Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Sorghum Senescence Patterns Using Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles And Multispectral Imaging, I. Barnhart, L. H. Moro Rosso, M. A. Secchi, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Grain sorghum is an important crop in cropping systems worldwide. Many different genetic lines are tolerant to post-flowering heat and drought stress because they express the “stay-green” trait which causes a delay in senescence patterns. Traditional methods of senescence identification are labor-intensive and time consuming. However, remote sensing is a proposed method of identifying sorghum senescence. A study using small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) as a remote sensing platform was conducted in Concordia, KS. Twenty sorghum varieties with 3 replications were sown in a random­ized block design. The aircraft used was a DJI S-1000 equipped with a MicaSense RedEdge 3 …

Effects Of Cover Crops And Phosphorus Fertilizer Management On Soil Health Parameters In A No-Till Corn-Soybean Cropping System In Riley County, Kansas, L. M. Starr, P. J. Tomlinson, N. O. Nelson, C. L. Stewart, K. L. Roozeboom, G. J. Kluitenberg, D. R. Presley

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was implemented to examine the effects of cover crops and mineral phos­phorus (P) fertilizer application on water quality and soil health parameters. The experiment was established in 2014, at the Kansas Agricultural Watershed (KAW) field research facility, Ashland Bottoms Research Farm, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. The experiment was a 2 × 3 factorial design with two cover crop treatments (with and without) and three phosphorus fertilizer treatments (none, spring injected P, and fall broadcast P). Measures of nutrient demand (enzyme activity), microbial metabolic activity (soil respiration), and labile carbon (potassium permanganate oxidized carbon) were taken to assess …

Weather Information For Tribune, D. Bond, J. Slattery

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Summary of 2018 weather for research conducted at the Tribune field location.

Weather Information For Garden City, 2018, J. Elliott

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Summary of 2018 weather for research conducted at the Garden City field location.

Integrated Grain And Forage Rotations, J. Holman, A. Obour, A. Schlegel, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Forage production is important for the western Kansas region’s livestock and dairy industries and has become increasingly important as irrigation-well capacity declines. Forages require less water than grain crops and may allow for increased cropping intensity and opportunistic cropping. Being able to estimate forage production is important for determining forage availability versus forage needs. Data from several studies were used to quantify annual forage yield response to plant available water (PAW) at planting and growing season precipitation (GSP). In addition, water use efficiency was quantified. Forages evaluated included winter triticale, spring triticale, and forage sorghum. Preliminary results showed PAW and …

Tillage Intensity In A Long-Term Wheat-Sorghum-Fallow Rotation, A. Schlegel, A. Burnett

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was initiated in 1991 at the Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, KS. The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of tillage intensity on precipitation capture, soil water storage, and grain yield in a wheat-sorghum-fallow rotation. Grain yields of wheat and grain sorghum increased with decreased tillage intensity in a wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. In 2018, available soil water at sorghum planting was greater for no-tillage (NT) than reduced tillage (RT) which was greater than conventional tillage (CT). For wheat there was a similar pattern as sorghum, with available soil water at wheat planting …

Mobile Drip Irrigation For Water Limited Crop Production: Initial Results, J. Aguilar, T. Oker, I. Kisekka

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The farmers within the Ogallala aquifer desire to extend the usable life of this aquifer despite experiencing diminishing well capacities, thus the quest for more efficient irrigation application technologies. Mobile drip irrigation (MDI), which integrates drip lines onto a mechanical irrigation system such as a center pivot, has attracted their attention lately. The concept is that by applying water along crop rows, it was hypothesized that MDI could eliminate water losses due to spray droplet evaporation, wind drift, and reduce soil evaporation due to limited surface wetting especially before canopy closure. A study was conducted with the following objectives: 1) …

Efficacy Of Zest Application Timings In Irrigated Acetolactase Synthase-Resistant Grain Sorghum, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Acetolactase synthase inhibiting (ALS) herbicides were evaluated for efficacy in ALS-resistant grain sorghum. Kochia and quinoa control were similar among all herbicides tested regardless of evaluation date. Cinch ATZ alone preemergence, and Cinch plus Resolve and Harmony GT PRE followed by Zest POST controlled puncturevine 73-78%. Late-season green foxtail control was best when Zest was included as an early postemergence or postemergence application. Cinch ATZ applied alone preemergence, Cinch ATZ preemergence followed by Zest POST, and Cinch plus Resolve and Harmony GT PRE followed by Zest POST controlled Palmer amaranth 81–84%, and resulted in the highest grain yields.

Zest Efficacy And Crop Response In Two Acetolactase Synthase-Tolerant Grain Sorghum Hybrids, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two ALS-tolerant grain sorghum hybrids were evaluated for efficacy and crop tolerance to Zest (nicosulfuron). Weed control and crop response in two herbicide-tolerant sorghum hybrids were similar. All herbicides controlled kochia, common sunflower, velvetleaf, and quinoa well. Palmer amaranth control was inadequate when no preemergence (PRE) herbicide was applied. Puncturevine and green foxtail control was 90% or more with all Zest (nicosulfuron) treatments applied early postemergence (EPOST) or postemergence (POST). Sorghum injury from the Zest treatments was minor and transient. Relative to the untreated controls, grain yields were greater when a PRE or PRE followed by POST program was used. …

Comparisons Of Acuron, Surestart Ii, And Valor For Residual Weed Control In Grain Sorghum, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Herbicides were compared to standard treatments for preplant efficacy and crop response in grain sorghum. All herbicides controlled buffalobur and velvetleaf similarly late in the season. SureStart II and Acuron provided the best Palmer amaranth, puncturevine, and green foxtail control. Valor at 1 or 2 oz/a provided less than 70% puncturevine and green foxtail control late in the season. Only minimal visual injury was observed, and all herbicides increased sorghum yield 47–122% relative to the untreated controls.

Effect Of Feeding Duration Of Increased Lysine And Energy Prior To Farrowing On Sow Performance And Colostrum Quality, K. M. Gourley, A. J. Swanson, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, R. D. Goodband

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 467 sows were used in a study to evaluate the effect of feeding duration of increased lysine (Lys) and energy prior to farrowing on sow and litter performance, piglet survival, and colostrum quality. Sows were blocked by body weight and parity category on d 106 of gestation, and allotted to one of three dietary treatments: 1) 4.5 lb/d gestation feed (12.5 g SID Lys and 6.5 Mcal ME) until d 113 of gestation, then 6 lb/d lactation feed (28 g SID Lys and 9.4 Mcal ME) until parturition; 2) 4.5 lb/d gestation feed (12.5 g SID Lys …

Effects Of Soybean Meal Concentration In Lactating Sow Diets On Sow And Litter Performance, K. M. Gourley, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, R. D. Goodband

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 131 sows (Line 241; DNA, Columbus, NE) were used in a study to evaluate the effect of increasing soybean meal concentration in lactating sow diets on sow and litter performance. Sows were blocked by body weight (BW) and parity on d 112 of gestation, and allotted to 1 of 3 treatments of increasing soybean meal (25%, 30%, or 35% of total diet). Diets were formulated to 1.05% standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine with L-lysine HCl decreasing as soybean meal increased. All other amino acids and nutrients were formulated to meet nutrient requirement recommendations.2 Diets were fed from …

Effects Of Weaning Age And Antibiotic Use On Pig Performance In A Commercial System, J. E. Faccin, M. W. Allerson, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, R. D. Goodband

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 2,184 barrows and gilts (DNA 600 × PIC L42) were used in a study from weaning to market to evaluate the effect of increasing weaning age and antibiotic use on pig performance in a commercial production system. A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement was used. The treatments included weaning age (18.5, 21.5, or 24.5 days of age) and the use of antibiotic (AB) or antibiotic free (ABF). There were 14 replicate pens per treatment and 26 pigs per pen (13 barrows and 13 gilts). Pigs were weaned from a 4,000-sow farm and placed in pens by weaning …

Effect Of Supplementation Of Monomix And/Or Pharmacological Levels Of Zinc Oxide On Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, K. L. Batson, L. L. Thomas, J. C. Woodworth, M. D. Tokach, R. D. Goodband, S. S. Dritz, J. M. Derouchey, J. Bryte

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 354 pigs (DNA; 200 × 400; initial BW = 13.0 lb) were used in a 35-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of a short and medium chain fatty acid product (Monomix, Quality Technology International, Inc., Elgin, IL) added alone or in combination with pharmacological levels of ZnO on nursery pig performance. Upon arrival to the nursery research facility, pigs were randomly assigned to pens (5 pigs per pen) and pens were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 18 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects …

Effects Of Varying Lipid Sources As Alternatives To Zinc Oxide Or Carbadox On Nursery Pig Growth Performance And Fecal Consistency, P. L. Dahmer, G. E. Luebcke, A. B. Lerner, C. K. Jones

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 360 weaned pigs (DNA; 241 × 600; initially 11.9 ± 0.02 lb) were used in a 35-d study evaluating the ability of varying lipid sources to replace ZnO or carbadox in early nursery pig diets. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21 days of age and allotted to pens based on initial weight in a completely randomized design to one of six dietary treatments: 1) Negative control (no added ZnO or carbadox); 2) Control + 3,000 ppm Zn from ZnO in phase 1 and 2,000 ppm Zn in phase 2; 3) Control + 50 g/ton carbadox; 4) Control …

Effect Of Fumonisin-Contaminated Corn On Growth Performance Of 20- To 60-Lb Nursery Pigs, Z. X. Rao, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, R. D. Goodband, H. Calderon Cartagena

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding fumonisin (FUM) contaminated corn on growth performance of 20- to 60-lb nursery pigs. A total of 350 pigs (241 × 600; DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 19.6 lb) were used. Dietary treatments consisted of FUM-contaminated corn blended with relatively FUM-free corn to provide toxin (FB1 + FB2) of 7.2, 14.7, 21.9, 32.7, and 35.1 ppm. Experimental diets were fed in mash form for 28 d. There were 5 pigs per pen and 14 replicates per treatment. After weaning, pigs were fed common diets for 21 days before the experiment started. Then, …

Efficacy Of Commercial Products On Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs Fed Diets With Fumonisin-Contaminated Corn, Z. X. Rao, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, R. D. Goodband, H. Calderon Cartagena

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy of various commercial products on growth performance of 20- to 50-lb nursery pigs fed diets high in fumonisin (FUM) concentration. In Exp. 1, a total of 350 pigs (241 × 600; DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 21.8 lb) were used. There were 5 pigs per pen and 14 replicates per treatment. After weaning, pigs were fed common diets for 21 d before the experiment started. Five dietary treatments were utilized and consisted of a positive control (low FUM), a negative control (approximately 50 to 60 ppm of FUM), and 3 other treatments as …

Effect Of Viligen™, Feed Form, And Storage Time On Fumonisin Concentrations In Corn, Z. X. Rao, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, R. D. Goodband, H. Calderon Cartagena

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This trial was conducted to determine the effect of Viligen^TM(Alltech, Lexington, KY), feed form (meal or pelleted) and storage time (0, 3, or 7 d) on reducing the fumonisin (FUM) concentration in diets. Three 1,000-lb batches of feed were manufactured and used as replications. Each batch was divided into 500-lb batches with or without Viligen at 0.15% of the diet. Diets were then left as a meal or pelleted and stored at room temperature for 0, 3, and 7 d to determine the reduction of FUM over time. The result indicated that there were no main or interactive …

Pelleting And Starch Characteristics Of Diets Containing High Amylase Corn, C. N. Truelock, M. D. Tokach, C. R. Stark, C. R. Paulk

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of die thickness and conditioning temperature on pelleting and starch characteristics in diets containing either conventional yellow dent or high amylase corn (Enogen^®, Syngenta Seeds, LLC). Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial of corn type (conventional and high amylase), die thickness (L:D 5.6 and 8.0), and conditioning temperature (165, 175, and 185°F). For the high amylase corn treatments, ground high amylase corn replaced conventional ground corn on a lb:lb basis. Diets were pelleted via steam conditioning (10 in × 55 in Wenger twin staff pre-conditioner, …

Current And Future Environmental And Human Health Impacts Associated With Biofuel/Biofuel Feedstock Production, Eun Kyung Lee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The demand for biobased products, such as food, fuel, and chemicals, has been continuously increasing. Meanwhile, agricultural production, serving as the primary stage of biobased products, is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient releases. Although assessing spatially and temporally explicit environmental releases and impacts are required to inform a sustainable trajectory for agricultural production, such analyses are largely lacking due to data unavailability and feasibility of data analysis. Moreover, our current understanding of health impacts associated with biofuel production are lacking due to the limited assessment of health impacts resulted from biofuels’ entire …

Classification Of Native Vegetation Of Oregon - 2019, Jimmy Kagan, Rachel L. Brunner, John Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

This classification is an update of the 2004 classification of native vegetation of Oregon by Kagan, Christy, Murray and Titus. As before, this classification lists the native plant associations known to occur in Oregon, and includes both successional and climax vegetation types that were part of the presettlement landscape of Oregon and can still be found in the state. It serves as an index to the diversity, distribution and relative rarity of the state's native plant associations, and as a guide to their literature. Published and unpublished reports supported by quantitative data were the primary sources for the classification. In …

Biotic And Abiotic Associations With Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus Clarkii Lewisi) In The North Fork Flathead River Basin In Northwestern Montana, Usa And Southeastern British Columbia, Can Under Current And Future Climate Scenarios., Kadie B. Heinle, Lisa Eby, Clint Muhlfeld, Vincent D'Angelo, Amber Steed, Andrew Whiteley, Mark Hebblewhite

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi; WCT) populations are declining across much of their native range due to threats such as habitat degradation, competition with non-native species, and climate change. Understanding how habitat characteristics impact distributions of nonhybridized WCT populations throughout a relatively pristine core conservation area is needed to inform management and conservation efforts. We investigated whether abiotic (e.g., gradient) and biotic (i.e., Bull Trout – Salvelinus confluentus) variables predicted WCT presence and predicted how future stream temperature projections for the area might be expected to alter distributions. We compared logistic regression models of WCT presence …

Effects Of Pag1 On Src-Family Kinase Trafficking In Neuroblastoma Cells, Makenzie E. Mayfield

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are known to help regulate cell behaviors including differentiation, proliferation and migration during embryonic development of the neural crest. RTKs are believed to initiate signaling cascades in response to extracellular cues in part by controlling localization of Src-family kinases (SFKs). The scaffolding protein PAG1 binds SFKs and is believed to influence SFK activity and location within the cell by promoting interaction of SFKs with regulatory proteins and by drawing SFKs into different components of the endocytic pathway. By targeting the PAG1 gene in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids, we created PAG1-mutant cell-lines in which …

Rates Of Water Loss And Metabolism In The Eggs Of Stick Insect Eurycantha Calcarata, Garret K. Jolma

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The thorny devil stick insect (Eurycantha calcarata) of New Guinea has eggs that take four months or more to develop—incredibly long for an insect. Long development times can be a challenge for eggs because of their finite resources, including nutrients, energy to support development, and water. I investigated the physiological mechanisms underlying long development times in stick insect eggs.

The first experiment examined rates of water loss and survival of eggs held in different experimental humidities (0, 75, or 100% RH). Eggs dried quickly in the 0% humidity “dry” container; and more slowly in the 75% humidity “intermediate” …

Canis Lupus (Gray Wolf) Pup Survival In Yellowstone National Park, Anne Marie Jehle

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The aim of this study was to describe gray wolf (Canis lupus) pup survival rates throughout the summer months in Yellowstone National Park. Understanding pup survival has implications for trends in pack and population age structure, cooperative breeding ecology and other breeding tendencies, social hierarchies, and population fitness, among other elements of species-specific population ecology. A general understanding of trends in pup survival is also relevant to state and federal land that allow gray wolf harvest. Understanding such trends and survival ecology gives managers and biologists the opportunity to evaluate gray wolf populations at a more comprehensive level and implement …

Effectiveness Of Lure In Capturing Northern Bog Lemmings On Trail Cameras, Keely Benson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Fens and bogs are unique wetlands that support a diversity of small mammals and many other rare species. One such species is the Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis). This species is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act, so determining their presence is helpful for management. Northern bog lemmings are difficult to trap and when they are caught, experience high mortality rates. Since they are hard to capture and study, it is difficult to determine presence/absence of this species for management purposes. This study used a non-invasive, trail camera method for detecting northern bog lemmings in Finley …

Estimating Juvenile Recruitment Of Elk In An Occupancy Modeling Framework, Mateen A. Hessami

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Juvenile recruitment is a key parameter in understanding ungulate population dynamics. Traditional methods in population composition surveys, such as estimating young: adult-female ratio’s, can be precluded by cost, safety, and feasibility. The use of remote cameras provides a potentially cutting-edge tool to apply to wildlife population estimation techniques. While the prevalence of remote cameras in ungulate studies has increased, few studies have used cameras to estimate vital rates, such as recruitment or survival. Here, we tested the potential of remote cameras to estimate calf: cow ratios and calf survival of elk (Cervus elaphus) using the Royle-Nichols (2003) occupancy …

Through The Eyes Of Locals: A Changing Climate In Bolivia, Jacob D. Rex

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Deforestation and Agricultural Land-Use Change in Bolivia as a Function of Socio-Economic Realities.

This research combines semi-structured interviews of key informants and local participants, as well as field observations, which were conducted between January and April of 2019 in the Departments of Santa Cruz & Chuquisaca.

Longevity In Snowshoe Hares, Katrina L. Theisen, Alexander V. Kumar, L. Scott Mills

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

For small mammals subject to predation, individual longevity, or lifespan, is typically unknown. Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are used as the focal species of this study to examine the assumption that small prey species do not typically live past one or two years of age. To test this assumption, we analyzed a 20-year capture-mark-recapture database to first index the lifespan of hares. We analyzed this database to determine which factors increased the odds of longevity in hares. Body condition and capture location were significant in increasing the odds of a hare being long lived, whereas sex of the …

Characterization Of Chromosomal Translocations In A Group Of Killifish Species By Using Genome-Wide High-Density Snp Mapping Approach, Naznin Sultana Remex

Masters Theses

"The role of chromosomal rearrangements in reproductive isolation and introgression between species is poorly understood. In heterozygous form, rearrangements may directly interrupt meiotic progression leading to partial sterility/subfertility (underdominance) or may suppress local meiotic segregation (recombination suppression). Such unbalanced meiotic segregation may also result in reproductive isolation and play roles as a driving force of speciation. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the pattern of chromosomal rearrangements in two closely related killifish species in the genus Fundulus (F. notatus, and F. olivaceus) by constructing genetic linkage maps using high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …