-wide basis. It is this organization’s belief that the best way to accomplish this is to provide end-use quality data to the customer through extensive testing. This data is obtained through the PGI HRW Wheat Quality Survey. The mission of the survey is to provide each state with state specific data as well as regional data. This data will be formatted in such a way that it can be used to market wheat to foreign and domestic buyers, and it can be used to show producers the quality in the state and region. The data is also shared with US Wheat Associates for their marketing activities internationally, including inclusion in the USW Annual Crop Quality Report. Project Narrative In 2006, PGI began working with states in the HRW wheat production region to develop grainsheds (reporting areas). A terminal elevator (with 50 – 110 car or shuttle) facility and the production region that supplies that facility are considered a grainshed. Currently, 48 grainsheds have been defined in 12 states from Texas to PNW. For the 2016 Wheat Quality Survey, PGI will pull samples from each of these grainsheds. Estimated number of individual samples for the 2016 survey is 533, with a maximum number of composites of 192. Composites will be made from the individual samples within a grainshed divided into potentially 3 groups based on protein, then an overall individual grainshed composite. A minimum of 20% of the individual samples must make up a protein level to be separated out into a protein level. The protein splits are: below 11.5%, 11.5% – 12.5% and above 12.5%. Samples from all states will be collected and sent to the lab for evaluation. Individual and composite samples will be sent to an official grain inspection service for testing as outlined below. The forwarding of those tests will be done in an Excel spreadsheet to US Wheat and PGI in a timely manner. Test results will be compiled and summarized on a weekly basis using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, that information will then be submitted to US Wheat and PGI in an electronic format. The testing lab will be responsible for developing a final report that includes a comprehensive analysis of the information, regional summary tables and tied to the USDA, NASS 5 year average production within each grainshed. The report will be the product of extensive consultation by the lab, US Wheat & PGI and is due no later than October 1, 2016. Reporting: Weekly reports submitted to PGI and USW in electronic format with individual test results and a current narrative summarization of testing and progress and forwarded to PGI states. Testing reports will be in a Microsoft Excel format and narrative reports will be in a Microsoft Word format. The final report will include all testing data, regional summary tables based on USDA NASS 5 year average production within each grainshed and a comprehensive narrative analysis of the data. All reports will utilize the term “grainshed”, but define the term as a “reporting area”. The final report will be a product of extensive consultation with USW and PGI states. Final report due no later than November 1, 2016. Test to be preformed: Individual wheat samples (By Official Inspection Service for Grade Factors) Official Grade Test weight (lb/bu) (kg/hl) Damaged kernels (%) Foreign material (%) Shrunken & broken (%) Total defects (%) Dockage (%) Moisture (%) Protein (%) 12%/0% moisture basis Ash (%) 14%/0% moisture basis Single kernel: Hardness Weight (mg) 1000 kernel weight (g) Diameter (mm) Kernel size Falling Number (sec) Sedimentation (cc) Composite wheat samples Protein (%) 12%/0% moisture basis Moisture (%) Ash (%) 14%/0% moisture basis Kernel Size (%) lg/md/sm Single kernel: Hardness Sedimentation (cc) Lab Mill Extraction (%) Composite flour samples Moisture (%) Protein (%) 14%/0% moisture basis Ash (%) 14%/0% moisture basis Wet Gluten (%) Gluten Index Color (Hunter L*,a*,b*) Mixograph Farinograph Alveograph Starch damage Amylograph Extensigraph Falling number Baking Evaluation Loaf Volume (cc) Crumb Texture (scale 0 to 6) (0 to 10) Crumb Grain (scale 0 to 6) (0 to 10) Project Timeline Sample collection will begin when harvest is 1/3 of the way complete at the sample location. Samples will be shipped or delivered to successful bidder within a week of collection and testing will begin immediately. Individual testing and preliminary results are to be completed by the lab within 30 days of receiving the sample. Composite results should be completed and reported within 30 days after receiving the last sample in that composite grainshed. HRW wheat data will be delivered to US Wheat Associates no later than October 1st, subject to constraints beyond the control of PGI. 2015 Crop Testing information can be viewed at www.plainsgrains.org. 2016 data will also be available as harvest samples are processed and posted (weekly basis). ADMINISTRATION PGI will provide administration to include the following services: 1. Management of Crop Quality Testing a. Manage the collection of timely, accurate data and the transference of this data to relevant information for distribution to key buyers using the web, email, USW, etc. b. Manage the development of an educational plan designed to maximize utilization of crop quality data. c. Customer relations, travel & attend buyer conferences d. Development of crop quality presentations for use with Trade Teams by state wheat commissions. 2. Strategic Planning a. Continuation of the development of the Plains states marketing plan. b. Creation of a plan that defines accountability to Plains board of directors, state Wheat Commissions and has clear measurements of adding value. 3. Development of new methods of marketing and transportation/logistics to key regional markets. a. Transfer of ownership of varieties (regional development for marketing purposes) b. Industry/Supply chain partnerships, including other grains and oilseeds (vertical integration when possible, establish a field to fork mentality) 4. Coordination of multi-state research projects a. Develop educational materials that highlight projects of regional interest. b. Active consolidation when possible. c. Develop regional approaches for funding. d. Actively work with state wheat commissions, WFC, USW and NAWG. 5. Coordination of regional representation of trade shows. a. Use of baking for promotion utilizing local growers as volunteers. b. Development of educational materials. c. Presentation of regional testing and data information. Projected Cost: Total Final Cost (matching funds applied) ESTIMATED $12,972.00 RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL TO THE NEBRASKA WHEAT BOARD PROJECT TITLE: Advanced screening for evaluating wheat streak mosaic virus resistance for quality Nebraska wheats PROJECT TIME PERIOD: July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017(Continuation project) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Gary L. Hein, Dept. of Entomology, UNL, (402) 472-3345. COLLABORATORS: P. Stephen Baenziger, Dept. of Agronomy, UNL; Robert Graybosch, USDA-ARS, UNL; Stephen Wegulo, Plant Pathologist, Dept. of Plant Pathology, UNL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Losses from wheat streak and other wheat curl mite-transmitted viruses in outbreak years cost Nebraska wheat growers millions of dollars in lost yield and quality. This project addresses the development of varieties with greater levels of resistance to wheat streak mosaic and the other mite-vectored viruses. Breeder lines that will eventually develop into released varieties will be screened along with evaluating the effectiveness and value of virus resistance in commercial varieties. This screening process is done under field conditions by using natural infestations of mites and virus. Wheat varieties with strong virus resistance will minimize the potential losses and enable the grower to better manage this important risk to yield and quality. Uniqueness of project: This project provides a continuation of the virus screening process necessary for continual identification and selection of wheat lines with virus resistance. This is the only screen anywhere in the country that screens against these wheat viruses by using natural mite populations with wheat grown under normal conditions. STATEMENT OF WORK (OBJECTIVES): We will conduct the virus screening program by addressing the following objectives: 1. Screen a number of developing and advanced lines of hard red and white winter wheat for virus resistance under natural mite populations in the field. 2. Establish virus resistance levels for varieties that are commercially available to Nebraska wheat producers. 3. We will work to enhance screening procedures that enable screening across a broader range of virus pressure by increasing the presence of Triticum mosaic and High Plains viruses. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Wheat streak mosaic has been the most damaging disease in winter wheat in the major growing areas of Nebraska. For a number of years, wheat breeding efforts have been directed at developing varieties that are resistant to wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), but limited progress was made. In recent years, breeding efforts at Kansas State Univ., Colorado State Univ., and the Univ. of Nebraska have identified more effective sources of resistance to wheat streak mosaic, and the durability of the variety ‘Mace’ in its WSMV resistance has been shown. Our virus screen trials over the last few years have verified that the varietal response in the field for developing lines can be very strong. The screen has also enabled us to more accurately characterize the lower resistance levels of many current commercial varieties. Through the last several years with the support of the Nebraska Wheat Board, we have developed techniques for screening for resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus under field conditions. Therefore, the results from these trials will likely be more applicable to conditions that Nebraska growers face. This project is aimed at integrating these virus screening techniques into the UNL and ARS wheat breeding programs at UNL to allow for more effective and efficient development and evaluation of Nebraska wheat varieties for WSMV resistance. In recent years, we have been able to establish a screen at Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, NE. The buildup of mites in the screen area has been sufficient, and we feel that conducting the screen in eastern Nebraska has proven successful. However, sampling of the screen at ARDC has shown that virus presence in the screen was predominately wheat streak mosaic virus (90% of the samples positive for WSMV) with only a small presence of Triticum mosaic virus (4%). The objective of the screen is to provide a robust test for virus resistance, thus, the screen may be improved if we were able to develop a greater presence of virus in the screen. We know that both Triticum mosaic and High Plains viruses have been identified and are present in eastern Nebraska so we will work to broaden the screening process to include a greater presence of one or both of these additional viruses. With continued funding support, we will continue the screening of developing lines from Dr. Baenziger’s and Dr. Graybosch’s programs. We will also target some of our screening efforts at characterizing the robustness of the resistance in these newly developing resistant lines, especially considering the presence of a new wheat virus, Triticum mosaic virus. Two new varieties with out of KSU, Oakley CL and Clara CL, both with virus resistance and two varieties from Texas A&M, TAM 212 and TAM 204, with resistance to the mite and purported virus resistance will also be tested. Procedures: Obj. 1,2: An area will be established at the Agricultural Research and Development Center (Mead) to grow wheat through part of the summer that will serve as a green bridge host for mites and virus and act as a source for infection when wheat is planted in this area in September. This area will be planted in May and maintained through the summer and a second planting will be made in mid July. Maintaining these areas through the summer during the hot and dry period requires a good amount of effort to keep the wheat from getting too dry and stressed. In September, within this "volunteer" wheat green bridge area, wheat lines to be tested will be planted. The screened varieties will include advanced lines carrying the new sources of wheat streak mosaic resistance and any other promising lines from the UNL and ARS breeding programs with enough seed to include in the trials. A limited number of commercial lines (e.g. Mace, Pronghorn, Millennium) that have shown some degree of tolerance will be included to allow further evaluation of these lines. All lines will be evaluated for the occurrence of wheat streak mosaic and any other diseases and followed through to harvest to determine the impact of the diseases on the yield and quality of screened varieties. Selections will be made from segregating lines, and where appropriate, seed will be saved for further advance in the two breeding program. Obj. 3: Within the screen plot area, we will develop processes that will enable us to increase the incidence of Triticum mosaic virus and High Plains virus. We will incorporate corn along with the use of volunteer wheat to enhance mite buildup in the screen area because corn seems to play an important role in the observed incidence of High Plains virus. We will also monitor the presence of Triticum mosaic virus in the volunteer wheat areas to determine if there are seasonal fluctuations in the presence of this virus. Additional manual inoculation of Triticum mosaic will be done if necessary to increase its presence. Measurement of fall mite activity and virus presence will be used to determine virus presence and impact. TIMELINES AND MILESTONES: The project will need to be initiated with the first ‘volunteer’ planting in May (2016) before a final decision on funding is made. Screen plots will be planted in September and major data collection will be in the spring of 2016. PROJECT LOCATIONS: University of Nebraska – Agriculture Res. & Dev. Center, Mead. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: New information obtained from this project will be disseminated to producers, Extension agents, and consultants through educational publications (e.g. NebGuides, press releases, etc.), websites, and meetings. Visual images (photo and video) will be used to demonstrate the effect and impact of resistant varieties within the trials. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET FY 2016-2017 Effective Dates 7/1/2016 – 6/30/2017 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Gary L. Hein PROJECT TITLE: Advanced screening for evaluating wheat streak mosaic virus resistance for quality Nebraska wheats PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY2017 FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 2,000 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students 11,040 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. 5,306 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 1,500 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. 1,000 (Budget Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 20,846 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages a. Salary will cover half of a graduate assistantship to monitor and manage the plots. (Entomology Dept. Assistantship rate @ $22,080/yr.) b. Undergraduate student hourly wages for 200 hrs at $10/hr=$2000 for planting, maintenance, and monitoring. B. Graduate student Fringe Benefit to cover half the assistantship – at 41%=$9.053 (1/2=$4,526) plus Health Insurance at 0.79 of $1,976=$1,561 (1/2=$780). C. Travel – vehicle rental @ $300 for 5 months D. All Other Direct Costs – Materials and supplies - $1000 for misc expenses associated with field and greenhouse activities for virus increases and plot sampling, harvesting, and publication charges. Cover Crop Establishment and Growth as Influenced by Herbicide Carryover in Wheat, Corn, and Soybean A research proposal submitted to the Nebraska Wheat Board, Nebraska Corn Board, and Nebraska Soybean Board with partial funding support being requested from each board. Project Year/Time Period: New Project, Year 1 of 3 Principle Investigators Chris Proctor, Weed Management Extension Educator; UNL, Agronomy and Horticulture, Lincoln, NE; Phone: 402.472.5411, [email protected] Rodrigo Werle, Cropping Systems Specialist; UNL, West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, NE (starting date: April 15, 2016); Phone: 402.937.2887, [email protected] Josh Miller, UNL Graduate Research Assistant and Doctor of Plant Health Student, Lincoln, NE; Phone: 402.440.5033, [email protected] Cody Creech, Dryland Cropping Systems Specialist; UNL, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff, NE; Phone: 308.632.1266, [email protected] Nevin Lawrence, Integrated Weed Management Specialist; UNL, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff, NE; Phone: 308.633.1263, [email protected] Amit Jhala, Weed Management Specialist; UNL, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Lincoln, NE; Phone: 402.472.1534, [email protected] Steven Knezevic, Professor of Integrated Weed Management, Haskell Agricultural Laboratory University of Nebraska. 57905 866 Road, Concord, NE, 68728‐2828; Phone: 402‐584‐3808, [email protected] John Lindquist, Professor and Plant Ecologist; UNL, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Lincoln, NE; Phone: 402.472.2771, [email protected] Greg Keuger, Weeds and Application Technology Specialist; UNL, West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, NE; Phone: 308.696.6715, [email protected] Executive Summary To maintain the environmental and economic viability of Nebraska wheat production, cropping systems are becoming more complex. Cover crops are one component of these more complex systems and are gaining popularity due to their array of benefits. Simultaneously, herbicide resistant weeds are increasing at an alarming rate leading farmers to rely more on residual soil‐applied herbicides. One of the major challenges farmers now face is how to integrate herbicide programs with cover crops. Since this is a problem for all three of Nebraska’s primary commodity crops, wheat, corn, and soybean, we are proposing a project that relies on concurrent support from all three commodity boards. The objectives of our project are to 1) evaluate the effect of herbicide residuals on commonly used grass, brassica, legume, and summer annual cover crops. More specifically, our aim is to determine the required interval following a soil applied herbicide application to avoid cover crop injury or failure 2) determine the concentration of residual, wheat, corn, and soybean herbicides at six Nebraska locations at different stages of the growing season to assess the potential carry‐over effect on cover crops and 3) utilize data to develop decision making tools that could aid farmers integrating cover crops into their soybean cropping systems and herbicide programs. By the conclusion of our project we anticipate having practical information that will lead to more resilient cropping systems across Nebraska. 1 Novelty of Research and Objectives Cover crops continue to grow in popularity for their added benefits in cropping systems. To maximize potential benefits, all components of the cropping system should be complimentary. Given the impact of soil properties and environment on herbicide persistence, understanding the potential for herbicide carry‐over to affect cover crops in several unique Nebraska locations would provide important information for Nebraska wheat farmers. The lack of information about herbicide carry‐over effects on cover crops puts farmers at a disadvantage and could cost them in efficiency and profit. The unique significance of our proposed project would be the evaluation of herbicide carry‐over based on the measured concentration of herbicides in the soil across a wide range of Nebraska environments. This would improve confidence for making herbicide and cover crop recommendations over the information currently available. Therefore, the objectives of our study are to 1) evaluate the effect of herbicide residuals on commonly used grass, brassica, legume, and summer annual cover crops. More specifically, our aim is to determine the required interval following an herbicide application to avoid cover crop injury or failure 2) relate visual herbicide injury symptoms with measured soil concentrations of residual wheat, corn, and soybean herbicides at six Nebraska locations at points during the growing season to quantify the potential carry‐over effect on cover crops and 3) utilize data to develop decision making tools that could aid farmers integrating cover crops into their cropping systems and herbicide programs. Statement of Work Mid‐West commodity crop farmers are increasingly incorporating cover crops into their cropping systems. In spite of the benefits, the addition of cover crops adds complexity to farming systems. Furthermore, the alarming increase in the number of herbicide‐resistant weeds is leading farmers to rely more on residual soil‐applied herbicides. The resulting challenge is the potential for herbicide carry‐over that can negatively impact the establishment and growth of cover crops. Most herbicide labels give replant restrictions for common agronomic and horticulture crops. However, many commonly used cover crop species are not listed on the labels. Crops not listed would then fall into an ‘other crop’ category, which is typically the maximum replant restriction with some intervals as long as 40 months. Herbicide persistence is influenced by multiple soil factors such as texture, organic matter, microbial activity, pH, moisture, and temperature as well as other factors like solar radiation. Therefore, it would be valuable to test the carry‐over potential of commonly used herbicides across different Nebraska environments and commodities. These data would assist growers with deciding how best to integrate herbicide and cover crop programs. Description of Research Bare‐Soil Study The bare soil study will evaluate the injury to cover crops following spring residual herbicide applications planted at five different times. Treatments will be applied to bare‐soil without planting of commodity crops during the study. Herbicide treatments will be applied in strips in mid‐April/early‐May (Fig. 1) and will include three common active ingredients per commodity crop, selected from the top applied herbicides in Nebraska according to the USDA pesticide use dataset. These are Amber (triasulfuron), Ally XP (metsulfuron‐methyl) and Beyone (imazamox) for wheat; atrazine, Warrant (acetochlor) and Callisto (mesotrione) for corn; and Valor (flumioxazin), Classic (chlorimuron‐ethyl), and Spartan (sulfentrazone) for soybeans. Four cover crop species will be used in this study representing the most commonly used grass, legume, brassica and summer annual cover crops according to the SARE cover crops survey and include cereal rye, crimson clover, oil seed radish and buckwheat. Cover crops will be planted at multiple times in single row strips, perpendicular to the herbicide treatment strips. The timing of the first planting will occur one week following herbicide application. The second third and fourth timing will occur at corn V8 (June), wheat harvest (mid‐July), and soybean leaf chlorosis (early‐Sept.), 2 respectively. The last planting will immediately follow corn crop harvest (early‐Oct.). The following data will be collected during the study: Cover Crop Percent Cover: To be determined using digital image analysis evaluating the number of green pixels to calculate percent cover. Data will be collected at 7, 14, and 28 days after planting of cover crops. Cover Crop Visual Injury Symptoms: Will be collected at 7, 14, and 28 days after planting of cover crops. Cover Crop Biomass: Will be collected 28 days after planting of cover crops. Field Crop Study The field crop study will quantify herbicide persistence using the same products from the bare‐soil study only under standard cropping conditions. Study sites will be located adjacent to bare‐soil studies with the same soil type and conditions. Commodity crops will be managed using best management practices for each crop. Herbicides will be applied at crop planting in late‐April/early‐May (Fig. 2). Soil samples will be collected at four times during the growing season to determine herbicide concentration in the soil and corresponding to the 1st (at crop planting), 2nd (mid‐June), 3rd (mid‐July), and 5th (early‐Oct.) cover crop planting dates in the bare‐soil study. The following data will be collected during the study: Soil Moisture and Temperature: Will be collected with data loggers at each site throughout the study. Precipitation: Will be collected using a rain gauge within ¼ mile of study site. Herbicide Concentration: To assess the persistence of soil‐applied herbicides, soil samples will be analyzed using Gas chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy. Samples will be analyzed by A&L Laboratories, a commercial soil lab. How Results Will Be Analyzed, Assessed, or Interpreted and How Results Will Be Used Data will be analyzed using modern statistical methods to provide confidence in identifying significant treatment differences. Favorable results could be used to begin development of a decision making tool for farmers and could help them select compatible herbicide and cover crop programs. Thermal and hydrothermal time models will be used to describe herbicide persistence in the soil (Werle et al. 2014ab). Analysis of Variance will be conducted to evaluate the impact of each herbicide in each cover crop species at each location. Thermal/hydrothermal time models will indicate whether heat unit accumulation (GDD) could describe the persistence and potential for carry‐over across locations. Based on historic weather data, maps could then be generated to indicate regions in Nebraska where certain cover crops would be at a higher risk for carry‐over damage. The ANOVA results will indicate the most persistent herbicides and the most sensitive cover crops across locations, assisting growers with their decision on what herbicide/cover crop program they should adopt in their cropping systems. Expected Outcomes We anticipate our results to allow for recommendations that help maximize productivity of both soybean crops and cover crops in all the major agroecozone across Nebraska. By broadening our knowledge in the area of herbicide persistence and carry‐over we also expect more collaborations and research in the future. As an example, our data could motivate testing a more extensive range of herbicides and cover crops or invite chemical companies to reevaluate label rotation restriction and the potential for cover crop grazing. 3 Timeline and Milestones for the Project Completion (2016‐2019) July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Jul Au Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Plant soybean crop X Herbicide application X Plant cover crops X Collect soil samples Estimate cover crop % cover X Collect cover crop biomass Organize data Extension outreach July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 Plant soybean crop X Herbicide application X Plant cover crops X X Collect soil samples Estimate cover crop % cover Collect cover crop biomass Organize data Extension outreach July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 Plant soybean crop X Herbicide application X X Plant cover crops X X X Collect soil samples Estimate cover crop % cover X Collect cover crop biomass Organize data Extension outreach Write manuscripts Project Locations Three complimentary studies will be conducted at six unique environments in Nebraska: the Havelock Research Farm near Lincoln, Agriculture Research and Development Center near Mead, Haskell Agriculture Lab near Concord, South Central Agriculture Lab near Clay Center, West Central Research and Extension Center near North Platte, High Plains Agriculture Lab near Sidney, and the Panhandle Research and Extension Center near Scottsbluff. These locations were selected as they are representative of agroecozones and cropping systems in Nebraska. Dissemination Plan Every year over 12,000 copies of the Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska are distributed. Resulting data from this project would be used to improve recommendations provided in this extension publication and would have widespread impact. Results would also be presented at several Extension outreach events such as the Crop Production Clinics (held at 9 locations across Nebraska with a minimum of 900 attendees every year), the Plant Diagnostic Clinics (a minimum of 2500 attendees every year), Soybean Management Field Days (a minimum of 500 attendees every year), as well as many county and research center based field days. Frequent updates would also be released using CropWatch. Finally, we expect at least two peer review publications to results from the proposed project. 4 Figure 1. Bare‐soil study showing three herbicide strip for each commodity crop. Four different cover crops will be planted perpendicular to herbicide strips at four different planting dates. Figure is only a visual representation of treatments and actual treatments will be randomized and replicated. Figure 2. Field crop study to test herbicide persistence under typical cropping conditions. Three crop specific herbicides will be sprayed over each commodity crop. Soil sample locations represent four different soil sampling events to test herbicide persistence over the growing season. Figure is only a visual representation of treatments 5 References Cited Werle, R., L.D. Sandell, D.D. Buhler, R.G. Hartzler, and J.L. Lindquist. 2014a. Predicting emergence of twenty three summer annual weed species. Weed Science. 62:267‐279. Werle, R., M.L. Bernards, T.J. Arkebauer, and J.L. Lindquist. 2014b. Environmental triggers of winter annual weed emergence in the midwestern United States. Weed Science. 62:83‐96. 6 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S):C. Proctor, R. Werle, J. Miller, C. Creech, N. Lawrence, A. Jhala, S. Knezevic, J. Lindquist PROJECT TITLE: Cover Crop Establishment and Growth as Influenced by Herbicide Carryover in Wheat, Corn, and Soybean PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 6,125 6,308 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 500 515 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 1,687 1,738 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 1,135 1,360 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these 35,400 35,400 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $44,847 $45,321 7 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: As our project has important implications for each Nebraska’s three primary commodity crops, we are requesting that a portion of our total project budget be funded by the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board, and the Nebraska Wheat Board. The budget and budget narrative show what is being requested from the Nebraska Corn Board only. A. Salaries and Wages: The budget for personnel will be used to cover 3.3 months of a research technician’s salary per year for work at each of the six sites ($6,125 per year). This person will help coordinate practical components of the study at each site. Funding for undergraduate student salary is also requested (12.5 days*4h/day*$10/h = $500). This student will provide help with sample collection and processing. B. Fringe Benefits: Research technician benefits estimated at 30% of salary for health insurance. The actual cost of benefits for each person will be charged to the project. C. Travel: Funding for travel to each of the research sites from Lincoln an average of four times a year (4 trips/year to 6 sites + hotel for 4 nights) is needed to monitor and collect data across the sites. Support to present findings in the second and third year at the North Central Weed Science Society Meeting and American Society of Agronomy Annual meeting is also requested @ $1000 per year. Partial travel support is requested for a total of $1,135. D. All Other Direct Costs: Supplies: Reflect funds to purchase supplies for soil and biomass sampling and other miscellaneous expenses to manage the study ($375 per site per year = $2,250). Laboratory Analysis: Herbicide concentration soil samples: 3 herbicides * 4 sampling times * 6 sites * 3 replications = 216 samples per commodity crop. Cost: 216 samples * $150/sample = $32,400 Land Rental: Estimated at $750 (10 acres * $75/A) from the Wheat Board. 8 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS To the Nebraska Wheat Board For FY17 Funding (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017) Project Title: Decide NOW 2.0 Type of Project: Publicity and Education Years Previously Funded: New Project Total Amount Requested: $10,000 Project Duration: Year 1 of a 2-year project Principal Investigator(s) or Project Leader(s): o Jessica Groskopf (Principal Investigator), Panhandle Research and Extension Center, ph: 308-632-1247, fax: 308- 632-1365, [email protected] o Robert Tigner, West Central Research and Extension Center, 308-882-4731, [email protected] o Cory Walters, Department of Agricultural Economics, 402-372-0366, [email protected] o Kathleen Brooks, Department of Agricultural Economics, 402-472-1749, [email protected] Organization: o Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institutional Official Information: Charles Hibberd 211 Agriculture Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0703 402-472-3919 [email protected] Project Abstract Although marketing plans are pivotal to an operation’s success and profitability, farmers rarely follow marketing plans. The Decide NOW project will allow farmers to step away from the classroom with the tools needed to implement grain marketing plans. The project includes face-to-face education, a suite of on-line tools, and a free smartphone application. The Decide NOW app is scheduled to be released for iPhone and iPad in early 2016 (view current Screenshots in Appendix 1). This app features a customizable electronic grain marketing plan with a built in reminder system. Once a farmer has developed a marketing plan, they can input their decisions into their smartphone. When a decision trigger is hit, the smartphone will send a notice to the farmer encouraging them to take action. This funding would be used for continued grain marketing education and improvement of the Decide NOW app. Project Outcomes The following outcomes are expected: Producers will gain a better understanding of price patterns Producers will gain a better understanding of basis trends Producers will gain a better understanding of carrying charges Producers will write a grain marketing plan Producers with a smartphone will create at least one decision in the Decide NOW app Method or Approach Of the people who attended Nebraska Extension grain marketing workshops in November and December of 2015, 92% did not have a written marketing plan prior to the workshop. One of the most frequent comments during marketing education programs is the need for a tool to help them take marketing action. Of the producers in attendance at marketing workshops in late 2015, 52% claimed they would use the Decide NOW smartphone app to help them make marketing decisions. There are 2 educational stages of the Decide NOW project designed to increase the implementation of marketing plans: Stage 1: At least five grain marketing workshops will be offered across the state. Participants will gain the knowledge, skills and aptitude through experiential learning. Farmers will be taken step-by-step through the process of developing a grain marketing plan. Producers will successfully complete each step, ultimately completing a marketing plan customized for their operation. Workshop facilitators will then assist producers with smartphones enter their plan into the Decide NOW app (Screens 1-4 and Screen 5 or 6). 1 Stage 2: Upon completion of the workshop, producers will be reminded of and encouraged to follow their marketing strategy through the Decide NOW app. Producers will be able to adjust their marketing plan utilizing the tools built into the application, and track their marketing performance. Additionally, users of the Decide Now app will continue to gain marketing knowledge through 3-5-minute video learning modules available on the website and through a quarterly email newsletter. These modules are designed to build on the knowledge gained during the workshops held in Stage 1. The quarterly newsletter will be designed to provide unbiased advice from UNL expertise. Timeline of activities and deliverables: YEAR 1 YEAR 2 July The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. July – September The project team will work via teleconference with the current The project team will work via teleconference with Object Partners Inc. to review current app developer, Object Partners Inc., to improve the functionality performance of the app and determine necessary maintenance. of the Decide NOW app. Object Partners Inc. will perform necessary maintenance to the app. The project team will analyze 6 month follow up evaluation to re-evaluate knowledge and behavior change. The project team will update website, and related educational materials The project team will update website, and related educational materials to reflect the maintenance to reflect the improvements to the app. to the app. October The project team will host a “train the trainer” workshop for The project team will host a “train the trainer” workshop for Nebraska Extension specialists and Nebraska Extension specialists and educators to update them on the educators to update them on the features of the smartphone app and curriculum. During this features of the smartphone app and curriculum. During this training, workshop locations will be determined. training, workshop locations will be determined. The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. November – April The project team will make travel arrangements, confirm meeting The project team will make travel arrangements, confirm meeting logistics, and promote grain logistics, and promote grain marketing workshops through various marketing workshops through various communication channels. communication channels. Trained Nebraska Extension Educators and Specialists will teach at least five grain marketing Trained Nebraska Extension Educators and Specialists will teach at workshops featuring the Decide NOW app. least five grain marketing workshops featuring the Decide NOW app. Workshop participants will be evaluated during the workshop to gage their potential knowledge and behavior change. Workshop participants will be evaluated during the workshop to gage their potential knowledge and behavior change. January The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. April The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. The project team will send quarterly marketing newsletter. May – June The project team will send 6-month follow-up survey. The project team will send 6-month follow-up survey. The project team will interview trained Decide NOW Educators The project team will interview trained Decide NOW Educators and Specialists to identify and Specialists to identify areas of improvement and revision. areas of improvement and revision. Relevance Wheat producers manage their operations in a rapidly changing environment. Although marketing plans are pivotal to their success and profitability, farmers rarely follow marketing plans. With the continued decline in prices, marketing plans are an even more critical part of farm management and ultimately farm survival. In November and December 2015, 135 people attended the grain marketing workshops held across Nebraska, 35% of those farmers were wheat producers. Of the total participants, 52% plan on using the Decide NOW app once it becomes available. Impact Evaluation at points along the timeline of the project will determine the utilization of the tools and methods farmers gain form the educational project. This evaluation strategy will allow the project team to adjust the educational program if necessary in order to reach the anticipated outcomes. To gage changes in understanding in workshop attendees, attendees will rate their knowledge scale of 1 to 7 three times. (1) Prior to the topic being discussed during the workshop (2) After the topic is discussed during the workshop 2 (3) In an email evaluation 6 months following the workshop Average ratings will be compared side-by-side to determine short term (1) vs. (2) and long term (1) vs. (3) changes in understanding. Actions, such as creating a pre- harvest or post-harvest decision will be recorded by the app. The app will report the aggregate average price of grain sold by crop year by all users. Method Sustainability Decide NOW takes a distinctively different approach to grain marketing education than the current marketing teaching trend, by moving beyond marketing games, and focusing on post-workshop action. This project will ensure that producers will leave a marketing workshop with a grain marketing plan in hand, and with the tools and information needed to implement that plan. The Decide NOW smartphone application features customizable electronic grain marketing plan with a built in reminder system. Once a farmer has developed a marketing plan, they can input their decisions into their smartphone. When a decision trigger is hit, the smartphone will send a notice to the farmer to take action. This encourages the producer to make grain marketing decisions long after the marketing workshop is over. Furthermore, Nebraska Extension will be providing free, unbiased grain marketing information through a quarterly grain marketing newsletter. This will assist producers in updating their marketing plans as marketing conditions change. Project Budget, by category of expense: For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates: 7/1/16-6/30/17 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Robert Tigner, Jessica Groskopf, Cory Walters, and Kathleen Brooks PROJECT TITLE: Decide NOW 2.0 PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY17 FY18 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. A. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) B. TRAVEL Domestic $1,000 $3,000 Foreign 3 C. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should $9,000 $7,000 list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $10,000 $10,000 Budget Narrative: To perform the proposed project, the following budget was prepared. The duration of the proposed project is two years, and expenditures discussed in the following justification are for year 1 and year 2. A. Salaries & Wages: N/A B. Fringe Benefits: N/A C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment: N/A D. Domestic Travel: $1,000 (Year 1); $3,000 (Year 2) i. Travel budget is an estimate of the cost for UNL educators and faculty to present workshops for agricultural producers and professionals. Year 1: $1,000 Expenses include but are not limited to meals, mileage, and lodging for travel to visit project collaborators and/or attend a professional meeting. Year 2: $3,000 Expenses include but are not limited to meals, mileage, and lodging for travel to visit project collaborators and/or attend a professional meeting. E. All Other Direct Costs: $9,000 (Year 1); $7,000 (Year 2) i. Costs to further implement the Decide NOW smartphone APP andgrain marketing education. Year 1: $9,000 Updates to the app, as estimated by Object Partners, Inc: $5,000 Auto Save Input: $1,000 o In the current app flow the user must tap a checkmark in the upper right hand corner of screens 4, 5, 6 and 8 to save their input. Support hints: $2,000 o Aid users with the input of data on forms - Small help bubbles would be placed throughout the app to help the producer input their information or explain calculations. Improve Screen 8: $2,000 o “Record a sale” to capture more details - Producers have requested the ability to include more details such as delivery location on Screen 8. Ongoing Expenses: $4,000 Barchart Data Fees: $3,000 o The app downloads end of day closing prices. The cost to use this data is $250 per month. Amazon Web Services: $1,000 o In order to transfer the price data to the phone, a web service must be used. Year 2: $7,000 Ongoing Expenses: $7,000 Barchart Data Fees: $3,000 o The app downloads end of day closing prices. The cost to use this data is $250 per month. Amazon Web Services: $1,000 o In order to transfer the price data to the phone, a web service must be used. General app maintenance: $3,000 o Object Partners Inc. anticipates that the app will need to go through maintenance related to phone operating systems updates F. Total Direct Costs: $10,000 Year 1 and Year 2 Other Funds Additional support from Nebraska Extension Innovation and Nebraska Corn Board will be used to carry out the objectives of the project. Screen 1 – “Get Started” Screen 2 – “My Profile” Screen 3 – “My Plan” 4 Although the app is free to download, a user must On this screen, the user can select the commodity they enter their name, email address, and a valid workshop wish to develop a marketing plan for (top right). code in order to be able to access the features of the Currently the app supports corn (ZC), soybeans (ZS), Decide NOW app. This will help manage the expense and winter wheat (KE). of the Barchart data fees. A user can have one marketing plan per commodity. Screen 4 – “Crop Data” Screen 5 – “Post- Harvest Decision” Screen 6 – “Pre-Harvest Decision” Once a user has selected a commodity, they must provide some basic information in order for the app to The actual marketing plan decisions are entered on Screens 5 and 6. A user can create multiple decisions per function properly. Using the information on this commodity. Each decision creates an individual price, date, and carrying charge notification. screen, the app will calculate the cost of storage, and limit the amount of bushels that can be marketed. Screen 7 – “Progress” Screen 8 – “Record a sale” Screen 8 – “Notification” The end of day future price is charted on this screen. In order to record a sale, a user must input the above When a price, date or carrying charge trigger is hit this Prices are updated daily at 5:00PM. This allows the information. is how the notification will be displayed. user to visualize where the market is at relative to their “Expected Breakeven Price” (entered on screen 4) and when they made sales. This screen also displays the average price the grain can be sold at and the percentage of grain sold. 5 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board, Lincoln, Nebraska Title of Project: Developing High Quality Nebraska Wheat for Domestic and International Markets Type of Project: Research New or Renewal: Renewal Total Amount Requested: $50,000.00 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 (46th year) Principal Investigators: PI: Lan Xu, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 177 Keim Hall, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Phone 402-472-6243, Fax 402-472-7904, lxu4@unl,edu Co-PIs: Devin Rose, Department of Food Science & Technology, FIC 1901 N 21st St Rm 268, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Phone 402-472-2802, Fax 402-472-7902, [email protected]. P. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 362D Plant Science Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Phone 402-472-1538, Fax 402-472-7904, [email protected] Organization: Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 279 Plant Science Hall, in University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Phone 402-472-6243, Fax 402-472-7904, [email protected] Project Abstract: Nebraska wheat varieties have a long-standing reputation for superior quality in the milling and baking industries. In addition, there is an emerging market for high quality tortillas and noodles, as well as whole wheat foods from Nebraska wheat. Identification of superior quality characteristics is essential for maintaining Nebraska wheat competitiveness. The Wheat Quality Laboratory in University of Nebraska- Lincoln (UNL), which was created in 1959 by the Nebraska Wheat Board, plays an important role in this process through end-use quality analysis from early to later generation wheat lines from the UNL wheat breeding program and other sources. Analyses include kernel variability, potential for pre-harvest sprouting, milling performance, protein and ash contents, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) amount, starch properties, protein and carbohydrate compositions, dough rheology, and product quality such as bread, noodle and tortilla. Our results are used by the wheat breeding team for wheat advancement and release varieties with acceptable to exceptional end-use quality, as well as by millers and bakers, importers and exporters to better understand our superior products. Project Outcomes: In the last fiscal year, we evaluated about nine hundred samples from eleven projects in wheat end- use quality. We studied milling and breadmaking properties for conventional wheat lines such as S4R8, NIN, Duplicate/Triplicate, IRDR, and WQC, as well as organic wheat NUEQ. In addition, we examined noodle, tortilla and whole wheat bread production performances for hard winter wheat varieties, which are emerging markets. Almost all wheat samples had good kernels properties and milling performances. Most wheat samples had high protein contents and low ash contents. Therefore most wheat samples had good bread- noodle- and tortilla- making quality for wheat end-use. Different planting treatments affected on wheat end-use quality. We have released to register NE05548 in last fiscal year and NE10589 in this 1 fiscal year in Journal of Plant Registration. We continue to promote high quality Nebraska wheat for domestic and international market. Method or Approach: American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) International standard methods were used and some additional publications/literature were referred accordingly. The experiments are performed using various equipment and instruments available in the lab, including Single Kernel Characterization System (SKCS, Perten) for kernel characteristics; Falling number instrument (Perten) for sprout damage evaluation; UDY cyclone, Quadramat Jr., and Buhler mills for small- and large- scale milling; Near- infrared spectrometer (NIR, Foss and Perten) and nitrogen/protein analyzer (LECO) for protein value; Muffle furnace (Thermolyne) for ash content; Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA, Newport Scientific) for flour viscosity; Mixograph (National MFG) for dough rheology; Dough mixer, sheeter, proofing cabinet, and oven for breadmaking (National MFG); A dough press and griddle (Dough Xpress) for tortilla production; Texture analytical instrument (Texture Technologies Corp.) for bread, noodle and tortilla texture analysis; C-Cell image instrument (Perten) for bread and tortilla image evaluation; UV/Vis spectrophotometer (Beckman) for PPO and other enzyme activity analysis; High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) (Agilent Technologies) for carbohydrate and protein compositions assay. Objectives 1. Identify and eliminate early-generation experimental wheat lines with the following inferior quality traits: low protein values and weak dough rheology. 2. Identify advanced generation red and white winter wheat lines with good kernel characteristic, superior milling and end-product quality. 3. Perform basic and applied research into quality issues that are concerned the marketability and genetic improvement of Nebraska wheat. 4. Investigate how cultural/management practices (e.g. irrigation, fertility, disease and insect control, organic) affect end-use quality. 5. Investigate and evaluate the potential of new techniques to analyze samples from the Nebraska wheat-breeding program to improve efficiency. Project Timeline Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun S4R8 WQC NIN DUP/TRIP IRDR Noodle Tortilla Whole Wheat Relevance: In 2016-2017 fiscal year, the investigators plan to continue testing Nebraska wheat varieties to ensure sustainable high-quality wheat products. End-use quality is a key trait for marketing are new varieties and Nebraska wheat in general. With the growing concern for healthy food products and interest in whole grain foods, the investigators also plan on developing and implementing better methods for evaluating bread, noodle and tortilla quality of whole wheat flour. This will be accomplished through validation of whole wheat milling, dough rheology, and bread, noodle and tortilla production techniques. The important 2 analyses performed by the Nebraska Wheat Quality Lab require labors, materials, regents, and chemicals, while the equipment and instruments require maintenance for proper function. Support from the Wheat Board is essential and gratefully acknowledged for keeping operation of this lab. Impact: This proposed research would continue to offer Nebraska wheat growers and their customers with superior quality hard wheat varieties and ideal management practices for production now and in the future. The Nebraska wheat industry will supply superior wheat to sell in domestic and international marketplaces. Method Suitability: The release of improved hard red and white winter wheat varieties with superior quality attributes will be the purpose of this research. We will provide data to the Nebraska Wheat Board, Nebraska Crop Improvement Association, and commercial millers and bakers to recommend varieties and to growers for recommended cultural/management practices. The milling and baking industries will continue to recognize Nebraska wheat for its superior functionality for their processing needs. Research results will be incorporated into extension and scientific presentations and publications. Periodic reports will be presented to the Nebraska Wheat Board. Project Budget: For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates: 07/01/2016 to 06/30/2017 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Lan Xu, Devin Rose, P. Stephen Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Developing High Quality Nebraska Wheat for Domestic and International Markets PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY 2016 FY 2017 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 30150 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 9045 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 5000 3 ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 3500 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget 2305 Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 50000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. Budget Justification Other Professionals: One full-time technician is hired for wheat end-use quality test ($15.00/hr) plus benefits 30% of salary. Non-expendable capital equipment: Buhler mill and baking facility maintenance expense used more than 2 years. Travel: Domestic travel to a scientific meeting and a wheat quality meeting. All other direct costs: Wheat quality tests require supplies, e.g. sample bags, labels, chemicals ($800), maintenance and consumable parts of instrument and equipment ($1505). Appendix: Summary of Accomplishments In 2014-2015 fiscal year, eleven wheat projects and a total of 900 wheat samples were studied their end-use quality in kernel characterization, flour protein and ash contents, PPO amount, dough rheology, milling, bread-, noodle-, and tortilla- making performance. The major projects were summarized as following. In 533 wheat samples of S4R8, the yields of white flour (WF) were 66.2±2.7%. All samples had high protein contents in WF (14.0±0.7%). The water absorptions (WA) of WF were high (64.7±1.3%). The peak times (PT), peak torques (PQ) and total area (TA) were 5.1±1.9 min, 47.4±3.3 %TQ, and 135±30 %TQ.min, respectively. The tolerance rates (TR) were 3.8±0.9. Most samples had good dough extensibility (PT), strength (PQ), and mixing resistance (TA or TR). Only about 20% of samples were rejected to be advanced to the next generation nursery due to poor dough rheology. These rejections are a major cost savings to the breeding program as no poor quality line is further evaluated, thus ensuring scare agronomic evaluation resources are only used for lines that have potential for release. In 50 wheat samples of NIN, the kernels hardness, sizes and weights were 62.5±7.3, 2.7±0.1 mm and 32.8±1.8 mg, respectively. The WF yields were high (72.7±1.4%). The ash amounts were low (0.37±0.04%). The both WW and WF protein contents were high (13.7±0.6% and 12.6±1.0%). The WF protein contents significantly affected on dough rheological and breadmaking properties. The WA were large (65.5±1.9%). Most samples had good dough extensibility (PT 4.9±1.4 min), and strong dough strength (PQ 52.3±4.1 %TQ) and mixing resistance (TA 142±21 %TQ.min, TR 3.8±0.8). The mixing times (MT) were 5.3±1.5 min. The loaf volumes (LV) and specific volumes (SV) were 939±30 cc and 6.8±0.3 cc/g, respectively. Most samples had good breadcrumb structure and texture. All samples had fair or better bread quality. In 60 wheat samples of Triplicate, the kernels hardness, sizes and weights were 67.1±8.5, 2.8±0.1 mm and 35.9±2.8 mg, respectively. The WF yields were 71.3±1.7%. The ash amounts were low (0.36±0.05%). 4 The both WW and WF protein contents were large (13.9±0.7% and 12.2±0.8%). The WA of WF were large (64.1±1.5%). Most samples had good dough extensibility (PT 5.0±1.4 min) and strong dough strength (PQ 49.7±3.7 %TQ) and mixing resistance (TA 130±17 %TQ.min, 4.0±0.6). The MT were 5.7±1.7 min. The LV and SV were high (983±48 cc and 7.1±0.4 cc/g). Most samples had good breadcrumb structure and texture. All samples had fair or better bread quality. In 22 wheat samples of IRDR, the kernels hardness, sizes and weights were 62.0±10.8, 2.8±0.1 mm and 36.3±3.2 mg, respectively. The WF yields were high 72.7±1.8%. The ash values were low (0.37±0.03%). The both WW and WF protein contents were very large (15.4±0.7% and 13.1±1.0%). The WA were large (65.5±1.9%). Most samples had good dough extensibility (PT 4.2±1.1 min) and strong dough strength (PQ 50.1±3.2 %TQ) but some samples had weak dough resistances (TA 109±22 %TQ.min, TR 2.9±1.3). The MT were 4.3±1.1 min. The LV and SV were high (949±66 cc and 6.98±0.56 cc/g). Most samples had good breadcrumb structure and texture. All samples had fair or better bread quality. In 39 organic wheat samples of NUEQ for micro-quality of WW and WF, the WF yields were low (63.4±2.5%). The both WF and WW protein values were high (11.8±0.5% and 13.0±0.4%). The WA were also high (64.3±0.9% for WF and 67.4±0.8% for WW). Most samples had very large dough extensibility (PT 6.5±1.5 for WF and 6.8±1.4 for WW). Most samples had strong dough strength (PQ 48.9±2.1 for WF and 44.7±1.5 %TQ for WW) and mixing resistance (TA 156±16 %TQ.min for WF and 131±17 %TQ.min for WW, TR 4.3±0.5 WF and 4.0±0.6 for WW). The different treatments of organic wheat affected on flour yields, protein contents and dough strengths. In 39 organic wheat samples of NUEQ for breadmaking quality of WW and WF, the kernels hardness, sizes and weights were 56.8±8.0, 2.6±0.1 mm, and 29.5±1.7 mg, respectively. The WF yields were high (72.8±1.10%). The ash contents of WF were low (0.42±0.04%) but those of WW were high (1.98±0.08%). The protein contents were high (11.6±0.5% for WF and 13.2±0.5% for WW). The WA were also high (63.8±0.9% for WF and 69.8±1.3% for WW). Most samples had very large dough extensibility (PT 7.5±1.8 min for WF and 6.0±1.3 min for WW). Most samples had medium low dough strength (PQ 44.3±2.3 %TQ for WF and 42.9±1.6 %TQ for WW) and medium strong mixing resistance (TA 118±11 %TQ.min for WF and 115±13 %TQ.min for WW, TR 3.9±0.5 for WF and 4.0±0.5 for WW). The MT of were very long (8.17±2.40 for WF and 7.75±1.42 min for WW). The LV and SV of WF were high (936±23 cc and 6.84±0.20 cc/g), but these of WW were very low (537±56 cc and 3.65±0.39cc/g). The breadcrumb structure and texture of samples’ WF were good but these of samples’ WW were tight. Most WF samples had good quality, and a few samples has less bread quality than its control. The bread quality of WW was not as good as that of WF, a lot samples had less bread quality than its control. In eight breeders’ wheat samples (total 30 samples) that were evaluated for breadmaking properties by different lab collaborators in WQC, our analytical results were similar with other collaborators’. NE wheat got medium good quality in breadmaking among eight breeders. In addition, the breadmaking quality of NE07531was better than or equal to that of Camelot (check), and NE09521 was less than that of Camelot (check). In noodle quality of 35 hard white winter wheat, the ash contents of WF were low (0.37±0.05%). The protein contents of WF were normal (12.3±0.9 %). The WA were high (64.5±1.8%). Most samples had good dough extensibility (PT 5.8±2.2 min) and strong dough strength (PQ 50.0±4.0 %TQ) as well as mixing resistance (TA 132±20 %TQ.min and TR4.0±0.8). The PPO was 1.12±0.49 A/g. After 24 hours storage, the noodle became slightly less white, and more reddish and yellow. The noodle shearing strengths were 2.1±0.3 N. Most samples (80%) had fair or better noodle quality. 24 samples, which had a range of protein contents, were analyzed for tortilla quality. Overall, most samples were similar to the commercial controls in tortilla quality. When samples had stronger dough strength and smaller extensibility than the controls, they had poorer tortilla quality than the controls. 5 2016-2017 PROPOSAL TO THE NEBRASKA WHEAT BOARD Project Title: Developing new strategies for integrated management of root rot pathogens of wheat Project Type: Research Total Amount Requested: $38,741 Project Duration: July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017 (Renewal Year 2 of 5) Principal Investigator: Dr. Anthony O. Adesemoye, Asst Professor/Disease Management Specialist, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Department of Plant Pathology, West Central Res & Ext Center, North Platte, NE 69101. Phone: 308-696-6708. Fax: 308-696-6780. Email: [email protected] Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Stephen Wegulo (Professor), UNL Department of Plant Pathology and Dr. P. S. Baenziger (Professor), UNL Department of Agronomy &Horticulture. Organizational Information: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 313 Agriculture Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0705. Phone: 402-472-0728. Fax: 402-472-9847. Email: [email protected]. Executive Summary Root and crown rot diseases in wheat are caused by pathogens belonging to many fungal genera such as Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Bipolaris, Pythium, Phoma, and Microdochium. Yield losses from each of these pathogens may range from 5 to 50 percent and could be more severe under varying weather conditions. Most of the pathogens survive in soil or crop residues for years, are usually not noticed at the time they infect the crop and by the time damages manifest, management is usually too late. Seed treatment is often not effective against many root or soilborne diseases and in most cases there are no known resistant varieties. There are no scientific data to give clarity about the identity and genetic diversity of pathogens causing root diseases in the Nebraska. These pieces of information are important considerations for overall effectiveness in disease management but are currently not available in the state. In an ongoing state-wide survey started in 2015, multiple species of Fusarium have been recovered from wheat, including Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum), F. oxysporum, F. avenaceum, F. proliferatum F. equiseti, F. acuminatum and F. sambucinum. Other potential pathogen that we have also recovered from wheat included Microdochium sp., Thielavia terricola, and Neonectria sp. Note that F. graminearum is the major cause of Fusarium head blight, so the root rot presence may or may not be related to the presence of scab and its mycotoxin but it will be important to examine the possible relationship in this study Currently, we are screening the isolates for pathogenicity to understand which of them are pathogenic. On the promising side, we have isolated multiple species of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in the Bacillus group, potential biological control fungi Trichoderma sp., and endophytic fungi Chaetomium globosum and Phaeosphaeria pontiformis. For example, Chaetomium globosum have been shown in scientific literature to reduce the development of tan spot disease in wheat caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, as well as leaf spot caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana. In the proposed study, biological control strains will be evaluated for biocontrol activities against the pathogens. Wheat cultivars will also be screened against the pathogens listed above to identify resistant lines or lines that promote beneficial organism that reduce pathogens. Findings from this study will provide a foundation for choosing the right resistant cultivar and biological control 1 agent to integrate with seed treatment for effective disease management. Over the long-term of five years, this study will lead to reduced yield losses from root diseases and more profit for NE wheat producers. The study has potential applications across the United States. Project Novelty and Outcomes This project will fill an existing knowledge gap of root rot pathogens of wheat in Nebraska through (1) the identity and diversity of root rot pathogens in the state, (2) understanding of the biology of the pathogens and (3) identifying effective biological control agents in the state. Also, project will lead to the development of integrated management systems effective against root pathogens. It will combine resistance with biological control and fungicide seed treatment. Some existing cultivars in the state will be tested for resistance against root rot pathogens. Relevance and Impacts of This Study Root rot pathogens greatly disrupt stand establishment and cause high yield losses. There are projections but there is no research-based data on the levels of damage that these pathogens are causing in Nebraska wheat. Each species in a pathogen genus may respond differently to management practices. The identity and diversity of each pathogen genus present in the state are not clear. These pieces of information are important considerations for overall effectiveness in disease management. It is therefore crucial to continue with this study across wheat production areas of the state and bring it to conclusion. Findings from this project will provide a foundation for choosing the right integrated disease management strategies, leading to (1) reduction in yield losses, and (2) improved profit to Nebraska wheat producers. (3) Scientific understanding from this study on the major root pathogens of wheat in NE will have applications to scientists, wheat producers, and other stakeholders across and beyond the state. Statement of Work to be Performed In 2016, we will (1) conclude the pathogenicity test with pathogens that were collected in 2015, (2) continue with the yearly survey of wheat fields and identification and pathogenicity of root and foot rot pathogens of wheat in Nebraska, (3) be testing breeding lines or cultivars for resistance against identified pathogens and the State Variety Trial plots will partly be used for this and (4) commence the development of an integrated management systems that include biological control, resistant cultivars, and fungicide seed treatments. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Research Objectives (1) The short-term objectives of this study are to (a) conduct a wheat disease survey across the state to generate scientific data and better understand the morphologic and genetic diversity of the major root rot pathogens of wheat in Nebraska, (b) commence the evaluation of lines from the wheat breeding program and currently grown commercial cultivars for resistance against important root pathogens in Nebraska and (c) Screen biological control agents collected within the state against soilborne pathogens. (2) The long-term objectives over a five year period are (a) to better understand the biology, including the spread and virulence of these major root pathogens of wheat in the state. (b) Identify lines from the wheat breeding program and currently grown commercial cultivars that are resistant against important root pathogens in Nebraska. (c) Conduct integrated pest management studies with components that include resistant cultivars, fungicide seed treatment, and biological control agents. Method or Approach Sample collection and microbial isolation: Using the optimized sample isolation procedures from last year, soil and/or infected wheat samples will be collected in a Z-pattern in 12 field locations, 2 including some of the State Variety Trial plots, especially the one in North Platte. Pathogens will be recovered from samples through plating on appropriate selective agar medium for each target organism. This will be followed by serial transfers of hyphae tips. Characterization and typing of isolates: Morphological identification will be carried out based on vegetative hyphae, spores, or nuclei staining. Isolate characteristics will be examined with a high resolution compound microscope installed with a camera. Molecular studies will help to fully characterize the pathogens. Genomic DNA will be extracted from isolates using MoBio DNA extraction kits and genes of interest will be amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Three primer sets will target (1) Internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA, (2) the β- tubulin gene, and (3) Elongation factor alpha gene. These genes/regions are highly conserved across most fungi (Adesemoye et al., 2014; Hernandez Nopsa et al., 2014). Amplicons will be purified with a commercial kit and sequencing will be done at the University of California Riverside Institute for Integrative Genome Biology (GenCore). In addition, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of PCR-amplified rDNA will be done with discriminant restriction enzymes (Guillemaut et al., 2003) to fully resolve isolate types, with different AGs of R. solani. Pathogenicity test of isolates and biocontrol screening: Pathogenicity will be conducted by using the Rolled Towel Assay as well as greenhouse bioassay. In the greenhouse, bioassays will involve pot experiments followed by assessment of seedling damage for each of the characterized strains of pathogens. Agar plate co-inoculation of biocontrol agents and pathogens will be done to access antibiosis that will reveal promising biocontrol strains. Subsequently, Rolled Towel Assay will help to further identify the top performing biological control agents before the final greenhouse assay. Subsequent years: In the three subsequent years, studies that integrate biological control agents, breeding lines, and fungicide seed treatment will be conducted. Potential biocontrol agents, which are currently being collected by Dr Adesemoye in a different study and lines from the breeding program of Dr Baenziger will be screened in the greenhouse and field against the characterized pathogens. Three years of field study (years 3 to 5) on integrated management studies will be conducted. Method Suitability Disease management in this study will integrate biological control, cultivar resistance, and seed treatment together. This is a very sound and sustainable disease management method. Managing soilborne disease is very difficult but understanding pathogen biology and applying integrated disease management method is the best way to achieve success. Timeline and milestones for research Timeline Research tasks and milestones July 1, 2016 – Collaborators planning meetings. Meeting of PI with wheat growers, Dec 31, 2016 extension educators, and crop consultants. Sample collection for isolation of biological control agents. Jan 01, 2017 – Studies on morphology and molecular characterization of isolates Feb 28, 2017 previously collected. Lab and greenhouse study starts. Mar 1, 2015-May Collection of diseased samples continues. More microbial isolation. 30, 2016 Molecular and morphological diversity studies of all isolates. Lab and greenhouse assay continues. June 1- 30, 2016 Data analysis. Evaluation meeting by collaborators. Write and submit annual reports. Write materials for scientific publications. 3 Project location(s) Multiple field locations for plant and/or soil sample collection will spread across wheat production areas in the state. We will continue with the 9 field locations already identified in 2015 and three more will be selected. Information that Dr Wegulo has about previous disease situation on specific fields and additional information from wheat growers, extension educators, and crop consultants have been considered in selecting field locations. Laboratory work, greenhouse, and field studies will be done at the West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte. Technology Transfer The investigators have extension appointments and will disseminate findings at growers’ meetings, field days, crop production clinics, UNL’s CropWatch newsletter, and other extension and peer reviewed publications. Presentations will be made at regional and national meetings by the PI and the graduate student. References Adesemoye, A. O., Mayorquin, J. S., Wang, D. H., Twizeyimana, M., Lynch, S. C., and Eskalen, A. 2014. Identification of species of Botryosphaeriaceae causing bot gummosis in citrus in California. Plant Disease 98: 55-61. Guillemaut C., Edel-Hermann V., Camporota P., Alabouvette C., Richard-Molard M., and Steinbe C. (2003). Typing of anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia solani by restriction analysis of ribosomal DNA. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 49: 556–568. Hernandez Nopsa, J.F., Wegulo, S. N., Panthi, A., Hallen-Adams, H. E., Harris, S. D., and P. S. Baenziger. 2014. Characterization of Nebraska Isolates of Fusarium graminearum Causing Head Blight of Wheat. Crop Science 54: 310-317. Smiley, R. W., Gourlie, J. A., Easley, S. A., Patterson, L.-M., and Whittaker, R. G. 2005. Crop damage estimates for crown rot of wheat and barley in the Pacific Northwest. Plant Disease 89: 595-604. BUDGET NARRATIVE: FY17* BUDGET NARRATIVE (i.e., details for proposed expenditures in these five FY17* budget categories): A. Salaries & Wages: A funding of $19,280 is requested to cover 10 months of Graduate Assistantship from fall 2016 to June 2017 for a graduate student, who will coordinate sample collection, microbial isolation, and travel to field locations alone or sometimes with PI. A technician who is already working in the lab will maintain isolate collections and help in laboratory analysis and molecular work; funding is requested for two months salary of $5,525. B. Fringe Benefits: 1. Graduate student @ 41% tuition remission plus Health insurance: $19,280 X 41% = $7,905 + $1,192 = $9,097 2. Staff benefits @ 30% of two months salary for technician: $5,525 X 30% = $1658. C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment – none. D. Travel: Domestic travel will include funding for mileage, meals, and lodging during travel for project planning, sample collection, and presentation at meetings ($1,500). E. All Other Direct Costs: Materials and supplies include DNA extraction kit ($396), PCR supplies and enzymes ($250), growth media, agar plates, chemicals, and greenhouse supplies ($300). Cost of sequencing ($435) and publication costs of $300. 4 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Adesemoye, A.O., Wegulo, S., and Baenziger, P. S. PROJECT TITLE: Developing new strategies for integrated management of root rot pathogens of wheat PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY16-17 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Technician (2 months) 5,525 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students (10 months) 19,280 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% - Technician 1658 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. 9,097 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 1,500 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative 1,681 should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 38,741 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. 5 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Developing Proso Millet Varieties for Direct Harvesting Type of Project: Research New Project Total Amount Requested: $19,248 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 Principal Investigator: Dipak K. Santra. Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, Phone: 308-632-1244, Fax: 308-632-1365, Email: [email protected] Organization: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, 207 Agriculture Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583, Ph: 402-472-2045, Fax: 402-472-9071, Email: [email protected] Body of Project Abstract: Proso millet improves wheat productivity when used as rotation crop. Conventionally proso millet is swathed followed by threshing and direct harvesting can reduce this additional expense additional operation. Overall goal is to develop improved and directly harvestable proso millet varieties. Objectives are to: (1) evaluate proso millet germplasm for resistance to lodging and seed shattering, and uniform maturity, (2) use new lines in crossing, (3) continue molecular marker analysis for efficient transfer of these complex traits into new proso millet varieties. Proso millet materials will be evaluated in field and/or green house for selected traits. Selected lines with target traits will be used to develop F1, followed by generating breeding population for cultivar development. Molecular marker analysis will be in the laboratory. This project focuses on developing proso millet varieties suitable for direct combine, which will reduce production cost and productivity of proso millet significantly. Project Outcomes: Proso millet is the best alternative crop for dryland cropping system in western Nebraska, the highest wheat producing area in the state. It is an ideal crop in reducing fallow intensity in crop production cycles in the region. Proso millet is the common rotational crop in all types of wheat based dryland cropping systems in the region. When used in the crop rotation, proso millet benefits wheat productivity in several ways. Proso millet as preceding crop controls winter annual grass weeds in following wheat fields and reduces disease and insect pressure. Proso millet’s shallow root system and short duration preserve deeper soil water that following wheat can use in the spring. Winter wheat that is no-till planted into proso stubble is less prone to damage from blowing soil and benefits from increased snow capture compared to wheat planted into summer fallow or following other crops (e.g. sunflower, corn). It is an excellent rescue (or opportunity) crop to replant failed- wheat fields due to either hail storm or severe winter. Therefore, adding proso millet as a summer crop spreads the workload and reduces both production and marketing risks of Nebraska wheat industry. Maturity of grains in a single proso millet head takes is not synchronized within a short time and uniform. Grain maturity and drying starts at top of the head and slowly proceeds downward. This is unlike wheat where kernel maturity and drying start at the middle and moves towards up- as well as 1 down-ward. That is one of the reasons, why proso millet takes longer time compared to wheat before most of the grains in heads are matured and dry enough to direct harvesting. Besides, proso millet is highly susceptible to lodging and seed shattering. All these results in grain loss if the crop is delayed for direct combine in the field. To minimize the yield loss, conventionally proso millet is first cut when reaches physiological maturity (indicated by yellow stem and brown heads but grains are not dry enough for threshing), then windrowing for drying and threshing. This method also adds grain loss in case of heavy rain and high winds when plants are lying in the field. Thus the conventional method of millet harvesting is expensive and risky. The best solution for this is direct harvesting. Direct harvesting can not only reduce the extra expense associated with swathing but also secured proso millet grain yield from loss due to weather (such as rain, high wind). Unfortunately, there is no suitable proso millet variety for direct harvesting due to non-uniform maturity and lack of resistance to lodging and seed-shattering. Genetic research for improving these important traits through evaluation and efficient utilization of exotic germplasm into the breeding program is extremely limited. The UNL’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff, NE, is the only proso breeding center in the country. Therefore, there is a dire need of developing better proso millet varieties through plant breeding and genetics research. Until recently by our program (Santra’s), there was no significant research on screening the proso millet germplasm for these traits, understanding genetics, and developing DNA markers for these traits, which are extremely critical for genetic improvement of proso millet. Overall goal of the proso millet program is to develop improved proso millet varieties for Nebraska. In 2016, the specific objectives are to: (1) continue evaluating proso millet germplasm for resistance to lodging and seed shattering, and uniform maturity of proso millet panicle in short time, (2) continue using the already identified useful germplasm for developing direct harvestable varieties, (3) continue working for developing molecular marker analysis for efficient transfer of these complex traits into new proso millet varieties. Method or Approach: Proso millet breeding and genetic populations will be evaluated in the field of 2016 at the High Plains Ag. Lab as replicated trials. Seed-shattering will be assayed measuring breaking tensile strength (BTS) to detach grain from panicle using digital force gauges. For lodging tolerance, lines will be planted in rows or small plots (depending seed availability) with 3 replications in the field. Angle of lodging will be measured before harvesting (1, 45, 65, 90 degree) and approximate % of the plants lodged will be recorded. Lodging score (LS) = Angle of lodging X Percent (%) plants lodged. Lignin content (the key chemical constituent for the stem strength) of the potentially tolerant lines will be measured using acid detergent extraction method and will be outsourced in commercial service providers (e.g. Ward Lab, Kearney, NE). For uniform seed maturity we will determine number of days necessary for physiological maturity from heading date. To identify lines with uniform maturity, we will determine two parameters: (1) physiological maturity measuring leaf chlorophyll content and (2) % of grain moisture starting from physiological maturity at 3-4 days interval. Portable grain moisture meter (MODEL: SUPERPRO) http://supertechagroline. com/?page_id=988) will be used to measure % grain moisture from the top, middle and bottom portion of the panicle. The lines which will have least time between physiological maturity and bottom portion with equal moisture content as top portion will be selected as uniform maturity lines. Leaf chlorophyll will be measured using chlorophyll meter (Model: SPAD 502 Plus) (http://www.specmeters.com/nutrient-management/chlorophyll- meters/chlorophyll/spad502p/) at different stages of maturity in the field. The lines which will have least time between physiological maturity and zero chlorophyll will be chosen as early/uniform maturity lines. Selected genotypes with target traits mentioned above will be planted in the greenhouse for crossing to develop F1. Hybrids will be advanced to generate early generation breeding population, which will then be evaluate din the field. Molecular marker analysis will be conducted in the laboratory. Phenotype data from field trials and 2 the molecular marker data will be used for genetic mapping and marker-trait association mapping softwares (e.g. Mapmaker and IciMapping). Relevance: The Nebraska Wheat Board is interested in funding research that will make Nebraska wheat industry profitable and competitive. Proso millet is the best rotational crops for wheat producers in western half of Nebraska and it improves wheat productivity. This work will lead to high yield yielding and directly harvestable proso millet varieties. Direct harvestable varieties would reduce cost of production when wheat producers use proso millet as rotation crop preceding to wheat Potential Impact: Long-term impact of continuous support to such project will be development of new proso millet cultivars, which are suitable for both direct harvesting besides having option of conventional harvesting method (swathing and threshing). The wheat producers in Nebraska will have new cultivars to choose for dryland farm to rotate with winter wheat. The short-term impact is (1) identification of new source of lodging and seed-shattering tolerance, uniform maturity, (2) generation of new crosses, new breeding populations, which are foundation of future millet varieties, and (3) identification of genes and DNA markers for important traits for future molecular breeding. Project Budget: Budget Justification: A. Salaries and Wages: Two and half months of a technician’s salary (@ $36,000/year) and a part-time (275 hrs @ $10/hr) summer student help. The technician time will be used for field trials and green house crossing. Lab work will be managed by the graduate student (no salary requested). I expect to hire at least 2 summer students for May, June, July, and August and budgeting for part of one student help. B. Fringe benefits are calculated at 30% for staff and technical support and 9% for student labor. D. Travel: To cover expenses for traveling to plots for field trials and data collection, extension and professional meeting. E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. Plant breeding require extensive supplies, e.g. paper bags, labels, plot stakes, and miscellaneous greenhouse supplies (e.g. soil, fertilizer, pots), and chemical supplies for molecular markers to test for specific traits. In addition, there will be miscellaneous supplies (fuel, planting and harvest bags) to maintain the extensive field plot equipment necessary for the project ($2000). This also includes cost of chlorophyll meter (approximately $2500) and part of greenhouse rental fees. 3 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): D. K. Santra PROJECT TITLE: Improving Winter Wheat Varieties Nebraska PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY 2016-2017 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 0 0 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 0 0 3. Other Professionals 7500 0 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 2750 0 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 0 0 7. Graduate Students 0 0 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 0 0 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2250 0 2. Prebaccalaureate Student @ 9% 248 0 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 0 0 ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 2,000 0 Foreign 0 0 E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. 4500 0 (Budget Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 19248 0 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. 4 Summary of Accomplishments This project was previously supported during the funding period of July 2014 to June 2015. The project was continued with limited work due to lack of funding in 2015-’16. During this funding period significant progress was made. Proso millet germplasm for several important agronomic traits (seed- shattering, lodging, early flowering, seed size) were identified and are being used in breeding. First waxy millet variety ‘Plateau’ was released. More than 500 DNA markers were developed for proso millet genomics research. A preliminary genetic linkage map of proso millet was developed, which consisted of 117 DNA markers and 18 linkage groups covering a genome length of 2137 cM. A total of 17 putative QTLs for seven morpho-agronomic traits were detected on 14 linkage groups, which explained 13.2 to 34.7% phenotypic variance. DNA markers flanking the QTLs were identified. The results need to be repeated for future uses in proso millet breeding. This is the first genetic linkage map and QTL mapping in proso millet, which would be useful for efficient variety development, genetic analysis and isolating the genes for future uses. Recent publications: • Rajput S., and D. K. Santra (201x). Evaluation of genetic diversity of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) germplasm available in the USA using SSR markers. Crop Sci. (accepted). • Santra D. K., R. Heyduck, D. D. Baltensperger, R. A. Graybosch, L. A. Nelson, G. Frickel, and E. Nielsen (2015). Registration of ‘Plateau’ waxy (amylose-free) proso millet. J Plant Registrations. 9: 41-43. • Paridhi G., S. A. Weier, D. K. Santra, J. Subbiah, and D. Rose (2015). Effects of feed moisture and extruder screw speed and temperature on physical characteristics and antioxidant activity of extruded proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) flour. Int. J. Food Sci. and Tech. 51:114-122. • Rajput S., T. Plyler-Harveson, and D.K. Santra (2014): Development and characterization of SSR markers in proso millet (Panicum milliaceum L.) based switch grass genomics. American J. Plant Sci. 5:175-186. • Santra D. K. and S. Rajput (2015). Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) genetics, genomics and breeding research in the USA. Proceedings of the “2nd International Symposium on Broomcorn Millet” p. 75-80. Chuncheon, S. Korea. February 25-27, 2015. • Santra D. K. (2015). Proso millet production and industry in the USA. Proceedings of the “World Millet Summit 2015” International Symposium on Broomcorn Millet p. 9-15. Chuncheon, S. Korea. February 25-27, 2015. The generous support of the Nebraska Wheat Board is gratefully acknowledged. 5 Cover Page Title of Project: Development of nanoporous wheat starch aerogels: A novel material to enhance the health benefits of water-insoluble bioactives Type of Project: Research New or Renewal: New Total Amount Requested: $10,000 Project Duration: 12 months Project Start Date: July 1, 2016 Project End Date: June 30,2017 Project Coordinator: Name: Dr. Ozan N. Ciftci Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: 264 Food Innovation Center 1901 N. 21 Street Lincoln, NE 68588-6205 Phone: 402-472-5686 Fax: 402 472 1693 E-mail: [email protected] Organization Name, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: Department of Food Science and Technology University of Nebraska-Lincoln Food Innovation Center 1901 N. 21 Street Lincoln, NE 68588-6205 Phone: 402-472-2831 Fax:402-472-1693 Email:[email protected] Additional Participating Institutions and Key Personnel: Dr. Devin Rose Department of Food Science and Technology University of Nebraska-Lincoln 268 Food Innovation Center 1901 N. 21 Street Lincoln, NE 68588-6205 Phone: 402-472-2802 E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Jian Zhang Department of Chemistry University ofNebraska-Lincoln 604D Hamilton Hall Lincoln, NE 68588-0304 Phone:402-472-2603 E-mail: [email protected] Body of Proposal Abstract This project will develop novel nanoporous starch aerogels from wheat that can enhance the health benefits of water-insoluble bioactives. Wheat starch will be converted to aerogels using a chemical-free simple method based on conversion of the starch hydrogel to alcogel and then to aerogel by carbon dioxide. Formed aerogels will be loaded with a model water-insoluble bioactive to improve its water solubility. Novel wheat starch aerogels can make many water-insoluble bioactives and drugs water soluble in a clean and simple way; therefore, they have great potential to be used in food/beverage and pharmaceutical industries to develop health-improving foods/beverages and drug delivery systems. The project will introduce a new wheat product and open new markets for wheat. No chemical is used in the process; products can be labeled "clean", which increases consumer acceptance. This project will demonstrate the potential of wheat for developing advanced biomaterials to improve health. Project Outcomes The project will develop a novel food material with very high surface area from wheat starch that will make many water-insoluble bioactives and drugs water soluble in a clean and simple way; therefore, they have great potential to be used in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries to develop health-improving foods, beverages, and drug delivery systems. New intellectual property is anticipated based on the novel cutting-edge product development. This project will be a good example to demonstrate the potential of wheat for developing high value advanced materials to improve human health and food quality. It is anticipated that new markets will be created for wheat which will promote wheat production. Benefits of the project will be large due its scientific, economic, and social impact. A U.S.-based ingredient company, one the biggest ingredient companies, has already shown interest in the starch aerogels developed in our lab. We also have active collaborations with ConAgra Foods to test the developed starch aerogels for various food applications. Approach Wheat starch will be converted to a nanoporous wheat starch that has a very high surface in three phases using a chemical-free process. Phase 1. Production of nanoporous aerogels from wheat starch. Production steps of the aerogels from wheat starch are illustrated in Figure 1. Details of each step are given below. Hydrogel formation. Wheat starch will be gelatinized using temperature as a physical crosslinker to eliminate the use of chemicals in a high pressure reactor ( 4520 Bench Top Reactor, Parr Instrument Company, IL, USA). Wheat starch dispersions (5, 10, and 15%, w/w) will be mixed at the predetermined crosslinking temperatures (100, 120, 130, and 140 °C) and stirred at 200, 300, and 600 rpm for 20 min. Gelatinized starch will be removed and poured into cylindrical polypropylene molds (1.5 em diameter and 9 em length). Then, the molds will be sealed with parafilm to prevent water loss, and the samples will be placed in the fridge at 4 °C for 48 h for retrogradation to form hydrogels. Solvent exchange. After the retrogradation, the hydrogels will be removed from the molds and cut into monoliths of 2 em length. Alcogels will be formed from the hydrogels by replacing the water in the monoliths with ethanol using a five-step solvent exchange procedure by soaking hydrogel monoliths in 30, 50, 70, and 100% (v/v) ethanol for 1 h, and 100% ethanol for 24 h. Aerogel formation. Wheat starch aerogels will be formed by removing the ethanol in the alcogels with compressed carbon dioxide (supercritical carbon dioxide, SC-COz) in a laboratory scale SC-COz extraction system (SFT -110, Supercritical Fluids, Inc., DE, USA). Details of the SC-COz extraction system were reported previously by our research group (Belayneh et al., 20 15). Alcogels will be placed into a custom made perforated polypropylene basket (8.5 em height and 2.7 em diameter) with a frit on it. Excess amount of ethanol will be added into the basket, and the basket will be placed into the 100 mL extraction vessel that was set to 40 and 50 °C. The perforated basket with the frit will allow us to keep ethanol in the basket 1 until the supercritical conditions was reached and will enable the SC-COz flow into the basket. Excess amount of ethanol will be added into the vessel to prevent shrinkage in the aerogels before the supercritical conditions was reached. The system will be pressurized with COz (10 and 15 MPa) using the high pressure pump and will be kept at the constant set pressure and temperature for 10 min. The vessel will be flushed with COz at 1 Llmin (at ambient conditions) at the set pressure for 4 h to dry the aerogels by extracting and removing the ethanol in the SC-COz. COz flow rates of0.5 and 1.5 Llmin also will be investigated. Finally, samples will be collected and stored at room temperature until characterized. Characterization of the aerogels Surface area, pore size, and pore volume. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and Barrett Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore size and pore volume of the aerogels will be determined using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption method using ASAP 2020 (Micromeritics Instrument, GA, USA). Samples (0.06-0.3 g) will be degassed under vacuum at 115 °C for 4 h prior to the analysis. Specific surface area will be determined by multipoint BET adsorption characteristics at a relative pressure (p/po) between 0.05 and 0.3. Pore volume and pore size distribution will be evaluated at p/po > 0.35. Morphology. The morphology of the aerogels will be analyzed by a field emission scanning electron microscope (S4700 FE-SEM, Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) at 5 kV and 15 rnA under low vacuum mode after sputter-coating the samples with a chromium layer (Desk V HP TSC, Denton Vacuum LLC, NJ, USA) on a double-side conductive carbon tape. Crystallinity. Crystallinity of the samples will be studied with X-ray diffractometer (XRD) using a PANalytical Empyrean Diffractometer (Empyrean, PANalytical B.V., Almelo, Netherlands) equipped with PIXceP0 detector. The detector will be operated with 1D detection. The diffractometer will be operated at 45 kV, 40 rnA with Cu Ka beam monochromator. The powdered samples will be scanned within the range of2°- 40° (28) with a step size of0.05° at a scanning speed of 1.267 °/min. Water solubility of the aerogels. One gram of powdered wheat starch and wheat starch aerogels will be dispersed in 100 mL of distilled water. The dispersion will be mixed at room temperature, 40, and 60 °C for 10 min. Then, the dispersion will be centrifuged at 670xg for 20 min, and known amount of supernatant will be dried at 103 oc until a constant weight was reached. The percent solubility will be presented as the percentage of the ratio of the weight of sample to the weight of dissolved solids in the supernatant. Thermal stability. Thermal decomposition of the aerogels (5-10 mg) will be performed in a TG 209 F1 Libra Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TG 209 F1 Libra, NETZSCH, Selb, Germany) by heating the samples from room temperature to 600 oc at 10 °C/min under a nitrogen atmosphere with a gas flow of 20 mL/mi.n. Phase 2. Formation of Bioactive-Loaded Nanoporous Wheat Starch Aerogels. A model phytosterol, namely, P-sitosterol, will be used as a model bioactive to enhance the water solubility of the phytosterols using the aerogels. Wheat starch aerogels will be loaded with phytosterols using three methods. In the first method, phytosterol will be dissolved in ethanol, and the aerogels will be soaked in the phytosterol solution, and mixed for 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 h. Then, the ethanol will be removed from the aerogels with SC-COz drying at 40 °C and 8-12 MPa pressure at a C02 flow rate between 1-6 L!min (at ambient conditions) for 3 h. During SC-C02 drying, ethanol will be dissolved and carried out in the C02 while the phytosterols will precipitate in the nanopores of the aerogels, because they are not soluble in the C02 at those conditions. In the second method, an innovative SC-COz impregnation method will be used to load the aerogels with pytosterols. Ethanolic phytosterol solution will be used in the solvent exchange. Phytosterol-containing alcogels will be dried with SC-COz at the same drying conditions. During SC-COz drying, phytosterols precipitate in the nanopores, whereas ethanol will be removed in the SC-COz. In the third method, phytosterol and the empty aerogels will be loaded into the SC-COz extractor, and will be hold at different temperatures ( 40-60 °C), pressures ( 40-50 MPa) and times (0-30 min) to optimize the phytosterol loading. Phytosterols will be dissolved in the SC-C02 and will diffuse into the nanopores of die aerogel. Then, the temperature will be decreased to room temperature. At room temperature, phytosterol is not soluble in SC COz; therefore, it will precipitate in the nanopores of the aerogel. 2 Determination of the water solubility of the phytosterols loaded in the starch aerogels. Solubility of the crude phytosterol and the phytosterol loaded into the wheat starch aerogels will be studied to determine the water solubility of the phytosterols. Crude ~-sitosterol and the ~-sitosterol-loaded aerogel will be added into water and mixed for 2 h. Then, the mixture will be filtered, and the filtrate containing dissolved phytosterols will be placed into oven at 103 °C to evaporate the water. Dissolved phytosterols will be quantified by weighing the container to determine the mass of the phytosterols, and also by HPLC. Phase 3. Testing wheat aerogels in real food preparations. Empty and phytosterol-loaded wheat aerogels will be used in selected food preparations at the ConAgra Foods in Omaha. In some applications, empty aerogels will be used as a new starch material to give texture and viscosity in foods using less amount of starch. In other applications, developed aerogels will be used as a novel material that can carry and protect bioactive/flavor, and also enhance the taste due to very high surface area that is covered by the bioactive!flavor. This will allow us to use less flavor/bioactive to give the desired taste/nutritional effect in the foods. Data analysis and interpretation. All experiments and analyses will be conducted in triplicate. Statistical analysis of the data will be performed using Minitab® 16.1.1 software (Mini tab Inc., State Collage, PA, USA). Data will be analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple comparison of the means will be carried out by Tukey test at a=O.OS level. How results will be used. Results of Phase 1 will be used to optimize nanoporous wheat aerogel formation for the highest surface area. Results of Phase 2 will help us optimize the amount of aerogel and phytosterol needed to dissolve phytosterols in water. Results of Phase 3 will allow us to determine the suitability of the developed aerogels in specific food applications for commercialization. The results of the project will be used to prepare extramural research proposals for USDA and NSF to further expand the project. During the interactions of the PI with the USDA NIFA Nanotechnology program director to discuss the project, PI was encouraged by the program director to submit a proposal to the USDA NIF A Nanotechnology program. Timeline and Milestones for Research. The project will start on July 1, 2016 and end on June 30, 2017. Wheat starch aerogels will be developed upon completion of Phase 1 (October 31, 20 16). Phytosterol loaded aerogels will be obtained, and we will have maximized the dissolution of pytosterols in water upon completion of Phase 2 (February 31, 2017). We will have two new products (one food and one beverage) developed using the wheat starch aerogels (bioactive-loaded and unloaded) upon completion of Phase 3 (June 30, 20 17). The presentation to the Nebraska Wheat Board to share the results will be in June 2017. The project team will meet regularly to discuss the results. Relevance This project addresses the priority area of "wheat promotion" by developing a novel advanced biomaterial from wheat to contribute to the sustained economic viability of wheat production in Nebraska through novel product and new market development and promotion to enhance profitability and expanding the demand and value ofNebraska wheat and value-added wheat products. This project will develop a novel value-added food grade material from wheat to promote wheat production. These wheat starch aerogels can make many water-insoluble bioactives and drugs water soluble in a clean, and simple way; therefore, they have great potential to be used in food/beverage and pharmaceutical industries to develop health improving foods/beverages and drug delivery systems. The project will introduce a new way of wheat utilization, add value to wheat, and open new Fig. 1. Formation ofnovel nanoporous wheat starch markets for wheat. Expanding wheat utilization will aerogels. increase the wheat production, and contribute to the 3 sustainability of wheat production. This project will be a good example to demonstrate the potential of wheat for developing advanced biomaterials to improve health and food quality. Benefits of the project will be large due its scientific, economic, and social impact. Aerogels have been attracting a growing interest due to their outstanding surface area, porous structure, and :::t 0.025 light weight for several applications such as thermal i insulators, carrier materials, fillers, and filters (Schmidt E 0.020 & Schwertfeger, 1998). The interest in the use of natural, renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible ilt 0.015 .5 resources for aerogel formation is new and growing . Recent studies have focused on the production of f 0.010 aerogels for drug delivery systems to improve the drug ~ 0.005 availability (Garcia-Gonzalez et al., 2015). Porous structure of aerogels makes them an ideal drug carrier Crude ~SitoSterol materials; they have good drug loading and releasing mechanisms (Smimova et al., 2005). The use of Fig. 2. Enhancement of water solubility of aerogels for food applications has not been explored P-sitosterol using nanoporous starch aerogeL yet. Our research group has been working on the aerogel formation from starch using clean methods based on supercritical fluid technology. Recently, we developed nanoporous wheat starch aerogels with extraordinary properties; their average pore size is 20 nanometer, and one gram of the aerogel has a surface area of 60 m2 (Fig. 1). We successfully dissolved ~-sitosterol, a water-insoluble phytosterol, in water at room temperature using the ~-sitosterol-loaded nanoporous wheat starch aerogels (Fig. 2). The proposed project will introduce a novel high value food grade material made from wheat starch that can be used for several food applications to increase the nutritional value of the foods, to dissolve water-insoluble bioactives in beverages to prepare functional beverages, to protect the loaded bioactive, and to provide controlled release of the bioactive. To the best of our knowledge, this project will be the first study developing the wheat starch aerogels to improve the solubility of water-insoluble bioactives, and exploring the use of the aerogels in food preparations. In this proposal, Dr. Ciftci (PI), expert in aerogels and supercritical fluid technology, will collaborate with Dr. Rose, a starch expert, and Dr. Zhang, an expert in the synthesis of novel inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanoporous materials and the understanding of their fundamental properties for novel applications. Dr. Rose will study the effect of starch composition on the functional properties of the aerogels. Dr. Zhang will play a key role in studying the mechanism of the nanopore formation, pore size and surface area analysis. Impacts The increased prevalence of diet-related illnesses (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer) and the emerging trend of "green" consumerism have negatively impacted the acceptability of foods containing artificial ingredients and have led the food industry to prioritize the development of foods and beverages that utilize bioactives such as phytosterols, tocopherols, carotenoids, omega-3, etc. to prevent and cure diseases. However, many of the bioactives, including pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, are lipophilic (water-insoluble); meaning they have low bioavailability, and they have limited ability to function as food and beverage additives. In addition, they degrade easily during storage. Therefore, effectively including lipophilic bioactives in foods and beverages is a major challenge. Wheat starch aerogels that will be developed in this project can make many water-insoluble bioactives and drugs water soluble in a clean, and simple way; therefore, they have great potential to be used in food/beverage and pharmaceutical industries to develop health improving foods/beverages and drug delivery systems. The project will develop a novel material from wheat starch that will introduce a new way of wheat utilization, add value to wheat, and open new markets for wheat. Expanding wheat utilization will increase the wheat production, and contribute to the sustainability of wheat production. No chemical 4 is used in the process; therefore, the products can be labeled as "clean", which makes its suitable for food and pharmaceutical applications, and increases consumer acceptance. Food and pharmaceutical industry will have an inexpensive material to prepare functional foods and beverages. Benefits of the project will be large due its scientific, economic, and social impact. The results will be made available to wheat producers via Nebraska Wheat Board and the PI's lab webpage. Results will be disseminated via presentations at national and/or international scientific meetings, such as Institute of Food Technologists (1FT), and in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Carbohydrate Polymers and Food Research International. Nebraska Wheat Board members will be invited to the Food Innovation Center to share the results of the project. A web link will be added into PI's lab webpage to inform public about advanced food materials from wheat, and demonstrate how to produce healthy foods using wheat starch aerogels. Method Suitability The PI has ample experience in fabrication, characterization, and evaluation of aerogels, and supercritical fluid technology and lipophilic bioactives. The team has the research facilities and expertise required to achieve the objectives of the proposed research. All of the proposed procedures and techniques are well established and conducted in the PI's lab. No major pitfalls or limitations are expected. We successfully obtained nanoporous wheat starch aerogels using the proposed methods in our lab. In crosslinking, no chemical is used, instead, temperature will be used as a physical crosslinker. This will make the product food grade. In addition, the solvent exchange will be done using ethanol, which is food grade. In the aerogel formation step, SC-C02 will be used. Our preliminary studies showed that it was not possible to obtain nanoporous aerogels with conventional oven drying; therefore, SC-C02 is crucial to obtain starch aerogels. Other research on the inorganic aerogel formation has shown that the SC-C02 is the best method to obtain aerogels. SC-C02 is nontoxic, food grade, nonflammable, does not require separation after the process. Bioactive loading will be achieved using a novel SC-C02 impregnation method which eliminates toxic solvents and high temperature. All of the methods used are environmentally friendly, and will allow us label the products as "clean". References Cited in the Proposal Belayneh, H., Wehling, R.L., Cahoon, E., Ciftci, O.N. (2015). Extraction of omega-3-rich oil from Camelina sativa seed using supercritical carbon dioxide. Journal ofSupercritical Fluids, 104, 153-159. Garcia-Gonzalez, C. A., Jin, M., Gerth, J., Alvarez-Lorenzo, C., & Smirnova, I. (2015). Polysaccharide based aerogel microspheres for oral drug delivery. Carbohydrate Polymers, 117, 797-806. Schmidt, M., & Schwertfeger, F. (1998). Applications for silica aerogel products. Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, 225(0), 364-368. Smirnova, I., Tiirk, M., Wischumerski, R., & Wahl, M.A. (2005). Comparison of different methods for enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs: Case of griseofulvin. Engineering in Life Sciences, 5(3), 277-280. Budget A total budget of $10,000 is requested from Nebraska Wheat Board. A Ph.D. student will work in the project. For graduate research assistants in the Food Science and Technology program, one year salary+ fringe benefits is $30,806. The requested budget ($10,000) will be used to support Ph.D. student's salary. PI will leverage startup funds to cover the rest of the salary of the Ph.D. student, travel expenses ($2000), and consumables ($1000), and product characterization fees ($3000) at the UNL's central labs. Ph.D. student will be responsible for preparation of the experimental design, performing experiments, product characterization, preparation of manuscripts for publication, presentation of the results at the scientific conferences, and preparation of the project's webpage. 5 Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Enhancing Dryland Wheat Establishment and Yield Using Growth Regulators Type of Project: Wheat Production Research Project Year/Time Period: New proposal. July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018. Year 1 of 2-year project Total Amount Requested: $12,850 Principal Investigators: Cody Creech, Panhandle Research & Extension Center, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361; PH: 308-632-1266; FAX: 308-632-1365; [email protected]; Dipak K. Santra, Panhandle Research & Extension Center, 308-632-1244, [email protected]; Rodrigo Werle, West Central Research & Extension Center, 402-937-2887, [email protected]; Lowell Sandell, Valent USA Corporation, 402-432-2683, [email protected] Organizational Information: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 207 Agriculture Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0704; PH: 402.472.7084; FAX: 402.472.9071; ARDGrants- [email protected] Executive Summary: The benefit of using plant growth regulators (ie. Gibberellic acid (GA)) to boost wheat establishment and yields, has been reported in some areas of the United States. The objective of this research is to evaluate a variety of GA products and application timings to determine if their use would benefit Nebraska wheat growers. This research will be conducted over multiple years and locations to ensure the correct conclusions are drawn. Information gained from this research will be provided to Nebraska wheat growers to help them understand GA, the appropriate scenarios when to utilize GA, and when to apply GA to growing wheat. We hypothesize that GA can have a positive effect on wheat yield if used under the right conditions. Statement of Work: Research plots will be established in the fall of 2016 and 2017 at locations across western NE. Wheat stand counts, tillering, height and vigor will be recorded in the fall. After initial green up in the spring, similar measurements will be taken. After treatment applications are made, any potential crop injury will be observed and rated. Prior to harvest, plant height and number of plants per row foot will be recorded. The number of wheat heads per foot will also be recorded. Plots will be harvested and wheat yield, test weight, moisture, and protein will be recorded. Data will be analyzed and used in presentations and publications to NE wheat growers. Project Description: Winter wheat producers face a wide range of planting conditions each fall. Deep planting allows wheat seedlings to better access soil moisture but is only recommended when planting wheat varieties with long coleoptiles. GA treated seed may help seed planted deep to emerge. GA treated seed and possibly wheat seedlings treated with a foliar GA treatment may also exhibit faster growth and tillering thus increasing the wheat’s ability to successfully overwinter and have higher yields. For example, winter wheat treated in the spring with GA in Washington had a 13 bushel increase in yield. Most of the modern wheat cultivars adapted to produce high yields do not have long coleoptiles with one exception being Pronghorn. Research conducted in a laboratory indicated that GA could promote coleoptile growth of Wesley (short coleoptile cultivar) and other similar short coleoptile cultivars. Further work conducted in a greenhouse showed that GA-treated Wesley seeds planted three inches deep had greater emergence than untreated seeds. A preliminary field test with deeper planted wheat suggests that GA treated Wesley seed had improved stand, growth and vigor compared to untreated seed. There currently is no available data or recommendations from University of Nebraska researchers for GA treated wheat under dryland conditions. Beyond what has been reported in the aforementioned preliminary work, we do not know how GA treated wheat will perform in a field setting and ultimately what the impact on yield might be. Although Wesley performed well in the initial evaluations, we also do not know if the popular winter wheat cultivars used in western Nebraska (Settler-CL, Overland, Freeman, and Robidoux) will respond to GA in a similar way. We hypothesize that the GA treatment of winter wheat will promote coleoptile growth for quick establishment, resulting in improved wheat stands and grain yield. The study will be conducted on dryland production acres at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, the West Central Water Resources Field Lab. near Brule, the High Plains Ag. Lab. near Sidney, the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center near Grant, and with a grower cooperator in Box Butte County. Average annual precipitation across these locations range from 14 to 20 inches. The elevation in feet above sea level for these locations ranges from 2800 to 4300. The differences in environmental conditions across locations will allow for comparison of treatments under different environmental stress helping to validate our conclusions. At each location, we will plant 5-6 commonly used wheat varieties at 2 different planting dates. Planting depth of 1.5 and 3 inches will be used. Treatments will include GA treated seed and wheat treated with a foliar application of GA after emergence in the fall or green up in the spring. Untreated controls and combinations of the treatments will also be included. Wheat emergence, stand counts, tillering, vigor, and height will be recorded in the fall. After initial green up in the spring, similar measurements will be taken. Prior to harvest, plant height and number of plants per row foot will be recorded. The number of wheat heads per foot will also be recorded. Any indication of crop injury will be recorded. Plots will be harvested and wheat yield, test weight, moisture, and protein will be recorded. The amount of biomass produced will be recorded prior to harvest. This will give insight into any potential benefit that might exist from baling for cattle use or cellulosic energy, grazing, or having additional residue to protect the soil and increase soil moisture and organic matter. The study will be repeated at the same locations the following year. The objective of the proposed field study is to quantify the impact of GA treated winter wheat on the overall stand, yield, and grain quality. By conducting the study at locations that vary in average annual precipitation and length of growing season, we hope to be able to determine if our findings and conclusions will be the same for all western Nebraska wheat growers or if we need to provide different recommendations for different wheat growing regions. Timeline: Establish plots in the fall of 2016 and 2017. Measurements will be taken during the growing period of the wheat. Wheat will be harvested in the summer of 2017 and 2018. Data will be analyzed in the fall of 2018 and made available in the fall of 2018. Project Locations: West Central Research and Extension Center located in North Platte, the West Central Water Resources Field Laboratory located near Big Springs, the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory located near Sidney, the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center located near Grant, and with a grower cooperator located in Box Butte County. Technology Transfer: Results from this study will be shared with USDA-NRCS personnel, discussed at grower meetings, summer field days, professional scientific meetings, and in news releases, posted to the University’s web site, and published in Extension publications and scientific journals. Potential Impact of Project Results: Results from this study will provide evidence either in support of or against the use of GA products on wheat grown in semi-arid western Nebraska. With this information, growers will be able to select the inputs that provide the greatest benefit for their operations. Other Source of Support: Valent USA Cooperation has committed to partner with University of Nebraska researchers to support this project. This will include access to Valent GA products and experts, technical assistance with implementing and conducting the experiment, and other support as requested. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S):Cody Creech PROJECT TITLE: Enhancing Dryland Wheat Establishment and Yield Using Growth Regulators PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY 2017 FY 2018 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 1835 1835 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 4500 4500 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 1350 1350 2. Prebaccalaureate Student @ 9% 165 165 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 3000 3000 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these 2000 2000 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 12850 12850 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. A. Salaries and Wages: Funding to support research technician (1.5 person months) in years 1 and 2 to oversee summer student and assist with planting/data collection. Also, funding to support 1 part-time summer worker in years 1 and 2 to help with planting/data collection during the summer months. B. Fringe Benefits: For research technician benefits calculated at 30% of salary. For summer student benefits calculated at 9% of salary. C. Non-Expendable Capital Equipment: N/A D. Travel: Funding for fuel (15 trips/year x $2.30 per gallon x 44 average miles per roundtrip = $1,518), truck rental @ $371 x 2 months = $742, lodging $500, and meals $240. E. All Other Direct Costs: Includes funding for publication and general field supplies as needed to complete the project ($2,000/year). Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Establishing a pipeline for the evaluation of novel input and output traits in wheat derived from the tools of biotechnology Project Year/Time Period: July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 (continuation year 4 of a 5 year project) Principal Investigators: Tom Clemente (Dept of Agronomy & Horticulture/Center for Plant Science Innovation [email protected]; Tele-402-472-1428), Steve Baenziger (Dept of Agronomy & Horticulture) Executive summary: The University of Nebraska has a well-established Plant Transformation Core Research Facility, with expertise in wheat and the other major commodity crops pertinent to the State. In addition to our ability to develop transgenic wheat and conduct preliminary characterizations of the derived wheat events under greenhouse and growth chamber environments, the University has established a Plant Biotechnology Field Facility which enables researchers to evaluate regulated materials for research and development purposes under field environments. Over the course of the last few years our program has developed a set of transgenic wheat events that carry genetic elements designed to enhance both grain quality and agronomics of the crop. Continued support of our program will enable us to gain better insight into the impacts on the traits of interest the transgenes are having on wheat. Novelty of the Program: The wheat biotechnology program at the UNL is unique within the public sector for its interdisciplinary approaches to address genetic strategies to improve grain quality and yield potential/protection through augmenting photosynthetic capacity, pest management and mineral use efficiency. Importantly, the program has a strong translational component wherein the novel transgenic wheat events are vetted under greenhouse and growth chamber environments, and those displaying enhancement of phenotype(s) of interest are evaluated under field conditions exploiting the unique infrastructure UNL has established to permit testing of regulated seed with quality control procedures ensure stewardship and strong identity preservation of seed. Statement of Work to be Performed: We will continue to characterize transgenic wheat events under both greenhouse and field environments that carry transgene(s) designed to enhance nitrogen use efficiency. We will continue to characterize transgenic wheat events that carry transgene(s) designed to improve photosynthetic capacity of the crop. We will initiate characterization of transgenic wheat events carrying transgens designed to modify lignin content of the stalk targeting means to combat fungal infection, in collaboration with the USDA on east campus, and sawfly predation, in collaboration with Jeff Bradshaw at the Panhandle research and extension center, or with researchers in Montana. We will initiate a set of wheat transformations with genetic elements designed to later stomata deposition on the surface of leaves as a means to influence water use efficiency. Description of Research Project: Enhancing photosynthetic capacity of wheat: We are testing a genetic approach to enhance photosynthetic capacity of wheat, working under the assumption that if successful, will translate to enhanced yield and/or protection of yield under stress conditions (i.e. drought). We assembled a set of eight constructs that carry various derivations of two transgenes, one designated ictB from a cyanobacterium, and the second referred to as SBPase from tomato. The wheat transformations for all the constructs have been completed. We are focusing our efforts on four of the seven constructs as we move forward. We are behind on this component of the program. We have collected T2 seed from selected events from the prioritized constructs, and planted out a subset of T3 populations which are currently growing in the greenhouse. These have been genotyped to ensure transgene inheritance. We will monitor photosynthesis rates using a LiCor 6400 portable photosynthesis during both vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Event lineages that display improved photosynthesis will be subsequently screened under drought mimic conditions within a greenhouse environment to allow testing of recovery from water stress. Transgenic wheat events that display a positive response within the greenhouse phenotyping conditions, either well watered and/or drought mimic, will be bulked for subsequent testing under field conditions. The field testing will be planned for 2017, given the new USDA/APHIS guidelines governing the field testing of transgenic wheat, we are re-working our design protocols and will be requesting variances on few items from the agencies, which may require some time to resolve. Strategies to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in wheat: The majority of our efforts again this year have targeted this component of the program. We assembled a set of genetic elements carry four transgenes, designed to change nitrogen metabolism in plants leading towards improvements in NUE. These transgenes are a rice glutamate synthase (OsGOGAT), rice glutamine synthetase (OsGS1), the barley alanine aminotransferase (HvAla-AT) and the maize Dof1 transcription factor (ZmDof1). We monitored enzyme activities for OsGS1, HvAla-AT, OsGOGAT, along with PEPC, and enzyme activity expected to up-regulated in transgenic events expressing the ZmDof1 transcription factor. Increases in Ala-AT activity imparted by the barley gene is approximately 3-4 times the activity observed in the wild-type control wheat plants, while GS1 activity enhancement in activity was 35% as compared to controls. The induction of PEPC in transgenic wheat events expressing the ZmDof1, was significantly increased over controls approximately 23%. With respect to GOGAT activity, we still are having problems with the assay, but we do know the transgene is being expressed. A series of both greenhouse phenotyping studies and a repeat of a field trial in 2015 revealed that over expression of OsGS1, ZmDof1, governed by a tissue specific promoter, and HvAla-AT, controlled by either a constitutive or root preferred promoter, translated to significant increases in vegetative biomass. However, this biomass increase did not lead to boost in 100 seed weight or yield estimates (field). We believe the bottleneck, lies in the lack of “sink” strength, pull of nitrogen resources toward kernels during reproduction. To test this hypothesis we will cross a subset of events in which significant improvement in vegetative tissues was observed due to expression of the respective NUE transgene, with transgenic wheat events expressing the maize corngrass allele which we have previously shown translates to significant increase in heads per plant, but smaller, relative to controls. Which the latter, number of heads per plant, theoretically may translate to enhancing sink strength. Secondly, we will evaluate these selected NUE events, in which increase in biomass was observed, to monitor the impact of expressing these transgenes as a means to protect yield under drought mimic conditions. Strategies to alter lignin profiles in wheat: We set up a project in collaboration with the USDA on east campus to alter lignin profiles in wheat. To this end we have introduced a set of transgenes into the crop designed to alter type and level of lignin. The primary goal of this project is to monitor impact on biotic stresses, namely leaf rust. Bob Graybosch and Scott Sattler are conducting the rust inoculations and characterizations. In addition we will ship the transgenic wheat events with altered lignin profile/levels to Jeff Bradshaw to evaluate impact on sawfly resistance. These transformations are completed and seed, derived from 8-10 transgenic events per vector have been handed off to the USDA for characterization in lignin and initiation of fungal challenges. As per sawfly, Jeff Bradshaw group is having challenges establishing sawfly colonies, but we hope to initiate insect challenges once these have been resolved. As a back-up we have been in contact with David Weaver at Montana State University, but his group has limited slots for sawfly testing, and we would need to get in the queue. However, between these options we believe we can get a subset of these altered lignin wheat events screened to test if such alterations will impact sawfly predation. Strategies to alter stomata deposition on wheat leaf surface as a means to alter water use efficiency: We have designed a set of six genetic constructs designed to impact stomata deposition on leaf surfaces. Stomata are pores on the surface of leaves, which govern water transpiration and gas exchange rates. The size and pattern of these structures are highly genetic controlled. We designed constructs based on studies conducted on model plant species which identified known genes that impact size and number of stomata on leaf surfaces. This component of the program will involve introducing these genetic constructs into wheat, monitoring impact on stomata size and number of leaf surfaces, and subsequently testing for influence on water use efficiency on the derived transgenic events. Continued support of this program will enable us to generate the wheat transgenics over the next year. Timelines and Milestones of Research: Phenotyping and molecular characterization of transgenic wheat events carrying the transgenes designed to enhance photosynthetic capacity is currently ongoing. We expect to complete the greenhouse vetting of the transgenic events by late Fall 2016, with the goal of a small-scale field trial in 2017. We will be communicating our research findings on expression of the respective transgenes in wheat for NUE in a peered review publication by July 2016. A subset of selected transgenic events which displayed enhanced biomass will be crossed with wheat evenst expressing eh maize corngrass allele to monitor if this translates to more seed fill per head in this multi-head trait induced by corngrass transgene (Spring of 2017), and we will initiate drought mimic studies under greenhouse conditions on selected events which displayed enhanced biomass. The transgenic wheat events carrying the various genetic constructs designed to alter lignin are currently being characterized in collaboration with the USDA on east campus. We hope to have data on fungal challenges by the Fall 2016. We are in communication with Jeff Bradshaw and David Weaver to attempt to get these wheat events assayed for sawfly resistance. Assembly of the genetic constructs for stomata alterations should be completed by may 2016, with wheat transformations completed by Feb 2017. Project locations The project will be carried out in the greenhouses on the campus of the University of Nebraska, and UNL’s Plant Biotechnology Field Facility situated at the Agriculture Research and Development Center. Note: We will be submitting a variance request to USDA/APHIS on field trials conducted on our dedicated sites to facilitate post harvest monitoring for volunteers. We hope to accomplish this by spring 2016, with feed back from the agencies prior to the 2017 season, if possible. Characterization of transgenic wheat events will be conducted under greenhouse conditions within the George W Beadle Greenhouse Facility and the Horticulture Greenhouse facility on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition collaboration studies with the USDA will be carried out on the east campus of UNL, and sawfly resistance work will be conducted at the Panhandle research and extension center. Technology Transfer Data accumulated from these studies will be communicated at national meetings and peer reviewed publications. NUtech Ventures in consultation with the Nebraska Wheat Board will evaluate potential intellectual property garnered from this research. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Tom Clemente and Steve Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Establishing a pipeline for the evaluation of novel input and output traits in wheat derived from the tools of biotechnology PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students $25,500 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. $10,455 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic $500 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list $19,500 these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $55,955 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages: Funds are requested to cover the GRA for Pamela Peña who is working on this project, with emphasis on the nitrogen efficiency component of the program. B. Fringe Benefits: Monies are requested to cover fringe benefits associated with the GRA at the University of Nebraska C. Travel: Funds are requested to help defray the cost for the graduate student to attend one domestic scientific meeting D. All Other Direct Costs: Funds are requested to cover greenhouse and growth chamber rental space within the ARD Greenhouse complexes at UNL ($4,000). Funds ($15,500) will be used to cover laboratory supplies. The laboratory supply request is estimated on perceived usage based on similar research ongoing in the Clemente laboratory Research Project Proposal Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Field based high throughput phenotyping technologies to accelerate wheat breeding in Nebraska Project Time: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 (New) Principal Investigators: Yufeng Ge, Department of Biological Systems Engineering. Phone: 402-472-3435. Email: [email protected]. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Executive Summary In this project, we propose to develop high throughput field phenotyping (HTFP) technologies to accelerate wheat breeding for Nebraska growers. HTFP has the potential to survey hundreds to thousands of wheat testing lines efficiently and measure an array of important plant traits (such as plant height, canopy temperature, and canopy reflectance) rapidly and nondestructively. This would enable breeders to quickly distinguish the responses of different genetic lines to various stress conditions, and therefore improve the breeding efficiency (whether the goals are for yield enhancement, quality improvement, input use efficiency, or resistance to specific pests or diseases in targeted Nebraska environments). In the long run, this research would enhance Nebraska wheat growers’ income and their overall competitiveness in the national and international markets. There are three specific research objectives in the project. First, we will continue to collect field phenotyping data in two wheat breeding fields with the existing field phenotyping platform developed at UNL. Second, we will develop efficient phenotyping data analysis and processing pipelines using the field data collected in the previous two years. Third, we will investigate the methods to remove the spatial variability of the phenotypic and yield data shown in the previous two years. While wheat breeders are collecting phenotypic data, this project is novel in two aspects: (1) we will focus on the development of a high throughput field phenotyping system (including both sensing hardware and data analysis pipelines), and (2) we will focus on the translation and delivery of the phenotyping information so they can be used by breeders in a timely and meaningful manner. Description of research project Breeders’ inability to collect accurate and frequent plant trait measurements in the field is one of the major limitations in plant breeding. Because of this limitation, genomic data cannot be utilized to their full potential, thus limiting the efficiency of breeding. High throughput field phenotyping (HTFP) research aims at solving this problem by developing advanced sensing and automation systems to collect high throughput plant phenotypic data. It is a cutting-edge and frontier research area worldwide, as suggested by National Science Foundation, USDA-NIFA, and US Department of Energy. This project focuses on the development of HTFP technologies for wheat breeding in Nebraska. Our long term goal is to develop the HTFP technologies and effectively incorporate them into the Nebraska wheat breeding programs. We envision that such integration would help breeders to make better selections on what lines to advance, and facilitate the use of more advanced nontraditional breeding technologies. Starting in 2014, the research team has been working to develop a field phenotyping system. With the funding support from Nebraska Wheat Board in FY15-16, we were able to improve the sensing capability and overall performance of the system. Figure 1A below shows the system collecting data in a field on UNL’s Havelock farm (May 2015). Figure 1B is a close-up view of the various sensing modules including RGB cameras, height sensors, IR temperature sensors, NDVI sensors and an optical fiber coupled to a portable VNIR spectrometer. Figure 1C shows the field survey in the same field in late June of 2015. Figure 1D is the plot maps of height, NDVI and canopy temperature produced from the data collected by the system. This field has 240 plots and the area is about half acre; and it takes about one hour to complete the survey. Figure 1. The improved mobile sensor platform at UNL for wheat high throughput field phenotyping. A: the overview of the system showing its structure, the sensing bar, and the controlling computer. The system can take measurements from three plots simultaneously. B: A close-up view of the different sensor modules. C: the system collecting field data in June 2015. D: Plot maps of height, NDVI and canopy temperature generated from the data collected by the system. The grain yield map is also shown. Statement of work to be performed In FY15-16, we submitted to NWB a proposal on this wheat field phenotyping topic with two major objectives (1) to improve the field phenotyping platform and (2) initiate field data collection with the improved system. In this proposal, we will continue this research with the following three specific objectives. The first objective is to continue to collect field data using the existing field phenotyping platform from two wheat trial fields in the FY16-17 growing season. This objective will be closely coordinated with Co-PI Dr. Stephen Baenziger. Specifically, Dr. Baenziger will select the field locations and wheat varieties for the experiment. His team will also be responsible for the agronomic design (such as nitrogen rates and pesticide application) and plot establishment and maintenance (such as weeding). All breeding program activities are covered under the breeding program of Dr. Baenziger and no funds for that work are requested here. We plan to conduct the survey of each field two times in Nov/Dec of 2016 after emergence, and then resume biweekly field survey from late Match to end of Jun 2017. In addition, we will also select a set of plots from each field and take manual measurements including plot height and leaf area index. Also from these selected plots we will collect several leaf samples. These samples will be analyzed in the lab for water content, leaf nitrogen content and mineral contents. The purpose of these leaf sample data is to provide a means of validation on the sensor-based trait measurements. The second objective is to develop phenomic data analytics procedures and pipelines. With the field data we collect in FY15-16 and FY16-17 (a total of four site-years), we will be able to develop and test data analytics procedures to process high-throughput sensor data and extract relevant phenotypic information. Development of efficient data analytics pipelines are an open challenge for high throughput phenotyping. With our platform, the challenge lies in the processing of plot images acquired by the RGB cameras and canopy reflectance spectra by the spectrometers. We will develop robust image processing routines (invariant to the varying degree of ambient lighting) to segment wheat plant pixels from the background and use it to estimate wheat biomass. We will also extract various spectral indices (NDVI, red-edge NDVI, PRI, and water index) from the raw canopy reflectance spectra. We will investigate how successful these spectral indices are correlated with the lab validation dataset. For example, correlation will be explored between spectral water index and leaf water content, between NDVI and leaf nitrogen content. One of most important questions to answer in high throughput phenotyping research is whether the sensor based phenotypes collected by the system can predict the plant traits that are of interest to wheat breeders, in particular grain yield and yield components (measured at the end of the season). We will perform simple and multiple regression analysis to explore the relationship between the in-season sensor-based measurements and yield. One emphasis will be to examine whether any of the sensor-based measurements at early seasons can successfully predict grain yield/yield components; and if so, whether the relationships between them are consistent across multiple site-years. The third objective is to explore the spatial variation of traits and yield shown in the field data we collected. Breeding fields are seldom uniform. Spatial variability in soils plays a significant role in determining plant performance in addition to plant genetics (so-called GxE interactions) and this is a long standing challenge for breeders. With the detailed phenotypic maps collected by our field phenotyping system (as shown in Figure 1D), we have the opportunity to explore the spatial variation of these variables. We will explore whether there are spatial trends in these maps, and if so, we will employ spatial de-trending (regression using the x-y coordinates of plots as independent variables) to process these variables; and residuals from de-trending could be better to use for the analysis of genetic effect and/or treatment (such as N application rate) effect. Timeline and milestone for research Timeline and Milestone July 2016 – Jun 2017 Quarter > 1 (Jul-Sep) 2 (Oct-Dec) 3 (Jan-Mar) 4 (Apr-Jun) Obj. 1. Field phenotyping data collection with the existing platform in two wheat fields Obj. 2: Development of efficient data processing and analysis pipelines Obj. 3: Exploration of spatial variation in yield and phenotyping data Project locations This project will be conducted in Lincoln and Mead, NE. Technology Transfer Many producers are already using sensing technologies in their production practices (such as yield monitors and GreenSeeker NDVI sensors for in-season N application, soil moisture sensors and sensor networks for irrigation scheduling etc.). We anticipate many producers will be interested in the sensor-based high throughput plant phenotyping system, which is for the purpose of wheat breeding and variety improvement. We will demonstrate the system in field days, and write one or two articles for Neb Guides to introduce growers with this exciting technology and explain to them how it will assist wheat breeders in making timely decisions for better selection. In addition, we will also make effort to explore possible collaborations with the industry (such as Pioneer or Bayer) on potential collaboration and technology transfer. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): PROJECT TITLE: PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY16-17 FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 9270 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 4800 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 4696 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 2400 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget 4000 Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 25166 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE A. Salaries & Wages $9270 is requested to cover three months of salary for the postdoc (Dr. Geng Bai). His main responsibilities will include (1) maintaining the sensor-based field phenotyping system for wheat, (2) traveling to the wheat fields and conducting field data collection throughout the growing season, and (3) sensor-based phenotypic data processing, analysis, and interpretation. $4800 is requested to hire two undergraduate students for the project. The main responsibility of the students is to assist the postdoc in field work and data collection from March to June 2016. The students will also help in some mechanical shop work and data processing. The wage for each student is calculated as: $10/hour x 15 hour/week x 16 weeks = $2400. Total salaries and Wages request is $14070. B. Fringe Benefits The fringe benefits for the postdoc and the student workers are $4264 and $432, respectively. The total request for fringe benefits is $4696. C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment No request is made for Non-expendable Capital Equipment D. Travel $2400 is requested as the domestic travel expense to cover the field trips for data collection. We plan 30 field trips (twice a week for 15 weeks during the growing season). Average cost for each trip is estimated at $80 to cover vehicle rental from UNL transportation and trailer rental. E. All Other Direct Costs $4000 is requested for materials and supplies. This amount will be used to purchase materials and supplies for maintaining the mobile sensor platform and supplies to conduct field data collection, and the cost for wheat leaf sample lab analysis. Funding Agency: Nebraska Wheat Board Title: Grain Production, Evapotranspiration, and Crop Water Productivity of Irrigated and Rainfed Winter Wheat in the Semi-Arid Climate of Southwest Nebraska Type of Project: Research Total Amount Requested: $ 50,868 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 (Year 1 of 3 Year Project) Principal Investigator (Project Coordinator): Daran R. Rudnick, PhD, Assistant Professor, Irrigation & Water Management Specialist, West Central Research and Extension Center (WCREC), 402 West State Farm Road North Platte, NE 69101. Phone: (308) 696-6709. Fax: (308) 696-6780. Email: [email protected] Collaborating Investigators (Co-PI): Dave Billesbach, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Eddy Covariance Specialist Chuck Burr, Extension Educator, Water and Cropping Systems Amir Haghverdi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Irrigation Specialist Suat Irmak, PhD, Professor, Soil & Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering Rodrigo Werle, PhD Candidate, Future Cropping Systems Specialist Institution Name: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dr. Archie Clutter, 207 Agriculture Hall, Ph: 402-472-2045, Fax: 402-472-9071, ARDGrants- [email protected] Abstract: Groundwater levels have declined in the West Central (WC) district, and as a result, the Natural Resource Districts have imposed pumping restrictions on 1.1 million acres (34%) in the WC District. To address water availability concerns for agricultural production in the WC district, research is needed to document crop water use, yield production, and irrigation response for various crops, including wheat, which is a primary commodity in southwest Nebraska. To address this topic, on-farm and on-station research in southwest Nebraska is proposed to investigate evapotranspiration (ET), grain production, and crop water productivity of irrigated and rainfed winter wheat. The findings of this research will provide the basis for improving in-season and multi- season crop management decisions in the region. Research findings will be disseminated to area producers through Extension articles, workshops, field days, and seminars, such as the Central Plains Irrigation Association Conference. Project Outcome: The overall goal is to enhance winter wheat production in southwest Nebraska, through the following specific objectives: 1. Install an eddy covariance system in southwest Nebraska to measure consumptive water use (evapotranspiration, ET) of irrigated winter wheat. 2. Evaluate differences in consumptive water use, crop growth, grain yield, and crop water productivity between irrigated and rainfed winter wheat at two locations in southwest Nebraska. 3. Improve in-season irrigation management decisions by developing crop coefficients and multi-season crop management decisions by calculating seasonal water balance. 1 Method and Approach: On-farm and on-station research will be conducted in southwest Nebraska (SW NE) to investigate evapotranspiration (ET), crop growth, grain production, and crop water productivity of irrigated and rainfed winter wheat. A Li-COR (Li-COR Biosciences, Lincoln, NE) eddy covariance flux tower will be installed in a cooperator’s field planted to winter wheat in the fall of 2016. The cooperator’s field will be located near Imperial, NE, and managed under full irrigation (i.e., no water- stress). The eddy covariance system will monitor climatic and surface energy flux variables on an hourly basis. The measured variables will include: precipitation, soil water content, air and soil temperatures, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, incoming shortwave and net radiation, latent heat flux, soil heat flux, and sensible heat flux. A rainfed winter wheat field will be located adjacent to the on-farm irrigated field near Imperial, NE to evaluate differences in consumptive water use and grain production between irrigated and rainfed settings. The on-station research will be at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Wheat Stumpf Research Center located near Grant, NE. At the on-station site, the irrigated winter wheat field will be under a Valley center pivot, installed in the fall of 2015, and the rainfed field will be located adjacent to the irrigated field. The on-station research fields are part of a complementary study evaluating the impact of winter wheat in various crop rotations. In addition to the eddy covariance measured ET at the irrigated on-farm site, ET will be measured at all sites using the soil water balance method, and therefore, four replications of weekly soil water availability in the crop root zone will be investigated using a field calibrated neutron gauge (CPN International, Inc., Martinez, CA). In addition, hourly soil water status will be monitored at all four sites with four replications using Watermark granular matrix sensors (Irrometer Co. Inc., Riverside, CA). Weekly in-season plant measurements will be collected at all four sites, including plant height, leaf area index, and biomass accumulation. In addition, soil samples will be collected for nutrient composition prior to planting and post-harvest. Yield data will be collected from a combine as well as hand harvested at all four sites. The plant growth parameters will be correlated with ET measurements to identify irrigation requirements for various growth stages and climatic conditions. To improve irrigation scheduling for producers, crop coefficients (Kc) will be developed and reported. Crop coefficients relate a crop’s ET rate at a specific growth stage to the ET rate of a reference surface (ETref), usually grass or alfalfa, and the relationship is as follows: Crop ET = Kc × ETref. The reference ET is calculated using climatic variables and is reported by various sources, including the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC). Hence, the Kc method for estimating crop ET is a useful tool for scheduling irrigation, since it is a relatively simple calculation. However, one limitation of the Kc approach is that crop water use is affected by local environmental, climatic, and management conditions, and therefore, it is essential that localized Kc values are developed to improve the usefulness of the Kc approach for irrigation management. The impact of water stress on wheat production will also be assessed by comparing water use and plant growth indicators throughout the season between the rainfed and irrigated settings. This information will aid in developing appropriate deficit irrigation management practices as well as identifying adjustment factors to account for a reduction in crop water use due to crop water stress. The investigators will install and calibrate the eddy covariance system in the producer’s field following planting, yet prior to emergence, and will conduct weekly maintenance to ensure data quality. At all four sites, neutron gauge access tubes and watermark sensors will be installed following emergence to ensure that all sensors are placed in a representative area for each field. The study will be conducted for three years in SW NE. Extension articles and journal publications will be developed and disseminated to area producers throughout the duration of the study. The investigators will pursue additional funding to research the impact of other explanatory variables, such as nitrogen fertilizer, on wheat yield and water response. 2 Relevance and Impact: Wheat production in the West Central (WC) District comprises approximately 40% of all wheat grown NE (USDA-NASS, 2015), and therefore, has a substantial economic impact in the region. The WC district is located in a water limiting area, which has resulted in declining groundwater levels, on average, due to numerous factors, including irrigated agriculture. In response to declining groundwater levels, Natural Resource Districts have imposed pumping restrictions on 1.1 million acres (34%) in the WC District. Therefore, research is needed to document crop water productivity and irrigation water use efficiency for various crops so that area producers can make informed decisions on future crop selections and rotations. However, minimal research has been conducted to assess water requirements between irrigated and rainfed winter wheat as well as between winter wheat and various crops in SW NE. Furthermore, research is lacking in providing adequate irrigation scheduling techniques to improve irrigated winter wheat management under today’s hybrids in the semi-arid climate of SW NE. For example, one of the more recent studies on crop water use of irrigated and rainfed winter wheat in the WC district was conducted by Schneekloth et al. (1991). The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has acknowledged the need for wheat research in SW NE, and as a result, constructed the Wheat Stumpf Research Center in 2015 near Grant, NE, through a donation by Marvin Stumpf an area producer. The proposed research project will complement the work being conducted at the Wheat Stumpf research center, which includes studying the impact of irrigated and rainfed winter wheat in long-term crop rotations. Therefore, the findings of this research in conjunction with the research at the Wheat Stumpf Research Center will be invaluable to NE producers as they construct short- and long-term management plans. Method Suitability: Eddy covariance is an internationally recognized method for quantifying crop evapotranspiration (ET). Utilizing an advanced method for quantifying ET, such as eddy covariance, is critical for understanding plant response to the environment and management practices. However for irrigation purposes, agricultural producers typically use mathematical models to estimate ET throughout the growing season, due to financial cost and difficulty in deploying and maintaining advanced methods (e.g., eddy covariance) (Odhiambo and Irmak, 2012) as well as scientific and technical expertise and knowledge required to operate, analyze, and interpret the data obtained from complex flux measurement systems (Rudnick and Irmak, 2014). Nevertheless, these advanced methods provide the means of improving ET estimation techniques to enhance regional water management as well as enhance our understanding of how individual climatic variables affect crop growth and water uptake. The soil water balance method can estimate ET, with reasonable accuracy, and therefore, is an appropriate cost effective method for quantifying ET at the research sites. The investigators acknowledge the issues of using two methods for measuring ET; therefore, the soil water balance approach will primarily be used to evaluate differences between the irrigated and rainfed sites and the eddy covariance system will be used to investigate irrigated winter wheat growth and water uptake dynamics as influenced by various climatic variables in SW NE. References: Odhiambo, L., and S. Irmak. 2012. Evaluation of the impact of surface residue cover on single and dual crop coefficient for estimating soybean actual evapotranspiration. Agric. Water Manage. 104: 221-234. Rudnick, D.R. and S. Irmak. 2014. Impact of nitrogen fertilizer on maize evapotranspiration crop coefficients under fully-irrigated, limited irrigation, and rainfed settings. J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000778, 04014039. Schneekloth, J.P., N.L. Klocke, G.W. Hergert, D.L. Martin, and R.T. Clark. 1991. Crop rotations with full and limited irrigation and dryland management. Trans. ASAE. 34: 2372-2380. 3 For Administrative Use Effective Dates PROPOSAL BUDGET PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Daran Rudnick, Dave Billesbach, Chuck Burr, Amir Haghverdi, Suat Irmak, Rodrigo Werle PROJECT TITLE: Grain Production, Evapotranspiration, and Crop Water Productivity of Irrigated and Rainfed Winter Wheat in the Semi-Arid Climate of Southwest Nebraska PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY 2017 FY 2018 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 6. Technical, Shop, Other $11,139 $11,474 7. Graduate Students $13,500 $13,905 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% $3,342 $3,442 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. $6,706 $6,966 C. TRAVEL Domestic $5,689 $5,689 Foreign D. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative $10,492 $5,527 should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $50,868 $47,003 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. Budget Narrative: The lead investigator will purchase a new Li-COR eddy covariance system (quoted at $56,860) to conduct the proposed research project. In addition, the investigators will provide the leaf area index meter and neutron gauge to complete the proposed in-season measurements. Year 1: $50,868 Personnel and Benefits: $34,687 Funding to support 3 person months ($11,139) of a research technician’s salary and benefit. This technician would be responsible for weekly maintenance of the eddy covariance system, installing neutron gauge access tubes, and assisting the graduate student in field measurements. Benefits are calculated at 30% of salary ($3,342) but actuals will be charged. Total = $11,139 + $3,342 = $14,481 4 Funding is requested to partially support (9 months @ $1,500/month) a master of science (M.S.) graduate research assistant (GRA) advised by Dr. Rudnick to conduct on-station and on-farm research. The M.S. student will be responsible for collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. The GRA benefits are calculated at 41% of salary ($5,535) + an annual health insurance premium ($1,171) but actuals will be charged. Estimate of cost: $20,206 Supplies and Materials: $10,492 Extension Activities: $1,500: Funding is requested for field day, workshop, and newsletter material to disseminate study results. Laboratory Analysis: $1,400: Funding is requested for soil samples to be sent to the lab for physical and chemical properties analyses. Laboratory costs are estimated at $1,400. Supplies: $1,000: List of supplies necessary for carrying out project objectives includes but is not limited to flags, stakes, soil probes, bags, etc. Funding is also requested for a Garmin handheld GPS to identify locations within the field where samples have been collected and instruments have been installed. Soil Moisture Equipment: $6,592: Funding is requested for aluminum neutron gauge access tubes. Estimated cost is $62 per tube × 4 tubes per site × 4 sites = $992. Funding is also requested for Irrometer Watermark granular matrix sensors and dataloggers to collect hourly soil moisture data at all 4 sites. 1 set = 1 logger + 8 sensors = $700, Total = 4 sites × 2 sets/site = $5,600. Travel: $5,689 Funding for travel from North Platte, NE to the UNL Wheat Stumpf Research Center located near Grant, NE and the cooperator sites near Imperial, NE (weekly travel during growing conditions and bi-weekly travel during freezing period). Trip cost is estimated as follows (198 miles round trip × $0.575 = $113.85 per trip × 32 trips = $3,643). Travel for three trips from Lincoln, NE to North Platte, NE for Drs. Irmak and Billesbach to assist in the installation and calibration of the eddy covariance system. Trip cost is estimated as follows (456 miles round trip × $0.575 = $262; meals = $60/day × 2 people = $120/day; lodging $150/night × 2 people = $300/night). $682 per trip × 3 trips per year = $2,046 Year 2: $47,003 Personnel and Benefits: $35,787 Same as Year 1, support for research technician and 75% graduate student, with a cost of living increase of 3%. Supplies and Materials: $5,527 Extension Activities: $2,000: Funding is requested for field day, workshop, and newsletter material to disseminate study results. Refereed Publications: $2,000: Funding for refereed publication charge estimated at $100/pg for 20 pgs. Laboratory Analysis: $777: Funding is requested for soil samples to be sent to the lab for physical and chemical properties analyses. Laboratory costs are estimated at $777. Supplies: $750: List of supplies necessary for carrying out project objectives includes but is not limited to flags, stakes, soil probes, bags, etc. Travel: $5,689 Travel costs for Year 2 is the same as year 1. 5 Nebraska Wheat Board 2016 Call for Proposals Cover Page Project title: Identification and culturing of the wheat root core microbiome Project type: Research to improve wheat production Total amount requested = $60,835 New project ‐ July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 Principal Investigators – Dr. Daniel Schachtman (Project Coordinator) and Dr. Joshua Herr [email protected], Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 402‐472‐1448 [email protected], Department of Plant Pathology, 402‐472‐1352 Organization: University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Agricultural Research Division • 207 AGH • Lincoln NE, 68583‐0704 • 402.472.7084 This research project is novel and has not been completed in the past in the USA or worldwide. Project location: University of Nebraska Lincoln Results of the project will be made available to the producers in Nebraska through extension publications and microbes in the collection will be available to the Nebraska Wheat Growers distributed by Dr. Schachtman’s Laboratory. Abstract/Executive Summary The wheat industry in Nebraska is of significant economic importance to the state with over $425 million in revenue per year. Wheat is not only important economically, but is also important in the rotations to maintain healthy soils. This proposal focuses on the soil microbes that interact with wheat roots and that play a role in productivity in years where drought or lower than optimal nitrogen may reduce yields. We propose to identify the microbes that form the core microbiome of wheat roots across several environments and soil types in Nebraska. A culture collection will also be established of the bacteria and fungi that live inside the roots and in the rhizosphere. The goal of this project is to eventually provide key microbes specialized for Nebraska to farmers for enhancing productivity and yield in stressful environments and reduce nitrogen fertilizer application via microbes optimized for nutrient production and mobilization. Goals related to research to improve wheat production Conduct a census to identify the core set of microbes (bacterial and fungal) that comprise the wheat root microbiome. Culture 30 – 40 % of the microbes that comprise the wheat root microbiome. Project Outcomes This is a relatively long‐term project, which will take 5+ years to fully realize the potential and translation of the discoveries to Nebraskan farmers. We envision launching the project with funds from the Nebraska Wheat Board and applying to the University of NE Agriculture Division Research Innovation Fund this spring to fully fund the project. The research fits well into innovative approaches to enhance wheat production. In the short term we will identify the core wheat root microbiome (bacteria and fungi). This will provide the starting point for studying the function of these microbes. To study the function of microbes and identify whether they provide positive, neutral, or negative impacts on wheat yields we will culture bacteria from roots and from the soil around the roots (rhizosphere). The cultured microbes will be used to develop an extensive collection of microbes that could then be used to test for function in controlled experiments. Key microbial genomes will then be sequenced to identify novel metabolite production or nitrogen fixation with the potential to enhance wheat growth and stress tolerance. In the first two years we intend to complete a census of microbes that live inside roots and in the rhizosphere at 6 – 8 different field sites across eastern and western Nebraska. The culture collection will also be initiated. These studies will provide preliminary data for federal grant applications. By year five we aim to provide farmers with microbial cocktails that they can test in Nebraska fields to increase nitrogen use efficiency, to protect from drought damage, and to ultimately increase yields. Description of research project Background The efficient use of nutrients and water is vital to the continued sustainability of agricultural production in Nebraska and for reducing the impact of fertilizers on the ground water. While there are many approaches to increase or maintain sustainability, one emerging area of research is focused on the role and potential management of microbes in soils [13]. The composition of microbial communities around roots has the potential to change the dynamics of nutrient cycling and enhance the water availability to crops. Thus far there has been little work done on the microbial communities that interact with wheat roots except for some work on how the dynamics of microbial interactions change leading to the suppression of take‐all disease, a destructive wheat root pathogen [12]. In addition to reducing the incidence of disease, there are also examples of beneficial microbes interacting with plant roots and enhancing the capture of nutrients and water and providing these to the root interface. 1 Until recently, studies focused on soil microbes have been hindered by the fact that identification was reliant on culturing methods and tedious deciphering using microscopic morphology. Therefore previous studies largely focused on two of the most common types of root microbial associations, which include the nitrogen fixing bacteria Bradyrhizobium and mycorrhizal fungi. Now even microbial species present in low abundances can be detected and identified using new technologies and methods for DNA sequencing applied to both the large scale sequencing of 16s rDNA genes and to metagenomic approaches, including single cell sequencing [8]. This renaissance in the study of soil and root associated microbes has been enabled by the technological advances in low cost high‐throughput sequencing methods that allow for measuring the tremendous diversity found in microbial soil communities. With these new tools it is now possible to characterize changes in soil microbial community composition and the functional importance of specific soil microbes. Thus far there have been no published reports of studies on “the microbiome” of wheat roots. Here we define the term microbiome as: “the microorganisms in a particular environment” and for this proposal we will broadly focus on bacterial and fungal species, including mycorrhizal fungi. Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and protecting crops against drought is of critical importance to agriculture in Nebraska, the USA, and worldwide. Microbes will potentially play an important role in enhancing NUE and in drought tolerance. In 2011 the USDA published a comprehensive report (Economic Research Report Number 127) revealing that about two thirds of US cropland did not meet all three criteria for good nitrogen management which has been termed Best Management Practices (BMPs). Nitrogen is lost to the environment by numerous scenarios, in which either too much nitrogen is applied, or nitrogen is applied such that it is not incorporated quickly which leads to loss to the environment. Although farmland in Nebraska is very productive there is an increased awareness of the downstream effects of nitrogen run off and leaching into rivers, waterways and aquifers causing pollution and environmental degradation [1]. Recently there has been more attention paid to the nitrate content and overall quality of drinking water in major farming areas throughout the Midwest. Therefore it is important to develop new approaches for limiting nitrogen input while maintaining high yields and to improve profitability through decreased input costs. Much attention has been placed on developing cereals that are more nitrogen use efficient using biotechnology or classical breeding approaches by the manipulation of intrinsic nitrogen use efficiency NUE mechanisms. While some progress in addressing this goal has been made [3, 4, 9, 14], and genetic variation for the trait within germplasm identified, this has not been effectively translated to improved NUE cereal crop cultivars in the field. On the agronomic side of production, approaches such as precision agriculture also have the potential to reduce nitrogen usage and increase overall efficiency. Research efforts are now focused on targeting the manipulation of soil microbes to enhance nutrient availability and drought tolerance through the identification of nitrogen fixing endophytes and microbes that protect against drought that will live in plant roots. Methods I. Census of wheat root microbes in the field using multiple wheat genotypes To develop the picture of the core microbial components of the wheat root microbiome it will be necessary to sample across multiple Nebraska fields where wheat is grown with different soil types. To do this work we will team up with Dr. Stephen Baenziger whose program has a network of 6 – 8 field sites in eastern and western NE where a range of wheat varieties are grown. He has agreed to help us and is aware of this proposal. The laboratories of Drs. Schachtman and Herr will sample these field sites in May of 2016 to be ready for the outcome of our application for funding from both the NE Wheat Board and the ARD Innovation Fund for Wheat/Cereal Crops. The plan will be to sample 4 – 6 genotypes at each site in a replicated design. The wheat roots will be sampled at one time point during the season just prior to flowering 2 stage. Roots will be sampled by simply digging them up with a shovel. Three different types of samples will be collected. The first will contain the soil that is in direct contact with roots (rhizosphere), the second will be surface sterilized root tissue used to characterize the endosphere, and the third will be to quantify the abundance and diversity of the microbial species in the bulk soil. For collection of roots a subsample is taken from the entire root ball and placed in 50 ml tubes containing phosphate buffer. These are shaken for 2 minutes to remove the rhizosphere soil, the roots are then removed, blotted dry and placed in another tube. Both tubes are placed on ice. Then a subsample of the bulk soil is taken. Roots are then brought into the lab, surfaced sterilized with bleach, ethanol and water then chopped and stored at ‐80oC for further processing. This sampling procedure results in three different types of samples: rhizosphere, endosphere and bulk soil. These samples will be analyzed for changes in microbial community structure using 16s and ITS amplicon sequencing [15]. DNA will be extracted from soil, rhizosphere and from the endosphere using the Power Plant or Power Soil DNA isolation kit from MoBio, Calsbad, CA. The extracted genomic DNA will be analyzed via Illumina MiSeq sequencing using methods derived from the EarthMicrobiome project [6]. Primers designed to flank the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA and the fungal ITS rRNA spacer will be used to identify the associated microbiome. A limitation with getting microbial sequences from plant roots is that about 85% of 16s sequences are plastid and mitochondrial [11]. Therefore we use peptide nucleic acid PCR clamps (PNAs) that bind to plastid and mitochondrial sequences in plant roots and block amplification. The outcome is an eight‐fold increase in bacterial sequences from plant roots, which lowers the cost and increases the efficiency of sequencing. Following the sequencing we analyze the data using the python based open source software pipeline QIIME [10]. Most of the 16s data analysis details are not described here due to space constraints, but the major step includes assigning reads to Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) using a subsampled open‐reference picking protocol [5] and then assigned to OTU based on search similarity to the Greengenes database [7]. Alpha and beta diversity scores are calculated within QIIME. A series of plots based on the OTU table are generated using QIIME and further statistics are calculated independently of the pipeline. Principal coordinate analysis will be used to visualize the results and then scrutinized manually to fully understand the differences in bacterial community composition. The composition of the OTUs in root and rhizosphere samples will be determined and compared at several locations across Nebraska. II. Culturing wheat root and rhizosphere bacteria and fungi Generation of a diverse collection of microbial strains will require brute force bacterial/fungal isolation and cataloging. For culturing, samples collected as described above will be homogenized, filtered to remove debris where necessary, and plated onto several different types of media. Culturing bacteria from all samples collected is not feasible, so a subset of samples will be chosen for culturing. As we are primarily interested in culturing microbes that associate with wheat roots (endophytes) we will focus on the root sample but will culture isolates from rhizosphere and bulk soils as controls for comparative functional tests. Media will contain cycloheximide to suppress fungal growth on plates designed to culture bacteria and antibiotics to suppress bacteria on plates used to culture fungi. Individual colonies will be collected and stored in glycerol. Current estimates using Arabidopsis in the Lefert‐Schultze lab show that approximately 60% of the root‐enriched OTUs described in census surveys can be recovered using several different types of culture media and single cell dilution of microbes. Of the remaining ‘uncultured’ root‐enriched taxa, additional media exists to capture an additional one‐third. This method should provide reasonable coverage of the taxa commonly enriched across plant root microbiota [2]. Bacteria are identified using 16s primers and fungal isolates will be identified using ITS primers and Sanger sequencing. 3 Relevance – This research will open the door for the development of microbial solutions to increasing productivity and yield as well as pathogen control for Nebraska wheat growers. It will provide information that is unique to Nebraska’s wheat crop that can be used to provide new solutions to abiotic and biotic stress and will potentially enhance the sustainability of wheat production in the state. Impact – This research will identify microbial strains that will help improve the methods that are used for enhancing yield under conditions of drought and nitrogen limitations. The research also has the potential to enhance the the sustainability and profitability of wheat production by reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that is applied. Method suitability – The methods described above are standard methods used by both the academic community and by agricultural industries for the development of new microbes for use by farmers. Timeline – Soil sampling will occur in May 2016, culturing will start in July 2016 and continue for approximately 6 months. Root, rhizosphere and soil DNA will be extracted from July – September and DNA will be sequenced in October/November, data analysis will done be in December/January and sequencing of cultured microbes in Feb, March, April, 2017. A second round of sampling will be done in May and more culturing will be completed in May and June 2016. Project Budget For Administrative Use Effective Dates:7/1/16 – 6/30/17 PROPOSAL BUDGET PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Daniel Schachtman and Josh Herr PROJECT TITLE: Elucidation and culturing of the wheat root microbiome PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY 2016 FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 35,000 3. Other Professionals B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 10500 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON‐EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 4000 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS ‐ Materials & Supplies, 11,335 Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST: 60,835 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska‐Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. 4 FY17 BUDGET JUSTIFICATION NARRATIVE $ 60,835 Based on what we have been told by other faculty in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture we do not anticipate that the Wheat Board will be able to fully fund this proposal. Therefore our plan is to apply for the remainder of the funds from the UNL ARD Innovation Fund for Wheat/Cereal Crops. A. Salaries & Wages 1. Post‐Doctoral Researcher: The project will be carried out by a post‐doctoral researcher to be selected from a pool of applicants after online solicitation. The researcher will be responsible for laboratory work, the supervision and training of undergraduate researchers, data analysis, and reporting. Funding is requested to support this person for one year at an annual salary estimated to $35,000 B. Fringe Benefits 1. Post‐Doctoral Researcher @ 30%: Estimated cost for fringe benefits and health insurance for the researcher $35,000 x 30% = $10,500. Salary, fringe benefits, and health insurance for this researcher for this project totals $45,500. C. Travel: Funds are requested to support travel by project personnel to field sites for root and soil collection. Funds are also requested for travel to various meetings. A total of $4,000 is requested. D. All Other Direct Costs: A total of $11,335 is requested for both field and lab components of this research project, where costs are estimated but not limited to: $2,500 for isolation of fungi and bacteria from soil and seedlings + $1659 for DNA extraction + $1,200 for marker amplification + $2004 for metagenomic library preparation + $3972 for paired‐end 250‐bp sequencing on the HiSeq 2500. Details of other direct costs are given below: Isolation of fungi and bacteria from soybean seedlings and soil – $2,500 is requested for culturing supplies to bait for symbiotic microbial associations (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plant‐growth promoting bacteria) and also pathogenic filamentous plant pathogens (Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium, etc.) and selective media and Petri plates. Soil DNA extraction and meta‐genomic sequencing – We expect to collect 300 soil samples in the first year. The total cost for DNA extraction will be approximately $1,659. After DNA extraction, markers will be amplified in a total of 300 PCR reactions at an approximate cost of $4 per reaction for supplies and reagents = $1,200. Subsequently, amplicons will be sequenced twice (once in both directions) in a standard reaction on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 DNA sequencer. Sequencing library preparation will cost $2004, and the estimated cost for one lane of 250‐bp paired‐end reads is approximately $3,972. Total cost comes to a grand total of $8,835. References 1. Andrews, M and Lea, PJ, (2013) Annals of Applied Biology, 163: p. 165‐169. 2. Bai, Y, et al., (2015) Nature. In press 3. Brauer, EKS, B.J., (2010) Botany, 88: p. 103‐109. 4. Cai, H, et al., (2009) Plant Cell Rep, 28: p. 527‐537. 5. Caporaso, JG, et al., (2010) Nature Methods, 7: p. 335‐336. 6. Caporaso, JG, et al., (2012) Isme Journal, 6: p. 1621‐1624. 7. DeSantis, TZ, et al., (2006) 72: p. 5069‐5072. 8. Hamady, M, et al., (2009) Bioinformatics, 25: p. 1331‐1332. 9. Hirel, B, et al., (2007) J. Exp. Bot., 58: p. 2369‐2387. 10. Kuczynski, J, et al., (2012) Curr Protoc Microbiol, Chapter 1: p. Unit 1E 5. 11. Lundberg, DS, et al., (2013) Nat Methods, 10: p. 999‐1002. 12. Mendes, R, Garbeva, P, and Raaijmakers, JM, (2013) FEMS Microbiol Rev, 37: p. 634‐63. 13. Philippot, L, et al., (2013) Nature Reviews Microbiology, 11: p. 789‐799. 14. Shrawat, AK, et al., (2008) Plant Biotechnol J, 6: p. 722‐32. 15. Wessen, E, et al., (2011) ISME J, 5: p. 1213‐25. 5 A PROPOSAL TO THE NEBRASKA WHEAT BOARD PROJECT TITLE: Identification of landscape factors that contribute to wheat stem sawfly biological control in Nebraska TYPE OF PROJECT: RESEARCH NEW RESEARCH PROJECT/ 2-YEAR PROPOSAL: JULY 1, 2016- JUNE 30, 2017 (YR 1 OF 2) TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED: $48,460 Principal Investigator: Co-Principal Investigator: Jeff Bradshaw, PhD Mitch Stephenson, PhD Associate Prof. & Extension Entomologist Range and Forage Management Specialist Panhandle Research and Extension Center Panhandle Research and Extension Center University of Nebraska – Lincoln University of Nebraska – Lincoln 4502 Avenue I Scottsbluff, NE 69361 308.632.1355 PH: 308.632.1369; FAX: 308.632.1365 [email protected] [email protected] Research Technician: Organizational Information: Susan Harvey, M.S. Board of Regents of the University of Research Technician II Nebraska for the University of Nebraska- Panhandle Research and Extension Center Lincoln; 207 Agriculture Hall Lincoln, NE University of Nebraska – Lincoln 68583-0704; PH: 402.472.7084; FAX: 402.472.9071; ARDGrants- [email protected] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Very high levels of wheat stem sawfly continue to infest wheat throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. Continued efforts to track its progress have discovered, for the first time since the pest’s discovery in Nebraska wheat in 1995, extremely high levels of wheat stem sawfly parasitism at some locations. We propose to better understand how this high level of parasitism might be sustained and adopted to other locations throughout Nebraska. Because both the pest and the parasitoids are natively established in grasslands, we propose to study the grass species in Nebraska grasslands that surround our wheat- growing areas that might contribute best to parasitoid conservation. The long-term output from this multi-disciplinary proposal aims to develop recommendations for grass species or grassland management goals that will conserve sustained wheat stem sawfly control. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Justification/relevance. The Wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus, is an important pest of wheat throughout the Northern Great Plains. In the early part of this century, the seasonal cycle of this insect began shifting earlier to coincide with stem elongation of winter wheat in May and June (Morrill and Kushnak 1996). This shift in life cycle has resulted in many acres of winter wheat being impacted (Weiss and Morrill 1992). In severe years of sawfly lodging, crop losses from this insect in the Northern Plains have exceeded $25-$80 million dollars (Kappel et al. 1996, J. Knodel, personal comm.). Recent data collected from the Nebraska Wheat Stem Sawfly Survey, have located infestations (some individual fields as high as 84%) in all 11 counties of the Nebraska panhandle. Wheat stem sawflies feed on hollow-stemmed grasses, such as most of our high- yielding wheat varieties. The wheat stem sawfly reduces grain yield while feeding inside the stem (Holmes 1977). Most notably, this insect also causes lodged wheat as it girdles the Page 1 of 5 stem to form overwintering pupation chambers within the base of the stem. Harvesting these lodged wheat plants is very difficult or impossible, resulting in further yield loss. Wheat production practices that are beneficial to soil and moisture conservation (e.g., summer fallow, reduced or no-till) are also thought to encourage wheat stem sawfly survival. Over the past two decades, reduced tillage and no-till wheat has been widely adopted in Nebraska. The benefits of these tillage practices are clear; however, evidence from our western growing areas indicates that this environment is also favorable to this pest insect (Criddle 1922, Weiss and Morrill 1992). Currently, JDB has one project funded by the Nebraska Wheat Board (along with Dr. Julie Peterson) to explore the potential for site-specific tillage to reduce wheat stem sawfly abundance. However, it is well known throughout agriculture that reliance on a single management tactic for control of a pest is not sufficient. Furthermore, for many, tillage in a dryland, wheat-fallow system is not desirable. Fortunately, one probable solution to the wheat stem sawfly has presented itself as we began to examine survey samples from the 2015 season: meaningful biological control of the wheat stem sawfly. There are at least two parasitic wasps, Bracon cephi and B. lissogaster, that attack the wheat stem sawfly. Importantly, while the wheat stem Figure 1. Estimated percent infestation of wheat stem sawfly, surviving (living and overwintering) sawflies, and sawfly sawfly overwinters within the wheat parasitism rate from one wheat field in Banner County, NE. crown, its parasitoids overwinter much higher up within the wheat tiller. During this year’s survey, we have some fields that saw their sawfly populations nearly eradicated by B. cephi (Fig. 1). One field location with over 90% sawfly infestation only had ~2% surviving sawflies with a >60% parasitism rate! Now, how could we increase parasitism rates throughout the panhandle or was this just a one-year phenomenon? Certain cultural practices (i.e., stripper header harvesting with no or very minimal tillage) have been shown to improve survival of these parasitoids (Runyon et al. 2002) in Montana. Thus, certain harvest technologies (e.g., stripper header harvesting) may counterbalance the benefit of reduced tillage to wheat stem sawflies. We might be able to answer this particular question as we begin our tillage-focused study this spring. However, it is likely that the initial inoculum of parasitoid populations is originating from the landscape surrounding wheat fields. Although recent studies did not find a relationship between “natural grassland habitat” and parasitism rates (Rand et al. 2014), they did not specifically look at diversity or dominance of grass species within grassland habitats (T. Rand, personal comm.). Because parasitoids likely did not overwinter within winter wheat fields in 2014, it is highly likely that the initial 2015 population of B. cephi originated from the surrounding grasslands. If we can identify which grass species and grassland characteristics contribute the most to the conservation of this important parasitoid, the novelty of this project may allow us to recommend grass species that may be seeded in Page 2 of 5 crop boarders or road sides, pivot corners, or on managed for on pasture that could contribute the regional suppression of this important wheat pest. Objective. Identify grassland habitats that contribute to the conservation of wheat stem sawfly parasitoids (e.g., Bracon cephi) that result in wheat stem sawfly control in Nebraska thus improving Wheat Production. Procedures/Planned Activities. As a result of our wheat stem sawfly survey, we have GPS coordinates of every location in Nebraska that has been sampled for the wheat stem sawfly as well as comprehensive field histories. We will use this database along with this past year’s data (that will soon be compiled in its entirety) concerning sawfly parasitoids to identify field locations with both high, low, and no parasitism. Using areal images from USGS we will observe areas around a select number (3-5) of field locations with surrounding grass habitats within any landform (i.e., not exclusive to just rangeland or roadside). At each of these locations, a minimum of 20 sampling points will be chosen within each contiguous grassy landform of a sampled field location. Noncontiguous grassy landform will be sampled as appropriate. At each of the 20 sampling points within each contiguous grassland, standard biometrics will be recorded using a standard plot frame and will include measures of standing vegetation, grass species identification in late June. All standing vegetation will be clipped, bagged and brought back to the lab for measuring and estimating stem diameters and splitting to observe sawflies and parasitoids. The wheat field adjacent to the grassland site will be sampled for wheat stem sawfly and parasitoids. A correspondence analysis will be used to relate the grassland grass dominance, sawfly and sawfly parasitism rates in the sampled wheat field. PROJECT LOCATION: Panhandle District. TIMELINE: Identify field locations and contact land owners (March); Select field sites and stake grassland sample locations (April); Collect grassland samples (June); Collect wheat samples (July); Compile and analyze data (August – October), Report back to NEWB (November). TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: The results of this experiment will be shared at the annual Crop Production Clinics and via CropWatch. Data from this experiment will be compiled for peer-reviewed publication. POTENTIAL IMPACT: This project will identify the key grass species in grasslands and crop borders that are a keystone for the conservation of functional wheat stem sawfly parasitoids. The long-term output from this multi-disciplinary proposal aims to develop recommendations for grass species or grassland management goals that will conserve sustained wheat stem sawfly control. Combining this effort with the results of ongoing cultural control strategies will position wheat production in Nebraska with an economically sustainable management practice for the management of the most important insect pest of wheat in Nebraska. Page 3 of 5 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Jeff Bradshaw & Mitch Stephenson PROJECT TITLE: Identification of landscape factors that contribute to wheat stem sawfly biological control in Nebraska PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 0 0 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 0 0 3. Other Professionals 0 0 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 14080 14502 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 18625 19184 7. Graduate Students 0 0 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 0 0 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 5588 5755 2. Prebaccalaureate (Summer) Student @ 9% 1267 1305 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT 0 0 ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 5900 5900 Foreign 0 0 E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. 3000 3000 (Budget Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 48460 49646 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. Budget Narrative: A. Salaries and Wages: We will need 6 months/year of Entomology research technician’s salary to assist in data collection/analysis and help summer workers with field work (year 1: $18,625; year 2: $19,184). 4 months/year of two summer workers with approximate starting salary of $11/hr x 40 hrs/week x 16 weeks x 2 workers = year 1: $14,080; year 2: $14,502. Summer workers needed to help with field work during the summer months. Page 4 of 5 B. Fringe Benefits: Benefits calculated at 30% of salary for Entomology research technician (year 1: $5,588; year 2: $5,755). Benefits calculated at 9% of salary for summer workers (year 1: $1,267; year 2: $1,305) Note there is a 3% cost of living increase in salary/benefits reflected in year 2. C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment: N/A D. Travel: 6 months in year 1 and 6 months in year 2 @$370/month (year 1: $2,220; year 2: $2,220) of rental for my pickup to travel to field locations and to collect and return field samples of grasses. Fuel costs for biweekly trips to the field locations throughout the Panhandle District (32 trips x 50 miles per roundtrip x $2.30/gallon fuel = $3,680 per year) E. All Other Direct Costs: $3,000 per year in supplies which include but are not limited to: sweep nets, insect preservatives, vials, sample bags, razors for stem splitting, nitrile gloves, dust masks, falling plate meters (for measuring standing forage), plot frames, digital calipers for measuring stem thickness, publication charges, statistics software. References Criddle, N. 1922. The western wheat stem sawfly and its control. Canadian Department of Agriculture Bulletin. No. 5, Ottowa. Kappel, T. 1996. Wheat stem sawfly: Montana’s multi-million dollar pest. Montana State University Communications Services. http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/wwwpb-archives/ag/sawfly.html Accessed: 4/8/2013. Holmes, N.D. 1977. The effect of the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), on the yield and quality of wheat. Canadian Entomologist 109: 1591-1598. Morrill, W. L., and G. D. Kushnak. 1996. Wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) adaptation to winter wheat. Environmental Entomology. 25:1128–1132. Nansen, C., D. K. Weaver, S. E. Sing, J. B. Runyon, W. L. Morrill, M. J. Grieshop, C. L. Shannon, M. L. Johnson, and others. 2005. Within-field spatial distribution of Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) larvae in Montana wheat fields. Canadian Entomologist. 137: 202–214. Rand, T. A., D. K. Waters, S. L. Blodgett, J. J. Knodel, and M. O. Harris. 2014. Increased area of a highly suitable host crop increases herbivore pressure in intensified agricultural landscapes. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 186: 135–143. Runyon, J. B., W. L. Morrill, D. K. Weaver, and P. R. Miller. 2002. Parasitism of the wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) by Bracon cephi and B. lissogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in wheat fields bordering tilled and untilled fallow in Montana. Journal of Economic Entomology. 95: 1130–1134. Weiss, M. J., and W. L. Morrill. 1992. Wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) revisited. American Entomologist. 38: 241–245. Page 5 of 5 Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Improving protein content and yields for wheat in water-limited environments Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 (continuation, Year 3 of 3 year project) Principal Investigators: Harkamal Walia (PI), Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, [email protected], Ph: 402-472-1162 Executive Summary: We have performed drought stress experiments during kernel development in two Nebraska wheat cultivars, Redland and Karl 92. The Figure illustrates that drought stress of only 2-3 days can have a substantial negative impact on developing kernel size, which is an important component of grain yield. Using microarray technology, we have identified several genes that are affected by drought stress. A surprising finding from this work was the impact that drought stress had on storage protein accumulation very early during grain development. We now plan to explore the various types of storage proteins that are impacted by our stress treatment in high and low protein accumulating cultivars. We will also explore variation for the important proteins/genes across a set of wheat genotypes. This approach will help identify the target gene(s) and corresponding proteins for biotech applications to ultimately improve grain quality (protein content) for drought-prone and optimal environments. Priority Areas: Wheat Production, Wheat Biotech Traits Novelty Statement: The proposed work is novel as we propose to characterize specific storage proteins under drought stress based on our recent work funded by the board. Moreover, we propose to study these proteins during early seed development. These proteins are typically not studied until grain filling. Justification Crops are bred for high yield; however, much of the market price of wheat is tied to seed protein content. Weather conditions, including temperature and rainfall, can have dramatic influences on total protein content. Therefore, wheat producers in Nebraska would benefit greatly from the development of a variety of wheat that was consistently high in protein AND yield, regardless of weather. In years with adequate rainfall, grain yield is generally high due to high deposition of carbohydrates (starch) in the endosperm. Unfortunately, high deposition of carbohydrates in the kernel leads to low protein on a percentage basis and does not command a high market price. Conversely, in years with low rainfall, particularly during grain filling, carbohydrates are deposited at a lower rate. Yield (as determined by total weight of wheat produced) therefore decreases, but percentage protein in the kernel is high. Therefore, higher yields in a good rainfall season do not necessarily translate into higher profits for the farmers. Our goal is find the genes that regulate yield and protein content under drought stress conditions and develop resilient wheat cultivars through breeding and biotechnology. Figure Legend: A. The early development of wheat kernel after 24 h of drought stress. The size of the kernel after 48 hap (hours after pollination) is significantly smaller at all three time points (48hap, 72hap and 96 hap). B. Measurement of kernel length, weight and weight from control (in solid bars) and drought stressed plants (white bars). All three parameter are reduced in drought stressed kernels (Begcy and Walia, Plant Science, 2015). Project Description Approach To address this issue and increase profitability for wheat growers, cultivars need to be developed that can sustain yield and have higher protein content in years with adequate rainfall and in drought years. We are requesting funding to perform detailed gene analysis and protein assays on kernels from drought stressed plants during grain development. Work from previous Wheat Board funding (2014) has provided information related to yield (kernel size) and early grain development. These results were published recently (Begcy and Walia, 2015, Plant Science). Funding for 2016 will help obtain information on specific proteins, which may be more important for protein content and protein quality. Our approach would be to characterize genes encoding for Avenins and Triticins, in addition to the more commonly studied Gliadins and Glutenins under drought stress. Our work is novel because, based on our previous results, the timing of proteins accumulation much earlier than previously anticipated. We will include up to four contrasting (for protein content) wheat cultivars for both gene expression and protein profiling. Protein accumulation has been associated by previous studies with reduced nitrogen supply to plants during grain formation. Since we are observing, a similar outcome from short-term drought stress, we will characterize the developing grains under optimal and drought conditions for carbon:nitrogen ratio. Nitrogen is an important component of proteins that accumulate in the grains. Facilities to perform these assays are available at UNL. This information can be useful for Nebraska breeding lines using conventional and transgenic approaches. Project locations: Wheat will be grown in the greenhouses on East campus of UNL under the direction of Dr. Walia. RNA extraction, PCR, and microarray analysis will take place in Dr. Walia’s research lab. Protein quantification and C:N ratios will be determined in the soils laboratory in Agronomy and Horticulture. We will consult with Dr. Devin Rose for protein content assays for mature grains. Dissemination ad Technology Transfer: The results of the project will be made available to the producers in Nebraska through wheat newsletter and sources such as NebGuides. We expect to develop endosperm specific promoters to drive accumulation of desirable protein(s) in the grain. If these experiments are successful, we will work with Nutech Ventures to file for patents for unique regulation and expression of storage proteins. Potential Impact: The negative correlation between yield and grain protein content is well known (Simmonds, 1995; Sinclair, 1998). This is a constant concern for wheat growers in the Great Plains and particularly in drier parts of Nebraska. The proposed work will fill an important gap in our understanding of the genetic factors that control grain quality and lead to changes in grain chemistry. Acceptable levels of protein are necessary for marketing of any wheat variety. This work will contribute towards the foundational knowledge required for development of new wheat cultivars that will increase the competitiveness of Nebraska and the U.S. wheat growers in the global markets. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Dr. Harkamal Walia PROJECT TITLE: Improving protein content and yields for wheat in water-limited environments PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY-16 FY-17 Year 3 Year A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. enior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students $12,600 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. $5,940 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these $3,500 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $22,040 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. Budget Justification Graduate Student Support (50%) - Salary: $12,600 (plus $5,940 in benefits) 50% support is requested for a Ph.D. student. The student will perform experiments for gene analysis and protein content assays. Fringe Benefits: $5,940 Total Salaries: $18,540 All Other Direct Costs: $3,500 Molecular biology supplies and growth facilities: $3,000 for kits, reagents, growth chamber and greenhouse facilities. $500 for carbon:nitrogen assays. Travel: None Equipment: None Total Budget requested: $22,040 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board, Lincoln, Nebraska Project Title: Improving Winter Wheat Varieties for Nebraska Type of Project: Research Renewal: Total Amount Requested: $134,722 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 (46th Year) Principal Investigators: P.S. Baenziger (coordinator) 362D Plant Science Building, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, Phone: (402) -472-1538, Fax: (402)-472-7904, [email protected]; Devin Rose, and Dipak K. Santra Organization: Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 202B Keim Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, (402-472-5132, Fax: (402)-472-7904, [email protected] Body of Project Abrstract: While wheat remains a major crop throughout Nebraska, development of new cultivars with improved quality and genetics is important to ensuring Nebraska wheat remains competitive. The objectives of this program are to: 1) strengthen breeding programs with an emphasis on input efficiency, irrigated production, end-use quality (including niche markets), and disease resistance to enhance grower profitability, and 2) continue research on improving breeding efficiency. We will continue our efforts in: 1. genomic selection, 2. selecting a new tall, long coleoptile wheat variety, 3. developing elite irrigated wheat, 4. identifying high yielding broadly adapted lines with resistance to disease and insects, 5. a major effort on improved end-use quality, and 6. healthier grains through increasing Zn and Fe and reducing heavy metal accumulation. Our breeding program will identify the best germplasm and combine traits by crossing. Lines will be selected from segregating populations for resistance, performance, and end-use quality using field, greenhouse, and laboratory tests, while expanding and diversifying our use of molecular markers. The best lines will be released as new varieties. Project Outcomes: The Nebraska wheat producer is faced with rapid changes, including high costs for fertilizer, energy and energy related inputs, new pests and diseases, old scourges (e.g., drought, wheat streak mosaic virus and new virulent strains of leaf and stem rust), new market opportunities (e.g., white wheat, organic wheat, flex and cover cropping, and specialty tortilla flours), greater demand for healthier grains, structural changes (e.g., changing government programs and regulations), emerging technologies, potential premiums for protein, strong gluten wheat for blending, and reduced carbon footprints. Wheat remains a major crop throughout Nebraska and the crop of choice/necessity in many areas. Recently, its production area has increased. The diverse environments of Nebraska require wheat varieties that are tailored to specific production areas and practices to allow growers to choose wheat varieties that are adapted to their environments while meeting their customer’s needs. Specifically, winter wheat varieties (semi-dwarf and tall) are needed that possess winter hardiness, heat and drought tolerance, responsiveness to irrigation, excellent end-use quality and healthier grains, and disease and insect resistance. Also, future wheat varieties will need to be nitrogen- and water-use efficient (N/WUE) and out-compete weeds or be herbicide-tolerant, thus reducing input costs and environmental damage while improving profitability. 1 Improved wheat varieties are one of the most cost-effective ways of fostering Nebraska's wheat industry and reputation as a supplier of premium wheat. Though renewed commercial interest in wheat variety development has occurred, it is critical to create varieties and germplasm specifically adapted to Nebraska and share with our industry partners. Hence, the objectives of this program are to: 1) strengthen our existing red and white breeding programs with an emphasis on input efficiency, irrigated production, end- use quality (including niche and trending markets), healthier grains, and disease and insect resistance, and 2) continue research on improving breeding efficiency. We will continue our efforts in: 1. genomic selection 2. selecting a new tall, long coleoptile wheat variety to complement or replace Pronghorn and Goodstreak, 3. developing elite irrigated wheat varieties that are WUE, 4. identifying high yielding broadly adapted lines and hybrids with resistance to disease and insects, 5. a major effort on improved end-use quality through the use of high throughput NIR grain, and 5. healthier grains through increased Fe and Zn (beneficial nutrients) , and reduced heavy metal (Cd) accumulation. Our breeding efficiency and graduate education will be improved by better mechanization, high throughput phenotyping, and integration of software tools for statistical and molecular marker analyses, specifically related to genomic selection. Method or Approach: Identify the best available germplasm for wheat productivity, pest resistance, and quality within our market class by developing mechanisms and exchanging germplasm public and private breeders. Expand our global reach for germplasm through collaborations internationally and with CIMMYT and national breeding programs. For NUE and Cd, we have identified lines with high NUE characteristics and lines with low Cd accumulation, and are using them as parents in our breeding program. Once the needed germplasm is identified, we will combine traits from selected lines using crosses (over 800 crosses will be made in 2015-16) and develop populations having potential for variety release in Nebraska. Emphasis will be on expanding our premium hard red and white winter wheat market franchise by adding strength and end-use quality to our red wheat lines and incorporating genes for noodle quality and low PPO for our white wheat. Our successful irrigated wheat breeding continues to increase yield potential and earliness of our lines. Lines will be selected from segregating populations for disease (leaf, stripe, and stem rust, bacterial streak, wheat streak mosaic virus, wheat soilborne mosaic virus, Fusarium head blight=scab) and insect (Hessian fly and wheat stem sawfly) resistance, performance, and quality using field, greenhouse, and laboratory tests in Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota. With each additional trait that we select for, the number of lines having all the traits is reduced, hence the base population and the number of crosses must be increased to accommodate the greater selection intensity. Technology continues to be a key driver of breeding success, so our past and future investment in improved technology (optical grain sorting, GPS tractors and planters, computerized data acquisition and combines, and advanced selection and analytical methods, e.g. mineral analysis (for enhanced Zn and Fe, and deduced Cd,) is critical. We are expanding and diversifying our use of molecular markers to facilitate bringing in new genes (especially for wheat streak mosaic virus, scab, and pyramided resistances for stem or other rusts) and improve genomic selection. Advanced statistical approaches and selection nurseries (eight locations throughout Nebraska) are an integral part of this program. Over 45,000 experimental lines will be evaluated, and we will advance selected lines for release as new varieties. There are two main concerns with how we handle our field data. The first is that our preliminary trial has relatively few replicated plots. We have incorporated augmented designs and statistical analyses to remove field variation and better estimate line potential. Furthermore, genomic selection where we have allele “replicates” over lines will improve the breeding value estimate which should improve our ability to select lines for our major ecogeographic regions. The second concern is how to compare lines across nurseries (duplicate to triplicate to NIN to regional trials). We will develop or use new approaches to make it easier to assure that only the best lines are advanced. Finally, we imitated a small hybrid wheat breeding program in 2015 as a way that could revolutionize wheat production and profitability for the producers. In this program we made an additional 625 crosses which will be used for variety and inbred parent line development. Though, hybrid wheat will be at least 10 years away, what we can learn about wheat 2 breeding and gene interactions while laying the foundation for the future should have near term impact. Research locations: The main breeding locations will be at Lincoln, Ithaca, and Gurley, NE for rainfed wheat testing and at Gurley or Hemingford for irrigated wheat testing with important rainfed selection nurseries at a Clay Center, North Platte, McCook (sponsored by Ardent Mills), Grant and Hemingford, NE. The ability to test at eight locations is due to Wheat Board support and gratefully acknowledged. Technology Transfer: The products of this research will include new varieties that will be made available by the Foundation Seeds Division and related or niche market lines that may be made available through licensing, new scientists, and new information which will be made available through extension meetings and print or electronic extension publications, and scientific journals. Our goal is to make the program readily available and “transparent” to the public and the wheat industry. The program is dedicated to the public good, the wheat industry, and our constituents. Relevance: The Nebraska Wheat Board is interested in funding research that will allow production trends to change. This work will lead to more efficient varieties that should enhance grower profitability by having superior performance and end-use quality by taking advantage of the most recent germplasm and technology advances. Organic, healthier grains, and hybrid wheat are emerging market opportunities. Potential Impact: The proposed research will provide the Nebraska wheat grower with superior hard winter wheat varieties and position the wheat industry for future growth in new markets. The past contributions of the Nebraska wheat breeding efforts have been enormous. New varieties with the potential to increase the state yield by 1 bushel/acre could potentially increase farm income by $6,000,000 annually (using current wheat prices). In addition, the new knowledge and skilled workers developed by this research will expand breeding concepts, our breeding practices, and private sector investment thus making the development of new varieties and hybrids from public and private programs more efficient. Project Budget (see attached): A new system for royalty sharing was implemented in 2015. In addition, the new varieties that are being released and will provide additional revenues to the Wheat Board (e.g receive 50% of the royalty split) will have their greatest impact in the future. In this transition period, it is hard to budget so this budget reflects our real costs in the hopes that some of the royalties returned to the Wheat Board will be used to offset these costs. State support for this project has been and we expect will continue to be reduced as part of the University budget cuts (especially relating to labor), while costs have increased. Wheat breeding is labor intensive, hence most of the expenses relate to part time student help. Wheat breeding also requires testing throughout Nebraska. Therefore, the other major expenses are travel expenses, which include vehicle costs to transport project workers to the field sites throughout Nebraska; seed increases in Arizona , greenhouse rental for our crossing and partial seed increase; irrigated research in western NE, and prorated rental of NIR equipment, envelope printing, etc. The hybrid wheat effort will mainly be funded by endowments and nationally competitive grants. Budget Justification: Student Labor: Wheat breeding is very labor intensive. With recent cuts in technical support we are requesting 2 months salary for a technologist. We expect to hire at least 7 summer students for May, June, July, and August ( e.g. 7 students x 3.5 months x 180 hours/month x $9.5 0/hour (average student cost)) for summer help and 3 students (e.g. 3 students x 8 months x 45 hours/month x $9.5/hour) for part time help in the academic year. The hourly wage for the student help includes fringe benefit costs. The student costs may be reduced during the academic year by using some work study students where the amount paid by the project is 20% of the total. Technical, Shop, and Other: We typically use our farm crews for land preparation and some equipment repair. We also have our equipment serviced by specialists in this area. Fringe benefits are calculated at 30% for staff and technical support and 0% for student labor. 3 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): P.S. Baenziger, D. Rose, and D. K. Santra PROJECT TITLE: Improving Winter Wheat Varieties for Nebraska PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 0 0 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 0 0 3. Other Professionals 6667 6667 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 52155 52155 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 5000 5000 7. Graduate Students 0 0 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 3500 3500 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. 0 0 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) 0 0 D. TRAVEL Domestic 4000 4000 Foreign 0 0 E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget 63400 63400 Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 134722 134722 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. 4 Operating Supplies: Wheat breeding require extensive supplies, e.g. paper bags, labels, plot stakes, and miscellaneous greenhouse supplies (e.g. soil, fertilizer, pots), and chemical supplies to test for polyphenol oxidase, and molecular markers to test for specific traits. Our fields are large and require fertilizer and pesticide applications. In addition, there will be miscellaneous supplies purchased to maintain the extensive field plot equipment necessary for wheat breeding. All Other Direct Costs: The four main items in this category are: 1. greenhouse rental which includes 3 major greenhouse bays which allow two cycles of crossing and over 10,000 pots of parental material and seed increases (estimated to be $12,000—these costs have risen dramatically in the past year ), 2. $15,000 for irrigated research in western Nebraska, 3. Prorated use of shared equipment (NIR diode analyzer, envelope printer, etc.) estimated to be $4900 and equipment maintenance on our trucks, trailers, sprayer, planters, combines, and tractors is estimated to be $12,000, and 4. Materials and Supplies (estimated to be $19,500 for planting envelopes, harvest bags, labels for plots and greenhouse pots, chemicals for DNA extractions and our molecular marker efforts, pesticides and fertilizer for our fields). The irrigated research appears to be one of the best investments the program has made recently in that early, high yielding lines can be identified that are suitable for irrigated production (expected to increase) and for high yielding rainfed environments (e.g. eastern NE), such as NI04421 which was released as Husker Genetics Brand Robidoux. The irrigated program has added a higher yield potential to our breeding program. 5 Summary of Accomplishments In 2014-2015 season, 1,490,000 acres of wheat were planted in Nebraska and 1,210,000 were harvested with an average yield of 38 bu/a for a total production of 45,980,000 bu. The main limitations to production were stripe rust and Fusarium head blight in eastern Nebraska and winterkilling due to highly fluctuating temperatures in western Nebraska. In 2013-2014 season, 1,550,500 acres of wheat were planted in Nebraska and 1,450,000 were harvested with an average yield of 49 bu/a for a total production of 71,050,000 bu. In 2012-2013 season, 1,470,000 acres of wheat were planted in Nebraska and 1,130,000 were harvested with an average yield of 35 bu/a for a total production of 39,550,000 bu. Hence the 2015 harvest was 65% of the 2014 harvest, but similar to that of 2013. Despite continued genetic improvement, the main determinant in wheat production seems to be acres harvested, government programs, and weather (which also affects disease pressure and sprouting). This is an economic reality in understanding wheat yields and productivity in NE. NE10589 is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and recommended for release in 2015 (actual release date will be 2016). NE10589 will be marketed as Husker Genetics Brand ‘Ruth’ Hard Red Winter Wheat. It was named in honor of our greenhouse manager who was a huge aid to the breeding program and who died far too young. NE10589 was selected from the cross ‘OK98697’/’Jagalene’//’Camelot’. NE10589 (3436 kg/ha) had higher grain yield than all currently popular winter wheat cultivars that were tested state-wide (e.g. Overland,3275 kg/ha; Freeman,3214 kg/ha; and Wesley, 2947 kg/ha). Based upon these data, NE10589 is adapted to all rainfed wheat production in NE. Other measurements of performance from comparison trials indicate that NE10589 is moderately late in maturity (147.2 d after Jan.1, data from 7 observations in eastern NE) which is very similar to Overland (147.9 d after Jan.1) and two days later than Freeman (145.4 d after Jan.1) and one day later than Settler CL (146.1 d after Jan.1). NE10589 is a semi-dwarf wheat cultivar and contains the RhtB1b (formerly Rht1,). The mature plant height of NE10589 is similar to Robidoux, but shorter than Camelot, Goodstreak, Panhandle, and Overland. NE10589 is taller than Wesley, Settler CL, and Freeman. NE10589 has moderate straw strength for a semi-dwarf wheat with little lodging reported in the years it has been tested. The winter hardiness of NE10589 is good and comparable to other winter wheat cultivars grown in Nebraska. NE10589 is resistant to Soilborne wheat mosaic virus in field nurseries in Nebraska It is moderately resistant to stem rust and stripe rust. It is moderately susceptible to susceptible for leaf rust. NE10589 is moderately susceptible to Fusarium head blight and moderately susceptible to DON accumulation. NE10589 is moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor Say,), but its reaction can be quite variable among greenhouse seedling tests. It is susceptible to Barley yellow dwarf virus, and Wheat streak mosaic virus (data obtained from the USDA- ARS Northern Regional Performance Nursery and field observations in NE). NE10589 has high grain volume weight and should be acceptable to the milling and baking industries. In positioning NE10589, based on performance data to date, it should be well adapted to most rainfed wheat production systems throughout Nebraska and in adjacent areas of the Great Plains. NE10589 is not recommended for irrigated wheat production. Additional lines under consideration for release include: NI12702W and NI10718W (new white wheats), NI13706, NE12561, and NE12589 (this line is particularly good for stem rust resistance). One other line deserves mention, NE13515 with very high grain yield and excellent end-use quality. In addition, two winter barley lines and four winter triticale lines were recommended for release. Three additional triticale lines will be recommended for release in 2016. For both barley and triticale, we prefer to have someone license the experimental before we consider releasing them. The generous support of the Nebraska Wheat Board is gratefully acknowledged. 6 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL Submitted to: Nebraska Wheat Board, Lincoln, Nebraska Project Title: Integrating Molecular Markers into Winter Wheat Breeding for Nebraska Project Year/Time Period: year 4 Funding period: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 Principal Investigators: I. Dweikat and P.S. Baenziger Department of Agronomy and Horticulture [email protected] 402-472-5328 Summary One of the most successful emerging technologies in plant breeding and genetics is integrating molecular markers in wheat research. Dr. Dweikat is an expert in the use of molecular markers, especially microsatellite markers. We have been using DNA-based markers to study diversity in wheat), sorghum, triticale, and millets; dissect the quantitative trait loci (QTL) that explain agronomic performance and disease and insect resistance, and to introgress important disease and pest resistance genes into cultivated materials using marker assisted selection (MAS). In collaboration with Dr. Baenziger, he has also used molecular markers to dissect the genes that control grain yield, components of yield, plant height, and various disease resistances. In this research team, Dr. Dweikat provides the leadership in molecular biology, and trait dissection and mapping, while Dr. Baenziger develops the breeding populations and the phenotypic data that are associated with the agronomic and disease resistance traits. The objectives of this proposal are use of markers assisted selection to (1) to facilitate the transfer of Sr2 and WSMV resistance genes to improved wheat breeding lines and cultivars and (2) to identify new sources of resistance to TTKS using SHW. In addition of training graduate students in the field of molecular breeding, the proposed research will help position the wheat breeding project to take full advantage of the genomics revolution and increase its breeding efficiency and knowledge. Additionally, use of molecular makers should speed up the selection and speed up of the development of new varieties. Justification To date, more than 50 stem rust resistance (Sr) genes have been identified and most mapped to specific chromosome positions (McIntosh et al. 2008; see also summarized table for stem rust resistance genes and markers at http://rustopedia.get-traction.com/traction ). However, only a few are effective against Ug99 (Singh et al. 2006, 2008) and many of those are associated with undesirable effects on agronomic traits (McIntosh et al. 1995). Among the stem rust resistance genes that are still effective, Sr2 is one of the most widely used (McIntosh et al. 1995). Sr2 was transferred from the tetraploid T. turgidum into hexaploid wheat in the 1920s (McFadden 1930). Since then, the Sr2 gene has been deployed in wheat breeding programs worldwide and has provided durable adult plant rust resistance for more than 50 years. Genes that are currently effective against Ug99 are listed below: 1 Origin of Sr genes Effective Lophopyrum ponticum Sr25 Triticum aestivum Sr28, Sr29, SrTmp Triticum turgidum Sr2, Sr13, Sr14 Triticum monococcum Sr22, Sr35 Triticum timopheevi Sr36 , Sr37 Triticum speltoides Sr32, Sr39, Sr47 Triticum tauschii Sr33, Sr45 Triticum araraticum Sr40 Thinopyrum elongatum Sr26, Sr43 Thinopyrum intermedium Sr44 Secale cereale Sr27, Sr1A.1R Dasypyrum villosum Sr52 ______ The stem rust Sr2 resistance phenotype is difficult to score in breeding programs. Rust infection is not accompanied by a hypersensitive response often observed in race-specific interactions, but is associated with variable levels of disease symptoms influenced by genetic background and environmental effects. Because the resistance is only expressed during the adult- plant stage, classification of lines is usually delayed until they are near maturity. Selection for Sr2 in breeding programs is further complicated by the recessive inheritance and the potential effect on the phenotype of other stem rust resistance genes present in genetic backgrounds. Therefore, more effective sources of resistance need to be identified and incorporated in the existing commercial cultivars New variation for resistance traits could increase wheat yields without requiring an increase in inputs of pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation water. Only a small proportion of the available genetic variation in the primary gene pool of any given cultivated species, and even within the cultivated species itself, has been exploited for crop improvement in modern breeding programs. One successful method for introducing variation from the progenitors of bread wheat into the elite breeding germplasm is the creation of synthetic hexaploid wheats (SHWs). SHWs are produced by artificially crossing tetraploid forms such as modern durum wheat (Triticum turgidum, 2n=4x=28 AABB), donor of the A and B wheat genomes, with A. tauschii (2n=2x=14 DD), donor of the D genome. The resulting hybrid is haploid and carries the A, B, and D genomes (2n = 3x = 21, ABD). It is converted to a true hexaploid by using artificial chromosome doubling methods based on colchicine treatment (Mujeeb-Kazi et al. 1996). The overall objectives are to: 1) more fully integrate molecular marker technology into our applied breeding program so as to increase wheat productivity, and 2) continue research on improving breeding efficiency. Specific Objective: Use of markers assisted selection to (1) to facilitate the transfer of Sr2 and WSMV resistance genes to improved wheat breeding lines and cultivars and (2) to identify new sources of resistance to TTKS using SHW. (3) identify SSR DNA-based markers that are associated with powdery mildew resistant gene pm6 Procedures: The appearance and anticipated spread of race TTKS (syn. Ug99) of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici have renewed interest in breeding for durable resistance to stem rust of 2 wheat. Fortunately, several genes from different wheat relatives, including Sr2,Sr22, Sr25, Sr27, Sr32, Sr33, Sr35, Sr37, Sr39, Sr40 and Sr44, are still confer resistant to Ug99 (Jin et al. 2007), and have been transferred into wheat backgrounds. However, deployment of these genes in commercial cultivars is still in its infancy. Pyramiding of several genes into one cultivar can be an effective strategy to use these resistance genes to enhance durability of wheat resistance to stem rust (Leonard and Szabo 2005). Gene pyramiding using conventional method is difficult and time-consuming because it requires simultaneous tests of the same wheat breeding materials with several different rust races before making selection. Usually, it is not feasible for a regular breeding program to maintain all necessary rust races needed for this type of work. Therefore, marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a powerful alternative to facilitate new gene deployment and gene pyramiding for quick release of rust-resistant cultivars. Molecular markers are available for only few resistance genes such as Sr2 (Hayden et al. 2004), Sr22 (Kham et al. 2005), Sr24 and Sr26 (Margo et al.2005), Sr31 (Das et al. 2006), Sr36 (Bariana et al. 2001; Tsilo et al. 2008) Sr39 (Gold et al. 1999), and Sr40 (Wu et al. 2009). Identified molecular markers that are closely linked to Sr genes will be used to screen the stem rust resistant materials that were phenotypically screened in 2009. Two to three genes will be combined through breeding and their presence will be confirmed using the markers that are linked to those genes (e.g. Sr 2 +26, Sr 2 + 36, Sr26+ 36, Sr 40+2, and Sr 26+ 2 etc.). Synthetic wheat was created by crossing Durum wheat X diploid wheat T. tauschii. The synthetic lines then were crossed to Goodstreek. The F2 and BC populations’ segregation for several desirable traits including rust resistance (Sr33, Sr45, and potentially new genes) will be screened, phenotyped and genotyped with appropriate genetic markers. Objective 3: Screening for markers associated with pm6: A mapping population was produced by crossing with line. One single F1 Plant was selfed to produce 173 F2 plants. and the original Pm6 donor T. timopheevii were used as controls for polymorphic analysis. The chromosomal locations of the polymorphic bands were determined by nulli-tetrasomic lines of Chinese Spring. Fifteen wheat cultivars and lines reportedly carrying Pm6 (Nyquist 1963; Leijerstam 1972; Wolfe and Wright 1972; Jorgensen and Jensen 1973; Bennett and Van Kints 1983; Leath and Heum 1990) were collected to assess the applicability of the markers for the identification of Pm6 in different wheat backgroundsFifteen wheat cultivars and lines reportedly carrying Pm6 were collected to assess the applicability of the markers for the identification of Pm6 in different wheat backgrounds. Powdery mildew resistance The inoculum was maintained and propagated on Saluda plants under greenhouse conditions. Disease reactions were recorded 15–20 days after inoculation (Feekes growth stage 3–4) following the rating scale according to Hsam and Zeller (1997). Three main classes of host reactions were distinguished: r = resistant (0–20% infection relative to cv. Kanzler), i = intermediate (30–50% infection), s = susceptible (>50% infection). All of the plants were inoculated with a local Blumeria graminis mixture at the four-leaf stage in the greenhouse, and inoculations were repeated after 48 h. Host responses were recorded 7–14 days after inoculation when the susceptible control showed obvious disease symptoms and the resistant control was powdery mildew-free. The reactions of individual seedlings were rated as 3 either resistant or susceptible. Chi-squared tests for goodness of fit were used to test for deviation of observed data from theoretically expected segregation ratios A pair of degenerate oligonucleotide primers, LM638 (5' GGIGGIGTIGGIAAIACIAC-3') and LM637 (5'- A[A/G]IGCTA[A/G]IGGIA[A/G]ICC-3') (I for inosine) were designed based on sequences of amino acid motifs in a P-loop motif (nucleotide binding domain) and leucine-rich- repeat region conserved in the disease resistance genes N (tobacco), RPS2 (Arabidopsis thaliana), and L6 (flax) (Kanazin et al., 1996) PCR amplification Amplifications were conducted in a total volume of 26 ml with an MJR Thermal Controller (PI'C-IOOTM). The reaction mixture contained 25 pmoles each of the primers, 25 ng of genomic DNA (F3 DNA bulks), 10 mM Tris-HCI, 50 mM KCI, 1.6 mM MgCl21 0.1 mM each of dNTP, and 1.5 units of AmpliTaq polymerase (Perkin Elmer Cetus). PCRs were performed at 94 °c for 1 min, followed by 32 cycles of 94 °c for 45 s, 45 °c for 50 s, 72 °c for 1 min, and a final step of 72 °c for 7 min. PCR products were resolved on 1.0% agarose in 0.5X TBE. Amplification product analysis The 500-bp fragment was excised from the gel; DNA was recovered with a GeneClean II kit (BIO 101) and cloned into a TA cloning vector (pCRTM-2.1) according to the manufacturers' instructions. Single, white colonies were transferred to 96-well microtiter plates (Costar, Cambridge, MA) containing 200 ~l of LB medium with 100 ~g/ml ampicillin in each well; the cultures were incubated overnight at 37 DC and stored at -80°C. To identify true transformants (RGA clones), PCRs were prepared in a reaction mixture (28 ml) containing 1.2 III of bacterial culture and 5 pmoles each of M 13 F and M 13 R primers as described previously for RFLP- probe preparation. A fraction of PCR products (5 ~l) was checked on 1.0% agarose; the remaining products of transformants with expected fragments were then analyzed in 1.2% agarose gels, and DNA was blotted onto a HybondTM-N+ membrane (Southern, 1975). The filter containing DNA from about 500 transformants was hybridized with a 32P-labeled, randomly selected RGA clone as described for RFLP analysis. The blot was exposed for 30 min at room temperature with an intensifying screen; the signal intensity of clones was scored as plus or minus. The analysis was repeated several times, each time a 'minus' clone was used as the probe to screen the same blot (stripped) or a duplicate blot. The RGA clones were thus grouped based on the DNA hybridization data. Project Locations: The molecular markers research will be done in Dr. Dweikat’s laboratory at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The primary agronomic evaluation locations will be at 6 to 10 environments across Nebraska. These testing sites were chosen to include sites close enough to campus during key measurement periods (e.g. flowering), reduced chances of hail and experiment loss, and to represent the three major ecogeographic zones in Nebraska. The ability to test at 6 to 10 locations and under different production practices is possible only due to the Nebraska Wheat Board support. This support is gratefully acknowledged. Technology Transfer: The products of this research will be new information, which will be made available through extension meetings and publications (including electronic publications and web 4 page information), and scientific journals. The long-term benefit will be to enhance our ability to better develop more productive cultivars with these important traits. Our goal is to make the program as readily available and “transparent” to the public as resources allow. The program is dedicated to the public good, the wheat industry, and our constituents. Project Budget (see attached): Funds ($15,000) are requested to purchaser chemical, oligo nucleotides synthesis, disposable plasticware, and enzymes needed to perform the molecular markers research. References Bariana, H.S., M.J. Hayden, N.U. Ahmed, J.A. Bell, P.J. Sharp, and R.A. McIntosh. 2001. Mapping of durable adult plant and seedling resistances to stripe rust and stem rust diseases in wheat. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 52:1247– 1255 Das, B.K., A. Saini, S.G. Bhagwat, and N. Jawali. 2006. Development of SCAR markers for identification of stem rust resistance gene Sr31 in the homozygous or heterozygous condition in bread wheat. Plant Breed. 125:544–549 Friebe, B., Y. Mukai, H.S. Dhaliwal, T.J. Martin, and B.S. Gill. 1991. Identification of alien chromatin specifying resistance to wheat streak mosaic and greenbug in wheat germplasm by C-banding and in situ hybridization. Theor. Appl. Genet. 81:381–389. Fufa, H., Baenziger, S., Beecher, B., Dweikat, I., Graybosch, R., and Eskridge, K. 2005. Comparison of Phenotypic and Molecular Marker-based Classifications of Hard Red Winter Wheat Cultivars. Eyphytica. 145:133-146. Gold, J., D. Harder, F. Townley-Smith, T. Aung, and J. Procunier. 1999. Development of a molecular marker for rust resistance gene Sr39 and Lr35 in wheat breeding lines. Elect. J. Biotech. 15 April 1999. Jin, Y., R.P. Singh, R.W. Ward, R. Wangyera, M. Kinyua, P. Njau, T. Fetch, Z.A. Pretorius, and A. Yahyaoui. 2007. Characterization of seedling infection types and adult plant infection responses of monogenic Sr gene lines to race TTKS of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici. Plant Dis. 91:1096–1099 Khan, R.R., H.S. Bariana, B.V. Dholakia, S.V. Naik, M.D. Lagu, A.J. Rathjen, S. Bhavani, and V.S. Gupta. 2005. Molecular mapping of stem and leaf rust resistance in wheat. Theor. Appl. Genet. 111:846–850 Kuleung, C. P. S. Baenziger, S. D. Kachman, and I. Dweikat. 2006. Evaluating the Genetic Diversity of Triticale Using Wheat and Rye SSR Markers. Crop Sci. 46:1692-1700. Leonard, K.J., and L.J. Szabo. 2005. Rust of small grains and grasses caused by puccinia graminis. Mol. Plant Pathol. 6:99–111. Liakat, A, P. S. Baenziger, Z. Al Ajlouni, B.T. Campbell, K.S. Gill, K.M. Eskridge, A. Mujeeb-Kazi, and I. Dweikat. 2011. Mapping QTLs for Yield and Agronomic Traits on Wheat Chromosome 3A and a Comparison of Recombinant Inbred Chromosome Line Populations. Crop Sci. In press. Mahmood, M., Baenziger,P. S. , H. Budak, Gill, K. and Dweikat, I. 2004. The use of microsatellite markers for the detection of genetic similarity among winter bread wheat lines for chromosome 3A. Theor Appl Genet. 109:1494-1503. Margo, R., et al. 2005. Development of PCR markers for the selection of wheat stem rust resistance genes Sr24 and Sr26 in diverse wheat germplasm. Theor. Appl. Genet. 111:496–504. Mater, Y., Baenziger, S., Gill, K., Graybosch, R., Whitcher, L., Baker, C., Specht, J., Dweikat, I. 2004. Linkage mapping of powdery mildew and greenbug resistance genes on recombinant 1RS from 'Amigo' and 'Kavkaz' wheat-rye translocations of chromosome 1RS.1AL. Genome. 47:292-298. Mujeeb-Kazi A, Rosas V, Roldan S (1996). Conservation of the genetic variation of Triticum tauschii (Coss.) Schmalh. (Aegilops squarrosa auct. non L.) in synthetic hexaploid wheats (T. turgidum L. × T. tauschii; 2n = 6x =42, AABBDD) and its potential utilization for wheat improvement. Genet Res Crop Evol 43: 129–134. Tsilo, T.J., Y. Jin, and J.A. Anderson. 2008. Diagnostic microsatellite markers for the detection of stem rust resistance gene Sr36 in diverse genetic backgrounds of wheat. Crop Sci. 48:253–261 Wu, S., M. Pumphrey, and G. Bai. 2009. Molecular Mapping of Stem-Rust-Resistance Gene Sr40 in Wheat Crop Sci. 49(5): 1681 - 1686. Tsilo, T.J., Y. Jin, and J.A. Anderson. 2008. Diagnostic microsatellite markers for the detection of stem rust resistance gene Sr36 in diverse genetic backgrounds of wheat. Crop Sci. 48:253–261 5 6 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S):Ismail Dweikat and Stephen Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Integrating Molecular Markers into Winter Wheat Breeding for Nebraska PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative 15,000 should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 15,000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. 7 Budget Justification: Materials and Supplies: Molecular biology is expensive research. We estimate that the major expenses will be for purchasing enzymes, oligo’s synthesis, nucleotides mix, chemicals for gel preparation, chemical and microtiter plates and pipettes. In this research, it is critical to keep the samples separate (e.g. avoid contamination from one sample to another). 8 Research Proposal for The Nebraska Wheat Board Project title: Integrating winter wheat into irrigated no-till crop rotations for suppression of early emerging weeds. Project time period: New Project, beginning July 2016 and ending June 2017. Total Amount Requested: $6,000 Principal investigator: Nevin Lawrence, Integrated Weed Management Specialist, Panhandle Research and Extension Center 4502 Avenue I Scottsbluff, NE 69361; PH: (308) 632-1263, FAX: (308) 632-1365; [email protected] Organization Information: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 207 Agriculture Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0704; PH: 402.472.7084; FAX: 402.472.9071; [email protected] Executive summary: To preserve the benefits of no-till production practices in the irrigated cropping systems of the Panhandle, additional control options are needed. One possibility is incorporating winter wheat within the more traditional rotations of corn, dry bean, and sugarbeet. The primary benefit of incorporating winter wheat is to break up the practice of planting spring crops year after year which encourages the survival of early-to-establish summer annual weeds (Boerboom 1999). The use of winter wheat also allows for additional fall or spring applied herbicides that may be more effective than currently available options. Irrigated winter wheat is currently grown within the Panhandle, but demonstrating the value of winter wheat at reducing weed pressure in corn, dry bean, and sugarbeet may increase its use and the perceived importance for growers not currently planting winter wheat. Statement on project novelty: Several studies have demonstrated the value of adding winter wheat for weed control into rotations that previously only contained summer annual crops. Schreiber (1992) reduced densities of giant foxtail in corn-soybean rotations several fold by adding winter wheat as a rotation crop following soybean and in a six-year study Gulden et al. (2009) found adding winter wheat to corn-soybean rotations not only reduced weed densities but also increased soybean yield in three of five study locations. Neither of these studies were conducted in cropping systems similar or in an environment similar to the Panhandle of Nebraska. Therefore, local research is needed to inform local growers of the value of adding winter crops into crop rotations traditionally consisting of summer annual crops. Statement of work: Continued use of glyphosate as a pre-plant burndown herbicide, continued exclusive planting of summer annual crops, and the adoption of no-till practices has favored the survival of the weed species common lamsbquarters and kochia within the irrigated acreage of the Panhandle of Nebraska. Growers need additional options to manage common lambsquarters and kochia, especially prior to planting. A study evaluating the effectiveness of winter wheat compared to corn at suppressing common lambsquarters and kochia within a crop rotation may provide growers with an additional option for controlling troublesome weeds and preserve the continued use of no-till farming practices. Winter wheat for suppression of early emerging weeds - 1 Description of research project: A tillage study comparing the long-term impacts of conventional vs no- till practices at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center has led to a difficult to control population of early to emerge common lambsquarters and kochia within the no-till plots. The long-term tillage study will be in its 10th year of production in 2016. A four-year crop-rotation of corn-dry bean-corn-sugarbeet has been used for the entirety of the long-term study. In the September of 2016 winter wheat will be planted using a small plot no-till drill following harvesting of dry beans. The ability of winter wheat to suppress kochia and lambsquarters will be compared with corn, which normally follows dry beans in the rotation. Within both crops four herbicide treatments will be applied as sub plots. For winter wheat a non- treated check and three spring-applied broadleaf treatments will be applied. In corn, a non-treated check, glyphosate applied alone twice post planting, glyphosate applied with Status® followed by glyphosate and two pre-plant burndown treatments followed by glyphosate applied with Status® followed by glyphosate will be applied (Table 1). All treatments will be replicated four times using a randomized block design and analyzed using analysis of variance to test for significance between treatments. Table 1. Herbicide treatments to control early emerging common lambsquarters and kochia. Treatment Rate per Acre Timing Small Grains Non-treated Check ─── ─── 2,4-D 16 fl oz kochia 1-2" Bronate Advanced 19.2 fl oz kochia 1-2" Huskie + MCPA 14 fl oz + 12 fl oz kochia 1-2" Huskie + Starane Ultra 14 fl oz + 6.4 fl oz kochia 1-2" Corn Non-treated ─── ─── PowerMax fb PowerMax 32 fl oz fb 32 fl oz V2 Corn fb V6-8 PowerMax + Status fb PowerMax 32 fl oz + 5 oz fb 32 fl oz V2 Corn fb V6-8 2,4-D ester + AIM fb PowerMax + Status 1 fl oz +16 fl oz fb 32 fl oz + 5 oz Burndown fb V2 Corn fb PowerMax fb 32 fl oz fb V-6 Gramoxone fb PowerMax + Status fb 32 fl oz fb 32 fl oz + 5 oz fb 32 fl Burndown fb V2 Corn PowerMax oz fb V-6 Kochia densities and herbicide treatment efficacy will be assessed multiple times throughout the year along with winter wheat and corn yield at the end of the season. If funding is successfully attained for July 2016 -2017, a second year of funding will be requested from the Nebraska Wheat Board to investigate whether winter wheat reduced the soil seed bank of kochia and common lambsquarters, compared to corn, in the next year’s crop. Project outcomes: It is anticipated the results from this project will demonstrate additional cultural weed control options for no-till production in the Panhandle of Nebraska and encourage the adoptions of winter wheat as a rotational crop within the region. Better weed management through cultural methods may help preserve the use of no-till agriculture and delay the development of resistant weeds. Project relevance: Increased adoption of no-till production practices has resulted in many agronomic benefits including reduced erosion, improved soil structure, increased water retention, higher rates of nitrogen mineralization and increased yields (Hobbs et al. 2008). With the adoption of no-till, management of early emerging weeds traditionally controlled with tillage is now exclusively done through the use of herbicides. Removing tillage as a weed control option, planting successive crops of the Winter wheat for suppression of early emerging weeds - 2 same life history (i.e. repeated planting of summer annual crops) and reliance on a limited number of herbicides are factors which can lead to the development of herbicide-resistant crops (Chauvel et al. 2001). Within the Panhandle of Nebraska, herbicide-sensitive rotation crops such as sugarbeet and dry bean restrict the use of many burndown herbicides that have residual activity. Most pre-plant burndown applications within the Panhandle therefore rely on glyphosate either as a component or as the only herbicide for controlling early emerging weeds. Consequently, glyphosate-tolerant common lambsquarters and glyphosate-resistant kochia have become more abundant in no-till operations within the Panhandle. Project impacts: This research project will primarily impact farmers within the Panhandle of Nebraska currently using no-till production practices or farmers who plant exclusively summer annual crops. Other stakeholders who will be impacted by this project include crop consultants and representatives of agriculture service companies who influence production decisions and make recommendations to growers. Timeline and milestones: Table 2. Timing of field operations, and assessment of herbicide treatments. Year Month Datea Small Grains Corn Assessment 2016 September 5th ———Dry Bean Harvest——— 10th Planting 2017 January April 5th Burndown Herbicide Ratings and application Stand Counts 25th Planting May 5th Herbicide Applications 15th POST Herbicide Herbicide Ratings and Applications Stand Counts 25th June 5th POST Herbicide Herbicide Ratings and Applications Stand Counts 25th Herbicide Ratings and Stand Counts August 5th Harvesting November 5th Harvesting aAll dates are approximate and dependent on field and weather conditions. Project location: Proposed research will take place at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center located near Scottsbluff, NE. Technology transfer: The study will be demonstrated to stakeholders during various field days held at the Panhandle-REC. Results will also be discussed at various extension meetings. If results indicate incorporating winter wheat into crop rotations to manage weeds is a valuable option for Nebraska growers a Nebguide will be developed to facilitate the when, why, and how of diversifying crop rotations. References: Boerboom CM. 1999. Nonchemical options for delaying weed resistance to herbicides in Midwest cropping systems. Weed Technol. 13(3): 636-642 Winter wheat for suppression of early emerging weeds - 3 Chauvel B, Guillemin JP, Colbach, N, and Gasquez J. 2001. Evaluation of cropping systems for management of herbicide-resistant populations of blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.). Crop Prot. 20: 127-137. Gulden RH, Sikkema PH, Hamil AS, Tardiff F, and Swanton CJ. 2009. Conventional vs. glyphosate- resistant cropping systems in Ontario: weed control, diversity, and yield. Weed Sci. 57(6):665- 672 Hobbs PR, Sayre K, and Gupta R. 2008. The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 363(1491): 543-555 Schreiber MM. 1992. Influence of tillage, crop rotation, and weed management on giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) population dynamics and corn yield. Weed Sci. 40:645-653. Budget Narrative A. Salaries and Wages: Funding for a research technician for (.58 Person Months $1738) is requested. The research technician will operate small plot equipment at planting and harvesting and assist in the application of pesticides. Funding for summer undergraduate intern is also requested for 20 hours per week x 10 weeks’ x $10.28= $2,056 to help collect data and assist in plot maintenance. B. Fringe Benefits: Research technician benefits estimated at 30% of salary. Undergraduate benefits calculated at 9% of salary. C. Materials and Supplies: $1,500 is requested for pesticides, pesticide application materials, small plot research equipment maintenance and fuel, and miscellaneous field equipment (flags, stakes, materials to measure treatment effects, other supplies as required by project, etc…). Winter wheat for suppression of early emerging weeds - 4 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Nevin Lawrence PROJECT TITLE: Incorporating winter wheat into irrigated no-till crop rotations for suppression of early emerging weeds. PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY2017 FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students $2,056 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other $1,738 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% $521 2. Prebaccalaureate Student @ 9% $185 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these $1,500 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $6,000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. Winter wheat for suppression of early emerging weeds - 5 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL 1. SUBMITTED TO: Nebraska Wheat Board, Lincoln, Nebraska 2. PROJECT TITLE: Mitigating Winter Wheat Losses Caused by Diseases 3. PROJECT TERM: For Continued Funding: July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 (Year 6) 4. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Stephen N. Wegulo, Dept. of Plant Pathology Phone: 402-472-8735. Email: [email protected] CO-INVESTIGATORS: P. Stephen Baenziger, Dept. of Agronomy & Horticulture Gary L. Hein, Dept. of Entomology 5. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Wheat diseases cause significant yield losses annually in Nebraska. Among the economically important diseases are the rust diseases, wheat streak mosaic virus, Triticum mosaic virus, soilborne mosaic virus, tan spot, Septoria tritici blotch, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight. The most effective disease management strategy is an integrated approach that combines genetic resistance with other strategies such as cultural practices and fungicide application. We propose to conduct research that will identify disease resistant lines early in the wheat breeding program. This will be achieved by screening over 3,000 lines in the greenhouse and field. We also will conduct statewide field surveys to identify the diseases occurring in growers' fields and recommend effective management strategies for those diseases. Products from the research will include wheat cultivars with improved disease resistance and information that will enable Nebraska wheat growers to make informed disease management decisions which will in turn reduce losses and increase profitability. 6. NOVELTY AND REASON FOR DUPLICATION PREVIOUS WORK: The work proposed in this project is novel in that each year new wheat lines are included in our breeding screen for resistance to diseases along with advanced lines that have been screened previously. In addition, diseases that predominate in Nebraska wheat fields vary from year to year depending on weather conditions, as revealed by our annual field surveys, which necessitates some management recommendations that are unique to a particular growing season depending on the predominant diseases observed. The work performed in this project is duplicated each year in terms of the methods employed in order to continue screening wheat lines for resistance to diseases and to continue annual field surveys which keep Nebraska wheat growers abreast of the disease situation in their fields and how to manage the diseases. 7. STATEMENT OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED: Wheat lines in the small grains breeding program will be screened for resistance to stem rust, leaf rust, and Fusarium head blight in the greenhouse and field. The PI will participate in the evaluation of wheat lines/cultivars for resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus and Triticum mosaic virus in the field. Statewide wheat disease surveys will be conducted. 8. DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH PROJECT: Justification: Winter wheat is an economically important crop in Nebraska and the western Great Plains states. Diseases can cause major yield losses in winter wheat production. In 2007- 2014, epidemics of Septoria tritici blotch, tan spot, black chaff, Fusarium head blight (scab), leaf rust, and stripe rust caused significant yield losses especially in the eastern, south central, west central, and southwestern parts of the state. Stripe rust was particularly severe and the predominant wheat disease in Nebraska in 2010 and in the early part of the growing season in 2012. In 2015 the most severe epidemics of stripe rust and Fusarium head blight seen in recent years occurred in Nebraska wheat fields. A new race of stem rust (Ug99) which emerged in East Africa in 1999 is virulent on most of the resistant genes in wheat cultivars currently grown in the United States. This 1 race has spread to the Middle East and is anticipated to arrive in the United States in the future. In 2008, Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), a new virus of wheat discovered in Kansas in 2006, was found in Nebraska for the first time. It is transmitted in the same manner (by the wheat curl mite) as wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and High Plains Virus (HPV). Extensive field surveys in Nebraska in 2010 and 2011 revealed that WSMV was widespread throughout the state and TriMV was found in several counties including Cherry, Cheyenne, Keith, Kimball, and Perkins Counties. Greenhouse and field experiments in Nebraska in 2010 to 2012 showed that TriMV and WSMV can have a devastating effect on yield in a susceptible wheat cultivar. Clearly, there is a need to develop disease-resistant wheat cultivars. To achieve this goal, evaluation of wheat lines for resistance to diseases must continue. To maximize the effectiveness of disease management, it is necessary to combine genetic resistance and/or disease tolerance with additional management strategies such as cultural practices and fungicide application. Wheat diseases and their level of severity can vary from year to year depending on the environmental conditions that prevail during the growing season. Information on the diseases that occur each year can be used to plan future management strategies, prioritize resources, and redirect research and breeding efforts. This information can be obtained through annual wheat disease surveys. These surveys are also instrumental in detecting exotic diseases and pests and therefore can play an important role in biosecurity. Objectives: 1. Contribute to the development of improved disease resistant cultivars by greenhouse and field screening of wheat lines for resistance to leaf rust, stem rust, and Fusarium head blight (FHB). 2. Integrate fungicide application with cultivar resistance to effectively manage FHB. 3. Participate in the evaluation of wheat lines/cultivars for resistance to virus diseases with emphasis on wheat streak mosaic and Triticum mosaic. 4. Conduct statewide wheat disease surveys. 9. TIMELINE AND MILESTONES FOR RESEARCH: January – April: In the greenhouse, screen wheat lines in the breeding program for resistance to leaf rust, stem rust, and FHB. May – June: In the field, participate in the screening of wheat lines for resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus and Triticum mosaic virus. Inoculate the Mead and Lincoln field breeding nurseries with stem rust and FHB for a field screen for resistance. Conduct FHB integrated management studies. Conduct wheat disease surveys. July – December: Analyze data and prepare reports and publications; plant next year’s field plots; in the greenhouse, begin screening wheat lines in the breeding program for resistance to stem rust. 10. PROJECT LOCATIONS: Greenhouse screening for disease resistance will be done at Lincoln. Field screening will be done in nurseries at the Agricultural Research and Development Center (ARDC) near Mead and at Lincoln. Disease surveys will be conducted throughout the state. 11. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: Products from the project will be improved leaf rust, stem rust, FHB, and virus disease resistance/tolerance. New information will be disseminated through extension publications and meetings, publication in scientific journals, and presentations at professional meetings. Progress reports will be provided to the Nebraska Wheat Board as needed. 2 For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Stephen Wegulo, P. Stephen Baenziger, Gary Hein PROJECT TITLE: Mitigating Winter Wheat Losses Caused by Diseases PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY 2017 FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 20,000 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 2,500 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 6,000 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 3,000 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these 3,200 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 34,700 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries and Wages: $20,000 is requested as salary for a research technologist; $2,500 is requested for hourly salary for undergraduate students B. Fringe Benefits: $6,000 (30% of research technologist's salary) is requested as fringe benefits for the research technologist C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment: None is requested D. Travel: $3,000 is requested for domestic travel to field research plots and for statewide disease surveys E. All Other Direct Costs: $350 for plastic cells for growing wheat in the greenhouse for disease resistance screening $1,200 for greenhouse space rental $150 for agar media for culturing Fusarium graminearum (scab fungus) to be used as inoculum in the field $150 for corn kernels used to prepare Fusarium graminearum field inoculum $650 for field work supplies: wheat seed, backpack sprayers for spray inoculation of scab plots, bags for harvesting $700 for land rental 4 Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Optimizing Planting Date, Seeding Rate, and Row Spacing to Maximize NE Wheat Yields. Type of Project: Wheat Production Research Project Year/Time Period: New proposal. July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018. Year 1 of 2-year project Total Amount Requested: $20,722 Principal Investigators: Cody Creech; Panhandle Research & Extension Center; 4502 Avenue I Scottsbluff, NE 69361; PH: 308-632-1266; FAX: 308.632.1365; [email protected]; Rodrigo Werle, West Central Research & Extension Center, 402-937-2887, [email protected] Organizational Information: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; 207 Agriculture Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0704; PH: 402.472.7084; FAX: 402.472.9071; ARDGrants- [email protected] Executive Summary: Selecting the appropriate planting date, seeding rate, and row spacing is critical to establishing a wheat crop that will attain its full yield potential. This research will evaluate current recommendations for planting winter wheat in western Nebraska in addition to alternative possibilities. This research will be conducted over multiple years and locations to ensure the correct conclusions and recommendations can be drawn. By understanding the interaction that occurs when planting different wheat varieties at different locations, on different dates, using different seeding rates and row spacing, Nebraska wheat growers will be able to optimize their wheat yields. Statement of Work: Research plots will be established in the fall of 2016 and 2017 at several locations across western NE. Wheat stand counts, tillering, and height will be recorded in the fall. After initial green up in the spring, similar measurements will be taken. Prior to harvest, plant height and number of plants per row foot will be recorded. The number of wheat heads per foot will also be recorded. Plots will be harvested and wheat yield, test weight, moisture, and protein will be recorded. Data will be analyzed and used in presentations and publications to NE wheat growers. Project Description: Successful establishment of winter wheat in the fall is imperative to achieve the desired yields the following summer. Choice of variety, planting date, seeding rate, and row width have all been reported to impact wheat yields. An article on wheat seeding rate posted to the University of Nebraska’s CropWatch website the first week of September of 2015 received over 1,100 views during the same month which ranked as one of the top three articles viewed that month. Currently, much of the information provided to Nebraska wheat growers is based on research from surrounding states and even as far as Oregon. Growers in Nebraska use seeding rates for winter wheat that vary from 30 to 180 pounds per acre. Recently, Nebraska Extension personnel recommended a change for seeding winter wheat from pounds per acre to seeds per acre because of the amount of variability observed in the number of seeds per pound. We are unaware of any scientific data from western Nebraska that considered the impact of multiple winter wheat establishment variables and their subsequent impact on winter wheat yield. Previous studies were narrow in scope and only evaluated a few of the variables at a time. In order to provide the most accurate recommendations, this study will consider location, variety, planting date, seeding rate, and row spacing. We hypothesize that by considering all the agronomic variables, improved recommendations that can enhance the productivity of wheat growers in Nebraska will be identified. The study will be conducted on dryland production acres at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, the West Central Water Resources Field Lab. near Brule, the High Plains Ag. Lab. near Sidney, the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center near Grant, and with a grower cooperator in Box Butte County. Average annual precipitation across these locations range from 14 to 20 inches. The elevation in feet above sea level for these locations ranges from 2800 to 4300. The differences in environmental conditions across locations will allow for comparison of treatments under different environmental stress helping to validate our conclusions. At each location, we will plant 3-4 commonly used wheat varieties at 3-4 different planting dates. At each planting date, we will plant the wheat on 7.5, 10, and 14 inch rows. Seeding rates will be tailored to the area to maximize production. In addition to the current recommended seeding rate, two lower and two higher rates will be used. Wheat stand counts, tillering, and height will be recorded in the fall. After initial green up in the spring, similar measurements will be taken. Prior to harvest, plant height and number of plants per row foot will be recorded. The number of wheat heads per foot will also be recorded. Plots will be harvested and wheat yield, test weight, moisture, and protein will be recorded. At each location, soil moisture and environmental conditions will be monitored and recorded. The study will be repeated at the same locations the following years. The objective of the proposed field study is to quantify the impact of planting date, seeding rate, and row spacing on winter wheat stand, yield, and grain quality. By conducting the study at locations that vary in average annual precipitation and length of growing season, we hope to be able to delineate which practices should be recommended for each area. Timeline: Establish plots in the fall of 2016 and 2017. Measurements will be taken during the growing period of the wheat. Wheat will be harvested in the summer of 2017 and 2018. Data will be analyzed in the fall of 2018 and made available in the fall of 2018. Project Locations: West Central Research and Extension Center located in North Platte, the West Central Water Resources Field Laboratory located near Big Springs, the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory located near Sidney, the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center located near Grant, and with a grower cooperator located in Box Butte County. Technology Transfer: Results from this study will be shared with USDA-NRCS personnel, discussed at grower meetings, summer field days, professional scientific meetings, and in news releases, posted to the University’s web site, and published in Extension publications and scientific journals. Potential Impact of Project Results: Results from this study will provide evidence either in support of or against the current recommendations for planting winter wheat in Nebraska. With the improved information gathered from this research, growers will be able to better select planting dates, seeding rates, and row spacing to optimize the yield potential of their wheat crop. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Cody Creech PROJECT TITLE: Optimizing Planting Date, Seeding Rate, and Row Spacing to Maximize NE Wheat Yields PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY2017 FY2018 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 1,835 1,835 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 4,500 4,500 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 1,350 1,350 2. Prebaccalaureate Student @ 9% 165 165 C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 6,004 6,004 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these 6,868 2,000 individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 20,722 15,854 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. A. Salaries and Wages: Funding to support research technician (1.5 person months) in years 1 and 2 to oversee summer student and assist with planting/data collection. Also, funding to support 1 part-time summer worker in years 1 and 2 to help with planting/data collection during the summer months. B. Fringe Benefits: For research technician benefits calculated at 30% of salary. For summer student benefits calculated at 9% of salary. C. Non-Expendable Capital Equipment: N/A D. Travel: Funding for fuel (30 trips/year x $2.30 per gallon x 44 average miles per roundtrip= $3,036/year). Truck rental @ $371/month x 8 months= $2,968/year for travel to field sites. E. All Other Direct Costs: Includes funding for publication and general field supplies as needed ($2,000/year). Also includes funding (Year 1 Only) for Distributor Body 4-Way Ultem ($2,822); Distributor Body 8-Way Ultem ($1,764); John Deere Seed Spout Wye ($8.67); Seed Tubing ($273) Name of the check-off board to which proposal will be submitted: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Out of State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska Winter Wheat Varieties (Released and Experimental). Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 This is a new/ongoing project. Principal Investigators: Jeff Noel, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-540-9359; [email protected], Chad Lanik, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-405-3807; [email protected], P.S. Baenziger (coordinator) 362D Plant Science Building, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, Phone: (402) -472-1538, Fax: (402)-472-7904, [email protected]; Organization: Husker Genetics/Nebraska Foundation Seed Division, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033, 402-624-8083 Body of Project Abstract: Dr. Baenziger’s winter wheat variety breeding programs develop varieties that are commercially adapted to other states. These states include Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Texas and Oklahoma. Relevant performance data supports the commercialization of these lines that generate license fees that return to the University and to the Nebraska Wheat Board to support future line development and small grains research. Project Outcomes: This proposal is submitted to help meet the costs of out of state testing. License fees generated from out of state agreements and sales hopefully will more than cover the expense of testing. Recently to support our in state variety testing, our testing program has charged for testing all entries from public and private breeding programs. Hence our lines that are tested out of state now pay their state testing fees. Our lines have regional impact, but they must be tested in other states to document that impact. Method or Approach: Released cultivars and elite lines that have been tested in regional nurseries and that have merit will be advanced and based upon their areas of adaptation will be tested in appropriate replicated state variety trials. In most cases, three released lines and potentially three experimental lines will be tested in trials in other states. The lines will differ in the various state trials based upon perceived adaptation. Our goal it to effectively commercialize wheat varieties in their adaptive production region to maximize return to the investment in their development Timeline and milestones for research: This is a new/ongoing project that is critical to providing useful data to Husker Genetics and the seed industry. Project locations: Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and South Dakota Relevance: The Nebraska Wheat board has a long standing interest in allowing other states to use the varieties that helped support in their development. Potential Impact: Development of sales for Nebraska Certified Seed Growers and Generation of License Fees from business entities in the Great Plains. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Jeff Noel, Chad Lanik and Steve Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Out of State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska Winter Wheat Varieties (Released and Experimental). PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Lincoln tech support 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS – Entry Fees from Testing States 15,000 15,000 F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 15,000 15,000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages $0.0 B. Fringe Benefits $0.0 C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment $0.0 D. Travel $0.0 E. All Other Direct Costs $15,000.00 a. Entry fees from testing sites Name of the check-off board to which proposal will be submitted: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Out of State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska Winter Triticale Varieties (Released and Experimental). Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 This is a research project primarily, but will also affect domestic marketing. This is a renewal project. Amount Requested: $42,000 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Principal Investigators: Jeff Noel, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-540-9359; [email protected] , (coordinator) Chad Lanik, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-405-3807; [email protected] P. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; 402-472-1538; [email protected] Organization: Husker Genetics/Nebraska Foundation Seed Division, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033, 402-624-8083 Body of Proposal: Abstract: Dr. Baenziger’s winter triticale variety breeding programs develop varieties that are commercially adapted to other states. These states include New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Relevant performance data supports the commercialization of these lines that generate license fees that return to the University and to the Nebraska Wheat Board to support future line development and small grains research. Project Outcomes: To effectively commercialize triticale varieties in their adaptive production region to maximize return to the investment in their development. This proposal is submitted to help meet the costs of out of state testing. License fees generated from out of state agreements and sales hopefully will more than cover the expense of testing. Recently to support our in state variety testing, our testing program has charged for testing all entries from public and private breeding programs. Hence our lines that are tested out of state now pay their state testing fees. Our lines have regional and in some cases national impact, but they must be tested in other states to document that impact. Method or Approach: Commercial varieties and potential commercial varieties will be submitted to relevant testing services and tested in replicated variety trials. Data will be shared with potential licensees and growers. Timeline and milestones for research: After harvest lines with promised will be advanced and selected for testing in other states. As more data is collected from other state trials, we expect to develop adaptation profiles for better targeting. Seed will be shipped by the end of August for planting. Data will be returned in July and a marketing strategy will be developed based upon the data. This is a new project that is critical to providing useful data to Husker Genetics and the seed industry. Project locations: New York, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Illinois and Wisconsin which represent the major areas of forage production. Technology transfer: Development of sales for Certified Seed Growers and Generation of License Fees from business entities in New York, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Illinois and Wisconsin. Relevance : The U.S. wheat grower is looking for alternative crops to augment their rotations and farm needs. Triticale is an emerging crop that has use as a feed grain, annual forage, and cover crop. Imapct: Triticale and specifically those developed at the University of Nebraska have the potential to have a national impact on this emerging crop as we are developing some of the more witnerhardiness and rainfed adapted triticales in the U.S. Note there are few competitors, so this is a potentially national market. Method Suitability: The only way to convince growers and seed producers of the value of a line is through testing in their region. This proposal is to provide for that required testing. Summary of Accomplishments: Based upon the first year of extensive testing, NT07403 and NT09423 were recommended for release. NT12414, NT12434, are in the process of being licensed to a large seed company. Three additional lines (NT05421, NT11406, and NT11428, will be recommended for release in 2016) have been purchased by various seed suppliers with the intent to commercially market them. Our release protocol is to have lines released once we have found a commercial partner. We expect the revenue from royalties will begin in 2017 and increase thereafter. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Jeff Noel, Chad Lanik and Steve Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Out of State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska Winter Triticale Varieties (Released and Experimental). PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Lincoln tech support 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 12,000 12,000 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS – Test Plot Fees 6 locations X 6 Varieties X $5,000 30,000 30,000 F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 42,000 42,000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages $0.0 B. Fringe Benefits $0.0 C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment $0.0 D. Travel $12,000.0 E. All Other Direct Costs $30,000.00 a. Test Plot Fees 6 locations X 6 Varieties X $5,000 Proposal to the Nebraska Wheat Board Project title: Relay-cropping of forage species with winter wheat Project type: Wheat production research Project time period: New project, year 1 of a 3-year project, starting September 1, 2016 and ending August 31, 2017 Principal investigator: Roger Elmore, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, 402-472-1451, [email protected] Co-Investigators: Katja Koehler-Cole, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture; Teshome Regassa, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture; Daren Redfearn, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture; Judy Wu-Smart, Department of Entomology; Justin McMechan, Department of Entomology Project abstract: Winter wheat is an important commodity in Nebraska, but has been largely replaced by corn and soybeans in the Eastern part of the state. However, reintroducing winter wheat, especially when combined with a forage species, can be an alternative to cover crops in a corn-soybean rotation. Winter wheat and forage species can be grown as relay-crops (forage undersown in wheat stand in early spring). In contrast to cover crops, they provide income in the form of wheat grain and hay sales, while providing many of the same ecosystem services associated with cover crops (winter ground cover, nutrient cycling, and disrupting pest cycles). We propose carrying out experiments at research farms in Eastern Nebraska and South Central Nebraska, exploring soybean-corn-winter wheat rotations with relay-cropped forage components during the wheat phase. Our objectives are to determine the feasibility of this system, including benefits and drawbacks to subsequent cash crops. Project Outcomes: Research outcomes will provide quantitative data on the suitability of different wheat varieties for relay- cropping, the suitability of different forage species and species mixes, as well as impacts on subsequent crops, changes in soil water and soil nutrients, and changes in the abundance and richness of weed and insect species after introducing forage crops during the wheat phase of a rotation. An economic comparison of a rotation including a wheat-forage intercrop with a rotation without a wheat-forage intercrop will also be carried out. This study is novel in that it similarly investigates the direct benefits of a forage crop (dry matter production for hay or grazing) as well as ecosystem services provided by forages intercropped with winter wheat (nutrient cycling, pollination, pest control, and soil organic matter addition). Knowledge gained from this study will be disseminated to growers through extension publications, online at the Cropwatch site, and during scheduled field days. Findings will also be published in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at local and national conferences. Method or approach: Experiments will be carried out over the course of 3 years, starting in the fall of 2016, at university research sites in Nebraska (ARDC near Mead and SCAL near Clay Center). The rotation at all sites will be soybean-winter wheat-corn, the management systems include both conventional and organic, and the experimental design will be Randomized Complete Blocks with a factorial treatment design. Treatments will be the same at each location and consist of wheat variety (range of canopy traits) and type of relay- cropped forage species (cool-season forage legumes such as red clover, alfalfa). The forages will be frost- seeded into winter wheat in early spring (broadcast on frozen ground). Weeds will be controlled post- emergence with MCPA (labeled for wheat with undersown red clover). Fertilization will be carried out according to UNL recommendations. Forages will continue to grow after wheat harvest until termination in the fall. Data will be collected on wheat yield and yield components, wheat canopy development, forage species yield and quality, soil water content, chemical soil properties, pollinator frequency, and weed pressure. In the second and third year, the experiment will be repeated. In these years, the effects of a winter wheat-forage relay-crop on the subsequent cash crop yields will be also determined. Relevance: Ecosystem services supplied by diverse crops and non-crop plants, including cover crops, are important for Nebraska agriculture. In a corn-soybean rotation, which is the prevalent rotation in much of Nebraska, the time period for successful establishment of cover crops is limited. However, many of the benefits sought from a cover crop, such as winter ground cover, uptake of unused nutrients and the disruption of annual weed cycles, can also be achieved by extending the corn-soybean rotation to include a winter wheat cash crop. For example, one of the most commonly used cover crops after corn or soybeans is cereal rye, selected for its quick fall growth, nitrogen scavenging ability and early spring dry matter production. Incidentally, winter wheat grown for grain exhibits the same characteristics. In addition, small grains such as winter wheat occupy the field only until mid-summer and an undersown forage crop can remain in the field after wheat harvest, supply hay or grazing, as well as ecosystem services. Forage legumes have a high potential for N fixation, in turn reducing N fertilizer needs for the subsequent crop. Because the establishment of forage cover crops can occur in the same year as winter wheat grain production, and economic gains can be realized from two crops in one year, relay-cropping winter wheat with a forage could be an alternative to more traditional cover cropping and could be of interest to many corn-soybean growers in Nebraska. The potential for increased farm profits from the addition of a year of winter wheat and forage cover crops could lead to many more growers introducing winter wheat into their rotations, with large potential increases in the acreage of winter wheat in this part of Nebraska. Impact: This project will produce knowledge about the feasibility of introducing forages during the winter wheat phase of a rotation as well as the provision of ecosystem services from these forages. This knowledge will benefit current wheat growers, as it opens additional niche markets (forage production), potentially increasing the share of winter wheat in their rotation. Growing forage species also allows wheat producers to realize non-marketable ecosystem services similar to those obtained by traditional cover crops. This project can also benefit growers that currently do not produce winter wheat. An increasing number of corn-soybean growers are interested in cover cropping, but hesitant because of the high risk of cover crop failure during the short window of opportunity for cover crops in corn-soybean systems. Adding a winter wheat and forage year allows for a whole year of ecosystem services from both the winter wheat and forages, in particular uptake of unused nitrogen, breaking weed and disease cycles, and providing winter ground cover, while still obtaining marketable products. With the trend towards using biological means such as cover crops to remedy some of the unintended environmental consequences of corn- soybean production systems, turning the focus to small grains such as winter wheat with their ability to provide many of the services associated with cover crops, could lead to a reintroduction of winter wheat into the prevalent corn-soybean rotation. Method suitability: The introduction of a year of winter wheat-forage relay cropping as a method of providing desired ecosystem services has several advantages over short-term winter cover crops in a corn-soybean rotation. When winter wheat is grown, the window of opportunity for cover cropping is much longer since winter wheat grain harvest occurs much earlier than that of corn or soybean grain. This allows for the selection of forage legumes such as red clover and alfalfa which can produce large amounts of high-quality forage and fix considerable amounts of N during one year. Establishment success is often higher when a forage cover crop is undersown in early spring because of higher soil moisture. Establishment and productivity of the forage species are also impacted by the wheat, and it is thus important to test winter wheat varieties with different canopy characteristics (height, leaf area index, dry matter production) to find winter wheat varieties best suited for relay-cropping with forages. For Administrative Use Effective Dates PROPOSAL BUDGET PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Roger Elmore PROJECT TITLE: Relay-cropping of forage species with winter wheat PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 2,000 2,200 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 5,000 5,150 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2,143 2,207 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 1,000 1,000 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & 19,800 17,245 Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 29,943 27,802 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages B. Fringe Benefits C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment D. Travel E. All Other Direct Costs Budget category First year Second year Third year Salaries and Wages Student help 2,000 2,200 2,500 Shop, technical, other 5,000 5,150 5,350 Fringe benefits 2,143 2,207 2,293 Travel 1,000 1,000 3,000 Supplies Seeds 500 515 535 Truck rental and gas 1,000 1,100 1,200 Insect sampling 500 500 500 Herbicides 500 515 535 Soil analysis 8,000 8,200 8,500 Forage analysis 5,800 5,900 6,000 Measuring instruments 3,000 0 0 Publication costs 0 0 2,000 Field days 500 515 535 Total 29,943 27,802 32,948 Name of the check-off board to which proposal will be submitted: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska and USDA-Bred Winter Wheat “in- pipeline for release experimental lines” and released varieties. Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 This is a research project primarily, but will also affect domestic marketing. This is a renewal project. Amount Requested: $60,000 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Principal Investigators: P.S. Baenziger (coordinator) 362D Plant Science Building, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583- 0915, Phone: (402) -472-1538, Fax: (402)-472-7904, [email protected]; Robert A. Graybosch, Research Leader, ARS-USDA. Phone 402-472-1563, email [email protected] Co-PI: Teshome Regassa, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture. Phone 402-472-1489, email [email protected] Organization: Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 202B Keim Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, (402-472-5132, Fax: (402)-472-7904, [email protected] Body of Project Abrstract: One of the most important aims of the Nebraska winter wheat improvement effort is to identify and help Nebraska wheat growers choose the most suitable winter wheat varieties to grow in order to achieve the highest yield and profitability per acre and produce the best quality wheat. A number of new lines originate from the breeding program each year that need to be compared to currently released varieties and tested under farmers’ management systems. This project will cover the testing fee for “new experimental lines” and their comparison released varieties across the state. The project will also create a platform for evaluating “new experimental lines” side by side with established Nebraska varieties, and varieties promoted for the specific location from public and private breeding programs elsewhere. As the Wheat Board is aware, the State Variety Testing service, to ensure its stability and viability, has enacted a fee for all entries tested. Project Outcomes: The project enhances wheat variety development efficiency by providing test plots in farmers’ fields convenient for demonstration of new varieties, continued evaluation of existing varieties, and creates a favorable platform to deliver the information to wheat producers through field days, web-based reports, and local extension education programming. Producer feed-back during such extension programs remain instrumental in re-directing the wheat program to address emerging producer or clientele needs. Information generated by this project after harvest, are made available to producers and clientele through listserv mailing, web-postings, and the distribution of extension circular 103 also known as the Fall Seed Guide. The project will create another information tool Nebraska producers will use to make informed decisions as to which variety to grow, and grow high quality wheat. Method or Approach: Recently the University of Nebraska State Variety Trial testing program initiated a uniform policy where all entries (public, private, experimental, and released) pay the same fee for testing. This approach has the advantages that all line originators are treated equally and should allow a more transparent cost structure to those at the University of Nebraska and those using these services. This proposal is submitted to help meet the costs of in state testing. As royalties are distributed and shared on these varieties and future varieties, it is hoped that the royalties will more than cover these costs. Newly developed experimental wheat breeding lines being considered for commercial release will be tested in replicated public yield trials (dryland or rainfed, and irrigated) across the state of Nebraska. Agronomic performance will be compared to currently grown Nebraska cultivars and cultivars from neighboring states, and to the long-term check cultivars: Turkey, Scout 66, Mace and others. As varieties become obsolete, they will be removed from the trial to reduce costs. Grain yield, grain volume weight, protein content, heading dates, disease resistance/susceptibilities, plant heights, etc. will be evaluated. The results will be analyzed, summarized, and shared as described in the technology transfer agreement. This is a crucial step in the state wheat improvement process to determine if new experimental lines that have superior performance in on-farm testing will replace current varieties under production whose performance is waning due to aging, breakdown of fixed traits and development of susceptibility to ongoing production challenges. Experimental lines of winter wheat from the cooperative USDA-University of Nebraska wheat breeding program will be identified for testing across the state in the Nebraska Winter Wheat Variety Test by the PIs in consultation with the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association and the Nebraska Foundation Seed Division. In addition, the project investigators will identify special purpose entries that can serve as a check or standard from Nebraska or elsewhere. Performance data will be posted on the Variety Testing Webpage as well as reported in the Fall Seed Guide. Testing of promising experimental lines is recommended to be done for a minimum of three years before release. Of course, lines that show little promise will be dropped after the first or second year in the trial. The number and specific tenure of a line in the testing program will be determined by the investigators. Timeline and milestones for research: This is an ongoing project that is critical to providing useful data to Nebraska wheat producers and the seed industry. Project locations: Testing site selection is done by collaborators at each district in cooperation with local extension educators (West District (4-5 locations), West Central District (4-5 locations), South Central District (1 location) and Southeast District (3 locations)). Collaborators will be paid testing fee depending on the number of experimental lines and varieties they plant and harvest in their respective region. Collaborators are required to refund any fee received if adequate data is not received on time. Relevance: The Nebraska Wheat Board is committed to testing the lines it has helped develop so that it stakeholders and constituents can make sound decisions based upon data that are created transparently and analyzed using the best statistical tools possible. Impact: Collaborators are encouraged to involve and co-op local extension educators in site/farmer selection and other trial management activities. Plots will be labeled so that extension educators will use for field plot meetings, field days, and others educational purpose as needed. Feed-back obtained will be used to sharpen up future efforts to improve wheat production. Field maps will be available to interested wheat scientists for field evaluation of the stated new varieties during the season. Public inspection of these plots during the cropping season and feed-back will be encouraged. Results of all tests will be included in the Wheat Variety Testing Extension Circular for the years tested. Results will also be made available on the Variety Testing website. Nebraska Wheat Board will be recognized for funding the trials at each location by signs stating the source of support. Method Suitability: The only way to convince growers and seed producers of the value of a line is through testing in their region. This proposal is to provide for that required testing. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): P. Stephen Baenziger, Robert A. Graybosch, and Teshome Regassa PROJECT TITLE: State Variety Testing of University of Nebraska and USDA-Bred Winter Wheat “in-pipeline for release experimental lines” and released varieties PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Lincoln tech support 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON‐EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS – $150.0/entry and location assuming 400 total entry‐locations for a year 60,000 F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 60,000 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska‐Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages $0.0 B. Fringe Benefits $0.0 C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment $0.0 D. Travel $0.0 E. All Other Direct Costs $60,000 The funds requested here are to pay for testing fees, to test widely grown released lines for comparison to newly developed experimental lines for potential release. Currently the fee per trial is $150/location. Based upon the number of entries and the number of locations that they were tested in, we estimate $60,000 to cover all of the in state testing fees. Our estimate is based upon 60 entry- locations in the Southeast district, 20 entry-locations in the South Central district, 140 entry-locations in the West Central district, 130 entry-locations in the West district, and 50 entry-locations in the irrigated trials. If fewer entry-locations are used, the budget request will be lowered before the Wheat Board makes its final quarterly payment. Nebraska Wheat Board Title of Project: Studying irrigation management of winter wheat with limited available water in the Nebraska Panhandle using field experiment, soil - crop sensors and computer models Type of Project: Wheat Production Research Years Previously Funded: New project Total Amount Requested: $ 48,975 (Year 1 of 3 Year Project) Project Duration: July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 Principal Investigator (Project Coordinator): Amir Haghverdi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Water Management & Irrigation Specialist Panhandle Research and Extension Center (PREC), 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, Phone: 308-632-1246. Email: [email protected] Collaborating Investigators: Yufeng Ge, PhD, Assistant Professor, Advanced Sensing Systems Engineer, Biological Systems Engineering Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Email: [email protected] Daran Rudnick, PhD, Assistant Professor, Water Management & Irrigation Specialist, West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 West State Farm Road, North Platte, NE 69101. Email: [email protected] Jessica Groskopf, Extension Educator - Ag Economics PREC, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, Phone: 308-632-1247. E-mail: [email protected] Key Personnel: David Reichert, Irrigation and Water Management Technician, PREC, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Gary Hergert (Project Adviser), Soil Nutrient Management, Emeritus Professor, PREC, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, Email: [email protected] Organization: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institutional Official Information: Dr. Archie Clutter 207 Agriculture Hall 402-472-2045 [email protected] 1 Project Abstract (150 words max) The Nebraska Panhandle is unlike any other region in the state, due to elevation, precipitation, water resources and crops grown. In this area irrigation plays an essential role in crop production, since evapotranspiration almost always exceeds precipitation. The result being that both surface and groundwater, are used to fulfill crop water requirements. The recent drought cycle (2002-2009) triggered more water allocation restrictions, thus pressuring farmers to increase their water use efficiency by practicing deficit irrigation. The relative high elevation and a semi- arid climate, characteristic to the Nebraska panhandle, adds to the challenges our growers face to consistently produce crops in conditions abundant with variability and complexity. The overall goal of this proposed project is to promote efficient wheat irrigation management as a means to apply less water for drought mitigation, to sustain water resources, to optimize yield by better utilization of rainfall, and to improve the sustainability of wheat production. Project Outcomes The long term goal of this project is to foster and educate wheat growers with up-to-date irrigation management practices. The main objectives of this study are listed as follows: 1) Promote efficient irrigation of wheat for this region, as a means of applying less water for drought mitigation, to optimize yield by better utilization of rainfall, and to improve the sustainability of crop production. 2) Measure the indicators of wheat deficit irrigation sustainability including energy conservation by deficit irrigation, water use efficiency, crop water production and soil health. 3) Calibrating a crop growth model and using it to study wheat production under different deficit irrigation strategies and a variety of climatic conditions. 4) Evaluate the efficacy of emerging technologies, including crop and soil monitoring systems, for prudent wheat irrigation management. 5) Demonstrate the benefits of technology adaptation and deficit irrigation scheduling to wheat growers in the region in order to promote adoption of these sustainable methods, through field days, workshop presentations and extension/research publications. Approach Task 1: Deficit irrigation demonstrations A new irrigation demonstration project will be started to finalize the strategy for deficit irrigation of winter wheat in western Nebraska. The proposed irrigation experiment will be conducted at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center – Scottsbluff, NE during the 2016, 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. An upgraded variable rate, two-span center pivot irrigation system, will be dedicated to precisely create a variety of irrigation treatments, in order to identify the best wheat deficit irrigation strategy for producing maximum yields with limited water (Figure 1). This cutting edge irrigation system will allow us to turn water on and off and apply varied amounts for any arrangements during the growing season. With this ability we can investigate the effect of deficit irrigation practices on crop growth, yield quantity and quality at each growth stage. We will calculate and compare indicators of production and environmental sustainability from data collected at the research station. A variety of irrigation treatments will be analyzed by calculating yield quantity and quality, water-use efficiency, yield per energy input and leaching potential. Soil water content and/or soil tension data will be examined to identify rain and irrigation events that percolate through the root zone and to assess the potential for nutrient leaching. Water conservation and water use efficiency will be calculated on an irrigation and irrigation plus rainfall basis. The energy conserved by deficit irrigation as compared to full irrigation will be quantified. Also the energy required per unit of crop production will be calculated to determine whether deficit irrigation or full irrigation production is a more beneficial use of energy. 2 Figure 1. Wheat irrigation demonstration project will be started using a variable rate center pivot irrigation system in the Panhandle Research and Extension Center (PREC). Multiple soil and crop monitoring stations will be installed using state-of-the-art sensors for monitoring crop response and soil water status in multiple irrigation regimes (the exact locations of monitoring stations are subject to change). Task 2: Evaluation of some commercially available soil-water monitoring systems Soil moisture sensors are useful tools to customize site-specific irrigation strategies for a given field considering available water, soil type, and topography. Producers need simple yet robust and easy-to-measure indicators and a set of accompanying recommendations for use in irrigation scheduling. From a research standpoint, several methods have been successfully developed to schedule irrigation. However, transferring the research results in a real-world manner to the farm has remained a challenge. Evaluation of commercially available soil moisture monitoring systems from a producer’s perspective is needed, in addition to determining if the science behind these systems is applicable for wheat irrigation management in the Nebraska panhandle environment. The comparison of irrigation scheduling sensors will be conducted within the deficit irrigation of this wheat experiment. Multiple stations will be installed to monitor the soil water dynamic within the root zone throughout the growing season under a variety of irrigation scenarios. Decagon soil tension, Decagon soil volumetric water content, John Deere, and Lindsay sensing products are included in the list that will be considered for evaluation. Neutron probe readings will be collected several times during the growing season and will be used as a reference for evaluating other soil water monitoring systems. This project will be identifying the optimum wheat deficit irrigation regimes thus allowing for identification of the best sensor systems and knowledge of how those systems should be used to schedule irrigation. Task 3: Continuous monitoring of soil water status and crop response to deficit irrigation scenarios Proper knowledge of soil water status within the effective root zone as well as crop response to water stress throughout the growing season is essential for understanding the effect of deficit irrigation strategies on wheat growth and yield. Multiple soil monitoring stations will be installed to collect data on soil water content and soil matric potential at multiple depths across irrigation treatments throughout the growing season. In addition, wheat response to irrigation treatments and water stress will be continuously monitored by means of several multi-sensors data acquisition systems mounted on the irrigation system. Multiple parameters including crop canopy temperature, crop canopy height, passive NDVI, plant canopy reflectance, and biomass will be measured using crop monitoring stations to evaluate effects for a variety of irrigation treatments on crop growth, health and production. The soil volumetric water content and soil matric potential will be continuously monitored throughout the growing seasons at different depths in crop root zone across plots with different irrigation treatments. Collected data using soil and crop sensors will be post processed at the end of growing season to study wheat response to water stress at different growth stages. 3 Task 4: Modeling crop response to deficit irrigation scenarios Crop growth models are commonly used to simulate biomass and yield of various crops. They are also useful tools to understand and respond properly to the effect of climate variability on crop production. Given the time consuming nature of traditional irrigation studies, it is not usually possible to capture the entire range of climate variability and irrigation decisions over the course of a single experiment. In order to fully understand the effect of stressed conditions at different times in the growing season on crop growth and yield, we will calibrate and run the Aquacrop model (Steduto et al., 2008). AquaCrop is a crop model that highlights plant-water interactions, which performed well when it was implemented for corn irrigation management in Eastern Nebraska (Mortensen, 2011). This modeling task will also allow us to simulate crop response to a wide range of irrigation and climatic scenarios, which is essential when developing intra-seasonal deficit irrigation strategies. Task 5: Extension and outreach The findings of this project will be disseminated through field days, producer workshops/regional meetings (PowerPoint presentations) and extension publications. These educational materials and events will be designed for producers to understand the benefits of deficit irrigation for improved profitability and environmental sustainability, and enable them to manage deficit irrigation strategies for wheat production in western NE. Through our extension and outreach activities we will address questions about the evaluated soil monitoring systems including how to choose, locate, and interpret irrigation scheduling sensors for wheat production. This will involve hands on training and education of how the irrigation scheduling systems perform in field conditions. We will determine the receptiveness of clientele to each practice by surveying on-farm cooperators and participants in field days/workshops and feed-back questioners. Relevance, Impact and Method Suitability In this semiarid climate of western Nebraska where precipitation is normally low, irrigation management has a substantial impact on wheat growth, development, and yield. Considering the increasing inherent uncertainty in rainfall from year to year, along with the continuous reduction in water allocation panhandle growers tend to deliberate having irrigated winter wheat in their crop rotation. Winter wheat is a prudent choice when irrigation water is limited because the high rainfall period, May and June, usually coincides when the crop needs the most water, i.e. the flowering and early grain-fill stage. Unfortunately for panhandle wheat growers, local research-based information on the response of the wheat to deficit irrigation strategies is limited. Therefore, it is essential to develop season long wheat deficit irrigation strategies aimed at different rations of available water for wheat producers in western Nebraska. There is an urgent need to better understand how to use emerging technologies and optimize irrigation practices for a given field. Monitoring soil water status throughout the growing season, will help optimize irrigation management, which in turn will help to conserve water/energy and avoid runoff, leaching, and deep percolation, all due to over irrigation. However, there is also a knowledge gap on application of commercial soil moisture monitoring systems for wheat irrigation scheduling in the semi-arid environment of the Nebraska panhandle. Funding for this research will help in addressing these questions. The proposed project also provides a great opportunity for significant scientific advancement that will contribute to a better understanding of wheat growth, development and yield response to various levels of water stress throughout growing season. The University of Nebraska Research and Extension Center, located in the panhandle, has much to offer for studying drought and the benefits of deficit irrigation across the state, considering the semi-arid climate and average low precipitation. The proposed project is especially timely given the possible effect of climate change on rainfall patterns, and hence the future of wheat irrigation across the state. 4 Budget Summary of the budget for the life time of the project For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Amir Haghverdi PROJECT TITLE: Studying irrigation management of winter wheat with limited available water in the Nebraska Panhandle using field experiment, soil-crop sensors and computer models PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED See Narrative Below FOR FY 2017 FY 2018 Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 7. Graduate Students 10000 10300 B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. 4881 5066 C. TRAVEL Domestic 842 3092 Foreign D. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS - Materials & Supplies, Subcontracts, Publication Costs, etc. (Budget Narrative 33252 7950 should list these individual items and dollar amounts separately) F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 48975 26408 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE Year 1 only: A. Salaries & Wages: Funding for 50% of graduate student with annual stipend of $20,000. GRA will assist in coordinating all research activities, initiate publications, collect/analyze data, assist with field work, and run irrigation demonstrations. B. Fringe Benefits: Calculated at 41% of salary + 50% of health premium ($1561x50%) C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment D. Travel: Travel support to attend extension meetings/workshops throughout the state of Nebraska to disseminate information. Locations are to be determined. Trip cost estimated as follows (350 miles × $0.575 per mile = $201, $100/night lodging × 1 night = $100, $60/day food × 2 days = $120). Total cost per trip $421 × 2 trips per year $ 842 E. All Other Direct Costs: $33,252 Sensors: $30,252: Crop Monitoring stations= 4,155 × 3 = $ 12,465; Soil matric potential monitoring stations: 3 × 2,186 = 6,558; Soil water content monitoring stations: 3 × 2,143 = 6,429; Zimmatic Grow Smart soil moisture monitoring system: $ 2,300);John Deer Field Connect system: $ 2500 per year Workshop materials: $1,000; Plot research items such as water, tillage, planting, seed, chemical, fertilizer, fuel, pest control $2,000 5 Name of the check-off board to which proposal will be submitted: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Yuma Seed Increase for University of Nebraska Winter Wheat Varieties (Released and Experimental). Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 This is a research project primarily, but will also affect domestic marketing. This is a renewal project. Amount Requested: $31,150 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Principal Investigators: Jeff Noel, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-540-9359; [email protected] , (coordinator) Chad Lanik, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-405-3807; [email protected] P. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; 402-472-1538; [email protected] Organization: Husker Genetics/Nebraska Foundation Seed Division, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033, 402-624-8083 Body of Proposal: Abstract: After multi-year evaluation of potential lines for release, the top winter wheat lines are sent to Yuma for breeder seed increases to rapidly advance our commercialization potential. Project Outcomes: The quality and quantity of seed produced in Yuma cannot be matched in Nebraska. It saves us a year to use this facility. It will also provide better lines sooner to the Nebraska wheat producer. In a competitive world, the quicker we can get better lines to growers, the more productive our producers will be. Method or Approach: Breeder seed will be sent to Yuma where the lines will be increased under contract. Approximately 50 pounds of seed will be shipped to Westerag of Yuma, AZ for increase. The seed will be shipped by October 15 for planting in early Novermber. The fields will be inspected in April/May for quality control and the grain will be returned in early June. Normal increase is 100 fold. So 50 lbs of breeder seed will produce 5,000 or more of grain. This amount of seed is sufficient to plant a large increase at Ithaca, NE or in collaboration with commercial seed producers the the final increase before selling the seed to certified seed producers and then to growers. Timeline and milestones for research: Please see above, but it is expected that at least one experimental line will be released will be released from each increase cycle. Project locations: Yuma, Arizona Relevance: New wheat varieties are one of the most tangible aspects of a successful research program. To improve wheat production for growers. Impact: The increased lines will be released to Certified Seed Growers. It is expected that there will also be the Generation of License Fees from business entities which will be shared with the Nebraska Wheat Board. Method Suitability: The only way to market wheat varieties to growers and seed producers is to have breeder and foundation seed available. This is the most efficient way of producing large quantities of seed from small lots. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Jeff Noel, Chad Lanik and Steve Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Yuma Seed Increase for University of Nebraska Winter Wheat Varieties (Released and Experimental). PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Lincoln tech support 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 1,150 1,150 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS – Production, Harvest and Transportation Fees 10 acres X $3,000 per acre 30,000 30,000 F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 31,150 31,150 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages $0.0 B. Fringe Benefits $0.0 C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment $0.0 D. Travel $1,150.0 E. All Other Direct Costs $30,000.0 Name of the check-off board to which proposal will be submitted: Nebraska Wheat Board Project Title: Yuma Seed Increase for University of Nebraska Winter Triticale Varieties (Released and Experimental). Project Year/Time Period: July 2016-June 2017 This is a research project primarily, but will also affect domestic marketing. This is a renewal project. Amount Requested: $62,300 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Principal Investigators: Jeff Noel, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-540-9359; [email protected] , (coordinator) Chad Lanik, Husker Genetics, Agricultural Research Division; 402-405-3807; [email protected] P. Stephen Baenziger, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; 402-472-1538; [email protected] Organization: Husker Genetics/Nebraska Foundation Seed Division, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033, 402-624-8083 Body of Proposal: Abstract: After multi-year evaluation of potential lines for release, the top lines are sent to Yuma for breeder seed increases. Project Outcomes: The quality and quantity of seed produced in Yuma cannot be matched in Nebraska. The target market for triticale is the grazing, hay forage market. The University of Nebraska is one of three major breeding programs (the others being Syngenta and Texas A&M) and we have the highest level of winterhardiness. Hence there is a potential for a national marketing capability. This project is to support Breeder seed increases to quickly reach the market with high quality seed production. Simply, the increase of breeder seed will allow for the commercialization of new cultivars faster Timeline and milestones for research: After harvest and data analysis, the best performing lines will be sent to Yuma, AZ for seed increase. The seed will be returned in early June 2017 which will allow for it to be cleaned before the main wheat harvest and seed cleaning occurs in Nebraska. Project locations: Yuma, Arizona Technology transfer: Development of sales for Certified Seed Growers and Generation of License Fees from business entities Relevance: The U.S. wheat grower is looking for alternative crops to augment their rotations and farm needs. Triticale is an emerging crop that has use as a feed grain, annual forage, and cover crop. Having sufficient seed is the most critical issue for getting to market the new genetics. Imapct: Triticale and specifically those developed at the University of Nebraska have the potential to have a national impact on this emerging crop as we are developing some of the more witnerhardiness and rainfed adapted triticales in the U.S. Note there are few competitors, so this is a potentially national market. This proposal will allow us to get to market at least one year earlier than using increases in Nebraska. Method Suitability: The only way to market triticale to growers and seed producers is to have breeder and foundation seed available. This is the most efficient way of producing large quantities of see from small lots. For Administrative Use PROPOSAL BUDGET Effective Dates PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Jeff Noel, Chad Lanik and Steve Baenziger PROJECT TITLE: Yuma Seed Increase for University of Nebraska Winter Triticale Varieties (Released and Experimental). PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY FUNDS REQUESTED FOR See Narrative Below FY FY Year 1 Year 2 A. SALARIES AND WAGES Commodity Board usually does not pay the cost for Project Investigators 1. Senior Associates 2. Research Associates – Post doctorate 3. Other Professionals – Lincoln tech support 4. Prebaccalaureate Students 5. Secretarial – Clerical 6. Technical, Shop, Other 7. Graduate Students B. FRINGE BENEFITS 1. Faculty & Staff @ 30% 2. Grad Student @ 41% plus Health Ins. C. NON-EXPENDABLE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT ($5,000 or more; more than 2 years use) D. TRAVEL Domestic 2,300 2,300 Foreign E. ALL OTHER DIRECT COSTS – Production, Harvest and Transportation Fees 20 acres X $3,000 per acre 60,000 60,000 F. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST 62,300 62,300 INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to providing Institutional resources necessary to successfully implement and complete this project. BUDGET NARRATIVE: A. Salaries & Wages $0.0 B. Fringe Benefits $0.0 C. Non-expendable Capital Equipment $0.0 D. Travel $2,300.0 E. All Other Direct Costs $60,000.0 •!• Title of Project: Development of new biotech traits in wheat for resistance against multiple viral diseases. •!• Type of Project: Research •!• New or Renewal: Renewal •!• Total amount Requested: $15,000 •!• Project Duration: 12 months, July 01, 2016 to June 30, 2017. •!• Principal Coordinator Name, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: Satyanarayana Tatineni (T.S.) USDA-ARS 251 Filley Hall University ofNebraska-Lincoln, East Campus Lincoln, NE 68583 Phone: 402-472-2710 Fax: 402-472-4020 E-mail: [email protected] •!• Organization Name, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: Dr. Laurence Chandler USDA, Agricultural Research Service Office of the Area Director Plains Area Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526-8119 Phone:970-492-7057 Fax: 970-492-7065 Email: [email protected] •!• Additional Participating Institutions: None 1 o Project Abstract Mite-transmitted Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) and High plains virus [HPV, also called Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV)] are economically important wheat viruses causing significant yield losses in Nebraska and other Great Plains states. Because these three viruses are transmitted by wheat curl mites, mixed infections with two or all three viruses have been reported in growers' fields with exacerbated yield losses. Hence, the development of wheat cultivars resistant to multiple viral diseases will facilitate effective management ofwheat viral diseases. Recently, transgenic plants using RNA interference (RNAi) technology have been developed for several crops for the management of viral diseases. Likewise, development of transgenic wheat with stem-loop (hairpin) sequences from multiple viruses can potentially provide broad-spectrum resistance in wheat against several viral diseases. In this investigation, we propose to develop transgenic wheat using RNAi technology with hairpin sequences from WSMV, TriMV, and HPV to provide resistance to multiple viruses. This proposal is part of our long-term research goal of developing management strategies for wheat viral diseases using conventional and nonconventional approaches. o Project Outcomes This project will provide new biotech traits in wheat that could provide resistance to multiple viral diseases. These new traits will provide source material for wheat breeders to develop virus-resistant commercial winter wheat cultivars. The availability of virus-resistant wheat cultivars will minimize or eliminate yield losses due to viral diseases, which curtails the need for pesticide application for wheat curl mite control, thus provide ecofriendly environment. Moreover, successful completion of this project will lead to the deployment of additional 'traits into wheat' for agronomic development. o Method or Approach Recently, we tested the feasibility ofRNAi technology for wheat by developing transgenic wheat with hairpin sequences derived from the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequences ofWSMV and TriMV. Our results demonstrated that several Tl transgenic wheat plants were found to be immune to WSMV and TriMV (Figure 1) as no detectable virus was found in virus inoculated wheat plants by enzyme Transgenic Transgenic linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The growth WSMV-infected TriMV-infected and yield ofTl transgenic wheat plants was not affected by WSMV or TriMV, and produced seeds similar to those of healthy wheat. In contrast, the T2 transgenic wheat plants were moderately resistant to WSMV and/or TriMV. Disease severity of virus-inoculated T2 transgenic wheat was evaluated by measuring the chlorophyll content (SPAD readings) at 16 days after virus inoculation (Table 1). Several T2 transgenic wheat lines were found moderately resistant to WSMV and TriMV as the SPAD readings were 2 t=ieur@ 1. Symptoms induced by Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) in T1 transgenic and non ... transgenic wheat at 38 days post inoculation relatively higher compared to non-transgenic wheat leaves (Table 1; lower SPAD readings=more disease). Screening ofT2 transgenic wheat lines revealed that these plants are moderately resistant to WSMV and TriMV compared to complete immunity in Tl generation. While the initial results Table I. SPAD readings ofT2 transgenic wheat inoculated with WSMV, TriMV or were promising, these both viruses data suggest that transgene with hairpin Wheat I Inoculated with Mock WSMV j TriMV I WSMV+TriMV sequence comprising Wheat 45.37±3.09 40.51±4.34 I 41.7±3.03 30.55±4.20 multiple viruses is not (nontransgenic) j l effective in subsequent T2-2 (transgenic) 47.34±1.56 47.23±4.02 I 45.5±2.37 I 35.49±2.73 generations. T2-3 (transgenic)! 48.7±2.65 47.88±2.57 48.26±2.93 44.03±2.88 To obtain T2-4 (transgenic)! 46.59±2.83 44.77±1.88 47.43±3.52 40.73±2.24 complete and durable T2-5 (transgenic)! 47.57±4.33 43.84±3.77 44.07±2.45 41.01±2.45 resistance against WSMV T2-6 (transgenic)! 47.03±2.32 43.62±3.77 46.36±2.43 41.63±2.62 and TriMV, we propose SP AD readings were taken at 16 days after inoculation to develop three Average of three highest SP AD readings presented with standard deviation. expression cassettes in separate binary vectors with hairpin sequences from WSMV, TriMV, or HPV alone, and not in combination as in our initial experiments. These new constructs will be used to develop transgenic wheat to provide durable resistance to WSMV, TriMV or HPV. Wheat lines with resistance to individual viruses will be crossed with transgenic wheat that are resistant to a different virus to obtain resistance against multiple wheat viruses. Additionally, we will screen available T2 and T3 generation transgenic wheat with hairpin sequence from WSMV plus TriMV for virus resistance and integration of viral sequences into the wheat genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot hybridization. The transgenic wheat lines will be examined for virus resistance by rub inoculation ofwheat seedlings at the two-leaf stage with crude sap ofWSMV and/or TriMV. The T2 and T3 transgenic wheat lines will be examined for virus infection by ELISA and PCR. Seeds will be collected from T2 and T3 generation transgenic wheat that are resistant or moderately resistant to WSMV and TriMV for further screening in T3 or T4 generation. o Relevance Successful completion of this project will provide wheat cultivars that are potentially resistant to multiple viruses. The availability of wheat with resistance to multiple viral diseases will minimize yield losses due to viral disease and increase profitability to wheat growers. o Impact WSMV, TriMV and HPV are economically important viruses in Nebraska. Availability of transgenic wheat lines with resistance against these viruses will minimize yield losses in wheat. This technology will allow for the development of resistance against additional viruses as well as virus vectors (eg. wheat curl mites). Successful completion of this project will lead to the deployment of additional 'traits into wheat' for agronomic development. o Method suitability The PI has extensive experience in plant virology to conduct experiments in this 3 proposal. The RNAi technology has been used in several plant systems for the control of viral diseases, and it has potential to work in wheat. UNL Plant Transformation Core Research Facility is well-equipped to accomplish the proposed experiments. Wheat transformation with binary plasmid DNAs will be performed at UNL Plant Transformation Core Research Facility in collaboration with Dr. Tom Clemente. The USDA-ARS established a non-funded Cooperation Agreement with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for transformation of wheat lines. o Project Budget: 1. Chemicals and reagents= $12,500 2. Greenhouse charges=$2,500 3. Indirect costs = $0 4. Total request= $15,000 Other Funding Sources for this project: We will be using part ofUSDA-ARS CRIS project dollars to accomplish the proposed research. 4 WHEAT BOARD PROPOSAL BUDGET PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): S. TATINENI (T.S.) PROJECT TITLE: Development of transgenic wheat resistant to multiple viral diseases. A. Salaries and Wages Year 1 Year2 Institutional Investment $0 $15,000* 1. Co-principal Investigator( s) 2. Senior Associates 3. Research Associate - Post doctorate ...... 4. Other Professionals ...... 5. Graduate Students ...... 6. Prebaccalaureate Students ...... $0 $0 7. Secretarial - Clerical...... 8. Technical, Shop, and Other ...... B. Fringe Benefits - Grad. 41% PLUS Health Ins. C. Nonexpendable Equipment D. Materials and Sl!lJplies $12,500 $0 E. Travel F. Greenhouse/growth chamber charges $2,500 $0 G. Land fees and harvest H. All Other Direct Costs I. Indirect Costs $0 J. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $15,000 $15,000* * Cost sharing provided by USDA-ARS and other sources. 5 0 CEIVEV nJA J 9 7 .·: . • BY: _____ Nebraska Wheat Board Proposal Project Title: Has wheat gluten changed with modem breeding? Type of Project: Research- new proposal Project Duration: 2016/2017 (Year one or new two-year study) Principal Coordinator: Robert Graybosch USDA-ARS 251 Filley Hall, East Campus, UNL Lincoln, NE 68502 [email protected] 402-472-1563, 402-472-4020 (fax) 2 Project Abstract: The internet and other media outlets are rife with comments such as "modem wheat has more gluten proteins" or "hybrid versions of grains we eat today contain significantly more gluten than traditional varieties of the same grains". Recent published work (J Agric Food Chern. 2013 61(6): 1155- 1159, "Can an Increase in Celiac Disease Be Attributed to an Increase in the Gluten Content of Wheat as a Consequence of Wheat Breeding?") by Kasarda, however, used historical harvest and survey data to discount such claims. Kasarda's paper, however, did not document whether modem wheat breeding or production practices might have altered gluten properties to make it stronger or less digestible. Kasarda also only examined total grain protein content, which might differ from gluten content- not all grain proteins are gluten proteins. Some authors also have claimed that gliadin, one component of gluten, specifically has increased in concentration. Gliadin proteins are those primarily responsible for celiac disease. Evidence does suggest that celiac disease has increased over the past few decades. This investigation will use a collection of historic land races, and older and current cultivars, to determine whether wheat breeding and production practices have altered the aggregative properties, gliadin content, or digestibility of gluten from Nebraska-grown wheats. Outcomes: Outcome from this investigation primarily will be information. The working hypothesis is that modem wheat gluten does not substantially differ from that of wheats grown in Nebraska in the 1920's. Verification ofthis hypothesis, and dissemination ofthe information via various media channels, will assist in consumer acceptance of modem wheats and their flours. Method/Approach: In the fall of2015, two identical studies were planted the UNL ARDC at Mead Nebraska. The studies include the following land-races, historic and modem cultivars: Anton, TAM107, Clark's Cream, Triumph64, Centurk 78, Lancer, Scout66, Sturdy, Jagalene, Centura, Cheyenne, Warrior, Turkey, Mattern, Freeman, Kharkof, Overland, Wesley, Wichita and Settler CL. The study will be seeded again in the fall of 2016. In addition, Red Chief and Pawnee, two cultivars from the 1940' s, will be added to the second year ofthe study. (Seed supplies of these two wheats were not adequate, but presently are being increased.). All entries were planted three times in a randomized complete block design in each study. One study will be treated with fungicide at flag leaf stage. The second study will be untreated. The following quality attributes will be determined: grain and flour protein concentration; mixing (Mixograph) strength; gluten content and gluten quality (as measured by a Glutomatic); gliadin content, and gluten digestibility. Quality evaluations will be obtained at the UNL Wheat Quality Laboratory, with the exception of Glutomatic assays (UNL does not have the necessary instrument). Glutomatic assays will be obtained from a commercial test lab, most likely that of the California Wheat Commission (this lab has been used with great success by the PI in the past). Gliadin content and gluten digestibility assays will be conducted by USDA-ARS staff at Lincoln, NE. Gliadin will be measured by spectrophotometric assays of ethanol-soluble flour extracts. Digestibility will be estimated by an in vitro (artificial) assay using simulated gastric fluid. Relevance: Per capita wheat flour consumption has declined in the U.S. since 2000, fueled, in part, by the perhaps irrational fear that something has gone wrong with modem wheat gluten. 3 Gluten-bashing still is a popular activity on many web-sites, and often expands to include the notion that wheat-breeders somehow have changed gluten properties over time. A realistic examination of the question is warranted. Impact: The project will determine whether gluten protein properties of wheat have been altered by breeding or production practices. An objective examination of the gluten properties of modem cultivars will alleviate irrational fears of the fine and healthy food produced by Nebraska's wheat farmers. Information will be published in scientific journals and forwarded to various media outlets for dissemination. Method suitability: The PI has nearly three decades experience in the conduct of wheat field trials and in the characterization of wheat proteins. UNL and California Wheat Commission Laboratories are uniquely qualified to conduct the quality evaluations needed. Project Budget (Year One): 1. Quality assays, UNL = $5 ,000 2. Glutomatic assays = $5 ,000 3. Student labor = $12,500 WHEATBOARDPROPOSALBUDGET 4 PROJECT TITLE: Has wheat gluten changed with modern breeding? A. Salaries and Wages Year 1 Year2 Institutional 2016-17 Investment 1. Co-principal Investigator(s) $7,500 2. Senior Associates 3. Research Associate- Post doctorate ...... 4. Other Professionals ...... 5. Graduate Students ...... 6. Prebaccalaureate Students ...... $12,500 7. Secretarial- Clerical ...... 8. Technical, Shop, and Other ...... B. Fringe Benefits - Grad. 28% + $700, FT-26% C. Nonexpendable Equipment D. Materials and Supplies E. Travel F. Greenhouse/growth chamber charges G. Land fees and harvest H. All Other Direct Costs (laboratory assays) $10,000 I. indirect Costs 0 -0- J. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $22,500 Wheat, Board From: Graybosch, Bob < [email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2016 11:42 AM To: Wheat, Board Subject: research proposal Attachments: Wheat Board Proposal Graybosch 2016 submitted.doc Attached please find a research proposal for consideration by the Nebraska Wheat Board. Thank you for your consideration. Bob Graybosch Supervisory Research Geneticist USDA-ARS-PA-GFBRU 251 Filley Hall, East Campus, UNL Lincoln, NE 68583-0937 402-472-1563 402-613-1950 {mobile) 1 Nebraska Wheat Board Proposal-Cover Page Title of Project: Response of transgenic wheat modified in lignin content to Fusarium head blight. Type of Project: Research New or Renewal: New Total Amount Requested: $22,704 Project Duration: July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 Project Coordinator Name, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: Dr. Deanna Funnell-Harris Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit USDA-ARS 251 Filley Hall University of Nebraska-East Campus Lincoln, NE 68583-0937 Phone: 402-472-9099 Fax: 402-472-4020 Email: [email protected] Organization Name, Address, Phone, Fax, and E-mail: Dr. Laurence Chandler USDA, Agricultural Research Service Office of the Area Director Northern Plains Area Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526-8119 Phone: 970-492-7057 Fax: 970-492-7065 Email: [email protected] Additional Participating Institutions: None Body of Proposal Project Abstract: New sources of resistance to the Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogen are required. The overall goal of this proposal is to determine if resistance or tolerance is conferred in wheat plants genetically engineered to contain higher lignin content. Lines transformed with one of four overexpressed sorghum genes (encoding for one transcription (regulatory) factor and three biosynthetic enzymes) will be evaluated. The lines will be 1) screened for Type I (to infection) and Type II (to spread) resistance and resulting mycotoxin (deoxynivalinol or DON) production following infection with the FHB pathogen; and 2) used for metabolic profiling to identify changes in lignin content and composition, and changes in levels of metabolites that could contribute to disease resistance in transgenic wheat. From our previous results with sorghum, we discovered that modifications in the lignin biosynthesis pathway can actually result in increased resistance to some Fusarium grain pathogens. Project Outcomes: Likely outcomes will be resistant lines that can be used in breeding, and knowledge of metabolites to manipulate in wheat via other means. Method or Approach: Lignin is a complex organic polymer, made up of subunits called “monolignols,” that is an essential cell wall component that lends structure and support to all land plants. Lignin has been implicated as important in defense against pathogens and insects. We have previously shown in sorghum that changes in enzyme levels in the lignin biosynthesis can not only affect lignin content and composition but also the levels of the biosynthetic intermediates, some of which are toxic to fungi. We also observed that these changes can result in reduced grain infection by Fusarium spp. We therefore propose that changes in lignin content, composition, inhibitory metabolites, or compounds involved in defense in grain, from wheat with increased lignin, may result in inhibition of colonization by the FHB pathogen, Fusarium graminearum. Wheat (Chinese spring CB037) was transformed with constructs that allowed overexpression of a sorghum transcription factor that increases expression of genes for enzymes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. We also have transformed wheat with constructs, individually, that overexpress three different genes for enzymes in the sorghum monolignol pathway. Funding of this proposal will supplement a pre-proposal to the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) that will allow us to screen transformed wheat lines with increased lignin content for resistance to F. graminearium, reduced DON production, and for biochemical assessment of changes in lignin content, lignin composition and levels of biosynthetic metabolites. We propose to 1) screen transformed wheat lines with increased lignin for Type I (initiation of infection) and Type II (spread) resistance for F. graminearum; and 2) conduct metabolic profiling on a subset of the transgenic lines in order to identify biochemical factors that contribute to increased resistance. Presently, we have chosen two lines from each set of transformations, for a total of eight transgenic lines, with significantly increased lignin levels as a result of the overexpressed genes. We will conduct greenhouse screens of these lines, the recipient cultivar (Chinese spring CD037) and resistant and susceptible checks for resistance to FHB by inoculating individual plants with F. graminearum. Each screen (for Type I or Type II resistance) will be conducted two to three times. Grain from each plant will be collected, ground and sent to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, North Dakota State University, Fargo, for estimation of DON and other toxic metabolites using gas chromatography. The remainder of each ground sample will be used in metabolic profiling on a subset of high lignin transgenic lines, Chinese spring CD037 lacking an overexpressed gene, and at least one each resistant and susceptible check with increased resistance to FHB. Extracts from the ground grain will be analyzed for metabolites using GC-MS, routinely performed at our facility, thus a high degree of success is expected. Metabolites will be separated and identified (when possible) and comparisons will be made between F. graminearum-infected and uninfected samples to determine candidate metabolites involved in resistance. Relevance: This year, FHB and the accumulation of DON, have severely affected the wheat crop in central and eastern Nebraska (http://cropwatch.unl.edu/wheat-disease-june-19-2015 ; https://jenreesources.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/wheat-scab-risk-increasing/). Research to identify unique sources of resistance is imperative. We have strong evidence that modifications in the lignin biosynthesis pathway of sorghum actually can increase resistance to some Fusarium spp. grain pathogens. Previous studies have implicated the role of lignin in resistance to F. graminearum in wheat, either by accumulation of lignin or biosynthetic intermediates, or increased enzyme activity in the lignin biosynthesis pathway during infection. However, to our knowledge, no one has yet reported the response of wheat lines with increased lignin to F. graminearum. Therefore, we present a unique opportunity to utilize the resources we already have in hand to potentially identify new sources of resistance to this destructive disease. Impact: Results from these analyses will be utilized to identify transgenic spring wheat lines that may be deployed for screening in the field, then later used in breeding for Nebraska-adapted winter wheat with increased resistance to FHB and/or decreased DON accumulation. Identification of metabolites or biochemical pathways associated with resistance or decreased DON accumulation may provide further research strategies to develop FHB-resistant wheat. Results of this study will be prepared for publication in an appropriate journal. Research progress will be presented at the FHB conference and possibly other scientific meetings. Method Suitability: Techniques for inoculation of wheat for screening for FHB resistance are well-established. We have collaborated with Dr. Stephen Wegulo of University of Nebraska (UNL), an expert on wheat diseases. Dr. Wegulo and his staff, as well as the greenhouse facility at UNL, are very familiar with and highly adept at growing wheat and conducting the greenhouse assessments. Dr. Wegulo will assist and help train a technologist proposed for funding by USWBSI. This individual will oversee planting, preparation of inoculum, inoculation and scoring of plants, collection, grinding and disposition of samples for analyses. For identification of metabolites involved in resistance, we have GC-MS equipment which is routinely used in our facility; the proposed technologist will also be trained to oversee these analyses. Budget PROJECT TITLE: Response of transgenic wheat modified in lignin content to Fusarium head blight. A. Salaries and Wages 2016-2017 Proposed USWSBI contribution 1. Co-principal Investigator(s) 2. Senior Associates 3. Research Associate - Post doctorate 4. Other Professionals: 0.5 X technologist $15, 923 5. Graduate Students $22,704 6. Prebaccalaureate Students: 2 @ $11,352 each 7. Secretarial - Clerical 8. Technical, Shop, and Other B. Fringe Benefits - (37% of salary) $5,892 C. Nonexpendable Equipment D. Materials and Supplies $6,000 E. Travel-to present results at annual FHB $1,000 meeting F. Greenhouse/growth chamber charges- $3,215 Rental on 300 sq. ft greenhouse bench space for one year. This rate includes pots, pasteurized soil, watering, fertilizing, pest control, lights and autoclaving infected plants and soil. G. Land fees and harvest H. All Other Direct Costs (publication costs) $ 920 I. Indirect Costs 0 J. TOTAL AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST $22,704 $32,950 For the current proposal, we request two part time student aides to assist the technologist with planting seed, inoculating plants, scoring results, collecting and grinding grain and metabolite profiling. Many of these tasks are repetitive and laborious. For this project to succeed in an expeditious and efficient manner, additional help is required. Mckendree, Margo From: Schaneman, Royce Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2015 2:01 PM To: Mckendree, Margo Subject: FW: Activities Proposed for State Funding Attachments: State Funding Proposal December 2015 .docx Meeting book. Royce Schaneman, Executive Director Nebraska Wheat Board P.O. Box 94912 Lincoln, NE 68509 Phone: ( 402) 471-2358 Fax: (402) 471-3446 Email: [email protected] Webstie: www.wheat.nebraska.gov From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2015 1:50PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Activities Proposed for State Funding All, Attached is a list of the activities that USW proposes states consider for funding during calendar year 2016. The list contains updated implementation dates and program details, as well as notation of the various funding sources currently involved. Please consider whether your state might be willing to commit funding to any of the listed activities. The North Asia Marketing Conference and the Latin America Buyers Conference are two very high priority efforts in 2016; both would benefit from state support. Activities that have MAP or FMD budgets are included because, overall, USW is short of funds to conduct all of the FY16 activities planned . The list is intended to give states a range of choices to consider as some activities may be of more interest than others. Any state funds committed to activities that have a MAP or FMD budget will allow USW to move those funds to other places where needed. If you have questions about the activities listed , please don't hesitate to ask. Best regards, Jennifer Jennifer Sydney Director of Programs and Planning U.S. Wheat Associates Phone: 703.650.0248 [email protected] 1 U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES 2015/16 Activities Proposed for State Funding December 2015 Region I Activity I Request I Activity Description ------l Expected TimlnglWheat class Mexico and Pasta Consultant to $19,400 USW/Mexico will send a pasta consultant to conduct in-plant consultations in Panama, May/June 2016 Durum, HRS, Central Central America and Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Trinidad. The consultant will discuss fundamental and HRW the Caribbean {Producer applied aspects of manufacturing extruded pasta products, including discussion of raw America Funded) material quality, specifications, and processing variables. The consultant will also discuss physical and rheological tests to evaluate flour and semolina quality. The consultant along with plant staff will test various processing methods using multiple US wheat classes, including HRS, HRW, and durum. One USW/Mexico staff member will accompany the consultant to visit selected manufacturers. Funds will cover fees for the consultant and airfare, per diem, and lodging for the consultant and one USW/Mexico staff member. 2016 LABC $10,000 Forty of the most influential wheat purchasing decision makers from the Mexico, Central June 2016 HRW, HRS, America, Venezuela and Caribbean region, and twenty-three key decision makers from SRW, SW {MW&BChas Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru will attend a two-day wheat buyers provided conference in Portland, OR in June 2016. This conference will provide a forum where buyers $5,000; WGC $10,000) can interact directly with the grain trade and discuss issues of common interest. Conference participants will be chosen by USW based on import volumes, influence in the industry and other related factors. Requested state funds totaling $25,000 will be used to cover the welcome reception event, coffee breaks, group meals and excursions. Producer funds will pay participant airfare and other conference costs. 2016 Venezuela Trade $15,000 A trade delegation from the leading mills in Venezuela will travel to the US for one week June 2016 HRS, HRW, Team including visits to HRW and HRS states (ND, MT, KS) and a Gulf export facility. Participants SRW, durum (Producer will meet with various state wheat commissions, producers, and the grain trade, and visit a Funded) country elevator. The team will focus on US grain grading and inspection procedures, wheat buying specifications and grain handling operations both at interior elevators as well as at the center Gulf. Meetings will also be arranged with FGIS officials to discuss buyer dissatisfaction with the export inspection certificate and overall quality of wheat received at destination. This activity will put Venezuelan wheat buyers in contact with traders and renew their familiarity with the advantages of the US wheat marketing system. Funds will cover airfar~od~in~,~11d_p_E'!rdi~I'Tl ~~t_tle team members and USW/Mexico staff. ------L __ Region I Activity I Request I Activity Description ____ H___ - -~ExpectedTimingI Wheat class Cookie Consultant to $5,400 USW will employ a cookie consultant to travel to Haiti and conduct in-plant consultations September or SRW Haiti over a period of four days for a new cookie plant being constructed in the country, which will October, 2016 (MAP be the first of its kind in Haiti. The consultant will provide training and technical assistance Funded) and conduct analysis in identifying an appropriate formulation to improve the quality of cookies produced by the plant. The consultant will also assist staff in troubleshooting production problems and evaluating finished products. Funds will pay consulting fees, airfare, lodging, and per diem for one consultant. South Baking Technology $8,500 USW Baking Consultant Didier Rosada will work with supermarket bakery personnel for one May 2016 SRW, HRS, America Support for week. During that time he will help them formulate new baked goods that will be appealing HRW,SW Supermarket Group in to consumers and identify appropriate US wheat flour blends for their existing and newly Colombia (Producer formulated products. Prior to the consultant assignment USW Santiago staff will have Funded) determined the flour specifications currently used for the company's major baked goods and the variety of breads they produce. USW will pay for the travel and fees for the consultant for one week. A USW staff member will accompany the consultant with travel costs paid from the trade servicing activity. South Asia 2016 Indonesia Trade $40,000 A five-person team from the Indonesia flour milling industry will travel to the US for ten August 2016 HRS, HRW, SW Team days. The participants.will meet state wheat commissions, producers, FGIS and grain ($5,000 traders, and visit a port loading facility and an FGIS dockside laboratory. The flour millers will provided by better understand the US wheat marketing system and will learn about various purchasing WGC, $5,000 by IWC, the options available from the US to reduce price while maintaining product quality. rest is FMD funded) Funds will cover airfare, hotel accommodations and per diem for the team members and one USW South Asia staff. 2016 Philippine Media $35,000 A six-person team from the Philippines media industry will travel to the US for up to ten August 2016 HRS, HRW, SW Team to the US days. The participants will meet with FAS and USW/HQ, state wheat commissions, ($10,000 producers, FGIS and grain traders, and visit a port loading facility and an FGIS dockside provided by WGC, $5,000 laboratory. The media representatives will understand US wheat varietal development, from IWC; wheat classes, and the US marketing system to appreciate why Philippine flour millers show the rest is a preference for US origin grain. FMDfunded) Funds will cover airfare, hotel accommodations and per diem during the travel period for the team members and one USW Manila staff. 2016 South Asia $50,000 USW/Singapore will implement a one-week workshop at NDSU led by Senay Simsek. 2016 HRS, HRW, SW Cereal Chemistry Based on recommendations from Roy Chung, four total participants will be chosen from the Workshop at NDSU Not funded. Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The workshop will include a special focus on Not submitted SRCanalysis in hard wheat applications. Participants will test their own flours' performance with UES. versus analytical tests results. One USW technical staff will accompany. Funds will cover NCI course fees, airfare, hotel accommodations and per diem during the travel period for the team members and one USW South Asia staff. 2 Region I Activity I Request I -- .- - --m Activity Description I Expected Timing!Wheat class - - -- - IGP Milling Seminar in $20,000 USW, in cooperation with IGP, will implement a three-day seminar in the Philippines, March 2016 HRS, SW, SRW the Philippines building on material presented by IGP in 2014. This course will focus on the fundamentals of Not funded. flour milling, including balancing, evaluating and maximizing process efficiencies, flour Not sampling and analysis, and additives. The goals of the course are to enhance the knowledge submitted and skills of mill production staff, such as shift millers and quality control staff. This three- with UES. day professional development, non-credit course yields one continuing education unit (CEU) from the International Grains Program and a certificate will be awarded to participants upon completion. A course fee will be required for participants and will go toward covering some of the seminar costs. Requested funds would go toward remaining implementation costs, and would also cover two extra days of consulting fees and travel costs for the miller to conduct technical service visits. Baking Consultant to $25,000 USW will employ a US baking consultant to conduct two two-day seminars in Manila for October 2016 HRS, SW, HRW the Philippines members of the Filipino Chinese Bakers Association and selected others. The consultant will Not funded. address technical problems, demonstrate the superior baking performance of HRS compared Not with CWRS and APH, demonstrate uses of high-protein HRW as an alternative to CWRS, submitted introduce healthy and other baked products using SW/WW, HRS and HRW and, most with UES. importantly, advise participants of the power that they, as bakers, have to influence millers to buy US wheat. Additionally, the consultant will provide in-house consultancy to mills with baking laboratories and will perform baking demonstrations for mills' large- and medium- sized customers. The baking and technical staff of leading bakeries will increase their satisfaction in the ability of US wheat classes to meet their end-use needs versus that of imported flour from Turkey. Problems for targeted bakers will be identified and resolved. Bakeries will learn about healthy bread products, as defined by having a sugar content below Philippine industry standards or through use of whole wheat flour. Funds will cover airfare, per diem, and consulting fees for a US-based consultant. Noodle End Product $20,000 USW will implement a noodle end product development short course for Philippine mills to October 2016 HRS, SW, HRW Development Short be held in Taiwan . Key personnel (one each) from San Miguel, URC, General Milling, Course for Philippine Not funded. Philippine Foremost and Monde Nissin, along with two USW South Asia staff, will work with Mills Not USW/Taiwan Food Technologist Shu-Ying Yang to overcome challenges presented by using submitted HRS SW with UES. , HRW and in noodle applications. Funds will cover per diem for eight total participants for eight days; participants will fund their own airfare. 3 Region I Acti"ity I Request I Activity Description -- nnnn -1 Expected Timing I Wheat class North Asia Japan and Taiwan $2,500 For Japan, the request is to provide one bottle of PNW wine for each of the 250 reception April 9-15, 2016 HRS, HRW, SW Anniversary Event attendees (250 x $30). A commemorative seal will be put on each bottle. There will also be (Both WGC 3-5 nicer gifts presented during the receptions to the chairmen of associations and top Gifts and IDW have executives of mills and other industry heads. Taiwan has requested personalized committed commemorative plaques be distributed. funds toward wine.) A total of $7500 is needed to pay for the gifts in both Taiwan and Japan. USW/Tokyo Office $35,000 USW will conduct a commemorative event, most likely a reception, to acknowledge and April9-15, 2016 HRS, HRW, SW 60th Anniversary celebrate USW's 60 years of service in Japan. The estimated number of guests is 200 and will (MW&BChas Event include MAFF, flour millers, grain traders, end-users, FAS partners and USW staff. provided $5,000, IWC $5,000; the Funds will cover the cost for the reception held at a hotel in the central part of Tokyo, rest is including the venue rental fee and buffet-style dinner for all guests. producer funded) USW/Taipei so'h $8,000 USW will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Taipei office. USW first opened an office in April9-15, 2016 HRS, HRW, SW, Anniversary Event Taiwan in 1966 under the name of Western Wheat Associates. For the past 50 years, USW HW (MW&BChas has worked closely with the Taiwan Flour Mills Association, the Taipei Bakers Association, provided the Taipei Noodle Association, CGPRDI, and baking and noodle manufacturer associations $5,000; the rest is around Taiwan to promote wheat products and flour consumption. USW will mark this producer milestone with a celebratory dinner event for the industry. funded) Funds will cover the dinner event for the industry. 2016Taiwan $20,000 USW will sponsor a team to the US comprised of up to three governmental officers who are June/July 2016 HRS, HRW, SW, Government Team to involved with decision making for imported wheat, a TFMA staff member, and a USW staff HW the PNW ($15,000 escorting as team manager and interpreter. USW will work with TFMA to select the provided by appropriate team members. During the one-week trip, the team will visit the Wheat WGC; the Marketing Center, port elevators and the FGIS head office in Portland to learn about quality rest is FMD funded) assurance programs and wheat quality inspection procedures. The team will also spend 1-2 days in WA. Funds will cover the round-trip airfare from Taipei to the US, per diem and related transportation costs for team members as well as the airfare and per diem of the USW staff during the seven-day trip. 4 Region I Activity . I Request I Activity Description I Expected Timing I Wheat class 2016 North Asia $50,000 A buyers conference will be held for both private and public organizations that procure October 9-15, 2016 HRS, HRW, SW, Marketing Conference wheat from the international market. The North Asia Marketing Conference will be held in SRW (MW&BC Tumon Bay, Guam, to ensure widespread customer participation. The agenda will address contributed the most pressing issues as identified by potential attendees in a survey conducted at the $10,000, IWC onset of the planning process for the conference. Workshops will be included that address contributed specific topics in more detail. The agenda will include speakers from USDA, USW staff, $15,000; regional entrepreneurs, biotechnologists and banking representatives. $50,000 is FMDfunded) Of the estimated $200,000 needed, requested state funds totaling $75,000 will be used to cover the welcome reception event, coffee breaks, group meals and excursions, and simultaneous translation. FMD funds will pay USW staff travel costs, consulting fees, airfare and per diem for US-based consultants and speakers, airport transfers and other hotel expenses. Middle East, 2016 Soft Wheat $25,000 USW MEENA will conduct a two-day technical course on the use of US soft wheat and flour March/ April 2016 SW, SRW for the major leading mills in the Arab Gulf Region and Saudi Arabia. The course will be held East and Course for Arab Gulf Region Mills (Producer in Dubai, UAE, to focus on expanding market share by preparing the participating mills for North Africa Funded) the increase in demand for soft wheat products of superior quality made possible by the use Region of US wheat. USW's market surveys indicate that this region is a major growth area for the (MEENA) future. One US consultant, possibly from WMC, will be retained to conduct this activity, accompanied by a self-sponsored soft wheat state representative, in addition to USW MEENA technical staff. Funds will cover the consultant's per diem, airfare and fees, and accommodation for the participants outside UAE, as well as local transport, seminar auditorium rent, staff per diem and coffee breaks. China 2016 China End $40,600 A team of up to six participants, including wheat quality specialists, production managers, June 2016 HRS, HRW, SW Products Collaborative millers and buyers, will develop protocols for specific end-products, identify flour quality {MW&BC has specifications, and learn about US wheat classes or blends of classes that will meet their contributed quality requirements. Effective blends of US wheat classes will be identified which $6,000; the rest is FMD participants will find to be competitive with Australian wheats (ASW, APH, and AH) or funded .) Canadian CWRS for Western- and Asian-style products. The purpose of this effort is to address end-product issues where US wheat is being challenged or displaced by competitor wheat due to real or perceived functional quality differences. Travel is likely to occur in June to either Portland (Wheat Marketing Center) or Fargo (Northern Crops Institute). Funding will cover food, lodging, international and domestic transportation, course fees, flour samples' freight and evaluation costs. 5 COUNCIL Proposal to Nebraska Wheat Board Wheat Foods Council Fiscal Year 2016/17 (July 1, 2015- June 30, 2016) Tim O'Connor, President Gayle Veum, VP, Registered Dietitian WFC Federal I. D. Number: 36-3495285 Mission: The Wheat Foods Council (WFC) is an industry-wide partnership dedicated to increasing the domestic consumption of wheat and wheat-based foods through nutrition information, education, research and other promotional activities. Background: WFC was created in 1972 by five producer members when U.S. per capita flour consumption was at an all-time low of 110 pounds per person. The Council is now a fifty member strong industry-wide organization supported voluntarily by wheat producers, millers, bakers, cereal manufacturers, allied industry and related organizations. Backed by our 40-plus year history, WFC is uniquely qualified to provide a credible voice and accurate messages to nutrition professionals and other influencers. Goals and Objectives: Our strategic approach is to target influencers and focus on message multipliers which works very well for the WFC program budget. We'll continue to engage registered dietitians and nutritionists, supermarket dietitians, media dietitians and family and consumer science educators at the 50 state land-grant universities, but in the upcoming fiscal year we will focus on four new areas that were determined through a strategic plan process. WFC gives health professionals valid reasons to recommend wheat and wheat-based foods as an essential component of a healthful eating plan. Our focused science-based program helps the industry by continuing positive messaging as well as debunking the many myths circulating about "modern wheat." Wheat has been under attack and the WFC is actively engaging the media and challenging the myths by presenting the facts. Communication Program: Our 2016/17 program of work has yet to be determined, but the board voted to "jump start" next year's program of work by approving several strategies at our January 14, 2016 annual meeting. The four basic strategies that were approved will be developed further by the program committee and PR agency and a final communications program and budget to be voted on at our June 2016 meeting. The program budget will most likely be similar to 1 previous years at $400,000. While the final program has not been determined, the board has agreed to continue the direction and past key tactics in addition to freeing up part of our program budget to pursue a new target audience that was identified through a survey done on behalf of WFC. The survey included 100 physicians, 100 registered dietitians and 100 personal trainers and was conducted to determine their beliefs about wheat and wheat foods. It was determined that personal trainers are providing the most nutrition advice to their clients regarding carbohydrates, grains and what they perceive to be "healthy eating plans" and they are the ones that know the least about science-based nutrition. The WFC sees this as an excellent opportunity for us to educate this particular group about the importance of wheat and wheat foods in a healthy eating plan. The four items that came to the top through our strategic planning process were: >- Retain base RD program - though move away from having the majority of the programming budget used with this target group. We have done a great job with this group (as our survey results showed). >- Educate Personal Trainers/Introduce WFC- create interest/Provide value by developing educational materials this influencer group could use. >- Improve the image of enriched flour >- Improve the image of modern wheat, wheat breeding In addition to these new strategies WFC will continue to: >- Have a presence at various venues such as: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE); U.S. Wheat/NAWG joint meetings; American and Independent Bakers Associations; Home Baking Association; and others as opportunities arise. >- Educate by having Dr. Julie Miller Jones, Dr. Glenn Gaesser and Dr. Brett Carver present on our behalf at various speaking opportunities as they are identified. >- Defend wheat using science-based facts to counter the numerous myths surrounding gluten and wheat. Science is on our side and we will continue to develop materials to promote wheat's nutritional benefits and other valid reasons to include wheat and wheat-based foods such as taste, cost and as a carrier for other healthful foods (sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and even desserts). >- Distribute our messaging materials to personal trainers through either exhibiting opportunities, through continuing education forums and professional journals that reach the various personal trainer associations. We will continue our social media campaign and increase our audiences from our wide dietitian following to include messages personal trainers would be likely to read and share. );> Promote WFC materials to 18,000 home baking educators via the Home Baking Association's monthly E-newsletter as well as through "Kernels" our e- 2 magazine with just under 5,000 subscribers, our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest social media campaigns, as interest in our postings continue to grow each year. ~ Utilize our advisory board members throughout the year to review research literature and to seek their expert advice on the content of letters we send in defense of wheat and advocating against "fad diets." The advisory board was developed to have a pro-active as well as reactive role regarding threats such as Wheat Belly, Grain Brain, low carb, paleo, and others. Our Advisory Board: • Julie Miller Jones, PhD, LN, CNS- nutrition/grains expert • Brett Carver, PhD - wheat breeder • Glenn Gaesser, PhD - exercise physiologist, obesity expert Planned Activities: ~ Work in collaboration with the "Grain Chain" which represents producers, millers, bakers, and manufacturers and includes the American Bakers Association, American Institute of Baking, Grain Foods Foundation, Grains for Health Foundation; Independent Bakers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Pasta Association, North American Millers' Association, U.S. Wheat Associates, USA Rice Federation, and Wheat Foods Council. ~ Actively provide comments to USDA/CNPP and HHS concerning the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendation for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The WFC was pleased that the committee recognized the importance of enriched grains in the guidelines released in January 2016. ~ Reach consumers through media RDs (registered dietitians). We currently have 10 dietitians who regularly work with national, local media with a diverse geographic/demographic representation and we've charged them with initiating TV and print placements based on message points and story ideas we provide. This outreach provides WFC with a ready-made team to respond to media in crisis 3 situations as well. > Work with our agency's consultant and tri-athlete world-medalist, Michele Tuttle, MPH, RD, to promote the importance of complex carbohydrates, such as wheat, to athletes for performance and endurance. We anticipate continuing to utilize Michele as we reach out to our personal trainer audiences. We appreciate the support the Nebraska Wheat Board has given the WFC in the past and hope you will continue to do so in the future. Promoting the value of wheat is becoming harder and harder in an internet-fueled society where misinformation can be repeated as if it were fact. The Council is needed now more than ever to promote the truth about wheat through science-based messages. We have greatly benefited by having Brent Robertson on our executive board and on the program committee -- and appreciate your sending Caroline Brauer to our Phoenix meeting. Total Dollar Amount Requested: The requirement for full voting membership for FY 2015/2016 for the Nebraska Wheat Board is $22,670 per your five year Olympic average production based on $.41/thousand bushels. Currently, 80 percent of the Council's funding comes from producer organizations. Payment Schedule: Payments may be made on a quarterly, monthly, or bi-annual basis. Specific arrangements can be made by contacting Gayle Veum, Wheat Foods Council VP at: 970-626-9828 or [email protected]. In the past, NWB has paid quarterly through electronic funds transfer. We thank you for your support and commitment to the Wheat Foods Council. 4 Improving the Competitive Edge of United States Wheat Farmers through Education and Research Nebraska Wheat Board Request for Funding FY 2016/17 January 15, 2016 Title: Connecting Wheat Professionals: Visiting Scholars Type of Project: Research Amount Requested: $15,000 (Renewal of funding) This represents partial funding ; other state wheat commissions have joined Nebraska in supporting this program. Project Duration: Ongoing; scholars rotate in and out, usually staying for six to 12 months Project Coordinator: Gary Hou 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Organization: Wheat Marketing Center 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Project Abstract: The Visiting Scholar program is designed to attract highly-skilled researchers from key markets around the world to the Wheat Marketing Center, where they can enhance their knowledge and understanding of U.S. wheat utilization and share their own expertise with WMC technical staff. The Visiting Scholars engage in specific research projects jointly defined by the scholar, the scholar’s employer, and WMC Technical Director Dr. Gary Hou to support the interests and objectives of WMC’s partners. The scholars also provide support for the annual U.S. wheat crop quality and export cargo survey analyses and other WMC program activities. Project Outcomes: In 2001, Wheat Marketing Center (WMC) initiated a scientific technical program for Visiting Scholars for extended stays, from three months to long-term training projects up to one year. Based on the program experience to date, participants gained professional recognition and received rapid advancement within their respective companies and institutions. Since the program’s inception in 2001, WMC has hosted 22 visiting scholars from eight countries. The 1200 N.W. Naito Parkway, Suite 230, Portland, OR 97209-2831 Ph: (503) 295-0823 FAX (503) 295-2735 Email: [email protected] technical exchange of information and ideas benefits U.S. wheat farmers by building long-term relationships with research entities and customers in key markets around the world. In 2015, Wheat Marketing Center hosted four visiting scholars: Ms. Ting Liu conducted Ph. D. research at Wheat Marketing Center on optimizing whole-wheat flour particle size in wheat flour tortillas to increase the nutritional value of wheat-based foods. Her research program at WMC will end on January 26, 2016. Ms. Liu is a graduate student at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Dr. Jingming Ning, Associate Professor, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China is at WMC from 1 April 2015 to 22 January 2016. His research is “Extending the shelf life of whole-grain pan bread and steamed bread with natural antioxidant green tea powder”. Ms. Jenny Wang, Associate Researcher, China Grain Products Research and Development Institute, Taiwan, started her program at WMC from 8 May 2015 to 15 January 2016. Her research project is on “Effects of whole-wheat flour properties on quality characteristics of Chinese steamed breads”. Ms. Marie Cardin, a student at the Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvis, France was at WMC from 1 July to 28 September 2015. Her research was on the utilization of sprouted wheat in pan bread. Approach: Three (3) visiting scholars have been identified to work at Wheat Marketing Center during 2016. A fourth scholar from Latin America is being sought. Dr. Wenyin Zheng is an associate professor of Anhui Agricultural University. Dr. Zheng is strongly recommended by previous WMC Visiting Scholars and the University President. Dr. Zheng’s current research area is in wheat quality and utilization. Her research at WMC is to test soft white whole- wheat flour in pan bread, steamed bread and flour tortillas. She plans to start her program at WMC on January 15, 2016. Mr. Yo-Sep Kim, a researcher at the Food Research Institute within Daehan Flour Mills, is experienced in flour end-use quality and development of premixes. According to his company management and U.S. Wheat Associates in Seoul office, his research subject at WMC is to evaluate high protein soft white wheat in sponge cake application. His second research project is to develop premixes for pan breads and cakes using U.S. hard wheat and soft wheat flour and other ingredients. Daehan Flour Mills is the largest mill in South Korea and a major buyer of U.S. wheat of various classes. Ms. Hsin-Yu (Sonia) Huang is a lecturer at WuFeng University, Chiayi, and a Ph.D. Candidate at the National Chung Hsing University, Taichung. Ms. Huang’s research interest at WMC will focus on the use of lactic acid bacteria to improve sour dough bread and steamed bread quality and flavor. She is expected to arrive in July, 2016. Scholar from Latin America: To be identified. 2 Relevance: The Nebraska Wheat Board benefits from research that demonstrates improved nutritional benefits and new uses for its wheat. Dr. Zheng’s projects will encompass soft white and Hard Red Winter Wheat. Mr. Kim’s research on pan bread premixes will use Hard Red Winter Wheat. Ms. Huang will work with bread wheat. It is anticipated that the scholar from Latin America will focus on soda cracker (a combination of Soft White and Hard Red Winter Wheat) and bread products. Expected Impact: Visiting Scholars gain exposure to and learn applications of U.S. wheat in a wide range of existing, new or innovative consumer products, conducting specific research projects and product development, assisting and participating in various technical short courses and workshops that WMC offers, as well as assisting in performing the annual U.S. wheat crop quality and export cargo survey analyses. Visiting Scholars gain technical expertise from their research, enhance and improve their English language capability and cross cultural awareness, and develop personal and professional relationships with peers and companies worldwide that visit WMC. Visiting scholars are expected to serve as strong advocates for the U.S. wheat industry in their countries. WMC is developing a more formal way to build and utilize the Visiting Scholar network. WMC technical staff also gains significant technical knowledge from the scholars. The exchange goes both ways. The scholars also share their product development and market insights from their home countries. We involve USW in the scholar selection process, when appropriate, which broadens the impact. Finally, the visiting scholars often engage with the visiting grower groups and explain their research objectives and outcomes. Just recently, for example, Ms. Ting Liu asked the Nebraska delegation to participate in her sensory evaluation of flour tortillas fortified with sprouted whole- wheat flour. Method Suitability: Visiting Scholars are carefully selected for their knowledge, research expertise, and national origin to help expand the visibility of Nebraska and U.S. wheat in key markets. With quality the main advantage offered by U.S. wheat, educating research and technical staff from those markets about the many facets and advantages of our wheat carries direct benefits to the U.S. wheat industry. Budget: Total salary and program fees (12 months) $96,000 Travel to professional meetings 6,000 Total $102,000 WMC provides a monthly stipend to the scholars and pays program fees to Experience International for administrative services. Each scholar covers their own international travel expenses, initial application fees, and many other expenses. In some cases, a scholar’s university or employer will also provide additional financial support. Requests of $15,000 are made to multiple states to support this important program. 3 Improving the competitive edge of United States wheat farmers through Education and Research Title: Improving the Competitive Edge of Nebraska Wheat Type of Project: International Marketing Amount Requested: $80,000 (Renewal of funding) Project Duration: Fiscal Year 2016/17 Project Coordinator: Janice Cooper 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Organization: Wheat Marketing Center 1200 NW Naito Parkway, #230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Cooperators: Nebraska Wheat Board University of Nebraska Abstract: The expertise of the staff and the equipment at the Wheat Marketing Center are unique. The combination of a trained and talented staff as well as pilot-scale processing equipment constitutes a powerful marketing force for Nebraska wheat. Outcomes: • Maintain a viable laboratory with equipment and expertise to demonstrate to the world the functional end-use properties of Nebraska wheat. • Provide educational opportunities for Nebraska wheat producers and the general public to learn about wheat quality analysis and its relation to wheat prices and wheat markets. • Promote the utilization of NE wheat and other U.S. wheat to international/ domestic buyers. Approach: • Provide adequate economic incentives for a staff to remain at the Wheat Marketing Center. Members of this staff speak Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Cantonese. These languages represent established and future markets for Nebraska wheat. • Provide wheat, flour, dough properties, and end-product analyses of Nebraska wheat. • Provide expert milling capabilities on the Miag and Buhler flour mills to those who utilize Nebraska wheat. 1200 N.W. Naito Parkway, Suite 230, Portland, OR 97209-2831 Ph: (503) 295-0823 FAX (503) 295-2735 Email: [email protected] Timeline: 1. Fiscal Year – Conduct wheat utilization courses for domestic and overseas participants: Asian Noodle Technology; Advanced Asian Noodle Technology; Asian Noodle Technology Course for Africa; Cracker, Cookie and Biscuit Technology; Flat Bread and Flour Tortilla Technology; Whole Grains Products Short Courses; End-Products Collaborative Projects; Korea Whole-Wheat Noodle Course; Korea Whole-Wheat Cracker Course; Frozen Dough Technology 2. December 2016 to January 2017 – Analyze wheat samples, including hard red winter and hard white wheat classes, submitted to the Wheat Quality Council and present Wheat Marketing Center’s results at the annual meeting. 3. Fiscal year – Work closely with USWA/Mexico to increase U.S. HRW and HW wheat utilization in Latin America in wheat flour tortillas and other products. 4. Fiscal year – Conduct flat bread research to optimize and increase HRW and HW wheat use in Middle Eastern countries as well as introduce other wheat buyers to these products. 5. Fiscal year – Work closely with University of Nebraska on wheat breeding programs to analyze advanced wheat breeding lines and released wheat varieties for finished product characteristics on pilot-scale equipment. 6. Fiscal year – Analyze Nebraska samples for TCK so that U. S. wheat can be exported to China. A TCK certificate is required for all wheat exports to China from any U.S. port. 7. Fiscal year – Analyze Nebraska wheat and flour samples for utilization in products, such as pan breads, flat breads, flour tortillas, Asian noodles, and steamed breads. 8. Fiscal year – Provide educational opportunities to farmers and others from NE on demand. 9. Fiscal year- Work with wheat exporters to help source and provide quality control on specified wheat on demand. 10. Fiscal year – Test Nebraska wheat and flour quality of export cargoes, for example, Taiwan and the Philippines, from the ports of the Pacific Northwest. 11. Summer 2016 – Provide end-use quality information to Nebraska farmers at Field Days. 12. November 2016 – Participate in USWA crop quality seminars. Relevance: During the past 20 years the world wheat market has become more complex. Now wheat millers and processors are demanding increasingly sophisticated specifications, such as Farinograph water absorption and whole meal wet gluten content. These values must be provided by a scientific laboratory whose results are respected by both the buyer and the seller. In this sophisticated marketing environment, U.S. wheat farmers need to know what to grow to meet specifications. The U.S. wheat market needs crucial information about the products that are being made from their wheat. A neutral laboratory setting is beneficial to the entire wheat industry, including wheat producers, marketers, millers, and end users. Wheat Marketing Center provides scientific wheat expertise that answers questions, solves problems, and increases profitability for the U.S. wheat industry. WMC is recognized as impartial experts that provide meaningful and accessible answers to the wheat world. Wheat Marketing Center welcomes the opportunity to assist Nebraska farmers in providing the competitive edge for wheat the world wants to buy. Impact: Report of Accomplishments (Calendar year: 1 January to 31 December 2015) 1. Nebraska – Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop January 5-8, 2015 (Nebraska Wheat Board sponsored this course.) 2 Wheat Marketing Center taught fifteen (15) Nebraska wheat farmers and educators about wheat quality analyses, export marketing considerations, and wheat product consumer demands. In addition, team members toured wheat processing and export facilities as well as learned about export markets. All of these factors impact economic sustainability of Nebraska wheat producers by supplying superior quality hard red winter and hard white wheat to worldwide markets. 2. Nebraska – Youth Export Seminar March 24-26, 2015 (Nebraska Wheat Board sponsored this course.) Wheat Marketing Center taught eight (8) Nebraska students about wheat quality analyses, export marketing considerations, and wheat product consumer demands through product making demonstration workshops at WMC and touring of export facilities and bakery. In addition, team members learned about export market situation from seminars by the grain trade, FGIS and USWA. 3. Asian Noodle Development Course for Sumesa, Ecuador January 12-16, 2015 (Sumesa sponsored this project.) Wheat Marketing Center helped Sumesa develop a new noodle product using U.S. wheat that would be launched in 2015. Two managers from the company participated in this project. 4. Africa – Asian Noodle Technology Short Course March 9-13, 2015 (USWA-South Africa sponsored this course.) Twelve (12) participants from noodle manufacturers in Nigeria and Angola learned about Asian noodle formulation, processing and flour functionality. HRW and SRW wheat flours were blended to produce instant ramen noodles for Nigeria and Angola markets. 5. Africa – Advanced Asian Noodle Technology Short Course March 16-20, 2015 (USWA-South Africa sponsored this course.) Twelve (12) participants from noodle manufacturers in Nigeria and Angola learned about ingredient functionality, new product development, flavoring, sensory evaluation, shelf life, and packaging technology. This course helped noodle manufacturers in Nigeria and Angola improve their noodle quality and increase production. 6. Korea – Whole-Wheat Noodle Development Short Course March 23-27, 2015 (USWA-Korea sponsored this course.) Five (5) participants from flour mills and noodle manufacturers attended this course. With the technical advice of WMC staff, the team developed whole-wheat instant ramen noodle that was acceptable by Korean consumers using U.S. wheat flour. HRS and HW were used in the course. 7. China – Frozen Dough Technology Short Course April 20-29, 2015 (Self-sponsored.) Eleven (11) self-sponsored participants from flour milling and baking companies in China attended this course. The participants learned about the types, formulations, and processing techniques of frozen dough products using U.S. wheat flour. Both HRS and HRW flours were used in the course. 8. Flat Bread and Flour Tortilla Technology Short Course May 12-15, 2015 (Self-sponsored by the participating companies) Six (6) self-sponsored participants from Turkey, Trinidad, Philippines and the U.S. attended. They learned about the formulations and processing technology of flat breads and flour tortillas using U.S. wheat flour. HRW wheat flour is typically used for making tortillas. 9. Cookie and Cracker Technology Short Course 3 June 1-5, 2015 (Self-sponsored by the participating companies) Five (5) self-sponsored participants from Trinidad, Jamaica, and the U.S. attended this course. They learned about flour and ingredient functionality, and the processing technology of various cookie and cracker products using U.S. wheat flour. For soda crackers, hard red winter wheat flour is often blended with soft wheat to increase gluten strength of cracker dough. 10. China – Contracting for Wheat Value Workshop June 8-12, 2015 (USWA-China sponsored this course.) Eight (8) participants from six grain trading and flour milling companies attended this course. They learned about contract specifications for U.S. wheat imports, the relationship between wheat and flour properties and the end product quality in sponge cakes, Chinese steamed breads, hamburger buns, pan breads, and Chinese noodles. 11. Whole Grain Summit 2015 Pre-Meeting Whole Grain Products Workshop June 22-23, 2015 (Sponsored by ICL Food Specialties and Whole Grain Summit 2015) Sixteen (16) self-sponsored participants from six countries attended this workshop. The team learned a number of whole grain products (flour tortillas, Asian noodle, steamed bread, pan bread, flat bread, and snack cracker) formulated with whole grain flour or multi-grain flour milled from U.S. wheat. Hard red spring, hard red winter, and soft white wheat were used in this course. 12. China – End Products Collaborative (Flour Blending Study) July 6-10, 2015 (USWA-China sponsored this course.) Six (6) participants from two flour mills and one U.S. Wheat Associates representative attended this course. The team evaluated U.S. HRW, HRS, soft white and western white in a variety of products consumed in China. Flour blends of HRW/HRS made better pan breads and hamburger buns than the Chinese high-gluten wheat flour. HRW flour also produced better Chinese noodles than Chinese wheat. 13. Korea – Whole-Wheat Flour Baking Short Course July 20-24, 2015 (USWA-Korea sponsored this course.) Three (3) bakers and one U.S. Wheat Associate technical specialist attended this course. This course consisted of two parts; the first part compared U.S. HRW and HRS flour blends with their control flour in pan bread, hamburger bun, and Korean morning roll. The second part of the course produced pan bread, baguette, and bagel with various U.S. whole-wheat flours. The team left with new knowledge and a better understanding of baking quality products with blends of U.S. refined flour or whole-wheat flour. 14. Colombia – Custom Cracker Development Short Course for NOEL July 27-31, 2015 (USWA-South America sponsored this course.) Two (2) participants from NOEL S.A.S., Colombia attended this special product development course. Terry Knabe, an expert consultant with more than 30 years of commercial cracker production experience assisted in this course. The team was able to develop quality soda crackers with a soft white and HRW flour blend. 15. U.S. Crop Quality Survey Analyses July to October 2015 Wheat Marketing Center conducted annual crop quality survey analyses on soft white and hard white wheat for U.S. Wheat Associates. Some of the hard white wheat samples were collected from Nebraska. Two reports were submitted to USWA and are included in its annual crop quality report. This report is distributed to importers, millers, and food processors worldwide. 4 16. Wheat Quality Workshops Wheat Marketing Center conducted over 30 wheat quality workshops for the United States and International Grain Trade, country grain elevators, Federal Grain Inspection Services, students, farmers, and the general public. 17. Wheat Quality Council meetings PNW Wheat Quality Council - San Francisco, California - January 21-23, 2015 Wheat Marketing Center analyzed HRS, HRW, hard white, and soft white flour samples for bread and sponge cake baking properties. WMC presented the results at this annual meeting. Wheat Quality Council - Kansas City, Missouri - February 17-19, 2015 Wheat Marketing Center analyzed HRS, HRW, and hard white wheat flour samples for bread baking properties and presented our results at this annual meeting. Soft Red Wheat Quality Council - Indianapolis, Indiana - March 3-4, 2015 Wheat Marketing Center analyzed soft red wheat flour samples for sponge cake baking and presented our results at this annual meeting. 18. Asian Noodle Manufacturing Consulting in Latin America February 23-27, 2015 - Guatemala and Honduras (USWA-Mexico sponsored) Dr. Gary Hou provided in-plant technical services to noodle manufacturers in Guatemala and Honduras helping them improve product quality and increase production. Asian noodles are produced from HRS and HRW wheat flour in these two countries. June 29 - July 3 2015 - St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Guyana (USWA-Mexico sponsored) Dr. Gary Hou conducted noodle training seminars in Trinidad and Guyana providing in-plant technical services to noodle manufacturers in these three countries. Asian noodles are made from U.S. hard wheat flour in these countries. 19. Crop Quality Seminar and In-plant Technical Services in China November 12-27, 2015 – China (U.S. Wheat Associates sponsored) Dr. Gary Hou gave technical presentations and provided translations to speakers at the U.S. Crop Quality seminar in Shanghai, China that was organized by U.S. Wheat Associates. Dr. Hou also visited seven large flour mills in China and conducted on-site seminars and Q&A sessions at each flour mill to promote U.S. wheat in China. 20. WMC Visiting Scholars Interview Wheat Marketing Center has identified three (3) potential candidates for our 2016 Visiting Scholar Program. Dr. Gary Hou traveld to Taiwan, China and South Korea and conducted face-to-face interviews with each of the three candidates. Dr. Hou also met with their management to determine their qualifications and mutually beneficial research subjects. Dr. Wenyin Zheng of Anhui Agricultural University, China is scheduled to arrive at WMC on January 15, 2016. Mr. Yosep Kim of Daehan Flour Mills, South Korea plans to start his Visiting Scholar Program at WMC on February 16, 2016. Ms. Hsin-Yu (Sonia) Huang of WuFeng University in Taiwan is expected to arrive at WMC in July 2016. Dr. Hou also met with some of our previous Visiting Scholars and course participants during the trip. WMC is expanding the Visiting Scholar Program to Latin America and is searching for candidates. WMC views Latin America as an important market for U.S. wheat export. 5 21. TCK Spore Analyses for Wheat Exports to China In the past, The Peoples’ Republic of China has imported large quantities of U. S. wheat. The grain trade anticipates large Chinese wheat imports in the future. A TCK certificate is required for all wheat exports from all U. S. ports for all U. S. wheat classes, including HRW wheat and HRS wheat from Pacific Northwest and Gulf coast ports. Wheat Marketing Center is the only agency that is certified by Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) to analyze for TCK spores in the USDA approved the TCK method at Wheat Marketing Center for annual recertification in February 2015. 22. Wheat Export Analyses Wheat Marketing Center continues to analyze wheat export samples, including soft white, western white, HRS, and HRW wheat classes, for international customers. Routinely, WMC analyzes for gluten strength as well as other processing and end-use quality characteristics of wheat. 23. Trade Teams - January to December 2015 WMC presented wheat quality information to USWA trade teams from many Asian countries. 24. Visiting Scholars From January to December 2015, Wheat Marketing Center hosted four (4) visiting scholars to assist with WMC educational programs and research projects: 1) Ms. Marie Cardin, Student, Institut Polytechnique Lasalle Beauvais, France Project: Development of healthy and nutritious whole-wheat pan bread using sprouted whole- wheat flour 2) Dr. Jingming Ning, Associate Professor, College of Tea, and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, China Project: Extending the shelf life of whole-wheat pan bread and steamed bread with natural antioxidant green tea powder. 3) Ting Liu, Ph.D. Candidate, Food Science, University of MN-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN Projects: Optimization of whole-wheat flour particle size in flour tortillas; development of chemical leavening system in whole-wheat flour tortillas; evaluation of sprouted wheat in whole-wheat flour tortilla applications. 4) Ms. Tsun-Ni Wang, Associate Researcher, Grain Products Research & Development Institute, Taiwan Project: Effect of whole-wheat flour properties on quality of Chinese steamed breads. Budget: Salaries and benefits Operating expenses Total $ 80,000 The Wheat Marketing Center was founded to serve as a focal point for research and education for producers who grow wheat that is exported and consumed domestically. The Wheat Marketing Center serves as a bridge between wheat producers and wheat buyers. States in the Great Plains as well as the Pacific Northwest provide funds for the Wheat Marketing Center. 6 Improving the Competitive Edge of United States Wheat Farmers through Education and Research Nebraska Wheat Board Request for Funding FY 2016/17 January 15, 2016 Title: Nebraska Youth Export Seminar Type of Project: Education Amount Requested: $8,400 (Renewal of funding) Project Duration: This activity is usually conducted in March to coincide with Spring Break at University of Nebraska, Lincoln Project Coordinator: Janice Cooper 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Organization: Wheat Marketing Center 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Abstract: The Nebraska wheat industry is a major competitor in the global wheat industry. The Youth Export Seminar educates Nebraska college students on the complexities of the wheat value chain, and especially about the end-use demands of domestic and international wheat buyers. Financial success in global markets relies on meeting the demands of buyers. This workshop helps prepare future wheat farmers and grain industry executives for their careers. Outcomes: Gain knowledge tools to increase farm profitability by: • Touring wheat export facility and wheat foods processing factories. • Learning about the milling process and wheat and flour quality testing methods. • Observing and taking part in cookie and cracker, Asian noodle, steamed bread, tortilla, and Middle Eastern flat bread production. • Learning about the functions of Federal Grain Inspection Services and wheat marketing perspective of U. S. Wheat Associates, grain traders, and transportation providers. • Discussing current research projects with Visiting Scholars 1200 N.W. Naito Parkway, Suite 230, Portland, OR 97209-2831 Ph: (503) 295-0823 FAX (503) 295-2735 Email: [email protected] Approach: • Nebraska Wheat Board encourages college students interested in pursuing a career in agriculture to attend the Youth Export Seminar at Wheat Marketing Center. • Wheat Marketing Center will organize and conduct the seminar, including tours of wheat export and processing facilities. • Wheat Marketing Center will demonstrate wheat and flour testing and evaluation equipment. Timeline: Nebraska Wheat Board organizes their annual three-day “Youth Export Seminar” at Wheat Marketing Center, Portland, Oregon, in mid-March. The dates are selected to fall within the spring break period. Relevance: The wheat industry is more complex now than 20 years ago. Consumers, both domestic and international, demand wheat with quality characteristics that meet their processing needs. This workshop provides Nebraska future farmers and grain industry executives with tools to successfully compete in this global marketplace. By interacting with professionals at all levels in the wheat value chain, participants may make more informed career choices. Impact - Report of Accomplishments: In March 2015, Wheat Marketing Center conducted the annual Youth Export Seminar for six college students from Nebraska (plus one NWB staff member). Over the three days, participants participated in a combination of hands-on milling and wheat food activities and interactive lectures from grain marketing and transportation executives. Nebraska youth also toured a wheat export facility, a tug boat company and a local bakery. They learned about wheat and flour quality testing as well as the production of cookiesgh and crackers, Asian noodles, steamed bread, tortillas, and Middle Eastern flat breads. The group also visited the Federal Grain Inspection Service office and participated in a grain grading workshop. Participants reported the tour was well organized and very informative, and said the program broadened their knowledge of and perspectives on the wheat export market. Wheat Marketing Center organized and the Nebraska Wheat Board sponsored this tour. Budget: Estimated expenses for eight participants include: Lodging: $4,600 Meals: $2,800 Transportation: $1,000 Total: $8,400 2 Improving the Competitive Edge of United States Wheat Farmers through Education and Research Nebraska Wheat Board Request for Funding FY 2016/17 January 15, 2016 Title: Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop Type of Project: Education Amount Requested: $ 15,000 (Renewal of funding) Project Duration: This activity is usually conducted in early January Project Coordinator: Janice Cooper 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Organization: Wheat Marketing Center 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 230 Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 295-0823 – phone; (503) 295-2735 – fax [email protected] Abstract: The Nebraska wheat industry is a major competitor in the global wheat industry. The Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop educates wheat producers, elevator operators and other wheat professionals about the end-use demands of domestic and international wheat buyers. Financial success in global markets relies on meeting the demands of buyers. This workshop provides that opportunity. Outcomes: Gain knowledge tools to increase farm profitability by: • Touring wheat export facility and wheat foods processing factories. • Learning about the milling process and wheat and flour quality testing methods. • Observing and taking part in cookie and cracker, Asian noodle, steamed bread, tortilla, and Middle Eastern flat bread production. • Learning about the functions of Federal Grain Inspection Services and wheat marketing perspective of U. S. Wheat Associates, grain trades, and transportation providers. • Discussing current research projects with Visiting Scholars 1200 N.W. Naito Parkway, Suite 230, Portland, OR 97209-2831 Ph: (503) 295-0823 FAX (503) 295-2735 Email: [email protected] Approach: • Nebraska Wheat Board encourages farmers, elevator operators, and others to attend the Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop at Wheat Marketing Center. • Wheat Marketing Center will organize and conduct the workshop, including tours of wheat export and processing facilities. • Wheat Marketing Center will demonstrate wheat and flour testing and evaluation equipment. Timeline: Nebraska Wheat Board organizes their annual “Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop” at Wheat Marketing Center, Portland, Oregon, in early January. Relevance: The wheat industry is more complex now than 20 years ago. Consumers, both domestic and international, demand wheat with quality characteristics that meet their processing needs. This workshop provides Nebraska farmers with tools to successfully compete in this global marketplace. Impact - Report of Accomplishments: In January 2016, Wheat Marketing Center conducted the annual Wheat Export and Marketing Workshop for 15 farmers from Nebraska. On the first day, participants participated in a Wheat Forum with 20 Idaho wheat farmers focused on transportation and world market challenges. Nebraska wheat farmers toured a wheat export facility, barge and tugboat facility, and Bob’s Red Mill. Additionally, they learned about wheat and flour quality testing as well as the production of cookie and crackers, Asian noodles, steamed bread, tortillas, and Middle Eastern flat breads. The team also visited the Federal Grain Inspection Service office and participated in a grain grading workshop. Additional speakers discussed the challenges to U.S. wheat producers of ample world wheat supply, strong dollar, and low shipping rates. Participants reported the tour was well organized and very informative, and said the program broadened their views and perspectives on the wheat export market. Wheat Marketing Center organized and the Nebraska Wheat Board sponsored this tour. Budget: Estimated expenses include: Lodging $ 8,500 Food $ 4,500 Transportation $ 2,000 Total $ 15,000 Conclusion: Wheat Marketing Center has conducted successful tours for the Nebraska Wheat Board every year since 2003. Past participants say that this tour is well known for its educational value. WMC looks forward to the opportunity to arrange another tour in 2017. 2