NEMATODE RESISTANCE GENETIC ENGINEERING, NEW MEXICO Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the nematode resistance genetic engineering program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. The proposed research will develop an alternative to pesticide use which will decrease or eliminate current mandatory reliance on soil-applied pesticides which are now or are likely to become significant contaminants of ground water. The research involves creating resistance to nematodes within the plants themselves by utilizing qualities from various predacious fungi and other mammalian sources, and to transfer the genetic information required for predation from the fungus to a plant. The fiscal year 1991 grant supports research through September 1992. The fiscal year 1992 grant has been awarded and supports research through September 1993. Mr. MCHUGH. How long has this work been underway and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. The work supported by this grant began in fiscal year 1991 and the appropriation for fiscal years 1991 and 1992 was $150,000 per year. A total of $300,000 has been appropriated. Mr. McHUGH. Where is this work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. Research is being conducted at New Mexico State University. Mr. MCHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. The professional and technical staff required for this research have been hired and their preliminary results look quite promising. Collagenase genes have been transformed into plants and the researchers have shown that these genes are partially expressed. Results of their research were presented at the Third International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology which was held in Tucson in November 1991 and published as an abstract in the proceedings. Mr. MCHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. The university researchers anticipate that work may be completed in fiscal year 1996. NEW USES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, OHIO Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the new uses for agricultural products program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. This project is funding research to characterize exiting markets, identify potential utilization opportunities, develop and evaluate high-potential opportunities, and create and assess strategies to enhance farm income by exploiting new markets. The fiscal year 1991 grant supports research through June 1992. CSRS has received the university's grant proposal for fiscal year 1992 and it is being reviewed. Mr. MCHUGH. How long has this work been underway, and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. Grants have been awarded from funds appropriated as follows: fiscal years 1988 and 1989, $133,000 per year; fiscal year 1990, $131,000; and fiscal years 1991 and 1992, $140,000 per year. A total of $677,000 has been appropriated. Mr. McHUGH. Where is the work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. The research is being carried out at Ohio State University. Mr. MCHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. Research on characterizing existing markets and identifying potential untilitzation opportunities has been completed. The remaining work consists of completion of the last two objectives: developing and evaluating high-potential opportunities and creating and assessing strategies to enhance farm income by exploiting new markets. Mr. MCHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. The principal researchers anticipate that the program of research may be completed in fiscal year 1993. NONFOOD AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, NEBRASKA Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the nonfood agricultural products program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. This work focuses on identifying market niches and then developing products from agricultural materials to fit these needs. The focus is on plastics made from starch, extraction of oil from crambe and milkweed seeds, and improving fermentation technology for ethanol production and on administration of the Industrial Agricultural Products Center. The fiscal years 1991 and 1992 grants support research through October 1993. Mr. McHUGH. How long has this work been underway and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. The work began in fiscal year 1990 with an appropriation of $109,000. The fiscal years 1991 and 1992 appropriations are $110,000 per year. A total of $329,000 has been appropriated. Mr. McHUGH. Where is this work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. The Industrial Ag Products Center of the University of Nebraska conducts the work. This Center was established by the Nebraska Board of Regents on May 6, 1988 to broaden markets for agricultural commodities produced in Nebraska. Mr. MCHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. A plastic made from over 60 percent corn starch has been developed, partly funded by this grant. Private firms are evaluating the technology. Tests have shown that improvements can be made in recovering oil from crambe and milkweed seeds. Advances in ethanol fermentation are under development. Mr. McHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. The exact timetable for the research has not been specified. OIL FROM JOJOBA, NEW MEXICO Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the oil from jojoba program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. The overall objective is to accumulate high levels of liquid wax esters in the seeds of the agronomic crop rapeseedBrassica napus--and soybean-Glycine max-. This will "create" a new crop of industrial interest for high quality lubricants and cosmetic and pharmaceutical ointments. As the genetic engineering research with jojoba markers and soybean and rapeseed plants enters the fourth year, significant progress has been made. Purified fat bodies which contained transcylase and reductase catalytic activity have been stripped from the homogenized jojoba bean protein complement and characterized. The first transgenic rapeseed was produced via in vitro regeneration of shoots from explants. Plans call for replacing the reporter gene in transgenic rapeseed with jojoba genes and to demonstrate that the jojoba genes are functioning. The fiscal year 1991 grant supports research through September 1992. The fiscal year 1992 proposal has been requested and the grant would support research through February 1994. Mr. McHUGH. How long has this work been underway and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. This work began in fiscal year 1989 with a $100,000 grant under the Supplemental and Alternative Crops program. Grants have been awarded under the Special Research Grants program as follows: fiscal year 1990, $148,000; fiscal years 1991 and 1992, $200,000 per year. A total of $648,000 has been appropriated. Mr. MCHUGH. Where is this work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. The research is being conducted by the Plant Genetics Engineering Laboratory at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Mr. MCHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. The research team developed technology for creating a transgenetic plant. They have partially purified the jojoba enzymes that produce liquid wax. Characterization of the enzymes is underway and the complete characterization will eventually allow for the identification of the specific jojoba genes. Recently, they have identified and have available to them similar genes from bacteria that may allow for independent identification of the jojoba genes for wax synthesis. Mr. MCHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. The researchers hope to meet the research objectives within the 1989-93 five year program. OREGON/MASSACHUSETTS BIOTECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the Oregon/Massachusetts Biotechnology Partnership to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. The Oregon/Massachusetts Biotechnology Partnership has as its mission the acceleration of the development of biological research in agriculture and forestry and the movement of that research into the public marketplace through the creation of new commercial ventures. Overall objectives are to expand basic and applied research using developing molecular technology in plant genetic engineering and to enhance the commercial development of innovations in biotechnology. The fiscal year 1991 grant supports research through February 1993. CSRS has received the 1992 grant proposal and it is being reviewed. Mr. McHUGH. How long has this work been under way and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. Grants have been awarded from funds appropriated as follows: fiscal year 1990, $247,000; fiscal year 1991, $500,000; and fiscal year 1992, $537,000. A total of $1,284,000 has been appropriated. Mr. McHUGH. Where is this work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. The grants have been awarded to Oregon State University which has sub-contracted to its partners the University of Oregon; the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Portland, Oregon; and the non-profit Massachusetts Centers of Excellence Corporation in Worcester, Massachusetts. Mr. McHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. The Partnership's Scientific Peer Review Committee has selected projects and initiated their funding from monies received from the fiscal year 1991 appropriation. Projects initiated out from fiscal year 1991 funding will be eligible for continued funding of the fiscal year 1992 appropriation based on evaluation by the Scientific Peer Review Committee and approval by USDA/ CSRS. In addition, the Scientific Peer Review Committee will evaluate new proposals for research to be initiated under this proposal. Mr. McHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. We have been told by representatives of the Partnership that they plan this project for a five year period, ending in fiscal year 1994. PEACH TREE SHORT LIFE, SOUTH CAROLINA Mr. McHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the peach tree short life program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. Progress continued in 1991 to identify genetic material in peaches that might be useful as rootstocks in soils where the ring nemotode, Criconemella xenoplax, is present and contributing to peach tree short life. Field trials of selected rootstocks are under way. No clear source of resistance was found among hundreds of breeding lines tested, but several lines that have supported lower populations of the nematode are being tested for tolerance. A bacterium associated with peach roots in an orchard where low nematode populations have been consistent for many years was studied as a biological control agent for ring nematodes. Additional studies of the physiological effects on peach trees resulting from ring nematode parasitism continued in 1991. The fiscal years 1991 and 1992 grants support research through March 1993 and March 1994 respectively. Mr. MCHUGH. How long has this work been underway and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. Grants have been awarded from funds appropriated as follows: fiscal year 1981, $100,000; fiscal years 1982-1985, $192,000 per year; fiscal years 1986-1988, $183,000 per year; fiscal year 1989, $192,000; fiscal year 1990, $190,000; and fiscal years 1991-1992, $192,000 per year. A total of $2,183,000 has been appropriated. Mr. MCHUGH. Where is this work being carried out? Dr. JORDAN. The research is being conducted at the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Mr. MCHUGH. What has been accomplished to date? Dr. JORDAN. Irrigation was found to improve tree growth and yield of fruit, but it did not materially influence nematode populations or longevity of peach trees. Refinements in pruning, either as summer pruning or pruning in relation to accumulation of chilling requirements, were attempted but without success in reducing tree mortality. Virus-free planting stock was compared with infected planting material. The virus did not affect occurrence of short life. Host range of C. xenoplax was studied. Non-hosts were tested for suppressive activity. Nimblewill appeared to have suppressive activity. Greenhouse screening of more than 350 Prunus breeding lines for resistance to C. xenoplax was done. No resistance was found in peach, but there may be partial resistance in other Prunus species. Field tests are being conducted. In addition, several breeding lines were superior to standard rootstocks, and it is hoped that one or more superior rootstocks will emerge from this research. Strains of antagonistic pseudomanads were isolated and are being characterized for suppressive activity, ability, to colonize peach roots, and genes responsible for antagonism. Mr. MCHUGH. When do the principal researchers carrying out this work anticipate that the work will be completed? Dr. JORDAN. The university researchers anticipate that work may be completed in fiscal year 1996. PEST CONTROL ALTERNATIVES Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide a description of the work that has been done under the pest control alternatives program to date and the period of the existing contract. Dr. JORDAN. CSRS has requested and received a grant proposal called "Alternative Control Methods for Pests of Vegetables" which is being reviewed. The research timetable of the proposal is five years and first year funding has been requested. The research program will investigate alternative methods of pest control in vegetable crops as complements to or as substitutes for conventional chemical sprays. Alternative methods of pest control that will be studied include biological control with microorganisms, predators, and parasites; and cultural practices. The transfer of new technology to user groups is an objective of the proposal. Mr. McHUGH. How long has this work been underway and how much has been appropriated through fiscal year 1992? Dr. JORDAN. The work supported by this grant begins in fiscal year 1992 and the appropriation for fiscal year 1992 is $125,000. |