Life Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Devices For Measuring Soil Moisture Tension And Their Effectiveness In Predicting Irrigation Requirements In The Field, Modesto Capiel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many problems of management of irrigated soils require a knowledge of the soil moisture status and its relationship to plant growth before they can be solved.

The amount of water in the soil as indicated by moisture content gives no reliable information of its availability for plant growth. It is therefore desirable to obtain a direct measurement of the readiness with which soil water can be obtained by the plant

the "field capacity" and the "wilting percentage" have been helpful in estimating the amount of soil water that can be used by plants.

Soil sampling has been used extensively to …

Seasonal Distribution Of Mosquitoes In A Mile-Square Area West Of Logan, Utah, Takeshi Miura

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mosquitoes are one of the most important groups of insects, because of their blood-sucking habit and their ability to transmit a number of serious diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, encephalitis, and filiariasis.

The most important mosquito-borne disease in Utah is probably equine encephalomyelitis, which is a serious disease in man, horses, and mules. According to Spendlove and others (1953), this disease occurs every year in Utah:

Cases among horses usually are scattered, but severe horse epidemics in past years have destroyed hundreds of animals. Since this disease in humans is difficult to distinguish from other similar diseases, such …

An Evaluation Of Methods Of Concentrating And Counting The Phytoplankton Of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, William J. Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The phytoplankton, or plant plankton, live in the open water throughout their life cycle and obtain the necessary nutrients from the water. They are important contributors to the total plant production of lakes and ponds.

The Airplane In Unit Sampling Of Mule Deer Populations In Harding County, South Dakota, Karl B. Kuhlmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prairie deer region of South Dakota extends west from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. The region borders the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, and is approximately 40,000 square miles in extent. Biologists believe that present deer numbers on these prairies are similar to those of pre-homestead days. The present large numbers of deer in certain counties have given many prairie ranchers and farmers cause for concern. The region's first deer season (bucks only) in 1952 resulted from earlier increases in mule and whitetail herds. After a closed season in 1953, a hunter's choice of …

Marketing Sheep And Lambs In Utah, 1954-55, Lloyd I. Holmes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The sheep industry of Utah began about the middle of the nineteenth century when the Mormon pioneers came to Utah. The first sheep in Utah were of Merino breeding, kept primarily for wool production. These breeds were decendants of the early Merino sheep from Spain and were probably introduced into this country by Spanish explorers. Sheep are produced to provide food and fiber in Utah. Utah's climate, topography, and natural vegetation are conducive to sheep production. Sheep do well in semi-arid climates and can economically harvest the natural vegetation on land not suited to crop production. Utah has large acreages …

Retail Merchandising Practices For Eggs And Poultry Products In Utah, 1955, M. Vincent Jorgensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Poultry and egg purchases represent a substantial part of the consumers' dollar spent for food. The Marketing and Transportation Situation reported that the average American family of 3.3 persons used 11.3 percent of its food expenditures for the purchase of chickens and eggs in 1953. This means that the average family spent $113.00 for eggs and chickens during that year.

A Study Of The Variability Of Distichlis Stricta Selections From Several Geographical Locations In The Western United States, Arlan Kent Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Distichlis stricts as indicated by the available literature is rather unpalatable, but has the ability to grow vigorously on wet, saline, or alkali soils where more palatable species will not survive. D. stricts can be eradicated quickly where drainage and cultivation can be practices, but there are thousands of acres in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina where cultivation or drainage are impractical or impossible.

On such problem soils, where the majority of the vegetation consists largely of D. stricts, a great deal of benefit would be derived from any improvement in the forage quality of this species. …

The Effect Of Bicarbonate On The Uptake Of Zinc By Plants, Lawrence G. Morrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zinc deficiencies occur in many fruit orchards in Utah even though the soil contains amounts of zinc that would normally be sufficient for good plant growth. The existing zinc problem in Utah is, therefore, one of availability.

Problems of zinc availability generally occur in the pH range of 6-8. Zinc deficiencies occurring within this pH range are more frequently found on well-aerated soils than on poorly aerated ones with other conditions being the same. It has been shown that carbon dioxide will convert both zinc hydroxide and zinc carbonate into more soluble bicarbonates with the concentration of Zn⁺⁺ that …

The Inheritance Of Certain Morphological Characters Of The Barley Spike, Donald C. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plant breeding, in its simplest form, began thousands of years ago. Since then it has grown into a science of immense practical importance with vast strides made possible by continued research.

The Economics Of Turkey Production In Utah, 1954, Richard W. Kearl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The production of turkeys by farmers for market in Utah has risen from a meager beginning a few decades ago, to one of the important agricultural industries today. Utah's turkey industry has expanded tenfold from the 226,000 head sold in 1929 to the record high 2,285,000 head sold in 1954. Pounds sold was 13 times greater in 1954 than in 1929 due to the increased weight per bird as well as to the increase in number of head. The record number of 2,285,000 head sold for the amount of $10,635,000. This accounted for about seven per cent of the total …

Ecology Of Plant Distribution On The Salt-Deserts Of Utah, Dillard H. Gates

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The reciprocal effects of vegetation and soils have long been a subject of speculation and conjecture. In the management of any natural land area the problem of interpreting vegetational expression is especially important. The effects of native vegetation on soils and the effects of the soil on the vegetation have been studied and observed for many years. The arid-desert range lands have been studied least and as a result are not well understood.

As human populations increase there will be additional need for agricultural production, and these lands may be put to higher use, perhaps even to irrigated crop production. …

A Comparison Of Fluid Milk Processing 6 And 3 Days Per Week In One Small Plant, Utah 1953, John L. Willis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many of the fluid milk processing plants in Utah are relatively small. The typical small plant in Utah is generally family operated with some hired help. Although most of the small plants are individually owned, some are operated as partnerships. Often the same man picks-up, processes, and then delivers the milk. Some of the processors also own dairy herds. In these cases the same man performs all the functions necessary to carry the milk products from the farm to the consumer's door. It is not uncommon to find the plant owner and manager performing all these duties himself.

Larger floor …

Non-Return Conception Rate Of Artificially Inseminated Cows As Affected By Dilution Rate, Grade, Bull Source, And Age Of Semen Shipped By A Utah Artificial Breeding Association, William Lloyd Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Artificial insemination of dairy cattle has become a major part of the dairy industry during the past 15 years. There has been a steady increase in the number of cows serviced each year since the first artificial breeding association was organized in the United States in 1938. In 1952 there were 4,238,245 cows bred artificially. In 1953 there were 4,845,222 and in 1955, artificially bred cows numbered 5,250,000.

The Effect Of The Water Extracting Requirement Upon The Fertilizer, Yield And Growth Response Of Sweet Corn, Roberto Vazquez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are a number of factors that influence crop yield, two of which are soil moisture and fertility.

Red Raspberry Root Rot In Northern Utah, Robert L. Powelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During the last few years, red raspberry growers in Utah have been finding that plantings gradually lose vigor and are not profitable. In the largest raspberry growing area in Utah, Utah County, figures taken from the U.S. census from 1930 to 1950, show a decrease in acres of raspberries grown from 401 in 1930 to 190 in 1950 (2). In many instances this deterioration of raspberry plantings in Utah has not been definitely associated with known plant pathogenic fungi or virus infections. Neither can the expansion of suburbs account for this decrease. In certain cases it has been obvious that …

Root Yields, Sucrose, And Glutamic Acid Content Of Sugar Beets As Influenced By Soil Moisture, Nitrogen Fertilization, Variety, And Harvest Date, Donald G. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States produces about 1.8 million tons of sugar annually. Approximately 75 per cent of this production is derived from sugar beets. The importance of the sugar beet crop in national and world economy is justification for research effort as a means to more economical production.

It is desirable that sugar beet processing be carried out in the most efficient manner. More effective utilization of the sugar beet and its by-products will add stability to the sugar beet industry.

For the past 170 years, since Achard found that sugar could be used for human consumption and that pulp might …

Salt Tolerance Studies Of Selected Crop Plants, Cyril Reed Funk Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extensive land areas in arid and semi-arid regions contain excessive amounts of salt which inhibit or prevent the growth of desirable crop plants. This problem is increasing with the development of extensive irrigation projects. The future of irrigation agriculture will depend upon the development and the utilization of means of (1) preventing salt accumulation, (2) reclaiming salted soils, and (3) making the best use of those soils which by reason of drainage problems, soil texture and permeability, poor quality irrigation water, etc. are unsuited for economic reclamation.

The utilization of land that is not feasible to completely reclaim, at least …

On The Kinetics Of Moisture Flow In Unsaturated Soils, James Wellington Biggar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The flow of fluids in porous media continues to be a widely studied phenomenon. Soil moisture relationships and particularly the flow of water in soil is perhaps the most widely investigated of the four edaphatic factors related to plant growth, namely moisture, aeration, temperature and compaction.