Digital Commons Network^™

Winter Wheat Cover Crop Increased Subsoil Organic Carbon In A Long-Term Cotton Cropping System In Tennessee, Rounak Patra, Debasish Saha, Sindhu Jagdamma

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Long-term cover-cropping and no-tillage practices can facilitate soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in agroecosystems for soil health and climate mitigation benefits. However, the contribution of these conservation management practices to SOC gain from the subsoil layers is not been extensively studied. To understand this knowledge gap, it is essential to determine the distribution of total SOC and SOC fractions in response to management practices across the soil profile. Therefore, this study was conducted by leveraging a 40-year replicated field experiment in a continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) system. The management treatments examined included three cover crop treatments: 1) hairy vetch, HV …

Volume 17, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2021), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 16, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2020), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Labor Use And Labor Challenges Faced By Small Fruit And Vegetable Farms: The Case Of Tennessee, Justin L. Cross

Haslam Scholars Projects

United States (U.S.) fruit and vegetable farms depend heavily on labor for the production of the crops they grow and sell. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for farms to obtain the labor they need to produce their crops. Therefore, labor management strategies have become critical in determining the profitability and long-term sustainability of farms specializing in the production of fruits and vegetables. These strategies are even more significant for smaller farms that face resource constraints that inhibit their use of alternative labor sources (e.g., migrant workers) or their ability to reduce their reliance on labor through mechanization. …

Volume 16, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2020), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 15, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2019), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 15, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2019), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 14, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2018), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 14, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2018), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 13, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2017), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 13, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2017), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Volume 12, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2016), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Transgenic Plant-Produced Hydrolytic Enzymes And The Potential Of Insect Gut-Derived Hydrolases For Biofuels, Jonathan D. Willis, Mitra Mazarei, C. Neal Stewart Jr.

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Various perennial C4 grass species have tremendous potential for use as lignocellulosic biofuel feedstocks. Currently available grasses require costly pre-treatment and exogenous hydrolytic enzyme application to break down complex cell wall polymers into sugars that can then be fermented into ethanol. It has long been hypothesized that engineered feedstock production of cell wall degrading (CWD) enzymes would be an efficient production platform for of exogenous hydrolytic enzymes. Most research has focused on plant overexpression of CWD enzyme-coding genes from free-living bacteria and fungi that naturally break down plant cell walls. Recently, it has been found that insect digestive tracts harbor …

Simultaneous Knockdown Of Six Non-Family Genes Using A Single Synthetic Rnai Fragment In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Olaf Czarnecki, Anthony C. Bryan, Sara S. Jawdy, Xiaohan Yang, Zong-Ming Cheng, Jin-Gui Chen, Gerald A. Tuskan

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Background

Genetic engineering of plants that results in successful establishment of new biochemical or regulatory pathways requires stable introduction of one or more genes into the plant genome. It might also be necessary to down-regulate or turn off expression of endogenous genes in order to reduce activity of competing pathways. An established way to knockdown gene expression in plants is expressing a hairpin-RNAi construct, eventually leading to degradation of a specifically targeted mRNA. Knockdown of multiple genes that do not share homologous sequences is still challenging and involves either sophisticated cloning strategies to create vectors with different serial expression constructs …

Construction Of High Resolution Genetic Linkage Maps To Improve The Soybean Genome Sequence Assembly Glyma1.01, Qijian Song, Jerry Jenkins, Gaofeng Jia, David L. Hyten, Vince Pantalone, Scott A. Jackson, Jeremy Schmutz, Perry B. Cregan

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Background

A landmark in soybean research, Glyma1.01, the first whole genome sequence of variety Williams 82 (Glycine max L. Merr.) was completed in 2010 and is widely used. However, because the assembly was primarily built based on the linkage maps constructed with a limited number of markers and recombinant inbred lines (RILs), the assembled sequence, especially in some genomic regions with sparse numbers of anchoring markers, needs to be improved. Molecular markers are being used by researchers in the soybean community, however, with the updating of the Glyma1.01 build based on the high-resolution linkage maps resulting from this research, …

Volume 12, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2016), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Developing Expressed Sequence Tag Libraries And The Discovery Of Simple Sequence Repeat Markers For Two Species Of Raspberry (Rubus L.), Jill M. Bushakra, Kim S. Lewers, Margaret E. Staton, Tetyana Zhebentyayeva, Christopher A. Saski

Entomology & Plant Pathology Publications and Other Works

Background

Due to a relatively high level of codominant inheritance and transferability within and among taxonomic groups, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are important elements in comparative mapping and delineation of genomic regions associated with traits of economic importance. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are a source of SSRs that can be used to develop markers to facilitate plant breeding and for more basic research across genera and higher plant orders.

Methods

Leaf and meristem tissue from ‘Heritage’ red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and ‘Bristol’ black raspberry (R. occidentalis) were utilized for RNA extraction. After conversion to cDNA …

Substantial Genome Synteny Preservation Among Woody Angiosperm Species: Comparative Genomics Of Chinese Chestnut (Castanea Mollissima) And Plant Reference Genomes, Margaret Staton, Tetyana Zhebentyayeva, Bode Olukolu, Guang Chen Fang, Dana Nelson, John E. Carlson, Albert G. Abbott

Entomology & Plant Pathology Publications and Other Works

Background

Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) has emerged as a model species for the Fagaceae family with extensive genomic resources including a physical map, a dense genetic map and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for chestnut blight resistance. These resources enable comparative genomics analyses relative to model plants. We assessed the degree of conservation between the chestnut genome and other well annotated and assembled plant genomic sequences, focusing on the QTL regions of most interest to the chestnut breeding community.

Results

The integrated physical and genetic map of Chinese chestnut has been improved to now include 858 shared sequence-based markers. …

Identification And Molecular Characterization Of The Switchgrass Ap2/Erf Transcription Factor Superfamily, And Overexpression Of Pverf001 For Improvement Of Biomass Characteristics For Biofuel, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Mitra Mazarei, Geoffrey B. Turner, Robert W. Sykes, Stephen R. Decker, Mark F. Davis, Neal Stewart

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily of transcription factors (TFs) plays essential roles in the regulation of various growth and developmental programs including stress responses. Members of these TFs in other plant species have been implicated to play a role in the regulation of cell wall biosynthesis. Here, we identified a total of 207 AP2/ERF TF genes in the switchgrass genome and grouped into four gene families comprised of 25 AP2-, 121 ERF-, 55 DREB (dehydration responsive element binding)-, and 5 RAV (related to API3/VP) genes, as well as a singleton gene not fitting any of the above families. The …

Map Supplements For The Metallic Woodboring Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Of Tennessee, William E. Klingeman Iii, Jason A. Hansen, Joshua P. Basham, Jason B. Oliver, Nadeer N. Youssef, Whitney Swink, Christine A. Nalepa, Donna C. Fare, J. Kevin Moulton

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Following compilation of distribution records and seasonal flight activity information for 106 metallic wood-boring beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) species for Tennessee, maps were updated to provide county-level collection notations for 10,543 published records and specimen collections made from 1934 to 2013. County collection tallies across the ecoregions in Tennessee are also presented. Maps for individual species highlight gaps in key geographic areas where specimens have not been collected and can be valuable for future biosurveillance, monitoring and management efforts for these economically and ecologically important insects.

Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Tuber Quality As Measured By Starch And Cyanide (Hcn) Affected By Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilizer Rates, Ivan Bernardo Cuvaca, Neal Eash, Svetlana Zivanovic, Dayton Mcgregor Lambert, Forbes R. Walker, B. Rustrick

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important subsistence crop for many poor rural families in Africa. Cassava contains cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin and lotaustralin) which liberate hydrogen cyanide (HCN) during tuber processing. Once liberated, HCN attaches to the processed tuber. Continuous consumption of processed tuber containing high HCN concentration coupled with low protein intake causes Konzo – a paralyzing disorder that impacts children and women of childbearing age. There are ways to reduce HCN concentration during tuber processing; however, this can also reduce the overall starch content in the cassava tuber. A study comprising twenty treatments consisting of different combinations of …

A Short-Term Assessment Of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Under Contrasting Agricultural And Soil Management Practices In Zimbabwe, Deb O'Dell, Thomas J. Sauer, Bruce B. Hicks, Christian Thierfelder, Dayton M. Lambert, Joanne Logan, Neal S. Eash

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

Two of the biggest problems facing humankind are feeding an exponentially growing human population and preventing the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases and its climate change consequences. Refined agricultural practices could address both of these problems. The research addressed here is an exploration of the efficacy of alternative agricultural practices in sequestering carbon (C). The study was conducted in Zimbabwe with the intent to (a) demonstrate the utility of micrometeorological methods for measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange between the surface and the atmosphere in the short-term, and (b) to quantify differences in such exchange rates for a variety of agricultural …

Conservation Agriculture And Household Wellbeing: A Non-Causal Comparison Among Smallholder Farmers In Mozambique, W. E. Mcnair, Dayton Mcgregor Lambert, Neal S. Eash

Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Publications and Other Works

This research examines the relationship between household wellbeing and the use of conservation agriculture (CA) by smallholder farmers in Mozambique. Wellbeing indicators are regressed on household demographic attributes, farm management practices, and a variable indicating farmer adoption of CA. Findings suggest that households using CA have higher wellbeing index scores related to farm tool and implement ownership and housing material quality, but lower index scores related to livestock ownership. The findings present an encouraging, baseline picture of the association between the use of CA technologies by farmers in Mozambique and household wellbeing.

Volume 11, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2014), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Synchronization Of Developmental Processes And Defense Signaling By Growth Regulating Transcription Factors, Jinyi Liu, John Hollis Rice, Nana Chen, Thomas J. Baum, Tarek Hewezi

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Growth regulating factors (GRFs) are a conserved class of transcription factor in seed plants. GRFs are involved in various aspects of tissue differentiation and organ development. The implication of GRFs in biotic stress response has also been recently reported, suggesting a role of these transcription factors in coordinating the interaction between developmental processes and defense dynamics. However, the molecular mechanisms by which GRFs mediate the overlaps between defense signaling and developmental pathways are elusive. Here, we report large scale identification of putative target candidates of Arabidopsis GRF1 and GRF3 by comparing mRNA profiles of the grf1/grf2/grf3 triple mutant and those …

Gymnopus Eneficola-Species Nova From Newfoundland, Ron Petersen, Karen Hughes, Andrus Voitk

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

In the course of a survey of dried collections of Gymnopus collected over some years in Newfoundland by AV and Foray Newfoundland & Labrador, a taxon was discovered which did not conform to other known eastern North American or European taxa of the genus. Occasional reports of taxa now placed in Gymnopus (formerly included in an expansive concept of Collybia) include those concerning Nova Scotia, summarized by Gourley, and Michigan, none of which, nor those of the even older publication by Coker and Beardslee circumscribed the proposed species from Newfoundland. In addition to morphological distinctions, DNA analysis also indicated that …

Reproducibility And Reliability Assays Of The Gene, Behrooz Darbani, Charles Neal Stewart

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Background

Reliability and reproducibility are key metrics for gene expression assays. This report assesses the utility of the correlation coefficient in the analysis of reproducibility and reliability of gene expression data.

Results

The correlation coefficient alone is not sufficient to assess equality among sample replicates but when coupled with slope and scatter plots expression data equality can be better assessed. Narrow-intervals of scatter plots should be shown as a tool to inspect the actual level of noise within the data. Here we propose a method to examine expression data reproducibility, which is based on the ratios of both the means …

Genome-Wide Analysis And Expression Profile Of The Bzip Transcription Factor Gene Family In Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera), Jinyi Liu, Nana Chen, Fei Chen, Bin Cai, Silvia Dal Santo, Tornielli Battista Tornielli, Mario Pezzoti, Zong-Ming Cheng

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Background

Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor gene family is one of the largest and most diverse families in plants. Current studies have shown that the bZIP proteins regulate numerous growth and developmental processes and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Nonetheless, knowledge concerning the specific expression patterns and evolutionary history of plant bZIP family members remains very limited.

Results

We identified 55 bZIP transcription factor-encoding genes in the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) genome, and divided them into 10 groups according to the phylogenetic relationship with those in Arabidopsis. The chromosome distribution and the collinearity analyses suggest that expansion of …

Volume 10, Number 2 (Fall/Winter 2014), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

An Orange Fluorescent Protein Tagging System For Real-Time Pollen Tracking, J Hollis Rice, Reginald J. Millwood, Richard E. Mundell, Orlando D. Chambers, Laura L. Abercrombie, H Maeolor Davies, C Neal Stewart

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

Background

Monitoring gene flow could be important for future transgenic crops, such as those producing plant-made-pharmaceuticals (PMPs) in open field production. A Nicotiana hybrid (Nicotiana. tabacum × Nicotiana glauca) shows limited male fertility and could be used as a bioconfined PMP platform. Effective assessment of gene flow from these plants is augmented with methods that utilize fluorescent proteins for transgenic pollen identification.

Results

We report the generation of a pollen tagging system utilizing an orange fluorescent protein to monitor pollen flow and as a visual assessment of transgene zygosity of the parent plant. This system was created to generate …