Agriculture Commons^™

Insect Population Dynamics, Varietal Preference And Performance Of Organic Bio-Pesticides, Anitha Chitturi, Jeanine Davis, Margaret Bloomquist, Franklin Quarcoo, Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A, Desmond Mortley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Organic farming prohibits use of synthetic agrochemicals and encourages use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. States in the Southeastern US generally lag behind the rest of the country in organic vegetable production partly because of high insect pressures that make it difficult to grow vegetables without pesticides. This study on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo), grown using organic management practices, was conducted at a research station located in Mills River, North Carolina. The objectives of the study were to assess insect population dynamics and to evaluate performance of three OMRI-approved bio-pesticides: Azadirachtin, Pyrethrin and Spinosad against major …

The Effect Of Two Different Harvesting Methods On The Yield Of 'Topbunch' And 'Hi-Crop' Collards (Brassica Oleracea (L)) When Grown In A Wiregrass Tunnel House, Veronica E. Walton, Raymon Shange, Melissa Johnson, Edward Sparks, Victor Khan, James E. Currington, Ramble Ankumah, Nathaniel Ellison, George X. Hunter Jr., Jeffery L. Moore

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

A study was conducted to determine if 100% or 50% harvesting of collard leaves was a suitable recommendation for Tunnel House producers. The experiment was conducted as a split-split plot design with varieties as the main plots, harvesting 100% or 50% of leaves as the sub-plots, and days after transplanting as the subplots. All treatments were replicated three times, drip irrigated, and fertilized according to soil test recommendations. The results showed significant interactions between varieties and method of harvest, for leaf numbers and weight. Conversely, the varieties showed significant differences for yield but not leaf numbers. Both varieties showed significant …

The Evaluation Of Two Different Harvesting 'Topbunch' And 'Hi-Crop' Collards (Brassica Oleracea (L)) Leaves From Plants Grown In A Wiregrass Tunnel House, Edward Sparks, Raymon Shange, Jacquelyn Jackson, Victor Khan, James E. Currington, Ramble Ankumah, Nathaniel Ellison, George X. Hunter Jr., Jeffery L. Moore

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

A study was conducted to determine if a 100% or 50% harvest intensity of ‘Topbunch’ collards leaves could be a recommended practice for Tunnel House producers. The experiment was conducted as a split-plot design with harvest dates as main plots, and harvesting intensity of 100% or 50% of leaves as sub-plots. All treatments were replicated three times, drip irrigated, and fertilized according to soil test recommendations. The results showed significant interactions between harvest methods and dates for number and weight of leaves harvested. There were also significant differences for the weight of leaves harvested and numbers. The leaf recovery rates …

The Effect Of Two Planting Dates And Methods On Snap Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Production In A Tunnel House, Edward Sparks, Victor Khan, Ramble Ankumah, James E. Currington, Nathaniel Ellison, George X. Hunter Jr., Jeffery Moore

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of two planting dates and methods on snap bean yields in a tunnel house. The main plots included planting dates March 17 and 31, 2016 for first and second plantings. The sub-plots consisted of planting Method 1 where one seed per hill was planted every 4” apart, and planting Method 2 where three seeds per hill were planted every 12” apart; each treatment combination was replicated four times. The results of the study showed that it took 55 days for the snap beans to be ready for harvest for both planting dates. …

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Yield Of Two Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas (L.) Cultivars Grown In A Wiregrass Model Tunnel House Under Trellised And Conventional Planting Systems, Veronica E. Walton, Raymon Shange, Victor Khan, James E. Currington, Ramble Ankumah, Edward Sparks, Nathaniel Ellison, George X. Hunter Jr., Jeffery L. Moore

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Economies Of Scale In Integrated Pest Management In Vegetable And Fruit Production, Franklin Quarcoo, Conrad Bonsi, David Nii O. Tackie, Walter A. Hill, Gertrude Wall, George Hunter

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Pest management is achieved directly using a variety of tools, including pesticides, and indirectly through a number of agronomic/cultural practices such as irrigation and fertilizer application; collectively these practices function to positively effect general plant health. Healthier plants are more resistant to or tolerant of pests. This study explores the scale differences that impact the pest management significance and suitability of certain agronomic practices. Scale differences were discussed using literature-based information, direct field observations, and anecdotal information on the relative advantages of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems; organic and conventional cultivation of crops; crop rotation versus mono-cropping systems; precision …

George Washington Carver And The Ancient Egyptian Connection, Jon Adkins

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Screening Of Olive Cultivars For Tolerance To Fusicladium Oleagineum In South Africa, Zakhele Cyril Msimango

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

This study evaluated commercial olive cultivars for resistance to olive leaf spot (OLS). A growth chamber trial was undertaken with one temperature treatment (16°C) applied during inoculation while a relative humidity (RH) of above 80% was maintained. Plants were kept for 48 hours at 99% RH after inoculation and then moved to shade netted area for disease development at a temperature of 25±5°C. The results were used for categorizing the eight olive cultivars evaluated in this study according to their OLS susceptibility. ‘Frantoio’ was categorized as most tolerant; ‘Nandi’ and ‘Leccino’ were found to be moderately tolerant, and ‘Nocellara …

The Biological Consequences Of Kaolin Geophagia, Deloris Alexander, Desire Richardson, Lakisha Odom, Kara Cromwell, Dejuana Grant, Micoya Myers, Eddy Cadet, Hamid Mahama, Vijaya Rangari, Ralphenia Pace, Ramble Ankumah, Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A, Curtis Fluker

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Kaolin geophagia is associated with the relief of gastrointestinal distress, but it may also cause adverse health effects on the body. This study was designed to: assess kaolin composition; test if 129SvEv mice would consume kaolin and determine the consequences of consumption; and assess rotational stress modulation of consumption. Thirteen kaolin samples were purchased from Alabama and Georgia stores. Chemical and physical properties were characterized for each sample using a Munsell chart, pH meter, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Visible Near-InfraRed Spectra, and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry. Kaolin was then given to mice as food supplements and …

Genetic Diversity Of Miscanthus In The Us Naturalized Populations Based On Molecular Marker, Suma Basak

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Miscanthus is a fast growing bioenergy grass, tolerant of adverse conditions and has high biomass production, and is increasingly attractive as a potential source of cellulosic ethanol. An understanding of genetic variation in naturalized populations of Miscanthus in the US may help in selecting appropriate parents for breeding superior cultivars that are adapted in the wide-ranging and changing environments. The molecular marker analysis of Miscanthus is an important tool towards the genetic improvement program of this bioenergy grass. As sugarcane is closely related to Miscanthus, we employed its DNA markers as probes to explore genetic diversity within and among …

The Effect Of A Small Ruminant Farm Operation And Sustainable Farm Practices: Soil Quality And Run-Off At The University Hickory Hill Farm, Delaware, Gulnihal Ozbay Dr., Akida J. Ferguson, Raju Khatiwada, Lathadevi K. Chintapenta

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

This project was designed to evaluate the effect of ruminant grazing practices at Hickory Hill Farm on the surrounding environment by measuring soil nutrients and runoff chemistry. Three pastures on the farm (Goat, Cattle and Control) were selected for soil sampling and nutrient analyses were recorded. Physical water quality parameters were conducted on the runoff collected from the farm after Hurricane Sandy. The sites with animal activity had higher levels of sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, Mehlich 3 phosphorus and conductivity when compared to control site. However, the control site had slightly higher pH and chloride levels. Nitrogen and phosphorous levels were …

A Case Study Analysis Of A Regional Food System: The Sustainable Agriculture Consortium For Historically Disadvantaged Farmers Program, Tasha M. Hargrove, Walter A. Hill, John Brown, Miles Robinson, Iris Cole-Crosby, Elizabeth Myles, Billy Lawton, Karla Martin

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The Sustainable Agriculture Consortium for Historically Disadvantaged Farmers Program (SACH) was designed to carry out an experiment by five 1890 Land-Grant Universities in partnership with five farmer based cooperatives in five states to assess marketing fruits and vegetables to Walmart from a regional perspective. Using the Consortium as a case study, this study assessed the Consortium within the framework of implementation evaluation; data were collected using semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The study answered questions such as, what did the Consortium do, and what were some of the accomplishments of the Consortium? The farmers were able to: negotiate price points; …

Extending Sustainable Irrigation Opportunities To Socially And Historically Disadvantaged Farmers In The Alabama Black Belt To Support Commercial-Level Production, Raymon Shange, Richard Martin, Victor Khan, Kwesi Daniels, George X. Hunter, Gwendolyn J. Johnson, Steve Musser, William Puckett, Walter A. Hill

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

This paper focuses on providing sustainable irrigation opportunities to socially and historically disadvantaged farmers (SHDFs). The ability to provide steady production capacity through the use of renewable energy sources and microirrigation is innovative, in that it demonstrated how to develop and utilize a sustainable irrigation system in both energy and water conservation. This venture is also innovative in that it sought to provide SHDFs with irrigation in a state in which irrigation in agriculture is minimal, while at the same time, offsetting the energy costs that normally accompany irrigation. Several farmers are profiled in their participation in the irrigation program. …

Overview Of The Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) Terrain And Activities In Furtherance Of The Walmart Initiative To Purchase Fresh Vegetables From Local Growers In Alabama, Franklin Quarcoo, Conrad Bonsi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Tuskegee University has been providing various types of technical expertise to limited resource farmers who have been supplying Walmart with collard greens, watermelons and purple hull peas. A number of pests bedevil the cultivation of these crops; cost-effective management methods for these pests are needed. The objectives of this paper are to document the IPM activities associated with supplying produce to Walmart; summarize pest problems encountered on the afore-stated crops; recommend IPM methods suitable for limited resource farmers; and suggest other activities that ensure that farmers incur even less pest-related crop losses. Anthracnose was the major pest encountered on watermelons. …