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Soil Resources Of The Ancient Maya In The Petexbatún Region Of Guatemala, Delineated By Soil Properties And Stable Isotopes, David R. Wright, Dr. Richard E. Terry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Maya culture of Mesoamerica has always been shrouded in mystery, much of which surrounds its tremendous rise and (yet) unexplained fall. The Maya managed to sustain enormous populations in an environmentally fragile setting. Like all cultures throughout history, the Maya culture prospered from the soils beneath it. Despite extensive excavation and investigation of Maya sites, relatively little is understood of the agricultural methods that led to such successful subsistence. Understanding is deficient because cultivated areas tend to leave few visible remains besides an occasional terrace or canal, and also because traditionally most investigative efforts have focused on elite structures …

Can We Graze 300+ Days?, Glen Aiken

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Dependence on stored feeds during the winter months has been necessary in order to maintain body condition and meet nutrient requirements of cattle herds; unfortunately, cost of stored feeds typically are a major part of the farm budget. We know, all too well, that hay shortages and unstable feed ingredient markets have reduced profit potential in cattle production. This has further placed higher demands on supplies of co-product feeds to cause prices of these alternative feeds to rise and make them less cost effective. There will likely be less reliance on concentrate and co-product feeds as the forage-based livestock industry …

Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The horse evolved as a grazing animal. In order to consume enough forage to meet the horses’ nutritional needs a significant amount of time would be spent each day grazing. The pattern of selecting forage-moving to the next area starting to graze again can easily translate into 14 to 16 hours of grazing activity each day. The level of grazing activity will also be affected by the available forage and the daily access to pasture.

Pastures For Goats And Sheep, Greg Brann

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pasture for sheep is not that different than that for cattle but pasture for goats is very different. Sheep are grazers like cattle whereas goats are browsers like deer. Even though grass and clover are not a goats preference if all of the forage present is grass and clover goats will eat it. Due to goats and sheep being more prey animals than cattle they don’t like to wade off into tall vegetation, also it takes more energy for them to move through tall growth. Many plants that we traditionally consider weeds become desirable forbs when goats or sheep are …

Role Of Legumes In Pastures, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Successful livestock production is dependent on forage programs which supply large quantities of adequate quality, homegrown feed. A major percentage of the feed units for beef (83%) and dairy (61%) cattle come from forages. In addition, forages supply an estimated 91%, 72%, 15% and 99% of the nutrients consumed by sheep and goats, horses, swine and ruminant wildlife, respectively.

Discovering Ancient Human Activities In Rural Maya Settlements: Soil Chemical Analysis Of Ruins In Yucatán, México, Carmen Lopez, Dr. Richard E. Terry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For many decades, scientists have been amazed by the magnificence of the Ancient Maya culture. Mayapan is a Postclassic (900-1500 A.D.) Maya city in the Yucatán Península that covers an area of 4 square km. It was the capital of the Postclassic Maya kingdom and it represents one of most significant sites for archaeologists. The tropical environment limits preservation of many of ancient structures and artifacts. Another important Maya city was found in the corn fields and pasture lands of Chunchucmil. The archaeological surveys of the area have yet to find the outside edge of the ancient city. Chunchucmil is …

Finding A Sex-Linked Marker In Ostriches Using Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna (Rapd) Techniques For Gender Determination, Chris Shaw, Dr. Robert Park

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent years, ostriches have been used more frequently by ranches to fill the market demand for low fat meat, exotic leather and different oils for lubrication. As the numbers of ostriches have increased, the demand for a reliable way to determine the gender of young ostriches has risen as well. The problem with sexing comes from the fact that the cloacas of young ostriches don’t develop until they are nearly six months old. Without the developed cloaca, it is impossible to differentiate the males birds from the females. Often, the birds are sold as breeding pairs when they are …

Snp Discovery In Quinoa, Nathan Coles, Dr. Craig E. Coleman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd) is an allotetraploid plant species native to the Andean highland regions from Colombia to Argentina. Quinoa has traditionally been and still is an important staple grain of various Andean communities, especially those in the rural and impoverished regions of Peru and Bolivia. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein and vitamins to these communities, specifically because the highland Andes are not well-suited for the cultivation or production of temperate crops or large livestock. Additionally, quinoa is a gluten-free grain and can be used as a wheat alternative for those with celiacs disease. Quinoa has been embraced …

Impact Of Mid-Successional Dominant Species On The Diversity And Progress Of Succession In Regenerating Temperate Grasslands, Sandor Bartha, Szilard Szentes, Andras Horvath, Judit Hazi, Zita Zimmerman, Csaba Molnar, Istvan Dancza, Katalin Margoczi, Robert Pal, Dragica Purger, David Schmidt, Miklos Ovari, Cecelia Komoly, Zsuszanna Sutyinszki, Gabor Szabo, Andras Istvan Csatho, Melinda Juhasz, Karoly Penksza, Zsolt Molnar

Biological Sciences

(i) Which species dominate mid-successional old-fields in Hungary? How does the identity of these species relate to local (patch-scale) diversity and to the progress of succession? (ii) Which species have the strongest negative impact on diversity in spontaneous old-field succession and what generalizations are possible about traits of these species? (iii) Are these species dominant or subordinate components in mature target communities? (iv) Do native or alien species have stronger effects on the diversity and progress of succession?

Life History Comparison Of Two Green Lacewing Species Chrysoperla Johnsoni And Chrysoperla Carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Kaushalya G. Amarasekare, Peter W. Shearer

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

We investigated the life histories of two green lacewing species, Chrysoperla johnsoni Henry, Wells, and Pupedis from western North America, and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from western Europe in the laboratory. There were both similarities and differences in their life history characteristics. C. johnsoni exhibited a significantly longer developmental time for egg, first instar, and pupal stage than C. carnea. C. carnea exhibited a significantly shorter egg to adult developmental time than C. johnsoni. Except for the pupal stage, the survival of all other life history stages was not species-specific. All C. carnea pupae were able to develop …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2011, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the eighth in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. (MIG), the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2011. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) to value added, employment, and labor income was estimated using the Impact Analysis for Planning System (IMPLAN). The economic contributions of agricultural production and processing …

Observation-Based Algorithm Development For Subsurface Hydrology In Northern Temperate Wetlands, Chun-Mei Chiu

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigates wetland subsurface hydrology, as well as biogeochemistry - which is strongly influenced by water and temperature dynamics - as these interactions are expected to be highly significant, yet remain poorly represented in current ecosystem and climate models.

Northern wetlands have received widespread public attention due to steadily increasing summer mean global temperatures, extreme precipitation events and higher rates of natural greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the significant impacts on them due to human activities. The goal of my graduate research has been to improve quantification of the role of subsurface hydrology in northern wetlands by using …

Growing South Dakota (Fall 2013), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Crop Watchers: Plant Science Department Research Efforts Strive To Enhance Farming Practices
[Page] 5 Profiles In Leadership: David Wright; Collegiate Leadership Matters
[Page] 6 Fall Collegiate News
[Page] 8 Opportunities To Explore: College’s Summer Camps Help Spark Career Interests
[Page] 10 Collaborative Campaign: Sales Of Cull Cows Helping Fund New SDSU Cow-Calf Facility
[Page] 12 Notable
[Page] 13 A Message From The SDSU Foundation

Nebline, October 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Volunteering for 4-H is Rewarding and Fun, While Benefiting Youth

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Functional Characterization Of Metallothioneins In Arabidopsis And Barley, Nimnara Yookongkaew

Open Access Dissertations

Metalothioneins (MTs) are metal binding proteins that can bind metals such as Cu, Zn, and Cd but the functions of MTs in plants are largely unknown. To understand the function of MTs in Arabidopsis, T-DNA insertion mutants lacking 4 MT genes including MT1a, MT2a, MT2b and MT3 were developed. The quadruple mutant (mt1a/mt2a/mt2b/mt3) showed no visible phenotype under standard growth conditions. However, it accumulated higher Cu in leaves compared to wild type but lower Cu in seeds. Further analysis showed that triple mutants lacking both MT1a and MT2b, which are highly expressed in vascular tissues, had similar …

Forage News [2013-10], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• 14th Kentucky Grazing Conference - October 10
• Kentuckians attend IGC
• Clayton Geralds elected to National Hay Association Board
• NAFA's 2013 Alfalfa Intensive Training Seminar (AITS) - Register Today!
• Prussic Acid Poisoning and Frost
• AFGC to meet in Memphis
• New Research Leader, Forage-Animal Production Research Unit, Lexington, Kentucky Announced
• NRCS Technical Service Provider Program
• Historic Agricultural Data Now Online
• Mobile App Translates Per-Bale to Per-Ton Price

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring In Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2013 Annual Report, Isabel Ashton, Michael Prowatzke

United States National Park Service: Publications

Introduction

During the last century, much of the prairie within the Northern Great Plains has been plowed for cropland, planted with non-natives to maximize livestock production, or otherwise developed, making it one of the most threatened ecosystems in the United States. Within Nebraska, greater than 77% of the area of native mixed grass prairie has been lost since European settlement (Samson and Knopf 1994). The National Park Service (NPS) plays an important role in preserving and restoring some of the last pieces of intact prairies within its boundaries. The stewardship goal of the NPS is to “preserve ecological integrity and …

Wildflowers & Other Herbaceous Plants Of Utah Rangelands, Mindy Pratt, Chad Reid, Roger Banner, James Bowns

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Soil Microorganisms In The Resistance Of Giant Ragweed, Horseweed, And Common Lambsquarters To Glyphosate, Jessica Renee Schafer-Bugg

Open Access Dissertations

Continuous glyphosate use has contributed to an increasing number of problematic glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds. The mechanism of resistance in many GR weeds is poorly understood, in part, due to a poor understanding of how exactly glyphosate kills a plant. In previous research, the efficacy of glyphosate was demonstrated to be strongly influenced by root invading soil-borne microorganisms. However, this interaction among plants, glyphosate, and soil microorganisms has only been studied in a number of crop plants, but not in weed species. This is surprising since the soil biotic environment has a strong impact on the activity of this important herbicide. …

Ozonation Systems As A Non-Chemical Alternative For Stored Grain Protection, Carlos A. Campabadal

Open Access Dissertations

The use of ozone as a non-chemical alternative in stored grain protection was studied by conducting scale-up demonstrations using a fixed bed ozonation system and developing a semi-continuous counterflow and a continuous flow ozonation treatment system. The objectives of this research were to determine the efficacy of ozonation to control insect pests without affecting end-use quality; to prove the concept of the semi-continuous counterflow ozonation system to ozonate grain at a faster rate and quantify its effect on mold growth reduction; to evaluate the efficacy of a modified screw conveyor for pest control by treating grain in a continuous-flow ozonation …

Construction Of A Sonchus Yellow Net Virus Minireplicon: A Step Toward Reverse Genetic Analysis Of Plant Negative-Strand Rna Viruses, Uma Ganesan, Jennifer N. Bragg, Min Deng, Sharon Marr, Mi Yeon Lee, Shasha Qian, Manling Shi, Justin Kappel, Cole Peters, Yeon Lee, Michael M. Goodin, Ralf G. Dietzgen, Zhenghe Li, Andrew O. Jackson

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Reverse genetic analyses of negative-strand RNA (NSR) viruses have provided enormous advances in our understanding of animal viruses over the past 20 years, but technical difficulties have hampered application to plant NSR viruses. To develop a reverse genetic approach for analysis of plant NSR viruses, we have engineered Sonchus yellow net nucleorhabdovirus (SYNV) minireplicon (MR) reporter cassettes for Agrobacterium tumefaciens expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Fluorescent reporter genes substituted for the SYNV N and P protein open reading frames (ORFs) exhibited intense single-cell foci throughout regions of infiltrated leaves expressing the SYNV MR derivatives and the SYNV nucleocapsid (N), phosphoprotein …

Redbud Seedpods Hold Surprises, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

As fall advances across the Old Dominion, canopies of redbud, the 2013 VNPS Wildflower of the Year, transform themselves from green to gold, revealing seed pods also changing color from pale green to dark chocolaty brown. These seedpods, which may be retained on the tree into winter, are typical legume fruits, the product of the flower’s simple pistil, each containing several seeds. Unlike most legumes, however, redbud seed pods seem disinclined to open and release individual seeds for dispersal. Redbud fruits tend to disperse intact. Once on the ground, the inevitable action of weather and microbes gradually degrades the pod, …

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter, Autumn 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

-- New Roles at the Tallgrass Prairie Center
-- UNI Roadside Program Takes Storm Lake by Storm: 27th Annual Roadside Conference Marks "A Watershed Year"
-- Volunteer Tree Control
-- To what forb does this seed pod belong?
-- Milkweeds for Monarchs and Other Native Pollinators
-- Featured Student Employees/Interns

Rates Of Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Turnover In Fin Tissues Of Gambusia Affinis, Michael Bingham, Dr. Jeff Bullock

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The principle objectives of this research analysis were to determine the uptake and turnover rates of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in fish and to establish if this isotope verification procedure is possible by testing tissue samples of their fins. This investigation is separated into two main experiments: first, the stable isotope incorporation in the new growth of fin tissue, and second, the rate of stable isotope turnover in the old growth of fin tissue. Both experiments of this study were done with Gambusia affinis, a species of fish better know as mosquito fish.

Identification Of Resistance Gene Analogs In Chenopodium Quinoa, Maria C. Sederberg, Dr. P. Jeff Maughan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Chenopodium quinoa is an important but under researched crop and is the main source of sustenance for subsistence farmers in the Andes Mountains. The resources needed to bring quinoa up to par with well-researched and well-utilized crops, such as maize and wheat are severely lacking in its area of domestication; the ability to study and map its genome would greatly enhance its yield and durability, contributing significantly to quality of life for the people of the Andes. One of the gaps in our knowledge of the quinoa genome is our understanding of its pathogen immunity, or resistance; this is the …

Endophyte And Turf Grass Study, Alan H. Chambers, Dr. Brad Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Endophytic fungi live within the interstitial spaces of various grasses provide symbiotic benefit to their hosts. These endophytes produce various alkaloids and secondary metabolites that offer pest and drought resistance, and/or may cause livestock toxicity. This project was aimed at investigating the differences in the isolated endophyte DNA by AFLP analysis.

Analysis Of The Seed Storage Proteins Of Pearl Millet, Christian Ricks, Dr. Craig Coleman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over half of the protein consumed worldwide comes from seeds. Of these harvested crops, the cereal crops such as corn, wheat, and rice are the most important with over 2 billion tons harvested annually. Although the world relies on these cereals, they are low in protein content, and some important species like maize lack essential amino acids. For many years researchers have studied the seed storage proteins of these plants to better understand the synthesis and structures of these proteins which have such a huge impact on the nutritional and processing properties of these crops.

The Maya Defensive Earthworks And Agricultural Land Use Of Tikal, Ryan Sweetwood, Dr. Richard Terry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Concurrent with the settlement surveys and excavations, Soil scientist from Brigham Young University and from Guatemala examined 62 soil profiles and collected soil samples for analysis at the Brigham Young University soil and plant analysis laboratory. The samples are currently being characterized for physical and chemical properties at the laboratory. Stable carbon isotopes will be analyzed to investigate the extent of ancient maize agriculture in the areas inside and outside the earthwork, using methods recently applied in several parts of the Maya Lowlands (Jensen 2003; Jensen et al. nd; Webb et al., nd; Webb, Henry, and Healy 2004). The soil …

Overcoming Anthropogenic Impediments Of Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep Populations In North-Central Utah, Loren Chase

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were historically abundant in many places in Utah, however, when the area was settled, humans brought with them many causes for bighorn extermination. Unregulated hunting, competition for resources by livestock, reduced water availability, reduce range quantity, home range encroachment, and the lungworm/pneumonia complex are all major reasons as to why the bighorns are threatened in the western states (Enk 2001, Karpowitz and Stewart 2000, Smith et al. 1988, Smith and Flinders 1992). The first two problems were handled at the socio-political level, by managing people rather than wildlife. However water scarcity persists, urban sprawl continues to …

Investigation Of Plant Species And Environments For Large Scale Buildings, Michelle Chandler, Dr. Brad Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As I began working on my project, I was also asked to work as the lead student coordinator for a national conference that was to be held at Brigham Young University. In discussions with Dr. Brad Geary, Dr. Phil Allen and Greg Jolley it was decided that since my original thesis could no longer be studied we changed the focus of my ORCA grant to focus on PLANET Student Career Days conference that was to be held at BYU. This conference was to be held March 2006. The new thesis focused on the coordination, planning, and management of 54 teams …