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Rapid expansion of dairy herds in the southwestern USA has increased the need for high-quality alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) forage in the region. Enhancing mineral balance in alfalfa forage could benefit both plant and animal production. The objective of this study was to survey four ancestral alfalfa germplasms (representing the range in fall dormancy) for variability in shoot mineral concentration and for phenotypic associations among mineral concentrations. African, Chilean, Flemish, and Ladak germplasms, and the check cuitivar Moapa 69, were evaluated in a 2-yr irrigated field study near Las Cruces, NM. Plots consisted of 12.2-m-long raised beds spaced 1.2 m apart. Plant spacing within plots was 0.26 m. Ten plants per plot were randomly sampled in the early-bud stage in 1993 and the late-bud stage in 1994 and evaluated for P, Ca, S, Mg, K, Na, B, Cu, Fe, and Mu concentration using au inductively-coupled plasma spectrometer. Years were a significant source of variation for all minerals except Mn, while the population x year interaction was significant for P, Ca, Mg, S, and Mn. The more dormant germplasms, Flemish and Ladak, generally had the highest P and K concentration and the lowest Ca concentration in both years. Flemish germplasm also possessed relatively high concentrations of S, Na, Fe, and Mn. A greater proportion of significant phenotypic correlations between minerals were observed in this study than in previous reports. These results suggest that Flemish-based parental populations should provide useful genetic materials for enhancing mineral concentration in alfalfa forage., The rapid expansion of dairy herds in the southwestrn USA has increased the need for high-quality alfalfa forage in the region. Although alfalfa produces high quality forage, improving mineral balance [...]

Although individuals with poor food security might be expected to have reduced food intake, and thus reduced body fat and less likelihood of being overweight, these associations have not been adequately studied. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between food insecurity and overweight as measured by body mass index (BMI) using data from the nationally representative 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII). Overweight was defined as BMI >27.3 kg/m(2) for women and 27.8 kg/m(2) for men. Food insecurity was related to overweight status for women (n = 4509, P < 0.0001), but not for men (n = 4970, P = 0.44). Excluding the 11 severely insecure women, the prevalence of overweight among women increased as food insecurity increased, from 34% for those who were food secure (n = 3447), to 41% for those who were mildly food insecure (n = 966) and to 52% for those who were moderately food insecure (n = 86). Food insecurity remained a significant predictor of overweight status, after adjustment for potentially confounding demographic and lifestyle variables (P < 0.01). In a logistic regression analysis, mildly insecure women were 30% more likely to be overweight than those who were food secure [odds ratio (OR) 1.3, P = 0.005]. Thus, food insecurity had an unexpected and paradoxical association with overweight status among women with a higher prevalence of overweight among the food insecure, and a resulting potential for increased incidence of obesity-related chronic diseases. Given that the rates of both overweight and food insecurity are on the rise, this research area warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]