Soil Science Commons^™

Rhizoma Peanut: Perennial Warm-Season Forage Legume, G M. Prine

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rhizoma peanut is the common name given species in section Rhizomatosae of the genus Arachis. Florigraze rhizoma peanut (A. glabrata Benth.) has been released as a cultivar by the Florida agricultural experiment stations and the USDA Soil Conserva­tion Service. Florigraze is adapted to the well-drained soils of Florida and the warm humid tropics and subtropics around the world. Rhizoma peanuts are propagated by rhizomes, which in Florida are best planted during winter. The slowness of coverage during early establishment is the biggest shortcoming of rhizoma peanuts. If they are established first, rhizoma peanuts will grow well in mixture with bermudagrass …

Hedysarum Mongolicum Turcz.: An Important Protein Resource Legume On Dry Sandy Land, Li Min, A W. Hovin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In searching for plants that can both increase the protein production and improve the sandy-soil conservation of the grassland in the arid, windy regions of North China, so far, from among many native plants, we have identified Hedysarum mongolicum Turcz. as the best species to fulfill our dual purposes. We investigated its distribution, planted its native seeds in the Maowusu desert, and studied it under its native and cultivated growing conditions from 1957 to 1964. Chinese farmers call this perennial subbrush legume of the sweetvetcb genus "Yang Cai," meaning "sheep like to eat." It can thrive in the stable or …

Adaptation And Utilization Of Three Legume In China, Huang Wenhui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

China is a vast territory with extremely varied climates, soil, and topography, and it is very rich in pasture grass resources. The main legumes for forage are Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), yellow alfalfa (Medicago folcata L.) and shadawang (Astragalis adsurgent Pall.)

Preliminary Evaluation Of Legume Germ Plasm In The Cerrados Of Brazil, D Thomas, R P. De Andrade

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In 1978 an evaluation program was initiated to select legumes that (1) grow and produce seed on acid soils under aluminum and water stress, (2) persist under grazing, and (3) tolerate pests and diseases. The work is being conducted at the Cerrados Agricultural Research Center, near Brasilia, at lat 15°S and altitude 1,000 to 1, 100 m . Annual rainfall is 1,500 mm, mostly distributed in a 6-month wet season, and mean annual temperature is 21°C. Nine hundred legume accessions from thirteen genera have now been established as spaced plants on the 2 major soil types of the region. The …

Genetics And Utilization Of Apomixis For The Improvement Of Guineagrass (Panicum Maximum Jacq.), Y H. Savidan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Natural polymorphism in guineagrass (Panicum maximumjacq.) has been stabilized in tetraploid biotypes by apomixis. Sex­ual diploids were found in East African populations. Our objective was to determine whether apomixis could be related with a simple genetic background and manipulated in an improvement program. Apomicts of guineagrass are characterized by a 4-nucleate embryo sac structure, and this trait was used in genetical analyses to differentiate apomictic from sexual hybrids. Progeny tests were also conducted as controls. Ten different types of progenies were analyzed: tetraploid sexual (from colchicine treatment of diploids) x apomictic F1 hybrids; selfed and backcrossed progenies of sexual F1 …

Breeding Challenges In Apomictic Warm-Season Grasses, E C. Bashaw, P W. Voigt, B L. Burson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Efforts to breed apomictic grasses met with little success in the past, but results of more recent research show significant progress with some species and new prospects for improving apomicts. Early research uncovered the cytological basis for apospory and diplospory, found the common apomictic mechanisms in grasses, and showed that apomixis is transmitted from pannt to offspring. Discovery of sexual or partially sexual (facultative apomicts) plants in several species formerly considered obligate apomicts allowed for hybridization and genetic studies. Results of subsequent research confirmed inheritance of apomixis, and data from the more conclusive studies indicate that method of reproduction …

Evaluating Soil Health And Crop Yield In Louisiana Agricultural Systems: Impacts Of Best Management Practices And Prediction Models, Hector J. Mendoza Lagos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The adoption of conservation management practices is critical for improving soil health, enhancing nutrient use efficiency, and sustaining crop productivity in row crop systems in Louisiana. This study evaluated the role of conservation agronomic practices, soil biochemical indicators, and machine learning predictive models to improve soil nutrient dynamics, soil health indicators, microbial communities (MC), and crop productivity on a corn (Zea mays L.) research plot scale and in a commercial forty-hectare cotton (Gassypium hirsutum L.)-corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation system in northeast Louisiana. The objectives of the study were to evaluate soil nutrient dynamics and MCs under …

Lowland Tropical Forests Remain A Methane Sink Under Warming And Long-Term Hurricane Disturbance Recovery, Gabriele Larocca Conte, Lucia Zuvela, Rachel Cruz-Pérez, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Nibia Becerra-Santillan, Sophia F. Campbell, Hieu P. Chu, Trung Dam, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Miriam Kleit, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Debjani Sihi, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas, and tropical forests account for roughly one–third of global atmospheric CH₄ uptake by soils. Projected warming and more frequent hurricanes in these ecosystems may alter soil CH₄ sink strength, as warmer and wetter soils enhance methanogenesis activity. We measured soil CH₄ and CO₂ efflux during the calendar summer months of 2023 and 2024 alongside continuous records of soil moisture, soil and air temperature, and precipitation in an in–situ warming experiment (TRACE) located in a lowland tropical forest in Puerto Rico, six to seven years after Hurricanes Irma …

Urban Conflagrations: Structural Ash And Soil Metal(Loid) Contamination After California’S Eaton And Palisades Fires, S. Anselme Dossou, Leon Kelly, P. Louis Lu, Robin Jones, Oliver O'Donnell, Justin St. P. Walsh, Daniel D. Richter

Art Faculty Articles and Research

In the weeks after California’s Eaton-Palisades wildfires, structural ash of burned homes and soils from yards and curbsides were sampled for analysis of Pb, As, and eight metals from 32 burned residences. About six months after fires and after US Army Corps of Engineers’ Phase 2 cleanups removed 15 cm from structural ash footprints, 17 properties were resampled within about a meter of original sampling sites. Concentrations of metal(oid)s in structural ash and residential soils varied between and within properties with significant spatial and temporal patterns. Lead concentrations were highest in structural ash and soil of yards of select pre-1970s …

A Geotechnical Analysis Of Mid-Slope Soil Sample Pp-15 From The Palouse Prairie Restoration Project In Cheney, Wa, Basil Lund, Robin Roose, Chloe Jensen

2026 Symposium

The Palouse is an Inland Northwestern ecoregion with loess hills created by aeolian processes related to Pleistocene glacial events. Eastern Washington University’s Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore a 120-acre site located in Cheney, Washington. EWU is gradually seeding bunchgrasses and perennial forbs to increase biodiversity of the site, which will be used for educational and recreational purposes. The objective of this project was to determine to what extent the engineering properties of soil on the site varies along a slope. To determine if location on the slope affects soil properties on the site, we sampled and performed a geotechnical …

Fodder Maize Variety Trial: Broome 2021, Carla Milazzo, Samuel Crouch, Christopher Ham, Geoff Moore

Grain and other field crops research reports

• High yielding, highly digestible maize can be produced under irrigation on Pindan sands in northern Western Australia.
• Using high inputs, the biomass and digestibility of all trialled varieties equalled or exceeded varieties used in well-established maize growing regions of Australia.
• Eleven hybrid maize varieties were trialled near Broome. The average dry matter yield of all trialled varieties was 24t/ha at 10.5MJ/kg of dry matter.
• The impact of fall armyworm on yield was successfully reduced by using integrated pest management combining NPV virus (nucleopolyhedrovirus) with strategic insecticide applications.

Decomposition In Urban Forest Patches Across A New York-New Jersey Urbanization Gradient, Cailee Sprouse

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

"Urbanization causes habitat fragmentation, pollution, homogenization of soil profiles, and replacement of native flora and fauna, which can alter vital ecological processes like decomposition. It is essential to investigate the impacts urbanization may have on ecosystem functioning to better inform urban land management. Studies have shown conflicting results on the impacts of urbanization on soil decomposition rates, with some showing higher, lower, or similar decomposition rates in urban soils compared to rural soils. This study aims to investigate the effects of urbanization and soil characteristics on decomposition rates in three urban forest patches in New Jersey and New York using …

Soil Moisture Regime Effects On Near-Surface Soil Chemical Properties In Alfisols Under Native Tallgrass Prairie In Arkansas, Sydney M. Talley

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tallgrass prairie ecosystems provide many crucial ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling and storage, organism habitat, and soil and water conservation. However, tallgrass prairies are considered an endangered ecosystem, particularly in the Ozark Highlands and Grand Prairie regions of Arkansas, where less than 0.05% of Arkansas’ original prairie land area remains. Understanding soil nutrient supplies over time in native tallgrass prairie ecosystems is critical for quantifying the success of restoration and rehabilitation activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil moisture regime (SMR) (i.e., aquic and udic), region (i.e., Ozark Highlands and Grand Prairie), and their …

Grazed Pasture Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions In The Ozark Highlands, Tyler Buchanan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States (US), grazinglands serve as the main foundation for the livestock industry, and, in Arkansas specifically, pastures are essential for rotational grazing and dairy operations. Climate change is increasingly becoming a concern in the agriculture industry, largely caused by anthropogenic activities increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere, at least partly due to the nutrient recycling that occurs from animal manure additions in grazinglands. Therefore, quantifying GHG emissions from pastures is essential to better understanding the impacts of grazing on the environment. The objective of this study was to quantify and evaluate the potential effects of …

Sequential Products Of Anaerobic Denitrification In Calcareous And Noncalcareous Soils By Use Of The Gas Chromatograph, Grant S. Cooper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The sequential products of anaerobic denitrification were determined on seven Western soils (four alkaline, two acid, and one neutral) by soil and gas analysis. The soils with 1% alfalfa and added KNO3 were incubated at moistures slightly greater than field capacity and with an atmosphere of He. The soils and gases were periodically analyzed and balance sheets prepared. The sequence of NO3-->NO2-->N2O-->N2 operated in all soils. The rates of nitrogen interchanges and maximal amounts of nitrate, N2O2 and N2 were determined. From this data it was postulated that the rate-limiting process for denitrification in acid soils is …

Real-Wastewater-Derived-Struvite Effects On Micronutrients In Runoff Water, Lauren E. Pruitt

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient needed in agriculture for proper plant growth and development and is often introduced into agricultural systems in the form of synthetic P fertilizers. Mined rock phosphate is the primary P source for the production of synthetic P fertilizers and is a finite resource. Struvite (MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O) is a compound that can be precipitated from municipal wastewater, recovering P, and is currently being evaluated for its potential use as an alternative fertilizer-P source. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fertilizer-P source [i.e., synthetic electrochemically precipitated …

Impacts Of Climate-Smart Agriculture On Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Southeast Arkansas Cotton, Cassandra Seuferling

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing concerns of climate change have led to the evaluation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)] from agroecosystems, particularly cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production. Technology improvement and conservation agriculture methods [i.e., reduced-tillage (RT) instead of conventional tillage (CT) and the use of cover crops (CC)] require further evaluation regarding GHG emissions from Arkansas cotton production. The first objective of the study was to evaluate four gas-flux-determination methods [i.e., linear or exponential regression models, with negative fluxes (WNF) included in the dataset or replacing negative fluxes (RNF)] on CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes …

Warming Climate Amplifies Vapor Pressure Deficit Limits On Gross Primary Productivity, Shiqin Xu, Nate G. Mcdowell, Tim R. Mcvicar, Diego G. Miralles, Stephen Sitch, Pablo Sanchez-Martinez, Joshua B. Fisher, Pierre Friedlingstein, Hylke E. Beck, Matthew F. Mccabe

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Ongoing climate warming may profoundly impact terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), a key component of the global carbon cycle. However, uncertainty in the relative roles of atmospheric water demand (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) and root-zone soil moisture (SM) limits predictions of drought impacts on GPP. Here, we show that growing-season GPP was more strongly constrained by VPD than SM globally, based on observation-constrained model estimates, satellite retrievals and Dynamic Global Vegetation Model simulations. The importance of VPD increased with higher temperatures and more severe and prolonged droughts. This pattern reflects VPD’s critical role in regulating stomatal conductance and plant hydraulic …

Recent Wetland Elevation Dynamics In Coastal Louisiana, Usa, Elizabeth Harris

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marshes globally are increasingly vulnerable to accelerating relative sea-level rise (RSLR), which threatens their capacity to maintain elevation through feedbacks among sediment supply, vegetation productivity, hydrology, and soil processes. Although many marshes can persist under moderate rates of sea-level rise through vertical accretion and belowground biomass production, this resilience is strongly constrained by sediment availability and subsurface processes such as autocompaction and organic matter decomposition. High accretion is often assumed to confer marsh resilience; however, subsurface processes, particularly autocompaction driven by surface loading, can substantially offset elevation gains. Coastal Louisiana experiences among the highest rates of RSLR worldwide due …

Regional Drought Modulation By Enso And Iod As Indicated By The Standardized Precipitation Index, Arpit Tiwari, Preethi Nanjundan, Tanu Sharma, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Satyaban Bishoyi Ratna

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Understanding the modulation of drought by large-scale ocean–atmosphere teleconnections is crucial for strengthening drought prediction and resilience in India. This study investigates the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on meteorological drought characteristics across India from 1950 to 2024 using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at a 12-month timescale. Drought events were quantified in terms of frequency, duration, severity, and intensity and linked to ENSO–IOD variability through composite, correlation, and mediation analyses. Results reveal that El Niño events consistently correspond to widespread and severe droughts, particularly over central and southern India, with drought …

Ecovoltaic Solar Energy Development Creates Novel Microclimate, Temperature, And Soil Moisture Patterns Under Solar Panels In A Warm Desert, Juan Pinos, Seth M. Munson, Claire C. Karban, Matthew D. Petrie

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background As solar energy development expands in desert regions, new installation practices and solar technologies seek to balance ecosystem conservation and energy generation (ecovoltaics). The Gemini Solar Project, a large ecovoltaic facility located in the northeastern Mojave Desert, employed low impact installation methods to reduce disturbance of the desert ecosystem within arrays of bifacial panels mounted on solar tracking systems. We evaluated microclimate and environmental conditions across five locations: four within-facility microsites (underneath solar panels, east and west panel driplines, and interspaces between panel rows) and one in the undisturbed desert outside the facility. Results Under panel microsites experienced lower …

Enhancing Urban Garden Capacity By Linking Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function, Mary T. Nguyen, Carleen Rauh, Shelby Gresch, Charlotte Correiro, Heidi Elmendorf, Adriane Fugh-Berman, Gina Wimp, Alexandra L. Decandia

Virginia Journal of Science

Urban agriculture broadly describes food and plant cultivation in metropolitan areas. While biodiversity is thought to support ecosystem health and resilience, the relationship between above-ground and below-ground diversity has been understudied in urban green spaces. This study examines plant, animal, bacterial, and fungal diversity across three distinct urban habitats: a turf lawn, a forb garden, and a farming space. Using bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 sequencing, soil nutrient analyses, and surveys of vegetation and wildlife, we connect diverse philosophies in urban agriculture to their role in advancing community diversity and ecosystem function. We found that different urban gardens support …

Combatting Desertification Scientifically: Where Feasible, Where Necessary, Bojie Fu, Yanxu Liu, Shuai Wang, Yijia Wang, Guipeng Cui, Yue Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China has made remarkable achievements in combating desertification, achieving “zero net growth” in land degradation. With the goal of scientifically improving the relationship between humans and nature in drylands, the continuous exploration of new concepts, methods, and pathways for scientific desertification control will contribute to advancing the harmony between humans and nature in China’s drylands. Based on the definitions of desertification, ecological restoration baselines, and the contributions of nature to humans, we clarified the scientific implications of “controlling desertification where it is feasible and necessary”. We discussed the shift in China’s desertification prevention and control direction from “humans advancing while …

Biogeochemical Controls On Phosphorus Transport And Legacy Storage Across A Coastal Watershed, Lee Potter

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Excess phosphorus (P) loading is a key driver of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs) in aquatic systems worldwide. This relationship is of increasing concern in coastal Louisiana, where climate variability, altered hydrology, and land-use change converge, resulting in increased hydrologic and nutrient loading into coastal systems. This dissertation examines controls on P cycling in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin through a multi-scale framework linking estuarine processes, watershed loading, climate and weather patterns, and sediment dynamics. The dissertation begins with an overview of the study region, P dynamics, and changes in hydrology and nutrient loading patterns. Chapter 2 presents a spatial …

Environmental Impact Of Preventative Fire-Retardant Applications On Soil Water Chemistry, Patrick C. Michelsen

Master's Theses

Between 1992 and 2012, 84% of all documented wildfires were started by humans. These fires often start around high-risk locations such as power lines and roadsides where fuel loads are near these potential human-caused ignition sources. Point source ignition sites that are surrounded by shrubs or grasslands are especially important because fires that occur within these biomes are responsible for far more destruction of property than forest fires. One strategy that is effective at mitigating the spread of fires from ignition sites that are within grassland or shrub biomes are preventative fire-retardant products (PFRPs). These PFRPs differ from traditional fire-retardant …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2025, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Soil Re-Engineering In Western Australia, Part I: A Novel Approach For Rapid And Lasting Improvement Of Soil Physical And Chemical Properties, Gaus Azam, Chad Reynolds

Natural Resources Research Articles

Context

Soil acidity, high soil strength, and poor subsoil structure are major constraints to crop productivity in coarse-textured and texture-contrast soils of southern Australia. These interacting limitations restrict root growth, reduce access to subsoil water and nutrients, and constrain yield potential in water-limited environments. While deep tillage and surface liming have been used to address individual constraints, their benefits are often short-lived and insufficient to overcome multiple subsoil limitations simultaneously. Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of soil profile re-engineering on soil physical, chemical, and hydrological properties, and to determine the persistence of these changes …

To Hold Or Sell Breeding Cattle In The Rangelands, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

In a dry season where feed, water and finances are limited, removing less productive animals as soon as possible is a good option. This will free up feed for more productive animals and help preserve ground cover.

This page provides some of the information and a process for making decisions about holding or selling breeding cattle.

Deep Amelioration Of Compaction And Acidity Doubled The Water Use Efficiency Of Cereal Crops On A Sandy Soil In A Long-Term Experiment In A Water-Limited Environment, Gaus Azam, Md. Shahinur Rahman, Craig Scanlan, Md. Hasinur Rahman, Ross Gazey, E G. Barrett-Lennard, Kanch Wickramarachchi, Bob Nixon, Chris Gazey

Natural Resources Research Articles

The co-occurrence of subsoil compaction and acidity commonly decreases the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of agricultural crops around the world, yet the benefits of the complete amelioration of these constraints on yield and WUE remain unclear. We conducted a long-term field experiment in Western Australia (WA) to evaluate the effects of the complete removal of subsoil compaction and acidity through soil profile re-engineering — involving soil removal, replacement, and lime incorporation — on root architecture, yield, and WUE in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Treatments included an untreated control, and soil loosening to 0.45 …

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 …