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Evaluating A Satellite-Based Seasonal Evapotranspiration Product And Identifying Its Relationship With Other Satellite-Derived Products And Crop Yield: A Case Study For Ethiopia, Tsegaye Tadesse, Gabriel B. Senay, Getachew Berhan, Teshome Regassa, Shimelis Beyene

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Satellite-derived evapotranspiration anomalies and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are currently used for African agricultural drought monitoring and food security status assessment. In this study, a process to evaluate satellite-derived evapotranspiration (ETa) products with a geospatial statistical exploratory technique that uses NDVI, satellite-derived rainfall estimate (RFE), and crop yield data has been developed. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the ETa using the NDVI and RFE, and identify a relationship between the ETa and Ethiopia’s cereal crop (i.e., teff, sorghum, corn/maize, barley, and wheat) yields during the main rainy …

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Mineralization And Crop Parameters In Typical Maize-Bean Intercropping In Western Kenya, Judith A. Odhiambo, Urszula Norton, Emmanuel C. Omondi, Dennis Ashilenje, Jay B. Norton

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Smallholder farmers in western Kenya who plant maize (Zea mays L.) intercropped with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) face many challenges associated with nutrient-poor soils and weather-related crop failures. In regions where temperatures are favorable, crops are grown twice per year during long and short rainy seasons and in other regions, once per year during one long growing season. Growing crops two times per year necessitates frequent land preparation using inversion-type tillage. Little is known about the impact of current tillage-intensive crop management on annual soil organic matter (SOM) recovery. The aim of this study was to assess changes to soil …

Switchgrass Cultivar, Harvest Frequency, Fertilizer Source, And Irrigation Effects On Near-Surface Soil Properties In West-Central Arkansas, Alayna A. Jacobs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been identified as a model bioenergy feedstock crop and is expected to become an important feedstock for future renewable fuel generation. Agronomic management combinations that maximize monoculture switchgrass yield are generally well understood; however, little is known about corresponding effects of differing switchgrass management combinations on near-surface soil properties. The objective of this research was to determine the residual near-surface soil property effects of three years (2008 to 2011) of consistent management combinations to maximize switchgrass biomass production, including cultivar (‘Alamo’ and ‘Cave-in-Rock’), harvest frequency (1-cut and 2-cut systems per year), fertilizer source (poultry …

Alkaline Hydrolyzable-Nitrogen, Seeding Date, And Clay-Fixed Ammonium As Potential Indicators Of Rice Response To Nitrogen Fertilization In Arkansas, Anthony Michael Fulford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several potential indicators of rice (Oryza sativa L.) response to nitrogen (N) fertilization include the soils alkaline hydrolyzableN (AHN) concentration, seeding date, and the soils clayfixed NH₄N content. Three studies were conducted to: (1) correlate AHN, determined using Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) or Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice (NSTaR), to plant parameters of interest and develop a fertilizer N rate calibration curve capable of predicting the 95% relative grain yield (RGY) fertilizer N rate for rice grown on clayey soils; (2) evaluate the influence of seeding date and N fertilization on rice plant growth and grain …

Decision Support Tools To Address Climate Change: Climate Model–Land Surface Models, Zea Mays L. (Corn) Phenology And Evapotranspiration–Yield Sensitivity Models For Nebraska, Usa, Jane A. Okalebo

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nebraska's climate is highly variable and is expected to change in the future with anthropogenic global warming (AGW), resulting in warmer spring and summer temperatures coupled with more erratic rainfall events. This has strong implications for agriculture in the region, yet it is not clear that current modeling and decision-support tools are adequate to address these looming changes and provide planning, mitigation and adaptation strategies. To address climate change and its implications to agriculture in Nebraska, a set of robust decision support tools are very crucial. This study herein are divided into three chapters, with each chapter addressing a specific …

Short-Term Effects Of Poultry Litter Or Woodchip Biochar Amendment In A Temperate Zone Agronomic System, Katy Elizabeth Brantley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biochar, a charcoal product produced by the anaerobic thermal decomposition of biomass, can provide agronomic benefits when soil applied. However, research is lacking in temperate region soils investigating specific biochar products and their effects on agronomically important crops. A greenhouse study utilizing poultry litter biochar and a field study utilizing pine woodchip biochar were conducted to observe the effects of biochar application to Northwest Arkansas soils on corn growth and nutrient availability. A third experiment investigated poultry litter and pine woodchip biochar influences on soil water retention. In all three experiments, biochar was applied at three rates (0, 5, and …

The Response Of Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) To Slow Release Foliar Fertilization And The Effect Of Environment On Absorption, James Matthews Burke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In cotton production, nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient and the demand is substantial. Foliar-N fertilization is regarded as an effective and environmentally sound method of supplying cotton with N during times of deficiency and high demand. In response to the potential benefits of the foliar-N fertilization of cotton, a myriad of foliar-N based fertilizers have been created; each with their own individual chemical technology and constitution. Experiments were performed with the objectives of examining the effects of the slow-release foliar-N fertilizer, Nitamin® (1) on the growth and development of field-grown cotton, (2) on uptake under various environmental conditions, …

Assessing Positional Accuracy And Correcting Point Data For Digital Soil Mapping At Varying Scales, Minerva J. Dorantes

Open Access Theses

Accuracy, timeliness, and the effect of scale of soil maps are rarely assessed. The recent increase in the use of GIS technologies and modelling software in natural resources and land management, has increased the demand for soil information at a finer resolution worldwide. Most of the world's developing countries rely on soils information at a scale that is too coarse for practical planning, and have obstacles impeding collection of new data, such as civil war and a lack of collection resources. The United States has an exhaustive collection of soils data at a fine scale. However, its location information is …

Creating Initial Digital Soil Properties Map Of Afghanistan, Shams R. Rahmani

Open Access Theses

Afghanistan is a country with a population of more than 31 million people and is located in south central Asia. The total arable land in the country is 12%, 5% is irrigated and the remaining 7% is rainfed. Due to the lack of available soil information, poor farming practices and land management planning severely affect the yield of agriculture products. In order to ensure sustainable agriculture and prevent land degradation problems, understanding spatial variability of soil is crucial. The overall objective of this research study was to use digital soil mapping techniques to identify the soil resources and generate a …

Liquid Swine Manure Application Timing And Instincttm Impacts On Net Soil Nitrogen Mineralization And Corn Yield, Min Xu

Open Access Theses

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most expensive variable input costs for corn production. Optimized manure management is essential to ensure maximum crop N utilization and to reduce the risk of N loss. A field study was conducted in central Indiana from 2011-2013 to assess liquid swine ( Sus scrofa L.) manure N availability when applied at different times or co-applied with InstinctTM , a microencapsulated form of nitrapyrin. Soil inorganic N contents, soil N mineralization, corn yield, grain N content, whole plant N concentrations of corn at the V6 growth stage, and ear leaf N concentrations of corn at …

The Effect Of A Small Ruminant Farm Operation And Sustainable Farm Practices: Soil Quality And Run-Off At The University Hickory Hill Farm, Delaware, Gulnihal Ozbay Dr., Akida J. Ferguson, Raju Khatiwada, Lathadevi K. Chintapenta

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

This project was designed to evaluate the effect of ruminant grazing practices at Hickory Hill Farm on the surrounding environment by measuring soil nutrients and runoff chemistry. Three pastures on the farm (Goat, Cattle and Control) were selected for soil sampling and nutrient analyses were recorded. Physical water quality parameters were conducted on the runoff collected from the farm after Hurricane Sandy. The sites with animal activity had higher levels of sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, Mehlich 3 phosphorus and conductivity when compared to control site. However, the control site had slightly higher pH and chloride levels. Nitrogen and phosphorous levels were …

Evaluating Contaminants Of Emerging Concern In Commercial Biosolid-Based Fertilizers, John Hemmerling, Michael L. Mashtare, Linda S. Lee

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The production and popularity of commercially available biosolid-based fertilizers are increasing because of their economic, environmental, and plant nutrition benefits, particularly in urban and suburban areas. Because biosolid-based fertilizers are derived from waste water treatment plant residuals, we hypothesized that there is the potential for micropollutants to persist in these products. Their presence would be of particular concern due to their potential impact on human and ecological health and risk of bioaccumulation. This study involves quantifying contaminants of emerging concern in three biosolid-based fertilizers, and 2 non-biosolid-based fertilizers, a composted animal manure and an organic compost. Our extraction method employed …

Infiltration And Runoff Parameters For Tilled And No-Till Row Crops, Andrew J. Volkmer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Infiltration and runoff are hydrologic processes that effect the amount of water available to plants, for groundwater recharge, and for stream flow. No-till planting (NT) is a management practice used to reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and reduce soil water evaporation, and can have great impact on infiltration and runoff. An investigation was conducted to determine the impact of NT on infiltration and runoff when compared to tilled conditions.

Runoff and precipitation data was gathered from sites at Fillmore County, NE, Phelps County, NE, the USDA-ARS North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds (NAEW) near Coshocton, OH, and the Lennoxville Research Station …

A Genetic Algorithm-Based Feature Selection, Oluleye Babatunde, Leisa Armstrong, Jinsong Leng, Dean Diepeveen

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

This article details the exploration and application of Genetic Algorithm (GA) for feature selection. Particularly a binary GA was used for dimensionality reduction to enhance the performance of the concerned classifiers. In this work, hundred (100) features were extracted from set of images found in the Flavia dataset (a publicly available dataset). The extracted features are Zernike Moments (ZM), Fourier Descriptors (FD), Lengendre Moments (LM), Hu 7 Moments (Hu7M), Texture Properties (TP) and Geometrical Properties (GP). The main contributions of this article are (1) detailed documentation of the GA Toolbox in MATLAB and (2) the development of a GA-based feature …

The Effect Of Increasing Rates Of Biochar On Corn Grown In Salinas Clay Loam, Joshua Fridlund

Agricultural Education and Communication

In order to sustain the ever growing global population, agriculture needs to not only increase yields but to increase yields in a way that is sustainable and is either environmentally neutral or has a positive effect on the environment. Biochar offers a solution to this challenge with numerous environmental benefits, as well as agricultural benefits (Lehman and Joseph 2009). The agricultural benefits of biochar have been well documented in tropical climates, with the benefits of biochar for other climates, such as temperate climates and Mediterranean climates, relatively unknown (Blackwell et. al. 2009). To determine the effect of biochar on agricultural …

Fertilizer Nitrogen Uptake Efficiency In Soft Red Winter Wheat And The Ability Of N-Star To Detect Alkaline Hydrolyzable Nitrogen In Crop Residues, Lana Aubrey Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soil testing methods such as the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) and Direct Steam Distillation (DSD) have been developed which measure alkaline hydrolyzable-N (AH-N) as a means of estimating potentially mineralizable-N. Crop residues play an important role in N cycling. However, the ability of the ISNT and DSD methods to determine AH-N within crop residues is unknown. Therefore, the first objective of this study was to determine the ability of the ISNT and DSD to quantify potentially mineralizable-N within five different crop residues common to Arkansas. Corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max, L.), wheat, rice (Oryza sativa, L.), and …

Methane Emissions And Ammonia Volatilization From Drill-Seeded, Delayed-Flood Rice On A Silt-Loam Soil In Arkansas, Christopher Wade Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently uses a single methane (CH4) emissions factor of 160 kg CH4-C ha-1 for a primary rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. The emissions factor is based on studies that do not adequately represent current management practices in Arkansas. Another concern is pre-flood fertilizer nitrogen (N) management, as the common N source, urea, is prone to loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization. Thus, the objective of this research was to investigate trace gas emissions from rice on a silt-loam soil, including CH4 emissions as influenced by nitrogen (N) fertilization (i.e., optimal N and no N) in 2011, …

A Regional Investigation Of In-Season Nitrogen Requirement For Maize Using Model And Sensor-Based Recommendation Approaches, Laura Joy Stevens

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

N management for corn can be improved by applying a portion of the total N during the growing season, allowing for adjustments responsive to actual field conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate two approaches for determining in-season N rates: Maize-N model and active crop canopy sensor. Various sensor algorithms designed for making in-season N recommendations from crop canopy sensor data were evaluated. The effects of corn hybrid and planting population on recommendations with these two approaches were considered. In a 2-yr study, a total of twelve sites were evaluated over a 3-state region, including sites in Missouri, Nebraska, and …

Spreading The Char: The Importance Of Local Compatibility In The Diffusion Of Biochar Systems To The Smallholder Agriculture Community Context, Laura C. V. Munoz

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis enters the context of smallholder agriculture communities in the developing world. It explores the potentials of biochar and what biochar systems could bring to the smallholder communities while simultaneously bringing environmental benefits. It then acknowledges the challenges of diffusion –the spreading of an unfamiliar innovation. It seeks to answer the question of what will make diffusion of biochar systems more successful in the smallholder context, fixating on the characteristic of compatibility as well as the role local community members can play in making a new biochar system more visible to the rest of the communities.

Overview Of The Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) Terrain And Activities In Furtherance Of The Walmart Initiative To Purchase Fresh Vegetables From Local Growers In Alabama, Franklin Quarcoo, Conrad Bonsi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Tuskegee University has been providing various types of technical expertise to limited resource farmers who have been supplying Walmart with collard greens, watermelons and purple hull peas. A number of pests bedevil the cultivation of these crops; cost-effective management methods for these pests are needed. The objectives of this paper are to document the IPM activities associated with supplying produce to Walmart; summarize pest problems encountered on the afore-stated crops; recommend IPM methods suitable for limited resource farmers; and suggest other activities that ensure that farmers incur even less pest-related crop losses. Anthracnose was the major pest encountered on watermelons. …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2013, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Boron Nutrition Of Burley And Dark Tobacco, Laura Ann Frakes Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The incidences of suspected Boron (B) deficiency have increased recently in Kentucky tobacco fields, potentially due to recent changes in management practices. The symptoms observed in the field include; hollow stalk, stunted growth, deformed or no bud formation, small slits on the lower leaf midrib and uncontrollable breaking of the midrib approximately two inches from the stalk. B is a micronutrient tobacco needs in minute amounts, however excessive additions of B could cause toxicity. The objectives of this work were to 1) establish critical points for B sufficiency, 2) describe and define B deficiency and toxicity symptoms and 3) develop …

Glyphosate Resistant Weeds - Beat Them Before They Beat You, Sally Peltzer

Grain and other field crops published reports

Herbicide resistance develops if the weeds exist in the population and set fertile seed. Being vigilant, keeping weed populations low and stopping seed set is the best way to prevent glyphosate resistance development:

• know the herbicide use history of each paddock. If glyphosate has been the dominant knockdown and spray-topping product used, it's time to change
• conduct herbicide resistance testing to determine what herbicides are effective on key weeds
• aim for maximum control
• establish a more diverse rotation to increase the number of control tactics available
• use non-herbicide control tactics at every opportunity
• always monitor the success of each control …

Reducing Water Extractable Phosphorus In Poultry Litter Using Chitosan Treatment, Zachary Simpson, Brina Smith, David A. Zaharoff, Brian E. Haggard

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

Phosphorus (P) is an important factor in the eutrophication of freshwater, and watershed sources include effluent discharges and the landscape. Poultry litter applied to the landscape can be a potential source of P, which is dependent on rainfall, runoff and dissolution. Chitosan, the deacetylated form of the biopolymer chitin, has been shown to have an effect on reducing water extractable phosphorus (WEP) in poultry litter when applied as a powder. The intent of this study was to measure the effect that poultry litter treatment (PLT), acetic acid and incubation time have on chitosan’s ability to reduce WEP in poultry litter. …

The Influences Of Poultry Litter Biochar And Water Source On Radish Growth And Nutrition, Julia Allen, David E. Longer, Edward E. Gbur, Lichen Hao

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

Many row-crop fields today have declined in soil fertility due to poor management practices and overuse of pesticides. Under these conditions, plant nutrient uptake can be sub-optimal. There are several soil amendments that can be used to improve soil quality and plant growth. This study focused on the addition of biochar to the soil and the use of structured water to enhance plant growth. Biochar is produced by pyrolysis of organic feedstocks. Previous studies which focused on biochar have shown an increase in plant yield, nutrient availability in the soil, and soil water holding capacity. Structured water is the liquid …

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 …

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 …

The Carbon-Nitrogen Balance Of The Nodule And Its Regulation Under Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentration, Marc Libault

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Legumes have developed a unique way to interact with bacteria: in addition to preventing infection from pathogenic bacteria like any other plant, legumes also developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with one gender of soil bacteria: rhizobium. This interaction leads to the development of a new root organ, the nodule, where the differentiated bacteria fix for the plant the atmospheric dinitrogen (atmN₂). In exchange, the symbiont will benefit from a permanent source of carbon compounds, products of the photosynthesis. The substantial amounts of fixed carbon dioxide dedicated to the symbiont imposed to the plant a tight regulation of the …

Two-Source Energy Balance Model To Calculate E, T, And Et: Comparison Of Priestley-Taylor And Penman-Monteith Formulations And Two Time Scaling Methods, Paul D. Colaizzi, Nurit Agam, Judy A. Tolk, Steven R. Evett, Terry A. Howell, Prasanna H. Gowda, Susan A. O'Shaughnessy, William P. Kustas, Martha C. Anderson

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

The two-source energy balance (TSEB) model calculates the energy balance of the soil-canopy-atmosphere continuum, where transpiration is initially determined by the Priestley-Taylor equation. The TSEB was revised recently using the Penman-Monteith equation to replace the Priestley-Taylor formulation, thus better accounting for the impact of large and varying vapor pressure deficits (VPD) typical of advective, semiarid climates. This study is a comparison of the Priestley- Taylor and Penman-Monteith versions of the TSEB (termed TSEB-PT and TSEB-PM, respectively). Evaporation (E), transpiration (T), and evapotranspiration (ET) calculated by the TSEB-PT and TSEB-PM versions were compared to measurements obtained with microlysimeters, sap flow gauges, …

Pengaruh Dosis Pupuk N Dan P Terhadap Pertumbuhan Vegetatif Jarak Pagar Di Dua Tempat Berbeda, Santi Rosniawaty, Rija Sudirja

Jurnal Kultivasi

Physic nut is an alternative source of biofuel. The potential is high because it have many benefits and can not be consumed, so it will not compete with human needs. The effect of N and P fertilizer on physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) has been studied from August 2010 until March 2011. The experiments were carried out in two different locations, in the field experiment of BPBHAT Jatinangor and farmer gardens in Plered. Soil types in Jatinangor and Plered was Inceptisol. Type of climate in Jatinangor was C while in Plered was D according to Schmidt-Ferguson (1951). Experimental design used …