Plant Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Fungal Communities And Their Effects On Plants, Kel Cook

Biology ETDs

Fungi perform several critical functions in the environment. Spatiotemporal distributions of fungal communities will mediate when and where these functions happen and how they vary across the landscape. I first explored tropical tree canopy fungal community variation at small spatial scales and documented near total turnover of fungi across sub-meter distances and among adjacent substrates. The second chapter analyzed fungal turnover over the course of three years, where community stability was driven primarily by abundant fungi. In the third chapter, I tested effects of the environment, including host plant and habitat, on canopy fungal communities and found only small effects, …

Dissecting The Cellular Control Of Septin Organization In A Global Cereal Killer, Nawaraj Dulal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice blast disease, caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, destroys sufficient rice each year to feed 60 million people, and is a serious threat to global food security. A wheat-adapted lineage of M. oryzae now poses threat to global wheat production. Rice blast disease is currently controlled using limited fungicides, and the emergence of fungicide resistance within M. oryzae populations is a growing concern. There is a pressing need to identify new classes of fungicides to control the disease, which requires better understanding of the basic biology of the pathogen. To establish disease, M. oryzae forms a specialized dome …

Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce

Publications and Research

Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and compare the …

Management Of Storage Pest And Pathogens Of Oat Seeds Using Low Input And Ecofriendly Methods, D. Bahukhandi, D. Vijay, Vikas Kumar, Harsh Vardhan Singh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Indigenous Traditional knowledge (ITK) is the local knowledge unique to a given culture or society. It is the basis for local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation, natural-resource management and a host of other activities in rural communities. Storage structures and locally available plant products were used to store seeds and to ward off seed pests and pathogens. In different parts of India, different types of containers are used locally to store different crop seeds, according to the availability and climatic conditions. Sundaramari et. al. (2011) advocated the importance of indigenous storage structures for safe storage of grains …

Population Of Fungi Associated With Seed Germination After Storage And Seed Treatment, Alaba O. Jolaosho, Adijat Olabisi Atayese, Olufunmilayo Comfort Amed, Bolanle Temitope Akinyemi, Jimoh A. Olanite, Victoria O. A. Ojo

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Fungi growth occurs in seeds as a result of environmental conditions (high relative humidity, suitable temperature and high level of seed moisture content). But pathogen free healthy seeds are required for plant propagation. Microbial and insect attack affect seeds throughout the life cycle of the plant (Islam et al., 2009). Fungi are the most common microbes that affect seed germination and they can be both saprophytic and pathogenic. Hence, the aim of this experiment is to determine the cultural and morphological characteristics and population of fungi associated with the germination of some legume seeds after storage and scarification.

Chemical Composition And Fermentation Profile Of Perennial Peanut And Marandu Grass Mixed Silages, Karina G. Ribeiro, Françoise M. Gomes, Odilon G. Pereira, Sebastião De C. Valadares Filho, Thiago C. Da Silva, Vanessa P. Da Silva, Regina S. Santos, Mariele C. N. Agarussi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Perennial peanut has high quality, evidenced by the improvement of animal production in grazing, due to good contents of crude protein and digestibility, which makes it one of the best alternatives for low cost feeding (Paganella and Valls 2002). Grass ensilage associated with legumes is considered an alternative to meet the protein demand of cattle in the livestock. However, due to limited information on the techniques of grass ensilage with tropical legumes, this research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the fermentation profile of perennial peanut and Marandu mixed grass silages, treated or not with bacterial inoculant.

Genetic Characterization And Genome-Wide Association Mapping For Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Bread Wheat Accessions From The Usda National Small Grains Collection, Tyler Gordon, Rui Wang, David Hole, Harold Bockelman, J. Michael Bonman, Jianli Chen

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Key message

Dwarf bunt-resistant bread wheat accessions and SNP markers associated with DB resistance identified in this study are valuable resources for characterization and deployment of DB resistance in bread wheat.

Abstract

Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn, can significantly reduce grain yield and quality on autumn-sown wheat in regions with prolonged snow cover. DB can be managed with the use of resistant cultivars. The objectives of the present study were to characterize DB resistance in a large set of bread wheat accessions from the National Small Grains Collection and use a genome-wide association study approach to …

A Preliminary Checklist Of Lichens From Kamiak Butte County Park, Washington State, Emma Sell, Amanda Chandler

2020 Symposium Posters

The semiarid Palouse ecoregion of North America was once dominated by temperate prairies and connects areas of southeast Washington, north-central Idaho, and northeast Oregon. Transformation of nearly all habitats comprising this ecosystem into agricultural lands has drastically reduced extant native grasslands to small, highly fragmented pieces. These land conversion practices, coupled with the subsequent takeover of invasive plant species, have placed the Palouse ecoregion among the most critically endangered ecosystems in the United States, with < 1% of land remaining that is suitable to host native species. The enormous loss of biodiversity across the Palouse has prompted a need for further study regarding a wide variety of organisms. In particular, lichen diversity of the Palouse ecoregion has never been formally characterized, and there are overall very few detailed studies of lichens throughout eastern Washington. To improve knowledge of Palouse lichen diversity, we first reviewed collection data from historical herbarium specimens via the Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria (CNALH) database. We then collected lichen voucher specimens from Kamiak Butte County Park (KBCP), one of the largest contiguous natural areas within the Palouse ecoregion as its relatively steep, rocky slopes make it ill-suited for agricultural conversion. KBCP consists of 298 acres of mixed Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) forest and native grassland that rises above the surrounding farmland, as well as an east-west ridgeline …

Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of Ergot Alkaloid Synthesizing Fungi And Their Symbionts, Matthew Duane Maust

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ergot alkaloids are fungal tryptophan derived toxins which affect mammalian circulation and neurotransmission. These compounds are biosynthesized by a conserved genetic pathway, known as the ergot alkaloid synthesis (EAS) pathway by fungi belonging to the ascomycete families Trichocomaceae and Clavicipitaceae. Several Ipomoea species and related plants in the morning glory family harbor vertically transmitted symbiotic fungi in the genus Periglandula, also members of Clavicipitaceae, that produce ergot alkaloids. Metabolomic analysis of seeds identified a previously uncharacterized glycoside form of the pharmaceutically important ergot alkaloid, ergonovine. Several species belonging to the fungal genus Metarhizium have recently been shown to have the …