Agriculture Commons^™

Assessing The Use Of Regenerative Agriculture In California Almonds As Climate Change Resilience, Skyler M. Seamons

Master's Projects and Capstones

The agriculture sector is responsible for 10% of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. In turn, anthropogenic climate change threatens crops. With its Mediterranean climate, California is the country’s largest agricultural-producing state. Many California crops are at risk due to increasing temperatures and changed precipitation patterns. This paper investigates regenerative farming techniques as a tool to protect California crops from a changing climate. Almonds are used as a case study to analyze the soil management practices, finances, and policies underlying regenerative agriculture in California. A literature review and comparative analysis are used to compare regenerative and conventional soil management practices …

Impact Of Early-Season Postemergence Co-Applications Of Foliar And Residual Herbicides On Crop Injury, Growth, And Yield In 2,4-D- And Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.), Logan N. Vallee

LSU Master's Theses

Studies were conducted in 2021 through 2023 at the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center near Alexandria, LA to determine the sensitivity of 2,4-D- or dicamba- tolerant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to an early season application of a Group 15 and foliar-only herbicides. Both studies were randomized complete block designs with a two-factorial arrangement of treatments with four replications. In the dicamba-tolerant cotton study, Factor A consisted of no foliar-herbicide, dicamba alone, glyphosate alone, or dicamba plus glyphosate. Factor B consisted of either no Group 15 residual herbicide, acetochlor, or S-metolachlor. In the 2,4-D- tolerant cotton …

Evaluation Of Winter Cereal Cover Crops Across Nitrogen Management Stragies For No-Till Corn Production, Robert Nalley

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is the most popular winter cereal cover crop utilized before corn, but wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) may provide a comparable value due to their similar fibrous root systems. Despite the benefits associated with winter cereal cover crops, drawbacks are possible for the subsequent corn crop. A field study was conducted with three site-years in Kentucky to measure the impact of the three winter cereals across nitrogen (N) management strategies. Wheat produced the most biomass compared with barley or rye cover crops. Wheat and rye needed approximately 100 more …

Electrochemically Precipitated Struvite Effects On Soil Property And Crop Response, Tatum Simms

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is a vital resource that is finite and only mineable in raw-material form in a few countries worldwide. Struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) is a mineral that can be produced from wastewater that may provide a promising alternative source of fertilizer-P for crop production, but comprehensive characterizations of struvite behavior in various soils and responses of various crops are necessary. This study aimed to determine the (1) leaching potential, (2) vertical soil profile-P distribution, (3) wheat (Triticum aestivum), corn (Zea mays), and soybean (Glycine max) response, and (4) soil property changes over time of electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST) compared to that …

Investigating Effect Of Seed Source And Developing Germination Protocols To Improve Success In Restoration Of Arkansas Tallgrass Prairies, Rhiannon Spencerosa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American tallgrass prairie has faced losses estimated at 87-98% of original land area since European settlement. Native seeds are often used to supplement struggling or extinct plant populations in tallgrass prairie restoration and establishment sites. Two main considerations in restoration and establishment are from where to source seed and how to obtain high germination rates. In order to determine the effect of seed source, a common garden experiment was performed in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2022 with five prairie species: Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem), Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama), Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem), and Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass). Seed was …

Analysis And Installation Of A Demonstration Agroforestry Orchard For Californian Mediterranean Plant Communities, Brandon Hurd

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Climate-appropriate agroforestry can provide low-input food security and ecosystem services for local Californian Mediterranean climates, while conserving natural resources (e.g., water, nitrogen, etc.). This project showcases a variety of agroforestry methods for five common plant communities of California and other analogous Mediterranean climates at the CAFES Experimental Farm on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Plant community species and their ethnobotanical uses were analyzed to mimic and incorporate aspects of native flora. Agricultural plants were also characterized to represent each of the five selected plant communities. GIS was used to assess the project site for soil, slope, and …

Effect Od Different Sources And Application Rates Of Sulfur On Corn And Soybean Production Systems In Louisiana, Diego Mayorga Valladares

LSU Master's Theses

Sulfur (S) is a structural component of amino acids such as cysteine and methionine and is involved in important functions within the plant like photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, protein synthesis of oils, and detoxification mechanisms. Sulfur deficiency in crops has intensified around the world. Some of the reasons are improvement in controlling SO₂ emissions from industries, growing usage of high analysis S-free fertilizers and augmented cropping intensity. Sulfur fertilization has become an important factor in crop production systems and fertilization guidelines for S need to be up-to-date to improve use efficiency and compensate for rising prices of fertilizers. …

Improving Baking Quality Of Soft Red Winter Wheat In Kentucky Through Breeding And Sulfur-Nitrogen Fertility Management, Maria Paula Castellari

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat is an important crop grown on about 400,000 acres in Kentucky as a pivotal cash crop in the 3-crops-in-2-years rotation of corn, wheat, and soybean. The humid environment of Kentucky generates a high yielding wheat crop, with low protein concentration and weak gluten strength. This wheat is mainly sold to millers and used by the industry for cakes, pastries, cookies, and crackers. Conversely, there is a rapidly growing interest in identifying other value-added markets for this wheat different to commodity commercialization, such as artisan-baked goods and craft-distilled beverages. Evaluating the quality characteristics of wheat grown …

Morphological And Genetic Analysis Of The Root System In Two American Grapevines (Vitis Species), Parinaz Mohtasebi

MSU Graduate Theses

The North American grapes species Vitis rupestris Scheele and Vitis riparia Michx have been the pillars of rootstock breeding for many decades. Though a large body of viticultural knowledge has been accumulated on their impact on grafted scions, the genetic basis of their root system architecture (RSA) has received limited scientific attention. In this study, I generated and analyzed adventitious root systems from dormant cuttings of 22 V. riparia and 19 V. rupestris accessions, as well as 162 interspecific F1 hybrid progeny from a cross between V. rupestris (♀) and V. riparia (♂). I photographed the roots and then extracted …

Fusarium Head Blight Resistance Assessment In Barley, Tasneem Fathima

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fusarium head blight (FHB), commonly called scab is the most devastating disease of wheat and barley caused by the ascomycete fungus, Fusarium graminearum. FHB affects both the quality and quantity of cereal grains affecting the supply chain of the food and feed industry and the marketability of the produce. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is among the several crop species most vulnerable to FHB infection. An estimated 25% of Spring barley grain production in the United States is used to make malted beverages such as beer. Malting barley is a relatively high-value crop with high demands regarding grain quality. FHB directly …

Effect Of Foliar And Preplant Sulfur Application On Soybean Nutrient Uptake, Yield, And Seed Protein And Oil Content, Gena Ram Mahato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Sulfur (S) deficiency has been observed in soybean producing regions in the US and different parts of the world. The major factors behind the frequent occurrence of S deficiency are reduced atmospheric S deposition due to strict regulations on emissions from fossil fuels, large S removal from high yielding crops, less use of fertilizers containing S, and intensive cultivation practices. To test S limitations, I conducted two independent studies from 2019 to 2021 at two locations in Eastern South Dakota to determine the effect of foliar and preplant S application on soybean. The objectives of this research …

Soil Profile Properties And Greenhouse Gas Emissions As Influenced By Long-Term Cattle Manure And Inorganic Fertilizer Applications Under Corn-Soybean-Spring Wheat Rotation In Eastern South Dakota, Anuoluwa Ojonoka Sangotayo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The application of manure and inorganic fertilizer in row crops may significantly influence soil and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Understanding the long-term influence of these management practices on soil pore characteristics, hydro-physical properties and greenhouse gas emission is essential in developing proper conservation practices. However, there is limited information on the impact of cattle manure and inorganic fertilizer application on soil hydro-physical properties, soil pore characteristics at lower depths and surface GHGs emissions. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to; (i) utilize X-ray computed tomography (XCT) technique to quantify the impact of manure and fertilizer amendments under a corn …

Phosphate2 And Pin-Likes7 Affect Symbiotic Nodule Phenotypes In Soybean, Bhawandeep Kaur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legumes and soil rhizobia share a symbiotic relationship, wherein rhizobia fix atmospheric dinitrogen in exchange for photosynthates from the host plant. This exchange of mutual benefits occurs in a specialized root structure called ‘nodule’. Soybean (Glycine max) nodules arise from root outer cortical cells. De novo cell differentiation of cortical cells during nodule development leads to the formation of two distinct nodule zones in the mature nodule: the central infection zone where nitrogen fixation occurs and the peripheral parenchyma zone that houses vascular bundles. Plant signaling mechanisms that dictate the development of these nodule zones are not known. To address …

Improving The Utility Of Precision Agriculture Through Machine Learning And Climate-Smart Practices, Skye Brugler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate Smart Practices are management strategies that focus on increasing soil and crop productivity, utilize site-specific strategies to increase resiliency against the effects of climate change, and mitigate these negative effects by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Decision Support Systems (DSSs) using machine learning (ML) can adjust models based on new information and help farmers make climate smart decisions within their operation. The 4R nutrient management model of right source, rate, location, and time also demonstrates a framework that may be considered climate smart by improving soil and crop productivity. However, when initially conceptualized, the 4R model did not consider …

Changes And Relationships Of Soil Aluminum, Organic Matter, And Hydrogen Ion Concentration With Rye Cover Crop, Arron Wilder

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Soil acidity is a common agricultural problem worldwide, as approximately 50% of all potentially arable soils are affected by pH limitations. At soil pH 3+) is considered to be the chemical form of aluminum in acid soil that hinders plant growth the most. Potentially, soil organic matter (SOM) can ameliorate the toxic effects of Al³⁺ on plants and microbes by binding with Al³⁺, thus preventing Al³⁺ (and other species of aluminum) from interacting in the rhizosphere. Increasing SOM also increases soil health indicators (i.e., microbial activity, soil water holding capacity, aggregate stability, porosity, etc.) while the …

Building No-Tillage Maize Nitrogen Recommendation Algorithm That Considers Improvements In Soil Health, Dwarika Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluación De Bacterias Con Potencial En La Promoción Del Crecimiento Vegetal En Agraz Silvestre Vaccinium Meridionale Swartz, Angie Sofia Barbosa Romero

Biología

El agraz (Vaccinium meridionale) es una planta promisoria con un fruto de gran aceptación en los mercados locales e internacionales por su alto valor en antioxidantes, antocianinas, vitaminas, y su amplia utilización gastronómica. Sin embargo, existen dificultades a la hora de establecer cultivos, las cuales están asociadas principalmente con la germinación de las semillas. Debido a que las bacterias promotoras de crecimiento vegetal son una alternativa sostenible para el manejo agrícola, con varios beneficios para la planta-bacteria. Como la fijación de nitrógeno y la producción de fitohormonas, el objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el efecto de bacterias con potencial …

Biological Remediation Of Fragipan, Corey Hale

Honors College Theses

The fragipan layer in the soil is a naturally occurring subsurface layer that restricts water percolation as well as inhibits root growth. A fragipan layer can be found almost ubiquitously across Southwestern Kentucky. This limits how agriculturalists manage soils in this area. It has been recently discovered by the University of Kentucky that Annual Ryegrass roots produce 3,4 dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (DHPPA) that reacts with this hardpan to weaken the layer. Certain bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Lactobacilli, and Bifidobacteria can also synthesize DHPPA through a breakdown process of chlorogenic acid. This reaction typically happens in the human digestive tract. …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

Corn (Zea Mays L.) Production In Living Mulch Systems, Grazing Potential, And Economic Viability, Marcia Peireira Quinby

Doctoral Dissertations

Living mulch (LM) is a practice in which forages are grown simultaneously with the main crop, serving as a living cover throughout the growing season. The LM systems were developed to alleviate concerns of soil depletion and finding ways to reduce tillage negative effects on soil productivity. In addition, when legumes are use can decrease the reliance on N fertilizer. The use of corn in LM have been previously studied due to the crop being a large commodity in the U.S.; In addition, the ability to graze the LM after corn production can increase the land use efficiency. To determine …

Assessing Consumer Demand, Producer Profitability, And The Environmental Impacts Of Conservation Agriculture Adoption In Sub-Saharan Africa, Willy Byamungu Mulimbi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores three aspects of conservation agriculture (CA) in the Sub-Saharan African region (SSA). The first article examines the demand side of CA and explores whether urban maize (Zea mays L.) consumers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) would be willing to pay a premium for CA-produced maize flour. The second article estimates the effects CA provides to adopters and their farms in smallholder farming systems in the DRC, focusing on changes in soil properties and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) yields. The final article uses a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to monetize the environmental impacts of adopting …

The Influence Of Cover Crop Termination Strategies And Supplemental Nitrogen On Sweet Corn Yield And Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Sachina Sunuwar

Masters Theses

Cover crops are instrumental in nutrient management and soil health. A field experiment was conducted from fall 2020 to summer 2021 to evaluate the efficiency of different cover crop termination techniques and supplemental nitrogen on sweet corn yield, ear quality and nitrogen use efficiency. The four termination types are herbicide and disk tillage (HDT), herbicide no-till (HNT), cultivation disk till (CDT), and roller crimped no-till (RCNT). These termination types were each divided into four different nitrogen treatment: 0%, 33%, 67% and 100% of the recommended doses (145 kg haˉ¹). Sweet corn yield was highest and % unfilled tip was lowest …

Quantifying The Effects Of Abiotic Stress On Early Season Growth, Development, And Physiological Characteristics In Corn, Charles Hunt Walne

Theses and Dissertations

Corn is one of American agriculture's greatest success stories, where we have witnessed incredible increases in yield potential over the last half-century. However, abiotic stress is still the primary limiting factor preventing plants from reaching their true yield potential. In addition, agriculture is not exempt from the deleterious effects of changing weather patterns and the altered climate our world will face as time progresses. Thus, increasing our understanding of how crops interact with their environment both above and below the soil will be crucial to increasing production on a global scale while maximizing profitability at a local level. Five studies …

Economic Viability Of Weed Management Strategies In High-Tunnel Tomato, Gracie Morrison

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cost-effective weed suppression is an important consideration for tomato growers. Growers often choose methods which minimize hand labor, as hand weeding can be prohibitively expensive. This project determined economic viability of high tunnel tomatoes treated with several methods of weed control, both organic and chemical. These methods included: 2-week hand weeding, 1-week hand weeding, preemergent, straw, landscape fabric, and untreated weedy control plots. These treatments were applied to randomized blocks in a high-tunnel. Weeding, planting, and harvest were all timed to determine labor and material costs of weed management strategy implementation. After harvest, marketable yield was weighed to determine revenue. …

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting The Rooting Ability Of Hardwood Muscadine Cuttings And Genetic Diversity Of Wild And Cultivated Muscadine Grapes (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx.), Kenneth Buck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia) is a grape species native to the southeastern United States. Muscadines are one of three grape species in subgenus Muscadinia with a chromosome number of 2n=40 (V. rotundifolia, V. munsoniana, and V. popenoei), making them genetically distinct from the European wine and table grape (Vitis vinifera) and other species in subgenus Euvitis. Rooting hardwood cuttings from muscadine vines has traditionally been considered an exceptionally difficult task. Many previous studies observed almost no root formation, leading to a general consensus that muscadines should either be propagated by softwood cuttings or vegetative layering. However, the …

Re-Evaluation Of Late Season Action Thresholds And The Effect Of Seed Treatments On Early Season Colonization Of Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Louisiana Soybean, Glycine Max (L) Merr, Tyler Ray Tagle Musgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, is considered the most economically important oil and feed crop in the US and is grown on nearly 35,000,000 ha on an annual basis. Factors that limit yield include weed pressure, disease infection, and of particular interest to entomologists, insect herbivory. Soybean is targeted by a range of above and below ground pests which are primarily controlled by insecticides. Neonicotinoids are a recently popularized insecticide class that when applied as a seed treatment, can provide protection from early season pests. The most economically significant early season pest is threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), whose …

Community Assembly And Stress Response Of Grassland Phyllosphere Bacteria, Emily Bechtold

Doctoral Dissertations

Grasslands are an important ecosystem with potential to help stabilize food security and reduce greenhouse gas levels. As global temperatures rise, weather patterns are predicted to drastically change. The resulting increase in intensity, duration, and frequency of drought in important grassland areas will not only affect agricultural production, but also increase grassland susceptibility to fire, disease, and soil erosion. Thus, developing ways to sustainably promote grassland health and production is essential to increase food security and reduce environmental strain. Microbes in the phyllosphere, or aerial surface of plants, promote host fitness through phytohormone and nutrient production, increased stress tolerance, and …

Manipulating Species Diversity: Environmental Impacts In Row Crop, Livestock, And Grassland Agroecosystems, Alayna A. Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The diversity of living species in an agroecosystem affects both natural resources and agricultural production efficiency. The rise of managed plant monocultures has allowed agricultural yields to increase over time. However, simplifying agroecosystems affects the capacity of the system to sustainably provide clean air, water, and productive soils essential for continued food and fiber production. This dissertation manipulates species diversity in row crop and forage agroecosystems prevalent in the Eastern United States and tracks the associated environmental and agricultural production consequences.

In row crop agroecosystems, increasing plant diversity with winter cover crops has been suggested as a strategy to increase …

Footprints On The Prairie: Examining The Interlocking Land Histories Of The Liberty Prairie Reserve, Illinois, Anna M. Burns

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis begins with the local history of the Liberty Prairie, the land where I conducted the ecological field-work that I later discuss in my second thesis on soil microbiome diversity (“Examining Soil Microbial Diversity in Transition Zones Between Corn Fields and Restored Prairie in the Upper Midwest"). I examine the Indigenous histories of the land, and the conflicts between the Bodwéwadmi and Euro-American settlers that resulted in the land being farmed for cattle, corn, and soy for over a hundred and fifty years. I then take a step back and analyze the broader historical contexts of Midwestern Corn Belt …

Keeping What You Sow: Intellectual Property Rights For Plant Breeders And Seed Growers, Paulina B. Jenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last 150 years, the food system in the present-day United States has undergone a transformational restructuring, from a diversified, decentralized, network of farmers and seed growers, to one in which the majority of crop production is controlled by a few industrial corporations. The consolidation of power has been under-girded by the application of intellectual property rights (IPR)—especially utility patents—to plant varieties and genetic traits, which are leveraged to exclude small-scale seed growers from accessing quality germplasm. Patents and restrictive licensing agreements recapitulate colonial structures by appropriating common and traditionally community-held resources for profit, and by creating reliance on …