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Temporal Changes In The Nutrient Content Of Cattle Dung In The Nebraska Sandhills Ecosystem, Amanda Shine, Martha Mamo, Gandura O. Abagandura, Walter Schacht, Jerry Volesky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dung excreted by cattle composes a significant portion of the nutrient inputs in a grazed ecosystem and can have wide-ranging effects on soil properties and vegetation. However, little research has been conducted on the nutrient dynamics of excreted dung in situ that has not been disturbed prior to field sampling. In this study, we analyzed 294 dung pats (1–24 days old) collected from a Nebraska Sandhills meadow to determine water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), water-extractable nitrogen (WEN), water-extractable phosphorus (WEP), and percent dry matter (DM) changes over time. In addition, we investigated if sample handling - frozen storage – and the …

Biochar: Properties And Potential Benefits For Agricultural Soil In Rwanda, Andromede Uwase

Honors Theses

Physical and chemical soil degradation is becoming a major challenge for agricultural productivity in Rwanda, which is the most important part of the country’s economy. The wide spreading soil degradation in Rwanda is mainly a result of naturally poor soils coupled with unsustainable soil management leading to, for example, accelerated soil erosion, acidification, nutrient loss, compaction, and to decreasing yields. Biochar, as an end product of pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of oxygen, has been proposed as a soil amendment in remediation strategies because of its positive effects on soil productivity relevant parameters such as soil pH, structure, nutrient …

A Method For Visualizing Water Flow Through Modified Root Zones, Dallas M. Williams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As the number of impervious surfaces in urban environments increases, the ability of modified root zones to infiltrate water is becoming more important. Current methods of tracing water flow through soil profiles include excavating large pits in situ or analyzing soil cores in the laboratory with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. While useful, these methods may not be suitable for urban settings or practical in every laboratory. We propose a new method that is less invasive, does not require extensive technical equipment and can reliably trace water movement through the soil profile in order to calculate flow rate based …

Does Integrating Crops With Livestock Production Impact Soil Properties And Crop Production?, Lindsey Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Re-integrating crop and livestock production through cover crop (CC) and corn residue grazing could efficiently utilize resources and ensure profitability while improving environmental quality, but how this integration affects soils and crops is not well understood. We conducted two studies to address this. In the first study, we evaluated the impact of cattle (1.3-3.7 head ha^-1) grazing an oat (Avena sativa L.) CC on soil and crop yields in two adjacent irrigated no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) fields on silt loam soils in eastern Nebraska. Field I was grazed twice, while Field …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2020, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Statistical And Machine Learning Methods Evaluated For Incorporating Soil And Weather Into Corn Nitrogen Recommendations, Curtis J. Ransom, Newell R. Kitchen, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, Fabian G. Fernandez, David W. Franzen, Carrie A. M. Laboski, D. Brenton Myers, Emerson D. Nafziger, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendation tools could be improved for estimating corn (Zea mays L.) N needs by incorporating site-specific soil and weather information. However, an evaluation of analytical methods is needed to determine the success of incorporating this information. The objectives of this research were to evaluate statistical and machine learning (ML) algorithms for utilizing soil and weather information for improving corn N recommendation tools. Eight algorithms [stepwise, ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso), elastic net regression, principal component regression (PCR), partial least squares regression (PLSR), decision tree, and random forest] were evaluated using a dataset …

Tetracycline And Sulfonamide Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Soils From Nebraska Organic Farming Operations, Marylynn Cadena, Lisa M. Durso, Daniel N. Miller, Heidi M. Waldrip, B. L. Castleberry, Rhae A. Drijber, Charles S. Wortmann

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

There is widespread agreement that agricultural antibiotic resistance should be reduced, however, it is unclear from the available literature what an appropriate target for reduction would be. Organic farms provide a unique opportunity to disentangle questions of agricultural antibiotic drug use from questions of antibiotic resistance in the soil. In this study, soil was collected from 12 certified organic farms in Nebraska, evaluated for the presence of tetracycline and sulfonamide resistance genes (n = 15 targets), and correlated to soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters. Tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were found in soils from all 12 …

Isolation And Analysis Of Microbial Communities In Soil, Rhizosphere, And Roots In Perennial Grass Experiments, Morgan R. Mcpherson, Peng Wang, Robert B. Mitchell, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Plant and soil microbiome studies are becoming increasingly important for understanding the roles microorganisms play in agricultural productivity. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide detail on how to rapidly sample soil, rhizosphere, and endosphere of replicated field trials and analyze changes that may occur in the microbial communities due to sample type, treatment, and plant genotype. The experiment used to demonstrate these methods consists of replicated field plots containing two, pure, warm-season grasses (Panicum virgatum and Andropogon gerardii) and a low-diversity grass mixture (A. gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, and Bouteloua curtipendula). Briefly, plants …

Maize Genomes To Fields: 2014 And 2015 Field Season Genotype, Phenotype, Environment, And Inbred Ear Image Datasets, Naser Alkhalifah, Darwin A. Campbell, Celeste M. Falcon, Jack M. Gardiner, Nathan D. Miller, Maria Cinta Romay, Ramona Walls, Renee Walton, Cheng-Ting Yeh, Martin Bohn, Jessica Bubert, Edward S. Buckler, Ignacio Ciampitti, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Michael A. Gore, Christopher Graham, Candice Hirsch, James B. Holland, David Hooker, Shawn Kaeppler, Joseph Knoll, Nick Lauter, Elizabeth C. Lee, Aaron Lorenz, Jonathan P. Lynch, Stephen P. Moose, Seth C. Murray, Rebecca Nelson, Torbert Rocheford, Oscar Rodriguez, James C. Schnable, Brian Scully, Margaret Smith, Nathan Springer, Peter Thomison, Mitchell Tuinstra, Randall J. Wisser, Wenwei Xu, David Ertl, Patrick S. Schnable, Natalia De Leon, Edgar P. Spalding, Jode Edwards, Carolyn J. Lawrence-Dill

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Crop improvement relies on analysis of phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental data. Given large, well-integrated, multi-year datasets, diverse queries can be made: Which lines perform best in hot, dry environments? Which alleles of specific genes are required for optimal performance in each environment? Such datasets also can be leveraged to predict cultivar performance, even in uncharacterized environments. The maize Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative is a multi-institutional organization of scientists working to generate and analyze such datasets from existing, publicly available inbred lines and hybrids. G2F’s genotype by environment project has released 2014 and 2015 datasets to the public, with …

Assessing Explanatory Factors For Variation In On-Farm Irrigation In Us Maize-Soybean Systems, Katherine E.B. Gibson, Haishun S. Yang, Trenton E. Franz, Dean E. Eisenhauer, John B. Gates, Paolo Nasta, Bhupinder S. Farmaha, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Irrigation exhibits large variation across producer fields, even within same region and year. A knowledge gap exists relative to factors that explain this variation, in part due to lack of availability of high-quality irrigation data from multiple field-years. This study assessed sources of variation in irrigation using a large database collected during 9 years (2005–2013) from ca. 1400 maize and soybean producer fields in Nebraska, central USA (total of 12,750 field-year observations). The study area is representative of ca. 4.5 million ha of irrigated land sown with maize and soybean. Influence of biophysical (weather, soil, and crop type) and behavioral …

Buckwheat As A Cover Crop In Florida: Mycorrhizal Status, Soil Analysis, And Economic Assessment, Daria Boglaienko

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyses buckwheat as a cover crop in Florida. The study was designed to demonstrate: soil enrichment with nutrients, mycorrhizal arbuscular fungi interactions, growth in different soil types, temperature limitations in Florida, and economic benefits for farmers. Buckwheat was planted at the FIU organic garden (Miami, FL) in early November and harvested in middle December. After incorporation of buckwheat residues, soil analyses indicated the ability of buckwheat to enrich soil with major nutrients, in particular, phosphorus. Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased inorganic phosphorus uptake and plant growth. Regression analysis on aboveground buckwheat biomass weight and soil characteristics showed …

Structure And Productivity Of Haloxylon Ammodendron Communities In The Mongolian Gobi, Tamara I. Kazantseva, Nikolay N. Slemnev, Pjotr D. Gunin, Sh. Tsooj

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Communities of Haloxylon ammodendron are widespread in the Mongolian Gobi where they play a significant role in biodiversity preservation. They occupy several main types of habitats, showing differences in density, projective cover, and productivity. Haloxylon ammodendron plays a similar, if not even more important role in the arid zone of Mongolia as the principal forest-making trees in the Northern part of the country. The complex set of quantitative parameters of Haloxylon ammodendron stands studied here in respect to temporal dynamics can serve as an indicator of both the vitality of desert ecosystems, and of environmental change.

Dry Weight And Nitrogen Content Of Chickpea And Winter Wheat Grown In Pots For Three Rotations, James E. Bidlack, Charles T. Mackown, Srinivas C. Rao

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Chickpea [Cicer arietinum (L.)] cultivars ‘ICCV-2’ and ‘Sarah’ were studied along with a control, multistrain, TAL 1148, and TAL 480 Bradyrhizobium strains to determine the effect(s) of cultivar and inoculum on dry weight (DW) and nitrogen (N) content of the legume, as well as soil mineral N, DW, and N content of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Thell.] in a continuous wheat-legume rotation. Chickpeas were planted during the summer and harvested in the fall of 1992, 1993, and 1994. Vegetative growth from chickpeas was incorporated into the soil prior to wheat planting, and soil cores were taken at …

An Inventory Of Rangelands In Part Of The Broome Shire, Western Australia, W E. Cotching

Technical Bulletins

The inventory of rangelands in part of the Broome Shire in Western Australia was undertaken by DAFWA between 1989 and 1990. It describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The survey of part of the Broome Shire …

Spectacular Recovery In The Ord River Catchment, A L. Payne, I W. Watson, P E. Novelly

Agriculture reports

Regeneration work on severely damaged country in what is now known as the Ord River Regeneration Reserve (ORRR) commenced in 1960. The ORRR is in the East Kimberley area of Western Australia with an associated small area in the Northern Territory. The work included strip contour cultivation and seeding (which proceeded at various levels of intensity during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s), fencing and destocking of cattle by mustering over many years, and the eradication of donkeys.

2001 Wild Blueberry Csrees Project Reports, Alfred A. Bushway, Mary Ellen Camire, Kathy Davis-Dentici, Michael Dougherty, Kathleen Buzzard, Rodney J. Bushway, Kristi Crowe, Brian Perkins, Darrell W. Donahue, Frank Drummond, Judy Collins, Rose Mary Seymour, Maya Panangadan, Maribeth Haines, Heather Mclaughlin, S L. Annis, C S. Stubbs, John M. Smagula, Walter Litten, Karen Loennecker, Adam Nielsen, David E. Yarborough, Timothy M. Hess, John Jemison

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2001 edition of the Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Effect of Wild Blueberry Products on Oxidation in Meat Based Food Systems

2. Factors Affecting the Microbial and Pesticide Residues Levels on Wild Blueberries

3. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Fresh and Processed Wild Blueberries

4. Separation of Maggot-Infested Wild Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line

5. Water Use of Wild Blueberries and the Impact of Plant Water …

Management Of Soil Organic Matter And Gypsum For Sustainable Production In The Carnarvon Horticultural District Of Western Australia, R.S.B. Greene, A.J. Lin, D. C. Parr

Agriculture reports

Soil quality is critically important for the long-term production of high quality and high yielding fruit and vegetable crops in the Carnarvon horticultural district of Western Australia. A stable soil structure is essential for good soil quality.

'Living Soil' Seminar, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Provides an opportunity for farmers and those involved in the agricultural service industry, to focus on what happens in the soil. Seminar reflects the interest detected amongst farmers in knowing more about the things that influence plant growth and a genuine concern about the environment.

Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Report, H Y. Forsythe Jr, John M. Smagula, David E. Yarborough, Antonia L. Hoelper, C W. Murdoch, Edward J. Mclaughlin, Jeff Risser, Tom Degomez, Mike Goltz, Tom Cs Yang, Angela Yang, Carolyn Wills, M F. Trevett

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 1985 edition of the Blueberry Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Control of secondary blueberry pest insects

2. Effect of pruning practices on blueberry insect abundance

3. Effect of hexazinone on species distribution in lowbush blueberry fields

4. Dichlobenil for control of bunchberry

5. Evaluation of postemergence herbicides for grass control

6. Hand-wiper applications of herbicides on woody weeds

7. Evaluation of steam …

Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Report, H Y. Forsythe Jr, Jeffrey Holmes, F L. Caruso, M G. Zuck, John M. Smagula, Edward J. Mclaughlin, Jeff Risser, Mike Goltz, Dana Nelson, Sharon Roberts, Judy Gates, Moody F. Trevett, Tom Cs Yang, David E. Yarborough, Antonia L. Hoelper, D C. Emerson

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 1984 edition of the Blueberry Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Control, biology, and ecology of insects affecting lowbush blueberries .

2. Chemical control of mummyberry disease (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi)

3. New Fungicides for control of Botrytis blossom blight

4. Nutritional survey of selected lowbush blueberry fields

5. Interaction of fertility and pruning practices on soil characteristics and lowbush blueberry growth and …

Bulletin No. 362 - Sugar Beet Yield And Quality As Affected By Plan Population, Soil Moisture Condition, And Fertilization, Jay L. Haddock

UAES Bulletins

In 1605 Oliver de Serres, French agronomist, observed that beets contained sugar-and in 1750 Andrew Marggraf, a German physicist, obtained sugar crystals from beets. It was more than 100 years from Marggraf's discovery until the first successful beet sugar factory was developed in the United States at Alvarado, California, in 1870. Since that time beet sugar has become increasingly more important in our national economy. At present continental United States produces a third of her sugar requirements, 70 to 80 percent of which is from sugar beets. The importance of the sugar beet crop in national and world economy is …

Bulletin No. 310 - The Influence Of Cropping On The Nitrogen, Phosphorus And Organic Matter Of The Soil Under Irrigation Farming, J. E. Greaves, C. T. Hirst

UAES Bulletins

Most soils contain sufficient nutrients for normal plant growth, with the exception of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These elements are used by plants in the largest quantities and the amounts of these in the soil govern its productivity. Soil organic matter is of prime importance for it is the matrix which holds the nitrogen and modifies the structure, temperature, and water-holding capacity of the soil. The organic matter is the very life of the soil, for it is in and on it that bacteria work and by so doing determine the kind and speed of reactions which occur. It is …

Bulletin No. 288 - Draingage And Irrigation, Soil, Economic, And Social Conditions, Delta Area, Utah Division 4: Social Conditions, Joseph A. Geddes, Carmen D. Frederickson, Eldred C. Bergeson

UAES Bulletins

This study is a part of a more comprehensive one which was organized in 1928 for the purpose of ascertaining what conditions existed in bonded irrigation and drainage districts which were unable to. liquidate obligations incurred.

The first such area to be studied was the Delta Area in Millard County. This area was selected for this study because of the pressing need for more detailed and wider information than was available to either the farmers or the bondholders and because available facts based on careful study might aid in achieving fairer settlements. These data might also assist other areas in …

Bulletin No. 274 - Influence Of Rotation And Manure On The Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Carbon Of The Soil, J. E. Greaves, C. T. Hirst

UAES Bulletins

All agricultural plants require carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, and probably traces of other elements for their normal growth and fruition. The growth of farm crops is dependent upon an available supply of these elements, and the extent of growth is governed by the one present and available in least quantity in proportion to the plant's needs. Of the essential elements, all plants secure two (carbon and oxygen) from the air, one (hydrogen) from the water, and the others from the soil. Most soils contain sufficient plant nutrients for normal plant production, with the exception …

Bulletin No. 273 - Drainage And Irrigation, Soil, Economic, And Social Conditions, Delta Area, Utah, Division 3: Economic Conditions, W. Preston Thomas, George T. Blanch

UAES Bulletins

Project 90-A Study of Factors Influencing the Financial Condition of Certain Utah Irrigation and Drainage Projects-was undertaken in 1928 as an intensified study of local areas. This study was divided among four departments, with a project leader for each particular phase of the study. These four project leaders, guided by the Station Director, have constituted a committee in immediate charge of this project. Subprojects and their respective leaders have been: A-Engineering and Engineering Economic Aspects, O. W. Israelsen; B-Soil Productivity Aspects, D. S. Jennings; C-Contributing Sociological Aspects, J. A. Geddes; and D-Economic Aspects, W. Preston Thomas.

Bulletin No. 270 - Soil-Management And Crop-Production Studies, I. D. Zobell

UAES Bulletins

Carbon County is the greatest bituminous coal-producing district in the state and ranks as one of the largest and best in the Intermountain West. In 1934 there were twenty-six operating coal mines from which approximately 5,000,000 tons of coal were mined each year. These mines create work for hundreds of men. Many people in this section farm in the summer and mine during the winter months. In 1934 but 20,000 acres of land in this section were under cultivation, with little possibility of reclaiming additional land. Prior to 1928 crops had been somewhat restricted on account of the limited water-supply; …

Bulletin No. 256 - Drainage And Irrigation, Soil, Economic, And Social Conditions, Delta Area, Utah: Division 2: Soil Conditions, D. S. Jennings, J. Darrel Peterson

UAES Bulletins

Project 90-A Study of Factors Influencing the Financial Condition of Certain Utah Irrigation and Drainage Projects-was undertaken in 1928 as an intensified study of local areas. This study was divided among four departments, with a project leader for each particular phase of the study. These four project leaders, guided by the Station Director, have constituted a committee in immediate charge of this project. Subprojects and their respective leaders are: A-Engineering and Engineering Economic Aspects, O. W. Israelsen; B-Soil Productivity Aspects , D. S. Jennings; C- Contributing Sociological Aspects, J. A. Geddes; and D-Economic Aspects, W. Preston Thomas.

Bulletin No. 255 - Drainage And Irrigation, Soil, Economic, And Social Conditions, Delta Area, Utah: Division 1: Drainage And Irrigation Conditions, O. W. Israelsen

UAES Bulletins

Project 90-A Study of Factors Influencing the Financial Condition of Certain Utah Irrigation and Drainage Projects-has been Conducted cooperatively since 1928 by four different departments, each represented by a man in charge of one phase of the problem. These four department representatives have constituted a committee in immediate charge of this project, guided by the Station Director. Subprojects and their respective leaders are: A: Engineering and Engineering Economic Aspects, O. W. Israelsen; B: Soil Productivity Aspects, D. S. Jennings; C: Contributing Sociological Aspects, J. A. Geddes; and D: Economic Aspects, W. Preston Thomas.

Bulletin No. 185 - The Influence Of Nitrogen In Soil On Azofication, J. E. Greaves, D. H. Nelson

UAES Bulletins

Many soils of the arid west have a rich active azofying flora. This is due in no small measure to their composition. They are high in calcium and magnesium carbonate and contain a good supply of available phosphorus and potassium but have a low nitrogen content. They are poor in organic carbon; hence, their native supply of energy is limited. It is well-known that a liberal supply of rapidly decaying organic matter is beneficial, and this is being supplied to some soils in the form of manures. This will increase the nitrogen content of the soil. What effect will this …

Bulletin No. 172 - The Value Of Barnyard Manure On Utah Soils, F. S. Harris

UAES Bulletins

New countries rarely appreciate the value of barnyard manure. It is not until the soil begins to be depleted of its fertility and the yield of crops begins to decline that manure is given the attention that its value justifies. In new countries it is not uncommon to see manure hauled into a rut in the road or left in scattered heaps along the roadside or the ditch bank. Often a year's accumulation of manure is drawn out of the barn or corral in scrapers and added to a pile containing the accumulation of previous years.