Agriculture Commons^™

Effects Of Varying Biochar Concentrations On The Growth Of Lactuca Sativa (Newham Bibb Lettuce), Lauren Holler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this research experiment was to investigate the effectiveness of using biochar in potting soil in terms of plant growth and soil quality. This experiment was carried out using varying amounts (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) of biochar in the soil to see its effect on seed germination, plant growth, and soil quality such as pH, water retention, and soil temperature. The aim of the experiment was to identify whether biochar can be used in soil to promote healthier and stronger plants. There were four treatments which included 0% (Control), 5% (Treatment 1), 10% (Treatment 2), and 20% …

Nourishing Births: A Program Evaluation Proposal For Community-Based Nutrition Education, Food Access, And Garden Engagement Among Black Birthing People, Naa Deedei-Vera Hammond

Master's Projects and Capstones

Black birthing people in the United States continue to experience unequal maternal health outcomes, shaped in part by racism and barriers to nutritious food, culturally relevant health education, and supportive community spaces. While prenatal nutrition education and food assistance programs can provide important resources, information alone cannot address the challenges many people face when trying to access healthy and affordable food during pregnancy. The Nourishing Births Initiative is a proposed community-based maternal health program designed to respond to these needs by bringing together prenatal nutrition education, help connecting to food resources, community gardening, and peer support for Black birthing people …

Spider Biodiversity And Insecticide Sensitivity Across Active And Restored Cranberry Bogs On Nantucket, Tyler J. Kulak

Graduate Masters Theses

Spiders are one of the most diverse groups of organisms on the planet with over 53,000 species described as of 2026. They provide a suite of ecosystem services including their regulation of problematic pests in agricultural systems, appearing in high biomasses across a breadth of ecological niches. While beneficial as pest regulators, they are also susceptible to the same management techniques as pest organisms and are especially vulnerable to chemical control. Cranberry production in Massachusetts likely benefits from spider ecosystem services, but diversity research on spiders in these systems is limited. This study compares the diversity of spider populations from …

Thermal Conversion Of Cotton Gin Byproducts Into Liquid Fuels And High-Value Chemicals, Emmanuel Asare

Mechanical Engineering Theses

In this study, we performed fast pyrolysis, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP), and catalytic hydropyrolysis (CHP) of cotton gin byproducts (CGB) to investigate their conversion into hydrocarbon-rich liquid fuels and high-value aromatic chemicals. Five CGB fractions (CC1, CC2, SM, TM, and FCGB) were collected from different stages of cotton ginning operation and characterized by proximate, ultimate, and higher heating value (HHV) analysis. The feedstocks contained 41.5 44.8 wt.% carbon, 54.2–58.5 wt.% volatile matter, 6.0–15 wt.% ash, and higher heating values of 15.2–16.8 MJ kg⁻¹. All pyrolysis experiments were performed using a Pyroprobe 5200 coupled with GC-MS/FID, while catalyst loading, hydrogen pressure, …

Understanding Agricultural Irrigation Practices Along Utah's Wasatch Front Through Farmer-Reported Data, Garland Ledbetter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Water is a growing concern in Utah, especially along the Wasatch Front, where cities, farms, and communities all rely on the same limited water supply. Agriculture uses a large portion of the state’s water, so understanding how farms manage irrigation is important for statewide water planning. Utah currently uses a dataset called Water-Related Land Use (WRLU) to estimate agricultural water use across the state. This dataset provides useful information about irrigated land and crop types. However, it does not capture many of the day-to-day decisions farmers make when managing irrigation.

To better understand irrigation practices, this study surveyed 61 farmers …

Nutrient Leaching Under Traditional And Intercropped Cover Crop Fields In Northern Utah, Katherine Hewitt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines whether cover crops can be used in Utah and the Intermountain West to improve water quality and reduce contamination due to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils into the groundwater. Cover crops such as grasses, clover, and other seed mixtures can be planted to improve soil health, increasing the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients, which reduces the amount of nitrate and phosphate fertilizers lost through leaching and contamination. In Utah, short growing seasons and limited irrigation water availability hinder the ability to establish cover crops. By planting the cover crop between the rows (intercropping) when the …

Flexible Grazing: Evaluating Stocker Cattle As A Drought Management Tool For Utah Livestock Producers?, Ross Israelsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Drought is a persistent concern in the western United States, often leading to reduced forage production, overgrazing, and economic challenges for livestock producers. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of incorporating stocker cattle as a flexible drought management strategy under varying forage conditions across four Utah grazing locations: Park Valley, Nephi, Vernal, and Beaver. The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) was used to estimate annual forage production and stocking rates from 2001 through 2025. Four stocking-rate scenarios (100%, 75%, 60%, and 50% cow–calf stocking rates) were evaluated using a Net Present Value (NPV) framework to compare the economic performance of traditional …

Evaluating Fungicide Programs For Grapevine Disease Management And Fungicide Sensitivity Monitoring, Abraham Ahumada

Master's Theses

Grapevine diseases, such as powdery mildew and Botrytis bunch rot, require repeated fungicide applications to maintain fruit quality and reduce yield losses. However, fungicide performance can vary among products, application programs, disease pressure, and pathogen sensitivity. This thesis evaluated fungicide programs for control of powdery mildew in ‘Chardonnay’ grapes and assessed fungicide sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea isolates collected from California vineyards.

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungal pathogen Erysiphe necator, is a major threat to the production of Vitis vinifera grapes worldwide. Because powdery mildew management relies heavily on fungicide applications, field evaluations are needed to compare the efficacy …

City Farm Slo: A Case Study Of Nonprofit Regenerative Agriculture, Carver Tunnell

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis is to create a case study on City Farm SLO, a nonprofit based in San Luis Obispo, California, that has engaged in education and regenerative agriculture on City owned land since 2013. This case study is intended for use in undergraduate agribusiness and natural resource management courses, to encourage thoughtful discussion surrounding nonprofit and regenerative agricultural systems. The case presents the nonprofit at a time of relative success, having recently secured a lease renewal, extending stewardship 40 years into the future. However, the reliance on grants and donations threatens the security of the operation going …

Chemical And Sensory Consequences Of Oxidative And Reductive Handling Of White Wines, Amelia Pargellis

Master's Theses

In the 2024 and 2025 vintage four experiments were performed each with a different varietal, namely Albariño, Grenache blanc, Loureiro, and Vermentino. These experiments investigated the effects of hyperoxygenation, reductive winemaking techniques, while monitoring the oxidation-reduction potential.

Albariño grapes were made following two juice protocols, control/reductive (Reductive Control) and oxidative (HyOx). Reductive Control received antioxidants (50 ppm SO₂, 160 mg/L ascorbic acid) and CO₂ blanketing, and HyOx underwent hyperoxygenation at approximately 700 mL/L/h of air for two hours through a stainless-steel sparging stone with 10-µm pores. Juice was cold-settled and racked. Reductive Control juice was split into …

Sustainable Management Of Soilborne Pathogens In Strawberry Production Through Host Resistance And Sanitation Practices, Maria G. Alvarez Arredondo

Master's Theses

Strawberry production in California is significantly impacted by soilborne pathogens that reduce plant productivity and increase management costs. This research addressed management of these pathogens through two independent approaches: evaluation of host resistance in strawberry cultivars and assessment of sanitation practices for reducing pathogen movement between fields.

Macrophomina root rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, was evaluated over two growing seasons (2024–2025 and 2025–2026) using field trials at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. In Year 1, disease incidence varied widely among genotypes, with mortality ranging from 1.3% to 88.8% and an average mortality of 26.4%. Area under the …

Effects Of Led Light Spectra And 1-Mcp On Postharvest Quality And Bioactive Compounds Of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.) During Cold Storage, Imad Eldin Abbas Yousif

Theses

Extending postharvest quality and maintaining the nutritional value of cucumber fruit requires specific storage conditions to postpone senescence and enhance marketability. The postharvest lighting environment is a main factor that influences quality preservation for harvested biomass. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different light emitting diodes (LED) spectra (green, red, blue, and white LED) alone or in combination with 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on postharvest quality and bioactive compounds of cucumber fruit during cold storage for 16 days at 5°C, the control fruit were left in the dark. For combined treatment, the fruits were exposed to 1-MCP …

Exploring Regenerative Vegetable Systems On The Central Coast Of California, Una S. O'Connell

Master's Theses

As climate change and current agricultural practices place pressure on the long term sustainability and resilience of food production systems, there is growing interest in whether existing agricultural systems can adapt to maintain productivity while improving environmental outcomes.

This study evaluated the effects of regenerative versus standard organic vegetable production systems on yield, insect communities, and weed suppression across three field trials conducted on California's Central Coast. In addition, I collected baseline soil health data for all trials. Trials 1 and 2 were carried out at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Organic Farm using cabbage and broccoli as cash …

Wake-On-Anomaly Federated Architecture For Privacy-Preserving Poultry Health Early Warning, Mahmoud Aziz Louati

Masters Theses

Highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, respiratory disease, heat stress, and silent equipment failures share one operational reality: they are detected too late because today’s poultry-health workflow is reactive, manual, and dependent on producers volunteering commercially sensitive data. This thesis presents a wake-on-anomaly federated architecture that addresses both the detection-latency problem and the privacy–adoption deadlock that has so far prevented cross-farm collaboration. The architecture is organized in two tiers. Tier 1 is a lightweight LSTM autoencoder that continuously screens four routine telemetry channels (water, feed, house temperature, activity proxy) and emits a per-window reconstruction-error score. A debounced k-of-m trigger with cooldown …

Community Development Professionals’ Perceptions Of Agritourism In Mississippi, Emma Jane Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Agritourism has emerged as a strategy for supporting rural economies, strengthening community identity, and increasing agricultural literacy. Although prior research has examined agritourism operators and visitors, limited attention has been given to the perceptions of community development professionals who influence local planning and program support. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine community development professionals’ perceptions of agritourism’s role in community development, economic growth, and agricultural literacy in Mississippi. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, data were collected through two semi-structured virtual focus groups with 12 professionals representing Extension, tourism, economic development, and Main Street organizations. Data were …

Determining Agricultural Literacy Proficiency Of Extension Professionals And Primary Volunteers In Mississippi, Molly Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The development of agricultural literacy is a lifelong process, moving from gaining agricultural knowledge to communicating with others to applying to societal issues, and extends beyond the formal classroom. The Mississippi State University Extension Service has the ability to reach various audiences through educational programming, making them a potential catalyst for change in increasing agricultural literacy across the state. The study aims to determine the agricultural literacy levels of Extension professionals and primary volunteers in Mississippi and the factors potentially influencing these levels. Twenty-nine Extension professionals and eleven primary volunteers completed a survey of demographic questions and the Judd-Murray Agricultural …

The Development And Evaluation Of An Automated Tactical Tillage Tool To Identify And Control Weeds In Row-Crop Production Systems Using Vision-Based Machine Learning., Clara Anne Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

Controlling in-field weeds in row-crop production systems is vital to the success of the operation. To control weeds, most producers use combinations of weed control strategies, including tillage and herbicide applications. Cotton production operations across the country have been trending toward conservation tillage practices in an effort to minimize soil disruption and maintain crop residues on the soil surface. This practice, in addition to the adoption of herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties, has encouraged more use of chemical herbicides. The overuse of these herbicides has resulted in an increase in herbicide-resistant weeds, making weed control difficult for farmers. This research aimed to …

The Effect Of Climate Change On California’S Agricultural Economy, Anmol Singh

Honors Capstones

This study examines the relationship between climate variability and agricultural production in California, focusing on major specialty crops including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and grapes. Using annual data from 1993 to 2023, the analysis evaluates how temperature and precipitation influence agricultural output while controlling for differences across crop types. The study employs ordinary least squares regression models using the natural logarithm of crop production as the dependent variable. In addition to a baseline linear specification, an extended nonlinear model including squared temperature and precipitation terms is estimated to test for potential nonlinear climate effects.

The results indicate that temperature has a …

The Effects Of Avian Influenza On Consumer Egg Prices In The United States, Jacob B. Franklin

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) create major challenges to poultry supply chains due to the high mortality rates in flocks, leading to disruptions in production and higher costs for producers. Using quantitative data from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, USDA, and National Agricultural Statistics Service, this research analyzes changes in egg production, retail prices, and regional variations throughout the United States for the 2022-2025 HPAI event. A time-series regression model was used to control for production costs, seasonal patterns, and regional differences. All of these measures come together to quantify the impact of HPAI outbreaks on consumer …

High Throughput Phenomics Pipeline For Pulse Crop Nutritional Breeding, Amod Udayanga Madurapperumage

All Dissertations

Dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) are major pulse crops valued for their high nutritional composition and importance to global food systems. Pulses are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and essential minerals, making them ideal whole foods and critical contributors to food and nutrition security. Due to these advantages, pulse breeding programs are increasingly focusing on enhancing nutritional traits, such as protein quality, amino acid balance, and micronutrient density, through the process of biofortification. However, improvement of agronomic traits remains equally essential. Characteristics such as plant height, standability, stress tolerance, …

Exploring Google Trends In Assessing Personal Finance Needs For Cooperative Extension Service Programming, Megan Wells

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) relies on systematic needs assessments to guide program development; yet, traditional approaches often depend heavily on stakeholder input and professional judgment, offering limited insight into consumer level needs. This mixed methods study explored Google Trends as a complementary, consumer driven data source for assessing Family Resource Management (FRM) needs within the Arkansas CES. Grounded in Witkin and Altschuld’s three level needs assessment framework and Uses and Gratifications Theory, the study integrated three data sources representing stakeholders, service providers, and consumers: (1) Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) advisory committee reports, (2) survey of Family Consumer Science …

Validation Of Rice Tissue Sampling For In-Season Nutrient Management Of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium, Tanner Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the 3 most important nutrients involved in rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and development. Tissue sampling has been proven to be a potential tool to provide inseason information about plant nutrient concentrations at specified timings and growth stages. With increased interest in tissue sampling and improving nutrient management effectiveness, more information is needed to validate plant tissue concentrations at which additional fertilizer inputs may be warranted. Experiments were conducted in 2024 and 2025 at the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) near Stuttgart, Ark.; Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) near Colt, Ark.; …

A Q-Methodology Study Of How Viewers Within The Southeastern Circuit Perceive The Future Of The Western Sports Industry, Molly Mckettrick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Western Sports occupy a unique position within American Culture, reflecting traditions rooted in agricultural communities and livestock practices, while also evolving as contemporary spectator events. Despite the growing visibility of Western Sports through media coverage on various digital platforms, there is limited research on how general audiences perceive the sport, which is the purpose of this study: to examine how viewers perceive the sport. This study examines viewer perspectives regarding the sport across various digital platforms, due to limited research on how general audiences perceive the sport while employing Q-Methodology to identify shared perspectives among spectators. A total of forty …

Historical Comparison Of Bridal Fashion Symbolism: Contrasting Queen Elizabeth Ii, Princess Diana, And Catherine, Princess Of Wales, Rebecca O'Dea

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding and insight into the profoundness behind the practice of dress. Throughout history, royal attire has been used to demonstrate aspects about the individual and regency. Royal fashion served as an excellent area to narrow in on, due to the influential status, and high standards expected of their appearance and actions. This research project studied members of British royal family, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and analyzed fashion elements of their wedding dresses. The examination of bridal fashion was conducted through thematic framework determining if the concepts …

Unveiling Factors Influencing Extract Yield From Milled Rice In Brewing, Matthew Aitkens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) presents a locally sourced, climate-resistant starch source for the brewing industry. As barley faces increased uncertainty due to rising temperatures, Arkansas-grown rice offers a more stable and cost-effective alternative starch source. However, the use of milled adjunct rice by brewers has remained limited, largely due to knowledge gaps about cultivar-specific properties relative to brewing. Chapter 1 provides an overview of rice as a brewing adjunct, reviewing the physiochemical properties important to brewing success. These properties include kernel size, kernel breakage, amylose content, and gelatinization temperature. Mashing strategies for multiple different brewing layouts are overviewed, showing practical …

Intraday Cotton Futures Price Responses To World Agricultural Supply And Demand Estimates (Wasde) News, Owen Mclane Tyrone

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Price discovery in agricultural futures markets is augmented by information about supply and demand, leading markets to react when public reports are released. Effective price discovery in futures markets is vital to allocate physical commodities across time, synthesize information, and provide hedging tools. Price discovery in cotton markets is unique because it is less liquid than many other commodity markets. Therefore, our objective is to measure the initial price response in the cotton futures market to unanticipated ending stocks information in the WASDE report; then determine if markets continue to adjust after the initial price change. To meet our objective, …

Analyzing Criteria Air Pollutants And Meteorological Parameters In The Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, And Corpus Christi Region Of South Texas, Angela Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the Rio Grande Valley has experienced significant population growth due to economic opportunities, cross-border commerce, SpaceX, and the Rio Grande and Texas liquid natural export terminal presence. The Rio Grande Valley has an estimated population of 1,368,723. This region is largely understudied, along with nearby urban centers such as Laredo and Corpus Christi. The Rio Grande Valley and Laredo regions are a concern due to their population growth and heavy cross-border transportation. Data from the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality Continuous Ambient Monitoring Sites was collected from January 1st , 2024, to December 31st, 2024. Statistical analysis, such as …

Analyzing The Effects Of Message Testing On The Public's Opinion About Gene Editing In Agriculture And Medicine, Luke Sanford Wimpy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper will present results from the final survey of a multi-stage project examining factors that influence opinions about gene editing in agriculture and medicine. In this final survey, 3,200 U.S. respondents were recruited and randomized to view one of eight videos that communicated the safety of gene editing to determine which factors are most influential in changing opinions. The eight videos were designed based on data collected from focus groups and three previous surveys in this multi-stage project. The eight videos varied by three attributes: messenger, message, and application. The messenger in the videos was either a researcher or …

Consumer Perceptions Of Fda Front-Of-Package Nutrition Labeling, Madison Price

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPL) rule in early 2025 to help consumers more quickly and easily compare the nutritional quality of packaged foods (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025). FOPL is gaining attention as a way to encourage healthier eating habits and consumer choices, but there is still debate over which label format works best. The objective of this study was to examine consumer perceptions, understanding, and trust of FDA FOPL, and to determine how these labels impact purchasing behavior and nutritional decision-making. Data were collected via an online Qualtrics survey distributed …

Mining The Usda Snap Bean Association Panel For Resilience: Genetic Dissection Of Heat And Disease Tolerance In Snap Bean, Atiya F. Khan

All Theses

Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an economically and nutritionally important vegetable crop whose production is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures and emerging bacterial diseases, particularly in the southeastern United States. Heat stress during reproductive development can significantly reduce yield, while newly emerging pathogens such as Pseudomonas capsici present additional risks to crop productivity. This study leveraged the USDA Snap Bean Association Panel (SnAP) to investigate the genetic basis of heat tolerance and disease resistance and to identify germplasm and genomic regions useful for breeding resilient cultivars.

To evaluate heat tolerance, a subset of the SnAP panel was …