Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Influencing Precision Farming Technology Adoption Over Time In Southern U.S. Cotton Production, Pattarawan Watcharaanantapong

Masters Theses

This study analyzed factors of farm and farmer characteristics that influenced the timing of PF technology adoption using Trivariate Tobit models for three PF technologies. Data from the Cotton Incorporated Southern Precision Farming (PF) Survey conducted in February and March of 2009 for the 2008 crop year were analyzed for PF adoption by Southern U.S. Cotton Producers. The number of years a cotton farmer had used yield monitoring (YMR), remote sensing (RMS) and grid soil sampling (GSS) were the dependent variables and farm and farmer characteristics were the independent variables.

Results of Trivariate Tobit model for YMR suggested that younger …

Changes In Carbohydrates Of Navy Beans During Hydration And Subsequent Thermal Processing, Robert Blake Lowe

Masters Theses

Navy beans were subjected to six different hydration protocols that varied in time, temperature, and methodology after which they were thermally processed in both a brine solution and a typical baked bean sauce. Beans, isolated starch, and hydration fluid were analyzed immediately after the completion of hydration protocols. Significant differences were noted between those protocols utilizing low heat (1 and 2) and those utilizing high heat methods (3-6). Bean from low heat protocols were firmer overall. Starch granules from low heat beans were smaller in overall size, experienced less surface damage retained birefringence, and could absorb more water (higher swell …

Locating The Variability Of Soil Water Holding Capacity And Understanding Its Effects On Deficit Irrigation And Cotton Lint Yield, Heath Adam Duncan

Masters Theses

Precision irrigation equipment such as variable-rate center pivots is readily available to Tennessee growers and producers; however, little research exists describing its application to cotton grown in Tennessee. In order to optimize the use of variable-rate irrigation equipment and water resources, two experiments were performed to determine (1) whether or not ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements can be used to delineate variable-rate irrigation zones and (2) examine the response of cotton lint yield to varying rates and duration of irrigation.

GPR and EC measurements were recorded, validated using soil cores, and used to identify the subsurface variability …

Avian Habitat Response To Grazing, Haying, And Biofuels Production In Native Warm-Season Forages In The Mid-South, Jessie Lee Birckhead

Masters Theses

Declines in grassland birds have been attributed to loss of habitat, habitat degradation, and changes in land management. In the Mid-South, pasture and hayfield management has focused on maintaining dense stands of non-native forages that do not provide suitable vegetative structure for grassland birds or northern bobwhite. Native warm-season grasses have been promoted for livestock forage and biofuels feedstock. However, little information exists on how these practices affect habitat for grassland songbirds or northern bobwhite in the Mid-South. We conducted a study of two cattle grazing treatments, two hay harvest treatments and a biofuels harvest treatment on vegetative structure for …

Chemical Responses Of Two Deciduous Trees After 10-Years Of Exposure To Free Air Co2 Enrichment, Keonhee Kim

Masters Theses

Globally, the mean atmospheric carbon dioxide level has risen steadily since pre-industrial times, which is largely attributable to human activities such as increased emissions from fossil fuel burning, and clearing of forests. Numerous research efforts have been made to understand responses of trees in higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in short term, small-scale experiments. To overcome the limitations of these experiments and understand the response of trees in a natural environment, the Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) project was proposed. FACE is a global project that involves experimentally enriching carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of terrestrial ecosystems. The FACE …

Cultural Techniques To Improve Yield And Cost Efficiency Of Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes, Susannah Kate Amundson

Masters Theses

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are the most commonly grown greenhouse vegetable crop, preferred for their high consumer demand and high value. To improve profitability, growers continuously seek new techniques to improve yield and cost efficiency of production. Four studies were conducted between Fall 2008 and Spring 2010 in greenhouses at the University of Tennessee Plateau Research and Education Center (35°56́ N lat.) and the University of Tennessee (35^o 57’38” N lat.) to investigate the impact different plant spacings (12, 16, 20, 24, or 28 inches in-row), pruning systems (one leader versus two leaders), cluster thinning (three, four, five, or …

Prevalence Of Copper Resistance Among Foliar Bacterial Pathogens Of Tomato In Tennessee, Jonathon Thomas Mixon

Masters Theses

Foliar bacterial diseases are among the most important diseases of tomato. Bacterial spot is caused by four species: Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, X. vesicatoria, X. perforans, and X. gardneri, hereafter referred to as Xanthomonas spp. Bacterial speck is caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and bacterial canker is caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. Fixed copper products are relied upon extensively for control, due to a lack of effective and economical alternatives. Copper resistance in bacterial spot and speck pathogens has been reported worldwide. Copper resistance quite likely exists in Tennessee, but the extent has never been …

Economic And Environmental Effects Of Switchgrass Production On A Representative Cow-Calf Farm In Middle Tennessee, Hanna Leah Watts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the economic tradeoffs and land use dynamics of incorporating switchgrass into the farm plan of a representative middle Tennessee cow-calf operation. A net revenue simulation and multi-year mathematical programming model was used to find the optimum mix of switchgrass and cow-calf enterprises that will maximize whole farm net revenues over 30 years on a representative middle Tennessee beef farm under both average and above average management. Land use changes predicted by the mathematical programming model were used to assess the carbon change associated with incorporating, or transitioning to, switchgrass production.

For a …