Agriculture Commons^™

Penn State Extension Services And Plain People: An Inside Perspective On A Trust-Based Relationship, Phillip Martin

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This perspective on Penn State Extension Services and plain people is based on my personal experiences as a plain person, in which I interacted with Extension Services first as a farmer, and then (while working on a doctorate) as a part of the Extension system. Penn State Extension started over a century ago and was deliberate in reaching out to plain (conservative Anabaptist) farmers since the beginning, which led to a history of trust-based cooperation. For all these successes there remain challenges to effective cooperation with certain plain individuals and subgroups. I suggest these challenges are broadly similar to those …

Hotline Number To Reach And Offer Agricultural Information To Plain Anabaptists During The Covid-19 Workplace Closures, Emily Shoop, Carly Becker, Nathan Glenn Briggs, Danielle Smarsh

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The Penn State Extension Animal Systems Team developed a toll-free hotline phone number to convey short educational messages to maintain contact and outreach to Pennsylvania’s animal producing Amish, Mennonite, and other plain Anabaptist populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State Extension’s programming went largely online via webinars, online courses, and emails. This change in programming excluded a large sector of Pennsylvania farmers who do not use or have access to the internet and, as such, were liable to miss important best management practice reviews and timely updates in animal agriculture. The Animal Systems Hotline offered callers the choice to listen …

Providing Agricultural Information To Amish And Mennonite Farmers: Creative Adaptations To Wisconsin Extension Programs And Communications, Richard Halopka

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This service provider report taps into the experience of a longtime Extension Educator in Wisconsin. Pulling from his work in Clark County, WI, where Amish and Old Order Mennonites have been particularly important to the local agricultural economy, he provides examples of how Extension can modify programming to meet the needs of plain producers. Topics of interest to Amish and Mennonite farmers include nutrient management, forage quality, and farm safety. Areas of program modification include approaches to communication, training, and support in ways that are culturally sensitive to church restrictions. In-person training and informational voicemail recordings have been particularly useful …

Effective Communication And Programming When Working With Amish Farmers: Reflections From A Wisconsin Agriculture Educator, Vance Haugen

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The author, an agricultural educator who worked with the Amish in Wisconsin for over 30 years, discusses his outreach efforts, which have been focused on managed grazing, a method well suited to Amish producers. Managed grazing offers agronomic, economic, and ecological benefits. A key educational tool for communicating managed grazing practices is the pasture walk, and the author relates lessons learned from these events. The communal nature and focus on farmer-to-farmer information exchange is well received by Amish producers. It is helpful if pasture walk scheduling is done well in advance and is focused on farmer-based problems with farmer-based solutions …

Ohio’S Amish And Mennonite Produce Growers: Farm Trends, Information Needs, And Agricultural Communication Preferences, Brad Bergefurd

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This study (1) describes the characteristics of Ohio Amish and Mennonite produce farmers and their operations; (2) determines awareness of and participation in OSU Extension programs by Amish and Mennonite produce farmers; (3) determines the methods used by Amish and Mennonite produce farmers to acquire farming information; and (4) identifies subject matter needs of Amish and Mennonite produce farmers for future Extension programming. In order to provide effective future Extension programming efforts for this particular clientele, a mail survey was used to collect data from 345 Ohio Amish and Mennonite farmers who participate at Ohio produce auctions. They were asked …

The Success Of Plain People’S Produce Auctions And Partnership With Missouri Extension, James Quinn, John Kruse, Londa Nwadike, James C. Piñero, David Trinklein

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The number of produce auctions led by plain Anabaptist producers has surged since the mid-1990s. Typically grower-owned, these businesses are centralized facilities providing a wholesale market to area growers for a diverse group of buyers. For growers seeking an adequate living from growing produce, these facilities help reduce marketing time and product transportation, and provide frequent sales events that guarantee payment. As such, they have developed into a solid and long-standing market for local produce. However, plain growers have experienced challenges trying new crops or scaling up production. This article details how Missouri Extension assisted plain farmers with their challenges …

Farm Food Safety Training For Amish Produce Growers Covered Under The Food Safety Modernization Act (Fsma), Luke Laborde, Jeffrey Stoltzfus, Kaila Thorn

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Commercial production of fruits and vegetables on Amish farms provides significant amounts of fresh produce that are regionally distributed through wholesale markets. In response to several multi-state foodborne disease outbreaks linked to contamination of fresh produce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated farm food safety standards that most commercial produce growers must implement. Although there have been no foodborne disease outbreaks attributed to fresh produce grown on Amish farms, this regulation poses regulatory challenges for those who sell produce at wholesale produce auctions, cooperatives, and distribution warehouses. This article describes recent farm food safety standards issued by the …

Guest Editor’S Introduction: Outreach And Applied Agriculture Research With Plain Anabaptists: Lessons Learned And Future Directions, Caroline Brock

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This issue of the Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies (JAPAS) contributes to a dearth of literature on ways to understand how plain Anabaptist culture influences agri-environmental beliefs and practices and how it informs outreach and research. Only a few studies currently focus on outreach with plain Anabaptist growers (e.g., Brock, Ulrich-Schad, and Prokopy 2018; Bergefurd 2011; Jepsen and Mann 2015; Stoltzfus 2019; Hoorman and Spencer 2001/2002). This issue of JAPAS is the first comprehensive publication to include research articles and service provider reports focusing on plain people and agriculture. This issue addresses the history of Anabaptist …

Sap Beetles, Nick Volesky, Zachery R. Schrumm, Kalen Taylor

All Current Publications

Sap beetles are typically considered a secondary pest of corn and overripe fruits and vegetables. They are broadly identified by their small and ovular bodies and club-shaped antennae. Adult sap beetles often feed on corn silk, pollen, and tassels. Larvae feed on kernels inside the husk. This fact sheet reviews how to identify sap beetles and their hosts and damage. It also provides ideas on how to monitor for sap beetles and outlines the options for managing them.

Domestication Reshaped The Genetic Basis Of Inbreeding Depression In A Maize Landrace Compared To Its Wild Relative, Teosinte, Luis Fernando Samayoa, Bode A. Olukolu, Chin Jian Yang, Qiuyue Chen, Markus G. Stetter, Alessandra M. York, Jose De Jesus Sanchez-Gonzalez, Jeffrey C. Glaubitz, Peter J. Bradbury, Maria Cinta Romay, Qi Sun, Jinliang Yang, Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, Edward S. Buckler, John F. Doebley, James B. Holland

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Inbreeding depression is the reduction in fitness and vigor resulting from mating of close relatives observed in many plant and animal species. The extent to which the genetic load of mutations contributing to inbreeding depression is due to large-effect mutations versus variants with very small individual effects is unknown and may be affected by population history. We compared the effects of outcrossing and self-fertilization on 18 traits in a landrace population of maize, which underwent a population bottleneck during domestication, and a neighboring population of its wild relative teosinte. Inbreeding depression was greater in maize than teosinte for 15 of …

Application And Review Of Biotechnology In Promoting Protective Utilization Of Black Soil, Xianwei Song, Baocai Zhang, Yang Bai, Duofeng Pan, Xiangdong Deng, Hongsheng Wang, Bo Sun, Xiaofeng Cao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the past 60 years, the highly-intensive and unreasonable farming of the black soil in Northeast China has brought a series of adverse consequences such as the reduction of organic matter, the serious imbalance of carbon and nitrogen, and the instability of microbiota, which seriously threaten China's food security and agricultural sustainable development. The decrease of organic matter content in black soil is the core issue in the degradation of black soil. Organisms are the source of all organic matter, and the dynamic balance of organic matter driven by organisms is the basis for maintaining the stability of farmland ecosystem …

Evaluation Of Residual Herbicides Across Multiple Rice Production Systems, Lucas Connor Webster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A field study was conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2021 at the LSU Agricultural Center H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station (RRS) near Crowley, LA. to evaluate the crop safety and potential weed control of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) inhibiting herbicides in Louisiana rice production. The study evaluated the use of acetochlor, dimethenamid, s-metolachlor, and pyroxasulfone applied preemergence (PRE), delayed PRE (DPRE), and the two- to three- leaf, early postemergence (EPOST) rice growth stage. In general, rice injury decreased as application timing was delayed with the least amount of rice injury occurring when the VLCFA inhibiting herbicides were …

Identification Of Candidate Genes And Genomic Regions Associated With Adult Plant Resistance To Stripe Rust In Spring Wheat, Amira M. I. Mourad, Mohamed A. Abou-Zeid, Shamseldeen Eltaher, P. Stephen Baenziger, Andreas Börner

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Wheat stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) is a major disease that damages wheat plants and affects wheat yield all over the world. In recent years, stripe rust became a major problem that affects wheat yield in Egypt. New races appeared and caused breakdowns in the resistant genotypes. To improve resistance in the Egyptian genotypes, new sources of resistance are urgently needed. In the recent research, a set of 95 wheat genotypes collected from 19 countries, including Egypt, were evaluated for their resistance against the Egyptian race(s) of stripe rust under field conditions in the two …

Relationships Among College-Level Science Course Enrollment, Environmental Perception, And Pro-Environmental Attitude: Evidence From The Us General Social Survey, Mazbahul G. Ahamad, Fahian Tanin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Understanding pro-environmental attitudes is critical to encouraging pollution-minimizing behaviors. Therefore, identifying associated factors is essential for understanding different types of pro-environmental attitudes. We aimed to investigate the associations among individuals’ college-level science course enrollment and their perceptions of the level of spending to improve and protect the environment, as well as their pro-environmental attitudes. We used nationwide population-based cross-sectional survey data from 2,348 individuals obtained from the General Social Survey in the United States. An ordered logistic model was used to examine the associations among college-level science course enrollment, environmental perception, and pro-environmental attitude. We found that science course enrollment …

Cold Conditioned: Discovery Of Novel Alleles For Low-Temperature Tolerance In The Vavilov Barley Collection, Ahmad H. Sallam, Kevin P. Smith, Gongshe Hu, Jamie Sherman, Peter Stephen Baeziger, Jochum Wiersma, Carl Duley, Eric J. Stockinger, Mark E. Sorrells, Tamas Szinyei, Igor G. Loskutov, Olga N. Kovaleva, Jed Eberly, Brian J. Steffenson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Climate changes leading to higher summer temperatures can adversely affect cool season crops like spring barley. In the Upper Midwest region of the United States, one option for escaping this stress factor is to plant winter or facultative type cultivars in the autumn and then harvest in early summer before the onset of high-temperature stress. However, the major challenge in breeding such cultivars is incorporating sufficient winter hardiness to survive the extremely low temperatures that commonly occur in this production region. To broaden the genetic base for winter hardiness in the University of Minnesota breeding program, 2,214 accessions from the …

Driver Liability For Farm And Ranch Operations, Jessica Groskopf

Cornhusker Economics

One major concern of farming and/or ranching operations is the liability of semi-trucks and equipment when they are involved in a traffic accident.

Genetic Diversity Of Huaya India (Melicoccus Oliviformis Kunth), A Neglected Neotropical Fruit Crop, Mónica I. Jiménez-Rojas, Rubén H. Andueza-Noh, Obed I. Noh-Ake, Daniel Potter, Matilde M. Ortiz-García, Renee S. Arias, Jaime Martínez-Castillo

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

Currently, some species of Sapindaceae are important fruit crops worldwide. The Huaya India (Meliccocus oliviformis, Sapindaceae) is a neglected Neotropical fruit tree consumed locally in the Maya Lowlands of Mexico, where it exists in both wild and domesticated forms. Our objective was to evaluate the genetic diversity of the Huaya India in its possible domestication area and thus generate knowledge that serves as the basis for a commercial management. A total of 450 individuals collected from 15 natural vegetation sites and 15 Maya villages, were characterized using nine microsatellite loci and population genetics approaches were applied. STRUCTURE, Neighbor-Joining and PCoA …

2021 Seedless Pickling Cucumber Variety Trial, Ben Phillips, Jessica Good

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A pickling cucumber variety trial was planted at the Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center (43.399097, -83.694497, Frankenmuth, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Nunhems (NU), Rijk Zwaan (RZ), and Sakata (SK) seed companies donated parthenocarpic (seedless) varieties for mechanical once-over harvest. The top five varieties each had Total Percent Recovery scores of 100%. When arranged in order of their highest combined clean yields of the most profitable fruit sizes (2B + 3A + 3B), they were NU 2106 (711 bu/a), NU 2105 (699 bu/a), RZ 16 (639 bu/a), RZ 11 (446 bu/a), and BJ Aristan (303 bu/a).

Sediment Budgets For Small Salinized Agricultural Catchments In Southwest Australia And Implications For Phosphorus Transport, Robert J. Wasson, David Weaver

Natural Resources Research Articles

Examples of sediment budgets are needed to document the range of budget types and their controls. Sediment budgets for three small agricultural catchments (7.6 to 15.6 km2) in southwestern Australia are dominated by channel and gully erosion, with sheet and rill erosion playing a subordinate role. Erosion was increased by clearing naturally swampy valley floors and hillslopes for agriculture and grazing, and episodic intense rainstorms. The proportion of sediment from channel and gully erosion in the sediment budget appears to be determined by the depth of alluvial fills. Dryland salinization caused by clearing native vegetation has connected hillslopes to channels …

Effects Of The Inclusion Of Rice Hull Derived Bio-Oil On Wood Pellet Production, Tyler E. Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Wood pellet production has become an advancing industry for the sake of reducing greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere especially, in European Union countries. Researchers and industry executives seek new methods and materials to improve the pelletization process. Rice hulls or husks has the potential to aid in wood pelletization as they possess high calorific values. This study focuses on using rice hull derived bio-oil from pyrolysis, which will also decrease ash content, as an additive to aid in the wood pelletization process. Using two groups of rice hull derived bio-oil as an additive in wood pelletization: Group 1 uses heavy …

Implementing Food Science-Based Instruction In Career Technical Education Courses, Jasmine D. Hendrix

Theses and Dissertations

Students are exposed to food concepts in agriculture-based career technical education (CTE) courses which provide a gateway for students to become more aware of food science career pathways. Professional development for Mississippi (MS) CTE teachers is needed to effectively implement food science-based instruction since there is not a food science curriculum framework adopted in MS. The objective of this study was to assess a food science professional development training for MS CTE teachers that would increase their self-perceived knowledge of food science, self-perceived ability to conduct food science skills, and their self-efficacy to implement food science-based instruction. Thirty-one teachers participated …

Evaluating The Effects Of Pine And Miscanthus Biochar On Water Activity And Escherichia Coli Populations In Commercial Broiler Litter, Christopher Austin Marty

Theses and Dissertations

The decrease in subtherapeutic antibiotic administration in poultry has increased the need to address production challenges caused by pathogens, such as E. coli. One potential way to improve bird health and reduce bacterial infection is through the addition of litter amendments that absorb moisture. Biochar (BC) has previously been shown to increase water holding capacity in poultry litter, but its effects on E. coli mitigation are unknown. The objectives of this research were to 1) evaluate water activity of poultry litter amended with pine and miscanthus BC, and 2) determine the effects of different BC inclusion rates on litter …

Efficiency Of Weights Matrix Specification In The Spatial Error Model, Cannon Kent

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates and quantifies the effect of different specifications of the spatial weights matrix (��) on estimates and inferences in the context of a regression model using the lattice perspective with polygon-type data. The study also investigates an alternative to the specification of �� by estimating a spatial variance-covariance matrix based on known features of the spatial data. Previous literature has addressed the a priori construction of �� and selection criteria but assumes point-type data. This study’s primary contribution is the setup of a true and known benchmark that allows the comparison of the different specifications of ��. This …

Evaluation Of The Variable Rate Capabilities Of A Sprayer Equipped With Pulse Width Modulation Nozzle Control And Direct Chemical Injection Systems, William Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Variable-rate technologies coupled with broadcast spray systems serve to reduce chemical inputs, misapplication of chemicals, and environmental pollution, thus improving profitability and sustainability. Sprayer variable rate control involves using pulse width modulation (PWM) solenoids and/or direct chemical injection to adjust the application rate. The objectives of this research were to: outfit a conventional broadcast sprayer with PWM and direct inject technologies; evaluate the accuracy of the PWM system to control application rate for strait line and turn segments; and characterize the direct injection system’s transport delay time. For the PWM evaluation, the mean flow rate and coefficient of variation of …

Examining The Need For Parental Satisfaction With The Msu Extension Equine Assisted Therapy Program, Ashlyn Ann Kiker

Theses and Dissertations

Animal assisted interventions are becoming more prevalent in our society. Animal interventions have become a popular therapy technique that exist to aid a variety of disabilities. Equine therapeutic riding has become one of the most popular forms of animal assisted therapy for both children and adults. While research shows the importance and benefits of animal assisted therapy for children, there is a lack of research concerning parental satisfaction within therapeutic riding programs.

This study tested a newly developed instrument for measuring parental satisfaction for therapeutic riding programs. The Parent/Caregiver Evaluation Tool (Kerr, 2021) was administered to parents/caregivers whose children participated …

A Review Of Transformative Strategies For Climate Mitigation By Grasslands, Nuria Gomez-Casanovas, Elena Blanc-Betes, Caitlin E. Moore, Carl J. Bernacchi, Ilsa Kantola, Evan H. Delucia

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

Grasslands can significantly contribute to climate mitigation. However, recent trends indicate that human activities have switched their net cooling effect to a warming effect due to management intensification and land conversion. This indicates an urgent need for strategies directed to mitigate climate warming while enhancing productivity and efficiency in the use of land and natural (nutrients, water) resources. Here, we examine the potential of four innovative strategies to slow climate change including: 1) Adaptive multi-paddock grazing that consists of mimicking how ancestral herds roamed the Earth; 2) Agrivoltaics that consists of simultaneously producing food and energy from solar panels on …

Seasonal Management Strategies For Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Lineolaris (Palisot De Beauvois), In Midsouth Cotton Production Systems, Ryan Taylor Mann

Theses and Dissertations

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is considered the most economically important pest of midsouth cotton. This study was designed to understand the impact of tarnished plant bug populations in the later weeks of flowering cotton and residual effects of novaluron with subsequent applications. Experiments evaluated dynamic threshold approaches in the later flowering period of midsouth cotton, the impacts of novaluron plus subsequent applications at the 3^rd week of square, as well as residual properties in a laboratory experiment. Results suggest that a dynamic late season approach can reduce the amount of insecticide applications targeting tarnished …

Assessing The Potential For Lightning-Induced Damage In Commercial Broiler Houses In Mississippi And Alabama, Matthew R. Rowland

Theses and Dissertations

Modern broiler houses are expensive to build, maintain, and insure. Protecting them from extreme weather events is a major concern to producers, integrators, and insurance companies. Lightning strikes can cause catastrophic fires and electrical damage and can lead to costly bird losses. A greater understanding of the impact of lightning on the commercial broiler industries of MS and AL is needed. The objectives of this research were collection of baseline resistance data for broiler houses and equipment in both states, and mapping lightning strike densities across MS and AL, evaluating annual, monthly, seasonal, and diurnal patterns. 63.5% of surveyed broiler …

Soybean (Glycine Max) Response To Multiple, Sublethal Exposures Of 2,4-D And Dicamba From Vegetative Through Reproductive Growth, Graham Robert Oakley

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine whether soybean productivity is affected by multiple, sublethal herbicide exposures. The effects of dicamba and 2,4-D on soybean (Glycine max) productivity was investigated at 17 site-years. Relative to a single exposure of dicamba at R1, an additional exposure at either V3 or R3 reduced yield up to 23%. Three or more applications did not further decrease yields relative to an R1&R3 exposure. For 2,4-D, a single application to V3, R1, R3, or R5 soybean did not affect grain yield. However, two exposures of 2,4-D occurring from V3 through R3 reduced yield 5 to 7%. …

Addressing Nature-Deficit Disorder Using A Multi-Program Area, Multi-State Approach, Rod N. Williams, Robert Cordes, Rebecca Koetz, Jarred Brooke, Molly Hunt, Lindsey Pedigo

Journal of Extension

Youth are spending less time outdoors compared to previous generations. Because youth spend much of their time in school, teachers can provide the critical linkages that introduce students to nature. Unfortunately, teachers often lack access to standards-based STEAM curricula focused on natural resources, do not feel comfortable taking their students outside, and may not be knowledgeable about how to incorporate nature into the classroom. Addressing the nature deficit disorder facing today’s youth and the lack of professional development for teachers requires involvement from Extension (agriculture and natural resources specialists, health and human science educators) and natural resources professionals.