Life Sciences Commons^™

Uses And Benefits Of Algae As A Nutritional Supplement For Honey Bees, Benjamin J. Nichols, Vincent A. Ricigliano

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Honey bees are essential agricultural pollinators that are threatened by various interacting stressors, posing risks to beekeeping industries and human food security. Malnutrition is a major factor underlying managed bee colony losses that can be countered by feeding artificial diets, which aim to deliver essential macro- and micronutrients. Current bee nutritional supplements show room for improvement and require resources that compete with human food production. Algae and microalgae in particular have been gaining traction in the literature as alternative feed sources and nutritional supplements for livestock, including honey bees. Herein, we review the current literature and categorize the effects of …

Phenotypic Evaluation Of Energycane (Saccharum Spp.) Genotypes In Northcentral Mississippi, Wyatt Armistead Eason

Theses and Dissertations

As fossil fuel supplies decrease and concerns of climate change increase, the search for alternative sources of fuel has pushed biomass crops to the forefront of discussion. Saccharum spontaneum readily hybridizes with commercial sugarcane and lends cold tolerance and greater yields to the hybrid progeny, called energycane. Twenty genotypes were tested against an energycane variety (Ho 02-113) as a control. Two locations were tested: the HH Leveck Animal Research Center (planted in 2019), and the Bearden Dairy Research Center (planted in 2020). The Bearden Dairy Research Center yielded significantly higher than the HH Leveck Animal Research Center regarding dry matter …

Quantifying Aboveground Biomass In A Tropical Forest Using A Lidar Waveform Weighted Allometric Model, Alejandro Rojas

Theses and Dissertations

Our knowledge of the distribution and amount of terrestrial above ground biomass (AGB) has increased using lidar technology. Recent advancements in satellite lidar has enabled global mapping of forest biomass and structure. However, there are large biases in satellite lidar estimates which impacts our understanding of carbon dynamics, particularly in tropical forests.

Ni-Meister et al. (2022) developed a lidar full waveform weighted height-based allometric model which produced very good results in temperate deciduous/conifer forest in the continental US. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this biomass model in an African tropical forest using the Land Vegetation and Ice …

Using Thermal Units To Predict Biomass Accumulation And Total Nitrogen Uptake For Cover Crops In Arkansas, Mila Victório Pessotto

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Including cover crops in agricultural production systems is an important management practice. Cover cropping can improve soil health, increase plant-available nitrogen (N), provide surface residue to prevent erosional soil loss, increase water infiltration, and increase weed suppression. Cover crops growth can be predicted using thermal days or growing degree days [GDD] similar to commodity crops such as corn (Zea mays L.) or rice (Oryza sativa). Growing degree day calculations are a well-known tool to predict crop growth stage or development stage and can be adapted for use in any plant species, including cover crops. Identifying and developing the relationship between …

Pasture Biomass Estimation Using Crop Surface Modeling And Vegetation Indices, Brendan Macinnis

All Theses

Biomass estimations are a critical function of any grazing or haylage system. Determination of ideal harvesting or grazing times help optimize the quality and quantity of above-ground biomass (AGB). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Alfalfa and Tall Fescue biomass estimations. Using a DJI Mavic Pro, RGB and NDVI images were taken and used to create orthomosaic images. Structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques were used to developed digital elevation models to evaluate the change in canopy height (∆H) between pre- and post-harvests. Change in canopy height (∆H) was shown to provide the …

The Deep-Pelagic Sergestid Shrimp Assemblage In The Gulf Of Mexico In The Vicinity Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Erik W. Hine

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the geographical (near-slope vs. offshore) and temporal analyses (2011 – 2018) of the Sergestidae assemblage, the crustacean family with the fourth highest total biomass, in the Gulf of Mexico near the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The abundance and biomass of the assemblage were analyzed to determine if statistical differences were present between the near-slope and offshore environments. In addition, this study analyzed the vertical distributions of sergestid species in the epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic zones to determine the extent of the migratory behavior of these species. Lastly, the abundance and biomass in the …

Phenotypical Characters Associated With The Loss Of The Seed And The Production Of Biomass In Panicum Coloratum Var. Makarikariense, Maria F. Moresco Lirusso, Mónica B. Sacido, Guillermo R. Pratta, Silvina A. Felitti

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Since the beginning of humanity, plants have been manipulated by humans by artificial selection to obtain changes in their characteristics. This progress has been achieved through the domestication of the species. Panicum coloratum is a species of summer perennial grass, megathermic, tolerates waterlogging, cold and slightly saline soils. It is of African origin and used as fodder in various parts of the world. In Argentina around 130.500 hectares are sown, the most widespread varieties are: var. coloratum, and var. makarikariense Goossens. Its characteristics of determined flowering and ununiform ripening within the panicle, added to a very low retention of …

Forage Yield Of Oat On The Four Altitude Regions Of The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, H. B. Zhang, C. T. Liu, J. Q. Deng, X. L. Yang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Forage oat (Avena sativa L.) for livestock in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau may be used biomass under widely different altitude conditions. To assess the effect of altitude on the biomass of oats, we conducted an experiment to explore the adaptability of forage oat Jiayan No. 2 in different altitudes for better agronomic traits and higher forage yield. Four regions included Hezheng county (2207 m a.s.l) and Tianzhu county (2407 m a.s.l), Gansu province, Haiyan county (3042 m a.s.l), Qinghai province and Hongyuan county (3460 m a.s.l), Sichuan province were selected, and agronomic data as well as dry matter yield were determined. …

Benefits Of Cover Cropping Systems In Walnut Orchards As Sustainable Agricultural Practice, Ana Medic, Consuelo B. Baez Vega

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

In recent years walnut orchards implemented cover crops in between rows to improve soil’s quality, lessen soil’s erosion, increase organic matter, manage nutrient movement and availability, enhance water retention, and expand microbe, insect, and flora diversity. Commonly selected cover crops in California are from families Poaceae, Brassicaceae, and Fabaceae. Considerations should be made when choosing a particular cover crop mixture to enhance multiple benefits and improve sustainable practices in orchard settings. An experiment was conducted in a walnut orchard to compare functionality and benefits of three systems multi-crop, monocrop, and no vegetation cover crop system. The following components were evaluated: …

Productivity Of Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolar L.) At Diverse Irrigation Regimes And Sowing Dates In Semi-Arid And Arid Environment, Muhammad Kashif Mubarik, Khadim Hussain, Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Tanveer Altaf, Faheem Shahzad Baloch, Shakeel Ahmad

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Determining optimal sowing date, optimal number of irrigation applications, and best-performing cultivars is critical to maximizing achievable sorghum yield in semiarid and arid environments. Limited research is available on interactive effects of sowing date, irrigation frequency, and genotype at multiple locations. Consequently, this study was conducted to determine impact of sowing dates, irrigation regimes, and cultivars on yield and growth traits during 2016 and 2017 at two locations in Pakistan. Experiments were laid out in a split-split design at Maize and Millets Research Institute, Yusafwala, Sahiwal, and at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. Each experiment was comprised of three factors: (a) …

Aboveground Carbon Responses To Experimental And Natural Hurricane Impacts In A Subtropical Wet Forest In Puerto Rico, Hervé Chevalier, Nicholas V.L. Brokaw, Sheila E. Ward, Jess K. Zimmerman, Aaron B. Shiels, John Bithorn, Samuel Matta Carmona

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Climate change and disturbance make it difficult to project long-term patterns of carbon sequestration in tropical forests, but large ecosystem experiments in these forests can inform predictions. The Canopy Trimming Experiment (CTE) manipulates two key components of hurricane disturbance, canopy openness and detritus deposition, in a tropical forest in Puerto Rico. We documented how the CTE and a real hurricane affected tree recruitment, biomass, and aboveground carbon storage over 15 years. In the CTE treatments, we trimmed branches, but we did not fell trees. We expected that during the 14-year period after initial canopy trimming, regrowth of branches and stems …