Plant Sciences Commons^™

Advancing Nasa’S Airmoss P-Band Radar Root Zone Soil Moisture Retrieval Algorithm Via Incorporation Of Richards’ Equation, Morteza Sadeghi, Alireza Tabatabaeenejad, Markus Tuller, Mahta Moghaddam, Scott B. Jones

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

P-band radar remote sensing applied during the Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) mission has shown great potential for estimation of root zone soil moisture. When retrieving the soil moisture profile (SMP) from P-band radar observations, a mathematical function describing the vertical moisture distribution is required. Because only a limited number of observations are available, the number of free parameters of the mathematical model must not exceed the number of observed data. For this reason, an empirical quadratic function (second order polynomial) is currently applied in the AirMOSS inversion algorithm to retrieve the SMP. The three free parameters …

Can Sub-Saharan Africa Feed Itself?, Martin K. Van Ittersum, Lenny G. J. Van Bussel, Joost Wolf, Patricio Grassini, Justin Van Wart, Nicolas Guilpart, Lieven Claessens, Hugo De Groot, Keith Wiebe, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Haishun Yang, Hendrik Boogard, Pepijn A. J. Van Oort, Marloes P. Van Loon, Kazuki Saito, Ochieng Adimo, Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Alhassane Agali, Abdullahi Bala, Regis Chikowo, Kayuki Kaizzi, Mamoutou Kouressy, Joachim H. J. R. Makoi, Korodjouma Ouattara, Kindie Tesfaye, Kenneth G. Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Although global food demand is expected to increase 60% by 2050 compared with 2005/2007, the rise will be much greater in sub- Saharan Africa (SSA). Indeed, SSA is the region at greatest food security risk because by 2050 its population will increase 2.5-fold and demand for cereals approximately triple, whereas current levels of cereal consumption already depend on substantial imports. At issue is whether SSA can meet this vast increase in cereal demand without greater reliance on cereal imports or major expansion of agricultural area and associated biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. Recent studies indicate that the global increase …

High Tunnel Tomato Variety Report Uri 2016, Andy Mark Radin

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Pumpkin Variety Trial Uri 2016, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Butternut Squash Variety Trial Uri 2016, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Can Functional Traits Predict Plant Community Response To Global Change?, Sarah Kimball, Jennifer L. Funk, Marko J. Spasojevic, Katharine N. Suding, Scot Parker, Michael K. Goulden

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

One primary goal at the intersection of community ecology and global change biology is to identify functional traits that are useful for predicting plant community response to global change. We used observations of community composition from a long-term field experiment in two adjacent plant communities (grassland and coastal sage shrub) to investigate how nine key plant functional traits were related to altered water and nitrogen availability following fire. We asked whether the functional responses of species found in more than one community type were context dependent and whether community-weighted mean and functional diversity were significantly altered by water and nitrogen …

Can Functional Traits Predict Plant Community Response To Global Change?, Sarah Kimball, Jennifer L. Funk, Marko J. Spasojevic, Katharine N. Suding, Scot Parker, Michael K. Goulden

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

One primary goal at the intersection of community ecology and global change biology is to identify functional traits that are useful for predicting plant community response to global change. We used observations of community composition from a long-term field experiment in two adjacent plant communities (grassland and coastal sage shrub) to investigate how nine key plant functional traits were related to altered water and nitrogen availability following fire. We asked whether the functional responses of species found in more than one community type were context dependent and whether community-weighted mean and functional diversity were significantly altered by water and nitrogen …

Evolutionary Heritage Influences Amazon Tree Ecology, Fernanda Coelho De Souza, Kyle G. Dexter, Oliver L. Phillips, Roel J. W. Brienen, Jerome Chave, David Galbraith, Gabriela Lopez Gonzalez, Abel Monteagudo M., R. Toby Pennington, Lourens Poorter, Miguel Alexiades, Esteban Alvarez Davila, Ana Andrade, Luiz E. O. C. Aragao, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Christopher Baraloto, Jorcely Barroso, Damien Bonal, Rene G. A. Boot, Jose Luis C. Camargo, James A. Comiskey, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Plinio Barbosa De Camargo, Anthony Di Fiore, Fernando Elias, Terry L. Erwin, Ted R. Feldpausch, Leandro Ferreira, Nikolaos M. Fyllas, Manuel Gloor, Bruno Herault, Rafael Herrera, Niro Higuchi, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Timothy Killeen, William F. Laurance, Susan G. W. Laurance, Jon Lloyd, Thomas E. Lovejoy, Yadvinder Malhi, Leandro Maracahipes, Beatriz S. Marimon, Ben-Hur Marimon Jr., Casimiro Mendoza, Paulo S. Morandi, David Neill, Percy Nunez Vargas, Edmar A. Oliveira, Eddie Lenza, Walter Palacios, Maria C. Penuela-Mora, John J. Pipoly Iii, Nigel C. A. Pitman, Adriana Prieto, Carlos A. Quesada, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Agustin Rudas, Kalle Ruokolainen, Rafael P. Salomao, Marcos Silveira, Juliana Stropp, Hans Ter Steege, Raquel Thomas, Peter Van Der Hout, Geertje Van Der Heijden, Peter J. Van Der Meer, Rodolfo V. Vasquez, Simone A. Vieira, Emilio Vilanova, Vincent A. Vos, Ophelia Wang, Kenneth R. Young, Roderick J. Zagt

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth …

Vascular Flora Of The Rocky Fork Tract, Tennessee, Usa, And Its Use In Conservation And Management, Foster Levy, Elaine S. Walker

ETSU Faculty Works

A flora of the 3800 ha Rocky Fork Tract in northeast Tennessee produced 749 species of which 19 were on the Tennessee Rare Plant List and 34 were on the Cherokee National Forest Species Viability List with 87 county records from Greene County and 217 from Unicoi County. Rare species were particularly numerous in the Cyperaceae and Orchidaceae. The tract serves as a refuge for several regionally uncommon species by supporting either large populations or metapopulations of these species. Exotic species comprised 15% of the flora and were most common in the Fabaceae and Poaceae. The most unique habitat was …

Characterization Of The Cytokinin-Responsive Transcriptome In Rice, Tracy Raines, Ivory C. Blakley, Yu-Chang Tsai, Jennifer M. Worthen, José M. Franco-Zorrilla, Roberto Solano, G. Eric Schaller

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cytokinin activates transcriptional cascades important for development and the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Most of what is known regarding cytokinin-regulated gene expression comes from studies of the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To expand the understanding of the cytokinin-regulated transcriptome, we employed RNA-Seq to analyze gene expression in response to cytokinin in roots and shoots of the monocotyledonous plant rice.

The Coat Protein And Nia Protease Of Two Potyviridae Family Members Independently Confer Superinfection Exclusion, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Superinfection exclusion (SIE) is an antagonistic virus-virus interaction whereby initial infection by one virus prevents subsequent infection by closely related viruses. Although SIE has been described in diverse viruses infecting plants, humans, and animals, its mechanisms, including involvement of specific viral determinants, are just beginning to be elucidated. In this study, SIE determinants encoded by two economically important wheat viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus, family Potyviridae) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV; genus Poacevirus, family Potyviridae), were identified in gain-of-function experiments that used heterologous viruses to express individual virus-encoded proteins in wheat. Wheat plants infected …

Heterodimers As The Structural Unit Of The T=1 Capsid Of The Fungal Double-Stranded Rna Rosellinia Necatrix Quadrivirus 1, Daniel Luque, Carlos P. Mata, Fernando González-Camacho, José M. González, Josué Gómez-Blanco, Carlos Alfonso, Germán Rivas, Wendy M. Havens, Satoko Kanematsu, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Said A. Ghabrial, Benes L. Trus, José R Castón

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Most double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses are transcribed and replicated in a specialized icosahedral capsid with a T=1 lattice consisting of 60 asymmetric capsid protein (CP) dimers. These capsids help to organize the viral genome and replicative complex(es). They also act as molecular sieves that isolate the virus genome from host defense mechanisms and allow the passage of nucleotides and viral transcripts. Rosellinia necatrix quadrivirus 1 (RnQV1), the type species of the family Quadriviridae, is a dsRNA fungal virus with a multipartite genome consisting of four monocistronic segments (segments 1 to 4). dsRNA-2 and dsRNA-4 encode two CPs (P2 and …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2016 Data Report, Molly B. Davis, Daniel J. Swanson

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2016 at Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN) and Northern Great Plains Fire Ecology Program (NGPFire).

During the sixth full year of field work, crew members from NGPN visited eight long-term monitoring plots on May 23-25, 2016 to collect data on the plant communities at SCBL. This is part of a long-term monitoring effort to better understand the condition of the vegetation at SCBL. NGPN staff captured data relating to species richness, herb-layer height, abundance of individual native and non-native …

Development Of Highly Variable Microsatellite Markers For The Tetraploid Silene Stellata (Caryophyllaceae), Juannan Zhou, Michele R. Dudash, Charles B. Fenster, Elizabeth A. Zimmer

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Premise of the study:We designed and tested microsatellite markers for the North American native species Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae) to investigate its population genetic structure and identify selection on floral design through male reproductive success.

Methods and Results: A total of 153 candidate microsatellite loci were isolated based on next-generation sequencing. We identified 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci in three populations of S. stellata, with di- or trinucleotide repeats. Genotyping results showed the number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 45 and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.511 to 0.951. Five of these loci were successfully amplified in S. …

Novel Aspects Of Drosophila Suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Biology And An Improved Method For Culturing This Invasive Species With A Modified D. Melanogaster Diet, Blair J. Sampson, Trevor Mallette, Karla M. Addesso, Oscar E. Liburd, Lindsy E. Iglesias, Stephen J. Stringer, Chris T. Werle, Donna A. Shaw, Drew Larsen, John J. Adamczyk

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumara) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), the spotted wing drosophila, is a global pest of soft fruits now rearable on a standard D. melanogaster (Meigen) diet containing the fly's own natural food: soft-skinned berries. The techniques tested here can save 40% of cultures from microbial contamination that develops after combining artificial food sources (e.g., standard drosophila media) with unsterilized host plant material (berries). A suitable ratio for mixing dietary ingredients for a vial or test-tube rearing system includes, by weight, 1 part berry tissue for oviposition, 1.5 parts dry diet media for carbohydrate, 7 parts clean water for moisture, and ∼5 …

Functional Trait Values, Not Trait Plasticity, Drive The Invasiveness Of Rosa Sp. In Response To Light Availability, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Jennifer E. Murphy

Biology

PREMISE OF THE STUDY : Functional trait plasticity in resource capture traits has been suggested as an underlying mechanism promoting invasive species establishment and spread. Earlier studies on this mechanism treat invasiveness as a discrete characteristic (i.e., invasive vs. noninvasive) and do not consider the potential impacts of evolutionary history. In the present study, we used a continuous measure of invasiveness and a phylogenetic framework to quantify the relationship between functional trait expression, plasticity, and invasiveness in Rosa .

Reintroducing Environmental Change Drivers In Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning Research., Frederik De Laender, Jason R. Rohr, Roman Ashauer, Donald J Baird, Uta Berger, Nico Eisenhauer, Volker Grimm, Udo Hommen, Lorraine Maltby, Carlos J Meliàn

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

For the past 20 years, research on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (B-EF) has only implicitly considered the underlying role of environmental change. We illustrate that explicitly reintroducing environmental change drivers in B-EF research is needed to predict the functioning of ecosystems facing changes in biodiversity. Next we show how this reintroduction improves experimental control over community composition and structure, which helps to provide mechanistic insight on how multiple aspects of biodiversity relate to function and how biodiversity and function relate in food webs. We also highlight challenges for the proposed reintroduction and suggest analyses and experiments to better understand how …

Mechanism Of Resistance, Gene Flow, And Integrated Management Of Ragweeds (Ambrosia) In Nebraska, Zahoor Ahmad Ganie

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

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) and giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) are native annual broadleaf weeds in the United States found in diverse agroecosystems, roadsides, and wastelands. They are economically important weed species in the Midwest and sources of pollen allergies. Confirmation of glyphosate-resistant (GR) common and giant ragweed in Nebraska justified the need to determine the mechanism of resistance, dispersal of resistance genes via pollen, and to develop an integrated management program. The objectives of this research were to: 1) determine the mechanism of glyphosate resistance in a common ragweed biotype from Nebraska; 2) evaluate the effect …

Characterization Of Ground Nozzles For Pesticide Applications, Ryan Henry

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

Pesticide applications are a common component of crop production systems in the United States (US). For row crop systems (e.g. corn, soybean, or wheat), pesticides are applied by ground, aerial, or chemigation methods. The exact method of pesticide delivery is not universally regulated/ prescribed in the US, and the equipment and application technique are largely defined by the individual applicator. A wide variety of choices and decisions must be made by applicators to result in a successful pesticide application. Examples of these choices include proper active ingredient(s), carrier volume and equipment (e.g. nozzle type, spacing, and operating pressure) selection while …

Selection Of Efficient Taq Dna Polymerase To Optimize T-Dna Genotyping Method For Rapid Detection Of Mutant Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants, Inna B. Chastukhina, Liliia R. Nigmatullina, Lia R. Valeeva, Eugene V. Shakirov

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Plants harbor homologues of various animal genes involved in phosphorus metabolism, telomere biology and other cellular processes. Compared to experiments with many other multicellular organisms, research in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana takes advantage of short generation time and an ever increasing arsenal of genetic and transgenic tools, including large collections of T-DNA knockout and activation lines. The availability of thousands of publicly available transgenic Arabidopsis lines provides a unique opportunity to address a number of important biological questions. However, identification of individual T-DNA mutant plants from a pool of seeds provided by a biological stock distribution center remains a …

Plant Community Composition And Structure Monitoring For Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 2016 Data Report, Aaron T. Rasor, Daniel J. Swanson

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

This report presents the results of vegetation monitoring efforts in 2016 at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (NGPN).

During the sixth full year of field work, crew members from NGPN visited six long-term plant community monitoring (PCM) plots and the Northern Great Plains Fire Effects Crew (NGPFire) visited nine fire plant community monitoring (FPCM) plots to collect data on the plant communities at AGFO. This effort is part of a long-term monitoring program established to better understand the condition of the mixed-grass prairie, riparian, and upland regions in AGFO. …

Arkansas Soybean Performance Tests 2016, R. D. Bond, J. A. Still, D. G. Dombek

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Soybean variety and strain performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing varieties and/or marketing seed within the State, and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for soybean producers.

Finding The Best Remaining Black Hills Montane Grasslands, The First Step In Conservation, Hollis Marriott, Don Faber-Langendoen, David J. Ode

The Prairie Naturalist

Black Hills Montane Grassland is a rare and endangered plant community endemic to the Black Hills of western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. It is restricted to higher elevations on the Limestone Plateau in the western part of the uplift. Early visitors to the Black Hills wrote glowing reports of flower-filled grasslands on the Limestone Plateau. Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and his soldiers reveled in lush grass, and decorated the headgear of their horses with flowers (Custer 1875). Expedition botanist A. B. Donaldson “estimated the number of flowers in bloom in Floral Valley at 50, while an equal number …

Assessment Of Smallmouth Bass Growth And Mortality In Nebraska Waters, Benjamin J. Schall, Keith D. Koupal, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Keith L. Hurley

The Prairie Naturalist

Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) have been introduced across Nebraska into a variety of waterbodies. However, an estimate of smallmouth bass growth and mortality in Nebraska waters has not been produced. The objectives of this study were to use historic sampling data to describe the growth of smallmouth bass in Nebraska lakes in relation to other regional models, growth among waterbody types (reservoirs, Interstate 80 [I-80] lakes, and rivers), estimates of age at quality, preferred, and memorable lengths, and mortality for Nebraska smallmouth bass populations. Mean length ± SE of Nebraska smallmouth bass at age 7 was 383 ± …

Review Of Booming From The Mists Of Nowhere: The Story Of The Greater Prairie-Chicken By Greg Hoch, Ross H. Hier

The Prairie Naturalist

The Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) is an iconic species inhabiting one of the most iconic and rarest habitats in the world—the tallgrass prairies of central North America. To tell the story of the Greater Prairie-Chicken is a monumental task. Its history is intricately woven into pre- and post-European settlement of the North American prairies in such a way that knowledge of the species is spread over several centuries. Thus, researching the “old and the new” regarding the Greater Prairie-Chicken requires a substantial literature review, much of which occurs in publications from the 1800s. Hoch has done a …

Forage News [2016-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Bale Grazing Can Spread Nutrients
• Quote of the Month: "Before Anything Else, Preparation is the Key to Success" ~ Alexander Graham Bell
• Novel Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop to be held in Lexington March 9th
• Financial Assistance for Establishing Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue on Pastures
• Heart of America Grazing Conference Coming Up!
• AFGC Tour of New Zealand 2016
• Featured Publication: Using Dry Lots to Conserve Pastures and Reduce Pollution Potential (ID-171)
• Dallisgrass Makes Rare Impact on KY Horse Farm
• Small Ruminant Grazing Conference

Effect Of Exotic Invasive Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium Microphyllum) On Soil Properties, Pushpa G. Soti, Krish Jayachandran

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) has become one of the most serious ecological threats to the integrity of the greater Everglades ecosystem of south Florida. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Old World climbing fern on surfacesoil characteristics at invaded sites in Florida. We compared soil characteristics of six invaded and adjacent uninvaded plots at three different locations. Our results show that the fern can grow and thrive in a wide range of soil types and the impact on the soil was site specific with effects being more prominent in sites with low nutrient status. Additionally, there …

Winter Desiccation Prevention And Recovery In Turfgrass, Darrell James Michael

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

Desiccating winters in the Northern Great Plains can lead to widespread turf death. This loss of turf results in poor aesthetics and can be financially burdensome. Financial implications include the cost of re-establishing turf and the loss of potential revenue from poor playing conditions in the spring which can both be devastating for financial success. The winter of 2013-2014 was particularly devastating, leaving many golf course superintendents re-evaluating their desiccation prevention management plans. There are many prevention practices available to turf managers that vary greatly in affordability, effectiveness, and labor. These prevention practices aim to prevent excessive water loss and …

Determination Of Plant Architecture And Component Phenotyping Based On Time-Lapse Image Analysis, Srinidhi Bashyam

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Plant breeding and the development of new food production depend on accurate measurement of different phenotypes (observable physical traits) of a plant. The plant phenotypes play a very important role in the agronomic production. The successful computation of plant phenotypes largely depends on the determination of the architecture of the plant, i.e., the arrangement of its parts (leaves, stems, flowers, etc.) relative to each other, and how the size, shape, and positions of those parts change over time. Researchers and breeders extract valuable information from these types of data to make an informed decision on which individuals to advance to …

Review Of Waterfowl Of North America, Europe, And Asia: An Identification Guide By Sébastien Reeber, William L. Hohman

The Prairie Naturalist

Ducks, geese and swans (Family Anatidae) are the most popular and best studied group of birds in the world. The group has been the subject of classical books by Kortright (1942), Delacour (1954-1964), Bellrose (1976), Palmer (1976), Johnsgard (1978), and, most recently, Kear (2005) and Baldassarre (2014). The latest contribution to this rich legacy is an impressively illustrated identification guide for waterfowl found in North America, Europe and Asia by author and artist, Sébastien Reeber. This is an English-language version of Canards, Cygnes et Oies d’Europe, d’Asie et d’Amérique du Nord, published by Delachaux and Niestlé in late 2015. …