Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Ndot’S Sediment Barrier Practices Using Performance Data, Michael A. Perez, Wesley N. Donald, J. Blake Whitman, Brian G. Roche

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

To protect waterways adjacent to construction projects with disturbed land, a 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer or equivalent sediment controls are required. However, there is little guidance on the effectiveness of vegetated buffers in removing sediment or how sediment barriers can aid shorter buffers or replace buffers. A modeling methodology was developed and used to determine the performance of 11,664 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer configurations with Nebraska conditions; sediment capture averaged 92.6% and ranged from 18.5% to 99.5%. To determine the performance of Nebraska Department of Transportation standard and modified sediment barrier installations, a large-scale testing methodology …

Plants Reduced Nitrous Oxide Emissions From A Northern Great Plains Saline/Sodic Soil, Sharon A. Clay, Thandiwe Nleya, David E. Clay, Deepak Joshi, Dwarika Bhattarai, Shin-Yi Marzano, Bhanu Prakash Petla

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

The slowly establishing salt-tolerant perennial grasses reduced nitrous oxide (N2 O- N) emissions from saline/sodic soil compared to barren areas. Other salt-tolerant species may accelerate vegetative establishment and reduce N 2 O-N emissions. In a greenhouse study, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), Florida broadleaf mustard (Brassica juncea L.), and Kernza intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D. R. Dewey] were grown for 63 days to compare shoot biomass and chemical composition, N 2 O-N emissions, and the soil microbiome between saline/sodic and productive (non-salt impacted) soils. Emissions were measured six times daily from 1 to 22 and 42 to 63 …

Pollinator Communities And Their Ecosystem Services At Conservation Grasslands And Adjacent Croplands, Araceli Gomez Villegas

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pollinators are intrinsically linked to the success of unmanaged and managed ecosystems by providing pollination services that aid in the reproduction of wildflowers and many crops. Land use change, habitat loss, fragmentation, and related landscape-level phenomena (for example, increased pesticide exposure) threaten pollinators and have been associated with population declines. In the Midwestern region of the United States, land conversion of native prairies and grasslands to row-crop agriculture has been one of the largest contributors to pollinator habitat loss. Conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, have worked towards removing environmentally sensitive lands from agriculture production and enrolling them …

Field Research Report: Results From The Enreec Vri Field For The 2021, 2022, And 2023 Crop Seasons, Derek M. Heeren, Ali T. Mohammed, Eric Wilkening, Christopher M. U. Neale, Alan L. Boldt, Ankit Chandra, Precious Nneka Amori, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Yeyin Shi, Guillermo R. Balboa

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Long-term irrigation management research has been conducted from 2014 to 2023 for corn and soybean at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC) Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Field located in subhumid east-central Nebraska (in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District). The objective of this report was to present the overall results from the VRI Field for 2021 to 2023. Across the three growing seasons, there were the following irrigation treatments: Best Management Practice (BMP), 50% BMP, 125% BMP, rainfed, Spatial ET Modeling Interface (SETMI), SDD1, SDD2, machine-learning-based Cyber-Physical System (CPS), a student team recommended rate, and industry …

Toward A Coordinated Understanding Of Hydro-Biogeochemical Root Functions In Tropical Forests For Application In Vegetation Models, Daniela F. Cusack, Bradley Christoffersen, Chris M. Smith-Martin, Kelly M. Andersen, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Katrin Fleischer, S. Joseph Wright, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramírez, Laynara F. Lugli, Lindsay A. Mcculloch, Mareli Sanchez-Julia, Sarah A. Batterman, Caroline Dallstream, Claire Fortunel, Laura Toro, Lucia Fuchslueger, Michelle Y. Wong, Daniela Yaffar, Joshua B. Fisher, Marie Arnaud, Lee H. Dietterich, Shalom D. Addo-Danso, Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes, Monique Weemstra, Jing Cheng Ng, Richard J. Norby

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics …

Commercially Available Products In Increase Soil Water-Holding Capacity, Shital Poudyal, Jake Powell, Rowe Zwahlen, Grant Cardon

All Current Publications

Although adding organic matter is traditionally the most effective way to enhance soil water-holding capacity, several commercial products in the market also have the potential to increase soil water-holding capacity. In this fact sheet, we discuss the properties and characteristics of those commercially available products and recommended application rates. We also explore some limitations of using these products.

Seed Viability Testing Guide For Common Wetland Plant Species, Rae Robinson, Sandra E. Johnston, Elana Feldman, Maddie Houde, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Amanda Mast, Jes V. Braun, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Seeds are used in many aspects of plant research as well as in applications such as ecosystem restoration. However, not all seeds are living (i.e., viable). To successfully work with seeds, it is essential to know how many seeds are viable. Seed viability can be assessed through a few different avenues, such as a basic cut test (i.e., is the embryo fully developed), germination assays, x-ray imaging, or the most common—a tetrazolium (TZ) test. This document focuses on best practices for TZ testing for a wide array of common wetland species that have been the focus of research and restoration …

Oystershell Scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Population Growth, Spread, And Phenology On Aspen In Arizona, Usa, Connor D. Crouch, Richard W. Hofstetter, Amanda M. Grady, Nylah N.S. Edwards, Kristen M. Waring

Aspen Bibliography

Oystershell scale (OSS; Lepidosaphes ulmi L.) is an invasive insect that threatens sustainability of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the southwestern United States. OSS invasions have created challenges for land managers tasked with maintaining healthy aspen ecosystems for the ecological, economic, and aesthetic benefits they provide. Active management is required to suppress OSS populations and mitigate damage to aspen ecosystems, but before management strategies can be implemented, critical knowledge gaps about OSS biology and ecology must be filled. This study sought to fill these gaps by addressing 3 questions: (i) What is the short-term rate of aspen mortality in …

Effects Of Hemiparasites In Grassland Restorations Are Not Universal, Anna Marie Scheidel, Victoria Borowicz

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Root hemiparasites infiltrate the vascular tissue of host roots to acquire water and nutrients, which often reduces host growth. Hemiparasites are postulated to be keystone species in grassland communities if they suppress dominant species and increase plant community biodiversity, and ecosystem engineers if they increase nutrient accessibility for surrounding species. We examined keystone effects by evaluating species richness and evenness in 1 m2 plots in a recent prairie restoration where Castilleja sessiliflora was naturally present or absent, and in a longer-established prairie restoration with or without Pedicularis canadensis. We examined ecosystem engineer effects by determining nitrate and phosphate concentrations …

Comparative Analysis Of A Secondary Metabolite Profile From Roots And Leaves Of Iostephane Heterophylla By Uplc-Ms And Gc-Ms, Diana V. Navarrete-Carriola, Alma D. Paz-González, Lenci K. Vázquez-Jiménez, Erick De Luna-Santillana, María A. Cruz-Hernández, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Gildardo Rivera

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Iostephane heterophylla is a traditional Mexican medicinal plant and is an important source of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. The aim of this work was to conduct a comparative analysis of secondary metabolites of different roots and leaf extracts of I. heterophylla from two zones in Mexico using ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). Twelve secondary metabolites from roots were identified in the leaves. Five new molecular weight secondary metabolites not previously reported were found. Six bioactive metabolites were quantified (quercetin ≤0.151 mg/mL in root and ≤0.041 mg/mL in leaf; hesperidin …

The Pollen Tube’S Secret To Slick Growth? A Dab Of Pectate Lyase-Like Enzyme, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pile Burning After Conifer Removal From Aspen Stands Affects Tree Mortality, Regeneration, And Understory Recovery, John-Pascal Berrill, Christa M. Dagley, Yoon G. Kim, J. Morgan Varner

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands throughout the western United States provide valuable ecosystem services but can be lost via succession from aspen to conifer. Forest managers are cutting conifers, but disposal of cut wood can be challenging in remote or sensitive areas. Piling and burning is being tested within aspen stands but ecosystem responses to this treatment are understudied. We assessed aspen tree mortality, tree regeneration, and understory vegetation after forest restoration thinning followed by pile burning in seven aspen-conifer stands around Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, USA. Pile burning was conducted after cut wood had dried (1.5–7.5 …

Autophagy And Cell Wall Integrity Pathways Coordinately Regulate The Development And Pathogenicity Through Moatg4 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Pusheng Guo, Yurong Wang, Jiayun Xu, Zhixiang Yang, Ziqi Zhang, Jinyi Qian, Jiexiong Hu, Ziyi Yin, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Xinyu Liu, Gang Li, Haifeng Zhang, Ryan Rumsey, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy and Cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling are critical stress-responsive processes during fungal infection of host plants. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, autophagy-related (ATG) proteins phosphorylate CWI kinases to regulate virulence; however, how autophagy interplays with CWI signaling to coordinate such regulation remains unknown. Here, we have identified the phosphorylation of ATG protein MoAtg4 as an important process in the coordination between autophagy and CWI in M. oryzae. The ATG kinase MoAtg1 phosphorylates MoAtg4 to inhibit the deconjugation and recycling of the key ATG protein MoAtg8. At the same time, MoMkk1, a core kinase of CWI, also phosphorylates …

Aspen And Spruce Densities Affect Tree Size, Future Stand Volume, And Aboveground Carbon Following Precommercial Thinning, Philip G. Comeau, Mike Bokalo

Aspen Bibliography

Data collected over a 30-year period from an experiment replicated across 21 locations in western Canada are used to explore the effects of precommercial thinning of trembling aspen to a range of densities in combination with three initial white spruce densities on tree growth and stand dynamics. Increasing differentiation amongst the 15 treatments was observed with age after thinning for both spruce and aspen responses. Spruce height and diameter declined with increasing aspen density. At age 10 spruce diameter with no aspen was 1.5× that of spruce in unthinned while it was 2.6× that of spruce in unthinned at age …

Tracing The Maternal Line In Glacial-Interglacial Migrations Of Populus Tremuloides: Finding Trees For Future Sustainable Forests By Searching In The Past, Luke R. Tembrock, Frida A. Zink, Guozhe Zhang, Andrea Schuhmann, Cuihua Gu, Zhiqiang Wu

Aspen Bibliography

Maintaining and planting sustainable forests is fundamental in perpetuating the essential functions of these ecosystems. A central aspect of managing forests for future resilience is the consideration of past migration and evolution of trees using genetic and genomic data to ensure that functionally appropriate diversity is conserved and utilized. In our study, we generated and compared genetic and genomic data from the plastome to better understand phylogeography and molecular evolution in the tree species Populus tremuloides (aspen). With these analyses, we found evidence of divergence and migration between northern and southern sites. Additionally, evidence of deep incomplete plastome sorting across …

High Tunnel Broccoli Cultivar Evaluations, Lewis Jett

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Broccoli is a potentially profitable crop for high tunnel production. Updated information on yield and quality of new cultivars is important for producers making planting decisions. This evaluation of 11 cultivars was conducted within a high tunnel in Fall 2023.

2023 Evaluation Of Pumpkin Cultivars In West Virginia, Lewis Jett

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Pumpkins are a popular, commercial vegetable crop in West Virginia. Each year, many new hybrid cultivars are released by commercial seed companies. In 2023, we trialed 16 cultivars. Pumpkins were grown using conventional tillage, and each cultivar was replicated 4 times. ‘Griffin’ ‘Justify’, ‘Hawk’, ‘Bellatrix’ and ‘Hermes’ produced high yields with both fruit count and average weight per pumpkin.

Woody Ornamental Disease Management Research Reports 2024, Fulya Baysal-Gurel

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Adding Value To Crop Production Systems By Integrating Forage Cover Crop Grazing, Robert B. Mitchell, Daren D. Redfearn, Kenneth P. Vogel, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen Erickson, P. Steven Baenziger, Bruce E. Anderson, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jay Parsons, Steven D. Masterson, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In addition to their value as cereal grains, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) are important cool-season annual forages and cover crops. Yearling steer (Bos taurus) performance was compared in the spring following autumn establishment as for age cover crops after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grain harvest. Replicated pastures (0.4 ha) were no-till seeded in three consecutive years into soybean stubble in autumn, fertilized, and grazed the following spring near Ithaca, Nebraska, USA. Each pasture (n = 3) was continuously stocked in spring with four yearling steers (380 ± 38 kg) for …

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

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

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Research Report: Radicchio Cultivar Performance In New Hampshire, Rebecca G. Sideman, Ella Lukacz, Lilly Hartman

Faculty Publications

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. latifolium) is grown widely throughout Europe, especially northern Italy. In addition to having interesting color and flavor profiles, they are rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. While increasingly popular as a niche vegetable in the region, there is little research-based information to guide growers. The New England growing climate is very different from that of major production regions, and it presents unique challenges. There is tremendous phenotypic variation among and within groups and cultivars. The availability of varieties to commercial growers in the U.S. has expanded greatly, but there remains a need for reliable …

Hop Cone Drying For The Small Grower: Temperature And Airflow Considerations, Stacy A. Adams, David M. Mabie, Michael F. Kocher, David Jones

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Small hop growers without nearby processors for cone stripping and drying must attempt to do so on their own farm. Challenges exist for self-built drying systems, including drying capacity, processing speed, airflow direction, and maintaining quality during drying. Research-based recommendations are given for optimal temperature, sizing of drying vessel, maximum cone depth, and influences associated with airflow on processing uniformity and cone quality are presented.

Using Phenology To Unravel Differential Soil Water Use And Productivity In A Semiarid Savanna, Blake Steiner, Russell L. Scott, Jia Hu, Natasha Mcbean, Andrew Richardson, David J. P. Moore

University Administration Publications

Savannas are water-limited ecosystems characterized by two dominant plant types: trees and an understory primarily made up grass. Different phenology and root structures of these plant types complicate how savanna primary productivity responds to changes in water availability. We tested the hypothesis that productivity in savannas is controlled by the temporal and vertical distribution of soil water content (SWC) and differences in growing season length of understory and tree plant functional types. To quantify the relationship between tree, understory, and savanna-wide phenology and productivity, we used PhenoCam and satellite observations surrounding an eddy covariance tower at a semiarid savanna site …

Belowground Bud Banks And Land Use Change: Roles Of Vegetation And Soil Properties In Mediating The Composition Of Bud Banks In Different Ecosystems, Jing Wu, Xianzhang Hou, Lan Xu, Quanlai Zhou, Yongcui Wang, Ziwu Guo, Michael Opoku Adomako, Qun Ma

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Introduction: Belowground bud banks play integral roles in vegetation regeneration and ecological succession of plant communities; however, human-caused changes in land use severely threaten their resilience and regrowth. Although vegetation attributes and soil properties mediate such anthropogenic effects, their influence on bud bank size and composition and its regulatory mechanisms under land use change have not been explored.
Methods: We conducted a field investigation to examine impacts of land use change on bud bank size and composition, vegetation attributes, and soil properties in wetlands (WL), farmlands (FL), and alpine meadow (AM) ecosystems in Zhejiang Province, China.
Results: Overall, 63 soil …

Cosmos For Cut Flower Production In Utah, Ali Harrison, Melanie Stock, Lorin Harrison, Amanda Pratt, Olive Stewart, Claudia Nischwitz, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

Cosmos are one of the easiest and most productive cut flowers to grow. As a warm-season annual, blooms are prolific and continued, making cosmos a staple, cut-and-come-again flower. The plants tolerate low water conditions, poor soil, and low maintenance, and perform better in fields than high tunnels. Available in shades ranging from whites and blushes to cranberry and orange, cosmos provide popular colors and airy textures for floral design work, particularly in late summer weddings and events.

Watch Out For Putnam Scale, Diaspidiotus Ancylus, Alfred Daniel Johnson, Muhammad Ahmed,, Karla . M. Addesso

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Vascular Streak Dieback An Emerging Threat To The Redbud Nursery Production In The Southeastern United States, Fulya Baysal-Gurel, Prabha Liyanapathiranage

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Can Phytoremediation-Induced Changes In The Microbiome Improve Saline/Sodic Soil And Plant Health?, Achal Neupane, Duncan Jukubowski, Douglas Fiedler, Liping Gu, Sharon A. Clay, David E. Clay, Shin-Yi Marzano

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Increasing soil salinity and/or sodicity is an expanding problem in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America. This study investigated the impact of phytoremediation on the soil microbiome and if changes, in turn, had positive or negative effects on plant establishment. Amplicon sequencing and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer analysis compared root metabolites and microbial composition of bulk vs. rhizosphere soils between two soil types (productive and saline/sodic). Beta-diversity analysis indicated that bacterial and fungal communities from both the bulk and rhizosphere soils from each soil type clustered separately, indicating dissimilar microbial composition. Plant species also influenced both root-associated bacterial and …

Soil And Fertiliser Management For Orchards In The Manjimup District, Neil Lantzke, Simon Yeap, Lukasz Kotula, B Goldspink, Valeria Almeida Lima, John Kammann

Horticulture research reports

This publication aims to give orchardists a broad understanding of the soils in the Manjimup district. It provides information on soil and fertiliser management that will assist in the sustainable production of fruit crops. This document was prepared for a Soils Course for horticulturalists, that was held in September 2023 at Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre.

The Manjimup local government area (LGA) is the most important horticultural district in Western Australia, particularly for fruit and in 2020 the total value of horticultural production was valued at $236 million (Figure 1). Avocados and apples were the most valuable horticultural crops, valued at …

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Maize No-Till Agroecosystems In Southern Brazil Based On A Long-Term Experiment, Guilherme Rosa Da Silva, Adam J. Liska, Cimelio Bayer

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Brazilian agriculture is constantly questioned concerning its environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research study used data from a 34-year field experiment to estimate the life cycle GHG emissions intensity of maize production for grain in farming systems under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) combined with Gramineae (oat) and legume (vetch) cover crops in southern Brazil. We applied the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator for modeling the “field-to-farm gate” emissions with measured annual soil N₂O and CH₄ emissions data. For net CO₂ emissions, increases in soil organic C (SOC) were applied as a proxy, …