Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Jessica Ayala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important food crops in the world due to its multiple uses in agriculture sector. A major limiting factor in soybean production system is drought stress, causing up to 80% reduction in yield. Due to climate change and associated rise in ambient temperatures, water scarcity is a major concern in crop production, and consequently researchers are turning to soybean accessions that demonstrate better water use efficiency (WUE) traits. However, field grown soybean is also under severe pressure from insect herbivores, often accounting for a 30% reduction in yield. Among these, …

Quantifying Temperature Effects On Development Rate And Plant Quality Of Compact Container-Grown Tomato, Morgan Humphrey, Ryan W. Dickson, Sonali Padhye

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mean daily temperature effects on plant development rates and quality were evaluated for compact container-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Compact tomato varieties ‘Siam’ and ‘Red Velvet’ were grown in greenhouses at 18 to 26 °C (Expt. 1) and 20 to 30 °C (Expt. 2) under supplemental high-pressure sodium lighting and 16-h photoperiod. The number of days to first open flower, first ripe fruit and from flower to ripe fruit were measured and development rates calculated by taking the reciprocal (e.g., 1/d). Temperature effects were predicted by fitting a linear (for first open flower) and a nonlinear exponential function (for …

The Effect Of Common Road Salts And Organic Additives On Microbial Respiration In Urban Streams, Claire Meara

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to significant population growth and urbanization, there has been an increase in impervious surfaces such as roads and sidewalks. During winter, impervious surfaces are often treated with salt to make road conditions safer. However, this has significant impacts on water quality when salt enters urban streams during runoff events. The addition of road salts to urban streams has been shown to have detrimental effects to various organisms across trophic levels and affects nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas release. These findings have made the development of alternative treatments necessary, such as using organic additives, like beet juice, which can decrease …

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Art Expertise During Different Stages Of The Creative Process: An Eeg Study, Kim N. Awa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generating and drafting ideas are creative processes linked to internal neural mechanisms, such as directed attentional states, reflected in alpha band synchronization patterns. Previous research has demonstrated that these mechanisms vary based on levels of expertise during creative tasks. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted nature of ideation and externalization across multiple stages of the creative process, particularly when accounting for domain-specific expertise in imagery and figural tasks. The present study investigates alpha band synchronicity (lower and upper) across visual art backgrounds, specifically among artists, intermediates, and non-artists, during three distinct stages of the creative process: thinking of ideas, …

Analyzing Milled Rice Breakage Patterns Under Diverse Environmental Settings, Devisree Chukkapalli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study comprehensively evaluates the effects of environmental conditions, transportation, and storage practices on the quality of milled rice using three cultivars: CLL16 (long grain pureline), XP753 (long grain hybrid), and Titan (medium grain pureline). Three distinct objectives guided the research: (1) assessing the impact of relative humidity (RH), temperature, and exposure duration on rice quality post-milling and post-storage; (2) analyzing seasonal and locational influences on rice quality during transportation and storage; and (3) investigating the effects of subfreezing storage on key quality attributes.
Under controlled environmental conditions, post-milling exposure (PME) caused significant quality degradation at higher RH (75% and …

Integrating Sustainability And Food Safety Through Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment And Life Cycle Assessment Of Low-Moisture Foods, Jessica Bain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food safety and sustainability are critical concerns in the food industry. However, these areas are often evaluated separately, leading to an incomplete understanding of the overall impact of food production on human health. This dissertation aims to integrate food safety with sustainability to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of low-moisture foods on human health, using the almond processing supply chain as a case study.

In addition to conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) of almond processing, wheat flour production, and dried apple processing, this dissertation aims to create a framework to bridge the gap between sustainability and food safety. …

Evaluation Of Industrial Hemp Cultivar And Biochar Rate To Remediate Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil From The Tar Creek Superfund Site, Usa, Dietrich V. Thurston, Kristofor R. Brye, David M. Miller, Philip A. Moore Jr., Donald M. Johnson, Mike Richardson

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil contamination by cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) at the Tar Creek superfund site in northeast Oklahoma, United States, remains a threat to the environment and local ecosystem. Phytoremediation with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and the use of biochar (BC) have been independently shown to be effective methods to remediate heavy-metal-contaminated soils. The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate the effects of industrial hemp cultivar (‘Carmagnola’ and ‘Jinma’), biochar rate (0, 2, 5, and 10% by volume), soil contamination level (low, medium, and high), and their interactions on above- (AG) and belowground dry matter …

Rice Response To Struvite And Other Phosphorus Fertilizers In A Phosphorus-Deficient Soil Under Simulated Furrow-Irrigation, Jonathan B. Brye, Diego Della Lunga, Kristofor R. Brye

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wastewater-recovered phosphorus (P), in the form of the mineral struvite (MgNH₄PO₄⋅6H₂O), may provide a sustainable alternative to decreasing rock-phosphate reserves. Struvite can be generated via precipitation methods, potentially reducing the amount of P runoff to aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this greenhouse tub study was to evaluate the effects of chemically- and electrochemically precipitated struvite (CPST and ECST, respectively) on above- and belowground plant response in a hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) cultivar grown using furrow-irrigation compared to other common fertilizer-P sources [i.e., triple super phosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)]. Rice was …

Interpreting The Spatial Distribution Of Soil Properties With A Physically-Based Distributed Hydrological Model, Zamir Libohova, Marcelo Mancini, Hans Edwin Winzeler, Quentin D. Read, Ning Sun, Dylan Beaudette, Candiss Williams, Joshua Michael Blackstock, Sergio H.G. Silva, Nilton Curi, Kabindra Adhikari, Amanda Ashworth, Joshua O. Minai, Phillip R. Owens

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Digital soil maps are commonly data-driven as the development of physically-based models for soil mapping is difficult due to the complexity of soils. However, physically-based hydrologic models have been successful in simulating water dynamics. Since water movement is a major driver of pedogenesis, the physical rules that govern water movement might help explain and predict the spatial variation of soil properties. Here, we demonstrate the novel use of a physically-based, distributed hydrologic model to inform the spatial distribution of soil properties. The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) was utilized to simulate soil moisture content (SM) and water table …

North Dakota Corn Efficiency Frontier: Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Bayarbat Badarch, David C. Roberts, Michael P. Popp

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

According to climate studies in North Dakota, the state's crop-growing season has been extended. In addition, many studies have shown technological advances in crop production. However, the state has not addressed how crop yield has been affected by weather changes. Thus, this paper investigates the state's corn (Zea mays) yield potential and efficiency measures based on agricultural input use and weather variables from 1994 to 2018. We found that the effects of temperature and precipitation on the state's corn yield frontier (potential) were greater than those of changing agricultural input variables. The stochastic frontier model indicates that the …

Economic Evaluation Of Grazing Steers On Summer Annuals Sod-Seeded Into Warm-Season Perennial Pasture, Ivanelle Meyer, Michael P. Popp, Christine C. Nieman, James L. Mitchell, Kenneth P. Coffey

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion …

Demand For Milk And Milk Products In The Rural Household Of Bangladesh: A Panel Data Analysis, Eshrat Jahan Mahfuza, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Andrew M. Mckensie

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Milk is considered an essential source of protein for people of all ages. However, Bangladeshi people, particularly those living in rural areas, tend to consume less milk and milk products than necessary. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the demand for milk and milk products among rural consumers and the factors affecting their consumption habits. The study utilizes balanced panel data from three waves of the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey: 2011–12, 2015, and 2018–19, collected by the International Food Policy Research Institute. Both the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) and Fixed Effects Model were employed. The expenditure elasticity for liquid …

In Ovo Administration Of L. Animalis, B. Licheniformis, , Or Their Combination Influences Ross 708 Broiler Chick Hatch Performance And Immuno-Physiological Parameters, C. N. Beck, K.G.S. Wamsley, C. D. Mcdaniel, A. S. Kiess

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is a demand for novel pathogen mitigation strategies in antibiotic-free poultry production, which has triggered the development of various probiotic application methods. One application method is the in ovo (in egg) administration of probiotics on incubation day (d) 18, where the unhatched chick consumes a probiotic before hatch and prior to being exposed to environmental pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of in ovo L. animalis, B. licheniformis, or L. animalis + B. licheniformis (10⁶ cfu/50 mL L each) administration on hatch performance (N = 21 egg flats/treatment, 30 …

Neural Network Architecture Search Enabled Wide-Deep Learning (Nas-Wd) For Spatially Heterogenous Property Awared Chicken Woody Breast Classification And Hardness Regression, Chaitanya Pallerla, Yihong Feng, Casey M. Owens, Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Siavash Mahmoudi, Pouya Sohrabipour, Amirreza Davar, Dongyi Wang

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Due to intensive genetic selection for rapid growth rates and high broiler yields in recent years, the global poultry industry has faced a challenging problem in the form of woody breast (WB) conditions. This condition has caused significant economic losses as high as $200 million annually, and the root cause of WB has yet to be identified. Human palpation is the most common method of distinguishing a WB from others. However, this method is time-consuming and subjective. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning algorithms can evaluate the WB conditions of fillets in a non-invasive, objective, and high-throughput manner. In …

Characterization Of An Acetogenin-Carrying Nanosuspension And Its Effect On Bacteria Of Interest In The Poultry Industry, Brandon A. Lopez-Romero, Gabriela Aguilar-Hernandez, Billy M. Hargis, Maria De Lourdes Garcia-Magana, Ulises M. Lopez-Garcia, Rosa I. Ortiz-Basurto, Adalberto Zamudio-Ojeda, Juan D. Latorre, Efigenia Montalvo-Gonzalez

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This work aimed to develop a nanosuspension (NSps) as an acetogenin (ACGs) carrier, using soy lecithin (SL) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (βCD) named NSps-βCDSL-ACGs. It was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques (DLS, FTIR, UV-vis diffuse reflectance). Moreover, the NSps morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, the antibacterial activity of NSps-βCDSL-ACGs was evaluated against strains of interest in the poultry sector. NSps-βCDSL-ACGs presented nanometric size (207–239 nm), acceptable polydispersity index (PDI) values (0.13–0.17) and a high Z potential value (−47.17–50.36 mV), demonstrating high stability. The presence of ACGs in NSps-βCDSL-ACGs was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The nanoparticles had a spherical …

Anthocyanin Extraction Methods: Synthesis Of Morpho-Anatomical Knowledge For Decision-Making Based On Decision-Tree, Gabriel Laquete De Barros, F.T.S. Silva, R.S. Teixeira, J.G. Wagner, C.V. Rombaldi, M. Vizzotto, A. Ubeyitogullari, L. Nora

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Efficient anthocyanin extraction from emerging food matrices is essential in food technology and requires a precise, consistent, and clear extraction method. This study aimed to develop a decision-tree tool for selecting the optimal anthocyanin extraction technique. A comprehensive data synthesis covering the years 2018 to 2023 was conducted using leading academic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and SciELO. A combination of systematic and non-systematic approaches was employed to guide the decision-making process. The keywords used included “anthocyanin extraction methods,” and studies with more than 10 citations were prioritized, along with recent and relevant publications. Thirty-six articles were analyzed …

Encapsulation Of Probiotics By Cellulose Nanocrystal-Alginate Composite Beads For Ph Stimuli-Responsive Delivery, Akrip Jati

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microencapsulation has garnered significant interest, with oral probiotics delivery systems showing enormous potential to help restore the gut microbiome. This method holds vast potential to protect and release specific microbial strains to the desired target site (i.e., colon) within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). However, current encapsulation methodologies, utilizing either synthetic or biological materials as carriers, encounter challenges such as suboptimal encapsulation efficiency, premature probiotic release, and inadequate control over release kinetics. In this work, hydrogel microsphere (HM) composites of different cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) forms (i.e., colloidal (c), and crosslinked (x)) and alginate (ALG) were used as advanced controlled release systems …

The Informal, Non-Prescribed Use Of Antiretroviral Medications For Prep Among A National Us-Based Sample Of Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Cross-Sectional Study, Mance E. Buttram, Matthew S. Ellis, Krishen D. Samuel, Matthew Hayhurst

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

This brief report presents findings on informal, non-prescribed PrEP use among an online sample of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (n = 196). Mean age was 33.4. Participants were Hispanic (13.3%), African American (15.8%), white (63.8%), and other race/ethnicity (6.6%). Informal PrEP users (11%) more frequently reported past year sexually transmitted infections (p < 0.001), group sex (p < 0.001), sex in public (p < 0.01), transactional sex (p < 0.001), ever receiving a formal PrEP prescription (p < 0.05), and ease of finding diverted HIV medications on gay dating/sex apps (p < 0.05). Formal PrEP uptake should be encouraged to mitigate potential negative consequences of informal use.

Site Position, Tillage, And Soil Depth Effects On Soil Properties In A Furrow-Irrigated Rice Field On A Silt-Loam Soil, Hannah Nobles, Kristofor Brye, Diego Della Lunga

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fundamental agronomic shift from conventional agricultural methods to conservation agriculture relies on understanding soil nutrient stratification with depth and under different tillage treatments. Assessment of nutrient stratification in the dynamic conditions of furrow-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) systems in eastern Arkansas is absent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of tillage [i.e., conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT], site position (i.e., up-, mid-, and down-slope), soil depth interval (i.e., 0-10 and 10-20 cm), and their interaction on the difference (i.e., end of the season minus beginning of the season) in select soil chemical …

Comparison Of Statistical And Machine Learning Genomic Prediction Methods In Plant Breeding: Case Studies In Maize And Soybean, Igor Kuivjogi Fernandes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plant breeding is essential to increase genetic gain and food production worldwide. This study was conducted to evaluate new ways to use machine learning (ML) to tackle plant breeding challenges, where two ideas were tested — the first chapter focuses on how to combine genetic and environmental data using ML to improve the prediction of maize grain yield in multi-environment trials, while the second chapter centers on how to couple feature selection of molecular markers with ML to enhance prediction of yield in soybean, and, in both cases, ML approaches were compared to well-established statistical methods greatly adopted by the …

Rice Sucrose Non-Fermenting Related Protein Kinase (Snrk1) Has A Limited Role In Defense Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Devi Balakrishnan, Vibha Srivastava, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sucrose non-fermenting (SNF) related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) is a master regulator of energy deprivation signaling, has also been implicated in abiotic and biotic stress regulation. SnRK1 promotes stress tolerance through metabolic and transcriptional changes and plays important roles in innate immunity against various pathogens. However, whether it plays a role against insect herbivory is not understood. To test this, using the wild type (with SnRK1) and snrk1 mutant lines in rice, we examined the potential role of SnRK1 in rice against the ruinous pest, Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. We also investigated the response of FAW towards these lines …

Sustainable Poultry Farming Practices: A Critical Review Of Current Strategies And Future Prospects, Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Keshav Bist, Sandesh Poudel, Deepak Subedi, Xiao Yang, Bidur Paneru, Sudhagar Mani, Dongyi Wang, Lilong Chai

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As global demand for poultry products, environmental sustainability, and health consciousness rises with time, the poultry industry faces both substantial challenges and new opportunities. Therefore, this review paper provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable poultry farming, focusing on integrating genetic improvements, alternative feed, precision technologies, waste management, and biotechnological innovations. Together, these strategies aim to minimize ecological footprints, uphold ethical standards, improve economic feasibility, and enhance industry resilience. In addition, this review paper explores various sustainable strategies, including eco-conscious organic farming practices and innovative feed sources like insect-based proteins, single-cell proteins, algal supplements, and food waste utilization. …

Compact Solar-Powered Plasma Water Generator: Enhanced Germination Of Aged Seed With The Corona Dielectric Barrier Discharger, Yiting Xiao, Yang Tian, Haizheng Xiong, Ainong Shi, Jun Zhu

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seed aging adversely affects agricultural productivity by reducing germination rates and seedling vigor, leading to significant costs for seed banks and companies due to the need for frequent seed renewals. This study demonstrated the use of plasma-activated water (PAW), generated by a solar-powered corona dielectric barrier discharger, to enhance germination rates of spinach seeds that had been stored at 4 °C for 23 years. Treating seeds with PAW at 17 kV for 15 min improved germination (by 135%) and seedling growth compared to untreated seeds. Through detailed analysis, beneficial PAW properties for seed development were identified, and a molecular mechanism …

The Impact Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processing On The Aroma And Physicochemical Properties Of Soybean Flour, Sumanjot Kaur, Ali Ubeyitogullari

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybeans are rich in protein but have limited food applications due to their undesirable volatile compounds, negatively affecting their flavor and consumer acceptance. This study aimed to extract lipids and volatile compounds from soybean flour using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) and investigate the impact of extraction conditions on the properties of soybean flour, including particle size distribution, composition, color, and rheological and textural qualities. Similar lipid extraction yields (∼20 %) were obtained with SC-CO₂ and conventional hexane extractions. The volatile compound concentration of the soybean flour was reduced after SC-CO₂ extraction (0.63–1.00 µg/g) as compared to …

Neural Network Architecture Search Enabled Wide-Deep Learning (Nas-Wd) Integrated Hyperspectral Imaging Understanding For Woody Breast In Poultry Processing, Chaitanya Kumar Reddy Pallerla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development and implementation of a Wide & Deep (WD) learning model tailored for classification and regression tasks utilizing spectral data provides a robust solution to evaluate woody breast (WB) conditions in poultry fillets. This process begins with thorough data preprocessing, which includes loading spectral and classification datasets, imputing missing values with medians, and splitting the data into training and testing sets to ensure rigorous model evaluation. The WD model architecture integrates wide linear models and deep neural networks to harness the strengths of both approaches. The wide component excels at memorizing sparse feature interactions, while the deep component captures …

Investigating Consumer Perception And Wine Quality Impact On Alternative Packaging On Grape (Vitis), Mark Walker Bartz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The grape (Vitis species) and wine industry has major global economic impacts but faces issues with sustainability. The use of glass bottles for wine production is environmentally unsustainable due to energy-intensive manufacturing and poor recycling rates. However, wine consumers tend to associate glass bottles with higher quality over alternative wine packaging materials such as aluminum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and flexible bags/pouches. Since wine price and packaging influence consumers perception of wine quality, wine producers need to understand consumers to maximize profits. Thus, the overall objectives of this research were to investigate consumer perception and wine quality impact of alternative …

Enhancing Selection Intensity With High-Throughput Phenotyping Data In Plant Breeding, Ashmita Upadhyay

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genomic prediction (GP) has proven to be an essential tool to accelerate the cultivar development pipeline by predicting the performance of un-phenotyped lines in the field of plant breeding. However, the prediction accuracy is bounded by the heritability of the target trait, limiting the efficiency of the single-trait GP model. To overcome the limitation, a multi-trait genomic prediction model using high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) data can be used to leverage secondary traits to boost the predictive ability of the target trait. This study aimed to assess the efficiency of the multi-trait (MT)- GP model powered by HTP derived secondary traits in …

Blend Matters: Interactions Of Rice Cultivars On Milling, Physico-Chemical & End Use Traits, Bindu Regonda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice blending or mixing of different rice cultivars, a common practice in the industry, significantly impacts processing efficiency and end-product quality, yet its effects on end products remain understudied. This research investigated the implications of blending contemporary Arkansas rice cultivars through two comprehensive studies focusing on milling yields and physicochemical properties, instantization, and parboiling processes. Five long-grain cultivars, including hybrids (RT 7521 FP, RT 7321 FP, XP 753) and purelines (Ozark, CLL 16), were blended in various combinations and different drying.

The first study revealed that blending significantly affected milling yields and physicochemical attributes. Pre-drying blending yielded better results compared …

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) From The Usda-Grin Germplasm Collection, Ibtisam Alatawi, Haizheng Xiong, Hanan Alkabkabi, Kenani Chiwina, Qing Luo, Kai-Shu Ling, Yuejun Qu, Renjie Du, Ainong Shi

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

The genetic diversity and population structure of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were investigated to support breeding strategies and germplasm conservation. A total of 276 accessions from the USDA-GRIN collection were analyzed using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated through genotyping by sequencing (GBS). After stringent filtering, 5162 high-quality polymorphic SNPs were retained for analysis. Population structure analysis revealed three distinct genetic groups (Q1, Q2, and Q3) among the accessions. Accessions from the USA, Asia, and Central and South America were assigned to all three groups, while accessions from Europe and Oceania were predominantly clustered within Q2. Genetic diversity indices, including major …