Plant Sciences Commons^™

Chromosomal Evolution And Apomixis In The Cruciferous Tribe Boechereae, Terezie Mandáková, Petra Hloušková, Michael D. Windham, Thomas Mitchell-Olds, Kaylynn Ashby, Bo Price, John Carman, Martin A. Lysak

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) comprises several dozen monophyletic clades usually ranked as tribes. The tribe Boechereae plays a prominent role in plant research due to the incidence of apomixis and its close relationship to Arabidopsis. This tribe, largely confined to western North America, harbors nine genera and c. 130 species, with >90% of species belonging to the genus Boechera. Hundreds of apomictic diploid and triploid Boechera hybrids have spurred interest in this genus, but the remaining Boechereae genomes remain virtually unstudied. Here we report on comparative genome structure of six genera (Borodinia, Cusickiella, Phoenicaulis, …

Genetic Mapping Of The Common And Dwarf Bunt Resistance Gene Bt12 Descending From The Wheat Landrace Pi119333, Almuth Elise Muellner, Babur Eshonkulov, Julia Hagenguth, Bernadette Pachler, Sebastian Michel, Maria Buerstmayr, David Hole, Hermann Buerstmayr

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Common bunt (CB), caused by Tilletia caries and T. foetida, and dwarf bunt (DB), caused by T. controversa, are particularly destructive diseases of wheat grown under organic (low-input) production conditions and negatively affect both grain yield and quality. A total of 16 race specific bunt resistance genes have been proposed to date. Thereof, only Bt9 and Bt10 have been mapped so far. A mapping and two validation populations comprising 176 recombinant inbred lines were evaluated for CB and DB in artificially inoculated field trials. The mapping population was derived from the cross of the Bt12 carrier PI119333 and …

Salinity Tolerance In Kentucky Bluegrass Hybrids, Paul G. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diminishing water sources in the Intermountain West have led to increased use of alternative sources of water. These sources, such as reclaimed water, generally have elevated salinity levels that may slow growth, and cause a decline in turfgrass quality. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is sensitive to salt stress, but is otherwise very well adapted to many turfgrass areas because of its dark color, durability, ability to recover from wear, and soft texture. Because of these positive traits, it has been the subject of selection for salt tolerance. This study was designed to evaluate the salt tolerance of hybrids …

Pasture Management To Improve Dry Matter Intake, Marcus F. Rose, Earl Creech, Blair L. Waldron, S. Clay Isom, Michael Peel, Kara Thornton-Kurth, Jacob Hadfield, Kerry A. Rood

All Current Publications

Agricultural producers are constantly looking for ways to maximize returns while reducing input costs. On dairy operations, a move from confinement feeding to pasture grazing offers the potential to reduce costs associated with harvest and storage of feed. In such a transition, producers sometimes report a decline in milk production and growth of livestock—both of which can strongly correlate to dry matter intake. Fortunately, dry matter intake is something that can be influenced by management practices. In this publication, we discuss the pasture management practices to improve dry matter intake.

Considerations For Crop Rotation From Alfalfa To Corn, Earl Creech, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon, Corey Ransom, Jason Clark

All Current Publications

The importance of rotating out of a declining alfalfa stand is well established. As the alfalfa stand ages, forage yield and quality decline, while weed, insect, and disease pressures increase. Terminating the stand and growing one or more other crops for several (2–3) years allows a grower to press the reset button on a piece of ground. These years of growing another crop will result in more productive alfalfa when a new stand is planted again.

An Evaluation Of The Susceptibility Of Goats To Larkspur Toxicosis, Kevin D. Welch, Clint A. Stonecipher, Dale R. Gardner, Benidict T. Green, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are a major cause of cattle losses in western North America, whereas sheep have been shown to be resistant to larkspur toxicosis. Goats are often used as a small ruminant model to study poisonous plants, even though they can be more resistant to some poisonous plants. It is not known how susceptible goats are to the adverse effects of larkspurs. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of goats to larkspur toxicosis by performing a dose-response study. We dosed goats with D. barbeyi collected near Cedar City, Utah at 3.3, 4.4, 6.6, 8.8 and 10.0 g …

Dataset For "Attributes Of Phragmites Australis In Response To Climate Change Using A Common Garden Study", Stephen L. Young

Browse all Datasets

The response of plant species to environmental change, including climate, is based on phenotypic plasticity. Empirical research can help in understanding how invasive plants adapt to changing conditions for successful establishment. Our goal was to assess the effect of environment of origin and ecotypic variation on phenotypic response of native and invasive Phragmites australis using morphological and ecophysiological measurements. We established a common garden study using seeds collected from Southwest, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions that crossed longitudinal and latitudinal gradients of the US. Within and end of growing season measurements were made for morphological (e.g., height, leaf size, inflorescence) …

From Physics To Fixtures To Food: Current And Potential Led Efficacy, Paul Kusuma, P. Morgan Pattison, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have enabled a historic increase in the conversion of electric energy to photons, but this is approaching a physical limit. The theoretical maximum efficiency occurs when all input energy is converted to energy in photosynthetic photons. Blue LEDs can be 93% efficient, phosphor-converted “whites” 76% efficient, and red LEDs 81% efficient. These improvements open new opportunities for horticultural lighting. Here we review (1) fundamental physics and efficiency of LEDs, (2) the current efficacy of LEDs, (3) the effect of spectral quality on crop yield, and (4) the potential efficacy of horticultural fixtures. Advances in the conversion of …

Using Degree Days To Time Treatments For Insect Pests, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Insecticides that are applied for a perennial insect pest based on a calendar date often result in poor insect control and a waste of resources. Insect activity varies from year to year depending on weather. For example, in Logan, Utah, eggs of the apple pest codling moth began hatching on May 15 in 2005, May 5 in 2006, and April 30 in 2007.

Molecular Differentiation Of Astragalus Species And Varieties From The Western United States: The Chloroplast Dna Bridge Between Evolution And Molecular Systematics, Marwa Neyaz, Daniel Cook, Rebecca Creamer

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Locoweeds are the most widespread poisonous plant problem in the world and have been reported in the Western United States since the 1800s, causing tremendous losses in livestock. Consumption of locoweeds by grazing animals stimulates the neurological disease, locoism, characterized by weight loss, ataxia, and lack of muscular coordination. The name locoweed is used for Astragalus and Oxytropis species known to contain swainsonine, the toxic principle produced by the plant endophytic fungus Undifilum. Astragalus includes 2,500-3,000 species and many varieties that have almost identical morphological characteristics that overlap among species, leading to improper identification. Therefore, the aim of this study …

Adaptability Of Tree Species As Windbreaks For Urban Farms In The U.S. Intermountain West, Sheriden M. Hansen, Jaydee Gunnell, Anthony Whaley, Xin Dai, Cole Harding, Brent L. Black

Extension Research

Windbreaks or shelterbelts are a management tool to protect crops from damaging horizontal wind flow, and may provide a useful buffer between farmland and urbanized areas by reducing pesticide drift, dust, and noise associated with farming activities. Plant selection for windbreaks in the Intermountain West can be difficult as high elevation coupled with extreme temperatures, high pH soils, and limited access to water are common. This study assessed eight tree species for suitability as a windbreak in the Intermountain West, with a particular focus on initial establishment and use at the urban–agriculture interface. Species were assessed for mortality, size, canopy …

Genetic Parameters Of Growth And Adaptive Traits In Aspen (Populus Tremuloides): Implications For Tree Breeding In A Warming World, Chen Ding, Andreas Hamann, Rong-Cai Yang, Jean S. Brouard

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) is a widespread commercial forest tree of high economic importance in western Canada and has been subject to tree improvement efforts over the past two decades. Such improvement programs rely on accurate estimates of the genetic gain in growth traits and correlated response in adaptive traits that are important for forest health. Here, we estimated genetic parameters in 10 progeny trials containing >30,000 trees with pedigree structures based on a partial factorial mating design that includes 60 half-sibs, 100 full-sib families and 1,400 clonally replicated genotypes. Estimated narrow-sense and broad-sense heritabilities were low for height …

On Tanzania’S Precipitation Climatology, Variability, And Future Projection, Krishna Borhara, Binod Pokharel, Brennan L. Bean, Liping Deng, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

We investigate historical and projected precipitation in Tanzania using observational and climate model data. Precipitation in Tanzania is highly variable in both space and time due to topographical variations, coastal influences, and the presence of lakes. Annual and seasonal precipitation trend analyses from 1961 to 2016 show maximum rainfall decline in Tanzania during the long rainy season in the fall (March–May), and an increasing precipitation trend in northwestern Tanzania during the short rainy season in the spring (September–November). Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis applied to Tanzania’s precipitation patterns shows a stronger correlation with warmer temperatures in the western Indian Ocean …

Short-Term Nitrogen Fertilization Affects Microbial Community Composition And Nitrogen Mineralization Function In An Agricultural Soil, Yang Ouyang, Jeanette M. Norton

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Soil extracellular enzymes play a significant role in the N mineralization process. However, few studies have documented the linkage between enzyme activity and the microbial community that performs the function. This study examined the effects of inorganic and organic N fertilization on soil microbial communities and their N mineralization functions over 4 years. Soils were collected from silage corn field plots with four contrasting N treatments: control (no additional N), ammonium sulfate (AS; 100 and 200 kg of N ha⁻¹), and compost (200 kg of N ha⁻¹). Illumina amplicon sequencing was used to comprehensively assess the …

Collaborative Research: P2c2--Winter Climate Anomalies Across North America: Benchmarking Instrumental Trends And Model Projections With High Resolution Paleoclimatology, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Horticultural Availability And Homeowner Preferences Drive Plant Diversity And Composition In Urban Yards, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Josep Padullés Cubino, William D. Pearse, Sarah E. Hobbie, A. J. Lange, Sonja Knapp, Kristen C. Nelson

Ecology Center Publications

Understanding the factors that influence biodiversity in urban areas is important for informing management efforts aimed at enhancing the ecosystem services in urban settings and curbing the spread of invasive introduced species. We determined the ecological and socioeconomic factors that influence patterns of plant richness, phylogenetic diversity, and composition in 133 private household yards in the Minneapolis‐Saint Paul Metropolitan area, Minnesota, USA. We compared the composition of spontaneously occurring plant species and those planted by homeowners with composition in natural areas (at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve) and in the horticulture pool of species available from commercial growers. Yard …

Contrasting Root System Structure And Belowground Interactions Between Black Spruce (Picea Mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) And Trembling Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx) In Boreal Mixedwoods Of Eastern Canada, Claudele Ghotsa Mekontchou, Daniel Houle, Yves Bergeron, Igor Drobyshev

Aspen Bibliography

This study explored the underground interactions between black spruce and trembling aspen in pure and mixed stands to understand how their soil resource use help these species coexist in the boreal mixedwoods of Western Quebec. We analyzed species-specific fine root foraging strategies (root biomass and root tissue density) along three soil layers (organic, top 0–15 cm, and bottom 15–30 cm mineral soil), using 180 soil cores. We collected cores in three sites, each containing three 20 × 50 m2 plots of pure spruce, pure aspen, and mixed spruce and aspen stands. Spruce had a shallow rooting, whereas aspen had a …

Association Of Diurnal Rainfall In Northeastern Tibetan Plateau With The Retreat Of The South Asian High, Lin Zhao, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Chi-Hua Wu, Sebastian Los, Shihua Lyu, Xianhong Meng, Lijuan Wen, Siqiong Luo, Yinhuan Ao, Zhaoguo Li

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The characteristics of intense diurnal precipitation occurring beneath the South Asian High (SAH) are diagnosed in the summer monsoon season from 2010 to 2015 using observational data. The diagnostics indicate that summer nighttime rainfall events in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau can intensify towards the end of the monsoon period. By defining a transition index to identify the transition day during which the episodes of diurnal convection start to decline, daily thermodynamic properties and precipitation from each year were composited before and after the transition date. The analysis reveals that warmer air, increased moisture, and stronger upward velocity are present in …

Genetic Characterization And Genome-Wide Association Mapping For Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Bread Wheat Accessions From The Usda National Small Grains Collection, Tyler Gordon, Rui Wang, David Hole, Harold Bockelman, J. Michael Bonman, Jianli Chen

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Key message

Dwarf bunt-resistant bread wheat accessions and SNP markers associated with DB resistance identified in this study are valuable resources for characterization and deployment of DB resistance in bread wheat.

Abstract

Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn, can significantly reduce grain yield and quality on autumn-sown wheat in regions with prolonged snow cover. DB can be managed with the use of resistant cultivars. The objectives of the present study were to characterize DB resistance in a large set of bread wheat accessions from the National Small Grains Collection and use a genome-wide association study approach to …

Morphological And Physiological Responses Of Cornus Alba To Salt And Drought Stresses Under Greenhouse Conditions, Qiang Liu, Youping Sun, James Altland, Genhua Niu

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Tatarian dogwood (Cornus alba) is an ornamental shrub with white fruits, creamy-white flowers, and red stems in fall through late winter and is widely used in residential landscape, public parks, and botanical gardens. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to characterize the survival, morphological, aesthetic, and physiological responses of tatarian dogwood seedlings to salinity and drought stresses. In Expt. 1, tatarian dogwood seedlings grown in three soilless growing substrates (Metro-Mix 360, 560, and 902) were irrigated with a nutrient solution at an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.2 dS·m⁻¹ (control) or saline solution (by adding calculated amount of sodium …

Quantifying Tree Hydration Using Electromagnetic Sensors, Lance V. Stott, Brent Black, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

An automated method of determining tree water status would enable tree fruit growers, foresters and arborists to reduce water consumption, reduce orchard maintenance costs and improve fruit quality. Automated measurements could also be used to irrigate based on need rather than on fixed schedules. Numerous automated approaches have been studied; all are difficult to implement. Electromagnetic sensors that measure volumetric water content can be inserted in tree trunks to determine relative changes in tree water status. We performed automated measurements of dielectric permittivity using four commercially available electromagnetic sensors in fruit tree trunks over the 2016 growing season. These sensors …

Pando Clone Recovery: Repeat Photos 2014-2019, Mary O'Brien, Marc Coles-Ritchie

Aspen Bibliography

The world's largest known clone of aspen (Populus tremuloides), called the "Pando Clone" is located in the Fishlake National Forest in central Utah. For many decades, significant pressure from ungulate (deer and cattle) browsing has prevented growth of young aspen stems in to trees that would replace the mature trees as they die of natural causes. There has been concern that this impressive 104-acre Pando Clone could be lost altogether due to the excessive browsing of young aspen stems. In 2013, 16 acres of this clone were fenced to exclude all ungulates (deer and cattle) so that recovery …

Patterns Of Epiphytic Lichen Abundance On Aspen Stands In Proximity To Roads Of Varying Vehicular Traffic, D. Aragon, C. Castillo, J. Moffroid, G. Thomas

Aspen Bibliography

Although present in nearly any wild space with available moisture and on a wide variety of substrates, lichen, and its importance as a bioindicator for an ecosystem, is often overlooked. As air pollution becomes a greater concern for flora, fauna, and even humans, the story told by lichen growth becomes more useful as we try to make sense of the downstream effects of anthropogenic contributions to poor air quality. One such human-driven pollutant is the level of emissions that result from vehicular travel. The Jackson Hole area has experienced a large increase in vehicular traffic in the past five to …