Life Sciences Commons^™

Three Sister Crops: Understanding American Indian Agricultural Practices Of Corn, Beans And Squash, Sara Colombe, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matthew L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

American Indians have practiced an inter-planting system to produce corn, beans, and squash, for generations. These crops are known as the “Three Sisters”. In this lesson developed for secondary agriscience curriculum, students will understand the past, current and future production practices of the three important crops. Students will also apply their knowledge to understand the crop selection process and relate to the changing environment.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In The Precision Agriculture Workforce: An Industry Survey, Bruce Erickson, Scott W. Fausti, David Clay, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture encompasses a set of related technologies aimed at better utilizing crop inputs, increasing yield and quality, reducing production risks, and enabling information flow throughout the crop supply and end-use chains. As agricultural businesses invest in precision offerings, their capacity to provide these products and services will depend on their ability to hire and retain employees with appropriate proficiency as defined in their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). A 2015 survey of agricultural retailers examined the minimum educational requirements retailers were seeking in their hires, along with the importance of a list of KSAs for the various positions that …

Using Abrasive Grit For Weed Management In Field Crops, Michael Carlson, Frank Forcella, Sam Wortman, Sharon A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Abrasive grit, applied at high pressure and directed at plant base, can control weeds and increase yield. We evaluated fertilizer [pelletized turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) litter] and non-fertilizer [walnut (Juglans regia) shell] grits for maize and soybean in-row (IR) weed management. Grits were applied at V1 and V5 of maize, and V1 and V3 of soybean. Between-row weed cultivation was done alone (BR), or in combination with grit (I/B), after grit application. Small weeds (<4 >cm) were controlled after grit treatment, but, larger broadleaf weeds, grass weeds (treated when growing points were below ground), and later emerging …

Air-Propelled Abrasive Grit Can Damage The Perennial Weed Quackgrass, Frank Forcella, Daniel Humburg, Samuel E. Wortman, Sharon A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

our field experiments were conducted during 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the efficacy of preemergence herbicides to control glyphosate-resistant common ragweed in corn. Dicamba, dicamba/atrazine, mesotrione + atrazine, isoxaflutole + atrazine, saflufenacil/dimethenamid-P, and S-metolachlor/mesotrione/bicyclopyrone/atrazine were the most efficacious herbicides, providing 94%–100% control of GR common ragweed and reducing density and biomass 98%–100%.

30 Years Of Progress Toward Increased Biomass Yield Of Switchgrass And Big Bluestem, M. D. Casler, K. P. Vogel, D. K. Lee, R. B. Mitchell, P. R. Adler, R. M. Suic, K. D. Johnson, R. L. Kallenbach, A. R. Boe, R. D. Mathison, K. A. Cassida, D. H. Min, J. Crawford, K. J. Moore

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Breeding to improve biomass production of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) for conversion to bioenergy began in 1992. The purpose of this study was (i) to develop a platform for uniform regional testing of cultivars and experimental populations for these species, and (ii) to estimate the gains made by breeding during 1992 to 2012. A total of 25 switchgrass populations and 16 big bluestem populations were planted in uniform regional trials at 13 locations in 2012 and 2014. The reference region was USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 6 in the humid temperate United …

Weed Presence Altered Biotic Stress And Light Signaling In Maize Even When Weeds Were Removed Early In The Critical Weed‐Free Period, David P. Horvath, Stephanie Bruggeman, Janet Moriles-Miller, James V. Anderson, Munevver Dogramaci, Brian E. Scheffler, Alvaro G. Hernandez, Michael E. Foley, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Weed presence early in the life cycle of maize (typically, from emergence through the 8 to 12 leaf growth stage) can reduce crop growth and yield and is known as the critical weed‐free period (CWFP). Even if weeds are removed during or just after the CWFP, crop growth and yield often are not recoverable. We compared transcriptome responses of field‐grown hybrid maize at V8 in two consecutive years among plants grown under weed‐free and two weed‐stressed conditions (weeds removed at V4 or present through V8) using RNAseq analysis techniques. Compared with weed‐free plant responses, physiological differences at V8 were identified …

Do Precision Chemical Amendment Applications Impact Sodium Movement In Dryland Semiarid Saline Sodic Soils?, Tulsi P. Kharel, David E. Clay, Cheryl Reese, Thomas Desutter, Doug D. Malo, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Expanding sodicity and salinity problems have placed many northern Great Plains (NGP) soils at the sustainability tipping point. This study assessed the impact of chemical restoration on water and salt transport in undisturbed soil columns collected from three hillslope model landscape positions. The backslope (Redfield), footslope (White Lake), and toeslope (Pierpont) soils had moderate (3.27 ± 0.59), high (7.3 ± 3.34), and very high (13.29 ± 3.2) sodium adsorption ratio (SAR_e) values, respectively. The soils were treated with KBr and one of four soil amendments (none, H₂SO₄, CaSO₄, and CaCl₂). …

Tripartite Interactions Of Legumes With Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi And Rhizobial Bacteria: Insight Into Plant Growth, Seed Yield, And Resource Exchange, Arjun Kafle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under natural conditions, legumes, such as alfalfa (Medicago) and soybean (Glycine max) are colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobial bacteria forming tripartite interactions. Legumes are important crop species due to their high nutritional and economic values. Most of the previous literatures focused on experiments with an individual symbiont: either AM fungi or rhizobial bacteria, but not with both symbionts at the same time, thus our current understanding of resource exchange in tripartite interactions is limited. It has been reported that AM fungi primarily provide phosphate (P), nitrogen (N), and other nutritional and non-nutritional benefits while rhizobial bacteria solely …

Map-Based Cloning And Molecular Characterization Of The Seed Dormancy 10 Locus In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Wirat Pipatpongpinyo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seed dormancy is a key adaptive trait of both ecological and agricultural importance. Although many quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been associated with seed dormancy in cereal crops or model plants, a majority of them remain unknown for molecular identities and functions. Cereal crops and wild/weedy relatives usually have weak and strong seed dormancy, respectively, such as Asian cultivated rice vs. weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.). Previous research identified a set of seed dormancy QTL, including qSD10, in single plant-derived BC₁F₂ and BC₁F₃ populations from the backcross between the weedy rice line SS18-2 …

Identifying And Characterizing Salt-Tolerant Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa Subsp Falcata Germplasm, Katelin E. Frerichs, Lan Xu

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Soil salinity limits plant growth and crop production. More than 20% of cultivated land worldwide is affected by salinity. The situation is becoming more severe due to shifts in precipitation and evaporation patterns and improper irrigation. There is an urgent need to develop salt-tolerant, economically valuable plants to minimize the loss of and to sustain agricultural production. Alfalfa is one of the most extensively cultivated forage crops. Some yellow-flowered alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp. falcata) have exhibited morphological and physiological drought tolerance. Since soil salinity is associated with physiological drought, it is reasonable to expect that these drought tolerant falcata populations …

Propelled Abrasive Grit For Weed Control In Organic Silage Corn, Mauricio Erazo-Barradas, Fran Forcella, Dan Humburg

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Weed management in organic farming requires many strategies to accomplish acceptable control and maintain crop yields. This 2-yr field study used air propelled abrasive grit for in-row weed control in organically certified silage corn (Zea mays L.). Corncob grit was applied as a single application at corn vegetative growth stages V1 (one true leaf; numbers correspond to number of true leaves at the corn vegetative stage), V3, or V5 (in 2013) and V3, V5, and V7 (in 2014) and in double and triple combinations at these stages. Between-row weed control was accomplished by flaming or cultivation after the last grit …

Growing South Dakota (Winter 2018), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Learn About Our Leaders
[Page] 4 Academic Programs at a Glace
[Page] 6 New Precision Ag Major Takes Off
[Page] 9 Raven Gives $5 Million Gift
[Page] 10 New Plant Science Research Facility
[Page] 13 Technical Training to Four-Year Degree
[Page] 15 Ag-Bio Career Fair Hits Record
[Page] 16 Breaking Ground : SD ADRDL
[Page] 19 Distinguished Professor Eric Nelson
[Page] 20 SDSU’s Veterinary Students
[Page] 24 Conservation Planning and Park Management
[Page] 25 Natural Resource Law Enforcement
[Page] 26 Medical Stethoscope Ceremony
[Page] 29 Master’s Degree in Human Biology
[Page] 30 Scott Pedersen Prepares Students
[Page] 32 …

Regulation Of Local Auxin Metabolism During Soybean Nodule Development, Suresh Damodaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legume-rhizobia symbiosis leads to the development of secondary root organs called nodules. Rhizobia bacteria housed inside nodules assimilate atmospheric nitrogen and convert them into plant usable forms thereby reducing the need for fertilizer application in crop legumes like soybean. Nodule development is a coordinated process orchestrated by multiple plant hormones. In soybean, the auxin responsive gene expression was detected in nodule primordia and in the periphery of mature nodules, primarily in nodule vasculature. Auxin hypersensitivity reduces nodule formation in soybean and also polar auxin transport inhibition at the site of nodule development is not crucial for determinate nodule formation. Therefore, …

Evaluation Of Tannins And Anthocyanins In Marquette, Frontenac, And St. Croix Cold-Hardy Grape Cultivars, Somchai Rice, Jacek A. Koziel, Murlidhar Dharmadhikari, Anne Fennell

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Cold-hardy grape cultivars have become popular in northern regions. Wines from these cultivars are low in tannins and lighter in color compared to Vitis vinifera. The northern regions are striving to enhance desired ″full body″ and red color qualities in the wine produced from cold-hardy grapes. The objective of this study was to compare tannin and pigment content in skins and seeds of three cold-hardy red grape cultivars, at two time points, from two locations, using the Adams-Harbertson (A-H) assay. The A-H assay is based on protein precipitation and spectrophotometry. Total tannin concentrations detected in Frontenac, Marquette, and St. Croix …

Comparison Of Three Assembly Strategies For A Heterozygous Seedless Grapevine Genome Assembly, Sagar Patal, Zhixiu Lu, Xiaozhu Jin, Padmapriya Swaminathan, Erliang Zeng, Anne Y. Fennell Dr

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Background
De novo heterozygous assembly is an ongoing challenge requiring improved assembly approaches. In this study, three strategies were used to develop de novo Vitis vinifera ‘Sultanina’ genome assemblies for comparison with the inbred V. vinifera (PN40024 12X.v2) reference genome and a published Sultanina ALLPATHS-LG assembly (AP). The strategies were: 1) a default PLATANUS assembly (PLAT_d) for direct comparison with AP assembly, 2) an iterative merging strategy using METASSEMBLER to combine PLAT_d and AP assemblies (MERGE) and 3) PLATANUS parameter modifications plus GapCloser (PLAT*_GC).
Results
The three new assemblies were greater in size than the AP assembly. PLAT*_GC had the …

Determination Of Selected Aromas In Marquette And Frontenac Wine Using Headspace-Spme Coupled With Gc-Ms And Simultaneous Olfactometry, Somchai Rice, Nanticha Lutt, Jacek A. Koziel, Murlidhar Dharmadhikari, Anne Fennell Dr

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Understanding the aroma profile of wines made from cold climate grapes is needed to help winemakers produce quality aromatic wines. The current study aimed to add to the very limited knowledge of aroma-imparting compounds in wines made from the lesser-known Frontenac and Marquette cultivars. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with simultaneous olfactometry was used to identify and quantify selected, aroma-imparting volatile organic compounds (VOC) in wines made from grapes harvested at two sugar levels (22° Brix and 24° Brix). Aroma-imparting compounds were determined by aroma dilution analysis (ADA). Odor activity values (OAV) were also used to …

Mob Vs. Rotational Grazing: Impact On Forage Use And Artemisia Absinthium, Heidi Reed, Alexander Smart, David E. Clay, Michelle Ohrtman, Sharon A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Short duration (≤24 h), high stocking density grazing systems (e.g., mob grazing) mimics historic prairie grazing patterns of American bison (Bison bison), and should minimize selective grazing. We compared mob [125 cow-calf pairs on either 0.65 ha for 12 h; or 1.3 ha for 24 h] vs. rotational [25 cow-calf pairs on 8.1 ha for 20 days starting in mid-May with or without 2,4-D application prior to grazing; and 15 days starting mid-April (no herbicide)] grazing systems based on forage utilization and impact to Artemisia absinthium (absinth wormwood) in a tall grass pasture of Eastern South Dakota. Grass …

Measuring The Influence Of Bedding On Soil Nitrogen Losses And Corn Crop Nitrogen Characteristics For Fall Applied Solid Beef Cattle Manure In Eastern South Dakota, Mukesh Mehata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is a major component of chlorophyll which plays a key role in the photosynthesis process in crops. The N is one of the highest demanded nutrients by all plants for their growth and reproduction. Manure or inorganic fertilizer is often applied to fulfill the crops’ N demand. However, the applied N sources have the potential of N losses in different forms from the soil volume in many ways such as ammonia (NH₃) volatilization, aerial nitrous oxide (N₂O) loss, nitrate (NO₃ --N) leaching, and runoff and/or erosion. Soil fertility, crop yield, water quality, and …

Isolation Of Potential Photosynthetic N2-Fixing Microbes From Topsoil Of Native Grasslands In South Dakota, Nanfang Wang, Shengni Tian, Liping Gu, Lan Xu, Yeyan Qiu, Trevor Van Den Top, Jose L. Gonzalez-Hernandez, Michael B. Hildreth, Shaoshan Li, Runbao Zhou

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most limiting factors and costly inputs in agriculture production. Current fossil fuel-dependent ammonia production is both energy intensive and environmentally damaging. An economically practical and environmentally friendly solution for the production of ammonia is urgently needed. Solar-powered N2-fixing cyanobacteria provide a unique opportunity and promise for applications in agriculture compared to all other N2-fixing bacteria that cannot use solar energy. Isolation of nitrogen-fixing microbes from the topsoil of native grasslands may have the potential to use them in crop fields as living ammonia factories. This may be a mechanism to free farmers from heavy …

Impacts Of Strategic Grazing And Fire On Soil Seed Bank Heterogeneity In Mixed-Grass Prairie, Kassidy Weathers, Lan Xu, Patricia Johnson

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Native plant communities in the Northern Great Plains evolved under periodic fire and substantial grazing pressure from native herbivores, two main drivers maintaining the heterogeneity of grassland ecosystems. However, contemporary management practices focus on maximizing livestock production through fire suppression and uniform grazing strategies, resulting in decreased vegetation heterogeneity, species richness, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. Objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of patch-burn grazing (PBG) and winter-patch grazing (WPG) managements on soil seed bank heterogeneity in terms of species 1) richness, 2) composition, 3) abundance, and 4) diversity. Two soil cores (10-cm dia × 10-cm …

Impacts Of Diverse Crop Rotations And Integrated Crop-Livestock System On Soil Quality In South Dakota, Atilla Polat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crop diversification can be beneficial in improving soil quality parameters. Diverse crop rotations and integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), are two examples of crop diversification used in this study to assess soil quality. The objectives of this study were to: (i) assess the impacts of diverse rotations on soil quality parameters, and (ii) assess the impacts of low and high stocking density on soil quality parameters. Both of the studies were conducted separately and are presented as two different chapters. To accomplish objective (i), a long-term experiment was selected which was established near Brookings, South Dakota, USA at USDA-ARS lab in …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Root Development In Wheat Triticum Aestivum Using High Throughtput Sequencing Technologies, Ghana Challa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Root provides plant water, nutrients and anchorage from soil. Most our knowledge of molecular mechanisms of root development is from the dicot model plant Arabidopsis, but very few studies have done in monocot crop systems like rice, maize, and wheat. We are studying very short root (VSR) phenotype in wheat, and lack of a sequenced reference genome in wheat prompted us to sequence and assemble the root transcriptome of the reference cultivar Chinese Spring (CS). A root transcriptome was assembled from the sequenced reads generated from root tip and the mature root tissues of CS. Approximately 169 million reads were …

Application Of Genomic Approaches To Improve Yield And Bacterial Leaf Streak Resistance In Winter Wheat, Sai Mukund Ramakrishnan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global wheat production is threatened by the change in climate thus leading lead to the increase in the biotic and abiotic stresses. We need to increase wheat productivity at a faster pace and manage these challenges to meet the growing demand. Development of cultivars with durable disease resistance and enhancing the rate of genetic gain in wheat are the major goals in wheat breeding programs. Bacterial Leaf Streak (BLS) is one of the most threatening bacterial diseases to wheat in the US Northern Great Plains. Unlike fungal diseases, bacterial diseases cannot be effectively managed using chemicals and thus developing disease …

Microbial Communities And Their Impact On Bioenergy Crops In Dynamic Environments, Brandon Monier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native perennial grasses, such as prairie cordgrass (PCG, Spartina pectinata Link), and switchgrass (SG, Panicum virgatum L.) have a great potential as bioenergy crops, because they require fewer inputs, produce more energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to annual cropping systems such as corn and soybean. SG has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for development as bioenergy crop, but studies have shown that PCG can outcompete switchgrass in terms of biomass production. These crops can also form associations with a wide variety of plant growth promoting microbes including arbuscular mycorrhial (AM) fungi. In CHAPTER 2, …

Study Of Seasonal Change And Water Stress Condition In Plant Leaf Using Polarimetric Lidar Measurement, Prabeen Kattel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Study of vegetation is of great importance to the improvement of agriculture and forest management. Although there have been various attempts to characterize vegetation using remote sensing techniques, polarimetric lidar is a novel remote sensing tool that has shown potential in vegetation remote sensing. In this thesis, a near-infrared polarimetric lidar at 1064 nm was used to investigate the effects of seasonal change and water stress condition on plant leaves. Two variables, time and water content, affected the plant leaf laser depolarization ratio measurement. The first study focused on the maple tree in order to figure out how seasonal change …

Identification Of Qtl Modifying The Activity Of The Tcb1-S Locus And Characterization And Sequencing Of Two Plutonium-Beryllium Induced Reduced Gametophyte Transmission Mutants In Maize, Merritt Bryer Burch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is split into two independent projects both involving the male gametophyte generation of maize. The first project looks at how pollen interacts with the female gametophyte to reduce its transmission in cross-incompatible reactions controlled by the unilateral cross-incompatibility system, teosinte crossing barrier 1. The second project explores two plutonium-beryllium induced male gametophyte mutants and attempts to uncover their genetic basis.

Identification of QTL Modifying the Activity of the Tcb1-s Locus
Teosinte crossing barrier 1 (Tcb1) is a unilateral cross-incompatibility system present in maize that provides a pre-zygotic pistil barrier to plants carrying Tcb1-s (strong allele) from pollen …

Evaluation Of Alternative Weed Hosts And Management Strategies For Soybean Cyst Nematode In South Dakota, Pawan Basnet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines, Ichinohe) is an important pathogen of soybean in South Dakota which causes significant yield losses. SCN has been found in 30 South Dakota counties as on 2017 and is estimated to cause yield loss of 1.9 Metric tons (Mt) annually. SCN has diverse crop and weed hosts as it can reproduce in several crops and weeds. The presence of Heterodera glycines (HG) types can reduce the effectiveness of SCN-resistant cultivars and the HG types reproduction on weed hosts can negate the effectiveness of crop rotation by continued build-up in the field. This …

Improving The Nutritional Characteristics Of Plant Feedstuff By-Products Using Fungal Metabolism, Jacob Zahler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plant feedstuff by-products such as soy processing wastewater, guar korma meal, and sorghum hominy are very different, however, all possess a rich nutrient profile. Lessening their value is the presence of lignocellulose, plant anti-nutritional factors, and unfavorable protein profiles. Fungal conversion processes are an attractive approach to improving the value of these by-products by degrading detrimental fractions of each while simultaneously creating nutrient-rich cell mass. The aim of this research was to improve the value of each by-product for potential application in monogastric diets such as fish. Fungal organisms, both yeast and filamentous fungi, were examined for their ability to …

Impacts Of Altered Precipitation Frequency, Clipping, And Competition On Perennial Grasses Mediated Through Belowground Bud Bank In Northern Mixed-Grass Prairie, Surendra Bam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perennial grasslands are remarkably resilient to severe natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Such resiliency largely depends on successful tiller recruitment and establishment from belowground bud banks. In the northern Great Plains, introduced perennial smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) has been rapidly invading and transforming larger tracts of native prairies by replacing native perennial species, such as western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), reducing biodiversity and quality of habitats, and increasing vulnerability of grasslands to other environmental disturbances. In this study, we evaluated the response of belowground bud production, tiller and rhizome recruitment, and plant establishment between the native P. smithii …

Exploiting The Genetic Diversity Of Wild Ancestors And Relatives Of Wheat For Its Improvement, Jagdeep Singh Sidhu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wheat is the third most staple food worldwide but current 1% annual improvement in the wheat production is insufficient to meet the growing demands in future. The narrow genetic base of wheat limits continuous improvement in wheat productivity and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses under changing climate. Wild ancestors and relatives of wheat hold a potential in widening the genetic pool of wheat and enhance its resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study was focused towards characterizing the genetic diversity in wild relatives of wheat for disease resistance and efficient association with diazotrophs. In the first study, we …