Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Rapid Indicators To Detect Micropollutants In Coastal Blackwater Rivers In South Carolina, Lydia Winn

All Theses

Micropollutants in water sources are found in higher concentrations in areas with high levels of urban and agricultural land. These pollutants can be introduced into water sources during storms and rain events, through water treatment outputs, and commercial or residential waste. These events increase the levels of both nutrients and micropollutants in these water sources. With increasing levels of micropollutants in rivers, this study’s goal was to develop an alternative detection method or an indicator test for the levels of micropollutants in water. We first proposed the use of amicrobial fuel cell (MFCs) operating as a biosensor could be utilized …

Novel Protected Gelatin Capsules Containing Fish Oil Mitigated The Effect Of Milk Fat Depression And Reduced Rumen Degradation Compared To Untreated Capsules, Omar Manuel Pena Pena

All Theses

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feeding gelatin capsules treated with alcoholic solutions of flavoring agents followed by drying containing fish oil on lactation performance, rumen fatty acids content and milk enrichment of fatty acids. In Trial 1, four multiparous ruminally-fistulated Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatment sequences in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of 1) Control with no capsules, 2) Control plus 200 untreated capsules per cow/day, mixed with the TMR; 3) Control plus 200 treated capsules per cow/day placed directly into the rumen, 4) …

The Floral Thermal Environment: Physical, Morphological, And Environmental Determinants, And Their Impact On Plant-Pollinator Interactions, Jennifer Apland

All Theses

Anthropogenic climate change is driving major shifts in global temperatures and increases in extreme temperature events that contribute to reduced survival and species loss. To counteract extreme temperatures, many organisms can undergo geographic range shifts or engage in behavioral thermoregulation (e.g., movement to suitable microhabitats). While plants are sessile and thus subject to highly variable ambient temperatures, they have evolved mechanisms to regulate internal floral temperature. Floral thermoregulation may mitigate thermal stress on pollen and ovules and impact plant-pollinator interactions. These mechanisms for thermoregulation are often highly dependent on ambient temperature and solar radiation as most plants are not endothermic. …

The Effects Of Sous Vide Cooking And Cysteine Proteases On Instrumental And Sensory Textural Properties Of Lower Value Cuts Of Beef, Ian Smith

All Theses

Sous vide cooking has the potential to increase the value of lower quality cuts of beef. Understanding the textural properties following a cook-chill sous vide process is crucial to maximizing this potential. The use of enzymes may further increase the value of these products if able to positively alter the texture of the final product.

The first research objective was to use instrumental texture analysis to evaluate potential relationships between enzymatic treatments and sous vide processing time of lower value cuts of beef. Three cuts were evaluated: infraspinatus (top blade), semitendinosus (eye of round), and beef tongue. Infraspinatus and semitendinosus …

Development Of A User-Friendly Shelf-Life Model To Evaluate The Suitability Of Sustainable Materials In Roasted And Ground Coffee Fractional Packs, Matthew Baxley

All Theses

Roasted and ground coffee is a shelf stable product yet quite sensitive to oxidative staling. A consumer acceptance-based shelf-life modeling system was proposed with intent for the rapid determination of suitable coffee packages. This model requires as input the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of the coffee, barrier values of packages, and the size of the packaging. Within the time period tested, it was shown that this model accurately predicted the oxygen uptake of coffee over time. Four bio-based packaging systems with barrier layers including mPLA, mPE, mcellophane, and paper were compared against a control (mPET). These materials displayed a range …

The Chemical And Physical Analysis Of Hiveless Tm A Plant Based Honey Alternative, Javin Goodine

All Theses

Honey is perhaps the oldest and one of the world's most widely used natural sweeteners. It is a viscous, sweet, golden substance bees produce via natural enzymatic and physical modification of flower nectar. It has long been prized for its unique flavor and medicinal properties. It can be incorporated into many applications, such as bread, cured meats, alcohol, condiments, candy, pharmaceuticals, and skin care products. In 2022 alone, America consumed over 600 million pounds of honey (Board Reports, 2023), but less than a fifth of that was produced domestically, the rest imported from other countries. The international honey trade can …

A Genome Wide Association Study Of Heat Tolerance In Snap Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris), Morgan Stone

All Theses

Bean production in the United States has decreased while the temperatures have been steadily increasing, reaching new highs each year. Heat stress is detrimental to common bean (also known as snap bean) production. Symptoms of heat stress include decrease in pollen viability, shriveling of pods, and pod abortion making them unmarketable. Pod production of 323 snap bean accessions from a large diversity panel was assessed in a randomized complete block design with field trials at two different times in the spring season. The results show a significant decrease in the number of pods produced per plant and weight of pods …

Enabling Breeding For Fruitlet Freeze Tolerance In Peach, Ufuk Caglar

All Theses

Climate change is affecting the production of temperate fruit crops, with cold temperatures emerging as a critical abiotic stressor that limits plant growth and performance. Freeze damage, particularly in spring, has resulted in significant economic losses in peach production in the southeastern United States. Research efforts in peach and other Prunus species have primarily focused on studying dormancy-related traits associated with bloom time, such as chill and heat requirement, with fruitlet freeze tolerance not equally represented. Breeding for climate resilience in peach requires a combination of these traits to allow for late bloom via targeted chill requirement and high heat …

Germination Trends Of American Chaffseed, Schwalbea Americana L., And Factors Affecting First-Year Seedling Development, Trenton Miller

All Theses

Following centuries of exploitation and fire suppression, longleaf pine systems are now the focus of many conservation efforts. Efforts to restore populations of Schwalbea americana L. in longleaf pine savannas have been met with frustratingly low recruitment. While past studies have briefly quantified germination rates for Schwalbea, there have not been any studies yet that truly investigate this plant’s germination requirements. Additionally, there has been little research into characterizing the parasitic relationship between Schwalbea and its various host species. We conducted a germination study in a growth chamber that investigated Schwalbea’s germination rate and time to germinates as …

Rapid Leaf Senescence Symptoms Are Related To Carbohydrate Depletion In Cut Chrysanthemums, And Strategies For The Symptoms Reduction, Shara Ortiz Carvajal

All Theses

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ×morifolium) is the second-largest exported cut flower worldwide; however, some cultivars exhibit rapid leaf senescence during their first week of vase life. This phenomenon negatively impacts consumer perception of plant quality, and its cause has been unknown. Experiments were performed in Colombia on cut chrysanthemums shipped to the U.S. for vase-life evaluation. After 10 d, the severity of leaf senescence symptoms was recorded. Experiments examined the effect of flower form [disbud (one flower per stem) versus spray (5-10 flowers per stem)], the effect of time of harvest (A.M. versus P.M.), and sugar sources (dextrose, fructose, mannitol, and sucrose) …

Logging In The Southeastern Us: Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities, Shubhechchha Khadka

All Theses

The logging businesses, a crucial component of the wood supply chain, face shifting dynamics with various challenges and opportunities. Focusing on North and South Carolina, this study analyzes surveys and interviews to explore the logging business challenges and pathways to sustainable growth in the Southeastern United States.

In South Carolina, our findings indicate a shift towards more medium-sized businesses with a decrease in small and large logger, the entry of some younger loggers in the industry, and a notable rise in educational qualifications among loggers. Simultaneously, there is a decrease in the intergenerational transfer of logging businesses, coupled with escalated …

Phenology Of Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora Glabripennis, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In South Carolina, U.S.A., Lena Schmitt

All Theses

A new population of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, hereafter ALB), an invasive species in the United States since 1996, was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina in 2020. This population is the furthest south ALB has been found in North America and provides an opportunity to examine the phenology of this beetle in a novel climate. I collected 1009 eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult beetles from the federal quarantine zone in South Carolina and used larval head capsule widths to determine the rate of development and voltinism of ALB in South Carolina’s coastal climate. With this …

Thawing And Storage Effects On Quality Of Plant-Based Sausage Patties, Dakota Cook

All Theses

Maintaining sausage analogue quality during a thawing process and storage is important for increasing consumer satisfaction. Following new trends and prevalence of plant-based meats and a flexitarian diet, two experiments were conducted to test how thawing methods (experiment 1) and storage temperatures (experiment 2) affect meat analogue quality. For Experiment 1, Jimmy Dean Original Sausage Patties Made with Pork & Turkey, Morningstar Veggie Original Patties and Beyond Sausage Original Patties were purchased pre-frozen and subsequently thawed in one of three ways: 1. thawed at 4°C for 24 hours, 2. thawed at room temperature (22°C±2°C) for 4 hours and 3. thawed …

Effect Of Storage Temperatures And Home Refrigeration Systems On The Shelf Life Of Frozen Desserts, Natalie Sinclair

All Theses

The effect of storage temperature over 12 weeks was studied using dairy and non-dairy frozen desserts. Research was conducted to determine if higher freezer temperatures affect frozen dessert quality to reduce energy use associated with lower freezer temperatures. Samples were analyzed for ice crystal pore size using micrographs, grittiness by a trained sensory panel and weight loss during storage. Ice crystal size was determined using scanning electron microscopy and grittiness was measured on a 5-point ranking scale, with 1 being least gritty and 5 being most gritty. Weight loss was determined by measuring sample weights before and after the 12-week …

Salinity In Propagation: Germination And Juvenile Acclimatization Of Wetland Halophytes Using Saline Irrigation, Morgan Tomlin

All Theses

The introduction of poor water quality into commercial nursery crop production is predicated on optimized methods that apply saline irrigation without compromising plant success and health. Halophytes have many mechanisms of salt tolerance; however, these are greatly tied to physiological and developmental maturity. Thus, evaluating salt tolerance of halophytic crops (Hibiscus moscheutos and Kosteletzkya virginica) during seed germination and juvenile phases of life may provide insight into the efficacy of integrating poor quality water in horticultural operations.

Four seed priming methods (hydropriming, proline priming, low concentration halopriming, and high concentration halopriming) were evaluated as pre-sowing techniques to ameliorate …

Development Of New Cotton Defoliation Sprayer Using Unmanned Ground Vehicle And Pulse Width Modulation Technology, Jyoti Neupane

All Theses

Chemical spraying is one of the most important and frequently performed intercultural agriculture operations. It is imperative to utilize appropriate spraying technology as a selection of ineffective one leads to waste of agrochemicals to the non‐target area. Several precision technologies have been developed in the past few decades, such as image processing based on real‐time variable‐rate chemical spraying systems, autonomous chemical sprayers using machine vision and nozzle control, and use of unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important industrial crop. It is a perennial crop with indeterminate growth habit; however, in most parts of the …

Photodynamic Therapy To Treat Triple Negative Breast Cancer In Vitro, Hunter S. Warren

All Theses

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most resilient form of breast cancer, being one of the leading causes of death for women and making up 7% of all cancer deaths. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a minimally invasive solution to TNBC as a passive-targeting treatment that reduces the need for other well established yet harsh treatments that can be taxing on the patient. PDT involves the use of a high-energy red light on the area of a tumor injected with photosensitizers (PS) that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tumor, triggering cell death. The PS tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (m-THPC) was used …

Survey And Prevalence Of Palmer Amaranth Herbicide Resistance In South Carolina, Mitchell Williams

All Theses

Palmer amaranth is a troublesome weed for growers to control, not only due to its aggressive growth characteristics that limit row-crop production, but because of its resistance to different herbicide modes of action. The first case of herbicide resistance in Palmer amaranth was detected in 1989 and has since grown to nine different herbicide classes throughout the United States. New herbicide modes of action have not been developed since the 1980s, so proper stewardship of the remaining modes of action is important for effective control of Palmer amaranth. Increased herbicide resistance from states bordering South Carolina have been reported; therefore, …

Use Of Biorational Products For Botrytis Management In Floriculture Crops, Josselyn Calidonio

All Theses

Botrytis cinerea is an important pathogen that has a significant economic impact on the floriculture industry from propagation to the postharvest environment. Chemical fungicide applications have been one of the main approaches that growers use for botrytis blight management; however, studies have shown that the indiscriminative use of these chemicals leads to fungicide resistance (Brent and Hollomon, 1998; Fillinger and Elad 2016). This thesis explores the potential use of biorational products for botrytis blight management. Biorationals are defined as compounds that have low or no direct mammalian toxicity and few effects on the environment (Paulitz and Belanger 2001). A review …

Identifying Genetic Sources Of Anthracnose Resistance In Global Sorghum Lines, Mary-Frances Behnke

All Theses

Anthracnose of sorghum (causal agent: Colletotrichum sublineola) is the most detrimental disease of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) worldwide, significantly reducing grain yield. This study includes a literature review of the disease and a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of anthracnose-resistance in sorghum as means to elucidate genetic sources of the trait. The meta-analysis includes genotypic and phenotypic data from 5 unique studies and 1,071 sorghum lines. Original genotyping-by-sequencing data from were obtained primarily from National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Sequence Read Archive (NCBI-SRA) and prepared and processed using the Tassel 5 GBS v2. pipeline. Phenotypic data were …

Comparison Of Vegetative Community And Soil Organic Matter Depth Among Reference Sites And Two Restored Wetlands In The Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Jessica Clark

All Theses

Wetland loss and degradation from agriculture, urbanization, forestry, and mining is a global issue. South Carolina alone has lost over 27% of its wetlands. This historical wetland loss and climatic changes and impacts make restoring wetlands critical for the state. In restoration, understanding the difference in restored and reference wetland’s vegetation and soil organic matter depth can be crucial in assessing the recovery rate and determining environmental functions and services. The main objectives for our research were to determine differences in soil organic matter depth and vegetative community between the restored Brosnan Forest wetlands, the headwater flats and headwater slopes, …

Screening For Dmi And Mbc Fungicide Resistance In Monilinia Fructicola And Evaluation Of Biorational Products For Control Of Brown Rot On Peach In The Southeast United States, William Gura

All Theses

Monilinia fructicola (G. Winter) Honey is a fungal pathogen and is the causal agent of blossom blight, twig blight, green fruit rot, preharvest brown rot, and postharvest brown rot of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch). Especially pre-and postharvest brown rot can have devastating economic impacts and negatively effects yield for peach growers throughout the southeastern United States. The most effective method for the control of pre- and postharvest brown rot is the application of synthetic fungicides during preharvest season. However, the consecutive use of fungicides with the same mode of action potentially give rise to resistance. This thesis focuses …

Study Of Morphological And Physiological Properties And Pollinators Of The Invasive Callery Pear, Prabina Sharma

All Theses

Callery pear is an invasive tree in 15 states of United States and is currently present in 37 states. Its management has challenged landowners and land managers. Despite being listed as a noxious weed in four states, its study is limited. The accurate estimation of Callery pear biomass will give a clearer picture of the level of invasion and help land managers develop different strategies to control its population. Similarly, identifying possible pollinators of Callery pear is essential to have some insights on pollinators associated with this tree. Hence, the objectives of this study are 1) to calculate total above-ground …

Utilizing The Land-Based Learning Model For The Clemson Agricultural Safety, Growing Safe Tigers Program, Maryann Lovern

All Theses

The Clemson Agricultural Safety, Growing Safe Tigers program was developed in 2019 with the goal of increasing the awareness of agricultural safety in South Carolina. By utilizing the land-based learning model, a need for agricultural safety education was identified through incident surveillance strategies. Agricultural incidents were quantified using AgInjuryNews.org and recommendations were made for the program to provide more tailored information to the four regions of South Carolina, based on the primary cause of incident for each region.

Educators’ understanding of place and interconnected systems was determined pertaining to agricultural safety to provide a baseline for how agricultural education teachers …

Evaluating The Effect Of Biochar Soil Amendments On Belonolaimus Longicaudatus Populations Damaging Bermudagrass In South Carolina, Malone Thomason

All Theses

Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau, (1958) (sting nematode) is a prevalent plant-parasitic nematode found in association with Cynodon spp. (bermudagrass) in South Carolina (Ye et al., 2012). Due to the persistence of the pest, long-term management strategies are necessary. Applications of biochar and compost amendments have reduced nematodes in various crop systems, but research on turfgrass systems is limited. The objectives of the studies were to determine: (1) The effect of topdressing or soil incorporated biochar amendments on sting nematode populations, and (2) The effect of topdressing or soil incorporated amendments on turf quality. A field study was established to examine topdressings …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Programs On Student Interest In Entrepreneurship Competitions, Toni Sharp

All Theses

According to a survey by ACNielsen International Research, over half of Americans want to start their own business to build wealth and achieve independence (Bygrave & Zacharakis, 2011). In the research community, most entrepreneurship education research happens in business schools (Matlay, 2006). As a result of continually researching one form of entrepreneurship, less attention has been paid to other forms contributing to the “definitional obscurity with important consequences for the direction of the field” of entrepreneurship (Baker & Welter, 2017). This has created a need for research on entrepreneurship at the college level in fields outside of business.

Clemson University …

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …

Investigation Into The Load Transfer Mechanism Of Trees To Develop An Innovative Foundation Configuration Using 3d Finite Element Modeling, Kaleb Boland

All Theses

This study was inspired by a tree’s reliance on its root system that enables it to withstand a natural disaster, such as an extreme hydroclimatic event or hurricane. This curiosity has led to an investigation into what makes this possible, developing a new and innovative foundation configuration for infrastructure systems, and a new possible construction material and method. This study provides results on a material that does not have conventional testing procedures or standards: a tree root. The trees studied are common to the upstate of South Carolina, which are Pine, Sweetgum, and White Oak. According to the results, on …

Disinfectant Efficacy Against Sars-Cov-2 Surrogates, Bovine Coronavirus And Human Coronavirus Oc43, On Hard And Soft Non-Porous Surfaces, Breanna Kimbrell

All Theses

The novel human coronavirus (HCoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged from Wuhan, China in the latter part of 2019. The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 amid the most recent COVID-19 pandemic forced countless foodservice establishments (FSEs) across the United States to close, taking a tremendous toll on the foodservice industry. Although primarily transmitted person-to-person, previous studies indicate that the duration of SARS-CoV-2 survival on different environmental surfaces provides adequate time for secondary transmission to occur. To prevent the further spread of SARS-CoV-2, effective disinfection of surfaces in FSEs is necessary. While disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 are …

Prey Preference Of Chrysoperla Rufilabris (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) For Three Common Pest Species Of Greenhouse Crops, Caitlin Silva

All Theses

Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larvae are voracious generalist predators and important biological control agents on greenhouse crops. This study investigated the prey preference of second-instar C. rufilabris for three common greenhouse pests, namely the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), the Madeira mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), and the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). This study also investigated the influence of prey density ratios on the preference of C. rufilabris larvae for T. urticae and A. gossypii. Prey species preference was evaluated in no-choice, two-choice, and all-choice laboratory bioassays. In the no-choice bioassays, …