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Impact Of Agricultural Practices On The Consumptive Water Use Of Irrigated Annual And Perennial Crops Of Northern Mexico And The U.S. Southwest., Orlando Ramirez-Valle

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In drylands, crop water use varies considerably where high temperatures and limited water availability constraints farming activities, and irrigation planning is essential for the efficient water use and long-term sustainability of agriculture. However, despite dwindling water supplies and the looming threat of more frequent and intense droughts, low-efficient irrigation (e.g., furrow and flooding) continues to be the most widely used method for water delivery into agricultural parcels. Transitioning into more sustainable agriculture requires knowledge of the period of productive vs. unproductive crop water use during the agricultural cycle. I developed a method using satellite images for partitioning evapotranspiration (ETa) into …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

Impact Of Agricultural Practices On The Consumptive Water Use Of Irrigated Annual And Perennial Crops Of Northern Mexico And The U. S. Southwest., Orlando Ramirez-Valle

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In drylands, crop water use varies considerably where high temperatures and limited water availability constraints farming activities, and irrigation planning is essential for the efficient water use and long-term sustainability of agriculture. However, despite dwindling water supplies and the looming threat of more frequent and intense droughts, low-efficient irrigation (e.g., furrow and flooding) continues to be the most widely used method for water delivery into agricultural parcels. Transitioning into more sustainable agriculture requires knowledge of the period of productive vs. unproductive crop water use during the agricultural cycle. I developed a method using satellite images for partitioning evapotranspiration (ETa) into …

Land Use/ Land Cover Change Patterns And Trends In Two Dryland Regions, Omar Sulaiman Belhaj

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Development and climate change affect the environment in numerous ways and to varyingdegrees. This effect appears prominent and more influential in arid regions. Therefore, land use/ land cover in these regions experience profound changes such as plant cover decrease and extinction of some plant species. Also, land use/ land cover in these regions has critical impacts on the environment and its components, such as shrublands shrinking and losing the habitat of animal species. The degree of changes and effects reaches severe levels that become urgent to figure out the impacts and find solutions to stop or mitigate the negative consequences. …

Addressing Challenges In Aggregating And Analyzing Agroecological Data, Sarah E. Mccord

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Agroecosystems face multiple threats including land degradation and climate change, changing and competing land uses, invasive species and disease spread, and biodiversity loss. While scientists seek to understand rapidly changing ecosystems, land managers are struggling to maintain ecosystem services amid transitions to novel ecosystem states. Understanding agroecosystem drivers and ensuing responses requires quality information about ecosystems that span biomes, trophic scales, ecological processes, spatiotemporal scales, land use, and land ownership. Yet, using multi-scale agroecosystem information can be frustrating for both scientific researchers and land managers as it is difficult to locate data that are trustworthy, easily accessible, standardized, and connected …

The Drones' Impact On Precision Agriculture, Ibrahim Naji

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A study to assess the overall impact of drones in the agricultural sector. The specific goal of this research was to provide a drone system to ward off pestering birds from crops to allow for better growth and an increased yield. Along with providing a user-friendly coded drone system for farmers that is cost effective, this project has inspired other areas of use for the drone.

Insights Into The Interaction Of Copper Oxide Nanopar-Ticles With Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas (L.) Lam.): The Role Of Lignin On Copper Uptake And Translocation, Nestor Javier Bonilla Bird

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is widely cultivated in many countries worldwide. The world production of sweetpotato is around 127 billion tons and it is ranked seventh in the world as a staple food. After harvesting, sweetpotato storage roots are treated with fungicides to prolong shelf life. Lignin plays an important role in the conservation of the storage roots. One of the practices to activate the lignification pathway is called “curing process.” The roots are placed under 80% relative humidity at a temperature of 29 ºC for a period of 7 to 15 days, followed by a cooling period at …

Evaluation Of Recycled Gypsum Application Dosages To Enhance The Water Infiltration Rate At Water Retention Ponds, Jorge Luis Navarrete

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The retention ponds play central role for efficient collection, removal, and drainage of rainfall runoff from surrounding streets to minimize flooding and damage. However, low percolating retention ponds may result in an extended ponding of water, abundance bacteria accumulations, mosquito breeding, environmental hazards, among others. The presence of clayey soils and soil sodicity reduces infiltration rates of retention ponds. To enhance the infiltration rate of ponds, it is proposed to use recycled gypsum (RG), as a soil amendment in retention ponds consisting of clayey soils to enhance low infiltration rates.

To evaluate the influence of RG in clayey soils as …

A Combined Field, Experimental And Modeling Approach To Understand The Impacts Of Flood Irrigation On Pedogenic Caco3 And Co2 Dynamics In Drylands, Anna Cristina Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Soil salinization is a global problem affecting 10% of agricultural soils, particularly in irrigated arid-lands. This study investigated salt loading through flood-irrigation, particularly of calcite (CaCO3) salt in the southwest of the United States. To evaluate the impact that flood-irrigation has on CaCO3 buildup and its effect on C-cycling, a natural soil and two agricultural soils were sampled: a pecan orchard and an alfalfa field in the El Paso, TX region. Agricultural soils in this study are flood irrigated by the Rio Grande river and by ground waters in its absence, both of which are oversaturated with calcite.

To trace …

Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the past century, studies in herpetology regarding snake diets have been commonly focused on those species that feed or specialize in vertebrate prey items. For those that feed primarily on invertebrates however, little work has been done in determining diet specializations and comparing diets within a community of species. This Thesis focuses on small species of snakes that feed primarily on arthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert community, and will investigate if these are diet generalists or specialists. To this end, stomach contents were examined from preserved specimens of the following species: Rena humilis and Rena dissecta (Leptotyphlopidae), Gyalopion canum …

Effects Of Unweathered Or Soil Weathered Copper-Based Nanoparticles And Compounds On Soil Grown Bell Pepper (Capsicum Annuum) And Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Plants, Swati Rawat

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) find large scale industrial application because of their promising chemical, physical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties. Copper-based ENP are used as gas sensors, in catalysts, electronics, semi-conductors, and in agriculture. They have been useful as agricultural amendments in the form of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers because of their antifungal and antibacterial properties. They also find application in electronics and sensors used in precision agriculture. Due to their massive production and use, ENPs are likely to be ubiquitous in the environment around us in the near future. Application of biosolids for fertilization and water from wastewater treatment …

Modulation Of The Physiological And Biochemical Effects Of Copper Nanoparticles In Kidney Beans (Phaseouls Vulgaris) Treated By Kinetin, Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

It is imperative to not only understand the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in edible plants, but also the interactions they have with various additives used in agriculture. In this study, kidney bean plants were grown in potting soil treated with nano copper (nCu), bulk copper (bCu), and copper chloride (CuCl2) at concentrations of 0, 50, and 100 mg/kg for 55 and 90 days. At 15 days of growth, 0, 10, and 100 μm of kinetin (KN) were applied to plants. Plant tissue samples were harvested at 55 days and seeds were reaped at 90 days. Physiological and biochemical parameters …

Using Zeolite For Soil Moisture Retention And Salinity Control, Mark Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is a great need in the desert southwest United States for exploring ways to save water in agriculture as it accounts for up to 90 percent of water consumption in many western states (USDA 2016). As surface water reaches critical lows the dependence on ground water has increased leading to the need for deeper wells with higher salt concentrations. The studies conducted for this research included using zeolites from the St Cloud Mining Company in Winston, New Mexico to determine the feasibility of using these zeolites to help and retain moisture in zeolite treated soils. The Volumetric Water Content …

High Fidelity Localization And Sensing For Cattle Analytics, Luis Carlos Bañuelos Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Global beef production is projected to reach approximately 60 million tons in 2015 and opportunities to increase efficiencies are significant with recent advancements in remote sensing. By economically monitoring the location and conditions of a herd such as feeding patterns, body temperature, heart rate, and other biometric information, the herd performance can now be enhanced through data-driven optimization. Next generation sensors provide high fidelity data on a wide range of measurable properties, and simultaneously, the wide adoption of these sensor systems in many consumer applications is leading to commoditization and reduced cost due to the associated economies of scale. Deploying …

Effects Of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles In Cereals: Insights Into The Toxicity Mechanisms And Macromolecular Modifications, Cyren Mendoza Rico

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the inundation of studies on the interaction of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with plants, investigations involving complete life cycle (i.e from seedling establishment to full maturity) are still lacking. Assessments on the nutritional value of plants cultivated to full maturity in ENMs-treated soil are also missing. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) have significant interactions with plants; however, there are no life cycle studies yet on their implications in cereals like rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). These cereals are globally important crops that support the economic activity, and nutritional and health needs of billions …

Assessing Naturalistic Decision Making By Experienced And Inexperienced Interrogators In High Stakes Interviews, Amy Bethany Ross

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The current thesis aimed to improve the ecological validity of human intelligence interrogation research. Although field practitioners and researchers have worked together to improve the scientific validity and practical execution of interrogation techniques, research has yet to understand how, when and why interrogators implement such techniques. This thesis investigated the active decision making processes of interrogators that occur during high value interrogations. The theory of Naturalistic Decision Making was used to capture the naturalistic characteristics of high value interrogations- ambiguity, time pressure and high stakes. To capture the decision-making processes that are associated with skilled performance, this research conducted in-depth …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Streambed Leakance Downstream Of Caballo Reservoir, Derrick Ohara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Modeling transient effects of streams near well fields is an important tool for understanding water balance within the Rio Grande Project (Project). The results are known as stream leakage. Stream leakage quantifies the amount of water seeping from a stream, canal and/or drain to/from a well field. Stream leakages near the Canutillo Well field, primary river losses for years 2005 through 2010 along with historical gain/losses and allocations of surface water with the associated agreements were evaluated.

The overall loss rates per mile in the Project for years 2005 to 2010 averaged -0.75 cubic feet per second (cfs). The historical …

Symbiotic Effects Of The Fungus Glomus Sp. On Chromium(Iii), Chromium(Vi), And Lead(Ii) Uptake By Mesquite (Prosopis Sp.): A Novel Method To Remediate Heavy Metals, Jack A. Arias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The indiscriminate disposal of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) containing wastes has resulted in a detrimental impact on environmental health. Lead and Cr are in the EPA priority list due to their degree of toxicity on humans, animals, plants, and other living organisms. The removal of toxic wastes involves technologies that are expensive, sometimes incomplete, and could represent health hazards. In addition, site restoration after contaminant removal encompasses time and technological resources. Phytoremediation, the use of plants alone or associated with microorganisms, represents a potentially cost-effective option in the long term management of contaminated sites. Various plants known as "hyperaccumulators" …