Plant Sciences Commons^™

Ultramafic Geoecology Of South And Southeast Asia, Nishanta Rajakaruna, M. Galey, Van Der Ent, M. Iqbal

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Globally, ultramafic outcrops are renowned for hosting floras with high levels of endemism, including plants with specialised adaptations such as nickel or manganese hyperaccumulation. Soils derived from ultramafic regoliths are generally nutrient-deficient, have major cation imbalances, and have concomitant high concentrations of potentially phytotoxic trace elements, especially nickel. The South and Southeast Asian region has the largest surface occurrences of ultramafic regoliths in the world, but the geoecology of these outcrops is still poorly studied despite severe conservation threats. Due to the paucity of systematic plant collections in many areas and the lack of georeferenced herbarium records and databased information, …

Forage News [2017-04], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dealing with Frost Damaged Alfalfa
• Managing Spring Grass Growth
• Utilizing Frosted Small Grains for Forage

Sterol Binding By The Tombusviral Replication Proteins Is Essential For Replication In Yeast And Plants, Kai Xu, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Membranous structures derived from various organelles are important for replication of plus-stranded RNA viruses. Although the important roles of co-opted host proteins in RNA virus replication have been appreciated for a decade, the equally important functions of cellular lipids in virus replication have been gaining full attention only recently. Previous work with Tomato bushy stunt tombusvirus (TBSV) in model host yeast has revealed essential roles for phosphatidylethanolamine and sterols in viral replication. To further our understanding of the role of sterols in tombusvirus replication, in this work we showed that the TBSV p33 and p92 replication proteins could bind to …

Abiotic Conditions Of Rare Pitcher's Thistle Attract Selection By An Invasive Weevil, Monica Paniagua Montoya

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Plant associations occur when host selection of a focal plant is reduced or increased by the presence of another plant species. Larinus planus is an invasive weevil whose larvae feed in the flower heads of native and federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Studies have linked the presence of neighboring plants to increased host selection of Pitcher’s thistle by the weevil, but the factors contributing to host selection remain unknown. In our study, we determined if there were differences among abiotic factors, host selection and weevil behavior at Pitcher’s thistles surrounded by beach grass, sand and at high …

The Arabidopsis Kinesin-4, Fra1, Requires A High Level Of Processive Motility To Function Correctly, Anindya Ganguly, Logan Demott, Ram Dixit

Biology Faculty Publications & Presentations

Processivity is important for kinesins that mediate intracellular transport. Structure–function analyses of N-terminal kinesins (i.e. kinesins comprising their motor domains at the N-terminus) have identified several non-motor regions that affect processivity in vitro. However, whether these structural elements affect kinesin processivity and function in vivo is not known. Here, we used an Arabidopsis thaliana kinesin-4, called Fragile Fiber 1 (FRA1, also known as KIN4A), which is thought to mediate vesicle transport, to test whether mutations that alter processivity in vitro lead to similar changes in behavior in vivo and whether processivity is important for the function of FRA1. We …

Black Bugbane & The Blues: Interactions Between Our Wildflower Of The Year And The Insect World, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

No, this article has nothing to do with American Roots music. Black Bugbane is one of several common names for the 2017 VNPS Wildflower of the Year, Actaea racemosa. And Blues refers to a subfamily of lycaenid butterflies, commonly referred to as Blues or Azures. The interactions between Black Bugbane, a.k.a., Black Cohosh, Appalachian Azure butterflies (Celastrina neglectamajor), and ants was recently summarized by VNPS charter member and past president Nicky Staunton (2015). In brief, Black Bugbane is the sole food source for caterpillars of Appalachian Azure butterflies, a situation that, superficially, might seem like any other caterpillar and host …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2017), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

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

[Page] 3 Opportunities With Oats SDSU Researchers Strive to Improve Varieties [Page] 6 Stopping Stem Canker Plant Pathologists Making Progress To Keep This Disease At Bay
[Page] 7 Disease Detectives Vet Scientists Researching Another Emerging Virus [Page] 8 Community Support Devastating West River Fire Brings Ag Industry Together
[Page] 10 Research In Progress Dakota Lakes Research Farm Investigates Three Big Ideas
[Page] 14 Water Quality Quest Understanding E. Coli Behavior Aims To Aid Water Quality In Rivers & Streams
[Page] 15 Verifying Ag Land Valuation Researchers Assist In Reviewing Ag Land’s Classification
[Page] 16 Cattle Insights Fetal Programming Research Evaluates …

Dna Barcoding Reveals A New Morphotype Of The Sugar Kelp, Saccharina Latissima, Dallin Brimley, Zakery Ford, Travis Gould, Brandon Guerra, Emily Haggett, Ian Jones, Elyse Johnson, Ken Peterson, Matthew Prout

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Phytoplankton blooms follow predictable annual cycles in the Gulf of Maine, characterized by a large spring bloom and a smaller bloom in the fall. Marine phytoplankton form the foundation of primary production in Gulf of Maine waters, and thus community changes in composition, and abundance could have cascading effects on our coastal ecosystems.

We set out to monitor the community composition, diversity, and abundance of the spring micro-phytoplankton bloom, at a Friends of Casco Bay water quality monitoring site, in South Portland, Maine. The Gulf of Maine is experiencing accelerated warming rates, and this type of monitoring can aid in …

Effect Of Wood Chips And Rice Hulls On Water Holding Capacity Of A Peat­‐Based Substrate, Jakob Johnson, Will Wheeler, Mara Braddy, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The study included 13 substrates with different ratios of four media components. Four species of plants were grown (Vinca, Verbena, Impatiens, and Petunia), each with two replicate plants of each of the 13 substrates.

Each 1 Liter container, with approximately 850 mL of media volume, was fully hydrated and weighed to determine a maximum mass. Plants were then grown for three days until they wilted. Wilting was visually quantified on each pot. When the plant wilted, the container was weighed again to determine the minimum mass. The container was then re-­‐hydrated to determine a second replicate maximum mass. The two …

Accelerated Increase In The Arctic Tropospheric Warming Events Surpassing Stratospheric Warming Events During Winter, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Yen-Heng Lin, Ming-Ying Lee, Jin-Ho Yoon, Jonathan D.D. Meyer, Philip J. Rasch

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In January 2016, a robust reversal of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) took place associated with a rapid tropospheric warming in the Arctic region; this was followed by the occurrence of a classic sudden stratospheric warming in March-April. The succession of these two distinct Arctic warming events provides a stimulating opportunity to examine their characteristics in terms of similarities and differences. Historical cases of these two types of Arctic warming were identified and validated based upon tropical linkages with the Madden-Julian Oscillation and El Niño as well as those documented in previous studies. Our results indicate a recent and accelerated increase …

Double-Ended High Pressure Sodium Fixtures Decline Less Than 6% Over 2 Years And 5000 Hours, Jakob Johnson, Bruce Bugbee

Publications

Double-ended (DE) high pressure sodium (HPS) lights with electronic ballasts are reported to age more slowly than the old mogul base technology with magnetic ballasts, but aging has not been well studied in a greenhouse environment. Both dirt accumulation and age can decrease output.

Impact Of Fertilizer, Corn Residue, And Cover Crops On Mycorrhizal Inoculum Potential And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associations, Rachel Brockamp

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2017

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) can associate with roots of most land plants, helping to take up water and nutrients. Intensive agricultural practices like fallow treatments and adding inorganic nutrients reduce soil AMF. The purpose of my research was to examine whether three factors influenced AMF-crop associations: 1) fertilizer type and application rate 2) inclusion of cover crops that do or do not associate with AMF, and 3) impacts of corn residue. Soil Mycorrhizal Inoculum Potential (MIP) was measured to test treatment differences. MIP is the ability for soil AMF to infect roots. Roots grown in soil from the different treatments …

Modeling Gross Primary Production Of Midwest Maize And Soybean Croplands With Satellite And Gridded Weather Data, Gunnar Malek-Madani

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The gross primary production (GPP) metric is useful in determining trends in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Models that determine GPP utilizing the light use efficiency (LUE) approach in conjunction with biophysical parameters that account for local weather conditions and crop specific factors are beneficial in that they combine the accuracy of the biophysical model with the versatility of the LUE model. One such model developed using in situ data was adapted to operate with remote sensing derived leaf area index (LAI) data and gridded weather datasets. The model, known as the Light Use Efficiency GPP Model (EGM), uses a four …

Does Riparian Forest Invasion By The Exotic Shrub Amur Honeysuckle Influence Nutrient Dynamics In Headwater Streams?, Charlotte Anne Shade

Honors Theses

Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) invasion is extensive in forests across much of Ohio and the Midwest. Amur honeysuckle has been shown to influence headwater streams and its organisms, which depend on a certain water chemistry to survive. Little has been done to understand how honeysuckle affects water chemistry and nutrient cycling. As honeysuckle canopies prevent native organic matter from entering the streams below, while also adding its own organic matter that is high in nitrogen and phosphorus, and low in lignin, the amount and types of nutrients present in both forests and streams may be significantly altered. Over a one-year …

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

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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 …

Ecological And Genetic Variation Among Populations Of Boechera Caeruleamontana Sp. Nov. (Brassicaceae) From Blue Mountain And Dinosaur National Monumentin Eastern Utah And Western Colorado, Melissa Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Boechera is a large genus of flowering plants whose taxa are found primarily in North America. Boechera vivariensis (S.L. Welsh) W.A. Weber (the Park rockcress) is restricted to the Uintah Basin on Weber sandstone substrates in the vicinity of Dinosaur National Monument and Blue Mountain. The nomenclature of Park rockcress is significantly impacted by the discovery that the type collections of the taxon represent a rare, apomictic diploid resulting from the hybridization between B. thompsonii and an undescribed sexual diploid (to be called Boechera caeruleamontana sp. nov. Allphin and Windham). As a result, greater information is needed regarding how B. …

Detecting, Cloning, And Screening For Suppressors Of Rna Silencing In Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus And Sugarcane Mosaic Virus, Nicole E. Bacheller

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

Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) is one of the most important viral diseases of maize. MLND occurs when Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) co-infects the same plant with one of several potyviruses, including Sugarcane mosaic virus, Wheat streak mosaic virus or Maize dwarf mosaic virus. Originally prevalent in the Midwest and Peru in the 1970s, the disease was called corn lethal necrosis (CLN) and was controlled through breeding and sanitation. Recently, the disease has re-emerged in East Africa and is rapidly spreading and threatening the food sources of subsistence-farming populations. This re-emergence has raised several questions about the unknown …

A Web Based Real Time Nitrogen Leaching Calculator, Saeideh Samani, Babak Samani, Haishun Yang

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

While nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for corn, its leaching to ground water is an serious environmental issue and a hazard to public health. N leaching is closely linked to weather factors, especially rainfall. Prediction of N leaching in cropping systems is critical to improvement of crop management and reduction of N leaching. The objective of this project is to develop a web app that predicts in real-time mode N leaching across Nebraska using real-time weather data.

We are in the processing of developing the web app and expect a prototype to be running in 2017 cropping season. Field …

Genomic Regions Involved In Seed Protein, Oil, And Carbohydrate Concentration In Soybean, Samantha J. Mcconaughy

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

Soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are processed for their high-quality vegetable oil and protein meal for feed, food, and industrial applications but, because of the high negative correlations between seed protein and oil concentration, it has been difficult to develop soybean lines with concomitant increases in both protein and oil. Previous studies considered only seed protein or oil concentration. This study is unique in that populations were developed using parental lines that differed in their protein, oil, and total carbohydrate concentrations in the mature seed. Two soybean populations were developed using soybean accession PI 547827 with lower total sugars as …

Emergence, Competition, And Management Of Glyphosate-Resistant Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L.) In Nebraska Soybean, Ethann R. Barnes

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

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a competitive annual broadleaf weed in soybean (Glycine max) production fields throughout North America. The recent confirmation of glyphosate-resistant common ragweed in Nebraska justified the need to assess the emergence pattern and competitive ability of common ragweed in soybean and to evaluate alternative herbicide programs for effective management. The objectives of this research were to: 1) evaluate the effect of tillage and develop a predictive model for the emergence pattern of common ragweed in Nebraska; 2) model the competitive interaction between soybean and common ragweed as influenced by density and irrigation …