Life Sciences Commons^™

The Agricultural Footprints On The Environment, Philip Houtz

Kaleidoscope

Industrialized agricultural systems have given America a convenient and affordable means to supply a surplus of food products to its citizens. Transgenic technology, synthesized fertilizers, advanced pesticides, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and the use of farm machinery have all contributed to humanity’s ability to feed the world’s rapidly growing population. However, the energy-intensive food operation of today may not be as ideal as we assume. Fossil fuels are burned to meet the energy requirements for the continual production of large quantities of fertilizer and to keep farm machines operational. Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farmland ultimately drains into rivers …

Ecotoxicological Risk And Exposure: A Comparison Of Western Burrowing Owls Nesting In Agricultural And Non-Agricultural Areas In The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds Of Prey National Conservation Area, Matthew Stuber

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In some portions of their range, western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) nest in higher densities near irrigated agricultural areas when compared to non-agricultural, arid habitat. Previous research suggests that owls may associate with agricultural areas because of more reliable and abundant prey, particularly invertebrates. One potential cost of this association, however, is an increased risk of exposure of owls to pesticides that are applied to agricultural fields. I investigated the exposure to and possible effects on burrowing owls of organophosphate, organochlorine, and carbamate pesticides in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) …

Irrigated Alfalfa Variety Performance, 2011-2014; North Logan, Utah, Earl Creech, Thomas Griggs, Clark Israelsen, T J Bingham, Jason Clark, Mark Pieper

All Current Publications

Alfalfa is the most important crop in Utah, both in terms of acreage and revenue. Although often overlooked, one of the most critical decisions made in alfalfa production is determining which variety to plant. This fact sheet summarizes dry matter (DM) yields of alfalfa varieties during 4 years at the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Greenville Farm in North Logan (Cache Co.).

The Potential For Reducing N Fertilizer Inputs For Corn Production In The First Year Following Alfalfa, Earl Creech, Grant Cardon, James Barnhill, Jody Gale, Clark Israelsen, Boyd Kitchen, Mark Nelson, Mike Pace

All Current Publications

The objectives of the project reported in this fact sheet were to 1) examine current post-alfalfa N fertilizer credit guidelines and investigate the potential to further reduce N fertilizer rates (if possible) on first year corn after alfalfa across Utah, and 2) accordingly update the USU Extension corn management recommendations and promote grower awareness and adoption of the new guidelines.

Drought And Nitrogen Effects On Maize Canopy Temperature And Stress Indices, David A. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

Increased water scarcity due to changing climate, population growth, and economic development is a major threat to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the Western United States and other regions around the world. Management practices, such as controlled deficit irrigation, that seek to maximize the productivity of a limited water supply are critical. When using controlled deficit irrigation, remote sensing of crop canopy temperature is a useful tool for assessing crop water status and for more precise irrigation management. However, there is potential that nutrient deficiencies could compound the interpretation of water status from leaf temperature by altering leaf color …

On-Ranch Application Of Dna Technology, Kevin Heaton, Katelyn Christensen

All Current Publications

Genetic analysis provides producers with another tool to identify individuals in a herd which have the greatest potential to be most productive or least productive, thus improving ranch sustainability. This project reported in this fact sheet demonstrated that on each ranch there were both genetically inferior and superior livestock for the production traits analyzed. Participating ranchers are using the results to select replacements and are cautioned to avoid single trait selection. This project also created a baseline for genetic quality which individual ranches could compare with future DNA test results.

Slides: Colorado's Water Plan, Lauren Ris

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Lauren Ris, Assistant Director for Water, Colorado Department of Natural Resources

23 slides

Slides: Six Decades Of Texas Water Planning, Ronald Kaiser

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Ronald Kaiser, Professor of Water Law and Policy, Chair of Graduate Water Degree Program, Texas A&M University

32 slides

Slides: Ag Water Sharing: Legal Challenges And Considerations, Peter D. Nichols

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Peter D. Nichols, Esq., Partner, Berg, Hill, Greenleaf and Ruscitti, Boulder, CO

25 slides

Zebra Chip Disease Of Potato, Claudie Nischwitz, Shawn Olsen, Ron Patterson

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes Zebra Chip disease of potatoes, including symptoms, disease cycle, and how to manage it.

Irrigation Of Safflower In Northern Utah, L. Niel Allen, J. Earl Creech, Michael G. Pace, Clark E. Israelsen

All Current Publications

Most safflower in northern Utah and southern Idaho is grown under dryland conditions; however, irrigated safflower can provide higher yields and increase net returns. Two perceived concerns with irrigated safflower are an increase the severity of Alternaria leaf spot disease and delayed maturity in the fall. The results of studies to determine impact of irrigation on safflower yield and Alternaria leaf spot disease are presented in this fact sheet..

A High-Altitude Balloon Platform For Determining Regional Uptake Of Carbon Dioxide Over Agricultural Landscapes, Angela M. Bouche

DePaul Discoveries

Interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere are an important part of the global carbon cycle, and quantifying the carbon dioxide exchanges between them is helpful in predicting the uptake of carbon dioxide from anthropogenic sources by the biosphere in the future. In the Midwestern United States, agricultural systems cover a large part of the landscape, so understanding their role in influencing the global carbon budget is crucial as anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide grow larger. Carbon dioxide exchanges can be measured by eddy covariance at the ecosystem level (bottom-up approach) or regionally by inversion techniques (top-down approach). Here we describe …

Farm Newsletter, Usu Student Organic Farm

USU Student Organic Farm Newsletter

As we warm up from the cold season, expect the variety in the shares in increase. For the first few weeks there will be cold hardy plants such as leafy greens and some herbs. By next spring you will be craving our thick dark green spinach! Check out the recipe for ideas of how to use all these fabulous greens in your meals!

Maintaining A Way Of Life: Trials And Tribulations Of Farmers Market Families, Megan M. Lankford

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Never before in our nation’s history has there been so many ways for consumers to purchase food. From grocery stores, to super centers such as Wal-Mart and Cosco, convenience stores, online purchases, community supported agriculture (CSA), and farmers markets, Americans have a multitude of venues to choose from. Although many Americans currently purchase their foods from grocery stores, a growing number of them are buying locally at their farmers’ markets and from CSAs. As the sustainability movement takes a greater foothold in the American household, local products and local foods are becoming ever more important and prevalent. Yet with all …

Saccharomyces Boulardii As An Enteric Health Promoter In Broiler Chickens, Caroline Stephanie Philpot

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast that has been shown to have a probiotic effect on the gut health of humans, ruminants, and swine by helping to control intestinal homeostasis, preventing pathogens from colonizing, promoting beneficial enzyme production, and by other mechanisms. This trial is designed to test whether the addition of S. boulardii to the diet improves the enteric health of broilers. Forty-eight test pens each containing fifteen birds, a water line, and a hanging feed pan were set up in a commercial broiler house from day eighteen to day thirty-six of the flock. The pens were evenly divided into …

Cellular Responses In Rous Sarcoma In Arkansas Rous Sarcoma Regressor And Progressor Chickens, Alyce Kallie Sullivan

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Immunology Rous sarcoma cell-mediated immunity

Accessing Chilling Conditions For Perennial Fruit Crop Production In Kentucky, Yao Xue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Temperate Region fruit and nut trees, and many other perennial plants, require cool winter temperatures (chilling hours) to ensure leaf and flower bud production in the following season. Temperate Regions are characterized by variable winter and spring temperatures. Failure of meeting sufficient chilling requirement results in deformed fruits, unequal maturation, and other plant deformities, thereby reducing quality and yields. Chilling requirements are expressed as number of accumulated hours within a range of approximately 32º to 45ºF or 0º to 7.2ºC. These requirements are specific for level of temperature, length of temperature period, and species and cultivar of plants. Information on …

Intake And Digestibility Of Fescue Hay Supplemented With Co-Product Feeds, Omega J. Sanders

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Satisfying an animals' nutritional needs can help optimize performance and keep an animal healthy. Meeting these nutritional requirements is often complicated by the low quality characteristics of hay, requiring supplementation with concentrate feedstuffs to offset this low nutrient density. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of supplementation with soybean hulls (SH), distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), or a 50:50 mixture of the two (MIX) on ruminal fermentation characteristics and in situ forage disappearance in lactating and non-lactating ruminally-cannulated cows offered tall fescue hay. For this experiment, a basal diet of tall fescue hay was offered …

Cla-Rich Soy Oil Shortening, Chocolate Paste, And Chocolate Bar Production And Characterization, Elizabeth Sarah Mayfield

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Conjugated linoleic acid-rich soy oil (CLARSO) has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including anti-obesity and anti-carcinogenic properties. This oil was previously used to produce CLA-rich margarine that provided the recommended daily value of CLA and showed physical characteristics similar to commercially available margarine. The objectives of this study were to produce CLA-rich shortenings and analyze their physical properties relative to commercially available shortenings and soy oil control shortenings and to produce CLA-rich chocolate bars and pastes by replacing a portion of the fat with CLARSO and compare the physical properties of these pastes/bars to controls made with either …

Disinfectants Against Avian Influenza Viruses, David D. Frame

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes disinfectants that can be used to fight against Avian influenza viruses, including the advantages, disadvantages and how to use.

Branching Out: How Virginia Can Strategically Use Trees To Combat Biodiversity Loss, Taylor Pfeiffer

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Biodiversity loss is a particularly concerning effect of climate change because as greenhouse gas emissions increase global temperatures, decreases in the abundance and diversity of species has reduced ecosystem resiliency to these changes (Verchot et al. 2007). Weakened ecosystems and threatened species decrease the environment’s capacity to provide humans with services like safe drinking water, fuel, and protection from natural disasters, just to name a few (US EPA 2013). The agricultural industry plays a unique role in this environmental conversation, as farmland both contributes to climate change and is jeopardized by the negative effects created by the issue in a …

Mentored Student Research In The Study Of Ancient Maize Agriculture In Mesoamerica, Richard E. Terry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For the past two years, Richard Terry, his graduate students, Zachary Larsen and Jacob Horlacher have mentored twenty two undergraduate majors in Environmental Science in the collecting, preparation, and analysis of soil samples from the rural surroundings of ancient Maya cities in Guatemala and Mexico. Corn (called maize in Mesoamerica) has been very important to both the ancient and contemporary Maya. The Maya creation story as recorded in the Popol Vuh tells of the creation of man from the ground maize. Many of the Maya view themselves as “people of the maize”. The actions of planting the seeds, harvesting, preparation …

Evaluating Animal Agriculture Impacts On Water Quality: Data Gaps In West Central Minnesota Case Study, Ed Brands

Environmental Studies Publications

Balancing the economic and food system contributions of animal agriculture with negative impacts such as water quality degradation has been a recurring question in Minnesota and other agricultural states (e.g., Iowa and North Carolina). Over the past 15 years significant federal- and state-level changes in the regulation of animal feeding operations (AFOs) and associated practices have attempted to improve water quality. The impacts of these changes are unclear; therefore, the main purpose of this project was to evaluate policies designed to protect water quality from manure runoff and spills within the context of a manageable geographic area. Project work was …

Rural China In Transition: Changes And Transformations In China’S Agriculture And Rural Sector, John A. Donaldson, Forrest Q. Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Agribusiness companies operating in China are transacting in various forms with small agricultural producers, and in doing so, transforming the household-based agriculture in rural China. We argue that the presence of these distinct forms and the diverging relations between agribusiness and producers show the central importance of China’s collective land rights. China’s unique system of land rights – featuring collective ownership but individualized usage rights – has acted as a powerful force in shaping interactions between agribusiness and direct producers. It provides farmers a source of economic income as well as political bargaining power – albeit to various degrees – …

Signs Of Kidding And Care During And After Kids Are Born, C. Kim Chapman, Justen Smith

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the various parts of the parturition (kidding) process and the basic signals which does usually exhibit for each three stages of the process.

The Impact Of Agriculture On African Civilization In The 21st Century, Andrew S. Targowski

International Journal of African Development

The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of agriculture on African Civilization in the 21^st century. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary big-picture view of the African Civilizations. The multifaceted layers of civilizations will be analyzed as interdependent with the agricultural development of African societies. Among the findings are: Sub-Saharan Africa falls short of meeting its agricultural needs. Only one of two individual Africans has access to clean and enough water. Energy and supply of electricity are woefully inadequate and unreliable. Agriculture as a foundation for development and modernization for Africa is too limited. Environmental …

Designing A Natural Resource Workshop For Students: Working With Wood: Adventures In Forestry, Maddison Easley

Agricultural Education and Communication

There is a need for additional education focused on natural resource related careers and issues. As communities become further removed from these subjects, hands-on workshops and educational trainings are necessary to rekindle interest in these topics, especially in regards to application in fields like agriculture. The goal of this project was to create a logical outline to follow when designing and implementing natural resource workshops. An additional outcome of the project involved the implementation of a forestry workshop through the 26 Hours of Science and Technology program at California Polytechnic State University on March 11, 2015. The outline provided in …

The Optimal Cow Size For Intermountain Cow-Calf Operations, Jesse Russell, Dillon Feuz

All Current Publications

Research has shown that as a cow’s mature weight increases, feed efficiency decreases, as well as reproductive efficiency and other production factors. The purpose of this fact sheet is to illustrate the differences economically between three different cow weights (1,000 lbs., 1,200 lbs. and 1,400 lbs.) on three different resource bases.

Air Quality And Agriculture, Rhonda Miller

All Current Publications

There are many human factors that contribute to poor air quality, and agriculture is no exception. Best management practices such as the immediate incorporation of manure, nutrient conservation,reduced fertilizer use, reduced tillage, keeping silage covered, covers on manure storage structures,and alternatives to burning can help minimize emissions of air pollutants. Although livestock production is a significant contributor of greenhouse gases, long-term cropping systems can sequester carbon which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

2015 Costs And Returns For A 200 Cow, Cow-Calf Operation, Northern Utah, Lyle Holmgren, Dillon Feuz

All Current Publications

The budget presented in this fact sheet contains sample costs and returns for a typical cow-calf ranching operation in Northern Utah. It is intended to be a guide used to estimate income and expenses as well as list inputs such as feed, veterinary costs and production practices. The budget also provides a framework for the whole ranch/farm plan.