Digital Commons Network^™

The Reconstruction Of The Late Pleistocene And Holocene Vegetation Dynamics In Lake Eyasi Basin, Northern Tanzania, Pastory M. Bushozi, Cassian T. Mumbi, Veronica M. Muiruri, Musa S. Mwitondi

Tanzania Journal of Science

Lake Eyasi Basin of northern Tanzania plays a pivotal role in the study of human-environment interactions and in understanding human flexibility and adaptability through technological innovations over time and space. In this study, phytoliths from ancient soils and fossil pollen proxies from radiocarbon-dated sequences from Kisimangeda on the north-eastern edge of the Lake Eyasi Basin, are used to interpret trends in climatic changes recorded since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present. We used pollen and phytolith abundances from a core that was recovered on the northern margin of saline Lake Eyasi at the depth of five metres. The …

Chemical Constituents And Antimicrobial Evaluation Of Selected Aloe Vera Branded Commercial Products In Tanzania, Stephen S Nyandoro, Bahati F Kyando, Joan Je Munissi

Tanzania Journal of Science

Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of twenty-two Aloe vera branded commercial products in Tanzania, a case of marketed soaps, creams, lotions, petroleum jelly, toothpastes and hair conditioner products in Dar es Salaam, were investigated. Chemical compositions were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) whereas antimicrobial activities were evaluated using agar dilution method against four bacteria species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoneae and Salmonella typhi) and two fungal species Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of seven non-polar constituents, namely methyl palmitate, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate, tetratetracontane, hexacosane, and pentacosane and methyl …

Avian Use Of Habitat Patches Dominated By Exotic Leucaena Leucocephala Or Native Tree Species In Urban Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Chacha Werema, Charles Wilson

Tanzania Journal of Science

There has been an incursion of an exotic Leucaena leucocephala in disturbed areas and into habitat patches of native tree species in some areas in Tanzania. However, the impacts of this exotic tree on native biodiversity are not well understood. We assessed bird use of habitat patches dominated by L. leucocephala in comparison to patches of native tree species  at the University of Dar es Salaam main campus, Tanzania, by comparing bird species richness, abundance and diversity using mist netting. Based on the same mist netting efforts in each habitat patch type, patches of native trees had significantly higher overall …

Effects Of Feed Moisture Content, Soybean Ratio And Barrel Temperature On Physical And Functional Properties Of Extruded Maize-Soybean Flour Blends, Robert Mugabi, Stellah Byakika, Ivan Muzira Mukisa

Tanzania Journal of Science

The effects moisture content, temperature and soybean ratio on expanded product characteristics of extruded maize-soybean blends were studied. Response surface methodology was used to study the effects of extrusion conditions on extrudate properties taking barrel temperature (BT), feed moisture content (FM) and soybean flour ratio (SR) as factors. Expansion ratio (ER), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), hardness and colour (b* - (+) yellowness) of the extrudates were determined. BT and FM had significant effects on ER (p < 0.05). At low FM levels, ER increased with BT. It was observed that both FM and BT significantly affected WAI and WSI. WAI increased as FM increased. Increasing FM to 20% resulted in a decrease in WSI, beyond which an increase was observed. Hardness increased significantly as feed moisture content increased. High SR content significantly increased the extrudate hardness. FM had no significant effect on colour. Colour increased as the SR and BT increased. Significant regression models explained the effects of SR, FM, and BT on all response variables. All of the response variables' R2, were higher than 0.89. Keywords: Maize, Soybean, moisture content, extrusion

Identification And Larvicidal Efficacy Of Mosquito-Repelling Plants Used In Malaria Vector Control In South-East Benin, Camille O Tante, Armel Djenontin, Saïd Chitou, Wilfried Sewade, Pierre Agbani, Martin Akogbeto, Daniel C Chougourou

Tanzania Journal of Science

After identifying issues posed by some synthetic insecticides, the scientific community is now looking for other natural products with insecticidal and/or insect repellent characteristics. This study aimed to identify the plants of the Beninese flora known for their insecticidal and/or insect repellent effects and the indigenous techniques of their use and to evaluate the combined efficacy of extracts of a few on mosquito larvae for the control of malaria vectors in the South-East of Benin. A survey was conducted and the insecticidal effects of three combinations made from Azadirachta indica, Cymbopogon nardus and Hyptis suaveolens oils on Anopheles gambiae larvae …

Increasing The Resilience Of Plant Immunity To A Warming Climate, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde, Shuai Huang, Chao Li, Richard Hilleary, Adam Seroka, Reza Sohrabi, Diana Medina-Yerena, Bethany Huot, Jie Wang, Sharon Marr, Mary Wildermuth, Tao Chen, John Macmicking, Sheng Yang He

Biology Faculty Publications

Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change affect many aspects of plant and animal life, including the response to infectious diseases. Production of salicylic acid (SA), a central plant defence hormone, is particularly vulnerable to suppression by short periods of hot weather above the normal plant growth temperature range via an unknown mechanism. Here we show that suppression of SA production in Arabidopsis thaliana at 28 °C is independent of PHYTOCHROME B (phyB) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), which regulate thermo-responsive plant growth and development. Instead, we found that formation of GUANYLATE BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3 (GBPL3) defence-activated biomolecular condensates (GDACs) …

Critical P, K And S Concentrations In Soil And Shoot Samples For Optimal Tedera Productivity And Nodulation, Daniel Real, Richard G. Bennett, Nazanin K. Nazeri, David M. Weaver

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Tedera is a forage legume that can provide out-of-season green feed in Mediterranean climates. To date, growers have had no comprehensive soil nutrition guidelines to optimise tedera production. We undertook field and glasshouse studies to understand tedera’s macronutrient requirements. Three field experiments were sown with tedera cv. Lanza® at Cunderdin, Dandaragan and Three Springs in Western Australia. These experiments evaluated seven levels of phosphorus (P) (0–30 kg ha−1) and potassium (K) (0–80 kg ha−1) and two combined treatments with P and K. Glasshouse pot experiments were conducted using tedera cultivars Lanza® and Palma and lucerne cultivar SARDI Grazer. Ten concentrations …

Growing Space Management In Boreal Mixedwood Forests: 22 Year Results, Richard Kabzems, George Harper, Che Elkin

Aspen Bibliography

Boreal mixed forests of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and white spruce (Picea glauca) can provide higher outputs of many ecosystem goods and services, combined with resilience for changing environmental conditions. In this study, we examine the growth of white spruce and aspen over a range of stand compositions created by spot and broadcast treatments of broadleaves using manual and chemical means, aspen spacing, and untreated control. Twenty-two growing seasons postharvest, treatment responses created a range of broadleaf densities and spatial arrangements, reflected in significant differences in heights and diameters of the spruce mixedwood component. At this …

Contribución A La Conservación De La Orquídea Rodriguezia Granadensis (Lindl.) Rchb.F. En La Hacienda Betania (Fusagasugá, Colombia), Arlette Ivonne Gil Clavijo, Jenny Paola Moreno Lopez, Laguandio Del Cristo Banda Sánchez

Ciencias Agropecuarias

Esta cartilla, creada por el Grupo de Investigación PROSAFIS de la Universidad de Cundinamarca, presenta los resultados del proyecto Aproximación a la ecología de orquídeas nativas en el ecosistema hacienda Betania con proyección a su conservación, manejo y producción. Se destaca la orquídea Rodriguezia granadensis, adaptada a forofitos (phorophytes) de cítricos y guayabos, representando el 83,3 % de los individuos observados. Predominó la fase vegetativa (fenología) durante todo el período, con más floración y cápsulas en épocas lluviosas, sincronizando su fase reproductiva con el régimen de lluvias. En las raíces se encontró el hongo endófito (endophyte) Rhizoctonia en …

Sustainable Intensification Of Wheat Production Under Smallholder Farming Systems In Burera, Musanze And Nyamagabe Districts Of Rwanda, Athanase Rusanganwa Cyamweshi, Nsharwasi Léon Nabahungu, Jackson Cirhuza Mirali, Job Kihara, George Oduor, Harrison Rware, Gudeta Weldesemayat Sileshi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The productivity of wheat is low on smallholder farms in Rwanda. Although mineral fertiliser use is being promoted as a sustainable intensification (SI) pathway, little is known about the nutrient use efficiency and profitability of various fertiliser inputs in Burera, Musanze and Nyamagabe districts of Rwanda. The objective of this study was to assess the use of combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) in wheat production in terms of nutrients management specifically, crop yield, production risk, input use efficiency and economic returns on smallholder farms. The study was conducted in three …

An Investigation Into Use Of Natural Mistletoe Extracts And Their Formulations As Potential Anti-Cancer Treatments In Human Carcinomas, Rebecca Healy, Anne M. Friel

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Cancer is a prevalent disease that is responsible for around 10 million deaths a year. Cases and deaths will continue to rise daily if nothing is done to find the most effective treatment. Mistletoe is an evergreen, semi-parasitic plant that grows on trees. This plant contains a number of biologically active compounds that contribute to its anti-cancer properties e.g., lectins. Mistletoe is obtained from nature and has been shown to be safe, potent, and effective in treating cancer. Herein we review the biological effects of mistletoe on cancer cells, formulations that can be used in cancer treatment and discuss the …

Recovery Of Trembling Aspen, Tamarack, And White Spruce Seedlings From Nacl Stress Following Winter Dormancy: Implications For Increased Foliar Potassium, Necrosis, And Sodium Management As Stress Resistance Mechanisms, Nathan T. Lauer

Aspen Bibliography

Revegetation of boreal forest lands disturbed by surface mining for bitumen can be challenging due to fluctuating levels of soil NaCl and harsh winter temperatures. These stressors may hinder the growth and survival of planted tree seedlings. Two experiments were carried out to examine the processes of recovery from NaCl stress and overwintering in trembling aspen, tamarack, and white spruce seedlings. In the recovery experiment, seedlings were treated with 0, 50, or 100 mM NaCl for 60 days and then allowed to recover for 60 days. Most of the examined physiological variables (total dry weight, chlorophyll concentration, photosynthesis, and transpiration) …

Identification Of Putative Snp Markers Associated With Resistance To Egyptian Loose Smut Race(S) In Spring Barley, Kamal A.M. Abo-Elyousr, Amira M.I. Mourad, P. Stephen Baenziger, Abdelaal H.A. Shehata, Peter E. Eckstein, Aaron D. Beattie, Ahmed Sallam

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Loose smut (LS) disease is a serious problem that affects barley yield. Breeding of resistant cultivars and identifying new genes controlling LS has received very little attention. Therefore, it is important to understand the genetic basis of LS control in order to genetically improve LS resistance. To address this challenge, a set of 57 highly diverse barley genotypes were inoculated with Egyptian loose smut race(s) and the infected seeds/plants were evaluated in two growing seasons. Loose smut resistance (%) was scored on each genotype. High genetic variation was found among all tested genotypes indicating considerable differences in LS resistance that …

Michigan Conifer Growers’ Perspectives On Disease Management, Emily S. Huff, Monique L. Sakalidis

Journal of Extension

A survey of commercial nursery and Christmas tree growers was implemented online and by mail in 2018 to understand disease issues and information preferences. Overall, the majority of the respondents reported that they prefer online sources of information and many are using Extension bulletins and sources. Cultural, chemical, and weed control methods were considered extremely effective by participants and very few used biological control methods to control disease. Participants identified spruce decline, boxwood blight, and hemlock woolly adelgid as emerging disease threats, so future information to growers should focus on identification and management of these threats.

Perceptions And Management Of Ventenata By Producers In The Inland Pacific Northwest, Lisa Jones, John Wallace, Kathleen Painter, Pamela Pavek, Timothy S. Prather

Journal of Extension

Ventenata is an annual grass that has invaded agricultural and wildland settings in the Inland Pacific Northwest, causing economic and ecological losses. We know little about producers’ perceived risks and management of ventenata. We present results of surveys in 2011 and 2014 targeting producers across affected counties in Idaho and Washington. Awareness of ventenata and costs to producers increased across that time interval. Respondents attending ventenata Extension events adopted recommended management strategies more than those who did not attend. Our study documents the importance of continued integrated pest management research in concert with stakeholder engagement and education.

Determination Of Crop Coefficient Of Hybrid Wheat Under Arid Climate: A Pot Study, Saba Wajid, Muhammad Imran, Hafiz Shahzad Ahmad, Muhammad Zeeshan Gulzar, Tanveer Ul Haq, Abdul Ghaffar, Sarmad Frogh Arshad, Zulqurnain Khan, Kashif Bashir, Hasan Riaz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Climate change increases vulnerabilities for crop productivity in Pakistan. Water crises are increasing with an increase in temperature and change in precipitation patterns due to climate change which ultimately imposed a threat to the food security of the country. Water is indispensable for all plants to complete life cycle as the unavailability of water at critical growth stages drastically affects the development of the plant. The present pot study was conducted for the estimation of crop coefficient of hybrid wheat for irrigation scheduling at Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan during two growing seasons 2018-19 and 2019-20. In this …

Improving Growth And Yield Of Sunflower With Integrated Use Of Compost And Pgpr (Variovorax Paradoxus) With Different Levels Of N-Chemical Fertilizer, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Javed Akhtar, Sarmad Frogh Arshad, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Zeeshan Gulzar, Hafiz Shahzad Ahmad, Kashif Bashir, Zulqurnain Khan, Hasan Riaz, Tanveer Ul Haq

Journal of Bioresource Management

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) stimulate plant growth through their ability, to increasing the root length and growth, by asymbiotic nitrogen fixation, by producing siderophores, solubilization of mineral phosphates and mineralization of other nutrients. Organic waste material of fruits and vegetables was collected and composted in a locally fabricated composting unit. A pot trial was conducted to study the effectiveness of compost and PGPR (Variovorax paradoxus) with recommended rate of PK and with different rates of N fertilizer i.e. 50 %, 75 % and 100 %, on growth and yield of sunflower. Results showed that the integrated use of …

Efficacy Of Botanical Plant Extracts On The Population Dynamics Of Cotton Aphid, Aphis Gossypii Glover (Hemiptera; Aphididae), Habib Ali, Salma Ameer, Muhammad Qasim, Sajid Fiaz, Shahbaz Ali, Adnan Noor Shah, Saqlain Zaheer, Basharat Ali, Muhaamad Nawaz, Yasir Ali, Nazir Ahmad

Journal of Bioresource Management

Synthetic pesticides are excessively consumed to control crop pests but abundant use of chemicals may implicate the whole ecosystem badly in the end. Despite the growing concern, few natural products are commercialized for pest control whilst on-farm use of existing botanically-based pesticides remains a small, but growing, component of crop protection practice. The experiment was conducted to assess the potential trade-offs of using botanical extracts (Neem leaf extract, NLE, and Moringa leaf extract, MLE) along with synthetic insecticide, Confidor 200 SL, against Aphis gossypii Glover. Meanwhile, impact of these insecticides on natural enemies were also determined in the field experiment. …

The Pho1;2a'-M1.1 Allele Of Phosphate1 Conditions Misregulation Of The Phosphorus Starvation Response In Maize (Zea Mays Ssp. Mays L.), Ana Laura Alonso-Nieves, M. Nancy Salazar-Vidal, J. Vladimir Torres-Rodríguez, Leonardo M. Pérez-Vázquez, Julio A. Massange-Sánchez, C. Stewart Gillmor, Ruairidh J. H. Sawers

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Plant PHO1 proteins play a central role in the translocation and sensing of inorganic phosphate. The maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) genome encodes two co-orthologs of the Arabidopsis PHO1 gene, designated ZmPho1;2a and ZmPho1;2b. Here, we report the characterization of the transposon footprint allele Zmpho1;2a'-m1.1, which we refer to hereafter as pho1;2a. The pho1;2a allele is a stable derivative formed by excision of an Activator transposable element from the ZmPho1;2a gene. The pho1;2a allele contains an 8-bp insertion at the point of transposon excision that disrupts the reading frame and is predicted to …

Divergent Evolution Of Extreme Production Of Variant Plant Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Lu Gan, Kiyoul Park, Jin Chai, Evan M. Updike, Hyojin Kim, Adam Voshall, Sairam Behera, Xiao-Hong Yu, Yuanheng Cai, Chunyu Zhang, Mark A. Wilson, Jeffrey P. Mower, Etsuko Moriyama, Chi Zhang, Sireewan Kaewsuwan, Qun Liu, John Shanklin, Edgar B. Cahoon

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Metabolic extremes provide opportunities to understand enzymatic and metabolic plasticity and biotechnological tools for novel biomaterial production. We discovered that seed oils of many Thunbergia species contain up to 92% of the unusual monounsaturated petroselinic acid (18:1Δ6), one of the highest reported levels for a single fatty acid in plants. Supporting the biosynthetic origin of petroselinic acid, we identified a Δ6-stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (18:0-ACP) desaturase from Thunbergia laurifolia, closely related to a previously identified Δ6-palmitoyl-ACP desaturase that produces sapienic acid (16:1Δ6)- rich oils in Thunbergia alata seeds. Guided by a T. laurifolia desaturase crystal structure obtained in this study, …

Compensatory Phenolic Induction Dynamics In Aspen After Aphid Infestation, Rajarshi Kumar Gaur, Ilka Nacif De Abreu, Benedicte Riber Albrectsen

Aspen Bibliography

Condensed tannins (CTs) are polyphenolics and part of the total phenolic (TP) pool that shape resistance in aspen (Populus tremula). CTs are negatively associated with pathogens, but their resistance properties against herbivores are less understood. CTs shape resistance to pathogens and chewing herbivores and could also shape resistance to aphids. Being chemical pools that are highly variable it can further be questioned whether CT-shaped resistance is better described by constitutive levels, by the induced response potential, or by both. Here, aspen genotypes were propagated and selected to represent a range of inherent abilities to produce and store foliar …

Legacy Lead In Urban Garden Soils: Communicating Risk And Limiting Exposure, Anna Paltseva, Zhongqi Cheng, Murray Mcbride, Maha Deeb, Sara Perl Egendorf, Peter M. Groffman

Advanced Science Research Center

Lead (Pb) exposure has long been recognized as a hazard to human health. Urban garden soils often contain elevated levels of Pb, mainly from legacy sources, which is a main barrier for urban gardening. The capacity of gardeners to access, understand, and act on scientific data related to soil contamination is also variable. This synthesis paper briefly summarizes the current scientific knowledge on soil Pb in urban gardens. Our objective is to produce clear recommendations about assessing actual risks and limiting exposure. First, we synthesize the nature and extent of soil contamination with Pb, and then describe how the bioavailability …

Sorghum Association Panel Whole-Genome Sequencing Establishes Cornerstone Resource For Dissecting Genomic Diversity, J. Lucas Boatwright, Sirjan Sapkota, Hongyu Jin, James C. Schnable, Zachary Brenton, Richard Boyles, Stephen Kresovich

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Association mapping panels represent foundational resources for understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity and serve to advance plant breeding by exploring genetic variation across diverse accessions. We report the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 400 sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) accessions from the Sorghum Association Panel (SAP) at an average coverage of 38× (25–72×), enabling the development of a high-density genomic marker set of 43 983 694 variants including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (approximately 38 million), insertions/deletions (indels) (approximately 5 million), and copy number variants (CNVs) (approximately 170 000). We observe slightly more deletions among indels and a much higher prevalence …

Pre-Breeding Of Kale (Brassica Oleracea Var. Acephala) – Organic Adaptation And Shelf Life, Craig Reda

All Theses

Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a nutritionally rich leafy green that that contains vitamins, minerals, and prebiotic carbohydrates. As a popular organic crop, kale accounted for 1.3% of total US organic produce sales in 2020, a market valued at over 17 billion USD. However, organic production is limited by its inability to use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and suffers from decreased yield when compared to conventional agriculture, partially due to the creation of a significantly different growing environment. Additionally, the absence of synthetic products can also negatively impact the shelf of leafy greens like kale. To determine …

Forage News [2022-06], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Nebline, June/July 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Tick Tips for Tick “Season”

Contribute to Data on Nebraska Statewide Tick Distribution

Tips for Staying Hydrated by Kayla Colgrove

Recipe of the Month: Orange Slushie by Kayla Colgrove

Miniature Gardens: A fun way to get your child interested in gardening by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Managing Hard Water by Becky Scheurman

So You’ve Inherited a Farm, Now What?

Listen to CropWatch Podcast

Young Kids Learning in the Kitchen by Hayley Jackson

Free Beg Bug Programs

Next Chapter at Nebraska

Babysitting Training for 5th–10th Graders, June 9

Plant Science Online Contests

4-H Council Golf Tournament …

Water Quality, Carrier Volume And Droplet Size Effects On Herbicide Efficacy And Drift Potential, Barbara Houston

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

Herbicide performance is directly related to the amount of active ingredient that has been deposited on the plant. Hence, spray solution characteristics and application parameters are crucial in determining the efficacy of an herbicide application. To maximize the effectiveness of chemical control, methods to deliver full chemical dose must be utilized: allowing the active ingredient to be readily absorbed once added to the carrier and mitigating off-target movement and low herbicide doses. Water is the most frequently used carrier in herbicide applications. Chemical parameters, such as water hardness and pH, can have a critical role in herbicide performance. It is …

Bridging The Gap Between Research And Smallholder Farmers Through Community-Based Development Organizations, Nathan D. Fortner

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Food demand is expected to increase 30% to 62% by 2050 according to recent estimates. Yet, annual increases in agricultural productivity have slowed and plateaued since the green revolution increases of the 1960’s. Two strategies to help address future food demand are reducing post-harvest loss and consumer waste, and closing the yield gap between potential and farmer realized yields. Some of the largest yield gaps are those of smallholder farmers. While solutions may exist to close these gaps, delivering and integrating solutions into smallholder production systems is a complex process involving research, extension, cultural factors, government policy, NGOs, private industry, …

Developing A Miniature Smart Boat For Marine Research, Michael Isaac Eirinberg

Computer Engineering

This project examines the development of a smart boat which could serve as a possible marine research apparatus. The smart boat consists of a miniature vessel containing a low-cost microcontroller to live stream a camera feed, GPS telemetry, and compass data through its own WiFi access point. The smart boat also has the potential for autonomous navigation. My project captivated the interest of several members of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s (Cal Poly SLO) Marine Science Department faculty, who proposed a variety of fascinating and valuable smart boat applications.

Recombination Hotspots In Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.], Samantha J. Mcconaughy

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

Recombination allows for the exchange of genetic material between two parents which plant breeders exploit to make new and improved varieties. This recombination is not distributed evenly across the chromosome. In crops, it mostly occurs in the euchromatic regions of the genome and even then, recombination is focused into recombination hotspots flanked by recombination cold spots. Understanding the distribution of these hotspots along with the sequence motifs associated with them may lead to methods that enable breeders to better exploit recombination in breeding.

In chapter 1 background information on recombination, recombination hotspots detection methods, landscape of recombination (describe recombination patterns …