Agricultural Education Commons^™

Farm Workers And The Structural Basis Of Climate Change Perceptions, Cody Mortell, Anna Erwin, Zhao Ma, Dongkyu Kim, Elizabeth Rodriquez, Marla Perez-Lugo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Farm workers are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially from extreme heat; however, little is known about how they perceive this risk. This study examines climate change perceptions (CCP) among 404 farm workers surveyed in person in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas from April to May 2024. Guided by Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, we conducted a latent class analysis of economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital indicators to identify distinct class profiles. We then assessed CCP by latent profile, using two primary outcome variables: (1) perceived temperature trends in the region (assessed alongside NOAA data) and (2) perceived …

Can Generative Ai Make Farming Decisions? Current Status And Future Pathways: A Case Study In Row Crop Production With Chatgpt, Nipuna Chamara, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Yu Pan, Saleh Taghvaeian, Cory Walters, Christopher Proctor, Daran Rudnick, Daren Redfearn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The agricultural decision-making process is experience-based, knowledge-dependent, time-sensitive, complex, and driven by historical data. Planting, fertilization, irrigation, and chemigation are key categories in farm decision-making, and currently there is no one-shot decision-support tool that covers all these activities. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are more advanced than traditional machine learning and deep learning models. These models have been trained on vast amounts of data from the internet, allowing them to accept unstructured data in various forms and generate human-like text, solutions to problems, and scenario predictions. Given this capability, we became interested in exploring the potential of generative AI in …

Using L1-Magic For Feature Enhancement And Reduced Redundancy In Hyperspectral Data, Ashley Alfred

Mathematics Dissertations

Hyperspectral imaging offers detailed spectral information, but achieving high spatial resolution typically requires large and expensive equipment. This study explores an alternative approach: enhancing low-quality hyperspectral bands using an L1-norm minimization technique known as L1-magic. The goal is to improve the utility of low-cost hardware by preserving discriminative features, promoting sparsity, and reducing spectral redundancy. We apply L1-magic to enhance low-quality bands and hypothesize that this method selectively amplifies key features while suppressing redundant information. Experimental results indicate that the enhanced bands approach the quality of high-resolution data, enabling robust feature extraction without reliance on high-end hyperspectral cameras.

Interpreting Extension Professionals' Viewpoints On Agricultural Climate Change Programming, Aaron B. Wilson, Alli Wenman, Samuel Pratsch, Kenneth Genskow, Patrick Robinson, Dennis Todey, Laurie Nowatzke, Namah Chiamo Taku-Forchu, Moses Wanyakha

Journal of Extension

We evaluated Extension professionals' attitudes and beliefs from Midwestern "1862" land-grant universities around three themes: prioritizing climate programming, farmers' perceptions, and the role of Extension leadership in building capacity to integrate climate change into programs. Using key informant interviews and a two-hour virtual workshop, we developed 'coordinate planes' to illustrate the tensions and contradictions among the three themes, with participants expressing highly diverse viewpoints across the region. Results identify the need for Extension leadership to support multi-state programs and shared resources that provide consistent guidance and expectations around climate change programming while recognizing the intrinsic state context and values.

Shaping The Soil: A Comparison Of Equine, Bovine, And Ungrazed Hay Fields, Brody Ellis Higgs, Taylor Madison Wynn, Scottie Craig Berry

Scholars Week

Shaping the Soil: A Comparison of Equine, Bovine, and Ungrazed Hay Fields

Brody Higgs, Taylor Wynn, and Scottie Berry

Mentor: Dr. Iin. P. Handayani, PhD.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA

ABSTRACT

Kentucky raises grazing species for multiple reasons, including food, recreation, and show. The most common of them are equine and bovine. These animals graze many acres across the state of Kentucky and impact soil properties in their pastures. This study was conducted on three pasturelands across Caldwell and Calloway counties in Kentucky. The pastures consisted of a cow pasture, a horse pasture, and a …

Farming With Data: Tracing Critical Tensions Using Data Science For Food Justice, Marc Sager, Maximilan Sherard, Anthony Petrosino

Publications

In this manuscript, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and equitable learning in higher education, focusing on data science as a subset of AI and social justice as the core theme of equity. Our investigation sheds light on the nuanced tensions inherent in employing data science for social justice. Rooted in situated perspectives of learning and consequential learning, our study employs an instrumental case-study methodology and analysis techniques from interaction and conversation analysis. Collaborating with three undergraduate students and an urban farm, the students used data science practices to highlight inequities surrounding food justice and access to food. …

Digital Infrastructure For The Regenerative Movement: A Case Study Of The Mycelium Learning Network, Abigail Karparis

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

The regenerative movement is gaining momentum worldwide, driven by communities working to restore ecological and social systems through place-based, culturally rooted action. Yet many of the groups leading this work, especially in the Global South or in hyper-local contexts, remain digitally invisible due to structural barriers, including limited access to appropriate technology, funding constraints, and misalignment between available tools and local values. Conventional digital infrastructures often exclude or marginalize these efforts, leaving regenerative practitioners disconnected from each other and from potential sources of support.

This article explores these challenges and presents a case study response: the co-creation of accessible, relational …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Clearing Cloudy Or Coloured Water On Farms In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Cloudy or coloured water can be a nuisance when used for household purposes, and sometimes be unsuitable for livestock, irrigation, or crop spraying. The following is for general information only, it is recommended that people seek expert advice for treating cloudy or coloured water.

Identification And Environmental Impact Of 35 Different Cut Flower Retail Packages In The U.S.A., Mary Kathryn Gillespie

All Theses

Cut flowers represent 35-billion dollars of global spending with 10-million dollars per day in the U.S.A; each transaction involving packaging. Across the country, cut flower packaging is inconsistently sized, laminated, colored, and unlikely to be recycled. 35 unique cut flower packages were collected across 16 different marketplaces, representing 88% of top grocery retailers. Measuring the materiality of the predominately unlabeled and inconsistent packaging collected required calorimetry equipment, such as Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimeter, and precision gauges. Results unveil five materials representing the cut flower collection: Oriented Polypropylene (OPP), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Paper, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and Nonwoven Polypropylene …

An Economic And Production Analysis Of Seaweed Farms In California And The Pacific Northwest, Brian Donovan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Since the early 2010s, the seaweed aquaculture industry has steadily expanded in the United States, with states like Alaska, Maine, Hawaii, and Connecticut leading the way in the development of this emerging sector. However, information gaps remain concerning certain aspects of the domestic seaweed aquaculture industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of the seaweed aquaculture industry along the West Coast of the United States; specifically in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Seaweed farmers in these states were invited to voluntarily complete surveys asking important production, economic, and commercial questions regarding their operations. Data …

El Maíz Del Abuelo: Fidel Márquez Sanchez’S Legacy And Mexico’S Historical Maize Agriculture, Lucia Marquez-Uppman

Scripps Senior Theses

The Green Revolution was an era of scientific development in productive agricultural methods and technologies in the mid-twentieth century. High-yielding seed varieties, artificial fertilizers, irrigation infrastructure, pesticides, and herbicides all developed from this period. Texcoco, Mexico was the center of much of the Green Revolution's education and research from the 1940s onward at the Autonomous University of Chapingo, a prestigious agricultural school, with funding from the US-based philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation. Powerful consequences in the globe's agriculture emerged from the Green Revolution, including the production of maize, a staple crop in Mexico, especially for Indigenous and campesino populations. My abuelo, Fidel …

Rabbit Control: Bait Products, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet is part of the bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests in Western Australia (WA). It provides information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA to control rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

For information on how to access bait, poison and toxin (bait) products, training required, animal welfare considerations and legal requirements, refer to the Bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests’ page on the website at dpird.wa.gov.au. Information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA for rabbits, is provided below.

Noogoora Burr And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Noogoora burr, also known as cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium), is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements that land owners/occupiers must adhere to and control methods.

Native to western United States of America. Locally abundant in parts of the Kimberley, especially near water courses. Occasionally found in the South West region of WA.

Managing Salinity: Fence And Volunteer Pasture, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

This treatment is recommended for saline sites that can support a mix of salt tolerant species and some non-tolerant pasture species, where livestock are present. It may also be the preferred solution for farmers who wish to see an improvement in their land at low cost.

The department recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Shallow Relief Drains In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Shallow relief drains are easy to construct and a cost-effective way to:

• remove accumulated surface water from depressions and low-lying land
• divert run-off from land that is prone to inundation or flooding
• remove surface water to a safe disposal area, to reduce the length of time the land is inundated or flooded
• reduce the potential for localised recharge and the development of secondary salinity
• improve the continuity of flow within the catchment along the valley floor.

Water Lettuce And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements landowners/occupiers must adhere to and pest control methods.

Argentine Ants, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are small, brown, and notorious worldwide for being one of the most difficult and costly ants to control, as it can involve ongoing and repetitive use of residual, contact insecticides. The ants are established in Western Australia (WA).

Cane Toad, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet provides information about the identification, biology, impact, and management of the cane toad.

The cane toad (Rhinella marina), or giant toad, is native to central and South America. It has been introduced to many countries, including northern and eastern Australia. The cane toad is a declared pest under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) in Western Australia (WA). The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL), available on the website at dpird.wa.gov.au) contains information on the area(s) in which this pest is declared, and the control and keeping categories to which it has been assigned in WA.

Rabbit Control In Urban And Semi-Urban Areas, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet provides information on control options for rabbits in urban and semi-urban areas in Western Australia (WA).

Rabbits cause considerable losses to agricultural and horticultural industries. They can cause serious environmental problems, such as soil erosion and degradation of native vegetation. Rabbits also compete with native fauna for food and habitat.

Rabbits may be a problem or a nuisance in urban environments where they can damage lawns and gardens, buildings, garages, and sheds. Rabbits can also damage golf courses, sports grounds, and parkland reserves.

The options for control of rabbits in urban areas are more limited than in rural …

Fallow And Red Deer: Requirements To Keep, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

This factsheet provides information on the requirements for keeping fallow and red deer species in Western Australia.

Fallow (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are declared pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (BAM) Act 2007 in Western Australia (WA).

The department assists in preventing the establishment of deer in the wild. This means a permit is required to keep fallow and red deer in WA. Animals that escape or become feral must be recaptured or destroyed.

Small populations of feral deer occur in WA from escaped captive stock and deliberate release. Deer damage native plants, crops and plantation …

Natural Revegetation And No Grazing, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The department recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Natural revegetation and no grazing are only recommended for sites that are too saline, waterlogged and/or inundated for other treatments to succeed in the south-west of Western Australia. It is also the preferred option for the lowest possible cost.

Saltland Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Saltland pastures are associations of salt and waterlogging-tolerant plants that produce fodder for grazing animals from saline and waterlogged soils. Saltland pastures can improve production from saltland sites, reduce salt movement from the site, and improve soil structure.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that saltland management is part of a whole-farm, and preferably whole-catchment, plan.

Electric Ant (Little Fire Ant), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The electric ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), also known as little fire ant, is a tiny, gold-brown coloured ant, and one of the world's most invasive pests. Electric ants prey on and compete with other insects and can displace large numbers of native animals, ants, and other insects.

They affect human health and lifestyle, can inflict painful stings on humans and wild and domestic animals, can blind pets, damage the environment, and have the potential to severely affect agricultural industries.

The electric ant is native to Central and South America and was first detected in Australia in 2006 in Queensland, where there …

Adopt-A-Trap To Help Detect European Wasps, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Early detection of European wasp is important to prevent the spread and establishment of nests, and the Adopt-a-trap program is a key part of annual European wasp surveillance.

The department intensively traps the highest risk areas of the state, but the Adopt-a-trap program can extend surveillance beyond these areas and into the regions to enhance community surveillance.

The trapping method used in the Adopt-a-trap program is very successful in catching European wasps. They address the wasps’ sense of smell and foraging habits to find food. Trapped wasps are useful in alerting us to the presence of a nearby nest — …

Rabbit Control: Warren And Harbourage Destruction, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

If correctly and appropriately undertaken, the destruction of rabbit warrens, or modification of the habitat so it becomes less favourable to rabbits, can be an important and effective part of reducing the impacts of rabbits.

Destruction of warrens can improve the overall effectiveness of rabbit control programs, even though many rabbits live and shelter above-ground under bushes, and in scrub). If undertaken properly, the ripping of rabbit warrens can often provide a relatively permanent and long-term benefit. Similarly, removing or modifying other forms of rabbit-harbourage (for example, removing rock piles) can help, particularly in semi-urban areas or on smallholdings.

Rabbit Fencing To Protect Crops And Pastures, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet outlines the use of fencing to protect crops and pasture from rabbits.

Rabbits cause an estimated loss of $217 million each year to Australian agricultural production and cause significant environmental damage. In Western Australia (WA), areas of native vegetation, particularly on sandy ridges that would otherwise be subject to wind erosion, have been retained on farms. Bush remnants are a major refuge habitat for rabbits, which can cause considerable damage to nearby pastures and crops. A measure of rabbit control can be achieved by poisoning around bush remnants in late summer or autumn, prior to seeding. To be …

Yellow Crazy Ant, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) are believed to be native to west Africa or Asia. They are not present in Western Australia (WA) and are prohibited.

Yellow crazy ants were first observed in Australia in the early 1900’s on the Cocos-Keeling Islands and Christmas Island, where they have now caused a massive decline in the population of iconic red crabs. More recently, they have been recorded in Queensland, the Northern Territory (NT), and New South Wales (NSW).

Gorse And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements that landowners/occupiers must adhere to, pest control methods and how to search, detect and report it.

Gorse is a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) present in Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory; it is not present in the Northern Territory. Gorse is a declared pest plant in WA.

European Wasp: Declared Pest, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The European wasp is one of the worst wasps in the world — harmful to people, outdoor lifestyles, and horticultural and agricultural industries. Early detection of wasp activity is critical to prevent the wasp establishing in Western Australia (WA). This is achieved via collaboration between residents, businesses, industry, and government.