Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Integration Of Matlab And Machine Learning To Accelerate Evaluation Of Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils And Promote Soil Health Improvement Goals, Andrew Stiven Ortiz Balsero

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Traditionally, assessments of soil biological activity have been confined to laboratory settings, creating a disconnect with practical in-field methods. To bridge this gap, cotton fabric degradation has been used to illustrate soil microbial activity under different management practices. While effective, these demonstrations are subjective and labor-intensive.

Researchers have explored using image processing software like ImageJ and Adobe Photoshop to streamline this process. Although these tools accurately quantified fabric degradation under varying soil conditions, the methods remained labor-intensive and complex. Consequently, these methods were still not ideal for on-farm use by agricultural practitioners.

To further address labor and complexity limitations, the …

Integrating Remote Sensing And Machine Learning To Determine Past, Current And Future Crop Water Use From The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, Moaz Ishag

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

The agriculture sector is a significant consumer of water, and sustainable water use begins with monitoring irrigated land. Delineating irrigated land supports decision-makers and promotes the sustainable use of this crucial resource. This study focuses on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS), the largest aquifers in the world, which spans Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Chad. The study aims to: 1) quantify the increase in irrigated hectares (both pivot and non-pivot) from 2000-2001 to 2023-2024; 2) identify major irrigated crop types and their water requirements; and 3) quantify groundwater crop water use from the NSAS using remote sensing via the Google …

Irt-Based Irrigation Scheduling And Dry Bean Crop Water Productivity Under Different Irrigation Scenarios In The Nebraska High Plains, Angie Gradiz

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Irrigation plays a critical role for crop production in western Nebraska of the United States, where crop evapotranspiration often exceeds in-season precipitation. This study investigated the impacts of different irrigation treatments on yield and key physiological parameters of dry edible beans grown in semi-arid western Nebraska during the 2022-2023 growing seasons. Seven irrigation levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%) of the fully irrigated treatment (FIT), were applied using a Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Linear-Move Sprinkler System. Additionally, an eighth treatment was scheduled based on measurement from infrared radiometry thermometers (IRT) to evaluate the performance of the two-source energy …

Responses Of Maize To Different Irrigation Regimes In Semi-Arid Western Nebraska, Swathi Palle

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

As the “Cornhusker State”, Maize (Zea mays) is an important crop in Nebraska. However, farmers in the state are challenged by unstable supply of surface water and limited groundwater resources. A better understanding of maize's response to water stress that occurs at different growth stages can help implement the best irrigation practices that conserve water while maintaining yields. In this study, we conducted field experiments at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center to compare the responses of maize to eight irrigation treatments which included both limited and deficit irrigation regimes during 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. Specifically, …

Characterization Of Physical And Biochemical Traits In Wheat And Corn Plants Using High Throughput Image Analysis, Kantilata Thapa

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Plant phenotyping has been recognized as a rapidly growing field of research due to the labor-intensive, destructive, and time-consuming nature of traditional phenotyping methods. These phenotyping bottlenecks can be addressed by advancements in image-based phenotyping like RGB and hyperspectral imaging for the assessment of plant traits important for breeding purposes. This study aims (1) to characterize the physical and biochemical traits of wheat and corn plants using RGB and hyperspectral imaging in the greenhouse, and (2) to estimate leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content using hyperspectral imaging and an analytical spectral device (ASD spectrometer) and compare the …

Maize Growth, Yield, Water Productivity And Evapotranspiration Response To Different Irrigation Methods And Amounts And Different Timing And Methods Of Nitrogen Applications, Ali T. Mohammed

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Declining the quantity and quality of freshwater resources in many parts of the world, including Midwestern USA, especially in the light of rapidly growing world’s population and changing climate, imposes significant and, in some cases imminent, challenges for producers, policy- and decision-makers to produce more yield with less water and other inputs, particularly in water scarcity regions.

There is not comprehensive previous research has quantified and evaluated coupled impacts of irrigation rates and nitrogen timing management strategies and their interactions on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and its various attributed efficiency index metrics under different irrigation methods under the same …

High Throughput In Vivo Analysis Of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Piyush Pandey, Yufeng Ge, Vincent Stoerger, James C. Schnable

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

The possibility of predicting plant leaf chemical properties using hyperspectral images was studied. Sixty maize and 60 soybean plants were used, and two experiments were conducted: one with water limitation and the second with nutrient limitation, with the purpose of creating wide ranges of these chemical properties in plant leaf tissues. A hyperspectral imaging system with a spectral range from 550 to 1700 nm was used to acquire plant images in a high throughput fashion (plants placed on an automated conveyor belt). Leaf chemical properties were measured in the laboratory. Partial least squares regression was implemented on spectral data to …

Development And Assessment Of A Groundwater Sustainability Index In Climatically Diverse Groundwater Irrigated Regions In Nebraska, Maria A. Mulet Jalil

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of regional change in ET on groundwater level changes and the assessment and development of a groundwater sustainability index for climatically diverse regions across Nebraska during 2000-2014. Irrigation in the selected regions is predominantly supplied by groundwater. The hypothesis is that groundwater use can become sustainable if the regional evapotranspiration (ET) is managed so that it equals the ET of vegetation that is native to the region. Site locations were Box Butte, Chase, Dundy, Holt LNNRD and York Counties and 3 ecosystems were evaluated: native vegetation, dryland and irrigated cropping …

Land Use And Water And Soil Management Practices Impacts On Potential Groundwater Recharge In Loess Regions Of South Central Nebraska, Gustavo Bosch-Rubia

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Sustainability of agro-ecosystems must consider land use and water and soil management effects on groundwater recharge. Water flow beneath the plant root zone through the intermediate vadose zone determines potential groundwater recharge. Different land uses, water and soil management practices control deep percolation as a result of changes on evapotranspiration and infiltration. This study of the impact of surface activities on deep percolation was conducted at six locations across Nebraska: Two center-pivot irrigated no-till planting systems fields were compared with one tilled center-pivot irrigated field, a furrow irrigated field with multiple tillage treatments, an eco-fallow dryland farming system, and a …

Infiltration And Runoff Parameters For Tilled And No-Till Row Crops, Andrew J. Volkmer

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Infiltration and runoff are hydrologic processes that effect the amount of water available to plants, for groundwater recharge, and for stream flow. No-till planting (NT) is a management practice used to reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and reduce soil water evaporation, and can have great impact on infiltration and runoff. An investigation was conducted to determine the impact of NT on infiltration and runoff when compared to tilled conditions.

Runoff and precipitation data was gathered from sites at Fillmore County, NE, Phelps County, NE, the USDA-ARS North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds (NAEW) near Coshocton, OH, and the Lennoxville Research Station …