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Comparison Of Private And Public Lab Fertilizer Recommendation Impacts On Field Crop Production And Soil Test Results, Megan Baker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

There are many sources that farmers utilize to determine fertilizer needs for crops such as private and public labs, crop advisors, and fertilizer dealers. In many cases, these sources provide recommendations for a specific crop that can vary greatly, which can lead to large differences in cost. An experiment was established in 2021 with 12 sites across the state of Utah in alfalfa, small grains, and corn to test and compare fertilizer recommendations from five labs. The recommendations tested were from two public labs (Utah State University and the University of Idaho) and three commercial labs located in the Western …

Evaluating Strategies For Anemone And Ranunculus Cut Flower Production In The Us Intermountain West, Shannon Rauter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

National growth in small-scale, specialty cut flower farms is reflected in Utah, where 145 members have joined the Utah Cut Flower Farm Association since its 2019 founding. Cool season cut flower production is limited in Utah and the Intermountain West by a narrow harvest window and elevated soil salinity. The objective of this research was to optimize production systems for anemone (Anemone coronaria L.) and ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus L.) in the Intermountain West by evaluating season advancement methods within a high tunnel and field production system, as well as the salinity sensitivity of each species. Fall planting dates, …

Evaluating The Effect Of Coated Urea And Urea-Ammonium-Nitrate Solution On Cane Tonnage, Sugar Yield, And Leaf-Soil Nitrogen Content Under Louisiana Sugarcane Production System, Hector J. Mendoza Lagos

LSU Master's Theses

Nitrogen (N) is a crucial nutrient for proper plant growth and development. N deficiency results in poor tillering and thin, short internode stem production for sugarcane production, thus resulting in low cane tonnage. Therefore, proper N fertilizer management is essential for a sustainable sugarcane production system. This research was conducted at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA, from 2019 to 2020 at three Sites (Site 1, 2, and 3). The treatments consisted of different N rates (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N ha^-1) and sources (urea-ammonium-nitrate solution [UAN]-32%, 30-day [Coated Urea 1], 45-day …

Season Advancement Of Cool Season Cut Flower Crops Snapdragon And Peony, Maegen A. Lewis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Demand and production of specialty cut flowers is growing across the U.S., but research is lacking in the U.S. Intermountain West, where the semi-arid and high elevation climate offers unique challenges for growers. The goal of this study was to evaluate the stem quality, harvest timing, and yield of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) ‘Chantilly’, ‘Potomac’, and ‘Rocket’ and peony (Paeonia lactiflora) ‘Coral Charm’ as cool-season cut flower crops under high tunnel and field production in North Logan, Utah. Snapdragons were transplanted at three-week intervals beginning in early-February in high tunnels and ending in late-May in the field. …

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 …

Incorporation Of Summer Annual Mixtures Into Grazing Systems In Kentucky, Kelly Marie Mercier

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Utilizing summer annual grass-legume forage mixtures has the potential to improve forage yield and nutritive characteristics, and/or animal performance during times when cool-season pasture growth is limited by high temperatures. Legumes can utilize atmospheric nitrogen, which can increase crude protein and forage digestibility in mixtures. As nitrogen application generally improves both the yield and nutritive characteristics of summer annual forages, but can have a negative effect on legume competitiveness, nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for legume-containing summer annual mixtures are not well established.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the feasibility of utilizing summer annual mixtures in Kentucky, USA. The first experiment …

Improving Breeding Program Efficiency And Genetic Gain Through The Implementation Of Genomic Selection In Diverse Wheat Germplasm, Dylan Larkin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genomic selection (GS) is an important tool for increasing genetic gain for economically important traits in breeding programs. Genomic selection uses molecular markers across the entire genome in order to predict the performance of breeding lines for a trait of interest prior to phenotyping. A training population (TP) of elite germplasm, representative of the University of Arkansas wheat breeding program, was developed in order to predict important agronomic and Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance traits within the University of Arkansas wheat breeding program through cross-validation and forward prediction.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on the TP to identify …

An Evaluation Of Biopesticide Combinations On Yield Performance And Disease/Arthropod Control Of Strawberries Grown In High Tunnel Plasticulture Production Systems In Arkansas., Karlee B. Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This two-year study investigated combinations of biopesticides to determine impacts on strawberry fruit marketable fruit yields, and effectiveness in controlling strawberry pests in a high tunnel production system at the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Two strawberry cultivars Fragaria × ananassa (Duch.), Camino Real and Sweet Sensation were grown in a high tunnel from early-October to mid-May for two consecutive growing seasons, (2017-18 and 2018-19) with six treatment combinations of biopesticides including an untreated (water) control, nutrient spray and selected biological based fungicides and insecticides, arranged into a split-plot randomized block design. …

El Fríjol (Vigna Unguiculata Y Phaseolus Vulgaris) Como Alternativa Para La Diversificación Agrícola En Yopal, Casanare, Duber Alejandro Pinto Ramírez

Ingeniería Agronómica

El proyecto implementó una parcela demostrativa de 1.200 m², que incluyó manejo agronómico (plagas, enfermedades, arvenses, fertilización), la transformación de 2.270 kg del material vegetal en silo, y la comercialización del mismo con precio de referencia de 350 $ / kg, como alternativa de agronegocio a una Unidad Agrícola Familiar (UAF). Por otra parte, el objetivo del componente investigativo fue evaluar el efecto de tres densidades de siembra del fríjol rojo cuarentano (Phaseolus vulgaris) en la producción de grano, a través de la medición de parámetros de rendimiento; número de vainas por planta, número semillas por vaina, masa de 100 …

Functional Analysis Of Squamosa-Promoter Binding Protein Like 13 In Controlling Flowering Time, Plant Architecture, Grain Size, And Grain Number In Wheat, Ajay Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher and stable yield is always a major objective of wheat genetic improvement programs. The SQUAMOSA-promoter binding protein-like (SPL) genes constitute a small family of plant-specific transcription factors with diverse functions in plant development and growth and have great potential in improving yield and other major agronomic traits. However, the functional characterization of the SPL gene family in wheat is far behind other cereal crops such as rice. Using phylogenetic analysis, we identified 56 wheat orthologues of rice SPL genes belonging to 19 homoeologous groups. Among these 19 orthologous TaSPL genes, nine harbor the micro RNA 156 recognition element (MRE) …

Arthropod Resistant Tomatoes: Screening Tools, Yield And Nutritional Quality Of Interspecific Hybrids, Mohammad Hasan Salman Ali Dawood

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most economically important vegetable crops grown around globe but is a host for numerous pests and pathogens. In the future, tomato breeders will have to focus on increasing fruit quantity and on enhancing pest resistance. Many accessions of the wild relative of tomato, S. habrochaites display high levels of resistance towards arthropods such as spider mites. The presence of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, 7-epi-zingiberene, found in S. habrochaites type IV trichomes has been associated with arthropod resistance. However, the presence of other compounds in its trichome secretions may also be related …

Dissection Of Floral Organ Development And Sterility In Sorghum Bicolor, Ashley R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sorghum bicolor is a drought resistant cereal grain commonly grown for use in food, feed, fiber, and fuel production. Due to its versatility and modest sized genome it is poised to become an increasingly important research organism within the C4 plants. Sorghum produces spikelet pairs with one fertile sessile spikelet and one to two sterile pedicellate spikelets. One major area of interest in sorghum production is maximizing seed yield. While the importance of the grain is obvious there are several large gaps in the study of sorghum that prevent researchers and growers from maximum productivity. The first gap is that …

Sunflower Pollinators In South Dakota: An Evaluation Of Species Composition, Abundance And Influence On Yield, Mackenzie Mattern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2017 and 2018, South Dakota was the largest producer of sunflowers, Helianthus annuus L. (Asterales: Asteraceae) in the US, grossing approximately $178 million per year. In South Dakota, both confection and oilseed sunflower cultivars are grown. Despite breeding efforts to increase sunflower's ability to self-pollinate there is evidence that pollinator visitation results in increased sunflower yields. In addition, there is evidence that sunflower pollen is beneficial for pathogen resistance in various bee species, suggesting the importance of a mutualistic relationship between pollinators and sunflowers. In some areas, observed increases in sunflower yield is attributed to the presence of Apis …

Effects Of Potassium Source And Rate On Yield, Quality, And Leaf Chemistry Of Dark And Burley Tobacco, And Residual Effects Of Soil K Levels, Andrea Brooke Keeney

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Field trials were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with dark fire-cured, dark air-cured, and burley tobacco at Princeton, Murray and Lexington Kentucky. Tobacco variety used in 2016 was a low converter (LC) variety, varieties used in 2017 and 2018 were LC and higher converter (HC) varieties. Potassium sources used at all locations and in all years were potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) and potassium chloride (KCl). Application rates used at all locations and in all years were 93, 186, 279 kg K ha^-1along with an untreated control that received no potassium. In all trials, tobacco …

Integrating Cover Crop Mixtures And No-Till For Sustainable Sweet Corn Production In The Northeast, Julie S. Fine

Masters Theses

Fall-planted forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. longipinnatus) cover crops have shown successful weed suppression and recycling of fall-captured nutrients. This research evaluated the nutrient cycling and weed suppressive benefits of forage radish cover crop mixtures to develop an integrated system for no-till sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) production that improves crop yield and soil health. Treatments included forage radish (FR), oats (Avena sativa L.) and forage radish (OFR), a mixture of peas (Pisum sativum subsp arvense L.), oats and forage radish (POFR), and no cover crop control (NCC). Subplots were assigned to …

Ecophysiological Analysis Of Yield Determination In Soybean Of Different Relative Maturities, Maria Morrogh Bernard

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soybean yield differences are a combination of the genotype, environmental conditions, and management practices. Understanding how these factors interact through the analysis of the components involved in yield determination, provides a way to increase potential and actual yields in Kentucky.

Two irrigated experiments were conducted to quantify differences in the mechanisms of yield determination across soybean maturity groups (MG) 2 to 5 (Chapter 1), and to quantify management options (seeding rate and choice of MG cultivar) that increase yield potential of double crop soybean systems (Chapter 2).

Results showed that cultivars used different physiological strategies to achieve high yields, but …

The Effect Of Preflood Nitrogen And Flood Establishment Timing On Rice Development, Nitrogen Uptake And Grain Yield, Tyler Richmond

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urea-N fertilizer is typically applied at the 5-leaf stage to rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in a dry-seeded, delayed-flood production system. How long the preflood-N can be delayed without adverse effects on yield potential is poorly understood. The research objective was to determine the effects of preflood-N application and flood establishment timing on aboveground-N content, 50% heading, yield components, and grain yield. Trials were established on silt loam soils at the Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) and Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) during 2015 and 2016. Urea-N was applied at 0, 45, 90, 135, and 180 kg N ha-1 …

Cultivar, Season Extension, Fertilizer Trials Of Swiss Chard And Pedagogy Of Assessing Cultivars Using Technology, Chanelle Angeny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract. Diversity of species is a cornerstone of horticulture, and the constant stream of new plant cultivars broadens the palette of options available to the industry. Fifteen Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) cultivars were evaluated during the fall/winter of 2014-2015 season (season 1) and 27 cultivars during the fall/winter of 2015-2016 season (season 2) to determine the best performing cultivars for production and landscape use for east Texas and the southeast by assessing survivability and yield. There was an increase in production of 3.0 ± 0.5 g per plant per harvest under the low tunnel. The cultivar …

Genetic Analysis Of Nitrate Transporter 2 Family In Brachypodium Distachyon, With An Essential Role Of Bdnrt2.1 To Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Jiang Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Plant agricultural productivity relies heavily on nitrogenous fertilizers. Excess N fertilizer application can often lead to lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) along with energy waste and environmental problems. Therefore, understanding and improving NUE in plants are of key importance. The small monocot plant Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) is rapidly emerging as a powerful model system to study questions unique to monocot crops (wheat, maize, rice, etc.).

Here, through an intensive BLAST search, six putative orthologues of the Arabidopsis NRT2 gene family were identified in the fully sequenced Brachypodium genome (Phytozome v11.0), among which I isolated a T-DNA mutant ( …

Growth And Productivity Of Irrigated Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) For A Tropical High Altitude Environment In Rwanda, Elie Rene Gasore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Yield components, grain yield, biomass and plant N accumulation, and N fertilizer responses of irrigated rice (Oryza sativa, L.) were evaluated for a tropical inland valley environment in the high altitudes in Rwanda. Effects were measured for nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (0, 60, 90,120,150,180 kg N ha-1), season, growth stage and cultivar of different subspecies and plant types during 2012 dry season (DS) and 2013 wet season (WS) at Cyili Rice Research Farm (1380 m above sea level). Variations in irradiance (17.2± 0.32 MJ m-2 day-1 in DS and 9.4 ± 0.66 MJ m-2 day-1in WS) were linked to seasonal …

The Efficacy Of Allopurinol In Suppressing Hypersensitive-Like Symptoms In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) And In Suppressing Sunflower Rust (Puccinia Helianthi) Symptoms, Thumbiko Walker Gambler Mkandawire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mutant wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotype can constitutively produce hypersensitive-like flecks in the absence of any pathogen. The lesions of the mutant are thought to be the result of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which are similarly implicated in hypersensitive reactions to fungal pathogens. Allopurinol can suppress ROS. Consequently, allopurinol was applied to a wheat lesion mutant to test the hypothesis that the same ROS are involved, regardless of the presence of the pathogen. ‘Ning7840’, a lesion mutant and ‘Alsen’, a related genotype that does not express the mutant phenotype were treated with different concentrations of allopurinol under controlled …

The Effects Of Foliar Nutrient Applications On Split, Yield, And Internal Fruit Quality Of 'Wonderful' Pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.), John Matthew Chater

Master's Theses

Fruit split is the most important physiological disorder in pomegranate production, causing devastating crop losses worldwide. Foliar nutrient applications have been used experimentally to mitigate pomegranate fruit split but none have been conducted using the industry standard cultivar, Wonderful, and little is known about the effects of foliar nutrient applications on pomegranate. Additionally, investigations into putative health benefits of pomegranate fruit have increased interest in its production but limited evidence exists regarding effects of agricultural practices such as foliar fertilizer applications on internal fruit quality. ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate trees at 2 commercial orchards were treated with foliar applications of ZnSO_{4 …}

Physiological And Nutritional Characterization Of High Yield Soybean, Ryan John Van Roekel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grain yields greater than three times the national average have been reported in yield contests. Characterization of soybean in a maximum yield environment is necessary to provide empirical data to support those yield claims and to provide an understanding of the physiological processes at that yield level. From 2011 to 2013, research characterized biomass and N accumulation rates, radiation use efficiency (RUE), leaf N dynamics, the rate of harvest index increase (dry matter allocation coefficient, DMAC), seedfill period (SFP), and grain yield components from Mr. Kip Cullers' contest fields and in small plots at the …

Genetic Mapping Of Yield And Normalized Difference Vegetative Index In Soft Red Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Christopher Keith Addison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wheat is the most widely cultivated cereal crop, being grown on 17% of the global crop land and as such must be adapted to an array of environmental stresses. In order to become a variety, wheat breeding lines must be tested across a range of environments for both high productivity and stability. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and indices are tools that can aid plant breeders in the selection of superior lines. Soft red winter wheat accounts for 20% of the total wheat production in the United States, being grown in the southeastern U.S. predominantly along the Mississippi River. However, …

Diallel Analysis Of Biomass And Ethanol Yield In Leaves Versus Stems Of Lowland Switchgrass, Alexandria Christina Desantis

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm season perennial grass used widely as a forage crop. This research seeks to address improving biomass yield and predicted ethanol yield through certain traits by the following objectives: (1) differences in average biomass and predicted ethanol yields from leaves versus stems, (2) genetic variance and heritability estimates of biomass and ethanol yield traits (3) general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) among the five parents for biomass and ethanol yield, and (4) correlations between agronomic and morphological traits. Five parents with varying morphological traits were crossed in a diallel design, excluding selfs. …

Genetic Variability For Biomass Yield, Yield Components, And Ethanol Yield Among Half-Sibs Of Switchgrass, Eifion Wyn Hughes

Masters Theses

For bioenergy crops to be an economical alternative to fossil fuels, rapid biological and technological advancements will need to occur. Some advancements can be accomplished by producing new switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) varieties with higher biomass and ethanol yields. The objective of this research was to quantify biomass and ethanol yield potential of four F₁ [F1] half-sib populations for future variety development as a bioenergy crop.

The four parental lines were PI 421999 (AR), PI 607837 (TX), PI 421552 (Cimarron), and Exp. # NSL-2001-1 (OK). Seed for one hundred and forty F₁ [F1] half-sib progeny were produced …

Switchgrass Yield And Quality With Multiple Fertilizer Applications And Harvest Dates, Thomas Clarkson Keene

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important native warm-season grass for biomass and forage production in the U.S. This research determined the effect of fertilizer type (conventional, manure, and biosolids) and rate on switchgrass biomass yield and forage quality. Fertilizers were added at 0, 33, 67, 100, and 134 kg N ha^-1 on established stands of ‘Kanlow’ switchgrass in three northeastern Kentucky counties. Soils across sites ranged from recently cleared forestland (low pH, P, and K) to productive cropland (high pH, P and K). Stands were sampled for forage nutritive value in June, simulating a hay harvest. Nutritive …

The Effects Of Planting Techniques On Maize Grain Yield And Silage Production, Tyler D. Kaufman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a comprehensive analysis of the effects of seed orientation, row direction and planting population on grain yield, kernel composition, and silage yield and composition. Producers are striving to increase profit by efficiently using their available land area to maximize crop production. However, little research is available testing the effect of seed orientation on grain or silage production. Quantifying the impacts of seed orientation and row direction on grain and silage is essential for maximum crop production. Dissemination of the results should benefit grain and silage producer.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of manipulating seed …

Effects Of Leaflet Orientation And Root Morphology On Physiological Traits And Yield In Soybeans., Richard Dewayne Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

Drought is the most important abiotic stress adversely affecting soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) yield. Leaflet orientation has been shown to reduce leaflet temperatures and transpiration while root morphology has been related to slower wilting phenotypes. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of leaflet orientation and rooting morphology on whole plant transpiration, yield, water use efficiency, and other physiological traits in soybeans using grafting techniques, population lines, near-isogenic lines, and restrained leaf canopy experiments. Experiments were conducted in Knoxville, TN with additional yield trial plots at Springfield, Spring Hill, and Milan, TN. Data were collected on …

Using The Ceres-Maize Model To Create A Geographically Explicit Grid Based Estimate Of Corn Yield Under Climate Change Scenarios, Ryan Zachary Johnston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The CERES-Maize model was evaluated in its capacity to predict both regional maize yield and water use within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) Region 1 between the years 1997-2007. A grid based, geospatially explicit method was developed to express the various rainfed and irrigated maize cultivars grown across the region. Overall, the calibrated model compared well for both physiological and yield parameters, producing significant linear relationships (p

The calibrated and validated CERES-Maize model was used to predict potential evapotranspiration and yield under three IPCC weather scenarios for the year 2050 to evaluate crop production …