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Learning From Data: Plant Breeding Applications Of Machine Learning, Alencar Xavier

Open Access Dissertations

Increasingly, new sources of data are being incorporated into plant breeding pipelines. Enormous amounts of data from field phenomics and genotyping technologies places data mining and analysis into a completely different level that is challenging from practical and theoretical standpoints. Intelligent decision-making relies on our capability of extracting from data useful information that may help us to achieve our goals more efficiently. Many plant breeders, agronomists and geneticists perform analyses without knowing relevant underlying assumptions, strengths or pitfalls of the employed methods. The study endeavors to assess statistical learning properties and plant breeding applications of supervised and unsupervised machine learning …

Physiological Bases And A Novel Genetic Determinant Of Water-Use Efficiency (Wue), Jie Yin

Open Access Dissertations

Water-use efficiency (WUE), the ratio of biomass to water loss, is a heritable but complex trait, the genetic basis of which is largely unknown. We utilized diverse accessions of the halophyte Eutrema salsugineum to ultimately identify a novel genetic determinant of WUE. E. salsugineum accessions from locations with low water availability, temperature, and radiation have lower transpirational water loss and greater biomass, resulting in higher WUE. High-WUE accessions also have lower stomatal density and index and larger thinner leaves than low-WUE accessions. We identified 14,808 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between two accessions of E. salsugineum,Shandong (SH) and Yukon (YK), …

Nebline, August 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Clover College 20th Anniversary — Grows From 8 to 58 Workshops

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Special pullout section: Lancaster County Super Fair 2016 Schedule & Map

Do Novel Weapons That Degrade Mycorrhizal Mutualisms Explain Invasive Species Success?, Philip L. Pinzone Mr.

Biology Theses

Invasive plants often dominate novel habitats where they did not co-evolve with local species. Several hypotheses suggest mechanisms that explain increased exotic plant success, including 'novel weapons' and 'degraded mutualisms'. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) are widespread plant invaders in North America that can dominate ecosystems. The goal of this study is to test whether these impacts are more consistent with novel weapons or degraded mutualism hypotheses. I examine tree seedling recruitment, (germination and initial survival) growth, (biomass) and mycorrhizal invasion (AMF content) as a function of F. japonica and R. cathartica …

A Review On The Invasion Ecology Of Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii, Caprifoliaceae), A Case Study Of Ecological Impacts At Multiple Scales, Rachel E. Mcneish, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasive species are of global importance because of their impacts on ecological communities, habitat structure, native community dynamics, and ecosystem processes and function. Scientists and conservation managers are increasingly focusing on the biological impacts of invasive species and on devising management practices that emphasize the health of ecosystems based on measured biological processes. Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder) is a highly successful invasive shrub in forests of eastern North America. The scientific literature surrounding this species has grown in the past several decades as researchers have investigated L. maackii impacts across multiple ecological scales. In this review we …

Morphological And Molecular Identification And Characterization Of Dry Bean Fungal Root Rot Pathogens In Zambia, Chikoti Mukuma

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

Dry bean is among the most important food legume crops for direct human consumption in Latin America and Africa. Recently, root and crown rot (RCR) has emerged as an important production constraint. Root and crown rot often involve fungal complexes. Thus, the straw, detached leaf, cup and stem tests were compared on their ability to detect the most common pathogens reported to be associated with RCR: Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani and Macrophomina phaseolina.Significant differences (P

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and classical fungal culturing methods were compared in identification of …

Effect Of Dung Beetles On Dung Decomposition And Nutrient Cycling In A Nebraska Rangeland, Kenneth Shay Evans

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

Management practice can have impacts on the abundance and frequency of dung beetle populations and nutrient cycling in grazing systems. Also, agriculture and livestock production land use is a considerable source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are known to be one of the causes of global climate change. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dung beetle presence on the fluxes of greenhouse gasses (GHG’s) from dung pats in the semi-arid Sandhills region of Nebraska, by using closed chambers to measure the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N …

B. R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2015, R. J. Norman, K.A. K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone-Dependent Glucose Dehydrogenase Activity In The Model Rhizosphere-Dwelling Bacterium Pseudomonas Putida Kt2440, Ran An, Luke Moe

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil-dwelling microbes solubilize mineral phosphates by secreting gluconic acid, which is produced from glucose by a periplasmic glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) that requires pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as a redox coenzyme. While GDH-dependent phosphate solubilization has been observed in numerous bacteria, little is known concerning the mechanism by which this process is regulated. Here we use the model rhizosphere-dwelling bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to explore GDH activity and PQQ synthesis, as well as gene expression of the GDH-encoding gene (gcd) and PQQ biosynthesis genes (pqq operon) while under different growth conditions. We also use reverse transcription-PCR to identify transcripts …

Understanding Variability In Crop Response To Fertilizer And Amendments In Sub-Saharan Africa, Job Kihara, Generose Nziguheba, Shamie Zingore, Adama Coulibaly, Anthony Esilaba, Vernon Kabambe, Samuel Njoroge, Cheryl Palm, Jeroen Huising

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Improved understanding of soil fertility factors limiting crop productivity is important to develop appropriate soil and nutrient management recommendations in sub-Saharan Africa. Diagnostic trials were implemented in Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania, as part of the African Soils Information Service (AfSIS) project, to identify soil fertility constraints to crop production across various cropping systems and soil fertility conditions. In each country, one to three sites of 10 km × 10 km were included with each site having 12-31 field trials. The treatments tested included a control, an NPK treatment, three treatments in which the N, P and K nutrients …

Determination Of Optimum Fall And Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate For Maximizing Grain Yield Of Soft Red Winter Wheat Sown At Variable Planting Dates, Lucas Vasconcelos Vieira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An optimum planting date is important for winter wheat nitrogen (N) management as it dramatically changes the growing environment including temperature and moisture, ultimately affecting fertilizer efficiency and grain yield (GY). In Arkansas, high precipitation in the fall often forces farmers to delay planting and current Arkansas recommendations include the application of fall N when soft red winter wheat (SRWW) is sown later than optimum, despite the lack of data supporting this practice. This study evaluated the effect of rate and timing of N application on GY of SRWW sown at variable planting dates in Arkansas. Granular urea was split …

Phenotypic And Gene Expression Analysis Of Diverse Rice Genotypes In Response To Drought, Miranti Rahmaningsih

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought is one of the most limiting factors for rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and development with vegetative and reproductive stages the most sensitive and distinct phases. During the vegetative stage, drought can cause reduction in growth and biomass accumulation. Moreover, water stress at reproductive stage can reduce yield significantly. Plants are protected against drought by three different mechanisms: drought avoidance, drought tolerance, and drought escape. An integrated approach combining physiology, breeding, and genomics could be an effective way to characterize and mitigate this problem. The objectives of this research were to (1) screen a diverse set of rice genotypes …

Coevolution Of Cyanogenic Bamboos And Bamboo Lemurs On Madagascar, Daniel J. Ballhorn, Fanny Patrika Rakotoarivelo, Stefanie Kautz

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feeding strategies of specialist herbivores often originate from the coevolutionary arms race of plant defenses and counter-adaptations of herbivores. The interaction between bamboo lemurs and cyanogenic bamboos on Madagascar represents a unique system to study diffuse coevolutionary processes between mammalian herbivores and plant defenses. Bamboo lemurs have different degrees of dietary specialization while bamboos show different levels of chemical defense. In this study, we found variation in cyanogenic potential (HCNp) and nutritive characteristics among five sympatric bamboo species in the Ranomafana area, southeastern Madagascar. The HCNp ranged from 209±72 μmol cyanide* g^-1 dwt in Cathariostachys madagascariensis to no cyanide …

Assessment Of Concentrations Of Trace And Toxic Heavy Metals In Soil And Vegetables Grown In The Vicinity Of Manyoni Uranium Depositin Tanzania, F.A. Kapile, In Makundi

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study reports on determination of concentrations of trace and toxic heavy metals in soil and vegetables grown near of Manyoni uranium deposit. Soil and vegetable samples were collected from five sites namely Mitoo Mbuga, farming area, Miyomboni, Tambukareli and near water pump. The concentrations of heavy metals in soil and edible vegetables samples were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF).All vegetable samples were found to have higher concentrations (in μg/g) of trace elements such as Ni (67.3) in pea leaves, Cu (14.9) in pumpkin leaves, Fe (478.6), (200.5) and (337.1) in pea, pumpkin and spinach leaves respectively, …

Leaf Protein And Mineral Concentrations Across The “Miracle Tree” Genus Moringa, Mark E. Olson, Renuka P. Sankaran, Jed W. Fahey, Michael A. Grusak, David Odee, Wasif Nouman

Publications and Research

The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. …

Regulation Of Plant Productivity By Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: Approach And Evaluation Of Risks, Mohamed Hassen Lahiani

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBN) are a unique type of nanomaterials with promising application in different fields including, medicine, genetic engineering, and plant biology. Nanomaterials-plant interaction is a new and emerging area of Nanobiotechnology. Some nano-sized materials are described as promising candidates for the regulation of plant growth, reduction of plant diseases, and delivery of molecules (herbicides, DNA, proteins) inside plant cells and to specific tissues. This study evaluated the potential use of different CBN to stimulate seed germination and plant growth of wide-range of valuable crops. We demonstrated the positive effect of short-term and long-term CBN exposure on the seed germination, …

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter (No. 20) = 嶺南彩園通訊 (第20期), Lingnan Gardeners, Kwan Fong Cultural Research And Development Programme, Lingnan University

Lingnan Gardeners Newsletter 嶺南彩園通訊

Great Heat 大暑

Growing South Dakota (Summer 2016), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

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

[Page] 2 Breaking New Ground SDSU Leads Nation With Precision Agriculture Initiative
[Page] 6 In The Driver's Seat Utility Vehicles Provide Students Hands-On Precision Ag Experience
[Page] 7 Introduction To Industry Travel To National Events Opens Opportunities For Students
[Page] 9 On The Ground SDSU Extension Specialists Have Vital Role In Bringing Data To Producers
[Page] 10 Curricula Collaboration SDSU Leaders Among Team Preparing Future Precision Ag Coursework
[Page] 12 Future Focus Ag 2020 Plan Prompts Important Reinvestments In State's Ag Experiment Station
[Page] 13 The Power Of Connections Connected Approach Helps Solve "Real-Life" Problems To Benefit Animal And …

Nebline, July 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Lancaster County Extension Board — Building Our Community Connection

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

High Tunnel Production Of Primocane Bearing Red Raspberries In Grow Bags, Jennifer Sue Morganthaler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are a perennial crop with increasing consumer demand. While this highly perishable crop has not proven to be a commercially viable field grown crop in the Midwest, it does show increased yields when grown in a high tunnel. High tunnel construction in Missouri has increased partly due to the NRCS grant program. However, high tunnel production permanently utilizes that space. Bagged culture allows growers the ability to maximize high tunnel space and produce other annual crops, while testing the performance of the crop for their production. This 4 year trial evaluates 5 primocane bearing red raspberries cultivars …

Comparative Genomics, Transcriptomics, And Physiology Distinguish Symbiotic From Free-Living Chlorella Strains, Cristian F. Quispe, Olivia Sonderman, Maya Khasin, Wayne R. Riekhof, James L. Van Etten, Kenneth Nickerson

Kenneth Nickerson Papers

Most animal–microbe symbiotic interactions must be advantageous to the host and provide nutritional benefits to the endosymbiont. When the host provides nutrients, it can gain the capacity to control the interaction, promote self-growth, and increase its fitness. Chlorella-like green algae engage in symbiotic relationships with certain protozoans, a partnership that significantly impacts the physiology of both organisms. Consequently, it is often challenging to grow axenic Chlorella cultures after isolation from the host because they are nutrient fastidious and often susceptible to virus infection. We hypothesize that the establishment of a symbiotic relationship resulted in natural selection for nutritional and metabolic …

From Milpas To The Market: A Study On The Use Of Metal Silos For Safer And Better Storage Of Guatemalan Maize, José Rodrigo Mendoza

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project aimed to implement the use of metal silos to improve quality and safety of maize consumed by inhabitants of the highlands of Guatemala. This manuscript includes a literature review of the maize production chain in Guatemala, a survey about agricultural practices used in the region of study, as well as a characterization of the analyzed maize regarding its mycoflora, nutritional composition, and insect infestation. To better understand the current situation regarding agricultural practices and maize consumption, a survey was carried out. Sample consisted of 280 families representing 14 rural communities distributed in the townships of Todos Santos and …

Endless Symbioses Most Intricate, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Orchids, such as our Wildflower of the Year for 2016, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) (Fig. 1), exemplify the interconnectedness of life on Earth. As would be the case for many kinds of plants, pollination comes readily to mind as a prominent example of mutualistic symbiosis. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is pollinated by bumblebees and other native bees. The bees gain nectar and the orchid gets an efficient means to move pollen from one flower to another; each organism gains benefit from the interaction, the very definition of mutualism. Pollination by bees is widespread among the orchids, but there …

Maize Response To Macronutrients And Potential For Profitability In Sub-Saharan Africa, J. Kihara, J. Huising, G. Nziguheba, B. S. Waswa, S. Njoroge, V. Kabambe, E. Iwuafor, C. Kibunja, A. O. Esilaba, A. Coulibaly

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is plagued by low productivity and little research is available on the attainable responses and profitability to applied nutrients under variable environments. The objective of this study was to determine the attainable maize grain response to and potential of profitability of N, P and K application in SSA using boundary line approaches. Data from experiments conducted in SSA under AfSIS project (2009–2012) and from FAO trials database (1969–1996) in 15 countries and constituting over 375 different experimental locations and 6600 data points are used. Both response to fertilizer and value cost ratio (VCR) are highly variable and …

Discovering Potential Protein, Carbohydrate, And Lipid Based Food Ingredients In A Co-Culture Of Microalgae, Chelsea Tyus

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Louisiana Native Co-Culture of Microalgae (Chlorella Vulgaris L. and Cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya sp.) (CCA) was studied. CCA is a viable coculture for further investigation as a food component. This research characterized the proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids present in CCA. Algae cultivation parameters were controlled and analyzed. Treatment (Trt) 1 was CCA grown in cultures exposed to average scalar irradiance (ASI) of 1041 ± 269.18 μmol m-2 s-1 PAR and trt 2 was CCA grown in cultures exposed to ASI of 430 ± 96.03 μmol m-2 s-1 PAR. The trt (irradiance exposure) had the desired response on CCA species ratio Trt …

Exploration Of Chemical And Biological Management Strategies For Diaphorina Citri The Primary Vector Of Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus, Gretta Marie Sharp

Biology Theses

Diaphorina citri (Hemipteran: Psyllidae), the Asian citrus psyllid, is a phloem-feeding, invasive species endemic to southern Asia that was first identified in the United States in Florida in 1998. Since introduction, D. citri has spread across the major citrus growing regions of the United States. This is of great concern to the citrus industry because D. citri is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus the causal agent of Haunglongbing (HLB). Haunglongbing is the most economically devastating disease of citrus causing an estimated 8.92 billion dollars lost in revenue and 4.62 billion dollars lost in gross domestic product between 2006-2007 …

Responses Of Corn Physiology And Yield To Six Agricultural Practices Over Three Years In Middle Tennessee, Chih-Li Yu, Dafeng Hui, Qi Deng, Junming Wang, K. Chandra Reddy, Sam Dennis

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Different agricultural practices may have substantial impacts on crop physiology and yield. However, it is still not entirely clear how multiple agricultural practices such as tillage, biochar and different nutrient applications could influence corn physiology and yield. We conducted a three-year field experiment to study the responses of corn physiology, yield and soil respiration to six different agricultural practices. The six treatments included conventional tillage (CT) or no tillage (NT), in combination with nitrogen type (URAN or chicken litter) and application method, biochar, or denitrification inhibitor. A randomized complete block design was applied with six replications. Leaf photosynthetic rate, transpiration, …

Effective Establishment Of Native Grasses On Roadsides In New England, Yulia Kuzovkina, John Campanelli, Cristian Schulthess, Robert Ricard, Glenn Dreyer

Other Publications and Reports

No abstract provided.

Nebline, June 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: The Garden Grocery — Food Safety & Selection at Farmers’ Markets

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

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Isotopes From Fecal Material Provides Evidence Of Recent Diet Of Prairie Deer Mice, John W. Doudna, Brent J. Danielson

The Prairie Naturalist

Prairie deer mice are important predators in many agricultural systems, and through their diet they can help to regulate pest insect and weed populations. Our objective was to test whether fecal material is an effective means of detailing the foraging ecology of small mammals. We conducted three studies to evaluate the efficacy of this technique: 1) field-collected fecal material from unknown deer mice from late winter to early spring, 2) fecal material collected in an enclosure with mice fed a mix of C3 and C4 plant seeds, and 3) fecal material from tagged female mice in the field. We detected …