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Agriculture

2014

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Articles 1 - 23 of 23

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Ecological Genomic Basis Of Salinity Adaptation In Tunisian Medicago Truncatula, Maren L. Friesen, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Mounawer Badri, Ken S. Moriuchi, Fathi Barhoumi, Peter L. Chang, Sonia Cuellar-Ortiz, Matilde A. Cordeiro, Wendy T. Vu, Soumaya Arraouadi, Naceur Djébali, Kais Zribi, Yazid Badri, Stephanie S. Porter, Mohammed Elarbi Aouani, Douglas R. Cook, Sharon Y. Strauss, Sergey V. Nuzhdin Dec 2014

The Ecological Genomic Basis Of Salinity Adaptation In Tunisian Medicago Truncatula, Maren L. Friesen, Eric J.B. Von Wettberg, Mounawer Badri, Ken S. Moriuchi, Fathi Barhoumi, Peter L. Chang, Sonia Cuellar-Ortiz, Matilde A. Cordeiro, Wendy T. Vu, Soumaya Arraouadi, Naceur Djébali, Kais Zribi, Yazid Badri, Stephanie S. Porter, Mohammed Elarbi Aouani, Douglas R. Cook, Sharon Y. Strauss, Sergey V. Nuzhdin

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: As our world becomes warmer, agriculture is increasingly impacted by rising soil salinity and understanding plant adaptation to salt stress can help enable effective crop breeding. Salt tolerance is a complex plant phenotype and we know little about the pathways utilized by naturally tolerant plants. Legumes are important species in agricultural and natural ecosystems, since they engage in symbiotic nitrogen-fixation, but are especially vulnerable to salinity stress. Results: Our studies of the model legume Medicago truncatula in field and greenhouse settings demonstrate that Tunisian populations are locally adapted to saline soils at the metapopulation level and that saline origin …

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Response Of Soil Nitrification To The Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Monensin, Ivermectin And Zinc Bacitracin, Magda A. Konopka Dec 2014

Response Of Soil Nitrification To The Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Monensin, Ivermectin And Zinc Bacitracin, Magda A. Konopka

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pharmaceutical residues can reach agricultural land through amendment with animal or human waste. Since 2010, a series of replicated plots received annual applications of ivermectin, monensin and zinc bacitracin, either singly or in a mixture, at 0.1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg concentrations. I collected soil samples before and after the fourth annual application of pharmaceuticals and assayed them for functional changes and amoA gene abundance, a gene needed for ammonia oxidation. In 2013, I exposed the soils to 100 mg/kg in a laboratory experiment which resulted in acceleration of nitrification. Under 10 mg/kg treatments in the field the abundance of …

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Determining The Association Between The Structure Of Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Agricultural Best Management Practices, Roger Holmes Sep 2014

Determining The Association Between The Structure Of Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Agricultural Best Management Practices, Roger Holmes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Farmers have been encouraged to adopt more sustainable farming practices (BMPs) that mitigate adverse agricultural effects on the natural environment. However, the ability of BMPs to protect or restore riverine systems continues to be questioned due to limited evidence directly linking BMP use with improved ecological conditions. The exclusion of hydrological pathways in previous field studies may explain why a direct link has not yet been established. The goal of this study was to assess the association between benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and the number and location of agricultural BMPs. Macroinvertebrates and water chemistry were sampled in 30 headwater catchments …

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A Case Study Of Changing Cropping Diversity And Agricultural Risk In The Doulthabad Mandal Of Telangana State In India, Srikanth Kondabolu Aug 2014

A Case Study Of Changing Cropping Diversity And Agricultural Risk In The Doulthabad Mandal Of Telangana State In India, Srikanth Kondabolu

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Doulthabad[1] Mandal is a hot semi-arid agro-ecological sub-region (Rao et al. 2006) located in Mahbubnagar District on the North Telangana Plateau in the state of Telangana. Agriculture is the main occupation in this region, which is populated mostly with small and marginal farmers. This study uses the time period from 1971 to 2004 to study the variation in cropping pattern diversity and distribution of rainfall during the monsoons and understand the implications on production risk in agriculture. Quantitative methods were used in determining the changes in rainfall while qualitative methods were used to study cropping system changes. The …

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Agriculture Trade And Protectionism., Debasmita Basu Dr. Jul 2014

Agriculture Trade And Protectionism., Debasmita Basu Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Ever since the inception of the World Trade Organization free trade in agricultural goods has been difficult to implement. The developed countries, who are otherwise active proponents of free trade, seem reluctant to remove the subsidies from the agricultural sector, making way for unfair competition against the poor developing nations. The Common Agricultural Program (CAP) spending of around ¿58 bn each year in the European countries as agricultural subsidy has always been subject to controversy.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also devised a variety of programs to supplement the farmers’ income, support commodity market price and manage supply. The …

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Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee Jul 2014

Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee

Agricultural Education and Communication

Website created by Angelina McKee to educate the public about water resource issues. Water is the basic unit of life, water resources are the basis for what societies and ecosystems are founded upon. Water shortages and droughts are more prevalent in our ever-changing world. It is no shock that there are discrepancies between various stockholders on either sides of the dry riverbed. This senior project resulted in the development of a website that addresses global water resources, water use in California, water conservation, and water allocation. The website informs the public on water resources and related issues and will hopefully …

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The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran May 2014

The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been welldocumented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.

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California Drought: A Need For Agricultural Revolution In The Golden State, Benjamin Clinkinbeard May 2014

California Drought: A Need For Agricultural Revolution In The Golden State, Benjamin Clinkinbeard

2014 Student Theses

California is in a drought State of Emergency, which is fueling negative social and economic consequences. After multiple years of below average rainfall, California has arrived at one of the most severe droughts in recorded history. Climate change is upon the Golden State, and the ugly consequences need to encourage citizens to spur green movements combating environmental destruction. The agriculture industry is in need of drastic change in order to secure a future that includes clean water, and fresh food for a growing population. Currently, the agricultural techniques practiced are far from sustainable. Adopting a new ideal on what it …

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Biodynamic Agriculture: A Valuable Alternative To The Industrial Farming System, Eden K. Olsen May 2014

Biodynamic Agriculture: A Valuable Alternative To The Industrial Farming System, Eden K. Olsen

Scripps Senior Theses

Since the Scientific and Industrial revolutions, advancing technologies and cutting-edge science have enabled our society to continually promote a growing global economy. Industrial growth has increasingly become a top priority for most governments, notably in the agricultural realm. The advances towards agricultural industrialization began in the 17th century and escalated during the Green Revolution, which examined the possibility of using synthetic fertilizers and mechanization in farming to decrease labor and improve yields. Although seen as economically beneficial, the shift from an agrarian lifestyle to industrial farming has created an ecological, economic, and ideological crisis to our modern world. This …

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Eating Misery: The Moral Question Of Factory Farming And The Struggle With Affected Ignorance, Victoria Elizabeth Oh May 2014

Eating Misery: The Moral Question Of Factory Farming And The Struggle With Affected Ignorance, Victoria Elizabeth Oh

2014 Student Theses

What moral responsibility do we have to the suffering that we cause to animals? Should we reconsider our socially accepted treatment of animals in agriculture? In this essay I attempt to explore those moral questions by comparing new agriculture to the past; quantitative data linking environmental concerns to animal agriculture; and the current policy and law relating to factory farming. Using this information I try to unpack our moral obligation to these animals in factory farms and our affected ignorance to the entire subject of the unethical treatment of animals in factory farms. I recommend that we need to transform …

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Colony Collapse Disorder In North American Honey Bees: History, Economics And Policy, Lauren Marra May 2014

Colony Collapse Disorder In North American Honey Bees: History, Economics And Policy, Lauren Marra

2014 Student Theses

In recent years, millions of bees have died in North America as part of a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. This thesis analyzes the importance of productive bee colonies and how their act of pollination is a vital ecosystem service to many of our economies. It identifies the major crops reliant on bee pollination and the many ecological threats that declining bee populations pose. Using data from the USDA, university studies, and other scientific research, this thesis evaluates the many reasons for the decline of honeybees as a result of the gradual decline of the nation’s current agricultural system. …

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Determining The Dynamics Of Agricultural Water Use: Cases From Asia And Africa, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Robyn Johnston, Poolad Karimi, Peter G. Mccornick Apr 2014

Determining The Dynamics Of Agricultural Water Use: Cases From Asia And Africa, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Robyn Johnston, Poolad Karimi, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Across Africa and Asia, water resources are being affected by a complex mixture of social, economic, and environmental factors. These include climate change and population growth, food prices, oil prices, financial disruptions, and political fluctuations. The need to produce more food will have one of the largest impacts on water and will continue to reshape the patterns of agricultural water use in major food-growing regions. With this increasing demand on water for agriculture, from large-scale irrigation to intensification of rainfed systems, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that water resources decision-making has access to information that captures the spectrum …

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Agriculture, Environmental Restoration And Ecosystem Services: Assessing The Costs Of Water Storage On Agricultural Lands In South Florida, Kayla Ouellette Mar 2014

Agriculture, Environmental Restoration And Ecosystem Services: Assessing The Costs Of Water Storage On Agricultural Lands In South Florida, Kayla Ouellette

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A large part of the environmental restoration required by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan calls for more water-storage on lands south of Lake Okeechobee in order to restore the natural water flows of the Everglades watershed. The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) can be used for increased water storage in order to relieve coastal estuaries of excess water in the rainy season. This water storage can deliver additional ecosystem services of soil retention and reduced CO2 emissions that could compensate farmers for the cost of water storage by increasing long term farm profitability. The goals of this study were 1) to …

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Shade Coffee: Update On A Disappearing Refuge For Biodiversity, Shalene Jha, Christopher M. Bacon, Stacy M. Philpott, V. Ernesto Méndez, Peter Läderach, Robert A. Rice Jan 2014

Shade Coffee: Update On A Disappearing Refuge For Biodiversity, Shalene Jha, Christopher M. Bacon, Stacy M. Philpott, V. Ernesto Méndez, Peter Läderach, Robert A. Rice

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In the past three decades, coffee cultivation has gained widespread attention for its crucial role in supporting local and global biodiversity. In this synthetic Overview, we present newly gathered data that summarize how global patterns in coffee distribution and shade vegetation have changed and discuss implications for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and livelihoods. Although overall cultivated coffee area has decreased by 8% since 1990, coffee production and agricultural intensification have increased in many places and shifted globally, with production expanding in Asia while contracting in Africa. Ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control, climate regulation, and nutrient sequestration are generally greater …

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Governing Agriculture-Forest Landscapes To Achieve Climate Change Mitigation, Arun Agrawal, E. Wollenberg, L. Persha Jan 2014

Governing Agriculture-Forest Landscapes To Achieve Climate Change Mitigation, Arun Agrawal, E. Wollenberg, L. Persha

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

This introduction to the special section on "Governing Agriculture-Forest Landscapes to Achieve Climate Change Mitigation" reviews external interventions to improve forest conditions and reduce deforestation, and by extension, influence carbon storage in agriculture-forest landscapes. The review is based on a careful survey of 123 cases of project-based and policy interventions to influence land use and forest cover outcomes. We propose that outcomes of interventions can be explained in terms of rights, incentives, and technologies related to land use and apply this framework to examine 12 types of interventions in agriculture-forest landscapes. The analysis of the identified 123 cases raises concerns …

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Carbon–Temperature–Water Change Analysis For Peanut Production Under Climate Change: A Prototype For The Agmip Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3mp), Alex Ruane, Sonali Mcdermid, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Guillermo Baigorria, James W. Jones, Consuelo Romero, L. Dewayne Cecil Jan 2014

Carbon–Temperature–Water Change Analysis For Peanut Production Under Climate Change: A Prototype For The Agmip Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3mp), Alex Ruane, Sonali Mcdermid, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Guillermo Baigorria, James W. Jones, Consuelo Romero, L. Dewayne Cecil

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Climate change is projected to push the limits of cropping systems and has the potential to disrupt the agricultural sector from local to global scales. This article introduces the Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP), an initiative of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) to engage a global network of crop modelers to explore the impacts of climate change via an investigation of crop responses to changes in carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), temperature, and water. As a demonstration of the C3MP protocols and enabled analyses, we apply the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) CROPGRO-Peanut crop model for …

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Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation In North America, Heath M. Hagy, Scott C. Yaich, John W. Simpson, Eduardo Carrera, David A. Haukos, W.Carter Johnson, Charles R. Loesch, Fritz A. Reid, Scott E. Stephens, Ralph W. Tiner, Brett A. Werner, Greg S. Yarris Jan 2014

Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation In North America, Heath M. Hagy, Scott C. Yaich, John W. Simpson, Eduardo Carrera, David A. Haukos, W.Carter Johnson, Charles R. Loesch, Fritz A. Reid, Scott E. Stephens, Ralph W. Tiner, Brett A. Werner, Greg S. Yarris

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

This paper summarises discussions by invited speakers during a special session at the 6th North American Duck Symposium on wetland issues that affect waterfowl, highlighting current ecosystem challenges and opportunities for the conservation of waterfowl in North America. Climate change, invasive species, U.S. agricultural policy (which can encourage wetland drainage and the expansion of row-crop agriculture into grasslands), cost and competition for water rights, and wetland management for non-waterfowl species were all considered to pose significant threats to waterfowl populations in the near future. Waterfowl populations were found to be faced with significant threats in several regions, including: the Central …

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Charting A New Course For The Colorado River: A Summary Of Guiding Principles, Colorado River Research Group Jan 2014

Charting A New Course For The Colorado River: A Summary Of Guiding Principles, Colorado River Research Group

Books, Reports, and Studies

[4] p. : color illustrations ; 28 cm.

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Extractive Industries, Livelihoods And Natural Resource Competition: Mapping Overlapping Claims In Peru And Ghana, Nicholas Cuba, Anthony J. Bebbington, John Rogan, Marco Millones Jan 2014

Extractive Industries, Livelihoods And Natural Resource Competition: Mapping Overlapping Claims In Peru And Ghana, Nicholas Cuba, Anthony J. Bebbington, John Rogan, Marco Millones

Geography

Taking the cases of Perú and Ghana, this paper examines overlaps between the extraction of minerals, oil and gas on the one hand, and river basins, agricultural land use, and protected areas on the other hand. In particular the paper considers how far such overlaps can be revealed and analyzed on the basis of (relatively) accessible and affordable data, without having to use more expensive data generated by remote sensing or fieldwork. We use concessions as our indicator of the presence of extractive industry activity, focusing on both mineral and hydrocarbon concessions, and areas of exploration and of active resource …

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Mobile Applications For Indian Agriculture Sector: A Case Study, Pratik Shah, Niketa Gandhi, Leisa Armstrong Jan 2014

Mobile Applications For Indian Agriculture Sector: A Case Study, Pratik Shah, Niketa Gandhi, Leisa Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Government, private agencies and the general public are often interested in the decisions made by the Indian farmers as they have large influences beyond the farm boundary. Over many years, the process of adoption of new technologies and policies in the Indian agricultural sector has received considerable academic attention highlighting the role of many social, financial and other influences on their decision making. The Indian government and other development agencies promote income generating projects as a way of encouraging growth through increased agricultural production and the protection of the natural resource base. The impact of new technology to economic growth …

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An Artificial Neural Network For Predicting Crops Yield In Nepal, Tirtha Ranjeet, Leisa Armstrong Jan 2014

An Artificial Neural Network For Predicting Crops Yield In Nepal, Tirtha Ranjeet, Leisa Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examines the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for predicting crop yields for an agricultural region in Nepal. The neural network algorithm has become an effective data mining tool and the outcome produced by this algorithm is considered to be less error prone than other computer science techniques. The backpropagation algorithm which iteratively finds a suitable weight value is considered for computing the error derivative. Agricultural data was collected from thirteen years from paddy field cultivation in the Siraha district, an eastern region in Nepal, and used for this investigation of neural networks. Additionally, climatic parameters including rainfall, …

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The Role Of Ugandan Women In Rural Agriculture And Food Security, Karen Ann Mckenna Jan 2014

The Role Of Ugandan Women In Rural Agriculture And Food Security, Karen Ann Mckenna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women engaged in small-scale rural agriculture in Iganga, Uganda for the purpose of household food security and/or income generation face a number of challenges to creating sustainable livelihoods. This analysis is presented in the form of a case study based on research conducted over the period of one year in Uganda between September 2012 and September 2013. Three conceptual orientations are used to guide the research, including sustainable livelihoods, gender and agricultural development, and food security. Pertinent economic, political, and social contexts are identified for each of these orientations. The author then identifies key challenges that women in Iganga face …

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Carbon Farming In Relation To Western Australian Agriculture, Robert Sudmeyer, Jackson Parker, Tanmoy Nath, Ananda Ghose Jan 2014

Carbon Farming In Relation To Western Australian Agriculture, Robert Sudmeyer, Jackson Parker, Tanmoy Nath, Ananda Ghose

Bulletins 4000 -

Carbon farming activities need to return multiple economic and environmental co-benefits to be attractive to land managers. This bulletin summarises concepts underlying carbon farming, how Australia accounts for greenhouse gas emissions and the potential for Western Australian land managers to participate in, and benefit from, carbon farming.

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