Agriculture Commons^™

The Role Of Interdisciplinary Scholarship And Research To Meet The Challenges Facing Agriculture In The 21st Century, Joshua Jay Miller

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Throughout human history, scientific advancements have increased our understanding of the physical world. However, as our breadth of knowledge has increased, scholarship and research have become increasingly more specialized in order to add to the body of knowledge. University structures encourage this specialization through disciplinary learning and discovery. Although this model is necessary to continue growing the body of knowledge, the complex issues facing humanity, especially in regards to agriculture, require solutions that no single discipline can provide. These issues require an interdisciplinary approach to integrate the insights across multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinarity can be achieved through collaborative processes, but these …

A Brief History Of Corn: Looking Back To Move Forward, Jon Derek Pruitt

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Maize was domesticated from teosinte in Mexico some 7,000 to 10,000 years ago and quickly spread through the Americas. It has become one of the most important crops at a local and global level. Two types, Northern Flint corn and Southern Dent corns provided the basis of the genetic background of modern maize hybrids. The development of hybrids, first double-cross and later single-cross hybrids, along with a transition to high input farming provided huge yield increases, which have continued to improve with improving technology.

Increase in maize production also caused a rise in Western corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera …

Agricultural Development In The Northern Savannah Of Ghana, Tara N. Wood

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Since declaring independence in 1957, the Republic of Ghana has become a stable constitutional democracy. Ghana’s economy has grown substantially over the past decade, yet remains primarily agrarian, accounting for 50% of the total employment and 25% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Smallholder rain-fed farming using rudimentary technologies dominates the agricultural sector accounting for 80% of total agricultural production. Approximately 90% of smallholder farms are less than two hectares in size, and produce a diversity of crops. The major crops cultivated in Ghana include numerous cereal, root and tuber, leguminous, fruit, vegetable and industrial crops. Maize is the most …