Plant Sciences Commons^™

Native Seed Scoop, Summer 2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Native Seed Scoop

The Native Seed Scoop newsletter provides native seed producers, service providers, and consumers with practical information. The goal of this newsletter is to improve information sharing among native seed stakeholders and help sustain a diverse, thriving native seed market.

Inside this Issue:

--- International Standards for Native Seeds
--- Allowable Differences between Seed Tests
--- Herbicide Drift
--- Virtual Workshop on Climate-Resilient Seed Sourcing
--- Plan It Native Virtual Conference
--- Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium maculatum
--- In other news . . .

Nebline, August 2020

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Be an Active Family with Outdoor Activities

EXTENSION OFFICE OPEN

Recipes of the month

What You Need to Know About Having a Well Drilled

Almost Time for Fall Lawn Seeding

Chiggers: Itching in all the Wrong Places

Collect – Share – Practice: Family Emergency Communication Plans

August Blooming Perennial Flowers

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Creating Reading Routines During the Summer Months

HEART OF 4-H

4-H Youth and Volunteers Sew 1,789 Hats and Masks for Bryan Health

4-H’ers Problem Solve Real-Life Situations at County Life Challenge

Virtual State Public Speaking Contest Results

State Fair to Focus on Showcasing …

Method Development For Identifying Counterfeit Cigarettes Using Environmental Pollen Analysis, Tiffany Chan

Student Theses

Cigarette counterfeiting negatively impacts government revenue and undermines tobacco control policies. Tracking geographical origins and potential trade routes of counterfeit cigarettes is important for investigation illegal trade in tobacco products. Traditional pollen extraction techniques provide clear residues of pollen trapped on tobacco leaves and used for geographical identification; however, such methods are time-consuming and utilize concentrated chemicals. This study developed a simple, fast and environmentally friendly method for extraction of pollen grains used in differentiating genuine and counterfeit cigarettes. Experimental factors that may affect pollen recovery including number of cigarettes, extraction solution, and extraction temperature, were optimized. The optimum parameters …

Examining The Efficacy Of Cover Crops As An Integrated Pest Management Tool In Organic Farms In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Lili M. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) consists of a mix in subtropical and costal habitats, a combination that provides a favorable environment for the animals and plants that inhabit it. This is a problem for organic farmers as they refrain from using synthetic chemicals and therefore led them to seek other methods of dealing with insect herbivory. Of the many alternative methods available, we looked specifically at integrated pest management methods (IPM) to determine their efficacy in reducing insect herbivory among cash crops. Chapter II discusses an experiment performed in an organic farm in Edinburg, Texas consisting of a two-year …

Optimizing Species Selection For Forest Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Faeqa Mohsin

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been reforested with over 3.3 million native thornscrub plants in old agricultural land through transplanting native species. However, assessments of LRGV forest restoration efforts are scarce, and to address the knowledge gap, this study examined species-specific responses to restoration interventions (RIs) aimed at minimizing seedling mortality for optimizing species selection. A critical period for forest restoration in old croplands is the seedling stage, where high mortality occurs due to the interactive effects of abiotic stress, compromised soil nutrient status from intensive agriculture, and mammalian herbivory. So, we evaluated seedling …

In Vitro Regeneration, Rooting, And Cloning Of Artemisia Tridentata, Rachael Barron

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) is an ecologically important shrub found in western North America. In vitro techniques can be applied to big sagebrush for the purpose of studying gene function, genotypic and phenotypic plasticity studies, cloning, genotypic preservation, and restoration. I performed experiments to develop an indirect organogenesis protocol to regenerate whole Wyoming big sagebrush plants from leaf explants. Callus formation frequency was 88% (±4.0%) in leaf explants cultured on medium containing 0.5 mg/l BAP and 1.0 mg/l NAA. Shoot formation frequency was variable between replicates and was the highest when callus tissue was cultured on medium containing 1.5 mg/l …

A Symbiosis Between A Dark Septate Fungus, An Arbuscular Mycorrhiza, And Two Plants Native To The Sagebrush Steppe, Craig Lane Carpenter

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Plant roots form symbioses with various fungi, including arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMFs) and dark septate endophytes (DSEs). The symbiosis between plants and AMFs has been extensively studied and is generally considered to be mutualistic. Much less is known about the symbiosis between plants and DSE. In sagebrush habitats, DSEs are common, but their effects on the vegetation are unclear. As a first step to study these effects, I isolated and cultured a DSE from the roots of the shrub Artemisia tridentata. Based on partial sequences of five genes and phylogenetic analyses, the isolated fungus was a non-described species within the …

Differences In Soil Water Changes And Canopy Temperature Under Varying Water × Nitrogen Sufficiency For Maize, Tsz Him Lo, Daran Rudnick, Kendall C. Dejonge, Geng Bai, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Abia Katimbo, Yufeng Ge, Trenton E. Franz, Xin Qiao, Derek M. Heeren

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Crop nitrogen (N) status is known to affect crop water status and crop water use. To investigate further the N effects on soil water changes and on canopy temperature, three water levels × four N levels were imposed on two growing seasons of maize in west central Nebraska, USA. Soil water changes were measured using a neutron probe, whereas canopy temperature was measured using infrared thermometers on a ground-based mobile platform. At all water levels, soil water losses over monthlong intervals were generally greater as N levels increased. Given equal water levels, early afternoon canopy temperatures were usually lower with …

Influence Of Living Plant Roots And Mycorrhizal Hyphae On Soil Hydraulic Properties, Katelyn M. Marcacci

Masters Theses

The interrelationships between vegetation, soil, and water are fundamental in evaluating the projected impacts of global climate change. Many predictive models require soil hydraulic parameters as inputs. As most hydraulic parameter datasets are for repacked soil, the influence of vegetation on hydraulic parameters is not thoroughly understood. Living roots and mycorrhizal fungi cause physicochemical alterations in soils. Quantifying how vegetation influences soil hydraulic parameters is necessary to more accurately simulate soil water dynamics in climate models.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to test if the presence of roots and roots inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi have a significant effect on the saturated …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Human Uses Of Pteridophytic Species In Tennessee, Diana Sevier

Honors Theses

Pteridophytes are an ancient lineage of plants, composed of ferns and fern allies, which are spread across the globe. There is also a long record of humans using pteridophytes to their benefit, which includes the broad categories of medicine, ornamentation, food, phytoremediation, and agriculture. Understanding these concepts, the goal of this thesis was to conduct a meta-analysis which pulled together data from many resources on the 94 Tennessee pteridophyte species to create a repository of human use information, as well as to examine, analyze, and comment on the trends present within and between taxonomic groups of pteridophytes. The methods used …

Exploring Plant-Plant Interactions And Nutrient Manipulation As Strategies For Thorn Scrub And Thorn Forest Restoration, Edgar D. Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

Restoration of thorn scrub and thorn forest communities in South Texas is hindered by harsh environmental conditions and hypercompetitive invasive grasses. The success of thorn scrub/thorn forest restoration efforts depends on increasing seedling survival and growth by reducing stress after transplantation. Four experiments evaluated initial effects of plant-plant interactions and nutrient manipulation on thorn forest restoration. High density planting along with the use of nurse plants look promising; survival was generally higher under these conditions and growth was unaffected or in the case of high-density planting, promoted. Nutrient sequestration by sorghum had little effect on seedling performance and cover of …

Response Of Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa To Glyphosate Application In The Intermountain West, Logan Chet Loveland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has been widely adopted in the Intermountain West United States, where alfalfa plays an important role in agriculture. Exceptional tolerance to glyphosate application has been a reported strength of this technology; however, growers have recently reported potential crop injury under certain environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to document and characterize the injury, identify local conditions that may have contributed to crop injury, and determine best management practices for avoiding injury to GR alfalfa in the Intermountain West. The effects of glyphosate rate and application timing were investigated at 24 sites …

B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2019, K.A. K. Moldenhauer, B. Scott, J. Hardke

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Uav-Assisted Water Quality Monitoring, Cengiz Koparan

All Dissertations

Water quality assessment for the management of water resources requires the collection of water samples for physical, chemical, and biological analysis. It is essential to reduce the cost of water quality monitoring by minimizing the number of grab samples and to reduce the sampling time by rapidly accessing the sampling points. Adaptive, remote, and smart water sampling systems can provide more effective water quality monitoring programs. An adaptive water sampling system with an unmanned aerial vehicle integrated with sensor nodes was developed and tested in this research. Individual phases of this research were; in-situ water quality measurements with a UAV-integrated …

Forage News [2020-08], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Enhancing The Production And Sustainability Of Pasture-Fed Beef Using Non-Traditional Legume Forages, Andrea I. Bolletta

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the increasing worldwide demand for beef as a protein source, consumers are concerned about the sustainability of ruminant production systems. Their main concerns are animal welfare for feedlot-fed animals, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, global warming and worker safety. Traditional feedlot-based beef production systems have been associated with locally greater levels of soil, water and air contamination, as well as the overuse of antibiotics and growth hormones. The use of legume pastures such as cicer milkvetch (CMV) and birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), which fix their own nitrogen (N) and often contain beneficial secondary compounds such as tannins and provide for rapid …

Teosinte (Zea Mays Ssp Parviglumis) Growth And Transcriptomic Response To Weed Stress Identifies Similarities And Differences Between Varieties And With Modern Maize Varieties, S. A. Bruggeman, D. P. Horvath, A. Y. Fennell Dr, J. A. Gonzalez-Hernandez, S. A. Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Transcriptomic responses of plants to weed presence gives insight on the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the stress response. This study evaluated transcriptomic and morphological responses of two teosinte (Zea mays ssp parviglumis) (an ancestor of domesticated maize) lines (Ames 21812 and Ames 21789) to weed presence and absence during two growing seasons. Responses were compared after 6 weeks of growth in Aurora, South Dakota, USA. Plant heights between treatments were similar in Ames 21812, whereas branch number decreased when weeds were present. Ames 21789 was 45% shorter in weedy vs weed-free plots, but branch numbers were similar between …

Congruence And Temporal Variation Of Floral Visitation And Pollen Transport Networks In Southern Appalachia, Daniel A. Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Observation of floral visitation is an accepted method to describe plant-pollinator interactions despite potential biases. Collecting pollen from pollinators offers new insights on the structure and function of plant-pollinator communities. Furthermore, the strength and frequency of plant-pollinator interactions can vary across temporal scales. However, within-season and within-day (morning vs. evening) variation in plant-pollinator networks has been little studied. By evaluating variation in network structure across these biologically relevant time scales, we will gain a better understanding of the factors that shape plant-pollinator communities. The objectives of this study are to 1) Compare the structure of plant-pollinator networks built on floral …

Sacrificial Seed’S Impact On Native Seedling Establishment In Prairie Restoration, Jacey Meier, Isabella Betzer, Laura Jackson

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Tallgrass prairie used to cover Iowa and much of the midwest– now only a small percentage of it remains. Many prairie restoration efforts are in place, but native prairie seed prices are high and seedling establishment is low. We tested how inexpensive sacrificial seed impacts the establishment of native seedlings. After planting a field with native prairie seed, we marked out six test plots and applied treatment (sacrificial seed) to three of them. We counted and evaluated the number of emerged seedlings per m2 after 4.5 months. We saw no differences in emerged seedlings per m2 between the plots with …

Influence Of Cover Crop Management Practices On Rainfed Corn Production In Semi-Arid Western Nebraska, Alexandre Tonon Rosa

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the increased cover crop (CC) popularity, producers of semi-arid regions of western Nebraska are questioning whether they could successfully incorporate CC into their rainfed winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-corn (Zea mays L.)-fallow rotations. The major concern is that CCs may deplete soil water affecting the subsequent crop. Therefore, three studies were established under rainfed conditions of western Nebraska to access the effects of CCs on soil water, soil compaction, nutrient cycling, weed demographics, residue coverage, and subsequent corn yield. The first study evaluated the influence of CC planting and termination times prior to corn establishment. …