Other Plant Sciences Commons^™

Ai And Future-Making: Design, Biases, And Human-Plant Interactions, Maliheh Ghajargar

Art Faculty Articles and Research

Design researchers and practitioners are turning to generative AI (genAI) to support activities such as ideation and concept development in pursuit of preferred futures. At the same time, genAI is known to have biases, which prompts questions about how these biases might adversely affect design practices. In the domain of sustainable HCI, with its recent trends in human-nature interactions and more-than-human design, the question can be further refined into whether and how genAI biases might perpetuate anthropocentric biases that these practices are increasingly seeking to confront. In the present research, we conducted three workshops, focusing on genAI for human-plant interactions; …

"The Words We Do Not Yet Have." A Creative Inquiry Into Human-Plant Relationships, Maliheh Ghajargar

Art Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change, loss of plant biodiversity, and ocean pollution signal the drastic changes in our ecology that call us to attend to the needs of more than human forms of life on Earth. Sustainable design and HCI research are responding to this call by offering methods and approaches to design more sustainable products and systems and recently, more than human design is building momentum. This agenda seeks to reform traditional design processes by decentering the creative agency of the dominant socio-economical group of humans and foregrounding those of diverse Others. In this paper, I focus on plants as a nonhuman …

Latticed Stinkhorn, Emilee G. Seigworth

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Artist Statement

Latticed Stinkhorn is a watercolor piece originally created for the special gallery of the 2023 Scientific Illustration course at the University of North Florida. It was inspired by my enduring fascination with the world of fungi, particularly specimens of the family Phallaceae. This watercolor piece offers a simple perspective of Clathrus ruber, a species commonly referred to as Latticed Stinkhorn. Like many members of the family, the reproductive fruiting body first surfaces encased in a cream-colored soft shell with a texture comparable to a leathery reptile egg. As the body ages, the initial shell disintegrates to reveal a …

Nebline, October 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Super Fair Showcases 4-H’ers Learning Experiences

10 Money-$aving Grocery $hopping Hacks You Need to Try, Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the Month: Air Fryer Pork and Apple Burgers, Alyssa Havlovic

Growing Woody Floral Plants in the Home Garden, Sarah Browning

Garden Guie: Things to Do This Month, Mary Jane Frogge

Highboy Cover Crop Interseeding Project, John Nelson

Car Seat Safety for Your Family, Hayley Jackson-Perez

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Lorene Bartos

Join 4-H

4-H Livestock Scholarship Recipients

State 4-H Horse Expo Top Results

Lancaster County Volunteers Receive Statewide 4-H Awards

4-H Announcements

Super Fair 4-H/FFA Top Results

State Fair 4-H …

Satellite Observations Indicate That Chia Uses Less Water Than Other Crops In Warm Climates, Brian Kirsch, Joshua B. Fisher, Thomas Piechota, Mohammad Hassani, Diego C. Suardiaz, Radhika Puri, Joseph Cahill, Hagop S. Atamian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Many parts of the world face severe and prolonged drought conditions, stressing the sustainability of water resources and agriculture. Transitioning to water-efficient crops is one strategy that can help adapt to water scarcity. An emerging drought-tolerant crop of interest is chia (Salvia hispanica). Yet, no study has compared its large-scale water use dynamics to those of widely established crops across the globe. Here, we use satellite data over multiple years to assess the water use efficiency of chia, alfalfa, corn, and soybean globally. Results show that chia consumed 13-38% less water than alfalfa, corn, and soy and assimilated …

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, …

Plant-Microorganism Interactions Within The Rhizosphere For Heavy Metal Soil Remediation, Dorina Podar, Cristina Lorena Văcar, Emanuela Dana Tiodar, Mihaela Gălean, Mihai Cosmin Grimm, Zoltan Robert Balazs, Anastasia Maria Abrudan, Csaba Tiodar

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Metallophytes As Guardians Of Highly Harsh Environments – Comprehensive Insights Into Silene Vulgaris Tolerance To Metals, Konrad Bąk, Maksymilian Adamczyk, Jagoda Matyjek, Anna Rusaczonek, Wojciech Borucki, Alina Wiszniewska, Ewa Muszyńska

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Harnessing The Potential Of Extremophyte Sea Aster For Environmental Challenges, Maksymilian Adamczyk, Konrad Bąk, Anna Rusaczonek, Aleksandra Koźmińska, Ewa Muszyńska, Alina Wiszniewska

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

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 …

Chinese Tallow Long-Term Impact On Stand Dynamics In A Bottomland Hardwood Forest Following Vegetation Management, Nicklaus R. Langlois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an invasive tree known to have negative impacts on bottomland hardwood forests. Chinese tallow is proficient in reproducing and surviving in bottomland hardwood forests because it is more flood and shade tolerant than most native trees. The long-term effectiveness of Chinese tallow control is an important topic to research as only a few long-term studies of Chinese tallow control have been conducted. A 10-year re-measurement of 22 paired plots installed in 2012 on the Pineywoods Mitigation Bank near Diboll, Texas following herbicide treatments examined Chinese tallow and native tree stand structure. Each …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

Nebline, August/September 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Preserving the Harvest: Canning, Freezing and Drying Tips, Kayla Colgrove

How Savvy are YOU with Home Canning?

Recipe of the Month: Freezing Onions, Kayla Colgrove

Deep, Infrequent Irrigation Makes Lawns and Trees Healthier, Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month, Mary Jane Frogge

Get the Jump on Jumping Worms, Kait Jumpman

Preparing Water for Use in an Emergency, Becky Schuerman

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Nicole Miller and Cole Meador

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Announcements

Lancaster County Super Fair, August 1-10, 2024

4-H Premiere Communication Event Top Results

4-H Clover College: 55 Hands-on Workshops

4-H …

Evaluation And Improvement Of The Design 4 Every Drop Course, Kenzy Fogle

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah and the greater Intermountain West are experiencing a water crisis. Many factors are contributing to this situation, including an arid climate exacerbated by climate change, rapid population growth, and a high-water-demanding landscape typology. Landscapes currently consume an estimated 60-80% of Utah’s potable water, representing a significant opportunity for water savings. However, changing the traditional water-dependent landscape typology requires educating the public regarding water-wise landscape design processes, best practices, and implementation approaches. Utah State University is the land grant university for Utah and home to one of the oldest Landscape Architecture departments in the Intermountain West. Utah State University’s community …

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 …

Impact Of Containment And Elevation On Created Marsh Plant Community And Ecosystem Dynamics, Kevin R. Stoner

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marsh restoration is increasing globally, as marshes are impacted by anthropogenic impacts. Billions of dollars are allocated to marsh restoration in the Mississippi River delta where wetland loss rates are extremely high. The recovery of structural and functional attributes of created marshes varies by attribute measured and project. Here, two marshes created in 2018 and one natural marsh were used to examine how variations in hydrologic connectivity and marsh elevation influence subsurface hydrology and salinity, vegetation community structure, soil properties, accretion, and denitrification. I established a comparative field study in a created marsh contained within a higher elevation containment …

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.

Characterizing The Quorum Sensing (Qs) System In The Model Eukaryote Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Kirstin Donnette Cutshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Group behaviors in microorganisms are often regulated by low-molecular weight molecules that enable them to sense population density, a signaling system known as quorum sensing (QS). QS in prokaryotes has provided insight into the role ‘social’ behaviors play in the bacterial world and refined our models of virulence, bacterial motility, and more. While less common, similar behaviors are observed in certain fungi, primarily yeasts, in which QS controls cell morphology, biofilm production, and other phenotypes. We have recently pursued the potential for QS to be more broadly distributed among unicellular eukaryotes, which could significantly alter our understanding of social behaviors …

Climate And Shared Evolutionary History Drive Trait Variation Among Species Of Neotropical Understory Monocots, Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, Oscar M. Vargas, Jennifer L. Funk, Kathleen M. Kay, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental variation commonly drives functional trait diversity within species, among species, and across communities. Climate and shared evolutionary history can both influence trait–environment relationships. We studied variation in plant functional traits among closely related Costus species occurring across environmental gradients, the extent to which this variation occurs within single species, and how that variation may be influenced by shared evolutionary history. We measured leaf, aboveground stem, rhizome, and fine root traits of 17 species of Costus in eight sites in Costa Rica and Panama, which varied in elevation, temperature, and precipitation. We then assessed the relationships among traits and environmental …

Tissue‑ And Time‑Dependent Metabolite Profiles During Early Grain Development Under Normal And High Night‑Time Temperature Conditions, Nathan Abshire, Andrew L. Hauck, Harkamal Walia, Toshihiro Obata

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background Wheat grain development in the first few days after pollination determines the number of endosperm cells that influence grain yield potential and is susceptible to various environmental conditions, including high night temperatures (HNTs). Flag leaves and seed-associated bracts (glumes, awn, palea, and lemma) provide nutrients to the developing seed. However, the specific metabolic roles of these tissues are uncertain, especially their dynamics at different developmental stages and the time in a day. Tissue- and time-dependent metabolite profiling may hint at the metabolic roles of tissues and the mechanisms of how HNTs affect daytime metabolic status in early grain development. …

Flower Study, Haven Hinds

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This project is a study into extinct flowers, their histories, environments, biology, colors, and assigned personalities then manifested in 3D models and a digital book. The goal was to select six flowers with interesting histories and or cultural connections. Since the flowers can, for the most part, not be seen or kept they were created in Blender as accurately as possible. To give people a means of connection with the flowers, each was assigned a personality based on different factors. These factors could be the colors they possess, where geographically they thrived, parts of their history, and biological factors. To …

A Library Of 39 Plant Peroxidases: Plants From The Families Cucurbitaceae And Brassicaceae Show Promising Peroxidase And Peroxygenase Activity, Sally Hess

Senior Honors Theses

Peroxidases are enzymes that reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidize organic substances in living cells. The textile industry, wastewater treatment plants, immunological laboratories, and diagnostic laboratories have extensively used horseradish peroxidase for their oxidating needs. This research aims to provide a tool for identifying potentially useful sources of peroxidases in addition to specifically pinpointing a novel peroxygenase in jalapeño seeds. By using two widely accepted peroxidase assays, the guaiacol assay and the fluorophenol assay, fruits of the genus Cucurbita and roots or leaves of the family Brassicaceae were seen to have high peroxidase activity. Additionally, novel peroxygenase activity was …

Nebline, June/July 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Facts Related to Drinking Water by Becky Schuerman

Tar Spot is an Emerging Corn Disease in Eastern Nebraska by John Nelson

Nutrition Education for Refugee and Immigrant Families in Lincoln by Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the Month: Biryani by Emily Gratopp

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Sudden Wilt and Death in Tomatoes by Sarah Browning

Sun's Out, Fun's Out: Keeping Your Little One Safe This Summer by Hayley Perez

Protect Yourself from Bed Bugs by Kait Chapman

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Netsy Barent and Jessica Marsh

Nebraska 4-H Foundation Scholarship Winners

Learn …

The Influence Of Stage Of Ripeness On Consumer Perceptions Regarding Selected Aspects Of Non-Astringent Asian Persimmons (Diospyros Kaki Thunb), Robert A. Mirabello Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asian Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is an important fruit crop in Asia and in recent decades has experienced expanding production around the world. Non-astringent cultivars are highly desirable in world markets. In the United States the Asian Persimmon is lesser known and consumed although it can be successfully grown in California and the Southeastern United States.This novel study examined the physical/chemical properties of the non-astringent Asian Persimmon ‘Jiro’ grown in Southern Louisiana at three distinct stages of ripeness described as Green (mid-September harvest), Light Orange (mid-October harvest) and Dark Orange (mid-November harvest). Data collected included color, weight, size, soluble …

Proteomic Characterization And Cytotoxic Potential Of Proteins From Cuscuta (Cuscuta Epithymum (L.) Crude Herbal Product Against Mcf-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line, Umaima Akhtar, Yamna Khurshid, Bishoy El-Aarag, Basir Syed, Ishtiaq A. Khan, Keykavous Parang, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The burden of breast cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide, is increasing at an alarming rate. Cuscuta, used in traditional medicine for different ailments, including cancer, is known for containing phytochemicals that exhibit anticancer activity; however, the bioactivities of proteins from this plant remain unexplored. This study aimed to screen the cytotoxic potential of proteins from the crude herbal product of Cuscuta epithymum(L.) (CE) harvested from the host plants Alhagi maurorum and Medicago sativa.

Methods

The proteins from CE were extracted using a salting-out method, followed by fractionation with a gel filtration chromatography column. Gel-free shotgun …

Adopting Yield-Improving Practices To Meet Maize Demand In Sub-Saharan Africa Without Cropland Expansion, Fernando Aramburu-Merlos, Fatima A. M. Tenorio, Nester Mashingaidze, Alex Sananka, Stephen Aston, Jonathan J. Ojeda, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize demand in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase 2.3 times during the next 30 years driven by demographic and dietary changes. Over the past two decades, the area croppedwithmaize has expanded by 17million hectares in the region, with limited yield increase. Following this trend could potentially result in further maize cropland expansion and the need for imports to satisfy domestic demand. Here, we use data collected from 14,773 smallholder fields in the region to identify agronomic practices that can improve farm yield gains. We find that agronomic practices related to cultivar selection, and nutrient, pest, and crop management can …

Evaluating The Yield Of Surviving Plants From Early-Season Hail Damage In Corn: A Field Survey, I. P. Lisboa, Christopher A. Proctor, R W. Elmore, A. J. Mcmechan, N. D. Mueller, J. Wilson, G. Zobeck, Aaron Nygren, A. Bastidas, Osler Ortez

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Economic losses due to hailstorms acrossUS corn fields occur every year.Hailstorms result in leaf defoliation, decreasing photosynthetic area and impairing carbon assimilation and crop yield for all corn (Zea mays L.) development stages. However, more attention is often given to stand reductions rather than damage to stems or leaf defoliation. During the 2014 growing season, a natural hail event affected many areas of eastern Nebraska. Twelve affected corn fields were surveyed and included in this study. An injury score scale (1–5) was developed based on various injury and severity levels before the V6 (6-leaf corn growth stage) (six-collared leaves). …

Natural Variation In Lonely Guy-Like 1 Regulates Rice Grain Weight Under Warmer Night Conditions, Jaspreet Sandhu, Larissa Irvin, Anil Kumar Chandaran, Shohei Oguro, Puneet Paul, Balpreet Dhatt, Waseem Hussain, Shannon S. Cunningham, Cherryl O. Quinones, Argelia Lorence, Maria Arlene Adviento-Borbe, Paul E. Staswick, Gota Morota, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Global nighttime temperatures are rising at twice the rate of daytime temperatures and pose a challenge for rice (Oryza sativa) production. High nighttime temperature (HNT) stress affects rice yield by reducing grain weight, size, and fertility. Although the genes associated with these yield parameters have been identified and characterized under normal temperatures, the genetic basis of grain weight regulation under HNT stress remains less explored. We examined the natural variation for rice single grain weight (SGW) under HNT stress imposed during grain development. A genome-wide association analysis identified several loci associated with grain weight under HNT stress. A …

Nebline, May 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Weed Control in Pastures and Hayfields by John Nelson

Navigating Nutrition Information: Separating Fact from Fiction by Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the Month: Pepper Steak Sandwich by Alyssa Havlovic

Care for New Bedding Plants by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Cash Rent Survey

No Matter Where You Live, Submit a Request Before You Dig! by Becky Schuerman

4-H Achievement Celebration

8 Lancaster County 4-H’ers Modeled Their Sewn Garments at Omaha Fashion Week

4-H Events Open to All Youth

Support 4-H by Eating Out, May 1 & 2

Support 4-H During “Give to Lincoln Day,” May 30 …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …