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Articles 271 - 300 of 665

Full-Text Articles in Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering

High Throughput In Vivo Analysis Of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Piyush Pandey, Yufeng Ge, Vincent Stoerger, James C. Schnable Apr 2017

High Throughput In Vivo Analysis Of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Piyush Pandey, Yufeng Ge, Vincent Stoerger, James C. Schnable

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The possibility of predicting plant leaf chemical properties using hyperspectral images was studied. Sixty maize and 60 soybean plants were used, and two experiments were conducted: one with water limitation and the second with nutrient limitation, with the purpose of creating wide ranges of these chemical properties in plant leaf tissues. A hyperspectral imaging system with a spectral range from 550 to 1700 nm was used to acquire plant images in a high throughput fashion (plants placed on an automated conveyor belt). Leaf chemical properties were measured in the laboratory. Partial least squares regression was implemented on spectral data to …

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Oral History Conversation With Lydell Aaron (Beartha), Alexander Z. Bulkin, Kari Schattinger, Kate L. Gardner, Charbel Mouannes, Danielle Silvaggio Mar 2017

Oral History Conversation With Lydell Aaron (Beartha), Alexander Z. Bulkin, Kari Schattinger, Kate L. Gardner, Charbel Mouannes, Danielle Silvaggio

Philosophy: All Student Work

Oral History Interview conducted with Lydell Aaron. He founded Beartha Systems which builds scalable and smart systems that harness energy and resources for small communities.

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Using The Vehicle Routing Problem To Reduce Field Completion Times With Multiple Machines, Hasan Seyyedhasani, Joseph S. Dvorak Mar 2017

Using The Vehicle Routing Problem To Reduce Field Completion Times With Multiple Machines, Hasan Seyyedhasani, Joseph S. Dvorak

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is a powerful tool used to express many logistics problems, yet unlike other vehicle routing challenges, agricultural field work consists of machine paths that completely cover a field. In this work, the allocation and ordering of field paths among a number of available machines has been transformed into a VRP that enables optimization of completion time for the entire field. A basic heuristic algorithm (a modified form of the common Clarke-Wright algorithm) and a meta-heuristic algorithm, Tabu Search, were employed for optimization. Both techniques were evaluated through computer simulations in two fields: a hypothetical basic …

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Field-Observed Angles Of Repose For Stored Grain In The United States, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Michael D. Montross, Aaron P. Turner, Samuel G. Mcneill Jan 2017

Field-Observed Angles Of Repose For Stored Grain In The United States, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Michael D. Montross, Aaron P. Turner, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Bulk grain angle of repose (AoR) is a key parameter for inventorying grain, predicting flow characteristics, and designing bins and grain handling systems. The AoR is defined for two cases, piling (dynamic) or emptying (static), and usually varies with grain type. The objective of this study was to measure piling angles of repose for corn, sorghum, barley, soybeans, oats, and hard red winter (HRW) wheat in steel and concrete bins in the United States. Angles were measured in 182 bins and 7 outdoor piles. The piling AoR for corn ranged from 15.7° to 30.2° (median of 20.4° and standard deviation …

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Application Of Hyperspectral Imaging And Acoustic Emission Techniques For Apple Quality Prediction, Nader Ekramirad, Ahmed Rady, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Reza Alimardani Jan 2017

Application Of Hyperspectral Imaging And Acoustic Emission Techniques For Apple Quality Prediction, Nader Ekramirad, Ahmed Rady, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Reza Alimardani

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

There is a growing demand for developing effective non-destructive quality assessment methods with quick response, high accuracy, and low cost for fresh fruits. In this study, hyperspectral reflectance imaging (400 to 1000 nm) and acoustic emission (AE) tests were applied to ‘GoldRush‘ apples (total number, n = 180) to predict fruit firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), and surface color parameters (L*, a*, b*) during an eight-week storage period. Partial least squares (PLS) regression, least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), and multivariate linear regression (MLR) methods were used to establish models to predict the quality attributes of the apples. The results …

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Ammonia And Carbon Dioxide Emissions Of Three Laying-Hen Housing Systems As Affected By Manure Accumulation Time, Timothy A. Shepherd, Hongwei Xin, John P. Stinn, Morgan D. Hayes, Yang Zhao, Hong Li Jan 2017

Ammonia And Carbon Dioxide Emissions Of Three Laying-Hen Housing Systems As Affected By Manure Accumulation Time, Timothy A. Shepherd, Hongwei Xin, John P. Stinn, Morgan D. Hayes, Yang Zhao, Hong Li

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Laying-hen housing design and management are the most significant factors affecting the generation and release of gaseous ammonia to the atmosphere. Transitioning the hen housing type from traditional high-rise (where manure is stored within the house for about one year) to modern manure-belt style (where manure is removed every 1 to 4 d and placed into long-term storage) has significantly improved in-barn air quality and reduced farm-level ammonia emissions. As a direct result of the advantages, 100% of new construction for U.S. egg production incorporates manure-belt systems that regularly remove manure from the houses. However, manure-belt system designs (e.g., active …

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Development And Evaluation Of A Low-Cost Probe-Type Instrument To Measure The Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Grain, Paul R. Armstrong, Samuel G. Mcneill, Naomi Manu, Augustine Bosomtwe, James K. Danso, Enoch Osekre, George Opit Jan 2017

Development And Evaluation Of A Low-Cost Probe-Type Instrument To Measure The Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Grain, Paul R. Armstrong, Samuel G. Mcneill, Naomi Manu, Augustine Bosomtwe, James K. Danso, Enoch Osekre, George Opit

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Storage of grain in bags is common in Africa, Asia, and many other less developed countries making a bag probing method well-suited for moisture content (MC) measurement. A low-cost meter was developed under a USAID project to reduce post-harvest loss (PHL). The meter, referred to as the PHL meter, measures the MC of maize and other grains based on relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) measurements obtained by a small digital sensor located in the tip of a tubular probe that can be inserted into bags of grain or other grain bulks. Measurements are used by equilibrium moisture content (EMC) …

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Evaluating Ventilation Rates Based On New Heat And Moisture Production Data For Swine Production, Yanxi Lu, Morgan D. Hayes, John P. Stinn, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Hongwei Xin Jan 2017

Evaluating Ventilation Rates Based On New Heat And Moisture Production Data For Swine Production, Yanxi Lu, Morgan D. Hayes, John P. Stinn, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Hongwei Xin

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat and moisture production (HMP) rates of animals are used for calculation of ventilation rate (VR) in animal housing. New swine HMP data revealed considerable differences from previously reported data. This project determined new design VRs and evaluated differences from previously recommended VRs. The swine production stages evaluated included gestation, farrowing, nursery, growing, and finishing. The ranges of ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity (RH) evaluated for VR were -25°C to 15°C in 10°C increments and 15% to 75% in 15% increments, respectively. Indoor set points for temperature and RH were, respectively, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C and 60%, 70%, 80% for …

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Effects Of Biochar Treatment Of Municipal Biosolids And Horse Manure On Quality Of Runoff From Fescue Plots, Rachel Williams, Dwayne R. Edwards Jan 2017

Effects Of Biochar Treatment Of Municipal Biosolids And Horse Manure On Quality Of Runoff From Fescue Plots, Rachel Williams, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land-applied horse manure and municipal biosolids can increase nutrient and bacteria concentrations in runoff. Biochar has been demonstrated to have beneficial impacts on nutrient retention and runoff quality when used to treat other land-applied organic soil amendments (e.g., poultry manure). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar addition to horse manure and municipal biosolids on runoff concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms. Biochar was added at 5% to 8% (wet basis) to horse manure and biosolids that were applied to 2.4 m x 6.1 m fescue plots followed by application of simulated rainfall (102 mm …

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Using Remote Sensing To Estimate Crop Water Use To Improve Irrigation Water Management, Arturo Reyes-Gonzalez Jan 2017

Using Remote Sensing To Estimate Crop Water Use To Improve Irrigation Water Management, Arturo Reyes-Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Irrigation water is scarce. Hence, accurate estimation of crop water use is necessary for proper irrigation managements and water conservation. Satellite-based remote sensing is a tool that can estimate crop water use efficiently. Several models have been developed to estimate crop water requirement or actual evapotranspiration (ETa) using remote sensing. One of them is the Mapping EvapoTranspiration at High Resolution using Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model. This model has been compared with other methods for ET estimations including weighing lysimeters, pan evaporation, Bowen Ratio Energy Balance System (BREBS), Eddy Covariance (EC), and sap flow. However, comparison of METRIC model outputs to …

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Pretreatment, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, And Fermentation To Ethanol Using A Lignocellulosic Feedstock And Subsequent Recovery Of A Value Added Co-Product: Pure Crystalline Cellulose, Ryan J. Bouza Jan 2017

Pretreatment, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, And Fermentation To Ethanol Using A Lignocellulosic Feedstock And Subsequent Recovery Of A Value Added Co-Product: Pure Crystalline Cellulose, Ryan J. Bouza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more demand for alternatives to petroleum and the industrial world’s love of cars increase, cellulosic ethanol will become more important. The ethanol can, of course, be used in the transportation fuel sector, but there is also a potential for co-products to be developed out of the cellulose to ethanol process. Some of these co-products have the potential to replace current petrol products. These co-products may provide the extra revenue generation needed for further investment and development of this industry. This would not only provide better energy independence, but in the United States, it would better satisfy the cellulosic ethanol …

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Understanding The Impact Of Extrusion Processing On Rheological, Textural And Functional Properties Of High-Protein, High-Fiber Extrudates, Poonam Singha Jan 2017

Understanding The Impact Of Extrusion Processing On Rheological, Textural And Functional Properties Of High-Protein, High-Fiber Extrudates, Poonam Singha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extrusion processing is a technology widely used to make ready-to-eat snack and breakfast cereal products. Expanded products mainly consists of high levels of starch resulting in optimal texture and consumer acceptance. However, these products are usually low in nutritional value. One of the many alternatives are to combine legumes and cereals to improve the protein quality of the product. Another possibility is to enhance the nutritional value by incorporating fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are consistently under-consumed by the American population and incorporation into extruded products may help increase the intake of important nutrients, such as dietary fiber. The …

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A Demonstration Study Of Drainage Water Management In Eastern South Dakota, Ashik Sahani Jan 2017

A Demonstration Study Of Drainage Water Management In Eastern South Dakota, Ashik Sahani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface drainage is a common water management practice for improving crop production in poorly drained soils; however, the practice is associated with several environmental concerns such as nutrient losses to downstream surface waters. These environmental concerns from subsurface drainage have prompted interest in drainage water management strategies such as controlled drainage. This study assessed the agronomic and environmental impacts of drainage water management in eastern South Dakota by using two demonstration plots for controlled and conventional drainage. Drain flow, nitrate and dissolved phosphorous concentration in drain water, shallow groundwater, crop yield, residual soil nitrate, soil moisture and temperature, soil penetration …

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The Synthetic Biology Of N2-Fixing Cyanobacteria For Photosynthetic Terpenoid Production, Charles T. Halfmann Jan 2017

The Synthetic Biology Of N2-Fixing Cyanobacteria For Photosynthetic Terpenoid Production, Charles T. Halfmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last few decades, concerns over global climate change, energy security, and environmental pollution have been rising. To overcome these challenges, the concept of “-nth generation” biofuels has emerged as a strategy to convert solar radiation into fuels and bulk industrial chemicals for societal use, while decreasing our consumption of nonrenewable energy sources. Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria hold a distinct advantage in biofuel production over plants, given their ability to convert sunlight, air (CO2 and N2), and mineralized water to energy-dense carbon molecules, as well as fix atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia for metabolism. Engineered cyanobacteria with …

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Stored Grain Volume Measurement Using A Low Density Point Cloud, Aaron P. Turner, Joshua J. Jackson, Nicole K. Koeninger, Samuel G. Mcneill, Michael D. Montross, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Rumela Bhadra, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Sidney A. Thompson Jan 2017

Stored Grain Volume Measurement Using A Low Density Point Cloud, Aaron P. Turner, Joshua J. Jackson, Nicole K. Koeninger, Samuel G. Mcneill, Michael D. Montross, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Rumela Bhadra, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Sidney A. Thompson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This technical note presents the development of a new apparatus and data processing method to accurately estimate the volume of stored grain in a bin. Specifically, it was developed to account for the variability in surface topography that can occur in large diameter bins when partially unloaded. This was accomplished using a laser distance meter to create a low density point cloud, from which a surface was interpolated using ArcMap geoprocessing tools. The manually controlled and portable system was designed to hold the laser distance meter and provided a common reference point. The data from the laser distance meter was …

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Fourth-Generation Fan Assessment Numeration System (Fans) Design And Performance Specifications, Michael P. Sama, George B. Day, Laura M. Pepple, Richard S. Gates Jan 2017

Fourth-Generation Fan Assessment Numeration System (Fans) Design And Performance Specifications, Michael P. Sama, George B. Day, Laura M. Pepple, Richard S. Gates

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Fan Assessment Numeration System (FANS) is a measurement device for generating ventilation fan performance curves. Three different-sized FANS currently exist for assessing ventilation fans commonly used in poultry and livestock housing systems. All FANS consist of an array of anemometers inside an aluminum shroud that traverse the inlet or outlet of a ventilation fan. The FANS design has been updated several times since its inception and is currently in its fourth-generation (G4). The current design iteration (FANS-G4) is reported in this article with an emphasis on the hardware and software control, data acquisition systems, and operational reliability. Six FANS-G4 …

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A Method For Reflectance Index Wavelength Selection From Moisture-Controlled Soil And Crop Residue Samples, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Aaron P. Turner, Ole O. Wendroth Jan 2017

A Method For Reflectance Index Wavelength Selection From Moisture-Controlled Soil And Crop Residue Samples, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Aaron P. Turner, Ole O. Wendroth

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Reflectance indices are a method for reducing the dimensionality of spectral measurements used to quantify material properties. Choosing the optimal wavelengths for developing an index based on a given material and property of interest is made difficult by the large number of wavelengths typically available to choose from and the lack of homogeneity when remotely sensing agricultural materials. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a low-cost method for sensing the moisture content of background materials in traditional crop remote sensing. Moisture-controlled soil and wheat stalk residue samples were measured at varying heights using a reflectance probe connected …

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Evaluating A New Shade For Feedlot Cattle Performance And Heat Stress, Morgan D. Hayes, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Roger A. Eigenberg, Larry A. Kuehn, R. Mark Thallman Jan 2017

Evaluating A New Shade For Feedlot Cattle Performance And Heat Stress, Morgan D. Hayes, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Roger A. Eigenberg, Larry A. Kuehn, R. Mark Thallman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat stress in cattle results in decreased feed intake, lower daily gain, and potentially death in susceptible animals under intense conditions. A study was carried out during the summer of 2013 at the USDA-ARS U.S. Meat Animal Research Center feedlot evaluating the impact of shade on environmental conditions and cattle performance. A novel two-tiered shade was used in half of the 14 pens, each holding 30 animals. The shades were designed to reduce solar heat load by 40% to 60% and to provide traveling shade across the pen, providing varied amounts of shade area as well as varied solar reduction …

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Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Kabuli, Chickpea, Black Sesame, And White Sesame Seeds, Paul R. Armstrong, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Samuel G. Mcneill Jan 2017

Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Kabuli, Chickpea, Black Sesame, And White Sesame Seeds, Paul R. Armstrong, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sesame and chickpea are important crops in Ethiopia because both are major export crops that generate much revenue for both small farmers and the country as a whole. However, there is a lack of information about the fundamental equilibrium moisture content (EMC) relationships among these crops, which would help facilitate better monitoring and storage. Therefore, EMC adsorption and desorption prediction models based on temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) were developed for the modified Chung-Pfost and modified Henderson models for Kabuli chickpea (KC), black sesame (BS), and white sesame (WS) seeds. The samples for conducting the adsorption and desorption tests …

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Toward Biochemical Conversion Of Lignocellulose On-Farm: Pretreatment And Hydrolysis Of Corn Stover In Situ, Alicia A. Modenbach, Sue E. Nokes, Michael D. Montross, Barbara L. Knutson Jan 2017

Toward Biochemical Conversion Of Lignocellulose On-Farm: Pretreatment And Hydrolysis Of Corn Stover In Situ, Alicia A. Modenbach, Sue E. Nokes, Michael D. Montross, Barbara L. Knutson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

High-solids lignocellulosic pretreatment using NaOH followed by high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated for an on-farm biochemical conversion process. Increasing the solids loadings for these processes has the potential for increasing glucose concentrations and downstream ethanol production; however, sequential processing at high-solids loading similar to an on-farm cellulose conversion system has not been studied. This research quantified the effects of high-solids pretreatment with NaOH and subsequent high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis on cellulose conversion. As expected, conversion efficiency was reduced; however, the highest glucose concentration (40.2 g L-1), and therefore the highest potential ethanol concentration, resulted from the high-solids combined pretreatment …

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Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu Jan 2017

Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Development of biomass feedstocks with desirable traits for cost-effective conversion is one of the main focus areas in biofuels research. As suggested by techno-economic analyses, the success of a lignocellulose-based biorefinery largely relies on the utilization of lignin to generate value-added products, i.e. fuels and chemicals. The fate of lignin and its structural/compositional changes during pretreatment have received increasing attention; however, the effect of genetic modification on the fractionation, depolymerization and catalytic upgrading of lignin from genetically engineered plants is not well understood. This study aims to fractionate and characterize the lignin streams from a wild-type and two genetically engineered …

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Performance Of Seed Treatments And In-Furrow At-Plant Insecticides For Protection Against Cry3bb1-Resistant Western Corn Rootworm, 2015, Jonas Victor De Macedo,, Kayla A. Mollet, Julie A. Peterson Jan 2017

Performance Of Seed Treatments And In-Furrow At-Plant Insecticides For Protection Against Cry3bb1-Resistant Western Corn Rootworm, 2015, Jonas Victor De Macedo,, Kayla A. Mollet, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm is an important pest of corn that can compromise yield by feeding on plant roots during its larval stage. WCRW management has been complicated by the development of resistance in some regions, including Nebraska, to transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) traits, particularly the protein Cry3Bb1, which confers cross-resistance to mCry3A. A field trial was established to evaluate the efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatments in combination with in-furrow insecticides on a corn hybrid expressing mCry3A Bt proteins against corn rootworm in an area with a history of rootworm resistance. The trial was conducted in a farmer’s field in …

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Design And Plan Of A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container For Research, John A. Houtman Dec 2016

Design And Plan Of A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container For Research, John A. Houtman

Open Access Theses

As the world’s population continues to increase, food production will need to increase in order to meet the predicted rise in food demand. However, with increased pressure on cropland available from environmental effects and urbanization, new innovative methods of crop production need to be researched in order to increase agricultural production with limited land. This research focuses on the design of a single form of urban agriculture that is considered Zfarming and has the potential to produce quality urban agricultural produce through ground-based measures. This project produced detailed step-by-step analysis of the design process, develop variability within the modified hydroponic …

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Characterization Of Ground Nozzles For Pesticide Applications, Ryan Henry Dec 2016

Characterization Of Ground Nozzles For Pesticide Applications, Ryan Henry

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

Pesticide applications are a common component of crop production systems in the United States (US). For row crop systems (e.g. corn, soybean, or wheat), pesticides are applied by ground, aerial, or chemigation methods. The exact method of pesticide delivery is not universally regulated/ prescribed in the US, and the equipment and application technique are largely defined by the individual applicator. A wide variety of choices and decisions must be made by applicators to result in a successful pesticide application. Examples of these choices include proper active ingredient(s), carrier volume and equipment (e.g. nozzle type, spacing, and operating pressure) selection while …

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Deployment And Evaluation Of An Active Rfid Tracking System For Precision Animal Management, Brian Barnes Dec 2016

Deployment And Evaluation Of An Active Rfid Tracking System For Precision Animal Management, Brian Barnes

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A better understanding of animal space utilization in current livestock facilities could lead to improved facility design and animal health. This study was conducted to determine whether an active RFID tag tracking system could accurately provide animal locomotion data on an individual animal basis. The system is composed of four sensors, located in the corners of a swine pen, and compact tags, which attach to the animals and transmit a signal. The sensors use the tag signals to determine 3-D positions in real-time. A data acquisition system was developed to capture raw data from the system software into a database …

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Sugarcane Bagasse Hydrolysis Enhancement Using Bsa, Antonio Carlos Freitas Dos Santos Dec 2016

Sugarcane Bagasse Hydrolysis Enhancement Using Bsa, Antonio Carlos Freitas Dos Santos

Open Access Theses

Lignocellulose is composed of polysaccharides linked to lignin and other aromatic compounds, making the sugars not readily available to fermentation. This entails that biomass must go through the unit operations of pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis. Pretreatment opens the structure to allow the enzymes to act on and hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose to glucose and/or xylose which in turn are fermented to ethanol. Concomitantly, the enzymes interact with soluble phenols and insoluble solids derived from lignin that inhibit hydrolysis. This leads to high enzyme loadings and higher production costs. Soluble phenols can be eliminated through washing. Insoluble lignin, however, demands another …

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Lessons From The Far End: Caterpillar Frass-Induced Defenses In Maize, Rice, Cabbage, And Tomato, Swayamjit Ray, Saumik Basu, Loren J. Rivera-Vega, Flor E. Acevedo, Joe Louis, Gary W. Felton, Dawn S. Luthe Oct 2016

Lessons From The Far End: Caterpillar Frass-Induced Defenses In Maize, Rice, Cabbage, And Tomato, Swayamjit Ray, Saumik Basu, Loren J. Rivera-Vega, Flor E. Acevedo, Joe Louis, Gary W. Felton, Dawn S. Luthe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Plant defenses to insect herbivores have been studied in response to several insect behaviors on plants such as feeding, crawling, and oviposition. However, we have only scratched the surface about how insect feces induce plant defenses. In this study, we measured frass-induced plant defenses in maize, rice, cabbage, and tomato by chewing herbivores such as European corn borer (ECB), fall armyworm (FAW), cabbage looper (CL), and tomato fruit worm (TFW). We observed that caterpillar frass induced plant defenses are specific to each host-herbivore system, and they may induce herbivore or pathogen defense responses in the host plant depending on the …

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Increasing Maize Tolerance To Drought And Flood With Seed Coating Treatments, Jacob E. Bennett, Achint Sanghi, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose Aug 2016

Increasing Maize Tolerance To Drought And Flood With Seed Coating Treatments, Jacob E. Bennett, Achint Sanghi, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The lack of irrigation in regions prone to drought, and flooding due to high rainfall or lack of drainage affects seed viability and the subsequent germination and crop establishment. Seed treatment in the form of coatings shows promise as an effective method to preserve the viability of corn (Zea mays) seeds in drought and flood conditions. Chemical formulations may help improve the seed corn vigor under these stressed conditions. This study examined the efficacy of β-aminobutyric acid [BABA] and N-isopropylacrylamide [NIPA] in inducing drought resistance, as well as the ability of lanolin and linseed oil to provide flood …

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Mapping And Analyzing Energy Use And Efficiency In A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container, Rachel E. Sparks Aug 2016

Mapping And Analyzing Energy Use And Efficiency In A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container, Rachel E. Sparks

Open Access Theses

In urban centers today, vertical farming is becoming a popular alternative to conventional agriculture in an effort to increase local food production and improve urban food security by growing crops using hydroponic methods in controlled environment spaces. More specifically, one vertical method involves growing crops inside refurbished shipping containers, or a “farm-in-a-box” concept, which offers a flexible, mobile, and scalable means of year-round food production in a variety of climates. Despite benefits of producing food locally, some of the concerns associated with these vertical farming systems include high energy consumption from climate control and electric lighting systems as well as …

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The Confounding Effects Of Particle Size And Substrate Bulk Density On Phanerochaete Chrysosporium Pretreatment On Panicum Virgatum, Amanda N. Hickman, Sue E. Nokes, William S. Sympson, Mathew J. Ruwaya, Michael D. Montross, Barbara L. Knutson Jul 2016

The Confounding Effects Of Particle Size And Substrate Bulk Density On Phanerochaete Chrysosporium Pretreatment On Panicum Virgatum, Amanda N. Hickman, Sue E. Nokes, William S. Sympson, Mathew J. Ruwaya, Michael D. Montross, Barbara L. Knutson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Phanerochaete chrysosporium treatment is less effective as a biological pretreatment on feedstock with larger particle sizes. We hypothesized that the improved effectiveness of the pretreatment when smaller particle sizes are used may be due to the inherently higher bulk density with smaller particle sizes. The effects of substrate bulk density and particle size on the efficacy of P. chrysosporium pretreatment of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) was tested experimentally. Phanerochaete chrysosporium was grown on senesced switchgrass (2 different particle sizes) with various bulk densities. In all treatments, the fungal-pretreated samples released more glucose during enzymatic saccharification than the control sample. …

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