Nuplains, a new hard white winter wheat from ARS and university scientists, may help Nebraska farmers tap growing demand for the grain crop’s sweet, light-colored flour. Such flour is particularly popular in Asia, where it is commonly used for making “wet” noodles, like those in wonton soup. Asia imports about 300 million bushels of white wheat annually from Australia and other countries. But more American wheat-growing states are seeking to enter that market. Nebraska has traditionally grown hard red winter wheats. In 1998, it produced nearly 85 million tons, exporting about half. Nuplains, scheduled for commercial sale in fall 2000, will be Nebraska’s first white wheat variety. More importantly, it will give farmers the option of growing a crop whose kernels lack tannins, substances that give red wheat flours a reddish, slightly bitter taste. Because of this, white wheat flours are generally chosen for ethnic foods like pita bred, tortillas and wet noodles. But white flour is also finding favor on the domestic front in whole-wheat breads, which are typically made from red wheats. One hope is that white wheat’s sweeter taste will make the high-fiber, nutritious breads more appealing to kids. ARS and University of Nebraska researchers developed Nuplains by breeding Abilene, a standard red wheat, with an experimental Kansas white strain. Nuplains is recommended for production west of Grand Island, Nebraska, where drier conditions prevail.

Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research Unit, Lincoln, NE
Robert Graybosch, (402) 472-1563, agro100@unlvm.un1.edu

What’s a good way to stop hungry diamondback moths from nibbling on a farmer’s cabbage, broccoli, kale and other cole crops? ARS experiments show the moths can’t resist the all-you-can-eat collards when planted completely around cabbage field edges, a strategy called trap cropping that could also work to protect other cole crops. Invading diamondbacks stop and deposit their eggs on the collards rather than on adjacent cabbage plants. Diamondback populations continue to recycle in collards as long as the plants remain green and continue to grow. The moths, named for the diamond-shaped markings on their wings, are becoming resistant to many chemicals. Spraying pesticides can be costly, ranging from about $10 to $21 an acre for each application, depending on which pesticides are used. It typically costs growers $80 to $168 per acre or more for insecticide sprays each season to produce a crop. The simple, low-tech, cost-effective method of planting collards also reduces pesticide use. Cabbage fields surrounded by collards required 75 to 100 percent fewer sprays to control diamondback moths than fields treated conventionally with pesticides.

Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL
Everett Mitchell, (352) 374-5710, emitchell@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu

Farmers of the future may be able to get daily readings from space about the health of their crops, thanks to ARS studies of data from the Landsat 7 satellite launched this past spring. The scientists, based in Arizona, want to improve a method for combining data from Landsat 7's sensor with data from four other satellites. That could make imagery available to growers everyday and give them enough time to do something about problems they detect, such as an insect attack. Landsat 7's on-board sensor will supply two forms of data--heat emitted from and light reflected by plants and soil. Meanwhile, radar sensors on four other satellites provide additional data. Landsat 7, launched April 15, 1999, will pass over a given spot only once every 16 days, but the gaps can be filled by radar data collected nearly everyday. On overcast days, radar can "see" through clouds that thwart Landsat 7. Landsat's eight-band sensor provides more detailed crop and soil information than the one-band radar sensors. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is funding part of the ARS work.

U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory, Phoenix, AZ
M. Susan Moran, (520) 670-6380, ext. 171; moran@tucson.ars.ag.gov

New computer-imaging techniques are giving scientists the closest look yet at the chromosomes of wild and domestic alfalfa. Alfalfa is the nation’s fourth largest crop, generating more than $6.4 billion annually, primarily as hay. But very little is known about its complex genetic makeup. By describing the length, shape and distribution of this legume’s 32 chromosomes, scientists can begin the task of mapping genes for important traits like winter hardiness, stand persistence, and resistance to disease and pests like potato leaf hoppers. One hope is that Falcata-type alfalfa cultivars can be used by breeders to “shuttle” or introduce desirable new traits from wild species into more domestic varieties, broadening their genetic base. That assumption is based on scientists’ observation that Falcata alfalfa contains relatively few heterochromatin blocks. A kind of DNA blockage on chromosomes, heterochromatin can impede the free exchange of genes during breeding. Falcata alfalfa is one of nine main germplasm introductions from which today’s commercial varieties are derived. One obstacle to early genetic studies was the fact that alfalfa’s chromosomes are virtually identical and barely visible under a microscope. ARS scientists tackled the problem by attaching a computer-imaging system onto a light microscope. This increased the magnification 10,000-fold, and allowed scientists to add pseudo-coloring to show the chromosomes’ features better. The advance also expedited the precise measurement and identification of individual chromosomes. The scientists credit an image analysis firm, Loats Associates of Westminster, MD, with helping develop the technique.

Soybean and Alfalfa Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD
Gary Bauchan/Azhar Hossain, (301) 504-6649, gbauchan@asrr.arsuda.gov