2005 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement (58-6402-4-0026) between Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station(MAFES) of Mississippi State University (MSU). Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent research project 6402-21410-004-00D, Alternative Crops and Value-Added Products for Mississippi. The goal is to provide farmers with a profitable alternative crop to some of the crops currently grown in the region. Research supported by these funds are aimed at determining optimum agronomic practices for producing and harvesting kenaf and other alternative crops as well as to find new and profitable products made from kenaf fibers as well as other alternative crops. Prices for various crops being grown in the Mississippi Hill and Delta areas have been suppressed for the past 30 years and many farmers are finding it difficult to stay in business. Results from this research should enable many small to medium sized farmers to become profitable from growing and selling kenaf and/or kenaf based products as well as other alternative crops. 2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. This cooperative project has not undergone the formal ARS peer review process; therefore, formal milestones are not available. However, the overall objectives of the research are: to determine the agronomic, industrial, animal production, and economic potential of growing alternative crops or adding value to existing products in Mississippi. Alternative crops can be any plant or animal species that is not currently grown in Mississippi on a large scale and can include, but is not limited to, plants for medicinal purposes, (e.g., mayapple, eastern red cedar, Echinacea), etraceuticals (e.g., tomatoes with increased lycopene content), flowers for fresh market, ornamentals, turf, fiber crops (e.g., kenaf), oilseed, industrial crops for energy and alternative fuel production, etc. There are many ways to add value to existing crops or products such as. 1)using a byproduct from a process, and. 2)finding alternative uses or additives to plant and animal products. Specific research milstones are: (1) determine suitability of Winter Rose poinsettia as a cut flower crop; (2) evaluate incorporated and unincorporated rates of chicken litter as fertilizer for cotton production; (3) determine animal and economic performance of steers grazed on standing corn; (4) determine optimum planting time, mulching and soil conditions, harvest regimes, and pest pressure effects on Eastern Red Cedar and Mayapple to be used as medicinal herbs; and (5) quantify and improve lycopene production in Mississippi grown tomatoes and watermelons and evaluate the economic potential of the system. 4a.What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? Increased omega-3 fatty acid in farm-raised catfish: Pond-raised channel catfish fed diets amended with specially processed and refined menhaden fish oil had omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) content of 7.2% of total lipid content in the fillets. The addition of this free fatty acid in one’s diet could reduce the risk of heart disease, improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and be useful in the prevention and treatment of many other diseases related to high cholesterol. Keeping the level of added fish oil to about 2.0 to 2.5%, the level of omega-3 HUFA content of fillets can be increased to at least 7.2% of total lipid content without affecting the traditional mild flavor of the catfish fillets. Consumption of 200 grams of fillet having 7.2% omega-3 HUFA and containing 6.9% total lipid can provide about one gram of omega-3 HUFA to one’s normal diet. 4b.List other significant accomplishments, if any. None. 4c.List any significant activities that support special target populations. None. 4d.Progress report. Chicken litter applied to no-till and tilled cotton production resulted in the same or higher yields per acre, while the differences were not big, the fact that a use for the waste product has been verified is significant. While analyzing tomatoes for lycopene concentration, two analytical procedures have been developed and/or refined that led to more rapid and lower cost alternatives than previously used. 5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Chicken litter can be used to reduce nematodes, to raise hay, and used a source of nitrogen to raise cotton both in the conventional and non-tillage systems. Sunflowers, zinnias, and celosia can be grown and marketed in Mississippi. The anti-cancer agent podophyllotoxin can be produced in Mayapple and Red Cedar and it appears that the lack of shade over the Mayapples increases podophyllotoxin production. Lycopene production is being optimized in tomatoes grown in Mississippi. These uses of kenaf, flowers, chicken litter, and other alternative or medicinal crops can be valuable resources for the Mississippi farmers looking for additional cash crops. A marinate solution and pre-cooking technique has been developed for beef pot roast and this system appears to have some commercial applications. Winter Rose poinsettias have been found to have a longer vase life, approximately two weeks or more, than most other cultivars thus, broken poinsettias or culled potted poinsettias have a good potential for sale as cut flower arrangements. It was also determined that consumers could be willing to pay up to $14.00 for a six stem arrangement, therefore, this finding may add significant income to floriculture producers in Mississippi. A diet supplement of ground soybeans fed to gilts resulted in an advancement of 20–25 days in the onset of estrus. This is an economically effective way to advance puberty while increasing the productivity of swine producers and an alternative market for soybean producers. Chicken litter applied to no-till and tilled cotton production resulted in the same or higher yields per acre, while the differences were not big, but the fact that a use for the waste product has been verified is significant. While analyzing tomatoes for lycopene concentration, two analytical procedures have been developed and/or refined that led to more rapid and lower cost alternatives than previously used. Pond-raised channel catfish were fed diets that were amended with specially processed and refined menhaden fish oil to boost the omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) content of the fillets. Keeping the level of added fish oil to about 2.0 to 2.5%, the level of omega-3 HUFA content of fillets can be increased to at least 7.2% of total lipid content without affecting the traditional mild flavor of the catfish fillets. Consumption of 200 grams of fillet having 7.2% omega-3 HUFA and containing 6.9% total lipid can provide about one gram of omega-3 HUFA to one’s normal diet. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? A new kenaf variety “Whitten” was released and will be increased by a seed company in Mexico. The Swine Odor Reduction System (SORBS) has been tested at a commercial swine farm and is ready for production, we have had several companies asking about the patent for this system. A company is currently pursuing the technology for producing soilless sod which is produced using a mat made from woven kenaf bast fibers. The decorticator has been produced by a commercial machine shop and we have had inquires from several countries about its use and production. Several Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) bulletins have been written and distributed to producers and extension personnel. The potting media formulation was published in a trade journal for producers to utilize. Design criteria and guidelines for the use of the bio-filter will be released in the near future. We are also currently working with both agricultural and environmental companies that are interested in the biofiltration work. The pre-cooked pot roast project has being taken to a commercial meat packing company and they seem to be interested in the marination and pre-cooking techniques. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Pollard, A.N. , P.C. Coggins, P.R. Knight, C. Coker, and G. Fain. 2004. Sensory evaluation of edible daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.). IFT Conference Shankle, M.W., H. Tewolde, T.F. Garrett, K.R. Sistani, A. Adeli, and D.E. Rowe. 2005. Use of Poultry Litter as a Fertilizer Source in No-tillage Cotton Production. Beltwide Cotton Production Conferences, New Orleans, LA. Tewolde, H., M.W. Shankle T.F. Garrett, K.R. Sistani, D.E. Rowe, and A. Adeli,. 2005. Lake of Incorporation Reduces Benefits of Poultry Litter Applied to No-till Cotton. Beltwide Cotton Production Conferences, New Orleans, LA. Hudson, D. and E. Griffin. 2004. Market potential for “Mississippi Grown” cut flowers. Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiments Station Bulletin 1140. Jerardo, A. 2004. Floriculture and Nursery Crops Outlook. USDA. FLO-03. Sept. 23, 2004. Evans, W.B., J. So;va. W. Holmes, R. Ingram, P.M. Hudson, and K.L. Paridon. 2004. Studies on lycopene levels in Mississippi tomatoes. In 2004 Progress Report Summary of the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. Posadas, B.C. and R.A. Posadas. 2004. Consumer preferences for post harvest processed raw oysters in coastal Mississippi. Final Report to the Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc., Tampa, FL. 21pp. Evans, W.B., and K..L. Paridon. 2004. Preliminary findings from Mississippi’s organic vegetable plot. HortSci. 39(3):656. (abstract) Pollard, A.N., P.C. Coggins, P.R. Knight, C. Coker, and G. Fain. 2004. Sensory evaluation of edible daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.). HortSci. 39:783. Coker, C., P. Knight, G. Fain, A. Pollard, and P. Coggins. 2004. Daylilies: Flower or Food? HortSci. 39:652-653. Knight, P.R., C. Coker, G. Fain, A. Pollard, and P. Coggins. 2004. Consumer preferences for edible daylilies. Proc SNA Res. Conf. (In Press). Williams, J. Byron. 2005. Comparison of fat replacer systems in low-fat ground beef patties. Journal of Muscle Foods. 111-05. Greer, L. and J.M. Dole. 2005. Defoliation of woody cut stems with pre-harvest, less toxic chemical and postharvest environmental methods. HortTechnology. 15:376-380.