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Nebline, May 2014

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: The Cost of Invasive Species

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Forage News [2014-05], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Kentucky Grazing School
• Milestone Forage Program Dates
• Hay Quality
• Mountain Ag Week at UK Robinson Center
• Forage Recovery from the Winter of 2013/14
• Hay Harvest Stage Impacts Quality
• KFGC Field Day

Plant-Microbial Interactions Change Along A Prairie Restoration Chronosequence, Anna Herzberger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Soil microbial communities are critical in determining the performance and density of species in plant communities. However, their role in regulating the success of restorations is much less clear. This study assessed the ability of soil microbial communities to regulate the growth and performance of two potentially dominant grasses and two common forbs in prairie restorations. Specifically, I examined the effects of soil microbial communities along a restoration chronosequence from agricultural fields to remnant prairies using experimentally inoculated soils. The two grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans, produced larger biomass with the agricultural inoculates and experienced a decline …

Plant Community Development Of Isle Royale's Moose-Spruce Savannas, Michael C. Rotter

All NMU Master's Theses

On Isle Royale National Park, heavy moose browsing over the past 100 years has suppressed the regeneration of many tree species, gradually resulting in a shift towards more open forests and savannas. By 1996, 16% of the forests at the southwest end of Isle Royale had become savanna and another 20% were starting to break-up. The changes in understory vegetation brought about by savanna formation have received little attention, even though the future of moose and wolf populations on Isle Royale are tied to these vegetation changes. This study examined the vegetation of savannas ranging in age (date since formation) …

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.

Estimating Nitrogen Credits From Poultry Litter On Silt Loam Soils In Arkansas Using The Nitrogen-Soil Test For Rice: N-Star, Chester Eugene Greub

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important global cereal crops and is grown on a substantial number of hectares in Arkansas each year. Consequently, Arkansas is the leading rice producing state in the United States accounting for almost half of domestic production. The development and release of N-STaR (Nitrogen-Soil Test for Rice) allows producers to predict site-specific N fertilizer needs for rice production in Arkansas, with N-STaR being a predictor of potentially mineralizable-N. Furthermore, poultry production is a thriving commodity in Arkansas, producing a substantial amount of poultry litter (PL) annually. Rice producers are applying PL to …

Primocane-Fruiting Blackberry: Optimum N-Fertilization, Jose Carlos Reynoso Campos

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted in 2011 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to determine the optimum rate and time of nitrogen (N) application for `Prime-Ark® 45' primocane-fruiting (PF) blackberries under high tunnel conditions. There were four N treatments: Control (0), 10, 10-split, and 20 kg*ha-1 (Treatments 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively). In a randomized complete block (RCB) design, the following variables were compared: total and marketable yield, fresh weight of plant above ground, and cane diameter. Total fruit yields for Treatments 2 and 3 (2.5 and 2.5 kg, respectively) were highest and significantly different from the other treatments (p< 0.05). Marketable yield had a similar trend as total fruit yield, although not significantly different. Cane diameter and plant fresh weight were not significantly affected by fertilizer treatments. There were not significant differences in N content in leaves among treatments. Results indicated that either a single or split N application of 10 kgN*ha-1 could result in better yields.

Four …

Monitoring Citrus Nutrition In The Rio Grande Valley For Fertilizer Recommendations, Iram Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Soil fertility and plant nutrition is crucial for a better yield and consistent harvest in the Rio Grande Valley for local farmers growing citrus trees. A field of oranges and a field of grapefruits were monitored and nutrition deficiencies were noticed that played an important role during fruit set. Soil samples that were taken throughout the year were analyzed via a carbon dioxide extraction method that mimics the way plants naturally take up nutrients or extract nutrients from every soil type. Macronutrients such as the N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg and some of the micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Mn, and …

Yield And Quality Of First-Year Corn Silage Following Alfalfa Stand Termination As Affected By Tillage, Herbicide, And Nitrogen Fertilizer, Jason Daniel Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Glyphosate-containing herbicides such as Roundup® are a common and highly effective method to terminate alfalfa stands. With the development of glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready®) alfalfa, this tool is no longer an option. The purpose of this research was to determine the optimal termination methods to use when rotating from glyphosate-resistant alfalfa into silage corn. Studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Cache Junction and Cornish, Utah using five different combinations of tillage type and timing (fall conventional till, spring conventional till, fall strip-till, spring strip-till, and no-till), four 2,4-D plus dicamba herbicide timings (fall, spring, in-crop, and a control), and …

Efficacy Of Rice Insecticide Seed Treatments At Selected Nitrogen Rates For Control Of The Rice Water Weevil, Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus Kuschel, Mallory Elise Everett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Seed-applied insecticides are the standard control method used to prevent rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) injury to rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots, and often results in greater yields than rice that receives no seed-applied insecticide. Yield increases from seed-applied insecticides often occur even when insect pressure is low and should not cause yield loss. The research objective was to evaluate the effect of urea-nitrogen rate and seed-applied insecticide on number of rice water weevil larvae, nitrogen uptake and rice grain yield. Six trials were conducted at the Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) and the Rice Research Extension Center (RREC) …

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 …

Restoring The Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Using Pineywoods Cattle Grazing In Conjunction With Prescribed Burning, L. Tyler Albin

Honors Theses

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is major forest constituent of the Southern Coastal Plains of the United States. Ecologically, a virgin longleaf pine forests supports increased species richness. Since the 1800s, longleaf pine forests have been exploited as a massive source of commercial products (e.g., lumber, pulp, and naval stores). A decrease in species richness has been recorded following this vast decrease in longleaf pine presence. Rebuilding the longleaf pine ecosystem is essential for restoring species richness and maintaining the ecological health of many Costal Plains habitats. Presently, the most popular restoration and management method utilized is prescribed burning. Prescribed …

Plant And Animal Performance In Tall Fescue And Tall Fescue/Legume Pastures, Troy J. Bingham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tall fescue is the one of most common grasses in irrigated pastures throughout the Intermountain West. Two limitations of tall fescue are a decrease in productivity during hot summer months and the need for supplemental nitrogen (N). The objective of this research was to compare tall fescue-alfalfa (TF+ALF), tall fescue-birdsfoot trefoil (TF+BFT), tall fescue-nitrogen fertilizer (TF+N), and tall fescue without nitrogen fertilizer (TF-N) on forage yield, nutritional quality, and livestock performance. Research plots were established at the Utah State University Pasture Research Facility in Lewiston, UT in 2010 and grazed in 2012 and 2013. Treatments were arranged in a randomized …

Stem Development, Seeding Rate, And Establishment Of Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus Corniculatus) For Organic, Grazing-Based Dairies, Sara Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Birdsfoot trefoil (BFT, Lotus corniculatus L.) is a non-bloating, productive forage legume well suited to grazing-based ruminant production. This thesis presents three studies conducted in the Mountain West applicable to organic management and cultivation of BFT. The first is an analysis of lignification in BFT stems that supports recommendations to harvest BFT at approximately 6 weeks of regrowth, or early bloom. Lignification decreases digestibility and is correlated with high shear force required for grazing animals to break BFT stems. The process of stem lignification was observed by harvesting increasingly mature stems; cutting thin sections of the sixth stem internode, which …

Noncanonical Role For The Host Vps4 Aaa+ Atpase Escrt Protein In The Formation Of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus Replicase, Daniel Barajas, Isabel Fernández De Castro Martín, Judit Pogany, Cristina Risco, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Assembling of the membrane-bound viral replicase complexes (VRCs) consisting of viral- and host-encoded proteins is a key step during the replication of positive-stranded RNA viruses in the infected cells. Previous genome-wide screens with Tomato bushy stunt tombusvirus (TBSV) in a yeast model host have revealed the involvement of eleven cellular ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) proteins in viral replication. The ESCRT proteins are involved in endosomal sorting of cellular membrane proteins by forming multiprotein complexes, deforming membranes away from the cytosol and, ultimately, pinching off vesicles into the lumen of the endosomes. In this paper, we show an …

Variation In Sex Allocation And Floral Morphology In An Expanding Distylous Plant Hybrid Complex, Jennifer Rhode Ward, M. Leigh Cowart, Julie Clifford, Mieko Camp, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise of research. Sex allocation, the relative energy devoted to producing pollen, ovules, and floral displays, can significantly affect reproductive output and population dynamics. In this study, we investigated floral morphology and gamete production in bisexual, distylous plants from a self-incompatible hybrid complex (Piriqueta cistoides ssp. caroliniana Walter [Arbo]; Turneraceae). Sampling focused on two parent types (C, V) and their stable hybrid derivative (H). Since H morphotypes are heterotic for growth and fruit production, we hypothesized that they would produce larger flowers with more gametes. We also anticipated that plants with long styles (long morphs) would produce less …

Consequences Of Browsing On Quaking Aspen’S Ability To Cope With Drought, Ivy Chatwin, Dr. Sam St. Clair

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides, is a keystone species in forest ecosystems and is the most widely distributed tree in North America (St. Clair, Guyon, and Donaldson, 2010). Although it covers less than 10% of the forested landscape, aspen contributes disproportionately to water yield and plant and animal diversity (Kaye, Binkley, and Stohlgren, 2005). Severe drought and increased temperature in recent decades have contributed to largescale aspen die‐offs, (Worrall et al. 2007, Anderegg et al. 2012) likely through a process called hydraulic failure. Hydraulic failure occurs under drought conditions when the pressure required to draw water up a tree’s vascular tissue …

Influence Of Ultraviolet Radiation On Cell Wall Constituents In Reduced-Lignin Mutants Of Corn And Sorghum, Brock Bermel

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Brown midrib mutants (BMR) of corn (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) have reduced lignin content and have recently gained popularity in Southern Minnesota as forage material for grazing animals. These mutants have lowered expression of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and caffeic O-methyltransferase enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway responsible for the construction of the cinnamyl alcohol subunits of lignin. Lignin is found in the secondary cell wall of higher plants, along with substantial amounts of cellulose and hemicellulose polysaccharides. Reduced lignin increases livestock digestibility of these plants, but may also increase susceptibility to environmental stress and lodging. …

Acetobixan, An Inhibitor Of Cellulose Synthesis Identified By Microbial Bioprospecting, Ye Xia, Lei Lei, Chad Brabham, Jozsef Stork, James R. Strickland, Adam Ladak, Ying Gu, Ian Wallace, Seth Debolt

Horticulture Faculty Publications

In plants, cellulose biosynthesis is an essential process for anisotropic growth and therefore is an ideal target for inhibition. Based on the documented utility of small-molecule inhibitors to dissect complex cellular processes we identified a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor (CBI), named acetobixan, by bio-prospecting among compounds secreted by endophytic microorganisms. Acetobixan was identified using a drug-gene interaction screen to sift through hundreds of endophytic microbial secretions for one that caused synergistic reduction in root expansion of the leaky AtcesA6prc1-1 mutant. We then mined this microbial secretion for compounds that were differentially abundant compared with Bacilli that failed to mimic CBI action …

Characterization Of Microorganisms From Alfalfa Seeds Inoculants, Benedicte Diatta, Kalianna Kennoy, Silvia Rossbach

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Atmospheric nitrogen fixation can be accomplished by free living microorganisms or by symbiosis between legume plants and rhizobia. The symbiosis between the alfalfa plant and Sinorhizobium meliloti is one example of the symbiotic relationship between legume plants and rhizobia. During the symbiosis, the rhizobia fix nitrogen for the plant and the plant in return provides carbohydrates for the bacteria. In order to maximize the plant’s yield in agriculture, recent technologies used include seed inoculants. Seed inoculation methods rely on coating the seeds with plant-growth promoting bacteria. Besides nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the seeds may also be coated with microorganisms aiding in mineral …

Development, Characterization And Linkage Mapping Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphsim In The Grain Amaranths (Amaranthus Spp.), Scott Smith, Dr. Jeff Maughan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The grain amaranths (Amaranthus sp.) are important pseudo-cereals native to the New World. During the last decade they have garnered increased international attention for their nutritional quality, tolerance to abiotic stress and importance as a symbol of indigenous cultures. Notwithstanding their renewed potential as an emerging alternative crop species, few molecular tools needed for accelerated breeding programs, have been developed. Our research describes the development and characterization of the first 411 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker assays for the species as well as the first complete genetic linkage map of the species.

Stars, Long Fingers, And Signals: A Study On Grass Species Diversity, Density, Frequency, And Veld Analysis At Ndarakwai Wildlife Ranch, Reena Walker, Theresa Schaffner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study was the first step to assessing veld quality and grass species diversity at Ndarakwai Wildlife Ranch in West Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in an effort to better inform management decisions that affect grasses and grazers. Our study was performed from April 5 to April 26, 2014. We utilized compass line quadrat method (n=600) in six sub-populations within three sample frames to achieve non-representative, random data set on richness, diversity, frequency, and density, with metadata from which we extrapolated veld indicators through secondary-source knowledge. Across all sample frames, we found 43 specimens: identified 29 to species, 7 to genus, and left …

A Functional Framework For Improved Management Of Western North American Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx.), Paul C. Rogers, Simon M. Landhausser, Bradley D. Pinno, Ronald J. Ryel

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Quaking or trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests occur in highly diverse setting across North America. However, management of distinct communities has long relied on a single aspen to-conifer successional model. We examine a variety of aspen dominated stand types in the western portion of its range as ecological systems; avoiding an exclusive focus on seral dynamics or single species management. We build a case for a large-scale functional aspen typology based on existing literature. Aspen functional types are defined as aspen communities that differ markedly in their physical and biological processes. The framework presented here describes two “functional types” …

Nebline, April 2014

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Backyard Farmer -- Six Decades of Growing Gardeners and Protecting the Environment

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Special Pullout Section: Weed Awareness

Sexual Dimorphism Of Staminate- And Pistillate-Phase Flowers Of Saponaria Officinalis (Bouncing Bet) Affects Pollinator Behavior And Seed Set, Dana A. Dudle, Leah M. Freestone, Peter Konieczny, Michael B. Tobin, Michael M. Britton

Biology Faculty publications

The sequential separation of male and female function in flowers of dichogamous species allows for the evolution of differing morphologies that maximize fitness through seed siring and seed set. We examined staminate- and pistillate-phase flowers of protandrous Saponaria officinalis for dimorphism in floral traits and their effects on pollinator attraction and seed set. Pistillate-phase flowers have larger petals, greater mass, and are pinker in color, but due to a shape change, pistillate-phase flowers have smaller corolla diameters than staminate-phase flowers. There was no difference in nectar volume or sugar content one day after anthesis, and minimal evidence for UV nectar …

Investigation Of Macrophomina Phaseolina On Soybeans From A Regional Perspective, Zachary Forbes Sexton

Open Access Theses

The fungal pathogen, Macrophomina phaseolina, causes the disease charcoal rot (CR), which greatly impacts soybean production. Host resistance to CR is the primary means of managing this disease, yet resistance in commercial soybean cultivars in Maturity Groups (MG) I-III is currently unknown. Thirty (30) and sixty-seven (67) entries to the 2012 Wisconsin (MG I-II) and Indiana (MG II-III) Soybean Variety Trials, respectively, were evaluated for resistance to CR using a cut-stem assay. Disease was characterized as an area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) based on lesion development and resistance assessed in relation to the resistant check (DT97-4290). In each …

Biochar And Vermicompost Amendments In Vegetable Cropping Systems: Impacts On Soil Quality, Soil-Borne Pathogens And Crop Productivity, Nathan Lee Shoaf

Open Access Theses

Amending soils with biochar and vermicompost has the potential to provide multiple benefits for specialty crops including pathogen suppression and increased crop productivity. Oomycete pathogens such as Phytophthora capsici can devastate crop fields and they are difficult to control presenting significant management challenges for Midwestern growers. Soils amended with a microbially-inoculated softwood biochar increased carrot root growth relative to the control and corn stover biochar in 2011, while the corn stover biochar also increased carrot root growth relative to the control, but only in two varieties. Neither biochar treatment influenced carrot growth in 2012. In greenhouse trials, vermicompost amendments provided …

Quantifying Subsurface Hydrology Effects On Chemical Transport In Agriculture Drainage Ditches Using A 20 Meter Flume, Colton Eugene Yoder

Open Access Theses

Agriculture drainage ditches serve as the veins of the Midwestern agricultural landscapes. The transport of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in these ditches affects both local and downstream ecosystems. Although much research has already been conducted on chemical transport in streams and drainage ditches, as well as through drainage tiles, there has not been sufficient research on the effects of subsurface hydrology on nutrient storage and interactions between the stream water and the hyporheic zone. In this study, a 20-meter flume was filled with ditch sediment from Marshall Ditch at Purdue University's Agronomy Center for Research and Education in West Lafayette, …

Quality Changes In Hermetically Stored Corn Caused By Fungi And Sitophilus Zeamais, Nda-Agyima Addae-Mensah K

Open Access Theses

Hermetic storage has been shown to be effective in controlling insect pests and maintaining grain quality of dry grains at 13% moisture and below. However, the feasibility and use of hermetic storage for grains at intermediate mid-moisture levels under the influence of the sub-Saharan African weather conditions is relatively unknown. Hermetic storage experiments were conducted on grade 1 "6297 and 6333 VT RIB" hybrid corn under controlled temperature conditions at 10 degrees centigrade and 25 degrees centigrade at target approximate moisture content levels of 11, 15, 18 and 21% wet basis for a total storage period of 6 months. Corn …

Sfa Gardens Newsletter, Spring 2014, Sfa Gardens, Stephen F. Austin State University

SFA Gardens Newsletters

No abstract provided.