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Evaluation Of Ten Alternative Treatments For The Management Of Harlequin Bug (Murgantia Histrionica) On Brassica Crops, Sarah Clark, Ricardo Bessin, David J. Gonthier, Jonathan L. Larson

Entomology Faculty Publications

Harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) poses a significant threat to cruciferous vegetable crops, leading to economic losses and challenges in sustainable agriculture. This 2-year field study evaluated the efficacy of exclusion netting and selected biopesticides in controlling harlequin bug populations in a field-grown broccoli crop. Treatments included an untreated control, industry standards Azera and Entrust, and ProtekNet mesh netting. Additionally, three commercial essential oil treatments including Essentria IC-3, Nature-Cide, and Zero Tolerance were tested along with two bokashi fermented composting products BrewKashi and Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN). During both the first and second year of the study, none of the commercially …

Row Covers Limit Pests And Disease And Increase Profit In Organic Acorn Squash, Kathleen Fiske, Nieyan Cheng, Ryan Kuesel, Wendong Zhang, Ricardo Bessin, Mark A. Williams, David J. Gonthier

Entomology Faculty Publications

Organic cucurbit growers face many challenges to production including insect pests, insect-vectored diseases, and non-vectored diseases. While Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) -listed pesticides underperform at suppressing pests and diseases, some alternative pest management strategies hold promise, but little research exists on their cost-effectiveness. We compared the efficacy of mesotunnel systems (nylon-mesh netting row covers deployed over bent metal hoops) and OMRI-listed pesticides (fungicides and insecticides) on acorn squash across 2 years. During the early part of the season, before row covers were removed for pollination, we found 1.7 (2020) and 0.3 (2021) times more cucumber beetles in the uncovered …

Shared Patterns Of Population Genomic Variation And Phenotypic Response Across Rapid Range Expansions In Two Invasive Lady Beetle Species, Angela G. Jones, John J. Obrycki, Arun Sethuraman, David W. Weisrock

Entomology Faculty Publications

Non-native lady beetle species have often been introduced, with variable success, into North America for bio- logical control of aphids, scales, whiteflies, and other agricultural pests. Two predatory lady beetle species, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata, both originating from Eurasia, were first discovered near Montreal, Quebec, in North America in 1968 and 1984, respectively, and have since expanded into northeastern North America and the midwestern United States. In this study, we estimate the range-wide pop- ulation structure, establishment and range-expansion, and recent evolutionary history of these lady beetle species using reduced-representation genotyping-by-sequencing via ddRADseq. In addition, we quantified the responses …

Grazing Annual Pastures – Using Feed On Offer (Foo) As A Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Grazing management in winter and spring in South West Western Australia (SW WA) can manipulate the quality, quantity and composition of pasture. These pasture changes can increase livestock feed efficiency and productivity, reduce insect populations and improve pasture persistence. Seasonal grazing based on feed on offer (FOO) is described here to maximise stocking rate and pasture production.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends using feed measurements and feed budgeting to increase productivity and reduce livestock health risks.

Boosting Winter Pasture Growth, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Applying gibberellic acid or nitrogen fertiliser to pasture in winter can increase dry matter production of grasses and broadleaf weeds and help reduce feed shortages in winter.

Fabrication Of A Low-Cost Drum Seeder For Paddy, Muhammad Rashed Al Mamun, Md Rejaul Karim, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Md Janibul Alam Soeb, Md Imranul Alam

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Rice is a staple food crop. Bangladesh produces it extensively which raised the nation into the fourth-largest rice-grower in the world. Transplanting or direct seeding is a major task in rice cultivation where the manual transplanting method requires a huge labor cost which is beyond control in a peak season. Although mechanical rice transplanters become popularization land preparation and seedling rising as a pre transplanting task is costly and labor-intensive. On the other hand, manual broadcasting and machine seeding direct method still exist due to the above method’s problem. Considering spacing accuracies for intercultural operation, drum seeders are an easy …

Agronomic And Economic Productivity Of Summer Annual Forage Systems Under Different Poultry Litter Application Methods, Ivanelle Meyer, Michael P. Popp, Christine C. Nieman, Amanda J. Ashworth, Phillip R. Owens

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poultry litter (litter) is a nutrient dense fertilizer that increases nutritive value and yield in pastures in the mid-southern US. Nutrient losses due to runoff and nitrogen volatilization are common when broadcasting litter. As such, incorporating litter below the soil surface (subsurface) was evaluated in comparison to broadcasting in 2021 and 2022 by quantifying yield and nutritive value of annual forages. The study was a randomized complete block design with three forage treatments—sorghum-sudangrass only (Sorghum bicolor L.), cowpea only (Vigna unguiculata L.), and their mixture, and three litter application methods (broadcast, subsurface, and a no litter control). Litter …

Emerging Diseases, Abiotic Disorders, And Macrophomina Root Rot Management Of California Strawberry, Cooper Calvin

Master's Theses

Strawberry is an economically important crop in California, with an estimated value of $2.68 billion in 2023. In California strawberry production, mitigation of low plant health and yield often focuses on major soilborne pathogens, while the contribution of minor pathogens and abiotic disorders to production shortcomings are often overlooked. The objectives of the first project in this thesis are to determine the pathogenicity of multiple minor pathogens and quantify other biotic and abiotic factors that can reduce plant health such as viruses and soil salinity. Two pathogens of the black root rot complex, Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia spp. as well …

Identification Of Downy Mildew Resistance In Wild Arugula And Evaluation Of Downy Mildew Causing Pathogens And Management Practices, Reilly B. Blair

Master's Theses

Downy mildew has been a potentially devastating constraint to crop production within the Brassicaceae family worldwide (CABI, 2022) and on the Central Coast of California (Smukler, et al, 2008; Koike, et al. 2007). Downy mildew is a foliar disease, caused by the pathogens in the Hyaloperonospora genus on plants within the Brassicaceae family (Goker, et al, 2009). Downy mildew is a disease that is common in region of the world with Coastal climates that provide humidity and moderate temperatures (Sarahan, et al, 2017). Crops within the Brassicaceae family maintain a predominant role in agricultural systems worldwide (Cartea, et al, 2011) …

Soil Profile Distribution Of Nutrients In Contrasting Soils Amended With Struvite And Other Conventional Phosphorus Fertilizers, Tatum Simms, Kristofor R. Brye, Trenton L. Roberts, Lauren F. Greenlee

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phosphorus (P) can be recovered from wastewater and used as an alternative fertilizer, namely, struvite [MgNH₄PO₄·6(H₂O)]. However, the soil mobility of wastewater-derived P and other nutrients needs to be evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare the vertical distribution of water-soluble (WS) soil P and other nutrients from a synthetic-wastewater-derived electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST) to that from a chemically precipitated struvite (CPST), triple superphosphate (TSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and a control in six soils from Arkansas (AR; loam [L] and silt loam [SiL]), Missouri (MO; SiL 1 and SiL 2), and Nebraska …

Weed Control And Rice Response To Microencapsulated Acetochlor And A Fenclorim Seed Treatment On A Clay Soil, Tristen H. Avent, Jason K. Norsworthy

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent research has demonstrated the ability of a fenclorim seed treatment to reduce rice (Oryza sativa L.) injury to acetochlor. However, all studies were conducted on silt loam soils and have not evaluated rice tolerance or weed control on clay soils. Experiments were initiated in 2021 and 2022 at the Northeast Research and Extension Center near Keiser, AR, to determine rice response and the effectiveness of delayed-preemergence (DPRE)-applied microencapsulated (ME) acetochlor (1.1, 1.7, and 2.3 lb ai acre⁻¹) when applied to a clay soil with and without a fenclorim seed treatment at 0 or 2.5 lb ai …

Confirmation And Inheritance Of Glufosinate Resistance In An Amaranthus Palmeri Population From North Carolina, Eric A L Jones, Jeffrey C Dunne, Charles W Cahoon, Katherine M Jennings, Ramon G Leon, Wesley J Everman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A putative glufosinate‐resistant Amaranthus palmeri population was reported in 2015 in Anson County, North Carolina. The results from dose–response assays conducted in the field suggested plants were surviving lethal rates of glufosinate. Dose–response assays conducted in the glasshouse determined the Anson County accession exhibited reduced susceptibility to glufosinate compared to three glufosinate‐susceptible populations. The LD50 values (210–316 g ai ha−1) for the Anson County population were always higher than the LD50 values (118–158 g ai ha−1) for the tested susceptible populations from the dose–response assays. Anson County plants that survived lethal glufosinate rates were reciprocally crossed with susceptible plants to …

Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research 2023, Fred Bourland

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

With current production costs and cotton prices, either record or near-record yields are needed for profitable cotton production in Arkansas. As usual, price volatility in 2023 added another level of difficulty in the quest for being profitable. Cotton futures traded between 80 and 90 cents per pound in 2023, with brief times below 80 cents and above 90 cents. In April, cotton futures dropped below 80 cents per pound, the lowest level in almost four months. This was due to an increase in certificated stocks, declining demand, and a growing world carryover. The average cotton price received by U.S. growers …

From One Nature To Another, Sarah Mann

Masters Theses

Lichen‭, ‬fungi‭, ‬and soil each represent a microcosm of nature‭. ‬They are all quintessential examples of complex symbiosis‭, ‬yet they are often treated as lifeless materials‭. ‬But what if we took a moment to connect with each one on a daily basis‭ - ‬would that impact the way we envision the future‭? ‬

For most of us‭, ‬our homes won’t be radically changing any time soon‭; ‬therefore‭, ‬From One Nature to‭ ‬Another‭ ‬invites us to bring these entities inside and‭ ‬reflect on their possibilities as collaborators‭. ‬Each piece was carefully researched and designed to‭ ‬provide the correct atmospheric …

A Review Of The Interaction Between Potassium Nutrition And Plant Disease Control, C. C. Ortel, T. L. Roberts, J. C. Rupe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient involved in many physiological and biochemical functions that affect a plant's susceptibility to disease. These processes include stomatal regulation, enzyme activation, and solute transport, each of which is often discussed through the lens of either plant nutrition or plant disease control. However, the interaction between these stresses and the resulting physiological and agronomic impact is an important consideration when managing a cropping system as a whole and is scarcely addressed in the literature. Therefore, a review of the literature was focused on the interaction of K nutrition and the resulting impact on plant disease …

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Hymenopteran Parasitoids Of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)) In Australia, With The Description Of Five New Species In The Families Braconidae And Eulophidae, Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries, Melina M. Miles, Tareva-Chine C. Atkin-Zaldivar, Andy G. Howe, Siva Subramaniam, Donna M. Chambers, Frezzel Praise J Tadle, Saleh Adnan, Verni Sivasubramaniam, Alice Woodward, Helen Spafford, Brian Thistleton

Biosecurity Research Articles

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is an invasive pest of agricultural crops including sweet corn and maize. The moth was first recorded in Australia in January 2020 and is now considered established in most states and territories, and research is underway to develop management strategies. Extensive rearing of S. frugiperda larvae and eggs occurred from March 2020 to April 2023 to understand the parasitoid complex present in Australia and identify potential biological control agents. We report here on the hymenopteran parasitoids reared during this period, which were identified using a combination of morphology and COI DNA barcoding, and provide …

An Evaluation Of Sonderegger Pine Morphology, Kelsey Denise Shoemaker

Master's Theses

Sonderegger pine (Pinus x sondereggeri H.H. Chapm.), the naturally occurring hybrid of longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), is considered a producer of poor-quality wood due to observations of stem forking and a high number of large-diameter branches at maturity. Because landowners generally decline planting Sonderegger pine seedlings, nursery workers cull putative hybrids from longleaf pine seedling stock during lifting and processing. However, over the past 100 years, very few studies have quantified stem quality of Sonderegger pine. To gain a better understanding of the early growth and development of Sonderegger pine, evaluations of height, diameter …

Seasonal Phenology And Starch Allocation Patterns In Populations Of Oxycaryum Cubense F. Cubense And Paraguayense In Mississippi, Louisiana, And Florida, Allison C. Squires, Ryan M. Wersal, Gray Turnage, Christopher R. Mudge, Benjamin P. Sperry

Biological Sciences Department Publications

Phenological studies for Cuban bulrush [Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth) Lye] have been limited to the monocephalous form in Lake Columbus (Mississippi). Accordingly, there is little available information on potential phenological differences among O. cubense forms (monocephalous vs. polycephalous) and populations in other geographic locations in the United States. Therefore, seasonal patterns of biomass and starch allocation in O. cubense were quantified from two populations in Lake Columbus on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi (monocephalous), two populations from Lake Martin in Louisiana (polycephalous), and two populations from Orange Lake in Florida (polycephalous). Monthly samples of O. cubense inflorescence, emergent, and …

The Stability Of Epigenetic Variants That Can Act As Loci Causing Phenotypic Change, Raul Faburrieta

Biology Theses

Epigenetic variations are a possible source of heritable phenotypic variation. In this study I focus on phenotypic alterations seen in epigenetic Recombinant Inbred Lines (epiRILs) of Arabidopsis thaliana. These epiRILs allow me to study the effects differentially methylated regions (DMRs) have on phenotypic variance. In a study performed in 2014 by Cortijo et al., they found that DMR’s affect flowering time and root length when grown under greenhouse conditions. In this study, I replicated the Cortijo et al. (2014) study, with some changes, to see whether the same significant eQTL regions are found. I found that, some of the eQTLs …

Proteomic Characterization And Cytotoxic Potential Of Proteins From Cuscuta (Cuscuta Epithymum (L.) Crude Herbal Product Against Mcf-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line, Umaima Akhtar, Yamna Khurshid, Bishoy El-Aarag, Basir Syed, Ishtiaq A. Khan, Keykavous Parang, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The burden of breast cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide, is increasing at an alarming rate. Cuscuta, used in traditional medicine for different ailments, including cancer, is known for containing phytochemicals that exhibit anticancer activity; however, the bioactivities of proteins from this plant remain unexplored. This study aimed to screen the cytotoxic potential of proteins from the crude herbal product of Cuscuta epithymum(L.) (CE) harvested from the host plants Alhagi maurorum and Medicago sativa.

Methods

The proteins from CE were extracted using a salting-out method, followed by fractionation with a gel filtration chromatography column. Gel-free shotgun …

Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) Growth And Development, Jessica Ayala, Alejandro Vasquez, Devi Balakrishnan, Evelyn Madrigal, Justin George, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Soybean (Glycine max) is the most important plant protein source, and Fall Armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered a major pest. This study aimed to examine the impact of FAW feeding on soybean accessions that vary in their water use efficiency (WUE) traits, by examining FAW growth and life history parameters along with plant growth response to pest damage. Soybean accessions were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to FAW larval feeding for 48 h at three different soybean growth stages: V3, R3, and R6. The growth and development of the FAW and soybeans were monitored. Results showed …

On The Importance Of Sequence Alignment Inspections In Plastid Phylogenomics – An Example From Revisiting The Relationships Of The Water-Lilies, Jessica A. Roestel, John H. Wiersema, Robert K. Jansen, Thomas Borsch, Michael Gruenstaeudl

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The water-lily clade represents the second earliest-diverging branch of angiosperms. Most of its species belong to Nymphaeaceae, of which the “core Nymphaeaceae”—comprising the genera Euryale, Nymphaea and Victoria—is the most diverse clade. Despite previous molecular phylogenetic studies on the core Nymphaeaceae, various aspects of their evolutionary relationships have remained unresolved. The length-variable introns and intergenic spacers are known to contain most of the sequence variability within the water-lily plastomes. Despite the challenges with multiple sequence alignment, any new molecular phylogenetic investigation on the core Nymphaeaceae should focus on these noncoding plastome regions. For example, a new plastid phylogenomic study on …

From Pixels To Plants: Remote Sensing Of California Invasive Plants, Kenneth Rangel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Invasive plants cause significant impacts to ecosystems, the economy, and human health. California has experienced significant plant invasions and is well suited to future invasion because of its Mediterranean climate and human disturbance. Eradication or control of invasive plant species requires a detailed understanding of their spatial distribution, which typically involves on the ground surveys that can be expensive or inconsistent. Remote sensing offers a potential alternative or supplement to in-person invasive plant mapping. This study performed a comparative analysis of 41 remote sensing studies that mapped the distribution of California invasive plants. I found that while high spectral resolution …

Reaction-Diffusions System Simulated On Irregular Shapes And Surfaces Model Petal Spot Patterns In Monkeyflower Hybrids, Emily Simmons, Arielle M. Cooley, Joshua R. Puzey, Gregory D. Conradi Smith

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Comparing Long‑Term Patterns Of Spread Of Native And Invasive Plants In A Successional Forest, Matthew H. Yamamoto, Chad C. Jones

Botany Faculty Publications

A fundamental question in invasive plant ecology is whether invasive and native plants have different ecological roles. Differences in functional traits have been explored, but we lack a comparison of the factors affecting the spread of co-occurring natives and invasives. Some have proposed that to succeed, invasives would colonize a wider variety of sites, would disperse farther, or would be better at colonizing sites with more available light and soil nutrients than natives. We examined patterns of spread over 70 years in a regenerating forest in Connecticut, USA, where both native and invasive species acted as colonizers. We compared seven …

Adopting Yield-Improving Practices To Meet Maize Demand In Sub-Saharan Africa Without Cropland Expansion, Fernando Aramburu-Merlos, Fatima A. M. Tenorio, Nester Mashingaidze, Alex Sananka, Stephen Aston, Jonathan J. Ojeda, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize demand in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase 2.3 times during the next 30 years driven by demographic and dietary changes. Over the past two decades, the area croppedwithmaize has expanded by 17million hectares in the region, with limited yield increase. Following this trend could potentially result in further maize cropland expansion and the need for imports to satisfy domestic demand. Here, we use data collected from 14,773 smallholder fields in the region to identify agronomic practices that can improve farm yield gains. We find that agronomic practices related to cultivar selection, and nutrient, pest, and crop management can …

The De-Domestication Of Ornithopus Sativus Brot. To Develop Cultivars With Physical Dormancy (Hardseed), Robert J. Harrison, Bradley J. Nutt, Ronald J. Yates, Belinda F. Hackney, John G. Howieson

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Ornithopus sativus Brot. (French serradella) is a forage legume that is well adapted to acidic coarse textured soils (sands) which are characterized by poor nutrition and an inability to retain water. During the process of domestication of O. sativus, there was an unintentional loss of seed physical dormancy (PY) thus compromising its self-regeneration after a cropping interval. Through mass screening of seed, we identified for the first time that heritable sources of PY exist in three populations of O. sativus. This rare genetic material was then incorporated into suitable genetic backgrounds of differing maturity through targeted hybridization. We demonstrated …

The Sect. Tricheroides In The Genus Knautia (Caprifoliaceae) Is More Complex Then Known: An Unusual New Species From Türkiye, Candan Aykurt, Mertcan Gülben, Sinem Günaydin, Duygu Sari, Ramazan Süleyman Göktürk, Emirhan Berberoğlu, Serkan Gülsoy

Turkish Journal of Botany

During a biodiversity survey in the Western Taurus Mountains (Antalya, Türkiye), a new species of the genus Knautia (Dipsacoideae, Caprifoliaceae), K. sivridaghense, was discovered. The new species, which is characterized by its dwarf caespitose perennial habit, is found in rocky places under mixed forests at elevations of 1400–1450 m. Knautia sivridaghense is distinguished from its morphologically similar species, K. goecmenii, especially by its dwarf caespitose perennial habit, unbranched stems, length of involucral bracts, and other floral characteristics. Our phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear ITS and chloroplast petN(ycf6)-psbM regions confirm its placement within Sect. Tricheroides, contributing to the understanding of …

Eco-Assessment Of Phytoplankton Composition In Relation To Environmental Conditions Of Saltwater And Freshwater Lakes In The Konya Closed Basin (Türkiye), Abuzer Çelekli, Ömer Lekesiz, Tolga Çetin

Turkish Journal of Botany

Great importance is given to maintaining lentic ecosystems, threatened by human-induced consequences worldwide. The present study hypothesized to assess differences in species-environment relationships and ecological status of 15 lakes (saline water systems, high-altitude freshwater lakes, and other freshwater lakes) in the Konya Closed River Basin using phytoplankton indices throughout wet and dry periods. Results of canonical correspondence analysis separated saline and freshwater (high-altitude) habitats, which were characterized by different phytoplankton species. Total phosphorus (TP), electrical conductivity (EC), nickel-Ni, and altitude were the most influential environmental factors affecting phytoplankton dispersal in these ecosystems. Saline lakes were under pressure of high EC, …