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Articles 1 - 30 of 53
Full-Text Articles in Agriculture
Development And Use Of A Detached Leaf Assay To Assess Soybean Cultivar Resistance To Target Spot, Caused By Corynespora Cassiicola, Rachael Wolf
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Target spot, caused by the fungus Corynespora cassiicola, was once considered a minor foliar disease of soybean in the US. However, a severe outbreak of target spot occurred in the southeastern U.S in 2016. Due to the lack of information on resistance in soybean cultivars, and the challenges in screening cultivars in the field, a detached leaf assay was developed to evaluate resistance. The objectives of the effort were to 1) develop a greenhouse inoculation method of soybean with C. cassiicola 2) use that method to compare reactions of soybean germplasm lines to target spot 3) collect and characterize isolates …
Electrochemically Precipitated Struvite Effects On Soil Property And Crop Response, Tatum Simms
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 …
An Investigation Of Seed Hardness And Seed Coat Color Values In Natto Soybean, Joshua Winter
An Investigation Of Seed Hardness And Seed Coat Color Values In Natto Soybean, Joshua Winter
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Natto is a specialty fermented soyfood made from small-seeded (seeds-1) soybean varieties. Seed hardness and seed coat color are important seed traits that determine the texture and appearance of natto and are thus valuable to breeders. Prior research has identified quantitative trait loci (QTL, hereafter) for seed hardness, but its nature as a quantitative trait heavily influenced by the environment means that it is still poorly understood. Prior research has identified the primary genetic components of seed coat color using simple visual inspection, but few studies have investigated the usefulness of more quantitative measurements, such as the color space coordinates …
Investigating Effect Of Seed Source And Developing Germination Protocols To Improve Success In Restoration Of Arkansas Tallgrass Prairies, Rhiannon Spencerosa
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 …
Muscadine Grapes: Identifying Unique Attributes And Postharvest Practices, John Cody Rawls
Muscadine Grapes: Identifying Unique Attributes And Postharvest Practices, John Cody Rawls
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Arkansas has a long history of grape and wine production, and muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.), a native disease-resistant grape, are an important part of that industry. Muscadine grapes can be sold as a fresh-market grape or made into juice, wine, and other products. Additionally, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System) breeding program has a focus on creating new muscadine cultivars with commercial potential. The objectives of this research were to evaluate muscadine grape genotypes (cultivars and breeding selections) for fresh market consumption and wine production in 2020 and 2021. 33 seeded and seedless genotypes of …
Assessing Consumer Demand, Producer Profitability, And The Environmental Impacts Of Conservation Agriculture Adoption In Sub-Saharan Africa, Willy Byamungu Mulimbi
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 …
Evaluating Flavor And Aroma Attributes Of Arkansas-Grown Horticultural Crops, Jordan Chenier
Evaluating Flavor And Aroma Attributes Of Arkansas-Grown Horticultural Crops, Jordan Chenier
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Arkansas has a climate and geography that allows for the production of unique horticultural crops, including hops (Humulus lupulus L.), blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus), and muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia). These crops not only have potential for growers in Arkansas but have unique flavor and aroma attributes that impact marketability. Volatile compounds present in many different agricultural plants are the primary source of biologically-derived aromas and flavors. Therefore, the volatile and other quality attributes of hops, blackberries, and muscadine grapes were evaluated at the University of Arkansas (UA System) Division of Agriculture. The quality, volatile, and sensory attributes of four hops …
Economic Viability Of Weed Management Strategies In High-Tunnel Tomato, Gracie Morrison
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 …
Economic Potash Fertilizer Rate Recommendations, Kimberly B. Oliver
Economic Potash Fertilizer Rate Recommendations, Kimberly B. Oliver
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is comprised of two studies that estimate profit-maximizing potassium (K) fertilizer application rates for various crops across different time periods. Estimation of profit-maximizing fertilizer-K rate (K*) for both studies considered the initial soil test level of K (STK) and yield response information, as traditional recommendations do, and added crop price and the cost of fertilizer. Profit maximum occurs where the marginal revenue from additional yield is equal to the marginal cost of applying an additional unit of fertilizer-K. The first study calculated K* for corn (Zea mays) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and compared results to previous studies on …
Comparing Organic And Conventional Yield Responses To Climate Variations, Joost Wilken Meyer
Comparing Organic And Conventional Yield Responses To Climate Variations, Joost Wilken Meyer
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This thesis compares the responses of organic yields and conventional yields towards climate variations. To achieve this objective, weather variables such as growing season weather conditions (average temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, relative humidity, drought index), weather anomalies, the occurrence of severe or extreme droughts and excessive rainfalls, are combined with 23 data sets gathered from previous studies that compare organic and conventional yields from the same location and time periods. To narrow the scope, the thesis focuses on soybean, maize, and wheat production in Europe and North America. Study-level fixed-effects models are used to control for any time-invariant factors such …
Cover Crop Effects On Near-Surface Soil Aggregate Stability In The Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (Mlra 134), Chandler M. Arel
Cover Crop Effects On Near-Surface Soil Aggregate Stability In The Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (Mlra 134), Chandler M. Arel
Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
Intensive agricultural cultivation within major land resource area (MLRA) 134, the Southern Mississippi Valley Loess, has led to soil erosion, soil compaction, and the overall destabilization of near-surface soil aggregates. The use of cover crops during the agricultural offseason has been shown to help alleviate soil compaction and provide stabilizing effects against soil erosion, which are particularly important as the silty soils of MLRA 134 have a large erosion potential. This study evaluated the effects of cover crop and no-cover crop treatment on silt-loam soils within MLRA 134. Treatments were implemented during Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 and consisted of …
Impact Of Planting Arrangement And Drill Row Spacing For Direct-Seeded, Delayed Flood Rice, Mary Jane Lytle
Impact Of Planting Arrangement And Drill Row Spacing For Direct-Seeded, Delayed Flood Rice, Mary Jane Lytle
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Direct-seeding is the most frequently utilized planting practice in Arkansas and Mid-South rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. Enhanced plant density and more rapid rice canopy formation may result from the implementation of innovative plant arrangements and spacings. Studies were initiated in 2019 and continued into 2020 to examine different cultural management practice experiments, including evaluating the impacts of planting arrangement, row spacing, and seeding rates on rice stand density, canopy coverage, grain yield, and milling yield. These small-plot trials were conducted at two locations, a silt loam site and a clay site, representative of soils produced to rice in eastern …
Precise Nitrogen Recommendations Improve Economic And Environmental Outcomes In Arkansas Rice Production, Cristin Roberts
Precise Nitrogen Recommendations Improve Economic And Environmental Outcomes In Arkansas Rice Production, Cristin Roberts
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Soil testing has become an increasingly important tool in making agronomically efficient production management decisions. N-STaR is a N test used in rice production and is unique in its ability to selectively quantify soil organic-N compounds which are readily mineralizable for plant N uptake and contribute to growth and yield. This study uses historical (2002–2018) adoption rates of N-STaR, which is funded through Rice Checkoff funds, to calculate the total cost savings from N-STaR adoption. These cost savings alone would be the “typical” benefits used in a benefit-cost ratio of a public ally funded research program like N-STaR. However, we …
Establishment Of Pollinator Habitat Within A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani Sharma Acharya
Establishment Of Pollinator Habitat Within A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani Sharma Acharya
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Pollinators are important for fertilization, setting fruits, and seed development of more than 78% of the flowering plants that provide food for human beings and other species. Use of pollinators to maximize crop production is a proven agricultural practice; however, it has been less explored in livestock forage production systems. This study investigated pollinator abundance and diversity in pastures using different sampling methods and determined the impact of different pasture management practices on insect pollinators in a livestock pasture ecosystem. In Chapter 2, utility of four different colors of pan trap (blue, green, yellow, and purple) for sampling bees in …
Economic Feasibility Of Sub-Surfaced Poultry Litter, James Timothy Stults
Economic Feasibility Of Sub-Surfaced Poultry Litter, James Timothy Stults
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Livestock producers routinely spread fertilizer or broadcast poultry litter to improve forage production. With poultry litter widely available across the Southeastern United States and a cheaper source of plant nutrition than fertilizer when proximal to application sites, the novel application of litter below the soil surface, while costly, allows for greater nutrient retention than broadcasting. Since quantifying costs and benefits of sub-surface litter application (SSLA) is complex, we develop and present a spreadsheet tool for automated comparison between SSLA, fertilizer, and broadcasted litter for user-specific scenarios involving equipment choices (new, used, custom), desired nutrient needs for crops grown, litter nutrient …
Short-Term Effects Of Winter Cover Crops On Soil Properties, Yield, And Partial Returns In A No-Tillage Soybean Rotation, Drew Dillon Kirkpatrick
Short-Term Effects Of Winter Cover Crops On Soil Properties, Yield, And Partial Returns In A No-Tillage Soybean Rotation, Drew Dillon Kirkpatrick
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits including weed suppression, erosion control, and improvements to soil quality. These benefits can be affected by species, biomass accumulation, and management practices. Although large amounts of biomass are good for maximizing benefits, it can result in problems for establishing the subsequent crop. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] accounts for over 50% of Arkansas crop hectares annually; therefore, understanding the effect that a cover crop can have on the following soybean crop is crucial to the successful implementation of cover crops within the state. A study was established to evaluate winter cover …
Quality Determinates Of Rice Price In Open Bag Markets In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm
Quality Determinates Of Rice Price In Open Bag Markets In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana and Mozambique rice is predominately sold in open bags and if rice price does not reflect its quality, then inefficiencies may lead to consumer welfare losses. Importantly, it is possible that impoverished communities are priced out of the market due to inflated and inefficient prices. The objective of this study is to examine determinates of rice price by estimating the impact of selected rice quality attributes on rice prices in DRC, Ghana …
Estimating Irrigation In Rice Fields With A Water Balance Approach, Kristen Trinh
Estimating Irrigation In Rice Fields With A Water Balance Approach, Kristen Trinh
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses
Global food production must increase to meet the demand associated with increased population growth, so irrigation water use will continue to rise. Therefore, it is important to monitor water usage particularly when an irrigation flowmeter is unavailable. A field water balance was created for a selection of rice fields in East-central Arkansas under observation in 2018 and 2019. From those, irrigation inputs are deduced from the water balance alone. First, each field had sensors that collected water table level (WTL) data. Next, other water inputs and outputs such as precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) were collected from two modeled sources. The …
Corn And Soybean Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers, Shane Ylagan
Corn And Soybean Response To Wastewater-Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers, Shane Ylagan
Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
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 Pcontaining 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 super phosphate (TSP) on corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) response in a 79-day greenhouse pot …
Optimization Of In-Vessel Food Waste Composting: Enzyme Activity And Microbial Dynamics, Ayawovi Selom Ametepe
Optimization Of In-Vessel Food Waste Composting: Enzyme Activity And Microbial Dynamics, Ayawovi Selom Ametepe
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
A series of greenhouse-based, rotary-drum bioreactor experiments was designed to study microbial dynamics and enzyme activity during optimization of food waste composting. This work aims to optimize food waste composting by defining the best food waste-to-bulking agent proportion controlling conditions and by evaluating the food waste composting process when inoculated by a bacterial inoculant product compared to uninoculated compost. Three experiments were run in total. The two first experiments were conducted for 48 days with sampling at each step of composting, while the third experiment last 50 days and included one extra sampling date. In the first experiment, 50:50, 65:35 …
Performance Evaluation Of Four Arkansas Table Grape Cultivars Grown On Three Trellis Systems Under High Tunnels At Two Locations In Arkansas., Jose Hernandez
Performance Evaluation Of Four Arkansas Table Grape Cultivars Grown On Three Trellis Systems Under High Tunnels At Two Locations In Arkansas., Jose Hernandez
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) are one of the most important horticultural crops world-wide. In the southern U.S. region, hot and humid climate accompanied by high pest pressure requires high levels of labor and pesticide inputs, making open field table grape production unsustainable. Previous research at University of Arkansas has demonstrated that table grape production under high tunnels (HTs) is a viable option to overcome biotic and abiotic challenges in the region. This project evaluated two HTs established in Arkansas. In the spring of 2014, at Fayetteville, three table grape cultivars (Faith, Gratitude, and Jupiter) were established in an 8 x …
The Economics Of On-Farm Rice Drying In Arkansas, Clayton Parker
The Economics Of On-Farm Rice Drying In Arkansas, Clayton Parker
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses
Globally, rice producers are faced with the temporal problem of deciding the optimal time to being rice harvest. When harvested, paddy rice is typically at a moisture content (HMC) between 15 and 22%. Upon delivery, the rice is subsequently dried by the mill to a moisture content (MC) of 12.5%. Riceland Foods Inc., the largest miller of rice in the world, uses a stair-step pricing model to charge farmers to dry in price/unit as the MC of grain decreases from a range of +22% to 13.5%. This study estimates an alternative linear relationship in the stair-step model to determine MC …
Phylogenetic Diversity Of Arkansas Vineyard And Wine Microbiota, Natacha Cureau
Phylogenetic Diversity Of Arkansas Vineyard And Wine Microbiota, Natacha Cureau
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Microorganisms inhabiting the soil, leaves, and grapes in vineyards influence the terroir, a set of environmental factors that impact wine characteristics. Previously, the main method to identify microorganisms was to culture on different media, but a large portion (> 99%) could not be cultured and were consequently unidentified. However, the emergence of new molecular tools has enabled further study and identification of microorganisms such as indigenous vineyard microbiota. The objective of this research was to investigate the phylogenetic diversity of Arkansas vineyard and wine microbiota using high-throughput sequencing. In terms of the Arkansas vineyards, the fungal and bacterial diversity of …
Design Of A Shallow-Aero Ebb And Flow Hydroponics System And Associated Educational Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Julie Halveland
Design Of A Shallow-Aero Ebb And Flow Hydroponics System And Associated Educational Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Julie Halveland
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses
Tri Cycle Farms, whose main mission is to reduce food insecurity in their community, is a non- profit urban farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The “Tri” in their name refers to the three parts of their foundation: giving a third of their yield to volunteers, giving a third to local food pantries, and selling a third to sustain the farm and demonstrate the economy of local food production. They want to expand on the third part and have a vision of building a hydroponic greenhouse with the intention that it will create more crops to sell and give, as well as …
Use Of Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Herbicides In Inzen Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L. Moench Ssp. Bicolor), Hunter Bowman
Use Of Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Herbicides In Inzen Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L. Moench Ssp. Bicolor), Hunter Bowman
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Grain sorghum is typically grown as a rotational crop in Arkansas because of its many benefits, one being the effective control of Palmer amaranth through the use of atrazine. However, limited options exist for postemergence (POST) control of weedy grasses within the crop. Inzen™ grain sorghum is the result of a nicosulfuron resistant weedy sorghum biotype cross-bred with a commercial line of grain sorghum. Inzen™ allows for safe use of over-the-top applications of nicosulfuron within the crop. Nicosulfuron is an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide, which has historically been used in corn for control of weedy grasses. Experiments were conducted in …
Techniques To Enhance The Attributes Of Wines Produced From Grapes Grown In Arkansas, Sarah Mayfield
Techniques To Enhance The Attributes Of Wines Produced From Grapes Grown In Arkansas, Sarah Mayfield
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Grapevines (Vitis spp.) are one of the most widely-planted horticultural crops, and the United States plays a major role in grape and wine production. Arkansas has a long history of grape and wine production with grapes grown in Arkansas including mostly native species, such as muscadines, and hybrids (crosses of Vitis spp.), such as Chambourcin. In addition, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA System) grape breeding program has cultivars and selections that have shown potential for wine production. The objectives of this research were to: evaluate effects of specific inactivated yeast application to Chambourcin grapevines on attributes …
Determining Cluster Thinning And Storage Effects On Fruit Quality And Marketability Attributes Of Arkansas Table Grapes Grown Under High Tunnel Systems., Virginia Beasley
Determining Cluster Thinning And Storage Effects On Fruit Quality And Marketability Attributes Of Arkansas Table Grapes Grown Under High Tunnel Systems., Virginia Beasley
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Table Grapes (Vitus vinifera) are highly valued horticulture crops world-wide. Often, table grape production in the southern United States is restricted due to climate and pest issues. Viticulture production could be expanded to this region by the use of controlled environment growing systems, such as high tunnels (HT). The objective of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of HT systems for grape cultivation and compare the effects of different cluster thinning treatments on vines. In this two-year study, the cultivars Faith, Gratitude, Hope, and Jupiter were grown in HT systems and assessed for postharvest qualities at harvest and during …
Cover Crops As An Integrated Approach For Pest Suppression And Pollinator Promotion In Arkansas Watermelon Production Systems, Paige Laurel Hickman
Cover Crops As An Integrated Approach For Pest Suppression And Pollinator Promotion In Arkansas Watermelon Production Systems, Paige Laurel Hickman
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Arkansas watermelon growers face a variety of insect pest and disease problems that have the potential to threaten yield. Integrated pest management tactics can provide control over these threats and are intended to cut down on pesticide use and its associated negative impacts like pesticide resistance, non-target effects, and runoff. Cover crops provide an array of benefits and can be useful in integrated pest management. Evidence has shown that certain cover crops can increase beneficial insects and suppress disease in the following cash crop. They can also provide important resources to pollinators. In order to build a better understanding of …
Implications Of Rice Cultivar Selection To Optimize Returns From Crop Insurance, David Ethan Branscum
Implications Of Rice Cultivar Selection To Optimize Returns From Crop Insurance, David Ethan Branscum
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Rice production differs from most other field crops by distinct differences in yields across cultivars and rice producers being paid for yield after post-harvest milling. Using eleven years (2003-2013) of Arkansas harvest data from performance trials in six different locations, hybrids have 19% higher paddy yields and head rice yield rate 1.7% lower than conventional cultivars. Given the 2014 Farm Bill’s emphasis on crop insurance as a risk management tool for producers, these variations in yield among cultivars have significant implications for rice producers. Comparing national level, crop insurance data on corn, soybeans and rice indicates rice producers strongly prefer …