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Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences Professional Development Opportunities And Their Impact On Perceptions Of Career Preparedness, Jessica L. Wesson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A student’s undergraduate education is an imperative part of developing career skills that will prepare them to transition from academia to the professional world. Experience outside of the classroom and course material taught in a formal class experience are both important. Their experiences and classes, in college, allow them to develop skills and increase their chances of being successful in the workplace (Suvedi et al., 2016).

Chickering’s Seven Vectors of Student Development were used to help explain the process of student development. A quantitative survey was sent to DBCALFS faculty, staff, and administrators, and a different quantitative survey was sent …

Oestrogenic Subterranean Clover Guide. Identification And Remediation, Kevin J. Foster, Megan H. Ryan, Daniel R. Kidd

Bulletins 4000 -

Subterranean clover (subclover, Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an annual pasture legume that provides high quality feed for livestock. It is estimated to be sown over 30 million hectares across southern Australia, with cultivars developed for the low, medium and high rainfall zones. Unfortunately, some older cultivars contain high levels of phytoestrogen which can affect the reproductive system of sheep and cause other health issues. This became a significant issue for sheep producers from the 1940s as new land was cleared and sheep grazed subclover-dominant pastures. There was a collection of livestock issues observed and these were grouped together under the …

Winners And Losers In Dryland Reforestation: Species Survival, Growth, And Recruitment Along A 33-Year Planting Chronosequence, Clifton Albrecht, Zarek Contreras, Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal, Mitch Sternberg, Bradley O. Christoffersen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Reforestation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas began in the 1960s and to date over 6,475 ha of land has been reforested. However, there has been minimal assessment to understand differential species success, compositional trends, and the aboveground C sequestration potential of these developing forests. We coupled quantitative planting information of >50 native woody tree and shrub species with surveys of 5,223 stems of 4,606 individuals in a chronosequence of restored forests ranging in age from 1 to 33 years to estimate species-specific mortality rates, biomass accumulation and recruitment, as well as compositional trends in the herbaceous …

Chromosome-Level Thlaspi Arvense Genome Provides New Tools For Translational Research And For A Newly Domesticated Cash Cover Crop Of The Cooler Climates, Adam Nunn, Isaac Rodríguez-Arévalo, Zenith Tandukar, Katherine Anna Frels, Adrián Contreras-Garrido, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Panpan Zhang, Daniela Ramos Cruz, Katharina Jandrasits, Christa Lanz, Anthony Brusa, Marie Mirouze, Kevin Dorn, David W. Galbraith, Brice A. Jarvis, John C. Sedbrook, Donald L. Wyse, Christian Otto, David Langenberger, Peter F. Stadler, Detlef Weigel, M. David Marks, James A. Anderson, Claude Becker, Ratan Chopra

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Thlaspi arvense (field pennycress) is being domesticated as a winter annual oilseed crop capable of improving ecosystems and intensifying agricultural productivity without increasing land use. It is a selfing diploid with a short life cycle and is amenable to genetic manipulations, making it an accessible field-based model species for genetics and epigenetics. The availability of a high-quality reference genome is vital for understanding pennycress physiology and for clarifying its evolutionary history within the Brassicaceae. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of var. MN106-Ref with improved gene annotation and use it to investigate gene structure differences between two accessions (MN108 …

Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott

All Theses And Dissertations

With fed aquaculture expanding, challenges are being faced with increasing demands for protein for feed. Fishmeal as a protein is at high cost and low supply, and meals from terrestrial agriculture can impact fish health; both also generate environmental challenges. One potential alternative protein is yeast, which can be grown using waste softwood. Simultaneously, Maine forestry has lost buyers of waste wood with several paper mill closures. If yeast is produced as an alternative protein for fish feed using this wood, both Maine Atlantic salmon farming, Maine’s most valuable form of aquaculture, and Maine forestry could benefit. Environmental impact and …

Land Rich, Cash Poor: Hispanic Subsistence Agri-Culture On Acequia Farms Of Northern New Mexico, 1880-1950s, José A. Rivera Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Acequia-based agriculture in Hispanic northern New Mexico originated with the arrival of settlers from the central valley of Mexico in the late sixteenth century and later following the Camino Real into the upper Río Grande and its tributaries. The high desert environment required irrigation for food production and survival. Land parcels in the rural villages of northern New Mexico were small, and crop yields were limited to home consumption on a subsistence basis, an economy that lasted well into the territorial period and statehood of New Mexico. Despite a wage economy introduced with the arrival of the railroad around 1880 …

Quantifying The Relationship Between Pond Size And Water Quality, Rebekah Mason

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The water quality of ponds, streams, and groundwater is at risk due to agricultural and urban development. Implementation of ponds near developmental areas can act as catchment sites to reduce further water pollution (Bichsel et al., 2015). However, maintenance of pond water quality is necessary for continued water supply to livestock and general recreational use. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between pond size (surface area range from 142 to 5336 m²) and water quality. Analysis of water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and chlorophyll-a, were conducted during the summer of 2021 and winter …

Targeting Inflammation In Heat-Stressed Wethers Improves Growth And Efficiency And Alters Body Composition: A Brief Exploration And Application Of Extension Principles, Micah Samuel Most

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of our first study was to determine how administering anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich fish oil affects growth efficiency and body composition in heat-stressed finishing lambs. Commercial wethers were randomly assigned to be fed under heat stress (35-40 ℃) or thermoneutral (19 ℃, n = 10) conditions for 30 d, and controls were pair-fed to eliminate differential feed intake. Heat-stressed wethers were randomly assigned to receive clinical-dose dexamethasone IM injections every 72 h, twice daily fish oil capsule oral boluses, or placebos. Heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) growth and efficiency, but dexamethasone and fish oil supplementation recovered these performance measures. Heat stress also decreased (P < 0.05) predictive body composition metrics that were at least partially improved by administration of dexamethasone and fish oil. Proximate analyses of muscles showed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) percentage of protein and increased (P < 0.05) percentage of intramuscular fat, neither of which was improved by dexamethasone or fish oil. Immunohistochemistry revealed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) myoblast differentiation and muscle fiber size, but anti-inflammatory supplementation recovered differentiation only. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations were not different among groups throughout the study. These findings demonstrate how heat stress-induced inflammation contributes to impaired growth, efficiency, and body composition observed in heat-stressed feeder lambs. However, targeting inflammation with dexamethasone or fish oil recovers many of these deficits.

The Cooperative …

Exploring The Implementation Of Dike Building And The National Endowment For The Oceans Act To Support Coastal Restoration In Louisiana, Taylor Perrodin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Teaching For Career Success: An Agricultural Industry Perspective Of Preparedness Needs For Diverse Workforce Development, Madelaine Giebler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examined agricultural graduate preparedness needs through the lens of agricultural industry professionals. In the rapidly changing industry environment, continual review of agricultural curriculum needs provides relevant curriculum recommendations for academic programs. This study came at a time when agricultural curriculum was in need of review. Methodology for this study involved a qualitative mixed methods approach employing survey and interview responses. A total of 121 industry professionals, identified through the University of Arkansas Bumpers College Career Development Center, were contacted with the survey link. A total of eighteen individuals completed the surveys, and of those eighteen survey respondents, eight …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Context Specific Curriculum Design For Very Small And Small Strawberry Growers In The Southeastern United States, Thomas A. Yeargin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Outbreaks of foodborne illness due to fresh produce are a continued threat to both the publichealth and the economy in the United States. Though there are many factors which influence the perpetuation of foodborne pathogens, the inability of the food industry to curtail this issue indicates systemic failure of interventions aimed at improving food safety practices. In this dissertation, we detail the efforts made over the past few decades to provide training to food producers and food handlers as well as recommendations that have been made for improvement based on these studies. By borrowing from more advanced fields of study …

Shew Family Farms Shares Their Story In Honor Of Athen's Farmers Market 50th Anniversary, Marjorie Shew, Kassidy Rock

Spring 2022 Oral Histories: Athens Farmers Market and The Ridges

Member of the Athens Farmers Market since1984, Marjie Shew of Shew Family Farms, now known as Shew's Grassfed Beef, shares her story. From beginning in upstate New York to living on a commune in West Virginia, to owning an orchard with her husband in Morgan County, Ohio and every step in between.

Examination Of Pre-Emergence Control Of Johnsongrass In Sugarcane Seedlings, Carleton Baucum

LSU Master's Theses

Sugarcane is susceptible to many diseases and insect pests; therefore, to maintain high sugar yield new varieties must be developed. Producing new varieties contributes to the overall crop success through enhanced yield, insect and/or disease resistance, cold tolerance, and ratooning ability. However, unlike conventional sugarcane, which is vegetatively propagated, new sugarcane varieties are produced from true seed. These seedlings are more susceptible to herbicidal injury and weed competition than conventional sugarcane. For sugarcane seedlings to succeed, weeds must be controlled therefore, the most effective herbicide program with regards to seedling safety must be implemented. The objectives of this research were …

Valuation Of Dry And Wet Aged Beef By U.S. Consumers, Mario Ortez, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Nathan M. Thompson, Yuan H. Brad Kim

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Aged-beef has historically been available in high-end establishments, but investigation into consumer preferences for aging is increasingly important as it has become more readily available. Consumer perceptions of and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for aged-beef under two methods dry-aging and wet-aging, were studied in a representative sample of n = 1,275 US residents alongside USDA quality grades. In general, US residents are not knowledgeable regarding aged-beef but have a positive direct-stated perception of the practice. Respondents self-reported familiarity with USDA grades Prime and Choice and perceived them as superior beef attributes. Half of respondents were randomly assigned to receive a low information …

Something Fishy In Seafood Trade?, Kathy Baylis, Lia Nogueira, Linlin Fan, Kathryn Pace

Cornhusker Economics

The safety of food imports continues to be in the spotlight. Globally, each year, contaminated food causes almost 1 in 10 people to fall ill and 420 thousand people to die (WHO, 2017). Protecting consumers from unsafe foods is complicated by the increased role of international trade in our food system. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that disease outbreaks associated with imported food increased from 1996 to 2014, with fish and produce being the main culprits (Gould et al., 2017). For example, in 2019, two separate cases of tuna from Vietnam were found to have sickened …

Experts’ Views On Issues Affecting Egg Labeling In The United States: A Delphi Study, Rexanna Powers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

When purchasing food, many consumers have reported they question the ethical and humane treatment of products derived from animals at the point of purchase. To complicate this issue further, many U.S. consumers lack exposure, interaction, and involvement with the agricultural industry. As a result, they have reported a willingness to pay premium prices for meats, dairy, and eggs whose packaging suggests quality welfare practices. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was three-fold: (1) establish operational definitions for poorly understood poultry industry terms, i.e., cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, and organic; (2) describe experts’ perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) …

The Adoption Of Conservation Practices And Program Participation Among Socially Disadvantaged Agricultural Producers: A Meta-Analysis, Myles A. Brown

LSU Master's Theses

As climate change has become undeniable in recent years, it has become increasingly important for the agriculture industry to address conservation. Within the agriculture industry, small farmers are usually the ones who take on this burden on a daily basis. However, some socially disadvantaged agricultural producers face unique challenges compared to the average farmer, which may impede their ability to adopt the necessary conservation practices or participate in conservation programs. This review sought to provide a definitive economic analysis on the possible effect of race on conservation adoption and program participation, as there is not much research on this topic. …

Taking The Bull By The Horns: Gender Analysis In A Cattle Project In Indonesia, Febrina Prameswari

Sustainability and Social Justice

Women play a crucial role in agriculture, especially in cattle farming. However, gender inequality in livestock production remains a critical issue, as women usually have less engagement with livestock production, less control over finances, and less access to markets. The IndoBeef program in Indonesia was one of the first livestock projects to incorporate gender-specific activities in its implementation. The project used women-only focus groups, utilizing the Women’s Empowerment in Livestock Index (WELI) combined with farm production data to address women’s needs in the cattle industry. I conducted a gender analysis of one of IndoBeef’s subsidiary projects, CropCow. The project did …

Gsl Researcher (Spring 2022)

GSL Researcher

GSL Researcher (Spring 2022)

Greetings

People

Range and pasture update

Ranch update

Technical notes

Highlighted research

Nebraska ranch practicum

Recent publications

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Edition 4, April 2022, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Included in this edition:

Nebraska Game and Parks Wildlife education resource giveaway

Eye on curriculum and resources

Teacher opportunities

List of new partnerships

Ask an expert

Eye on CASNR research: Amy Schmidt

Send your students to campus

Success stories

2022 Little International Agricultural Exposition Catalog, Little International Agricultural Exposition ,South Dakota State University

Little International "Little I" Agricultural Exposition Catalogs

This is the catalog for the 99th SDSU Little International 'Little I' Agricultural Exposition held on April 1&2, 2022.

Drivers And Barriers Of The Transition To Regenerative Agriculture Within The Eu’S Common Agricultural Policy Reform: Comparative Analysis With The Us Farm Bill, Samantha Gish

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the wake of multiple crises, such as climate change and international conflict, there is increased urgency to ensure a stable food system. Additionally, changing priorities of citizens have fostered the desire for sustainable production of food. One innovative method of food production is regenerative agriculture and in this practice the main goals are to increase system resilience, improve soil and sequester carbon. This is done through practices such as no tilling, cover and intercropping, and incorporation of livestock into crop fields. Although great in theory, these practices go against traditional agricultural practices and therefore the policy currently in place …

Conservation And Variation In Agricultural Landscapes: A Survey Of Insect Populations Across Naranjilla Cultivation Methods In The Eastern Andean Cloud Forest, Ian Zakelj

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study compared insect biodiversity among five sites in agricultural landscapes and natural forest in the El Placer community in the valley of the Rio Pastaza in the eastern Andean cloud forest. The area is of vital importance to conservation, as it falls in the ecological corridor between the Sangay and Llanganates national parks. The primary crop produced by the residents of El Placer is naranjilla, and it is cultivated in a variety of manners, mostly with intensive chemical use. The goal of the study was to find out which types of practices were the least harmful to the insect …

Los Impactos Del Cambio Climático En Las Comunidades Aymaras En Putre, El Valle De Azapa Y Arica, Lindsey Kaufman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How is climate change affecting Aymara communities in Putre, the valley of Azapa, and Putre?

Objectives: To understand the effects of climate on communities by 1) describing which environmental problems exist and their impact on agriculture and ranching, 2) understanding the patterns of migration away from the ancestral land, 3) exploring the connections to the social determinants of health that exist with these change, and 4) analyzing the significance of these changes in the agriculture for the communities’ traditions and connection to the land.

Background: Aymara communities have historically inhabited agricultural and ranching lands in …

Louisiana Agriculture Spring, 2022, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Agriculture

LSU AgCenter researchers and extension agents are well known for their contributions to rice breeding, horticulture and helping the seafood industry, and examples of this important work are featured in the Louisiana Agriculture spring issue. Another AgCenter program, the Healthy Communities initiative, works throughout the state to improve the healthfulness and well-being of Louisiana residents. The initiative aims to make Louisiana towns healthier places to live, work, learn and play. Three articles in this issue of the magazine detail the activities of the researchers and agents involved in this important work.

The Rise Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Their Effects, And How We Can Stop Their Growth, Andrea Prisco

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Dramatic changes in the agricultural industry over the last century have led to the rise of concentrated animal feeding operations– industrial facilities that raise a large number of animals in confined spaces. Animals raised in these facilities suffer from poor quality of life and abuse. For humans, these facilities have had adverse effects on the environment and public health, but they are also associated with high productivity and low food costs. This Comment analyzes the effects of concentrated animal feeding operations on animal well-being, the environment, and public health. This Comment also analyzes current federal legislation that helps combat the …

Cattle Diet Selection During The Growing Season On Upland Sandhills Rangelands, Alejandro Orozco-Lopez

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

The Sandhills is a diverse and complex ecosystem comprised of different topographic positions (i.e. slopes and interdunes) that influence grazing distribution, plant species composition, and cattle diet selection. The first objective of this study was to evaluate how grazing intensity influences species composition on slopes and interdunes on native rangeland within the Hillside pasture (160 ha) at the UNL Gudmundsen Sandhill’s Laboratory (GSL). The second objective of this study was to evaluate forage quality of individual species from three plant functional groups (i.e. warm-season grasses, cool-season grasses, and forbs/shrubs) on native rangeland within the Hillside pasture (160 ha) at GSL. …

Fine Mapping And Cloning Of The Major Seed Protein Quantitative Trait Loci On Soybean Chromosome 20, Christina E. Fliege, Russell A. Ward, Pamela Vogel, Hanh Nguyen, Truyen Quach, Ming Guo, João Paulo Gomes Viana, Lucas Borges Dos Santos, James Specht, Thomas Clemente, Matthew E. Hudson, Brian W. Diers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a unique crop species because it has high levels of both protein and oil in its seed. Of the many quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling soybean seed protein content, alleles of the cqSeed protein-003 QTL on chromosome 20 exert the greatest additive effect. The high-protein allele exists in both cultivated and wild soybean (Glycine soja Siebold & Zucc.) germplasm. Our objective was to fine map this QTL to enable positional-based cloning of its underlying causative gene(s). Fine mapping was achieved by developing and testing a series of populations in which the chromosomal region surrounding …

Essays On Socioeconomic Shocks And Policies In Agriculture, Wilman Iglesias

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The three chapters of this doctoral dissertation estimate the responses of agricultural productivity, production value of agriculture, and crop supply to some external shocks and policies. Using unique panel datasets for Colombia and the United States, this research provides new insights regarding the responsiveness of agriculture to some socioeconomic effects and related market policies. Chapter 1 studies the impact of armed conflicts in rural areas on legal agricultural productivity in Colombia by using a production function that includes violence shocks such as the forced intra-national displacement of the rural population from 1995 to 2017. Chapter 2 investigates the effect of …

Nutrient And Organic Carbon Losses By Erosion, And Their Economic And Environmental Implications In The Drylands Of Kenya, Nathan O. Oduor, Monicah Mucheru-Muna, Jayne N. Mugwe, Isaya Sijali, George Nyabuga, Daniel N. Mugendi

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Erosion causes soil nutrients and financial losses, and negatively impacts the environment. We sought to assess the effects of integrated soil fertility and soil & water management practices on nutrient losses, their equivalent economic losses, and environmental disturbance in the drylands of Tharaka-Nithi County. An experiment was set in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Six treatments implemented included manure + fertilizer + tied ridging under 120 kg ha−1 and 30 kg ha−1 nitrogen (N) application rate, manure + fertilizer + minimum tillage with crop residue mulch under 120 N kg ha−1 and 30 N kg ha−1, Managing …