Digital Commons Network^™

Effectiveness Of A Farm Field Trip, Bonnie S. Sigmon

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

The annual Sigmon Farm Tour was started in 1992 as an agricultural education program where students could experience being on a farm with the goal of increasing the agricultural literacy levels of the participants. Every year the entire 4th grade student population of Rockcastle County spends the day touring the farm and participating in experiential mini lessons given by the cooperating farm service and health agencies. The program has continued for 20+ years without an evaluation as to whether it is achieving its objectives. This evaluation will also exhibit the programs strengths and weakness so it can continue to improve. …

Identification Of Soils On Firefighter Turnout Gear From The Philadelphia Fire Department, Tabitha N. Huston

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this research was to identify the composition of soils on firefighter turnout gear from the Philadelphia Fire Department and to determine which soils contain hazardous materials. The objective of the research was to identify the composition of soils remaining on the firefighter turnout gear to enable the industry to design an effective cleaning procedure for removal of soils. A pilot study was conducted on hoods from the Philadelphia fire department to evaluate the test methods that would be used to identify the composition of soils. Soils that had been identified from previous studies were targeted in the …

Changing Litter Resources Associated With Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Invasion Affect Benthic Communities In Headwater Streams, Christopher J. Strohm

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive herbivore causing extensive mortality of eastern hemlock, an important foundation species that provides stable conditions influencing biological communities. Hemlock is often found in riparian areas and following its decline, broadleaved species, including birch, beech, and rhododendron, will replace it. These plants differ from hemlock in patterns of canopy cover and leaf properties, which influence conditions and resources within streams.

My goal was to evaluate potential impacts of adelgid-induced alterations to riparian canopies and litter on benthic communities and litter breakdown in streams. I characterized benthic invertebrate communities, litter colonization and litter breakdown in streams …

Potential Of Moringa Oleifera L. As Livestock Fodder Crop: A Review, Wasif Nouman, Shahzad Maqsood Ahmed Basra, Muhammad Tahir Siddiqui, Azra Yasmeen, Tehseen Gull, Maria Angelica Cervantes Alcayde

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Dairy and meat production in dry regions is very complex due to low quality and shortage of fodder, especially in dry periods. Livestock scientists are eager to explore and investigate good-quality fodders that can boost milk and meat production in an organic and economical way. Some organic meals like soybean, cotton seed cake, and range grasses are being utilized to overcome the fodder shortage. These have some limitations, however, like unavailability in December through May as currently green fodder is least available after wheat, alfalfa, brassica, and maize harvesting. This leads towards reduced livestock production and low-quality milk and meat …

Effects Of Different Irrigation Methods And Plant Density On Silage Yield And Yield Components Of Pr 31y43 Hybrid Corn Cultivar, Muhammet Karaşahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different irrigation methods (drip I1, subsoil drip I2, and subsoil capillary I3) and different plant densities (102,040 plants ha^{-1}, D1; 119,040 plants ha^{-1}, D2; and 142,850 plants ha^{-1}, D3) on the silage yield and yield components of PR 31Y43 hybrid corn cultivar (Zea mays L. indentata S.) in the years 2011 and 2012 under the ecological conditions of Eskipazar-Karabük. In both research years, the plant densities were statistically significant for stem diameter, fresh ear ratio, fresh plant weight, silage, and dry matter yield. The highest stem diameter, fresh ear ratio, and …

Genotypic Variability For Tuber Yield, Biomass, And Drought Tolerance In Jerusalem Artichoke Germplasm, Ruttanachira Ruttanaprasert, Poramate Banterng, Sanun Jogloy, Nimitr Vorasoot, Thawan Kesmala, Rameshwar S. Kanwar, Carl Corley Holbrook, Aran Patanothai

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Jerusalem artichoke could be an alternative feedstock for bioenergy during times when there are shortages of other raw materials for the ethanol industry. However, insufficient water under rainfed conditions is a major cause of Jerusalem artichoke losses. Genetic variation for drought tolerance is an essential prerequisite for the development of Jerusalem artichoke cultivars with improved drought tolerance. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of drought stress on tuber dry weight and biomass and to investigate the genotypic variability in Jerusalem artichoke germplasm. The line-source sprinkler technique was used to compare moisture responses of a range of …

Use Of Diploid And Tetraploid Hulled Wheat Genotypes For Animal Feeding, Mahmut Kaplan, Taner Akar, Adem Kamalak, Sancar Bulut

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Einkorn and emmer wheat are still cultivated in the mountainous areas of Turkey. They are resistant to biotic and abiotic stress conditions and are routinely used as food stuffs due to reasonable dietary fiber rate and vitamin and micronutrient content. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the feed potential of einkorn and emmer wheat populations. A total of 17 hulled wheat populations collected from different provinces of Turkey were studied during the years 2012 and 2013. Experiments were carried out in randomized complete block design with 3 replications to investigate grain yield, harvest index, chemical composition, and gas …

Common Sunflower Seedling Emergence Across The U.S. Midwest, Sharon A. Clay, Adam Davis, Anita Dille, John Lindquist, Analiza H. M. Ramirez, Christy Sprague, Graig Reicks, Frank Forcella

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Predictions of weed emergence can be used by practitioners to schedule POST weed management operations. Common sunflower seed from Kansas was used at six Midwestern U.S. sites to examine the variability that 16 climates had on common sunflower emergence. Nonlinear mixed effects models, using a flexible sigmoidal Weibull function that included thermal time, hydrothermal time, and a modified hydrothermal time (with accumulation starting from January 1 of each year), were developed to describe the emergence data. An iterative method was used to select an optimal base temperature (T_b) and base and ceiling soil matric potentials (ψ_b and …

Genotyping By Sequencing For Genomic Prediction In A Soybean Breeding Population, Diego Jarquin, Kyle Kocak, Luis Posadas, Katie Hyma, Joseph Jedlicka, George L. Graef, Aaron Lorenz

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Advances in genotyping technology, such as genotyping by sequencing (GBS), are making genomic prediction more attractive to reduce breeding cycle times and costs associated with phenotyping. Genomic prediction and selection has been studied in several crop species, but no reports exist in soybean. The objectives of this study were (i) evaluate prospects for genomic selection using GBS in a typical soybean breeding program and (ii) evaluate the effect of GBS marker selection and imputation on genomic prediction accuracy. To achieve these objectives, a set of soybean lines sampled from the University of Nebraska Soybean Breeding Program were genotyped using …

Grain Finishing Beef: Alternative Rations, Cattle Performance And Feeding Costs For Small Feeders, Dillon M. Feuz, Jesse Russell

All Current Publications

In a feeding trial at Utah State University during the summer of 2013, it was found that cattle had higher ADG when fed SFC compared to whole corn. However, when the relative cost of SFC and whole corn were considered, feeding whole corn compared to SFC resulted in nearly identical feed costs per pound of gain. Actual and relative costs of SFC and whole corn can and do vary over time and across geographic regions. Therefore, feeders could use the information in this fact sheet to determine which feed will be the most economical for them.

Demonstrating Advancements In Biotechnology To Ranchers In Southern Utah: Genetic Testing, Kevin Heaton, Katelyn Peterson

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes genetic testing for beef cattle to identify which animals in a herd are the most productive or least productive and make some culling decisions based on the results of the tests.

Demonstrating Advancements In Biotechnology To Ranchers In Southern Utah: The Snap Bvd Test, Kevin Heaton, Katelyn Peterson, Alyssa O'Toole

All Current Publications

Bovine Viral Diarrhea is a contagious beef cattle virus. The Snap BVD Test can provide accurate results in 20 to 25 minutes. This fact sheet describes how to perform the test.

Origins Of The Classical Gene Concept, 1900–1950: Genetics, Mechanistic, Philosophy, And The Capitalization Of Agriculture, Garland E. Allen

Biology Faculty Research

In the period of “classical genetics” (roughly 1915–1950), the common view of the gene was mechanistic—that is, genes were seen as individual, atomistic units, as material components of the chromosomes. Although it was recognized early on that genes could interact and influence each other’s expression, they were still regarded as individually functioning units, much like the chemists’ atoms or molecules. Although geneticists in particular knew the story was more complex, the atomistic gene remained the central view for a variety of reasons. It fit the growing philosophy of mechanistic materialism in the life sciences, as biologists tried to make their …

Genetic Relationships Of Some Citrus Genotypes Based On The Candidate Iron Chlorosis Genes, Yildiz Kaçar, Özhan Şi̇mşek, Di̇cle Dönmez, Melda Boncuk, Turgut Yeşi̇loğlu, Patrick Ollitrault

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Iron is one of the most important elements in plant mineral nutrition. Fe deficiency is a critical abiotic stress factor for Mediterranean citriculture; the development of marker-assisted selection for this trait would greatly enhance rootstock breeding. In this study, DNA sequencing and single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses were performed to determine the allelic diversity of genes associated with tolerance to iron chlorosis in citrus. Two candidate iron chlorosis tolerance genes were selected from existing Citrus EST databases and Arabidopsis thaliana genome databases. Ferritin-3 chloroplast precursor and putative membrane transporter candidate gene sequences were used to define primers in conserved regions. …

Hygienic Condition Of Maize Silage (Zea Mays L.) Depending On Cutting Height And Ensiling Additive, Grazyna Szymanska, Hanna Sulewska, Marek Selwet

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Maize silage is a high energy bulk feed, extensively used in the nutrition of dairy and meat purpose cattle due to the high yielding potential of this crop, high concentration of energy, palatability, and easy application in the total mixed ration feeding regime. A necessary precondition for the complete utilization of the nutritive value of maize is to prepare high quality silage. In North America and Europe, cattle nutrition is increasingly based on maize silage fed throughout the year, resulting in the need to store silage in silos for 14 months or even longer. Thus, it is necessary to collect …

Analysis Of Variability, Heritability, And Genetic Advance In Seed Yield And Related Traits Of Orchardgrass (Dactylis Glomerata L.) Populations, Hayati̇ Şeker, Ayşe Yazici, Pinar Uysal

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) genotypes from different natural sources in the Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey were clonally evaluated to study genetic variation and the relationships between seed yield and its components using a randomized complete block design. Results showed very significant genotypic variances among genotypes for all traits, including agronomic (seed, dry matter, and biological yields), morphological (plant height; panicle length; crown diameter; numbers of fertile, sterile, and total stems; and stem intensity), physiological (percent fertile stems, harvest and fertility indexes), and phenological (heading and anthesis dates) traits, as well as genotype × year interaction variances. Genotypic components were …

Smart Biologics For Crop Protection In Agricultural Systems, Ömür Baysal, Mahmut Tör

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Crop losses caused by insects, pests, and pathogens remain one of the major problems in sustainable agriculture. Environmental and health concerns regarding the overuse of pesticides, and the impacts of climate change on epidemics are immediate pressing issues. In addition, the breakdown of plant resistance by pathogen populations brings limitations to the genetic control of diseases. Biologics can be effective in all types of agricultural systems including organic, sustainable, and conventional. Beneficial microorganisms including Bacillus and Trichoderma species have been employed as environmentally safe biopesticides. Molecular and proteomic studies on biopesticides have revealed the nature of antibiotics, secreted enzymes, and …

Three Essays On Migration Decision, Migration Destination Choice, And Food Security: Evidence From Chitwan, Nepal, Madhav Regmi

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis research is based on data obtained from the Nepal Ethno Survey of Family, Migration and Development conducted in 396 farming households in the Eastern part of the Chitwan, Nepal. In a three essay thesis format, I explore the factors affecting migration decision and migration destination choices. I then establish a link between remittance and food security status of the surveyed households. In the first essay, I use a probit model to identify household decisions to send or not to send migrants, and identify factors affecting the decision process. I include individual, household and social network characteristics in the …

Remittance And Migration: Impact On Technology Adoption, Natural Resource Conservation, And Household Welfare, Deborah Ann Williams

LSU Master's Theses

Nepal is the perfect country to study all the facets of migration, sustainable agriculture and their subsequent impact on food systems. Droves of migrants are leaving rural Nepal for higher incomes to cover household daily expenses. The Government of Nepal (GON) encourages migration as a means to reduce poverty, and remittance already amounts to 25.83% of GDP, and it is expected to grow (Nepal Bastra Bank 2014, Thieme and Wyss 2005, Yang 2011). However, it is still unclear whether the mass exodus from rural areas and the growing dependence on remittance, the portion of the migrant workers' earnings sent back …

A Factor Analysis Of The Dimensions Of Economic Damages From Tropical Storms And Hurricanes In Louisiana, James Luke Boutwell

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal communities are highly sensitive to disturbances from tropical storms and hurricanes. This is particularly true in Louisiana and along the U.S. Gulf Coast where economies are largely dependent on tourism and natural resource based industry. Since Hurricane Katrina and, more recently, Hurricane Sandy, there has been an increase in concern for how coastal communities will mitigate and respond to the impacts of coastal storms. These concerns are made more acute by the increasing population concentrated along the coast and the risk of more frequent and more severe coastal storms in the future. A commonly advocated-for method of storm damage …

International Perspectives On Sustainable Agriculture In Cuba, B. Danielle Smith

University Honors Theses

Since the economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba has restructured their agriculture with a greater focus on domestic production of domestically consumed produce, and a dramatic reduction of petroleum products in all aspects of food production. This overhaul has included the broad application of what is termed agroecology – agricultural practices which focus on principles of biodiversity and sustainability – and inter-farm cooperation facilitated by the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and Campesino a Campesino. Academics and journalists from within and abroad have critically examined aspects of the novel reforms developed in the country …

Predicting Phosphorus Dynamics In Complex Terrains Using A Variable Source Area Hydrology Model, Amy S. Collick, Daniel R. Fuka, Peter J.A. Kleinman, Anthony R. Buda, Jennifer L. Weld, Mike J. White, Tamie L. Veith, Ray B. Bryant, Carl H. Bolster, Zachary M. Easton

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural watersheds has long been a critical water quality problem, the control of which has been the focus of considerable research and investment. Preventing P loss depends on accurately representing the hydrological and chemical processes governing P mobilization and transport. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a watershed model commonly used to predict run-off and non-point source pollution transport. SWAT simulates run-off employing either the curve number (CN) or the Green and Ampt methods, both assume infiltration-excess run-off, although shallow soils underlain by a restricting layer commonly generate saturation-excess run-off from variable source areas …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, Isolated From Human Breast Milk, John Bannantine, Lingling Li, Michael M. Mwangi, Rebecca Cote, Juan Antonio Raygoza Garay, Vivek Kapur

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis causes Johne’s disease (JD) in cattle, sheep, goats, and other ruminant animals. JD presents as a chronic granulomatous intestinal infection with a worldwide distribution and imposes a significant economic toll on livestock industries (1). M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis has a complex cell wall structure containing mycolic acids and several lipids similar to those of other members of this genus, yet it is the most slowly growing member. This bacterium often requires 8 to 16 weeks before colonies are visible in culture, which is a major hurdle in diagnostics and therefore in the implementation of optimal JD …

Draft Genome Sequence Of A Mycobacterium Avium Complex Isolate From A Broadbill Bird, John Bannantine, Darrell O. Bayles, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Angela M. Burrell, Judith R. Stabel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) organisms cause opportunistic infections in humans, yet their epidemiology remains poorly understood. They are slowly growing environmental and animal-associated mycobacteria that have little notoriety except for the strains that cause disseminated infections in HIV- infected humans (1). Most MAC organisms are classified taxonomically as a single species, M. avium, which is divided into at least four subspecies, M. avium subsp. avium, M. avium subsp. hominissuis, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, and M. avium subsp. silvaticum (2). The only other species in this group is M. intracellulare. Genotyping of this diverse bacterial group has been achieved using intergenic …

Exposure Of Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In The United States To Selected Pathogens, John A. Baroch, Carl A. Gagnon, Sonia Lacouture, Marcelo Gottschalk

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are widely distributed in the United States. In 2011 and 2012, serum samples and tonsils were recovered from 162 and 37 feral swine, respectively, in the US to evaluate exposure to important swine endemic pathogens. Antibodies against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) were found in 2.5% and 25.3% of tested sera, respectively. Positive serological reactions against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae have been detected in 19.7% and 69.7% of animals. More than 15% of animals presented antibodies against these 2 pathogens simultaneously. Most animals were also seropositive for …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 15 2014, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Of The Salmonella-Lettuce Interaction, Yuping Zhang, Renu Nandakumar, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Laurie Hodges, Xu Li

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Human pathogens can internalize food crops through root and surface uptake and persist inside crop plants. The goal of the study was to elucidate the global modulation of bacteria and plant protein expression after Salmonella internalizes lettuce. A quantitative proteomic approach was used to analyse the protein expression of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis and lettuce cultivar Green Salad Bowl 24 h after infiltrating S. Infantis into lettuce leaves. Among the 50 differentially expressed proteins identified by comparing internalized S. Infantis against S. Infantis grown in Luria Broth, proteins involved in glycolysis were down-regulated, while one protein involved in ascorbate …

Identification Of New Qtls For Seed Mineral, Cysteine, And Methionine Concentrations In Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.], Raghuprakash Kastoori Ramamurthy, Joseph Jedlicka, George L. Graef, Brian M. Waters

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Increased concentrations of important nutrients in edible parts of plants could result in biofortified foods. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major legume crop and an important source of certain nutrients, including protein and minerals, in human and animal diets. Understanding the underlying genetic basis of seed composition is crucial to improving seed nutrient composition. In this study we used three soybean recombinant inbred line mapping populations derived from the crosses Williams 82 × DSR-173, Williams 82 × NKS19-90 and Williams 82 × Vinton 81, and constructed a joint linkage map from these populations. Forty quantitative trait loci (QTLs) …

The Interaction Of Climate Change, Land Cover, And Political Representation In The Usa, Brady W. Allred, Dirac L. Twidwell, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The difficulties in tackling climate change are inherently complex and primarily centered on political and social values. This is evident in the United States where political divisions and polarizations are fundamental barriers to advancing national policies, which in turn hinder international agreements, mitigation, and adaptation. Within the United States, the vast majority of agricultural and natural resource lands are projected to incur significant climate departures and are represented by the Republican Party. The resources and economic sectors that will be directly affected by climate change are represented by national leadership that is unlikely to accept policies to prevent or adapt …

Drought Effects On Composition And Yield For Corn Stover, Mixed Grasses, And Miscanthus As Bioenergy Feedstocks, Rachel Emerson, Amber Hoover, Allison Ray, Jeffrey Lacey, Marnie Cortez, Courtney Payne, Douglas L. Karlen, Stuart Birrell, David Laird, Robert Kallenbach, Josh Egenolf, Matthew Sousek, Thomas Voigt

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Drought conditions in 2012 were some of the most severe in recent history. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of drought on quality, quantity, and theoretical ethanol yield (TEY) of three bioenergy feedstocks, corn stover, mixed grasses from Conservation Reserve Program lands, and Miscanthus × giganteus. To assess drought effects on these feedstocks, samples from 2010 (minimal to no drought) and 2012 (severe drought) were compared from multiple locations in the US. In all feedstocks, drought significantly increased extractives and reduced structural sugars and lignin; subsequently, TEYs were reduced 10–15%. Biomass yields were significantly reduced …