Digital Commons Network^™

Surface-Functionalized Silica Nanocarriers For Mitigating Water Stress In Wheat And Benefiting The Root Microbiome, Anthony Cartwright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Changes in climate and shifting patterns of drought threaten the growth of important cash crops like wheat. The element silicon serves as a plant nutrient and shows promise for strengthening wheat against drought while remaining safe to both the crop and the positive bacteria that grow on its roots. Silicon can be added to wheat in the form of silicon-dioxide nanoparticles featuring protective coatings made from plant-beneficial nutrients. These nanoparticles can be engineered with high surface area or porous structures allowing them to be loaded with additional nutrients that can be delivered to crops. In a laboratory setting, such nanoparticles …

Cuo Nanoparticles Solubility As Influenced By Soil Pore Water, Native Microorganisms, And Wheat Rhizosphere Chemistry In A Sand Matrix, Dakota Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles less than 100 nm (~4 millionths of an inch) in a direction. NPs, due to their small size, are used in a variety of products, such as silver (Ag) NPs as an antimicrobial in clothes. Copper Oxide (CuO) NPs are used in electronics as semiconductors and other fields as antimicrobials and purposefully or accidentally end up in the environment. Copper (Cu) is a necessary nutrient for plants, but at higher amounts is toxic to plants and beneficial soil microbes.

In order to understand how the CuO NPs interacts with plants, wheat seedlings were grown in sand …

Innovative Water Management Using Advanced Irrigation Systems And Biochar, Jonathan A. Holt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two approaches to water optimization in agriculture are to increase soil water retention and improve the efficiency of irrigation. A soil amendment that has received attention for its ability to increase soil water retention is biochar, the remaining biomass after high C materials have been pyrolyzed (burned with limited oxygen and heat). Two studies were conducted at a total of 10 site-years in Utah from 2018 to 2020 to evaluate how wood biochar influences the productivity and crop quality of irrigated alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and wheat (Triticum L.), along with soil water tension. One study …

Compost And Cover Crop Effects In Dryland Organic Wheat, Michael D. Deakin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Producers of dryland organic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the western USA struggle to maintain adequate soil fertility due to the high cost of organic fertilizers and concerns over moisture use of cover crops. Low soil fertility results in decreased wheat yield and quality, and increased year-to-year variability in yield and quality based on weather. This study was conducted to measure the effects of, and interactions between, cover crop mixes and a one-time compost application on soil health and winter wheat yield and quality. The study was located on three adjacent certified organic wheat farms near Snowville, UT, each …

Genetic Mapping Of The Common And Dwarf Bunt Resistance Gene Bt12 Descending From The Wheat Landrace Pi119333, Almuth Elise Muellner, Babur Eshonkulov, Julia Hagenguth, Bernadette Pachler, Sebastian Michel, Maria Buerstmayr, David Hole, Hermann Buerstmayr

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Common bunt (CB), caused by Tilletia caries and T. foetida, and dwarf bunt (DB), caused by T. controversa, are particularly destructive diseases of wheat grown under organic (low-input) production conditions and negatively affect both grain yield and quality. A total of 16 race specific bunt resistance genes have been proposed to date. Thereof, only Bt9 and Bt10 have been mapped so far. A mapping and two validation populations comprising 176 recombinant inbred lines were evaluated for CB and DB in artificially inoculated field trials. The mapping population was derived from the cross of the Bt12 carrier PI119333 and …

Genetic Characterization And Genome-Wide Association Mapping For Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Bread Wheat Accessions From The Usda National Small Grains Collection, Tyler Gordon, Rui Wang, David Hole, Harold Bockelman, J. Michael Bonman, Jianli Chen

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Key message

Dwarf bunt-resistant bread wheat accessions and SNP markers associated with DB resistance identified in this study are valuable resources for characterization and deployment of DB resistance in bread wheat.

Abstract

Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn, can significantly reduce grain yield and quality on autumn-sown wheat in regions with prolonged snow cover. DB can be managed with the use of resistant cultivars. The objectives of the present study were to characterize DB resistance in a large set of bread wheat accessions from the National Small Grains Collection and use a genome-wide association study approach to …

Untangling The Economic And Social Impediments To Producer Adoption Of Organic Wheat, Donya L. Ralph-Quarnstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumer demand for organic products has shown double-digit growth in recent years encouraging the development of a wider range of goods (Greene, 2017). Americans with an annual household income under $30,000 actively purchase organic foods at nearly the same rate as households with over $75,000 in annual incomes, 42% versus 49% (Greene et al., 2017). Previous research observed the adoption of organic farming practices on a combination of different grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy products from across the globe. However, this is the first study to examine the adoption of organic wheat in the Western U.S. By addressing …

Opportunities And Challenges Involved With A Large-Scale Private Enterprise Focused On Improving Food Security In Semi-Arid Regions Of Ethiopia, Anthony Richards

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2009, Morrell Agro Industries (MAI) was formed in Ethiopia with the mission to end famine in the country through growing imported dryland wheat varieties from the western United States. MAI entered into a lease agreement with the Ethiopian government for 25,000 ha of land in semi-arid brushland in the Oromia region. The Beltu farm was established at the location for seed multiplication and demonstration of the dryland initiative concept. From the first harvest in July of 2010 several challenges arose that prevented the success of the dryland seed initiative. From high intensity short duration rainfall events on Vertisol soils, …

Effect Of Silicon On Wheat Growth And Development In Drought And Salinity Stress, Spencer A. Tibbitts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Silicon is a major component of most soils, and is found in significant concentration in plant tissue. Plants vary widely in the amount of silicon they take up, with some plants excluding it, and others using transporters to move the silicon from the soil into their roots. Early plant physiology studies were unable to determine conclusively whether silicon was essential to plant growth, but for some plants, most notably rice, it has proved to be important enough to justify fertilizing silicon deficient fields.

Researchers at the USU Crop Physiology Lab tested the effect of silicon on wheat growth and seed …

Magical Wheat, Kjeisten Secretan

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

In a cave up American Fork canyon, my neighbor found some vases full of wheat which had been there for a long time and they sent them to General Mills and they said it can fight diseases naturally, this wheat, and they asked if they could do some more tests on it and stuff, he told them they could, but he grew some every year and his friend grew some every year so they would have some. They would give them out to the scout kids when they would tell this story. They told us to chew it up.

Behavior Of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles In Soil Pore Waters As Influenced By Soil Characteristics, Bacteria, And Wheat Roots, Joshua Hortin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of this project was to study the behavior of copper oxide nanoparticles in soil environments. Copper oxide nanoparticles have antimicrobial properties and may also be used in agricultural settings to provide a source of copper for plant health, but accidental or misapplication of these nanoparticles to soil may be damaging to the plant and its associated bacteria.

Dissolved soil organic matter that is present in soil pore waters dissolved nanoparticles, but did not dissolve the expected amounts from a geochemical model because the geochemical model did not take into account surface chemistry or coating of the nanoparticles by …

A Novel Qtl Associated With Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Idaho 444 Winter Wheat, Jianli Chen, Mary J. Guttieri, Junli Zhang, David Hole, Edward Souza, Blair Goates

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Dwarf bunt [Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as ‘contraversa’], in Rabenhorst, Hedwigia 13: 188 (1874)] is a destructive disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that reduces grain yield and quality. A number of distinct genes conferring resistance to dwarf bunt have been used by breeding programs for nearly 100 years. However, few markers were identified that can be used in selection of dwarf bunt resistance. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the bunt-resistant germplasm, Idaho 444 (IDO444), and the susceptible cultivar, Rio Blanco, was evaluated for phenotypic reaction to dwarf bunt inoculation in four trials in …

Rhizosphere Interactions Between Copper Oxide Nanoparticles And Wheat Root Exudates In A Sand Matrix; Influences On Bioavailability And Uptake, Paul Mcmanus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are extremely small particles (less than 1 nm in one or more dimension, or one billionth (10^-9) of a meter) used in a diverse range of industries. They have been shown to travel through water systems, and like pharmaceuticals, can end up in wastewater treatment plants and then be land applied as biosolids, where crops are grown for animal consumption, potentially leading to food chain accumulation.

Cu is an essential micronutrient for plants, but is phytotoxic at higher concentrations. CuO NPs present an increasingly real environmental threat to agriculture in soils treated with …

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (Bydv), Claudia Nischwitz, Lyle Holmgren

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes Barley yellow dwarf virus, a worldwide insect pest that infects small grains like barley, wheat, oats and rice, as well as many wild grass species. It describes symptoms, the disease cycle, and management options.

Wheat-Gold Currency How To Make Large-Scale Grain Storage Possible, David L. Garrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States has a National Oil Reserve but no food reserve. Just as the oil reserve is designed to buffer unforeseen disruptions in the critical supply, the nation should also have a food reserve for at least the same purpose.

Wheat Middling Versus Alfalfa Hay Supplements For Lactating Beef Cows Wintered On Ammoniated Wheat Straw, R. D. Wiedmeier

All Current Publications

Most cow-calf producers in areas with substantial winter snow cover remain dependent on mechanically harvested and stored forages to winter their cow herds.

Physiological And Biochemical Aspects Of Agrobacterium-Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Interactions, David L. Parrott Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes are the causal agents of gall or hairy root disease, but normally the bacteria do not cause disease in wheat. However, both bacteria grew without inhibition when exposed to intact or wounded wheat roots or embryos, and they colonized wheat root surfaces to levels similar to dicotyledonous plants. A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes induced 23% cell death after a 1-h exposure to wheat embryo cells grown in 7.4 mM O₂, while the extent of cell death at 2.1 mM O₂ was 8%. Contact with A. tumefaciens or A. rhizogenes caused cultured wheat …

Use Of Ground-Based Canopy Reflectance To Determine Radiation Capture, Nitrogen And Water Status, And Final Yield In Wheat, Glen L. Ritchie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ground-based spectral imaging devices offer an important supplement to satellite imagery. Hand-held, ground-based sensors allow rapid, inexpensive measurements that are not affected by the earth’s atmosphere. They also provide a basis for high altitude spectral indices.

We quantified the spectral reflectance characteristics of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Westbred 936) in research plots subjected to either nitrogen or water stress in a two year study. Both types of stress reduced ground cover, which was evaluated by digital photography and compared with ten spectral reflectance indices. On plots with a similar soil background, simple indices such as the …

Superoptimal Co2 Reduces Seed Yield In Wheat, Timothy P. Grotenhuis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although projected terrestrial CO₂ levels will not reach 1000 μmol moI^-1 (0.1%) for many decades, CO₂ levels in growth chambers and greenhouses routinely exceed that concentration. CO₂ levels in life support systems in space can exceed 10,000 μmol moI^-1 (1%) CO₂. Numerous studies have examined CO₂ effects up to 1000 μmol mol^-1, but theoretical and some experimental evidence indicates that the beneficial effects of CO₂ continue past 1000 μmol mol^-1 and are near-optimal for wheat at about 1200 μmol mol^-1.

We studied the effects of near-optimal …

Wheat Futures Price Behavior: Empirical Issues For Intramarket Contracts, Dawn D. Thilmany, Jau-Rong Li, Christopher B. Barrett

Economic Research Institute Study Papers

This study analyzes the time-series statistical properties of wheat futures prices to determine whether price behavior differs among intramarket contracts. We argue that the differential role of inventories, information, hedging objectives, and probability of stock-out across seasons provide a theoretical basis and empirical interest for finding such a difference. The behavior of May and September futures prices are indeed found to be significantly different and in ways consistent with theory. Furthermore, an endogenous contract arrival effect is found for both contracts, demonstrating the importance of developing models which incorporate market activity proxies.

Low Temperature Techniques As A Tool In Plant Pathology, Sigrun Hippe-Sanwald

Scanning Microscopy

In plant pathology, low temperature preparation techniques now appear to be feasible methods to stabilize the dynamic ultrastructure of the host-(plant)-pathogen (fungi) interaction for an analysis by transmission electron microscopy. A well defined ultrastructure of small organisms (fungi) and large biological samples such as plant material and as well as the plant-pathogen (fungus) infection sites are presented. The mesophyll tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana is characterized by homogeneously structured cytoplasm closely attached to the cell wall. Infection sites of stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) on primary leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe …

Home Storage Of Wheat, Ralph E. Whitesides

Archived Food and Health Publications

Publication gives information and tips on how to properly and safely store wheat.

Home Storage Of Wheat, Ralph E. Whitesides

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Use Of Annual And Perennial Triticeae Species For Wheat Improvement, A. Mujeeb-Kazi

Herbarium Publications

Constraints due to global biotic and abiotic stress continue to exist in wheat germ plasm. Novel genetic diversity resides in several annual/perennial Triticeae species that can be introgressed into wheat through intergeneric hybridization, of which Thinopyrum curvifolium is the principle source as it addresses the emphasis here for achieving wheat derivatives resistant to Helminthosporium leaf blight (Cochliobolus sativus). Some additional sources like Th. elongatum (2n=2x= 14) and Secale cereale are also mentioned. The interspecific hybridization strategy offers alien genetic introgression opportunities, for which the closely related Triticum species have a priority. Of these sources, the D genome T. tauschii (Aegilops …

Effects Of Elevated Co2 On Crop Growth Rates, Radiation Absorption, Canopy Quantum Yield, Canopy Carbon Use Efficiency, And Root Respiration Of Wheat, Oscar A. Monje

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wheat canopies were grown at either 330 or 1200 μmol mol^-1 CO₂ in sealed controlled environments, where carbon fluxes and radiation interception were continuously and nondestructively measured during their life cycles. The effects of elevated CO₂ on daily growth rates, canopy quantum yield, canopy and root carbon use efficiencies, and final dry mass were calculated from carbon flux measurements in an open gas exchange system. Dry biomass at harvest was predicted from the gas exchange data to within ± 8%. The greatest effect of elevated CO₂ occurred in the first 15d after emergence; however, several physiological …

Sensory And Functional Properties Of Wheat Stored Under Home Conditions, Marilyn M. Shumway

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Samples of wheat that had been stored in homes up to 48 years were collected with information about age and storage conditions. Germination, weight per bushel, protein, moisture, grade, and aroma were investigated. Volumes of gluten balls and bread made from ground whole wheat samples were measured. Sensory attributes of bread were evaluated by Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) for eight flavor and seven texture characteristics. Because of the tremendous variation in samples, generalizations on cause and effect are difficult to make. No one criterion was a perfect indicator of quality. A high percentage of germination was one of the better …

Distribution And Intracellular Localization Of Titanium In Plants After Titanium Treatment, G. Kelemen, A. Keresztes, E. Bacsy, M. Feher, P. Fodor, I. Pais

Food Structure

The physiological role of titanium in plants has not been elucidated yet, but a higher rate of growth , greater chlorophyll content and higher productivity, among others , may be attributed to this element. We have investigated the distribution of titanium in wheat seedlings after Titavit (a Ti ·ascorbate containing plant conditioner) treatment applied either through the leaf or through the root. In field experiments, we also sprayed spinach plants with Titavit. We have found a practically unidirectional tran slocation of Ti from the shoot into the root, and a preferential local ization of Ti in the nuclear cell fraction …

The Russian Wheat Aphid In Utah, Jay B. Karren

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Whole Kernel And Bulgur Wheat Preparation And Usage, Georgia C. Lauritzen, Charlotte P. Brennand, Deloy G. Hendricks

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Photosynthetic Capacity, Leaf Size And Plant Height In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Deborah L. Bishop

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plant breeders often examine leaf size, plant height and photosynthetic capacity in an effort to increase wheat yield. This study was concerned with the relationship between these parameters in dwarf and semidwarf wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) with a wide range in flag leaf size. Photosynthetic capacity was measured at anthesis using photosynthesis versus intercellular CO2 response curves to determine maximum photosynthetic rate and ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase efficiency. Leaf area, chlorophyll concentration, stomatal density, interveinal distance and dry mass partitioning were also examined. Smaller flag leaves had greater carboxylation efficiency and closer vein spacing. Dwarf wheat had higher chlorophyll …