Life Sciences Commons^™

Annual Forage Cropping-Systems For Midwestern Ruminant Livestock Production, John Ernest Mcmillan

Open Access Dissertations

Annual forage cropping systems are a vital aspect of livestock forage production. One area where this production system can be enhanced is the integration of novel annual forages into conventional cropping systems. Two separate projects were conducted to investigate alternative forage options in annual forage production. In the first discussed research trial, two sets of crops were sown following soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain harvest, at two nitrogen application rates 56 and 112 kg ha-1 . The first set of crops were C4 summer annuals seeded within two weeks of wheat grain harvest and included, brown …

Residual Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Soil Nitrogen Pools And Corn Growth, Meghan E. Moser

Open Access Theses

Given the dynamic nature of soil nitrogen (N), inorganic N fertilization to corn (Zea mays L.) has potential to alter N pool balance by creating an accumulation or depletion of soil N. Current corn N recommendations in the common corn-soybean rotation of Indiana strive to find the best N rate that maximizes producer profit. Increasing our understanding of soil N will inform producers if they should adjust fertilizer rates for corn to influence maintenance of organic N and Carbon. Our objective was to determine residual N effects from fertilized corn in a corn-soybean rotation by measuring (1) soil N …

Liming Characteristics Of A High-Calcium, Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Product And Its Effects On Runoff Water Quality, Jason Richard Burgess-Conforti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2013, only 37% of the 32 million Mg of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products generated in the United States were reused beneficially. If FGD by-products could be used as a beneficial soil amendment, millions of megagrams may be diverted away from surface impoundments and landfills. The purpose of this research was to identify the liming characteristics of a high-Ca dry FGD (DFGD) by-product in comparison to a Class-C fly ash (FA) and reagent-grade CaCO3, and to evaluate the effects of land application to a managed grassland on runoff, plant, and soil quality. Liming characteristics were determined by measuring the …

Soil And Plant Property Differences Among High-Yield Soybean Areas In Arkansas, Taylor Cass Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Continued achievement of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yields greater than 6719 kg ha-1 (100 bu ac-1) will depend on decreasing the yield gap, which is contingent on gathering more information regarding the soil physical, chemical, and microbiological environment and the main plant factors contributing to high-yield soybean. Therefore, understanding the main factor differences between high- and average-yield areas may provide insight for making management decisions to increase yields. The objectives of this study were i) to evaluate the effects of region and soil depth on soil property differences between high- and average-soybean-yielding areas, ii) to determine which soil properties …

Cover Crop Establishment And Potential Benefits To Arkansas Farmers, Ashley Elizabeth Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean farmers in Arkansas need best management practices (BMPs) that maximize the benefits of using cover crops including planting date and fertilization recommendations. An evaluation of cover crop species, planting dates, seeding rates, fertilizer rates, and N accumulation aids in providing these BMPs. The first objective of this research is to assess the effect of planting date on biomass production, as well as looking at the interaction of seeding rate or fertilizer rate for legumes or non-legumes, respectively, using Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum), cereal rye (Secale cereale), black oats (Avena strigosa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus). …

Adjustment And Optimization Of The Cropping Systems Under Water Constraint, Pingli An, Wei Ren, Xiliin Liu, Mengmei Song, Xuemin Li

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The water constraint on agricultural production receives growing concern with the increasingly sharp contradiction between demand and supply of water resources. How to mitigate and adapt to potential water constraint is one of the key issues for ensuring food security and achieving sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change. It has been suggested that adjustment and optimization of cropping systems could be an effective measure to improve water management and ensure food security. However, a knowledge gap still exists in how to quantify potential water constraint and how to select appropriate cropping systems. Here, we proposed a concept of …

Predicting Post-Fire Change In West Virginia, Usa From Remotely-Sensed Data, Michael Strager P. Strager, Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy, Aaron E. Maxwell

Journal of Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources

Prescribed burning is used in West Virginia, USA to return the important disturbance process of fire to oak and oak-pine forests. Species composition and structure are often the main goals for re-establishing fire with less emphasis on fuel reduction or reducing catastrophic wildfire. In planning prescribed fires land managers could benefit from the ability to predict mortality to overstory trees. In this study, wildfires and prescribed fires in West Virginia were examined to determine if specific landscape and terrain characteristics were associated with patches of high/moderate post-fire change. Using the ensemble machine learning approach of Random Forest, we determined that …

Identifying Soil Constraints That Limit Wheat Yield In The South-West Of Western Australia, Dennis Van Gool

Resource management technical reports

Wheat is grown on about 18 million hectares in the South-West Agricultural Region of Western Australia from north and east of Geraldton to Esperance in the south-east. Yields are frequently constrained by a range of soil factors.

This report uses existing conventional soil-landscape mapping to analyse the effects of 17 known soil constraints that limit crop production and roughly prioritises the areas where they occur.

Traditional land capability maps are prepared using a most-limiting factor approach, which assumes that ameliorating the most limiting constraint will result in a yield increase until the next most-limiting constraint is reached. Where there are …

Silica Uptake And Release In Live And Decaying Biomass In A Northern Hardwood Forest, Wim Clymans, Daniel J. Conley, John J. Battles, Patrick J. Frings, Mary Margaret Koppers, Gene E. Likens, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering

In terrestrial ecosystems, a large portion (20–80%) of the dissolved Si (DSi) in soil solution has passed through vegetation. While the importance of this “terrestrial Si filter” is generally accepted, few data exist on the pools and fluxes of Si in forest vegetation and the rate of release of Si from decomposing plant tissues. We quantified the pools and fluxes of Si through vegetation and coarse woody debris (CWD) in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem (Watershed 6, W6) at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire, USA. Previous work suggested that the decomposition of CWD may have significantly …

Identifying Soil Constraints That Limit Wheat Yield In The South-West Of Western Australia, Dennis Van Gool

Resource management technical reports

This is a novel approach using regional-scale information. The analysis estimated that:

• most of the wheat-growing land in south-west WA has one or more soil constraints
• about 1.6 million hectares (9% of the total area) are not suitable for cropping
• about 2.2 million hectares (12% of the total area) are suitable for cropping but are subject to many (more than 3) constraints; soil amelioration is unlikely to significantly improve profitable yield gain
• subsurface acidity extends over 12.6 million hectares (about 70% of the total area); about 7.6 million hectares of that area (42% of the total area) is estimated to …

Identifying Groundwater - Dependent Wetlands Of The Broome Sandstone Aquifer In The La Grange Groundwater Area, Nicholas Wright, Richard J. George Dr, Robert Paul, Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

This report identifies wetlands that are likely to be dependent on the Broome Sandstone aquifer within the La Grange groundwater allocation area. The Broome Sandstone aquifer is the dominant groundwater resource in the area. With potential agricultural growth of this area, it is necessary to understand, monitor and manage the aquifer and its dependent wetlands. This report describes how we created a watertable surface that was used to identify wetlands and to determine which of the previously mapped wetlands are likely to be sourced from the Broome Sandstone aquifer. A watertable surface was created from 148 points taken from bore …

Biogeographical Patterns Of Soil Microbial Communities: Ecological, Structural, And Functional Diversity And Their Application To Soil Provenance, Natalie Damaso

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current ecological hypothesis states that the soil type (e.g., chemical and physical properties) determines which microbes occupy a particular soil and provides the foundation for soil provenance studies. As human profiles are used to determine a match between evidence from a crime scene and a suspect, a soil microbial profile can be used to determine a match between soil found on the suspect’s shoes or clothing to the soil at a crime scene. However, for a robust tool to be applied in forensic application, an understanding of the uncertainty associated with any comparisons and the parameters that can significantly …

Sensitivity Of Seven Diverse Species To Blue And Green Light: Interactions With Photon Flux, Michael Chase Snowden, Bruce Bugbee, Kevin R. Cope

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Despite decades of research, the effects of spectral quality on plant growth, and development are not well understood. Much of our current understanding comes from studies with daily integrated light levels that are less than 10% of summer sunlight thus making it difficult to characterize interactions between light quality and quantity. Several studies have reported that growth is increased under fluorescent lamps compared to mixtures of wavelengths from LEDs. Conclusions regarding the effect of green light fraction range from detrimental to beneficial. Here we report the effects of eight blue and green light fractions at two photosynthetic photon fluxes (PPF; …

Multi-Sector Analysis Of The Progress And Challenges Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication In Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is home to 240 million children currently at risk of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, which is spread via unclean water, soil, and food, and causes acute pain and malnutrition. While acknowledging the research debates over WASH and mass drug administration, this study seeks to identify the systemic multidisciplinary issues affecting STH elimination efforts in rural Udaipur. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in villages, government departments, NGOs, and medical sectors to identify the challenges within each approach to deworming, and their experiences with multi-sectoral collaboration. The most recurring issues across disciplines were need for invested local leadership, increase in health literacy of adults, …

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Of Two Brassica Napus Near-Isogenic Lines Reveals A Network Of Genes That Influences Seed Oil Accumulation, Jingxue Wang, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Chunfang Du, Chen Li, Jianchun Fan, Sitakanta Pattanaik, Ling Yuan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an important oil seed crop, providing more than 13% of the world’s supply of edible oils. An in-depth knowledge of the gene network involved in biosynthesis and accumulation of seed oil is critical for the improvement of B. napus. Using available genomic and transcriptomic resources, we identified 1,750 acyl-lipid metabolism (ALM) genes that are distributed over 19 chromosomes in the B. napus genome. B. rapa and B. oleracea, two diploid progenitors of B. napus, contributed almost equally to the ALM genes. Genome collinearity analysis demonstrated that the majority of the …

A Novel Qtl Associated With Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Idaho 444 Winter Wheat, Jianli Chen, Mary J. Guttieri, Junli Zhang, David Hole, Edward Souza, Blair Goates

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Dwarf bunt [Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as ‘contraversa’], in Rabenhorst, Hedwigia 13: 188 (1874)] is a destructive disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that reduces grain yield and quality. A number of distinct genes conferring resistance to dwarf bunt have been used by breeding programs for nearly 100 years. However, few markers were identified that can be used in selection of dwarf bunt resistance. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the bunt-resistant germplasm, Idaho 444 (IDO444), and the susceptible cultivar, Rio Blanco, was evaluated for phenotypic reaction to dwarf bunt inoculation in four trials in …

Vasoactivity And Vasoconstriction Changes In Cattle Related To Time Off Toxic Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, James L. Klotz, Glen E. Aiken, Jessica R. Bussard, Andrew P. Foote, David L. Harmon, Ben M. Goff, F. Neal Schrick, James R. Strickland

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Previous research has indicated that serotonergic and α-adrenergic receptors in peripheral vasculature are affected by exposure of cattle grazing toxic endophyte-infected (E+; Epichlöe coenophialia) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). The objective of this experiment was to determine the period of time necessary for the vascular effects of ergot alkaloids to subside. Two experiments were conducted to investigate changes in vascular contractile response and vasoconstriction over time relative to removal from an ergot alkaloid-containing E+ tall fescue pasture. In Experiment 1, lateral saphenous vein biopsies were conducted on 21 predominantly Angus steers (357 ± 3 kg body weight) at …

Methane Emissions From Global Rice Fields: Magnitude, Spatiotemporal Patterns, And Environmental Controls, Bowen Zhang, Hanqin Tian, Wei Ren, Bo Tao, Chaoqun Lu, Jia Yang, Kamaljit Banger, Shufen Pan

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Given the importance of the potential positive feedback between methane (CH₄) emissions and climate change, it is critical to accurately estimate the magnitude and spatiotemporal patterns of CH₄ emissions from global rice fields and better understand the underlying determinants governing the emissions. Here we used a coupled biogeochemical model in combination with satellite-derived contemporary inundation area to quantify the magnitude and spatiotemporal variation of CH₄ emissions from global rice fields and attribute the environmental controls of CH₄ emissions during 1901–2010. Our study estimated that CH₄ emissions from global rice fields varied from 18.3 ± …

Modeling PCo2 Variability In The Gulf Of Mexico, Zuo Xue, Ruoying He, Katja Fennel, Wei-Jun Cai, Steven Lohrenz, Wei-Jen Huang, Hanqin Tian, Wei Ren, Zhengchen Zang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

A three-dimensional coupled physical–biogeochemical model was used to simulate and examine temporal and spatial variability of sea surface pCO₂ in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The model was driven by realistic atmospheric forcing, open boundary conditions from a data-assimilative global ocean circulation model, and observed freshwater and terrestrial nutrient and carbon input from major rivers. A 7-year model hindcast (2004–2010) was performed and validated against ship measurements. Model results revealed clear seasonality in surface pCO₂ and were used to estimate carbon budgets in the Gulf. Based on the average of model simulations, the GoM was a …

Regulation Of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone-Dependent Glucose Dehydrogenase Activity In The Model Rhizosphere-Dwelling Bacterium Pseudomonas Putida Kt2440, Ran An, Luke Moe

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil-dwelling microbes solubilize mineral phosphates by secreting gluconic acid, which is produced from glucose by a periplasmic glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) that requires pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as a redox coenzyme. While GDH-dependent phosphate solubilization has been observed in numerous bacteria, little is known concerning the mechanism by which this process is regulated. Here we use the model rhizosphere-dwelling bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to explore GDH activity and PQQ synthesis, as well as gene expression of the GDH-encoding gene (gcd) and PQQ biosynthesis genes (pqq operon) while under different growth conditions. We also use reverse transcription-PCR to identify transcripts …

Bulletin No. 42: The Mamacoke Conservation Area, Glenn Dreyer, Robert Askins, Scott Peterson

Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Identifying And Addressing Soil Property Issues Affecting Roadside Vegetation Establishment, Xu Li, Martha Mamo, Walter H. Schacht, Tala Awada, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Attaining adequate vegetation cover along highways is important for NDOR to comply with EPA’s stormwater regulations. However, low plant cover is a common problem on shoulders (first 16 feet off the pavement) of many highways in Nebraska. The ultimate goal of this study is to identify cost-effective engineering solutions that assure adequate seed beds (i.e., soil conditions) for establishment of selected seeding mixtures. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize the soil properties along roadsides where vegetation stands have not developed well, and (2) verify the effects of select soil property parameters on plant germination and establishment.

Sampling …

Determination Of Optimum Fall And Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate For Maximizing Grain Yield Of Soft Red Winter Wheat Sown At Variable Planting Dates, Lucas Vasconcelos Vieira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An optimum planting date is important for winter wheat nitrogen (N) management as it dramatically changes the growing environment including temperature and moisture, ultimately affecting fertilizer efficiency and grain yield (GY). In Arkansas, high precipitation in the fall often forces farmers to delay planting and current Arkansas recommendations include the application of fall N when soft red winter wheat (SRWW) is sown later than optimum, despite the lack of data supporting this practice. This study evaluated the effect of rate and timing of N application on GY of SRWW sown at variable planting dates in Arkansas. Granular urea was split …

The Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test: Should It Be Used In Iowa?, John E. Sawyer, Mohammod Ali Tabatabai

John E. Sawyer

The test was developed several years ago at the University of Illinois by researchers in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. It is a laboratory procedure designed to measure N liberated from soil heated for 5 hours with dilute alkali solution (sodium hydroxide). The test does not measure nitrate, but does measure exchangeable ammonium and a fraction of soil organic N.

Interpreting P And K Soil Test Results, John E. Sawyer, Antonio P. Mallarino

John E. Sawyer

Soil testing is a key component for determining the need for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization. Also, if fertilization is required, test results guide the rate of application recommended to optimize production. Through extensive field research, specific soil tests are calibrated against the expectation of response to applied P and K; that is, they provide both a relative index of the availability of P and K to the crop being grown and an indication of the magnitude of yield increase one might expect when nutrients are applied, thus providing the interpretation of text results.

Evaluation Of Fertilizer Additives For Enhanced Nitrogen Efficiency In Corn, Daniel W. Barker, John E. Sawyer, Michael J. Castellano

John E. Sawyer

The use of N additives and slow release materials with ammoniacal fertilizer varies throughout the U.S. Corn Belt due to differing N loss potentials across climate, soils, and production systems. In Iowa, recent years of high rainfall events and prolonged wet soil conditions has renewed interest to protect fertilizer N loss from denitrification, leaching, and greenhouse gas emission with use of nitrification inhibitors. These loss processes can be significant in Iowa soils that are poorly drained and have high organic matter, high pH, and high populations of denitrifying bacteria. Subsurface tile drainage is also prevalent in farmer fields throughout the …

Drought Impacts On Soil Fertility Management, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

If crop production was severely reduced because of dry conditions this year, there are a few items you can consider when planning for next year's crop. One, with severely damaged crops and low yields you might credit some of the phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) applied for this year's crop to next year, as much less removal will occur in grain harvest of the lower than expected yield.

Anhydrous Ammonia Application And Dry Soils, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

It is almost time that anhydrous ammonia (NH3) applications could begin (remember 50 F and cooling 4-inch soil temperature). However, many soils in Iowa are quite dry this fall. So, can anhydrous ammonia be applied to dry soil? Will it be held in dry soil?

45th Annual North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference, John E. Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

If you would like to learn more about current soil fertility issues and research being conducted at universities across the North Central region, then consider attending the 45th Annual North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference on November 4-5, 2015, from 1 p.m. to noon, at the Holiday Inn Airport in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference will include invited presentations from university and industry leaders, research reports from university soil fertility researchers, and posters outlining research by graduate students at universities across the North Central region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, …

Sulfur Management For Iowa Crop Production, John E. Sawyer, Brian J. Lang, Daniel W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Summary of statewide evaluation in Iowa of alfalfa and corn yield response to applied sulfur fertilizers. On-farm, small-plot and field-length strip trial yield response data presented from 2005-2013.