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Implications Of Intraspecific Variation In Soil Microbes On Solidago Performance, Yazeed Alshammari

Masters Theses

This study explored the implications of intraspecific variation in soil microbes on the performance of Solidago altissima, a North American species that has become invasive across several continents. This research explored how different clones of Solidago altissima were associated with bacterial and fungal soil microbial communities, which influenced plant performance. In a common garden of 24 Solidago altissima clones, I analyzed the relationship between soil microbial communities, foliar chemistry, clone genetic relatedness, and plant performance. My methods included analysis of soil microbial communities (bacterial and fungal), genetic distances among clones to assess relatedness, and measures of plant performance (light …

Business Meeting Report (Secretary's And Treasurer's Report), Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Epiphytic Diatom Production On The Seagrass Thalassia Testudinum In Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jonathan L. Venable, Shayna A. Sura, Jeffrey W. Krause

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Peri-Urbanization On Coastal Sage Scrub Ant Species In Baja California, Alejandro E. Mieles, Margaret A. Voss, Estelí Jiménez-Soto

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Increasing urbanization on the Baja California Peninsula threatens ant diversity. Reductions in ant species diminish ecosystem services provided to semiarid coastal scrub areas. Peri-urban areas in particular are at high risk of reductions in ant biodiversity due to development. To document and evaluate ant species diversity and richness in a rapidly developing area, nine sites were sampled within areas of coastal sage scrub (CSS) encircling the urban periphery of Ensenada, Baja California. Forty species and 17 genera of ants were collected, only one of which was non-native. Although the sampled area represents less than 1% of the peninsula and 3% …

Opportunities And Challenges In Augmenting Honey Bee Forage Resources With Pasture Legumes In Southern Australia, M. Kratz, M. Brown, M. T. Newell, R. C. Hayes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

More than 80% of Australian honey is produced from native tree and shrub species. However, with increasing demands on public lands along with production risks posed by drought, floods and wildfires, there is a need to identify alternative forage resources to augment Australian honey production. With over 30 pasture legumes now available for agriculture in southern Australia, opportunity exists to increase the utilisation of some species with co-benefits to multiple production industries. However, there is little understanding of the potential value of most pasture legumes for honey production, and side by side comparisons are complicated by factors such as differences …

Data Curation For Modeling Tall Fescue Biomass Dynamics With Dssat-Csm, M. B. Hanson, P. D. Alderman, T. J. Butler, A. Caldeira Rocateli

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

While models for predicting forage production are available to aid management decisions for some forage crops, there is limited research for a yield model designed specifically for tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus). Therefore, our objective was to adapt an existing perennial forage model, the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer Cropping Systems Model (DSSAT-CSM) for predicting forage biomass of tall fescue in the southern Great Plains. To evaluate model performance, there must first be a high level of data manipulation and cleaning. In this project, a cohesive dataset combining biomass, weather, soil, and management data were structured into DSSAT …

Nitrogen Behavior In A No-Tillage Agroecosystem Located In The Inner Bluegrass Of Kentucky, Alec William Besinger Mr.

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element, often limiting productivity in ecosystems. This limitation is relieved N fertilizer additions. No-tillage (NT) agroecosystems are prone to lower N availability translating to lower crop yields. The default explanation for lower N availability in NT is microbial immobilization of added N fertilizer. Historically, N availability is often assessed using chemical extractions such as KCl to evaluate levels of inorganic N in the soil. The possibility of this abiotic clay mineral fixation as mechanism in well-drained NT soils has been overlooked. The objectives of this study are to quantify N availability using KCl, NaCl, and …

Addressing Soil Carbon Sequestration Response From Multispecies Dairy Forage Systems And Modeling Rangeland Beef Cow Dry Matter Intake Using Precision Enteric Emissions Measurements, Lillian J. Mcfadden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regenerative agriculture is a pressing matter for the dairy industry to address cropland sustainability and carbon sequestration. One regenerative management practice that has been identified to help with row crop sustainability for key metrics like soil organic carbon (SOC) is complex covers. When producers use complex covers one of the main challenges is that it takes time to detect a change in SOC. However, simulation models are a tool that can be used to help determine if a regenerative practice is a strategy that gives the best results (i.e., increased SOC) while aligning with long-term production goals. Therefore, our objectives …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Preface : Fruit And Vegetable Waste Utilization And Sustainability, Sachin A. Mandavgane, Ipsita Chakravarty, Amit Jaiswal

Books/Book Chapters

Fruits and vegetables are an important source of nutrition and a key element of a healthy balanced diet. Several organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), and Food Health England suggest consuming more than 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day (roughly five portions per day) to improve overall health and reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer; subsequently, consumption and production of fruits and vegetables are on the rise. The increased consumption/production of fruits and vegetables has resulted in huge quantities of waste (approximately 42% of the …

Geological Soil Formation For Ecological Restoration Of Mining Areas And Its Case Study, Hu Zhenqi, Zhang Zixuan, Sun Huang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Soil is an important substrate of plant growth, as well as the key for successful ecological restoration of mine. In view of the status of insufficient soil for most of ecological restoration of mine and the reality of a very long process of geological soil formation, the concept and method of geological soil formation for ecological restoration of mine (Mine-GSF for short) were discussed on the basis of description on the principle of natural geological soil formation. Natural geologic soil formation is the process of turning “rock” into “soil” through a long period of macro-geological cycle and biological cycle, including …

Comprehensive Recycling Utilization Technology Of Foundation Engineering Slurry, Xie Hui, Ye Jingliang, Chen Juan, Xue Man, Hu Huicong, Yang Xianyu, Cai Jihua

Coal Geology & Exploration

Foundation engineering slurry in the fields of underground continuous walls, horizontal directional drilling, shield, and pipe jacking has the characteristics of large amount of consumption and relatively single pollutant. With the implementation of various national environmental protection laws and regulations, the comprehensive treatment of slurries is particularly important. In this paper, a set of comprehensive recycling utilization technology of foundation engineering slurry was proposed. The technology of sand removal plus recycling of purified slurry and drilling cuttings can be adopted to the circulating slurry, and the technology of calcium removing, pH reducing, flocculation separation, pressure filtration and recycling of wastewater …

Potential Use Of Pgpr Based Biofertilizer For Improving The Nutrient Availability In Soil And Agronomic Efficiency Of Upland Rice, Rahma Tia Harahap, Diyan Herdiyantoro, Mieke Rochimi Setiawati, Isna Niar Rahmatul Azizah, Tualar Simarmata

Jurnal Kultivasi

Present study aimed to perform literature review to investigate the current status and potential use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for enhancing the soil plant’s health, plant growth and productivity in sustainable ways. The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methods was applied according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) on published scientific literature from 2012-2022. Results revealed that genus diversity of PGPR (Bacillus sp., Serratia sp., Streptomyces sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Burkholderia sp.) produce siderophore and phytohormones such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GAs), auxin, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, organic acids, biocontrol agent that …

Mitigating The Shrink-Swell Capacities Of The Yazoo Clay Through Application Of Lime And Biochar, Austin Alan Brister

Theses and Dissertations

Shrinking and swelling in Yazoo Clay is a cause of concern for construction projects in Mississippi. This thesis investigated the effects of adding lime and Douglas Fir biochar on the shrinking and swelling capabilities of Yazoo Clay. Samples of Yazoo Clay were mixed with the additives in defined ratios and subjected to the free swell test and the COLE(rod) test. Biochar addition reduced the COLE(rod) of the samples a large amount, while increasing the swelling potential of the clay samples. The addition of lime slightly reduced both the shrinking and swelling potentials of the samples. The mineralogical variability of Yazoo …

Application Of Organic Fertilizer And Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria To Increase The Growth And Yield Of Potatoes In Andisol, Agustina Erlinda Marpaung, Bina Karo, Susilawati Barus, Rina Christina Hutabarat, Rasiska Tarigan

Jurnal Kultivasi

Andisol has low phosphate (P) nutrient content due to high P fixation by allophane minerals, which affects crop production. The application of organic fertilizers and phosphate solubilizing bacteria can increase the availability of P in the soil in order to increase the production of potato plants. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different types of organic fertilizer and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on potato production. The research was conducted from August to November 2020 in the installation of research and assessment of agricultural technology Berastagi, Karo Regency, with an altitude of ± 1,340 m above sea level and …

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Pretassel Nitrogen Applications In Corn, Robyn Brittlee Mulloy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corn (Zea mays L.) production continues to be a critical component of row-crop production systems within Arkansas and is seeing a resurgence in recent years. Nitrogen (N) is critical for corn growth and is often one of the single largest input costs associated with corn production. Research objectives for this study were to determine the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of late season N applications as influenced by sidedress N rate and timing of pretassel application and to quantify the nutrient uptake and partitioning in modern era corn hybrids within a furrow-irrigated production system. Research was conducted at the Milo J. …

Nitrogen Management In Rice Under Suboptimal Soil Conditions, Payton Suzanne Rhea

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Mid-South rice (Oryza sativa, L.) production, nitrogen (N) fertilizer management for pureline varieties is most often recommended as a single preflood (SPF) or two-way split (2WS) application in a direct-seeded, delayed-flood system. Most of the N fertilizer is typically applied at the four- to six-leaf stage onto dry soil, and the second application, if necessary, into the floodwater during early reproductive growth stages (referred to as midseason). Environmental factors frequently prohibit growers from applying early N fertilizer under optimal dry soil conditions. A study was conducted to determine the best N fertilization management practices to utilize in rice when …

The Binding Of The Micronutrient Transition Metals To The Alkylation Products Of Chemical Warfare Agent, Sulfur Mustard, And Thiols, Potentially Giving New Understanding To Physiological Effects Of Exposure And Increased Toxicity, Colin O'Donnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Model compounds, 3,6,9-trithaiundecane-1,11-dicarboxylic acid (TTDPA), 2,5,8-trithianonane-1,9-dicarboxylic acid (TTDAA), and 1,11-diamide-3,6,9-trithiaundecane (TTDAce), closely related to the adducts formed by cysteine alkylation of the chemical weapon, sulfur mustard, were synthesized. It is shown that TTDPA forms complexes with key metal micronutrients: copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and zinc. Though the strength of binding to TTDPA varies, the complexes in many cases precipitate from solution. All metals produced a visible precipitate upon interaction with TTDPA under the conditions tested, however only Cu2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ produced enough to be measured. The mass of formed precipitate seemed to peak at an equimolar ratio of TTDPA …

Diagnosing Excess Nitrogen In Rice Using Post-Season Tissue Samples, Kyle Hoegenauer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proper nitrogen (N) management in rice production can be difficult to achieve without the aid of tools such as soil and tissue tests. There are no tests currently available to rice producers that determine whether N has been managed properly throughout the season or that detect instances of over fertilization. Rice stalk samples were collected from N response trials within 3 days of harvest from the primary Arkansas rice growing region in 2016-2018. Stalk samples were analyzed for N concentration through a KCl extraction and spectrofluorometric quantification. Samples analyzed with leaf material intact contained statistically different N concentrations than samples …

Range-Based Livestock Production In Turkmenistan, R. H. Behnke, G. Davidson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Turkmenistan retains a centralized system of livestock production in which many critical assets are owned by the state. Though technically in the temperate zone, the country's climate is harsh and unstable. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed, leaving many potential grazing areas seasonally inaccessible due to lack of drinking water for livestock. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of rangelands, livestock production, flock economics and land tenure at two study sites, one in central and the other in eastern Turkmenistan. The results of this study suggest that pastoral communities in Turkmenistan have coped remarkably well with the institutional …

Assessment Of Nitrogen Nutrition Status Of Grasses Under Water Deficit And Recovery, V. G. Dugo, Jean-Louis Durand, F. Gastal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands are rarely irrigated. They are therefore systematically submitted to more or less severe water deficits: as well as mineral deficiencies, water scarcity often also results in a reduction of nitrogen (N) status. Although identified some time ago, qualitatively, the interaction with N still remains difficult to take into account in quantitative analyses of crop physiology under water deficits. This paper illustrates how the nitrogen (N) status of the crop changes under water deficits. A N nutrition index (INN) was defined as the ratio of the actual N concentration of forage with the theoretical N concentration under optimal conditions, the …

Diet Effects On Dairy Manure Nitrogen Excretion And Cycling, J. M. Powell, T. H. Misselbrook

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The amount and forms of (nitrogen) N excreted by ruminant livestock and post excretion manure N cycling are highly influenced by what is fed. For example, the relative amount of urinary N, faecal endogenous N of microbial and gut origin, and faecal undigested feed N is affected by how much dietary fibre and secondary compounds (e.g., tannins, polyphneolics) are consumed. Each manure N component has a different propensity for loss; for example via ammonia (NH3) volatilisation (Misselbrook et al., 2004), leaching, and cycles differently in the soil-plant continuum (Powell, 2003). We evaluated dairy diet effects on amount and forms …

Benomyl Effects On Plant Productivity Through Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Restriction In A Greek Upland Grassland, M. Orfanoudakis, A. P. Mamolos, F. Karanika, D. S. Veresoglou

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Interactions between plants and microbes are important for plant community structure. Many plants establish symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which play a central role in soil fertility, plant nutrition and the maintenance of stability and biodiversity within plant communities by improving uptake of nutrients and water. AM fungi can improve growth/performance in a variety of plant species by influencing intra- and interspecific competition of neighbouring plants and thus regulate coexistence and diversity in mixed communities. The aim was to study AMF effects on plant productivity and diversity in Greek upland grasslands.

Integrating Below-Ground Ecology Into Sustainable Grassland Management, R. D. Bardgett

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Grasslands produce soils that sustain an abundant and diverse soil food web, providing tremendous opportunity for below-ground interactions to influence nutrient cycling processes and plant production.

2. Fast developing areas of ecological science offer scope to harness positive outcomes of below-ground ecology for enhancing efficient cycling of nutrients in sustainable grassland systems.

Chemical Components And Effects On Soil Quality In Temperate Grazed Pasture Systems, M. H. Beare, D. Curtin, S. Thomas, P. M. Fraser, G. S. Francis

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Legume/grass pastures retain feedbacks on N supply that may help to reduce losses of N to the wider environment.

2. Intensive use of N fertilisers tends to increase SOM turnover and increase losses of N to the environment.

3. Increased use of fertilisers has contributed little to soil organic matter storage in grazed pastoral systems.

Physical Constraints In Grassland Ecosystems, I. M. Young, K. Ritz, C. S. Sturrock, R. Heck

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Grassland system management must account adequately for biophysical and biochemical processes.

2. Amenity turf, especially sports turf, provides an excellent case study on how biology and physics interact to impact on the functioning of a grass ecosystem.

3. Microorganisms produce hydrophobic compounds that act to decrease water ingress and alter the function of the soil-grass ecosystem.

Improved Livelihoods From Grasslands; The Case Of Napier Grass In Smallholder Dairy Farms In Kenya, David Miano Mwangi, D. Romney, S. Staal, I. Baltenweck, S. Mwendia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Kenya, smallholder farmers produce about 80% of the marketed milk. The farming systems vary from mixed farms with up to 10 ha of land and < 10 dairy cows (Gitau et al., 1994; Anon., 1985), to intensive smallholder dairy producers in the high human population central Kenya region with 0.9 to 2 ha of land and 3-4 dairy cows (Staal et al., 2001a). Milk production depends heavily on the cultivation of forages, with Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass) by far the most important. An estimated 350,000 of the 600,000 smallholder farms in Kenya grow and utilize P. purpureum on their farms.

There are …

Computer-Based Forage Management Tools: Historical, Current, And Future Applications, David B. Hannaway, C. Daly, D. F. Chapman, B. B. Baker, A. S. Cooper

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage management has been an important human activity since the beginning of civilization. By comparison, the personal computer has been available only in the immediate past. The software developed to deal with the complexity of climate, soil, plant, animal, and socioeconomic factors has seen huge changes in a few decades. Mainframe computers facilitated numerical calculations for exploring relationships among dozens of variables. Personal computers opened the door for more individual scientist creativity and routine communication. Web-based communication globalised the option for multidisciplinary teams to tackle problems. Forage-related computer applications abound, allowing farmers, ranchers, and others to more effectively manage the …

Paying For Our Keep: Grasslands Decision Support In More-Developed Countries, Andrew D. Moore

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

“Models in grassland science have come to stay, and so they must be made to pay for their keep. To do that, it will be necessary to improve their scientific sophistication and their management relevance...” (Seligman, 1993).

Decision support (DS) tools in grassland agriculture have also come to stay. This review will examine the ways and means by which DS tools are being made to pay for their keep, with a focus upon DS efforts from the last decade and on the lessons that arise for those who develop DS tools for grasslands. A survey of the present state of …

Decision Support For Grassland Systems In Developing Countries, P. K. Thornton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Key points

1. Information flows in complex systems are often themselves highly complex, and decision support approaches based on linear input-output processes may have only limited impact.

2. How decisions are made, and how they can be appropriately supported, is often incompletely understood, in part because of inadequate understanding of the objectives and attitudes of all the decision makers involved.

3. Much of the developing world faces daunting problems in the coming 30 years, and appropriate information could play a critical role in dealing with these.

4. System complexity, household variability, and institutional intricacies have to be embraced rather than …