Life Sciences Commons^™

Propagation Of Wild-Collected Prunus Americana Marsh. By Rooted Cuttings For Germplasm Conservation In The Southern Appalachians, Hannah Leianne Nelms

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

American plum, Prunus americana Marsh., is a native tree valued for wildlife and wildland restoration. To propagate this tree for germplasm conservation, this study investigated the optimal season of collection and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatment for a viable rooted stem-cutting method. Cuttings were collected from trees in eight locations in May, July, and September, treated with 0-ppm, 1000-ppm, 3000-ppm, or 8000-ppm IBA for five seconds, and held in a mist propagation bed with basal heat for four to six weeks. The results of this study show that (1) rooted cuttings are a viable propagation method for wild-collected American plum, (2) …

Analysis And Installation Of A Demonstration Agroforestry Orchard For Californian Mediterranean Plant Communities, Brandon Hurd

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Climate-appropriate agroforestry can provide low-input food security and ecosystem services for local Californian Mediterranean climates, while conserving natural resources (e.g., water, nitrogen, etc.). This project showcases a variety of agroforestry methods for five common plant communities of California and other analogous Mediterranean climates at the CAFES Experimental Farm on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Plant community species and their ethnobotanical uses were analyzed to mimic and incorporate aspects of native flora. Agricultural plants were also characterized to represent each of the five selected plant communities. GIS was used to assess the project site for soil, slope, and …

Invasive Fruit Pest Guide For Utah: Insect & Disease Identification, Monitoring & Management, Claudia Nischwitz, Diane G. Alston, Lori R. Spears, Clint Burfitt

All Current Publications

This invasive fruit pest guide covers insects and diseases affecting fruit in Utah and reviews monitoring and management.

In-Field And Greenhouse Assessments Of A Selection Of Preemergent Herbicides On Newly Planted Blackberries, Kayla Knepp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This field trial assesses some of the preemergence herbicide options available to growers and their effect on newly transplanted blackberries (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson). Weed control has recently been surveyed as a top priority for blackberry growers; however, limited preemergence herbicides are registered for new blackberry plantings. Weed control is an ongoing component of blackberry production and with few in-season postemergence herbicide options available, growers rely on preemergence herbicides to maintain clean fields. The preemergent herbicides assessed in this trial were chosen with the intention to broaden the chemical control options available to growers in new plantings. A two-year …

Backyard Fruit Production In Utah's High Mountain Valleys, Maegen Lewis, Jaydee Gunnell, Michael Pace, Teryl Roper

All Current Publications

Utah’s population has seen significant growth in recent years resulting in population increase outside of the Wasatch Front and into Utah's high mountain valleys. These locations include Bear Lake Valley, Ogden Valley, Morgan and Henefer, Park City, Wasatch Valley, and Sanpete Valley. Much of the information presented here would also apply to the Uintah Basin and other high elevation locations in eastern Utah. Common characteristics of these valleys include high elevations (greater than 5,000 feet) leading to short growing seasons. Many homeowners who are new to these regions wish to establish perennial fruit crops in their gardens. This publication outlines …

Muscadine Grapes: Identifying Unique Attributes And Postharvest Practices, John Cody Rawls

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas has a long history of grape and wine production, and muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.), a native disease-resistant grape, are an important part of that industry. Muscadine grapes can be sold as a fresh-market grape or made into juice, wine, and other products. Additionally, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System) breeding program has a focus on creating new muscadine cultivars with commercial potential. The objectives of this research were to evaluate muscadine grape genotypes (cultivars and breeding selections) for fresh market consumption and wine production in 2020 and 2021. 33 seeded and seedless genotypes of …

Potassium Level Prediction Of Peach Tree Leaves Using A Hyperspectral Camera And Multivariate Analysis, Megan Io Ariadne Salimbangon Abenina

All Theses

The use of hyperspectral imaging is a valuable piece of technology used in precision agriculture. Hyperspectral imaging system could help farmers and researchers alike in analyzing tissue samples quicker compared to the current way of running a plant tissue analysis on the different nutrient levels that often takes time in generating results. The objective of this research was to measure the potassium level of peach trees using its leaves with a hyperspectral camera. The Senop HSC-2 was used to capture images of peach tree leaves during the fall of 2020 and 2021. The collected data were used to create a …

Effects Of Pruning Timing, Leaf Removal, And Shoot Thinning On 'Midsouth' Winegrape Quality In South Mississippi, Haley Nicole Williams

Theses and Dissertations

‘MidSouth’, a relatively low maintenance interspecific hybrid bunch grape currently grown in South Mississippi, has low sugar and high acid levels for red wine use. Two studies, conducted at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit in 2020 and 2021, determined the effects of pruning timing, leaf removal, and shoot thinning on ‘MidSouth’ development and fruit and wine quality. Treatments in the first study included early versus normal pruning timing, both with and without leaf removal, and treatments in the second study included leaf removal, shoot thinning, and control vines. Cluster temperatures, leaf chlorophyll, berries per cluster, berry and cluster …

Arkansas Fresh-Market Blackberries: Identifying Unique Attributes And Harvest Practices That Impact Marketability, Andrea Lea Myers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fresh-market blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus) are sold worldwide and have attributes that appeal to consumers. The delicate-nature of the fruit requires hand harvesting, and minimal handling of the fruit postharvest. Objectives of this research on Arkansas fresh-market blackberries was to 1) identify the unique attributes 2) determine the best handling practices to increase postharvest quality, and 3) evaluate the potential of soft robotic gripper for harvesting. For the first objective, blackberry genotypes were harvested from the University of Arkansas System (UA System) Division of Agriculture Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, AR. Nineteen genotypes were harvested in 2020, eight genotypes were …

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting The Rooting Ability Of Hardwood Muscadine Cuttings And Genetic Diversity Of Wild And Cultivated Muscadine Grapes (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx.), Kenneth Buck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia) is a grape species native to the southeastern United States. Muscadines are one of three grape species in subgenus Muscadinia with a chromosome number of 2n=40 (V. rotundifolia, V. munsoniana, and V. popenoei), making them genetically distinct from the European wine and table grape (Vitis vinifera) and other species in subgenus Euvitis. Rooting hardwood cuttings from muscadine vines has traditionally been considered an exceptionally difficult task. Many previous studies observed almost no root formation, leading to a general consensus that muscadines should either be propagated by softwood cuttings or vegetative layering. However, the …

Distribution And Genomic Diversity Of Pollen-Borne Viruses And Viroids At The Interface Of Peach And Wild Prunus Spp. In The Southeastern United States, Fabian Omar Rodriguez Bonilla

All Theses

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), prune dwarf virus (PDV), and peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) are important pollen-borne pathogens that affect peach orchards in the southeastern United States. My aim with this research is to identify potential sources of virus/viroid inoculum sources in the wild and determine pathogen movement and interactions between wild Prunus spp. and cultivars of peach (P. persica). In Chapter I, I review the literature on pollen borne viruses and viroids in peach. In Chapter II, I surveyed for these pathogens near peach production areas in South Carolina and Georgia, sampling from three endemic wild …

Effects Of Thermal Processing On Peach Puree Of Different Cultivars: Analysis Of Biochemical Alteration, Non-Enzymatic Browning Reaction, And Color Changes, James Hayes

All Theses

The effects of pasteurization temperature and time on the change in seven peach puree variables over a 6-week accelerated shelf-life test (35°C) were evaluated. The variables of interest were three color measures [ L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)]; two brown pigment measures [spectrophotometric absorption at 420 nm (Browning Index) and 443 nm (Hydroxymethylfurfural)]; °Brix; and pH). Puree was collected from three different cultivars (2 freestone and 1 clingstone) and puree samples from each cultivar were subjected to 20 combinations of pasteurization temperatures (70°C, 80°C, 90 °C, 100°C) and same hold times (0 minutes, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 …

Fall-Bearing Cultivars: A High Tunnel System For Early Production, Alyssa Palmer, Brent Black

All Current Publications

Fresh red raspberries are a consumer favorite in Utah and have a high value but short shelf life, making them an excellent candidate crop for local direct market sales. However, Utah’s high-elevation valleys often experience harsh winter temperatures and short growing seasons, limiting raspberry yields. Raspberry plants exhibit one of two fruiting patterns: the summer-bearing type or the fall-bearing varieties, also referred to as “ever bearers” because of their ability to produce both fall and summer crops. These may be better suited in areas with harsh winter conditions that cause cane dieback. High tunnels can be an effective tool in …

Temperaturas Críticas De Primavera Para Yemas De Los Árboles Frutales, Michael Pace, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Esta publicación enumera las temperaturas primaverales críticas para las yemas de árboles frutales cuando el 10% y 90% de las yemas mueren en diferentes etapas de desarrollo después de 30 minutos de exposición.

Proceedings Of The 2022 Passion Fruit Conference: Growing The U.S. Passion Fruit Industry A Strategic Conference For: Growers, Marketers, Researchers, And Stakeholders, Eric T. Stafne

Coastal Research and Extension Center Publications

We are pleased to deliver these proceedings of the passion fruit conference that was held in Homestead, Florida on June 14 and 15, 2022. It was a culmination of a lot of hard work by many people, most of them listed in the previous page. However, it would not have been a success without the attendees who came from various parts of the country to share their experiences growing passion fruit. What follows in these proceedings are the slides of the presentations with by notes taken by attendees along with notes taken of discussion regarding the five priority topic areas: …

Genetic Control Of Sweetness, Acidity, And Seediness In Blackberry, Carly Elizabeth Godwin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The global blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) industry has experienced rapid growth during the past 15 years. Even so, many industry stakeholders report complaints from consumers and grocers stating blackberries are often too tart, too seedy, or not sweet enough for their liking. The development of molecular markers for high sweetness, low acidity, and reduced seediness would allow breeding programs to expeditiously make selection and crossing decisions in the early stages of the breeding pipeline. The objective of this study was to use a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to identify marker-trait associations, locate quantitative trait loci (QTL), and find …

Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas, Lais De Oliveira Machado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kiwifruit is a perennial vine originating from China where it has been grown for centuries. In the United States, green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is primarily produced commercially in California. They are fuzzy, green fleshed and well known in the marketplace. Kiwifruit plants require low to moderate soil pH, adequate winter chilling and adequate precipitation to guarantee plant development and good fructification. Actinidia chinesis or golden kiwifruit are smooth skinned, feature golden flesh and are a more recent introduction into the global market. Kiwifruit crops have attributes that favor production in east Texas, including low pest problems, current long …

Managing Vegetation Around Fruit Trees, Teryl Roper

All Current Publications

Fruit trees thrive along the Wasatch Front and in many other locations in Utah. Backyard fruit trees are very common in Utah, and producers quickly become attuned to insect and disease pests that can swiftly spoil substantial amounts of fruit. They are typically less aware of the detrimental effect of competing vegetation around fruit trees. This fact sheet describes the nature of vegetation competition and proposes management strategies to reduce or eliminate competition.

Economic Contribution Of Agriculture And Food To Arkansas’ Gross Domestic Product 1997-2020, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to Arkansas’ GDP. Agriculture contributes to the state economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities. The Agriculture and Food Sector, which is comprised of agricultural production, processing, and retail industries, promotes economic strength through various interactions with other industries. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy and thus plays a vital role in maintaining economic stability throughout the state. This report 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with …

Functional Diversity In Blueberries And Their Responses To Extreme Drought, Pratima Pahadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is expected to lead to novel climate conditions with an increase in frequency and severity of drought across many places around the globe including the north-eastern (NE) United States. Therefore, experimental studies that test the impacts of changing environmental conditions over long time scales or experimental studies that mimic these conditions are crucial to understand the potential impact on crops in this region. Wild lowbush blueberries and highbush blueberries are two important crops in NE USA. In this study, the leaf functional, structural, nutrient traits across genotypes of wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium and V. myrtilloides) at …

The Role Of Red Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus) On Inflammation, Lipid Metabolism, And Endothelial Dysfunction As Related To The Metabolic Syndrome, Natalie Vandenakker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is major public health concern. Diet can play a major role in the prevention and/or progression of the MetS. At 8 weeks of age, male obese Zucker rat (OZR) and their lean littermates (LZR) were placed on a control or an 8% w/w whole red raspberry (WRR)-enriched diet for 8 weeks. Circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines and their gene expression in the liver and adipose tissue were evaluated. Several lipid markers were measured in the plasma, liver and adipose tissue. The expression of eight genes related to lipid metabolism were evaluated, both in liver and adipose tissue. …

Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Tim Scanlon

Books & book chapters

The Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021 showcases the breadth and depth of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s research and development activities over the past several years.

Stories featured in Research Highlights 2021 stem from about 60 (of 140) current and recently-completed projects undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) 1100 scientists, technical experts and economists throughout the State.

Explore our Research Highlights 2021.

The publication demonstrates the innovative and applicable research that DPIRD and its collaborators and investment partners deliver to Western Australia.

Download the Research Highlights 2021 here. Alternatively, …

Identification Of Qtls For Berry Acids And Sugar In A Vitis Aestivalis-Derived 'Norton'-Based Population, Karlene Louise Negus

MSU Graduate Theses

Acidity and sugar content are among the grape berry quality traits that influence wine quality. Despite advantageous environmental tolerances of Vitis aestivalis-derived ‘Norton’, its acid and sugar concentrations often deviate from expectations set for V. vinifera. Identification of the genetic determinants of malic acid, tartaric acid, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) can assist in the improvement of new hybrid cultivars. For this purpose, a ‘Norton’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ hybrid mapping population containing 223 individuals was used to construct a linkage map containing 384 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 2084 genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …

Barrenador Grande Del Durazno, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

El barrenador grande del durazno (orden Lepidóptera, familia Sesiidae) es originario de América del Norte, donde las cerezas y ciruelas silvestres son sus huéspedes nativos. Es una plaga esporádica en los frutales de hueso o carozo de Utah, pero si no se controla, puede ser lo suficientemente grave como para causar la pérdida del árbol.

How Weeds Affect Insects In Mango Cultivation Of South Florida, Blaire Kleiman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of weeds as insectary plants is an emerging management tactic by agroecologists and entomologists to sustain beneficial insect species. Fallow lands have always been used by insects and are an important part of their diet in fragmented ecosystems. Weeds provide floral resources to beneficial insects such as pollinators, parasitoids, and predators and resources to keep them within a field in between crop flowering. Using weeds as a tool in tropical fruit production reliant on pollination like Mango (Mangifera indica) allows farmers to reduce herbicide use, increases the biodiversity of both plants and insects, and increases pollination of crops …

Nocturnal Pollination In Fruit Agriculture, Stephen Robertson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Insect pollination in agriculture provides as much as 35% of the global food supply and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy each year. In the past 30 years, reports of declining populations of managed and wild bees, notably the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a wide array of bumble bees (Bombus spp.), have raised concerns about the stability and outlook of agriculture. At the same time, agricultural dependence on insect pollinators is increasing as greater percentages of land being converted to pollinator-dependent crops, such as soy and oil palm, than pollinator-independent crops, such as grains …

Effect Of Harvest Time On The Incidence Of Red Drupelet Reversion And Development Of Tetraploid Linkage Maps In Blackberry, Mitchell E. Armour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The cultivated eastern U.S. blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) has gone through tremendous strides in both trait improvement and market outreach at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System). What began as primarily a pick-your-own local fruit found mostly in the wild, has become a commercialized year-round product in most major U.S. grocery retailers. This could not have been achieved without decades of diligent breeding efforts. Although the genetic improvement of fresh-market blackberries has advanced, there are still issues that need to be addressed. One issue is the prevalence of red drupelet reversion (RDR), a physiological …

First Report Of The Lanzones Scale Insect, Unaspis Mabilis Lit & Barbecho (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), Infesting Cacao, Theobroma Cacao L. [Research Note], Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Barbara L. Caoili, Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, Cristian C. Lucanas, Kristine O. Abenis, Vanessa Kate I. Alvarez, Romnick A. Latina

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The lanzones scale insect, Unaspis mabilis Lit & Barbecho (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is reported to infest cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) in Brgy. Nalook, Kalibo, Aklan. Despite minor morphological differences, analysis of DNA barcode region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) generated from the cacao-infesting scale insects (GenBank Accession Number MN114100.1) matched the DNA barcodes obtained from a complementary study (GenBank Accession Number MN114099), and hence, supported the species identity based on morphological characters. Notes on the distribution, host plant association and insights on possible control measures were provided.

1h-Cyclopropabenzene And 1h-Cyclopropa[B]Naphthalene Fumigation Suppresses Climacteric Ethylene And Respiration Rates And Modulates Fruit Quality In Long-Term Controlled Atmosphere-Stored ‘Gold Rush’ Pear Fruit, Vijay Yadav Tokala, Zora Singh, Poe Nandar Kyaw

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

‘Gold Rush’ pear (Pyrus communis L.) is a russet-coloured fruit with soft buttery textured flesh and is gaining wide popularity in Australia and other countries along with other pear cultivars. The fruit are sensitive to ethylene, and exposure even at very low concentrations significantly reduces the storage duration as well as fruit quality during storage. The efficacy of two new ethylene antagonist compounds, namely, 1H-cyclopropabenzene (BC) and 1H-cyclopropa[b]naphthalene (NC), as well as 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in regulating ethylene production, respiration rates and maintaining the fruit quality of ‘Gold Rush' pear during 150 d and 200 d of controlled atmosphere (CA) storage …

Characterization, Incidence, And Epidemiology Of Two Novel Strawberry Rhabdoviruses, Ava Wait

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Strawberry is the most important berry crop, grown in most temperate regions around the world. In the early 2000s and in 2012-2013, viral disease devastated strawberry production in California and Florida respectively; causing multimillion dollar losses. This occurred because viruses were moving in the field undetected. The modern strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) is tolerant to single and double infections; yet when several viruses infect plants, symptoms as severe as plant death can occur. To prevent future epidemics, the use of virus-tested planting materials is essential. In 2019, rhabdovirus-like sequences were detected in strawberry using a combination of high-throughput sequencing …