Horticulture Commons^™

Hop Cone Drying For The Small Grower: Temperature And Airflow Considerations, Stacy A. Adams, David M. Mabie, Michael F. Kocher, David Jones

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Small hop growers without nearby processors for cone stripping and drying must attempt to do so on their own farm. Challenges exist for self-built drying systems, including drying capacity, processing speed, airflow direction, and maintaining quality during drying. Research-based recommendations are given for optimal temperature, sizing of drying vessel, maximum cone depth, and influences associated with airflow on processing uniformity and cone quality are presented.

From Code To Crops: Harnessing Bioinformatics And Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Agricultural Omics, Lakshay Anand

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Global agricultural faces numerous challenges, such as climate change, resource limitations, novel pests and diseases, increasing costs, and the ever-increasing human population. To tackle these challenges, we need innovative strategies that combine new technologies and data analytics approaches to enhance agricultural output, promote sustainable methods, and optimize resource allocation. The key to this innovation lies in understanding the complex molecular web within plants that governs their growth, defense, and adaptability mechanisms. By mastering this molecular network, we can cultivate crops that are more resilient, sustainable, and suitable for different climatic terrains. Moreover, studying the symbiotic relationship between plants and microorganisms …

The Effects Of Potassium Fertilization Regime On High Tunnel Tomato Production, Sapana Pandey

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

A two-year field experiment (2022-2023) was conducted at the University of Kentucky Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, KY to study the effects of potassium (K2O) fertilization rates on tomato yield and ripening disorders in determinate and indeterminate varieties (‘BHN-589’ and ‘Big Beef’, respectively). In the first year, K2O rates representing the soil test result-based commercial recommendation (0 lbs/acre) and sequentially greater rates (150, 300, and 450 lbs K2O/acre) were applied. In the second year, K2O rates were increased based on lack of fruit quality response and were 0, 300, 600, and 900 lbs K2O/acre. Leaf tissue nutrients, tomato yield, and …

Early Season Biomass And Weather Enable Robust Cereal Rye Cover Crop Biomass Predictions, Alexandra M. Huddell, Brian Needleman, Eugene P. Law, Victoria J. Ackroyd, Muthukumar V. Bagavathiannan, Kevin Bradley, Adam S. Davis, Jeffrey A. Evans, Wesley Jay Everman, Michael Flessner, Nicholas Jordan, Lauren M. Schwartz-Lazaro, Ramon G. Leon, John L. Lindquist, Jason K. Norsworthy, Lovreet S. Shergill, Mark Vangessel, Steven B. Mirsky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Farmers need accurate estimates of winter cover crop biomass to make informed decisions on termination timing or to estimate potential release of nitrogen from cover crop residues to subsequent cash crops. Utilizing data from an extensive experiment across 11 states from 2016 to 2020, this study explores the most reliable predictors for determining cereal rye cover crop biomass at the time of termination. Our findings demonstrate a strong relationship between early-season and late-season cover crop biomass. Employing a random forest model, we predicted late-season cereal rye biomass with a margin of error of approximately 1,000 kg ha⁻¹ based on …

Artificial Intelligence And Image-Based Phenotyping For Monitoring Morpho-Physiological Dynamics In Grapevines, Prakriti Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plant phenotypic features are essential for determining the structure, composition, and function of plants. These traits are controlled by both environmental variables and genetic makeup. Conventional manual methods of phenotyping, although time-consuming and not very accurate, have laid the foundation for more modern approaches such as high throughput phenotyping (HTP). HTP utilizes imaging, sensor networks, robotics, and data analytics to automate the process of collecting and analyzing data. This study utilizes hyperspectral and digital imaging techniques to quantify physiological, biochemical, and morphological characteristics in grapevines. Hyperspectral imaging was leveraged to collect spectral data for evaluating physiological factors, whereas digital imaging …

Integrating Early Season Clover Cover Crops As A Living Mulch In Broccoli And Transitional Organic Winter Squash Production In Eastern South Dakota, Alexis Rose Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Managing weeds, improving soil health, and reducing the use of plastic mulch continue to be priorities for South Dakota vegetable farmers. Farmers have expressed an interest in integrating cover crops into their farm systems. Clover cover crops used as a living mulch within and along cash crop rows may aid in weed suppression, nitrogen fixation, and prevent soil erosion. However, prior research has shown challenges of incorporating living mulch due to yield decreases. Research conducted in 2022 and 2023 in eastern South Dakota investigated the effects of four clover and four in-row soil management treatments on broccoli and organic winter …

Research Report: Radicchio Cultivar Performance In New Hampshire, Rebecca G. Sideman, Ella Lukacz, Lilly Hartman

Faculty Publications

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. latifolium) is grown widely throughout Europe, especially northern Italy. In addition to having interesting color and flavor profiles, they are rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. While increasingly popular as a niche vegetable in the region, there is little research-based information to guide growers. The New England growing climate is very different from that of major production regions, and it presents unique challenges. There is tremendous phenotypic variation among and within groups and cultivars. The availability of varieties to commercial growers in the U.S. has expanded greatly, but there remains a need for reliable …

Skipresnet: Crop And Weed Recognition Based On The Improved Resnet, Wenyi Hu, Tian Chen, Chunjie Lan, Shan Liu, Lirong Yin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Weeds have a detrimental effect on crop yield. However, the prevailing chemical weed control methods cause pollution of the ecosystem and land. Therefore, it has become a trend to reduce dependence on herbicides; realize a sustainable, intelligent weed control method; and protect the land. In order to realize intelligent weeding, efficient and accurate crop and weed recognition is necessary. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely applied for weed and crop recognition due to their high speed and efficiency. In this paper, a multi-path input skip-residual network (SkipResNet) was put forward to upgrade the classification function of weeds and crops. It …

Cosmos For Cut Flower Production In Utah, Ali Harrison, Melanie Stock, Lorin Harrison, Amanda Pratt, Olive Stewart, Claudia Nischwitz, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

Cosmos are one of the easiest and most productive cut flowers to grow. As a warm-season annual, blooms are prolific and continued, making cosmos a staple, cut-and-come-again flower. The plants tolerate low water conditions, poor soil, and low maintenance, and perform better in fields than high tunnels. Available in shades ranging from whites and blushes to cranberry and orange, cosmos provide popular colors and airy textures for floral design work, particularly in late summer weddings and events.

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

A Vision For A Food-Secure Future Through Permaculture, Jim Gale

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

In response to the pressing challenges of food security, sustainability, and resilience, Food Forest Abundance, led by visionary CEO Jim Gale, emerges as a beacon for permaculture-based agriculture and community development. This editorial explores the organization's pivotal role in advocating for a future where individuals, families, and communities thrive through sustainable practices and localized food systems. Central to Food Forest Abundance mission is the conviction that permaculture principles can revolutionize our approach to food security, health, and wellness by uniting agricultural and community leaders.

The catalyst for this movement was the World Farmers Market Coalition report, revealing the tangible economic, …

Crop Dna Extraction With Lab-Made Magnetic Nanoparticles, Haichuan Wang, Xueqi Zhao, Li Tan, Junwei Zhu, David Hyten

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Molecular breeding methods, such as marker-assisted selection and genomic selection, require high-throughput and cost-effective methods for isolating genomic DNA from plants, specifically from crop tissue or seed with high polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins. A quick and inexpensive high-throughput method for isolating genomic DNA from seed and leaf tissue from multiple crops was tested with a DNA isolation method that combines CTAB extraction buffer and lab-made SA-coated magnetic nanoparticles. This method is capable of isolating quality genomic DNA from leaf tissue and seeds in less than 2 hours with fewer steps than a standard CTAB extraction method. The yield of the …

Colored Sweet Bell And Tapered Pepper Cultivar Evaluation For High Tunnel Production In West-Central Indiana, 2023, Petrus Langenhoven, Dennis Gustavo Toc Mo

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Colored sweet bell-shaped and tapered pepper is a summer crop that is grown by many small and medium-sized farming operations in Indiana. Growers can choose to grow peppers out in the field or plant them under a protective structure. Sweet peppers, in particular, benefit from the unique growing environment created by a high tunnel. Planting of peppers can start at least 2-4 weeks earlier in the spring, and production can continue into the fall until the first hard freeze. Pepper variety performance data for Indiana is not readily available. We are working hard to change that. To date, we have …

Understanding Cut Flower Consumers, Makaylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on cut flower consumers, such as floral preferences and consumer demographics and psychographics. It discusses possible ways to enhance perceived value and interest in cut flowers.

The Effectiveness Of Garlic Extract Against Spodoptera Litura On Chili, Efrin Firmansyah, Cecep Hidayat, Anna Aina Roosda, Adinda Nurul Fatah Adi Pradana, R Soelistijono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Spodoptera litura is a polyphagous pest and attack many families of cultivated plants, such as chili plants. Application of synthetic pesticides is still the mainstay for controlling this pest in the field. To support eco-friendly plant protection management, it is important to explore potential natural materials such as garlic extract. This research aims to determine the potential of garlic extract in controlling S. litura on chili plants, and to see its indirect effect on chili yield. The research was carried out in two sites, in the laboratory and the field. The experiment used a completely randomized design with 6 treatments …

Cut Flower Markets And Marketing In The Intermountain West, Makylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

This fact sheet discusses different markets for cut flowers in the Intermountain West, including wholesale and direct-to-consumer markets. Farmers markets, community-supported agriculture and subscription services, u-pick operations, farm venues, and online options are explored, as well as using social media to advertise and build clientele.

An Overview Of The Cut Flower Industry, Makaylie Langford, Kynda R. Curtis, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides an overview of the cut flower industry. It provides information about traditional and specialty cut flowers, comparing flowers sourced locally in Utah and internationally.

Shallot Cultivation Originated From True Shallot Seed (Tss) On Andisols Enriched With Various Ameliorants, Fahmi Aprianto, Mahfud Arifin, Emma Trinurani Sofyan

Jurnal Kultivasi

Application of soil ameliorants is important to improve Andisols properties and increase shallot productivity. The research objective is to determine the kind of ameliorant which the best effect on the growth and productivity of shallots originating from TSS in Andisols Lembang, West Java. The experiment was conducted in Margahayu Research Station, Lembang, West Java from January to May 2021. A randomized block design (RBD) with 6 treatments and 5 replications was set up in the field. Treatments include control (no ameliorant), 20 tons/ha of horse manure, 10 tons/ha of rice straw compost, 10 tons/ha of bamboo leaf compost, 10 tons/ha …

Evaluation Of Five Roma Tomato Cultivars In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A Roma tomato cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). HM Claus (HM), PanAmerican (PA), and Sakata (SK) seed companies donated five Roma tomato cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Overall trial quality was excellent, despite a dry start that brought in insects, and hard rains that flared bacterial diseases.

Evaluation Of 13 Round Tomato Cultivars In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A round tomato cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Enza Zaden (EZ), Seminis (SM), Sakata (SK), and Seedway (SW) seed companies donated round tomato cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded and trellised hand harvest. Overall trial quality was excellent, despite a dry start that brought in insects, and hard rains that flared bacterial diseases.

Evaluation Of 23 Pickling Cucumber Cultivars For Machine Harvest In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A pickling cucumber cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.088261, -86.351980, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Nunhems (NU), Rijk Zwaan (RZ), and US AgriSeed (UA) seed companies donated parthenocarpic (seedless) cultivars for mechanical once-over harvest. Overall trial quality was good despite a droughty start, though picking could have started sooner.

Evaluation Of Five Cauliflower Cultivars For Summer Harvest In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Leah Freeman

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A cauliflower cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Clifton (CL), Sakata (SK), and Tozer (TZ) seed companies donated five cauliflower cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded hand harvest. The trial quality was good for collecting data on stressed plants. A dry start and cabbage maggot attack reduced stand with replacement plants lagging behind, and heat around head formation created a high proportion of non-marketable heads.

Evaluation Of 11 Broccoli Cultivars For Summer Harvest In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Leah Freeman

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A broccoli cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Bejo (BJ), Clifton (CL), Sakata (SK), and Tozer (TZ) seed companies donated 11 broccoli cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded hand harvest. The trial quality was good for collecting data on stressed plants. A dry start and cabbage maggot attack reduced stand with replacement plants lagging behind, and heat around head formation created a high proportion of non-marketable heads.

Evaluation Of Six Slicing Cucumber Cultivars In Southwest Michigan In 2023, Ben Phillips, Jenny Schoonmaker

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

A slicing cucumber cultivar trial was planted at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (42.081985, -86.354087, Benton Harbor, Michigan). Clifton (CL), Seedway (SW), Seminis (SM), and Syngenta (SY) seed companies donated five slicing cucumber cultivars for plastic-mulch bedded hand harvest. The trial quality was OK, with a dry start that created an uneven stand, and some deer browse.

Microbiome-Enabled Genomic Selection Improves Prediction Accuracy For Nitrogen-Related Traits In Maize, Zhikai Yang, Tianjing Zhao, Hao Cheng, Jinliang Yang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Root-associated microbiomes in the rhizosphere (rhizobiomes) are increasingly known to play an important role in nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and disease resistance of plants. However, it remains largely unclear to what extent these rhizobiomes contribute to trait variation for different genotypes and if their inclusion in the genomic selection protocol can enhance prediction accuracy. To address these questions, we developed a microbiome-enabled genomic selection method that incorporated host SNPs and amplicon sequence variants from plant rhizobiomes in a maize diversity panel under high and low nitrogen (N) field conditions. Our cross-validation results showed that the microbiome-enabled genomic selection model significantly …

Emerging Trends In Wheat (Triticum Spp.) Breeding: Implications For The Future, Mujahid Alam, P. Stephen Baenziger, Katherine Anna Frels

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Wheat (Triticum spp and, particularly, T. aestivum L.) is an essential cereal with increased human and animal nutritional demand. Therefore, there is a need to enhance wheat yield and genetic gain using modern breeding technologies alongside proven methods to achieve the necessary increases in productivity. These modern technologies will allow breeders to develop improved wheat cultivars more quickly and efficiently. This review aims to highlight the emerging technological trends used worldwide in wheat breeding, with a focus on enhancing wheat yield. The key technologies for introducing variation (hybridization among the species, synthetic wheat, and hybridization; genetically modified wheat; transgenic …

Vulnerabilities Of Greater Prairie Chicken And Tier 1 At-Risk Species In Nebraska Caused By Grassland Transition To Woody Dominance, Robert Peterson

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

Woody plant encroachment is a global threat and has been transitioning grasslands to woody dominance at a biome scale. This threat is present in the Great Plains grassland biome which is currently experiencing grassland biome collapse as the alternative woody biome advances northwest. Nebraska, which contains the most intact temperate grassland in the world, is currently at the front lines of this large-scale transition making this state’s management decisions vital for the remaining grasslands and the species which rely on these ecosystems. In this study, we assess the vulnerability of Greater Prairie Chicken and Tier 1 at-risk species in Nebraska …

A Genome Wide Association Study Of Heat Tolerance In Snap Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris), Morgan Stone

All Theses

Bean production in the United States has decreased while the temperatures have been steadily increasing, reaching new highs each year. Heat stress is detrimental to common bean (also known as snap bean) production. Symptoms of heat stress include decrease in pollen viability, shriveling of pods, and pod abortion making them unmarketable. Pod production of 323 snap bean accessions from a large diversity panel was assessed in a randomized complete block design with field trials at two different times in the spring season. The results show a significant decrease in the number of pods produced per plant and weight of pods …

Rapid Leaf Senescence Symptoms Are Related To Carbohydrate Depletion In Cut Chrysanthemums, And Strategies For The Symptoms Reduction, Shara Ortiz Carvajal

All Theses

Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ×morifolium) is the second-largest exported cut flower worldwide; however, some cultivars exhibit rapid leaf senescence during their first week of vase life. This phenomenon negatively impacts consumer perception of plant quality, and its cause has been unknown. Experiments were performed in Colombia on cut chrysanthemums shipped to the U.S. for vase-life evaluation. After 10 d, the severity of leaf senescence symptoms was recorded. Experiments examined the effect of flower form [disbud (one flower per stem) versus spray (5-10 flowers per stem)], the effect of time of harvest (A.M. versus P.M.), and sugar sources (dextrose, fructose, mannitol, and sucrose) …

2020-2021 Field Seasons Of Maize Gxe Project Within The Genomes To Fields Initiative, Dayane Cristina Lima, Alejandro Castro Aviles, Ryan Timothy Alpers, Alden Perkins, Dylan L. Schoemaker, Martin Costa, Kathryn J. Michel, Shawn Kaeppler, David Ertl, Maria Cinta Romay, Joseph L. Gage, James Holland, Timothy Beissinger, Martin Bohn, Edward Buckler, Jode Edwards, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Michael A. Gore, Candice N. Hirsch, Joseph E. Knoll, John Mckay, Richard Minyo, Seth C. Murray, James Schnable, Rajandeep S. Sekhon, Maninder P. Singh, Erin E. Sparks, Peter Thomison, Addie Thompson, Mitchell Tuinstra, Jason Wallace, Jacob D. Washburn, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Wenwei Xu, Natalia De Leon

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objectives: This release note describes the Maize GxE project datasets within the Genomes to Fields (G2F) Initiative. The Maize GxE project aims to understand genotype by environment (GxE) interactions and use the information collected to improve resource allocation efficiency and increase genotype predictability and stability, particularly in scenarios of variable environmental patterns. Hybrids and inbreds are evaluated across multiple environments and phenotypic, genotypic, environmental, and metadata information are made publicly available. Data description: The datasets include phenotypic data of the hybrids and inbreds evaluated in 30 locations across the US and one location in Germany in 2020 and 2021, soil …