Earth Sciences Commons^™

Deep Learning-Based Quantification Of Tall Fescue Abundance In Pastures, Rose E. Binkley, Samuel R. Revolinski, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick, Ray Smith, Zeya Wang, Katsutoshi Mizuta

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurate and rapid measurement of tall fescue abundance is essential for efficient forage management and mitigating livestock exposure to potential endophyte-related toxicity. Traditional visual estimation methods are labor-intensive and are subject to change depending on the observer doing the calculations, which limits their scalability and consistency. This study explores the application of deep learning techniques to automate and improve the classification of tall fescue abundance across pasture systems in Kentucky. Ground-truth abundance classes were evaluated using one of the traditional methods with occupancy grid and compared against estimates derived from red-green-blue images. Two convolutional neural network architectures, YouOnlyLookOnce (YOLO) and …

Micronutrients (Trace Elements) For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Micronutrient deficiencies can result from removal of agricultural products over many years, changes in soil acidity, or from large increases in plant biomass production and export. This page is specific to high rainfall pastures (more than 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to check plant micronutrient nutrient needs.

A Conserved Ethylene-Triggered Cell Death Mechanism May Underlie Hollow Stem Formation Across Plant Species, Mengxiao Yan, Weijuan Fan, Yinghui Meng, Jiamin Zhao, Wei Yang, Ziyin Xu, Yusen Gao, Haiyan Zhuang, Wuyu Zhou, Yuqin Wang, Qingjun Huang, Ling Yuan, Hongxia Wang, Jun Yang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Hollow stems have independently evolved multiple times across the plant kingdom and play crucial roles in plant development and various environmental adaptations. However, the mechanisms underlying stem hollowness remain poorly understood. Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is one of the few hollow-stemmed plants in the Convolvulaceae family (eudicot: asterid), and its hollow stems are essential for thriving in aquatic environments. Using histochemical staining and transcriptome analysis, we found that programmed cell death (PCD) is involved in cavity formation at water spinach shoot tips. Single-cell and spatial transcriptome analyses further revealed that ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) likely drive …

Supplemental Bibliographic Details. From 2001 Mars Odyssey To Earth’S Climate Crisis: Integrating Gamma Spectroscopy, Martian Soil Simulants, And Plant Genomes For Agroecology, Anchored In Sri Lanka’S Mars-Context Serpentinites, Suniti Karunatillake, Maheshi Dassanayake, Carlos Gary Bicas

Planetary Science Lab

Bibliographic details follow to supplement hyperlinked citations in the multinational GANGOTRI-supporting project conceived by Karunatillake, Dassanayake, and Gary-Bicas

Differential Growth Dynamics Of Common Salt Marsh Species Spartina Alterniflora And Juncus Roemerianus Under Varied Sediment Amendments, Caitlin Hemphill, Richard P. Hale, Erik S. Yando

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction

Many coastal wetlands are at high risk of degradation or loss due to sea‐level rise. Restoration techniques for maintaining coastal marshes are paramount, with thin‐layer placement (TLP) emerging as one feasible solution. Despite TLP's utilization, additional research is needed on species‐ and sediment‐specific responses.

Objectives

Our research combines greenhouse and field experimentation to test species and sediment composition responses aimed at maximizing vegetation while maintaining increased elevation.

Methods

The greenhouse experiment used two common marsh plants, Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemarianus. Five centimeters of sediment (mud, sand, and sand/mud mix) was added, and subsequent sediment and vegetation metrics …

Land Use Influences Dissolved Organic Matter Composition In The U.S. Coastal Critical Zone Network, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Elizabeth V. Whitney, Brian R. Moyer, Katherine L. Tully, Patrick G. Hatcher, Yu-Ping Chhin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Coastal watersheds are highly productive biogeochemical systems supporting robust coastal fisheries and contributing significantly to the marine gross primary production flux. These ecosystems are comprised of civil infrastructure, farms, forests, and marshes, and their diversity is reflected in the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Here, we assess the role of farming in influencing DOM from surface waters of six coastal tidal creeks adjacent to forest and farm sites in the US Critical Zone Network. Molecular fingerprinting using electrospray ionization - Fourier transform - ion cyclotron resonance - mass spectrometry revealed that farm-influenced DOM was enriched in nitrogen-, …

Impacts Of Management Practices And Soil Properties On Free-Living Nitrogen Fixation In Eastern South Dakota, Laura Galvan Nuevo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Free-living nitrogen (N) fixation (FLNF) may represent a sustainable pathway to supplement crop N demand in agroecosystems, yet edaphic and management factors regulating this process under field conditions remain poorly understood in the Northern Great Plains. Using 15N2 direct method to quantify potential FLNF (pFLNF) and baseline FLNF (bFLNF), this thesis investigates how crop rotations (2-, 3-, and 4-year systems), tillage management (conventional vs. no-till), cover cropping, and soil properties affect the potential of free-living diazotrophs to supply N via FLNF in a long-term no-till corn-based system in Southeastern South Dakota. A two-year field study evaluated pFLNF across four growing …

A Simple Statistical Tool To Correct The Daily Temperature Effect On Dielectric Soil Matric Potential Sensor Readings, Sebastián Bravo Peña, Meindert Commelin, Ole O. Wendroth

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution time series recorded by soil water dielectric sensors are often affected by other processes. Dielectric soil matric potential sensors, such as the TEROS 21, exhibit temperature sensitivity, resulting in deviations of readings from the true value due to soil temperature fluctuations. However, methods for correcting this effect remain limited. The objective of this study was to create a straightforward, scale-based statistical approach to mitigate the influence of daily temperature oscillations on matric potential dielectric readings. The temperature sensitivity correction function (TSCF) identifies, quantifies, and smooths diurnal fluctuations caused by soil temperature dynamics. We provide a detailed description of the …

Field-Scale Evaluation Of Satellite- Derived Vegetation Indices And Image Timing For In-Season Nitrogen Management In Corn, Ana Morales-Ona, Katsutoshi Mizuta, James J. Camberato, Robert Nielsen, Yuxin Miao, Davide Cammarano, German Mandrini, Daniel Quinn

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Traditional methods to determine the agronomic optimum nitrogen rate (AONR) for corn (Zea mays L.) rely on grain yield data, limiting in-season decision-making for nitrogen (N) management. Vegetation indices (VIs) derived from satellite imagery can serve as proxies for grain yield and help estimate in-season AONR, enabling timely sidedress applications. This study aimed to (1) quantify how VI–yield relationships vary during the vegetative period across fields with different tillage systems and crop residue; (2) determine whether VI–N response curves can be used to estimate AONR (AONRvi); and (3) assess the accuracy of AONRvi relative to yield-based AONR (AONRy). …

Climate Change Effects On Biomass And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are Ameliorated By Nontoxic Endophytes In Southeastern Usa Transition Zone Tall Fescue Pastures, Rebecca Kay Mcgrail, Jonathan D. Moore, A. Elizabeth Carlisle, Jim A. Nelson, Rebecca L. Mcculley

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: The plant–microbe interaction between tall fescue and its endophyte Epichloë coenophiala can affect ecosystem responses to changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures. Endophyte-infected (E+) stands often exhibit improved stress tolerance and differing soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to endophyte-free (E−) stands. However, it is unknown if mammalian nontoxic endophyte (NTE) strains introduced into some tall fescue cultivars confer differing stress tolerances or reduce soil GHG emissions.

Methods: We quantified the impact of fescue-NTE symbioses in Jesup and Texoma on biomass and GHG emissions in response to increased temperature (+3°C) and altered precipitation (50% lengthened interval between events) using …

A Global Synthesis Of Fragipan Silicon Concentrations And Relationships With Soil Physicochemical Properties As A Function Of Soil Parent Materials, Christopher Shepard

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Fragipans are dense, brittle subsurface horizons that restrict root growth and limit water-holding capacity. A common factor in these soils is a binding agent, potentially either phyllosilicate clay bridging, amorphous aluminosilicate/silica, or silica sorbed to Fe oxides. Others have suggested that no binding agent is present within these soil horizons and that the arrangement of individual particles is solely responsible for these horizons. In this article, a secondary data synthesis was utilized to demonstrate that silicon (Si) accumulation is a key pedogenic process in loess-derived fragipan horizons, but not in all fragipans. The average dithionite-extractable Si (Si_d) content …

Urban Trees In The Urban Hydrology Cycle, Jorge R. Vera

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In urban forestry, trees provide numerous economic, ecological, and aesthetic benefits to the surrounding community. One of their key roles is intercepting stormwater runoff, reducing flooding risk, and improving water quality. Chapter 1 of this thesis characterized the ecological and economic contributions of urban trees on the Marshall University campus and provides guidance on their management and conservation in the future. Chapter 2 examined how urban tree species modify the urban hydrology cycle by altering the volume and timing of precipitation delivery. In Chapter 1, we inventoried 114 acres of Marshall University's main campus in Huntington, WV, from June 28 …

Depth And Soil Physical Context Govern Soil Organic Carbon, While Woody Cover Moderates Native Vegetation Relationships In California Rangelands, Dabid Zuniga Garcia

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is central to soil function and an important component of climate mitigation in rangeland ecosystems, but the controls on SOC across California’s working rangelands remain understudied. Using data from Point Blue Conservation Science’s Rangeland Monitoring Network, this study evaluated how soil properties, vegetation structure, and recent climate relate to SOC concentration at depths of 0–10 cm and 10–40 cm across 145 ranches spanning four California regions. Linear mixed-effects models showed that SOC was consistently higher in topsoil than subsoil and highest in coastal sites relative to interior valleys. Bulk density was the strongest negative predictor of …

Potassium For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Potassium (K) deficiency can lead to a decline in clover content and severely limit pasture productivity in high rainfall pastures. Large amounts of potassium can be lost each year through leaching and removal of potassium in hay or silage.

This information is specific to high rainfall pastures receiving more than 600mm average annual rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia.

Tissue Sampling And Analysis For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Tissue testing helps identify nutrient deficiencies that impact plant health. In high rainfall areas ( > 600 mm), pastures are highly productive and have greater demand for both macro- and micronutrients. Micronutrient status is best assessed through plant tissue, as soil levels are difficult to measure accurately.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to assess the effectiveness of fertiliser and soil testing programs, and diagnose emerging macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that could cause production losses.

Sulfur For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Sulfur deficiency can substantially reduce pasture yield on sandy soils, particularly in wet years where the sulfate form of sulfur leaches below the root zone of pasture plants, making it unavailable.

This information applies specifically to high rainfall pastures (over 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends basing fertiliser decisions on good evidence (soil and tissue test results)

Soil Sampling High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Soil sampling and testing is an essential part of making good fertiliser decisions. Fertilisers are a large cost to farming pastures in high rainfall areas. This page is specific to sampling high rainfall pastures (more than 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends soil sampling and testing as part of a plant nutrient management program.

Environmental Impact Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilisers In High Rainfall Pasture Areas Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The most commonly used nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers in the high rainfall (>600mm annual average) south-west of Western Australia can be leached into the groundwater and washed into waterways, resulting in serious environmental and economic damage.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends regular soil testing and consultation with FertCare-accredited advisers to reduce leaching losses and increase profit from added nutrients.

The Effect Of Phosphate Fertilizer And Organic Matter On Phosphorus Status, Ph, And Cabbage Yield In Andisols, Mahfud Arifin, Emma Trinurani Sofyan, Anni Yuniarti, Rina Devnita, Sastrika Anindita

Jurnal Kultivasi

Andisols are characterized by high phosphorus (P) retention, which often limits P availability for crops. This study aimed to analyze the independent and interactive effects of P fertilizer and organic matter (i.e. manure and rice straw compost) on P retention, total P, available P, P uptake, soil pH, and cabbage yield. This research was conducted in pot experiments in plastic house, applying P fertilizer (0, 90, 180, 270 kg ha-1) and organic matter (20 kg ha-1 of chicken, sheep, cow manures and rice straw compost) on Andisols planted with cabbage. The experiment used a factorial randomized design. The results showed …

The Effects Of Nanobubble Fertigation And Soil Conditioners To Improve Nutrient Dynamics, Soil Microbial Activity, And Chili Productivity, Betty Natalie Fitriatin, Euis Ahah Rokayah, Elsa Naila Elmyra, Tualar Simarmata, Nicky Oktav Fauziah, Hanif Fakhrurroja

Jurnal Kultivasi

Drip fertigation is a fertilization method that integrates nutrient delivery with an irrigation system, which is capable of optimizing the direct delivery of nutrients to the root zone. This experiment aims to investigate the effect of drip fertigation with nanobubble technology, and soil conditioners on the population of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) and Azotobacter spp., available phosphorus, total nitrogen, growth, and yield of red chili. The study used a Strip Plot Design with two factors and three replications. The first factor was nutrient application (solid NPK fertilizing as control; drip fertigation; and drip fertigation with nanobubble technology), and the second factor …

Assessing Crop Rotation Productivity, Soil Health, And Fertility, And Economic Performance, To Enhance Semi-Arid High Plains Cropping Systems Sustainability, Ezequiel Maria Villamil

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Sustainable crop production in the semi-arid High Plains of Nebraska faces challenges from limited precipitation, high interannual variability, and economic risk. This dissertation investigates the long-term productivity, water use, soil health, and economic sustainability of dryland crop rotations, with emphasis on the role of pulses as alternatives to fallow.

Chapter 1 analyzes nearly three decades (1995–2023) of on-farm data from the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory (Sidney, Nebraska) to compare seven crop rotations, including wheat, corn, millet, sunflower, and field peas. Results showed that wheat–corn–fallow (W–C–F) consistently outperformed traditional wheat–fallow (W–F) and more intensified four-year rotations, providing the highest grain yields, …

Leptinotarsa Texana Schaeffer And Gargaphia Arizonica Drake & Carvalho As Potential Biocontrol Agents For The Noxious Weed Solanum Elaeagnifolium Cav, Samikshya Subedi, Stephanie L. Kasper, Alexis Racelis, Greg Lefoe, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.; SLN) is a perennial forb native to the southern United States, Mexico and South America that has become a serious agricultural weed across the world. Biological control has emerged as a significant alternative for the management of (SLN) due to the challenges and high costs associated with chemical and mechanical controls. In this study, we used a combination of field and laboratory studies to (1) explore the fundamental and realized host ranges of two North American insects, Leptinotarsa texana Schaeffer and Gargaphia arizonica Drake & Carvalho and (2) assess their suitability as potential biological …

Evaluating Fall And Spring Planted Cover Crops For Integrated Management Of Herbicide Resistant Palmer Amaranth And Effect On Soil Health, Vipin Kumar

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) pose a severe threat to agronomic crop productivity in the United States, including corn and soybean production in Nebraska. Therefore, there is an urgent need for diversified and sustainable management approaches. Integrating cover crops (CCs) with herbicide programs represents a promising strategy to achieve Palmer amaranth suppression, sustain crop yields, and contribute to long-term soil health in irrigated corn–soybean production systems in Nebraska.

A meta-analysis of 41 studies and 595 paired observations demonstrated that CCs reduced Amaranthus spp. density and biomass by 37–59% depending on the growing season, with grasses and mixtures …

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

Impact Of Lignin Content On Decomposition Rates, Lindsey Powell, Olivia Fawkes, Moses Elijah Cadawas, Isaac Paul Dent, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

This study aimed to analyze decomposition rates of plants containing different amounts of lignin. Lignin can be found within cell wall structures in plants and aids in natural rigidity. Opuntia humifusa was chosen to represent plants with high levels of lignin, and Allium schoenoprasum was chosen in contrast because of its significantly lower levels of lignin. Due to these characteristics, A. schoenoprasum is hypothesized to decompose at a quicker rate than O. humifusa. To test this hypothesis, eight samples of O. humifusa and eight samples of A. schoenoprasum were placed in litter bags to prevent macroorganisms from aiding in …

Living Shoreline Prioritization And Hydrodynamic Habitat Suitability Models For Restoration In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_shorelinemodel_IRL_LWL.shp, was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon and Lake Worth Lagoon.

The dataset presented herein includes:

1. shoreline data from >15,000 transects collected in the field,
2. shoreline wave climate data created through hydrodynamic modeling and frequency analysis of historic data,
3. categorization of potential risk for shoreline boat wake impact,
4. persistence of seagrass within 210 m of the shoreline, …

Genetic Engineering For Pastures, W J. Peacock

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The first genetically engineered food products from horticultural production systems are now entering the mnrke< and field trials of genetically engineered crop species are well advanced. We cnn expect that a range of crop cultivars, in which gene

Grassland For Sustainable Ecosystems, Malcolm Hadley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslnnds present many advantages for examining issues related to sustainability. Grasslands include planted pastures as well as a variety of natural rangelands in situations ranging from semi-arid to subhumid. Diversity is also reflected in the spectrum of grassland users and uses, for example, nomadic pastoralism, extensive ranches, intensive pastures, wildlife tourism, game hunting. And in terms of sustainability of resource management, grasslands encompass a wide range of contrasting situations and conflicts in resource use. Heavy grazing pressure associated with increasing human populations in certain tropical savannas, the implications of rural depopulation to traditional pasture management in alpine regions, and the …

Grasslands For Our World, F Riveros

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The present-day role of grasslands and fodder is reviewed with respect agriculture, animal production and environmental concerns. The world's grazing lands are a finite resource and, overall, arc being badly managed; in most developing countries action is required now, before it is too late. They will continue to be a major source of animal feed for the foreseeable future; encroachment from cropping will continue locally but, for much of what is now natural pasture, exploitation by the grazing animal .will remain the major means of obtaining an economic return; the task of grassland professionals is to assist the managers of …

Human Impact On Terrestrial Ecosystems - What We Know And What We Are Doing About It, H A. Mooney

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

At present the impact of humankind on the Earth System is substantial and will become greater as we continue to add over 80 million people to the global population each year. Collectively the human species utilises over a third of the total fresh water that is available, as well as an equivalent amount of the total terrestrial productivity. Possil energy is being consumed at a prodigious rate and fuels, among other things, over a half a billion vehicles. To support the large human population the Earth has been greatly reconfigured with much of the land utilised for grazing and agriculture. …