Browsing by Author "Thomason, Wade E."

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    The 2008 Virginia Corn Silage Hybrid Trials
    Jones, Brian Paul; Behl, Harry D.; Rucker, Elizabeth; Thomason, Wade E. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2008)
    Discusses the results of performance trials from commercial corn hybrids produced for silage at four Virginia locations in 2008.
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    2014 Virginia On-Farm Corn Test Plots
    Balderson, T. Keith; Chappell, Glenn F.; Flanagan, Roy; Lawrence, Watson; Maxey, Laura Michele; Moore, David M.; Romelczyk, Stephanie; Slade, Glenn; Toulson, Landre; Thomason, Wade E. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2014-12-11)
    These demonstration and replicated studies provide information that can be used by Virginia corn growers to make better management decisions on their farms. Refer to individual results for more details.
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    2019 Virginia On-Farm Corn Test Plots
    Jones, Trent; Broaddus, Mike; Romelczyk, Stephanie; Thompson Ahmerah; Lawerence, Watson; Flanagan, Roy; Balderson, Keith; Reiter, Scott; Jones, Bruce; Fimon, Lindy; Thomason, Wade E.; Withers, Danny; Clarke, Taylor; Stafford, Carl; Longest, Robbie; Miller, Rachel; Parrish, Michael J.; Jarvis, Brad; Chappell, Glenn F.; Holland, Josh (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2019)
    These demonstrations and replicated studies provide information that can be used by Virginia corn growers to make better management decisions on their farm.
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    2020 Virginia On-Farm Wheat Test Plots
    Broaddus, Mike; Clarke, C. Taylor Jr.; Davis, Paul H.; Fimon, Lindy; Henly, Rachel; Jones, Trent; Longest, Robbie; Shuman, Nicole; Stafford, Carl; Romelczyk, Stephanie; Swann, Skyler; Thomason, Wade E. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-08-19)
    Summarizes replicated research and demonstration plots conducted by Virginia Cooperative Extension in cooperation with local producers and agribusinesses.
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    2020 Virginia Tech Eastern Shore AREC Virtual Research Field Day
    Reiter, Mark S.; Deitch, Ursula; Pittman, Theresa; Flessner, Michael; Rideout, Steven L.; Zhang, Bo; Vallotton, Amber; Thomason, Wade E.; Wolters, Bethany; Templeton, Jenny; Lawrence, Cris; Strawn, Laura K.; Neill, Clinton L.; Sutton, Kemper; Britt, Kadie; Boyle, Sean; Pagini, Mika; Kuhar, Thomas P. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-08-18)
    Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center Virtual Research Field day includes various presentations and publications of the authors’ above, which are each linked in the body of the publication
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    2021 Virginia On-Farm Wheat Test Plots
    Longest, Robert; Broaddus, Mike; Davis, Paul; Jones, Robert; Shuman, Nicole; Stafford, Carl; Romelczyk, Stephanie; Tallamy, Clare; Thomason, Wade E. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021-09-08)
    The On-Farm Variety and Research Publications are a collaboration between county agents, producers, crop specialists, and agribusinesses to provide research-based information on not only variety selection, but other management practices such as new cultivation, fertilization, planting, and harvesting practices of small grain. It is the intent of all the cooperators involved to provide an unbiased publication that is beneficial in variety selection as well as other current small grain issues.
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    2021 Virtual Eastern Shore Agricultural Conference and Trade Show
    Pittman, Theresa; Deitch, Ursula T.; Reiter, Mark S.; Singh, Vijay; Mason, John; Duerksen, Keren; Haymaker, Joseph; Doughty, Helene; Holshouser, David Lee, 1963-; Langston, David B.; Flessner, Michael; Rideout, Steven L.; Thomason, Wade E.; McCullough, Chris T.; Sutton, Kemper L.; Bekelja, Kyle; Kuhar, Thomas P.; Richardson, Bruce; Harper, Robert; Richardson, Brett; Shockley, Bill (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2021-03-12)
    Join us for the 2021 virtual Eastern Shore Agricultural Conference and Trade Show! Hear updates and continuing education presentations that are pertinent to Eastern Shore of Virginia growers.
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    Accelerated senescence and nitrogen remobilization in flag leaves enhance nitrogen use efficiency in soft red winter wheat
    Alpuerto, Jasper B.; Brasier, Kyle G.; Griffey, Carl A.; Thomason, Wade E.; Fukao, Takeshi (2021-01)
    Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production requires a large amount of nitrogen (N) supply because growers aim to achieve high grain yield and appropriate grain protein content simultaneously. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underpin efficient N usage at limited N in wheat can facilitate the development of new N-saving varieties in this major crop. Here, we performed comparative analysis of flag leaf responses to N availability in soft red winter wheat with contrasting N use efficiency (NUE); VA08MAS-369 (high NUE) and VA07W-415 (low NUE). This study demonstrated that accelerated senescence along with enhanced breakdown of protein and starch in flag leaves was correlated with higher grain yield, NUE for grain yield, and NUE for grain protein under N limitation. The more dramatic reductions in flag leaf N compounds and carbohydrate reserves in VA08MAS-369 were linked with significantly elevated expression of genes and enzymes associated with these metabolic pathways in this high NUE genotype. Consistent with the gene expression data, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase activities were highly induced under limited N in VA08MAS-369. It was previously reported that accelerated senescence contributes to increased grain protein content in wheat under regular N supply. This study provides molecular and physiological evidence that vigorous senescence and N remobilization also benefit grain yield under N deprivation.
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    Aerial high-throughput phenotyping of peanut leaf area index and lateral growth
    Sarkar, Sayantan; Cazenave, Alexandre-Brice; Oakes, Joseph C.; McCall, David S.; Thomason, Wade E.; Abbott, A. Lynn; Balota, Maria (Springer Nature, 2021-11-04)
    Leaf area index (LAI) is the ratio of the total one-sided leaf area to the ground area, whereas lateral growth (LG) is the measure of canopy expansion. They are indicators for light capture, plant growth, and yield. Although LAI and LG can be directly measured, this is time consuming. Healthy leaves absorb in the blue and red, and reflect in the green regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Aerial high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) may enable rapid acquisition of LAI and LG from leaf reflectance in these regions. In this paper, we report novel models to estimate peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) LAI and LG from vegetation indices (VIs) derived relatively fast and inexpensively from the red, green, and blue (RGB) leaf reflectance collected with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In addition, we evaluate the models’ suitability to identify phenotypic variation for LAI and LG and predict pod yield from early season estimated LAI and LG. The study included 18 peanut genotypes for model training in 2017, and 8 genotypes for model validation in 2019. The VIs included the blue green index (BGI), red-green ratio (RGR), normalized plant pigment ratio (NPPR), normalized green red difference index (NGRDI), normalized chlorophyll pigment index (NCPI), and plant pigment ratio (PPR). The models used multiple linear and artificial neural network (ANN) regression, and their predictive accuracy ranged from 84 to 97%, depending on the VIs combinations used in the models. The results concluded that the new models were time- and cost-effective for estimation of LAI and LG, and accessible for use in phenotypic selection of peanuts with desirable LAI, LG and pod yield.
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    Agronomic and Economic Comparison of Full-Season and Double-Cropped Small Grain and Soybean Systems in the Mid-Atlantic USA
    Browning, Phillip W. (Virginia Tech, 2011-05-02)
    Increased demand for barley has changed the proportion of crops grown in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic USA. Winter wheat is the predominant small grain crop, but barley can be a direct substitute, although much less of it is grown. Soybean is grown full-season and double-cropped after both small grains. Historically, wheat was the primary small grain in the soybean double-crop rotation because of its greater profitability. The barley-soybean cropping system is not a new concept in the region, but the literature is outdated. New agronomic and economic data that directly compares full-season soybean, barley-soybean, and wheat-soybean systems using modern cultivars and management practices is needed. The objectives of this research were to: i) determine soybean yield and compare cropping system profitability of the three cropping systems; ii) perform a breakeven sensitivity analysis of the three cropping systems; and iii) determine the effect of planting date and previous winter crop on soybean yield and yield components. Soybean grown after barley yielded more than full-season soybean in two of six locations and more than soybean double-cropped after wheat in three of six locations. Net returns for the barley-soybean system were the greatest. These data indicate that soybean double-cropped after barley has the potential to yield equal to or greater than full-season soybean or double-cropped soybean following wheat, but its relative yield is very dependent on growing conditions. The profitability comparison indicated that the barley-soybean cropping system was generally more profitable than the full-season soybean and double-cropped wheat-soybean systems. This conclusion was supported by the breakeven sensitivity analysis, but remains dependent on prices that have been extremely volatile in recent years. In another study, soybean yields declined with planting date at two of four locations in 2009, a year that late-season rainfall enabled later-planted soybean to yield more than expected. In 2010, soybean yield decline was affected by the delay in planting date at both locations. Winter grain did not affect soybean yield in either year. Yield component data reinforced these results and indicated that the lower seed yield in the later planting dates was due primarily to a decrease in the number of pods.
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    Alternative and Improved Cropping Systems for Virginia
    Chim, Bee Khim (Virginia Tech, 2016-04-27)
    Feed grain consumption in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region is more than double the total production. Producing more feed grains in this region could generate more profit for grain growers and lower costs for end-users. Increased feed grain production in this region will necessitate improved corn (Zea mays L.) management techniques and adoption of alternative feed grains such as grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). In order to achieve our overall objective of increased corn and grain sorghum production in the region, experiments were conducted to assess tools with the ability to increase the efficiency of sidedress nitrogen (N) application for corn and to test the performance of grain sorghum in both full season and double-crop rotations in this region. For the corn studies, seven field experiments were established in 2012-2014 with four replications in a randomized complete block design. Treatments included a complete factorial of four different preplant N rate (0, 45, 90, 134 kg ha-1) with three different approach simulation model-prescribed rates (Virginia Corn Algorithm, Maize-N, Nutrient Expert-Maize) and the standard Virginia yield-goal based approach. No differences in corn yield were found between the different simulation model and preplant N rate, however the prescribed sidedress N rate varied significantly due to the simulation model, preplant N rate and the interaction between them. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was estimated based on partial factor productivity (PFP) of nitrogen. The greatest PFP resulted from use of the Virginia Corn Algorithm (VCA), which produced 68 kg grain kg N-1 compared with 49 kg grain kg N-1 for the yield-goal based approach. While the VCA shows promise as a tool for improving NUE of sidedress applications in corn, more research is needed to validate performance. Soybean (Glycine max L.) is often double-cropped after small grain in the mid-Atlantic region. Growing grain sorghum in this niche in the cropping system instead could result in greater overall feed grain production. In order to assess the performance of grain sorghum as an alternative in common cropping systems, four field experiments were established at the Southern Piedmont Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SPAREC) and Tidewater Agriculture Research and Extension Center (TAREC), near Blackstone and Holland, Virginia, respectively. The experiments were conducted using a split plot design with four replications and fourteen treatments. Main plot was winter small grain crop; either barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), triticale (x Triticosecale.), wheat (Triticum aetivum L.) or winter-fallow and the subplot either soybean or sorghum. In three of four instances, full season sorghum yields were greater than double-cropped sorghum after small grain. At two locations, sorghum yields following triticale were lower than when following barley, possibly indicating an antagonistic or allelopathic effect of triticale. The most profitable cropping system was wheat-soybean based on the price assumptions and measure yields in this experiment. Among the sorghum cropping system, the most profitable system was also wheat-sorghum. Sorghum can be successfully grown in both full-season and double-crop systems and offers good potential to increase feed grain production in this region.
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    Ammonia Volatilization, Urea Hydrolysis, and Urease Inhibition with the Application of Granular Urea in Agroecosystems
    Frame, William Hunter (Virginia Tech, 2012-03-22)
    Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers play a key role in human nutrition and crop production. The most widely used N source globally is urea; however, N loss via ammonia volatilization can be great in agricultural systems where urea is surface-applied. The objectives of the experiments reported in this dissertation were: 1) evaluate the performance of a new laboratory ammonia volatilization measurement system for measuring ammonia volatilization from coated granular urea; 2) determine if urease can be extracted from corn and soybean residues; 3) determine if differences in urease activity are present in corn and soybean residues; and 4) evaluate N content and yield of corn treated with surface-applied coated urea fertilizers. The laboratory ammonia volatilization system had a system recovery efficiency (SRE) of 97% of the applied N and the lowest variation in mg N captured in the acid traps when the air flow rate was 1.00 L min⁻¹, at 26°C, and an acid trap volume of 100 ml 0.02M phosphoric acid. Ammonia volatilization was greatest from 12-24 h after N application with a total of 17% of the applied N being lost during that period. The urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoic triamide (NBPT) was the most effective ammonia volatilization control treatment and reduced ammonia losses 30-40% compared to urea in the laboratory trials. Urease was extracted from soybean residue and retained activity during extraction; however, urease from corn residue could not be identified in extracts. The agronomic field trials indicated that NBPT increased N concentration in corn ear leaves; however the effect on corn grain yield was masked by environmental conditions. The data from this study suggests that ammonia volatilization from granular urea can be effectively controlled using NBPT, and corn tissue N content in the field indicates that NBPT allows for more N to be utilized by the plant. The urease extraction showed that there may be differences in urease activity in different crop residues. Further research is needed to determine if varying levels of volatilization control are needed for urea applied to different crop residues in no-till systems.
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    Assessing the Potential Use of Teff as an Alternative Grain Crop in Virginia
    Coleman, Jennifer Marie (Virginia Tech, 2012-04-27)
    Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.)) is an annual, warm-season cereal crop most notable for its gluten-free, nutrient-packed seed. Experiments were conducted in two regions of Virginia (Blacksburg and Steeles Tavern) in 2010 and 2011 to determine the grain production potential of two teff varieties (brown and white). Additionally, commercially purchased teff flour was evaluated for its suitability in producing a satisfactory baked product. Teff varieties were planted in early June and July at a seeding rate of 6 kg PLS ha??. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at planting in the form of urea at a rate of 56 kg ha??. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a two-way factorial treatment structure (variety and planting date) and four replications. Grain yield and nutritive value, straw yield and quality, and plant height were evaluated for each variety and planting date at Steeles Tavern in 2010. Due to failure in crop establishment and difficulties involved in threshing and processing the harvested crop, no data is available in 2010 or 2011 for Kentland or in 2011 for Steeles Tavern. In 2010 at Steeles Tavern, grain yield was significantly higher for the brown variety (367 kg ha??) compared to the white variety (97 kg ha??) for both planting dates. There was no significant difference in straw yield between varieties or planting dates with straw yield averaging 2645 and 2475 kg DM ha?? for brown and white varieties, respectively. Precipitation accumulation at Steeles Tavern was higher in 2010 (greater than 10 cm) during June and July compared to 2011 and the historic average. This may explain why the plots in 2010 were able to successfully establish and out compete weeds. In the lab, four types of baked products were tested to determine the suitability of teff for baked goods. Cakes, cookies, biscuits and bread were tested with varying treatments of teff: control (100% wheat flour) and 10, 20, 30, 40 and 100% teff flour. Each treatment was replicated three times for each product. Generally, bread and cake volumes decreased as the percent of teff increased. Teff flour was best suited for use in cookie and biscuit products compared to cakes and breads since cookies and biscuits require less leavening. Overall, both experiments (field and laboratory) demonstrated the potential of teff as an alternative grain crop in Virginia. However, additional research is needed to overcome problems associated with establishment, harvest, threshing and processing.
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    Basic Uses of Cover Crops
    Thomason, Wade E.; Fleming, Cathy (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2015-05-05)
    Notes the benefits of using a cover crop.
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    Biochemical and physiological responses of Cannabis sativa to an integrated plant nutrition system
    Filho, Jose F. Da Cunha Leme; Thomason, Wade E.; Evanylo, Gregory K.; Zhang, Xunzhong; Strickland, Michael S.; Chim, Bee K.; Diatta, Andre A. (2020-11)
    The illegal status of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) post-World War II resulted in a lack of research on agricultural practices. However, there is a resurgence of interest in cannabis due to diverse uses such as a rich source of cellulosic/woody fiber and construction uses, seed oil, bioenergy and pharmaceutical properties. The principle of an integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) is to enable adaptation of plant nutrition and soil fertility management to local site characteristics, attempting to optimize use of inorganic, organic and biological resources. This project investigated the individual and combined use of inorganic, organic and biological fertilizer resources on cannabis before and after a period of moderate water stress. We evaluated the individual and combined effects of commercial synthetic fertilizer, humic acid (HA), manure tea and bioinoculant as inorganic, organic and biological resources, respectively on cannabis growth and physiological parameters. Our hypothesis was that the synergetic effects of HA + biofertilizers would improve cannabis growth. When compared to the control, the application of HA and biofertilizer alone, or in combination, increased plant height, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency by 55, 8 and 12%, respectively, after water stress. Cannabis biomass of treated plants was rarely different from the control. The combined application of HA + biofertilizer resulted in additive, but not synergistic, increases in measured parameter. Future research should focus on the effects of biostimulants on CBD/THC content due to the potential impact on the production of secondary metabolites in plants under stress.
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    Building Healthy Soil with Best Management Practices
    Poukrel, Sapana; Maguire, Rory O.; Thomason, Wade E.; Stewart, Ryan D. (2022-10-12)
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    Building Partnerships to Address Social and Technological Challenges to Enhance Farm Profitability and Improve Water Quality Through Better Grassland Management
    Stafford, Carl; Clark, Robert; Ritchie, Liesel A.; Pent, Gabriel; Fike, John H.; Benner, John; Swanson, Carrie; Baker, Scott; Mize, Timothy; Temu, Vitalis; Payne, Kathryn; Gill, Duane A.; Mullins, D.; McGuire, R.; Teutsch, Chris; Thomason, Wade E.; Grev, Amanda; Blevins, Phil; Clarke, C.; Poore, Matt; Booher, Matt; Stanley, Tom; Halich, Greg; Bovay, John; Love, Kenner; Byington, amy A.; Baldwin, Elizabeth; Haugen, Inga (2023-05-15)
    With 2.1 million acres of pastureland and 1.25 million acres of hay land in Virginia, the rural Virginia landscape is predominately grassland. These lands form the base of the $3.96 billion-dollar livestock and dairy industry in Virginia. Managing these livestock in a profitable manner for farmers and beneficial to the environment is important. A cultural tradition with roots in colonial times has been to run animals in large fields year-round throughout Virginia. Livestock often graze from spring until fall (about 220 days), and farmers feed hay the remainder of the year. Spikes in the cost of fuel, fertilizer, and equipment are making traditional grazing/haying systems less profitable. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Farm Enterprise budgets show that that the cost of hay accounts for over 50% of the cost of sustaining livestock annually. University of Kentucky shows that most cow-calf producers maximize their profitability by shifting from grazing 220 days to grazing 275 to 300 days. Extension agents working with livestock producers found that they could improve their profitability by at least $75 per cow by extending their grazing season. The same phenomenon applies to other types of grazing livestock. If ten percent of the livestock producers in the state adopted better grazing management to extend their grazing season by 60 days, profitability is expected to for Virginia grazing livestock producers by over $5 million per year. Practices such as rotational grazing and stream exclusion are directly tied to National and State goals to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia’s Phase III WIP (Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan) seeks the exclusion of livestock from all perennial streams and achieving good rotational grazing practices on 347,000 acres of pasture. A number of agencies and private sector groups have been providing cost share and technical guidance to incentivize livestock stream exclusion and the installation of pasture management infrastructure. Installation is only part of the challenge. Farmers also need to be taught how to how to manage the system in a profitable manner and have been slow to adopt good pasture management practices. Preliminary data show that 87% of Virginia’s cow-calf producers manage their grasslands using traditional methods. Only six percent have extended their grazing season beyond 265 days.
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    Building resilience in cropping systems of the Central Plateau of Haiti
    Thompson, Thomas L.; Kennedy, Nathan; Thomason, Wade E.; Amacher, Gregory S.; Hodges, Steven C. (2013)
    This presentation provides information on a project intended to improve resilience through conservation agriculture production systems in the Central Plateau of Haiti. It discusses results from a baseline survey and from agronomic experiments. Analysis includes derivation of Cobb-Douglass production functions based on results from the household survey.
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    CCRA-9 2014 update
    Thompson, Thomas L.; Thomason, Wade E. (2014)
    This PowerPoint summarizes the research activities and findings of SANREM’s soil quality and soil carbon sequestration cross-cutting research activity. The presentation describes studies of soil carbon dioxide, GIS agroclimatology comparisons, and density fractionation of soil carbon.
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    Characterization and management of major fungal diseases and mycotoxin contamination of grain sorghum in the mid-Atlantic U.S.
    Acharya, Bhupendra (Virginia Tech, 2019-06-11)
    Industry demand for local sources of grain for animal feed has increased sorghum production in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Sorghum anthracnose (causal agent Colletotrichum sublineola) and the grain mold complex, which includes mycotoxin-producing Fusarium spp., limit the yield and quality of grain sorghum in humid climates worldwide. A majority of U.S. grain sorghum production is in arid regions, and management strategies have not been developed for the mid-Atlantic U.S. where warm, wet conditions favor disease. The specific objectives of this research were to: (1) determine the effectiveness of fungicides and their application timing for the management of sorghum foliar anthracnose, (2) compare five grain sorghum hybrids for their susceptibility to foliar anthracnose, grain mold and mycotoxin contamination under field conditions, (3) integrate host resistance and fungicide application to manage anthracnose and grain mold, and (4) identify Fusarium spp. associated with grain mold and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum in the mid-Atlantic U.S. For Objective 1, it was determined that a single application of pyraclostrobin-containing fungicide no later than flowering reduced anthrancose, protected yield and maximized farm income. Objective 2 focused on sorghum hybrid selection as a disease management tactic, and it was determined that hybrids with high yield potential and moderate disease resistance should be selected for mid-Atlantic sorghum production in order to maximize grain yield and quality while minimizing the need for fungicide inputs. Objective 3 focused on integrated management and demonstrated that under moderate disease pressure, a high-yielding susceptible hybrid required a single application of pyraclostrobin-based fungicide to minimize fungal diseases and maintain acceptable yields, whereas under high disease pressure it was necessary to integrate hybrid resistance and judicous applications of fungicides. The aim of Objective 4 was to characterize potential causal agents of mycotoxin contamination in mid-Atlantic sorghum, and thirteen phylogenetically distinct Fusarium species (F. lacertarum, F. graminearum. F. armeniacum, F. proliferatum, F. fujikuroi, F. verticillioides, F. thapsinum and several in Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex) were found to be associated with grain mold and fumonisin and/or deoxynivalenol contamination of sorghum grain. This work has provided insights into the impacts of fungal diseases on grain sorghum yield and quality in the mid-Atlantic and has aided in development of best management practices for the region.