Agriculture Commons^™

Effect Of Interpersonal And Cognitive Stressors On Habituation And The Utility Of Heart Rate Variability To Measure Habituation, Denise M. Feda, James N. Roemmich

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Habituation is a decrease in responding to a repeated stimulus. Operant responding and salivation measure habituation in eating behaviour research. Stress may increase eating by acting as a distractor, yielding spontaneous recovery and prolonging responding for food. Our research tested differences in the ability of cognitive and inter- personal stressors to recover responding for food. We also tested heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of habituation. Twenty women worked for portions of macaroni and cheese for 15 trials on three separate laboratory visits. Between the 12th and 13th trial, one of three different stressor types (speech, stroop and subtraction) …

Sustainability Strategies For Value-Added Agricultural Producers In California's San Joaquin Valley, Sharon L. Starcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Economic and climate changes, combined with changing government regulations, are altering the strategic business model for small farm operators and necessitating their reliance on multiple income sources to maintain financial viability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies of 3 small farming businesses in California's San Joaquin Valley that successfully implemented value-added products which contributed to their financial sustainability. Data from semistructured interviews and relevant documents were analyzed through the lens of system theory, utilizing in vivo coding to identify patterns and themes. Three high-level themes emerged: knowledge, marketing, and networking. The theme of knowledge …

Proteomic Profiling Of Maize Opaque Endosperm Mutants Reveals Selective Accumulation Of Lysine-Enriched Proteins, Kyla J. Morton, Shangang Jia, Chi Zhang, David R. Holding

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Reduced prolamin (zein) accumulation and defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER) body formation occurs in maize opaque endosperm mutants opaque2 (o2), floury2 (fl2), defective endosperm*B30 (DeB30), and Mucronate (Mc), whereas other opaque mutants such as opaque1 (o1) and floury1 (fl1) are normal in these regards. This suggests that other factors contribute to kernel texture. A liquid chromatography approach coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteomics was used to compare non-zein proteins of nearly isogenic opaque endosperm mutants. In total, 2762 proteins were identified that were enriched for biological processes such …

Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The CRBA is a not for profit association formed under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015, providing declared pest control services for land managers throughout Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Murchison and Upper Gascoyne Shires. The associations’ primary purpose is the control of declared pests using funding from Declared Pest Rates paid by landholders on pastoral stations. These Declared Pest Rates funds are matched dollar for dollar by the WA Government to reflect the public benefit of controlling declared pest animals and weeds. The association is formally recognised by the Hon Minister for Agriculture and Food as a recognised biosecurity group (RBG).

Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Eastern Wheatbelt Biosecurity Group (EWBG) Inc. has been assisting the sheep industry to manage wild dog predation in the eastern wheatbelt since 2001 and has developed robust relationships with industry members, local governments, the mining industry, and state government departments. The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) is the responsible state government agency for managing wild dogs on Unallocated Crown Land (UCL) and DPaW estate. To achieve this DPaW employs a dogging contractor to undertake wild dog control in the region and assists in funding baiting programs when funding is available.

Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Goldfields Nullarbor Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. (GNRBA) is unique in rangeland management across Western Australia. It has a huge area to service and is working hard to provide a top class service to ratepayers. It is now well recognised as being a leader in the RBG’s in WA.

The GNRBA Inc formally became operational on 1^st July 2011. At this time it took over the APB Zone 9 operations.

Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association Activity Report 2015/16, Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association (KRBA) has an annual Large Feral Herbivore culling program that includes feral donkeys, horses and camels with other animals such as water buffalo and pigs targeted when located. The program focusses primarily on donkeys, using the radio telemetry technique with horses and camels culled opportunistically during tracking. Currently there are 135 active collars throughout the region.

Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Meekatharra Rangelands Biosecurity Association Inc (MRBA) is an industry body with a membership of all pastoralists in the Shires of Yalgoo, Mount Magnet, Cue and Meekatharra. The Association has been established under the Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Act 2007 with a charter to manage and control declared pests, both animal and plant. The MRBA Constitution provides for a Management Committee, of up to eleven members, with the responsibility of overseeing the operation of the Association.

Pilbara Regional Biosecurity Group Inc. Annual Report 2015/16, Pilbara Regional Biosecurity Group Inc.

Recognised Biosecurity Group Annual Reports

The Pilbara RBG is a not for profit association formed under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015, providing declared pest control programs for land managers, particularly in the pastoral zone. The associations’ primary purpose is the control of declared pests using funding from Declared Pest Rates paid by landholders on pastoral stations. These Declared Pest Rates funds are matched dollar for dollar by the WA Government to reflect the public benefit of controlling declared pest animals and weeds. The association is formally recognised by the Hon Minister for Agriculture and Food as a recognised biosecurity group (RBG).

Identification And Verification Of Qtl Associated With Frost Tolerance Using Linkage Mapping And Gwas In Winter Faba Bean, Ahmed Sallam, Mustapha Arbaoui, Mohamed El-Esawi, Nathan Abshire

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Frost stress is one of the abiotic stresses that causes a significant reduction in winter faba bean yield in Europe. The main objective of this work is to genetically improve frost tolerance in winter faba bean by identifying and validating QTL associated with frost tolerance to be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS). Two different genetic backgrounds were used: a biparental population (BPP) consisting of 101 inbred lines, and 189 genotypes from single seed descent (SSD) from the Gottingen Winter bean Population (GWBP). All experiments were conducted in a frost growth chamber under controlled conditions. Both populations were genotyped using the …

Letter To The Editor Ws-2 Introgression In A Proportion Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Col-0 Stock Seed Produces Specific Phenotypes And Highlights The Importance Of Routine Genetic Verification, Mon-Ray Shao, Vikas Shedge, Hardik Kundariya, Fredric R. Lehle, Sally Ann Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Arabidopsis thaliana is an important model organism with a robust network of resources that has been of enormous value to the plant science research community. The use of isogenic material as a reference point or control is critical for many types of experiments in plant molecular biology and genetics. Recently, we noticed that some seed from a common source of the widely-used Columbia-0 (Col-0) strain gave rise to plants showing features atypical for this strain. Whole genome DNA-sequencing and allele-specific PCR assays confirmed that the abnormal individuals contain multiple introgressions from the ecotype Wassilewskija-2 (Ws-2), as described below. This emphasizes …

Horizontal Gene Acquisitions, Mobile Element Proliferation, And Genome Decay In The Host-Restricted Plant Pathogen Erwinia Tracheiphila, Lori R. Shapiro, Erin D. Scully, Timonthy J. Straub, Jihye Park, Andrew G. Stephenson, Gwyn A. Beattie, Mark L. Gleason, Roberto Kolter, Miguel C. Coelho, Consuelo M. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher, Olga Zhaxybayeva

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Modern industrial agriculture depends on high-density cultivation of genetically similar crop plants, creating favorable conditions for the emergence of novel pathogens with increased fitness in managed compared with ecologically intact settings. Here, we present the genome sequence of six strains of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila (Enterobacteriaceae) isolated from infected squash plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Michigan. These genomes exhibit a high proportion of recent horizontal gene acquisitions, invasion and remarkable amplification of mobile genetic elements, and pseudogenization of approximately 20% of the coding sequences. These genome attributes indicate that E. tracheiphila recently emerged as a …

Registration Of ‘Ne05548’ (Husker Genetics Brand Panhandle) Hard Red Winter Wheat, P. Stephen Baenziger, R. A. Graybosch, T. Regassa, R. N. Klein, Greg R. Kruger, D. K. Santra, L. Xu, D. J. Rose, S. N. Wegulo, Y. Jin, J. Kolmer, G. L. Hein, M.-S. Chen, G. Bai, R. L. Bowden, J. Poland

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Western Nebraska wheat producers and those in adjacent areas want taller wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars that retain their height under drought for better harvestability. ‘NE05548’ (Reg. No. CV-1117, PI 670462) hard red winter wheat was developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in January 2014 by the developing institutions. NE05548 was released primarily for its superior performance under rainfed conditions in western Nebraska and adjacent areas of the Great Plains and its tall plant stature. NE05548 was selected from the cross NE97426/NE98574 made in 1999 where the pedigree of NE97426 is ‘Brigantina’/2*‘Arapahoe’ …

The Draft Genome Of The C3 Panicoid Grass Species Dichanthelium Oligosanthes, Anthony J. Studer, James C. Schnable, Sarit Weissmann, Allison R. Kolbe, Michael R. Mckain, Ying Shao, Asaph B. Cousins, Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Thomas P. Brutnell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Comparisons between C₃ and C₄ grasses often utilize C₃ species from the subfamilies Ehrhartoideae or Pooideae and C₄ species from the subfamily Panicoideae, two clades that diverged over 50 million years ago. The divergence of the C₃ panicoid grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes from the independent C₄ lineages represented by Setaria viridis and Sorghum bicolor occurred approximately 15 million years ago, which is significantly more recent than members of the Bambusoideae, Ehrhartoideae, and Pooideae subfamilies. D. oligosanthes is ideally placed within the panicoid clade for comparative studies of C₃ and C₄ grasses.

Results: …

Yield Gap Analysis Of Us Rice Production Systems Shows Opportunities For Improvement, Matthew B. Espe, Kenneth Cassman, Haishun Yang, Nicolas Guilpart, Patricio Grassini, Justin Van Wart, Merle Anders, Donn Beighley, Dustin Harrell, Steve Linscombe, Kent Mckenzie, Randall Mutters, Lloyd T. Wilson, Bruce A. Linquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Many assessments of crop yield gaps based on comparisons to actual yields suggest grain yields in highly intensified agricultural systems are at or near the maximum yield attainable. However, these estimates can be biased in situations where yields are below full yield potential. Rice yields in the US continue to increase annually, suggesting that rice yields are not near the potential. In the interest of directing future efforts towards areas where improvement is most easily achieved, we estimated yield potential and yield gaps in US rice production systems, which are amongst the highest yielding rice systems globally. Zones around fourteen …

Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy For Veteran Survivors With Full Or Partial Ptsd, Mark Aaron Mayfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Symptom severity among veteran survivors with partial or full posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continues to increase, with approximately 40% of U.S. veterans reporting significant symptomology 10 years after initial onset of the condition. Veteran survivors often struggle to find therapeutic interventions that meet their specific needs and have a difficult time maintaining a therapy that is both equitable and evidenced based. Grounded in the Rogerian, client-centered theory, the purpose of this qualitative collective exploratory case study was to explore the effects of equine-facilitated psychotherapy with 3 veteran survivors with partial or full PTSD. A 4-stage process was used to collect …

Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The field of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is growing in popularity as an alternative healing approach. However, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed research on the horses who serve as equal partners in EAAT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the impact of equine-facilitated therapeutic activities on the temperament of horses, and to determine how to select a better human-to-horse therapeutic match when providing EAAT services. The theoretical framework for this research drew from Romanes' theory of animal intelligence, which predicts that temperament would change as a result of prolonged participation in specific work (EAAT …

Toxicity Of Engineered Nanomaterials To Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria, Ricky W. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have become ubiquitous in consumer products and industrial applications, and consequently the environment. Much of the environmentally released ENMs are expected to enter terrestrial ecosystems via land application of nano-enriched biosolids to agricultural fields. Among the organisms most likely to encounter nano-enriched biosolids are the key soil bacteria known as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). I reviewed what is known concerning the toxicological effects of ENMs to PGPR and observed the need for high-throughput methods to evaluate lethal and sublethal toxic responses of aerobic microbes. I addressed this issue by developing high-throughput microplate assays which allowed me …

Irrigated Zea Mays Response To Nitrogen And High Plant Population Density In Narrow Rows, Julie Baniszewski

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Modern genetics have improved maize hybrids to better tolerate stress, use nutrients more efficiently and potentially yield higher. Management practices, such as narrow row technology and high plant population density (PPD) may further improve yields in modern maize under irrigated, non-limiting conditions. High PPD (74, 99, 124, 148 K seeds ha^-1) were tested in narrow rows with up to four nitrogen (N) rates in three locations over two years in Kentucky with a modern maize hybrid in irrigated, non-limiting conditions. Results indicate that optimal seeding rates were 99,000 to 124,000 seeds ha^-1, providing maximum yield and …

The Effects Of Manufactured Nanomaterial Transformations On Bioavailability, Toxicity And Transcriptomic Responses Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Daniel L. Starnes

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

In recent decades, there has been a rapid expansion in the use of manufactured nanoparticles (MNPs). Experimental evidence and material flow models predict that MNPs enter wastewater treatment plants and partition to sewage sludge and majority of that sludge is land applied as biosolids. During wastewater treatment and after land application, MNPs undergo biogeochemical transformations (aging). The primary transformation process for silver MNPs (Ag-MNPs) is sulfidation, while zinc oxide MNPs (ZnO-MNPs) most likely undergo phosphatation and sulfidation. Our overall goal was to assess bioavailability and toxicogenomic impacts of both pristine, defined as-synthesized, and aged Ag- and ZnO-MNPs, as well as …

Transcriptional Profiling Of Ileocecal Valve Of Holstein Dairy Cows Infected With Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, Randy J. Hempel, J. P. Bannantine, Judith R. Stabel

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Johne’s disease is a chronic infection of the small intestine caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), an intracellular bacterium. The events of pathogen survival within the host cell(s), chronic inflammation and the progression from asymptomatic subclinical stage to an advanced clinical stage of infection, are poorly understood. This study examines gene expression in the ileocecal valve (ICV) of Holstein dairy cows at different stages of MAP infection. The ICV is known to be a primary site of MAP colonization and pro-vides an ideal location to identify genes that are relevant to the progression of this disease. RNA was prepared …

Phenotype And Function Of Cd209+ Bovine Blood Dendritic Cells, Monocyte-Derived- Dendritic Cells And Monocyte-Derived Macrophages, Kun Taek Park, Mahmoud M. Elnaggar, Gaber S. Abdellrazeq, J. P. Bannantine, Victoria Mack, Lindsay M. Fry, William C. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Phylogenic comparisons of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) of humans and mice demonstrate phenotypic divergence of dendritic cell (DC) subsets that play similar roles in innate and adaptive immunity. Although differing in phenotype, DC can be classified into four groups according to ontogeny and function: conventional DC (cDC1 and cDC2), plasmacytoid DC (pDC), and monocyte derived DC (MoDC). DC of Artiodactyla (pigs and ruminants) can also be sub-classified using this system, allowing direct functional and phenotypic comparison of MoDC and other DC subsets trafficking in blood (bDC). Because of the high volume of blood collections required to study DC, cattle …

Everyday Farm Life In The Moxee Valley 1915-1950: Historical Ethnography, Terri Towner

All Master's Theses

This study collected oral histories of those who lived or worked in the Moxee Valley, within the greater Yakima Valley of Washington State from 1915-1950. It documents and records the historical and cultural processes of farm life and its evolution for people living in this foremost hop-growing region of the United States. The larger goal is to characterize the community and social processes for use as primary source documentation to create historically accurate programs at the Gendron Hop Ranch-Living History Farm near Moxee. Nineteen participants were interviewed. Topics addressed in the study include farming in the Valley, the household, roles …

Management Characteristics Of Beef Cattle Production In The Northern Plains And Midwest Regions Of The United States, Senorpe Asem-Hiablie, C. Alan Rotz, Robert Stout, Kim Stackhouse-Lawson

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A comprehensive life cycle assessment of United States beef will provide benchmarks and identify opportunities for improvement. On-going region-specific data collection is characterizing cattle production practices for a more accurate assessment. This study reports production information obtained via online surveys and on-site visits from 2 of 7 regions: the Northern Plains (Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) and Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin). Ranch responses (n = 512) represented 1.6% of beef cows maintained in both regions with operation sizes varying from 1 to 12,500 cows. Feedlot responses (n = 120) represented 9.6 and …

Soil Salinity Study In Northern Great Plains Sodium Affected Soil, Tulsi P. Kharel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate and land-use changes when combined with the marine sediments that underlay portions of the Northern Great Plains have increased the salinization and sodification risks. The objectives of this dissertation were to compare three chemical amendments (calcium chloride, sulfuric acid and gypsum) remediation strategies on water permeability and sodium (Na) transport in undisturbed soil columns and to develop a remote sensing technique to characterize salinization in South Dakota soils. Fortyeight undisturbed soil columns (30 cm x 15 cm) collected from White Lake, Redfield, and Pierpont were used to assess the chemical remediation strategies. In this study the experimental design was …

Long-Term Impacts Of Annual Cattle Manure And Fertilizer On Soil Quality Under Corn-Soybean Rotation In Eastern South Dakota, Ekrem Ozlu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dairy and beef manure have been used to enhance soil quality; however, their impacts under long-term application in corn-soybean rotation need to be evaluated. Nutrient based recommended rates of manure applications on soils are important and also need to be monitored. This study, therefore, was conducted at two long-term sites to assess the impacts of manure and inorganic fertilizer application rates on some of the soil quality indicators and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in a corn (Zea mays L.) - soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation system located at Beresford and Brookings in Eastern South Dakota. Study treatments included: …

Demonstrating Short-Term Impacts Of Grazing Cover Crops On Soil Health In South Dakota, Colin Tobin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grasslands have been rapidly converted to croplands over the last decade in the northern Great Plains. This conversion can reduce soil health and increase the region’s ability to pollute the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Therefore, the need for integrated crop livestock (ICL) practices that can protect the region’s native prairies are strongly encouraged. Introducing livestock into arable cropping systems can improve nutrient cycling, soil health, and provide economic benefits. However, the detailed information about the impacts of ICL system on soil health is still lacking in the Northern Great Plains region. Therefore, the present study was conducted under a corn …

Regional Variations Of Optimal Sowing Dates Of Maize For The Southwestern U.S., Boksoon Myoung, Seung Hee Kim, Jinwon Kim, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Sowing date (SD) is sensitive to regional climate characteristics; thus, it is critical to systematically examine the effects of SD on crop yields for various temperature regimes. We performed a sensitivity study of SD for maize in the southwestern U.S. using the regionally extended version of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) model. The model was run utilizing North American Regional Reanalysis at a 32 km resolution from 1991 to 2011, with an irrigation threshold at 95% of the soil water-holding capacity. Two types of SD optimizations maximizing yield potential (Yp), varying spatially or interannually, revealed that the optimal SD …

Northern Utah Organic Peach Orchard Costs And Returns, 20 Acres, 2015, Trevor Knudsen, Kyna Curtis, Jennifer Reeve, Brent Black

All Current Publications

This publication contains average costs and returns for establishing and maintaining a 20-acre organic peach orchard in Northern Utah. Unless otherwise indicated, information in this publication is based upon grower surveys and pricing data collected in 2014. The establishment and operating costs are meant to be “representative” of a Utah organic peach orchard, but should be adjusted where necessary to reflect individual situations. Site selection, peach variety, pest management and other practices will also affect the establishment and operating costs of an orchard and should be considered by the producer.

Benefits Of Exercise On Mind Function, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

All Current Publications

Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to improve overall health. This fact sheet discusses exercise and the brain, exercise and cognition, exercise and stress, and effective strategies for boosting physical and mental health.