Daniel Ward | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (original) (raw)

Papers by Daniel Ward

American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings

Lack of information on animal and plant nutrient status in relation to pre- and postpartum stress... more Lack of information on animal and plant nutrient status in relation to pre- and postpartum stress makes producers of marginal operations reluctant to change feeding management. Nutrient requirements change with each phase of production. For example, dietary nutrient alterations, including trace element status, can influence host immunocompetence. This ultimately leads to a decrease in production parameters as weight gain, calf birth weight, milk yield and quality, and results in economic losses for the producer and consumer. Reliable methods to accurately assess nutritional state, and establish reference values for immunological parameters, during specified production stress periods will allow nutritional intervention to optimize the production unit. The main objective of the study was to develop methodology to evaluate immunological and trace element status of cattle under nutritional stress associated with various stages of reproduction.

American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings

Lameness results in economic losses in cattle populations worldwide. Most lameness lesions are as... more Lameness results in economic losses in cattle populations worldwide. Most lameness lesions are associated with the lower foot, especially the claw. Major risk factors for lesions of the claw are high grain rations and concrete flooring.

Journal of the NACAA, 2020

Veterinary Ophthalmology, 2004

To determine the effect of oral hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular normotensi... more To determine the effect of oral hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular normotensive dogs. Seventeen ocular normotensive dogs. Procedures Dogs were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 9) and control (n = 8) groups. Dogs in the treatment group received hydrocortisone, 3.3 mg/kg PO every 8 h, and dogs in the control group received gelatin capsule placebo PO every 8 h for 5 weeks. Applanation tonometry was performed on both eyes of all dogs prior to treatment and then once weekly for 5 weeks during hydrocortisone treatment. No significant effect of treatment was noted for right (P = 0.1013) or left (P = 0.1157) eyes during the treatment period, nor was there significant interaction of treatment by week for the right (P = 0.9456) or left (P = 0.3577) eyes. A significant rise in IOP over the treatment period was noted in both right (P < 0.0001) and left (P = 0.0006) eyes of both groups, but was unrelated to treatment. Orally administered hydrocortisone does not significantly increase IOP in nonglaucomatous dogs when administered over a 5-week period.

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2004

A number of factors can influence immune function affecting the magnitude and duration of specifi... more A number of factors can influence immune function affecting the magnitude and duration of specific immune responses. One factor which has been noted to affect immune responses is age of animal. In mammals, juveniles have a lower immune response when compared to adults. In fish, fry have a lower immune response than adults; however, few studies have investigated the immune response in juveniles, the age when most fish are reared in aquaculture settings. The humoral immune responses of hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis  Morone chrysops) at five different ages were compared to determine any maturational changes. Fifty fish were bath immunized with a commercial Vibrio vaccine at 4, 6, 9, 15, and 19 months of age. The antibody response in these fish was monitored by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for 106 days post-vaccination. The magnitude, duration, and time to peak level were compared to controls and between the different ages using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Younger fish exhibited significantly lower antibody levels indicating that juvenile fish may not be able to mount as effective an immune response as young adult fish.

Weed Technology, Mar 15, 2022

Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicambatole... more Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicambatolerant crops. The increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in increased reliance on dicamba-based herbicides in soybean production systems. Because of the high volatility of dicamba it is prone to off-target movement, and therefore concern exists regarding its drift onto nearby specialty crops. The present study evaluates 12 mid-Atlantic vegetable crops species for sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba. Soybean, snap bean, lima bean, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, cucumber, summer squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to dicamba at 0, 0.056, 0.11, 0.28, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24 g ae ha -1 , which is, respectively, 0, 1/10,000, 1/5,000, 1/2,000, 1/1,000, 1/500, and 1/250 of the maximum recommended label rate for soybean application (560 g ae ha -1 ). Vegetable crop injury was evaluated 4 wk after treatment using visual rating methods and leaf deformation index measurements. Overall, snap bean was the most sensitive crop, with dicamba rates as low as 0.11 g ae ha -1 resulting in significantly higher leaf deformation levels compared with the nontreated control. Other Fabaceae and Solanaceae species also demonstrated high sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba with rates ranging 0.28 to 0.56 g ae ha -1 causing higher leaf deformation compared with the nontreated control. While cucumber, pumpkin, and summer squash were no or moderately sensitive to dicamba, watermelon showed greater sensitivity with unique symptoms at rates as low as 0.056 g ae ha -1 based on visual evaluation. Within the range of tested dicamba rates, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale demonstrated tolerance to dicamba with no injury observed at the maximum rate of 2.24 g ae ha -1 .

HortScience

In three experiments, apple trees (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) were sprayed, when fruits were 20 to ... more In three experiments, apple trees (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) were sprayed, when fruits were 20 to 30 mm in diameter, with a combination of ethephon (800 mg·L-1) and carbaryl (600 mg·L-1) to induce abscission of all fruits on the tree. Two days after treatment (DAT), most treated fruits stopped or slowed increasing in diameter, fruit water potential was less negative, and starch accumulation was less than for nontreated fruits. Cellulase activity appeared in the abscission zone by 4 DAT. Fruit growth cessation following treatment was probably due to inadequate assimilate supplied to the fruit, but assimilate flow slowed before cellulase activity was apparent in the abscission zone. Chemical names used: 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid (ethephon); 1-naphthyl (N-) methylcarbamate (carbaryl).

HortScience

The factors controlling preharvest drop are poorly understood. The number of viable seeds in appl... more The factors controlling preharvest drop are poorly understood. The number of viable seeds in apple fruit has been associated with fruits retained following June drop. Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of seed number on time of preharvest drop. In two experiments treatments were imposed to induce variability in seed numbers. Trees of `Redchief Delicious' were covered with 92% shade fabric for 0, 1, 2, or 3 days when fruits averaged 13 mm in diameter. In a second experiment `Redchief Delicious', `Smoothee', and `Commander York' flowers had 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 stigmas excised at early “popcorn” stage and the remaining stigmas were hand-pollinated. The third experiment investigated drop of the same three cultivars as affected by the natural variability in seed number. Fruits were gathered from under the trees daily from 26 Aug. until all the fruits had fallen from the trees. Fruits were weighed and the number of filled, large aborted and small ...

HortScience

Preharvest abscission of apple [Malus ×domestica (L.) Borkh.] fruits causes significant crop loss... more Preharvest abscission of apple [Malus ×domestica (L.) Borkh.] fruits causes significant crop loss in many years. In this study, fruit cutting was used to induce abscission in August and September. Abscission zones of `Redchief Delicious' Mercier strain fruits were sampled 0, 2, 4, and 6 days after cutting. Thin-layer-plate assays were developed and used to identify hydrolytic enzymes active in the abscission zone (AZ) after induction. Increased activity of cellulase, but not polygalacturonase, was detected in the AZ following cutting. Cellulase activity was consistently high in AZs 4 days after cutting. Both AVG (652 mg·L–1) and NAA (10 mg·L–1) applied 2 or 4 days after cutting delayed drop, but NAA delayed drop 1.6 days longer than did AVG. Fruits treated with AVG dropped over a longer period than did control or NAA-treated fruits. Chemical names used: aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG); naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA).

HortScience

Preharvest fruit drop of apple [Malu×domestica (L.) Borkh.] can cause significant crop losses, bu... more Preharvest fruit drop of apple [Malu×domestica (L.) Borkh.] can cause significant crop losses, but factors controlling date of individual fruit drop are unknown. In three types of experiments, we investigated the relationships among seed number/fruit, fruit weight, and day of year of drop. By shading in mid-May and stigma excision before bloom, we induced variability in seed number. Dropped fruit were weighed, and their seeds were counted daily from late August until all fruit had dropped. Nontreated trees were studied similarly. Regression analyses were used to assess relationships among day of drop, fruit weight, and seed number/fruit. Substantial variation in day of drop of individual fruit was not explained by seed number of the fruit in these experiments with `Smoothee Golden Delicious', `Redchief Delicious', and `Commander York'.

Journal of animal science, Jan 4, 2018

Many methods exist for estimating species composition, but few studies compare those useful in im... more Many methods exist for estimating species composition, but few studies compare those useful in improved horse pastures. The objective of this study was to examine 4 techniques for estimating desirable forage species composition in 2 cool-season horse pastures based on prevalence estimates, repeatability, bias, and practicality, and to select a method for use in a subsequent grazing study. The techniques included Equine Pasture Evaluation Disc (EPED), Line-Point Intercept with 3 transects of 50 observations each (LPI 3-50), LPI with 5 transects of 30 observations each (LPI 5-30), and Step Point (StPt). A generalized linear-mixed effects model procedure of SAS (GLIMMIX) with a logit link was used to test for differences among each species separately. When methods were significantly different (α = 0.05), pairwise comparisons were performed using a paired t-test. The methods did not differ in detecting creeping bentgrass (P = 0.3334) or orchardgrass (P = 0.4207), but there were differen...

Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 2002

Medical records and necropsy reports of 410 pigeons and doves from the Zoological Society of San ... more Medical records and necropsy reports of 410 pigeons and doves from the Zoological Society of San Diego were examined to determine if birds treated with fenbendazole (FBZ) or albendazole (ABZ) had a higher incidence of ...

Res Vet Sci, 2005

Hypertension is a common complication of canine hyperadrenocorticism. Increased pressor sensitivi... more Hypertension is a common complication of canine hyperadrenocorticism. Increased pressor sensitivity to endogenous catecholamines is currently believed to be the main mechanism involved in the development of hypertension in human hyperadrenocorticism. The aim of this study was to evaluate pressor sensitivity to norepinephrine in dogs after induction of iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism (I-HAC) by serial arterial blood pressure measurements during infusions of increasing dose rates of norepinephrine (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 microg/kg/min) in eight dogs with I-HAC and eight control dogs. Systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure and heart rate measurements were recorded. The changes in these parameters between the two groups of dogs were compared. Dogs in the I-HAC group had a more pronounced pressor response to norepinephrine infusions than control dogs since the infusions had to be stopped in seven of the dogs due to severe hypertension (>240 mmHg). The mean maximum tolerated dose rate in the control group was 0.6 microg/kg/min with a standard error of 0.0 and 0.34 microg/kg/min with a standard error of 0.08 in the I-HAC group. The study demonstrated the presence of increased pressor sensitivity to norepinephrine in dogs with I-HAC.

American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2008

To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and s... more To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane in bald eagles. Animals-17 healthy adult bald eagles. Anesthesia was induced with isoflurane or sevoflurane delivered in oxygen via a facemask in a crossover design with 4 weeks between treatments. Eagles were intubated, allowed to breathe spontaneously, and instrumented for cardiopulmonary measurements. Time to induction, extubation, and recovery, as well as smoothness of recovery, were recorded. Administration of sevoflurane resulted in a significantly quicker recovery, compared with isoflurane. Temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate significantly decreased over time, whereas systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) significantly increased over time with each treatment. Temperature, heart rate, SAP, DAP, and MAP were significantly higher with isoflurane. Blood pH significantly decreased, whereas PaCO(2) significantly increased over time with each treatment. Bicarbonate and total carbon dioxide concentrations significantly increased over time with each treatment; however, there was a significant time-treatment interaction. The PaO(2) and arterial oxygen saturation increased over time with isoflurane and decreased over time with sevoflurane with a significant time-treatment interaction. Six eagles developed cardiac arrhythmias with isoflurane, as did 4 with sevoflurane anesthesia. Isoflurane and sevoflurane administration resulted in smooth, rapid induction of and recovery from anesthesia similar to other species. Isoflurane administration resulted in tachycardia, hypertension, and more arrhythmias, compared with sevoflurane. Sevoflurane was associated with fewer adverse effects and may be particularly beneficial in compromised bald eagles.

Equine Vet J, 2010

Although large intestine impactions are commonly treated with i.v. fluids combined with the osmot... more Although large intestine impactions are commonly treated with i.v. fluids combined with the osmotic laxative MgSO4, enteral fluids are less expensive and also appear to be efficacious for impactions. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the systemic and gastrointestinal effects of enteral fluids with the changes produced by i.v. fluids combined with MgSO4. Four horses with a fistula in the right dorsal colon alternately received both treatments in 2 periods one week apart. Sixty litres of fluids were administered continuously (10 l/h) through a venous catheter or a nasogastric tube. Magnesium sulphate (1 g/kg bwt) was administered via nasogastric tube before i.v. fluid therapy. Two horses had mild abdominal discomfort at the end of enteral fluid therapy. Pollakiuria, hypostenuria, increased bodyweight, increased faecal and ingesta hydration, and decreased PCV, plasma protein and plasma magnesium were produced by both treatments. Abdominal distention and more pronounced changes in bodyweight and ingesta hydration were seen with enteral fluids. Intravenous fluids plus MgSO4 produced hypocalcaemia and more pronounced changes in plasma protein. These results indicate that enteral fluid therapy is more effective in promoting ingesta hydration and produces less pronounced systemic effects than i.v. fluid therapy plus MgSO4.

Asian pear fruit price and quality are closely associated with fruit size. Large fruit are highly... more Asian pear fruit price and quality are closely associated with fruit size. Large fruit are highly desired and bring excellent market price. In most years heavy fruit set in Asian pears requires expensive hand thinning to reduce crop load enough to obtain optimum fruit size. Effective chemical thinners are urgently needed by Asian pear growers. Experiments were conducted to evaluate a cytokinin (6-benzyladenine formulated as MaxCel) as a chemical thinner for Asian pears. The experiments were conducted in commercial orchards in New Jersey in 2007 and 2008. Spray applications of MaxCel at 0, 200, or 250 ppm were applied at 12 mm average fruit diameter to ‘Hosui’ (in 2007) and ‘Kosui’ trees in Northern New Jersey and at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 ppm to ‘Hosui’ (in 2008), ‘Shinko’, and ‘Yoinashi’ trees in Southern New Jersey. Treatments were applied in 100 GPA of water at 80 PSI with a handgun sprayer. In both experiments in Northern New Jersey the 200 and 250 ppm treatments reduced ...

On-tree bagging is an ancient technique used for pest exclusion and quality enhancement of many f... more On-tree bagging is an ancient technique used for pest exclusion and quality enhancement of many fruits. Peach fruit tend to have among the highest amount of residual pesticide at harvest of any fruit. The bagging of peach fruit provides a unique opportunity to greatly reduce the amount of pesticide exposure on fruit and exclude pests, as well as potentially improve fruit quality. Different types of paper bags specially manufactured for fruit bagging (from two manufacturers in Japan and one in Spain) were tested on 'Encore' peaches in two years. Peach size and mass were unaffected by bagging treatments. Fruit skin color was markedly different with hue angle and chroma both significantly different among treatments (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001). Fruit in darker colored bags had less red color and lighter colored bags were similar in appearance to non-bagged fruit. In experiments with 'Fantasia' nectarine no significant differences among bagging treatments were detec...

Captan is an effective protectant fungicide commonly used on a broad range of crops. When combine... more Captan is an effective protectant fungicide commonly used on a broad range of crops. When combined with surfactants and under conditions that enhance absorption Captan can cause severe phytotoxicity on grapes. A spray application error, resulting in an off-label application to a cultivar evaluation trial (part of the NE1020 Multi-state project), provided an opportunity to evaluate differences in sensitivity among cultivars to injury from Captan mixed with an emulsifiable concentrate (Danitol). Three- and four-year-old vines were sprayed with a tank mix of Captan (1 lb/A) and Danitol (16 fl. oz/A) on 4 August. Environmental conditions were favorable for uptake (warm, high humidity) before and at the time of this application. Injury to leaves, stems, and fruit was evaluated by three raters two weeks and three weeks after application. Damage ratings for all cultivars increased similarly across rating dates for all cultivars. Cultivars had significantly different injury ratings on leave...

The primary goal of the Rutgers/ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station strawberry breeding p... more The primary goal of the Rutgers/ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station strawberry breeding program is to develop new strawberry varieties with outstanding flavor which are better adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the Eastern region of the United States. During the past seven years, New Jersey growers, Rutgers researchers and Extension faculty have collaborated on evaluating the most promising strawberry selections from the program. These advanced strawberry selections have undergone field trials to evaluate their performance under various farm-management systems. Currently, with funding from the Walmart Foundation and administered by the University of Arkansas System; Division of Agriculture, Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability, this research has been expanded to include trials on ten New Jersey farms, two research stations in New Jersey and in three other states. Progress on this project includes patent applications for three selections, negotiation...

The objective of this study was to determine how late strawberries could be transplanted without ... more The objective of this study was to determine how late strawberries could be transplanted without adversely affecting yield following high tunnel tomato production. In this two-year study, ‘Chandler’ strawberry transplants were set on four different dates in high tunnels and outside in a field immediately adjacent to the tunnels. Planting dates were randomly allocated to the beds and row cover usage was randomized and applied as a strip across all rows on one half of the plots. Plants were spaced 14 inches apart in double rows, 12 inches apart on black plastic mulch-covered beds, spaced 42 inches center to center. White spun-bonded polypropylene row cover (1.25 oz/yd, 70% transparency) was applied in late November and removed in late March both years. Harvest began in late April in the tunnels and late May outside. Yield was determined by weighing marketable fruit from each 10 ft plot at 2–5 day intervals. The data was analyzed as a strip-split plot with each year analyzed separately...

American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings

Lack of information on animal and plant nutrient status in relation to pre- and postpartum stress... more Lack of information on animal and plant nutrient status in relation to pre- and postpartum stress makes producers of marginal operations reluctant to change feeding management. Nutrient requirements change with each phase of production. For example, dietary nutrient alterations, including trace element status, can influence host immunocompetence. This ultimately leads to a decrease in production parameters as weight gain, calf birth weight, milk yield and quality, and results in economic losses for the producer and consumer. Reliable methods to accurately assess nutritional state, and establish reference values for immunological parameters, during specified production stress periods will allow nutritional intervention to optimize the production unit. The main objective of the study was to develop methodology to evaluate immunological and trace element status of cattle under nutritional stress associated with various stages of reproduction.

American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings

Lameness results in economic losses in cattle populations worldwide. Most lameness lesions are as... more Lameness results in economic losses in cattle populations worldwide. Most lameness lesions are associated with the lower foot, especially the claw. Major risk factors for lesions of the claw are high grain rations and concrete flooring.

Journal of the NACAA, 2020

Veterinary Ophthalmology, 2004

To determine the effect of oral hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular normotensi... more To determine the effect of oral hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular normotensive dogs. Seventeen ocular normotensive dogs. Procedures Dogs were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 9) and control (n = 8) groups. Dogs in the treatment group received hydrocortisone, 3.3 mg/kg PO every 8 h, and dogs in the control group received gelatin capsule placebo PO every 8 h for 5 weeks. Applanation tonometry was performed on both eyes of all dogs prior to treatment and then once weekly for 5 weeks during hydrocortisone treatment. No significant effect of treatment was noted for right (P = 0.1013) or left (P = 0.1157) eyes during the treatment period, nor was there significant interaction of treatment by week for the right (P = 0.9456) or left (P = 0.3577) eyes. A significant rise in IOP over the treatment period was noted in both right (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.0001) and left (P = 0.0006) eyes of both groups, but was unrelated to treatment. Orally administered hydrocortisone does not significantly increase IOP in nonglaucomatous dogs when administered over a 5-week period.

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2004

A number of factors can influence immune function affecting the magnitude and duration of specifi... more A number of factors can influence immune function affecting the magnitude and duration of specific immune responses. One factor which has been noted to affect immune responses is age of animal. In mammals, juveniles have a lower immune response when compared to adults. In fish, fry have a lower immune response than adults; however, few studies have investigated the immune response in juveniles, the age when most fish are reared in aquaculture settings. The humoral immune responses of hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis  Morone chrysops) at five different ages were compared to determine any maturational changes. Fifty fish were bath immunized with a commercial Vibrio vaccine at 4, 6, 9, 15, and 19 months of age. The antibody response in these fish was monitored by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for 106 days post-vaccination. The magnitude, duration, and time to peak level were compared to controls and between the different ages using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Younger fish exhibited significantly lower antibody levels indicating that juvenile fish may not be able to mount as effective an immune response as young adult fish.

Weed Technology, Mar 15, 2022

Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicambatole... more Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicambatolerant crops. The increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in increased reliance on dicamba-based herbicides in soybean production systems. Because of the high volatility of dicamba it is prone to off-target movement, and therefore concern exists regarding its drift onto nearby specialty crops. The present study evaluates 12 mid-Atlantic vegetable crops species for sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba. Soybean, snap bean, lima bean, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, cucumber, summer squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to dicamba at 0, 0.056, 0.11, 0.28, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24 g ae ha -1 , which is, respectively, 0, 1/10,000, 1/5,000, 1/2,000, 1/1,000, 1/500, and 1/250 of the maximum recommended label rate for soybean application (560 g ae ha -1 ). Vegetable crop injury was evaluated 4 wk after treatment using visual rating methods and leaf deformation index measurements. Overall, snap bean was the most sensitive crop, with dicamba rates as low as 0.11 g ae ha -1 resulting in significantly higher leaf deformation levels compared with the nontreated control. Other Fabaceae and Solanaceae species also demonstrated high sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba with rates ranging 0.28 to 0.56 g ae ha -1 causing higher leaf deformation compared with the nontreated control. While cucumber, pumpkin, and summer squash were no or moderately sensitive to dicamba, watermelon showed greater sensitivity with unique symptoms at rates as low as 0.056 g ae ha -1 based on visual evaluation. Within the range of tested dicamba rates, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale demonstrated tolerance to dicamba with no injury observed at the maximum rate of 2.24 g ae ha -1 .

HortScience

In three experiments, apple trees (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) were sprayed, when fruits were 20 to ... more In three experiments, apple trees (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) were sprayed, when fruits were 20 to 30 mm in diameter, with a combination of ethephon (800 mg·L-1) and carbaryl (600 mg·L-1) to induce abscission of all fruits on the tree. Two days after treatment (DAT), most treated fruits stopped or slowed increasing in diameter, fruit water potential was less negative, and starch accumulation was less than for nontreated fruits. Cellulase activity appeared in the abscission zone by 4 DAT. Fruit growth cessation following treatment was probably due to inadequate assimilate supplied to the fruit, but assimilate flow slowed before cellulase activity was apparent in the abscission zone. Chemical names used: 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid (ethephon); 1-naphthyl (N-) methylcarbamate (carbaryl).

HortScience

The factors controlling preharvest drop are poorly understood. The number of viable seeds in appl... more The factors controlling preharvest drop are poorly understood. The number of viable seeds in apple fruit has been associated with fruits retained following June drop. Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of seed number on time of preharvest drop. In two experiments treatments were imposed to induce variability in seed numbers. Trees of `Redchief Delicious' were covered with 92% shade fabric for 0, 1, 2, or 3 days when fruits averaged 13 mm in diameter. In a second experiment `Redchief Delicious', `Smoothee', and `Commander York' flowers had 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 stigmas excised at early “popcorn” stage and the remaining stigmas were hand-pollinated. The third experiment investigated drop of the same three cultivars as affected by the natural variability in seed number. Fruits were gathered from under the trees daily from 26 Aug. until all the fruits had fallen from the trees. Fruits were weighed and the number of filled, large aborted and small ...

HortScience

Preharvest abscission of apple [Malus ×domestica (L.) Borkh.] fruits causes significant crop loss... more Preharvest abscission of apple [Malus ×domestica (L.) Borkh.] fruits causes significant crop loss in many years. In this study, fruit cutting was used to induce abscission in August and September. Abscission zones of `Redchief Delicious' Mercier strain fruits were sampled 0, 2, 4, and 6 days after cutting. Thin-layer-plate assays were developed and used to identify hydrolytic enzymes active in the abscission zone (AZ) after induction. Increased activity of cellulase, but not polygalacturonase, was detected in the AZ following cutting. Cellulase activity was consistently high in AZs 4 days after cutting. Both AVG (652 mg·L–1) and NAA (10 mg·L–1) applied 2 or 4 days after cutting delayed drop, but NAA delayed drop 1.6 days longer than did AVG. Fruits treated with AVG dropped over a longer period than did control or NAA-treated fruits. Chemical names used: aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG); naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA).

HortScience

Preharvest fruit drop of apple [Malu×domestica (L.) Borkh.] can cause significant crop losses, bu... more Preharvest fruit drop of apple [Malu×domestica (L.) Borkh.] can cause significant crop losses, but factors controlling date of individual fruit drop are unknown. In three types of experiments, we investigated the relationships among seed number/fruit, fruit weight, and day of year of drop. By shading in mid-May and stigma excision before bloom, we induced variability in seed number. Dropped fruit were weighed, and their seeds were counted daily from late August until all fruit had dropped. Nontreated trees were studied similarly. Regression analyses were used to assess relationships among day of drop, fruit weight, and seed number/fruit. Substantial variation in day of drop of individual fruit was not explained by seed number of the fruit in these experiments with `Smoothee Golden Delicious', `Redchief Delicious', and `Commander York'.

Journal of animal science, Jan 4, 2018

Many methods exist for estimating species composition, but few studies compare those useful in im... more Many methods exist for estimating species composition, but few studies compare those useful in improved horse pastures. The objective of this study was to examine 4 techniques for estimating desirable forage species composition in 2 cool-season horse pastures based on prevalence estimates, repeatability, bias, and practicality, and to select a method for use in a subsequent grazing study. The techniques included Equine Pasture Evaluation Disc (EPED), Line-Point Intercept with 3 transects of 50 observations each (LPI 3-50), LPI with 5 transects of 30 observations each (LPI 5-30), and Step Point (StPt). A generalized linear-mixed effects model procedure of SAS (GLIMMIX) with a logit link was used to test for differences among each species separately. When methods were significantly different (α = 0.05), pairwise comparisons were performed using a paired t-test. The methods did not differ in detecting creeping bentgrass (P = 0.3334) or orchardgrass (P = 0.4207), but there were differen...

Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 2002

Medical records and necropsy reports of 410 pigeons and doves from the Zoological Society of San ... more Medical records and necropsy reports of 410 pigeons and doves from the Zoological Society of San Diego were examined to determine if birds treated with fenbendazole (FBZ) or albendazole (ABZ) had a higher incidence of ...

Res Vet Sci, 2005

Hypertension is a common complication of canine hyperadrenocorticism. Increased pressor sensitivi... more Hypertension is a common complication of canine hyperadrenocorticism. Increased pressor sensitivity to endogenous catecholamines is currently believed to be the main mechanism involved in the development of hypertension in human hyperadrenocorticism. The aim of this study was to evaluate pressor sensitivity to norepinephrine in dogs after induction of iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism (I-HAC) by serial arterial blood pressure measurements during infusions of increasing dose rates of norepinephrine (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 microg/kg/min) in eight dogs with I-HAC and eight control dogs. Systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure and heart rate measurements were recorded. The changes in these parameters between the two groups of dogs were compared. Dogs in the I-HAC group had a more pronounced pressor response to norepinephrine infusions than control dogs since the infusions had to be stopped in seven of the dogs due to severe hypertension (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;240 mmHg). The mean maximum tolerated dose rate in the control group was 0.6 microg/kg/min with a standard error of 0.0 and 0.34 microg/kg/min with a standard error of 0.08 in the I-HAC group. The study demonstrated the presence of increased pressor sensitivity to norepinephrine in dogs with I-HAC.

American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2008

To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and s... more To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane in bald eagles. Animals-17 healthy adult bald eagles. Anesthesia was induced with isoflurane or sevoflurane delivered in oxygen via a facemask in a crossover design with 4 weeks between treatments. Eagles were intubated, allowed to breathe spontaneously, and instrumented for cardiopulmonary measurements. Time to induction, extubation, and recovery, as well as smoothness of recovery, were recorded. Administration of sevoflurane resulted in a significantly quicker recovery, compared with isoflurane. Temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate significantly decreased over time, whereas systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) significantly increased over time with each treatment. Temperature, heart rate, SAP, DAP, and MAP were significantly higher with isoflurane. Blood pH significantly decreased, whereas PaCO(2) significantly increased over time with each treatment. Bicarbonate and total carbon dioxide concentrations significantly increased over time with each treatment; however, there was a significant time-treatment interaction. The PaO(2) and arterial oxygen saturation increased over time with isoflurane and decreased over time with sevoflurane with a significant time-treatment interaction. Six eagles developed cardiac arrhythmias with isoflurane, as did 4 with sevoflurane anesthesia. Isoflurane and sevoflurane administration resulted in smooth, rapid induction of and recovery from anesthesia similar to other species. Isoflurane administration resulted in tachycardia, hypertension, and more arrhythmias, compared with sevoflurane. Sevoflurane was associated with fewer adverse effects and may be particularly beneficial in compromised bald eagles.

Equine Vet J, 2010

Although large intestine impactions are commonly treated with i.v. fluids combined with the osmot... more Although large intestine impactions are commonly treated with i.v. fluids combined with the osmotic laxative MgSO4, enteral fluids are less expensive and also appear to be efficacious for impactions. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the systemic and gastrointestinal effects of enteral fluids with the changes produced by i.v. fluids combined with MgSO4. Four horses with a fistula in the right dorsal colon alternately received both treatments in 2 periods one week apart. Sixty litres of fluids were administered continuously (10 l/h) through a venous catheter or a nasogastric tube. Magnesium sulphate (1 g/kg bwt) was administered via nasogastric tube before i.v. fluid therapy. Two horses had mild abdominal discomfort at the end of enteral fluid therapy. Pollakiuria, hypostenuria, increased bodyweight, increased faecal and ingesta hydration, and decreased PCV, plasma protein and plasma magnesium were produced by both treatments. Abdominal distention and more pronounced changes in bodyweight and ingesta hydration were seen with enteral fluids. Intravenous fluids plus MgSO4 produced hypocalcaemia and more pronounced changes in plasma protein. These results indicate that enteral fluid therapy is more effective in promoting ingesta hydration and produces less pronounced systemic effects than i.v. fluid therapy plus MgSO4.

Asian pear fruit price and quality are closely associated with fruit size. Large fruit are highly... more Asian pear fruit price and quality are closely associated with fruit size. Large fruit are highly desired and bring excellent market price. In most years heavy fruit set in Asian pears requires expensive hand thinning to reduce crop load enough to obtain optimum fruit size. Effective chemical thinners are urgently needed by Asian pear growers. Experiments were conducted to evaluate a cytokinin (6-benzyladenine formulated as MaxCel) as a chemical thinner for Asian pears. The experiments were conducted in commercial orchards in New Jersey in 2007 and 2008. Spray applications of MaxCel at 0, 200, or 250 ppm were applied at 12 mm average fruit diameter to ‘Hosui’ (in 2007) and ‘Kosui’ trees in Northern New Jersey and at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 ppm to ‘Hosui’ (in 2008), ‘Shinko’, and ‘Yoinashi’ trees in Southern New Jersey. Treatments were applied in 100 GPA of water at 80 PSI with a handgun sprayer. In both experiments in Northern New Jersey the 200 and 250 ppm treatments reduced ...

On-tree bagging is an ancient technique used for pest exclusion and quality enhancement of many f... more On-tree bagging is an ancient technique used for pest exclusion and quality enhancement of many fruits. Peach fruit tend to have among the highest amount of residual pesticide at harvest of any fruit. The bagging of peach fruit provides a unique opportunity to greatly reduce the amount of pesticide exposure on fruit and exclude pests, as well as potentially improve fruit quality. Different types of paper bags specially manufactured for fruit bagging (from two manufacturers in Japan and one in Spain) were tested on 'Encore' peaches in two years. Peach size and mass were unaffected by bagging treatments. Fruit skin color was markedly different with hue angle and chroma both significantly different among treatments (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001). Fruit in darker colored bags had less red color and lighter colored bags were similar in appearance to non-bagged fruit. In experiments with 'Fantasia' nectarine no significant differences among bagging treatments were detec...

Captan is an effective protectant fungicide commonly used on a broad range of crops. When combine... more Captan is an effective protectant fungicide commonly used on a broad range of crops. When combined with surfactants and under conditions that enhance absorption Captan can cause severe phytotoxicity on grapes. A spray application error, resulting in an off-label application to a cultivar evaluation trial (part of the NE1020 Multi-state project), provided an opportunity to evaluate differences in sensitivity among cultivars to injury from Captan mixed with an emulsifiable concentrate (Danitol). Three- and four-year-old vines were sprayed with a tank mix of Captan (1 lb/A) and Danitol (16 fl. oz/A) on 4 August. Environmental conditions were favorable for uptake (warm, high humidity) before and at the time of this application. Injury to leaves, stems, and fruit was evaluated by three raters two weeks and three weeks after application. Damage ratings for all cultivars increased similarly across rating dates for all cultivars. Cultivars had significantly different injury ratings on leave...

The primary goal of the Rutgers/ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station strawberry breeding p... more The primary goal of the Rutgers/ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station strawberry breeding program is to develop new strawberry varieties with outstanding flavor which are better adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the Eastern region of the United States. During the past seven years, New Jersey growers, Rutgers researchers and Extension faculty have collaborated on evaluating the most promising strawberry selections from the program. These advanced strawberry selections have undergone field trials to evaluate their performance under various farm-management systems. Currently, with funding from the Walmart Foundation and administered by the University of Arkansas System; Division of Agriculture, Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability, this research has been expanded to include trials on ten New Jersey farms, two research stations in New Jersey and in three other states. Progress on this project includes patent applications for three selections, negotiation...

The objective of this study was to determine how late strawberries could be transplanted without ... more The objective of this study was to determine how late strawberries could be transplanted without adversely affecting yield following high tunnel tomato production. In this two-year study, ‘Chandler’ strawberry transplants were set on four different dates in high tunnels and outside in a field immediately adjacent to the tunnels. Planting dates were randomly allocated to the beds and row cover usage was randomized and applied as a strip across all rows on one half of the plots. Plants were spaced 14 inches apart in double rows, 12 inches apart on black plastic mulch-covered beds, spaced 42 inches center to center. White spun-bonded polypropylene row cover (1.25 oz/yd, 70% transparency) was applied in late November and removed in late March both years. Harvest began in late April in the tunnels and late May outside. Yield was determined by weighing marketable fruit from each 10 ft plot at 2–5 day intervals. The data was analyzed as a strip-split plot with each year analyzed separately...