Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Agriculture (2)
- Beef cattle (2)
- HIV-1 (2)
- Microglia (2)
- Missouri (2)
-
- Ozarks (2)
- Resistance (2)
- Stress (2)
- Uncoating (2)
- 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and nifH gene high-throughput sequencing (1)
- 4-H (1)
- ADF (1)
- Abiotic (1)
- Abundance (1)
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (1)
- Agkistrodon piscivorus (1)
- Agroterrorism (1)
- Alarm cue (1)
- Ambystoma (1)
- Amino acid (1)
- Ant behavior (1)
- Anthracnose (1)
- Ants (1)
- Appalachia (1)
- Arabidopsis thaliana (1)
- Aspergillus fumigatus (1)
- Autophagy (1)
- BCI (1)
- Beginning farmers and ranchers (1)
- Behavior (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 38
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Behavioral Aspects Of Chemoreception In Juvenile Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus), Chelsea E. Martin
Behavioral Aspects Of Chemoreception In Juvenile Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus), Chelsea E. Martin
MSU Graduate Theses
For snakes, chemical recognition of predators, prey, and conspecifics has important ecological consequences. For example, detection of predator cues can reduce predation risk. Similarly, scent trailing of conspecifics to communal hibernacula can improve overwinter survival for neonates. I used y-maze choice trials to examine scent-trailing ability of 32 captive-born juvenile cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) in two separate experiments. In conspecific trailing tests, subjects preferred to follow cues from their own mothers over a blank control cue, but also preferred to trail cues from unrelated adult females compared to cues from their own mothers. My results are consistent with previous …
Phenotypic Study Of Anthracnose Resistance In Black Walnut And Building A Mapping Population, Sadie D. Land
Phenotypic Study Of Anthracnose Resistance In Black Walnut And Building A Mapping Population, Sadie D. Land
MSU Graduate Theses
Black walnut anthracnose, caused by Gnomonia leptostyla, is the most widespread and destructive disease affecting black walnut trees (Juglans nigra). Breeding cultivars for a higher resistance to anthracnose is a natural and efficient strategy for improving the health and production quality of black walnut trees. The two goals of this study were to reveal that the ‘Sparrow’ cultivar of black walnut contains a significantly higher resistance to anthracnose than the ‘Football’ cultivar when separated from environmental factors, and to expand the ‘Football’ × ‘Sparrow’ F1 mapping population to evaluate how the trait of resistance is inherited in the progeny. A …
Estimating Dry Matter Digestibility Of Forage In Equine Diets, Taylor N. Godwin
Estimating Dry Matter Digestibility Of Forage In Equine Diets, Taylor N. Godwin
MSU Graduate Theses
Previous research indicates equine fecal inoculates produce comparable results to cecal fluid when used for in vitro procedures to analyze dry matter digestibility (DMD). Equine hindgut microbial populations represented in fecal samples have been shown to be affected by diet. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diet on in vitro DMD when fecal samples from horses on varying starch and fiber diets were used as inoculates. Six mature Quarter Horses (BW 522 ± 45kg) were used in a crossover repeated measures design to compare the effects of a grain vs. all forage diets on the …
Freshwater Turtle Community Composition In Mined Land Strip Pit Lakes And The Effects Of Learned Trap Avoidance On Capture Rates Of Sternotherus Odoratus And Trachemys Scripta, Ethan Craig Hollender
Freshwater Turtle Community Composition In Mined Land Strip Pit Lakes And The Effects Of Learned Trap Avoidance On Capture Rates Of Sternotherus Odoratus And Trachemys Scripta, Ethan Craig Hollender
MSU Graduate Theses
Turtles are among the most threatened groups of organisms on the planet and as such are in need of protected habitat where healthy communities can be maintained. The reclamation of land that was formerly the site of surface strip mining provides a matrix of reclaimed terrestrial landscapes rich with lakes and ponds that have the potential to function as such habitat. To determine the suitability of these habitats for turtle communities, I compared the turtle communities of strip pit lakes and natural lakes in southeastern Kansas. Of the seven species of aquatic turtle I encountered, Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra …
Effects Of The Dihydrouracil Lesion On Dna Using 1h/31p 1d And 2d Solution Nmr, Benjamin M. Boyd
Effects Of The Dihydrouracil Lesion On Dna Using 1h/31p 1d And 2d Solution Nmr, Benjamin M. Boyd
MSU Graduate Theses
The effects of the dihydrouracil lesion in DNA were studied using two dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The sequence used was based off of the Drew-Dickerson Dodecamer, with the cytosine in the three position replaced by a dihydrouracil. All of the nonexchangeable proton chemical shifts, with the exception of the H2, H5’, and H5’’, of the lesioned DNA were identified using NOESY spectra and then compared to the chemical shift values of the Drew Dickerson Dodecamer. The largest differences in chemical shifts were observed in the nucleotides neighboring the lesion, both within the strand and on the opposite strand. The imino exchangeable …
Investigating Dicamba Tolerance In Grapevine Cultivars Through Drift Simulation Assays, Bryce David Bentley
Investigating Dicamba Tolerance In Grapevine Cultivars Through Drift Simulation Assays, Bryce David Bentley
MSU Graduate Theses
Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide which acts systematically and selectively controls broadleaf plants and has become increasingly popular in the past several years for weed control in commercial agriculture following widespread adoption of dicamba-resistant, transgenic soybean and cotton. Dicamba may be better acknowledged by growers of specialty crops, like grapes, for its capacity to drift miles away from the site of application and deposit on fields, remaining potent enough to cause crop damage and yield loss to vulnerable plants. Grapes are among the most susceptible agronomic crops to dicamba drift, showing visible injury at rates less than 1% of …
Cyclophilin A Enhances Hiv-1 Reverse Transcription In Human Microglial Cells, Zachary Michael Ingram
Cyclophilin A Enhances Hiv-1 Reverse Transcription In Human Microglial Cells, Zachary Michael Ingram
MSU Graduate Theses
Parenchymal microglia represent a susceptible cell type to HIV infection and contribute to HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). Currently, HIV host-protein interactions in microglia are understudied, but relevant to the design of antiviral drugs. HIV replication events rely on host and viral proteins to evade an immune response while improve replication success. Post-fusion the HIV capsid is released into the cytoplasm and begins trafficking towards the nucleus. During transit viral RNA is transcribed to DNA through reverse transcription (RT). In addition, the HIV capsid that protects the reverse transcription complex disassembles in a step termed uncoating. Once the pre-integration complex …
Elucidating Immune Signaling Of Influenza A Virus And Aspergillus Fumigatus Co-Infections Through Pioneered Model Development, Meagan Danyelle Rippee-Brooks
Elucidating Immune Signaling Of Influenza A Virus And Aspergillus Fumigatus Co-Infections Through Pioneered Model Development, Meagan Danyelle Rippee-Brooks
MSU Graduate Theses
Bacterial co-infections with influenza A virus (IAV) are extremely serious and life-threatening. However, there exists limited understanding about the importance of fungal infections with IAV. Clinical case reports indicate that fungal co-infections do occur and suggest the IAV pandemic of 2009 had a propensity to predispose patients to secondary fungal infections more than previous IAV strains. IAV-fungal co-infections are marked by high mortality rates of 47 to 61% in previously healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 60. Yet, the variables involved in this co-infection remain undetermined. I achieved effective recapitulation of this co-infection using a C57Bl/6 murine (mouse) …
The Dynamin-Like Protein Vps1 Stimulates Endosome-To-Golgi Fusion In Vitro, Jared Christopher Smothers
The Dynamin-Like Protein Vps1 Stimulates Endosome-To-Golgi Fusion In Vitro, Jared Christopher Smothers
MSU Graduate Theses
Intracellular membrane fusion events can be reconstituted by exploiting isolated organelles from cellular hosts or artificial membranes made of purified phospholipid components. Artificial construction of membranes provides two significant advantages. First, cellular isolation of the endosome-derived vesicles and TGN (trans-Golgi Network) compartments needed for the fusion assay would be extremely challenging. Second, reconstituting the membranes provides the added benefit of controlling size and lipid compositions to functionally mimic the individual membrane architectures and introduce only the purified proteins that are under investigation. For these reasons, I have developed the first simultaneous lipid and content mixing fusion assays that measures the …
Pollinator Networks In Established Urban Prairies Compared To Rural Remnant Prairies, Amanda Lynn Coleman
Pollinator Networks In Established Urban Prairies Compared To Rural Remnant Prairies, Amanda Lynn Coleman
MSU Graduate Theses
Prairies support over 800 species of plants, insects, birds, fish, and mammals, even though only 1% of remnant prairies remain in the United States. Importantly, urban prairie “gardens/plots” are gaining popularity for their ecological services. However, it is not known to what extent these small urban prairies can sustain the plant-pollinator interactions that are vital to both the insects and the plants. The goal of my research was to examine plant/pollinator interactions in three urban prairies in southwest Missouri and compare them to rural prairies because rural prairies were predicted to have stronger plant/pollinator networks. Rural units were: Woods Prairie, …
Evaluating The Impact Of Agriculture Youth Organizations On Grit, Sarah E. Bishop
Evaluating The Impact Of Agriculture Youth Organizations On Grit, Sarah E. Bishop
MSU Graduate Theses
This study examined the relationship between the involvement in high school activities, such as FFA and 4-H, and grit or long-term passion and perseverance. In a quantitative approach, respondents (N=501) completed a survey comprised of the Grit-S Scale to determine their level of grit and a self-reporting section on involvement in high school activities, involvement in FFA, and involvement in 4-H. Correlation analyses were conducted to determine if there was a relationship between individual high school activities, overall high school involvement, involvement in FFA, involvement in 4-H, and an individual’s level of grit. Involvement in FFA was found to have …
The Effect Of Metal Composition And Particle Size On Nanostructure-Toxicity In Plants, Natalie Lynn Smith
The Effect Of Metal Composition And Particle Size On Nanostructure-Toxicity In Plants, Natalie Lynn Smith
MSU Graduate Theses
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have consistently been shown to have a detrimental effect on bacteria, fungi, and plants. The interaction of AgNPs with plants has received considerable scientific attention, because it is potentially through plants that these structures can enter the food chain and bioaccumulate in humans and animals. To determine the effects of AgNPs on plants, Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings were chronically exposed to sublethal levels of AgNPs using a standardized method. To gain insight on mechanism of phytotoxicity, the seedlings were exposed to low concentrations of Ag+ (in the form of silver nitrate), AgNPs, or gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). To …
Optimum Planting Dates For Garlic In Southwest Missouri, Esther A. Nelson
Optimum Planting Dates For Garlic In Southwest Missouri, Esther A. Nelson
MSU Graduate Theses
Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the most widely used spices in the world. More research is needed to outline the best growing practices for garlic in Southwest Missouri. The study is designed to look the yield produced by four different fall planting and one spring date. Three varieties of garlic including Inchilium Red, German White and Elephant were planted on each date at two separate locations in Southwest Missouri for one year. The garlic was found to have highly diverse yields at both locations and when planting dates where compared. Elephant garlic produced the highest yield when …
Characterizing Nodule Endophyte Communities In Glycine Max And Lablab Purpureus Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Scott David Mcelveen
Characterizing Nodule Endophyte Communities In Glycine Max And Lablab Purpureus Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Scott David Mcelveen
MSU Graduate Theses
Biological nitrogen fixation by rhizobia in the root nodules of legumes is a significant source of agricultural nitrogen in global crop production systems. The influence of and interaction of factors involved in nodule endophyte selection remain poorly understood. In the present study, the influences of crop rotation (soybean-legume vs. cotton-legume) and recalcitrant soil organic matter (compost amendment) on the relative distribution of endophytic bacteria in the root nodules of greenhouse-grown soybean and lablab were investigated by extracting, amplifying, and sequencing 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and nifH genes. Neither preceding crop nor compost amendment were found to have an influence on …
Sequence Analysis Of The Ren1 Genomic Region From The Grapevine ‘Kishmish Vatkana’, Dani Joseph
Sequence Analysis Of The Ren1 Genomic Region From The Grapevine ‘Kishmish Vatkana’, Dani Joseph
MSU Graduate Theses
The REN1 region of the grapevine ‘Kishmish Vatkana’ was mapped as the locus that confers resistance to the economically important disease, grape powdery mildew. The purpose of this work was to extend the nucleotide sequence information of this region. By sequencing a heretofore unknown bacterial artificial chromosome clone, the sequence information of this region was extended by 46,890 nucleotides. Sequencing was performed using the third-generation sequencing method, named Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). In order to improve the accuracy of the sequence data, a modified ONT library preparation method was developed. ONT sequencing of a library prepared with the modified protocol …
Stress And Body Composition Of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Brandon Scott Tappmeyer
Stress And Body Composition Of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Brandon Scott Tappmeyer
MSU Graduate Theses
The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), is a species of conservation concern that is the subject of multiple head-start and reintroduction efforts across its range. In captive propagation programs, producing offspring that are in optimal physiological condition maximizes the likelihood of success after release. The purpose of my study was to compare stress and body composition between one free-ranging reintroduced population and two captive populations. The two captive populations were both housed in southern Oklahoma, but one group was reared indoors whereas the other inhabited outdoor ponds at a national fish hatchery. I used circulating glucocorticoid (corticosterone) concentrations as an …
Towards A Better Understanding Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Jessica R. Cox
Towards A Better Understanding Of Temporomandibular Disorder, Jessica R. Cox
MSU Graduate Theses
Results from the OPPERA study provided evidence that risk factors such as neck muscle tension, prolonged jaw opening, and female gender increase the likelihood of developing temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD), which are prevalent, debilitating orofacial pain conditions. Peripheral and central sensitization, which mediate a lowering of the stimulus required for pain signaling, are implicated in the underlying pathology of chronic TMJD. The goal of my study was to investigate cellular changes in the expression of proteins associated with the development of central sensitization. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with complete Freund’s adjuvant in the upper trapezius muscles to promote trigeminal …
Vertical Connectivity Influences Secondary Production, Community Diversity, And Resilience In An Ozark Stream, Nathan C. Dorff
Vertical Connectivity Influences Secondary Production, Community Diversity, And Resilience In An Ozark Stream, Nathan C. Dorff
MSU Graduate Theses
The hyporheic zone, a key component of stream vertical connectivity, supports stream function (e.g., nutrient regeneration) and provides habitat for aquatic biota. The Ozark Highlands ecoregion contains gravel-bed streams that have extensive hyporheic zones and that are subject to recurrent flash floods. I sampled Leuctra tenuis(Pictet) nymphs from the hyporheic habitat (30-45 cm below the streambed) in a gravel-bed reach and an intermittent tributary of an Ozark stream from early instar to adult emergence. Concurrently, I sampled benthic insects in two reaches of the same stream that differed primarily in amount of hyporheic habitat (bedrock vs. gravel) and monitored …
The Effects Of Electrofishing On Different Life Stages Of Ozark And Eastern Hellbenders, Stephanie Kay Morrison
The Effects Of Electrofishing On Different Life Stages Of Ozark And Eastern Hellbenders, Stephanie Kay Morrison
MSU Graduate Theses
Electrofishing, a common method of freshwater fish sampling, has been shown to negatively affect some fish species, but the effects on non-target species, such as hellbenders, have not been well studied. I tested effects of electrofishing on the behavior of several life stages of captivereared Ozark (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) and eastern (C. a. alleganiensis) hellbenders. Ozark hellbender eggs were exposed to different voltages in the laboratory, and embryos in higher voltages had higher incidences of twitching during exposures and higher numbers of morphological deformities after exposures. For hatchling Ozark hellbenders, which typically are sedentary, individuals moved more during exposure to …
An Examination Of The Potential Threat Of A State-Sponsored Biological Attack Against The United States: A Study Of Policy Implications, Courtney Anne Pfluke
An Examination Of The Potential Threat Of A State-Sponsored Biological Attack Against The United States: A Study Of Policy Implications, Courtney Anne Pfluke
MSU Graduate Theses
In 2002, US Navy Seals found a list of pathogens in an Afghanistan cave that Al Qaeda had planned to use in a series of biological attacks. Unique about the discovery was that the pathogens were not limited to human ones. Six pathogens targeted livestock and four targeted crops. Despite this discovery, limited attention has been given to the possibility of a state-sponsored terrorist attack utilizing biological agents against the US population, food source, or water supply. Throughout history, biological agents have been developed for use as an offensive weapon for both states and terrorist groups. The United States may …
The Assessment Of Predictor Variables For Hard Tick Abundance In Southwestern Missouri, Casey L. Adkins
The Assessment Of Predictor Variables For Hard Tick Abundance In Southwestern Missouri, Casey L. Adkins
MSU Graduate Theses
The risk of tick-borne infection is increasing across the United States, and in Missouri, ticks are expanding into novel regions due to climate change, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss. Regions in which ticks are encroaching experience novel vectors for lineage associated pathogens. Novel tick detection can be low due to sampling practices targeting known ticks, which can lead to unreliable distribution maps and poor predictive distribution models. Such models should account for biotic factors, abiotic factors, and their interactions to provide a dynamic view of their impact on tick abundance and identify variables that can serve as indicators. Further, a …
Response To Conspecific Alarm Cues By Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum) Larvae, Katlyn M. Gardner
Response To Conspecific Alarm Cues By Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum) Larvae, Katlyn M. Gardner
MSU Graduate Theses
Detection of predators early in a predation sequence may allow prey to increase their probability of survival by taking evasive action. For aquatic species in ephemeral ponds visibility is often limited, so predation risk assessment via chemical cues can be useful. Most mole salamanders of the genus Ambystoma breed in vernal ponds, and larvae suffer high mortality rates due in part to high levels of predation. I tested whether larvae can assess predation risk by detecting chemicals (alarm cues) released from the skin of damaged conspecifics, and, if so, what factors influence the response to this alarm cue. Field-caught spotted …
Orthorexia Nervosa Among Collegiate Female Student-Athletes, Maryse Bard-Martel
Orthorexia Nervosa Among Collegiate Female Student-Athletes, Maryse Bard-Martel
MSU Graduate Theses
Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a specific style of disordered eating defined as an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food, or going to extremes in the pursuit of a diet that is supposed to be good for you. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa tendencies in college female soccer players in the NCAA Division 1. Purposive sampling was used, and participants were current student-athletes from the Missouri State women’s soccer team (n=18). Survey research was utilized to assess athletes’ attitudes and behaviors related to various aspects of diet and training, and the control it …
Kinetics Of Hiv-1 Uncoating In C20 Microglial Cells, Melanie Anne Taylor
Kinetics Of Hiv-1 Uncoating In C20 Microglial Cells, Melanie Anne Taylor
MSU Graduate Theses
Uncoating is a poorly understood yet required step of HIV-1 replication that is defined as the disassembly of the viral capsid structure. The goal of this project is to characterize uncoating in C20 microglial cells. These cells are a natural target of HIV-1 that are infected to establish latent viral reservoirs and HIV-associated neurological disorders. A stable C20 cell line that expresses TRIM-CypA was established to study the kinetics of uncoating with the CsA washout assay. The expression of TRIM-CypA was confirmed by western blot and the functionality of the protein was confirmed by a viral infectivity assay. Using this …
Effects Of Herbicides On Zebrafish Embryo Development And Viability, Kayla Ray King
Effects Of Herbicides On Zebrafish Embryo Development And Viability, Kayla Ray King
MSU Graduate Theses
Environmental contaminants are chemicals of anthropogenic origin that are found in water, soil, and air, and are harmful to a wide variety of organisms (ORD US EPA, 2018-a). One common group of contaminants are herbicides. Though herbicides are used to control unwanted vegetation in agriculture, aquatic organisms and humans may be exposed to these herbicides through run off into streams and rivers, by drinking contaminated water, by consuming treated crops, by direct exposure, or through bioaccumulation. Thus the effect of these herbicides on animals needs further investigation. In this study, I sought to determine whether six different herbicides, which have …
Mapping A New Disease Resistance Locus In An F1 Progeny Derived From Two Grape Wild Relatives, Gaurab Bhattarai
Mapping A New Disease Resistance Locus In An F1 Progeny Derived From Two Grape Wild Relatives, Gaurab Bhattarai
MSU Graduate Theses
Linkage maps and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis have become essential tools for the positional cloning of agronomically important genes and for marker-assisted breeding. In this study, two North American grape species, Vitis rupestris and Vitis riparia, and their 294 F1 progeny were used to construct parental linkage maps and to perform QTL analysis for downy mildew resistance. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery was accomplished using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and resulted in 348,888 SNPs. Of these, 11,063 informative SNP markers (3.17% of the original SNP dataset) were derived after filtering for various quality parameters and missing data. A two-way …
Recovery Of Domestic Behaviors By A Parasitic Ant (Formica Subintegra) In The Absence Of Its Host (Formica Subsericea), Amber Nichole Hunter
Recovery Of Domestic Behaviors By A Parasitic Ant (Formica Subintegra) In The Absence Of Its Host (Formica Subsericea), Amber Nichole Hunter
MSU Graduate Theses
Dulosis is a type of social parasitism in which a parasitic ant has become dependent on captured workers (hosts) of a closely related species. Dulosis can be either facultative or obligate depending on the degree of dependence on host workers. As parasites become more specialized over evolutionary time, their domestic abilities degenerate until they become unable to survive without the host. However, the ‘lost’ behaviors may display some degree of recovery when host workers are unavailable to do the tasks. The Formica sanguinea group consists of 12 species of parasitic ants, which are all traditionally considered to be facultative parasites. …
Role Of Methionine In Fetal Development Of Beef Cattle, Colin D. Chalk
Role Of Methionine In Fetal Development Of Beef Cattle, Colin D. Chalk
MSU Graduate Theses
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether total amino acids (AA) or methionine have an effect on fetal programming of calves using 108 Angus Brangus cows. Treatments were 1) Control, limpograss hay with molasses plus urea (16% CP as fed basis) at 2.72 kg./hd/d, 2) Fishmeal, Control plus 0.33 kg./hd/d of fishmeal ( methionine 2.85 % of RUP), and 3) Methionine, Control plus 10 g/hd/d of MetaSmart liquid (Addisseo Alpharetta, GA) . Fishmeal and Methionine treatments supplied similar amounts of metabolizable methionine. Weight of cows and calves along with body condition score of cows were measured at the …
Further Characterization Of The Skeletal Phenotype In A Hurler Syndrome Mouse Model And The Ethical Treatment Of Children In Medicine, Anna Marie Mcwoods
Further Characterization Of The Skeletal Phenotype In A Hurler Syndrome Mouse Model And The Ethical Treatment Of Children In Medicine, Anna Marie Mcwoods
MSU Graduate Theses
Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder caused by the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme α-L-iduronidase (IDUA). Absence of IDUA results in the accumulation of dermatan and heparin sulfate and ultimately causes multi-system dysfunction. The most severe form of MPS I is Hurlers syndrome, a rapidly progressive disorder that, if left untreated, is fatal. Current treatment options for diagnosed individuals includes hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). These treatments are able to ameliorate the majority of symptoms with the exception of the bone phenotype. This investigation aimed to further characterize the bone …
Barriers Missouri's Farmers Face Regarding Beginning Farmer Government Programs, Benjamin J. Travlos
Barriers Missouri's Farmers Face Regarding Beginning Farmer Government Programs, Benjamin J. Travlos
MSU Graduate Theses
Federal and state governments have responded to the hardships beginning farmers and ranchers face by creating programs to mediate the identified challenges for new producers. However, hardships still exist for these producers and there is a lack of research on if the programs are providing the needed assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. This research explores the perceived barriers to beginning farmer federal and state government programs for Missouri producers. Through the utilization of focus groups, the research identified major barriers such as: time, program awareness, program resources, and program requirements and eligibility. Aside from the barriers, the research also …