Earth Sciences Commons^™

Functional Characterization Of Siberian Wild Rye Grass Eshsp 16.9 Gene Conferring Diverse Stress Tolerance In Prokaryotic Cells, Ki-Won Lee, Ki-Yong Kim, Hee-Chung Ji, Tae-Young Hwang, Sang-Hoon Lee

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Siberian wild rye (Elymus sibiricus L.) is a perennial, caespitose, and self-pollinating grass indigenous to Northern Asia and also is widely distributed from Northern Europe to Japan. The plant shows strong environmental adaptability with tolerance to drought and cold; thus, it is often used as forage resources (Yan et al., 2007). Environmental stresses caused by global warming are acknowledged to be as a serious issue in agriculture due to reductions of crop productivity (Ahuja et al., 2010). Genetic natural breeding of Siberian wild rye would potentially increase the productivity of forage crops; however, genetic studies on this …

A New Candidate Cultivar Of Brachiaria Grass 'Br-203' Developed With Apomixis Marker Assisted Selection, Through A Collaborative Breeding Activity Of Thailand And Japan, Ganda Nakamanee, Masumi Ebina, Katsuhisa Shimoda, Sarayut Thaikua, Wattanawan Srisomporn, Chalermpon Patipan, Kazuhiro Suenga, Sada Ando, Kaori Kouki, Genki Ishigaki, Ryo Akashi, Yasuhiro Kawamoto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria grass (Brachiaria spp.) is one of most important tropical forage grass which belongs to family Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Paniceae, genus Brachiaria. Brachiaria grass has attracted attention because of a leading ‘Green Revolution’ over tens of millions of hectares in the Central Brazilian Cerrado in the 1970s. Breeding programs for Brachiaria grass have been conducted mainly by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). Careful and effective recurrent selection of tetraploid sexual lines for vigor, growth habit, leafiness, and spittlebug resistance have spawned several successful hybrid cultivars: ‘Mulato’, …

What Is The Limiting Nutrient In Winter In Urban Reservoirs? A Case Study, Precious Nyabami

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The importance of reservoirs in widely acknowledged by urban population, yet little is understood scientifically about their ability to process nutrients deposited into them in winter. Nutrients in waste water, lawns and construction runoff are deposited into reservoirs and several ecosystem services are lost which leads to what several researchers call “the urban syndrome”. Some studies have been done on the winter limnology of lakes, yet little is understood about the same process in reservoirs. To fill this missing knowledge gap, a study on one of Nebraska’s lakes (Holmes’ lake) was done. In this study, we simulated how phosphorus, nitrogen …

Refractory Black Carbon (Rbc) Variability In A 47-Year West Antarctic Snow And Firn Core, Marquetto Luciano, Susan Kaspari, Jefferson Cardia Simões

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Black carbon (BC) is an important climate-forcing agent that affects snow albedo. In this work, we present a record of refractory black carbon (rBC) variability, measured from a 20m deep snow and firn core drilled in West Antarctica (79°55’34.600” S, 94°21’13.3”W, 2122m above sea level) during the 2014–2015 austral summer. This is the highest elevation rBC record from West Antarctica. The core was analyzed using the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) coupled to a CETAC Marin-5 nebulizer. Results show a well-defined seasonality with geometric mean concentrations of 0.015 μg L^-1 for the wet season (austral summer–fall) and 0.057 μg …

Evidence For Sodium-Rich Alkaline Water In The Tagish Lake Parent Body And Implications For Amino Acid Synthesis And Racemization, Lee F. White, Kimberly T. Tait, Brian Langelier, Elizabeth A. Lymer, Ana Černok, Tanya V. Kizovski, Chi Ma, Oliver Tschauner, Richard I. Nicklin

Geoscience Faculty Research

Understanding the timing and mechanisms of amino acid synthesis and racemization on asteroidal parent bodies is key to demonstrating how amino acids evolved to be mostly left-handed in living organisms on Earth. It has been postulated that racemization can occur rapidly dependent on several factors, including the pH of the aqueous solution. Here, we conduct nanoscale geochemical analysis of a framboidal magnetite grain within the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite to demonstrate that the interlocking crystal arrangement formed within a sodium-rich, alkaline fluid environment. Notably, we report on the discovery of Na-enriched subgrain boundaries and nanometer-scale Ca and Mg layers surrounding …

The Pantropical Response Of Soil Moisture To El Niño, Kurt C. Solander, Brent D. Newman, Alessandro Carloca De Araujo, Holly R. Barnard, Z. Carter Berry, Damien Bonal, Mario Bretfeld, Benoit Burban, Luiz Antonio Candido, Rolando Celleri, Jeffery Q. Chambers, Bradley O. Christoffersen

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The 2015–2016 El Niño event ranks as one of the most severe on record in terms of the magnitude and extent of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies generated in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Corresponding global impacts on the climate were expected to rival, or even surpass, those of the 1997–1998 severe El Niño event, which had SST anomalies that were similar in size. However, the 2015–2016 event failed to meet expectations for hydrologic change in many areas, including those expected to receive well above normal precipitation. To better understand how climate anomalies during an El Niño event impact soil moisture, …

In Vitro Plant Regeneration Via Callus Induction In A Rare Sexual Plant Of Buffelgrass (Cenchrus Ciliaris L.), Suresh Kumar, Neha Sahu, Archana Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is one of the most important perennial forage grasses of the world. It is a polyploid forage grass suited to pastures, range-lands, tropics and sub-tropics of Australia, South Africa, and India. It reproduces predominantly through apomixis which provides a means of clonal propagation through seeds. In many of the plants apomixis shows dominance over sexuality, hence occurrence of obligate sexual plant in natural population is rare and over the time apomictic individuals outnumber sexuals. Being protogynous in nature, cross pollination from neighbouring apomictic plants leads to the production of either facultative or obligate apomictic genotypes. …

Scar Markers Linked With Mode Of Reproduction In Eight Cenchrus Species, Suresh Kumar, Sheena Saxena, M. G. Gupta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The genus Cenchrus comprises of forage grasses of tropical and sub-tropical regions. Some of the Cenchrus species were introduced into India from Australia, Africa and they are now important component of Dichanthium-Cenchrus-Lasiurus grasslands of India. Eight Cenchrus spp. are available in India but only four (C. ciliaris, C. glaucus, C. pennisetiformis and C. setigerus) species are used in sown pastures. The remaining four (C. biflorus, C. preiurii C. echinatus and C. myosuroides) species are grown in limited pockets and maintained as genetic resources for basic and applied studies (Chandra and Dubey, 2010). Number of Cenchrus species …

A Study Of Molecular Interface Of Grass-Herbivory Interaction In Grass, Xiaoxia Li, Gongshe Liu, Shuangyan Chen, Zhipeng Liu, Liqin Cheng

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grass-herbivore interaction is a complex process that involves wounding effects caused by herbivore feeding, defoliation effects due to leaf-surface loss during grazing, and the deposition of herbivore saliva onto the surface of plants (Chen et al., 2009). Wounding can stimulate plant growth but clearly differs from grazing (Mattiacci et al., 1995). Defoliation affects root development in grasses and alters the carbohydrate-metabolism pathway in rice. Saliva has been found to stimulate plant growth, enhance tiller and increase biomass. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to grazing in molecular level. In our previous transcriptome studies, many …

Establishment And Early Growth Of Improved Brachiaria Cultivars In Different Agro-Ecological Zones Of Kenya, Donald M. G. Njarui, Clotilda O. Nekesa, Elkana Nyambati, Mwangi Gatheru, Sita R. Ghimire, Joseph G. Mureithi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock feed scarcity is a salient feature in East Africa (Njarui et al., 2011) and it is a major constraint to livestock productivity particularly during the dry seasons. The recent interest in livestock development in Kenya fueled by rising demands of animal products has led to research in identifying drought tolerant, productive and persistence forages to support livestock productivity. Brachiaria grasses have shown a great potential in South America and Australia as livestock feed. It is the most widely cultivated forage in tropical America, with estimated acreage of 99 million hectares in Brazil alone (Jank et al., 2014), …

Salinity Tolerance Of Forage Range Legumes During Germination And Early Seedling Growth, D. Sevanayak, A. Edna, R. V. Koti, M. B. Doddamani, D. Deb

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Salinity is one of the rising problems causing tremendous yield losses in many regions of the world especially in arid and semiarid regions. In India, about 5.95M ha areas were affected by salinity. Five states viz. Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh accounts for 48% of the total salt affected soils of the country. Establishment of seedlings at early growth stages of crop plants as one of the most important determinants of high yield is severely affected by soil salinity. Increasing salinity levels significantly decreased germination parameters, shoot and root length, shoot and root fresh and dry weights …

Evaluation Of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes For Drought Resistance In Myanmar, Jue Jue, Nang Khan Hline, Khin San Mu, Moe Thida Htun, Lwin Naing Oo, Soe Min Thien, Dezin Soe Lwin, Jenny Hanks, Ganda Nakamanee, Werner Stür, Aung Aung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play …

Ability Of Three Temperate Grasses To Compete With Phalaris Arundinacea L., Hideki Okamoto, Kazuyoshi Oka, Keiji Oshiro, Keiya Yoshikawa, Masanobu Takahashi, Mieko Adachi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Weeds with rhizomes have become an ever-increasing problem in the grasslands of Hokkaido in northern Japan. Many meadows in the Tenpoku region, located in the northernmost part of Hokkaido, have been invaded by Phalaris arundinacea L., a grass with aggressive colonising ability known as the primary and most difficult to control weed in the Tenpoku region. However, dairy farmers in the grasslands of the Tenpoku region most commonly cultivate Phleum pratense L., in spite of its low competitive ability. The Tenpoku region frequently experiences years of low rainfall or drought, but P. pratense has low tolerance to drought (Okamoto et …

Photosynthesis And Biomass Studies In Lasiurus Sindicus Of Chandan Grassland In Thar Desert, P. Raja, Maharaj Singh, Nilendu Singh, Nawalesh Kumar Sinha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands comprise about one third of the world’s area of natural vegetation (Adams et al., 1990). Uncertainties prevail in the arid ecosystem with reference to carbon balance and fluxes which are primarily attributed to the sensitivity of grasslands to variation in annual precipitation, temperature and other regulating mechanisms of eco-physiological processes (Flanagan et al., 2002). It is therefore necessary to study radiation and water use efficiency of Lasiurus sindicus which is a predominant grass species in Chandan grassland of Thar desert to understand and evaluate its growth in relation to variation in climate. Also, it is pertinent to resolve …

Routes Of Dicyandiamide Uptake In Pasture Plants: A Preliminary Laboratory Study, Pranoy Pal, Andrew M. S. Mcmillan, Surinder Saggar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A consequence of intensification of New Zealand pastures is increased nitrogen (N) inputs to the soil in the form of urine, dung and mineral fertiliser. Dairy cow urine has a high N content that causes large N losses from the grazed system via nitrate (NO₃^-) leaching, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and ammonia volatilization. Dicyandiamide (DCD) is a nitrification inhibitor that has been proven to reduce NO₃^- leaching and N₂O emissions, and increase pasture in New Zealand pastures (De Klein et al., 2014). DCD was commercially available for use in New …

Efficacy Of Current Breeding Programs To Improve North American Native Grass Species For Forage And Conservation Use In The South Eastern United States, Jesse Ira Morrison, Brian Baldwin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

North American native warm-season grasses (NWSG) have received much attention over the last 25 years for their ability to persist under hot, dry conditions and thrive in marginal soils. Native warm season grasses are believed to have been growing on the central and south eastern plains of the United States since the Holocene era (between 11,500 and 2,000 years BP) thus the Southeast is the centre of diversity for these grasses (Casler, 2012). Modern production of many species has been slow to evolve due to inherent dormancy characteristics that hinder germination and establishment. With increased research, many species have shown …

Selection Of Suitable Varieties Of Grasses For Myanmar, Nang Khan Hline, Khin San Mu, Moe Thida Htun, Lwin Naing Oo, Soe Min Thien, Dezin Soe Lwin, Jue Jue, Aung Aung, Jenny Hanks, Werner Stür, Ganda Nakamanee

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The basal feed resources for ruminants available in most developing countries in the tropics are crop residues, pasture from infertile land, for example communal land, or agro-industrial by-products. These are low in protein and of low digestibility. A major problem facing livestock producers in tropical areas is proper nutrition for their animals during the dry season when pastures, cereal residues and maize stover are limiting in nutritional quality. The researchers in Myanmar have tried to improve the nutritive value of fibrous agricultural residues. Aung Aung et al. (2006) supplemented the sesame and chickpea husk to bulls fed on urea-treated …

Light Dependent Morpho-Physiological Changes And Yield Response Of Hybrid Napier Cultivars Under Rainfed System, Savitha Antony, C. George Thomas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

For small dairy farmers in the tropics, open land for fodder cultivation is often limited because of the predominance of tree crops and paddies. Probably because of this limitation, to offset fodder supply for the livestock, growing fodder crops under tree crops such as coconut is a widely prevalent practice in the tropics. However, successful establishment and growth of most fodder crops especially high yielding types such as hybrid napier under shade depends on the amount of light available and the consequent morpho-physiological responses of the crops.

S Nutrition Is Involved In Alleviation Of Damage Of Photosynthetic Organelles By Salt Stress In Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa Pratensis L.), Sang-Hyun Park, Bok-Rye Lee, Tae-Hwan Kim, Se-Jong Oh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Salt-stress is considered as one of the major environmental factor limiting plant growth and productivity. It has been well reported that salt stress induce the reduction of stomatal density and number leading to poor gaseous exchange which resulted in decrease of photosynthesis is associated with inhibition of several enzymes related to the Calvin cycle such as RuBisCo. In addition, salt stress decreases photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll and carotenoid which has important role in photosynthesis.

Sulfur (S) is one of six macronutrients needed for proper plant growth and development. In our previous work, we found that sulfur nutrition has significant …

Fodder Productivity Of Different Genotypes Of Cenchrus Ciliaris Under Hot Arid Climate Of Thar Desert, M. P. Rajora, R. K. Bhatt, S. K. Jindal, C. S. Shantharaja

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian arid zone occupies about 31.7 million ha of land, of which 62% lies in western Rajasthan. The climate of the area is typically arid, characterized by hot dry summers, sub-humid monsoon and cold dry winters. The soils are coarse loamy sand with low level of nutrients. These factors render cropping an undependable proposition, while animal husbandry remains the main stake of the local people. Lasiurus sindicus, Cenchrus ciliaris, C. setigerus, Panicum antidotale, P. turgidum and Cymbopogon spp., are the main perennial grasses grow in this area. These grasses had three folds advantages in the arid agricultural economy, …

Performance Of Guinea Grass Variety Jhgg-08-1 In Southern Region Of Karnataka, M. R. Krishnappa, B. G. Shekara, H. C. Lohithaswa, N. M. Chikkarugi, N. Manasa

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) is native to Africa but this grass was introduced to almost all tropical countries as a source of animal forage. It grows well on a wide variety of well drained soils of good fertility and it is suitable for vegetative barrier and conservation of soil. It can survive quick moving fires which does not harm the underground roots and drought because of the deep, dense and fibrous root system. The Potentiality of the varieties varies with agro climatic situation and soil type. Keeping these things in view, the present investigation was taken up to …

Agro-Climatic Aptitude For Tanzania Guinea Grass Cultivation In Brazilian Semiarid Environment, Ana Clara Rodrigues Cavalcante, Nailson Lima Santos Lemos, Thieres George Freire Da Silva, Patricia Menezes Santos, José Ricardo Macedo Pezzopane, Magno José Duarte Cândido

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tanzania guinea grass is a forage plant recognized in Brazil and part of Latin America due to high forage production in intensive production systems (Jank et al., 2010). In irrigation conditions, this plant has also shown excellent performance in semiarid areas. In general, this grass develops well in regions with above 700 mm rainfall, medium texture soils and good fertility, and the main limitation for its production in the tropics is the rainfall (Jank et al., 2010).

Future scenarios point to temperature increases, directly impacting evapotranspiration, and there are also many uncertainties in relation to precipitation, with studies …

Brachiaria Hybrids With Larger Root Length Densities Show Greater Shoot Vigor Under Drought, Juan De La Cruz Jimenez, Idupulapati M. Rao, Juan A. Cardoso, Margaret Worthington, John W. Miles

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria grasses are the most widely planted forages in Tropical America, and their demand is increasing across Africa and South-East Asia. One of the most limiting factors affecting productivity of Brachiaria forage grasses is seasonal drought. Genotypic variation for drought resistance has been found among Brachiaria forage grasses, making possible to genetically improve the productivity of Brachiaria forage grasses under water-limiting conditions (Rao, 2014). The ongoing Brachiaria breeding program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has been developing and testing Brachiaria hybrids that combine resistance to biotic constraints with adaptation to abiotic stresses such as drought.

Adaptation to …

Drought Effect On Yield Of Forages Grass Species, Michal Kvasnovský, Pavel Knot, Lucia Hodulíková, Iva Klusoňová

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Climate change (rising temperatures, lengthening of the growing season, increasing evaporation) significantly affects agricultural production in traditional production areas of Central Europe, as illustrated by example better results in growing of corn on its northern or upper height limit. Changes in the amounts and timing of rainfall events will probably affect ecosystem processes, including those that control carbon (C) cycling and storage. In relation to the ongoing global warming, it is desirable to test resistance of grass species to a lack of moisture. Seasonal variation in precipitation and temperature are important controls of soil and plant processes in grasslands. (Fiala …

Water On Mars—A Literature Review, Mohammad Nazari-Sharabian, Mohammad Aghababei, Moses Karakouzian, Mehrdad Karami

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

To assess Mars’ potential for both harboring life and providing useable resources for future human exploration, it is of paramount importance to comprehend the water situation on the planet. Therefore, studies have been conducted to determine any evidence of past or present water existence on Mars. While the presence of abundant water on Mars very early in its history is widely accepted, on its modern form, only a fraction of this water can be found, as either ice or locked into the structure of Mars’ plentiful water-rich materials. Water on the planet is evaluated through various evidence such as rocks …

Crabs From The Cane River Formation Of Northern Louisiana: A Study Of Neozanthopsis Americana And Associated Fauna, Katie Mclain

Honors Theses

Neozanthopsis Americana is a crab from the middle Eocene Claiborne Group that lived along the Gulf of Mexico, and has been documented in Texas and Louisiana. This species was discovered by Rathburn (1928) and was later amended and added to by Schweitzer (2014). The specimens in this paper are found near Natchitoches, Louisiana, and along with their accompanying fossils are used to describe the depositional environment of the locality. Sediments were taken from the site and analyzed under a standard microscope for microfossils, which were collected and further analyzed under scanning electron microscope. In addition to the microfossils, the cuticles …

Genetic And Multilocation Evaluation Of High Yielding Provenances Of Bhimal (Grewia Optiva) On Farmers’ Fields In North Western Himalayas, Harsh Mehta, M. Ayoub Dar, Debashis Mandal, Rajesh Kaushal, A. C. Rathore, O. P. Chaturvedi, P. K. Mishra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Agroforestry is the inclusion of woody perennial within farming systems, has been practiced as a traditional land use and livelihood option since time immemorial (FSI 2013). It is being practiced on agricultural lands for fuel wood and fodder (Khybri et al., 1992), as well as medicinal and fruit trees (Bijalwan, 2011; Rathore et al., 2014) enabling food security (Narain 1998), non timber forest products, timber and shelter etc. A number of different (185) agroforestry systems are popular among farmers in different agro-climatic regions (Solanki, 2006). Grewia optiva Drummond (Bhimal) is an important agroforestry tree species primarily grown for …

The Results Of Breeding Perennial Grasses: The Evaluation Of Developed Dactylis Glomerata Hybrids, Sarmite Rancane, P. Berzins, B. Jansone, Vija Stesele, I. Dzene, A. Jansons

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial grasses are high yielding, pest resistant and less demanding in terms of soil (Peeters, 2008), they are the most important source of roughage. Each species has certain valuable features that make it unique among others and which are desirable to be highlighted for ensuring high productivity, good forage quality, plasticity, strength of various stress conditions, as well as winter hardiness, which is particularly important characteristic of northern latitudes. It is the main task of breeders, as far as possible to combine all the aforesaid properties into one breed. In order to create such a universal variety the breeders of …

Forage Rye Cultivars For Animal Feed In Korea, Ouk-Kyu Han, Jong-Jin Hwang, Hyeong-Ho Park, Tae-Il Park, Ja-Hwan Ku, Young-Up Kwon, Soon-Jong Kwoen, Kwang-Geun Park

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rye (Secale cereal L.) is well known for its overwintering ability and has the highest tolerance to cold temperature of the small grain cereals such as wheat, barley, and oat. Rye is used as livestock pasture and as green manure in Korea, and its cultivation area for fodder is about 50,000 ha in 2014. Most rye is grown as a fall-sown annual crop, generally called “winter rye”. In Korea, rye cultivation for whole crop silage (WCS) in the winter-season rice field can be considered as a promising way to enhance feed supply. The WCS production can be an efficient …

Breeding Strategies For Improving Fodder Security In Semi-Arid Tropics (Sat), Vijay Kumar Yadav, P. Kaushal, P. K. Ghosh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Semi-Arid Tropic region extends in 55 countries of the world mostly developing nations which extend from Asia to Africa and provides home for 38 % of total poor of the world (Thornton et al., 2000). South Asia holds maximum areas under SAT which is followed by the countries from African continent and South America. The region is under tremendous change and facing acute problem of water, land degradation and soil health and loss of biodiversity. Demand for livestock product in the region is growing much more rapidly than the demand for food grains. Livestock numbers have increased significantly in all …