Agriculture Commons^™

Beef And Dairy Substitution Effects Associated With Carbon Labeling And An Information Intervention, Sara Gardner Hedgecock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding consumer perceptions of carbon emissions in agriculture is a critical step to help increase the sustainability of food consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 14.5 percent of all global anthropogenic GHG emissions are estimated to be represented by livestock (FAO), and cattle, raised for beef and milk, are the largest animal species responsible for emissions, comprising over 60 percent of the livestock sector’s emissions. This motivates this study’s analysis of beef and dairy milk products and alternatives. To better understand how consumers may substitute meat and milk products when provided with information about …

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 …

A Pilot Study Of Students’ Ethical Decision Making And Emotional Intelligence, Casandra K. Cox

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Demand for ethical leaders in agriculture is high to meet 21st century goals, while ethics course offerings in land-grant institutions are limited. The purpose of this case study was to establish a baseline of current University of Arkansas Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Science (Bumpers College) agriculture and natural resource program students’ ethical decision making (EDM), as measured by the DIT-2, and emotional intelligence (EI), as measured by STEM-B and STEU-B, determine if EI mean scores predict EDM, and identify relationships between EDM or EI and demographic characteristics or lifespan experiences. An online survey design with probability sampling …

Factors Affecting Food Security And Participation In Food Pantries In The U.S., Alexis Jade Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the rise in food inflation, reduction of SNAP benefits, and the increased demand for food pantry participation, a more holistic understanding of potential barriers to obtaining assistance from non-Federally regulated food pantries is warranted. In May of 2022, 625 surveys were administered to low-income participants in the United States who participated in food collection from a food pantry in the previous month. Those participants were asked to select what information they were asked to provide during their visit, including home address, place of employment, Social Security card, driver’s license, household size, blood test, or others. Some forms of the …

Consumer Valuation Of Rice Quality In Colombia, Juliann Phillips

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is a crucial contributor to global food security and is an important staple for over half the world’s population. In Colombia, total rice consumption has grown by 25% in the last decade (2011-2021), reaching 1.9 MMT in 2021, yet in 2021 around 15.5 million Colombians were classified as food insecure. Colombia is the third largest rice producer in Latin America, producing 1.8 million metric tons (milled basis) in 2021. Increasing rice consumption coupled with high levels of food insecurity highlights the necessity that rice markets effectively price rice according to consumer preferences. Therefore, the goal of this study focuses …

The Effect Of Herbal Adaptogen On Feeding-Related Hypothalamic Neuropeptides In Heat-Stressed Broilers, Maryam Afkhami Ardakani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress is a major issue in the poultry industry, having numerous negative consequences for chicken productivity. Decreasing feed intake is one of these issues, which results in higher mortality and poor growth performance. Moreover, Herbal adaptogens, plant extracts that are also known as stress response modifiers, are metabolic regulators that improve an organism's ability to adapt to environmental stresses and minimize damage from such stressors. Previously, we published data indicating that herbal adaptogen supplementation increased feed intake under heat stress conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary herbal adaptogen supplementation might exert these effects through alteration of the expression of …

The Effect Of Symbioses Between Mold Mites (Acaridae: Tyrophagus Putrescentiae) And Aspergillus Flavus On Their Respective Populations In Stored Maize., Paige Pionke Cummins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zea mays is the most commonly grown grain in the world and is used for animal feed, human consumption, and the creation of other products such as ethanol and bioplastics. Contamination of stored maize with stored grain invaders can lead to loss of revenue, reduced food availability, and potential health complications. Two such storage invaders; the mold mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae and the fungus Aspergillus flavus can work as symbionts within the grain storage system. To determine resulting population growth from this symbiosis, maize was inoculated with three treatments: A. flavus with no mites, T. putrescentiae with no fungus, and both …

Runoff Water Quality And Crop Growth As Affected By Wastewater-Derived Struvite, Machaela Morrison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mined phosphate rock, used to produce phosphorus (P) fertilizers, is a finite resource. Struvite (MgNH4PO4 • 6H2O) that has been synthetically produced from a stock solution of known P and nitrogen (N) concentrations has been shown to be an effective, alternative fertilizer-P source for various crops. However, little is known about the runoff-water-quality implications from and the crop response to soil application of struvite created from an actual municipal wastewater source. This study consisted of two objectives: i) to evaluate the effects of soil [i.e., Creldon (Oxyaquic Fragiudalf), Dapue (Fluventic Hapludoll), Roxana (Typic Udifluvent), and Calloway (Aquic Fraglossudalf) series], fertilizer-P …

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 …

Analyzing The Adoption, Cropping Rotation, And Impact Of Winter Cover Crops In The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (Map) Region Through Remote Sensing Technologies, Zobaer Ahmed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the application of remote sensing technologies in conservation agriculture, specifically focusing on identifying and mapping winter cover crops and assessing voluntary cover crop adoption and cropping patterns in the Arkansas portion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). In the first chapter, a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology examines the last 30 years of thematic research, development, and trends in remote sensing applied to conservation agriculture from a global perspective. The review uncovers a growing interest in remote sensing-based research in conservation agriculture and emphasizes the necessity for further studies dedicated to conservation practices. Among the 68 …

Rice Material State Diagrams: Trends Of Contemporary Cultivars And Influence Of Nitrogen Application During Production, Evans Ameyaw Owusu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is typically harvested at high moisture content (MC) levels which necessitates drying to low MC levels for safe storage. However, drying at inappropriate temperatures and durations can lead to deterioration of kernel quality such as fissure formation. Kernels with these fissures are typically associated with reduced head rice yields and significant economic losses. Material state diagrams for rice have been created by the University of Arkansas Rice Processing Program (UARPP) as a tool to aid in predicting the ideal temperatures to use during drying and tempering (a process of holding rice at the drying temperature for some duration). The …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2021, Leah English, Jennie Popp

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agriculture and associated agricultural activities are major contributors to the Arkansas economy. Agriculture is defined as the sum of agricultural production and processing activities, unless otherwise specified, and includes crop and animal production and processing, agricultural support industries, forestry and forest products, and textile goods. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production and processing, leading to economic activity in other parts of the economy.

This report is the sixteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and labor …

Facebook In County 4-H Extension Programs In Arkansas: Is It Effective For Communication?, Haley Padgett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As social media rises in popularity, agents with 4-H responsibilities have the opportunity to implement social media platforms in their communication outreach. The purpose of this study was to identify how agents with 4-H responsibilities in Arkansas use Facebook for communication purposes and their perceptions of its effectiveness. This information helps provide understanding of the effects of Facebook on county 4-H programs in Arkansas and assists agents in determining how to implement or better utilize Facebook in their county programs. The study had three research objectives: 1) describe the usage of Facebook by agents in Arkansas with at least a …

Understanding The Support Local Movement From The Perception Of Generation Z In The Nwa Region, Daniela Medina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The support local movement is a growing trend within Generation Z, with that comes the need to understand marketing strategies Generation Z responds to best. As Generation Z is entering the workforce and purchasing their groceries there is a need to understand how this generation perceives the term local beef. There is currently little research in regard to Generation Z and their perceptions of local beef. This study aimed to fill a gap within research by conducting a qualitative study to gather rich data to understand Generation Z’s perception of the term local beef and what marketing strategies impacted them …

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 …

Smart-Insect Monitoring System Integration And Interaction Via Ai Cloud Deployment And Gpt, Ahmed Moustafa

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Insect Detection Server was developed to explore the deployment and integration of an Artificial Intelligence model for Computer Vision in the context of insect detection. The model was developed to accurately identify insects from images taken by camera systems installed on farms. The goal is to integrate the model into an easily accessible, cloud-based application that allows farmers to analyze automatically uploaded images containing groups of insects found on their farms. The application returns the bounding boxes and the detected classes of insects whenever an image is captured on-site, enabling farmers to take appropriate actions to address the issue …

Ireland V. United States: Agricultural And Environmental Sustainability Policies, Lauryn O'Grady

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States and Ireland have varying practices to achieve similar objectives in regard to environmental sustainability. While the European Union has maintained and updated a uniform policy throughout its existence--the Common Agricultural Policy--the United States instead created short-term solutions to a long-term problem. Not only does the United States tend to solve issues in the short-term, the policies between agricultural production and environmental sustainability are not necessarily aligned or remotely relative to the other. While the United States’ new Global Food Security Strategy implements parts of both agricultural and environmental sustainability, much of the history was not based off …

Foreign Ownership Of Agricultural Land In The United States: A Case Study Concerning The 2023 Grassroots Policy And Legislative Landscape, Mary Eichenberger

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Historically, foreign ownership of land in the United States has existed for centuries. Many state laws expressly allow for foreign ownership of agricultural land in their state. However, this study will find that a push to amend these laws has begun in recent years in state and federal legislatures. Grassroots member-focused agricultural organizations, representative of the agricultural community, have also seen a shift in member-developed policy. This shift is toward an attitude of concern and increased oversight of foreign land investment. From the data gathered, it can be inferred that public awareness in the agricultural community is increasing concerning foreign …

Understanding The Operations And Decision-Making Of Cow-Calf Farmers In Northwest Arkansas, Clayton Weyl

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Societal pressure on farmers has become a more central part of the rhetoric surrounding livestock production. This study includes farmers in the discourse on the rhetoric surrounding climate change via interviews and simulations tailored to their operation. Previous research has addressed regenerative agricultural practices and conditions that influence farmer decision-making, but little research has analyzed decision-making in tandem with environmental practices. The literature reveals that cow-calf producer decision-making is influenced by their reliance on cattle as an income source, and farmers overall choose climate-friendly practices based on their perceptions about climate change. The goal of this research was to gather …

Molecular And Physiological Aspects Of Glufosinate Resistance In Amaranthus Palmeri, Matheus Machado Noguera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Palmer amaranth is one of the most troublesome weeds in worldwide agriculture. Among the traits that confers extreme weediness to this species, the ability to adapt to herbicide selection pressure stands out. The latest herbicide to which Palmer amaranth developed resistance is glufosinate-ammonium (GFA), an inhibitor of the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS). The main objectives of this work were: 1) evaluate the resistance level of a Palmer amaranth population from Missouri, USA, 2) determine the mechanisms conferring GFA resistance in Palmer amaranth, 3) elucidate the behavior of amplified GS copies in GFA-resistant Palmer amaranth in terms of inheritance, stability and …

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 …

Characterizing The Utility Of Atonik On Improving Rice Response To Herbicides, Srikanth Kumar Karaikal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biostimulants can improve plant tolerance to abiotic stress by improving plant growth and development. Herbicides cause abiotic stress to crops shortly after application, which may affect yield. Preliminary tests showed that rice yield benefits from Atonik seed treatment or tank-mixture of Atonik with foliar herbicides. Experiments were conducted in the field and greenhouse to: (1) determine if seed treatment with Atonik improves rice tolerance to pre-plant herbicides; (2 and 3) evaluate the effect of Atonik seed treatment on rice response to pre-emergence and delayed pre-emergence herbicides; and (4) determine if Atonik improves crop safety of foliar-applied herbicides. Field studies were …

Crafting The Brand: Characterizing Consumer Perspective Of Brand Equity Among Microbreweries In Northwest Arkansas, Alyssa Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Craft beer and craft breweries are on the rise across the United States and more importantly, in Arkansas. Throughout the past two decades, craft beer has gained popularity in the state of Arkansas as the number of craft breweries have risen across the state. However, there is currently little literature on how branding in craft breweries in Northwest Arkansas is used to gain and retain loyal consumers. This study aimed to add to the academic literature and provide practical recommendations to practitioners on how brand equity is built among craft breweries in Northwest Arkansas, using qualitative interviews. Marketing strategies of …

Evaluation Of Bt Cotton Cultivar Efficacy And Economic Impact On Cotton Yield With And Without A Foliar Insecticide Application, Zackary Murray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Helicoverpa zea is the second most damaging insect pest of cotton in Arkansas. It is becoming more difficult to control in the United States due to recently documented resistant to dual gene cultivars. The objective of this thesis was to develop a better understanding of the efficacy of several Bt cotton technologies and foliar insecticides used to manage H. zea. Experiments examined damage in current commercial non-Bt, dual gene, and three gene cotton cultivars. Other experiments evaluated if H. zea could detect concentrations of chlorantraniliprole and residual of chlorantraniliprole in cotton for an extended period after application. These studies suggest …

Approaches For Mitigating Woody Breast In Commercial Broilers Through Nutritional And Management Strategies, Clay Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast myopathies have caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry over the last decade. The induction of woody breast (WB), white striping (WS), and spaghetti meat (SM) have caused textural issues, functional issues, and a decline in consumer acceptance. Of these three myopathies, WB causes the most pronounced effects on product quality and reduces functional use. Woody breast is also commonly associated with expansive breast meat growth/high performing broilers. However, progress in reducing these myopathies has been limited without hindering other aspects of poultry rearing. Generally, production performance reduces as myopathy occurrence or incidence reduces. This response is primarily …

Evaluation Of Thresholds, Control, And Behavioral Responses Of Tobacco Thrips, Frankliniella Fusca (Hitch), And Tarnished Plant Bugs, Lygus Lineolaris (Beauvoris), In Thryvon Cotton, Adam Young Whitfield

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco thrips are an important pest in Mid-South cotton production. Thrips are a pest of seedling cotton, feeding on the leaf tissue of plants which can result in stunted growth, delayed fruiting, loss of apical dominance, and possible stand loss. Field studies were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to evaluate Thryvon, a new transgenic trait in cotton that produces the Bt toxin Cry51Aa, for control of tobacco thrips. Thryvon cotton was tested at three locations in Arkansas: Marianna, Tillar, and Keiser. These studies evaluated thrips control on ThryvOn vs non-ThryvOn cotton and the effect of insecticide seed treatments on ThryvOn …

Sequence Analysis Of Herbicide Target Genes In Herbicide-Tolerant Rice, Jonathan Kearney, Nilda R. Burgos, Gulab D. Rangani

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The tolerance of mutagenized rice (Oryza sativa) lines to selector herbicides was investigated and the sequence of ALS gene was analyzed in plants that survived treatment with 4x the label rate of imazethapyr herbicide. This was done to determine if insensitivity to imazethapyr is due to mutation(s) in the herbicide binding site. Seedlots previously treated with ethyl-methyl sulfonate were planted in the field and 3-leaf seedlings were treated with various herbicides to screen for herbicide-tolerant mutants. Seeds from survivors composed the rice lines tested in the current research. Seeds were planted in the greenhouse and 3-leaf seedlings were …

Solar Grazing As A Possible Vegetation Management Solution: A Budget Analysis, Byron Louk

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

A growing response to climate change among agricultural producers is to integrate renewable energy production in their portfolio of enterprises. Nonetheless, land use competition for agricultural production and solar energy production exists. To alleviate some of this competition, and possibly generate income for sheep grazers, photovoltaic (PV) system operators may save on operations and maintenance by grazing forages under solar panels rather than using mechanical or chemical means of vegetation management. “Solar grazing” operations have been shown to be economically feasible for PV system operators who own the land and pay for sheep grazing as a method of vegetation management, …

Someday I Will Change The World: Creating Youth Change Agents Through Leadership Training, Colin Keady

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

No research currently exists on a leadership development program for secondary students that features project-based learning and connection with change agents. This project seeks to create a program that lives in that gap – informing a new generation with a modern method of leadership instruction. Through a one day conference, participating students should experience personal and professional growth. Not only will they grow in their communication, motivation, and managerial skills – but they will also put together a plan of action for when the conference concludes. Students will use this plan to address an issue in their city, county, or …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 2022, F. Bourland, A. Beach, B. Milano, B. Guest, C. Kennedy, L. Martin, B. Robertson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Test is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant. These annual evaluations will then facilitate the inclusion of new, improved genetic material in Arkansas cotton production. Adaptation of varieties is determined by evaluating the lines at five University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research sites (Manila, Keiser, Judd Hill, Marianna, and Rohwer). The 2022 tests at Rohwer were adversely affected …