Life Sciences Commons^™

Do Coffee Agroforestry Systems Always Improve Soil Carbon Stocks Deeper In The Soil?—A Case Study From Turrialba, Costa Rica, Nilovna Chatterjee, P. K. Ramachandran Nair, Vimala D. Nair, Abhishek Bhattacharjee, Elias De Melo Virginio Filho, Rheinhold G. Muschler, Martin R.A. Noponen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Shaded perennial agroforestry systems (AFS) are regarded as desirable land‐use practices that improve soil carbon sequestration. However, most studies assume a positive correlation between above ground and below ground carbon without considering the effect of past and current land management, textural variations (silt and clay percentage), and such other site‐specific factors that have a major influence on the extent of soil C sequestration. We assessed SOC stock at various depths (0–10, 10–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm) in shaded perennial coffee (Coffea arabica L.) AFS in a 17‐ year‐old experimental field at the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, (9°53′44′′ …

Remediating Soil For Successful Vegetation Establishment Along Nebraska Highways, Shad Mills, Martha Mamo, Walt Schacht, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Vegetation along roadsides is important to prevent soil erosion, provide habitat, and filter water running off the road. Vegetation close to the pavement along highways in Nebraska does not readily establish and persist. It is thought that the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors behind the lack of vegetation. After a construction project the shoulder is seeded into the compacted soil, and during winter salts can accumulate in the soil because of deicing agents being used. The purpose of our study was to determine if the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors of the vegetation cover. …

Establishment Of Wildflower Islands To Enhance Roadside Health And Aesthetics, Walter Schacht, Judy Wu-Smart

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Wildflowers are crucial in the ecological function of the low-input roadside plant communities in terms of water andnutrient cycling, nutrient inputs such as nitrogen, total plant canopy cover, stand longevity, and provision of habitat for numerous small animals. Further, wildflowers provide critical foraging and nesting resources for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Unfortunately, habitat loss from agricultural and urban development has led to rapid population declines in wild bees and other pollinators across the US, thereby jeopardizing not only food production but also the sustainability of our natural landscapes (Kearns & Inouye, 1997). One way to mitigate wild bee decline …

Pi‑Plat: A High‑Resolution Image‑Based 3d Reconstruction Method To Estimate Growth Dynamics Of Rice Inflorescence Traits, Jaspreet Sandhu, Feiyu Zhu, Puneet Paul, Tian Gao, Balpreet K. Dhatt, Yufeng Ge, Paul E. Staswick, Hongfeng Yu, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Recent advances in image-based plant phenotyping have improved our capability to study vegetative stage growth dynamics. However, more complex agronomic traits such as inflorescence architecture (IA), which predominantly contributes to grain crop yield are more challenging to quantify and hence are relatively less explored. Previous efforts to estimate inflorescence-related traits using image-based phenotyping have been limited to destructive end-point measurements. Development of non-destructive inflorescence phenotyping platforms could accelerate the discovery of the phenotypic variation with respect to inflorescence dynamics and mapping of the underlying genes regulating critical yield components.

Results: The major objective of this study is to evaluate …

Divergent Phenotypic Response Of Rice Accessions To Transient Heat Stress During Early Seed Development, Puneet Paul, Balpreet K. Dhatt, Jaspreet Sandhu, Waseem Hussain, Larissa Irvin, Gota Morota, Paul E. Staswick, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Increasing global surface temperatures is posing a major food security challenge. Part of the solution to address this problem is to improve crop heat resilience, especially during grain development, along with agronomic decisions such as shift in planting time and increasing crop diversification. Rice is a major food crop consumed by more than 3 billion people. For rice, thermal sensitivity of reproductive development and grain filling is well-documented, while knowledge concerning the impact of heat stress (HS) on early seed development is limited. Here, we aim to study the phenotypic variation in a set of diverse rice accessions for elucidating …

Management Controls The Net Greenhouse Gas Outcomes Of Growing Bioenergy Feedstocks On Marginally Productive Croplands, Virginia L. Jin, Marty Schmer, Catherine E. Stewart, Robert B. Mitchell, Candiss O. Williams, Brian J. Wienhold, Gary Varvel, Ronald F. Follett, John Kimble, Kenneth P. Vogel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Bio-based energy is key to developing a globally sustainable low-carbon economy. Lignocellulosic feedstock production on marginally productive croplands is expected to provide substantial climate mitigation benefits, but long-term field research comparing greenhouse gas (GHG) outcomes during the production of annual versus perennial crop-based feedstocks is lacking. Here, we show that long-term (16 years) switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) systems mitigate GHG emissions during the feedstock production phase compared to GHG-neutral continuous corn (Zea mays L.) under conservation management on marginally productive cropland. Increased soil organic carbon was the major GHG sink in all feedstock systems, but net agronomic GHG outcomes …

Representative Economic Budgets For Nebraska Cow Herds, Glennis Mcclure, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

In 2017, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension made a commitment to implement a multidisciplinary Beef Systems Initiative (BSI). BSI is administered by the Center for Grassland Studies and is comprised of six projects designed to develop and support implementation of beef production systems that optimize feed resource use, natural resource conservation, and producer success in Nebraska through improved management of perennial grasslands and systems of integrated crop-beef cattle production. In addition to BSI, a parallel project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is studying the best practices …

Accrual Accounting And The Farm Business, Part Ii, Tim L. Meyers

Cornhusker Economics

My last Cornhusker Economics article, Accounting Assumptions and the Farm Business (10-16-19) set the foundation for a specific evaluation of the conceptual framework accrual accounting offers the farm or ranch manager. The article addressed cash accounting and hinted at its shortfalls which were rectified by accrual accounting. This article will explain conceptual frameworks, and two accrual accounting principles; namely the revenue recognition principle and the matching principle.

During one of my graduate school experiences, I encountered a professor who seemed to be in love with conceptual frameworks. I chose a framework and tried to use it as instructed, but it …

Deep Kernel And Deep Learning For Genome-Based Prediction Of Single Traits In Multienvironment Breeding Trials, José Crossa, Johannes W.R. Martini, Daniel Gianola, Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez, Diego Jarquin, Philomin Juliana, Osval Antonio Montesinos López, Jaime Cuevas

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Deep learning (DL) is a promising method for genomic-enabled prediction. However, the implementation of DL is difficult because many hyperparameters (number of hidden layers, number of neurons, learning rate, number of epochs, batch size, etc.) need to be tuned. For this reason, deep kernel methods, which only require defining the number of layers, may be an attractive alternative. Deep kernel methods emulate DL models with a large number of neurons, but are defined by relatively easily computed covariance matrices. In this research, we compared the genome-based prediction of DL to a deep kernel (arc-cosine kernel, AK), to the commonly used …

Plant Hormones Differentially Control The Sub-Cellular Localization Of Plasma Membrane Microdomains During The Early Stage Of Soybean Nodulation, Zhenzhen Qiao, Prince Zogli, Marc Libault

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Phytohormones regulate the mutualistic symbiotic interaction between legumes and rhizobia, nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria, notably by controlling the formation of the infection thread in the root hair (RH). At the cellular level, the formation of the infection thread is promoted by the translocation of plasma membrane microdomains at the tip of the RH. We hypothesize that phytohormones regulate the translocation of plasma membrane microdomains to regulate infection thread formation. Accordingly, we treated with hormone and hormone inhibitors transgenic soybean roots expressing fusions between the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and GmFWL1 or GmFLOT2/4, two microdomain-associated proteins translocated at the tip of the …

Critical Time For Weed Removal In Corn (Zea Mays L.) As Influenced By Pre Herbicides, Ayse Nur Ulusoy

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

A weed control program that utilizes PRE herbicides and ensures a timely post-emergence weed removal could protect growth and yield of corn. The use of pre-emergence (PRE) herbicides for weed control could reduce the need for multiple POST applications of glyphosate in glyphosate-tolerant (GT) corn and provide an additional mode of action for combating glyphosate-resistant weeds. Thus, field studies were conducted in 2017 and 2018 at Concord, NE with the following objectives develop weed management recommendations that considers soil applied herbicides and determine proper timing of glyphosate based on the crop growth stage.

Therefore the material in this thesis is …

The Impact Of Veterans Treatment Courts On The Community, Daniela Mettos, Amanda Leingang

Cornhusker Economics

With the United States’ ongoing presence in the Middle East and the ever-present possibility of future conflict, the commitment to tend to the unique needs of veterans returning from combat is an essential one. The number of veterans suffering from mental health issues, substance abuse disorders, and physical trauma continues to rise. With this comes an increased risk of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), drug and alcohol abuse, and repeating criminal behavior, all of which increase the likelihood that veterans will find themselves involved in the criminal justice system at some point following their combat service.

Utilizing effective, reliable, and focused …

Impact Of Myoglobin Oxygenation State On Color Stability Of Beef Steaks During Frozen Storage And Thawed Retail Display, Morgan Lee Henriott

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Meat color is the most important product characteristic that impacts consumer purchasing decisions. Therefore, the major objectives of this thesis were to determine the impact of myoglobin oxygenation level and frozen storage duration on both frozen and thawed beef color. USDA Choice strip loins (n=36) were aged for 4 d or 20 d and cut into steaks. Steaks were randomly assigned to a myoglobin oxygenation level [deoxymyoglobin (DeOxy; immediately packaged), oxygenation (Oxy; oxygenated in air for 30 minutes), or high oxygenation (HiOxy; packaged for 24 h in 80% O₂)]. Steaks were then vacuum packaged in oxygen permeable or …

Effects Of Different Water And Nitrogen Regimens On Yield Of Winter Wheat Produced In Nebraska, Joseph Emory Davis

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

Wheat is the 3rd most prominent crop in the USA and approximately 50% is exported annually. Nebraska wheat production is 11^th in the country, and it plays a major role in the state's agricultural economy, especially in western NE. Generally, wheat is grown under dryland conditions and the region grows much more wheat on unirrigated land than it does on irrigated. However, deficit irrigation has shown great value in producing high yielding wheat with much less water than needed for other crops. Finding new ways to leverage irrigation in wheat production may help address the need to produce food …

Integration Of Cover Crops Into Midwest Corn-Soybean Cropping Systems And Potential For Weed Suppression, Joshua S. Wehrbein

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

Cover crops have potential to provide benefits to agricultural systems, such as improved soil productivity, nutrient scavenging, weed suppression, and livestock forage. There are several challenges associated with cover crop integration into traditional Midwest corn-soybean cropping systems. One of these challenges is timely establishment in the fall, which is limited by the relatively late harvest of corn and soybean. Cover crop effectiveness is related to the amount of biomass produced, thus maximizing the growth period in the fall is desired. To address this challenge, we evaluated the potential to utilize early-season soybean maturity groups (MGs) to allow for earlier soybean …

Use Of Uav Imagery And Nutrient Analyses For Estimation Of The Spatial And Temporal Contributions Of Cattle Dung To Nutrient Cycling In Grazed Ecosystems, Amanda Shine

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

Nutrient inputs from cattle dung are crucial drivers of nutrient cycling processes in grazed ecosystems. These inputs are important both spatially and temporally and are affected by variables such as grazing strategy, water location, and the nutritional profile of forage being grazed. Past research has attempted to map dung deposition patterns in order to more accurately estimate nutrient input, but the large spatial extent of a typical pasture and the tedious nature of identifying and mapping individual dung pats has prohibited the development of a time- and cost-effective methodology. The first objective of this research was to develop and validate …

Understanding Nitrogen Limitation In Soybean, Nicolas Cafaro La Menza

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

Meeting soybean demand on existing cropland area for a global population of 9.7 billion people by the year 2050 requires narrowing the existing gap between average producer yield and yield potential. Soybean relies on two sources on nitrogen (N): biological N2 fixation and indigenous soil N supply. As soybean yield continues to increase, it seems critical to know if there is a yield level at which potential contribution of indigenous nitrogen sources and fixation becomes insufficient to meet crop N requirements for high yields, while still maintaining or increasing protein and oil concentration. This study evaluated N limitation across 29 …

A Survey Of Soil Properties Affecting Vegetation Establishment Along Nebraska Highways, Shad D. Mills

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

Vegetation along roadsides is important to prevent soil erosion, provide habitat and filter water running off the road. Along some highways in Nebraska vegetation does not readily establish and persist. It is thought that sodium and bulk density issues are the driving factor behind the lack of vegetation. After a construction project, the shoulder is seeded into the compacted soil, and salts can accumulate in the soil due to deicing agents being used during the winter. The purpose of our study was to determine if the bulk density and sodium are the driving factors of the vegetation cover. We also …

Benchmarking On-Farm Maize Nitrogen Balance In The Western U.S. Corn Belt, Fatima Amor Tenorio

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

A nitrogen (N) balance, calculated as the difference between N inputs and grain-N removal, provides an estimate of the potential N losses. We used N balance with other N-related metrics (partial factor productivity for N inputs, and yield-scaled N balance), to benchmark maize yields in relation with N input use in the US Corn Belt. We first used experimental data on grain-N concentration (GNC) to assess variation in this parameter due to biophysical and management factors. Subsequently, we used N balance and N-related metrics to benchmark yields in relation with N inputs in irrigated and rainfed fields in Nebraska using …

Impact Of Feeding Distillers Grains Or Isolated Components In Distillers Grains To Growing And Finishing Cattle, And The Comparison Of Protein Content And In-Situ Digestibility Of Feeds Commonly Used In Feedlot Diets, Brianna B. Conroy

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The use of distillers grains originating from biofuel production has become widely used in feedlot diets. Distillers grains has been identified as having an increased feeding value relative to dry-rolled corn, in recent years the composition of distillers grains has begun to change due to greater refinement in the ethanol production process. Two feedlot trials were conducted to evaluate the contribution of fat, fiber, and protein from distillers grains in the diets of growing and finishing cattle. Growing steers were fed a grass hay-based ration, including a corn control diet compared to a diet containing modified distillers grains plus solubles, …

Further Thoughts On The Brazilian Grain Market, Its Competitiveness And Its Challenges, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In previous articles in this space (on 6/20/2018 and 6/19/2019), I talked about recent developments and challenges for Brazilian grain markets. We discussed that one of the main obstacles for Brazilian competitiveness is the country’s logistics system. In those articles, we focused more on transportation and how higher marketing costs are explained by the poor infrastructure in Brazil and the modes of transportation used to haul grain to export ports. Today we will talk a bit more about this point, and then address another dimension of the logistics challenge in Brazil.

As previously discussed, the major agricultural area in Brazil …

Comparison Of Unused Water And Year-Old Used Water For Production Of Channel Catfish In The Biofloc Technology System, Bartholomew W. Green, Kevin K. Schrader, Steven D. Rawles, Carl D. Webster, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Since excreted feed nitrogen is bio-transformed efficiently in a fully functional mixotrophic biofloc technology production system, re-using this biofloc water over multiple production cycles should be beneficial. The present study, conducted in an outdoor biofloc technology production system, evaluated impacts on fish production characteristics and mineral status, common microbial off-flavors, and water quality dynamics for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) reared in one-year-old waters with low or high total suspended solids used previously for two consecutive catfish biofloc studies or in unused (new) water. Total suspended solids were maintained at 300 to 400 mg/L in the unused and low …

Emergence Of Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.) Is Influenced By The Landscape Position In Which Seeds Developed, Sharon K. Papiernik, Frank Forcella, Gary B. Amundson

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In a 2-yr field study, we evaluated the emergence and early growth of Chenopodium album L. (common lambsquarters) seedlings as affected by the landscape position in which the seeds (i) developed, (ii) overwintered, and (iii) were planted. Results indicated that a higher proportion of seeds originating from lower slope positions emerged compared with seeds originating from the backslope or upper slope. The timing of emergence was the same for all seed source locations. There was no influence of overwintering location on weed emergence. Regardless of the seed source, we observed faster emergence and growth of C. album planted in the …

Evaluation Of A Global Spring Wheat Panel For Stripe Rust: Resistance Loci Validation And Novel Resources Identification, Ibrahim Elbasyoni, Walid M. El-Orabey, Sabah Morsy, P. S. Baenziger, Zakaria Al Ajlouni4, Ismail M. Dweikat

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Stripe rust (incited by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) is airborne wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) disease with dynamic virulence evolution. Thus, anticipatory and continued screening in hotspot regions is crucial to identify new pathotypes and integrate new resistance resources to prevent potential disease epidemics. A global wheat panel consisting of 882 landraces and 912 improved accessions was evaluated in two locations in Egypt during 2016 and 2017. Five prevalent and aggressive pathotypes of stripe rust were used to inoculate the accessions during the two growing seasons and two locations under field conditions. The objectives were to evaluate the panel for …

Effects Of Irrigation And Climate On The High Plains Aquifer, Richard Perrin, Felipe Silva, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Karina Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

The High Plains Aquifer (HPA), sometimes known in Nebraska as the Ogallala Aquifer, is an enormous resource underlying 112 million acres across parts of eight states, from South Dakota to Texas.

Our research has previously estimated that irrigation water drawn from the HPA adds at least $2 billion worth of additional crops per year in Nebraska alone, and $3.5 billion across the entire HPA1.

In the years ahead, world population growth will surely increase the pressure for irrigation from the stock of water in the HPA. But pumping that water from the aquifer can increase the depth to groundwater which …

Metabolic Dynamics Of Developing Rice Seeds Under High Night-Time Temperature Stress, Balpreet K. Dhatt, Nathan Abshire, Puneet Paul, Kalani Hasanthika, Jaspreet Sandhu, Qi Zhang, Toshihiro Obata, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

High temperature stress during rice reproductive development results in yield losses. Reduced grain yield and grain quality has been associated with high temperature stress, and specifically with high night-time temperatures (HNT). Characterizing the impact of HNT on the phenotypic and metabolic status of developing rice seeds can provide insights into the mechanisms involved in yield and quality decline. Here, we examined the impact of warmer nights on the morphology and metabolome during early seed development in six diverse rice accessions. Seed size was sensitive to HNT in four of the six genotypes, while seed fertility and seed weight were unaffected. …

Appraisal Or Evaluation? The Impact Of Cap Rates On Financing, Jeff Stokes

Cornhusker Economics

Loan underwriting has long been a crucial function of financial institutions. The C’s of credit (character, capacity, capital, conditions and collateral) are taught in many college-level finance and banking courses and the process is even mentioned in popular movies such as “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The process is also recognized as being costly in terms of time and money. Regulations are promulgated and enforced to assure the safety and soundness of lending institutions. Nevertheless, there are situations when the risk to safety and soundness are so small that less extensive underwriting procedures may be appropriate. Benefits to lenders and borrowers …

Ghd8 Controls Rice Photoperiod Sensitivity By Forming A Complex That Interacts With Ghd7, Peng Wang, Rong Gong, Ying Yang, Sibin Yu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Flowering time is one of the most important agronomic characteristics that ultimately determine yield potential and eco-geographical adaptation in crops. Ghd8 and Ghd7, two major flowering genes, have similar functions and large pleiotropic effects in controlling the heading date, plant height and grain yield of rice. However, these gene interactions at the genetic and molecular levels have not been determined to date.

Results: In this study, we investigated the genetic interaction between Ghd8 and Ghd7 by using a set of near-isogenic lines and a panel of natural germplasm accessions in rice. We found that Ghd8 affected multiple agronomic traits …

Legacy Effects Of Biodegradable Mulch And Soil Amendments On Vegetable Crops And The Soil, Elise V.H. Reid

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

Plastic film mulches are used in horticulture to manage weeds, improve water retention, and increase soil temperature. Bioplastics and biofabrics are potentially sustainable alternatives to plastic film; however, they have different rates of in soil degradation. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a 100% biobased polymer that degrades slowly, but could fulfill organic certification to be soil incorporated. Mater-Bi is a commercially available biodegradable plastic (bioplastic), which degrades quickly, but cannot be incorporated in organic systems. Our objectives were to determine the individual and combined effects of soil amendments and residual mulch on vegetable crop yield and soil fertility. In a two-year …

Nebline, Nov./Dec. 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Horse Program Grows Youth for Life

Thanksgiving Food Safety

Recipe of the Month

Successful Farmer Series Starts Jan. 10

Produce Safety Workshop, Nov. 19

Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

A New Can of Worms: Asian Jumping Worms

Use Caution to Avoid Deer-Vehicle Collisions

Reuse Your Fresh Cut Christmas Tree for Wildlife

Gifts For The Gardener

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

High-Quality Child Care Depends on Effective Family Engagement

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Beverlee Keller

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Dave Hattan

4-H Video Companion Animal Showmanship Contest Results

Outgoing 4-H Council Members

2019 4-H …