Life Sciences Commons^™

Author Correction: Genome-Guided Phylo-Transcriptomic Methods And The Nuclear Phylogenetic Tree Of The Paniceae Grasses, Jacob D. Washburn, James C. Schnable, Gavin C. Conant, Thomas P. Brutnell, Ying Shao, Yang Zhang, Martha Ludwig, Gerrit Davidse, J. Chris Pires

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The original version of this Article contained an error in the title of the paper, where the word “Phylogenetic” was incorrectly given as “Phylogentic”. This has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article, and in the accompanying Supplementary Information file.

Lettuce Learn: Student Reflections On Building And Sustaining A Community Donation Garden, Hannah Dankbar, Emily K. Zimmerman, Carrie Chennault, Andrea D. Basche, Jacqueline Ann Nester, Maritza Pierre, Gabrielle Roesch-Mcnally

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

This article emerged from conversations that we and fellow graduate students have had in building a community donation garden. We created the garden with a vision of enacting food justice in our community, but over the past four years we have experienced complexities with our vision. In this article, we share the complexities with which we have wrestled, how we have encouraged thoughtful dialogue among fellow scholars about these shortcomings and the intricate workings of the agrifood system, and the lessons we have learned through these experiences as early-career scholar-activists. This article represents our collective and individual voices as graduate …

Improving Water Resilience With More Perennially Based Agriculture, Andrea D. Basche, Oliver F. Edelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Land conversion from natural to managed ecosystems, while necessary for food production, continues to occur at high rates with significant water impacts. Further, increased rainfall variability exposes agricultural systems to impacts from flood and drought events. In many regions, water limitations are overcome through technological approaches such as irrigation and tile drainage, which may not be sustainable in the long term. A more sustainable approach to combat episodes of floods and droughts is to increase soil water storage and the overall green water efficiency of agroecosystems. Agricultural practices that promote “continuous living cover,” such as perennial grasses, agroforestry and cover …

The Trouble With Cover Crops: Farmers’ Experiences With Overcoming Barriers To Adoption, Gabrielle E. Roesch-Mcnally, Andrea D. Basche, J. G. Arbuckle, John C. Tyndall, Fernando E. Miguez, Troy Bowman, Rebecca Clay

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cover crops are known to promote many aspects of soil and water quality, yet estimates find that in 2012 only 2.3% of the total agricultural lands in the Midwestern USA were using cover crops. Focus groups were conducted across the Corn Belt state of Iowa to better understand how farmers confront barriers to cover crop adoption in highly intensive agricultural production systems. Although much prior research has focused on analyzing factors that help predict cover crop use on farms, there is limited research on how farmers navigate and overcome field-level (e.g. proper planting of a cover crop) and structural barriers …

Phytophagous Insect Oviposition Shifts In Response To Probability Of Flower Abortion Owing To The Presence Of Basal Fruits, Shivani Jadeja, Brigitte Tenhumberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Phytophagous insects use a wide range of indicators or associated cues to avoid laying eggs in sites where offspring survival is low. For insects that lay eggs in flowers, these unsuitable sites may be created by the host plant’s resource allocation to flowers. In the sequentially flowering host plant, Yucca glauca, late-opening distal flowers are more likely to be aborted in the presence of already-initiated basal fruits because they are strong resource sinks. If flowers are aborted, all eggs of the phytophagous insect, Tegeticula yuccasella, within the flower die. We used the phytophagous insect T. yuccasella that lays …

An Assessment Of How Plant And Mycorrhizal Communities Have Been Affected Along A Mine-Impacted Watershed In The Northwest Territories, Kevin Maccoll

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Giant Mine is an inactive gold mine located nine kilometers north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Giant Mine has been the source of arsenic trioxide for the Baker Creek watershed since it opened over 60 years ago. Although arsenic levels in the creek are above the limits considered to be biologically relevant, there is no concrete evidence that plants and mycorrhizae have actually been affected. This study provides an initial assessment of the impacts mining activity at Giant Mine has had on plants and mycorrhizae in the Baker Creek watershed. Nine sites were sampled around Giant Mine: five sites downstream from …

Influence Of Topography And Moisture And Nutrient Availability On Green Alder Function On The Low Arctic Tundra, Nt, Katherine Louise Black Ms., Jennifer Lynn Baltzer Dr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Arctic has warmed by at least 3^°C over the past 50 years and this rapid warming is expected to continue. Climate warming is driving the proliferation of shrubs across the tundra biome with implications for energy balance, climate, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. Changes in tundra plant water use attributable to shrub expansion are predicted to increase evapotranspirative water loss which may amplify local warming and reduce run-off. However, little is known about the extent to which shrubs will enhance evapotranspirative water loss in these systems. Direct measures of shrub water use are needed to accurately predict …

Taxonomic Revision Of Dendrobium Sw. Section Stachyobium Lindl. (Orchidaceae) In Thailand, Phataravee Prommanut

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Taxonomic revision of Dendrobium Sw. section Stachyobium Lindl. in Thailand has been conducted from 2015-2018 based on natural habitats observation in Thailand as well as various herbaria visits, i.e. BCU, BK, BKF, BM, C, CMUB, E, K, KKU and QBG. Key to species, taxonomic descriptions, ecological data, illustrations and geographical distribution of all taxa are provided. Twenty four taxa with including 21 species and 3 varieties were recognized. Among these, two species namely Dendrobium chiangdaoense and D. obchantiae are new to Thailand and two species viz. Dendrobium sp.2 and Dendrobium sp.3 are being proposed as new species. Besides, Dendrobium sp.1 …

Diversity Of Mosses In Phu Kradueng National Park, Loei Province, Patsakorn Ajintaiyasil

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The study of mosses diversity in Phu Kradueng National Park, Loei Province was explored from December 2014 to December 2016. The samples were collected along the 6 natural trails. A total of 501 samples were identified into 30 families, 55 genera, 100 species, 5 subspecies, and 9 varieties. Three families of mosses namely Sphagnaceae, Fissidentaceae, and Leucobryaceae were common families which included 11, 9 and 7 taxa, respectively. Additionally, the most common microhabitat was saxicolous with 45 species. The second and third common microhabitats were terrestrial and corticolous with 43 and 37 species, respectively. Additionally, there are 4 species which …

Nealley's Sprangletop (Leptochloa Nealleyi Vasey) Management And Interference In Rice Production, Eric Allen Bergeron

LSU Master's Theses

A glasshouse study was conducted on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge to evaluate herbicide activity on Nealley's sprangletop. Herbicides were applied to Nealley’s sprangletop plants in the one-two tiller stage with height of 20-30 cm. Nealley's sprangletop control, leaf number, height, tiller number, and fresh weight biomass were evaluated. Nealley's sprangletop treated with glyphosate, quizalofop, fenoxaprop, and clethodim was controlled 89 to 99%. A field study was conducted at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station (RRS) and a grower location (GL) to evaluate herbicide rates and timings for control of Nealley's sprangletop in drill-seeded rice. Herbicide treatments …

Molecular Genetics Of Cold Tolerance At Germination And Seedling Stages In Rice, Anna Hissahe Borjas Artica

LSU Master's Theses

Low temperature stress is a major constraint for rice production in temperate and high altitude areas of the world. Delayed germination coupled with reduced seedling vigor hinders crop establishment and crop growth resulting in reduced rice productivity. Mapping of chromosomal regions controlling cold tolerance will accelerate marker-assisted breeding of cold tolerant rice varieties. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population involving a rice cultivar ‘Bengal’ and a US weedy rice accession ‘PSRR-1’ was evaluated for cold tolerance at both germination and seedling stages. Observations on germinating ability and seedling vigor were recorded under both low temperature (13oC) and optimum temperature …

Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency And Yield In Louisiana Sugarcane Production Systems, Daniel Ernesto Forestieri

LSU Master's Theses

Proper nitrogen (N) management is essential to optimize crop production. This study was conducted to evaluate different N fertilizer management strategies to improve N use efficiency and yield in sugarcane production in Louisiana. This research was initiated in 2013 at the Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA and was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications consisting of different N rates (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N ha-1) and sources (urea-46% N, ammonium nitrate [AN]-34% N, and urea-ammonium-nitrate solution [UAN]-32% N dribbled and knifed-in) as treatments. Sensor readings were taken from different N response trials …

Soil Properties' Response To Wheat And Corn Stubble Residue Management In Louisiana, Autumn Danielle Acree

LSU Master's Theses

Crop residue plays an important role in improving soil fertility. Crop residue affects soil biological and chemical properties by increasing soil organic matter, nutrient status and availability, and microbial activity. The degree of the effects of crop residue on soil fertility depends on the crop residue management practice. Samples were collected in 2014 in wheat (Triticum spp.) stubble and corn (Zea mays) stubble residue. A second soil sample collection under wheat stubble residue was taken in 2015 in the prescribed fire and no-till sections. A total of 342 soil samples (0-2.5cm) were collected across conventional tillage, no-till, and prescribed fire …

Comparison Of Two Near-Isogenic Lines Of Bell Pepper (Capsicum Annuum): One Endornavirus-Infected And The Other Endornavirus-Free, Cesar Escalante Guardado

LSU Master's Theses

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) is an economically important food crop cultivated worldwide. So far, all tested commercial cultivars have been shown to be infected with Bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV). Although BPEV does not cause apparent disease, the effect of this virus on bell pepper has not been investigated. A comparative study that included plant phenotype and some physiological characteristics was conducted with two near-isogenic lines (NIL) of the bell pepper cv. Marengo: one infected with BPEV and the other BPEV-free. The interaction of BPEV with a disease-causing virus of pepper, Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), was also investigated. Differences in …

Does Timing Of Herbicide Use Influence Rates Of Germination Or Seedling Biomass Of Native Plants Used For Restoration?, Christine Mcmanamen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Invasive plants can negatively impact native grasslands by changing their species composition, productivity, and function. Managers commonly use herbicides as a control method; however, this practice can lead to secondary invasion by other non-native invasive plants, unless measures are taken to promote natives. Because of this, managers often seed native plants after spraying herbicides. There is evidence, however, that chemical control of invasive plants may reduce the effectiveness of subsequent seed-addition treatments, but there is currently little quantitative information on optimal timing between spraying and seeding or on variation in herbicide sensitivity among native plants commonly used in seed mixes. …

¬Multilocus Phylogeny Of The Lichen Family Megasporaceae, Tim B. Wheeler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The lichen symbiosis is one of the oldest studied mutualisms; in fact, Frank and De Bary coined the term "symbiosis" while studying lichens (Frank, 1877; De Bary 1879). The widespread, stable association between the mycobiont and photobiont in lichens offers an ideal system for the study of co-evolution. The recent application of molecular data to lichens has begun to unveil the complexities involved in these associations (Upreti et al. 2015, Spribille et al. 2016). Lichenized fungi make up a huge fraction of fungal diversity (Nash 2008), yet very little is known of their genetic diversity. Fungal taxonomy is notoriously difficult …

Drivers And Feedbacks Of The Fire-Grazing Interaction In The Northern Great Plains, Jacob E. Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The fire-grazing interaction is well studied in mesic grasslands worldwide, but research is lacking in semiarid systems. In addition, the fire-grazing interaction reduces the invasion of exotic forage species in mesic grasslands by increasing the scale of grazing selection and may be a tool to control invasive plants in other grasslands. We examined the principal drivers and feedbacks of the fire-grazing interaction on the strength of cattle grazing selection, forage quantity and quality, and vegetation structure and composition in two pastures in northeast Montana at The Nature Conservancy’s Matador Ranch. We also determined the influence of time since fire, within …

Molecular Diversity Of Foliar Fungal Endophytes In Relation To Defense Strategies And Disease In Whitebark Pine, Lorinda Bullington

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An invasive fungal pathogen, Cronartium ribicola (the causative agent of white pine blister rust) infects and kills whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) throughout the western US. Blister rust has decreased whitebark pine populations by over 90% in some areas. Whitebark pine, a keystone species, has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S., and the loss of this conifer is predicted to have severe impacts on forest composition and function in high elevations. Hundreds of asymptomatic fungal species live inside whitebark pine tissue, and recent studies suggest that these fungi can influence the frequency and …

Identification And Metabolite Profiling Of Chemical Activators Of Lipid Accumulation In Green Algae, Nishikant Wase, Boqiang Tu, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso

Nishikant Wase