Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Botanical Composition Methods And Change Over Time In Kentucky Pastures, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Botanical composition of pastures has been measured with numerous methods over the last century, but there have been limited direct comparisons between methods. The objective of this study was to compare botanical composition methods, to determine the most accurate and efficient method, and to access pasture composition change over time. Six farms with two pastures each were monitored across the state of Kentucky. Sampling occurred fall 2020 through fall 2022, three times a year using the following methods: step point, visual estimation, occupancy grid, and point quadrat (used as a reference method). The occupancy grid showed the highest similarity to …

Willingness Of Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners To Obtain A Private Versus Public Consultation, Erika Largacha

LSU Master's Theses

Promoting conservation practices among family forests landowners play a critical role to enhance forest health and ecosystem services. Several certification programs recognize such efforts, but participation among landowners varies based on their characteristics, program requirements, and incentives. One crucial step of certification is to obtain a forest management plan, but acquisition among landowners remains extremely low. Several studies suggest connecting landowners with foresters as the key element towards the adoption of forest management plans. Because foresters are typically employed by public forestry agencies or as private self-employed consultants, landowners' willingness to work with either may differ. As far as we …

Agronomic And Quality Response Of Hard Red Spring Wheat Genotypes To Management Systems In South Dakota, Jonathan Kleinjan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intensive cereals management techniques such as multiple fungicide applications and in-season split N applications have been used to successfully improve wheat yields in Europe and in some winter wheat production areas of the USA. However, research on the effects of these management practices and their interaction with genotypes is limited in the hard red spring wheat (HRSW) production areas of the USA. The objectives of this study were to: (i) compare management treatments and (ii) quantify any interaction effects between management and genotype on the agronomic characteristics and relevant flour and dough properties of locally-adapted HRSW genotypes. A randomized complete …

Irrigated Zea Mays Response To Nitrogen And High Plant Population Density In Narrow Rows, Julie Baniszewski

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Modern genetics have improved maize hybrids to better tolerate stress, use nutrients more efficiently and potentially yield higher. Management practices, such as narrow row technology and high plant population density (PPD) may further improve yields in modern maize under irrigated, non-limiting conditions. High PPD (74, 99, 124, 148 K seeds ha^-1) were tested in narrow rows with up to four nitrogen (N) rates in three locations over two years in Kentucky with a modern maize hybrid in irrigated, non-limiting conditions. Results indicate that optimal seeding rates were 99,000 to 124,000 seeds ha^-1, providing maximum yield and …

Vermont Agricultural Resilience In A Changing Climate: An Investigation Of Farmer Perceptions Of Climate Change, Risk, And Adaptation, Rachel E. Schattman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Climate change forecasts tell of significant challenges ahead for agrifood systems at all scales, from global to highly local. Farmers are often at the forefront of these challenges. How farmers perceive climate related risks, and the actions they take to protect or adapt their lives and livelihoods are therefore a critical area of inquiry. The purpose of this dissertation is to describe how farmers in Vermont, in the Northeastern U.S., think about climate change, and how their experiences and perceptions influence engagement with adaptation or mitigation activities. To this end, my research questions included: (1) what are farmers already doing …

Food Waste At Retail, Erin G. Killeen Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste at retail represents forgone sales and embodies store management and disposal costs. Fresh produce is the largest contributing sector to food waste at retail and bulky, seasonal products are an added challenge when stores experience a high waste event. In order to improve, retailers need to better understand the costs of food waste, as well as how management strategies can impact these costs.

Using pumpkins as an example of bulky, seasonal products, a twofold research project was conducted to better understand contributors to, and costs of food waste at the retail level. In part one, using data from …

The Supply Chain Of Fair Trade Coffee: Challenges, Opportunities & The Future Inside A Troubled Industry, Katharine D. Lukas

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

What started as a grassroots effort to aid tradespeople in developing nations, Fair Trade and similar certification models have, over the last sixty years, successfully established themselves as a viable alternative to conventional international trade; the ongoing growth of their market share and volume emphasize the increasing market demand for these alternatives. For coffee, Fair Trade's oldest and most established commodity, over two billion pounds was sold as certified in 2012 alone and the percentage of certified coffee continues to grow in share each year (Volcafe, 2012, Fair Trade USA 2012). As Fair Trade continues to grow, so does the …

Producer Perceptions Of Their Use Of Time And Various Areas Of Risk In Their Business, Kendra Marie Hedge

Open Access Theses

Agribusinesses rely on producers choosing their products and services for the success of their business. Agribusinesses can use information regarding how producers rate the importance of certain areas of risk and what takes most of the producers' time to offer specific services to different segments of producers to better meet their needs. An ordered logit model and a multinomial logit model are used to determine factors significant to producers' use of time and importance of various areas of risk. The producers are then segmented into groups based on their risk perceptions. From this research, agribusinesses can recognize that different types …

Compost Bedded Pack Barns For Dairy Cattle: Bedding Performance And Mastitis As Compared To Sand Freestalls, Elizabeth A. Eckelkamp

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Lameness and mastitis are the two most costly diseases in the dairy industry. Reduction of these diseases through housing and management is beneficial. Compost bedded pack (CBP) and sand freestall barns were compared in a long-term, on-farm study to assess the effect of housing on each disease. Another research objective was to evaluate the effects of ambient weather conditions on moisture and 20 cm internal temperature of CBP. Compost bedded pack moisture, C:N ratio, and internal temperature effects on cleanliness, mastitis, and bedding bacterial counts were also considered. The last research objective was to evaluate the economics of bedding material …

Assessing The Relative Utility Of Models Of Vegetation Dynamics For The Management Of Sagebrush Steppe Rangelands, Paul E. Hosten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The literature, long-term temporal data sets, and spatial data points surrounding livestock watering pints within rangeland communities wearer used to examine common assumptions and concepts used in models of vegetation dynamics. Of the stability concepts examined, the constancy concept was invalidated using long-term relict area data, whereas long-term data following disturbance indicated that sagebrush-dominated areas could be considered as resilient under circumstances examined. Pioshpere as well as relict and post-disturbance data indicated that the individualistic notion of vegetation change was favored. Species showing the most predictability (based on repeatability of abundance curves, and spatial and temporal serial correlations) were sagebrush …

Natural Pastures Of The Macquarie Region Of New South Wales: Their Origin, Composition And Management, David Leslie Michaelk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two experiments were conducted in the semi-arid (400 millimeter annual rainfall) Macquarie region of New South Wales, Australia, at the Trangie Agricultural Research Station (31° 59'S; 147° S7'E), to examine (a) the way botanical parameters can be used to separate grazing and climatic impacts on range vegetation, and (b) how this delineation affects application of range science tenets (site, condition and trend) to different pasture types.

Two range sites were studied: Site 1, a light soil type, was dominated by annual grasses, legumes and forbs, whereas perennial grasses (mainly Chloris acieularis and Chloris truncata) dominated the heavy soils of …

An Economic Analysis Of Range Improvements On Saddle Creek Allotment And Curlew National Grasslands--With Special Consideration On The Effects Of Improvements On Wildlife Management, Jerry Russell Meyers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Range improvements for livestock were analyzed for the Curlew National Grassland and Saddle Creek Allotment. Increases in aum's which were a result of range improvements were calculated and valued at $4.00 each. Internal rates of return for both study areas were computed with a 15-year project life span for estimated grazing capacity and permitted grazing. Rate of return was then set at 10 percent to calculate project life span for both permitted grazing and estimated grazing capacity for the two areas.

Effects of range improvements for livestock on wildlife habitat were studied. Due to a lack of quantitative data, values …