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CAES / Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics / People / Alumni / Alum of the Month
Alum of the Month
Alum of the Month - 2023
Alum of the Month for January, 2023
YASIN TOPCU
Yasin Topcu was born in the city of Isparta, Turkey that makes up approximately 65 percent of the world's rose oil production. During his early years in his life, he helped his father in cherry orchard and rose garden. Hence, he was exposed to agriculture at a young age. That's why he wanted to pursue a degree in agriculture.
In accordance with, he received both Bachelor of Science (2012) and Master of Science (2015) degrees in Horticulture from Akdeniz University, Antalya/Turkey. During one of his summer internships, he spent two months in Israel, and he experienced characteristics of Kibbutz life. Additionally, he received two fellowships and one travel grant from European cooperation in science & Technology. Thanks to these fellowships, he worked with two projects entitled "The Effects of Ozone and Different Packaging Systems on Postharvest Quality of 0900 Ziraat Cherries for Increasing Cherry Export" and "The Effects of Different UV-B Illuminations on Plant Growth, Nutrient Content and Postharvest Quality of Broccoli". In 2014, he attended a training school in Helsinki, Finland. In the summer of 2016, Yasin was awarded a Ph.D. Scholarship funded by the Turkish Government to pursue a Ph.D. degree in the field of "Vegetable Breeding".
Before he joined the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia in 2017, Yasin had spent 6 months in Tuscaloosa for his intensive English classes. Upon joining Dr. Esther van der Knaap's lab, Yasin characterized the molecular and genetic basis of Blossom-End Rot and chlorophyll content in tomato. Yasin was the recipient of John Ingle Innovation in Plant Breeding Award in 2019. For these works, he obtained his Ph.D. from the Institute in 2021. After completing his doctoral degree in 2021, Yasin is continuing and expanding his research in the same lab as a postdoctoral Research Associate. In addition to his studies, Yasin was the president of Turkish Student Association here at UGA between 2019 and 2022.
For future career, Yasin is planning to go back to Turkey and bring his IPBGG-developed skills to breed healthier, tastier, and high yielding tomatoes. Yasin is very grateful to each member of big IPBGG family for the knowledge, skills, and experiences that he got.
Alum of the Month for December, 2022
REBECCA TASHIRO
Rebecca Tashiro grew up in southern Rhode Island, where her first job at a garden center started her passion for ornamental plants. She then worked as a grower for an ornamentals greenhouse during a surge of vegetatively propagated flower breeding. The explosion of new products at that time motivated her to go to university to pursue a degree in ornamental plant breeding. She enrolled at the University of Georgia in 2004 because of the excellent reputation of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, particularly the work of Dr. Allen Armitage. After receiving a B.S. in Applied Biotechnology in 2006, she began graduate school as part of the PBGG program, where she expanded an ornamental white clover breeding program under the supervision of Dr. Wayne Parrott. While working on her research, she had the opportunity to be a visiting scientist in Dr. Maria Monteros's lab at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. She also turned the landscape in front of the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies building into a mixed-use evaluation site for the ornamental white clover candidates being developed. She obtained her M.S. in 2009 as one of the inaugural graduates of the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics.
She was then accepted into the graduate program at Lincoln University, New Zealand, where she researched inflorescence architecture in grapevine under Dr. Chris Winefield. While in New Zealand, she experienced two major earthquakes and developed a refined palate for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (no correlation). She returned to the United States in 2014 to give birth to her first child and defended her Ph.D. thesis in 2015. She came back to the University of Georgia as a postdoctoral research associate in 2015 in the Soybean Breeding Lab of Dr. Zenglu Li. In Dr. Li's lab, she worked on marker development and QTL mapping in soybean. In 2016, she got her dream job when she was hired by Ball FloraPlant to be an ornamental flower breeder in California. She celebrated her 5-year anniversary with Ball FloraPlant in 2021, and currently lives with her family in one of the most beautiful places in the world doing a job that she loves to help color the world.
Her education at the University of Georgia was invaluable to her career. The faculty for all colleges in the UGA system is full of leaders in their respective fields. The faculty of PBGG, in particular, has some of the best scientists in the world, doing cutting edge research that prepares graduates to be highly competitive in the job market. Dr. Parrot was very skilled in targeting her thesis to what she would need for a job in the ornamental industry. Her time as a postdoc in Dr. Li's lab gave her the opportunity to get upskilled in the newest generation of molecular markers and high throughput genotyping. The experience she gained as part of the PBGG program set an excellent foundation to help her build a highly successful career around what she loves. She would highly recommend (and often does) the PBGG program to anyone interested in pursuing a degree in Plant Breeding, Genetics, or Genomics.
Alum of the Month for November, 2022
YUJI KE
Yuji Ke, was born in the city of Jingdezhen and spent most of his schooldays in the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China. He also spent quite much of his summertime in rural Jiangxi, which led him to be intimate with nature and curious about all living creatures, including plants.
Yuji obtained his bachelor degree of agronomy from China Agricultural University in 2014. Upon graduation, he went on to pursue his Ph.D. at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics at the University of Georgia in fall 2014 under the direction of Dr.Peggy Ozias-Akins. His Ph.D. dissertation was mainly about discovering apomixis/parthenogenesis genes by comparing transcriptomes of apomictic and sexual egg cells collected through laser-capture microdissection, which is part of an international collaborative project named as "Capturing Heterosis" funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Six public research institutes and one private comercial company around the world are research partners under this collaboration. This experience broadened his vision of international collaboration and gained him the interest in expanding his knowledge and expertise on single cell genomics and spatial transcriptomics. Yuji was the recipient of a Ph.D. Scholar of Excellence Assistantship during his studies.
After completing his Ph.D. in 2019, Yuji joined BGI genomics Inc, Shenzhen, China as a single cell genomics research associate. The role in this position gained him valuable connections in both science and business field, which inspired him what to explore next. Carrying along what he has learned from both academia and industry, he resumed his aspiration of applying these cutting-edge technologies on plant breeding field. This led him to join Dr.Bert De Rybel's lab in PSB-VIB (Plant System Biology-Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie), Belgium, as a postdoctoral scientist working on a Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) project in collaboration with BASF. Throughout this ongoing project, he enjoys very much the mixed exposure to the basic and applied research, diverse and creative collaboration with BASF and IRC-VIB (Inflammation Research Center-Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie), as well as continued relationships with BGI on stereo-seq (spatial transcriptomics) and the University of Georgia with Bob Schmitz on scATAC-seq.
Yuji appreciates so much the kindness, friendships and visions he received at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, UGA. With that in mind, he will continue exploring and embracing what has to offer in the future.
Alum of the Month for October, 2022
NATHAN TAITANO
Nathan Taitano first found a passion for genetics & genomics while serving as teaching assistant and doing an independent population genetics research project during his undergraduate studies at the College of Wooster, OH. This passion led him to the Ohio State University's ORIP program, where he assisted a genetic study of Mexican chile pepper landraces in Dr. Esther van der Knaap's laboratory. After graduating in 2014 with a BS in Biology and a summer with SCA/Americorps on the revegetation crew at Grand Teton National Park, he would return to the van der Knaap laboratory as a graduate student.
In the fall of 2014, Nathan obtained a graduate fellowship in Esther van der Knaap's laboratory and coauthored a small grant to continue researching the genetic underpinnings of pepper landrace morphological diversity. In 2016 when Dr. van der Knaap joined the Horticulture faculty at the University of Georgia, Nathan followed as a student at UGA's Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics. His research there included syntenic analyses of genomic regions containing OFP-TRM module organ shape regulation genes across multiple solanaceous crops, GBS-based population structure and QTL-mapping of fruit shape in pepper landraces, and coexpression analysis of the developing floral organ transcriptome. For this work, he obtained his Ph.D. from the Institute in 2020.
The summer after graduation, Nathan joined the Nunhems vegetable seeds team at BASF, where he currently works as a senior R&D Specialist in the Molecular Breeding division. In his work at Nunhems, Nathan brings IPBGG-developed skills in collaborative research, breeding and genomic analysis to bear for a global suite of tomato Molecular Breeding research projects targeted at making healthy eating sustainable and enjoyable.
Nathan expresses a deep gratitude for the excellent training he received under the careful mentorship of Dr. Esther van der Knaap, his advisory committee, the Institute, and UGA faculty, as well as for the inspiration and camaraderie he found among all its members, including students, staff, and faculty alike.
Alum of the Month for September, 2022
BRIAN NADON
Brian Nadon, originally from Phoenix, AZ, received his B.S. in Genetics, Cell, and Developmental biology in 2013 from Arizona State University. His interest in plant genetics and breeding began with his work for the USDA in Maricopa, AZ at the Arid Lands Agricultural Research Center during his undergraduate studies, where he worked on projects involving high-throughput phenotyping in cotton and developing new methods for DNA extraction in cotton seed.
He joined the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia in fall 2014 under the mentorship of Dr. Scott A. Jackson. His Ph.D. research focused on the evolution of gene and genome duplication among legumes, and especially soybean. This work included investigations of genome fractionation in soybean, gene birth-death rates among legumes, and the development of a novel algorithm for reconstructing and phasing ancient paleotetraploid genomes. Brian was the recipient of a Presidential Graduate Fellowship during his studies.
After completing his doctoral degree in the spring of 2019, Brian began a postodoctoral Research Associate position with the USDA-ARS in the Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit in Athens, GA and later Washington, DC. His work in this capacity was primarily focused on creating a software tool for the identification of candidate genes in plants using a holistic in silico approach, which incorporated AI-enabled natural language processing, expression data, and mapping results. Other work in this position included the construction of a variation graph and toolkit to enable genotyping of Salmonella isolates from patient samples, the characterization of a novel Aspergillus flavus genome, and the support of the SCINet scientific computing network for the ARS.
After concluding his work with the USDA in late 2021, Brian took an exciting opportunity to expand his horizons when he started his current position as a Bioinformatics Software Engineer with Thermo Fisher Scientific in the Transplant Diagnostics division. In this role, he supports a wide range of products that enable testing for organ transplant compatibility and transplant monitoring. The work he performs in this role has been an enlightening opportunity to gain new knowledge about the human genome, medicine, and immunology while offering his own unique insights stemming from his background in plant genomics. Some highlights of his current role include developing new graph-based bioinformatic methods for typing the Human Leukoctye Antigen locus (HLA), supporting the development of new products that can discern different HLA epitopes, taking stewardship of a critical Next-Generation Sequencing software pipeline, and developing key desktop and web applications that enable more efficient research and development work.
Alum of the Month for August, 2022
LUCKY PAUDEL
Lucky Paudel is from Butwal, Nepal. He obtained his undergraduate degree from CCS Haryana Agricultural University, India in 2011. After graduation, he returned to Nepal and worked as an Agriculture Extension Officer for four years. It was during this period, he developed keen interest in plant breeding and decided to become a molecular plant breeder.
In 2016, Lucky received Fulbright Scholarship to pursue his M.S. He joined MacLab at IPBGG and started his M.S. under supervision of Dr. Cecilia McGregor. His research project focused on identifying QTLs and candidate genes controlling different watermelon seed traits such as seed color and seed coat type. He also designed markers for marker-assisted selection of seed traits in watermelon. He completed his M.S. in 2018.
Lucky travelled to the other side of the world in 2019 to start his PhD at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia. He is currently pursuing his doctoral research under the tutelage of Dr. Chris Cazzonelli. His research focuses on understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate flowering and dormancy in almond. He uses various biotechnological tools such as RNA-seq, gene complementation and virus-induced gene silencing/overexpression to identify candidate genes and biological pathways that regulate flowering and dormancy. The outcome of his project will provide a platform for almond industry to develop new cultivars that perform better across geography and climate.
Lucky highly values knowledge, skills and experiences that he received at MacLab and at the IPBGG. He has great appreciation for friends and faculty at UGA. One of the things that he misses the most about Athens is football gameday vibes. Despite time-zone difference, he never misses UGA football and considers himself to be the most diehard dawg fan in the southern hemisphere.
Alum of the Month for July, 2022
Raegan Holton joined the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics at The University of Georgia as a graduate student in 2018 under the direction of Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins. She completed her master's degree in the summer of 2021. Her research focused on examining different peanut genotypes for resistance to aflatoxin contamination as well as examining reproductive traits in peanuts that contribute to yield, size/ shape, and maturity.
Although this research is ongoing, its implications will have far reaching effects on the peanut industry as a whole by increasing economic gains and alleviating food safety issues. During her master's program, she was a part of several organizations including the American Peanut Research and Education Society, The National Association of Plant Breeders, and IPBGG's Graduate Student Association. She was also a recipient UGA's E. Broadus Browne Research Award in 2020.
Upon graduation, Holton decided to go into the peanut industry. She accepted a position as Research Coordinator at Premium Peanut, a large, grower-owned peanut shelling company. She works with growers, researchers, and industry professionals to develop and advocate for research programs which are beneficial to the industry. She also interacts with several different industry groups including The American Peanut Council and American Peanut Sheller's Association. She is incredibly passionate about peanut research and looks forward to working on developing solutions to mitigate the current issues that impact the industry at each level of the supply chain.
Alum of the Month for June, 2022
CLINT STEKETEE
Clint Steketee grew up in Caledonia, MI and earned a B.S. in Crop and Soil Sciences from Michigan State University in 2012. His first exposure to research was as an undergraduate student working at the MSU Hancock Turfgrass Research Center and later interned at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. In fall 2012, Clint joined the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia where he earned his M.S. (2014) and Ph.D. (2018). His thesis research focused on the characterization of dollar spot resistance in seashore paspalum under the advisement of Dr. Paul Raymer and his dissertation research involved discovering germplasm and genomic regions to improve soybean drought tolerance in Dr. Zenglu Li's lab. Clint was a recipient of the United Soybean Board Fellowship, Crop Science Graduate Student Scholarship, and the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders Graduate Student Award.
Upon completing his Ph.D., Clint started to work for Inari in Cambridge, MA and then relocated to West Lafayette, IN in 2019. As Inari's Soybean Breeding Lead, he was responsible for the strategy, design, and operation of a new soybean breeding program for MG 0-4 and was also a member of a cross-functional, crop-focused team bridging Inari's product pipeline between the lab and the field. In 2020, Clint joined Syngenta and is currently a corn breeder based in Malta, IL. In this role, he is part of a team developing corn inbred lines and hybrids in 103-120 RM and implementing strategies to enhance genetic gain for Syngenta's East Market Segment (Eastern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and the rest of corn market in Eastern US). He leads coordination of the earliest parts of the breeding pipeline from population creation to hill plots as well as the latest stage yield trials before hand-off to commercial breeders for the East Market Segment.
Clint plans to continue his work in plant breeding in the future to help develop new, improved hybrids/cultivars to improve farmer's productivity and profitability. He's also very thankful for the friends, skills, and knowledge gained through his graduate education in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics.
Alum of the Month for May, 2022
DONNA HARRIS
Donna grew up on a small beef cattle farm near Athens, Georgia where her dad was a part time farmer who raised wheat and soybean, and full-time research professional at the University of Georgia in the soybean breeding program. She developed a love for agriculture early in life.
Donna received her B.S. and M.S. in Crop Science from the University of Georgia. Upon finishing her M.S. in December of 2001, she started her first job with Pioneer Hi-Bred in Mankato, Minnesota working in corn breeding as a senior research associate. Donna then moved to Monsanto Company in Leesburg, GA to work as a corn breeder before deciding to pursue her PhD in January of 2007. She worked under the direction of Dr. Roger Boerma at the University of Georgia in his soybean breeding program while also working part time in the program as a Research Professional. Her PhD research involved identifying and mapping unique sources of resistance to Soybean rust as well as to investigate the effect of lesion type and canopy severity on yield loss. She earned her PhD at Georgia in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics in 2014.
After completion of her PhD, Donna went to work for BASF Vegetable Seeds (formerly Bayer Vegetable Seeds) where she worked as a senior scientist in the area of tomato prebreeding located in Acampo, CA. In her role, she led the discovery-based research of the US tomato prebreeding program where she managed and participated in global projects with both internal and external collaborators to ensure a constant flow of value-added traits into commercial varieties.
In August of 2020, Donna began a position as an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Plant Sciences. She was hired as the E.A. Whitney Endowed Chair in Plant Sciences and is located at the Sheridan Research and Extension Center in Sheridan, WY. Her research is in the field of plant breeding and genetics where she is beginning to work on several relevant crops to Wyoming agriculture with a focus on the current and potential needs of both the producer and consumer. Current work in this area is focused on early maturing dry beans that maintain yield and upright stature, drought tolerant field peas, and native grasses for restoration purposes in rangelands. She also has a collaboration with Dr. Zenglu Li, the soybean breeder at UGA. Donna teaches PLNT 4520 Plant Breeding and LIFE 3050 Genetics. Her passion is to work together with her colleagues on the design and implementation of new technologies and methods to optimize the efficiency and output flow in plant breeding programs.
Donna feels very fortunate for the opportunity to have received her education at UGA in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics. It has served her well in her career. Though no longer in Athens, Donna still has family there and visits often. She is a huge Bulldog fan. In her life outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three girls (ages 12, 9, and 3) exploring the beauty of the outdoors around Wyoming.
Alum of the Month for April, 2022
MARY ALLISON CAMPBELL
Mary Allison Campbell attended Mississippi State University from 2010-2013, majoring in Agronomy with a focus on integrated crop management. During her college summers, she worked at the Charleston, SC USDA station learning about everything from to broccoli breeding (Dr. Mark Farnham) to weed management (Dr. Howard Harrison) to nematology (Dr Judy Theis). Following graduation, she joined Dr. Paul Williams at the USDA Starkville station and his corn breeding team as a research assistant.
She joined Dr. Zenglu Li's lab at IPBGG co-advised by Dr. James Buck of the plant pathology department in 2014. Her project was a hybrid of plant breeding and pathology entitled "Improvement of Southern Stem Canker Screening Methods and Characterization of Georgian Diaporthe Aspolathi Isolates." She developed and characterized a collection of fungal isolates of this pathogen while improving screening methods used to breed for stem canker resistance in soybean. This prepared her well for her current work breeding Fusarium oxysporum tolerance into onion.
She is currently working with ofi Spices, formerly Olam Spices, as a onion breeder in Hanford, California. She focuses on driving dry yield in their dehydrator onions by selecting for and maintaining high soluble solids. The onion breeding team also takes care to select against defects that make processing these onions more difficult. Mary Allison is responsible for making selections for variety trials and breeding cages every year as well as making sure everything is planted, harvested, and processed correctly. Your normal fresh market onion has 8-11% solids, and ofi's onions sit somewhere around 24-26% to give an idea of how specialized their product is. After working as an assistant breeder with the team for three years, she was promoted and has been working as a plant breeder for the past two. She is set to take over the program with the retirement of Dr. Agustin Merino-Agraz (Principle Scientist) later this month (Feb 2022).
She also sits on the California Garlic and Onion Research Advisory Board (CA GORAB) as Vice Chairman. This organization funds and advises on university research projects on allium They also provide data and justification for pesticide registration on alliums. This is vital in keeping and finding better chemistries for relatively minor crops such as onion/garlic.
Living in central California has been one of her favorite benefits of taking this job. Whether it's taking in the scale and scope of the CenCal agricultural industry or enjoying the Sierras for hiking, skiing, and river days: there's always something exciting to do.
Alum of the Month for March, 2022
CHANDLER LEVINSON
Chandler Levinson grew up in Cumming, GA, and she pursued a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Spanish at Berry College in Rome, GA. Her interest in plant breeding budded during her time as an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Martin Cipollini in an American Chestnut Breeding Program. She helped screen chestnut trees for blight resistance, working towards the long-term goal of reintroducing this cultural and economic staple back to the eastern United States.
For graduate school, she was determined to pursue breeding research on a nutritious crop, in which improved yields would have a global impact on food security. Given this opportunity by Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins at the University of Georgia and funded in part by a NIFA predoctoral grant, she completed a PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics in 2021. Chandler worked with collaborators in the U.S., Argentina, and Senegal to use wild peanut species to increase viral, fungal, and insect resistance in cultivated peanut to improve and protect peanut yields. Throughout graduate school, she served in many leadership roles in various professional societies, but the most important to her career path was the National Association of Plant Breeders. She encourages all aspiring plant breeders to join.
After graduation, Chandler become a postdoctoral researcher, joining a team of incredible researchers at UC Davis studying maize landraces from Mexico that associate with a N2-fixing microbial community (basically, these maize plants act like soybean to fertilize themselves!). Their short-term goals are to better understand the maize genes that allow the plant to recruit and maintain this N2-fixing microbial community and to identify the most important members of the microbial community. Their long-term goal is to enable conventional maize, and potentially other cereal crops, to fix atmospheric N2 and to reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizer. This will result in profit gains for famers who will spend less on fertilizer and in increased food security for farmers who cannot afford or do not have access to fertilizer. After this postdoctoral research position, Chandler aspires to become a professor with a network of international collaborations and a research program aimed at alleviating food insecurity through plant breeding.
Chandler highly recommends the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics at UGA to all aspiring plant breeders. The course work, professional development opportunities, and hands-on research prepared her for a successful career in plant breeding.
Alum of the Month for February, 2022
LIZ PRENGER
Liz Prenger grew up in rural Missouri. In 2016, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences from the University of Missouri, where her studies focused on Crop Management and Horticulture. While at Mizzou, she completed an undergraduate research fellowship while studying genetics of soybean resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) with Dr. Melissa Mitchum. She also worked for over two years as a student assistant in the soybean breeding program with Dr. Andrew Scaboo. Before attending graduate school, she also interned with Monsanto as a Corn Production Research Intern in Williamsburg, IA and with Seminis as a Tomato Discovery Intern in Woodland, CA.
Liz began working toward a master's degree in August 2016 under the direction of Dr. Zenglu Li in the soybean breeding and genetics lab. Her projects focused on the genetics of soybean seed composition and involved characterizing fast neutron mutant soybeans with altered seed composition characteristics using methods including comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), whole genome resequencing, and bulked segregant analysis, and studying the effects of mutations on yield and agronomic traits. She also characterized a high-protein near-isogenic line with yield parity with the recurrent parent. She completed her M.S. degree in December of 2018.
Following graduation, Liz worked as a research specialist in the soybean breeding program at Virginia Tech with Dr. Bo Zhang, where she assisted with manuscript preparation and field breeding activities. She was able to move back to Missouri in September of 2019, when she began her role as a research specialist in soybean breeding with Dr. Scaboo. She is responsible for running analytical chemistry (high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography) and near-infrared spectroscopy labs, and managing data analysis for the program.
DAVIS GIMODE
Davis earned his undergraduate and MSc degrees in Biotechnology from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. He carried out his Msc research work at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). This involved developing genomic resources for finger millet, an orphan crop of great utility in Africa and Asia. In 2014, Davis had an opportunity to visit the lab of Dr. Katrien Devos, who does collaborative work on finger millet with ICRISAT scientists. The three month stay at the lab was instrumental in his decision to pursue his PhD at UGA.
In Fall 2015, Davis joined the Institute of Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics as a graduate research assistant in Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins' lab. The main focus of his dissertation work was understanding the impact of genomic segments derived from wild peanut and introgressed into cultivated peanut. This involved comprehensively genotyping and phenotyping a chromosome segment substitution line population and associating the various traits to particular genomic regions.
Davis received his PhD in 2019 and later joined ICRISAT, Nairobi, Kenya as a Post-Doctoral Research Consultant in the lab of Dr. Damaris Odeny. His duties include analyzing and managing genomics data generated for ICRISAT mandate crops, including peanut (called groundnut in Kenya), sorghum, finger millet and chickpea. He also extensively interacts with breeders from ICRISAT and other ICRISAT affiliated institutions in east, west and central Africa to consult on how best genomic tools can be incorporated in breeding pipelines.
Davis appreciates the cutting-edge training he received at the Institute of Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics. He credits his competence as a scientist to the peerless mentorship of his advisor Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins. For Davis, the broad exposure to science through formal instruction, research activities, conferences and interaction with faculty and colleagues serve as a treasured repository of experiences that inform his scientific endeavors.
CAROLINA BALLEN-TABORDA
Carolina Ballen-Taborda is originally from Bogotá, Colombia. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and her PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2019. Her main interest is to keep supporting the improvement of crops and contribute in this way to food security and sustainable crop production.
Before joining UGA, Carolina worked at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia, where she was involved in projects for SNP discovery to aid selections in rice and common bean, and analysis of genetic diversity and post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs in cassava. It was during this time that Carolina developed an interest in plant breeding and genetics.
Carolina arrived at UGA in spring 2014, where she served as a laboratory technician under the direction of Dr. Scott Jackson and later in spring 2015, she started her doctoral studies under Drs. Scott Jackson, Soraya Bertioli and David Bertioli. Her dissertation research focused on the use of peanut wild relatives to improve resistance to diseases, with emphasis on the root-knot nematode (RKN) that challenge peanut. Carolina successfully mapped and incorporated two new and strong QTL from the wild species A. stenosperma into cultivated peanut. The advanced backcross population that she developed, and the attached molecular data is being used in different projects 1) to map and characterize several agronomic traits and resistances to diseases caused fungi and virus, and 2) for field testing and advancement for germplasm release. Due to her achievements in peanut research, she won the first place in the 2017 E. Broadus Browne Awards in Ph.D. category at the University of Georgia and The Glenn and Helen Burton Feeding the Hungry Scholarship Award in 2018.
After completing her doctoral degree in 2019, Carolina continued and expanded her research in peanut as a postdoc with the Wild Peanut Lab at UGA, and recently in June of 2021, Carolina joined Clemson University as a postdoc in the Plant and Environment Sciences Department. Specifically, she is focused on optimizing the genomic prediction pipeline to support wheat cultivar development within the Small Grains Breeding Program lead by Dr. Richard Boyles.
BEN STEWART-BROWN
Ben Stewart-Brown was born in Minneapolis, MN but spent his formative years in Salisbury, MD (the town people drive through on their way to Ocean City, MD). He received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science and Technology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He originally was planning to follow in his parents footsteps and pursue a degree in veterinary medicine, but several summer internships with Monsanto led him down a path to pursue a career in plant breeding.
Ben completed three summer internships with Monsanto from 2010-2012. In both 2010 and 2012, Ben worked closely with Dr. David Mayonado to characterize new soybean and maize cultivars for the DelMarVa region of the country. They also completed herbicide spray trials to characterize herbicide efficacy and potential for drift/volatilization of newly deployed herbicide chemistries. During his internship in the summer of 2011, he joined the Monsanto corn physiology team under the directions of Dr. Paolo Castiglioni. This team was operating out of their Davis, California site. This internship centered around characterizing the efficacy of a transgenic drought tolerant maize known commercially as DroughtGard™. Though not directly involving the field of plant breeding, these internships gave him an appreciation for the impact plant breeding can have on people's lives.
Ben joined the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia in 2012 to pursue a PhD. Ben's doctoral research/training took place within the UGA Soybean Breeding and Genetics Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Zenglu Li. He was trained in cutting edge molecular breeding techniques in addition to the fundamentals of plant breeding/genetics/genomics. His research involved the identification of novel genomic regions associated with seed yield from diverse germplasm as well as elucidating the efficacy of genomic selection for seed yield, protein content, and oil content within an applied breeding program.
Ben graduated from UGA in the Spring of 2018 and joined legacy Monsanto/Bayer as a Soybean Line Development Breeder shortly thereafter. He currently lives in Ames, IA with his wife, Emily. When he initially started, his primary focus was on breeding high yielding soybean cultivars for Maturity Group 2. He has transitioned in the last several months to a role as a Soybean Product Design Scientist for North America. As a Product Design Scientist, he is focused on optimization of the early stages of the soybean breeding pipeline: crossing, genomic selection, and haplotype characterization. He is driven to combine breakthroughs in data science, molecular techniques, and breeding methodologies to develop elite soybean cultivars for farmer/customers.
CALEB WARRINGTON
Caleb Warrington was born and raised on the Delmarva Peninsula and was exposed to agriculture at a young age. He studied Entomology and Biology at the University of Delaware, where he received his B.S. in 2001. Following graduation, Warrington spent a summer working with graduate students monitoring beneficial insect populations in transgenic corn plots for Monsanto.
In 2002, Warrington began an M.S. at the University of Georgia under the tutelage of Dr. John All (Entomology) and Dr. Roger Boerma (Plant Breeding). Warrington's research focused on mapping and characterizing important major and minor genes conferring resistance to insects in soybean A few highlights during his time as a master's student were receiving the 2006 E. Broadus Browne award in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and an outstanding teaching assistant award in the Department of Biological Sciences. Following his M.S. degree, Warrington received a Monsanto plant breeding fellowship and continued his studies in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at UGA. With a focus on identifying the genomic regions associated with protein quality in soybean, he completed his Ph.D. with Dr. Boerma in 2011.
After graduate school, Warrington was hired as a soybean breeder for Schillinger Genetics, a seed company focused on developing conventional soybean varieties with improved nutritional qualities. He spent time managing breeding stations in both Iowa and Maryland and was responsible for overseeing their genomic data. Warrington's work led to varietal releases from Missouri to as far north as Minnesota. He managed off-season winter nurseries in Argentina, Chile, and Puerto Rico as well.
In 2015, Warrington was hired by Sesaco Corporation in Austin, TX as a sesame breeder. Tasked with creating a new breeding program, he helped initiate large scale varietal testing throughout Texas and Oklahoma. In addition, his research group has created novel sesame varieties solely for specialty markets such as tahini and oil. In 2021, Warrington moved back to Georgia in an effort to establish a production network in the southeast. In his spare time, he loves to be outdoors with his family and is a diehard Dawgs fan.
WINNIE GIMODE
Winnie Gimode is originally from Kenya. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Kenyatta University, Kenya, and proceeded to do a Master of Science (Biochemistry) at the same institution. Before joining UGA, Winnie had the opportunity of working in a top research laboratory in Kenya (Kenya Medical Research Institute), where her research focused on malaria drug resistance. At the same time, she was a lecturer of Biochemistry at Mount Kenya University, where she taught undergraduate Biochemistry courses. It was during this time that Winnie took a keen interest in teaching and mentoring students, hence motivating her to pursue graduate education at UGA.
Pursuing a doctorate degree at the Institute of Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics at the University of Georgia was a complete change of course for Winnie. She not only completely shifted to a new field and embraced a different kind of challenge, but also excelled and found great satisfaction in it. Winnie was trained in the lab of Cecilia McGregor, which focuses on vegetable breeding, genetics, and genomics. During her PhD, she developed assays applicable in marker assisted selection for flowering time and resistance to gummy stem blight disease, which are key traits in watermelon breeding.
Winnie graduated in August 2020 and became a postdoctoral research associate in Katrien Devos' lab, at UGA. Research in the Devos lab focuses on economically important cereals, bioenergy crops and halophytic turfgrasses. Specifically, Winnie works on determining the genetic basis of important traits in switchgrass and finger millet by identifying and characterizing candidate genes associated with the traits.
Graduating from the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics at UGA accorded her skills, experiences and exposure that prepared her for research and leadership in the competitive world of science.
NICOLE BACHLEDA
Nicole Bachleda grew up on a family farm in Marengo, IL, and attended the University of Illinois to earn a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science. As a student, she started working part-time as a research assistant for the Soybean Breeding Program under the direction of Dr. Brian Diers, where she developed an interest in plant breeding. She also took a semester abroad at Wageningen University, Netherlands to learn about international agriculture systems.
Bachleda then pursued a Master's of Science in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics in Dr. Zenglu Li's Soybean Breeding and Genetics Program at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia. Her research projects focused on fine mapping the FatB1a gene controlling low palmitic acid and determining the effect of high oleic acid content on soybean yield. Due to her achievement in research, she won the first place in the poster competition at the 2015 national Soybean Breeders Workshop and the first place in the 2015 E. Broadus Browne Awards in M.S. category at the University of Georgia
After receiving her master degree, Bachleda joined the Soybean Genetics and Genomics Lab and then Soybean Breeding Program as the molecular laboratory manager at the University of Missouri. Her responsibilities included discovery of soybean cyst nematode resistance genes and molecular breeding for the high oleic and low linolenic acid soybeans. She was also involved in the Soybean Innovation Lab and traveled to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan, Nigeria to train students and staff on running a molecular breeding laboratory to support soybean breeding efforts as part of the U.S. Feed the Future Initiative.
In 2018, Bachleda went back to the University of Georgia, working in the Wild Peanut Lab, and then joined the Soybean Breeding and Genetics Program as a Molecular Breeding Lab Manager. Her responsibilities include managing soybean molecular breeding lab, discovering genes/QTLs for traits of interest, utilizing genomic tools and high-throughput/or precision phenotyping to support soybean cultivar development, and providing support to graduate student and post-doctoral researcher's projects.
ZACHARY KING
Zachary King is originally from Old Forge, NY in the heart of the Adirondack mountains. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, with honors at SUNY-ESF, Syracuse, NY. Through his undergraduate research, he became passionate about genetically engineering plants.
He received a Master's of Science in 2011 from the University of Georgia. There he successfully selected elite genotypes of switchgrass from the cultivar 'Performer,' and created reliable and efficient methods to genetically engineer these with the gene gun through a United States Department of Energy Grant. He also bred switchgrass genotypes amenable to engineering. During his master's degree, Dr. Parrott helped Zach secure a unique opportunity to study abroad at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences (BOKU), in Vienna, Austria. While there, he helped develop tissue culture propagation methods for jatropha (Jatropha curcus).
Prior to completing his Master's of Science, he won a competitive award to travel to the Philippines, sponsored by International Rice Research Institute. There he completed their Research to Production course, interviewed farmers, and realized he wanted to be a plant breeder. Shortly after, Zach started his PhD under the direction of Dr. Boerma and Dr. Li. He won the United Soybean Fellowship, which supported research monies to find, map, and deploy new resistance genes to soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi). Collaboratively, Zach fine mapped Rpp2, and discovered three novel resistance genes Rpp4-b, Rpp6-b, and a novel resistance gene Rpp7. His research group also deployed elite soybean varieties with Rpp genes (near isogenic lines) that are freely available to the research community. During his PhD work, Zach got a CO-OP at Monsanto as the assistant to a soybean line development breeder (Dr. Jesse Gilsinger), who mentored Zach and got him excited about breeding in industry.
Zach graduated in 2015 and became a Maize Line Development Breeder at legacy Monsanto/Bayer where he was mentored under Dr. Marvin Boerboom and others. When collaborative breeding initiatives were created, he became the Maize Genetic Enhancement Breeder for Monsanto, and led all efforts for diversity breeding for the 100 RM and earlier corn belt and developed methodologies for disease resistance breeding, and rapid cycling too.
In June of 2020, Zach joined Syngenta as a Product Placement Scientist (commercial breeder) and in June of 2021 became a Breeding Project Lead (line development breeder), allowing him to pursue his greatest passions. Zach has five inbred patents from his first year of breeding and is excited about the future of technology and breeding methodologies.
As a graduate of the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics, he was well prepared through hands-on experiences and course work to pursue professional challenges and opportunities. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking, SCUBA diving, archery, hunting, dog training, and fishing.
JOSH CLEVENGER
Josh Clevenger was trained in the lab of Peggy Ozias-Akins in plant breeding and genomics at the University of Georgia's Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics.
During his PhD, he was a major contributor in the peanut genome initiative, an industry funded project to sequence the genome of cultivated peanut, develop genetic resources for breeding programs, and provide improved cultivars to maximize profits and provide sustainability at all levels of the peanut industry.
After a short USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellowship, Clevenger worked for Mars-Wrigley on the global nut science team where he designed and deployed genetic improvement projects across 5 continents where peanuts are grown.
Clevenger joined Hudson Alpha in the spring of 2020 as a faculty investigator in the Plant Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Specifically, Clevenger's lab is focused on optimizing the computational pipelines to optimize the use of next generation sequencing and genomics in genetic improvement projects involving crops with complex genomes. The lab then seeks out improvement targets that are crucial for on the farm profitability, develops tools for improvement of those targets, and uses advanced breeding techniques to rapidly develop new varieties that maintain yield under threat of pest pressure, stress from extreme temperatures and drought, and mitigate aflatoxin contamination.


A Mitchell County, NC, deputy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday after officers arrived on scene and were unable to "talk him out of it," the department posted on its Facebook page Thursday.
"Yesterday was a sad day for the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office and the family of Deputy Christian (Chris) McClintick. Law enforcements officers responded to a call of a possible suicidal subject in the city limits of Spruce Pine.
"Officers arrived on scene and found one of our own with gun to his chest, attempts were made to talk him out of it. He died a short time later of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"Please remember the family of Chris and the law enforcement officers of our county. You do not get into law enforcement to get rich. It is a dedication and a lifelong dream to many.
"In lieu of flowers the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office has set up a special fund in our county finance office to pay his funeral expenses any extra will go the kids of the officer."


Divitel , an independent system integrator for professional media solutions, has confirmed their delivery of an HbbTV system to SBS Broadcasting.
The HbbTV system supplied by Divitel is the first production play-out system that goes live in the Netherlands and thus fits into the strategy of SBS to use HbbTV as the standard for hybrid solutions. SBS earlier announced their plans to start offering HbbTV services from Q2 2012.


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Traditional Craft Saturdays Staff Picks
When: Sat., Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat., Sept. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat., Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 2016
Price: Regular admission, $4-14; free for kids 3 and under.
Visitors get hands-on exposure to historic handiwork with artisan demonstrations in felting, blacksmithing, pottery and more.
Billings Farm & Museum
5302 River Rd., Woodstock Upper Valley VT 05091
billingsfarm.org…
Select a category ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Events Venue Gallery COMMUNITY & PUBLIC PLACES Attraction Place of Worship FOOD & DRINK American (New) American (Traditional) Baked Goods Caribbean/Latin Coffee/Tea Italian Market & Café Pan-Asian Soup 'n' Sandwich Steakhouse/Seafood Tapas/Small Plates OUTDOORS & RECREATION Hiking/Snowshoeing Parks SERVICES Legal Massage/Bodywork Wellness Yoga/Pilates SHOPPING Accessories Books Cards & Gifts Health & Beauty Housewares Jewelry
Downtown Woodstock (0.31 miles)
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (0.39 miles)
Carriage Barn Visitor Center, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park (0.39 miles)
Woodstock Masonic Lodge (0.43 miles)
Abracadabra Coffee (0.45 miles)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Posts Tagged 'hurricane Ike'
In the Wake of Ike
Posted by msrb on October 1, 2008
Was it a Political Decision for Ike to remain a "Category 2" Hurricane on Landfall?
Hurricane Ike – Roughly an hour before this image was captured at 1:50 p.m. Central Daylight Time on September 10, 2008, Ike was a Category 2 hurricane according to the National Hurricane Center. Ike was a large storm, and at the time of this image it was affecting three nations: Cuba, the United States, and Mexico. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
Flooding from Hurricane Ike in Texas
Images and caption below: Earth Observatory/NASA
Hurricane Ike came ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast on September 13, 2008, and the storm's eye narrowly missed Galveston and Houston. Although the storm produced tremendous damage in both cities, perhaps the greatest damage was caused by the storm surge, which inundated the coastline near Galveston. The storm surge was greatest east of Galveston, reaching 4.6 meters (15 feet) above sea level. The area devastated by the storm surge includes coastline immediately east of Galveston Bay.
These images acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Relfection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite show part of the area scoured by Hurricane Ike. The bottom image, acquired August 15, 2006, shows the region two years prior to Ike's landfall. The top image, acquired September 28, 2008, shows the region about two weeks after the storm surge.
In these false-color images, red indicates vegetation, and the brighter the red, the more robust the vegetation. Blue indicates water, and, in the top image, the large beige-to-brown region indicates an area devastated by the storm. The ocean water's combination of turbulence and high salt content might have been the cause of the vegetation loss in this area. Along the coast, numerous patches of deep blue suggest that standing water lingered after the storm surge's retreat. Only a few isolated patches of robust vegetation survive, most conspicuously on High Island. This salt dome's relatively high elevation helped it survive the worst of the storm's damage. Immediately southeast of High Island, a storm-spawned lake lingers.
Besides destroyed vegetation, Hurricane Ike left water standing in the bottom floors of most homes, and a slippery, muddy sludge on most roadways. An estimated 40,000 residents defied evacuation orders. In the storm's aftermath, those left in the Galveston area had to contend with no electricity, no functional plumbing, and little food or drinkable water.
NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Michon Scott.
3 more Hurricane Ike victims raises toll to 67
Images of the Day: Ike has left!
Hurricane Ike: Who Rubbed the Oil Lamp? [Update 9/12]
Six Costliest US Atlantic Hurricanes to Date
Hurricane Ike Update 9/10
Hurricane Ike Update 9/9
Hurricane Ike: Latest Photos and Videos
Hurricane Ike, TS Hannah, TS Josephine – Update 9-5
Ike Becomes the Third Major Hurricane in 2008
TSs Hannah, Ike and Josephine
Posted in Climate Change, GALVESTON, Houston, hurricane warning, politics above science | Tagged: Flooding in Texas, hurricane Ike, ike'd landfall, loss of vegetation, storm surge | Leave a Comment »
Ike has a 78 percent chance of strengthening to a major hurricane before landfall with sustained winds of at least 178km/hr (111mph). ~ FEWW Forecast.
Ike the angry genie is out of the oil lamp!
Targeting Texas for landfall, perhaps Ike won't grant too many wishes now without the Monkey's Paw!
Ike is a very large tropical cyclone. Its hurricane force winds extend outward about 200 km from the center and tropical storm force winds extend about 450 km, covering an area of about 640,000 sq km.
Ike's latest satellite images show a giant clump of white clouds, together with its outer bands, covering most of the 1.6 million sq km area of Gulf of Mexico basin.
Hurricane Ike regional imagery, 2008.09.12 at 08:45UTC. Centerpoint Latitude: 26:54:30N Longitude: 91:31:08W.
Data Elements: Hurricane Ike is located southeast of Galveston, Texas. This system is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 MPH. Maximum sustained winds are near 105 MPH. Hurricane Ike is a large and powerful storm, quite capable of strengthening before landfall early Saturday.
Observation Device: GOES-12 4 km infrared imagery.
Visualization Date: September 12, 2008 07:37:00 (Credit: NOAA/NESDIS/EVP)
GOES Floater (Updated Image) – Unenhanced – IR CH4 – Date and Time: As indicated on the updated image. Credit NOAA/NHC
Note: As of September 12 – 13:45UTC Image Update, Ike appears to have redeveloped the hurricane eye.
Ike is expected to strengthen to a major hurricane before landfall with sustained wind speeds of at least 178 km/hr, and in all probability the forecast would prove accurate.
However, if Ike fails to strengthen before landfall, it can still cause substantial damage by dumping large amounts of rain, flooding low-lying coastal areas, blowing down trees and road signs, destroying roof structures, doors, windows, curtain walls and mobile homes.
Ike Begins Battering Gulf Coast. A monstrously large, extremely dangerous Hurricane Ike is already affecting the Gulf Coast. NASA's Aqua spacecraft took this infrared image early Sept. 12. (Sept. 12). Credit: NASA/JPL
A wave breaks over a street sign as Hurricane Ike approaches Galveston, Texas September 12, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi. Image may be subject to copyright.
The storm surge of the nameless hurricane reduced much of Galveston to rubble – and left thousands dead. (AP photo)- Source
100 mph plus winds expected along the upper-Texas coast by midnight, weather should deteriorate earlier (NOAA)
Source: NHC
Forecaster: Avila
Date and Time: Sept 12, 2008 at 15:00UTC
Hurricane Watch Area: from Morgan City Louisiana to Baffin Bay, Texas. Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast in the warning area later Friday.
Tropical Storm Warning Area: From south of Baffin Bay to Port Mansfield Texas. A tropical storm warning is also in effect from east of Morgan City to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
Current Location: The center of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 27.2 north, longitude 92.6 west or about 480 km east of Corpus Christi, Texas and about 320 km southeast of Galveston Texas.
Category and Wind Speed: Maximum sustained winds remain near 165 km/hr with higher gusts. Ike is a Category 2A hurricane on the FEWW Hurricane Scale (cat 2 on Saffir-Simpson scale), but could reach the coast as a Category Three, major hurricane. Stronger winds especially in gusts are likely on high rise buildings.
Direction: Ike is moving toward the west-northwest near 19 km/hr. A turn toward the northwest is expected later today, with a turn toward the north expected on Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Ike will be very near the upper Texas coast by late Friday or early Saturday. However, because Ike is a very large tropical cyclone, weather will begin to deteriorate along the coastline soon.
Extent: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 195 km from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 445 km.
Estimated minimum central pressure: 954 mb (28.17 inches).
Storm surge flooding: Coastal storm surge flooding of up to 6 meters (20 feet) with a few spots to about 8 meters (25 feet) above normal tide along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected near and to the east of where the center of Ike makes landfall. The surge extends a greater than usual distance from the center due to the large size of the cyclone. Water levels have already risen by more than 1.5 meter (5 feet) along much of the northwestern gulf coast.
Rainfall: Ike is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 12 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) over eastern Texas and extreme southwestern Louisiana, with isolated amounts of 38 cm (15 inches) possible.
Isolated tornadoes: Isolated tornadoes are possible today over portions of southern Louisiana and extreme southern Mississippi. Isolated tornadoes are possible tonight over portions of southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas.
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, Louisiana, politics, Texas | Tagged: BAFFIN BAY, Corpus Christi, GALVESTON, hurricane Ike, Ike's path, Morgan City | 1 Comment »
Ike Update 9/12: Who Rubbed the Oil Lamp?
Ike Loves Open Waters!
Ike has strengthened to a Category 2A on FEWW Hurricane Scale, and is expected to become a major hurricane (category 3A or above with winds of at least 178km/hr) before making landfall in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Southern Texas).
FEWW Comment: Ike left behind up to 200 people dead in Haiti and Cuba (the death toll could still rise) as it churned through the Caribbeans and is now bringing much wind and rain to the US.
Having previously strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane, Ike struck eastern Cuba as a category 3 hurricane, and there's a significant probability that it might strengthen again to a category 3 hurricane, possibly stronger, as it moves over the warm waters of Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane Ike has shown a remarkable ability to self organize since almost immediately after birth. The hurricane previously strengthened steadily, but rapidly, as it moved west on the open waters of the Atlantic ocean. Ike loves open waters and with its nascent ability to strengthen rapidly he could prove to be the strongest and most dangerous hurricane of the season to date; however, it's still too early to forecast with high certainty the hurricane's wind forces at landfall.
Ike on his way out of Cuba. GOES East Unenhanced Image Frozen for the purpose of comparison. Date and Time: Sept 11, 2008 at 00:15UTC – Credit: NOAA/NHC/NWS
GOES East Floater (Updated Image) Unenhanced – IR CH 4 – Date and Time: Updated (see foot of image). Credit: NOAA/NHC/NWS
IKE CONTINUES NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE CENTRAL GULF
Forecaster: Knabb/Berg
Hurricane Watch Area: From Cameron westward to port Mansfield, Texas. Hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area by Friday.
Tropical Storm Warning Area: From the mouth of the Mississippi River westward to east of Cameron Louisiana. AND from west of Key West to the Dry Tortugas.
Location: At 00:00UTC the center of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 24.7 north, longitude 86.3 west or about 1,125 km east of Brownsville Texas and about 555 km south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Category and Wind Speed: At 160 km/hr, with higher
Gusts, Ike is a Category 2A hurricane on the FEWW Hurricane Scale. Ike is expected to become a major hurricane by Thursday.
Direction: Ike is moving toward the northwest near 13 km/hr. A turn back toward the west-northwestward is expected tonight or early on Thursday and a general west-northwestward motion over the central and western Gulf of Mexico is expected on Thursday and Friday.
Breadth: Ike is a large tropical cyclone. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 185 km from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 335 km.
Storm surge flooding: Coastal storm surge flooding along the coasts of Cuba and in the Florida Keys should continue to subside tonight. coastal storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous waves, can be expected within the tropical storm warning area. Above normal tides of 2 to 4 feet are expected elsewhere along much of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico during the next day or so, but will be increasing along the western gulf coast as Ike approaches.
Rainfall: Ike is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 15 to 30 centimeters (cm) over western Cuba, with isolated maximum amounts of up to
50cm possible. These rains are likely to cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 5cm are possible over extreme southern Louisiana and over the extreme northern Yucatan Peninsula.
Ike's Forecast Path
Latest NCEP/Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) Forecast Positions. Credit: CIMSS – Space Science and Engineering Center – University of Wisconsin- Madison
Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone
Credit: NOAA/NHC/NWS
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: Cuba, deadly hurricanes, gulf of mexico, hurricane Ike, hurricane ike trajectory, Ike's path, ike's projected path, Offshore Oil and Gas, oil rigs, Texas, torrential rains | Leave a Comment »
Ike's Photos and Videos
2009: A New Climate
What if each time a storm struck your area it turned out to be a major hurricane?
Based on MSRB/CASF dynamic energy models and FEWW climate model there's a high probability that:
1. The duration of Atlantic Hurricane season may be longer in 2009. It could start earlier than June 1, and end later than November 30. The FEWW model forecasts an 11-18 day increase in the season.
2. The storms could get stronger throughout the season. Our model indicates average increases in the maximum wind speeds of tropical storms as follows
Category 5 hurricanes [Saffir-Simpson scale] : 16 to 19 percent increase
Category 4 hurricanes : 14 to 17 percent
Category 3 hurricanes : 8 to 11 percent
Category 2 hurricanes : 4 to 6 percent
Now, back to Ike
Latest Headlines:
More than 1 million are evacuated but there are four deaths as 20 inches of rain and 100-mph winds pound Cuba. Reports mount of earlier deaths and destruction in Haiti. Texas could be next. (LA Times)
Oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico remained at a trickle on Tuesday as Hurricane Ike moved toward the region, triggering the second storm-related wave of offshore platform evacuations and production shutdowns in less than two weeks. (Reuters).
Some two million Cubans had been driven from their homes by the storm's winds topping 130 km/h (80 mph) more than 24 hours after it first made landfall on Sunday. (AFP)
Ike earlier caused 66 deaths in Haiti and reportedly damaged 80% of the homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands. (BBC)
Latest NCEP/Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) Forecast Positions. Credit: CIMSS – Space Science and Engineering Center – University of Wisconsin- Madison:
CENTER OF IKE APPROACHING WESTERN CUBA
Forecaster: Franklin
Date and Time: Sept 9, 2008 at 12:00UTC
Location: At 12:00UTC the center of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 22.4 north, longitude 82.4 west, or about 65 Km south of Havana, Cuba.
Category and Wind Speed: At 130 km/hr, Ike is a Category one hurricane on FEWW Hurricane Scale. Some strengthening may occur this morning before Ike moves over Western Cuba. Additional strengthening is forecast to occur once Ike reaches the Gulf of Mexico.
Direction: Ike is moving toward the west-northwest at 20 km/hr and is expected to continue in that direction in the next 48 hrs. The center of Ike should reach the south coast of western Cuba in the next few hours, and emerge into the Gulf of Mexico by this evening.
Breadth: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 355 km from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 315 km.
Estimated minimum central pressure: 965mb (28.50 inches).
Storm surge flooding: Coastal storm surge flooding of 4 to 7 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected in areas of onshore winds east of Ike along the southern coast of Cuba.
Storm surge flooding of up to 90cm, along with Large and dangerous waves, are possible in the Florida Keys.
Large swells generated by Ike will continue to affect portions of the southeast United States coast during the next couple of days. These waves could generate dangerous and life-threatening rip
currents.
Rainfall: Ike is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 25cm over Cuba, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 50cm possible. These rains are likely to cause life-threatening flash
floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain. Rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10cm are possible over the Cayman Islands. Rainfall accumulations of 2.5 to 8cm are possible over the Florida Keys.
Isolated tornadoes and waterspouts are possible over the Florida Keys and extreme south Florida today.
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: Cuba, Florida Keys, gulf of mexico, hurricane Ike, Ike path, Louisiana, major hurricane, storm surge, Texas, tornadoes | 3 Comments »
Ike makes landfall in Cuba
Weakened fortuitously to a Category 3 hurricane, Ike made landfall in Cuba in the province of Holguin near Punto de Sama on the north coast of eastern Cuba at about 01:45UTC, NHC said, with maximum winds of about 205 km/hr.
GOES-East 4km IR4 Floater 2 – Date and Time: Latest Image, Updated – Credit: RAMSDIS-CIRA/RAMM – Colorado State University
Hurricane Ike regional imagery, 2008.09.08 at 14:45UTC. Centerpoint Latitude: 21:15:44N Longitude: 78:26:22W. GOES-12 1 km visible imagery. [Data Elements: The center of Ike may be over open water south of Cuba soon. Ike may not weaken as much as previously shown.] Credit: NOAA/NESDIS/EVP
By 03:00 the center of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 21.1 north, longitude 75.8 west near Cabo Lucrecia about 220km east of Camaguey Cuba.
Ike is now moving in a westerly direction at 20 km/hr, and is expected to turn west to west-northwest in the next 24-48 hours. On this track the center will move over eastern, central and western Cuba through Tuesday.
Since making landfall, Ike' maximum sustained winds have marginally receded to about 195 km/hr, and is now a category 3B hurricane of FEWW Hurricane Scale. Further weakening is likely as Ike moves over Cuba.
Ike's Legacy in the Caribbeans [so far]
Turks and Caicos Islands (Population 22,500): T & C took the full brunt of Ike as a Category 4 hurricane with 215 km/hr winds. About 80 percent of the houses on Grand Turk (population 3,000 were destroyed or damaged, an official said.
The Dominican Republic: Up to 50,000 people abandoned their homes because of the powerful winds and rain.
Haiti: The downpour from Ike caused the La Quinte river to rise again flooding the city of Gonaives for the second time since Hannah struck. By Sunday evening Gonaives was "a devastated and isolated city," its mayor reportedly said, "all of our bridges to the rest of the country have collapsed."
For additional images see: Hurricane Ike Update 9/7
Ike On The North Coast Of Eastern Cuba
Forecaster: Pasch
Category and Wind Speed: About195 km/hr with higher gusts. Ike is still a very dangerous 3B hurricane of FEWW Hurricane Scale. Some weakening is expected as Ike moves over Cuba.
Breadth: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 95 km from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 220 km.
Storm surge flooding: 9 to 12 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected within the warning area in areas of onshore winds.
Large swells generated by Ike will affect portions of the southeast United States coast during the next 48 hours. These waves could generate dangerous and life-threatening rip currents.
Rainfall: Ike is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over eastern and central Cuba, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches possible. These rains are likely to cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain.
The southern Bahamas: Possible rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches from Ike.
Portions of Hispaniola: Additional amounts of 3 to 5 inches.
Turks and Caicos islands: Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches.
Florida Keys: Rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, health, politics | Tagged: Cuba, deadly hurricanes, gulf of mexico, Haiti, hurricane Ike, hurricane Ike 9/8, hurricane ike trajectory, Ike's path, Offshore Oil and Gas, oil rigs, torrential rains, Wind speed probabilities | Leave a Comment »
Latest Photos and Videos
Ike: A Deadly Hurricane by any Other Name
2008 Year of the Rain, too?
GOES – Floater Image – UneEnhanced Infrared CH4 – Date and time: Updated on Image – Credit NOAA/NESDIS/SSD
FEWW Comment: Ike has re-restrengthened to a Category 4A on the FEWW Hurricane Scale (Cat. 4 on Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale) with extremely dangerous wind speeds of about 215km/hr. It's outer bands have enveloped the Dominican Republic and the northeastern peripheries of Haiti, moving slowly to cover north [and rest] of the island, where 500 people have already died and up to a million others displaced from previous storms. More rain, flooding, deaths and devastation are to be expected.
Subject to current weather condition and sea temperatures in the Caribbeans and on its forecast path, hurricane Ike may strengthen to a Category 5 hurricane as it approaches/makes landfall in Cuba, striking ferociously at the heart of the tropical island, which is already reeling from the shock of the previous three storms (Fay, Gustav and Hannah) in as many weeks. It's hoped that the resilient Cuban people would literally "weather the storm."
Storm Centered Infrared Image. Click here for JAVA Movie (color enhancement). credit CIMSS – Space Science and Engineering Center – University of Wisconsin- Madison
GOES – Tropical Floater Imagery – Infrared CH 4 – Date and time: Updated on Image – Credit NOAA/NESDIS/SSD
GOES EAST – North Atlantic Imagery – JSL2 enhancement – Date and time: Updated on Image – Credit NOAA/NESDIS/SSD
Eye of Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Ike Passing Over the Turks Islands
Date and Time:Sept 7, 2008 at 03:00UTC
Category and Wind Speed: About 215 km/hr with higher gusts. Ike is an extremely dangerous category four Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale [Cat 4A on FEWW Hurricane Scale]. Some strengthening is
Possible before Ike moves over eastern Cuba.
Location: The large eye of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 21.2 north, longitude 70.9 west, very close to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Direction: Ike is moving toward the west-southwest near 24 km/hr and this motion is expected to continue Sunday with a gradual turn to the west late Sunday. On this track, the core of the hurricane Will begin to affect the southeastern Bahamas early Sunday. Ike should then move near the central Bahamas and the northern coast of eastern Cuba Sunday night/early Monday.
Breadth: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 75 km from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 220 km.
Storm surge flooding: 13 to 18 feet above normal tide levels and large and dangerous battering waves can be expected in the warning areas.
Large swells generated by Ike will affect portions of the southeast United States coast during the next 48 hrs. These waves could generate dangerous and life-threatening rip currents.
Rainfall: About 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches) with isolated maximum amounts of 30 cm (12 inches) are expected over the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas. Hispaniola and eastern Cuba could see 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) of rain with isolated maximum amounts of up to 50cm (20 inches) possible. These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides over mountainous terrain.
These graphics show probabilities of sustained (1-minute average) surface wind speeds equal to or exceeding 34 kt…39 mph (tropical storm force). These wind speed probability graphics are based on the official National Hurricane Center (NHC) track, intensity, and wind radii forecasts, and on NHC forecast error statistics for those forecast variables during recent years. Each graphic provides cumulative probabilities that wind speeds of at least 39 mph will occur during cumulative time periods at each specific point on the map. The cumulative periods begin at the start of the forecast period and extend through the entire 5-day forecast period at cumulative 12-hour intervals (i.e., 0-12 h, 0-24 h, 0-36 h, … , 0-120 h). An individual graphic is produced for each cumulative interval, and the capability to zoom and animate through the periods is provided. To assess the overall risk of experiencing winds of at least 39 mph at any location, the 120-h graphics are recommended. NOAA/NHC/NWS
Related "Year of the Expected Unknowns" Links:
This's Got to Be the Year of Radioactive, Chemical and Oil Spills, Too!
Will 2008 be year of the tornadoes, too?
California Fires: Not Hard to Understand!
2008: Year of the Expected Unknowns!
First Wave of World's Collapsing Cities
Posted in Climate Change, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics | Tagged: Cuba, deadly hurricanes, energy, gulf of mexico, Haiti, hurricane Ike, hurricane Ike 9/7, hurricane ike trajectory, Ike's path, Offshore Oil and Gas, oil rigs, torrential rains, Wind speed probabilities | Leave a Comment »
Tropical Storm Hannah
FEWW Comment: Big Hannah's torrential rains have already submerged parts of Haiti in more than two meters of floodwater, leaving about 140 people dead. A nightmare scenario in the US Atlantic coast could unfold, if Hannah were to move in slow motion over the U.S. east coast, as already predicted by NHC, without necessarily making landfall, repeating a similar performance to her Haiti debut.
Updated Tropical Atlantic Imagery – Aviation color enhancement – GOES East – Date and time as shown on image. Credit NOAA/SSD/NESDIS
TS Hannah: Coastal Watches/Warnings and 3-Day Track Forecast Cone
This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that time. NOAA/NHC
TS Hannah
Forecaster: Rhome
Date and Time: Sept 5, 2008 / 06:00UTC
Location: The center of tropical storm Hanna was located near latitude 27.2 North, longitude 77.2 West or about 90 km north of Great Abaco Island and about 790 km south of Wilmington, North Carolina.
Direction: Hanna is moving toward the northwest. NHC expects a gradual turn to the north with an increase in forward speed later today. The center of Hanna will be near the southeast coast of the United States later Today. However, rains and winds associated with Hanna will reach the coast well in advance of the center.
Speed: About 30 km/hr.
Wind Speed: About 105 km/hr with higher gusts. It is still possible for Hanna to become a hurricane.
Breadth: Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 510 km (v. large) mainly to the north and east of the center.
Additional Information: Hanna could produce rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches over the Northern Bahamas and the eastern portions of south and north Carolina, with maximum isolated amounts of 5 inches possible. Rainfall totals of up to 3 inches are possible from the Georgia coast southward to the central Florida coast. Very heavy rainfall amounts are likely to spread rapidly northward into the mid Atlantic states and New England from Friday night into Saturday and may result in flooding.
Hurricane Ike: Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Track Forecast Cone
FEWW Comment: Ike, having strengthened to a very dangerous Category 4B on the FEWW Hurricane Scale just over 24 hours ago, is now slightly downgraded to a category 4A hurricane churning in a westerly direction. If Ike remains on its 5-day NHC-predicted path, and maintains its current strength as a major hurricane (Category 3A or above,) it would sweep over the northern edge of Haiti and the Island of Cuba causing additional destruction on a grand scale, compounding the misery caused by TS Fay, Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Hannah during the last 19 days.
Forecaster: Brown
Category and Wind Speed: About 215 km/hr, with higher gusts. Ike is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale [Category 4A on FEWW Hurricane Scale.] Some weakening is forecast during the next 24 to 48 hours.
Location: The center of hurricane Ike was located near latitude 23.6 North, longitude 59.5 West or about 760 km north-northeast of the Leeward Islands and about 1,215 km east-northeast of Grand Turk island.
Direction: Ike is moving in a westerly direction. A turn toward the west-southwest is expected on Friday, and this motion is expected to continue through Saturday. On this track the hurricane will continue to move over the open waters of the west-central Atlantic during the next 48 hours.
TS Josephine
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, politics, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: Atlantic coast, Cuba, deadly hurricanes, Haiti, hurricane Ike, hurricane ike trajectory, Ike's path, torrential rains, TS Hannah, US east coast | 3 Comments »
Hungry Haitian Flood Victims Stranded on Rooftops
"There is no food, no water, no clothes … I want to know what I'm supposed to do … we haven't found anything to eat in two, three days. Nothing at all." Pastor Arnaud Dumas
TS Hannah the third tropical storm to strike Haiti in three weeks has left the northern Haitian city of Gonaives submerged in two meters of water. According to AP's latest report there are 137 confirmed deaths in Haiti.
Hurricane Hanna is seen southeast of Nassau. The system was drifting toward the west near 3 km/hr with maximum sustained winds of about 130km/hr. Dated 2008.09.02 at 08:45UTC – Credit NOAA/NESDIS/EVP
Haitian President Rene Preval declared the situation in his impoverished Caribbean nation a "catastrophe."
Thousands of people including patients in a flooded hospital have moved to upper floor rooms, balconies and roofs, waiting for the floodwater to recede.
"There are a lot of people who have been on top of the roofs of their homes over 24 hours now … They have no water, no food and we can't even help them." The interior minister, Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, told Reuters news.
An aerial view of floods caused by Tropical Storm Hanna is seen in Gonaives September 3, 2008. REUTERS/Marco Dormino/Minustah/Handout
In Cuba more than 500 schools and 100,000 homes were affected. "There are severe damages to the electrical system. It's practically on the floor," said the vice- president, Carlos Lage. "In terms of buildings and homes, roofs are generally gone. The island is exposed to the sky." Thousands of tons of tobacco leaves, coffee, grapefruit and other produce have been destroyed.
A Bolivian peacekeeper, left, stands on an area flooded by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hanna next to residents in Savan Desole, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. The storm has spawned flooding in Haiti that left 10 people dead in Gonaives, along Haiti's western coast, according to the country's civil protection department.(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos). Image may be subject to copyright.
Fidel Castro, Cuba's ex-president likened the destruction to the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. "The photos and videos transmitted on national television reminded me of the desolation I saw when I visited Hiroshima."
Hurricane Ike in a satellite image taken September 4, 2008. Hurricane Ike strengthened rapidly into an fiercely dangerous Category 4 hurricane in the open Atlantic on Wednesday. REUTERS/NOAA/Handout
Meanwhile, hurricane Ike, a very dangerous category 4B hurricane with sustained winds of about 230 km/hr is revving up about 1,000 km northeast of Haiti. Ike is expected to turn west in the next 24 hours.
Remember this Image!
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics | Tagged: Cuba, despair, fidel castro, flooding, Gonaives, Haiti, hunger, hurricane Ike, TS Hannah | 5 Comments »


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text:
Q: Drawbacks of mounting a filesystem with noatime? Having every file be updated just when accessing them sounds like a waste.
What's the catch with mounting a file system with the noatime option. What kind of applications/servers relies on the access time?

A: Consider relatime:
If you have a newish install (~2008), you can use the relatime mount option.  This is a good compromise for atime I think.  From the kerneltrap discussion about implementing this new option:

"relative atime only updates the atime
  if the previous atime is older than
  the mtime or ctime. Like noatime, but
  useful for applications like mutt that
  need to know when a file has been read
  since it was last modified."

This makes it so most of the applications that need atime will still work, but lessens the disk load -- so it is a compromise. This is the default with recent Ubuntu desktop distributions.
Regarding noatime and nodiratime:
If you are going noatime for files, I wonder if there is a reason not to use nodiratime in addition to noatime so you are not updating the access time on directories as well.
The other reason to keep atime enabled which wasn't mentioned is for auditing purposes.  But since who accessed it is not kept and only when, it is probably not that useful for an audit trail.
All of these options can be found in 'man mount 8'.

A: There exist applications that will move files off to a secondary storage if they haven't been accessed for a certain time period. Obviously, they need the atime.
Other than that, I don't see much use for this (anymore), especially as file managers these days have a tendency to open files to generate previews, therefore modifiying the atime just while browsing a directory.
I always mount with noatime these days.

A: There are very little there are some applications that rely on this for example Mutt cannot determine if the folder has received new mail since last visited.
Generally I and others think that mounting noatime is a good idea.

A: the main disadvantage that hasn't been mentioned yet is that if you have a tmpreaper process (i.e. a program that deletes files in /tmp that haven't been accessed for a while), it could delete tmp files that are still in use.
relatime is a better option than noatime.  it only updates atime if the file has been modified since the last atime update.  this has obvious benefits for mail clients.  it still doesn't fix the tmpreaper issue (a file may be read from /tmp for ages without being written to).
overall, the disadvantages are minor (non-existant except for a few special cases), and the performance benefit is significant.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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SANTOS, PRISCILA NOBRES DOS; SILVA, DIOLINA MOURA; GALLON, CAMILLA ZANOTTI e VENTURA, JOSÉ AIRES. SENSITIVITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS OF PRATA,JAPIRA AND VITÓRIA BANANA CULTIVARS PROVEN BY CHLOROPHYLL a FLUORESCENCE. Rev. Bras. Frutic. [online]. 2017, vol.39, n.2, e-991. Epub 22-Maio-2017. ISSN 0100-2945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452017991.
This study aimed to evaluate the physiological responses to environmental stress during pre- and post-harvest of the following banana cultivars: Prata (AAB), Japira (AAAB) and Vitoria (AAAB). Analyses were carried out on young plants at vegetative stage (daughter-plant) and adult plants at reproductive stage (motherplant). The experimental design was completely randomized. In the in vivo pre-harvest analysis were used seven replications, in a factorial scheme (3x2x2), three cultivars and two stages (vegetative and reproductive) and two collection periods (March and June). For the analysis of post-harvest quality were used five replications in a factorial design (3x2x5), corresponding to three cultivars, two development stages and five periods of post-harvest analysis, carried out every two days from stage 4 of fruit ripening. The chlorophyll a fluorescence emission kinetics showed low photochemical performance of the three cultivars in June, a period characterized by lower temperatures and water deficit. Prata was the cultivar with the lowest tolerance to abiotic physiological behavior changes, which also reflected in fruit quality, because there was a change in physical and physicochemical parameters. Japira and Vitoria cultivars showed similar physiological responses in the pre- and post-harvest periods, according to their phylogenetic proximity. The total performance index, i.e., the conservation of energy absorbed by PSII up to the reduction of the final PSI acceptors (PItotal) and the di-malonic aldehyde (MDA) content were significantly higher in Japira and Vitoria cultivars compared to Prata cultivar in the reproductive phase. There was no significant change in the potential quantum efficiency of PSII (FV / FM = jP0) among the three cultivars. It was concluded that Japira and Vitoria cultivars showed greater plasticity to tolerate or even adapt to abiotic variations keeping higher fruit yield. PItotal is the most sensitive parameter during the banana life cycle and important tool for distinguishing different cultivars yields.
Palavras-chave : Musa spp; Chlorophyll fluorescence; pigments; lipid peroxidation; post-harvest quality.


text:
Curran Research and Writing Services
Phone: 251-454-1911 E-mail: eddcurran@aol.com Based in Mobile, Ala.
Research Rescources
Licensed by Alabama Private Investigation Board
About Curran Research and Writing Services
I started Curran Research Services LLC in 2011 and recently added Writing to the name to promote that aspect of what I do as well.
For many years, I worked as a reporter at the Mobile Press-Register, where I specialized in investigative reporting and developed a series of tools for reporting on politics, business, the courts and other matters. As a result, I have considerable experience in locating and using public records and interviewing people, then presenting the research in narrative form.
My reporting led to a number of criminal investigations, including the criminal case against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and members of his cabinet and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.
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I am based in Mobile, but have served clients throughout the state as well as out of state.
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About Eddie Curran
I graduated 1984 from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. In 1988 I began a
19-year stint at the Mobile Press-Register. I was a sports reporter from 1988 to 1994, when I transferred to the news department.
I reported on all manner of stories, and developed a speciality in investigative reporting. This largely involved locating sources and using public records for investigative stories on public corruption, government contracts, businesses such as landfill companies, and non-profits. I also specialized in covering the courts, primarily civil litigation.
In 2007, I left the newspaper and began writing, The Governor of Goat Hill, which I published in 2009. I became a private investigator in 2011.
Curran Research Services LLC
DBA Curran Research and Writing Services
Licensed by the Alabama Private Investigation Board
Phone: 251-454-1911 E-mail: eddcurran@aol.com