Digital Commons Network^™

Genome Wide Association Study (Gwas) On Different Economic Traits And Epigenetic Stability Of Sweetpotato In Louisiana, Ajay Dhungana

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is a globally important food, feed, and industrial crop, yet its improvement is constrained by a complex hexaploid genome, clonal propagation, and susceptibility to multiple diseases. In Louisiana, production is threatened primarily by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas (Fusarium wilt) and Ceratocystis fimbriata (Black rot). Furthermore, the in vitro propagation methods essential for disease-free planting material and germplasm conservation can introduce epigenetic instability that undermines clonal fidelity. This dissertation integrates genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genotype by environment interaction (GEI) and DNA methylation profiling to dissect resistance mechanisms and assess epigenetic stability in Louisiana sweetpotato …

Artificial Intelligence In Mycology: A Systematic Review Of Species Identification, Biotechnological Assessment, And Explainable Deep Learning Methods, Fati̇h Eki̇nci̇, Mehmet Serdar Güzel, Ilgaz Akata

Turkish Journal of Botany

This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mycological research. It highlights how AI supports the identification of fungal taxa at both microscopic and macroscopic levels, facilitates the detection of toxic species, contributes to ecological mapping, aids in discovering new fungal bioproducts, and enhances precision agriculture practices. Advanced techniques such as convolutional neural networks, you only look once, U-shaped network (UNet), and residual network have demonstrated strong performance in classification, segmentation, and object detection tasks. Additionally, explainable AI (XAI) methods like gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM), local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), and SHapley …

Leaf Droppage Delayed In Sugar Maple Trees On An Urban To Rural Gradient, Isabella S. Bastien, Isabella Bastien

The Cardinal Edge

This study investigates the timing of leaf abscission in Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) trees along an urban-to-rural gradient in Louisville, Kentucky, to determine how proximity to urban environments influences leaf drop. We hypothesized that urban trees would retain their leaves longer than suburban or rural trees due to environmental stressors and tested this using weekly leaf collection and canopy cover measurements from three locations—urban, suburban, and rural. Results showed that urban trees exhibited delayed leaf drop and slower canopy opening compared to suburban and rural trees. These findings suggest that urban stressors significantly alter tree phenology, which may signal underlying …

Seeds Of Change - Building Community And Resilience With Plant Guilds, Roslynn Mccann, Liliane Dionne, Kevin White

All Current Publications

The goals of this Grade 6 living systems/biodiversity curriculum are to highlight Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) contributions to science, technology, and sustainable agriculture, with a focus on relational worldviews, permaculture practices, and respect for Mother Earth. Students will conduct plant experiments, learn Indigenous stories, make corn husk dolls, create a recipe, and enjoy eating their soup creation.

The Nexus Between Perceived And Scientific Weather Patterns And Its Effects On Cereal Crop Production In Manyoni District, Tanzania, Fadhili Lufunyo Ngajilo, Helena Elias Myeya, Evarist Fundisha Swai

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines the nexus between perceived and scientific weather patterns, and its effects on cereal crop production in Manyoni District; and involved 157 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a mixed methods research approach. The data were collected through a household survey, FGDs, in-depth interviews and documentary review methods for triangulation and complementarity purposes. The quantitative data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics with IBM SPSS (version 27) and Microsoft Excel Office (version 2007). The results indicate that smallholder farmers perceived that rainfall had been fluctuating with increasing trends, while temperature and wind had been …

Predicting Tart Cherry Stem Water Potential Using Uav Multispectral Imagery And Environmental Data Via Symbolic Regression, Anderson L. S. Safre, Alfonso Torres-Rua, Kurt Wedegaertner, Brent Black, Brennan Bean, Burdette Barker, Matt Yost

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Tart cherry is an important fruit crop in Utah, where irrigation is essential due to arid conditions. Precision irrigation requires reliable indicators of plant water status, and stem water potential (Ψ_stem), is among the most sensitive though labor-intensive and spatially limited. This study develops Ψ_stem estimation models using high-resolution multispectral Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery combined with meteorological and soil moisture data, applying Symbolic Regression (SR). Results show a stronger correlation between optical bands and Ψ_stem during the pre-harvest period. Among 85 vegetation indices, the Red Chromatic Coordinate (RCC) index performed best (R² = 0.67). …

The Comparison Of Fresh And Dry Duckweed (Lemna Minor L.) On Metal (Cr6+, Cd2+, And Zn2+) Removal From Wastewater, Rahin Islam, Noah Smith, Ben Jang, Lin Guo

Student Publications

Heavy metals contaminating the environment is a global concern. Duckweed (Lemna minor) is a promising plant for the phytoremediation and biosorption of metal-contaminated water. Although studies have shown that duckweed can remove multiple metals, there is limited research comparing the efficiency of fresh and dried biomass for wastewater treatment. To evaluate the performance of both forms, fresh and dried duckweed were exposed to metal solutions containing varying concentrations of Cr6+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ (5 mg/LCr6+ +1mg/LCd2+ 10mg/LZn2+;10mg/LCr6+ +5mg/LCd2+ +50mg/LZn2+; or 50 mg/LCr6+ +25mg/LCd2+ +250mg/LZn2+)for a duration of 168 h. Metal uptake in fresh duckweed followed zero-order kinetics for Cr6+, Cd2+, …

Habitat And Conditions Of Poisoning Of Toxic Plants In North America, Michael H. Ralphs

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

This paper presents a list of important poisonous plants in North America that are toxic to both livestock and humans. The aim of this paper is to present information to help reduce the risk of poisoning. The paper emphasizes the particular plant communities in which these plants grow. Some of these plants are endemic, growing on specific soils or specific ecological sites. Others are distributed more broadly throughout a vegetation type. A few of the plants are widespread, ranging over several broad ecosystems. In diagnosing poisoning, it is important to know what plants are expected to grow in the communities …

The Dual Nature Of Weedy Rice (Oryza Sativa F. Spontanea): From A Noxious Weed To An Important Genetic Resource For Rice Improvement, Rica M. Rentino, Vanessa Sernicula, May O. Palanog, Roselyn G. Alfetche, Dan Michael A. Angay, Francis L. Tejada, Dexter G. Balboa, Shaireen M. Angay, Fatima-Nasra A. Sahadain, Teodora E. Mananghaya, Karl Vincent J. Jose, Liezel C. Llanes, Jonathan M. Niones, Karla Mae R. Nonog, Frodie F. Waing, Leonilo Gramaje, Albert Christian S. Suner, Ommal H. Abdulkadi, Norvie L. Manigbas, Jose E. Hernandez, Alvin D. Palanog

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is becoming a serious threat to rice production in the Philippines, especially in direct-seeding rice areas, owing to its high competitiveness and its similarity to cultivated rice in morphology and ecological requirements. However, weedy rice can be considered both a threat that endangers rice production and an opportunity, as it offers a potential source of novel genes for rice improvement. This study evaluated the extent of weedy rice infestation in direct-seeding areas in the Visayas, measured the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of collected weedy rice ecotypes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and …

The Dual Nature Of Weedy Rice (Oryza Sativa F. Spontanea): From A Noxious Weed To An Important Genetic Resource For Rice Improvement, Rica M. Rentino, Vanessa Sernicula, May O. Palanog, Roselyn G. Alfetche, Dan Michael A. Angay, Francis L. Tejada, Dexter G. Balboa, Shaireen M. Angay, Fatima-Nasra A. Sahadain, Teodora E. Mananghaya, Karl Vincent J. Jose, Liezel C. Llanes, Jonathan M. Niones, Karla Mae R. Nonog, Frodie F. Waing, Leolilo Gramaje, Albert Christian S. Suner, Ommal H. Abdulkadi, Norvie L. Manigbas, Jose E. Hernandez, Alvin D. Palanog

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is becoming a serious threat to rice production in the Philippines, especially in direct-seeding rice areas, owing to its high competitiveness and its similarity to cultivated rice in morphology and ecological requirements. However, weedy rice can be considered both a threat that endangers rice production and an opportunity, as it offers a potential source of novel genes for rice improvement. This study evaluated the extent of weedy rice infestation in direct-seeding areas in the Visayas, measured the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of collected weedy rice ecotypes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and …

Evaluation Of Publicly Available Maize Germplasm Adaptation To Environments In Nebraska, Garrett Snodgrass

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

Publicly available maize germplasm represents an important resource for breeding programs seeking to expand genetic diversity and improve hybrid performance. However, effective use requires characterization of per se phenotypic performance of parental lines and evaluation of the parental line’s hybrid progeny adaptation to a given target population of environments. Furthermore, understanding population structure and heterotic grouping is imperative for maximizing efficiency of breeding decisions. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate phenotypic performance of parental lines and hybrids across environments in Nebraska, and to (2) refine heterotic group classification of parental lines within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hybrid …

Integrative Effects Of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Azotobacter, And Azospirillum With Different Nitrogen Levels On Morphophysiological Responses And Drought Tolerance Of Maize (Zea Mays L.) ‘Sc706’ Under Varying Water Deficit Conditions, Nozar Shamohammadi, Mahdi Zare, Korosh Ordookhani, Farshid Aref, Shahram Sharafzadeh

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Under drought stress, soil fertility declines sharply, restricting nutrient availability and reducing plant productivity. This study evaluated the effects of mycorrhiza, Azotobacter, and Azospirillum combined with nitrogen on the morpho-physiological traits of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid SC706 plants under different water deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted at a research field in Fars Province, Iran, over 2 consecutive years (2017–2018, 2018–2019) and applied a split-split plot design based on a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. It assessed the effects of the 3 biological fertilizers in 4 treatment groups (Control [B1], inoculation with mycorrhiza alone …

Characterization Of Syntaxin 18 In Peregrinus Maidis And In Vitro Dsrna Synthesis For Potential Rnai-Mediated Control Of Maize Mosaic Alphanucleorhabdovirus (Mmv) Transmission, Hannah Corinne T. Cantaros, Charlene Niebres, Ruth Alessandra Banasihan, Argel L. Arenas, Karen B. Alviar

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The plant virus known as Maize mosaic alphanucleorhabdovirus (MMV) is a persistent, propagative pathogen transmitted by the corn planthopper Peregrinus maidis Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). It is the causal agent for a mosaic disease that can cause significant loss in corn yield. Currently, disease management is focused on controlling its insect vector population. The molecular mechanisms of virus transmission by the insect vector are not yet fully understood. Previously, P. maidis syntaxin 18 (PmSTX18) was identified as a receptor for MMV. PmSTX18 interacts with the viral glycoprotein and potentially facilitates MMV recognition and entry into the vector, enabling virus …

Integrative Effects Of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Azotobacter, And Azospirillum With Different Nitrogen Levels On Morphophysiological Responses And Drought Tolerance Of Maize (Zea Mays L.) ‘Sc706’ Under Varying Water Deficit Conditions, Nozar Shamohammadi, Mahdi Zare, Korosh Ordookhani, Farshid Aref, Shahram Sharafzadeh

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Under drought stress, soil fertility declines sharply, restricting nutrient availability and reducing plant productivity. This study evaluated the effects of mycorrhiza, Azotobacter, and Azospirillum combined with nitrogen on the morpho-physiological traits of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid SC706 plants under different water deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted at a research field in Fars Province, Iran, over 2 consecutive years (2017–2018, 2018–2019) and applied a split-split plot design based on a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. It assessed the effects of the 3 biological fertilizers in 4 treatment groups (Control [B1], inoculation with mycorrhiza alone …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2025, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Spatial Variability Of Nitrates And Nitrogen Mineralization Kinetics And Their Effects In Long-Term Tillage Systems, Bibash Rokaya

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

Nitrogen (N) and water management are essential for water quality protection and crop production. However, soil N and water are spatiotemporally variable. Soil water spatial dependencies are described in the literature with known associations with preferential flows among other factors. In contrast, a knowledge gap exists on the spatial dependence of soil N mineralization kinetics. We hypothesize that soil N mineralization kinetics and soil water have distinct and cross-correlated spatial characteristics among soil management practices and climatic regions. For the field study, we measured soil-N mineralization kinetics, volumetric water content (VWC), and a suite of soil properties along ~70 m …

At Utah Lake, Large Changes In Water Level Impact The Restoration Of Native Plant Species, Mac Havens

Research on Capitol Hill

Native plant communities at Utah Lake matter for top-class recreation opportunities, migratory bird populations, June Sucker recovery efforts, and local economies.

Pest Management For Utah Cut Flower Production: Insects And Their Relatives, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

Pest management is important in cut flower production, marketability, and farm profitability. This fact sheet focuses on animal pests (insects, arthropods, mollusks, and vertebrates), not diseases or weeds, and has two parts. Part 1 applies Integrated Pest Management (IPM): using preventive techniques, pest thresholds, and best management practices with pests in cut flower crop production. Part 2 highlights the top 10 common pests of cut flowers in Utah and their management.

Systematic Synthesis Of Crispr/Cas Applications For Enhancing Salt Tolerance In Crops: A Decade Of Progress And Challenges, Xindi Sun, Fusheng Wu, Zhuanzhuan Ma, Guohao Liang, Shumei Chen, Xutong Hu, Shugao Fan, Ying Zhao

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil salinity is a major constraint on global crop productivity, driving the need for salt-tolerant varieties. While CRISPR-Cas genome editing offers targeted solutions for trait improvement, significant biological and technical bottlenecks limit its application in conferring salt stress resilience. This systematic summarizes findings from 83 peer-reviewed studies (2015–2024) employing CRISPR/Cas technologies to improve salt tolerance in five major crops (rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, barley). Our systematic review reveals that early single-gene edits achieved modest gains (30–50% Na⁺ exclusion) but often showed limited yield gains in field settings, potentially due to compensatory regulation and environmental variation. The literature suggests that multiplex …

To Hold Or Sell Breeding Cattle In The Rangelands, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

In a dry season where feed, water and finances are limited, removing less productive animals as soon as possible is a good option. This will free up feed for more productive animals and help preserve ground cover.

This page provides some of the information and a process for making decisions about holding or selling breeding cattle.

Deep Amelioration Of Compaction And Acidity Doubled The Water Use Efficiency Of Cereal Crops On A Sandy Soil In A Long-Term Experiment In A Water-Limited Environment, Gaus Azam, Md. Shahinur Rahman, Craig Scanlan, Md. Hasinur Rahman, Ross Gazey, E G. Barrett-Lennard, Kanch Wickramarachchi, Bob Nixon, Chris Gazey

Natural Resources Research Articles

The co-occurrence of subsoil compaction and acidity commonly decreases the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of agricultural crops around the world, yet the benefits of the complete amelioration of these constraints on yield and WUE remain unclear. We conducted a long-term field experiment in Western Australia (WA) to evaluate the effects of the complete removal of subsoil compaction and acidity through soil profile re-engineering — involving soil removal, replacement, and lime incorporation — on root architecture, yield, and WUE in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Treatments included an untreated control, and soil loosening to 0.45 …

Fighting The Black Snake: The Dapl And The Case For Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, Kenny Moll

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis analyzes the current scope of environmental injustice on Native lands in the U.S. Specifically it examines The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and its impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota. Western colonialism and capitalism have dominated North American ecosystems since their forcible introduction hundreds of years ago, causing the commodification of natural resources and leading to injustices such as that of the “Black Snake.” However, the story of The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance will be analyzed through the framework of Indigenous philosophy and environmental justice. Chapter 1 analyzes the implementation of the DAPL and …

Complete Genome Characterization Of A New Alphapartitivirus Identified In The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Lactarius Mediterraneensis, Aigul Kali̇yeva, Ergi̇n Şahi̇n, Gülce Edi̇ş, Ilgaz Akata

Turkish Journal of Botany

Viruses that naturally infect fungi capable of forming mycorrhizal symbioses remain poorly studied. In the present study, a new partitivirus associated with the basidiomycete mycorrhizal fungus Lactarius mediterraneensis was identified and characterized, and it was designated as Lactarius mediterraneensis partitivirus 1 (LmPV1). The complete genome of LmPV1 was determined through high throughput sequencing of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) extracts and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of RLM-RACE PCR amplicons. T he genome comprises two dsRNA segments, 1899 bp and 1957 bp, each containing a single open reading frame (ORF) a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and a capsid protein (CP). Comparative analysis …

Hormetic Doses Of Lead Metal Ion Stimulated Photosynthetic Attributes In Brassica Juncea  During Various Stages Of Growth, Shalini Dhiman, Arun Dev Singh, Nitika Kapoor, Renu Bhardwaj

Turkish Journal of Botany

Low doses of lead (Pb) ions were used in the present study to investigate their effects on photosynthetic efficiency in Brassica juncea. Plants of B. juncea grown for 30, 45, and 60 days were analysed for root and shoot length, pigment content, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, primary and secondary metabolites, and nonenzymatic antioxidant responses under exposure to hormetic doses of Pb2+. The findings show that low levels of Pb2+ (especially 18- and 36-µM Pb treatments) improve gas exchange metrics, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, root and shoot growth, and increased amounts of chlorophyll, carotenoid, xanthophyll and low amounts of pheophytin as compared …

Conned By The Enemy: The Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium Anisopliae Lures And Kills Drosophila Suzukii, Ibrahim M. Farid, Shepard Ndlela, Paul G. Becher, Christopher W. Weldon, Abdelmutalab Ga Azrag, Helgi B. Schiöth, Samira A. Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

BACKGROUND: Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is a highly invasive and economically major pest that inflicts significant damage on soft-skinned fruit crops, including raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries and grapes. The recent invasion of D. suzukii in Africa represents a key impediment to the berry industry on the continent. Conventional control strategies for this pest rely heavily on chemical insecticides, which pose several adverse side effects on biodiversity and environmental health. In this study, we evaluated five Metarhizium anisopliae isolates (ICIPE 7, ICIPE 18, ICIPE 20, ICIPE 30, ICIPE 78) for development as a biopesticide for …

Predicting Male Flowering Time In Maize Using Machine Learning Technique, Dipok Deb

Data Science and Data Mining

This study compares three machine learning approaches—Elastic Net, Principal Component Regression (PCR), and Partial Least Squares (PLS)—for variable selection and prediction within a high-dimensional Maize-GWAS framework. The goal was to accurately predict the complex polygenic trait of time to male flowering while managing the challenges of numerous, highly correlated genetic markers. The ENET model, which combines l1 and l2 penalties, delivered the highest predictive accuracy and successfully identified a select subset of the most influential genetic variants. In contrast, PCR and PLS, both utilizing dimension reduction, offered a significant advantage in computational speed and model stability. The findings confirm that …

Weather Conditions Associated With Citrus Canker Incidence Caused By Aw Strain In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas, Amit Sharma, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, George Yanev, Madhurababu Kunta

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Citrus canker, caused by bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), affects the citrus industry by making the fruit unmarketable due to unsightly lesions on the fruit. Citrus canker caused by a relatively new AWstrain of Xcc was reported on the citrus trees in the residential areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of South Texas. Xcc AW has a limited host range, predominantly affecting limes and a few other citrus species. Previous work has reported prevailing environmental conditions that influence the incidence and spread of the citrus canker caused by the Asiatic A strain. However, no information is available …

Cotton Production In The Arkansas Delta - A Focus On Water Quality Impacts, Trenton Alexander Barker

Student Theses and Dissertations

Farmers in Arkansas irrigate more farmland than 47 other states in the U.S. Agricultural production is a vital contributor to the economy of the state; however, it also contributes heavily to water quantity and quality issues within the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico. Row-crop producers have adopted soil and water conservation practices to mitigate these effects, yet many farmers remain hesitant to adopt conservation methods due to uncertainties about their effects on yield and profits. This thesis evaluates the water quality impacts of conventional and conservation cotton tillage systems under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Runoff, plant development, …

Deep Learning-Based Quantification Of Tall Fescue Abundance In Pastures, Rose E. Binkley, Samuel R. Revolinski, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick, Ray Smith, Zeya Wang, Katsutoshi Mizuta

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate and rapid measurement of tall fescue abundance is essential for efficient forage management and mitigating livestock exposure to potential endophyte-related toxicity. Traditional visual estimation methods are labor-intensive and are subject to change depending on the observer doing the calculations, which limits their scalability and consistency. This study explores the application of deep learning techniques to automate and improve the classification of tall fescue abundance across pasture systems in Kentucky. Ground-truth abundance classes were evaluated using one of the traditional methods with occupancy grid and compared against estimates derived from red-green-blue images. Two convolutional neural network architectures, YouOnlyLookOnce (YOLO) and …

Methods Of Harvest And Compositional Characterization Of Hemp Fibers From Medical Cannabis Biomass Using Detergent Fiber Analysis, Abigail Lazier, Srishti Banerji, Jennifer Macadam, Bruce Bugbee

Publications

Medical cannabis production generates large quantities of stem biomass that is typically discarded despite its potential as a source of natural hemp fibers. This study developed and evaluated two methods for recovering fibers from greenhouse-grown medical cannabis using water retting and compared their composition with commercially produced industrial hemp fibers. Fiber quality was assessed using detergent fiber analyses to quantify cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin fractions. Both harvest methods produced usable fibers, although one approach (method A) yielded cleaner fibers after shorter retting durations, while the second approach (method B) offered greater potential for large-scale processing. Increasing retting duration improved fiber …