Agriculture Commons^™

Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizae To Influence Yield, Available Soil Nutrients And Soil Quality In Conventional Vs. Organic Vegetable Production, Gary Thomas Cundiff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research is a two year study on the effects of endomycorrhizae on vegetable production using conventional vs. organic practices. Objective of this study was initiated to determine if mycorrhizae improve yield, available soil nutrients and soil quality from two different fertilizer sources. Measurements were taken on yield, available soil nutrients, and soil quality in comparison of glomalin production and soil loss percentage. Two plant species were chosen, Tomatoes (‘Big Beef’) and Bush Beans (‘Tenderette’). A randomized split block 2 x 3 factorial treatment arrangement was used with two crops and three different inputs: Mo- 0 mycorrhizae, M1- recommended rate, …

Gibberellic Acid Sensitivity Among Common Bean Cultivars (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.), Alexander Pavlista, Dipak Santra, James Schild, Gary Hergert

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

To lower seed yield loss from directly harvested common bean or dry bean, height of the lower pod-bearing nodes needs to be raised. The objective of this greenhouse study was to stimulate lower stem elongation by gibberellic acid (GA₃) of dry bean cultivars. Seeds of cv. Matterhorn, erect indeterminate Type II, and cv. Poncho, prostate indeterminate Type III, were dipped in GA₃ at 62.5 to 16,000 ppmand planted. After 14 d, the height of the unifoliate and first trifoliate nodes showed maximum stimulation of stem elongation by 1000 ppm GA₃ for ‘Poncho’ and by 2000 ppm …

The Effect Of Chlorine And Ozone In Controlling Microbes On Organically Grown Cilantro And Carrots, Adam Holtz

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project investigates the relative efficacy of ozonated water and chlorinated water for the purpose of sanitizing freshly-harvested organic produce. The aim of this study was to assist the Cal Poly Organic Farm in deciding whether or not to invest in an ozone generator. The crops used for testing were grown organically in the same field. Carrots and cilantro were harvested and promptly treated with 5 ppm ozone solution or 25 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution. Carrots were sampled at 0, 7, and 14 days storage to determine microbial populations. Cilantro was similarly tested at 0, 6, and 12 days …

Nebline, May 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Lincoln’s Biosolids Land Application Program is 20 Years Old

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Temporal Aggregation And Treatment Of Zero Dependent Variables In The Estimation Of Food Demand Using Cross-Sectional Data, Kristyn Leffler

All Theses

This study analyzes U.S. consumers' demand for eight food commodity groups: Cereal and Bakery goods, Meat and Eggs, Dairy, Fruits and Vegetables, Nonalcoholic Beverages, Fats and Oils, Sugar and Sweets, and Miscellaneous goods. The estimation of the demand system of equations is carried out using the EASI demand model of Lewbel and Pendakur (2009) and five years of data (2002-2006) from the Nielsen Homescan program. Two different levels of temporal aggregation, monthly and the average month within a year, referred to as 'annual' were considered. Using the monthly data, I evaluated the performance of two econometric methods to account for …

A Comparative Analysis Of Free Trade Between The U.S. And The Eu : A Case Study Of The U.S./Chile Fta And The Eu/Chile Fta, Misti Dawn Sharp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unlike many studies that assess the impacts of free trade agreements (FTAs), this thesis is a study of the negotiated outcomes in FTAs between the United States (U.S.) and Chile, and the European Union (EU) and Chile. Existing negotiation literature pertains to multilateral trade talks, dispute settlements or bilateral one good trade agreements. Studies regarding the negotiation process and other factors influencing outcomes in comprehensive FTAs are rare. In order to address this gap in the literature, this thesis is an analysis of how and why the FTA between Chile and the U.S. differs from the FTA between Chile and …

Preparing Your Bird For The Poultry Showmanship Contest, David D. Frame

All Current Publications

The first and most important rule of showmanship is kindness to your bird. The more cooperative your bird is, the better success you’ll have in the show ring. Careful preparation prior to the show is necessary to be an effective show person.

Forest Grazing: Managing Your Land For Trees, Forage, And Livestock, Olivia Salmon, Chad Reid, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives an overview of the relationships between trees and forage and provides suggestions on managing your land for forest grazing.

The Size And Scope Of Agriculture In Box Elder County, Lyle Holmgren, Mike Pace

All Current Publications

Box Elder County is located in the northwest corner of Utah and is bordered by the states of Idaho and Nevada.

Integrated Management Of Common Reed Along The Platte River In Nebraska: Control, Timing, Water Use, And Economic Analysis, Ryan E. Rapp

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There are two biotypes of common reed, which includes the native common reed (Phragmites australis subsp. americanus) and non-native (invasive) common reed (Phragmites australis subsp. australis).The non-native biotype of common reed has invaded wetland habitats in many states of the US, including Nebraska.

Three studies, disking followed by herbicide, mowing followed by herbicide, and herbicide followed by mechanical treatment were initiated in 2008 in Nebraska. The objective was to evaluate common reed control along the Platte River using an integrated management. Herbicide followed by mechanical treatment had excellent control (≥92%) with all treatments except glyphosate applied …

Multifunctionality In U.S. Rice Production: A Logit Analysis In Farmers Participation, Juan Tur Cardona

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multifunctional agriculture is particularly fundamental to some working lands conservation policies and programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), Conservation Security Program (CSP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). Farmers can also be engaged in providing recreational and agri-tourism services such as hunting, fishing, bird-watching, farm tours, petting zoos and hospitality services. Using the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) we analyze factors associated with participation in conservation, recreation and agri-tourism activities as a function of farm structure, farm financial measures, production practices, and socio-demographic characteristics of the farm operator. To estimate the functional relationships we estimate a binary …

Determining The Difficulties Of Ornamental Horticulture Programs, Elizabeth Basham

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this senior project was to develop a survey to determine the difficulties that high school ornamental horticulture instructors were facing with their programs. Many schools throughout California have faced difficulties with their programs and have had to limit the offerings of the courses that would have been available to their students. Based upon the results from the survey it was determined that many of the instructors felt that their programs had been declining in success due to budget limitations, student involvement, standardized testing requirements and community support. The results of the survey can be utilized to aid …

Nest And Brood Site Selection And Survival Of Greater Prairie-Chickens In The Eastern Sandhills Of Nebraska, Lars Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnata) are a grassland bird species of conservation concern. Although greater prairie-chickens have declined over much of their range, the Nebraska Sandhills has the largest population in North America. However, the responses of nest and brood site selection and survival to vegetation characteristics are unknown. I studied prairie-chickens on private rangelands in Rock and Brown Counties from 2009-2011. I fitted 139 females with radio collars to locate nest and brood sites and to determine nest and brood survival rates. Females were trapped on leks during the breeding season and I monitored them throughout the …

Insecticidal Control Of Bemisia Tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Transmitting Carlavirus On Soybeans And Detection Of The Virus In Alternate Hosts, Difabachew K. Belay, Randy M. Huckaba, Axel M. Ramirez, Jose C. V. Rodrigues, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A Carlavirus transmitted by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an important disease of soybean nurseries in Puerto Rico causing substantial germplasm losses. Insecticide bioassay experiments were conducted at Dow AgroSciences (DAS) Research Station, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, either by spraying insecticides on B. tabaci infested soybean leaves or introducing B. tabaci adults onto insecticide-sprayed soybean leaves. Moreover, host plants were surveyed to detect the virus in overwintering hosts that serve as a source of inoculums. The direct spray experiment showed that Nuprid 2F (Imidacloprid), Capture 2 EC (Bifenthrin), Thionex (Endosulfan), Lannate LV (Methomyl), and Dimethoate gave good level ( …

Coping Mechanisms And Level Of Occupational Stress Among Agriculture Teachers And Other Teaching Populations, Kasee L. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teacher stress has been a concern in educational research for several decades. This research sought to identify the specific coping methods which Utah agriculture and non-agriculture teachers utilize to manage potentially stressful events, and to determine if differences exist in the coping mechanisms used between agriculture teacher and non-agriculture teacher groups.

Results showed that agriculture teachers showed a greater level of occupational stress than non-agriculture teachers. It was also concluded that occupational stress for the two teaching groups came from different sources. In regard to the agriculture teacher group, certain demographic characteristics that led to a higher frequency of use …

A Baseline Study Of Biofuel Feedstock Growth On Non-Traditional Agronomic Land In Utah, Dallas A. Hanks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nearly all highway, airport, and military areas in Utah cost money to maintain and are often safe harbor for noxious weeds and pests. This project hypothesized that money could be saved and biofuel feedstocks could be grown in these areas, improving sustainability. Agronomic conditions and growth methods were tested to determine if biofuel feedstock production could occur on these marginal, non-traditional plots of land. Models developed illustrate that maintenance costs for these areas can be nullified if oilseed crops grown yield 600 pounds/acre and are used for biodiesel production. This feedstock yield would result in approximately 25 gallons of biodiesel …

Cultivating An Opportunity: Access And Inclusion In Seattle's Community Gardens, Alice K. Opalka

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the social dynamics of community gardens and their participation within them in the contemporary food justice movement in Seattle, Washington. Community gardens are seen as solutions to myriad urban and environmental problems, such as food deserts, community empowerment, urban greening, environmental education and sustainability of the food system. Three case studies of Seattle organizations, the P-Patch Program, Lettuce Link and Alleycat Acres, provide a basis for analysis of the purported benefit of community empowerment as a function of organizational structure, history and policies. City government support, flexibility, and a critical outlook towards the processes of inclusion and …

Serving As Suppliers To Institutional Foodservices: Supply Chain Considerations Of Small And Medium Scale Specialty Crop Producers, Laura Westray

All Theses

Institutional foodservice, which includes schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities, is an important food marketing channel. The centralized nature of the US food system effectively, and supply, logistic and other constraints, effectively precludes small and medium scale (SMS) specialty crop producers from serving as suppliers to these types of operations. Passage of The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and increasing public attention to food safety issues, further complicates this matter. While the FSMA Tester-Hagen Amendment provides regulatory exemptions for SME producers, it is likely that in the future food purchases on or behalf of institutions will require more stringent food …

Root-Knot Nematodes In Golf Course Greens Of The Western United States, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Firewise Plants For Utah Landscapes, Michael R. Kuhns

All Current Publications

Fire is an important part of many of Utah’s natural landscapes, including landscapes in fringe or interface areas near rapidly growing cities, towns, and recreational developments.

Information For The Poultry Showmanship Judge, Troy D. Cooper, David D. Frame

All Current Publications

Remember that you are judging showmanship, which is an opportunity for young people to demonstrate their abilities as poultry stewards. The bird serves as a prop; while the young person does the performing. The exhibitor’s attitude, appearance, speaking ability, care and management skills and willingness to follow instructions are all considered in your evaluation.

Investing In Genetics, Bridger Feuz, Dillon M. Feuz

All Current Publications

Agriculture Extension professionals as well as other agriculture industry professionals often extol the virtues of being the” low cost producer.” In most cases being the low cost producer does lead to an increase in profitability. However, two different data sets have suggested a couple of areas that high profit producers actually spend more money on then low profit producers.

Performance Characteristics Of Rayon From Bamboo In Bed Sheets Through Laundering, Jennifer Kohler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, consumers have been encouraged to purchase bamboo fabric for various applications, including bed sheets. A variety of claims and marketing campaigns have stated that the benefits of rayon from bamboo result in this fiber being a suitable option for bed sheets and other clothing and household products. The purpose of this study was to test the performance characteristics of rayon from bamboo to determine if it is an appropriate textile for the bed sheet application. To identify the performance characteristics of this fiber, three tests were conducted (a) dimensional stability; (b) fabric hand; (c) the weight, thickness, …

A Farmer And Librarian’S Perspective On Urban Agriculture: What The Urban Farmer Needs From Public Policy, Barbara J. Strauss

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

A presentation given at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law symposium, “Urban Agriculture: It’s Not an Oxymoron. Policies for Cultivating City Land and Increasing Access to Local Food” -- a symposium on policy, land-use and other legal issues connected to urban agriculture and the local food movement.

The Sustainability Research Guide (http://researchguides.csuohio.edu/sustainability) from the Michael Schwartz Library was introduced.

Development Of Markets For Local Food Crop To Enhance Incomes And Improve Food Security For Smallholder Farmers In East Africa, Betty Bugusu

Changing World Conference

No abstract provided.

Anabaena In Eutrophic Conditions, Benjamin Rayikanti

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Microorganisms have been used to aid in the cultivation of plants for centuries. One of these microorganisms is Anabaena, a genus of cyanobacteria that has been shown to enhance nitrogen fixation and grain yield in wetland rice fields. This project will investigate if increasing bacterial growth rate under eutrophic conditions (i.e., high phosphate) could potentially increase nitrogen fixation by Anabaena. Phosphorous concentration will be varied to determine the effect on growth rate as measured by changes in cell number and chlorophyll concentration.Anabaena can provide an organic, low cost and efficient way to provide a nitrogen source for …

Diversification Of Organic Cropping Systems With Cover Crop Mixtures: Influence On Weed Communities, Soil Microbial Community Structure, Soil Moisture And Nitrogen, And Crop Yield, Samuel E. Wortman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Organic grain cropping systems typically depend on intensive mechanical cultivation for weed control and manure or compost applications to meet plant nutrient demands. However, cover crops may contribute to weed suppression and soil fertility, potentially increasing crop yield and sustainability of the system. The utility of individual cover crop species have been well documented, but the agronomic benefits of diverse cover crop mixtures have received less attention. Cover crop mixtures are an appealing option for farmers, as increasing species diversity has been shown to increase resource-use efficiency, stability, resiliency, and productivity of plant communities. Despite the growing interest in cover …

Massachusetts Agricultural Mediation Program, Courtney Breese, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Massachusetts Agricultural Mediation Program is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at UMass Boston and certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide mediation services to the farm community in Massachusetts. Through the Program, MOPC provides mediation services to farmers, their creditors, and the USDA, as well as conducts training and outreach to build the capacity of producer organizations and state and local officials to address conflicts.

Table Of Contents April 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 A Bit of Gold and Nanotechnology Bring Viruses to Light

6 Digital Detectives Decipher Ingredients

8 SERS: High-Tech Tactic May Newly Expose Stealthy Salmonella

10 What’s in Your Blood? The Ongoing Hunt for Metabolites

12 Protein Biomarkers Identify Disease-Carrying Aphids

13 A New Approach to Molecular Plant Breeding

14 Cotton Gets Nanotech and Biotech Treatment in New Orleans

16 Barcoding Insects To Control Them

18 Metagenomics Offers Insight Into Poultry Diseases

20 Longstanding Erosion Calculator Enters 21st Century

23 Locations Featured in This Magazine Issue

Forum: Innovations Through Biotechnology, Jack Okamuro, Kay Simmons

Agricultural Research Magazine

"We need to put a premium on creating innovative solutions to address our current and future problems."- U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill.

This month in Agricultural Research, we highlight Agricultural Research Service projects grown from seeds planted on what were once the distant horizons of biotechnology- metagenomics, genomic selection, metabolomics, and more.

Each project represents a fusion of leading-edge science and technological innovation that is helping to shape ARS's response to the growing food, fiber, and fuel needs of a U.S. and world population forecasted to exceed 430 million and 9 …