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Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. Ixodes scapularis, commonly referred to as the blacklegged tick, is the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), in the eastern United States. Connecticut has pervasive populations of I. scapularis and remains a hotspot for Lyme disease. A primary aim of this study was to determine if passively collected data on human-biting I. scapularis ticks in Connecticut could serve as a useful proxy for Lyme disease incidence based on the cases reported by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH). Data for human-biting I. scapularis ticks submitted to the Tick Testing Laboratory at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES-TTL), and tested for infection with B. burgdorferi s.l., were used to estimate the rate of submitted nymphs, nymphal infection prevalence, and the rate of submitted infected nymphs. We assessed spatiotemporal patterns in tick-based measures and Lyme disease incidence with generalized linear and spatial models. In conjunction with land cover and household income data, we used generalized linear mixed effects models to examine the association between tick-based risk estimates and Lyme disease incidence. Between 2007 and 2017, the CAES-TTL received 26,116 I. scapularis tick submissions and the CDPH reported 23,423 Lyme disease cases. The rate of submitted nymphs, nymphal infection prevalence, the rate of submitted infected nymphs, and Lyme disease incidence all decreased over time during this eleven-year period. The rate of submitted nymphs, the rate of submitted infected nymphs, and Lyme disease incidence were spatially correlated, but nymphal infection prevalence was not. Using a mixed modeling approach to predict Lyme disease incidence and account for spatiotemporal structuring of the data, we found the best fitting tested model included a strong, positive association with the rate of submitted infected nymphs and a negative association with the percent of developed land for each county. We show that within counties, submissions of B. burgdorferi s.l. infected nymphs were strongly and positively associated with inter-annual variation in reported Lyme disease cases. Tick-based passive surveillance programs may be useful in providing independent measures of entomological risk, particularly in settings where Lyme disease case reporting practices change substantially over time.

Charles Burnham hypothesized in 1981 that the blight resistance of Castanea mollissima could be backcrossed to C. dentate to produce a tree that would perform in the forest like the formerly dominant American chestnut. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) was formed in 1983 to test this hypothesis using a traditional plant breeding program. Two B1 chestnut trees, ‘Clapper’ and ‘Graves,’ produced by former breeding programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, were used to jump-start the program. These former breeding programs identified Chinese chestnut as the most promising source of blight resistance and developed most of the methods used in the current program. ‘Clapper’ and ‘Graves’ each were backcrossed into approximately thirty American chestnut from the vicinity of Sugar Grove, Virginia, backcrossed again then intercrossed twice. Prior to each cross, trees were selected for blight resistance and recurrent morphological traits. The resultant B3F3 seedlings were planted into the forest for testing beginning in 2009. Tests of the parents of these B3F3s suggested that their blight resistance will fall somewhere between an intermediate and a high level. We are midway through selection in B3F2 seed orchards and resistance among B3F3 progeny should increase as more trees are culled. The ultimate blight resistance of these trees in the forest will be influenced by their adaptation and also may be affected by hypoviruses and other factors; it may take decades for a clear picture to emerge. In addition to ‘Clapper’ and ‘Graves,’ ‘Nanking’ Chinese chestnut has been backcrossed into twenty American backgrounds. More than twenty other sources of blight resistance from Chinese chestnut have been backcrossed, to varying degrees, into American chestnut but into only a few backgrounds; by themselves they do not constitute a viable breeding population. Other Castanea species, C. crenata, C. henryi and C. sequinii have been used to a lesser extent, as well as large, surviving American chestnut trees. This breeding program has been extended throughout the range of the American chestnut in TACF’s network of seventeen state chapters. Through the efforts of those chapters, the effective size of our core population (Ne) should exceed five hundred. The chapters also plan to develop viable breeding populations from the additional sources of blight resistance mentioned above.

The incidence of Lyme borreliosis continues to increase in the United States. In 1991, when Lyme borreliosis first became a nationally reportable disease to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 9470 cases were reported; in contrast, by 2002 a total of 23,763 cases were reported, >2.5x the total in 1991. Area-wide acaricides can be highly effective in killing nymphal Ixodes scapularis, with >95% of nymphs killed in studies using cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or carbaryl. The majority of residents living in households within the area hyperendemic for Lyme borreliosis will not, however, consider the use of area-wide acaricides. A survey of communities in 4 states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York) demonstrated that

▪ Abstract James Gordon Horsfall led the creation of the Annual Review of Phytopathology. Preeminent in the invention of organic fungicides, he also starred in epidemiology. He employed his gift with words to encourage theory and practice to march together.

The objective of this study was to compare the inter- action between Frankia and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) on the growth response of Alnus acwninata H.B.K. seed- lings under three different phosphorus levels. Alnus acuminata seed- lings grown in sterile vermiculite, were inoculated with Frankia strain HFPArI3 and/or VAM (as Glomus inwa-radices) under three R. 0. Russo. J. C. Gordon and G. P. Berlvn are affiliated with Yale University, -. School of or& try and Environmental ~tuckes, New Haven, CT 0651 1. This research was partially supported by the A.W. Mellon Foundation through funds provided to the Program in Below Ground Ecology of the Y ale University School of Forestry and Environmcntal Studies. Thanks are due to the Program Director, Dr. Kristiina Vogt for her advice and support. The authors also wish to acknowledge with thanks the cooperation of Dr. Martin Ghent of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT; Dr. Ti Wood and Ms. Pat Young for providing both inocu1a;'and the Tropical Agricultural Center for Re- search and Training (CATIE), Turrialba. Costa Rica for the seed material.

Seven species of chestnut ( spp.) and most of the possible hybrid combinations of these species are growing in plantings maintained by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES). In 2011, Asian chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) was found for the first time in these plantings, and had clearly been present for at least two years. Some of the individual trees of the species have not been infested, nor have very few galls. Some of the hybrids between species also have few or no galls. Thus, breeding for resistance to this insect may be possible. Selective crosses have been made and progeny have been planted to examine the genetics of the resistance.

PART I. NEMATODE MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY Morphology and Taxonomy of Nematodes Used in Biocontrol - S P Stock, University of Arizona, USA, and D J Hunt, CABI Bioscience, Surrey, UK PART II. ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES Biology and Behavior - C Griffin, National University of Ireland, UK, N Boemare, Universite Montpellier II, France, and E E Lewis, Virginia Technology Institute, USA Mass Production - R-U Ehlers and D I Shapiro-Ilan Formulation and Quality - P S Grewal, and A Peters, e-nema GmbH, Germany Application Technology - D J Wright, Imperial College London, UK, A Peters, S Schroer, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Germany, and J Patterson Fife, Battelle Memorial Institute, USA Forum on Safety and Regulation - R-U Ehlers Lawn, Turfgrass and Pasture Applications, P S Grewal, A M Koppenhofer, Rutgers University, USA, and H Y Choo, Gyeongsang National University, Republic of Korea Glasshouse Applications, M Tomalak, Institute of Plant Protection, Poland - S Piggot, Littlehampton, UK and G B Jagdale, Ohio State University, USA Nursery and Tree Application - R W H M van Tol, Wageningen-UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands and M J Raupp, University of Maryland, USA Mushroom Applications - S Jess, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland, H Schweizer, Queen's University of Belfast, and M Kirkpatrick, NIHPBS Loughgall, County Armagh, UK Orchard Applications - D I Shapiro-Ilan, L W Duncan, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, USA, L A Lacey, USDA-ARS, Washington, USA and R Han, Guangdong Entomological Institute, Guangzhou, China Soft Fruit Applications - R S Cowles, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, USA, S Polavarapu, (Deceased), R N Williams, Ohio State University, USA, A Thies, e-nema, France, and R-U Ehlers Vegetable and Tuber Crop Applications - G Belair, Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Canada, D J Wright, and G Curto, Servizio Fitosanitario Regione emilia-Romagna, Italy Cereal, Fiber, Medicinal, and Oilseed Crop Applications - H E Cabanillas, USDA ARS, USA, R J Wright, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA and R V Vyas, Gujarat Agricultural University, India Forestry Applications - P Torr and M J Wilson, University of Aberdeen, UK and S Heritage, Forestry Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, UK Applications for the Control of Pests of Humans and Animals - I Glazer, Volcani Center, Israel, M Samish, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet-Dagan, Israel, and F G del Pino, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain Application for Social Insect Control - D H Gouge, University of Arizona, USA A Systems Approach to Conservation of Entomopathogenic Nematodes, M Barbercheck, Pennsylvania State University, USA, and C W Hoy, Ohio State University, USA Interactions with Plant-parasitic Nematodes - E E Lewis and P S Grewal Compatibility and Interactions with Agrochemicals and Other Biocontrol Agents - A M Koppenhofer and P S Grewal PART 3. ENTOMOPHILIC NEMATODES Application of Beddingia siricidicola for Sirex Wood Wasp Control - R A Bedding, CSIRO, Australia and E T Iede, EMBRAPA Florestas, Brazil The Entomophilic Thripinema - J E Funderburk and K Sims Latsha, University of Florida, USA Mermithid Nematodes - E G Platzer, B A Mullens, University of California, Riverside, USA and M M Shamseldean, Cairo University, Egypt PART 4. SLUG-PARASITIC NEMATODES Biology, Production, and Formulation of Slug-parasitic Nematodes - M J Wilson and P S Grewal Field Application of Slug-parasitic Nematodes - A Ester, Applied Plant Research Ltd, The Netherlands and M J Wilson PART 5. PREDATORY NEMATODES Potential of Predatory Nematodes to Control Plant-parasitic Nematodes - A L Bilgrami and C Brey, Rutgers University, USA PART 6. FUNGAL FEEDING NEMATODES Potential of Fungal Feeding Nematodes for the Control of Soilborne Plant Pathogens - N Ishibashi, Saga University, Japan PART 7. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS Critical Issues and Research Needs for Expanding the Use of Nematodes in Biocontrol - P S Grewal, R-U Ehlers and D I Shapiro-Ilan.

To assess the use of insecticides for tick control by commercial applicators in Connecticut, a questionnaire was mailed to 897 individuals and businesses with ornamental and turf pesticide applicator licenses. In total, 348 completed surveys were returned (38.8%). The majority of the respondents considered themselves lawn care (41.1%), landscape (31.3%) or tree care (12.6%) providers. Tick control services were offered by 16.4% (n = 57) of the respondents, all of whom apply insecticides for tick control, mainly for Ixodes scapularis Say. Over half (n = 33) also treat for the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say). Most respondents (66.7%) began applying pesticides for the control of I. scapularis during the period from 1990 to 1996. The principal acaricide used for tick control was cyfluthrin (n = 21), with chlorpyrifos 2nd (n = 18), carbaryl 3rd (n = 12), and fluvalinate (n = 4) 4th. When asked about what other pesticides were used for tick control, the top 3 chemicals also were the principal alternatives. Past success with a product was the dominant factor in selecting a pesticide, but information provided by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (New Haven), Cooperative Extension (University of Connecticut, Storrs), and scientific studies were important. Half of the respondents (49.1%) indicated that their tick control business had increased slightly or dramatically since 1991, although tick control comprises < 5% of their overall business for 63.1% of these applicators. Residential properties comprised 90% of the business for half of those treating for ticks, and the median charge for 0.4 ha was $180. Many respondents (43.8%) also indicated that they planned to expand their tick control services. Tick control represents a small but growing business in Connecticut.

Correction for genus Bryonosema (Microsporidia, Pseudonosematidae) Elizabeth U. Canning*, Dominik Refardt, Charles R. Vossbrinck, Beth Okamura, Alan Curry Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY, UK Zoologisches Institut, Universit . at Basel, Rheinsprung 9, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntingdon Street, New Haven, CT 06504, USA Department of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK Health Protection Agency North West, Clinical Sciences Building, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WZ, UK

Long-term forest plots were established by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 1927 and were censused in 1937, 1957, 1967, 1977, and 1987. The number of native flowering dogwood trees declined slowly as the forests matured, going from a total of 661 in 1927 to a total of 603 in 1977. Between 1977 and 1987, the total number of living dogwood trees declined by 86% to 82, in marked contrast to the change in numbers of other species in the subcanopy. No edge-effect was found, with mortality higher in the forest than along forest edges as reported by others. The death of the dogwoods was not correlated with moisture class of the sites, or age or growth rate of the trees themselves.

Eighty human serum specimens tested concomitantly by immunoblot and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed jointly at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station were used to evaluate three commercially available diagnostic products for Lyme borreliosis. The sources of the kits were Hillcrest Biologicals, Cypress, Calif.; Whittaker Bioproducts, Walkersville, Md.; and Cambridge Bioscience, Worcester, Mass. When compared with Western blot analysis, the sensitivities and specificities, respectively, for the diagnostic assays were as follows: Hillcrest Biologicals, 93 and 75%; Whittaker Bioproducts, 73 and 100%; Cambridge Bioscience, 89 and 100%; and University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 96 and 92%.

In 1925, one of the writers (K.E.M.) working under the direction of the late Drs. T. B. Osborne and L. B. Mendel at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, attempted to assay the vitamin E-content of the royal jelly of the honey bee, which is the substance necessary for transformation of worker larvae into the queen or sexually productive form. Due to the relatively small amount of material procurable at the time, and to the negative data obtained, the results of these studies were not published. Since that time, Hill and Burdett1 in England, claim to have demonstrated the presence of appreciable amounts of vitamin E in this interesting substance. However, there are many obvious objections to the method of assay used, and to the interpretations of results obtained by the latter investigators. They assume in the first place that, in normal stock females placed upon an E-deficient diet at the time of parturition, the process of suckling the litter would completely remove the stores of vitamin E in ...

In Italy, 15 years after blight devastated the country's chestnut groves, cytoplasmic factors began to undermine the virulence of the blight-causing fungus. Today dense chestnut stands are once again serving as a valuable timber source. In France, mycologists are successfully using fungal strains carrying these same factors to cure blight in their chestnut orchards. But in the United States, scientists are still struggling to use cytoplasmic factors, which can be considered to be Frost's "another parasite," to restore chestnut trees to their former glory. "It is clear that we are only beginning to understand the complex ecology of this system," says Sandra L. Anagnostakis of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, writing in Mycologia.2 "We must continue to study the problem from all possible angles." Chestnut blight was first detected in the United States in 1904. It spread quickly throughout the entire natural range of the tree, which had been the most important hardwood species in the eastern United States. Eventually about nine million acres of American chestnut (Castanea dentata [Marsh] Bork.) were destroyed-from Maine

Studies of the tomato Fusarium wilt test for screening chemotherapeutants were made by the writer at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, U.S.A., during 1951. The test compounds were applied on ten successive days to the roots of tomato plants growing in sand. The plants were then uprooted, their roots washed and dipped in a bud-cell suspension of F. oxysporum lycopersici and the plants re-potted. A standardized assessment of wilt and vascular discoloration was made some 21 days later, by which time the control plants were usually severely diseased. Several compounds greatly reduced disease severity.

Listed below are fifty specimens of rusts, representing nine genera and thirty species. These were collected by the writer on various travels (not collecting trips) outside of the New England states during the past two years. Specimens of all of these collections have been deposited in the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Herbarium. In the spring and fall of 1925 the writer spent a few days in the Pocono Mountains, Matamoras, Pike County, Pennsyl? vania. Of the twenty-three collections made, the following rusts on the specific hosts are not listed in North American Flora