Agriculture Commons^™

Compounds In Whole-Grain Rice Varieties, Ming-Hsuan Chen, Karen Bett-Garber, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

Whole-grain brown rice contains 15 vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and iron—all nutrients the body needs to grow and develop normally. In addition to these essential nutrients, there are bioactive phytochemicals in rice, as well as in other whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds. Although the role of these plant chemicals in terms of human health has not been proven, a body of evidence suggests that some phytochemicals could be nutritionally beneficial.

Now, studies headed by chemist Ming-Hsuan Chen, who is with the Agricultural Research Service’s Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, …

A Modeling Milestone For Soil Phosphorus Management, Peter Vadas, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is looking for ways to upgrade the Phosphorus Index, a simple management tool developed during the 1990s to gauge the risk of phosphorus losses from agricultural fields. In developing a national nutrient-management policy, NRCS allowed states to modify the original index—a matrix of source and transport factors that contribute to phosphorus loss— with inputs to account for local variations in soils, climate, management, and water quality goals.

But this resulted in widely different state-by-state phosphorus indices that often didn’t agree with each other on how to manage phosphorus. “We’d put …

Two Approaches For Optimizing Water Productivity, Dennis O’Brien

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Service researchers in Bushland, Texas, are helping farmers make the most of their water supplies in a region where they depend on the Ogallala Aquifer, a massive underground reservoir under constant threat of overuse.

Steve Evett, Susan O’Shaughnessy, and their colleagues at the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory are developing and testing soil-water and plant-stress sensors and automated irrigation systems that will irrigate fields only as necessary. Automated systems are considered key to sustainable use of the aquifer and to helping growers reduce water and labor costs.

“As water becomes more precious and the costs to pump it …

Irrigation Wastewater: Waste Not, Want Not, Dennis Corwin, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural producers on the west side of California’s San Joaquin Valley (WSJV) used to drain irrigation wastewater into Kesterson Reservoir, a series of holding ponds that were part of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. But selenium levels in the water became hazardous to waterfowl, so the storage facility was closed in 1987. Since then, farmers have been keeping the wastewater—which also contains salt and traces of arsenic, boron, and molybdenum—in evaporation ponds on their own land, which takes around 10 percent of the crop land out of production.

Agricultural Research Service soil scientist Dennis Corwin and his colleagues had …

Improved Vitamin B12 Test May, John W. Newman, Lindsay H. Allen, Marcia Wood

Agricultural Research Magazine

Vitamin B12 helps your body perform many vital chores, including forming healthy red blood cells; keeping your brain functioning smoothly; and processing (metabolizing) the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in foods that you eat.

Like all vitamins, B12 is a micronutrient, meaning that we need it in only very small amounts. We get B12 from animal products— meats, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt, for instance—or from B12-fortified foods, notably breakfast cereals. We can also obtain it from nutritional supplements, such as B12 tablets or multivitamin pills. People who need to boost their B12 levels quickly may do so via shots …

Vineyard Layout And Design For A Pinot Noir Vineyard In The Santa Rita Hills Ava, Joseph G. Pollock

Horticulture and Crop Science

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is an important area for California pinot noir. To develop a pinot noir vineyard requires a substantial amount of research to be done before any planting occurs in the soil. The purpose of this project was to study the facets of planting a vineyard from a fallow field and then construct a design for the finished vineyard. The site is located on an unused portion of a ranch property in roughly the middle of the AVA. Climatological data places the potential site within acceptable parameters for growing pinot noir. The soil on site is Arnold …

Ecohealth Interventions Limit Triatomine Reinfestation Following Insecticide Spraying In La Brea, Guatemala, David E. Lucero, Leslie A. Morrissey, Donna M. Rizzo, Antonieta Rodas, Roberto Garnica, Lori Stevens, Dulce M. Bustamante, Maria Carlota Monroy

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, we evaluate the effect of participatory Ecohealth interventions on domestic reinfestation of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata after village-wide suppression of the vector population using a residual insecticide. The study was conducted in the rural community of La Brea, Guatemala between 2002 and 2009 where vector infestation was analyzed within a spatial data framework based on entomological and socio-economic surveys of homesteads within the village. Participatory interventions focused on community awareness and low-cost home improvements using local materials to limit areas of refuge and alternative blood meals for the vector within the home, and potential shelter …

Judging Market Goats, Matthew M. Marshall

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop a judging guide for FFA members who participate in Livestock Judging Contests. One of the classes to be judged is Boer goat market wethers. Resources from breeders, industry judges, and handouts were utilized. The PowerPoint that was created can be used as a tool for students to learn the basics of market goat judging. This can also be a useful guide for students who are interested in selecting market goats as a supervised agricultural experience project.

There's A New Crop In Town, Margaret (Peg) A. Van_Patten Ms.

Wrack Lines

This food is being grown and sold in Connecticut for the first time--maybe it's not what you think!

Coordinated Teaching, Research And Outreach Programs At The University Of Vermont Horticulture Research Center: A Proposal To Improve Student Experiential Learning In Applied Farm Management, Terence L. Bradshaw

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

As numbers of startup farms increase in Vermont and across the U.S., and established operations scale up or shift production and marketing efforts to support local demand for farm produce, challenges have been identified for small farm operators that potentially threaten their business viability. New farm operators that sell direct to consumer markets are more likely to be college educated than established, larger-scale farmers, so effective experiential farm training programs at colleges and universities pose opportunities to provide training that will improve their overall success. In this paper, characteristics of successful student farm programs are identified, and farmer training opportunities …

El Proceso De La Certificación Orgánica En Cerro Punta, Panamá: Cómo Promover Cambios Sostenibles, Michelle Velez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A pesar del desarrollo de agricultura orgánica al nivel mundial en los últimos años, Panamá falta su propia certificadora nacional. Por eso el proceso de certificación es un reto para los productores entrandoen este mercado creciendo. Cerro Punta, en la provincia de Chiriquí, está ubicado entre dos parques nacionales y produce alrededor de 80 por ciento de las hortalizas del país. Es el lugar del nacimiento de GORACE (Grupo Orgánico de Agricultores Cerropunteños), una organización local sin fines de lucro dedicado al desarrollo de la agricultura orgánica. GORACE esel único grupo de productores en el país con la certificación orgánica. …

Can Yamhill County Feed Itself?, Katie O'Brien, Katharine Holm, Kourtney Bailey, Suzannah Klaniecki, Zach Lea, Madison Sanchez

Papers from ENVS 485 (Environmental Problem-Solving Seminar)

In this paper, we considered the following question: If Yamhill County in northwest Oregon were to become isolated, would the population be able to survive off the agricultural products grown within its boundaries? We looked at what the farms in Yamhill County grow and how large of a population they could support. Essentially, this looked at the feasibility of a purely local food system within the borders of Yamhill County. We hypothesized that Yamhill County would not be able to feed itself without outsourcing; stemming from this hypothesis, we examined the maximum amount of food that can be produced locally …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2013), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Food Focus: SDSU Leading National Effort To Promote Healthy Food Choices
[Page] 3 In Stores Now: “Pick It, Try It, Like It” Fruit & Vegetable Campaign
[Page] 4 Coaching Food Entrepreneurs: SDSU Extension Outreach Includes Entrepreneur Workshops
[Page] 5 From South Dakota to South America: College of Agriculture & Biological Science Students Experience Argentine Agriculture
[Page] 6 Spring College News
[Page] 8 Showcasing Ag’s Evolution: SDSU’s Ag Museum Is More Than Just Tractors [Page] 10 Mastering Marketing: Students Host Bull Sale Through Unique Class [Page] 11 Following Pheasants: SDSU Researchers Analyze Nesting Needs
[Page] 12 Faculty Highlights
[Page] …

Department Of Economics Publication List 2012, Penny Stover

Economics Pamphlet Series

This compilation lists works authored by Department of Economics faculty members and other staff working on projects funded through the Department of Economics. Publications resulting from their research and academic activities are indexed by author at the end of this pamphlet for easy access by the public. The articles were published between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, except for those works printed in italics which have been accepted for publication but not actually printed as of December 31, 2012.

Semi-Automated Classification Of Gray Scale Aerial Photographs Using Geographic Object Based Image Analysis (Geobia) Technique, Ahmed Harb Rabia, Fabio Terribile

Ahmed Harb Rabia A.H. Rabia

Aerial photography is an important source of high resolution remotely sensed data. Before 1970, aerial photographs were the only remote sensing data source for land use and land cover classification. Using these old aerial photographs improve the final output of land use and land cover change detection. However, classic techniques of aerial photographs classification like manual interpretation or screen digitization require great experience, long processing time and vast effort. A new technique needs to be developed in order to reduce processing time and effort and to give better results. Geographic object based image analysis (GEOBIA) is a newly developed area …

Society Of The Quarter: Sustainable Agriculture Education Association, Madeleine K. Charney

Madeleine K. Charney

A expose of the organization's innovative educational approaches for sustainable agriculture through the development, application, and research of teaching and learning practices. Includes the history, past conferences, and plans for an open access curriculum library.

Beaver County Crop Production Costs And Returns, 2012, Mark Nelson, Kynda Curtis, Chris Lewis

All Current Publications

Sample costs and returns to establish and produce alfalfa hay, barley, oats, and corn (grain or silage) under pivot irrigation in Beaver County, Utah, are presented in this publication.

Production, Culture, And Representation: An Anthropological Exploration Of Food In Kathmandu, Nepal, Blair Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores various food-­‐related narratives, including meat production in Kathmandu, organic farming, the separate experiences of American researchers and American missionaries, "haute cuisine" in a luxury hotel, and a nutritional rehabilitation clinic for malnourished children. Accompanying these narratives are my own experiences that are made communicable through making, or watching food being made. The result of these narratives is a growing picture of the various roles food plays within our lives-­‐ generated by what was communicated by the people who source, cook, and eat food, but also infused by my own observations. Included narratives primarily concern food's ability to …

El Peso Profundo De 9 Millones De Toneladas: Un Análisis De Los Efectos Del Modelo Sojero Paraguayo En Las Vidas De Mujeres Campesinas = The Heavy Weight Of 9 Million Tons: An Analysis Of The Effects Of The Paraguayan Soy Model On The Lives Of Rural Women, Abigayle Dolmseth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A partir de los años 50, Paraguay ha tenido como objetivo una forma de desarrollo basada en la exportación de productos agropecuarios. Históricamente, Paraguay ha estado asociado a la imagen de un país “eminentemente agropecuario,” cuyos cultivos principales han variado con la demanda del mercado externo. En los años más recientes, la producción del monocultivo de soja ha llegado a dominar este modelo “agroexportador,” lo que ha causado y continúa causando, junto con el advenimiento de las políticas neoliberales de los años 90, gran cantidad de problemas climáticos y políticos dentro de las comunidades campesinas. Pero los problemas del modelo …

A Portrait Of A Farm: A Short Film Documenting Small-Scale Livestock Production On Hayters Hill Farm In Byron Bay, Noah Throop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past two-hundred years, the industrialization and mechanization of agriculture has slowly dissolved the centuries-old bond between human beings, the land and their food. Today, this disconnect threatens to exacerbate wide scale environmental degradation and a wide array of chronic diseases. However small, local farms that sell their produce directly to consumers are in a position to reverse this trend and reconnect consumers with their food. Small-scale farmers are able to see the health of the environment as instrumental to their economic and personal wellbeing and are able to be held accountable for their farming practices by their customers. …