Digital Commons Network^™

Soil Nitrate Prediction Using Ftir-Atr, Vis-Nir, And Raman Spectroscopy, Sabiha Ferdous

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with Attenuated total reflectance (ATR), Visible-Near Infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR), and Raman spectroscopy (RS) are non-destructive techniques for rapid determination of nitrogen compounds in soil. Leveraging FTIR-ATR and Vis-NIR spectra using partial least squares regression (PLSR) modeling, the study aims to predict soil nitrate content and explored the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy to detect nitrate (NO₃^-), nitrite (NO₂^-), and ammonium (NH₄⁺) in soil. Soil samples were collected from four different fields, dried, sieved (2mm), and then used for collecting spectra (FTIR-ATR and Vis-NIR). Laboratory analysis was …

The Effect Of Organic And Chemical Fertilizers On The Activity Of Soil Enzymes In Soils Of Different Compositions, Elif Yağanoğlu, Adi̇l Aydin

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In this study, the effects of chemical (20:20:0 compound) and organic (barnyard) fertilizers applied to different textured soils on several soil enzyme (urease, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase) activities were investigated. The research was conducted under greenhouse conditions with (beans and corn) and without crops. Considering the results of the preexperiment analysis of the soils, a 40-g pot–1 of farmyard manure was placed into the pots in which organic fertilizer would be applied in clay and silty loam soils, and a 50-g pot–1 of farmyard manure was added to sandy loam soil; in addition, a 0.25-g pot–1 of 20:20:0 …

Assessment Of Open Top Chambers To Simulate Effects Of Climate Change On Soil Temperature And Cover Crop Response In Agricultural Systems, Gretchen Bahmueller

Honors Theses and Capstones

Climate change is expected to yield warmer winters that have the potential to place additional stress on our already stressed agricultural systems. Understanding how agricultural systems may respond to these changes is essential to creating crop and land management plans that ensure food security for future generations. To better understand how warming winters can/will affect air and soil temperatures and cover crop performance, open top chambers (OTCs) were deployed post cover crop seeding in a field experiment at the UNH Kingman Research Farm in Madbury, NH. The experiment consisted of four cover crop treatments sown into or after corn: an …

Impact Of Cover Crop Species Diversity On Soil Nutrient Availability And Crop Productivity, Amanda Kramer

Masters Theses

Cover crops provide multiple environmental benefits that improve both soil and water quality; however, farmers only utilize them on approximately 5% of harvested U.S. cropland. Low adoption rates are attributed to yield impact concerns, seed and planting costs, and lack of advocacy. This study, which began in October 2019, assessed the effects of nitrogen rate and cover crop diversity on weed biomass, soil coverage, in-situ residue decomposition, soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability, and cash crop yield to better understand the costs and benefits of cover crop adoption at two locations in Tennessee (Milan and Spring Hill). Treatments were replicated 4 …

The Gardens Nearby: A Narrative Podcast Exploring Soil Contamination And Community Gardening In Burlington, Vt, April Mcilwaine

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

The city of Burlington, Vermont (Burlington) is home to the Burlington Area Community Gardens (BACG), a program of the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department. This program has a 50-year legacy in the Burlington community and today comprises 14 garden sites that serve over 1,400 people. Within the framework of food sovereignty, community gardens are valuable, multi-functional spaces that positively benefit residents and neighborhoods alike. However, planting gardens in reclaimed urban spaces may come with food safety concerns. Like other cities that have an industrial heritage, some of Burlington’s urban areas may have soils with high levels of toxic heavy metals …

Soil Sampling Guide For Crops, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon, Megan Baker, Jody Gale, Earl Creech, Michael Pace, Kalen Taylor, Cody Zesiger, Tiffany Evans, Rhonda Miller

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides updated guidelines for soil sampling of various soil properties and includes why, how, what, and where to sample. It is a part of a series of updated sampling guidelines. Water, forage, plant tissue, and manure/compost will be forthcoming.

Distribution Patterns Of Allorhizobium Vitis In Missouri Vineyards And Non-Vineyard Soils, Jacquelyn M. Wray

MSU Graduate Theses

Crown gall disease causes significant economic loss to the grape and wine industry. Preventive strategies are most effective for mitigating the loss of grapevines in vineyards, as there is no known cure for this disease. The bacterium Allorhizobium vitis carrying a tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid is the causative agent. A. vitis bacteria live systemically in the grapevine before causing visible symptoms and can survive in residual plant tissues and soil for more than two years. Diagnostic methods have been developed to detect A. vitis bacteria in grapevines and soil. However, more reliable, specific, and high-throughput diagnostics are still needed for screening …

Tree Biomass – A Fragile Carbon Storage In Old-Growth Birch And Aspen Stands In Hemiboreal Latvia, Laura Ķēniņa, Didzis Elferts, Ieva Jaunslaviete, Endijs Bāders, Guntars Šņepsts, Āris Jansons

Aspen Bibliography

Birch (Betula pendula Roth, Betula pubescens Ehrh.) and European aspen (Populus tremula L.) stands dominate the deciduous forests of Northern Europe. Due to increasing forest protections, more deciduous stands will reach the old-growth stage. Thus, data on the carbon storage potential in such areas are essential. We aimed to establish a benchmark for carbon stocks of the main carbon pools in old-growth deciduous hemiboreal stands. Carbon pools were calculated from measurements in forty old-growth (104–148 years-old) deciduous stands in forests on fertile mineral soil. The carbon stock in these stands is distributed across tree biomass (~ 60%), mineral soil (~ …

Quantifying The Relationship Between Soil Organic Carbon And Soil Color In Nebraska, Aldi J. Airori

Applied Science Program: Theses

Soil color is easily measured in the field and holds potential to be used as an indirect measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC). The main limitation to this approach is knowledge about the specific color-SOC relationship in a region, which often varies in relation to parent material, soil texture, climate, and land use. Furthermore, the Munsell color data is subjective in nature. The objectives of this study are: 1) to develop and evaluate the accuracy of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) for the prediction of SOC based on soil color and texture in the state of Nebraska and 2) to evaluate digital …

Estimation Of Chromium In Soil-Plant-Animal Continuum: A Case Study In Ruminants Of Punjab, Pakistan, Kafeel Ahmad, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Saman Nazar, Ifra Saleem Malik, Asma Ashfaq, Mudasra Munir, Humayun Bashir, Fatima Ghulam Muhammad, Shahzad Akhtar, Muhammad Nadeem, Shahid Mehmoud, Muhammad Umer Farooq Awan, Mumtaz Akhtar, Shahzadi Mahpara

Journal of Bioresource Management

The increased use of waste water for agriculture purposes has increased around the globe. There are toxic metals present in waste water which affect plants, animals and human health. But at the same time it also contains useful nutrients which increase growth of plants. Different indices were applied to evaluate the metals present in water soil plant and milk. Various and correlation were determined with the help of SPSS, mean significance was found at the probability levels of 0.05, 0.001 and 0.01. The highest value of Cr was found in Avena sativa (0.7872 mg/kg) collected from site 5 while lower …

Tile Drainage Flow Partitioning And Phosphorus Export In Vermont Usa, Ryan Ruggiero, Donald Ross, Joshua W. Faulkner

Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute

Tile drainage (TD) has been identified as a potential non-point source of phosphorus (P) pollution and subsequent water quality issues. Three fields with TD in Vermont USA were monitored to characterize hydrology and P export. Fields were in corn silage and used minimal tillage and cover cropping practices. Preferential flow path (PFP) activity was explored by separating TD flow into flow pathway and source connectivity components using two hydrograph separation techniques, electrical conductivity end member unmixing, and hydrograph recession analysis. TD was the dominant P export pathway because of higher total discharge. Drought conditions during this study limited surface runoff, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Cover Crop Effects On Near-Surface Soil Aggregate Stability In The Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (Mlra 134), Chandler M. Arel

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Intensive agricultural cultivation within major land resource area (MLRA) 134, the Southern Mississippi Valley Loess, has led to soil erosion, soil compaction, and the overall destabilization of near-surface soil aggregates. The use of cover crops during the agricultural offseason has been shown to help alleviate soil compaction and provide stabilizing effects against soil erosion, which are particularly important as the silty soils of MLRA 134 have a large erosion potential. This study evaluated the effects of cover crop and no-cover crop treatment on silt-loam soils within MLRA 134. Treatments were implemented during Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 and consisted of …

The Analysis Of Ginsenosides In Ginseng Garden Soil, Karina Marie Kaberi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) produces natural products called ginsenosides. The biggest challenge Ontario commercial ginseng farmers face is ginseng replant disease. To understand the function of ginseng root exudates, ginsenoside accumulation and persistence over time were investigated. Currently, no reliable ginsenoside specific extraction method, characterizing the changes in soil chemistry exists. Ginsenoside extraction protocol optimization was required to determine how ginsenoside composition changed over time. Overall, protocol optimization resulted in a 30% increase in yield of ginsenosides compared to previous extraction protocols. In the ginseng gardens, ginsenoside accumulation occurs slowly and did not reach significantly measurable amounts until the …

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.

Soils Laboratory Manual: K-State Edition, Version 2.0, Colby J. Moorberg, David A. Crouse

NPP eBooks

The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses. The manual highlights the multidisciplinary aspects of soil science with laboratories focused on soil formation, classification, and mapping; soil physics, soil biology; soil chemistry; and soil fertility and management. The lab manual includes 16 different laboratories, each one starting with an introduction and pre-lab assignment, followed by in-lab activities, and complimented by a post-lab assignment. In-lab activities involve field trips, experiments, observation stations, or problem sets. Post-lab assignments include online quizzes, problem sets, or laboratory summary reports.

Version 2 of the lab manual exhibits …

The Effects Of Increasing Doses Of Nickel And Lead Applications On Some Oriental Tobacco Varieties, Mahmut Tepeci̇k, Mehmet Eşref İrget

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Heavy metals are hazardous pollutants for humans, animals and plants, when their threshold concentration exceeds. Tobacco can accumulate higher concentrations of heavy metals, and the genotypic differences of tobacco in heavy metal uptake and their growth responses have not been clearly examined. In this study, the effects of nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) on phytoremediation capabilities were tested in four local Oriental tobacco cultivars (Basma, Akhisar, Sarıbağlar and Dibek). In two pot experiments, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (P) were applied in fıxed doses, while Pb and Ni were applied at 4 different doses (10, 50, 100 and 150 …

The Effects Of Priming Eruca Sativa Seeds With Short-Chain Ahl C6-Hsl At Bard Farm, Shannon M. Ryan

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Many gram-negative bacteria use quorum sensing to assess population densities and cooperate with another. The quorum sensing autoinducers N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) have been found to cause altered gene expression patterns in plants, resulting in increased root and shoot growth as well as induced pathogenic resistance in various species. Researchers have begun exploring the ways AHLs may be used in agricultural systems to reduce the use of environmentally harmful synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In this study, the effect of priming arugula (Eruca sativa) seeds with the short-chain AHL C6-HSL was investigated at Bard Farm in Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. Leaf lengths …

Shaping Soil: Examining Relationships Between Agriculture And Climate Change, Lindsay Barbieri

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As the ripple-effects of a changing climate shape our planet, understanding relationships between agriculture and climate change is critical. With agricultural practices shaping soils on over a third of the earth’s land surface, the soils and lands where food is produced are integral grounds for examining these relationships. While not all humans practice agriculture in similar or damaging ways, nevertheless, dominant agricultural practices are displacing beings and ecosystems and perturbing global nutrient cycles across the planet. These entwined imbalances of dominance and nutrients result in flows of excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon that are responsible for nearly three-fourths of the …

Agrochemical Indicators Of New Irrigated Graph-Meadow Soils Formed On The Iii Underfladder Terrace Of Syrdarya, J.M. Kuziev

Irrigation and Melioration

Presents material on the geographical location, geomorphological and geological structure, as well as the agrochemical state of irrigated serozem-meadow soils, common in the Mirzaabad district of the Syrdarya region. According to the data obtained on the chemical analysis of soils, the studied soils are medium- and heavily loamy in texture, where particles of coarse sand predominate (0.05-0.01%). In the arable horizon of these soils, the humus content is 1.088-1.214%, total nitrogen 0.079-0.089%, total phosphorus 0.109-0.124%, and total potassium within 1.15-1.24%, and on the basis of these data, a regularity of the underlying horizon of these soils. The degree of provision …

Selection Of The Most Appropriate Tillage System Based On Topsis Model With Emphasize On Impact Of Different Tillage Systems On Yield, Ali Mirzazadeh, Razieh Pourdarbani, Salman Fekri

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

Among the various agricultural operations, tillage alone accounts for 60% of the energy consumed in agriculture. Other concerns, such as soil compaction, time management, economic issues, porosity reduction, moisture storage capacity, as well as a 25% increase in water and wind erosion, has further fueled efforts to improve tillage methods. In this regard, conservation tillage is more considered by experts. This study was conducted to evaluate important indices of wheat production in different tillage methods. Two plots located in Moghan Agro Co. were selected and were divided into four equal 2.8 hectares. Experiments were performed in randomized complete block design …

Apple Orchard Drip Irrigation Conditions Of The Tashkent Region Of Uzbekistan, Sardor Gulyamov, Bakir Serikbaev, Anvar Sherov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the results of many years of theoretical experimental field research on drip irrigation of the apple orchard of the Golden variety in the conditions of the Tashkent region. Based on the analysis of climatic, soil, hydrogeological, geological, hydrological and economic conditions of the experimental plot, as well as biological features of the garden, the values of total water consumption, water consumption deficit, irrigation, irrigation rate and the number of irrigation by the bioclimatic method are determined.

Substantion Of The Parameters Of The Working Bodies Of The Cultivator For High-Quality Tillage, A.K. Igamberdiev, G.F. Usmanova

Irrigation and Melioration

In the article, the use of the entire set of soil-processing bodies as a result of the use of traditional technologies reduces soil fertility, increasing the use of natural resources, the most pressing problems in the process of soil processing, that is, soil treatment. Experimental studies have shown that the large amount of moisture content in the soil during the cultivation process causes large intake of moisture due to the release of large particles. Due to the varied soil and climatic conditions of the republic, it is recommended to use a differential approach to the selection of soil treatment methods …

Integrative Experience: Soil Microbes And The Sustainability Of Organic Agriculture, Kristen Deangelis, Luiz Domeignoz Horta

Microbiology Educational Materials

This curriculum describes a one-unit course designed to fulfill the University of Massachusetts requirement for Integrative Experience as part of the Gen Ed curriculum for undergraduates.

Remediating Soil For Successful Vegetation Establishment Along Nebraska Highways, Shad Mills, Martha Mamo, Walt Schacht, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Vegetation along roadsides is important to prevent soil erosion, provide habitat, and filter water running off the road. Vegetation close to the pavement along highways in Nebraska does not readily establish and persist. It is thought that the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors behind the lack of vegetation. After a construction project the shoulder is seeded into the compacted soil, and during winter salts can accumulate in the soil because of deicing agents being used. The purpose of our study was to determine if the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors of the vegetation cover. …

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, Fabián G. Fernández, David W. Franzen, Carrie A. M. Laboski, D. Brenton Myers, Emerson D. Nafziger, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

John E. Sawyer

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 …

Compact Farms: A Step Towards Sustainability, Chad A. Porter

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report accounts for the potential benefits compact farms can have for agriculture and sustainability. The report details the design, implementation, and management of Whistle Stop Farm, a 1-acre, diverse farm producing vegetables, fruits, and gourmet mushrooms for direct markets in Atascadero, California. The farm focuses on economic and environmental sustainability. A large part of the farm revolves around soil science and how to manage soils to promote a healthy soil ecosystem.