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Socio-Economic And Environmental Issues: Implications For Food Security In Nigeria, Isaiah O. Olurinola, Evans Osabuohien

Economic and Financial Review

Socio-economic activities within the agricultural sector have witnessed significant changes in recent times. Two major factors account for this recent development. Available evidence shows that over the last four decades, environmental challenges (such as pollution, extreme weather, fire disaster and deforestation, among others) have been on the increase in Nigeria. This is complicated by a weak institutional framework to stem the tide (Egbetokun et al., 2018; 2020). Also, the information from Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) shows that the annual mean climatic conditions (that is rainfall and temperature) in Nigeria have witnessed huge variation (NIMET, 2020; Egbetokun et al., 2020), which …

Averting The Looming Food Crisis: A Clarion Call To Immediate And Near-Term Policy Action, Adeleye O. Oyebade Mni

Economic and Financial Review

Food is defined by Britannica, a web-based encyclopaedia, as any substance consisting of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and other nutrients used in the body of an organism to sustain growth and vital processes, and to furnish energy.8 In a similar definition, Wikipedia described food as any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism; adding that food is usually of plant, animal or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients. The above definitions explain why food is viewed as an essential need of life. However, the production of food has been declining in recent times for some reasons, including the adverse …

Averting The Looming Food Crisis: A Clarion Call To Immediate And Near-Term Policy Action, Gabriel S. Umoh

Economic and Financial Review

This paper reviews food crisis and its causes in Nigeria. It takes the position that food crisis has been simmering in Nigeria for the past couple of years and identifies policy instability, poor policy implementation and declining household purchasing power, among others as the major causes of food crisis. It recommends strong policy support and implementation, automatic indexation of wages and pensions and other measures to curb food crisis in the country.

Distillers' Grains: Past, Present, And Future Economic Analyses, Daniel E. Gertner

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

This thesis is comprised of four chapters, each of which discusses or conducts economic research related to the distillers’ grains market. The first three chapters are meant to be standalone papers. Chapter four provides potential paths forward in distillers’ grains research based on the findings of the first three chapters and concludes the thesis.

The first chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review that categorizes and summarizes economic research on distillers’ grains products. This section shows how the physical market has moved beyond the current academic understanding of market products and structure. Existing research finds that traditional distillers’ grains products positively …

Evidence Of Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte) Field-Evolved Resistance To Cry3bb1 + Cry34/35ab1 Maize In Nebraska, Jordan Reinders, Emily E. Reinders, Emily Robinson, Brian W. French, Lance J. Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) field-evolved resistance to transgenic maize expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been confirmed across the United States Corn Belt. Although use of pyramided hybrids expressing Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 has increased in recent years to mitigate existing WCR Bt resistance, susceptibility of Nebraska WCR populations to this rootworm–Bt pyramid has not been assessed. Plant-based bioassays were used to characterize the susceptibility of WCR populations to Cry3Bb1 and Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize. Populations were collected from areas of northeastern Nebraska with a history of planting Bt maize that expressed Cry3Bb1 …

Rice Quality And Its Impacts On Food Security And Sustainability In Bangladesh, Indrani Saha, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Lawton Lanier Nalley, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rice market efficiency is important for food security in countries where rice is a staple. We assess the impact of rice quality on rice prices, food security, and environmental sustainability in Bangladesh. We find that while price varies as expected for most quality attributes, it is unaffected by a broken percentage below 24.9 percent. This reveals a potential inefficiency, considering the average 5 percent broken rate observed in the market. An increase in the broken rate of milled rice within the limits supported by our findings can, ceteris paribus, increase rice rations by 4.66 million a year, or conversely, …

Veganic Farming In The United States: Farmer Perceptions, Motivations, And Experiences, Mona Seymour, Alisha Utter

Urban and Environmental Studies Faculty Works

Veganic agriculture, often described as farming that is free of synthetic and animal-based inputs, represents an alternative to chemical-based industrial agriculture and the prevailing alternative, organic agriculture, respectively. Despite the promise of veganic methods in diverse realms such as food safety, environmental sustainability, and animal liberation, it has a small literature base. This article draws primarily on interviews conducted in 2018 with 25 veganic farmers from 19 farms in the United States to establish some baseline empirical research on this farming community. Its qualitative perspectives illuminate farmer perceptions of and experiences with veganic growing, including definitions, knowledge acquisition, values, and …

Growth Kinetics Of Salmonella Spp. During Post-Harvest Storage Of Fresh And Fresh-Cut Papaya, Amandeep Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Fresh produce safety is major concern in United States. Fresh produce has been associated with numerous food-borne outbreaks each year. Salmonella has been a recurring issue in the papaya industry. Since 2010, imported papayas have been implicated in 8 multistate outbreaks associated with Salmonella spp. causing 480 illnesses, 113 hospitalization and 3 deaths. The main reason behind this problem is as fresh papaya is grown on fields where they are constantly exposed to preharvest microbial contamination through contaminated irrigation water, agricultural soil, raw manure and/or feces deposited by intruding domestic or wild animals. Moreover, majority fresh papaya is also consumed …

Cardenolide, Potassium, And Pyrethroid Insecticide Combinations Reduce Growth And Survival Of Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Annie J. Krueger, Emily A. Robinson, Thomas J. Weissling, Ana M. Vélez, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus L., has evolved to be insensitive to milkweed cardenolides via genetic modifications of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. There is concern for insecticide exposures near agriculture, with little information on monarch caterpillar toxicology. It is unclear how cardenolide insensitivity may affect the sensitivity of monarch caterpillars to pyrethroid insecticides. Additionally, potassium fertilizers may affect monarch caterpillar physiology and cardenolide sequestration. Here, we investigated the growth, survival, and development of caterpillars exposed to the cardenolide ouabain, bifenthrin, and potassium chloride (KCl) alone and in combination. Caterpillars were either exposed to (1) ouabain from third- to fifth-instar …

Genetic Fingerprinting And Aflatoxin Production Of Aspergillus Section Flavi Associated With Groundnut In Eastern Ethiopia, Abdi Mohammed, Paola C. Faustinelli, Alemayehu Chala, Mashilla Dejene, Chemeda Fininsa, Amare Ayalew, Chris O. Ojiewo, David A. Hoisington, Victor S. Sobolev, Jaime Martínez-Castillo, Renee S. Arias

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

Background: Aspergillus species cause aflatoxin contamination in groundnut kernels, being a health threat in agricultural products and leading to commodity rejection by domestic and international markets. Presence of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus colonizing groundnut in eastern Ethiopia, as well as presence of aflatoxins have been reported, though in this region, no genetic studies have been done of these species in relation to their aflatoxin production. Results: In this study, 145 Aspergillus isolates obtained from groundnut kernels in eastern Ethiopia were genetically fingerprinted using 23 Insertion/Deletion (InDel) markers within the aflatoxin-biosynthesis gene cluster (ABC), identifying 133 ABC genotypes. Eighty-four isolates …

Effects Of Nitrogen Management And Cultivar On Strawberry Production Under Disease Pressure, Kamille A. Garcia-Brucher

Master's Theses

Effects of nitrogen management and cultivar on strawberry production under disease pressure

Kamille Garcia-Brucher

California strawberry growers face increasing regulatory pressures to manage nitrogen (N) applications in their production system. Standard practice in the California strawberry industry is to apply a synthetic pre-plant controlled release fertilizer (CRF) to ensure the crop has sufficient N during winter establishment. Some research from the UC Cooperative Extension suggests this practice is not efficient at delivering N to the crop since most of the N is released from CRF before strawberry crop N uptake is significant. Another concern for California strawberry growers is loss …

Dissonance Between Christian Beliefs And Eating Habits In The South, Karli Dianne Stringer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South is still so prevalent even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the information presented in this research sought to fill the knowledge gap for communicators and educators concerning the dissonance between Christianity in the South and the unhealthy eating habits of Southerners. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study comprised of a semi-structured interview route in which Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11) participated in a descriptive study conducted by a committee …

Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas, Lais De Oliveira Machado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kiwifruit is a perennial vine originating from China where it has been grown for centuries. In the United States, green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is primarily produced commercially in California. They are fuzzy, green fleshed and well known in the marketplace. Kiwifruit plants require low to moderate soil pH, adequate winter chilling and adequate precipitation to guarantee plant development and good fructification. Actinidia chinesis or golden kiwifruit are smooth skinned, feature golden flesh and are a more recent introduction into the global market. Kiwifruit crops have attributes that favor production in east Texas, including low pest problems, current long …

Impact Of Planting Arrangement And Drill Row Spacing For Direct-Seeded, Delayed Flood Rice, Mary Jane Lytle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Direct-seeding is the most frequently utilized planting practice in Arkansas and Mid-South rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. Enhanced plant density and more rapid rice canopy formation may result from the implementation of innovative plant arrangements and spacings. Studies were initiated in 2019 and continued into 2020 to examine different cultural management practice experiments, including evaluating the impacts of planting arrangement, row spacing, and seeding rates on rice stand density, canopy coverage, grain yield, and milling yield. These small-plot trials were conducted at two locations, a silt loam site and a clay site, representative of soils produced to rice in eastern …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Two Contrasting Beef Systems From Birth To Slaughter In Eastern Nebraska, Levi J. Mcphillips

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

Over the last 15 years, the increase in land use for corn and soybean has come at the expense of acres of grasslands and perennial forages employed in conventional beef-production systems. Implementing alternative cow-calf production systems into existing cropping systems may be a solution for reduced land availability and reducing total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Therefore, GHG from a conventional (CONV) pasture-based cattle production system with cows wintered on corn residue and summer grazing of brome pasture were compared to partial-confinement system (ALT) with cows and calves in a drylot during the summer and grazing cover crops and corn residue …

Small Grain Cereal Cover Crops For Late Fall Or Early Spring Grazing, Kallie J. Calus

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

Beef cattle operations are confronted with early spring and late fall forage deficiencies. Producers in integrated crop and livestock systems can fill forage gaps using cover crops as a forage source in between cash crops.

A five-year study evaluating forage production, growing calf performance and economics of grazing an oats cover crop planted after corn silage (CS) and high moisture corn (HMC) corn harvests was conducted. The economic analysis accounted for costs of establishing and grazing the oats and the value of calf gain to determine fall grazing system profitability. Steers had greater average daily gain grazing oats after CS …

Management Of Late Summer Planted Annual Forages For Grazing And The Impacts Of Novel Sweet Bran Plus Products On Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Beef Finishing Steers, Devin Anthony Jakub

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

Two separate grazing studies were conducted to evaluate: 1) the effects of rapeseed inclusion into late summer planted oats on the performance of growing steers during late fall and winter (Exp. 1) and 2) the effects of forage allocation on forage utilization and performance of steers grazing a late summer planted oat-rapeseed mix (Exp. 2). Variation in the corn wet milling process can result in negative effects on animal performance, nonetheless, there remains interest in further exploration and refinement of corn wet milling byproducts to achieve optimal byproduct compositions and cattle performance. Thus, another experiment was conducted to evaluate the …

Impact Of Wood-Sourced Biochar On Carbon And Nitrogen Capture In Beef Feedlot Systems, Jessica L. Sperber

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

A feedlot growing and finishing experiment evaluated the effect of including pine-sourced biochar at 0.8 (growing) and 1.0% (finishing) of dietary DM on steer performance, carcass characteristics, and greenhouse gas (GHG) production (Exp 1). Two nutrient mass balance experiments were conducted during winter and summer seasons to evaluate the effect of spreading unprocessed red cedar biochar on the feedlot pen surface on manure nutrient capture and cattle performance (Exp 2). In Exp. 1, the inclusion of biochar in the growing diet did not impact steer performance. The inclusion of biochar in the finishing diet significantly reduced intake and gain, resulting …

Utilizing Online Resources To Enhance Distribution Of Competitive Animal Evaluation Knowledge And Benefits, Brooke L. Parrish

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

In recent years, the shift toward online education has revealed new challenges for learners to retain information, and for educators to find new and engaging ways to present content. This mixed methods, action research study explores the need and creation of online resources for competitive horse judging through surveys and pilot groups. The study was broken into four cycles. The first was an adult learner analysis survey, distributed through email Listservs and extension social media pages, to aid in answering the research questions: what expert horse judging instructors indicate their students should be learning, and what resources they need. Based …

Evaluation Of Cattle Management For Systems With Limited Perennial Pasture, Morgan Grabau

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

Due to the conversion of perennial pasture and hay land to cropland in the western corn belt region, alternative methods of cow/calf management are being used to decrease reliance on perennial forages. These include grazing corn residue and feeding cow/calf pairs in confinement. Previous research has shown that limit-feeding a diet of low-quality forage and energy-dense co-products to cows in confinement is cost-effective. However, this strategy may limit the intake of the young calf and thus their performance. A study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of two alternative calf management strategies when pairs are in confinement, early weaning or …

Feeding A New Corn Milling Coproduct To Lactating Dairy Cattle: Examination Of Whole Animal Energy And Nitrogen Balance, Addison Lee Carroll

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

New coproducts are continually developed in the ethanol production industry. With that, the new product originates from the dry milling process which is unlike the traditional process as nitrogenous based particles are concentrated from the residual fiber by sieving post fermentation. Although high protein coproducts have been available since the mid 2000’s. These new products must be evaluated for chemical composition so that they can be accurately described in feed libraries that are used in commercial ration formulation software. While chemical composition provides us an initial and useful description of a feed product, in vivo nitrogen and energy balance studies …

Host Genetics And Phenotype Associations Within The Bovine Rumen Microbiome, Waseem Abbas

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

Rumen microbes have a symbiotic relationship with the host where the host provides a suitable environment and microbial fermentation fulfill nearly 70% of the energy needs of the host. Rumen microbes play a central role in host performance and health. To date, most rumen microbiome studies have focused on the influence of diet on microbial species composition. In addition to dietary factors, studies have suggested that host genetic markers could influence the colonization of gastrointestinal microbiota. However, our understanding of the host-microbiome interaction and how host phenotype is influenced by the rumen microbiome is limited. This dissertation demonstrates: (1) host …

How Are Agricultural Research Projects Conceiving Innovation? An Assessment Of The European Union Multi-Actor Projects, Samuel Brea Martinez-Collado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Horizon research programs are the European Union’s lighthouse for innovation and research concerning the agri-food chain, the management of natural resources, and the bioeconomy. Their innovation strategy approach is one that pursues the practical application of the research via the collaboration of all actors involved. Such strategy is the reflection of a Multi-Actor Approach as their procedure to enhance innovation. This paper presents the main trends and directions 101 Multi-Actor Projects (MAPs) are following on said approach towards innovation. The analysis is based on the use of well-defined “pathways” and “measures” proposed in the Guidelines for Evaluation of Innovation in …

Economic Potash Fertilizer Rate Recommendations, Kimberly B. Oliver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of two studies that estimate profit-maximizing potassium (K) fertilizer application rates for various crops across different time periods. Estimation of profit-maximizing fertilizer-K rate (K*) for both studies considered the initial soil test level of K (STK) and yield response information, as traditional recommendations do, and added crop price and the cost of fertilizer. Profit maximum occurs where the marginal revenue from additional yield is equal to the marginal cost of applying an additional unit of fertilizer-K. The first study calculated K* for corn (Zea mays) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and compared results to previous studies on …

Seeding Rate Effects On Forage Mass And Vegetation Dynamics Of Cool-Season Grass Sod Interseeded With Sorghum-Sudangrass, John A. Guretzky, D. D. Redfearn

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Interseeding annual warm-season grasses into perennial cool-season grasses has the potential to increase summer forage mass and nutritive value. Knowledge of how seeding rate affects annual warm-season grass establishment, forage mass, and vegetation dynamics remains limited. From 2016–2017, we conducted a field experiment evaluating the effects of seeding rates on sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x S. bicolor var. sudanense) density and forage mass and on the frequency of occurrence of plant species in cool-season grass sod in Lincoln, NE. The experiment had a completely randomized design consisting of six replicates of four seeding rates [0, 14, 28, and 35 …

Enhancing Hydroxyl Radical Production In Ozone Water By New Type Static Mixer, Liu Xin-Yu, Zhang Bo-Wen, Cui Zheng-Wei

Food and Machinery

Objective: A new type of static mixer to enhance the ozone gas-liquid phase mass transfer was established in this study. Methods: The effects of different ozone gas flow rates, liquid flow rates and liquid temperature on the concentration of ozone liquid phase and the generation of hydroxyl radicals were investigated, and were compared with the microporous aeration method and the circulating jet method. Results: With the increase of the gas-liquid flow rate, the ozone water saturation concentration and the hydroxyl radical concentration both increased; as the temperature increased, the ozone water saturation concentration decreased, but the hydroxyl radical concentration increased. …

Effects Of Different Fixation Methods On The Quality Of Green Tea Processed By Purple Bud Leaves, Song Xian-Ying, Huang Yan-Mei, Cui Li-Dan, Xiao Wen-Jun, Gong Zhi-Hua

Food and Machinery

Objective: To explore the best fixation method of purple bud green tea. Methods: Using two or three leaves and a bud of self-selected purple bud strain 9803 as raw materials, fresh leaves were treated by microwave, pan-frying, steam and hot air to prepare green tea, and the representative green tea samples were selected for sensory evaluation and quality analysis of taste and aroma. Results: Among the four methods of fixation, the comprehensive score of sensory evaluation of microwave green tea was the highest (89.65), and the main physical and chemical components of microwave green tea, water extract, tea polyphenols, anthocyanins, …

Studies On Metabolites And Functions Of Soy-Based Plant Fermentation Broth, Li Zhi-Fang, Zuo Zhao-Hang, Wang Ying, Zhang Yu, Wang Di

Food and Machinery

Objective: To explore the changes of metabolites and antioxidant activity of soybean based plant fermentation broth during fermentation. Methods: The experiment was conducted to prepare the compound fermentation liquid from kidney beans and soybean by fermentation of yeast, Lactobacillus and other probiotics, The pH value, total acid, reducing sugar, soluble solids, total phenol, flavone content and antioxidant activity in the fermentation process were analyzed. Results: The pH value of fermentation broth decreased with the extension of fermentation time and gradually stabilized at about 3.55, the total acid content increased from 0.13 mg/mL to 0.43 mg/mL, and the soluble solid content …

Study On Oxidation Stability And Shelf Life Of Oleogel, Liu Long-Long, Wang Jia-Bin, Chen Zhi-Tong, Zhao Yue-Ying, Zhang Hua, Cui Ming-Xun

Food and Machinery

Objective: To solve the problem of easily oxidized and high content of trans fatty acid the vegetable oil instead of solid fat. Methods: Soybean oil and rapeseed oil gels were prepared using sitosterol/soybean phospholipid as gel agent to replace solid fat. The oxidation stability was studied by the changes of primary oxidation products and fatty acid composition. The structural stability was observed by X-ray diffraction, and the shelf life was predicted by OXITEST method. Results: The contents of primary and secondary oxidation products of soybean oil gel and rapeseed oil gel were lower than those of crude oil. The oxidation …

Optimization For Preparation Of Collagen Peptide With Hyaluronidase Inhibition Activity By Response Surface Method, Han Qiu-Yu, Ishizaki Shioichiro, Bao Bin

Food and Machinery

Objective: The extraction process of collagen peptides from the skin of swordfish （Xiphias gladius） was optimized in order to efficiently obtain collagen peptides with hyaluronidase inhibition activity by single factor and response surface method. Methods: The response surface method was used to optimize the preparation of collagen peptide with hyaluronidase inhibition activity. In this paper, the enzyme-soluble collagen was extracted from swordfish skin by pepsin, and then the salting-out method was carried out to purify the collagen initially. The specie of collagen was identified by polyacrylamide gel chromatography with 7.5% separation gel. After the basic test carried out by single-factor …