Agriculture Commons^™

A Road Map For Place Based Collaboration For Conflict Reduction, Joseph L. Zecher

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Polymorphism And Plasticity In The Termite Caste System, Austin Merchant

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Developmental plasticity, manifested as a caste system, is integral to the success of eusocial insects because of the way in which it decouples the various tasks that a single, solitary organism would normally be responsible for, allowing individuals to specialize towards their given roles while keeping vulnerable members of the colony, such as those responsible for reproduction, safe from harm. Termites exhibit particularly complex caste systems that can be divided into three types of castes: workers perform manual labor, such as foraging and brood care; soldiers defend the nest; and reproductives lay eggs. Each of these castes, as well as …

An Rnai-Based Approach To Ips Calligraphus Management: A Promising Strategy For Forest Protection, Mary Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

As climate change leads to more frequent and severe extreme weather, host tree stress is increasing the occurrence of large-scale bark beetle outbreaks. One such beetle, Ips calligraphus (Germar), a native bark beetle in the southeastern United States, has traditionally been considered a secondary pest of pine trees. Management has relied on silvicultural practices that enhance forest resilience, enabling host trees to effectively use natural defenses to deter beetle infestation. However, during periods of forest stress caused by storms, droughts, human disturbance, and other factors, beetle outbreaks can cause considerable ecological and economic damage.

Addressing worsening I. calligraphus outbreaks will …

Nebline, January/February 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2023 Extension Highlights

4-H Programs Engaged 39,421 Youth

Nebraska Extension’s Strategic Direction

Enjoy a Comforting Bowl of Soup in January & Beyond by Kayla Colgrove

Recipe of the Month: Multi-Cooker Tuscan Soup by Kayla Colgrove

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Extension’s 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn & Landscape Update

2024 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Extension Workshop Planned on Managing Farmland and Transition Planning

Water Quality: Nebraska On-Farm Research by John Nelson

House Centipedes by Kait Chapman

Early Childhood Prep Academy: Leaders Today, Learners Tomorrow by Hayley Jackson

Heart …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 25 2024, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Austin Jones, Ashley Dowling, Baylie Day

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Efficiency And Accuracy Of Three Texture Analysis Methods For Blackberry Fruit, Rhys M. Brock, Carmen Johns, Katelyn Lust-Moore, Margaret Worthington

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A major objective of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA) Fruit Breeding program is to improve the texture of blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson). Blackberry varieties with improved fruit firmness transport and store well and may maintain superior quality under challenging postharvest conditions than softer varieties. Increased firmness may also make cultivars less susceptible to red drupelet reversion (RDR), a postharvest disorder of blackberries in which fully black drupelets revert to red after harvest. This research project aims to assess the efficiency and accuracy of three methods applied in evaluating blackberry firmness. The study compares instrumental analysis …

Understanding The Impact Of Food Insecurity Among First-Generation College Students On The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison Price, Jennie S. Popp Ph.D., Nathan Paul Kemper, Louise Michelle Hancox

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The purpose of this study was to: 1) better understand food insecurity among first-generation college students and how it might differ from that of other college students, and 2) gather opinions from students that may serve as solutions to alleviate food insecurity. This study was conducted with a mixed-methods survey that included both open-ended and closed-ended questions. This survey had 670 responses. Nearly 10% of respondents stated that they were experiencing food insecurity. Almost 18% stated they were first-generation college students. A greater percentage of African American (P = 0.0022) and Hispanic Latino (P < 0.0001) students were first-generation compared to all other students, while a lower percentage (P < 0.0001) of Caucasian students were first-generation compared to other students. The results suggested that first-generation students were more likely to experience nine food insecurity impacts than non first-generation students. Further, both first-generation and non first-generation students indicated low levels of knowledge and/or use of existing resources on the University of Arkansas campus that can help address food insecurity needs. Finally, both first-generation and non first-generation respondents overwhelmingly favored food insecurity solutions centered around expanding access to campus food programs through lower costs and increased awareness of existing campus resources via improved advertising.

Factors Affecting Graduation With Honors: A Case Study In Bumpers College, Timothy Dalton Roberts, Jennie Popp, Michael Popp, Nathan Kemper

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the graduation rate with honors in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville (UAF). Utilizing a data set of 220 Bumpers College Honors graduates from 2004 to 2014, provided by the Office of Strategic Analytics & Insights at UAF, this research investigated several demographic and academic variables to potentially identify predictors of successfully graduating with honors. The methodology involved cleaning the data, statistical analyses including t-test and Chi-square tests, and logit regression models to determine significant factors impacting graduating with honors. …

Stream Restoration Effectiveness In Mullins Creek In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amadeo Scott, Shannon Speir

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Lotic waterways are vital for habitat, food, water, and flood protection, but urbanization poses a major threat to their integrity. Runoff from urban surfaces leads to pollution, flashiness, loss of biodiversity, and other symptoms, also known as Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). Streams can be restored in order to combat USS, but most restorations are not monitored, so their long-term effectiveness is unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a decade-old stream restoration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to assess its effectiveness in combating USS and achieving set restoration goals, and to gain insights for future restoration projects. Restoration goals included decreasing erosion and sedimentation, …

Weedy Rice Resistance To Imidazolinone Herbicides And Control With Glyphosate, Juan C. Velasquez, Veronica Hoyos, Nilda Roma-Burgos, Guido Plaza

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a serious competitor of rice, causing severe yield losses. It contaminates and reduces the quality of harvested grain.

Objective

(1) evaluate the response of Colombian weedy rice accessions to glyphosate and the mixture of imazamox + imazapyr (F-IMIs) at commercial rates; (2) determine the resistance level of one morphotype of weedy rice putatively resistant to the F-IMIs from the objective (1).

Methods

Ten weedy rice accessions were evaluated for response to F-IMIs (imazamox + imazapyr 49.5 and 22.5 g a.i. ha-1, respectively) and glyphosate (960 g a.e. ha-1). One putative ALS-resistant and …

Construction Of A Linkage Map Using Novel Dna Markers And Qtl Detection For Grapevine Powdery Mildew Resistance In 'Chambourcin’- Based Hybrids., Achyut Duwadi

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the midwestern United States, the Vitis interspecific hybrid ‘Chambourcin’ is a very popular winegrape. Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, is one of the primary causes of grape yield loss across the globe. Presently, specific genetic determinants for resistance to E. necator remain undiscovered in ‘Chambourcin’. To identify these factors, a controlled leaf disc assay was conducted for two years using the Automated Phenotypic System (APS) with 273 F1 genotypes from a cross of ‘Chambourcin’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. Additionally, a pioneer linkage map using the same number of ‘Chambourcin’- derived hybrids was constructed with 355 …

Cold Hardiness In Vitis Interspecific Hybrid 'Chambourcin'-Based Population, Tabinda Shahid

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The susceptibility of grapevines to low-temperature injury presents a significant challenge, particularly in the United States. Traditional European grape cultivar, Vitis vinifera ‘Cabernet sauvignon’, faces bud damage at temperatures below freezing. On the other hand, Vitis interspecific hybrid ‘Chambourcin’, exhibits greater tolerance to sub-zero temperatures. The objective of this research was to conduct Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) on 273 F₁ hybrid genotypes generated from a cross of ‘Chambourcin’ × ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ to quantify bud cold hardiness by identifying the freezing exothermic reactions. Low temperature exotherm (LTE) profiles, over two dormant seasons (December to February 2022-2024), revealed 15 interspecific hybrid …

Comparing In Vivo Dry Matter Digestibility Vs In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility, Katherine Kemper Sanders

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Three yearling steers were used in a 2 X 3 incomplete Latin square design to determine In Vivo Dry Matter Digestibility of two forages, alfalfa (ALF) and mixed grass hay (GH) to determine the accuracy of In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility (IVDMD) methods for determining the true dry matter digestibility (DMD). Forage samples were collected and digested In Vitro using the ANKOM Daisy^II Incubator. Forage Fiber Analysis of the residue was used to determine true dry matter digestibility. There was significant interaction between treatment and period (P < 0.05) for both In Vitro and In Vivo methods. When comparing the two methods there …

A Case Of One Step Forward And Two Steps Back? An Examination Of Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management Using A Simple Agroecosystem Dynamics Model, Srinadh Kodali, Chris Flores-Lopez, Isabelle Lobdell, Branson Kim, James C. Russell, Lane Michna, Benjamin L. Turner

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Global herbicide-resistant weed populations continue rising due to selection pressures exerted by herbicides. Despite this, herbicides continue to be farmers’ preferred weed-control method due to cost and efficiency relative to physical or biological methods. However, weeds developing resistance to herbicides not only challenges crop production but also threatens ecosystem services by disrupting biodiversity, reducing soil health, and impacting water quality. Our objective was to develop a simulation model that captures the feedback between weed population dynamics, agricultural management, profitability, and farmer decision-making processes that interact in unique ways to reinforce herbicide resistance in weeds. After calibration to observed data and …

Corporate Influence At Public Universities: Upholding The Conventional Agricultural Paradigm, Michaela Jones

Pitzer Senior Theses

The agriculture sector is responsible for feeding the planet but faces many growing threats as climate change worsens. Conventional agriculture practices, which are widespread, are both contributing to climate change and likely to become less feasible in future years. Regenerative agriculture provides a possible path forward but is not widely studied at public and land grant universities where much agricultural research takes place, in part because of significant corporate influence at these schools. Corporate influence can take many forms, and can include research funding by individual companies or industry groups, philanthropic giving in the form of buildings, research centers, and …

Indoor Pests And Human Health: Characterizing Contaminants And Improving Mitigation, Johnalyn Gordon

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Much of the United States population spends the majority of their time indoors and within the home. Not only are indoor arthropod pests an unsightly nuisance in our homes, but they can have serious impacts on human health, especially with chronic exposure. In addition to negative health impacts, costs associated with these medical impacts can be tremendous. For these reasons, it is critical to develop comprehensive strategies for pest reduction and mitigation of associated health impacts. The work outlined in this dissertation represent examination of the distribution of a hypothesized bed bug allergen within the indoor environment, identification of a …

Addressing The Trade-Offs Of Pest Protective Row Covers For Integrated Pest Management In Vegetable Production, Kathleen Fiske

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The success of many integrated pest management (IPM) strategies is limited by trade-offs with economic, cultural, and environmental factors. While some IPM strategies reduce pests, they may harm pollinators, reduce the efficiency of weed or disease management, or may increase costs relative to revenue. Pest protective row covers, in the form of fine-mesh netting (referred to as mesotunnels), are an effective alternative to pesticide use, but they are not without their challenges. While row covers exclude insect pests and the pathogens they vector, it is unknown how well non-vectored diseases can be managed underneath the row cover. The exclusion of …

Practical Challenges In Delivering Dsrna For Woody Plant Protection, Zachary Bragg

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Unprecedented weather events associated with climate change, coupled with extensive anthropogenic stresses, have reduced the effectiveness of traditional forest pest management approaches, which can no longer keep pace with invasive species overwhelming naïve landscapes and native pests experiencing eruptive and expansive outbreaks. Double-stranded RNA-(dsRNA) mediated gene silencing, a type of RNA interference (RNAi), has been coopted for use as a biopesticide against a multitude of agricultural and horticultural pests and could serve as a powerful tool for woody plant protection. While effective initiation of gene silencing and subsequent mortality have been demonstrated in multiple tree pests, effective and efficient methods …

Consequences Of Abiotic And Anthropogenic Stressors In The Antarctic Midge, Belgica Antarctica, Jack J. Devlin

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The ability to tolerate stress is key to maintaining fitness in extreme environments such as the polar regions. Subject to a myriad of extreme year-round abiotic conditions, invertebrates inhabiting the terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica provide an excellent system to investigate adaptations to stress. Understanding the response of these species to abiotic and novel stressors is crucial in a world with rapidly occurring climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity. In this dissertation, I investigated physiological and molecular responses to naturally occurring and human-derived stresses in the midge Belgica antarctica, which is Antarctica’s only endemic insect.

In my first research chapter, I …

Evaluation Of Ten Alternative Treatments For The Management Of Harlequin Bug (Murgantia Histrionica) On Brassica Crops, Sarah Clark

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

This thesis investigates the efficacy of exclusion netting and selected biopesticides in controlling the common brassica pest harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica); it assesses the phytotoxic effects caused by selected essential oil products; and it evaluates whether selected treatments caused mortality in common beneficial insects. This is one of the first studies to investigate the potential pest controlling properties of commercially produced bokashi fermented composting products as well as their effect on natural enemies.

During both the first and second year of the study, none of the commercially produced essential oil products or bokashi products were effective in controlling …

Weed Management Impacts On Wild Bees In Agroecosystems, Amanda Denny

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

In agricultural landscapes, bee communities are shaped by factors including the plant community, land management, and pesticides. These factors are critical in the late winter and early spring (LWES) when floral resources are scarce and many bee species are becoming active. In this dissertation, I characterize the flowering weed community of Central Kentucky agroecosystems in the LWES, examine the response of wild bee communities to the total cover and diversity of these flowering plants, and assess the risks of glyphosate exposure on developing ground nesting bees. I found that the flowering plant community was similar across land cover types and …

Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Seed-transmissible epichloid fungal endophytes are best known for their roles as defensive mutualists in cool-season grasses. Historically, the discovery of fungal endophytes was driven by investigations of plant toxicity to livestock, followed by extensive study of their alkaloids and protection against insects and nematodes. Epichloae can produce four classes of alkaloids: ergot alkaloids, lolines (saturated aminopyrrolizidines), indole–diterpenes, and peramine. It is increasingly evident that these hereditary symbionts have much more diverse chemical profiles both in individual populations and between them. To this end, differences in chemotypic profiles of these symbionts may translate to different evolutionary and environmental advantages across plant …

Temporal Changes In The Genome Of Apicomplexan Parasite Sarcocystis Neurona Sn3, Jamie Norris

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Sarcocystis neurona is an apicomplexan parasite and the main etiologic agent behind Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), the most diagnosed neurologic disease in horses living in the Americas. Technical advances that arose from the human genome project between 1990 and 2003 and the corresponding “omics” revolution in research have allowed scientists novel approaches to study organisms. Herein, we sought to leverage bioinformatic advances and new sequencing platforms to provide an improved understanding of the biology of S. neurona. At the outset of this project, reference genomes from two different S. neurona strains (SN3.e1 and So SN1) were available. A new and …

Manrrs Advisors And Their Perceptions Of Their Mentor Strategies, Dallas L. Cooks

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences, also known as MANRRS, is an organization with chapters nationwide. Their main focus is to provide professional development, academic advancement, and networking to those in agriculture and related sciences. This research focuses on the advisors of MANRRS chapters across the country and at various institutions. Advisors were asked a series of questions through a Qualtrics survey about their mentor strategies with their students. Chapter Advisors were asked demographic, Likert Scale, and questions based on their personal MANRRS experience. As a result of the data, five research questions were answered. Chapter Advisors and …

Autism In Agricultural Education: A Case Study Of An Adolescent With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Parent On Career And Technical Education, Grace Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a unique and often misunderstood diagnosis. Little is known about the experiences of adolescents with ASD. As students with ASD graduate high school, many are under- and unemployed. Career and technical education (CTE) in U.S. schools is intended to prepare all students for careers post-secondary. Agricultural education is one of the predominate career clusters within CTE. This qualitative single case study sought to create a platform for both a student and their parent to share their experiences in agricultural education and CTE. Participants were an adolescent with ASD who had taken at least one year …

A Discrepancy In Discrepancy Scores? Comparing The Borich And Ranked Discrepancy Models For Determining Professional Development Needs, Donald M. Johnson, Will Doss, Chris Estepp, Henry O. Akwah, George W. Wardlow

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Borich (1980) model has been widely used to determine professional development (PD) needs of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers over the past 40-plus years. However, recent criticism, primarily focused on a purported statistical issue, has led to development of the Ranked Discrepancy Model [RDM (Narine & Harder, 2021)] as a potential alternative. This article provides perspective on the statistical issue in question and compares the results of using the Borich model and the RDM to assess precision agriculture (PA) PD needs of Arkansas SBAE teachers (N = 44). Our quantitative results indicated the two models produced different PD …

Pre- And Post-Harvest Elicitation With Methyl Jasmonate And Salicylic Acid Followed By Cold Storage Synergistically Improves Red Colour Development And Health-Promoting Compounds In Blood Oranges, Mekhala D. K. Vithana, Zora Singh, Mahmood Ul Hasan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Red blush is one of the key quality markers of blood orange fruit (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck). Therefore, the influence of pre- (1, 2, and 3 mM) and postharvest (0.5, 1, and 1.5 mM) methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA) (1, 2, and 3 mM) treatments on redness, colouring pigments, and health-promoting compounds in cold stored ‘Tarocco Ippolito’ blood oranges was investigated. Preharvest application of 3 mM MeJA significantly increased rind citrus colour index (CCI) by 43.3% and colorimetric coordinate a* (redness) by 3.1% and decreased h° (hue angle, 0 = red), L* (lightness), and b* (yellowness) by 13.7%, …

Pulse-Width Modulation Spray System Performance And Development Of A Novel System To Optimize Spray Use Efficacy, Prashanta Pokharel

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching objective of this research was to enhance our understanding of pulse width modulation (PWM) based nozzle control system and develop an intelligent nozzle control system for agricultural spray applications. This dissertation focused on measuring and analyzing the transient nozzle pressure characteristics and performance under PWM control. Additionally, it explored the development of an innovative multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) nozzle control system for precise chemical applications in specialty crop systems.

The pressure dynamics of a PWM system were studied by developing an instrumentation system capable of operating a solenoid valve and recording pressure signals. A nozzle body and two manifolds of …