Other Food Science Commons^™

Effective Control Of Tomato Leaf Miner, Tuta Absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Using The Entomopathogenic Fungus, Beauveria Pseudobassiana Rehner & Humber In Commercial High-Arched Plastic Tunnels, Aya Fardoun, Nour Ezzeddine, Hagop S. Atamian, Hana Sobh, Houssam Shaib, Yusuf Abou Jawdah

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a highly invasive pest that causes significant damages to tomato crops globally. Its resistance to commonly used chemical insecticides has made management increasingly difficult, prompting the need for sustainable, effective alternatives. This study investigated the efficacy of a Lebanese isolate of Beauveria pseudobassiana as a biological control agent against T. absoluta, compared its performance to Bacillus thuringiensis and conventional pesticide mixtures under both controlled, commercial production conditions

Results

Three preliminary cage experiments were conducted under controlled infestation conditions using larvae reared from field-collected adults. Conidial suspensions of B. pseudobassiana …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

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 …

Agroecology And Soil Stewardship: Values And Techniques Of Smallholder Farmers In Bernalillo County, Stephanie Olivas

Geography ETDs

Agrarian movements around the world use agroecology to build sovereignty and steward dynamic ecosystems. Research has shown that agroecological farmers steward more resilient crops, more resilient soil biomes, and greater biodiversity than conventional agriculture. GIS and remote sensing offer many tools to detect the impacts of these farmers on the environment, but it is less clear how such technologies fit into agroecological goals. This study asks: what values, experiences and knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County embody in their soil stewardship practices? Also, what experience or knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County have about remote sensing, and would …

A Year Of Wins For Farmed Animals, Lewis Bollard

Nexus – UNEP – Animal Welfare, Environment, Sustainable Development

Although the European Union shelved its ambitious farmed animal welfare reforms, there were other “wins” for farmed animals in 2023. There were 130 new corporate pledges to eliminate cages for laying hens and the worst abuses of broiler chickens. So far, over 1,000 corporate pledges have been fully implemented, and 39% of American hens, 60% of European hens, and 80% of British hens are cage-free, up from 6%, 41%, and 48%, respectively, a decade ago. The US Supreme Court upheld California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of eggs, pork, and veal from caged animals and their offspring in California. …

Antibacterial, Antioxidant, And Repellency Potential Of The Essential Oil From Spartium Junceum L. Grown In Lebanon, Hawraa Zahrddin, Mahmoud Khalil, Akram Hijazi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The goal of our present study is to assess the pharmacological potential of essential oil extracted from Spartium junceum cultivated in Lebanon. This oil was obtained by hydrodistillation using the Clevenger apparatus. Then, an organoleptic characterization and an evaluation of its antioxidant, repellent/insecticidal, and antibacterial activities have been evaluated. The obtained results showed that this oil had an antioxidant activity reaching 82 % dependent on the dilution used. In addition, it showed an insecticidal effect and an antibacterial effect.

Influence Of Fertilizer Rate On Swollen Stem Formation (“Bulbing”) And Vitamin C Content In Different Kohlrabi Cultivars, Mark Iradukunda, Paul E. Read

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) is a vegetable crop found in the Brassicaceae, and it is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in oxidative damage repair and strengthens the immune system, so exploring vitamin C sources may contribute to improving human health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different fertilizer rates on kohlrabi yield, in terms of the swollen stem and the vitamin C content, and if those effects are similar in different kohlrabi cultivars. In this greenhouse study, we fertilized four potted kohlrabi cultivars with a common water-soluble greenhouse fertilizer …

Getting To The Root Cause: The Genetic Underpinnings Of Root System Architecture And Rhizodeposition In Sorghum, Farren Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Plants are some of the most diverse organisms on earth, consisting of more than 350,000 different species. To understand the underlying processes that contributed to plant diversification, it is fundamental to identify the genetic and genomic components that facilitated various adaptations over evolutionary history. Most studies to date have focused on the underlying controls of above-ground traits such as grain and vegetation; however, little is known about the “hidden half” of plants. Root systems comprise half of the total plant structure and provide vital functions such as anchorage, resource acquisition, and storage of energy reserves. The execution of these key …

Assessment Of Grain Safety In Developing Nations, Jose R. Mendoza

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grains are the most widely consumed foods worldwide, with maize (Zea mays) being frequently consumed in developing countries where it feeds approximately 900 million people under the poverty line of 2 USD per day. While grain handling practices are acceptable in most developed nations, many developing nations still face challenges such as inadequate field management, drying, and storage. Faulty grain handling along with unavoidably humid climates result in recurrent fungal growth and spoilage, which compromises both the end-quality and safety of the harvest. This becomes particularly problematic where there is little awareness about health risks associated with poor …

De Novo Sequencing And Analysis Of Salvia Hispanica Tissue-Specific Transcriptome And Identification Of Genes Involved In Terpenoid Biosynthesis, James Wimberley, Joseph Cahill, Hagop S. Atamian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Salvia hispanica (commonly known as chia) is gaining popularity worldwide as a healthy food supplement due to its low saturated fatty acid and high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, in addition to being rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Chia leaves contain plethora of secondary metabolites with medicinal properties. In this study, we sequenced chia leaf and root transcriptomes using the Illumina platform. The short reads were assembled into contigs using the Trinity software and annotated against the Uniprot database. The reads were de novo assembled into 103,367 contigs, which represented 92.8% transcriptome completeness and a diverse set of Gene Ontology …

Paleoethnobotanical Evidence Of Early Formative Period Diet In Coastal Oaxaca, Mexico, Éloi Bérubé, Guy David Hepp, Shanti Morell-Hart

Anthropology Faculty Publications

In this paper, we discuss dietary and possible medicinal practices of an Early Formative period (2000–1000 BCE) community transitioning from Archaic-style to Formative-style lifeways. The results we present come from the analysis of plant residues, including microbotanical and macrobotanical remains, which were excavated at the village site of La Consentida in coastal Oaxaca, Mexico. Phytoliths and starch grains were recovered by sonication from twenty ceramic and lithic artifacts. The microbotanical analyses identified plant remains from four different families: Bombaceae (flowering plants), Dioscoreaceae (yam family), Fabaceae (bean family), and Poaceae (grasses, including maize). We also report on limited macrobotanical analysis, including …

Introduction To Sorghum Paper Production, Zachary Christman

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

Sorghum is a tall grass used for many commercial products such as fodder and syrup. The 10 to 15 feet stalk of the plant has lower lignin than wood and provides a fiber length of 2.31 mm in the outer covering and 1.38 mm for the leaf. Sorghum fiber makes a high quality, strong paper suitable for printing, packaging and paperboard.

Effects Of Fruit Position In Standard Place Pack Cartons And Gamma 1 Irradiation On The Postharvest Quality Of ‘Barnfield’ Navel Oranges, Karina Cruz Rodriguez (Friscia), José De Jesús Ornelas-Paz, Vrani Ibarra-Junquera, Maria Criselda Toto, Akanksha Jain, Anuradha Prakash

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

The objective of this study was to determine if oranges in the top and bottom layers within a Standard Place Pack were impacted differently by irradiation after long-term storage. ‘Barnfield’ Navel oranges were packed in Standard Place Pack cartons and treated with 0, 0.15, or 1 kGy of gamma irradiation. The fruit were stored for 3 weeks at 5 °C and then for 1 week at 20 °C. After storage, the fruit from the top and bottom layers were separately evaluated for quality. The development of stem-end rind breakdown (SERB) was the main cause of quality loss and was greater …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Breeding For Resistance In California Strawberry To Verticillium Dahliae, Zachary Christman

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

This article focuses on breeding resistant strawberries to the fungus Verticillium dahliae, common name Verticillium wilt. This is a serious fungal disease that can result in a loss of 50% or more of a strawberry harvest when grown in infested soil. The main goal is to provide an example of how a cultivar can be made more resistant to a plant pathogen with the use of plant breeding methods.

Since 1930 the University of California, Davis, has been developing strawberry cultivars that are adapted to the agricultural industry and regional farms. Developing cultivars that require fewer inputs are of …

The Gmo/Ge Debate, Joanna K. Sax

Texas A&M Law Review

We live longer and healthier lives because advances in science create easier and better ways to sustain and survive. Society has an intricate relationship with biotechnology. Vaccines save lives. Fluoridated water decreases dental issues. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Nuclear power is a form of clean energy. With any emerging technology, the benefits do not exist in a vacuum, thus, negative consequences result as well. Our widespread uses of antibiotics are creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Our research into nuclear energy also facilitated the creation of nuclear bombs. Perhaps it is human nature to use scientific advances for good and for …

Recognizing Challenges And Opportunities In The Quest To End Hunger, Jennifer Williams Zwagerman

Texas A&M Law Review

As an attorney and professor that does not focus on intellectual property law, I was a bit apprehensive about providing a keynote address for a Symposium focusing on “Agriculture, Intellectual Property, and Feeding the World in the 21st Century.” As I thought about this topic, knowing that there were other speakers who would focus more on the IP issues and technical aspects of various topics, I kept coming back to the importance of technology as we worktowards the goal of feeding the world, and the many ways in which innovation plays a role in meeting that goal. It also brought …

Effect Of Phytosanitary Irradiation On The Quality Of Two Varieties Of Pummelos (Citrus Maxima (Burm.) Merr.), A. Jain, J. Ornelas-Paz, D. Obenland, K. Rodriguez (Friscia), Anuradha Prakash

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Phytosanitary treatments prevent the introduction of pests such as fruit flies into pest free zones, and are often required for international trade. Irradiation is increasingly being considered as an alternative to cold and chemical phytosanitary treatments, such as methyl bromide. In this study, the effect of low dose gamma irradiation on the post-harvest quality of two varieties of pummelos (Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.), an emerging crop of interest in the US was evaluated. Two varieties of pummelos grown in California were irradiated at the phytosanitary target dose of 150 Gy and a higher dose of 1000 Gy to exaggerate …

Testing Predictions Used To Build An Agrivoltaics Installation On A Small-Scale Educational Model, Katie Kinney, Rebecca Minor, Greg Barron-Gafford

STAR Program Research Presentations

Models are valuable tools for explaining and testing systems. Small-scale models can be especially useful for educational purposes. For models to be useful, they have to accurately depict the larger system that they are describing. A novel man-made system, known as an agrivoltaic structure, is being constructed at Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona. The word agrivoltaic is a combination of agriculture and photovoltaics, or solar farming. My research involved creating a small-scale version of this system for educational purposes. The model of this system tested two predictions: that plants will grow better in the shade of a panel and that …

Particular Applications Of Food Irradiation Fresh Produce, Anuradha Prakash

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

On fresh fruits and vegetables, irradiation at low and medium dose levels can effectively reduce microbial counts which can enhance safety, inhibit sprouting to extend shelf-life, and eliminate or sterilize insect pests which can serve to facilitate trade between countries. At the dose levels used for these purposes, the impact on quality is negligible. Despite the fact that regulations in many countries allow the use of irradiation for fresh produce, the technology remains under-utilized, even in the light of an increase in produce related disease outbreaks and the economic benefits of extended shelflife and reduced food waste. Putative concerns about …

From Milpas To The Market: A Study On The Use Of Metal Silos For Safer And Better Storage Of Guatemalan Maize, José Rodrigo Mendoza

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project aimed to implement the use of metal silos to improve quality and safety of maize consumed by inhabitants of the highlands of Guatemala. This manuscript includes a literature review of the maize production chain in Guatemala, a survey about agricultural practices used in the region of study, as well as a characterization of the analyzed maize regarding its mycoflora, nutritional composition, and insect infestation. To better understand the current situation regarding agricultural practices and maize consumption, a survey was carried out. Sample consisted of 280 families representing 14 rural communities distributed in the townships of Todos Santos and …

Comparative Evaluation Of The Effect Of Methyl Bromide Fumigation And Phytosanitary Irradiation On The Quality Of Fresh Strawberries, Tamar Serapian, Anuradha Prakash

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Fresh strawberries are highly perishable and have a short shelf-life especially when the cold chain is not maintained. Strawberries exported to Asia are currently fumigated with methyl bromide for phytosanitary purposes, which exposes strawberries to warm temperatures for several hours and air freight without temperature control, resulting in a shelf life of just a few days in the destination country. Irradiation offers an efficacious alternative to fumigation and can be performed on cold fruit. This study was conducted to compare the quality of strawberries subject to methyl bromide fumigation or irradiation followed by simulated commercial air freight shipment of strawberries …

Predictive Modeling Of Oxygen Transmission Through Micro-Perforations For Packaging Applications, Ayman Abdellatief, Bruce A. Welt, Jason Butler, Eric Mclamore, Arthur Teixeira, Sanjay Shukla

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Methods for creating precise perforations in respiring produce packaging are being increasingly adopted. Knowledge of oxygen transfer through perforated packaging and oxygen distribution in packages is necessary for successful packaging design of fresh produce. An approach to modeling perforated packaging performance was developed using a cylindrical chamber with precision perforations using Fick’s second law. The model was simulated using two techniques including Finite Element Method (FEM) using commercially available software and Finite Volume Method (FVM) through programming. Perforations were approximated as a source term in the second method. Both simulation techniques showed trends similar to experimental data.

Yield Gap Analysis With Local To Global Relevance—A Review, Martin K. Van Ittersum, Kenneth Cassman, Patricio Grassini, Joost Wolf, Pablo Tittonell, Zvi Hochman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Yields of crops must increase substantially over the coming decades to keep pace with global food demand driven by population and income growth. Ultimately global food production capacity will be limited by the amount of land and water resources available and suitable for crop production, and by biophysical limits on crop growth. Quantifying food production capacity on every hectare of current farmland in a consistent and transparent manner is needed to inform decisions on policy, research, development and investment that aim to affect future crop yield and land use, and to inform on-ground action by local farmers through their knowledge …

Is Local Food In Your Future?: An Analysis Of The Viability Of The Local Food Movement, Jennifer A. Sliney

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

The Local Food Movement has arisen in recent decades as a proposed solution to problems in the current food distribution system. Proponents of the movement look to solve problems such as unsustainable farming practices, greenhouse gas emissions, and unhealthy communities. Skeptics raise questions as to whether local food is truly capable of accomplishing any of those. The author proposes that as a solution, aspects of the Local Food Movement such as urban agriculture and attempts at community development should be taken more seriously in order to create a better future for the land and people alike.

Agriculture And Food In Crisis: Conflict, Resistance, And Renewal [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar. 2010. Monthly Review Press, New York, New York, United States. 348 p. Paperback, cloth US$ 75.00, paper US$ 18.95, ISBN-13 978-1-58367-226-6.

That doubling of food production over the next four decades will be needed to adequately nourish our human population is not news, but the incredible steps essential to achieve that goal and their political and social implications are less well reported. In this series of 16 essays edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar, several thoughtful specialists in global food issues explore the historical, biological, economic, energy, political and social dimensions of …

Letter From The Dean, Lalit Verma

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

No abstract provided.