Agricultural Science Commons^™

Understanding Perceptions Of Genetically Modified Food Among Natural Food Shoppers In Southern Nevada, Christian Murua-Aceves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today, 85% of corn, 93% of soybeans, and 88% of cotton in the U.S. are genetically modified (GM). Using laboratory methods, genes from one species, such as a plant, can be transferred to an unrelated species, such as an animal. Genetically modified crops may lead to higher yields, have improved food quality, texture, and nutritional value, and have an increased shelf life.

Despite these promising benefits, the potential health risks relating to the consumption of GM food remain inadequately assessed. Genetically modified food is not subjected to rigorous safety testing, such as epidemiologic studies, to identify potential health risks. Two …

Agronomic Survey To Assess Crop Yield, Controlling Factors And Management Implications: A Case-Study Of Babati In Northern Tanzania, J. Kihara, L. D. Tamene, P. Massawe, M. Bekunda

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Improved agronomic management is important to reduce yield gaps and enhance food security in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was undertaken to understand contributing factors to observed yield gaps for maize in farmer fields and to demonstrate appropriate agronomic survey methods. The study aimed to (1) demonstrate an approach for farm-level agronomic survey, (2) identify key crop production constraints and (3) define the nutrient input and output balances of different fields. Agronomic survey was conducted in 117 farmer fields randomly distributed in a 10 km by 10 km block in Babati, northern Tanzania. A semi-structured questionnaire and production measurements were used …

Napier Grass Stunt Disease In East Africa: Farmers' Perspectives On Disease Management, George O. Asudi, Johnnie Van Den Berg, Charles A.O. Midega, Jimmy Pittchar, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Napier or Elephant grass (. Pennisetum purpureum), the most important livestock fodder crop in East Africa, is under threat from Napier grass stunt (NGS) disease. This disease is caused by a phytoplasma, which is transmitted by the leafhopper, Maiestas banda (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). After inoculation, the disease rapidly infects the whole plant causing extensive damage to Napier grass plants. There is therefore a need to develop an integrated management approach for the disease. A survey was conducted in three East African countries (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) during which 198 farmers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. The questionnaire addressed the prevalence of …

Impact Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi On The Physiology Of Maize Genotypes Under Variable Nitrogen And Phosphorus Levels, Roberto Crespo

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

It is important to increase our understanding of AM fungal and maize genotype interactions, the impact of N and P fertilization and water condition on the symbiosis, and on the physiology and nutritional status of maize plants. In two greenhouse experiments AM inoculated plants exhibited root colonization values around 70% which was confirmed by the presence of the AM lipid biomarker (C16:1cis11). Nitrogen fertilization increased AM root colonization, but only compared to unfertilized plants. Root colonization and biomarker concentration in root and soil were similar among inoculated maize genotypes across conventional and drought tolerant hybrids. Mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive …

Soil Total Organic Carbon And Farmers’ Perceptions Associated With Bokashi Application In Cerro Punta, Panama, Emma Searson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable use and maintenance of agricultural soils are important for maintaining long-term agricultural productivity and environmental quality. These issues are especially important in Cerro Punta, known as the breadbasket of Panama, which is experiencing severe erosion. While current practices and agrochemical usage damage soil health and function over time, application of organic material improves soil physic-chemical properties such as nutrient and total organic carbon (TOC) content. Bokashi, a fermented organic soil amendment with effective microorganisms (EM), is thought to be especially beneficial due to its ability to augment populations of soil microbes, which deliver plant-available nutrients to crops and improve …

Comparing Avian Diversity And Anthropogenic Disturbance At Sendero Los Quetzales Cerro Punta, Panamá, Sloane Merdinger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report summarizes the survey of land and avian diversity along a transect that runs from the exterior to the interior of the Los Quetzales Trail of Parque Nacional Volcán Barú in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá. The region of Cerro Punta is Panamá’s primary producer of produce and also home to one of the most biodiverse land reserves in the world. Despite protection efforts the area is continuously threatened by human development. The study juxtaposes calculated Shannon-Wiener Biodiversity Indices across graduated levels of anthropogenic disturbance to determine if there is a significant difference in biodiversity between areas with low, intermediate, …

Responses Of Parasitoids To Volatiles Induced By Chilo Partellus Oviposition On Teosinte, A Wild Ancestor Of Maize, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Toby J.A. Bruce, Charles A.O. Midega, Christine M. Woodcock, John C. Caulfield, Johnnie Van Den Berg, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize, a genetically diverse crop, is the domesticated descendent of its wild ancestor, teosinte. Recently, we have shown that certain maize landraces possess a valuable indirect defense trait not present in commercial hybrids. Plants of these landraces release herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that attract both egg [Trichogramma bournieri Pintureau & Babault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)] and larval [Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)] parasitoids in response to stemborer egg deposition. In this study, we tested whether this trait also exists in the germplasm of wild Zea species. Headspace samples were collected from plants exposed to egg deposition by Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) …

Pemanfaatan Urin Kelinci Dan Urin Sapi Sebagai Alternatif Pupuk Organik Cairpada Pembibitan Kakao (Theobroma Cacao L.), Santi Rosniawaty, Rija Sudirja, H. Afrianto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Pembibitan merupakan awal dari pertum-buhan tanaman. Bibit yang baik akan menghasil-kan tanaman yang berproduksi baik pula. Pemupukan merupakan salah satu hal penting dalam menghasilkan bibit yang baik. Peman-faatan urin kelinci dan urin sapi diharapkan dapat menjadi pupuk alternatif untuk pembi-bitan kakao. Percobaan telah di laksanakan pada bulan April-Agustus 2013 di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje fakultas Pertanian Unpad, dengan ordo Inceptisol dan tipe curah hujan menurut klasifikasi Schmidt Ferguson. Perlakuan yang digunakan adalah beberapa konsentrasi urin kelinci, konsentrasi urin sapi dan kombinasi urin dengan pupuk anorganik. Urin kelinci dan urin sapi difermentasikan terlebih dahulu sebelum digunakan. Rancangan percobaan yang diguna-kan adalah Rancangan …

Herbisida Campuran Imazapic 262,5 G.L-1 Dan Imazapir 87,5 G.L-1 Sebagai Pengendali Gulma Umum Pada Budidaya Tanaman Tebu (Saccharum Officinarum L.), Uum Umiyati, Denny Kurniadie, A. F. Pratama

Jurnal Kultivasi

Tebu adalah tanaman yang menghasilkan bahan pemanis berupa gula pasir.Hasil gula pasir dapat menurun akibat kompetisi gulma. Pengendalian menggunakan herbisida dapat menekan gulma dan meningkatkan pertum-buhan tanaman tebu. Percobaan ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan dosis aplikasi herbisida campuran Imazapic 262,5 g.L-1 dan Imazapir 87,5 g.L-1 yang terbaik dalam mengendalikan gulma umum di lahan budidaya tebu. Perco-baan dilakukan di PG. Rajawali, Cirebon, Jawa Barat pada bulan Maret - Mei 2014. Percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Sederhana yang terdiri dari tujuh perlakuan dan empat ulangan. Perlakuan terdiri dari A) herbisida campuran Imazapic dan Imazapir dengan dosis 0,75 l.ha-1, B) herbisida campuran Imazapic dan …

Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Kacang Hijau Kultivar Kenari Dan No. 129 Dalam Tumpangsari Bersisipan Di Antara Padi Gogo, Yuyun Yuwariah, Ade Ismail, I. N. Hafhittry

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapat-kan waktu penyisipan dua kultivar kacang hijau dalam tumpangsari bersisipan yang terbaik di antara padi gogo terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil kacang hijau. Percobaan dilaksanakan dari bulan Desember 2010 sampai Juli 2011 di kebun percobaan Ciparanje Fakultas Pertanian Univer-sitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Sumedang. Perco-baan ditata dalam Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan tiga ulangan yang terdiri atas 10 perlakuan yaitu A25 = kultivar Kenari + Waktu Penyisipan 25 hari sebelum panen padi gogo, A20 = kultivar Kenari + waktu penyisipan 20 hari sebelum panen padi gogo, A15 = kultivar Kenari + waktu penyisipan 15 hari sebelum panen padi gogo, …

Rekayasa Ekofisiologis Tanaman Teh Belum Menghasilkan Klon Gmb 7 Melalui Pemberian Asam Humat Dan Pupuk Hayati Konsorsium, Intan Ratna Dewi Anjarsari, Santi Rosniawaty, Cucu Suherman

Jurnal Kultivasi

Teh merupakan komoditas perkebunan penting di Indonesia. Rekayasa ekologis yang dilakukan untuk meningkatkan produktivitas tanaman teh di perkebunan adalah melalui tindakan pemupukan. Sejalan dengan prinsip pertanian berkelanjutan kini pihak pekebun pada umumnya menggunakan input yang lebih ramah lingkungan, diantaranya dengan menggunakan asam humat dan pupuk hayati konsorsium. Saat ini asam humat telah dimanfaatkan sebagai pelengkap pupuk yang dapat meningkatkan pemanfaatan pupuk dan meningkatkan pertum-buhan tanaman. Selain asam humat, salah satu alternatif untuk meningkatkan pertumbuhan tanaman teh belum menghasilkan adalah dengan pemeberian pupuk hayati konsorsium yang terdiri dari bakteri pelarutf posfat, bakteri penambat nitrogen dan bakteri pelarut kalium.Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk …

Produktivitas Tanaman Dan Kehilangan Hasil Tanaman Padi (Oryza Sativa L.) Kultivar Ciherang Pada Kombinasi Jarak Tanam Dengan Frekuensi Penyiangan Berbeda, Dedi Widayat, C. O. Purba

Jurnal Kultivasi

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menge-tahui pengaruh kombinasi jarak tanam dan frekuensi penyiangan gulma yang berbeda terhadap produktivitas dan kehilangan hasil padi sawah kultivar Ciherang. Percobaan ini dilak-sanakan di lahan sawah Sanggar Penelitian Latihan dan Pengembangan Pertanian (SPLPP) Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Padjadjaran unit Ciparay dari bulan November 2010 sampai Februari 2011. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) terdiri dari dua belas perlakuan, dengan tiga kali ulangan. Adapun perlakuan yang digunakan adalah sebagai berikut: A (jarak tanam 25 x 25 cm dengan tanpa penyiangan), B (jarak tanam 25 x 25 cm dengan disiang satu kali), C (jarak tanam …

Pertumbuhan, Hasil Dan Kualitas Tomat Cv. Marta-9 Pada Berbagai Sistem Budidaya Dalam Rumah Plastik Di Dataran Medium Jatinangor, Tino Mutiarawati Onggo, Sumadi, R. Fauziah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penanaman tomat dalam rumah plastik dengan sistem budidaya hidroponik, meng-0hasilkan buah dengan kuantitas dan kualitas baik serta dapat dilakukan secara kontinu, namun kekurangan sistem tersebut adalah bahan kimia yang digunakan untuk hara tanaman mahal, sehingga perlu dicarikan sistem budidaya alter-natif yang dapat mengimbangi hasil dan kualitas hasil sistem hidroponik. Tujuan dilaku-kannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mempelajari berbagai sistem budidaya tanaman tomat dalam rumah plastik yang dapat diaplikasikan di dataran medium dengan biaya yang lebih murah serta menguji jumlah batang produksi yang dapat menghasilkan pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman serta kualitas tomat yang baik. Penelitian dilakukan dari bulan Juni sampai dengan Oktober …

Respon Kualitas Dan Ketahanan Simpan Cabai Merah (Capsicum Annuum L.) Dengan Penggunaan Jenis Bahan Pengemas Dan Tingkat Kematangan Buah, Yayat Rochayat Suradinata, V. R. Munika

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh kombinasi jenis bahan pengemas dan tingkat kematangan buah terhadap respon kualitas simpan cabai merah (Capsicum annuum L). Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Maret sampai Juli 2012 di Cikole Lembang, dilanjut dengan pengamatan di Laboratorium Hortikul-tura, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Padja-djaran, Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang, Jawa Barat. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) pola tunggal yang terdiri sepuluh kombinasi dan diulang tiga kali untuk setiap perlakuan. Tingkat kematangan buah yang digunakan yaitu kematangan 50–60% (K₁) dan kematangan 60–70 % (K₂). Jenis bahan pengemas yang digunakan adalah wadah Styrofoam tanpa tutup (P₁), wadah styrofoam di …

Pathogenicity And Performance Of Two Candidate Isolates Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) In Four Liquid Culture Media For The Management Of The Legume Pod Borer Maruca Vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), V. Tumuhaise, S. Ekesi, S. A. Mohamed, P. N. Ndegwa, L. W. Irungu, R. Srinivasan, N. K. Maniania

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The aim of this study was to identify and develop entomopathogenic fungi as biopesticides for management of Maruca vitrata (Fabricius). Fourteen isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin and six of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. were screened against first instar larvae of M. vitrata. The two most virulent isolates were selected and further tested for production in four liquid media. Different formulations of one isolate were evaluated against different developmental stages. Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 18 and ICIPE 69 caused highest larval mortality of 91 and 81%, with lethal time to 50% mortality (LT50) values of 1.8 and 1.7 days and LC50 …

Assessing The Perceptions Of Faculty Advisors And Green Industry Professionals On The Value Of Student Participation In A Professional Development Competitive Event, Katelynn Diane Clement

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Student Career Days (SCD) professional development experience has on conceptual learning, job opportunities and placement, and job retention in the green industry. Student participants, PLANET judging team faculty advisors, and green industry professionals who attended the career fair were surveyed on their perceptions of PLANET Student Career Days and its related events. A block style survey was sent out to the participant groups. Depending on the participant's affiliation with PLANET Student Career Days, participants were asked a different set of questions in the survey. Each survey …

Evaluation And Association Mapping Of Resistance To Tan Spot And Stagonospora Nodorum Blotch In Adapted Winter Wheat Germplasm, Zhaohui Liu, Ibrahim El-Basyoni, Gayan Kariyawasam, Guorong Zhang, Allan Fritz, Jana Hansen, Francois Marais, Andrew Friskop, Shiaoman Chao, Eduard Akhunov, P. Stephen Baenziger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Tan spot and Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), often occurring together, are two economically significant diseases of wheat in the Northern Great Plains of the United States. They are caused by the fungi Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Parastagonospora nodorum, respectively, both of which produce multiple necrotrophic effectors (NE) to cause disease. In this work, 120 hard red winter wheat (HRWW) cultivars or elite lines, mostly from the United States, were evaluated in the greenhouse for their reactions to the two diseases as well as NE produced by the two pathogens. One P. nodorum isolate (Sn4) and four Pyrenophora tritici-repentis isolates (Pti2, …

Proceedings Of The 42nd Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 11-12, 2015, Pensacola Beach, Florida), Craig Rothrock, Ed Sikora, Trey Price, Danise Beadle, Myra Purvis, Tom Allen, Loren Giesler

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Contents

Schedule

Southern United States Soybean Disease Loss Estimates for 2014. TW Allen, JP Damicone, NS Dufault, TR Faske, DE Hershman, CA Hollier, T Isakeit, RC Kemerait, NM Kleczewski, SR Koenning, HL Mehl, JD Mueller, C Overstreet, P Price, EJ Sikora, and H Young

Graduate student competition (Trey Price, moderator)

Effect of Secondary Nutrient Applications on Suppression of Charcoal Rot in Soybean. T Wilkerson, M Tomasu-Peterson, BR Golden, S Lu, AB Johnson, and TW Allen

Molecular Characterization of the G143A Mutation Leading to QoI Fungicide Resistance among Fungal Pathogens Causing Cercospora Leaf Blight and Purple Seed Stain of Soybean. S …

Optimizing Western Flower Thrips Management On French Beans By Combined Use Of Beneficials And Imidacloprid, Johnson O. Nyasani, Sevgan Subramanian, Hans Michael Poehling, Nguya K. Maniania, Sunday Ekesi, Rainer Meyhöfer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an important pest of vegetable crops worldwide and has developed resistance to many insecticides. The predatory mites Neoseiulus (=Amblyseius) cucumeris (Oudemans), the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.), and an insecticide (imidacloprid) were tested for their efficacy to reduce WFT population density and damage to French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods under field conditions in two planting periods. Metarhizium anisopliae was applied as a foliar spray weekly at a rate of one litre spray volume per plot while imidacloprid was applied as a soil drench every two weeks at a rate of two …

Morphological And Moisture Availability Controls Of The Leaf Area-To-Sapwood Area Ratio: Analysis Of Measurements On Australian Trees, Henrique Furstenau Togashi, Iain Colin Prentice, Bradley John Evans, David Ian Forrester, Paul Drake, Paul Feikema, Kim Brooksbank, Derek Eamus, Daniel Taylor

Natural Resources Research Articles

1. The leaf area-to-sapwood area ratio (LA:SA) is a key plant trait that links photosynthesis to transpiration. The pipe model theory states that the sapwood cross-sectional area of a stem or branch at any point should scale isometrically with the area of leaves distal to that point. Optimization theory further suggests that LA:SA should decrease toward drier climates. Although acclimation of LA:SA to climate has been reported within species, much less is known about the scaling of this trait with climate among species.
2. We compiled LA:SA measurements from 184 species of Australian evergreen angiosperm trees. The pipe model was …

Compost Carryover: Nitrogen Phosphorous And Ft-Ir Analysis Of Soil Organic Matter, Dave J. R. Olsen, Jeffrey B. Endelman, Astrid R. Jacobson, Jennifer R. Reeve

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Compost plays a central role in organic soil fertility plans but is bulky and costly to apply. Determining compost carryover is therefore important for cost-effective soil fertility planning. This study investigated two aspects of nutritive carryover [nitrogen and phosphorus (P)], and an indicator of non-nutritive carryover [soil organic matter (SOM)] to determine the residual effect of a one-time compost application applied at four rates in a corn-squash rotation. Crop yield was measured as an integrated carryover indicator of nutritive and non-nutritive effects. Functional groups of compost and SOM were investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy and soil organic carbon (SOC). While year …

Systematics And Biogeography Of Orthaea Kloztsch (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae), Nelson Salinas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the first chapter a study of the distribution patterns of the neotropical Vaccinieae (Ericaceae) is presented. Five areas of endemism were recovered: Central America, northern Chocó, southern Chocó, eastern Ecuador, and Yungas. Divergence times estimations indicate that the Andean clade of Vaccinieae migrated to South America during the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene (28.9-17.84 MA), and most of the subsequent diversification took place during the Tertiary. The Yungas was the first Andean area to be colonized, and several dispersals towards the north expanded their distribution range. Both areas of endemism and dispersal events were influenced by geological processes, such …

Search For Host Factors Involved In Attachment Of Agrobacterium Tumefaciens To Plants, Anna Petrovicheva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is able to infect a diverse array of plants and causes crown gall disease. Typically these bacteria attach to plant roots and transform the plant cells to induce tumors. The mechanism of this attachment in the infection process is not yet fully understood. Using wild type Arabidopsis thaliana, Columbia-0, and several Arabidopsis mutant lines as a binding target, we screened for A. thaliana mutants with altered adhesion.

The A. thaliana mutant lines were selected in The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) according to possible location of the resulting protein and similarity to known transformation mutants. Of these mutants …

Bacterial Wilt Of Dry-Edible Beans In The Central High Plains Of The U.S.: Past, Present, And Future, Robert M. Harveson, Howard F. Schwartz, Carlos A. Urrea, C. Dean Yonts

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Bacterial wilt, caused by Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens, was first recognized and described as a new dry bean disease near Redfield, South Dakota, after the 1921 growing season on the farm of the Office of Forage Investigations. The grower on this farm informed the federal investigators that he believed the disease to be the same one that killed 90% of his crop in 1920. For the 1921 season, he saved and planted the seed harvested from the previous year, resulting in an estimated 25% loss.

. . .

It is likely that wilt has “reappeared” and become widely established throughout …

Testing Carbon Farming Opportunities For Salinity Management, Peter Ritson, Mike G. Clarke, Adele Killen, Sarah Jeffery

All other publications

An emerging prospect for farm revenue from revegetation of saline and other lands that are marginal or non-productive for agriculture is the sale of carbon credits. Australian Government schemes for carbon credits include the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and the proposed Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) Therefore, this study aimed to assess the potential for woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) established on and around salt-affected lands in the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store (sequester) the carbon in new growth. Revegetation plantings on six farms were selected for the study after the landowners expressed …

Potential Break Crops For Managing Root-Knot Nematode, Carla Wilkinson, Stuart Vincent, Sarah J. Collins Dr

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Western Australian growers may be unintentionally increasing root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne fallax (False Columbia root-knot nematode) populations by using susceptible break crops between cash crops.

Characterization Of Novel Sorghum Brown Midrib Mutants From An Ems-Mutagenized Population, Scott E. Sattler, Ana Saballos, Zhanguo Xin, Deanna L. Funnell-Harris, Wilfred Vermerris, Jeffrey F. Pedersen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Reducing lignin concentration in lignocellulosic biomass can increase forage digestibility for

ruminant livestock and saccharification yields of biomass for bioenergy. In sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and several other C4 grasses, brown midrib (bmr) mutants have been shown to reduce lignin concentration. Putative bmr mutants isolated from an EMS-mutagenized population were characterized and classified based on their leaf midrib phenotype and allelism tests with the previously described sorghum bmr mutants bmr2, bmr6, and bmr12. These tests resulted in the identification of additional alleles of bmr2, bmr6, and bmr12, and, in addition, six bmr …

Assessment Of Rice Self-Sufficiency In 2025 In Eight African Countries, P. A.J. Van Oort, K. Saito, E. Amovin-Assagba, Lenny G.J. Van Bussel, Justin Van Wart, Hugo De Groot, Martin K. Van Ittersum, Kenneth Cassman, M. C.S. Wopereis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Most African countries are far from self-sufficient in meeting their rice consumption; in eight countries the production: consumption ratio, ranged from 0.16 to 1.18 in 2012. We show that for the year 2025, with population growth, diet change and yield increase on existing land (intensification), countries cannot become fully self-sufficient in rice. This implies that for the future, a mixture of area expansion and imports will be needed on top of yield gap closure. Further research is needed for identification of most suitable new land for rice area expansion and areas that should be protected.

Patch Burning: Implications On Water Erosion And Soil Properties, Altingul Ozaslan Parlak, Mehmet Parlak, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Walter H. Schacht, John A. Guretzky, Martha Mamo

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Patch burning can be a potential management tool to create grassland heterogeneity and enhance forage productivity and plant biodiversity, but its impacts on soil and environment have not been widely documented. In summer 2013, we studied the effect of time after patch burning (4 mo after burning [recently burned patches], 16 mo after burning [older burned patches], and unburned patches [control]) on vegetative cover, water erosion, and soil properties on a patch-burn experiment established in 2011 on a Yutan silty clay loam near Mead, NE. The recently burned patches had 29 ± 8.0% (mean ± SD) more bare ground, 21 …

Productivity And Biological Nitrogen Fixation Of Different Species Of Vetches (Vicia Spp.) Under The Rainfed Conditions Of West Asia, Ali Abd El Moneim, Mohan C. Saxena

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The low rainfall areas of West Asia are characterized by pastoral production system primarily based on small ruminants (sheep and goats). Rangelands serve as the main source of feed. With increasing population, the demand for livestock products has increased. As a consequence, the stocking rates have soared, increasing the pressure on rangelands. Rangeland degradation has therefore been increasing threatening the sustainability of livestock production system and the livelihood of the people dependent on it. Production of additional feed is essential to reduce the pressure on rangelands. Vetches (Vicia spp.) are endemic in the area and can be potential source …