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Investigation Of Media Ingredients And Water Sources For Algae Co2 Capture At Different Scales To Demonstrate The Correlations Between Lab-Scale And Large-Scale Growth, Tabitha Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As energy use increases globally the environmental burdens increase alike. Many accusations have been made that carbon dioxide is a culprit of climate change. The University of Kentucky and Duke Energy Power have partnered to test carbon capture technology in a large scale project. To this end, the objective of this thesis is to investigate potential water media sources and nutrient sources at different volume scales for algae cultivation to help create a more environmentally viable and economically feasible solution. This work will conduct a life cycle assessment of water media sources and the effects of the inputs and outputs …

Selective Utilization Of Microhabitats By Web-Building Spiders, Kelton D. Welch

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Natural enemies are members of complex ecological communities, and their ability to contribute to the biological control of pest organisms is strongly influenced by a convoluted network of ecological interactions with many other organisms within these communities. Researchers must develop an understanding of the mechanisms that shape trophic webs to predict and promote top-down effects of predators. The behavior of predators can have a strong influence on their potential as biological control agents.

Web-building spiders are a useful example organism for the study of natural enemy behavior because of the experimentally tractable nature of their foraging behavior. Specifically, patterns in …

Enhancing Beneficial Insect Biodiversity And Biological Control In Turf: Mowing Height, Naturalized Roughs, And Operation Pollinator, Emily Dobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The goal of this study was to evaluate several sustainable turf maintenance techniques for their potential to increase beneficial insect populations, which could then provide ecosystem services including pest suppression and pollination. The three techniques in question were 1) raising mowing height in commercial and residential lawns, 2) establishing naturalized roughs on golf courses, and 3) creating pollinator refuges on golf courses through the program Operation Pollinator. We found that raising mowing heights did increase populations of some predators such as spiders and staphylinids, but did not increase predation, which was ubiquitously high because ant populations were unaffected by mowing …

Endosymbiotic Prevalence And Reproductive Manipulation Of The Spider Mermessus Fradeorum, Meghan M. Curry

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Spiders are host to a plethora of heritable endosymbiotic bacteria. Broad-taxa screening studies indicate that endosymbionts are particularly common among spiders, however, little is known about how these bacteria affect their spider hosts. In insects these bacteria ensure vertical transmission by either conveying a benefit to the host or manipulating host reproduction to eliminate males that serve as evolutionary dead-ends for maternally-inherited bacteria. Common modes of reproductive manipulation include parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Screening an assemblage of Mermessus genus spiders, I detected a high frequency and diversity of endosymbiont infection. Within a single species, M. fradeorum …

Effects Of Tank-Mixing Of Micronutrients And Amitraz By Foliar Application On Abundance Of Agonoscena Pistaciae In Pistachio Orchards, Mohammad Rouhani, Mohammad Amin Samih

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Fertilization is one of the effective factors on the common pistachio psylla Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hem.: Aphalaridae) population. Fertilization has a central role in all metabolic processes, as well as in the cellular structure, cell wall structure, and growth of all organisms, and various pesticides are now used to control this pest, as well. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a pesticide (amitraz) mixed with micronutrients (Ca, Zn, and N) on the population density of A. pistaciae. We tested the effects of mixing pesticides and micronutrients on A. pistaciae in a pistachio orchard. …

Molecular Cloning And Expression Analysis Of Fvmyb1 From Fraxinus Velutina Torr., Tian Li, Zheng-Ying Peng, Yu-Ping Bi, Zhong-Xue Fan

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

V-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factors play important roles in the processes of plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, a full-length cDNA sequence of a MYB gene, designated FvMYB1, was isolated from Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina Torr.) for the first time. Sequence analysis showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of FvMYB1 encoded novel MYB proteins with single DNA binding domains. Based on the R3 domain amino acid sequence, the FvMYB1 was closely related to some proteins whose functions were known. The expression pattern of FvMYB1 in different organs of Arizona ash was analyzed …

Evaluation Of Yield And Quality Parameters Of Phosphorous-Solubilizing And N-Fixing Bacteria Inoculated In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Sancar Bulut

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Considering current agricultural practices and certain indicators, it is impossible to comment on sustainability of these practices. Chemical fertilizers are among such unsustainable practices. Because of increasing mineral fertilizer costs and negative environmental impacts of these fertilizers, the interest in biological nitrogen fixation is increasing within the scope of sustainable agriculture (without significant yield losses). Therefore, effects of phosphorus-solubilizing (Bacillus megatherium var. phosphaticum [M-13]) and nitrogen-fixing (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia [82] and Ralstonia pickettii [73]) bacteria and chemical fertilizer treatments on wheat yield and quality parameters were compared with control treatment in present study. Significant differences were observed among treatments with regard …

Seed And Germination Characteristics Of Wild Onobrychis Taxa In Turkey, Süleyman Avci, Mehmet Demi̇r Kaya

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Turkey is of great importance for the biodiversity of genus Onobrychis Adans. and hosts 55 species that are adapted to dry and poor environments. This study was conducted to evaluate 35 Onobrychis taxa in terms of 1000-seed weight, germination percentage, mean germination time, and hard and swollen seeds and to determine the suitability of mechanical scarification for dormancy breaking in species with hard or impermeable seed coats. Seed dormancy was detected in 19 of the investigated species and 14 of the endemic species. Germination percentages of these taxa ranged from 5.5% to 98.0%. The lowest germination rate (5.5%) and the …

Possibilities For Reducing Tractor Engine Friction Losses At Cold Start Using An Ultrasonic Irradiation Technique, Florin Mariasiu

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Challenges to the effectiveness of specific activities and production technologies in agriculture become more pressing each day as worldwide demand for agricultural products increases. The mechanization of agriculture brings positive quantitative and qualitative effects; however, the modernization of production tools (tractors and agricultural machinery) needs to be directly linked to increasing economic efficiency of use. Period of use and life expectancy of agricultural tractors can be increased by reducing the friction and wear that occurs among moving mechanical parts. A special case in point is the cold start process in compression ignition engines. In a cold start great forces develop, …

An Analysis Of Consumer Preferences For Grass-Fed Versus Grain-Fed Beef, Bo Lin

LSU Master's Theses

As a consequence of the growing concerns about human health and the environment, consumers are becoming more interested in grass-fed beef than conventional grain-fed beef. Therefore, the study of consumers’ preference towards grass-fed versus grain-fed beef steak is the focus of research. In this paper, 2,000 respondents who indicate they have eaten grass fed beef in the past years and 2,000 respondents that complete a nationally representative sample is the general population. Conjoint analysis is utilized to analyze the preference of consumers. Participants are presented ten hypothetical beef steaks to rate. All steaks are identical excluding their product type, source …

A Linear Programming Model And Partial Budget Analysis To Optimize Management Strategies Of Western Flower Thrips In Greenhouse Impatiens Production, Xiaohua Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The research problem of this thesis was to compare strategies and costs of protecting impatiens in greenhouse culture from western flower thrips that would provide a plant of acceptable quality to the market and would address the issue of development of resistance to commonly used pesticides by evaluating biopesticides. Partial budgets based on alternative strategies were identified. Six control strategies were identified from a combination of commercial growers, research experts and biopesticide recommendations from product distributors. The research-recommended strategy 6 had the highest total production cost ($197.44), while one of the grower strategies based on conventional pesticides had the lowest …

Assessing The Efficiency Of Alternative Best Management Practices To Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution In The Broiler Production Region Of Louisiana, Bryan Gottshall

LSU Master's Theses

The Louisiana broiler production region is located in North Central and Northwestern Louisiana. The region consists of twelve parishes in Northwestern and North Central Louisiana. The broiler production region is a significant contributor of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to nearby waterways. This pollution is a consequence of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff caused by agricultural production. NPS pollution is difficult to mitigate due to uncertainties in its point of origin as well as a host of other factors ranging from rainfall to topographical parameters. Best Management Practices (BMPS) have been shown to be a reliable method for reducing nonpoint source …

No Holes Barred: Invasion Of The Intestinal Mucosa By Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, John Bannantine, Luiz E. Bermudez

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

The infection biology of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis has recently crystallized, with added details surrounding intestinal invasion. The involvement of pathogen-derived effector proteins such as the major membrane protein, oxidoreductase, and fibronectin attachment proteins have been uncovered. Mutations constructed in this pathogen have also shed light on genes needed for invasion. The host cell types that are susceptible to invasion have been defined, along with their transcriptional response. Recent details have given a new appreciation for the dynamic interplay between the host and bacterium that occurs at the outset of infection. An initial look at the global expression pathways of …

Evaluation, Adaptation And Validation Of A Model To Predict Grass Growth In Ireland, Christina Hurtado Uria

Theses

Budgeting grass supply allows producers to minimise the quantity of purchased feed required in the diet of grazing livestock. One tool for managing grass supply could be a mathematical model that can simulate grass growth. The development of such a model would allow better management around the variability of feed supply and help identify feed surpluses and deficits, and therefore increase the accuracy of management decisions. This would be a key feature of profitable milk and meat production systems in the future which will be hugely important as global food demand increases due to population growth. It is forecasted that …

Letter From The Dean, Michael Vayda

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

No abstract provided.

Calendula Officinalis Growth And Production Of Secondary Compounds In Greenhouse And Soil-Based Herbal Organic Production Systems, Victoria M. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Calendula officinalis is a useful model crop because calendula flowers are used both ornamentally and medicinally. Organic production systems have many challenges; among these is the synchrony of nitrogen mineralization with the requirements of the crop. Organic greenhouse substrates have significantly different initial nitrogen levels which influence the performance of calendula, the highest initial N and plant performance was found in the organic compost peat substrate (OCP). The addition of supplemental nitrogen improved performance, but only OCP performed as well as the conventionally fertilized peat-based substrate. The nitrogen mineralization patterns in a soil-based greenhouse pot experiment showed that highly processed …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Tall Fescue Genotypes To Endophyte Infection And Climate Change, Marie Bourguignon

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Tall fescue is a widely used forage grass in the eastern USA and can form a symbiosis with a fungal endophyte, which can be beneficial for the plant but can cause livestock health issues. Little is known regarding the symbiotic response to predicted climate change. To address this knowledge gap, I analyzed tall fescue variety trial data collected throughout the U.S., exploring relationships between climate variables and yield for two different fescue cultivars that were either endophyte-free or infected. This study showed no endophyte or cultivar effect on fescue yield, but identified temperature, precipitation and location as significant predictors of …

Mass Selection With An Optical Sorter For Head Scab Resistance In Soft Red Winter Wheat, Hussein M. Khaeim

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab, caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [telomorph: Gibberella zeae Schwein.(Petch)], is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. Numerous strategies for scab resistance breeding are in use, including phenotypic selection for low severity and marker-assisted selection for resistance QTL. The most destructive consequences of scab are evidenced through a reduction in grain quality, and the presence of mycotoxins, the most common of which is deoxynivalenol (DON). Thus, there is great interest among breeders in selecting for resistance to both of these traits. To this end, a study was …

Control Of Erwinia Tracheiphila In Cucumis Melo, John R. Caudle

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Currently there is no control of bacterial wilt disease, Erwinia tracheiphila, in susceptible cucurbit crops, once infection of the plant occurs. Conventional and organic production systems rely on insecticide applications to kill the vectors, striped and spotted cucumber beetles, Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica undecimpunctata, respectively, prior to transmission of the pathogen which indirectly controls the disease to some extent. Physical barriers such as row covers are used to exclude the vectors from plants prior to flowering; however, pollination requirements expose plants to potential infection. Experimental field plots were developed to test various enhanced organic production systems in an …

Nitrogen–Climate Interactions In Us Agriculture, G. Philip Robertson, Tom W. Bruulsema, Ron J. Gehl, David Kanter, Denise L. Mauzerall, C. Alan Rotz, Candiss O. Williams

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

Agriculture in the United States (US) cycles large quantities of nitrogen (N) to produce food, fuel, and fiber and is a major source of excess reactive nitrogen (Nr) in the environment. Nitrogen lost from cropping systems and animal operations moves to waterways, groundwater, and the atmosphere. Changes in climate and climate variability may further affect the ability of agricultural systems to conserve N. The N that escapes affects climate directly through the emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), and indirectly through the loss of nitrate (NO₃^-), nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and ammonia to downstream and …

How Does A Mycobacterium Change Its Spots? Applying Molecular Tools To Track Diverse Strains Of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis, John Bannantine, L.-L. Li, Srinand Sreevatsan, Vivek Kapur

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

Defining genetic diversity in the wake of the release of several Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) genome sequences has become a major emphasis in the molecular biology and epidemiology of Johne’s disease research. These data can now be used to define the extent of strain diversity on the farm. However, to perform these important tasks, researchers must have a way to distinguish the many MAP isolates/strains that are present in the environment or host to enable tracking over time. Recent studies have described genetic diversity of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), of which MAP is a member, through pulsed-field gel …

Interferon Gamma Responses To Proteome-Determined Specific Recombinant Proteins: Potential As Diagnostic Markers For Ovine Johne’S Disease, Valerie Hughes, Susan Denham, J. P. Bannantine, Francesca Chianini, Karen Kerr, Linda May, Joyce Mcluckie, Mintu Nath, Karen Stevenson

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

Johne’s disease (JD), or paratuberculosis is a fatal enteritis of animals caused by infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map). There may be a long subclinical phase with no signs of clinical disease.

Diagnosis of JD is problematic and no test can reliably detect sub-clinical disease. Th1 responses to Map are believed to be activated first with a later switch to Th2 responses and progression to clinical disease. Detection of a cell-mediated response, indicated by interferon gamma (IFN-􏰁) produced in response to mycobacterial antigens, may give an early indication of infection. Crude extracts of Map (PPDj) have been used to …

Growing South Dakota (Winter 2013), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

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

This issue includes the 2012 South Dakota Agricultural Station Annual Report

CONTENTS:
[Page] 1 From The Dean
[Page] 2 Commitment To Collaboration: Working Together Adds Efficiency To Budgets: Effectiveness To Solutions
[Page] 7 Special Pull-Out Section: South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Annual Report: Highlighting Research Projects On Beef; Wheat; And Soybean Meal For Aquaculture
[Page] 11 Water Watchers: The South Dakota Water Resources Institute Provides Research, Education & Outreach
[Page] 12 Winter College News
[Page] 14 SDSU Extension: One Year Later: Reorganization Prompted Restructuring – And Renewed Commitment
[Page] 16 Bullseye!: South Dakota’s 4-H Shooting Sports Program Sees Continued Growth …

Consumer's Preferences For Goat Meat In The United States : An Application Of Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis, Jessica Irene Hill

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The meat goat industry is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the United States. However, there has been limited research on consumers’ preferences for goat meat; therefore, a choice experiment was used to assess consumer preferences for goat meat and/or live goats. A national online survey was conducted from April 27, 2012 to May 4, 2012. Respondents were asked to complete either the goat meat choice experiment, live goat choice experiment or both. In addition to the choice experiment, respondents answered a set of questions about goat meat consumption and purchasing behavior as well as demographics. The attributes …

Environmental Kuznets Curve In Water Pollution: A Semiparametric Approach, Mahesh Pandit

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The relationship between pollution and per capita income generally appears as an inverted U-shaped curve. This inverted U-shaped curve is known as the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). The shape of the curve, however, is very sensitive to the data, location and pollutant considered in the analysis. Since the early 1990s, there has been an exponential growth in the number of empirical studies in this field, but many refute the inverted U-shaped nature of the curve for pollutants across different time periods and geographical regions. This has generated an increased interest in developing a more flexible functional form for model specification …

Understanding And Disrupting Institutional Settings : Using Networks Of Conversations To Re-Imagine Future Farming Lives, Robert Campbell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Farmers in Australia and elsewhere face the challenge of remaining profitable whilst dealing with adverse structural arrangements and public expectations to better manage environmental degradation. This thesis draws on arguments that dominant paradigms in agricultural science and environmental management have often been ineffective in addressing these apparently competing demands and appear poorly suited to ‘messy’ situations characterized by uncertainty and complexity, and in which diverse stakeholders are motivated by varying goals and values. Engaging with such situations requires a philosophy and methodology that accepts a multiplicity of perspectives and which seeks to learn about and reflect upon novel ways of …

Seroprevalence Of Brucellosis In Livestock Within Three Endemic Regions Of The Country Of Georgia, Eliso Mamisashvili, Ian T. Kracalik, Tinatin Onashvili, Lela Kerdzevadze, Ketevan Goginashvili, Tamar Tigilauri, Marina Donduashvili, Marina Nikolaishvili, Irma Beradze, Marina Zakareishvili, Maka Kokhreidze, Makvala Gelashvili, Nino Vepkhvadze, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Jason K. Blackburn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect …

Barrow Island Ute Guide - Non-Indigenous Invertebrates, Frogs, Reptiles & Weeds, Mike Grimm, Kristofer Collett, Jessica Harrison, Peter Davis, Marc Widmer, Andras Szito, Rob Emery, Peter Mangano, John Botha, David Robinson, Brad Maryan

Biosecurity published reports

Barrow Island, the second largest island in Western Australia, is a Class A Nature Reserve and home to a variety of rare and endangered fauna and flora, some of which occur nowhere else. To protect fauna and flora it is essential workers and visitors to the island are aware of the risks that a non-indigenous species (NIS) poses to the ecological balance of Barrow Island.

Workers and visitors to Barrow Island need to be aware and keep their eyes open for any unusual fauna and flora that might be in accommodation units, recreation areas or the work place. Reports from …

Insecticidal Activity Of Essential Oil Of Prangos Ferulacea (Umbelliferae) Against Ephestia Kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) And Trichogramma Embryophagum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), Fahri̇ye Ercan, Hati̇ce Baş, Murat Koç, Di̇lek Pandir, Sevcan Öztemi̇z

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Essential oil vapors obtained by the hydrodistillation of Prangos ferulacea (Umbelliferae) were tested on the different stages of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and egg parasitoid Trichogramma embryophagum Hartig (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Extracts of the volatile fractions from P. ferulacea were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major compound of the essential oil was detected as 2,3,6-trimethyl benzaldehyde (66.59%) and the minor compound was heneicosane (0.02%). The third instar larvae of E. kuehniella (LC_{50}: 379.662 µL L^{-1} air and LC_{99}: 538.755 µL L^{-1} air) and the pupal stage of T. embryophagum (LC_{50}: 5.947 µL L^{-1} air and LC_{99}: 19.568 µL …

Support Vector Machines In Wood Identification: The Case Of Three Salix Species From Turkey, Kemal Turhan, Bedri̇ Serdar

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The aim of this study was to use a support vector machine (SVM) for the first time as a predictive method for differentiating species of Salix wood through the biometric analysis of their anatomy using wood taken from basal disks of 3 species. The purpose of a SVM is to construct optimal decision boundaries among classes in a decision plane. A decision plane separates a set of objects having different class memberships. In this study, the decision plane has 3 different wood species. Timely and accurate identification of tree species can be crucial in forestry. The similarity of structures in …