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Understanding The Decline In Successful Cattle Pregnancies, Andre Tu Nguyen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Andre, a local Loganer, studies computer science and biology.He has been working in an animal science lab. Over time, we have seen a decline in successful dairy cattle pregnancies. This is a huge cause for concern for Utah, with milk sales at an estimated value of $405 million in 2020. Andre’s work has been in studying a certain protein in pregnant cattle; now that he has determined there is a decrease in this protein over the course of the pregnancy, he hopes to see whether that might impact its viability. Andre got involved in research in a high …

25 Rules Of Thumb For Field Crops, Matt Yost, Niel Allen, Grant Cardon, Earl Creech, Ryan Larsen, Rhonda Miller, Mark Nelson, Claudia Nischwitz, Matthew Palmer, Steven Price, Ricardo Ramirez, Corey Ransom, Benjamin Scow, Randall Violett

All Current Publications

This article is not a comprehensive list of the practices farmers need to be successful in their operations, but it represents an attempt to capture 25 common tips or “rules” from a wide range of Extension experts throughout Utah, from seedbed preparation, to harvesting guidelines.

Changing Land Use And Population Density Are Degrading Water Quality In The Lower Mekong Basin, Flavia Tromboni, Thomas E. Dilts, Sarah E. Null, Sapana Lohani, Peng Bun Ngor, Savoeurn Soum, Zeb Hogan, Sudeep Chandra

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Establishing reference conditions in rivers is important to understand environmental change and protect ecosystem integrity. Ranked third globally for fish biodiversity, the Mekong River has the world’s largest inland fishery providing livelihoods, food security, and protein to the local population. It is therefore of paramount importance to maintain the water quality and biotic integrity of this ecosystem. We analyzed land use impacts on water quality constituents (TSS, TN, TP, DO, NO3−, NH4+, PO43−) in the Lower Mekong Basin. We then used a best‐model regression approach with anthropogenic land‐use as independent variables and water quality parameters as the dependent variables, to …

Community Supported Agriculture: Accepting Snap Payments, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Mccann

All Current Publications

Participating in a community supported agriculture (CSA) share is one way for individuals with low income to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in buying local, seasonal fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) authorizes businesses to accept SNAP benefits, including direct marketing farmers and nonprofit food buying cooperatives operating a CSA. SNAP is the largest federal nutrition assistance program, formerly known as food stamps. Eligible individuals and families use an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, to purchase eligible food at SNAP authorized vendors. In Utah, …

Size And Scope Of Utah County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Dean Miner

All Current Publications

Utah County is located in the middle of the state. The county seat and largest city is Provo. As of 2018, the population of the county was estimated at 622,213. The Wasatch Mountain Range is in the eastern portion of the county. The elevation drops quickly from the mountains in the east to the Utah Lake valley in the center of the county. This fact sheet reviews land ownership, crop and livestock production, and farm income and age of operators.

Aphid Natural Enemies And Biological Control, Ron Patterson, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

This fact sheet lists common arthropods of Utah that eat aphids. It will help identify those arthropods and will describe management practices that aid in their success. Many of these predators will eat other plant damaging insects in addition to aphids.

Size And Scope Of Grand County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Michael Johnson

All Current Publications

Grand County is located in the center of the state along the eastern border with Colorado. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 9,674. Other surrounding Utah counties include Uintah, Carbon, Emery, Wayne, and San Juan. This fact sheet reviews information about land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, irrigation, farm income, and the average age of operator of Grand County agriculture in Utah.

Size And Scope Of Washington County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Ben Scow

All Current Publications

Washington County, named for the first president of the United States, George Washington, is located in the southwest corner of Utah. It is bordered by Nevada on the west and Arizona on the south. Other surrounding Utah counties include Iron and Kane. In 2017, the population was estimated at 165,662. Much of the terrain is rough and arid with little area conducive to agriculture. This fact sheet reviews the land ownership, growing season, crop, fruit and livestock production, irrigation, and farm income and age of operator information for Washington County, Utah agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Tooele County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Linden Greenhalgh

All Current Publications

Tooele County is in northwestern Utah. It borders Nevada. Other surrounding Utah counties include Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Juab. As of 2017, the population of Tooele County was estimated at 67,456. The Great Salt Lake Desert covers much of the western portion of the county while the eastern portion contains many small towns outside of Salt Lake City. Tooele County is the second-largest county in Utah. This fact sheet reviews the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income and age of farm operators in Tooele County.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Guide For First-Year Small Grains Following Alfalfa, Matt Yost, Collin Pound, Earl Creech, Grant Cardon, Jody Gale, Michael Pace, Boyd Kitchen, Steve Price, Kevin Heaton, Mark Nelson, Trent Wilde, Katie Russell

All Current Publications

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is one of the most expensive crop inputs. It is an essential nutrient for most crops and often increases yield more than any other nutrient. Small grains are no exception. Alfalfa is the dominant crop in Utah in terms of area and gross sales, and as a nitrogen-fixing legume, it does not require nitrogen fertilizer. When terminated, alfalfa usually leaves a lot of nitrogen in the soil for subsequent crops. The amount of nitrogen that it supplies to following crops has been termed the “alfalfa N credit.” In many cases, this credit can be up to 300 …

A Landscape Perspective On Climate-Driven Risks To Food Security: Exploring The Relationship Between Climate And Social Transformation In The Prehispanic U.S. Southwest, Colleen Strawhacker, Grant Snitker, Matthew A. Peeples, Ann P. Kinzig, Keith W. Kintigh, Kyle Bocinsky, Brad Butterfield, Jacob Freeman, Sarah Oas, Margaret C. Nelson, Jonathan A. Sandor, Katherine A. Spielmann

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Spatially and temporally unpredictable rainfall patterns presented food production challenges to small-scale agricultural communities, requiring multiple risk-mitigating strategies to increase food security. Although site-based investigations of the relationship between climate and agricultural production offer insights into how individual communities may have created long-term adaptations to manage risk, the inherent spatial variability of climate-driven risk makes a landscape-scale perspective valuable. In this article, we model risk by evaluating how the spatial structure of ancient climate conditions may have affected the reliability of three major strategies used to reduce risk: drawing upon social networks in time of need, hunting and gathering of …

Restoring Lake Urmia: Moving Beyond A Uniform Lake Level (2-Page Summary), Somayeh Sima, Dory Rosenberg, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Sarah E. Null, Karin M. Kettenring

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

More than 5 million people live near Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran, one of the world's largest hypersaline lakes. Over the past two decades, the lake has lost 95% of its volume, lake level has dropped more than 7 m, and lake restoration has gained widespread interest. The government seeks a uniform "ecological" target lake level of 1274.1 m above sea level to lower salinity below 240 gL^-1 and recover brine shrimp (Artemia spp.) and flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus).

We have synthesized over 40 years of available data, defined 8 ecosystem services for human health, water quality, ecology, recreation, and …

Velvet Longhorned Beetle (Trichoferus Campestris (Faldermann), Taryn M. Rodman, Lori R. Spears, Diane G. Alston, Cami Cannon, Kristopher Watson, Joey Caputo

All Current Publications

The velvet longhorned beetle is an invasive wood-boring pest that is native to Asia and Russia. It infests fruit, forest, and ornamental trees, as well as green and dry wood, such as timber and lumber. This fact sheet provides a description, and information on life history, plant hosts, injury symptoms, monitoring, and management.

Size And Scope Of Uintah County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Boyd Kitchen

All Current Publications

Uintah County is part of the Colorado Plateau on the eastern border of Utah. It is in the Uintah Basin in the northeastern part of the state and borders Colorado. Other surrounding Utah counties include Daggett, Duchesne, Carbon, Emery, and Grand. Much of the economy in the county is based on natural resources, such as natural gas and oil production. Agricultural production is also very important in the county’s economy. This fact sheet examines the land ownership, crop and livestock production, climate, growing season, and farm income in Uintah County.

Size And Scope Of Juab County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Ruger Carter

All Current Publications

Juab County is located in the western central part of Utah. It shares its western border with Nevada. Other surrounding Utah counties include Tooele, Utah, Sanpete, and Millard. Its primary economic base comes from agriculture, manufacturing, mining, recreation, and electrical power. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 11,250. This fact sheet provides information on land use and ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and age and income of farm operators in Juab County.

Size And Scope Of Daggett County Agriculture 2020, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Boyd Kitchen

All Current Publications

Daggett County is located along the eastern top border of Utah. To the north, Daggett County is bordered by Wyoming while Colorado shares its border to the east. Other surrounding Utah counties include Uintah, Duchesne, and Summit. In the 19th century, the area was a favorite for mountain men, fur trappers, and traders. Ranching and farming have always played an important role in Daggett County. Its primary economic base today comes from tourism and recreation. The population was estimated at 1,029 in 2017. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm …

Honeydew And Other Winter Melons In The Garden, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describer winter melons, including varieties, how to grow, problems, nutrition, and storage.

Implications Of Soil And Canopy Temperature Uncertainty In The Estimation Of Surface Energy Fluxes Using Tseb2t And High-Resolution Imagery In Commercial Vineyards, Ayman Nassar, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, William Kustas, Héctor Nieto, Mac Mckee, Lawrence Hipps, Joseph Alfieri, John H. Prueger, Maria Mar Alsina, Lynn Mckee, Calvin Coopmans, Luis Sanchez, Nick Dokoozlian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Estimation of surface energy fluxes using thermal remote sensing–based energy balance models (e.g., TSEB2T) involves the use of local micrometeorological input data of air temperature, wind speed, and incoming solar radiation, as well as vegetation cover and accurate land surface temperature (LST). The physically based Two-source Energy Balance with a Dual Temperature (TSEB2T) model separates soil and canopy temperature (Ts and Tc) to estimate surface energy fluxes including Rn, H, LE, and G. The estimation of Ts and Tc components for the TSEB2T model relies on the linear relationship between the composite land surface temperature and a vegetation index, namely …

To What Extent Does The Eddy Covariance Footprint Cutoff Influence The Estimation Of Surface Energy Fluxes Using Two Source Energy Balance Model And High-Resolution Imagery In Commercial Vineyards?, Ayman Nassar, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, William Kustas, Héctor Nieto, Mac Mckee, Lawrence Hipps, Joseph Alfieri, John H. Prueger, Maria Mar Alsina, Lynn Mckee, Calvin Coopmans, Louis Sanchez, Nick Dokoozlian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Validation of surface energy fluxes from remote sensing sources is performed using instantaneous field measurements obtained from eddy covariance (EC) instrumentation. An eddy covariance measurement is characterized by a footprint function / weighted area function that describes the mathematical relationship between the spatial distribution of surface flux sources and their corresponding magnitude. The orientation and size of each flux footprint / source area depends on the micro-meteorological conditions at the site as measured by the EC towers, including turbulence fluxes, friction velocity (u_star), and wind speed, all of which influence the dimensions and orientation of the footprint. The …

Size And Scope Of Millard County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Mark Nelson

All Current Publications

Millard County borders Nevada on the west. It is in the center of the western border of Utah. Surrounding Utah counties include Juab, Sanpete, Sevier, and Beaver. The population was estimated at 12,863 in 2017. The county has a total area of 6,828 square miles, making it the third largest county in Utah. The Sevier desert covers much of the county with the Pahvant Mountains forming the eastern county boundary. This fact sheet reviews the irrigation, crop and livestock production, land ownership, growing season, and farm income of Millard County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Iron County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Mark Nelson, Chad Reid

All Current Publications

Iron County is located in the southwestern portion of the state and is bordered by Nevada on the west. Other surrounding Utah counties include Beaver, Garfield, Kane, and Washington. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 51,001. The county seat is Parowan, while the largest city is Cedar City. This fact sheet details the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Iron County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Piute County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Trent Wilde

All Current Publications

Piute County is located in the south-central part of Utah. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville. Other surrounding Utah counties include Sevier, Wayne, Garfield, Iron, and Beaver. In 2017, the population was estimated at 1,420, making it the second least populated county in Utah. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, crop and livestock production, and farm income of Piute County agriculture.

Size And Scope Of Rich County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Dallen Smith

All Current Publications

Rich County is located in the northeast corner of Utah. The county contains roughly half of Bear Lake and is bordered by Idaho on the north and Wyoming on the east. Other surrounding Utah counties include Summit, Morgan, Weber, and Cache. In 2017, the population was estimated at 2,391. The largest town is Garden City, primarily supported by the tourism industry surrounding Bear Lake. The county seat is Randolph. This fact sheet provides details on the land ownership, growing season, livestock production, farm income, and age of operator for Rich County.

Estimation Of Evapotranspiration And Energy Fluxes Using A Deep-Learning-Based High-Resolution Emissivity Model And The Two-Source Energy Balance Model With Suas Information, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, Andres Ticlavilca, Mahyar Aboutalebi, Héctor Nieto, Maria Mar Alsina, Alex White, John H. Prueger, Joseph Alfieri, Lawrence Hipps, Lynn Mckee, William Kustas, Calvin Coopmans, Nick Dokoozlian

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Surface temperature is necessary for the estimation of energy fluxes and evapotranspiration from satellites and airborne data sources. For example, the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model uses thermal information to quantify canopy and soil temperatures as well as their respective energy balance components. While surface (also called kinematic) temperature is desirable for energy balance analysis, obtaining this temperature is not straightforward due to a lack of spatially estimated narrowband (sensor-specific) and broadband emissivities of vegetation and soil, further complicated by spectral characteristics of the UAV thermal camera. This study presents an effort to spatially model narrowband and broadband emissivities for …

Disconnect Within Agriculture And Ecosystem Climate Effects, Adaptations And Policy, Anastasia W. Thayer, Aurora M. Vargas, Thomas E. Lacher, Bruce A. Mccarl

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Frequently, agriculture and ecosystems (AE) are seen as separate entities, causing entity specific solutions in response to threats. Anthropogenic climate change simultaneously stresses both agriculture and ecosystems along with their interactions. Induced increasing surface temperatures [1], altered precipitation [2], drought intensification [3], altered ground and surface water quantity/quality [4,5], and diminished soil moisture [6] force adaptations for AE, but these adaptations fail to be efficient when interdependencies are not considered. Additional adaptations will be necessary, as future projections anticipate even greater climate change [1].

Size And Scope Of Carbon County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Steven Price

All Current Publications

Carbon County is located south of Duchesne and Wasatch counties in east-central Utah. Along with Emery County to the south, it is often referred to as Utah’s Castle Country. The county became industrialized very early after statehood with the arrival of the railroads and discovery of many coal beds for which the county is named. It is also a large producer of natural gas within the state. Its primary economic base today comes from regional services, retail, tourism, recreation and resource extraction. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 20,295. Price is the largest city and county seat. This …

Size And Scope Of Weber County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Cody Zesiger

All Current Publications

Weber County is located in the northern part of the state and borders the Great Salt Lake. The growing season averages over 4 months, and this guide provides locations of the first and last freeze and the annual precipitation. The majority of the land is privately owned. This fact sheet explores the size and scope of agriculture in Weber County in 2019.

Size And Scope Of Kane County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Larsen, Ryan Feuz, Kevin Heaton

All Current Publications

Kane County is located on the southern border of Utah. It borders Arizona on the south. Other surrounding Utah counties include Washington, Iron, Garfield, and San Juan. The economy consists of tourism, services, and agriculture. Some points of interest in Kane County are Lake Powell along the eastern border, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 7,567. This fact sheet details the growing season, farm income, and crop and livestock production of Kane County.

Ten Reasons Why Alfalfa Is Highly Suitable For The West, Matt Yost, Niel Allen, Earl Creech, Dan Putnam, Jody Gale, Glenn Shewmaker

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives ten key reasons why alfalfa is suitable in western regions.

Chemigation Guide, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon, L. Neil Allen, Bryce Sorensen, Kyke Egbert, Earl Creech, Corey Ransom, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

This guide discusses general principles that apply to most types of chemigation applications.