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Contrasting Nitrogen Sources Impact Nitrogen Use Efficiency And Soil Health Under Silage Corn Production In A Semi-Arid Environment, Phearen Kit Miller
Contrasting Nitrogen Sources Impact Nitrogen Use Efficiency And Soil Health Under Silage Corn Production In A Semi-Arid Environment, Phearen Kit Miller
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Silage corn production challenges sustainable intensification and soil health in semi-arid environments because the entire aboveground biomass is harvested and removed from the field. An irrigated silage corn field study was conducted over a decade comparing nitrogen fertility sources using a complete randomized block design with four treatments: control with no nitrogen fertilizer (control), low ammonium sulfate at 112 kg N ha−1 (AS100), high ammonium sulfate at 224 kg N ha−1 (AS200), and steer manure compost at 224 kg total N ha−1 (compost). Research focused on the impact of these contrasting nitrogen sources on silage corn production, …
The Use Of Biological Soil Health Indicators To Quantify The Benefits Of Cover Crops, Alexander Wu
The Use Of Biological Soil Health Indicators To Quantify The Benefits Of Cover Crops, Alexander Wu
Masters Theses
Soils provide many essential functions that support the world. With a decline in soil health, these functions also decrease in efficiency, and can threaten the health of billions of people around the world. Typically, soil health tests do not use biological indicators, however microbes drive and perform vital functions to increase soil health. One way to increase soil health is through the use of cover crops to reduce soil erosion during fallow periods, increasing soil organic matter, as well as collecting nutrients from soil into their biomass. These cover crops are then terminated through various methods such as herbicides, disk …
Exploring Soil-Tree Interactions After Applying Organic Matter Amendments To Peach Orchards In The Subtropical Climate Of The Southeastern United States, Brian Lawrence
All Dissertations
Soil disturbance from the cultivation and intensive management of orchards in hot and humid subtropical climates can reduce soil organic matter (OM). This research explored how the addition of OM amendments impact soil and tree parameters in two field studies and how proximity to OM may elicit unique genomic response of peach roots in a split-root pot study. The first field study applied two rates of compost (1x and 2x) and subsequently reduced fertilizer applications annually to a virgin and replant orchard location. While both compost rates successfully replaced fertilizers, only the 2x rate in the replant location increased soil …
Determining The Effects Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide On Soil Acidification, Cation Depletion, And Soil Inorganic Carbon And Mapping Soil Carbons Using Artificial Intelligence, Jannatul Ferdush
Theses and Dissertations
Soil carbon is the largest sink and source of the global carbon cycle and is disturbed by several natural, anthropogenic, and environmental factors. The global increase of atmospheric CO2 affects soil carbon cycling through varied biogeochemical processes. The first chapter is a compilation of current information on potential factors triggering soil acidification and weathering mechanisms under elevated CO2 and their consequences on soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pool and quality. Soil water content and precipitation were critical factors influencing elevated CO2 effects on the SIC pool. The second chapter examines a detailed column experiment in which six soils …
Revealing The Effects Of Climate Change And Fungicides On Soil Microbial Communities In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Armida Rivera
Revealing The Effects Of Climate Change And Fungicides On Soil Microbial Communities In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Armida Rivera
Theses and Dissertations
Fungicide applications are effective to prevent fungal pathogens that are known to cause crop damage and decrease yields. However, these pesticides can exert toxic or inhibitory effects on non-targeted organisms such as soil microbial communities. In addition, it is unknown to what extent shifts in temperature and soil moisture resulting from global climate change, alter the activities of non-targeted soil organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil biological parameters such as soil respiration and enzyme activities involved in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous (Beta-glucosidase, Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA) Hydrolysis, urease, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and N-acetyl-Beta-glucosaminidase) …
Cover Cropping To Improve The Sustainability Of Agronomic Production Systems, Ricardo St Aime
Cover Cropping To Improve The Sustainability Of Agronomic Production Systems, Ricardo St Aime
All Dissertations
The adoption rate of cover cropping among farmers in the Southeast is low due to the lack of knowledge regarding the suitable cover crop species and their management practices and the concerns of resource depletion for the subsequent cash crop. To generate information addressing the above knowledge gap, the present research was conducted with the following objectives: (1) to determine the optimal planting method for winter cover crops in the upstate of SC and whether it is influenced by the seeding rates (Project-1); (2) to determine suitable winter cover crops for the region based on biomass production, water use efficiency …
Soil Health Monitoring And Management In Corn And Soybean Agroecosystems Of The Midwestern U.S., Bradley S. Crookston
Soil Health Monitoring And Management In Corn And Soybean Agroecosystems Of The Midwestern U.S., Bradley S. Crookston
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Soil health is a concept and condition of the soil where measurable soil properties represent the capacity of a soil fulfilling its intended use, such as producing crops, without constraint to its agro-ecological quality. Soil health assessments are used to estimate the health of a soil by assessing soil biological, chemical, and physical attributes, called soil health indicators, and scoring them on a scale, usually 0 to 100, to guide soil and crop management. However, there are few large-scale analyses of soil health assessment scores and their relationships with crop yield. Understanding how soil health assessments relate to crop yield …
Integrated Nutrient Management And Cover Cropping Practices In Louisiana Sugarcane Production Systems, Daniel Erneso Forestieri
Integrated Nutrient Management And Cover Cropping Practices In Louisiana Sugarcane Production Systems, Daniel Erneso Forestieri
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Integrating effective fertilizer management with conservation practices is essential to improve farm income and promote environment friendly sugarcane production systems. A study was conducted in multiple to document the impact of nitrogen (N) source and cover cropping on sugarcane yield and quality components. The treatment consisted of different N sources: urea, knife-in urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solution, calcium nitrate-CaNO3, ammonium sulfate-NH4SO4, and knife-in UAN. + foliar N, applied at 90 kg ha-1 and control (0 N). The cover crops included: crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) planted at 13, 17, and 1 …
Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy
Establishing Regenerative Pasture Systems Using Management Intensive Grazing In The Ozarks, Shelbi M. Mundy
MSU Graduate Theses
Soil carbon and soil health are important topics relating to how climate change is impacting agriculture, and how agriculture can in turn impact climate change. The agriculture industry, particularly beef production, has a large opportunity to use conservation agriculture techniques, such as rotational grazing, to offset some of the industry’s impact on carbon emissions, erosion, water pollution, and other environmental issues. This study is the beginning of a long-term project exploring regenerative pasture systems in the Ozarks. The project takes place in a rotational grazing system with 12 paddocks. The objectives of this study are to characterize soil types by …
Evaluation Of Cool-Season Annuals Effect On Soil Health In Warm-Season Perennial Pastures In Southestern Us., Paola C. Muela Negrete
Evaluation Of Cool-Season Annuals Effect On Soil Health In Warm-Season Perennial Pastures In Southestern Us., Paola C. Muela Negrete
LSU Master's Theses
Perennial grass crops represent approximately 8 million hectares of the land area of the humid lower southeastern United States. These forage crops receive high rates of fertilizer, especially nitrogen (N), and near monoculture remains have often been treated with repeated applications of herbicides. Pasture management is crucial to improve soil properties in pasturelands. Common pasture management practices include introducing cool-season multispecies in warm-season pasture systems and forage harvest frequency of pasture systems. It is known that cool-season multispecies in warm-season pasture systems ensure cattle feeding during winter season and have beneficial effects on soil microbial biomass, soil organic matter (SOM), …
Short-Term Effects Of Winter Cover Crops On Soil Properties, Yield, And Partial Returns In A No-Tillage Soybean Rotation, Drew Dillon Kirkpatrick
Short-Term Effects Of Winter Cover Crops On Soil Properties, Yield, And Partial Returns In A No-Tillage Soybean Rotation, Drew Dillon Kirkpatrick
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits including weed suppression, erosion control, and improvements to soil quality. These benefits can be affected by species, biomass accumulation, and management practices. Although large amounts of biomass are good for maximizing benefits, it can result in problems for establishing the subsequent crop. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] accounts for over 50% of Arkansas crop hectares annually; therefore, understanding the effect that a cover crop can have on the following soybean crop is crucial to the successful implementation of cover crops within the state. A study was established to evaluate winter cover …
The Effect Of Fallow Season Cover Crops On Nutrient Cycling And Soil Health In Row Crop Production In The Mid-South, Kritsanee Iamjud
The Effect Of Fallow Season Cover Crops On Nutrient Cycling And Soil Health In Row Crop Production In The Mid-South, Kritsanee Iamjud
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The reliance on conventional cropping has profoundly impacted agricultural sustainability and resulted in soil degradation. Winter cover crops can preserve the soil surface, recycle soil nutrients, and improve soil health. Hence, the role of cover crops in Louisiana row-crop production was examined in small-scale plots and large-scale on-farm studies at three sites in Northeast Louisiana from 2017 to 2020. Additionally, mixed cover crops degradation and nutrient release were evaluated at Macon Ridge and Dean Lee sites to determine the optimum time of nutrient availability after cover crop termination. The small-scale results showed that integrating cover crops for corn (Zea …
Soil Health, Phosphorus And Carbon Dynamics In Response To A One-Time Compost Application And Cover Crops In Organic Dryland Winter Wheat, Idowu Ademola Atoloye
Soil Health, Phosphorus And Carbon Dynamics In Response To A One-Time Compost Application And Cover Crops In Organic Dryland Winter Wheat, Idowu Ademola Atoloye
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Organic dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growers in the U.S. are faced with high interannual variability in yields. This is related to the low annual precipitation and low soil fertility on the cultivated soils. Improving soil health is the key to increasing and maintaining crop yields. In this study, we compared the effects of different rates (0, 12.5, 25 and 50 Mg DW ha-1 compost and 2 Mg ha manure-1) of large quantities of steer manure compost and the inclusion of cover crops versus fallow on soil health and on carbon and phosphorus dynamics in …
Soil Health On A Small-Scale Sustainable Vegetable Farm In South Louisiana, Allison Guidroz
Soil Health On A Small-Scale Sustainable Vegetable Farm In South Louisiana, Allison Guidroz
LSU Master's Theses
One of the biggest challenges facing the world today is the need to provide nutritious food to an ever-growing population in a way that does not compromise the ecosystem services of the soil that are necessary for life. The evidence for widespread degradation of the soil has been a major contributor in the increased interest in soil health. Most of the research in soil health has focused on field crops, which has led to a gap in the research of soil health on vegetable cropping systems. This objective of this study was to analyze the health of the soil on …
Cropping Sequence Affects Subsequent Soybean Yield, Soil Microbiome And Soil Health, Izzet Bulbul
Cropping Sequence Affects Subsequent Soybean Yield, Soil Microbiome And Soil Health, Izzet Bulbul
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rotation is an important cultural practice that farmers use to manage crop growth and diseases. Diversified crop rotations directly affect plant residue inputs that may enrich specific groups of microbes that form beneficial associations with the following crop. At two field sites, yield differences were observed in soybeans planted after the following four long-term (14 year) crop sequences: continuous corn (CC), corn (Zea mays)/corn/soybean (Glycine max) (CCS), corn/soybean/corn (CSC), soybean/corn/soybean (SCS). Soybean yields were in decreasing order, CC>CCS>CSC>SCS, and the yield differences could not be explained by soil chemical and physical properties previously …
Going Back To The Soil: An Integrated Approach To Farming., Renée V. Christie
Going Back To The Soil: An Integrated Approach To Farming., Renée V. Christie
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Agricultural productivity is often constrained by nutrient availability; as such, copious amounts of synthetic fertilizers are applied to maintain productivity. However, the intensive use of synthetic fertilizers has reduced the capacity of the soil to carry out crucial roles such as nutrient cycling because of shifts in the microbial community composition and structure. In addition, much of the applied synthetic fertilizers become lost to the environment through run-off, which contributes to soil degradation. With the increasing demand on agricultural systems to provide food and fibre and the adverse impacts of agricultural production on the soil resource, amendments that support soil …
Analysis Of The Soil Health Of Pastures Over-Seeded With Winter Annuals, Kathleen M. Bridges
Analysis Of The Soil Health Of Pastures Over-Seeded With Winter Annuals, Kathleen M. Bridges
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Utilizing winter annuals in livestock pastures reduces feed costs of hay, and provides additional vegetative cover that is beneficial to the soil. However, how this practice affects the soil microbial communities has not been well studied. Two sites were included in this study. Both were commercial cattle grazing operations that over-seeded a mixture of grasses, legumes, and brassicas into pastures dominated by bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum). Soil health was assessed using a suite of physical, chemical, and biological properties. Soil physical assessments included bulk density and aggregate stability. Soil chemical assessments included macronutrients, pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total …
Response Of Soil Properties To 23-25 Years Of Diverse Crop Rotations And Tillage Systems In South Dakota, Usa, Abdullah H. Alhameid
Response Of Soil Properties To 23-25 Years Of Diverse Crop Rotations And Tillage Systems In South Dakota, Usa, Abdullah H. Alhameid
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Diverse cropping systems and no-till (NT) are beneficial in improving soil organic carbon (SOC) and other soils properties. The present study was conducted to evaluate the interactions and impacts of long-term tillage and diverse crop rotation systems on soil quality indicators that include a range of soil chemical, physical, hydrological, and microbial properties. The study was established in 1991 at Beresford, South Dakota and included three crop rotation systems [2-yr; maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.), 3-yr; maize-soybean-oat (Avena sativa L.), and 4-yr; maize-soybean-oat-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)] managed under two tillage systems (NT and CT; conventional- tillage). Soil sampling …
Interactive Effects Of Cover Crops, Invertebrate Communities And Soil Health In Corn Production Systems, Claire Lacanne
Interactive Effects Of Cover Crops, Invertebrate Communities And Soil Health In Corn Production Systems, Claire Lacanne
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The adoption of regenerative farming practices is gaining traction, but the costs and benefits are not often considered on a systems level. Encouraging biodiversity and soil health is the goal of many agricultural practices used in regenerative farming; regenerative systems employ practices which abide by the two main principles of increasing biodiversity and decreasing disturbance, with the goal of encouraging ecosystem functioning to minimize inputs and maximize the productivity of a farm. I examined the management of corn (Zea mays) fields across four states in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Regenerative systems in this study …
Increasing The Sustainability Of Utah Farms By Incorporating Quinoa As A Novel Crop And Protecting Soil Health, Kristine R. Buckland
Increasing The Sustainability Of Utah Farms By Incorporating Quinoa As A Novel Crop And Protecting Soil Health, Kristine R. Buckland
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Most of the western United States faces increasing water shortages in the coming years, that will present a major challenge for maintaining sustainable farms. Incorporating an alternative crop that is well adapted to projected changes in climate could be a successful approach to increasing the sustainability of farms in the region. Quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willd., may be an ideal alternative crop to meet the demands of the Intermountain West. Before widespread adoption of this novel crop can occur, best management strategies need to be documented. This paper provides research on cropping systems, irrigation rates, and weed competition with quinoa. Additionally, …
Demonstrating Short-Term Impacts Of Grazing Cover Crops On Soil Health In South Dakota, Colin Tobin
Demonstrating Short-Term Impacts Of Grazing Cover Crops On Soil Health In South Dakota, Colin Tobin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Grasslands have been rapidly converted to croplands over the last decade in the northern Great Plains. This conversion can reduce soil health and increase the region’s ability to pollute the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Therefore, the need for integrated crop livestock (ICL) practices that can protect the region’s native prairies are strongly encouraged. Introducing livestock into arable cropping systems can improve nutrient cycling, soil health, and provide economic benefits. However, the detailed information about the impacts of ICL system on soil health is still lacking in the Northern Great Plains region. Therefore, the present study was conducted under a corn …
Assessing Kiln-Produced Hardwood Biochar For Improving Soil Health In A Temperate Climate Agricultural Soil, Emily J. Cole
Assessing Kiln-Produced Hardwood Biochar For Improving Soil Health In A Temperate Climate Agricultural Soil, Emily J. Cole
Doctoral Dissertations
Soil quality has become a major factor used in assessing sustainable land management and the overall environmental quality, food security, and economic viability of agricultural lands. Recently, biochar has been touted as having many potential uses as a soil amendment for improving soil quality, specifically improving cation exchange capacity, pH and nutrient availability. However, soil biology also plays a significant role in biogeochemical processes that influence soil health and should be included in a more comprehensive study of soil health. This dissertation describes 4 projects within the same 3-year field study with the cumulative purpose of better understanding the effect …