Agricultural Science Commons^™

Why Organic Resources And Current Fertilizer Formulations In Southern Africa Cannot Sustain Maize Productivity: Evidence From A Long-Term Experiment In Zimbabwe, Tongai J. Mtangadura, Florence Mtambanengwe, Hatirarami Nezomba, Jairos Rurinda, Paul Mapfumo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sustainability of maize-based cropping systems is a major challenge for southern Africa, yet the demand for maize as staple food and animal feed in the region continues to increase. A study was conducted on a sandy clay loam (220 g clay kg-1 soil) at Domboshawa in Zimbabwe to investigate the long-term effects of organic resource quality and application rate, and nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil chemical properties and maize (Zea mays L.) productivity. Crotalaria juncea (high quality), Calliandra calothyrsus (medium quality), cattle manure (variable quality), maize stover and Pinus patula sawdust (both low quality) were incorporated into soil at 4.0 …

Screening Napier Grass Accessions For Resistance To Napier Grass Stunt Disease Using The Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Of Dna (Lamp), N. I.E. Wamalwa, C. A.O. Midega, S. Ajanga, N. E. Omukunda, F. N. Muyekho, G. O. Asudi, M. Mulaa, R. K. Zeyaur

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Napier grass stunt (NGS) disease is a major threat to Napier grass cultivation and the smallholder dairy industry in East and Central Africa. The disease is caused by a phytoplasma, which is transmitted by the leafhopper Maiestas banda (Kramer) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). The current study was conducted to identify among 65 Napier grass accessions that could be resistant to NGS disease using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP). The accessions were caged with NGS phytoplasma-infected Napier grass as inoculum source and M. banda as the vector. All Napier grass accessions were subjected to phytoplasma testing thereafter 18 phytoplasma negative and …

Evaluation Of Screening Methods To Detect Heat Stress In Diverse Cotton Genotypes, Mathilda M. Van Der Westhuizen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is sensitive to heat stress (HS) during reproductive development. The objective of this study was to evaluate different screening methods for identification of heat tolerance in cotton genotypes. Three growth chamber studies and four field trials were conducted from 2014 to 2017 using genotypes Arkot 9704, VH260, DP 210 B2RF and DP393. Measurements were made of membrane leakage (ML), chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF), glutathione reductase (GR), and sucrose concentration. In the growth chambers, measurements were made at 30 and 40°C and at 2, 4 and 6 hours of HS, as well as 3 and 7 days after …

Molecular And Culture-Based Assessment Of Root/Crown Rot Fungal/Oomycete Complex Of Bean In Mozambique, Suzana Vanessa Ismael Fernandes

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

Dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) play an important role in food security, alleviating hunger and malnutrition and adding value to the economy in Mozambique. Recently, root/crown rot (RCR) has caused yield losses in bean fields in Mozambique. A diverse taxa of fungi and oomycetes have been associated with RCR. However, in Mozambique little information on root rot is available. The purpose of this study is to use Illumina sequencing platform, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture-based methods to identify the primary pathogens associated with RCR in Mozambique. A total of 88 plants showing symptoms of RCR disease were …

Soybean Cyst Nematode Hatching Behavior, Aaron K. West, Sita Thapa, Nathan E. Schroeder

PRECS student projects

The ability of soybean cyst nematodes (SCN. Heterodera glycines) to lay dormant as eggs within a cyst for up to 11 years, has made this parasite a principal target for soybean crop pest management. Research on SCN hatching will improve understanding of SCN biology will uncover new mechanisms for their control. This poster summarizes three experiments using hatching stimulants, soybean root exudate (SRE) zinc chloride, testing whether it affects post hatch development.

The Application Of Aem To Mapping The Aquifer And Groundwater Characteristics Of The La Grange Groundwater Area, Wa, David Annetts, Tim Munday, Richard J. George Dr, Nicholas J. Wright, Gregory Paul Raper, Kevin Cahill

Natural resources commissioned reports

This report describes the interpretation of a large airborne electromagnetic data survey that was designed to aid characterisation of groundwater systems in the La Grange groundwater allocation area which lies south of Broome, Western Australia. Characterisation of these systems is critical to developing policy around water use in the region, especially for the development of agriculture. This report is the second of two reports and it is designed to refine surfaces which are used as inputs to groundwater models. The volume defined by these surfaces viz. the seawater intrusion in the west, the top of the Jarlemai siltstone and the …

Western Australian Arable Crops Industry - Overview For Potential Investors And Other Stakeholders, Virginia Wilkinson, Tim Morris, Nicki Hall, David Hughes Professor

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

When looking at opportunities for investment in the Western Australian arable crop production system, one must consider by whom? If you were to judge purely from the popular press, you would believe Western Australia agriculture was totally controlled by billionaires and foreign speculators. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The largest farmer, the largest farmland owner, the largest investor, the largest employer and the largest agrifood research funder in Western Australia (WA) is the government. The government is also the largest builder of the infrastructure used by the industry. At the same time, the government invests in food safety …

Determining Effects Of Heat Stress On Illinois Soybeans, Ava Alford, Charles Burroughs, Lisa Ainsworth

PRECS student projects

Rising global temperatures affect our food supply. Heat stress could negatively affect photosynthesis, plant development, and flower and pod production. The research summarized in this poster aims to better understand which physiological processes in soybeans are negatively affected by heat stress in order to identify targets for future soybean production. Using infrared heat arrays, two different cultivars of Illinois soybeans are continually heated. Throughout the experiment, data is collected on photosynthesis, leaf area index, and overall productivity of the plant. At the end of the growing season, all of the soybean plants will be harvested and their biomass will be …

The Yield Gap: Closing The Gap By Widening The Approach, Katherine A. Snyder, Sriyanie Miththapala, Rolf Sommer, Juliet Braslow

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The yield gap has arisen again as a focus for agricultural research to ensure food security and economic growth for farmers around the world. To examine this renewed interest, we carried out a review of key literature in the field of yield gap analysis to identify important gaps in research and analysis. In so doing, both the complexities in yield gap studies emerged along with some significant omissions. Much of the literature and research on the yield gap has been framed by larger concerns and initiatives to raise agricultural productivity. This focus has led to an emphasis on technical solutions …

Skeleton Weed Program: Annual Report To Grain Growers 2016/2017, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

All program milestones have been met and the program has been delivered under budget.

As stated in the 2015/16 Annual Report – the program budget has been set at its current level of (approximately) $3.5m for the foreseeable future and program activities need to be framed within this parameter.

The Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Management Committee (GSH IMC) believes the current program is delivering the best value for the funding provided and is achieving the Project Outcomes of eradication (where possible), management (on infested sites), and limiting the spread of skeleton weed across the wheatbelt.

There has been no …

Advances In Crop Insect Modelling Methods—Towards A Whole System Approach, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Bisseleua D.B. Hervé, Lisa Biber-Freudenberger, Daisy Salifu, Sevgan Subramanian, Valentine B. Ngowi, Ritter Y.A. Guimapi, Bruce Anani, Francois M.M. Kakmeni, Hippolyte Affognon, Saliou Niassy, Tobias Landmann, Frank T. Ndjomatchoua, Sansao A. Pedro, Tino Johansson, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Paulin Nana, Komi M. Fiaboe, Samira F. Mohamed, Nguya K. Maniania, Sunday Ekesi, Christian Borgemeister

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A wide range of insects affect crop production and cause considerable yield losses. Difficulties reside on the development and adaptation of adequate strategies to predict insect pests for their timely management to ensure enhanced agricultural production. Several conceptual modelling frameworks have been proposed, and the choice of an approach depends largely on the objective of the model and the availability of data. This paper presents a summary of decades of advances in insect population dynamics, phenology models, distribution and risk mapping. Existing challenges on the modelling of insects are listed; followed by innovations in the field. New approaches include artificial …

Early Growth Stages Salinity Stress Tolerance In Cm72 X Gairdner Doubled Haploid Barley Population, Tefera T. Angessa, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Gaofeng Zhou, Sue Broughton, Wenying Zhang, Chengdao Li

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

A doubled haploid (DH) population of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) generated from salinity tolerant genotype CM72 and salinity sensitive variety Gairdner was studied for salinity stress tolerance at germination, seedling emergence and first leaf full expansion growth stages. Germination study was conducted with deionized water, 150 mM and 300 mM NaCl treatments. Seedling stage salinity tolerance was conducted with three treatments: control, 150 mM NaCl added at seedling emergence and first leaf full expansion growth stages. Results from this study revealed transgressive phenotypic segregations for germination percentage and biomass at seedling stage. Twelve QTL were identified on chromosomes 2H–6H each …

Protocol For Enrichment Of The Membrane Proteome Of Mature Tomato Pollen, Puneet Paul, Palak Chaturvedi, Anida Mesihovic, Arindam Ghatak, Wolfram Weckwerth, Enrico Schleiff

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

We established and elaborated on a method to enrich the membrane proteome of mature pollen from economically relevant crop using the example of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). To isolate the pollen protein fraction enriched in membrane proteins, a high salt concentration (750 mM of sodium chloride) was used. The membrane protein-enriched fraction was then subjected to shotgun proteomics for identification of proteins, followed by in silico analysis to annotate and classify the detected proteins.

Hanford Ffa Ornamental Horticulture Unit Master Plan, Savanah Diane Rhine, Russell Alan Zimmerman

Agricultural Education and Communication

This project is intended to develop a more functional plan for the Ornamental Horticulture (OH) Unit at the Hanford Agriculture Program. The ag program combines all three high schools in Hanford resulting in over 1,000 students; however, a majority of these students are not in the OH Career Pathway due to a lack of a constant, fully functional unit. As a comprehensive agriculture program, it is crucial that it incorporates all aspects of agriculture, not just animal science and agricultural mechanics.

This project will provide the Hanford agriculture program with a plan to be implemented so that they may have …

Planning For The Proposed Peel Food Zone, Ghd

Natural resources commissioned reports

Transform Peel is a $49m Royalties for Regions funded program. This program is broadly regarded as transformational for the Peel region in terms of job creation, sustainable growth and economic development. The Peel Development Commission and its partners, intend to implement this program over 35 years where projections estimate that 35 000 jobs will be created generating an approximate $16.2b per annum economic output by 2050. Located in the Shires of Murray and Serpentine Jarrahdale, the program comprises three integrated, strategic elements: Peel Food Zone; Peel Business Park; Peel Integrated Water Initiative.

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia …

Genetic Structure And Diversity Of Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella Occidentalis In A French Bean Agroecosystem Of Kenya, P. Hondelmann, J. O. Nyasani, S. Subramanian, R. Meyhöfer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Western flower thrips (WFT) (Frankliniella occidentalis) is an introduced pest that harms French bean production in Kenya and other countries. Since new WFT management approaches are being developed, a closer look at the genetic makeup of WFT populations can give new insights into source habitats, crop colonization patterns or host plant preferences, which are prerequisites for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. For this purpose, we used six microsatellite loci to analyse the genetic structure, diversity and gene flow of WFT sampled on French beans, intercrops and weeds in Kenyan French bean production areas. The results of this preliminary study indicate …

Evaluation Of Onion (Allium Cepa) Germplasm Entries For Resistance To Onion Thrips, Thrips Tabaci (Lindeman) In Tanzania, Gabriel Michael Njau, Agnes M.S. Nyomora, Fekadu Fufa Dinssa, Jian Cheng Chang, P. Malini, S. Subramanian, R. Srinivasan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Lindeman), is a prominent species infesting onion and tomato in the northern highlands of Tanzania. It causes considerable leaf damage by direct feeding and also transmits the Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). Hence, one of the objectives of this study was to identify the most resistant onion entries against T. tabaci. One highly resistant (VI038552) and two resistant onion entries (VI038512 and AVON 1067) were identified against T. tabaci. Besides thrips resistance, the bulb size of VI038512 was also equivalent to one of the commercial varieties, Texas. The highly resistant VI038552 recorded the highest yield, followed …

Returns To Research And Outreach For Integrated Pest Management Of Western Flower Thrips Infesting French Bean And Tomato In Kenya, E. A. Mujuka, H. Affognon, B. W. Muriithi, S. Subramanian, P. Irungu, J. Mburu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a major invasive pest that causes extensive yield losses in French bean and tomato in Kenya. Thrips management is based on the application of pesticides. In addition to increased environmental risks associated with pesticides, frequent use of these chemicals increases production costs and pesticide resistance. Furthermore, exports are restricted due to non-compliance to maximum residue levels in important consumer export markets, especially the European Union (EU). This study was conducted to estimate the potential benefits of the effectiveness of the icipe-developed strategy for control of western flower thrips before dissemination of the technology in Kenya, …

Transcriptomic Resources For The Medicinal Legume Mucuna Pruriens: De Novo Transcriptome Assembly, Annotation, Identification And Validation Of Est-Ssr Markers, N. Sathyanarayana, Ranjith Kumar Pittala, Pankaj Kumar Tripathi, Ratan Chopra, Heikham Russiachand Singh, Vikas Belamkar, Pardeep Kumar Bhardwaj, Jeff J. Doyle, Ashley N. Egan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background:

The medicinal legume Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. has attracted attention worldwide as a source of the anti-Parkinson’s drug L-Dopa. It is also a popular green manure cover crop that offers many agronomic benefits including high protein content, nitrogen fixation and soil nutrients. The plant currently lacks genomic resources and there is limited knowledge on gene expression, metabolic pathways, and genetics of secondary metabolite production. Here, we present transcriptomic resources for M. pruriens, including a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation, as well as differential transcript expression analyses between root, leaf, and pod tissues. We also develop microsatellite markers …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Alternative Splicing In Paleopolyploid Maize, Wenbin Mei, Sanzhen Liu, James C. Schnable, Cheng-Ting Yeh, Nathan M. Springer, Patrick S. Schnable, William Brad Barbazuk

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Identifying and characterizing alternative splicing (AS) enables our understanding of the biological role of transcript isoform diversity. This study describes the use of publicly available RNA-Seq data to identify and characterize the global diversity of AS isoforms in maize using the inbred lines B73 and Mo17, and a related species, sorghum. Identification and characterization of AS within maize tissues revealed that genes expressed in seed exhibit the largest differential AS relative to other tissues examined. Additionally, differences in AS between the two genotypes B73 and Mo17 are greatest within genes expressed in seed. We demonstrate that changes in the level …

The Effect Of Cattle Management On Soil Carbon: Implications For Climate Change, Kelly M. Livernoche

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In naturally occurring ecosystems, forests function as substantial carbon sinks, storing carbon in soil and in biomass that would otherwise exist in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The conversion of forested land to cattle pastures and their associated operational processes are noteworthy contributors to recent increases in global carbon emissions and subsequent climate change. However, appropriately managed cattle pastures have potential to be reservoirs for carbon. Rotational cattle pastures, where cattle are moved between enclosed sections of pasture, may improve soil carbon content compared to conventional practices. In rotational cattle pastures, a more even distribution of manure increases plant biomass, …

Phenotypic Variation And Genetic Purity Of The Original 'Prime-Jim®' X 'Arapaho' Population, Loren M. Luther

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2013, Castro et al., produced the first linkage map for primocane-fruiting blackberries using the cross ‘Prime-Jim®’ x ‘Arapaho.’ This mapping population has been maintained since the original experiment with the hopes of conducting future studies. Further research was determined to be needed on the population to better characterize additional phenotypic traits, and since nine years had passed since the seedlings were established, there was a need to assess the continued genetic purity of the population using molecular methods. Phenotypic data was collected to analyze the variation of the population including soluble solids content, titratable acidity, average weight, shape, and …

Temporal Evaluation Of Corn Respiration Rates Using Pressure Sensors, Gagandeep Singh Ubhi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High respiration rate of a grain indicates faster degradation of its dry matter. Proper grain management requires chronological and precise measurements of carbon dioxide evolved from grain respiration during the postharvest storage duration. Therefore the main goal of this research was to develop a new technique that evaluates temporal corn respiration rate using pressure sensors. It was based on measuring pressure drop associated with the grain respiration in a closed container and using it to calculate the grain respiration rates.

Dry corn (Zea Mays L.) was procured from a local farmer and stored at 4ºC. Corn rewetting technique was applied …

Evaluation Of The Correlation Between The Oxidation Reduction Potential And Free Chlorine Residual For Different Chlorine Sources Used In Poultry Drinking Water Sanitation, Samantha Renee Cox

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A critical component in commercial poultry production is to ensure birds are provided clean, quality water. Multiple disinfectants can be utilized to optimize a good water quality program. The goal of these water disinfectants is to greatly reduce or eliminate the presence of all bacteria. In recent years, the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) meter has been a tool utilized by the poultry industry to monitor chlorine efficacy in drinking water. An ORP reading of 650-750 millivolts (mV) has become the industry standard for assuring an acceptable sanitizing residual of free chlorine is present for controlling microbial contamination regardless of the actual …

Precision Drought Stress In Orchards: Rootstock Evaluation, Trunk Hydration And Canopy Temperature, Lance V. Stott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tree fruit crops are of high value, but use a lot of water. Precision irrigation has the potential to save water while simultaneously improving crop quality. The timing and method of precision water stress in various tree fruit crops has been widely studied. However, in order to successfully employ precision irrigation methods in orchards, an accurate measurement of tree water status is required. Currently, stem water potential is the preferred indicator. However, this measurement is tedious and cannot be automated. Because measurements must be taken near solar noon (approximately 1:30 PM MDT in the summer in northern Utah), the number …

Effect Of Organic And Conventional Farming Systems On Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Potato, Maize And Vegetables In The Central Highlands Of Kenya, Martha W. Musyoka, Noah Adamtey, Anne W. Muriuki, Georg Cadisch

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Increased per capita food production in the tropics is closely tied to soil organic matter and water management, timely nitrogen (N) supply and crop N use efficiency (NUE) which are influenced by farming systems. However, there is lack of data on the effect of organic farming systems on NUE and how this compares to conventional farming systems under tropical conditions. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effect of conventional and organic farming systems at low and high management intensities on N uptake and N use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), cabbage …

Deinbollia Mosaic Virus: A Novel Begomovirus Infecting The Sapindaceous Weed Deinbollia Borbonica In Kenya And Tanzania, Martina Kyallo, Peter Sseruwagi, Robert A. Skilton, Mildred Ochwo-Ssemakula, Peter Wasswa, Joseph Ndunguru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Four isolates of a bipartite begomovirus from naturally infected Deinbollia borbonica plants exhibiting yellow mosaic symptoms in Kenya and Tanzania were molecularly characterised. The DNA-A was most closely related to that of tomato leaf curl Mayotte virus (AM701764; 82%), while the DNA-B shared the highest nucleotide sequence identity with that of East African cassava mosaic virus (AJ704953) at 65%. Based on the current ICTV species demarcation criterion for the genus Begomovirus (≥91% sequence identity for the complete DNA-A), we report the full-length genome sequence of this novel bipartite begomovirus. The results reveal additional diversity and reservoir hosts of begomoviruses in …

Predicting Stem Borer Density In Maize Using Rapideye Data And Generalized Linear Models, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Tobias Landmann, Richard Kyalo, George Ong'amo, Sizah Mwalusepo, Saad Sulieman, Bruno Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Average maize yield in eastern Africa is 2.03 t ha−1 as compared to global average of 6.06 t ha−1 due to biotic and abiotic constraints. Amongst the biotic production constraints in Africa, stem borers are the most injurious. In eastern Africa, maize yield losses due to stem borers are currently estimated between 12% and 21% of the total production. The objective of the present study was to explore the possibility of RapidEye spectral data to assess stem borer larva densities in maize fields in two study sites in Kenya. RapidEye images were acquired for the Bomet (western Kenya) test site …

Characterization Of Candidate Compound For Control Of Barnyardgrass And Other Troublesome Weeds In Rice, Michael Ryan Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Barnyardgrass remains one of the most difficult weeds to manage in rice. As herbicide resistance in this species, as well as others, continues to increase new control options are needed. Dow AgroSciences recently discovered and is developing a new herbicide for rice which is the primary focus of this research. Experiments were conducted to characterize this new herbicide for its use and effectiveness in midsouthern U.S. rice systems. The research conducted herein covers various aspects of herbicide characterization including: barnyardgrass dose response, accession testing, spectrum of control and tank-mix capability, application optimization, soil carryover and plant back determination, drift onto …

Nutrient Loading Reduction In A Tile Drained Agricultural Watershed Through Watershed-Scale Cover Cropping: A High Resolution Analysis, Benjamin Gerald Bruening

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient pollution originating from agricultural regions in the Midwest is a serious issue, leading to pollution of drinking water sources as well as large hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico. The source of much of this contamination has been shown to be runoff from agricultural fields in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. One method that has been shown to reduce this pollution from the Upper Mississippi River Basin is the planting of winter cover crops. Winter cover crops such as rye and tillage radish have been shown to significantly reduce nitrate exported from agricultural fields, even in tile-drained watersheds …