Digital Commons Network^™

Describing Benefits, Challenges, And Barriers Of Offering Adolescent Programs At Public Gardens In The United States, Hiliary Rodgers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research shows a lack of educational programs for the adolescent audience at public gardens in the United States. Along with benefits that adolescent programs create for the institutions that offer them, there are also challenges associated with designing programs for this specific audience, and barriers preventing public gardens from offering them. There is little research related to adolescent programs at public gardens in the United States, aside from a 2010 study by Purcell et al. that explored the benefits, challenges, and barriers of adolescent programs. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of adolescent programs at public gardens in …

Vegetation Management During Establishment Of Native Grasses And Forb Plantings On Roadsides And Prairie Restoration, Rachel Woody-Pumford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

North American prairies have been shrinking due to agricultural production, overgrazing, development of cities and towns, and climate change. However, integrated roadside vegetation management (IRVM) creates the opportunity to reestablish prairies along roadsides through planting native grasses and forbs. Utilizing postememergence (POST) herbicides registered for use along rights-of-way has the potential to remove invasive species and create space for newly establishing native grass and forb species. The use of clopyralid, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, metsulfuron, and quinclorac were found to be safe for use in plantings containing big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.). However, florpyrauxifen-benzyl injured and stunted …

Micronutrient Concentration Effects On Lettuce Growth And Susceptibility To Pythium, Kalyn M. Helms

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In hydroponic production waterborne pathogens such as Pythium are ubiquitous and continually threaten a wide range of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) crops in hydroponic production, including but not limited to: lettuce, spinach, basil, arugula, cucumber, tomato, sweet pepper, roses, chrysanthemums, and cannabis (Sutton et al., 2006; Gull, 2002; McGehee and Raudales, 2021; Gillespie, 2020). Despite extensive sanitation measures, disease control in hydroponics is fallible and requires constant surveillance and management to minimize outbreaks (Sutton et al., 2006). A potential disease suppression strategy is to increase micronutrient concentrations within hydroponic systems to naturally strengthen plant defenses against pathogens such as Pythium. …

Evaluating Flavor And Aroma Attributes Of Arkansas-Grown Horticultural Crops, Jordan Chenier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas has a climate and geography that allows for the production of unique horticultural crops, including hops (Humulus lupulus L.), blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus), and muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia). These crops not only have potential for growers in Arkansas but have unique flavor and aroma attributes that impact marketability. Volatile compounds present in many different agricultural plants are the primary source of biologically-derived aromas and flavors. Therefore, the volatile and other quality attributes of hops, blackberries, and muscadine grapes were evaluated at the University of Arkansas (UA System) Division of Agriculture. The quality, volatile, and sensory attributes of four hops …

Effect Of Harvest Time On The Incidence Of Red Drupelet Reversion And Development Of Tetraploid Linkage Maps In Blackberry, Mitchell E. Armour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The cultivated eastern U.S. blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) has gone through tremendous strides in both trait improvement and market outreach at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System). What began as primarily a pick-your-own local fruit found mostly in the wild, has become a commercialized year-round product in most major U.S. grocery retailers. This could not have been achieved without decades of diligent breeding efforts. Although the genetic improvement of fresh-market blackberries has advanced, there are still issues that need to be addressed. One issue is the prevalence of red drupelet reversion (RDR), a physiological …

Performance Evaluation Of Four Arkansas Table Grape Cultivars Grown On Three Trellis Systems Under High Tunnels At Two Locations In Arkansas., Jose Hernandez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) are one of the most important horticultural crops world-wide. In the southern U.S. region, hot and humid climate accompanied by high pest pressure requires high levels of labor and pesticide inputs, making open field table grape production unsustainable. Previous research at University of Arkansas has demonstrated that table grape production under high tunnels (HTs) is a viable option to overcome biotic and abiotic challenges in the region. This project evaluated two HTs established in Arkansas. In the spring of 2014, at Fayetteville, three table grape cultivars (Faith, Gratitude, and Jupiter) were established in an 8 x …

Hydroponic And Soilless Culture Systems And Transplant Practices Influence Production Of Basil (Omicum Basilicum L.), Samuel Warren Edward Doty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two controlled-environment greenhouse experiments evaluated (1) plant growth and morphology of basil (Omicum basilicum L.) grown in three different hydroponic and soilless substrate systems and (2) seedling tray cell-count and transplant date into hydroponic culture effects on basil growth and yield at harvest. For the first experiment, four basil cultivars (‘Genovese’, ‘Mrs. Burns Lemon’, ‘Sweet Thai’, and ‘Cinnamon’) were grown in deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponics, nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponics, and a novel shallow aggregate ebb-and-flood (SAEF) soilless substrate system and were harvested after 21 d. Plant yield and morphological characteristics measured at harvest included shoot fresh mass, shoot …

Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Mitigation On Escherichia Coli Cfu And Growth And Development Of Hydroponic Leafy Greens, Nathan J. Eylands

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have set new standards that apply to agriculturalists producing crops eaten fresh and/or raw by consumers. This new produce safety rule, known as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), has established science-based standards for all areas of production in agriculture with regards to microbial contamination. Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a particular bacterium of concern under FSMA guidelines. Grower compliance is mandatory and therefore vital to the continuation of any farm. Greenhouse hydroponic growers have shown advantages in efficiency when compared to conventional farming methodology. Those, however, with recirculating hydroponic systems face unique …

Genetic Determinism Of Xanthomonas Arboricola Pv. Pruni (Xap) Resistance, Fruit Quality, And Phenological Traits In Peach And Incorporation Of Marker-Assisted Selection (Mas) In The University Of Arkansas Peach And Nectarine Breeding Program, Terrence James Frett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For over two decades the incorporation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) has been discussed as an innovative approach to increase peach breeding efficiency. Although hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified, only a few have been converted into usable MAS tools. This highlights a disconnect between genomic discoveries and practical application in breeding programs, which has delayed use of MAS.

In this dissertation, three sequential steps were performed with the objective to bridge this gap and develop breeding-relevant DNA tests for MAS of fruit bacterial spot resistance (Xap1 and Xap6), fruit quality [blush (Rf), acidity (D), and acidity and …