Digital Commons Network^™

The Status Of Agritourism In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Nerma Čolaković-Prguda, Jasna Hasanbegović, Irma Đidelija Čolaković, Lejla Škaljić, Nuray Demi̇r

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Agritourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot of potential benefit for economic growth and sustainable development in rural regions, as it incorporates local culture and natural beauty into the tourism offerings of the region. Tourism creates opportunities to diversify the economy, retain traditions, improve local income, and protect natural resources. This study covered Međugorje, Ilijaš, Rostovo, Vlašić, Bosanska Krupa, Neum, Olovo, Gornji Vakuf, Sarajevo, and Donji Vakuf. Agritourism can provide authentic experiences like learning about traditional agriculture, fruit harvesting, tasting local products, and environmental preservation in destinations like Međugorje and Neum. Ilijaš and Gornji Vakuf have potential in organic …

Wbd-Yolo-Am: Yolov8 With Attention Module And Iot-Based Wild Boar Detection And Deterrence System For Safeguarding Small Millets, Aditya Joshi, Neha Pandey, Manoj Diwakar, Prabhishek Singh, Achyut Shankar, Fayez Alqahtani

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Small millets are traditional and climate-resilient food crops that can grow in adverse weather conditions. Animal intrusion, specifically from wild boars, is a main threat to the production of small millets, which reduces interest in the cultivation of small millets and affects farmers’ incomes. To address the problem of wild boar attack on agriculture land, an improved YOLOv8 is proposed, with an attention module based on WBD-YOLO-AM and that works from the collection of data, its preprocessing, attention mechanism to improve the feature maps, training then building the model, after that the models hyperparameter are tuned to boost the performance …

Partial Budgets Quantify Economic Outcomes Of Soil Health Management For Farmers, Jessica A. Kelton, W. Archie Flanders, Emily P. Ball, Dianna K. Bagnall, C. Wayne Honeycutt

Journal of Extension

Implementation of soil health management systems, such as reduced tillage and cover cropping, can reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and improve soil productivity. Adoption of these practices can also improve net farm income, but effects vary based on region, commodity, and production methods. A partial budget analysis approach was used to evaluate impacts of adoption of soil health management systems on profitability from a regional, on-farm, perspective. The approach provides farmers with a resource to support decisions when considering the adoption of soil health management systems.

Economic Analysis Of Stockers Grazing Botanically Diverse Summer Annual Pasture, Kelly M. Mercier, Christopher D. Teutsch, S. Ray Smith, Kenneth H. Burdine, Eric S. Vanzant, Edwin L. Ritchey

Journal of Extension

Economic analyses were performed to determine the feasibility of retaining weaned fall-born calves on summer annual pastures (a monoculture, a 3-species mixture, or a 12-species mixture). Average daily gain was reduced by 0.3 lbs/day in calves grazing the complex mixture in two out of three years. Enterprise budgeting illustrated that retaining calves on summer annual forages was not economical. Two-way net return tables indicated that this scenario would only be profitable when cattle prices are high and pasture establishment costs are low. Extension educators should be sure to emphasize the economic risks when discussing these systems.

Evaluation Of South Carolina’S Extension And Outreach Agents’ Knowledge Of Harmful Algal Bloom Management And The Impacts Of One-Day Training, George Strickland, Debabrata Sahoo, Michael Vassalos, Heather Nix, Sarah White

Journal of Extension

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) impact livestock producers. Most Extension agents have limited knowledge about HAB management. Our study goal was to assess agent readiness and training on HABs. We used data from in-person surveys of South Carolina (SC) Extension personnel. We examined how training influenced HAB knowledge using pre/post-tests. Training improved agent knowledge of HAB management, but water resource agents learned more. The results of this study can be used to identify Extension training shortfalls and drive policy to better prepare agents throughout the state. Further research should involve prioritizing additional extension topics and assessing knowledge in a similar manner.

Agricultural Biotechnology In The Courts: Judicial Opinions And Commentary, Drew L. Kershen

Faculty Articles

Seven jurisdictions from around the world have issued judicial opinions that address fundamental issues about the governance and regulatory systems of agricultural biotechnology. This article summarizes these legal proceedings and describes their impact upon agricultural biotechnology. The article then provides a commentary and critique of the legal proceedings and resulting judicial opinions.

Shimmering Mirage Or A Promised Land? Climate Change, Agriculture, And Internal Migration In Sabha, Jordan, Tyler J. Rak

Capstone Collection

Given the rapidly shifting climate, high vulnerability, and low adaptability to climate related changes that rural areas face, this study highlights the complex relationship between climate change -- especially water scarcity -- agriculture, and internal migration in rural Jordan. I predict that if water scarcity is present and climate changes are occurring, they will undercut the rural agriculture sector which could contribute to rural out-migration. To study this relationship, I conducted a case study in Sabha, a small rural community in the Northern Badia of Jordan. Data was gathered by engaging in semi-structured interviews with current community members in Sabha …

From Larvae To Livelihoods: Examining The Realities Of Black Soldier Fly Farming In Malawi, Emily Herriott

Capstone Collection

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae offer a cost-effective, nutrient-rich alternative to synthetic fertilizers and conventional feed inputs such as soy, fishmeal, and maize bran in sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi, where smallholder farmers grapple with declining soil fertility, high input prices, chronic food insecurity, and livestock nutritional challenges, BSF farming is emerging as a promising circular agricultural innovation. Despite its technical promise, the social, economic, and ecological realities of BSF adoption remain underexplored.This study investigates the early implementation of BSF farming in Malawi through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, focusing on farmer experiences, challenges, and the social and structural processes shaping uptake …

Northern Arizona Ecological Conservation: Assessing Quaking Aspen Health In Northern Arizona Using Earth Observations, Ikram Morso, Luke Collins, Margaret Cox, Melissa Schwan

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forests in Northern Arizona provide critical habitat for endangered bird species and support regional tourism and recreation. However, aspen populations are declining due to a combination of abiotic and biotic stressors. In response, land managers implemented strategies, such as ungulate exclusion fencing, prescribed burns, and stand thinning, but efforts are constrained by limited data on where and when to intervene. This project worked in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and Northern Arizona University School of Forestry. The team utilized Earth observations …

Efficacy Of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus And Its Metabolites To Mitigate The Risk Of Foodborne Pathogens In Hydroponic Nutrient Solution, Esther Oginni, Robin A. Choudhury, Veerachandra Yemmireddy

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Hydroponic nutrient solution (HNS) has been established as an ideal conduit for pathogen contamination and proliferation. This study evaluated the efficacy of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites in mitigating the risk of foodborne pathogens in HNS when compared to conventional chemical treatments. Hoagland’s HNS were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions and inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and Listeria innocua at 105 CFU/mL cell concentration. These nutrient solutions were subjected to treatment with various concentrations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus live cells, a cell-free extract (CFE) of L. rhamnosus metabolites, sodium hypochlorite and peroxyacetic acid at 22 ± 1 …

Feed-Based Strategies To Improve Poultry Production Efficiency, Anna Kathryn Riggs

Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry continues to make significant strides in efficiency and innovation, particularly through advancements in nutrition. This thesis explores two key areas within broiler nutrition that are essential to supporting sustainable, cost-effective poultry production. First, the potential of a next-generation exogenous carbohydrase enzyme blend containing beta-mannanase and endo-glucanase is investigated when supplemented into reduced-energy, all-vegetable diets based on corn, soybean meal, and corn distillers dried grains with solubles in male broilers over a 42-day grow-out period, including processing (Chapter II). Second, the thesis examines the use of modeling strategies such as cubic, quadratic, kernel and smoothing spline to predict …

Silicon Is The Next Frontier In Plant Synthetic Biology, Aniruddha Acharya, Kaitlin Hopkins, Tatum Simms

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Silicon has a striking similarity to carbon and is found in plant cells. However, there is no specific role that has been assigned to silicon in the life cycle of plants. The amount of silicon in plant cells is species specific and can reach levels comparable to macronutrients. Silicon is used extensively in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and the digital revolution, and thus can serve as an informational molecule such as nucleic acids. The diverse potential of silicon to bond with different chemical species is analogous to carbon; thus, it can serve as a structural candidate similar to proteins. The discovery …

Assessment Of Social Media Use And Strategies For Combating Misinformation Among Extension Educators In Arkansas, Enoch Teye Kwao Ametepey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the use of social media by Extension educators in Arkansas and examines strategies for identifying and combating misinformation within agricultural extension services. Guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Third-Person Effect Theory for objectives one, two, and three, this research employed quantitative and qualitative approaches, specifically, two quantitative cross-sectional surveys and a qualitative focus group study developed into a three article dissertation. The first article assessed the extent to which Extension educators utilize social media for professional activities, revealing that social media is predominantly used …

The Social Dimensions Of Aquaculture: Food Sovereignty And Indigenous Rights In Ketchikan, Alaska, Morgan J. Davis

Capstone Collection

This research project asks how the growing commercial aquaculture industry in Ketchikan, Alaska, functions to alleviate or exacerbate local food insecurity; reinforce or undermine food sovereignty among Indigenous communities, and enhance or restrict community participation in the control of marine resources. Global initiatives have responded to food insecurity through agricultural inputs and technology to create higher yields; however, conventional agricultural production has contributed to and is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. To address higher demands for food, government agencies and development experts have looked towards Blue Growth and aquaculture as a solution for food insecurity and environmental concerns. While aquaculture …

In Vitro Assessment Of The Antihistomonal Activity Of Methyl Jasmonate And Jasmonic Acid, Mckayla B. Williams

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Histomonas meleagridis is a protozoan parasite and the causative agent of histomonosis in gallinaceous birds. There are currently no approved prevention or treatment options available for histomonosis control in the United States. Mortality in affected turkey flocks can exceed 80% which highlights the urgent need for research investigating novel strategies to mitigate histomonosis in the field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antihistomonal and antibacterial effects of of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and jasmonic acid (JA), two plant-derived compounds, in a xenic culture of H. meleagridis. Assays were conducted using cultured H. meleagridis (PHL strain) treated …

An Evaluation Of Key Components Of Natural Resource Camps, Undergraduate Persistence And Success In Natural Resources, Brandy Bishop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the key components that connect natural resource camps, undergraduate persistence, and overall success through gainful employment within the natural resource industry. The aim of this study was to assess early interest and attitudes towards natural resource career pathways and how education interventions shape students’ career outcomes thus leading to overall success. A longitudinal mixed method design was used combining Conservation Careers Camp survey data (n = 39) with institutional records for Forestry majors (n =655) in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. Quantitative data was analyzed through …

Commodity Diversification, Technological Innovation, And Market Dynamics: Insights Into Beef Cattle Production And Feeder Cattle Basis In The United States, Nik Berg

All Theses

The beef cattle industry plays an important role in the agricultural economy, contributing to both domestic food supply and global trade. The United States is one of the world's largest producers of beef, with production systems varying widely across regions largely due to differences in available resources and market structures. Market conditions, technological advancements, and policy interventions shape the way producers operate, making research into these factors essential for both industry stakeholders and policymakers.

Producers are continuously adapting to changing economic conditions, environmental challenges, and evolving consumer preferences. By analyzing these factors, researchers can provide insights to support informed decision-making …

Two Essays On Index-Based Risk Management In U.S. Rangeland And Livestock Production, Wajdi Belgacem

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation investigates two distinct but complementary dimensions of risk management in United States rangeland agriculture. Essay 1 measures spatial variation in basis risk within the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) rainfall-index program for 176 Nebraska grid cells (1988–2023). By linking official NOAA rainfall indices with 30-m Rangeland Analysis Platform biomass estimates, we find rainfall–forage correlations that peak at 0.45 but display pronounced heterogeneity. The probability that neither insured interval triggers during an actual forage loss averages 12%, rising to nearly 30% in several Sandhills cells, whereas optimally pairing late-spring and summer intervals reduces complete misses below 10%. These results …

Nebline, August/September 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Contents

Summertime’s Natural Light Show: Fireflies by Kait Chapman

Insect Science with Kids: Bug Collecting as a Tool to Learn

The Perfect Partnership: EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Join Forces for Lifelong Nutrition and Health by Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the month by Emily Gratopp: Fruit salsa & cinnamon chips

Southeast nebraska Pasture & Acreage Expo

Southeast Nebraska Alfalfa & Wheat Expo

Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent workshop

Vegetable Gardening in the Fall by Mary Jane Frogge

GRO Big Red virtual learning series

2025 perennial plant of the year: Blue mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Garden guide: Things to do this month by …

Post-Harvest Storage Of Fuzzy Cottonseed: Quality, Airflow Modeling, And Energy Use, Elijah T. Porter

All Theses

Fuzzy cottonseed is a valuable byproduct of the cotton ginning process. When cottonseed exits the cotton gin, it often retains high temperatures and moisture contents. Once in a storage facility, the cottonseed needs to be conditioned for safe storage. The overall objectives of this study were to analyze quality changes in cottonseed according to storage conditions, determine the airflow resistance properties of fuzzy cottonseed, develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a representative cottonseed storage facility, and analyze cottonseed aeration fan strategies, runtimes, and costs. Changes in quality dictate the allowable storage time for cottonseed and are impacted by …

Plant Nutrient Interactions In High-Yielding Soybean Environments, Victoria Inklman

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

Plant nutrient demands and limitations are usually studied individually by nutrient. Here, we investigated how nitrogen (N) limitation in high-yielding soybean environments affects the uptake, removal, and residual of other plant macro- and micronutrients. The objective of this study was to quantify the uptake, removal, and residual levels of soybean macro- and micronutrients under N-limited conditions and to identify nutrient priorities for high-yielding soybean systems. Aboveground plant samples at physiological maturity were collected in 19 high-yielding soybean fields with N limitation across the state of Nebraska. Reference plots with ample N supply were included within each field to compare macro- …

Crop, Soil Nutrient, And Soil Health Responses Within Integrated Crop And Livestock Systems, Alyssa K. Hall

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

We evaluated the influences of grazing livestock on crop production, soil nutrients, and soil health indicators of integrated crop livestock systems using three experiments during a seven-yr. period. Objectives were to (1) determine livestock grazing and cropping system effects on crop yield and soil properties across six yr. in corn-soybean (C-S) and wheat-corn-soybean (W-C-S) systems with and without periodic composted manure application, (2) explore seasonal variation in soil nutrient patterns over two yr., and (3) measure residual responses for corn grain yield plus soil health indicators in yr. seven following a six-yr. study. In experiment 1, neither livestock grazing ( …

What’S The Beef With Agriculture? Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Agricultural Literacy Intervention On Students’ Attitudes And Knowledge Toward Sustainability And Animal Agriculture, Jenny E. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Agricultural literacy is essential for helping individuals understand how food systems impact their daily lives and society. While most research has focused on students’ knowledge, this study addresses the underexplored role of attitudes—critical predictors of behavior—as outcomes of educational interventions. This research analyzed survey data collected before and after an agricultural literacy intervention delivered to high school students in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. The curriculum focused on sustainability in animal agriculture.

Findings from paired samples t-tests showed statistically significant improvements in students' attitudes (from moderately neutral to more positive) and knowledge scores. Further analyses revealed that demographic factors such …

The Future Research Direction Of Cgiar: Lessons Learned From One Cgiar, Katie Loethen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since its founding in 1971, CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) has been at the forefront of agricultural innovation, credited with launching the Green Revolution and delivering 1.78 trillion USD in net present value (NPV) benefits globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite these accomplishments, CGIAR now faces internal and external pressures that threaten its future impact. The 2019 reorganization into “One CGIAR” aimed to enhance coordination but has been criticized for adding bureaucracy and reducing scientific autonomy. Simultaneously, public funding for agricultural research is shrinking, while private sector investment often overlooks low-margin, high-need areas central …

Consumer Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice For Animal-Raising And Environment-Related Labeling Claims, Andrew Joseph Dilley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the fall of 2024, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) updated its guidelines for substantiating animal-raising and environment-related claims used on meat and poultry products. The updates aim to address numerous comments and petitions from industry stakeholders by improving guidance and strengthening the documentation recommended for substantiation. While the updates included both minor and substantial revisions, the most notable addition was the strong emphasis on the inclusion of a third-party certification in the substantiating documents. The timely update comes on the heels of heightened scrutiny regarding animal-raising claims, as issues of non-compliance and agency oversight have continued to …

The Market For Local Beef And Local Beef Processing Investment In Arkansas., Rebekah O'Neal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. food supply chain, particularly in the beef sector, where processing bottlenecks and labor shortages disrupted meat production and the market. In response, several policies were implemented to strengthen food system resilience, and significant funding was allocated to expand independent meat processing capacity nationwide. However, the long-term viability of expanding regional processing capacity remains uncertain, notably in Arkansas, a net exporter of live cattle. This study evaluates whether consumer demand supports the expansion of local beef processing in Arkansas. Using a dichotomous choice survey, we estimate market shares for beef labeled “Arkansas Grown” …

Factors Associated With Farm Service Agency Direct Farm Ownership Loan Delinquency, Mohammad Ismile Hossain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the factors associated with loan defaults in the USDA's Direct Farm Ownership (FO) loan program, emphasizing factors that affect how long it takes to default. This study uses a Cox Proportional Hazards model on a dataset of more than 47,000 loan records originated during 2011-2020 to identify loan characteristics, financial factors, and geographic settings related to the likelihood and timing of delinquency, which is defined as being 90 days past due. Recent research has focused on differences in loan outcomes based on demographics. This study, on the other hand, focuses on loan size, interest rates and terms, …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2023, Frank Seo

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the eighteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and labor income was estimated with the Impact Analysis for Planning System (IMPLAN) for the most recent year available, 2023.

A Simple Guide For Describing Soils, 2nd Edition, Angela Stuart-Street, Nicolyn Short Dr, Paul Galloway, Noel R. Schoknecht

Natural resources published reports

Soils are enormously diverse and can be very confusing to understand and talk about. This simple guide for describing soils helps to identify the most important parts of a soil profile and provide an easy way to understand and explain what you see. It gives you a step-by-step guide of what soil properties to describe and how to describe them, along with the tools to make basic soil classifications. The soil descriptors help you to identify the soil type and aid in assigning a simple and standardised name to the soil. While this guide is designed to link with a …

Exploring Transcriptional Stress Responses In Sorghum And Evolutionary Insights Into Yth Domain Proteins Across Plants, Shikha Bharti

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how plants respond to abiotic stress is crucial for enhancing crop resilience in the face of climate change. This thesis explores plant stress adaptation mechanisms through two interlinked studies that address different aspects of gene regulation. The first study investigates the transcriptional dynamics of Sorghum bicolor under drought and heat stress at 1-hour and 6-hour time points. By employing 3'-end RNA sequencing, this study provides a comprehensive temporal view of gene expression changes, revealing stress-responsive transcription factors, hormone-associated pathways, and chromatin regulators. The comparative analysis highlights both common and distinct molecular responses between drought and heat stress, providing insights …