Life Sciences Commons^™

Net Farm Income Impacts Net Worth Growth, Glennis Mcclure

Center for Agricultural Profitability

The beginning of the year is busy for businesses in finalizing records and filing annual income taxes. Farm and ranch operations are no exception. Beyond the net income or loss showing on the farm’s Schedule F, analyzing the true picture of the operation’s net farm income, and earned net worth change for the year is important.

Preparing an income statement using accrual adjustments will tell us more about the operation’s profitability and performance beyond what income tax statements provide. The income statement tells the story of revenue, expenses, and depreciation between the beginning of year balance sheet and the end …

Ideas For Estate And Transition Planning: Gifting, Jessica Groskopf

Center for Agricultural Profitability

For many farm and ranch families, bringing children or grandchildren into the operation is the ultimate goal. Successfully bringing additional family members into the operation may require some creativity as all parties need to maintain a viable standard of living. This article is part of a series that will highlight ideas and tactics for bringing another family member into the operation. If this is the first article you are seeing in this series, I would encourage you to go back to the previous article for background and additional guidance.

The second tactic to transfer wealth between generations is gifting. The …

Using Artificial (Ai) To Predict A Structure Of Protein Complex, Yiqing Zang

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Proteins play pivotal roles in essential life processes and elucidating their three-dimensional (3D) structures is crucial for understanding their functions. AlphaFold2, an advanced artificial intelligence-based method developed by Google DeepMind, has emerged as a promising tool for predicting protein structures. In this study, we evaluated the predictive capabilities of AlphaFold2. Our findings highlight AlphaFold2's efficacy in providing valuable insights into protein structure prediction, albeit with certain limitations. While AlphaFold2 represents a significant advancement in the field, its utility is best realized when integrated with complementary experimental approaches. Consequently, combining the strengths of AlphaFold2 with experimental validation remains essential for achieving …

Screening Environmental Soil Samples For Antibiotic Production, Paige Mattick

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Antibiotic resistance is a detrimental worldwide challenge, producing bacterial infections that are progressively more difficult to treat and cure. To attempt to help alleviate this issue, we screened soil samples for the presence of antibiotic-producing microorganisms. Soil samples were collected and diluted to 1:100 and 1:1000 ratios of soil and distilled water. These soil mixtures were then streaked onto tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates and incubated at 30℃ until colonies developed. These colonies were then selected and plated on a lawn of Serratia marcescens, which was utilized as the target organism.

Serratia marcescens was selected due to its known resistance …

A Novel Study Of Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota) Feather Coloration In Relation To Habitat Characteristics, Colony Size, And Body Condition, Sonja Brandt, Medhavi Ambardar

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Feather coloration is used for social signaling in many avian species, and can be associated with their ability to live and breed in habitats with high quality resources (Jenkins et al. 2013, Saino et al. 2013). It can signify individual quality, (Saino et al. 2013) and influence mate choice (Bennet et al. 1996). We analyzed different aspects of Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) feather coloration in relation to morphology and habitat characteristics. We measured luminance, hue (theta and phi), and saturation for four different color patches on the swallows. We predicted that individuals in brighter coloration would be able to settle …

Presence Of Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus C In Domestic Pigs In Kansas, Avery Welton, Eric T. Gillock

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

There is currently a shortage of organs available to perform allotransplants in humans, prompting the exploration of xenotransplantation as an alternative. Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living tissues between different species, with porcine tissues being a promising option. However, concerns arise regarding cross-species transmission, particularly in relation to Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs). PERVs are retroviruses that are integrated into the germ-line cells of pigs and are permanently embedded in the host cell’s DNA, allowing for vertical transmission. Of significant concern is the infectious nature of two PERV subtypes, A and B, to humans, which can potentially recombine with the third …

"The Relevant History And Medical And Ethical Future Viability Of Xenotransplantation", Morgan Janes

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another, presents a complex nexus of medical, ethical, and cultural considerations. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted landscape of xenotransplantation, beginning with a thorough examination of its relevant historical trajectory. From early experiments to recent advancements, we chart the evolution of this field, setting the stage for a nuanced discussion. We then confront the central issue: the true medical viability of xenotransplantation and the looming specter of operative risk. By scrutinizing the ethical dilemmas inherent in xenotransplantation through a multicultural lens, we illuminate the diverse perspectives that …

Ty4 Retrotransposon Presence In Yeast Strains, Maria P. Walters, Eric T. Gillock

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Yeast is used in everyday life. It is important to understand the genetic components of yeast. In various laboratory yeast strains, there are findings of TY1, TY2, and TY3. TY1 through TY3 have been well studied, while TY4 and TY5 are retroelements that have yet to be thoroughly studied. It is known that TY4 is found at only one to three copies per haploid genome.

TY4 is a retrotransposon, which shares similarities with retroviruses, making it essential to study its presence in

yeast. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of TY4 among lab strains, brewing strains, and baking strains …

Anything But Another Essay: Understanding Undergraduate Stem Student Perceptions Of Creative, Project-Based Learning, Emily M. Redding, Lorelei E. Patrick

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

The training of innovative and diverse scientists starts with creative teaching practices. Much of the pedagogy literature on incorporating nontraditional teaching practices in college STEM courses focuses on the use of in-class active learning activities. Less study has been devoted to creative, project-based assignments, such as “UnEssays”. The “UnEssay” is a semester-long assignment that challenges students to complete a library research project on a topic of their choosing and present it using anything but an essay. Although gaining popularity, few studies have assessed STEM student's perceptions of the assignments. To do so, Zoology students were asked to complete pre- and …

Native Wetland Plant Seed Collection And Cleaning Guide For The Intermountain West, Rae Robinson, Maddie Houde, Elana Feldman, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Nathan M. Crawford, Stephanie Aristizabal, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Collecting and cleaning seeds from wildlands is an essential part of ecosystem restoration, management, and conservation. Here, we summarize best practices for native wetland plant seed collection and cleaning in the Intermountain West.

A companion guide on seed testing, "Seed Viability Testing Guide for Common Wetland Plant Species," is also available (https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/2389/).

Pilot Project: Plant Hormones And Soil Bacterial Populations In Plant Growth Enhancement, Ada Sardana Sambola

2024 Student Academic Showcase

The way microorganisms affect plant health, through the contribution of nitrogen or phosphorus fixation by bacteria to the growing plants, has been thoroughly studied. Commonly referred to as Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPBs), these organisms play a key role in enhancing plant growth by assisting in the production of indole acetic acid (IAA), facilitating the uptake of nutrients via mechanisms like phosphorus solubilization, and producing inhibitory substances that protect plants from pathogens. However, the reverse of this phenomenon has not been studied as deeply. This study will focus on how the addition of plant hormones, more specifically, gibberellins, affects the …

Research Proposal: Examination Of Bacterial Communities In Soil Beneath Decaying Organic Matter And The Effect Of Insect Succession, Olivia Fotiadis

2024 Student Academic Showcase

Bacterial species of the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes phyla are key components in decomposing organic matter by secreting specialized enzymes into decaying material, facilitating its breakdown and nutrient release. Diverse microbial communities in areas of decomposition are known for their efficiency in decomposition and nutrient cycling. Less is understood about the effect of insects introducing unique microbes alongside initial soil bacteria, like Bacillus subtilis, in the decomposition process. Studying the decomposition of pork samples as a human analog will explore variations in bacterial populations in soil before and after the introduction of insect-mediated microbes and provide information on the efficiency …

Gibberellic Acid Influence On Mutant Millets: An Exploration Of Effects, Fokam Felix Thierry Foading, Kennedy Femmer, Blake Reiger, Matthew Turray

2024 Student Academic Showcase

Setaria viridis, commonly known as green foxtail millets, exhibits diverse physical traits, including instances of dwarfism. Our study investigated the effect of gibberellic acid on millets, focusing on growth responses in normal and mutant plants, including dwarf variants. Gibberellic acid plays a vital role in stem elongation, and its deficiency may lead to hindered growth. We conducted experiments applying a gibberellic acid concentration of 0.5g/L to determine its impact on plant height. Two mutant types, Setaria Viridis 11970 Mutant 4 and Setaria viridis 03054 Mutant 6, were studied alongside the normal millet type Setaria Viridis A10.1 wild type. Results showed …

The Effects Of Ocean Acidification On Sea Urchin Larval Survivorship And Development In Lytechinus Variegatus And Arbacia Punctulata, Emily Pace, Kacie Miller*, Nancy Dalman, Margaret (Meg) Smith

Georgia Journal of Science

Accumulated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is one of the driving factors in ocean acidification as oceanic absorption of carbon dioxide alters ocean chemistry. Lower concentrations of carbonate ions and higher concentrations of hydrogen ions in the water adversely affect marine organisms, including sea urchin larvae, that use calcium carbonate in their skeletal structures. While there is a wide body of literature demonstrating an impact of lowered pH on sea urchin larval development and survival, it is unclear if the method of pH manipulation and the species being studied influences the results. To address this, we compared two commonly employed …

Examination Of Greenhouse Conditions That Influence Scale Infestation Rates On Begonia, Madeline M. Cusick

Honors College Theses

Scale insects are common pests within greenhouse and agricultural settings. I quantified scale infestation on Begonia x Richmondensis, also known as the Dragon Wing begonia, within the Armstrong Campus Greenhouse from March to November of 2023. Six different treatments accounted for variations in sunlight, humidity, and temperature within the greenhouse with the goal of determining the insect’s preferred environmental conditions. Morphological comparisons were also made between host plant Dragon Wing begonia and other begonias present within the greenhouse. Analysis indicated a significant difference in scale presence on replicate plants by zone and sunlight treatments, with more plants hosting at least …

First-Time Market Goat, Ashley Longmore, Cheyenne Reid

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is 4-H youth who are thinking about or have recently purchased their first 4-H goat. This fact sheet is a simple outline that provides information on selection, feeding, housing, basic care, and grooming.

First-Time Market Lamb, Ashley Longmore, Cheyenne Reid

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is 4-H youth who are thinking about or have recently purchased their first 4-H lamb. This fact sheet is a simple outline providing more information on selection, feeding, housing, basic care, and grooming.

Preliminary Analysis Of Native Bee Community Adjacent To Sorghum And Wheat Fields In Western Kansas, Katelyn Strack, Sarah Elzay

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Agricultural practices have significant and often negative effects on native bee populations. It is imperative that we understand how current agricultural practices affect native bees. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is cultivated heavily in western Kansas and is grown in rotation with winter wheat. This analysis presents preliminary results from a study conducted in summer 2023 in which pan traps were placed adjacent to two sorghum and two wheat fields in Ellis Co. Kansas. This data is part of a larger study examining the relationship between native bees and sorghum in western Kansas.

Preliminary Analysis of Native Bee Community Adjacent …

Continuous Mowing Differentially Affects Floral Defenses In The Noxious And Invasive Weed Solanum Elaeagnifolium In Its Native Range, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexa Alaniz, Robert K. Dearth, Rupesh R. Kariyat

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In weeds, disturbance has been found to affect life history traits and mediate trophic interactions. In urban landscapes, mowing is an important disturbance, and we previously showed that continuous mowing leads to enhanced fitness and defense traits in Solanum elaeagnifolium, Silverleaf Nightshade (SLN). However, most studies have been focused on foliar defenses, ignoring floral defenses. In this study we examined whether continuous mowing affected floral defenses in SLN using mowed and unmowed populations in South Texas, their native range. We found flowers of mowed SLN plants larger but lighter than unmowed plants. Additionally, flowers on plants that were mowed …

Stratification Of Potassium And Phosphorus In Tillage Vs. No-Till Systems And Uptake In Corn (Zea Mays) In Western Kentucky, Ava Isaacs, Kyle Krieger, Christopher Powell

Scholars Week

There are 12 nutrients essential for plant growth, two of these are phosphorus and potassium. The demand and need for these nutrients are very high in agricultural systems including corn. Phosphorus stimulates root and shoot growth and is essential for seedling growth and stability. Potassium increases tolerance to water stress, as well as resistance to disease, these are both critical in terms of soil fertility and in determining what fertilizers to apply as well as the amount of fertilizer needed. Both nutrients are not readily available for plant uptake in the soil and are largely lost during harvest, which could …

Effect Of Lowered Light Quality (R:Fr Ratio) At Targeted Organs On Branching Of Trifolium Repens, M J.M Hay, Ch Robin, P C.D Newton, A Cresswell, J Tilbrook

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This report examined results from four similarly conducted experiments using Trifolium repens in which the R:FR ratio but not the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of incident light was altered at specific organ(s) of several successive phytomers or just at a single phytomer. Results indicate the local response to lowered R:FR light treatment was similar irrespective of the number of phytomers treated. This response pattern provides the means whereby plants can initiate strong localised responses to a heterogeneous light environment.

Theoretical And Observed Relationships Between Defoliation And Partitioning In Grasses, C P.D. Birch, B Thornton

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A model is presented that analyses the potential effect of vertebrate grazing on the partitioning of grasses. Its conclusions are: 1) When grazing is sufficiently frequent and severe, grasses can increase their net increase in biomass by partitioning growth to reserves. 2) Partitioning growth to reserves greatly reduces leaf growth between defoliations. After repeated clipping, dryland browntop (Agrostis castellana) and red fescue (Festuca rubra) allocated a smaller proportion of growth between defoliations to leaves than ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or rough meadow-grass (Poa trivialis). Browntop and fescue achieved less leaf growth than ryegrass …

Effects Of Light Intensity And Defoliation On The Receptiveness For Primary Induction In Festuca Pratensis Huds, Lars T. Havstad

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Seedlings of Festuca pratensis Huds. (cv. Salten) were raised at three different light intensities (141, 85 or 28 (mol m-2s-1 ) for 7 weeks after emergence and then either left uncut or defoliated 40 or 80% of total leaf area, before transfer to primary induction (6°C, natural short days) for 12, 15 or 18 weeks. Percentage of heading plants was more affected by the duration of primary induction than by light intensity and defoliation prior to induction. The results lend no support to the existence of a juvenile stage in seedlings of Festuca pratensis. Defoliation had less influence on …

Water Use Efficiency In Chilean And Argentine Humid Temperate Grass-Legume Pastures, H G. Landi, M H. Wade, V Garcia De Cortazar, D E. Dalla Valle

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

At two sites in Argentina and Chile five levels of water input were applied to four sown pastures of varying ages during spring and summer. The pastures consisted principally of C3 grasses and legumes, some of which were sown such as Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens, Dactylis glomerata. Dry matter (DM) production was measured and related to the estimated total evapotranspiration (ET): responses were both highly linear. Both responses to ET and absolute yields were higher at the Argentinian than at the Chilean site: respectively 10.7 and 15.2 kg DM/mm water evapotranspired. Nevertheless the calculated indices of sensitivity (Ky) of Doorenbos …

Effects Of Accelerate Ageing And Low Temperatures On Germination Of Range Grasses, C Cabeza, R E. Brevedan, M G. Klich, M A. Varillas

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Accelerated ageing and cold tests were used to determine the seed vigour of different valuable forage grasses from the temperate semiarid region of Argentina (Piptochaetium napostaense, Poa ligularis, Stipa longiglumis, Stipa tenuis, Digitaria californica, Pappophorum subbulbosum, Setaria leiantha, Sorghastrum pellitum, Trichloris crinita). In general, warm season species showed greater vigour than cool season species.

Leaf Anatomy And Ultrastructure Of Poa Ligularis After Defoliation And Water Stress, M G. Klich, R E. Brevedan, S C. Villamil

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of defoliation and water stress on leaf anatomy and the mesophyll cell ultrastructure of Poa ligularis. Anatomical differences were detected mainly at epidermal level. Under water stress, leaf roughness was enhanced since the epidermal-cell surface contours became conspicuous. Under defoliation the microscopic roughness decreased as a result of fewer epicuticular wax crystals being formed. Defoliation produced an enhancement of the interlamellar spaces in the irrigated plantís chloroplast. Under no defoliation conditions, chloroplast structure was not affected by water stress. When subjected to water stress, lightly defoliated plants presented chloroplasts …

Effects Of Water Stress On Germination And Seedling Growth Of Lovegrass Species, R E. Brevedan, M G. Klich, E E. Sanchez

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Seeds of seven cultivars of lovegrass species Ermelo, Morpa and Tanganyika weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula var. curvula, Don Eduardo INTA (E. curvula var. robusta), Cochise lovegrass (E. lehmanniana x E. trichophera), A-68 Lehmann lovegrass (E. lehmanniana Nees) and Catalina boer lovegrass (E. curvula var. conferta) were germinated at different water potentials. Total germination percentage differed within cultivars according to water availability, although there were no great differences between the germination of the cultivars within any given water potential. The only exception was Don Eduardo INTA which had lower germination values. A marked …

Leaf Growth And Anatomy During Winter Droughting Of Tetrachne Dregei Plants, M G. Klich, R E. Brevedan, H Laborde

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The purpose of this work was to study the leaf growth and anatomy of Tetrachne dregei plants when they were subjected to a winter drought period. Plants were grown in semicontrolled conditions under two soil moisture regimes: irrigated and non-irrigated. Anatomical characterization was made using optical and scanning electron microscopy. No differences were found in stomatal index, stomatal length and epidermal cell size, between irrigated and non-irrigated plants. The adaxial epidermis of water stressed plants was more pubescent. Leaf abaxial epidermis of non-irrigated plants showed more intercostal plates of crystallized epicuticular wax than that of the irrigated ones. Leaf tissue …

The Interaction Between Root Distribution And Pasture Growth During Water Deficit, D J. Barker, N Dymock

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Quantification of water-limited pasture growth is of interest in agriculture since it allows prediction of impaired animal production during drought, and is the basis for scheduling irrigation. Experimental work on two dairy pastures 25 km south-west of Palmerston North, New Zealand found 50% of root mass was in the top 2.3 cm of soil. Soil moisture was, similarly, not uniformly distributed down the soil profile and dried most rapidly in the top 20†cm of soil. Leaf appearance rate was more strongly correlated with water status nearer the soil surface (r = 0.52 & 0.63 for 0-5 & 10-15 cm depth, …

Effects Of Phytohormone On Lateral Bud Elongation And Acidinvertase Activity During The Regrowth Of Sorghum Bicolor M., H Nojima, Y Takasaki, A Isoda

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The relationships of phytohormone and sucrose metabolism in the stem ofoesorghum after cutting were studied using the stem disks treated with various plantoegrowth regulators The release of buds after incubating was accelerated by 6-benzyladenoprine riboside (6- BAR) treatment. But, on abcisic acid (ABA) andoeindole acetic acid (IAA ) treatment the release of buds was retarded. The length ofoeelongated buds on all hormonal treatments was shorter than the non-treated at the end of incubated period tested. Invertase activities were stimulated on all hormonal treatments. On 6-BAR treatment, invertase activities were the highest. But there were no relationships between invertase activities and …