Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Open Access Articles

Letter From The Dean, Lona Robertson

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

No abstract provided.

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Message From The Faculty Editor, Mary Savin

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

No abstract provided.

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An Assessment Of Economic Considerations For Industrial Hemp Production, Luke Lane, Jennie S. Popp, Michael P. Popp, Harrison M. Pittman

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

United States farm policy and programs are governed by the Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill allows for the legal production and research of industrial hemp as long as it meets the standards outlined in the Farm Bill. Although it has a wide range of uses (upwards of 25,000 products use hemp), there is a lack of recent information regarding the economic feasibility of hemp production for the private agricultural sector. Through an extensive search of existing literature, information was gathered to construct an enterprise budget for industrial hemp. Data from the enterprise budget were used in a constrained linear …

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Dissecting Salt Tolerance In Soybean By Profiling Differential Physiological Responses Under Salt Stress, Jade Amber Newsome

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Saline soils are common worldwide and limit the yield potential of many crops. Plants respond in a variety of ways to the stress imposed by saline soils. Plants under salt stress must first sense their surroundings and transmit a signal alerting the rest of the plant to the saline conditions. Salt tolerance in soybeans is typically defined by exclusion of chloride ions from foliar tissues. Though differences in ion uptake among soybean genotypes is well documented, the key mechanisms employed by tolerant cultivars to cope with salt stress on the whole-plant level are still largely unknown. Objectives of the current …

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Quantitative Trait Loci (Qtl) For Salt Tolerance In Soybean And Physiological Response To Salt Stress During Early Growth Stage, Cindy Massiel Lopez Ramirez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean is a major cash crop used as a source of high–quality protein and oil. Salt stress is one of the main abiotic stresses causing significant yield losses in soybean, which is considered a moderately salt–sensitive crop. Breeding selection is a promising strategy to improve salt tolerance as soybean germplasm display wide variation in response to salinity stress. However, the physiological and genetic mechanisms for salt tolerance are not quite clear. The discovery of novel QTL/genes associated with salt tolerance facilitates the development of tolerant cultivars through marker-assisted selection (MAS). The objectives of this study were: 1) identify/confirm QTL associated …

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Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping, Genome-Wide Association Analysis, And Gene Expression Of Salt Tolerance In Soybean, Ailan Zeng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salt stress is a common abiotic stress causing yield reduction in soybean. There are differential responses, namely tolerance (excluder) and intolerance (includer), among soybean germplasm. However, the genetic and physiological mechanism for salt tolerance is not clear. Identification of novel QTL for salt tolerance and genes that are differentially expressed under salt stress would help elucidate the salt tolerance mechanism and facilitate the development of salt tolerant cultivars through marker assisted selection (MAS). The objectives of this study were to identify new QTL or genes responsible for salt tolerance using three approaches: QTL mapping, association analysis, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). …

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A Study Of Short-Season Winter Cover Crops For Organic High Tunnel Production Systems, Luke Riley Freeman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This two-year study investigated short-season winter cover crops to improve soil quality and growth of subsequent vegetable crops in an organic high tunnel production system. Five winter cover crop treatments including a nontreated control, Austrian winter peas (Pisum arvense), bell beans (Vicia faba), mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Kodiak), and Daikon radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) were grown in a high tunnel in a randomized complete block design from mid-November to mid-March, mowed and incorporated into the soil, and followed by a succession of vegetable crops including tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum, cv. ‘Plum Dandy’) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica, cv. ‘Bay …

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Liming Characteristics Of A High-Calcium, Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Product And Its Effects On Runoff Water Quality, Jason Richard Burgess-Conforti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2013, only 37% of the 32 million Mg of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products generated in the United States were reused beneficially. If FGD by-products could be used as a beneficial soil amendment, millions of megagrams may be diverted away from surface impoundments and landfills. The purpose of this research was to identify the liming characteristics of a high-Ca dry FGD (DFGD) by-product in comparison to a Class-C fly ash (FA) and reagent-grade CaCO3, and to evaluate the effects of land application to a managed grassland on runoff, plant, and soil quality. Liming characteristics were determined by measuring the …

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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.

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Selection Of Drought-Tolerant Soybean Lines Using A Field Screening Method And Identification Of Qtls For Slow Wilting And Nitrogen Fixation Associated With Drought-Tolerance, Mirta Beatriz Dalzotto

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought causes significant yield reductions in soybean. The development of drought-tolerant cultivars is an effective alternative to overcome this abiotic stress. Slow wilting, prolonged nitrogen fixation, and minimal yield reduction under water stress play an important role in evaluating breeding materials. Despite advances in knowledge about plant responses to drought conditions, there is little information on effective methodologies for phenotype screening in the field, and some QTLs have been identified for drought tolerance. Field screenings under drought and irrigated conditions are necessary to detect drought tolerant lines. In addition, QTLs and molecular makers associated with drought tolerance traits will greatly …

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Soil And Plant Property Differences Among High-Yield Soybean Areas In Arkansas, Taylor Cass Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Continued achievement of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yields greater than 6719 kg ha-1 (100 bu ac-1) will depend on decreasing the yield gap, which is contingent on gathering more information regarding the soil physical, chemical, and microbiological environment and the main plant factors contributing to high-yield soybean. Therefore, understanding the main factor differences between high- and average-yield areas may provide insight for making management decisions to increase yields. The objectives of this study were i) to evaluate the effects of region and soil depth on soil property differences between high- and average-soybean-yielding areas, ii) to determine which soil properties …

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Effects Of Harvest Conditions And Thickness Fractionation On Physicochemical Properties, Cooking And Sensory Characteristics Of Long Grain Rice, Sara Esther Jarma Arroyo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated the extensive impacts of various environmental and processing conditions on rice milling and processing characteristics. Nevertheless, little is known about the influences of these conditions on cooking and sensory qualities of rice. The present study aimed to determine the impact of cultivating location, harvest moisture content (HMC), and thickness fractionation on the physicochemical properties, and cooking and sensory characteristics of long-grain rice. Four long-grain rice cultivars (purelines: Cheniere and V3501, and hybrids: XP760 and XL753) were cultivated at Harrisburg, AR and Alvin, TX, and harvested at three HMC. Rough rice lots were conditioned and a portion …

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Cover Crop Establishment And Potential Benefits To Arkansas Farmers, Ashley Elizabeth Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean farmers in Arkansas need best management practices (BMPs) that maximize the benefits of using cover crops including planting date and fertilization recommendations. An evaluation of cover crop species, planting dates, seeding rates, fertilizer rates, and N accumulation aids in providing these BMPs. The first objective of this research is to assess the effect of planting date on biomass production, as well as looking at the interaction of seeding rate or fertilizer rate for legumes or non-legumes, respectively, using Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum), cereal rye (Secale cereale), black oats (Avena strigosa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus). …

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Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Peformance Tests 2016, R. D. Bond, J. A. Still, D. G. Dombek

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Corn and grain sorghum performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The tests provide information to companies marketing seed within the state, and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating recommendations for producers.

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Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 1997-2014, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities.

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Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research 2015, Derrick M. Oosterhuis

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

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Agro-Climatic Change, Crop Production And Mitigation Strategies-Case Studies In Arkansas, Usa And Kenya, John Westley Magugu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although climate change impacts vary geographically and temporally, studies at local levels are not readily available for stakeholders to better understand how their local communities would be affected and what remedial measures could be more effective in their local contexts. This dissertation has examined climate change and its impacts in two different local contexts: eastern Arkansas in the USA and Nyando in Kenya. The first part of this dissertation develops agro-meteorological indicators and examines the relationship between agro-meteorological indicators and crop yields in eastern Arkansas between 1960 and 2014. Results reveal that temperature based indicators were more strongly correlated to …

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Phenotypic And Gene Expression Analysis Of Diverse Rice Genotypes In Response To Drought, Miranti Rahmaningsih

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought is one of the most limiting factors for rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and development with vegetative and reproductive stages the most sensitive and distinct phases. During the vegetative stage, drought can cause reduction in growth and biomass accumulation. Moreover, water stress at reproductive stage can reduce yield significantly. Plants are protected against drought by three different mechanisms: drought avoidance, drought tolerance, and drought escape. An integrated approach combining physiology, breeding, and genomics could be an effective way to characterize and mitigate this problem. The objectives of this research were to (1) screen a diverse set of rice genotypes …

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Characterization Of Echinochloa Spp. In Arkansas, Hussain Tahir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Echinochloa species are the most problematic grass weeds in rice and soybean production throughout the southern United States. The species under this genus has high intra- and interspecific variability, with many ecotypes, observed within a species. This study was conducted to: i) characterize the morphology and phenology of Echinochloa accessions from Arkansas in a common garden; ii) verify the species identity of these accessions based on their morphological traits, and iii) evaluate the dormancy characteristics of Echinochloa accessions. Junglerice (E. colona) was identified as the most common species, comprising about 78% of the accessions collected, with barnyardgrass (E. crus-galli) and …

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B. R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2015, R. J. Norman, K.A. K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

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Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2015-2016, R. E. Mason, R. G. Miller, D. E. Moon, J. P. Kelley

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Wheat cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and/or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers.

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Determination Of Optimum Fall And Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate For Maximizing Grain Yield Of Soft Red Winter Wheat Sown At Variable Planting Dates, Lucas Vasconcelos Vieira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An optimum planting date is important for winter wheat nitrogen (N) management as it dramatically changes the growing environment including temperature and moisture, ultimately affecting fertilizer efficiency and grain yield (GY). In Arkansas, high precipitation in the fall often forces farmers to delay planting and current Arkansas recommendations include the application of fall N when soft red winter wheat (SRWW) is sown later than optimum, despite the lack of data supporting this practice. This study evaluated the effect of rate and timing of N application on GY of SRWW sown at variable planting dates in Arkansas. Granular urea was split …

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High Throughput Phenotypic Evaluation Of Drought-Related Traits In Soybean, Hua Bai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought limits crop growth and yield in soybean. Rapid and effective methods of screening large numbers of soybean lines for drought tolerance are urgently needed. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of drought in soybean during reproductive stages. In the first experiment five genotypes from maturity groups 2 through 5 were tested under well-irrigated and drought conditions. Beginning at R5, leaf samples were taken for nitrogen concentration analysis. Pictures were taken across the top of each plot to determine the intensity of greenness using the Dark Green Color Index (DGCI). Aerial photographs were also taken to determine aerial …

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Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2014, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

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Heat Stress Effects On Cotton During Reproductive Development And Subsequent Acclimation Responses, Toby Ryan Fitzsimons

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High temperature stress is among the most difficult to control abiotic factors affecting crop yields in the Southern United States due to its wide regional influence. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) though a tropical plant in origin, it is sensitive to the effects of high temperature. This is of particular concern when the warmest temperatures coincide with the most sensitive developmental stage of flowering. Thus, the capacity to improve cotton’s ability to tolerate heat stress has been a significant focus for many decades. Therefore, this research was composed of several different components all designed to investigate heat stress effects. Using a …

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Effects Of Delayed Drying And Storage Conditions On Milling, Color, And Viscosity Properties Of Rice, Kathryn Nicole Haydon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Head rice yields (HRYs), kernel discoloration, and functional properties are three hallmarks of rice quality, and can be impacted after harvest by storage conditions. This study evaluated impacts on rice quality due to controlled storage at moisture contents (MCs), temperatures, and storage durations that may be incurred during Mid-South rice farming practices. Three hybrid, long-grain cultivars, harvested in Arkansas in 2014 and 2015, were stored in rough rice form at 4 MCs (12.5%, 16%, 19%, and 21%), and 5 temperatures (10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 27°C, and 40°C), for 16 weeks, with samples taken every 2 weeks. After drying and milling, HRYs, …

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Gene Expression And Physiological Analysis To Study Differences Between Oryza Sativa Cultivars Susceptible And Resistant To Chalky Grain Formation Subjected To High Nighttime Temperatures., Nicholas Lawson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Starch composition and grain quality of rice is greatly influenced by genotype and environmental factors. The detrimental effects of high nighttime temperatures on rice yield and quality has recently become apparent, with some of the warmest average nighttime temperatures being recorded in the past few years. One of the most notable effects of this stress, an increase in grain chalk formation, correlates with a decrease in quality. This effect varies greatly between cultivars as some show less temperature-sensitive quality reduction than others. The goal of this research is to elucidate fundamental changes that occur in developing plants and grains as …

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Geospatial Analysis Of Droughts, Rice And Wheat Production, And Agrarian Vulnerability: A District-Level Study Of The Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index In India, Aaron Michael Shew

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Droughts have affected more people than any other natural disaster in the last century, causing billions in economic damages and millions of deaths. As the Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) have heated in the Indian Ocean, drought patterns across South Asia have changed; the Indian monsoon has become more volatile and less predictable. In this study, monthly self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (sc-PDSI) data for the time period between 1950 and 2009 were interpolated to India’s districts; then the data were analyzed for changes in frequency and severity. The data were further evaluated using Anselin’s Local Moran’s I Statistic to elicit …

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Preserving Rice Quality: Fine-Mapping And Introgressing A Fissure Resistance Locus, Haley Marie Sater

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) kernel fissuring is a major concern of both rice producers and millers. Fissures are small cracks in rice kernels that increase breakage of kernels when milled, and decrease the value of processed rice. This study employed molecular gene tagging methods to fine-map a fissure resistance (FR) locus found in ‘Cybonnet’, a semidwarf tropical japonica cultivar, as well as transfer this trait to rice genotypes of taller, non-semidwarf plant height that are better adapted to some rice production systems. Three QTLs for FR were previously reported; the FR locus with strongest effect resides near the semidwarf sd-1 …

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Consumer Willingness To Pay For Genetically Engineered Edamame, Elijah John Wolfe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of GM labeling on consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for edamame. It also investigated how people reacted to different messages and whether the order of receiving positive or negative information about GM technology impacted their willingness to pay (WTP). The study had three components: (1) a sensory test of GM and non-GM labeled products; (2) a non-hypothetical experimental auction to assess WTP for GM, non-GM and unlabeled products; and (3) a questionnaire to collect demographics and other information from the participants. Results of the sensory evaluation revealed no statistically significant difference between GM and non-GM …

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Full-Text Articles in Agronomy and Crop Sciences

Letter From The Dean, Lona Robertson

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

Message From The Faculty Editor, Mary Savin

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

An Assessment Of Economic Considerations For Industrial Hemp Production, Luke Lane, Jennie S. Popp, Michael P. Popp, Harrison M. Pittman

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

Dissecting Salt Tolerance In Soybean By Profiling Differential Physiological Responses Under Salt Stress, Jade Amber Newsome

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantitative Trait Loci (Qtl) For Salt Tolerance In Soybean And Physiological Response To Salt Stress During Early Growth Stage, Cindy Massiel Lopez Ramirez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping, Genome-Wide Association Analysis, And Gene Expression Of Salt Tolerance In Soybean, Ailan Zeng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Study Of Short-Season Winter Cover Crops For Organic High Tunnel Production Systems, Luke Riley Freeman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Liming Characteristics Of A High-Calcium, Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Product And Its Effects On Runoff Water Quality, Jason Richard Burgess-Conforti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Selection Of Drought-Tolerant Soybean Lines Using A Field Screening Method And Identification Of Qtls For Slow Wilting And Nitrogen Fixation Associated With Drought-Tolerance, Mirta Beatriz Dalzotto

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soil And Plant Property Differences Among High-Yield Soybean Areas In Arkansas, Taylor Cass Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Effects Of Harvest Conditions And Thickness Fractionation On Physicochemical Properties, Cooking And Sensory Characteristics Of Long Grain Rice, Sara Esther Jarma Arroyo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cover Crop Establishment And Potential Benefits To Arkansas Farmers, Ashley Elizabeth Humphreys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Peformance Tests 2016, R. D. Bond, J. A. Still, D. G. Dombek

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 1997-2014, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Summaries Of Arkansas Cotton Research 2015, Derrick M. Oosterhuis

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Agro-Climatic Change, Crop Production And Mitigation Strategies-Case Studies In Arkansas, Usa And Kenya, John Westley Magugu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic And Gene Expression Analysis Of Diverse Rice Genotypes In Response To Drought, Miranti Rahmaningsih

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Characterization Of Echinochloa Spp. In Arkansas, Hussain Tahir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

B. R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research Studies 2015, R. J. Norman, K.A. K. Moldenhauer

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2015-2016, R. E. Mason, R. G. Miller, D. E. Moon, J. P. Kelley

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Determination Of Optimum Fall And Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate For Maximizing Grain Yield Of Soft Red Winter Wheat Sown At Variable Planting Dates, Lucas Vasconcelos Vieira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High Throughput Phenotypic Evaluation Of Drought-Related Traits In Soybean, Hua Bai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2014, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Heat Stress Effects On Cotton During Reproductive Development And Subsequent Acclimation Responses, Toby Ryan Fitzsimons

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Effects Of Delayed Drying And Storage Conditions On Milling, Color, And Viscosity Properties Of Rice, Kathryn Nicole Haydon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gene Expression And Physiological Analysis To Study Differences Between Oryza Sativa Cultivars Susceptible And Resistant To Chalky Grain Formation Subjected To High Nighttime Temperatures., Nicholas Lawson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geospatial Analysis Of Droughts, Rice And Wheat Production, And Agrarian Vulnerability: A District-Level Study Of The Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index In India, Aaron Michael Shew

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Preserving Rice Quality: Fine-Mapping And Introgressing A Fissure Resistance Locus, Haley Marie Sater

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Consumer Willingness To Pay For Genetically Engineered Edamame, Elijah John Wolfe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations