Plant Biology Commons^™

Evaluation Of Apomictic Megathyrsus Maximus Accessions And Ecotypes To Improve Feed Availability In Western Kenya, David Miano Mwangi, S. W. Mwendia, Joseph G. Mureithi, P. Karimi, Maurice Mudeheri, An Notenbaert, Andres Juan, Tarus David

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Kenya, the dairy sub-sector is dominated by smallholder farmers, who keep between 1-10 dairy cows, and produce over 80% of the marketed milk in the country. The sub-sector is characterized by low milk production, long calving intervals and high calf mortality. The main constraint is the lack of year- round quality feeds hence the low lactation yield of 1,400 litres from animals capable of 3,500 - 4,000 litres. The main feed is Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) formerly Pennisetum purpureum. However, in the last decade the productivity and reliability of Napier grass has been constrained by the emergence Napier …

Annual Clovers Around The World: Current Status And Future Prospects, P. G. H. Nichols, G. R. Smith, D. J. Moot, Serkan Ates, Claudio Porqueddu, Esteban F. Rios, Mounir Louhaichi, Alejandro Del Pozo, N. Kotze, Alan W. Humphries, K. Ghamkhar, M. H. Ryan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper reviews the distribution and importance of annual clover (Trifolium) species for pasture and fodder production systems globally. Of the 158 recorded annual Trifolium species, 65.2% are endemic to the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas, 14.6% to sub-Saharan Africa, 17.7% to the United States of America and 2.5% to Chile. Fourteen species have been commercialised, while other endemic and naturalised annual clovers are also utilised. Key species for self-regenerating pastures include T. subterraneum, T. michelianum and T. respinatum var. resupinatum, while major dual-purpose grazing and fodder species include T. incarnatum, T. vesiculosum, T. alexandrinum and T. …

Domestication Of The Annual Legume Trigonella Balansae For Mixed Farming Systems In Southern Australia, M. G. Wilmot, H. C. Norman, J. K. Hendry, P. Young, Elizabeth L. Hulm, A. Toovey, R. J. Harrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An accession of the annual legume Trigonella balansae Boiss. and Reuter. has been selected for commercial release in Australia. The annual legume has significant potential as a self-regenerating pasture within mixed farming systems. As part of a duty-of-care assessment, we tested the hypothesis that sheep grazing the trigonella cultivar will have similar liveweight, condition scores, health and wool production to sheep grazing two widely adopted annual legumes, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv Dalkeith) and French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot. cv. Erica). Forage dry matter digestibility (DMD), crude protein (CP), fibre, mineral content and isoflavones were measured across …

Pasture Production And Grazing System In Assist Project: Outcome And Replication Viability In Nigeria For Sustainable Ruminant Production, Okanlade A. Lawal-Adebowale, M. Jordana Rivero, John Hunt, Sarah Morgan, Hannah Fleming, R. Pywell, Jonathan Storkey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

As important as pasture is to productive management of cattle, sheep and goats, intensive development of grassland for ruminant animals is rare in Nigeria largely due to no conscious effort at pasture cultivation in the country. Consequently, nomadic and free grazing systems remain a practice in the country, with resultant poor animal productivity and agro-related conflicts between ruminant keepers and crop farmers and/or agro-processors. The need to revert this situation underscored the exploration of the potential value of the innovative pasture production and grazing management system tested under the Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) programmme in Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, …

Tillering Of ‘Marandu’ Brachiaria Under Different Nitrogen Rates In The Brazilian Savannah, A. B. O. Assis, A. L. Bocchi, T. C. Pedrosa, A. O. Matos, A. P. B. Soares

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The tiller is the basic unit of grass growth and tiller density determines the horizontal ground cover, leaves production and pastures perennially. The objective in this study was to quantify the number of aerial and basal tillers and basal:aerial tillers ratio in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, established in Brazilian savannah, submitted to nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was carried out in the Forage and Pasture Sector of Jataí Federal University (UFJ) and after soil correction and fertilization, plots were established with Marandu palisade grass in a randomized block design, with four replications and four …

Could Formononetin Of Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense L.) Be Enhanced By Phosphorus And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Management?, Fernando Ortega-Klose, Andrés Quiroz, L. Bardehle, P. Aguilera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Red clover is a forage legume of importance in the world with limited persistency; in Chile this is due mainly to the root borer (Hylastinus obscurus Marsham) infestation. Our previous studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between the root borer and the formononetin content in roots of the plants; therefore, studying factors that enhance the concentration of formononetin in the plant could help to decrease the negative effect of the root borer. The purpose of this research was to assess the relationship between phosphorus availability (P) in the soil interacting with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) over …

The Influence Of High Density Grazing And Conventional, Rotational Grazing On Soil And Vegetation Parameters In The Semi-Arid And Mesic Grasslands Of South Africa, Jamie Paulse, C. Visser, P. J. Malan, G. N. Smit, F. H. De Witt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In South Africa, multi-camp rotational grazing using ‘conservative stocking rates’ have been the conventional approach to livestock grazing management systems. However, as of late, the high-desnity approach (used interchangeably – depending on the situation – with regenerative grazing, mob grazing, short duration, high pressure grazing, rapid rotation, time controlled, ultra-high density, holistic grazing and holistic resource management) has been adopted by numerous farmers. This approach is considered to be an adaptable one, incorporating the ‘herd effect’ concept, whereby large numbers of animals occupy an area for short periods of time, and allowed an extended rest period. It claims to improve …

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen After Eight Years Of Rotational Grazing In The Nebraska Sandhills Meadows, Gandura O. Abagandura, Martha Mamo, W. H. Schacht, Aaron Shropshire, Jerry Volesky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Grassland provides many ecosystem services; therefore, sustainable management practices of grassland are crucial for maintaining and enhancing its ecosystem health and resilience. Rotational grazing at a high stocking density (a.k.a., ultrahigh stocking density) is purported to sequester greater amounts of carbon (C) in grassland soils than rotational grazing at low stocking densities. This study was conducted in the Nebraska Sandhills meadows for eight years to evaluate how rotational grazing with different stocking densities can affect soil C and total nitrogen (TN) in bulk soils, soil organic matter fractions, and sequestration rate. The grazing management included a high stocking density with …

Genome-Wide Association And Genomic Prediction For Iron And Zinc Concentration And Iron Bioavailability In A Collection Of Yellow Dry Beans, Paulo Izquierdo, Rie Sadohara, Jason Wiesinger, Raymond Glahn, Carlos Urrea, Karen Cichy

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dry bean is a nutrient-dense food targeted in biofortification programs to increase seed iron and zinc levels. The underlying assumption of breeding for higher mineral content is that enhanced iron and zinc levels will deliver health benefits to the consumers of these biofortified foods. This study characterized a diversity panel of 275 genotypes comprising the Yellow Bean Collection (YBC) for seed Fe and Zn concentration, Fe bioavailability (FeBio), and seed yield across 2 years in two field locations. The genetic architecture of each trait was elucidated via genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the efficacy of genomic prediction (GP) was assessed. …

Data For: "Polyethylene Polymer Type And Soil Properties Determine Impacts Of Microplastic Pollution On Arugula Growth", Noah P. Walsh, Ella Beaghen, Abigail Kane, Leilani M. Santodomingo, Daniel Watson, Christina S. Baer

First-Year Research Immersion (FRI) Scholarship

From the manuscript abstract:

While microplastics have become a novel pollutant of concern, few studies have directly compared different polymers’ effects on plants. We investigated the effects of high-density (HDPE) and low-density (LDPE) polyethylene on arugula growth. We hypothesized that polyethylene microplastics would inhibit growth and that LDPE would have a greater effect than HDPE due to its branched structure and lower density. We grew arugula (Eruca vesicaria) in plain soil or soil mixed with HDPE or LDPE microplastics. To determine if microplastic effects are dependent on soil quality, we used two kinds of fresh soil and reused one type …

Factors Determining The Success Of Recently Planted Spartina Alterniflora On A Living Shoreline In Jamaica Bay, Ny, Abby K. Bressette, Shakira Thomas, Brett F. Branco

Environmental Studies Publications

Natural and nature-based features have been implemented throughout New York City to provide habitat and reduce flooding, erosion, and pollution. The West Pond Living Shoreline in Jamaica Bay, NY was designed with organic breakwaters and native marsh plants, including S. alterniflora. Post-construction monitoring in 2021 found that percent coverage of S. alterniflora was lower than expected. To inform future management, we studied the effect of elevation, planting method, and shoreline energy exposure on the percent cover, average stem height, and average stem density of S. alterniflora. Elevation and plant growth data were collected within 8 one sq. meter quadrats at …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Sarah Luper

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Recreational trails and the presence of invasive species such as Bromus inermis can both disturb grassland community composition. Trails can act as dispersal corridors for plant material, but can also be a source of trampling and compaction. Invasive grasses like Bromus inermis can easily establish in grasslands and decrease species richness by increasing competition. Understanding these effects, this study aims to understand how both the presence of recreational trails as well as the presence of Bromus inermis affect species richness and overall community composition at Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. Belt transect sampling took place in fall 2019 and again …

Environmental Biology Masters Capstone, Antonio Gonzalez-Pita

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Human wildlife interactions (HWI) pose a complex challenge for wildlife managers. Human encroachment into wildlife habitat and the growing number of outdoor recreationists are increasing the frequency of contact and conflict, especially in regions such as the Front Range of Colorado. Geographic information systems (GIS), which use a combination of remote sensing and environmental survey data, allow for predictive spatial analyses of where human wildlife interactions are likely to occur. I used publicly reported observations of moose to create spatial predictive maps in a species distribution model framework. Slope and elevation were shown to be the strongest predictors of HWI, …

Whatever Happened To The Snapdragon Family?, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

The short answer is DNA sequencing and phylogenetic systematics.

The Genetic Diversity Of An Endangered Buttercup, Ranunculus Triternatus, Ryan Garcia

All Graduate Projects

Ranunculus triternatus, a rare endemic species of the Columbia River Gorge, faces conservation challenges due to its limited range and fragmented populations. This study assesses the genetic diversity of R. triternatus and compares it with its widespread congener, Ranunculus glaberrimus, using inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Genetic data from 80 individuals across eight populations were analyzed using Nei’s genetic diversity, Shannon’s diversity index, and AMOVA. Results showed R. triternatus had higher genetic diversity than western populations of R. glaberrimus, with eastern populations of R. glaberrimus displaying greater diversity than western ones. PCA, UPGMA, and STRUCTURE analysis revealed …

Trinity Transcript Assembly For The Titan Arum, Alveena Zulfiqar, Beenish J. Azhar, Samina N. Shakeel, William Thives Santos, Theresa D. Barry, Dana Ozimek, Kim Delong, Ruthie Angelovici, Kathleen M. Greenham, Craig A. Schenck, G. Eric Schaller

Dartmouth Scholarship

Transcriptome analysis of the titan arum was performed using floral and leaf tissues harvested from “Morphy” and “Morphy Junior,” two titan arums housed in the greenhouse of the Life Sciences Center at Dartmouth College. De novo transcript assembly for the reads obtained by RNA-seq was performed with Trinity-v2.6.6, using the default settings of >95% identity and a minimum assembled contig length of 200 nucleotides, resulting in the assembly of 915,085 transcripts that clustered as 536,644 genes.

See the following publication for details:

Zulfiqar, A., Azhar, B.J., Shakeel, S.N., Thives Santos, W., Barry, T.D., Ozimek, D., DeLong, K., Angelovici, R., Greenham, …

Effect Of Dietary Flavonoids On Growth In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Vivian Rivera

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Plant foods contain a diversity of biologically active compounds called phytochemicals, produced by plant species as secondary metabolites. A phytochemical group known as flavonoids has received much scientific attention in recent times with respect to their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory roles. This investigation examined how quercetin and naringenin, the most common dietary flavonoids, affect growth potential of yeast under optimal and stress conditions (temperature, glucose, and oxidative stress). Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, a dose dependency effect of quercetin and naringenin was observed under optimal conditions when liquid cultures were treated with three different concentrations (75 μM, 150 μM, and …

Should Crop Sequences In Western Australia Include More Lupins?, Christophe D'Abbadie, Sud Kharel, Ross Kingwell, Amir Abadi Ghadim

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an increasing priority for Australian grain producers. Could substituting lupins for canola, as a rotational break crop, enable farmers to reduce their emissions by less use of nitrogenous fertilisers?

Aim

This study aims to identify if replacing canola with lupins in rotations at a range of locations in Western Australia’s grainbelt is environmentally and economically attractive.

Methods.

Bio-economic simulation modelling is used to examine the gross margins and emissions associated with replacement of canola by lupins at 14 locations in the grainbelt of Western Australia in variousland use sequences.

Key results

Replacing canola with lupins …

Practical Challenges In Delivering Dsrna For Woody Plant Protection, Zachary Bragg

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Unprecedented weather events associated with climate change, coupled with extensive anthropogenic stresses, have reduced the effectiveness of traditional forest pest management approaches, which can no longer keep pace with invasive species overwhelming naïve landscapes and native pests experiencing eruptive and expansive outbreaks. Double-stranded RNA-(dsRNA) mediated gene silencing, a type of RNA interference (RNAi), has been coopted for use as a biopesticide against a multitude of agricultural and horticultural pests and could serve as a powerful tool for woody plant protection. While effective initiation of gene silencing and subsequent mortality have been demonstrated in multiple tree pests, effective and efficient methods …

Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Seed-transmissible epichloid fungal endophytes are best known for their roles as defensive mutualists in cool-season grasses. Historically, the discovery of fungal endophytes was driven by investigations of plant toxicity to livestock, followed by extensive study of their alkaloids and protection against insects and nematodes. Epichloae can produce four classes of alkaloids: ergot alkaloids, lolines (saturated aminopyrrolizidines), indole–diterpenes, and peramine. It is increasingly evident that these hereditary symbionts have much more diverse chemical profiles both in individual populations and between them. To this end, differences in chemotypic profiles of these symbionts may translate to different evolutionary and environmental advantages across plant …

Role Of Ph And Plant Age On The Selection Of Rhizobial Endophytes In Soybean Root Nodules, Cole Alexander Roman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Soybeans form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules to acquire most of their nitrogen requirement; nitrogen is often one of the limiting nutrients in the soil. Members of the Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Rhizobium genera can nodulate soybeans. Bradyrhizobium is preferentially selected over other types of rhizobia in varying environmental conditions and is often found in acidic soils. Sinorhizobium is often identified in the root nodules of soybeans in neutral and alkaline soil. So far, the potential role of soil pH on the selection of rhizobial endophytes with soybean root nodules is unknown. Likewise, …

Building Better Biofuel Crops: A Field Evaluation Of Transgenic Populus Modified To Improve Feedstock Performance For Bioenergy Use, Molli Elisabeth Coombs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A transition away from fossil fuel use is necessary for the future of energy production, and biofuels are a renewable energy option that can mitigate the impacts of fossil fuels through lowered carbon emissions and possible carbon sequestration. In order to successfully compete with fossil fuels, the production of biofuels must be sustainable and cost effective. Populus species are a biofuel crop used for bioenergy conversion from lignocellulosic biomass that have been proposed for use in feedstock plantations on marginal lands, which would avoid competition with agricultural production. Two challenges of feedstock production being faced are recalcitrance to chemical processing, …

Wildar Northeast Florida, Kailan Sindelar

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Learn about some of the unique aspects of life in the wetlands and rivers of Northeast Florida and how we study them. In this app players see the memories of a student at the University of North Florida play out in front of them in AR. This app was created with funding the Digital Humanities Institute at the University of North Florida and informed by subject matter experts at the university.

Wildflower Of The Year, White Turtlehead (Chelone Glabra), W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

White Turtlehead is a perennial herb rising from a rhizomatous rootstock.

Evolutionary Origins Of Secondary Growth - The Periderm Perspective: Integrating Evidence From Fossils And Living Plants, Madison A.K. Lalica

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Periderm is a structural feature with roles in protection of inner plant tissues and wound healing. Knowledge of periderm occurrences in the fossil record and living lineages outside the seed plants is limited and its evolutionary origins remain poorly explored. Here, I review the known taxonomic distribution of canonical periderm (typical ontogenetic stage) and wound periderm (self-repair mechanism). To this sparse body of data I add new observations and experiments on living plant lineages and new occurrences from the fossil record. One of the latter, documented in the new early euphyllophyte species Nebuloxyla mikmaqiana, joins the oldest known periderm …

Characterizing New Plant Fossils With Woody Growth From The Battery Point Formation Of Quebec (Canada), Emma T. Casselman

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The oldest woody growth has been recognized in several Early Devonian (ca. 410-395 Ma) euphyllophytes. Their taxonomic diversity is difficult to evaluate due to a lack of quantitative methods for comparing plants based on secondary xylem anatomy. In turn, this hinders understanding of their implications for the evolution of plant development. To develop metrics that quantify secondary xylem anatomy and allow for conclusive comparisons, I investigated extant taxa and Early Devonian fossil woody taxa. I developed multiple metrics for quantifying tracheid size as a function of position in the secondary xylem and tested them on a dataset of extant gymnosperms. …

Pioneering Plant Metabolomic Library Of Indonesian Plants For Research, Conservation, Capacity Building And Economic Development, Isabel Armas, Ernawati Sinaga, Nonon Saribanon, Noverita, Alvira Noer Effendi, Chairil Rohadi, Hanifa Nur Adilah, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Ilya Raskin

Publications and Research

Indonesia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, is undergoing mass deforestation, exacerbating climate change and leading to accelerated loss of species. This project addressed the urgent need to conserve endangered Indonesian biodiversity. Specifically, the potentially life-saving bioactive compounds harbored within its plants. A group of Indonesian researchers from Universitas Nasional (UNAS) in Jakarta received training in RApid Metabolome Extraction and Storage (RAMES) technology, an ethical, low-impact, field-deployable and cost-effective methodology developed by Rutgers University. The team of Indonesian scientists used this technology to create the first metabolomic library of Indonesian plant species and an easily transportable collection containing 501 …

Quantifying The Ecological Effects Of Salix Fragilis On Riparian Habitat In Kittitas County, Washington, Landon Shaffer

All Master's Theses

Invasive species threaten plant community structure and function globally. Riparian areas, the zone near streams where water influences vegetation, are especially sensitive to invasive species colonization, suffering large-scale shifts in community composition. Salix fragilis (crack willow) is a nonnative riparian species abundant in the lower elevation tributaries of central Washington. Some speculate whether this willow should be listed as invasive in Washington, despite a lack of regional supporting evidence. I studied riparian communities dominated by either S. fragilis or native species in the Kittitas Valley and measured biodiversity, quantified differences in solar attenuation, and compared leaf decomposition rates to learn …

Investigating Changing Macronutrient Dynamics At A Plant, Microbe And Plant-Microbe Interactions Scale, Emel Kangi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nutrient limitation drives forest ecosystem processes by altering net primary production, belowground (C) investments, and microbial activity. As such, the availability of essential macronutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), can severely impact plant growth, microbial decomposition, and the strength of plant-microbial interactions. However, our understanding of plant and microbe responses to changing nutrient availability, and the extent to which nutrient availability affects plant-microbe interactions, remains somewhat limited. Therefore, in this dissertation, I aimed to investigate nutrient limitation on a plant, microbe, and plant-microbe interaction level. First, to connect the phenotypic responses of nutrient-limited plants to key molecular mechanisms, …

Understanding The Role Of Early-Stage Seed Development On Final Seed Weight By Linking Seed Physiology, Transcriptomics, And Environments In Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.), Ashwini Shivakumar

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Soybeans, which are widely grown in the United States, are used as food, animal feed, and industrial oil. The rise in plant-based diets highlights the high protein content and versatility of soybean. Understanding seed development is crucial for increasing yield. Soybean seed development includes three phases: lag, seed-filling, and maturation. Post-fertilization, the seed undergoes cell division in the lag phase, forming the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo absorbs the endosperm and develops into two cotyledons. During the seed-filling phase, cotyledon cells accumulate starch, proteins, and lipids. During maturation, seeds dry out and become quiescent. Studies indicate that the …