Digital Commons Network^™

Wetlands In Our Backyard: A Review Of Wetland Types In Virginia State Parks, Kirsten Bauer, Benjamin K. Campbell

Virginia Journal of Science

Wetlands constitute a significant component of Virginia’s natural resources and heritage. Though historically they have been discounted—and often denigrated—the exceptional value of wetlands is currently growing in recognition and appreciation. In addition to the value provided by extracted resources and ecological regulation, wetlands also offer people the opportunity to enrich themselves through cultural, educational, and recreational pursuits. The state parks of Virginia provide access to a variety of ecosystems, including a wide array of wetland types. In this review, we document the diversity of wetlands in Virginia State Parks through a typology that groups wetland systems into the three principal …

Why Are Some Plant Species Missing From Restorations? A Diagnostic Tool For Temperate Grassland Ecosystems, Marcello De Vitis, Kayri Havens, Rebecca S. Barak, Louise Egerton-Warburton, Adrienne R. Ernst, Matt Evans, Jeremie B. Fant, Alicia J. Foxx, Kyndall Hadley, Jim Jabcon, Joan O’Shaughnessey, Sai Ramakrishna, David Sollenberger, Sophie Taddeo, Rafael Urbina-Casanova, Chris Woolridge, Lan Xu, Jacob Zeldin, Andrea T. Kramer

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to accelerate actions to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, and re-establish ecosystem functioning and species diversity. The practice of ecological restoration has made great progress in recent decades, as has recognition of the importance of species diversity to maintaining the long-term stability and functioning of restored ecosystems. Restorations may also focus on specific species to fulfill needed functions, such as supporting dependent wildlife or mitigating extinction risk. Yet even in the most carefully planned and managed restoration, target species may fail to germinate, establish, or persist. To support the successful …

Mapping And Selection Of Downy Mildew Resistance In Spinach Cv. Whale By Low Coverage Whole Genome Sequencing, Gehendra Bhattarai, Dotun Olaoye, Beiquan Mou, James C. Correll, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a popular leafy vegetable crop and commercial production is centered in California and Arizona in the US. The oomycete Peronospora effusa causes the most important disease in spinach, downy mildew. A total of nineteen races of P. effusa are known, with more than 15 documented in the last three decades, and the regular emergence of new races is continually overcoming the genetic resistance to the pathogen. This study aimed to finely map the downy mildew resistance locus RPF3 in spinach, identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with the resistance, refine the candidate genes …

Investigating Primary Succession Following The Retreat Of The Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, Iceland, Ella Roelofs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The accelerating rates of glacier retreat around the world as a result of climate change make the study of primary succession in expanding forefields increasingly important. While this is a well studied topic in many parts of the world, little data exists specific to Iceland. This study investigated vegetation development along a chronosequence of eight time periods in the Breiðamerkurjökull outwash plain. Data was collected on percent vegetation cover, dominant species, the number of unique plant groups, and percent cover of five substrate types at 10 plots (0.55 x 0.55 m quadrats) per time period. Important findings include the fact …

Phytochemical Investigation, Anti-Inflammatory And Analgesic Activities Of Ethyl Acetate Extract Of Pride Of Barbados Pod (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima), Osahon K. Ogbeide, Efosa D. Omono, Precious O Ehizojie, Anthony E. Aiwonegbe, Jeremiah O. Uadia

Tanzania Journal of Science

Pride of Barbados is a therapeutic herb which has wide traditional applications in the treatments and management of diverse ailments. Diseases pose great threats to human race. This research was aimed at evaluating the phytochemicals, proximate composition, acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of the pod extract of Pride of Barbados in order to provide a scientific validation for its use as a therapeutic herb. All analyses were carried out using already established methods; the antioxidant potential was examined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, while the formalin-induced inflammation and acetic acid-induced writhing techniques were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory …

Anxiolytic Effects, Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Activities Of The Methanol Extract Of Jatropha Tanjorensis Leaf, Anthony E. Aiwonegbe, Uwaila Omoruyi, Osahon K. Ogbeide, Blessing O. Imoukhuede, Benjamin O. Gabrielsson

Tanzania Journal of Science

The methanol leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis was analyzed for its bioactive components, in-vitro antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory activities using established methods. The phytochemicals detected were saponins, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids and eugenols. The total phenolic content (TPC) was 36.48 mgGAE/g, while the total flavonoid content (TFC) was 145.92 mgQE/g of the extract. 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity gave an IC50 of 185.02 and 5.15 µg/mL for the extract and ascorbic acid (standard), respectively. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was greater than 5000 mg/kg, while graded doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of the plant extract …

Spatial Patterns Of Woody Plant Encroachment In A Temperate Grassland, Dillon T. Fogarty, Robert B. Peterson, Dirac Twidwell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Context Woody encroachment is the process whereby grasslands transition to a woody-dominated state. This process is a global driver of grassland decline and is ultimately the outcome of increased woody plant recruitment in grasslands. Yet, little is known about how recruitment distances structure spatial patterns of encroachment.

Objectives Here, we develop a recruitment curve to describe the scatter of woody plant recruitment around seed sources and examine how this structures spatial patterns of encroachment.

Methods We developed a recruitment curve for Juniperus virginiana using an encroachment dataset that captures spread from tree plantings into treeless grassland sites in the Nebraska …

How Digital Is Agriculture In A Subset Of Countries From South America? Adoption And Limitations, Laila A. Puntel, É. L. Bolfe, R. J. M. Melchiori, R. Ortega, G. Tiscornia, A. Roel, F. Scaramuzza, S. Best, A. G. Berger, D. S. S. Hansel, D. Palacios Durán, G. R. Balboa

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Digital agriculture (DA) can contribute solutions to meet an increase in healthy, nutritious, and affordable food demands in an efficient and sustainable way. South America (SA) is one of the main grain and protein producers in the world but the status of DA in the region is unknown. A systematic review and case studies from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile were conducted to address the following objectives: (1) quantify adoption of existing DA technologies, (2) identify limitations for DA adoption; and (3) summarise existing metrics to benchmark DA benefits. Level of DA adoption was led by Brazil and Argentina followed …

Associations Between Cannabis, Psychosis, And Schizophrenia In Adolescents, Lauren Moment

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

The effects of cannabis use on the brain, mind, and body have been studied for decades. The developing brain, particularly the adolescent and young adult brain, undergoes critical development that makes it especially susceptible to the effects of cannabis use. Among the adverse effects of cannabis use in adolescence and young adulthood, psychosis and psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) have been examined. The association of cannabis use with schizophrenia was first elucidated in a Swedish study of army conscripts. Specifically, conscripts reported their cannabis use exposure and were followed longitudinally to assess the emergence of schizophrenia. The authors found that those …

Cropland Reference Ecological Unit: A Land Classification Unit For Comparative Soil Studies, Saurav Das, Bijesh Maharjan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

There is a growing consensus on a need for measuring the dynamic soil properties of croplands and even comparisons with a reference state or native land. These measurements and paired comparisons will create the capacity to determine soil health management effects and targets. However, the complex soil heterogeneity and climate variations make soil health potential variable and confound the effects of land-use and management practices and comparisons between soils from different sites. Identifying a discrete landmass unit where all soils have similar health potential will be critical in conducting meaningful comparative studies and measuring the impact of conservation practices. This …

Pando's Pulse: Vital Signs Signal Need For Course Correction At World-Renowned Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers

Aspen Bibliography

Upland aspen (Populus spp.) forests contribute significantly to biodiversity in their circumboreal role as keystone species. As aspen ecosystems flourish or diminish, myriad dependent species follow suit. The 43-hectare Pando aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) clone in Utah, USA, is thought to be the largest living organism on earth, but is faltering due to chronic herbivory. Long-term resilience in aspen communities, including Pando, rests on successful recruitment of vegetative suckers that are nutritiously desirable to browsing ungulates. Here, I evaluate aspen reproduction alongside numerous vital indicators of Pando's status in the first trend assessment of this embattled iconic forest. …

Ungulate Herbivores As Drivers Of Aspen Recruitment And Understory Composition Throughout Arid Montane Landscapes, Elizabeth S. Reikowski, Tyler Refsland, J. Hall Cushman

Aspen Bibliography

Herbivory by wild and domestic ungulates can influence tree recruitment and understory forest communities throughout the world. Herbivore-driven declines in tree recruitment have been observed for quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), a foundation species whose health and management is recognized as a critical priority throughout much of its range. Livestock fencing is commonly used to promote aspen regeneration, but its effectiveness is rarely assessed, especially across large spatial scales. Using a livestock-reduction experiment, we evaluated the effects of ungulate herbivory on aspen in the Great Basin and southern Cascades, an expansive and environmentally heterogeneous region where aspen faces the …

Skeleton Weed In Western Australia / Management Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Skeleton weed is a declared plant which can reduce crop yields by competing for moisture and nutrients (mainly nitrogen).

This Management Guide has been designed to assist landholders and increase their capacity to manage and eradicate skeleton weed infestations on their properties and to prevent further spread within the State.

Without the coordinated program aimed at controlling spread, skeleton weed would now be much more abundant and widely established throughout the cereal growing areas.

Terror En El Orinoco: Formas Del Espanto Animal Y Vegetal En La Historia Natural De José Gumilla, Roberto E. Martinez Bachrich

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Terror in the Orinoco: Forms of Animal and Plant Horror in the Natural History of José Gumilla”, analyzes the repertoire of terrifying plants and animals that the Spanish Jesuit missionary José Gumilla described in his 1745 compendium El Orinoco Ilustrado y Defendido —a work that, surprisingly, has not been read from the perspective of animal and plant studies. Based on Spanish old models of the natural history of the Indies (Fernández de Oviedo, Acosta), Gumilla reconstructs an archive of monstrous beings (alligators, piranhas, snakes, poisonous plants) that challenges old medieval religious discourses when confronted with the nascent illustrated discourses. My …

Herbaceous Production Lost To Tree Encroachment In United States Rangelands, Scott L. Morford, Brady W. Allred, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Matthew O. Jones, Jeremy D. Maestas, Caleb P. Roberts, David E. Naugle

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

1. Rangelands of the United States provide ecosystem services that benefit society and rural economies. Native tree encroachment is often overlooked as a primary threat to rangelands due to the slow pace of tree cover expansion and the positive public perception of trees. Still, tree encroachment fragments these landscapes and reduces herbaceous production, thereby threatening habitat quality for grassland wildlife and the economic sustainability of animal agriculture.

2. Recent innovations in satellite remote sensing permit the tracking of tree encroachment and the corresponding impact on herbaceous production. We analysed tree cover change and herbaceous production across the western United States …

Genome Architecture And Diverged Selection Shaping Pattern Of Genomic Differentiation In Wild Barley, Wenying Zhang, Cong Tan, Haifei Hu, Rui Pan, Yuhui Xiao, Kai Ouyang, Yong Jia, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Camilla Hill, Penghao Wang, Brett Chapman, Yong Han, Gaofeng Zhou, Le Xu, Yanhao Xu, Tefera Angessa, Hao Luo, Sharon Westcott, Darshan Sharma, Eviatar Nevo, Roberto Barrero, Matthew I. Bellgard, Tianhua He, Xiaohai Tian, Chengdao Li

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Divergent selection of populations in contrasting environments leads to functional genomic divergence. However, the genomic architecture underlying heterogeneous genomic differentiation remains poorly understood. Here, we de novo assembled two high-quality wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum K. Koch) genomes and examined genomic differentiation and gene expression patterns under abiotic stress in two populations. These two populations had a shared ancestry and originated in close geographic proximity but experienced different selective pressures due to their contrasting micro-environments. We identified structural variants that may have played significant roles in affecting genes potentially associated with well-differentiated phenotypes such as flowering time and drought response between …

Alfalfa Establishment And Management In South Carolina, Liliane Silva, Michael Mrshall, Jeremy Greene, Matias Aguerre

Livestock and Forages

Alfalfa is a perennial legume with high forage quality that can be used under grazing or hay management. This publication outlines establishment and management recommendations for alfalfa plantings in South Carolina.

Uji Kemampuan Bakteri Diazotrof Asal Perakaran Bawang Merah Dalam Mendukung Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Tanaman Bawang Merah, Ananda Rahmalia Yuniarti, Eny Rokhminarsih, Purwanto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Budidaya tanaman bawang merah saat ini dihadapkan pada masalah stagnasi produksi akibat aplikasi pupuk kimia secara berlebihan sehngga efisiensi pemupukan rendah. Teknologi ramah lingkungan dan efisien pupuk dengan aplikasi bioteknologi melalui aplikasi bakteri berguna seperti bakteri penambat nitrogen. Penelitian bertujuan untuk (1) mengetahui respons pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman bawang merah terhadap bakteri diazotrof, (2) menetapkan isolat bakteri diazotrof yang paling baik untuk pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman bawang merah. Percobaan dilaksanakan pada bulan Januari 2021 sampai April 2021. Percobaan dilaksanakan di Rumah Kassa serta Laboratorium Agronomi dan Hortikultura Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan yaitu Rancangan Acak Kelompok …

Effect Of Cover Crops, Grazing And Tillage Practices On Soil Microbial Community Composition, Function, And Soil Health In East Central Mississippi Soybean Production System., Namita Sinha

Theses and Dissertations

Integrating crop and livestock is being considered to improve soil health by carbon sequestration. A two-year study (2019-2021) at CPBES in Newton, MS was aimed to evaluate soil microbial diversity in the warm, humid regions, specifically southeastern USA. Amplicons targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS2 regions were sequenced. Taxonomic assignment and microbial diversity characterization were performed using QIIME2^®. Soil fungal diversity showed significant differences (alpha diversity, p = 0.031 in yr. 2020 and beta diversity, p = 0.037 in yr. 2021). Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Mantel test showed significant influence on fungal diversity due to …

Phenotypic Evaluation Of Energycane (Saccharum Spp.) Genotypes In Northcentral Mississippi, Wyatt Armistead Eason

Theses and Dissertations

As fossil fuel supplies decrease and concerns of climate change increase, the search for alternative sources of fuel has pushed biomass crops to the forefront of discussion. Saccharum spontaneum readily hybridizes with commercial sugarcane and lends cold tolerance and greater yields to the hybrid progeny, called energycane. Twenty genotypes were tested against an energycane variety (Ho 02-113) as a control. Two locations were tested: the HH Leveck Animal Research Center (planted in 2019), and the Bearden Dairy Research Center (planted in 2020). The Bearden Dairy Research Center yielded significantly higher than the HH Leveck Animal Research Center regarding dry matter …

Determining The Effects Of Elevated Carbon Dioxide On Soil Acidification, Cation Depletion, And Soil Inorganic Carbon And Mapping Soil Carbons Using Artificial Intelligence, Jannatul Ferdush

Theses and Dissertations

Soil carbon is the largest sink and source of the global carbon cycle and is disturbed by several natural, anthropogenic, and environmental factors. The global increase of atmospheric CO₂ affects soil carbon cycling through varied biogeochemical processes. The first chapter is a compilation of current information on potential factors triggering soil acidification and weathering mechanisms under elevated CO₂ and their consequences on soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pool and quality. Soil water content and precipitation were critical factors influencing elevated CO₂ effects on the SIC pool. The second chapter examines a detailed column experiment in which six soils …

Soybean Potassium Utilization During Reproductive Growth Stages In Response To Potassium Timing, Potassium Rate, Herbicide Injury, And Desiccation, Tyler Lawrence Richmond

Theses and Dissertations

Potassium (K) deficiency of soybean [Glycine max (Merr.) L.] is common throughout the Mid-Southern region of the United States. Visual symptoms of K deficiency may be absent or subtle during early and mid-reproductive growth stages. Correcting K deficiency in-season is problematic due to limited research. Information regarding soybean yield response to in-season fertilizer K application time is limited to growth stages prior to the onset of R1. Research is also limited on new higher yielding soybean cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate influences of in-season K application timing during reproductive growth stages on soybean yield. Field experiments …

Application Of Organic Fertilizers For Lawn Establishment And Maintenance In Louisiana, Matthew Lambert

LSU Master's Theses

Landscape contractors are increasingly interested in organic products for Louisiana's residential and commercial turfgrass areas. However, the use, motivations, and barriers to adopting organic practices in the commercial turfgrass and landscape industry are undocumented. A survey with Louisiana Turfgrass Association (LTA) members to gauge their perceptions on current and future use of organic products in Louisiana was performed; and a field trial was conducted to evaluate organic fertilizers during turfgrass establishment. Substantial majorities of turfgrass professionals are currently applying organic fertilizers and believe organic product use will increase due to consumer demands, potential governmental regulation, and the belief that they …

Quantification And Machine Learning Based N2o-N And Co2-C Emissions Predictions From A Decomposing Rye Cover Crop, Deepak R. Joshi, David E. Clay, Sharon A. Clay, Janet Moriles Miller, Aaron L.M. Daigh, Graig Reicks, Shania Westhoff

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Cover crops improve soil health and reduce the risk of soil erosion. However, their impact on the carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e) is unknown. Therefore, objective of this two-year study was to quantify the effect of cover crop-induced differences in soil moisture, temperature, organic C, and microorganisms on CO2e and to develop machine learning algorithms that predict daily N2O-N and CO2-C emissions. The prediction models tested were multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least square regression (PLSR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and artificial neural network (ANN). Models’ performance was accessed using R2 , RMSE and MAE. Rye (secale cereale) …

18s-Nemabase: Curated 18s Rrna Database Of Nematode Sequences, Kaitlin Gattoni, Eli M. S. Gendron, Rebeca Sandoval- Ruiz, Abigail Borgemeier, J. Parr Mcqueen, Rachel M. Shepherd, Dieter Slos, Tom Powers, Dorota L. Porazinska

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Nematodes are the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet but lack representation in biodiversity research. This presents a problem for studying nematode diversity, particularly when molecular tools (i.e., barcoding and metabarcoding) rely on well-populated and curated reference databases, which are absent for nematodes. To improve molecular identification and the assessment of nematode diversity, we created and curated an 18S rRNA database specific to nematodes (18S-NemaBase) using sequences sourced from the most recent publicly available 18S rRNA SILVA v138 database. As part of the curation process, taxonomic strings were standardized to contain a fixed number of taxonomic ranks relevant …

Nebline, August/September 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Nutrition Security: A New National Focus by Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the Month: Starwberry Smoothie and Freezer Pop by Emily Gratopp

Harvesting & Drying Herbs by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Water Play Fun by Hayley Jackson

Controlling Poison Hemlock by Melissa Bartels

Summer Brings Singing Cicadas by Kait Chapman

4-H Announcements for Enrolled 4-H'ers or 4-H Volunteers

Lancaster County Super Fair, July 28-Aug. 6, 2022

4-H Will Livestream from the Fair! YouTube

Join 4-H!

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Sonja Moore and Lancaster County Engineering Department

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Council Golf …

The Effect Of Plant Elicitor Peptide On Nematode Infected Soybean, Siyang Liu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean (Glycine max), an important economic crop native to East Asia, is grown worldwide for its edible beans. Soybean plants are vulnerable to a wide range of diseases, and nematodes are among the worst pests of soybean. The southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) are both notable nematode pests of soybean, with the soybean cyst nematode causing more than 30% of total yield loss in the US. Numerous attempts have been made to control soybean nematodes over the past several decades, and genetic engineering technology has received a lot of attention in recent years. Plant …

Determination Of The Functional Role Of Rab-Ggt In Physcomitrium Patens., Hyun Jin Jung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein prenylation, a common lipid post-translational modification, is required for growth and development in eukaryotes. Rab geranylgeranylation involves the addition of one or two 20-carbon geranylgeranyl moieties to Rab-GTPase target proteins, which regulate intracellular vesicle trafficking. The reaction is carried out by heterodimeric Rab geranylgeranyltransferase (Rab-GGT), which is composed of two associated α- and β-subunits, with the assistance of an additional protein called Rab escort protein (REP). Loss of function of the Rab-GGT α subunit RGTA1 has not been reported in any plant. While knockout of either of the two β subunits RGTB1 or RGTB2 results in …

Distribution And Management Of Phytophthora Species On Lavender In The United States, Daniel Dlugos

All Dissertations

Phytophthora root and crown rot (PRCR) is currently the most important disease on lavender (Lavandula spp.) in the United States. The disease was first described on English lavender (L. angustifolia) in a Maryland nursery in 1991, with Phytophthora nicotianae as the causal agent. Since that time, the disease has been reported on multiple continents and as caused by several species of Phytophthora. This study examined the distribution and pathogenicity of Phytophthora species on lavender in the United States, requested lavender grower feedback regarding their production and concerns, and examined efficacy of selected management options. Lavender …

Characterization And Selection Of Hop Cultivars Adapted To Nebraska, Kristina Alas

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

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is an ingredient in the beer brewing industry that provides beer its flavor and aroma. High demand from the brewing industry has encouraged production outside of the traditional Pacific Northwest, the primary production region. Producers in the Midwest are attempting to grow cultivars adapted to the Pacific Northwest, but environmental differences have caused low yields and changes in secondary metabolite content. To aid producers, a regional breeding program was initiated to develop cultivars adapted to the Midwest. Success of any breeding program relies on the selection of genetically superior parents to generate progeny with the …