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Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Austin Jones, Ashley Dowling, Baylie Day

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Nebline, January/February 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2023 Extension Highlights

4-H Programs Engaged 39,421 Youth

Nebraska Extension’s Strategic Direction

Enjoy a Comforting Bowl of Soup in January & Beyond by Kayla Colgrove

Recipe of the Month: Multi-Cooker Tuscan Soup by Kayla Colgrove

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Extension’s 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn & Landscape Update

2024 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Extension Workshop Planned on Managing Farmland and Transition Planning

Water Quality: Nebraska On-Farm Research by John Nelson

House Centipedes by Kait Chapman

Early Childhood Prep Academy: Leaders Today, Learners Tomorrow by Hayley Jackson

Heart …

Trends And Patterns Of Plant Conservation Research In Borneo: A Review, Rizmoon Nurul Zulkarnaen, Sabri Mohd. Ali, Daniele Cicuzza

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Borneo hosts exceptional plant diversity, including numerous endemic species, but faces significant threats from rapid habitat loss driven by deforestation and land-use changes. This study aimed to analyze research trends and forecast future directions through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus data spanning from 1914 to 2023. The bibliometric analysis included publication outputs, citation patterns, thematic mapping, and keyword co-occurrence. We used VOSviewer to visualize bibliometric networks and the Bibliometrix package in R to perform advanced bibliometric analysis and interactive data exploration. The analysis revealed a continuous rise in publications (998 documents), with the Journal of Ecology identified as the most …

Integrating Vegetables In Push-Pull Technology: Gendered Preferences Of Smallholder Farmers In Western Kenya, F. O. Ouya, J. O. Pittchar, F. Chidawanyika, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Transformative rural smallholder agriculture addressing biophysical constraints requires farmer-led innovations for increased technology adoption. Following the need to further intensify the cereal push-pull technology (PPT) for pest and weed control through integration with vegetables, we conducted surveys to determine suitable vegetables across three different counties in Kenya namely Homabay, Siaya, and Trans-Nzoia. Farming in these areas is predominantly maize based and introducing vegetables to the system will improve household food and nutritional security, together with income. A systematic random sampling method was used to sample a total of 124 smallholder farmers who were interviewed during field days where farmer awareness …

Induced Thermotolerance In Metarhizium Spp. Using Gamma Irradiation And Mass Spore Production Using Various Substrates To Control Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata Lugens (Stål), Suleiman Abba Muazu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a major rice pest in Southeast Asia and is developing increased resistance to chemical insecticides. Fungi from the genus Metarhizium offers a promising alternative for biological control, but their efficacy is constrained by slow infectivity and environmental sensitivity. In this study, two Metarhizium isolates, MLUBN038 and MNMHN031, were identified as M. koreanum by multilocus phylogenetic analysis. Improving thermotolerance of the fungus using gamma irradiation generated 79 thermotolerant mutants. Among them, ML038-Mt 71 and MN031-Mt 46 showed improved vegetative heat tolerance at 39 °C and conidial resistance at 45 °C, along with enhanced …

Turtlegrass (Thalassia Testudinum) Undergoes A Coordinated Hypersensitive Response When Challenged With Pathogenic Labyrinthula Sp., Ava Vasile Larson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infection of the subtropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König by pathogenic Labyrinthula sp. was found to induce lesion progression, alterations to the host’s oxidative metabolism, and production of defense metabolites over the early stages of infection (monitored over a 72-hr time course). By 48-hrs post-infection, host oxygen consumption, internal reactive oxygen concentrations, and caspase-3 proteolytic activity reached their highest levels. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) were detected in T. testudinum lesions by use of redox-sensitive probes/substrates and fluorescent imaging. To our knowledge, this work represents the first time NO has been detected in …

Letter From The Dean, Jeff Edwards

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 25 2024, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Dietary Flavonoids On Growth In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Vivian Rivera

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Plant foods contain a diversity of biologically active compounds called phytochemicals, produced by plant species as secondary metabolites. A phytochemical group known as flavonoids has received much scientific attention in recent times with respect to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory roles. This investigation examined how quercetin and naringenin, the most common dietary flavonoids, affect growth potential of yeast under optimal and stress conditions (temperature, glucose, and oxidative stress). Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, a dose dependency effect of quercetin and naringenin was observed under optimal conditions when liquid cultures were treated with three different concentrations (75 μM, 150 μM, and …

Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Seed-transmissible epichloid fungal endophytes are best known for their roles as defensive mutualists in cool-season grasses. Historically, the discovery of fungal endophytes was driven by investigations of plant toxicity to livestock, followed by extensive study of their alkaloids and protection against insects and nematodes. Epichloae can produce four classes of alkaloids: ergot alkaloids, lolines (saturated aminopyrrolizidines), indole–diterpenes, and peramine. It is increasingly evident that these hereditary symbionts have much more diverse chemical profiles both in individual populations and between them. To this end, differences in chemotypic profiles of these symbionts may translate to different evolutionary and environmental advantages across plant …

Quantitative Trait Loci Influencing Elemental Content In Grapevine Leaves, Jesse L. Krokower

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In grapevine, the influence of the plant’s elemental composition (the ionome) on fruit and wine quality is well established, but its genetic underpinnings have received limited scientific attention. In this study, I analyzed the leaf ionome of 131 interspecific F1 hybrid progeny plants from a cross between a Vitis rupestris Scheele (♀) and a Vitis riparia Michx (♂) parents, which were replicated in four different environments: Southwest Missouri, Central Missouri, South Dakota, and New York. I sampled leaves at three different times during the growing season at all four locations and had the concentration of 20 elements measured using ICP-MS. …

Role Of Ph And Plant Age On The Selection Of Rhizobial Endophytes In Soybean Root Nodules, Cole Alexander Roman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Soybeans form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules to acquire most of their nitrogen requirement; nitrogen is often one of the limiting nutrients in the soil. Members of the Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Rhizobium genera can nodulate soybeans. Bradyrhizobium is preferentially selected over other types of rhizobia in varying environmental conditions and is often found in acidic soils. Sinorhizobium is often identified in the root nodules of soybeans in neutral and alkaline soil. So far, the potential role of soil pH on the selection of rhizobial endophytes with soybean root nodules is unknown. Likewise, …

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Research Report: Radicchio Cultivar Performance In New Hampshire, Rebecca G. Sideman, Ella Lukacz, Lilly Hartman

Faculty Publications

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. latifolium) is grown widely throughout Europe, especially northern Italy. In addition to having interesting color and flavor profiles, they are rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. While increasingly popular as a niche vegetable in the region, there is little research-based information to guide growers. The New England growing climate is very different from that of major production regions, and it presents unique challenges. There is tremendous phenotypic variation among and within groups and cultivars. The availability of varieties to commercial growers in the U.S. has expanded greatly, but there remains a need for reliable …

Natural And Artificial Selection Of Multiple Alleles Revealed Through Genomic Analyses, Jana Biová, Ivana Kaňovská, Yen On Chan, Manish Sridhar Immadi, Trupti Joshi, Kristin Bilyeu, Mária Škrabišová

Biomedical Sciences

Genome-to-phenome research in agriculture aims to improve crops through in silico predictions. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is potent in identifying genomic loci that underlie important traits. As a statistical method, increasing the sample quantity, data quality, or diversity of the GWAS dataset positively impacts GWAS power. For more precise breeding, concrete candidate genes with exact functional variants must be discovered. Many post-GWAS methods have been developed to narrow down the associated genomic regions and, ideally, to predict candidate genes and causative mutations (CMs). Historical natural selection and breeding-related artificial selection both act to change the frequencies of different alleles of …

Response Of Helenium Amarum To Environmental Stressors In The Presence Of Mycorrhizal Fungi And Its Role As A Pollinator Resource, Austin Jameson, Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Globally, climate change is causing shifts in precipitation patterns. Shifting precipitation patterns can be a stressor for many species. One species that is experiencing such stress is Helenium amarum Raf (H. Rock). H. amarum, thrives in dry upland pastures and low-lying grassy and sandy habitat in the mid-Atlantic (USA), where it persists despite storm-driven standing water. Helenium amarum is a species that is toxic to livestock and has been found outside its native range. Temperature and light impacts on germination are already known, but the role of water availability and potential ameliorating effects of mycorrhizae during water stress have …

Investigating Changing Macronutrient Dynamics At A Plant, Microbe And Plant-Microbe Interactions Scale, Emel Kangi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nutrient limitation drives forest ecosystem processes by altering net primary production, belowground (C) investments, and microbial activity. As such, the availability of essential macronutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), can severely impact plant growth, microbial decomposition, and the strength of plant-microbial interactions. However, our understanding of plant and microbe responses to changing nutrient availability, and the extent to which nutrient availability affects plant-microbe interactions, remains somewhat limited. Therefore, in this dissertation, I aimed to investigate nutrient limitation on a plant, microbe, and plant-microbe interaction level. First, to connect the phenotypic responses of nutrient-limited plants to key molecular mechanisms, …

Pioneering Plant Metabolomic Library Of Indonesian Plants For Research, Conservation, Capacity Building And Economic Development, Isabel Armas, Ernawati Sinaga, Nonon Saribanon, Noverita, Alvira Noer Effendi, Chairil Rohadi, Hanifa Nur Adilah, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Ilya Raskin

Publications and Research

Indonesia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, is undergoing mass deforestation, exacerbating climate change and leading to accelerated loss of species. This project addressed the urgent need to conserve endangered Indonesian biodiversity. Specifically, the potentially life-saving bioactive compounds harbored within its plants. A group of Indonesian researchers from Universitas Nasional (UNAS) in Jakarta received training in RApid Metabolome Extraction and Storage (RAMES) technology, an ethical, low-impact, field-deployable and cost-effective methodology developed by Rutgers University. The team of Indonesian scientists used this technology to create the first metabolomic library of Indonesian plant species and an easily transportable collection containing 501 …

Various Surfactant Soil Conditioner Effect On Plant Nutrient Concentration, Soil Nutrient Depletion, Soil Volumetric Water Content, Plant Biomass And Yield In Corn, Timothy Veldkamp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil conditioners help improve soil structure by increasing aeration, water infiltration and water holding capacity leading to nutrient availability and reduced irrigation needs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of multiple soil conditioners (SC1, SC2, SC3, SC4, and SC5) on corn (Zea mays L.) and their ability to reduce irrigation by 30%. This was evaluated in the field in 2022 and 2023 by Aurora, SD using a Randomized Complete Block Design with six replications. Conditioners were applied as broadcast pre-emergence treatments with 70% irrigation. Control treatments of 70% and 100% irrigation, respectively were included. SC1 application …

Impacts Of Starter Fertilizer On Corn Development, Nutrient Uptake And Grain Yield In Eastern South Dakota, Larousse Dorissant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cold and wet spring conditions during planting in the Northern Corn Belt can limit nutrient mobility, especially phosphorus (P) due to reduced mineralization. This often triggers the use of starter fertilizers to enhance nutrient availability within the root zone, and as a result improve nutrient uptake and the overall plant growth. Albeit research has shown that starter fertilizer applications can significantly boost corn grain yield potential, the most substantial yield responses from starter fertilization are typically observed in fields where soil test P levels fall below the critical soil test P threshold. This dissertation explores i) the effects of starter …

Genetic Diversity Of Paxistima Canbyi A. Gray: Conserving A Rare Plant Species Endemic To The Eastern United States, Isaac Buabeng

Master’s Theses

Premise: The glacial cycles of the Pleistocene period likely had a profound impact on the genetic diversity and phylogeographic patterns of numerous plant taxa in North America. However, the genetic diversity of rare, limestone-endemic woody species has not been highlighted. This study assesses genetic diversity in Paxistima canbyi A. Gray (Canby’s mountain lover or rat stripper), a rare limestone endemic small woody plant.

Methods: We investigated the genetic diversity of P. canbyi using genomic Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data from 165 individuals from 14 populations sampled from across the entire range distribution. We first; de novo assembled the SNP …

Understanding The Role Of Early-Stage Seed Development On Final Seed Weight By Linking Seed Physiology, Transcriptomics, And Environments In Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.), Ashwini Shivakumar

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soybeans, which are widely grown in the United States, are used as food, animal feed, and industrial oil. The rise in plant-based diets highlights the high protein content and versatility of soybean. Understanding seed development is crucial for increasing yield. Soybean seed development includes three phases: lag, seed-filling, and maturation. Post-fertilization, the seed undergoes cell division in the lag phase, forming the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo absorbs the endosperm and develops into two cotyledons. During the seed-filling phase, cotyledon cells accumulate starch, proteins, and lipids. During maturation, seeds dry out and become quiescent. Studies indicate that the …

The Relationship Between Soil Test Phosphorus And Soil Biology - A Natural Management Of Soil Phosphorus Through Conservation Practices, Clarence Frederick Winter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) management is an ongoing challenge in modern agriculture. Due to the importance of P in agriculture, P fertilizer additions are made throughout the U.S. to avoid nutrient-depleted soil. However, the application of P is problematic, as an excess of P in an agricultural system elevates the risk of environmental degradation, and current synthetic P sources are a fleeting resource. Additionally, a majority of P found in agricultural soils are insoluble, in the form of secondary and primary P minerals, making this large pool of P unavailable to plants. Fortunately, soil fungi organisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) …

Ecophysiology Of Bradyrhizobium Diazoefficiens Usda 110, Armaan Kaur Sandhu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing demand for soybean, maximizing plant yield is important yiel is dependent on nitrogen availability, but nitrogen fertilizers can meet the plant's needs but have severe environmental impacts. An economically and environmentally sustainable approach is to enhance nitrogen availability through Biological Nitrogen Fixation by symbiotic rhizobia, Bradyrhizobium, an efficient nitrogen fixer for soybean. This symbiosis begins with attachment of rhizobia to legume roots. Root and rhizobia surface properties play a significant role in this attachment. Another major factor affecting root colonization is bacterial competition ability. There is a lack of knowledge on the role of bacterial surface properties, competition …

Regulatory Landscapes: Transcriptome And Microrna Regulated Senescence And Dormancy In Grapevines And Gene Regulatory Networks In Nitrogen-Fixing Soybean Nodules, Ramandeep Kaur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grapevine and soybean are two economically important crops, each with unique yet equally crucial physiological processes that profoundly influence their growth and productivity. Grapevine (Vitis sp.), a temperate fruit crop, employs dormancy to withstand winter challenges and can grow in various regions worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in dormancy in Vitis species, is crucial for improving grapevine selection for resilience in northern temperate regions. Dormancy induction is modulated by decreasing photoperiods in some Vitis species, enhancing their ability to prepare for winter stress conditions. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of response to photoperiod will provide potential markers for selecting genotypes …

Examining The Effects Of Artemisia Annua On Neuro2a Cells, Wesley Lim

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Artemisia annua L. is a well-known medicinal herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many centuries and contains artemisinin, which exhibits antimalarial properties [1] and is a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 [2]. However, the neurological effect of A. annua and its compounds are poorly understood. We hypothesize that A. annua extracts and artemisinin will provide protection against oxidative stress in mouse neuronal Neuro2A cells. Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is an anti-oxidant enzyme that protects against oxidative damage [3]. Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45 alpha (Gadd45a) is involved in DNA repair and is a common biomarker for DNA damage[4]. SOD1 …

Adding Value To Crop Production Systems By Integrating Forage Cover Crop Grazing, Robert B. Mitchell, Daren D. Redfearn, Kenneth P. Vogel, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen Erickson, P. Steven Baenziger, Bruce E. Anderson, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jay Parsons, Steven D. Masterson, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In addition to their value as cereal grains, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) are important cool-season annual forages and cover crops. Yearling steer (Bos taurus) performance was compared in the spring following autumn establishment as for age cover crops after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grain harvest. Replicated pastures (0.4 ha) were no-till seeded in three consecutive years into soybean stubble in autumn, fertilized, and grazed the following spring near Ithaca, Nebraska, USA. Each pasture (n = 3) was continuously stocked in spring with four yearling steers (380 ± 38 kg) for …

The Effects Of Potassium Fertilization Regime On High Tunnel Tomato Production, Sapana Pandey

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

A two-year field experiment (2022-2023) was conducted at the University of Kentucky Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, KY to study the effects of potassium (K2O) fertilization rates on tomato yield and ripening disorders in determinate and indeterminate varieties (‘BHN-589’ and ‘Big Beef’, respectively). In the first year, K2O rates representing the soil test result-based commercial recommendation (0 lbs/acre) and sequentially greater rates (150, 300, and 450 lbs K2O/acre) were applied. In the second year, K2O rates were increased based on lack of fruit quality response and were 0, 300, 600, and 900 lbs K2O/acre. Leaf tissue nutrients, tomato yield, and …

Surveys, Field Studies, And Laboratory Incubation Experiments To Improve Alfalfa Production In The Mid-South, William Fleming

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The objective of the alfalfa survey was to determine the role of soil fertility in the alfalfa yield plateau. Soil samples at depths of 10, 15, and 30 cm and tissue samples were collected from 114 alfalfa stands across Kentucky and surrounding states. Results indicate that soil fertility is likely contributing but not driving the alfalfa yield plateau. The main objective of the polyhalite incubation study is to determine if POLY4 was soluble enough to support potassium (K) and sulfur (S) for plant growth. The design of the study included four fertilizer treatments, three soil types, and four incubation times. …

Identifying Physiological, Morphological, And Genetic Drivers Of Key Intermediary Phenotypic Traits Associated With Stalk Lodging Resistance Within Genetically Diverse Maize Germplasm And Sorghum, Norbert Bokros

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Maize stalk lodging reduces grain yields due to the permanent breakage or deformation of stalk tissue before grain harvest. To reveal new insights into the complex problem of maize stalk lodging, this dissertation will examine three primary objectives. First, the direct, diurnal influence of turgor pressure will be shown to have only marginal effects on stalk bending strength, a key trait associated with stalk lodging resistance. Up to a dozen individual stalks, grown to physiological maturity within the same field, were tested using a DARLING testing device. In parallel, stalk turgor status as measured by leaf water potential and turgor …