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Nebline, May 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Building Health Equity in Lincoln: Extension Launches Health Equity Coalition

Recipe of the Month

Intensive Gardening Techniques

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater--Part 3 of a Series — Fluoride

Cash Rent Survey

Preparing for the Inevitable: Japanese Beetles

Challenge Accepted! Children Thrive Outside

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Rusty & Heidi Hanley

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Clover College: June 15–18, 2021

EXTENSION CALENDAR

4-H’ers Qualify for State Speech & PSA Contest

4-H Horse Stampede Results

Compost And Cover Crop Effects In Dryland Organic Wheat, Michael D. Deakin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Producers of dryland organic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the western USA struggle to maintain adequate soil fertility due to the high cost of organic fertilizers and concerns over moisture use of cover crops. Low soil fertility results in decreased wheat yield and quality, and increased year-to-year variability in yield and quality based on weather. This study was conducted to measure the effects of, and interactions between, cover crop mixes and a one-time compost application on soil health and winter wheat yield and quality. The study was located on three adjacent certified organic wheat farms near Snowville, UT, each …

Forage News [2021-05], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Changes In Soil Surface Properties As Affected By Management Practices In A Wheat-Soybean, Double-Crop System, Machaela Morrison

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Long-term agricultural sustainability and productivity are controlled by the integrative effects of different management practices on the soil. Many Arkansas producers use the double-crop system to grow soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr] and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Studying combinations of different, non-traditional, alternative agricultural techniques may help producers better understand the long-term implications of various management practice options on sustainability and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of agricultural management practices, including residue level, tillage, irrigation, and burning, and soil depth on the change in various soil properties from 2010 to 2020 in …

Resistance Screening And Association Mapping For Resistance To The Downy Mildew Pathogen Of Spinach, Dotun Olaoye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spinach is an important cool leafy vegetable cultivated around the world, with large scale production in California and Arizona in the U.S. Spinach is a highly nutritious vegetable beneficial in the human diet. Spinach is affected by a number of biotic stressors. Downy mildew, caused by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora effusa, is a major threat to spinach as it affects the leaf quality and impacts the economic value of spinach. Several efforts have led to the development of resistant genotypes/cultivars to this pathogen. However, few studies have examined the genetics of resistance to the downy mildew pathogen in detail. This …

Does Integrating Crops With Livestock Production Impact Soil Properties And Crop Production?, Lindsey Anderson

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

Re-integrating crop and livestock production through cover crop (CC) and corn residue grazing could efficiently utilize resources and ensure profitability while improving environmental quality, but how this integration affects soils and crops is not well understood. We conducted two studies to address this. In the first study, we evaluated the impact of cattle (1.3-3.7 head ha^-1) grazing an oat (Avena sativa L.) CC on soil and crop yields in two adjacent irrigated no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) fields on silt loam soils in eastern Nebraska. Field I was grazed twice, while Field …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 55) = 彩園通訊 (第55期), Lingnan Gardeners, Centre For Cultural Research And Development, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Pollinators Of Echinacea Purpurea In Relation To Their Perceived Efficiency And Color Preferences, Carmen Black

Honors Theses

This study aimed to better understand how insects interacted with species of Echinacea in Tennessee and specifically their preference to floral color. Based on previous studies I expected the main visitors to be composed of various bees, beetles and butterflies. Based on previous studies, I hypothesized that most bees (especially social bees) would most likely pollinate the purple/violet morphs of the flower versus the white morph. I also expected the bees would have the most visits to the coneflowers versus any other taxonomic group. I believe bees to be the majority of pollinators based upon the results of Stucky, Gadd, …

Winners And Losers In Reforestation Efforts In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, And The Predictive Power Of Xylem Anatomy On Long-Term Growth And Survival, Clifton F. Albrecht

Theses and Dissertations

Reforestation has been ongoing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley annually since the 1980s, and to date over 6400 ha of land has been reforested in this area. However, there has been little subsequent study of the change and development of those forests as they mature. This thesis consists of two, interrelated, studies: (1) surveys of a five-site chronosequence of restored forests and (2) quantification of xylem anatomical traits of a subset of species present at the reforestation sites. Surveys showed a consistent reduction in species diversity and stem number density on the landscape, and identified a suite of species …

Understanding The Ecological Role, Population Dynamics, And Geographic Distribution Of Manihot Walkerae, Gisel Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Walker’s Manihot, Manihot walkerae Croizat (Euphorbiaceae), is an endangered plant that is endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub ecoregion. Understanding M. walkerae’s geographic distribution, populations, and species interactions can provide essential information for the development of sound conservation strategies. To this aim, I asked the following questions: 1) What is the potential geographic distribution for M. walkerae? and, will it be affected by climate change? 2) Using global and regional extinction risk assessments, what is the extinction risk category for M. walkerae after incorporating species distribution models? 3) What do natural history observations reveal about M. walkerae’s population …

Physical And Chemical Defense Mechanisms In Aloe Barbadensis Against Insect Herbivores, Zachary Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter provides an overview of insect herbivore impacts on plants and plant defense mechanisms to combat them. I particularly focused on physical and chemical defenses in the broader sense.

Chapter 2: This chapter describes the experiments that showed the effects of extracts from Aloe barbadensis on the growth and development of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), model herbivores used to understand herbivore growth and plant defenses. This study shows that extracts from the Aloe differentially affected the growth and development of M. sexta and S. frugiperda. This chapter …

Not All Pollinator Gardens Are Created Equally: Determining Factors Pertinent To Improving Pollinator Garden Effectiveness, Travis Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing evidence documenting the decline of insect populations, resulting from increasing human disturbances has resulted in efforts to establish pollinator gardens to provide additional resources for insect populations. However, our understanding of biotic and abiotic garden characteristics important for attracting and sustaining pollinator diversity is limited. Here, we evaluated 17 pollinator gardens to evaluate the effect of five biotic and three abiotic garden characteristics on pollinator species richness, abundance, and proportional representation of four pollinator functional groups. Plant species richness positively influenced pollinator richness and negatively influenced flower visitation. Bombus proportional abundance responded to several variables (distance to vegetation, plant …

Economic Feasibility Of Sub-Surfaced Poultry Litter, James Timothy Stults

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Livestock producers routinely spread fertilizer or broadcast poultry litter to improve forage production. With poultry litter widely available across the Southeastern United States and a cheaper source of plant nutrition than fertilizer when proximal to application sites, the novel application of litter below the soil surface, while costly, allows for greater nutrient retention than broadcasting. Since quantifying costs and benefits of sub-surface litter application (SSLA) is complex, we develop and present a spreadsheet tool for automated comparison between SSLA, fertilizer, and broadcasted litter for user-specific scenarios involving equipment choices (new, used, custom), desired nutrient needs for crops grown, litter nutrient …

The Influence Of Singlet Oxygen And Loss Of Function Of Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 In The Chloroplast On Aphid Resistance In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hillary Donna Fischer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 (FAD7) is a chloroplast-localized enzyme that alters the fatty acid content of photosynthetic membranes, and that negatively regulates plant defenses against aphids. Previous studies in the model organism Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have shown that loss-of-function mutations in FAD7 decrease population growth of the green peach aphid (GPA; Myzus persicae Sulzer). This study further characterized the effects of a fad7 null mutant on aphids, and investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen (1O2), in plant responses to aphid resistance in fad7 as well as in wild type plants and a mutant with heightened …

Evaluation Of Nutrient Solutions Produced From Aqueous Extracts And Decomposition Products Of Organic Waste Materials On The Plant Growth Performance In Hydroponics, Noura Said Al Nuaimi

Theses

Hydroponic plant production involves the cultivation of plants in absence of soil. In this system, the supply of the plant root with water and nutritional elements occurs via a nutrient solution made of inorganic salts. Hydroponic plant cultivation often achieves higher yields, water use efficiencies and quality of crops compared with soil production. In addition, it renders the farming system independent from soil properties. However, the currently available systems rely on the steady input of non-renewable inorganic salts. Unlike soil-based systems, hydroponics, so far, do not offer feasible opportunities for recycling nutritional elements from within crop residues or organic waste …

Mechanisms Of Overyielding And Coexistence In Diverse Tallgrass Prairie Communities, Leslie E. Forero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plants compete for the same basic nutrient and water resources. According to the competitive exclusion principle, when a substantial overlap in resource pools exists, the best competitor for resources should drive all other species to extinction. The ability for plants to coexist in violation of the competitive exclusion principle is the “biodiversity paradox”. Coexistence is actually beneficial for plants: as species diversity increases, you typically see increases in plant biomass production (known as the biodiversity-productivity relationship). The mechanisms behind coexistence and the biodiversity-productivity relationship remain an ecological mystery. One hypothesis is that plants obtain water and nutrients from different places …

Fatty Acid Composition Of Forages And Their Effect On The Fatty Acid Composition In Beef Cattle, Britney G. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on how diet changes the rumen microbiome in the cattle and the effects of that on the long chain fatty acids (LCFA) by microbes in the rumen, and on the short chain fatty acids (SCFA) these microbes produce from feed carbohydrates like fiber and starch. The abundance of bacteria belonging to the phyla Tenericutes and Proteobacteria increased in response to high-fiber or high-starch diets, respectively. The production of two SCFA was positively correlated with the presence of increased Tenericutes (acetate) and Proteobacteria (propionate). A greater acetate to propionate ratio is associated with elevated production of enteric methane …

Interactive Effects Of Soil And Browsing On Big Sagebrush: Implications For Restoration Success, Kyle Nehring

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Heterogeneity in landscape conditions (e.g., soil types) precludes a “one size fits all” management strategy across large landscapes. New management approaches that explicitly account for heterogeneous landscapes (and the variable conditions therein) will be required to maintain habitat quality. In particular, we require an improved mechanistic understanding of how the outcomes of conservation and restoration actions are contingent upon a) contextual abiotic factors (e.g., moisture availability mediated by soils and precipitation) and b) their interactions with biotic factors (e.g., browsing wildlife).

We propose to answer fundamental questions about how big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), the foundational species for sagebrush …

Industry Funding Scheme Regulations: A Review Of Operation And Effectiveness, May 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Section 147 of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 requires the Minister for Agriculture and Food to carry out a review of the operation and effectiveness of any regulations made for the purposes of establishing an Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) every five years.

In 2010, regulations establishing three IFSs commenced to address pest and disease threats relevant to Western Australia’s broadacre and pastoral cropping and livestock sectors. This report documents the second fifth-year anniversary statutory review of the following regulations:

• Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Industry Funding Scheme (Cattle) Regulations 2010

• Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Industry Funding Scheme …

Short-Term Effects Of Winter Cover Crops On Soil Properties, Yield, And Partial Returns In A No-Tillage Soybean Rotation, Drew Dillon Kirkpatrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits including weed suppression, erosion control, and improvements to soil quality. These benefits can be affected by species, biomass accumulation, and management practices. Although large amounts of biomass are good for maximizing benefits, it can result in problems for establishing the subsequent crop. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] accounts for over 50% of Arkansas crop hectares annually; therefore, understanding the effect that a cover crop can have on the following soybean crop is crucial to the successful implementation of cover crops within the state. A study was established to evaluate winter cover …

Screening And Breeding Soybean For Flood Tolerance, Maria Roberta De Oliveira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Waterlogging can be detrimental to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and development, with effects ranging from chlorosis and stunting to yield loss and plant death. Soybean responses to, and the effects of, waterlogging are dependent on the growth stage of the plant at the initiation of waterlogging. The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the effectiveness of Genomic Selection (GS), Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) and Phenotypic Selection for flood tolerance at the progeny row stage as compared to random selection, for the development of high-yielding flood-tolerant lines; and (2) to compare field-screening and hydroponic greenhouse screening methodologies …

Spore Dispersal Of Slime Molds And Higher Fungi Via Animal Vectors, Courtney Trimble

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myxomycetes and dictyostelids are Amoebozoans that are cosmopolitan inhabitants of a variety of habitats, particularly forest environments. Both groups reproduce using spores which are primarily dispersed via wind in myxomycetes but this characteristic poses a problem for dictyostelids. The spores of dictyostelids are incased in a mucilaginous matrix that makes wind ineffective except in exceptional cases. It has been suggested that animals such as birds may play an important yet understudied role in the dispersal of these organisms. This study investigated how animals could potentially serve as vectors for spore dispersal of dictyostelids and myxomycetes with some limited data obtained …

Crop Response To Low-Dose Dicamba, Mason Castner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of dicamba-resistant (DR) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) followed by a label allowing over-the-top applications of dicamba in the 2017 provided growers an additional option for broadleaf weed control. Because non-DR soybean is sensitive to low concentrations of dicamba, postemergence dicamba applications present growers choosing to plant non-DR soybean with concerns of damage from off-target movement through physical drift and volatilization of the herbicide as well as tank-contamination from prior dicamba application. Consequences of low-dose dicamba exposure on sensitive vegetative and reproductive soybean have been well researched, but little is known regarding the …

Modeling The Growth And Establishment Of Plantation And Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks Region, Stewart James Mccollum

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Missouri Ozarks are well known for high production in both timber products and cattle production. Most areas are also not well suited for many other agricultural practices such as row cropping, so forests and grazing lands dominate the landscapes. Such characteristics provide high potential for the agroforestry practice known as silvopasture. This study monitors the establishment of two different types of silvopasture systems, plantation and conversion types. In the plantation silvopasture, two cultivars of black walnut (Juglans nigra) were planted, Football and Kwikrop. Health and growth were monitored for those cultivars over the first year. The converted …

Observing Changes In Vegetable Production Through Alternative Agricultural Practices, Austin Grey Livingston

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Locally, responsibly grown produce is becoming more popular as consumers are shifting to organic products or those obtained at a local farmer’s market. The importance of soil health through conservation practices is increasing as the negative effects of industrial production are apparent. The over-application of synthetic fertilizers, soil erosion from wind and water, and nutrient leaching in high vegetable production areas has initiated a need for the investigation of alternative management practices. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tillage and cover crops in the production of green beans and okra. In 2019 and 2020, …

Factors Affecting Irrigation Water Use In Southwest Missouri And Soil Microbial Response To Irrigation And Crop Residue, Shirley M. Dobbs

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Sustainable use of water resources in Southwest Missouri requires a better understanding of factors that influence groundwater use by crop producers. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of weather patterns and edaphic factors on water used for agricultural irrigation. Groundwater withdrawal data from 14 high-use agricultural irrigation wells were monitored between 2009 and 2016 as part of the Southwest Missouri Irrigation Project. Stepwise and linear regression was used to assess the relationship of weather and edaphic factors in response to annual water use from each well. Precipitation volume, number of precipitation events, average maximum and minimum …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, James Dubberly

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

Tannin Contents Of Sainfoin (Onobrycyhis Viciifolia Scop) Grown With Or Without Irrigation And Harvested At Different Growth Stages, Y. Wang, T. A. Mcallister, S. N. Acharya, K. H. Ominski, D. O. Krause

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Excess Nitrogen For Intake, Diet Choice And Production Of Sheep Fed Temperate Pastures, Garry C. Waghorn, G. P. Cosgrove

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Nitrogen Intake And Utilisation Pattern In The Digestive Tract Of Sheep Grazing Four Subtropical Foggages, Willem A. Van Niekerk, Abubeker Hassen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.