Life Sciences Commons^™

Techniques For Triggering Germination Of Adenostoma Fasciculatum In Revegetation Projects At Rocky Canyon Quarry, Stephanie B. Scolari

Master's Theses

Rocky Canyon Quarry is a granite mine located in the Santa Lucia Mountains about 5 miles southeast of the city of Atascadero. The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), which passed in 1975, dictates that California mines must rehabilitate lands disturbed by mining operations. Dr. V. L. Holland and his students in the Biological Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) have been working on restoration and revegetation of the Rocky Canyon Quarry since the early 1990’s.

Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) dominates the chaparral communities (chamisal chaparral) found in Rocky Canyon. Chamise is the most common …

No-Till Tomato Production, Bradley L. Booker

Master's Theses

Tillage increases erosion rates and diminishes the quality of soils but has traditionally been a way to manage weeds and prepare a seedbed. No-till vegetable production can ameliorate the ill-effects of tillage in an economically effective way but has not been studied much in California. The objective of this thesis was to determine the viability of no-till vegetable cropping on the Central Coast of California. Tomatoes were grown in no-till and conventionally tilled treatments. Total yield, fruit weight, weed emergence, soil bulk density, soil aggregate stability, and soil organic carbon content were measured and compared. Yields and soil tests in …

Effect Of Water On Micronutrient Content And Yield In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Sheila Lorraine Baker

Master's Theses

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important crop in many countries. According to the IRRI, more than 2 billion people globally depend on rice as a staple food (Dawe, et al. 2003). Studies on micronutrient content in rice and the effect of water in availability of the nutrients may aid in decreasing global nutrient deficiencies. Rice is grown under different water regimes such as AWD and intermittent flooding, sprinkler and furrow irrigation. A greenhouse pot experiment of rice utilizing a split plot design under different water regimes was conducted to assess the affect of water on (1) DTPA extractable soil …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Plant Growth Regulator Sprays And Girdling: Potential Horticultural Techniques To Increase Fruit Retention And Yield Of Longan (Dimocarpus Longan Lour.) Trees In California, Leila Anne Graves

Master's Theses

Abstract Plant Growth Regulator Sprays and Girdling: Potential Horticultural Techniques to Increase Fruit Retention and Yield of Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Trees in California Leila Graves June 2009 The longan is a subtropical fruit tree whose popularity is growing quickly among American consumers, and thus, could become a lucrative niche market for California growers. Trees planted as part of an initial variety trial conducted in commercial California orchards are beginning to bear fruit. However, fruit retention and yields are low due to excessive abscission during early fruit set. Horticultural techniques, such as plant growth regulator (PGR) sprays and girdling, often …

Evaluation Of Herbicide Efficacy As Influenced By Adjuvant And Nozzle Type, Catherine L. (Grissom) Ansolabehere

Master's Theses

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a common and difficult weed to control in turfgrass as it is a highly visible and unsightly weed that disrupts the uniformity of the turfgrass surface. This weed is a serious problem in the turfgrass industry in California and there is a need for better methods of control. With more regulations on pesticides and less information about efficient application techniques, controlling white clover with available herbicides can be difficult.

Compatibility trials were conducted during the summer of 2005 to determine the compatibility of the herbicides and adjuvants planned for use in subsequent greenhouse and field …

The Benefit Of Foliar Applied Copper Fertilizer On Romaine Lettuce Grown In Low Copper Soils Of The Coastal Santa Maria, California, Emmy R. Williams

Master's Theses

The importance of trace elements nutrients to vegetable crops has received more attention in recent years. Accordingly this experiment investigated the benefit of foliar applied copper fertilizer on romaine lettuce (Lactuca Sativa Longifolia) grown in low soil Copper (Cu) concentration in the coastal Santa Maria, California. The various rates of Cu fertilizer applied include untreated (control), 100, 200, 400 and 800 grams per acre of CuSO4.5H 2O, using a one time and a split application methods. Three consecutive individual experimental fields were established starting in late spring through the fall of 2008. The soil texture was a loam in all …

Temperature Influence And Heat Management Requirements Of Microalgae Cultivation In Photobioreactors, Thomas Hagen Mehlitz

Master's Theses

Microalgae are considered one of the most promising feedstocks for biofuel production for the future. The most efficient way to produce vast amounts of algal biomass is the use of closed tubular photobioreactors (PBR). The heat requirement for a given system is a major concern since the best algae growth rates are obtained between 25-30 °C, depending on the specific strain. A procedure to determine temperature influence on algal growth rates was developed for a lab-scale PBR system using the species Chlorella. A maximum growth rate of 1.44 doublings per day at 29 °C (optimal temperature) was determined. In addition, …

The Fruiting And Berry-Chemistry Responses Of Zinfandel Grapes To Cluster Thinning, Cameron John Mauritson

Master's Theses

A field experiment was conducted in the Rockpile appellation of Sonoma County during 2007 and 2008. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five replicates. Zinfandel vines were subjected to three levels of cluster thinning during the lag phase of berry growth: vines were thinned to 2 clusters per shoot with shoulders retained if present (2CS), 1 cluster per shoot with shoulders retained if present (1CS), or 2 clusters per shoot with shoulders removed if present (2CNS).

Cluster thinning Zinfandel grapevines during lag phase led to reductions in yield and crop load and increased °Brix of the fruit. …