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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 …

Novel Techniques To Determine Soil Evaporation Rates: Heat Pulse Probe And Automated Microlysimeter, Kashifa Rumana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Increase in world population rate has augmented the global water use in municipal, industrial, and agricultural sectors, with renewable water resources changing
very little with time. Climate change and variability, degradation of water quality as a result of industrial waste streams, animal manure and waste, application of chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, etc. have largely influenced the quantity and quality of soil water. Root zone water helps sustain the agricultural industry by providing much of the water needed for irrigation. It is critical to monitor the soil water availability, especially within the plant root zones. The subsurface water tends to …

Phosphorous And Potassium Fertility Management For Maximizing Tart Cherry Fruit Quality And Productivity On Alkaline Soils, Sean D. Rowley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Suitable orchard land in regions of the Intermountain West is becoming more limited due to urban sprawl. With the loss of suitable farmland, increasing production costs, and the lack of sound fertility information for these regions, fruit growers face challenges to produce high quality fruit for market demand. Current standard management practices are not sufficient to optimize yield and fruit quality in the marginal farm land that is currently be used for fruit production. Fertility management of orchard trees is vital to tree health, yield, and fruit quality.

Three different approaches were used to investigate the effects of Phosphorus (P) …

Influence Of Soil Compaction On Nitrogen Volatilization In A Management Intensive Grazing System: Estimation Of Gaseous N Losses Using Mass Balance In Intact Soil Cores, Luke Alan Petersen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Increasing concern about the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases and PM 2.5 particulates has prompted many researchers to examine the processes of gaseous loss of nitrogen (N) from agricultural land. As agricultural production becomes more competitive and producers strive to become more efficient by reducing input costs, they will increasingly employ practices such as the rotational stocking, also called Management Intensive Grazing (MIG). MIG utilizes high animal stocking rates for short periods of time to efficiently harvest pasture crops. Unfortunately, MIG also produces relatively high concentrations of livestock excreta. This has caused intensive grazing practices to become a focal point …

The Effects Of Osmotic Potential On Ammonification, Immobilization, Nitrous Oxide Production, And Nitrification Rates In Penoyer Soil, Andrew P. Low

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An isotopic dilution method was used to test the effects of osmotic potential, (𝛹_s), upon nitrification, ammonification, N-immobilization, and nitrous oxide production rates in soil at solute concentrations encountered in Penoyer soil. A nitrification potential assay was also performed to approximate maximum nitrification rates.

Nitrification potential rates in soil slurries exponentially declined in response to decreased osmotic potential. However, nitrification was independent of salt concentration at the ambient NH₄⁺ concentrations of the soil. The differential response was attributed to the variable NH_4⁺ substrate quantities. The effects of osmotic potential were secondary to NH_{4 …}

Discussion And Measurement Of Soil Erosion In Iceland, Kimberly Jane Richardson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Soil erosion has occurred since the beginning of time. It is a natural process, but one that has been increasing at an alarming rate. Once soil is eroded--whether it is blown out to sea or washed down a river to sedimentize a lake--it is lost. It is almost impossible to reestablish similar soil components and characteristics in a given system. Since soil and vegetation reestablishment is expensive, the prevention of soil erosion by controlling its causes has become the most cost-effective reclamation effort.

After spending six months in Iceland, I wrote this paper on the unique erosion problems facing that …

Some Chemical Properties Of The Profiles Of Two Soil Series As Shown By Horizons And By Increments, Verle Q. Hale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil classification in this country is based on the system proposed by Marbut in 1920 (2). This system uses eight criteria, one of which is the chemical composition of the soil horizons. Workers in the field of soil survey are depending more and more upon laboratory data to characterize and differentiate soils not only at the series level but also at higher levels of classification where it may be necessary to establish the presence or absence of critical horizons or characteristics. This was predicted by Robinson (16) when he said that laboratory analysis is needed to give "precise physical meaning …

Root Yields, Sucrose, And Glutamic Acid Content Of Sugar Beets As Influenced By Soil Moisture, Nitrogen Fertilization, Variety, And Harvest Date, Donald G. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States produces about 1.8 million tons of sugar annually. Approximately 75 per cent of this production is derived from sugar beets. The importance of the sugar beet crop in national and world economy is justification for research effort as a means to more economical production.

It is desirable that sugar beet processing be carried out in the most efficient manner. More effective utilization of the sugar beet and its by-products will add stability to the sugar beet industry.

For the past 170 years, since Achard found that sugar could be used for human consumption and that pulp might …

On The Kinetics Of Moisture Flow In Unsaturated Soils, James Wellington Biggar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The flow of fluids in porous media continues to be a widely studied phenomenon. Soil moisture relationships and particularly the flow of water in soil is perhaps the most widely investigated of the four edaphatic factors related to plant growth, namely moisture, aeration, temperature and compaction.

The Influence Of Temperature Gradients On Soil Moisture Flow, Luigi Cavassa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The isothermal movement of liquid water in saturated soil has been intensively studied, and a sound theoretical basis has been developed. Considerably less is known about the flow of water in unsaturated soils, but a general theory based on Darcy's law of flow is beginning to develop. A good theoretical basis exists for the vapor diffusion under isothermal conditions. Inconsistent data and theories are found in the literature concerning the movement of water in both the vapor and liquid phases, under the influence of thermal fields.

The Total Surface Of Some Soils As Related To Permeability And Water Retention Characteristics, Warren W. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is generally recognized that many of the chemical and physical properties of soils are dependent upon the surface activity of the finer soil fractions. The importance of the magnitude of the surface areas to such properties as base exchange, water-holding capacity, absorption of gases, and the plasticity of soils has been demonstrated. Attempts have been made to determine or estimate the surface of soils and soil fractions by various methods and to relate the values obtained to the physical and chemical characteristics exhibited by these materials. Most determinations have been based on calculations of surface area from mechanical analysis …

Fertilizer Studies As Conducted On Muck Soil In Sanpete County, Utah, Lemoyne Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The reclamation of muck soil is a new development in the state of Utah. Knowledge concerning the various properties and requirements of the newly-drained area in Sanpete County, Utah, is extremely limited. A need for fundamental information concerning this type of soil was the basis for the establishment of an experimental farm in this region. The fact that most organic soils respond to mineral fertilizers soon after they have been reclaimed was an important reason for starting fertilizer work on this soil as soon as it was possible to do so. This thesis reports some of the fertilizer work being …