Life Sciences Commons^™

Examination Of Greenhouse Conditions That Influence Scale Infestation Rates On Begonia, Madeline M. Cusick

Honors College Theses

Scale insects are common pests within greenhouse and agricultural settings. I quantified scale infestation on Begonia x Richmondensis, also known as the Dragon Wing begonia, within the Armstrong Campus Greenhouse from March to November of 2023. Six different treatments accounted for variations in sunlight, humidity, and temperature within the greenhouse with the goal of determining the insect’s preferred environmental conditions. Morphological comparisons were also made between host plant Dragon Wing begonia and other begonias present within the greenhouse. Analysis indicated a significant difference in scale presence on replicate plants by zone and sunlight treatments, with more plants hosting at least …

Standardizing Sustainable Aquaponic Production Of Leafy Greens And Fish: A Comparison With Conventional Systems In The United Arab Emirates, Drishya Nishanth

Theses

The production of leafy green vegetables through aquaponics is established worldwide, but the production of herbs which are used in day-to-day life in the United Arab Emirates is not yet explored in this system in terms of production efficiency, water usage and the nutrient parameters. In the current study, basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), the two commonly used herbs, were grown in a traditional aquaponics system using tilapia fish and catfish effluent water (soil-less agriculture) and an irrigation-based greenhouse cultivation system (soil cultivation). The study's major goal is to evaluate several growth techniques for …

Urban Farming: Empowerment To Increase Economic, Education, And Nutritional Benefit For The Sub-Urban Community, Nasruddin Nasruddin, Yusuf Donner Dwiyantama, Banu Muhammad, Anom Bowalaksono, Dian Ayubi, Sarah Islamiati Pertiwi

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This article discusses the urban farming program at Sekolah Master in Beji, Depok, Indonesia, which aims to provide the community with broader benefits, such as economy, education, and increased nutritional value. The project involves planting method that was introduced to this school community. The program itself consists of several stages, starting from the preparation—dissemination of the program and designing a plan for the greenhouse, the implementation—constructing the greenhouse and installing the automatic water system, planting the vegetation, and monitoring and evaluation of the program. Eventually, an evaluation of the successful program is required to determine whether the program can be …

Comparative Analysis Of Nutrients In Fruiting Bodies Between Wild And Cultivated Morchella In Different Cultivation Models, Zhao Rui-Hua, He Xiao-Long, Gao Xiao-Peng, Wang Fei

Food and Machinery

Objective:This study aimed to estimate the nutritive value of wild and cultivated Morchella in Northern Shaanxi.Methods:Morchella fruiting bodies wildly growing in Northern Shaanxi and cultivated in three models (greenhouse, plastic shed and understory) were used to analyze the difference in the main nutrition components.Results:In terms of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and water content, all cultivated Morchella were slightly higher than those in the wild. Moreover, the amino acid content of cultivated Morchella was also higher and the amino acid ratio of understory was the most reasonable. Both the wild and the cultivated were …

Characterization Of Volatile Compounds Nongrafted And Pumpkin-Grafted Bitter Gourd(Momordica Charantia L.), Arzu Karataş, Yusuf Şavşatli

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is a unique vegetable-fruit possessing several multifarious health benefits. In this study, the plant extraction obtained from grafted bitter gourd onto pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) and nongrafted bitter gourd cultivated under greenhouse conditions were evaluated for their constituents of volatile compounds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPMEGC-MS) techniques were employed to determine these compounds in the leaves (young, middle, and old-age) and fruits (unripe and ripe) of bitter gourd. The volatile compounds in the leaves of pumpkin during the three stages mentioned above were also investigated. Overall, 72 in leaves and 56 in fruits of bitter gourd compounds …

4e Analysis Of An Underfloor Heating System Integrated To The Geothermal Heat Pump For Greenhouse Heating, Fati̇h Ünal, Ahmet Erhan Akan, Bünyami̇n Demi̇r, Kaan Yaman

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In this study, 4E (energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental) analysis of an underfloor heating system integrated with the geothermal heat pump of a greenhouse with a usage area of 90 m2 has been made. When the results of the 4E analysis applied to the system and its elements were examined, the energy efficiency of the heating system in the winter months has been determined to be 77.85% and the exergy efficiency 30.61%. According to the results of exergoeconomic analysis, the levelized energy cost of the system has been determined as 0.894 dollar/h, the unit exergy cost as 0.826 dollar/h, and …

Effects Of Am Fungi From Conventional And No-Till Michigan Crop Fields On Plant And Soil Health, Derek Bennett

Masters Theses

Centuries of conventional till (CT) management in agriculture has depleted soil organic matter (SOM) by over 50%. While only comprising 5% in most soils, SOM provides soil with fertility and productivity. To compensate for SOM depletion, producers have been forced to increase their reliance on fertilizer and irrigation to maintain yields. In the coming decades, climate change is expected to challenge food production and threaten an already fragile system. With no remaining land left to cultivate, conservation management strategies such as no-till (NT) look to restore SOM and increase the resilience of food production for an ever growing, increasingly food …

Does Light Quality Influence Arabidopsis Thaliana Growth In Controlled Environments?, Nathan A. Deppe, Daniel A. Little, Kathleen K. Zapf

Purdue Methods for Arabidopsis Growth

This study examines the use of diverse lamp types, with inherently different spectral attributes, to determine light quality influence on Arabidopsis thaliana growth in controlled environments.

Project Home Hydroponic Operations For Mars Exploration, Deanna Demattio, Nick Mcguire, Ruben A. Rosa Polonia, Benjamin T. Hufendick

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This report considers the challenges NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies will face in the approaching two decades when sending astronauts on missions to Mars. The longest exploration is planned to take place in the 2030's, sending a crew of, at minimum, four astronauts to Mars for a year of research. The research conducted is assisting space exploration companies’ with ways to grow a complete diet on a planet that does not receive enough sunlight. Agriculture in enclosed and buried structures on Mars will enable astronauts to conduct extended surface exploration missions. We evaluated a deep-water culture indoor hydroponics system …

Led Illumination For High-Quality High-Yield Crop Growth In Protected Cropping Environments, Md Momtazur Rahman, David L. Field, Soyed M. Ahmed, Md Tanvir Hasan, Mohammad Khairul Basher, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vegetables and herbs play a central role in the human diet due to their low fat and calory content and essential antioxidant, phytochemicals, and fiber. It is well known that the manipulation of light wavelengths illuminating the crops can enhance their growth rate and nutrient contents. To date, it has not been easy to generalize the effects of LED illumination because of the differences in the plant species investigated, the measured traits, the way wavelengths have been manipulated, and the plants’ growing environments. In order to address this gap, we undertook a quantitative review of LED manipulation in relation to …

A National Survey To Characterize Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) Production Challenges Under Protected Cultivation, William G. Owen, Bridget Behe

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

A nationwide internet survey (n = 134) was conducted to establish the current status of industrial hemp (IH; Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation and characterize protected culture production challenges in the United States. Of the total participants, 65.7% (n = 88) of the subjects reported current production of IH. These participants were asked to identify all production systems and included growing IH indoors (e.g., shipping containers, buildings or warehouses; 15.9%), in greenhouses (29.5%), in hoop houses or high tunnels (15.9%), or in outdoor fields in-ground (62.5%). Of the respondents who identified as growing under protected culture (e.g., indoors, greenhouses, and hoop …

Hydroponic And Soilless Culture Systems And Transplant Practices Influence Production Of Basil (Omicum Basilicum L.), Samuel Warren Edward Doty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two controlled-environment greenhouse experiments evaluated (1) plant growth and morphology of basil (Omicum basilicum L.) grown in three different hydroponic and soilless substrate systems and (2) seedling tray cell-count and transplant date into hydroponic culture effects on basil growth and yield at harvest. For the first experiment, four basil cultivars (‘Genovese’, ‘Mrs. Burns Lemon’, ‘Sweet Thai’, and ‘Cinnamon’) were grown in deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponics, nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponics, and a novel shallow aggregate ebb-and-flood (SAEF) soilless substrate system and were harvested after 21 d. Plant yield and morphological characteristics measured at harvest included shoot fresh mass, shoot …

Development Of Greenhouse Dryer For Forage Conservation In Temperate Climate, Sanjay Kumar Singh, P. K. Pathak

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Greenhouse dryer implies drying of crops in covered structure that allows rapid harvesting of solar radiation and modification of agro climatic conditions conducive for proper drying. The environmental factors which affects plant growth includes air temperature, relative humidity, light, carbon dioxide concentration, soil temperature and moisture content of soil. The greenhouse may have heating, cooling and ventilating equipments for control over microclimates. Control over microclimate results in several fold increase in crop photosynthesis, and optimum thermal energy for forage conservation in the form of hay.

Chandra et al. (2002) have proposed the design of a naturally ventilated greenhouse. Several other …

Corn Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers, Shane R. Ylagan, Kristofor R. Brye

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The ability to recycle phosphorus (P) from wastewaters could provide a sustainable, continuous source of P that might also help protect surface water quality from P enrichment. The mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O) is an understudied material that can be created from P- and nitrogen (N)-containing wastewater and has been shown to have agricultural fertilizer value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST), chemically precipitated struvite (Crystal Green; CG), diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), rock phosphate (RP), and triple superphosphate (TSP) on corn (Zea mays) response in a greenhouse pot study. …

Hydrogen Peroxide: A Grower’S Best Friend?, Mitchell Eicher-Sodo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an oxidizing agent used to disinfect irrigation systems (e.g. nutrient solution and equipment) used in controlled environment plant production and produces no harmful by-products. The action of H₂O₂ is non-selective, and therefor H₂O₂ will oxidize all components of the irrigation water as well as tissues from the greenhouse crops being irrigated. The phytotoxic effect H₂O₂ has on common greenhouse crops is not well understood, requiring detailed characterization and determination of threshold concentrations. Thresholds within the thesis were based on applied H₂O …

Feasibility Of Custom Aquaponics For Home Use, Jesse Blanchard

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary goal of this research is to access the feasibility of implementing and operating small scale aquaponic systems in a home setting to serve as a means of producing high quality fresh produce and fish protein to supplement similar store-bought products. Factors such as system cost, skill level and management requirements will be addressed alongside customizable, educational and sustainable aspects of aquaponic systems to determine whether home aquaponic systems are a feasible option for the home grower. To elaborate, feasibility in this research will refer to both economic costs relative to costs of the system. Outlined in this short …

Internal Design Of A Hydroponics Greenhouse For Tri Cycle Farms, Sarah Gould

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydroponics is the agricultural technique of growing plants without soil, using other growing media and added nutrients in a solvent. It is an attractive agricultural method over conventional agriculture because it is more water efficient, is less labor intensive, yields higher quality crops in less time, and is easier to control. According to the Digital Journal, “hydroponics crop value is anticipated to grow to USD 27.29 Billion by 2022 at an estimated CAGR of 6.39% from 2015 to 2020” (Sawant, 2016). Alongside this growing market acceptance for hydroponics, there is also a local demand that requires only a small transportation …

Greenhouse Aquaponics: Custom Aquaponic Systems At Home, Jesse L. Blanchard, David G. Hyatt, Jennie Popp, Leah English

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Taking advantage of inherent natural systems, aquaponic practices hold the potential to serve as an educational, sustainable, and profitable hobby for home gardeners facing common constraints such as temperature, space, and pests. The goal of this research was to assess the feasibility of implementing a small scale (4,542-liter) home -based aquaponic system in a small (48.768 square meter) greenhouse to produce fresh produce and fish protein. System construction and maintenance costs were compared to the value of crops and fish produced to determine whether this aquaponic system is a feasible option for the home grower. It was hypothesized that this …

Evaluating Plant Root Uptake Of Dsrna For Application In Pest Management, Kaitlyn Ludba

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum is an agricultural pest that damages crops by feeding on plant sap and by vectoring plant viruses. Control of whiteflies has been managed through application of insecticides, but this strategy is not entirely effective and alternative control strategies are needed. In this thesis, I evaluated the efficacy of RNA interference as a means to control whiteflies on greenhouse-grown tomatoes. I found that root uptake of dsRNA synthesized from the v-ATPase subunit A gene caused significant gene knock-down and mortality in feeding whiteflies. This effect was, however, sensitive to the concentration of dsRNA delivery, and concentration …

Stolon Development And Cultural Production Practices Of Winter-Grown Strawberries, Donna M. Morrison, Erin Blankenship, Paul Read, Ellen Paparozzi

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The four experiments described here are part of a 5-year program focused on determining whether day-neutral and short-day strawberries would be suitable for commercial offseason/ winter (temperate climate) production in greenhouses. All research was performed using container-grown plants fertigated through a capillary mat production system with heat supplied under the benches. The first experiment focused on stolon development. The second experiment investigated the influence of stolon removal on berry production and included the removal of flowers for the first three weeks. The third and fourth experiments were conducted as a comparison of university research (experiment 3) versus a commercial operation …

Reduced Light Availability Diminishes Mycorrhizal Growth Response Of Invasive Forb, Regina O'Kelley

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form mycorrhizae, a common, well-studied symbiotic relationship. Controls on the magnitude and direction of plant mycorrhizal growth response (MGR) remain obscured. Specifically, the influence of light availability in the MGR of an invasive forb, spotted knapweed Centaurea stoebe, has not been studied. Greenhouse studies exploring the growth response of knapweed to arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) often fail to report light intensity levels, which could impact the quality of their data. I conducted a greenhouse experiment studying the MGR in spotted knapweed under shaded and unshaded conditions, designed to approximate light availability in ambient greenhouse and full-sun …

Distinguishing Isolates Of Rotylenchulus Reniformis Endemic In Louisiana On The Basis Of Root-Associated Females And Egg Masses, Benjamin Mcinnes

LSU Master's Theses

The reniform nematode Rotylenchulus reniformis is a major pathogen of soybean and cotton in Louisiana. Previous studies have shown that populations of reniform nematode throughout the southern United States vary in reproduction and pathogenicity. Limited studies have been conducted to evaluate the reproduction and pathogenicity of populations of R. reniformis endemic in Louisiana. Studies with isolates of the nematode from eight cotton-producing parishes focused solely on reproduction of the root-associated infective and swollen female life stages with and without attached egg masses on the cotton genotypes MT2468 Ren3, M713 Ren5, and Stoneville 4946GLB2 and the soybean genotypes PI 548316, PI …

Pathogenicity And Reproduction Of Isolates Of Reniform Nematode, Rotylenchulus Reniformis, From Louisiana On Soybean And Utility Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms To Evaluate Genetic Variability, Herath Mudiyanselage Kularathna

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Experiments were conducted to evaluate soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., responses to indigenous isolates of the reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) in Louisiana and to understand the genetic variability of these native isolates. Microplot and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the comparative reproduction and pathogenicity of single egg-mass populations of R. reniformis isolated from West Carroll (WC), Rapides, Tensas and Morehouse (MOR) parishes of Louisiana. Data from full-season microplot trials, displayed significant differences in reproduction and pathogenicity of the nematode with the commercial soybean cultivars REV 56R63, Pioneer P54T94R, and Dyna-Gro 39RY57. Significantly low population density was observed …

Better Health Through Horticulture: Using Horticulture To Influence Behavior And Reduce Stress, Rachel Ochylski

All NMU Master's Theses

Horticultural intervention in the form of gardening workshops connect participants to nature while they nurture another living organism. Horticultural intervention provides opportunities to socialize and engage in a meaningful activity, which have been recognized as helpful in the treatment of common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. There is a lack of experimental studies based on quantitative data that focus on the effects of horticulture on holistic human health. The author evaluated the effects of a horticultural intervention on two separate groups, older adults and college students. The behavioral effects of engaging in gardening activities were evaluated using …

Identity Behind Glass: The Second Gore Place Greenhouse, Sean P. Romo

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis examines the second greenhouse at Gore Place, a historic country estate in Waltham, Massachusetts. Gore Place was owned by and named for Christopher and Rebecca Gore, members of the 18th- and 19th-century political and economic elite in New England. The greenhouse was constructed in 1806, and excavation at the site took place in 2004, 2008, and 2012. The latter two projects were data recovery excavations, which exposed portions of the greenhouse’s foundations and interior, as well as several features in the yard surrounding the building. Historic greenhouses were prestigious structures, financially accessible only to institutions, governments, and the …

The Impact Of Genetic And Environmental Factors On Phytonutrient Concentrations Within Leafy Specialty Crops In Controlled Environments, Rosalie M. Metallo

Masters Theses

Specialty leafy greens are excellent sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Many of these metabolites are influenced by microclimate environmental conditions and genotype. The objective of this thesis was to measure the impacts of abiotic factors on plant growth and development along with nutritional content of specialty leafy greens in controlled environments. Chapter one looks at changes in biomass and nutritional content of different microgreen cultivars grown in a greenhouse over four growing seasons. Chapter two looks at the influence of light-emitting diode (LED) treatments on the growth and nutritional content of hydroponically grown kale. The morphology and nutritional content …

Implications Of Manipulations Of Soil Quality On The Growth Of European Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica) In A Greenhouse, Sam L. Pepper, Liam Heneghan

DePaul Discoveries

European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) is an invasive shrub that is capable of changing the nitrogen content of a soil through the deposition of its nitrogen rich leaf litter. This change creates conditions that may favor recolonizing by buckthorn and negatively affect the growth of native plants. In this greenhouse experiment, we examined the effect of altering soil quality by adding mulch comprised of buckthorn wood on above and belowground biomass, stem length and leaf production of buckthorn saplings. We found that buckthorn saplings planted in buckthorn mulch had reduced stem length and leaf production compared to growth in …

Identification Of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne Spp.) Fromgreenhouses In The Middle Black Sea Region Of Turkey, Gökhan Aydinli, Sevi̇lhan Mennan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Root-knot nematodes are among the main important pests causing serious yield losses in greenhouses worldwide, including Turkey. Accurate identification of these pests is essential for determining appropriate control strategies. Identification of Meloidogyne species based on perineal pattern morphology alone is not viable or reliable due to overlaps and high variability among the species. Therefore, our objective was to overcome the difficulties in identifying 90 populations of root-knot nematodes collected from different greenhouses in the Middle Black Sea Region (Samsun, Tokat, Amasya, Çorum, Ordu, and Sinop provinces), using not only morphological (perineal pattern morphology) but also biochemical (esterase phenotype) and molecular …

Determining Colonization Efficacy Of Commercial Mycorrhizae Products And Fragaria X Anannassa ‘Albion’., Tommy Jue, Alexandra Wollenman

Horticulture and Crop Science

No abstract provided.

Sagers Solar Greenhouse, Larry A. Sagers

Archived Gardening Publications

No abstract provided.