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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Agriculture
Farmers’ Markets & College Students: Shaping Our Shared Community And Bridging The Barrier With On-Campus Interaction, Emma Grace Vaughn
Farmers’ Markets & College Students: Shaping Our Shared Community And Bridging The Barrier With On-Campus Interaction, Emma Grace Vaughn
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
This project studies the relationship between college students and farmers' markets, with the goal of overcoming known barriers of student participation. A survey conducted at an on-campus farmers' market, Market on the Avenue, details the impact of bringing these events to Western Kentucky University and looks towards the improvement of future markets. The purpose of this evaluation is to understand how effectively this event bridges the known barriers inhibiting WKU student participation in farmers’ markets, and to develop survey data into recommendations for improvement.
Antibiotic Resistant Gene Concentrations In Bacteria In Groundwater From Agricultural Waste, Koji Barnaby
Antibiotic Resistant Gene Concentrations In Bacteria In Groundwater From Agricultural Waste, Koji Barnaby
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
The overuse of antibiotics has led to an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria since some antibiotics are sent into the wastewater system by waste produced by both humans and agriculture, making exposure to these bacteria more likely. The evolution of these bacteria in groundwater is of particular concern, as groundwater is used as a source of drinking water, and infections by these bacteria would be more difficult to treat. There are no policies in place to monitor or regulate antibiotic resistance bacteria in groundwater, leaving the threat to public health unknown. The study area of Crumps Cave in Smiths Grove, …
Drought In The Breadbasket Of America And The Influence Of Oceanic Teleconnections, Grace Campbell
Drought In The Breadbasket Of America And The Influence Of Oceanic Teleconnections, Grace Campbell
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
From 1980 to 2020, drought events accounted for 11.4% of the billion-dollar disasters in the United States (U.S.) yet caused the second highest total amount in damages at $236.6 billion. With the average cost of a drought being upwards of $9.5 billion, these natural disasters can create serious problems in agriculture. Drought is defined as a period of below average precipitation that causes damage to agriculture and water supply. Previous research has linked drought events in the U.S. Great Plains to oceanic teleconnections in the Pacific and Atlantic basins, indicating the influence of the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO), …
Enhancing Wku Sustainable Food Systems Through Education And Local Agriculture Development, Chloe Cooper
Enhancing Wku Sustainable Food Systems Through Education And Local Agriculture Development, Chloe Cooper
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
In an effort to increase the amount of locally sourced food utilized by dining services at WKU, the Office of Sustainability, WKU Restaurant Group, and the WKU Agriculture & Research Education Center have partnered to establish garden spaces on campus properties. This project developed a detailed plan for implementation of this effort. In addition, this project established a plan to educate students and the local community alike on the benefits of sustainable farming and locally-sourced food, while also creating profiles on local farmers from whom the university could buy crops in order to further supplement items for dining services. Using …
Bridging The Food Gap: Founding And Sustaining A Food Recovery Network Chapter At Wku, Elaine Losekamp
Bridging The Food Gap: Founding And Sustaining A Food Recovery Network Chapter At Wku, Elaine Losekamp
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Food waste is a pervasive global issue with many environmental and social repercussions. While about one-third of all food produced for human consumption goes to waste, many people in the United States and the world are affected by food insecurity. Food recovery, the process of rescuing edible food that would otherwise go to waste and delivering to hungry people, is an effective solution for both food waste and food insecurity. The author of this capstone created a food recovery program at Western Kentucky University (WKU) in January 2019 and has grown the program’s scope and impact since that time. This …
Effects Of Supplemental Whole Cottonseed On Weaned Calf Production, Zachary Debord
Effects Of Supplemental Whole Cottonseed On Weaned Calf Production, Zachary Debord
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
This study compared the effect of supplemental whole cottonseed in a weaned calf ration on cattle productivity. Feed is the main cost for livestock production. Whole cottonseed supplementation may increase production and reduce the cost of gain for the ration. During the study, 18 beef calves were weaned and split into two groups and fed, with and without WCS, for 50 days to determine the effect of supplemental whole cottonseed. Productivity was determined by measuring average daily gains for each group and comparing cost of gain for each ration. It was determined that WCS did increase productivity of weaned calves …
Development Of An Autonomous Aerial Toolset For Agricultural Applications, Terrance Life
Development Of An Autonomous Aerial Toolset For Agricultural Applications, Terrance Life
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
According to the United Nations, the world population is expected to grow from its current 7 billion to 9.7 billion by the year 2050. During this time, global food demand is also expected to increase by between 59% and 98% due to the population increase, accompanied by an increasing demand for protein due to a rising standard of living throughout developing countries. [1] Meeting this increase in required food production using present agricultural practices would necessitate a similar increase in farmland; a resource which does not exist in abundance. Therefore, in order to meet growing food demands, new methods will …
Analysis Of Permaculture’S Water Conservation And Crop Supporting Abilities, Hannah Chaney
Analysis Of Permaculture’S Water Conservation And Crop Supporting Abilities, Hannah Chaney
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
In the Middle East, virtually all agriculturally viable land is under high threat of desertification due to poor land and resource management and climate change. Mulching using straw flakes (straw mulch permaculture) is a method commonly used in successful dry land permaculture projects in the Middle East. We proposed that straw mulch permaculture would increase the amount of soil moisture during dry periods and that this method would not impact the growth and survival of the crop. In order to test this hypothesis, we took soil samples from plots with and without straw mulch permaculture in Bowling Green, KY and …
A Quantitative Analysis Of Hugelkultur And Its Potential Application On Karst Rocky Desertified Areas In China, Megan Laffoon
A Quantitative Analysis Of Hugelkultur And Its Potential Application On Karst Rocky Desertified Areas In China, Megan Laffoon
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
A type of environmental degradation, karst rocky desertification (KRD) refers to areas where the soil loss exposes the bedrock and reduces the land’s ability to sustain life and is particularly widespread through the vast karst area of rural southwest China. Hugelkultur is a permaculture method that harnesses the wood decomposition process by burying logs beneath soil. We proposed that hugel beds will demonstrate a higher water holding capacity and enhance soil development, in a way that may show promise as a potential method to help alleviate problems of KRD. Soil samples were taken from hugel plots, non-hugel plots, and KRD-like …
Transforming The Wku Office Of Sustainability's Front Yard Into An Edible Landscape, Alexandra Hezik
Transforming The Wku Office Of Sustainability's Front Yard Into An Edible Landscape, Alexandra Hezik
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Since moving to 503 Regents Avenue in Fall 2013, the WKU Office of Sustainability has served as a sustainable best practices demonstration home for the WKU and Bowling Green communities. Not only does the house in which the Office of Sustainability is located serve as an educational tool for people, but also the landscape. In May 2014, the WKU Community Garden was established in the backyard. The transformation of the Office of Sustainability’s front lawn into an edible landscape began on April 1, 2015. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate an alternative to conventional lawns.
Effects Of An Electronic, Motion-Activated Scarecrow On Foraging Time In Nocturnal Vertebrate Crop Pets In South Africa, Mallory Clouse
Effects Of An Electronic, Motion-Activated Scarecrow On Foraging Time In Nocturnal Vertebrate Crop Pets In South Africa, Mallory Clouse
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
The normal behaviors of animals can disrupt human activities, resulting in human wildlifeconflict. In South Africa, nocturnal crop raiders are a significant source of human wildlifeconflict for farmers. Major nocturnal pest animals are Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) and bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus). Although methods of deterring animals from agricultural areas have been explored, nocturnal crop raiding remains difficult to mitigate. Most research studies focus on deterring non-human primates and elephants, but methods that may be successful in deterring such larger mammals are not necessarily effective at discouraging smaller, nocturnal crop raiders. This study examined the efficacy of …
Horses' Responses To Receiving Masterson Method™ Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork™ Treatments, Carla O. Beu
Horses' Responses To Receiving Masterson Method™ Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork™ Treatments, Carla O. Beu
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
This research documents the changes of comfort levels in horses resulting from receiving Masterson Method™ Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork™ treatments. The Masterson Method™ (MM) is a bodywork technique used to identify and release accumulated tension from the equine body. MM focuses on three main anatomical junctions: the poll-atlas junction, neck-shoulder-wither junction, and the sacroiliac junction. Research documentation includes pre and post treatment evaluations, the treatments, owner questionnaires, and cribbing observations. Also, all evaluation and treatment sessions were videotaped with the intent of further analysis for changes in range of motion, flexibility, and comfort level as applicable. Each horse received a …
A Native Cyanobacteria, Nostoc, As A Biofertilizer, Clarice Esch
A Native Cyanobacteria, Nostoc, As A Biofertilizer, Clarice Esch
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
The native cyanobacteria, Nostoc, is found throughout much of the US and has a cosmopolitan distribution. It is a found in free-living colonies on the surface of the ground, growing symbiotically with fungi to form lichen species, and grows symbiotically in the rhizomes of the angiosperm, Gunnera (Gunneraceae). Nostoc fixes atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which may then be used or converted to a form suitable for plant growth. The free-living forms we investigated desiccate during times of dry weather and rehydrate to photosynthesize and fix nitrogen. Nostoc colonies were collected locally and allowed to desiccate to a uniform moisture …
Assessment Of Horses For Therapeutic Riding Purposes: Comparison Of Physiological And Behavioral Parameters, Leah Catherine Turner
Assessment Of Horses For Therapeutic Riding Purposes: Comparison Of Physiological And Behavioral Parameters, Leah Catherine Turner
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Many accidents in the horse sector presumably happen due to a misinterpretation of horse behavior, and it is difficult to objectively determine the suitability of horses for therapeutic riding programs in regard to their temperament and reactivity. The animals in therapeutic riding programs come from tremendously varied backgrounds and are not always donated with honorable intentions. The horses undergo a training period during which they are evaluated for suitability before they begin working with disabled humans, but there is no requirement that additional desensitizing training be administered past this point. Our study aimed to assess, objectively, a horse’s suitability for …
Post-Secondary Student's Perception Of College Readiness Skills Developed During Secondary Education Careers, Loren Gross
Post-Secondary Student's Perception Of College Readiness Skills Developed During Secondary Education Careers, Loren Gross
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
This study is designed to collect information from participants in the AGRI 175 University Experience Agriculture course. The data collected will be focused on the college readiness and career preparedness of students coming from a secondary school system by being broken into the subcategories of: FFA/ 4-H/ Extracurricular, Classroom, Outside of Classroom Educational Obligations, and Miscellaneous. The study will use these four sections as primers for responses for the participants. The four areas will utilize questions to attain attributes in knowledge, skill, and abilities from the subjects with their experiences in secondary education. The goal of this study is to …
We Can Grow It: Reporting On Women In Agriculture In India, Belize And The U.S., Colleen Stewart
We Can Grow It: Reporting On Women In Agriculture In India, Belize And The U.S., Colleen Stewart
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Women produce more than half of the world’s food, according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization. This aligns with the Chinese proverb– “Women Hold up Half the Sky.” As the role of women in agriculture increases in the developed and developing world, female economic activity in agriculture serves as a beacon for poverty reduction, increased food security, and environmental sustainability. In the United States, there has been a 30-percent increase in the number of female-run farms in the U.S. since 2002 and women, now the largest “minority” group in agriculture in the U.S., operate approximately 300,000 farms throughout the …
Use Of Lolium Multiflorum For Remediation Of Phosphorus From Poultry-Litter-Contaminated Media, Daniel L Starnes
Use Of Lolium Multiflorum For Remediation Of Phosphorus From Poultry-Litter-Contaminated Media, Daniel L Starnes
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
No abstract provided.