Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

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

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Hydroponics- 2025-2026 Workshop Handbook, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Hydroponically grown plants grow faster than traditional production systems, with greater productivity, greater palatability, and having optimal visual character. Three principal components of a system include the plant support platform, a nutrient solution reservoir, and an interface for the root-solution. This publication provides in-depth explanation to system design, evaluation of water quality, nutrient formulation, and prototype systems that can be easily constructed for those wanting to explore hydroponics, such as educators, organizational leaders, or home enthusiasts.

Greenhouse Management For The Smaller Structure--Educational And Hobby, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Greenhouses used for teaching or by hobbyist are smaller than those used for commercial production or found in the retail environment. Structural materials, covering, mechanical equipment, and control systems often are packaged as a kit made available through greenhouse suppliers. Supplier construction services may not be available, in which buyers must use local contractors to complete the installation. Greenhouses are unique structures that differ greatly from sheds or other outbuildings. They have coverings that allow maximum light transmittance, protected from UV degradation, and can handle wide inside to outside temperature extremes. This extension circular provides valuable information on the character, …

Addressing Food Security In Cameroon, Stacy A. Adams, Ruth Abunaw Besong

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cameroon Africa has experience a period of nearly a decade of unrest as militants fight for independence for two Anglophone regions within a predominantly Francophone country. The English-speaking minority have felt aggrieved for continued erosion of rights by the central government. Protests have rapidly spread since 2016, causing closure of schools, businesses, and medical facilities. People have lost homes and been displaced, negatively affecting food production and crop availability. The United States Department of State leads an effort of diplomacy beyond emergency food relief through the Mandela Washington Fellowship that connects American professionals to innovative and impactful young African leaders. …

Field Assessment Of Fertilization, Nursery, And Crop Management Practices Among Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Growers In The Ilocos Provinces, Philippines, Annalissa Aquino, Sancho Bon, Angelica Guanlao, Ann Mylalulex Magnaye, Filomena Sta Cruz, Pompe C. Sta. Cruz

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Growth and yield of many economically important vegetables like tomatoes are heavily influenced by crop management practices, particularly fertilizer application, irrigation scheme, and pest management. To attain maximum tomato yields and increase farmers’ profits, these crop production components must be optimized in local farm levels. Before optimization measures can be conducted, baseline information on prevailing practices needs to be evaluated. To assess the nutrient management and other crop production practices of tomato farmers in the Ilocos provinces, Philippines, on-farm surveys were conducted in 16 and 18 barangays planting fresh-type and processing-type tomatoes, respectively. The study involved a total of 88 …

Broad-Spectrum Resistance To Fungal Foliar Diseases In Wheat: Recent Efforts And Achievements, Amira M.I. Mourad, Asmaa A.M. Ahmed, P. Stephen Baenziger, Andreas Börner, Ahmed Sallam

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Several diseases affect wheat production and can cause 20-80% yield loss annually. Out of these diseases, stripe rust, also known as yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici), leaf rust (Puccinia recondita), and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) are the most important fungal diseases that infect the foliar part of the plant. Many efforts were made to improve wheat resistance to these diseases. Due to the continuous advancement in …

Disentangling Genotype And Environment Specific Latent Features For Improved Trait Prediction Using A Compositional Autoencoder, Anirudha Powadi, Talukder Zaki Jubery, Michael C. Tross, James C. Schnable, Baskar Ganapathysubramanian

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In plant breeding and genetics, predictive models traditionally rely on compact representations of high-dimensional data, often using methods like Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and, more recently, Autoencoders (AE). However, these methods do not separate genotype-specific and environment-specific features, limiting their ability to accurately predict traits influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. We hypothesize that disentangling these representations into genotype-specific and environment-specific components can enhance predictive models. To test this, we developed a compositional autoencoder (CAE) that decomposes high-dimensional data into distinct genotype-specific and environment-specific latent features. Our CAE framework employed a hierarchical architecture within an autoencoder to effectively separate …

Industrial Hemp Biomass Negatively Affected By Herbicide Drift From Corn And Soybean Herbicides, Milos Zaric, Bruno Canella Vieira, Barbara Houston, Guilherme Sousa Alves, Samuel E. Wortman, Julie A. Peterson, Greg R. Kruger

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The establishment of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fields near row crops has raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of herbicide drift on hemp production. This study examined hemp susceptibility to drift of herbicides registered for use in corn and/or soybeans. Herbicide solutions (2,4-D, dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate, imazethapyr, lactofen, mesotrione) were applied separately in the wind tunnel (3.6 m s⁻¹ airspeed), simulating drift scenarios, with conventional TP95015EVS (TP) and air inclusion AI95015EVS (AI) flat fan nozzles calibrated to deliver 140 L ha⁻¹ carrier volume at 230 kPa. Mylar cards and hemp plants (20–25 cm tall) were placed …

Designing A Decision-Support Tool For Fertilizer Recommendations In Oil Palm Smallholders, Rana Farrasati

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

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), originally from West Africa, now accounts for 42% of global vegetable oil production and mainly includes key regions cultivated in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, West Africa, South America, and Central America. Despite its economic significance, the oil palm industry faces challenges of stagnant yields and large yield gaps, particularly among independent smallholders. These issues often stem from inadequate nutrient management practices and limited agronomic knowledge. Our objective was to quantify nutrient requirements for mature oil palm plantations as a basis to design a decision support tool (DST) for fertilizer recommendations. To do so, …

European Wasp: Declared Pest, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The European wasp is one of the worst wasps in the world — harmful to people, outdoor lifestyles, and horticultural and agricultural industries. Early detection of wasp activity is critical to prevent the wasp establishing in Western Australia (WA). This is achieved via collaboration between residents, businesses, industry, and government.

Assessing The Above- And Belowground Productivity Of Fall-Planted Cover Crop Cultivars In Nebraska's Diverse Ecoregions, Bridget Mckinley

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

Cover crops (CC) provide essential ecosystem services including soil conservation, nutrient cycling, and weed suppression, through the accumulation of aboveground (AGB) and belowground (BGB) biomass. While AGB has been widely studied, BGB contributions, particularly root development and distribution, remain less understood. This study evaluated fall-planted CC across three Nebraska ecoregions, assessing AGB productivity, BGB biomass, and correlations between ground cover, plant height, and AGB.

Thirty treatments, including grasses, legumes, brassicas, and mixtures, were evaluated over two fall growing seasons (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) at three UNL research centers in northeast, west central, and west Nebraska. AGB was highest at west site …

Bio-Based Sprayable Mulch For Weed Control In Row Crop Systems, Camila Chiaranda Rodrigues

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

Improving current crop productivity levels requires transformative advancements in management, engineering, and science. One of the main challenges is the increasing difficulty of weed management due to herbicide-resistant weeds. There is a growing need for alternative weed management methods to reduce pesticide use and improve environmental safety. An emerging technology that is being developed is spray-on films which could help address these challenges. Spray-on films are liquid solutions that after spraying on the soil will dry and form a physical barrier. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a chicken feather bio-based sprayable mulch film …

Excavated Tanks (Farm Dams), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Guidelines and information for planning, legal requirements, design, construction and management of excavated tanks for water storage on farm.

Excavated tanks (farm dams) provide effective water storage wherever surface water run-off can be harvested for livestock, crop spraying, irrigation and domestic use on rural properties.

Excavated tanks for rainfall storage are common in the southern agricultural areas of WA.

Well-designed and constructed dams are farm assets, safe and require little maintenance.

Poor design and construction can lead to poor water harvesting and storage, excessive costs, downstream erosion and risks to property and people.

DPIRD recommends that excavated tanks should be …

Identification And Characterization Of Resistance To Meloidogyne Enterolobii And M. Incognita In Sweetpotato Genotypes, David M. Galo Espinal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., are significant agricultural pests that cause severe economic losses on a wide range of agricultural crops worldwide, including sweetpotato. The economic viability of the sweetpotato industry in the United States is threatened by Meloidogyne enterolobii, which reproduces on sweetpotato cultivars resistant to other RKN species. To address this issue, 69 sweetpotato genotypes were evaluated to identify sources of resistance to M. enterolobii (Me) and M. incognita (Mi). Results showed that twenty-six genotypes were highly resistant to Me and eleven were resistant to Mi, with three genotypes showing resistance to …

Twas Facilitates Gene-Scale Trait Genetic Dissection Through Gene Expression, Structural Variations, And Alternative Splicing In Soybean, Delin Li, Qi Wang, Yu Tian, Xiangguang Lyv, Hao Zhang, Huilong Hong, Huawei Gao, Yan-Fei Li, Chaosen Zhao, Jiajun Wang, Ruizhen Wang, Jinliang Yang, Bin Liu, Patrick S. Schnable, James C. Schnable, Ying-Hui Li, Li-Juan Qiu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identifies trait-associated loci, but identifying the causal genes can be a bottleneck, due in part to slow decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD). A transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) addresses this issue by identifying gene expression–phenotype associations or integrating gene expression quantitative trait loci with GWAS results. Here, we used self-pollinated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) as a model to evaluate the application of TWAS to the genetic dissection of traits in plant species with slow LD decay. We generated RNA sequencing data for a soybean diversity panel and identified the genetic expression regulation of 29 …

Summer- And Fall-Planted Cover Crops Across Nebraska: Assessing Performance Using Aerial Imagery And Evaluating Short-Term Soil Impacts, Grace Emperatriz Pacheco Jiron

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

Cover crops are widely recognized for improving soil health and promoting sustainability in agricultural systems. Despite the increasing use of monitoring tools like aerial imagery, their application in evaluating summer-planted cover crops in the Great Plains remains limited, hindering effective management strategies. Fall-planted cover crops provide long-term environmental benefits, including enhanced soil quality and erosion control; however, understanding their short-term effects on soil properties is crucial for encouraging adoption. This study assessed summer- and fall-planted cover crops across Nebraska, integrating aerial imagery and soil health analyses.

Over two years, fifteen summer-planted monocultures and five mixtures were evaluated for establishment, biomass …

Blackbird, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The introduced common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a pest in eastern Australia. It damages commercial fruit crops and may compete with native birds. The species is prohibited in Western Australia and individuals found here are destroyed.

The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL) contains information on the area(s) in which this pest is declared and the control and keeping categories to which it has been assigned in Western Australia (WA). For more information, see our website at dpird.wa.gov.au.

Dissecting The Genetic Architecture Of Sunflower Disc Diameter Using Genome-Wide Association Study, Yavuz Delen, Ravi V. Mural, Semra Palali-Delen, Gen Xu, James C. Schnable, Ismail M. Dweikat, Jinliang Yang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plays an essential role in meeting the demand for edible oil worldwide. The yield of sunflower seeds encompasses several component traits, including the disc diameter. Over three consecutive years, 2019, 2020, and 2022, we assessed phenotypic variation in disc diameter across a diverse set of sunflower accessions (N = 342) in replicated field trials. Upon aggregating the phenotypic data from multiple years, we estimated the broad sense heritability (H²) of the disc diameter trait to be 0.88. A subset of N = 274 accessions was genotyped by using the tunable genotyping-by-sequencing (tGBS) method, …

Association Mapping Of Important Agronomic Traits In Mucuna Pruriens (L.) Dc., Patrush Lepcha, Mahesh Shekhar, Leelambika Murugesan, Mahammad Jaheer, Ratan Chopra, Vikas Belamkar, Narayana Sathyanarayana

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background The tropical legume Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. can meet three agricultural needs: low-cost protein, highvalue medicines, and green manure or cover crops. But like other underutilized crops, it needs more modern breeding resources. Identifying marker-trait associations (MTAs) can facilitate marker-assisted breeding and crop improvement. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of identifying MTAs using a small number of accessions (< 100). We have characterized a panel of 70 M. pruriens accessions across two consecutive years and performed association analysis for 16 phenotypic traits related to seed (seed length, seed width, seed thickness, seed yield per plant, hundred seed weight); pod (pod length, pod width, number of pods …

What Is The Best Fit For Electric Weed Control In Australia?, Miranda J. Slaven, Catherine Borger

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Electric weed control is a non-chemical weed management alternative that will apply to a range of agricultural systems. The current project assessed electric weed control via the continuous electrode-plant contact method (using a Zasso™ XPower).

A wide range of field trials in 2022 and 2023 investigated weed control efficiency, suitability of electric weed control for fence line control of glyphosate-resistant annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.), use for crop topping, fire risk, damage to the soil biota, or use for inter-row weed control in vineyards or lupin crops. Broadleaf weeds were controlled more effectively than grass weeds with electric weed …

Effect Of Biochar Composition And Paclobutrazol Concentration On Growth And Yield Of G1 Medians Cultivar Potato Seeds In Jatinangor Medium Plain, Jajang Sauman Hamdani, Zahira Salsabilla Idris Putri, Wawan Sutari

Jurnal Kultivasi

Potato seed production in the medium plain is necessary to avoid environmental damage and the limited area of potato seed production in the high plain. The effort to increase the production of G1 potato seeds on the medium plain is the evaluation of the biochar composition and concentration of paclobutrazol that can increase the production G1 potato seeds cv Medians in the medium plain of Jatinangor. The research was conducted from August to December 2022 at the Ciparanje Experimental Field. Jatinangor. Faculty of Agriculture. Universitas Padjadjaran. The experiment used a Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD). The first factor was the …

Growth Response Of Tomatoes To Application Of Bacterial-Coated Npk Fertilizer In A Pot Experiment, Reginawanti Hindersah, Ruhnayati Kaffah, Ayu Siti Aisyah, Mieke Rochimi Setiawati, Mahfud Arifin

Jurnal Kultivasi

Nitrogen-fixer and phosphate-solubilizer bacteria increase the chemical-fertilizer efficiency and soil health. Bacterial-coated NPK fertilizer is a novel approach for intensifying biofertilizer application in vegetable production. The study aimed to observe the compatibility between two Azotobacter species and two Bacillus species, their population on two formulations of bacterial-coated NPK fertilizer (BCN), and the effect of BCN dose on growth, N and P content, and their uptake in tomato shoots. The compatibility test was performed using the streak method. The population of Azotobacter and Bacillus were counted for two formulations of NPK fertilizer coated by solid biofertilizer (5% and 10%) and zeolite …

Influence Of Phosphate And Boron Addition To Mixed Liquid Fertilizer On The Growth And Yield Of Red Chili Cultivated In The Subsoil Layer, Stefina Liana Sari, Emma Trinurani Sofyan, Anni Yuniarti

Jurnal Kultivasi

This study assesses the impact of adding phosphate and boron in a mixed liquid fertilizer (MLF) on the growth and yield of red chili plants cultivated in a subsoil environment. The experiment was conducted to comprehend how these nutrients affect the performance of red chili plants, particularly when cultivated in less ideal conditions such as subsoil, a remnant of excavation for brick production. The research was carried out at the Ciparanje Garden of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran. The research design employed a Randomized Completely Block Design with the following treatments: A = Control (degraded soil without fertilizer), B …

Key Stages In The Growth And Maturity Of Field Pea, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Many farm operations rely on a clear understanding of the stage of crop development. This factsheet describes key growth stages of field pea, which will aid growers and their advisers in determining the appropriate timing for the application of herbicides, crop-topping, swathing, and harvest.

There is likely to be considerable variability in a crop, particularly at maturity and harvest. Therefore, it is often necessary to estimate the average or majority development stage of a crop. At first, this is best done numerically, but with experience it can be done by eye.

Using Machine Learning To Combine Genetic And Environmental Data For Maize Grain Yield Predictions Across Multi-Environment Trials, Igor K. Fernandes, Caio C. Vieira, Kaio O.G. Dias, Samuel B. Fernandes

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complementing phenotypic traits and molecular markers with high-dimensional data such as climate and soil information is becoming a common practice in breeding programs. This study explored new ways to combine non-genetic information in genomic prediction models using machine learning. Using the multi-environment trial data from the Genomes To Fields initiative, different models to predict maize grain yield were adjusted using various inputs: genetic, environmental, or a combination of both, either in an additive (genetic-and-environmental; G+E) or a multiplicative (genotype-by-environment interaction; GEI) manner. When including environmental data, the mean prediction accuracy of machine learning genomic prediction models increased up to 7% …

Greater Aperture Counteracts Effects Of Reduced Stomatal Density On Water Use Efficiency: A Case Study On Sugarcane And Meta-Analysis, Daniel Lunn, Baskaran Kannan, Amandine Germon, Alistair Leverett, Thomas E. Clemente, Fredy Altpeter, Andrew D.B. Leakey

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Stomata regulate CO₂ and water vapor exchange between leaves and the atmosphere. Stomata are a target for engineering to improve crop intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). One example is by expressing genes that lower stomatal density (SD) and reduce stomatal conductance (g_sw). However, the quantitative relationship between reduced SD, g_sw, and the mechanisms underlying it is poorly understood. We addressed this knowledge gap using low-SD sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) as a case study alongside a meta-analysis of data from 10 species. Transgenic expression of EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR 2 from Sorghum bicolor (SbEPF2) in sugarcane …

Revisiting Fr13a For Submergence Tolerance: Beyond The Sub1a Gene, Waseem Hussain, Mahender Anumalla, Abdelbagi M. Ismail, Harkamal Walia, Vistas Kumar Singh, Ajay Kohli, Sankalp Bhosale, Hans Bhardwaj

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Rice landrace FR13A is the original donor of the SUB1A gene. FR13A harbors hidden genetic variation that surpasses the submergence tolerance level of SUB1A. Here, we provide an overview of the unique features of FR13A associated with exceptional recovery ability that have been overlooked since the significant discovery of the SUB1 locus. We present a detailed overview of how to underpin the new genes associated with the recovery ability seen in FR13A. Finally, we propose a unique approach to develop rice cultivars that surpass submergence tolerance beyond the SUB1 locus from FR13A.

Management Options For A Frosted Crop, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

There are numerous options for managing crops that have been frosted. The following table highlights these options and the pros and cons of each. The suitability of each option depends on the severity of the frost, what can be done at the cheapest cost and give best return on investment, and maximising weed control.

Evaluating A Precision Sprayer For Detecting Weeds And Spraying Herbicides In Real Time (Spot Spray) For Weed Management In Corn And Soybean, Adam Eric Leise

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

Herbicide sprayers are becoming larger and more efficient in applications in crop fields. A precise and efficient herbicide application is advantageous in effective weed control. New precision sprayers were introduced in hopes of reducing the amount of herbicide applied. Greeneye Technology and John Deere have developed precision sprayers for the detection of weeds in crop fields, which come equipped with a dual tank system that allows for two different herbicides to be separated from tank to tip. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the broadleaf and grass weed control efficacy of spot spray (SS) technology when applied in …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2023, Jason Kelley, Travis Faske

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2023 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, and insect management; economics; irrigation; agronomics; soil fertility; mycotoxins; cover crop management; and research verification program results. Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results.