Life Sciences Commons^™

Horticulture For Pollinator Conservation, Carter M. Westerhold

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pollinators worldwide are declining. Consequently, the agricultural and ecological services these insects provide are in danger of being lost. Land use intensification, via urbanization, has greatly influenced this decline in pollinators. Luckily, through targeted horticultural practices, stable populations of pollinators can be sustained within urban areas. The horticultural practices of planting diverse floral resources and managing pollinator habitat in urban areas can sustain these populations. Two studies were conducted with the intent to identify horticultural knowledge gaps that could be reduced to aid in pollinator conservation efforts. First, a study to compare Nebraska native and non-native ornamental plants was conducted. …

Patch Seeding On An Extensive Green Roof: Initial Experiment On Microclimate Impacts, Zhuqing Xu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The green roof provides not only aesthetic values but also many ecological benefits. In North America, seeding or reseeding with native species becomes increasingly popular as a result of its high efficacy and low cost. The extreme temperature and a lack of water on the green roof impose restrictions on seeds germination that determines the success of a seeding program.

The study started on June 1 and was completed by July 15. Five Great Plains native species were hand-seeded in two blocks on Larson Building green roof, along with two blocks set up in the greenhouse at University of Nebraska-Lincoln …

Emergence, Competition, And Management Of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L.) In Nebraska Soybean, Ethann R. Barnes

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a competitive annual broadleaf weed in soybean (Glycine max) production fields throughout North America. The recent confirmation of glyphosate-resistant common ragweed in Nebraska justified the need to assess the emergence pattern and competitive ability of common ragweed in soybean and to evaluate alternative herbicide programs for effective management. The objectives of this research were to: 1) evaluate the effect of tillage and develop a predictive model for the emergence pattern of common ragweed in Nebraska; 2) model the competitive interaction between soybean and common ragweed as influenced by density and irrigation …